EXTREMES TRY MEN. SHIPS in docks are ships in safety. It is the ship in the storm that is the tested ship; and just so it is with human beings. When health is good, and danger far away, men can afford to be brave and bold; but when time seems up, the last sands falling, and death staring the sinner in the face, it is then he feels his want and shows his weakness. It is then, too, that the man who knows in "whom he has believed," and who is ready for both worlds, exhibits the advantages of his situation, exemplifying the excellence of religion, and the preciousness of the peace of God keeping the heart and mind. The facts of history, to men whose eyes are in their head, supply innumerable examples. Here is a case: On board an East Indiaman was a pious boatswain, whom, on this account, the crew looked upon as a strange man. The ship was overtaken with a storm 80 dreadful, that, after every effort to preserve life, the captain said, "All that could be done had been done: it was impossible the vessel could weather it." The ship seemed sinking; the captain withdrew into the cabin; the men were, some on their knees, and others with horror hanging on parts of the rigging. The boatswain had been very active, and apparently unalarmed, during the whole of the gale. At this moment, when a heavy sea struck the ship, and seemed as if it would instantly sink her, looking up with a smile, he exclaimed, "Blessed be God! all is right," and began to sing. The storm afterwards abated, and the vessel was saved. Thus, amid the storms of life, on the dark ocean of death, and amidst the terrors of the judgment-day, the Christian may still smile, and exultingly exclaim, "Blessed be God! all is right." Poetry. THE LAPSE OF TIME. The sober age of manhood on! As idly might I weep at noon, To see the blush of morning gone. Could I give up the hopes that glow In prospect, like Elysian isles; And let the charming future go, With all her promises and smiles? The future!-cruel were the power Whose doom would tear thee from my heart. Thou sweetener of the present hour! We cannot-no, we will not part. Oh! leave me still the rapid flight That makes the changing seasons gay, The grateful speed that brings the night, The swift and glad return of day; The months that touch, with added grace, This little prattler at my knee, In whose arch eye and speaking face New meaning every hour I see; The years that o'er each sister land Shall lift the country of my birth, And nurse her strength, till she shall stand The pride and pattern of the earth; Till younger commonwealths, for aid, Shall cling about her ample robe, And from her frown shall shrink afraid The crown'd oppressors of the globe. True, time will seam and blanch my brow; Well, I shall sit with aged men, And my good glass will tell me how A grizzly beard becomes me then. And then should no dishonour lie Upon my head, when I am gray, Love yet shall watch my fading eye, And smooth the path of my decay. The Children's Gallery. THE CHILD OF MANY PRAYERS. THE Word of God declares "the prayer of a righteous man availeth much:" this has been fully verified in the following short sketch of the happy death of a child of many prayers. She was Jane, the daughter of Joseph and Ann Wilkinson, pious parents, residing at Welby, a small village in the county of Lincoln. There had been much anxious solicitude on their part for the spiritual birth of their first-born. She was a lovely little flower-the pride and rejoicing of the family at large. When an infant, the writer had often nursed her. For a few years he lost sight of her, owing to his removal into Norfolk. The providence of God led her from the parental roof; she entered upon the world one grown to the perfect stature of womanhood. Many were the sighs and many the tears of her fond parents, whose bowels yearned for the conversion of their child. Being blessed with a pious training, the seeds of eternal life were gendering in her soul, but the springing blade was not seen to human eye. She knew the plan of salvation, but failed to embrace Christ. Some few months ago, her parents were mourning the prospect of her removal, perhaps to be cast upon the ocean of life, where she might be exposed to more storms and dangers, and were led to say, "Where is our child to be placed in the coming year?" little thinking it was to be in heaven, amongst the ranks of the blessed, who had come out of "much tribulation," and "washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." In the month of May last the good providence of God led her to reside at Lynn, under the care of her uncle and aunt. She then appeared to settle herself down into quietude, and had the privilege of sitting under the ministry of the Rev. R. Hamilton, Independent minister, whose preaching she much en between her and the adversary of souls; but by the blessing of God she was victorious, and with extended arms exclaimed, "Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief." Her uncle then prayed with her, when she heartily responded to every sentence uttered. She con joyed, and which doubtless was blessed to her edification. She was much taken with Jefferson's work on the "Millennium," and read it with great avidity. She was brought into contact with pious friends, who were prompted to give her much encouraging advice, and was led to attach herself to the Sabbath-quered; the enemy fled; and she found school. She was much encouraged on peace to her soul, and was ready to her taking her first class, in the little live or die, as might seem good to the ones earnestly inviting her to visit Lord. them again. God appeared to be working with her and for her. But "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." On Monday, the 20th of August, the messenger of death visited her, and seemed to say, "Thou shalt die, and not live." She was seized in the evening of that day with acute pain. Medical aid was instantly procured. Disease baffled the skill of man, and on the Wednesday evening we began to see the tide of life ebbing. She was frequently led to express deep sorrow for sin; this increased to the height of despair, when she would say, "I shall be lost." She expressed great desire to see her uncle, to pray for her. Her uncle entered the room, and found her much excited. She exclaimed, "My dear uncle, pray for me; I shall be lost!" He replied, "My dear girl, don't say so. Do you doubt the sufficiency of God? Do you despair of the mercy of Christ? He has pardoned greater sinners than you." He then referred her to the thief on the cross, to Saul of Tarsus, &c. She exclaimed, "Oh! I have been such a sinner. I have been undutiful to my dear mother. The Bible says, Honour thy father and mother.'" He endeavoured to 800the her, and lead her to Christ. There was a mighty conflict going on ན་ On Friday evening there was much tossing to and fro. The monster Death had struck his blow; the spirit