I hardly dared to turn back, but she called again. I went in slowly. 66 Why, Sarah, what is the matter with you? you look quite pale. What did you throw that piece of print into the window for ?", "I stole it," said I, desperately, expecting that she would look horrified, and tell me never to come into her house any more, that she could not have such a wicked girl play with her dear little Lizzie. She put down her work, laid hold of my hand, drew me towards her, and said, pityingly, My poor child.” I had not shed a tear all the day, but my head felt as if it would split, and my throat ached. Those three words opened the flood-gates of my poor little heart; I leaned my head on her bosom, and burst into tears. 66 Sarah, dear," she said, as she held me close to her, "tell me all about it." I did tell her, and my heart grew lighter and lighter. When I had finished, she said, "I am sure I need not say a word to add to your sorrow; you have suffered enough to-day, and I do not think you will ever be tempted to be dishonest again. Take some of these pieces of calico and put them in your patch-work, and whenever you see them remember this day." My children sleep under the quilt now, and it is an unfailing monitor. A MOTHER. THOU SHALT NOT STEAL. "It is a sin to steal a pin, And how much more a bigger thing ?” LIFE UNCERTAIN. "In the midst of life we are in death." WHAT a solemn thought! Yet it is true we; my dear readers, cannot tell what a day or even an hour may bring forth. This I have had painfully to prove of late. The 21st of May last my dear father appeared in his usual health; in the afternoon of that day he left home for the purpose of accompanying a friend a little way on a journey, but had not left home long before we were sent for to the place where he was, when, to our great grief and astonishment, we found that death had already done its office. Our friend told us that our father did not speak after he fell, but seemed to be gone in a moment; so that we cannot speak of his death as being a triumphant one, or say that by his last words we know that he is now in glory. Yet the Lord has not left us without hope, for we can look back upon his life and say we believe he was a real Christian, we believe he lived the life of the righteous. Then, though his death was sudden, both to him and to us, it must have been the death of the righteous; and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints," whether sudden or lingering; and though painful to us, yet at times we are enabled to say, "It is the Lord, let Him do what seemeth Him good." 66 "It is the Lord, enthroned in light, Who has an undisputed right, "It is the Lord, should I distrust, Who cannot do but what is just, 66 "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." But should we pass over such things in silence, carelessly and thoughtlessly give them up, and say, "It is all over now, and it is no use to trouble ourselves about it?" Oh, no. What saith the Scriptures? 'Therefore ”—(that is, seeing that such is the case -seeing that the Lord will work, and none shall let or hinder Him-seeing that He is continually separating flesh from spirit, continually cutting down one on the left hand and another on the right, plunging some into a world of sorrows, and taking others into His blissful presence),-"Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." Oh, my dear readers, how essential it is to be ready for the day of death and the coming of Jesus. "The storm of death draws on apace And who can say how nigh ?" Many have a desire, with Balaam, to die the death of the righteous, and that their last end might be like theirs, but have no desire to live the life of the righteous. Paul said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." This is more than many can say, and more than many wish to say; for though they would that death should prove gain to them, they desire also to live on in sin and wickedness, and then prepare for death a few minutes before it comes. I once heard of a man who said he had put all things in order, and done everything that concerned the body, so that he had nothing now to do but to prepare for the next world, and that he could do in five minutes. He thought little of it-thought it a trifling work which he himself could do, and that in a little time, and so put it off hour after hour and day after day, and it is to be feared that that five minutes' work was never done. Oh, what a solemn thought! But this is not the case of one only, but of thousands. Reader, is it your case? If so, may the Lord in mercy quicken you into life, and make you cry with the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner." The Son of Man is said to be as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work. The Son of Man, or the Son of God, hath left His house-His professing Church in the world-that great house that has in it vessels of gold and of silver, and also of wood and of earth, and some to honour and some to dishonour (2 Tim. ii. 20)—and hath taken a far journey, even into heaven itself, and He gave to every man his work. Every man who professes the name of Jesus has a work to do; every trueborn child of God has a work given him to do; each has in a greater or less measure a work of faith and labour of love to accomplish, and a warfare continually going on between the flesh and the spirit; but their Lord is with them, and it is He that worketh in them both to will and to do of His own good pleasure; neither will he lay upon them more than they are able to bear, for He is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. It is said He gave authority to His servants. Authority for what? To give meat in due season; to give a portion to seven and also to eight; to separate the precious from the vile, and so to be as God's mouth; and "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That He shall make him ruler over all His goods." "Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." And if any of his professed servants say in their hearts, "My Lord delayeth His coming, and shall begin to smite their fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, the Lord of those servants shall come in a day when they look not for Him, and in an hour that they are not aware of, and shall cut them asunder, and appoint them their portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." "Therefore what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." And may the Lord appear for us, and enable each one who professes to belong to the Lord's household so to live as not to be afraid of dying, nor of the return of Jesus; that whether we live or die we might be the Lord's. "The Lord in mercy and in love But, ah! how solemn 'tis to tell, While he was walking with a friend, My father then resigned his breath, But we have hope that's strongly built, |