was struggling to be freed from the tenement of clay. She had entered upon the dark valley of death. The evening of life had arrived, and then she offered up her evening sacrifice, which was "a broken and contrite heart," which God hath said he "will not despise." Her language in prayer was sublime; she breathed the atmosphere of heaven. She said, "How thankful we ought to be for such a Mediator, or how could we go to our offended God ?" After speaking in this strain for some time, she concluded, "Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." She repeated the hymn in which are the words, "Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to thy cross I cling." Her aunt said, "My dear, you know no one ever perished there." She, with great emphasis, exclaimed, "No." Her uncle told her she would soon be with Christ, and directed her to that passage, "Whether I live, I live unto the Lord." She caught the words, and continued, "Whether I die, I die unto the Lord." These, I think, were her last words; and at ten minutes past two, on Saturday morning, her spirit took its flight into the hands of Him who gave it, in the nineteenth year of her age. The Cabinet. NAAMAN, THE SYRIAN. NAAMAN was an officer in the Syrian army, and a great favourite with the king, because by him it had pleased God to give victory to the Syrians: he was also a man of extraordinary valour; but he was afflicted with a most distressing disease, called leprosy. The Syrians had many wars with the Israelites, and in these wars captives were taken; and it happened that the Syrians had taken captive out of Israel a girl, whom the wife of Naaman took to be her waiting-maid. This girl had often heard in her own country of the wonderful things that were done by means of the faith and fervent prayers of the Prophet Elisha; and, on observing the afflicted state of her master, she one day ventured to say to her m. tress, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria, for he would recover him of his leprosy." It was told Naaman what this little girl had said, and through him, or some one else, it soon came to the ears of the king, who instantly planned for Naaman's going to Samaria, and said he would write a letter to the king of Israel. So a letter was written for Naaman to take with him; a splendid present was also prepared, but the king of Syria's letter and splendid present were intended not for the prophet in Samaria, but for the king; and, accordingly, Naaman took them to him. The king, on opening the letter, read to this effect: that the king of Syria had sent his servant Naaman, that he might cure him of his leprosy. We might imagine that, on reading this letter, the king of Israel would say to the officer who brought it, "I cannot cure you; but there is a prophet in Samaria, a man of faith and prayer, through whom God has been pleased to raise the very dead to life: I will send you to him." But, no; it does not appear that the king once thought of Elisha. Instead of this, when he had read the letter, he rent his clothes, as if some grievous calamity had befallen him, and said the king of Syria sought a quarrel against him, by asking him to perform an impossibility. When Elisha heard what he had done, he sent a messenger to say to him, "Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Send Naaman to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman, on being informed what Elisha had said, immediately went, and, with his horses and his chariot, stood at the door of Elisha. But Elisha, instead of coming out to meet him, or even to see him, simply sent his servant to say to Naaman, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." Now Naaman was very angry when he received this message from Elisha. He had expected a pompous display he could not associate the idea of a cure with the simple words, "Wash, and be clean." "I thought," said he, "he will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and stroke his hand over the place, and recover the leper." In this way, perhaps, the idolatrous priests of his country would have done; and this he could have understood: but what was bathing to do for him? Had he not often bathed, and in better rivers than the Jordan? If bathing was to be of any use, why was he not told to wash in the rivers of Damascus? Were they not better than all the waters of Israel? Thus did he treat with contempt the words of Elisha; and, instead of going to the river Jordan, he proudly turned his chariot, and went away; did not even stay to thank Elisha, but departed in a rage. : As he drove away, and after his anger had a little time to cool, his servants, who, on this occasion, were much wiser than their master, ventured to remonstrate. One of them very respectfully said to him, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldst thou not have done it? How much rather, then, when he said to thee, Wash, and be clean!" There was no painful operation to pass through. The method prescribed by the prophet would cost him nothing he had come a great way; it would do no harm to try; and there would be time enough to be angry when the prescription failed. This was very excellent reasoning, and Naaman felt the force of it. He therefore turned his course, and went down into the Jordan and bathed, as the prophet had directed, seven times. When he came up out of the water, his body, which before was filled with disease, was perfectly healed. The mass of his blood and fluids were purified, and his skin was fair and smooth like that of a little child. What a wonderful cure! This case may teach us never to neglect any direction from God, even though we can see no reason why he should give it. Naaman could not see the reason why he should be sent to Jordan. Cold water did not usually benefit a person who had the leprosy, but rather injured him. He could not tell why the prophet told him to bathe seven times. He might have gone down four or five times, and come up, and then have examined his flesh to see if there was any improvement. But seeing none, he might have said, It is of no service. If these waters were likely to heal me, there would be some change by this time. Now, I suppose if Naaman had gone down six times, and then had gone no more, he would have returned home a leper as bad as he came. He went seven times, and was healed. This should teach us to do just as God commands, whether we see the reason for the command or not. There are some persons who say, "It is of no use to pray for anything, because God knows what we need before we ask him just as well as he does afterward." Now, we may reply to those persons, that God could have cured Naaman just as well without washing in the Jordan as with; but he did not, and would not. Neither will he give us those blessings, without prayer, which he has promised only in answer to prayer. We may also learn from the means employed to heal Naaman, |