doing him an honour which he could in no possible way deserve. Notwithstanding all his entreaties, however, the gallant Cartschugai was forced to mount the royal steed, and head the triumphal procession into Bagdad, the King, and all the other Chans, following him on foot at a distance of seven paces.

more, on condition that you keep your word." The Governor, transported with joy, fell at the feet of his sovereign to return him thanks. His conduct for more than a year was conformable to the wishes of the Czar, and he administered justice faithfully, but fancying at last that the monarch had long ceased from watching his conduct, he began to take presents again, and to 1073. Lost or Saved?" Christ commit acts of oppression and in- shall give thee light." These words justice. The Czar being informed were spoken to a young Christian of it, the judge was tried and found when very ill. She knew that she guilty; a message from the so- could not live, and her soul was vereign was sent to him, intimating very heavy because she could not that as he had not kept his word, see Jesus. Years before, the love the Prince was under the necessity of Christ had constrained her to of keeping his; and the corrupt follow Him. She had obeyed His judge was accordingly hanged. call and rejoiced in it. But now in 1071. Family Altar.-A little the hour of sickness her peace was Mists and clouds blotted girl had committed a fault for gone. which she was punished. Just be-out the bright view of the many fore family prayers she came and mansions to which she could once asked her mother if she might stay in the room. "Why do you ask?" said the mother. "As I told a story," replied the child, "I was afraid I should not be allowed to hear the Bible read."

1072. General Honoured.-The city of Bagdad having been relieved, by a glorious victory achieved by Cartschugai Chan, from the presence of a vast army of Turks, which had been laying siege to it for upwards of six months, Shah Abbas, the Persian King, hastened forth to do honour to the victorious General who had saved him and his empire from threatened ruin. The King, on approaching the General, alighted from his horse. "My dearest Aga," said he, "I have by thy means and conduct obtained so noble a victory, that I could not have desired a greater; come, get upon my horse, for it is but right that to thee the first honour should this day belong." Cartschugai, overwhelmed by such unexampled condescension, cast himself at his sovereign's feet, entreated his Majesty to look on him as his slave, and not to expose him to the derision of all the world, by

He among

friends talked to her of an allread her title clear. In vain her sufficient Saviour. She dwelt upon her unworthiness and the multitude of her sins. There were some to whom she had said, "Come thou with us and we will do thee good," who had left their old ways and were now treading the narrow way; in vain these said, "You brought us to Jesus, you have served Him earnestly, and now will you doubt His love and power? " At length a venerable clergyman came to visit her. many others had long taken knowledge of this doubting disciple, that she "had been with Jesus." He said, "How is it that I find you thus distressed, when the hope of eternal life is yours, because all things are yours through Christ?" "I once thought that these blessings were mine," she replied; "it was a dreadful mistake; my sins have not been forgiven, I cannot endure the wrath of God; I am lost!" "Where is your Bible?" said the clergyman. She removed the well-worn book from under her pillow, saying, "It is here." "Why do you keep it there? do you love your Bible so much?"

"Yes,"

he had been before of every vice. "This," said he, "is the man that came under my care, proud, outrageous, and dissipated; behold, I restore him again to the community, humble, gentle, regular, and altogether fit to do the republic service.'

replied the dying girl, "it is my great comfort, I read nothing else -I must keep my Bible near me." "My dear young friend, do you think you are going to be lost while you love your Bible so? It is one of the marks of God's children that they feed on His Word, and 1075. Old Man Admonished.-A nothing else will satisfy them. little Sunday-school girl, between You know your Bible well; have you forgotten the Saviour's words visit at her grandfather's, who was five and six years old, being on a which you must often have read, in a declining state of health, the 'My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;"I think you are very ill, grandfollowing conversation took place: and I give unto them eternal life, father." and they shall never perish, neither the grandfather, "I am very ill." "Yes, my dear," replied shall any pluck them out of My "Where do you expect to go when hand? Your salvation, you see, does not depend on yourself, but he rejoined. "I hope you will," "To heaven, I hope,” you die ?" on what Jesus has already done for said the little one, "but if you do, you. Will you, while recalling His gracious promises, be misled you must leave off swearing and by the doubts cast before you by saying bad words; if you don't, the tempter, and will you disbe- you will go to a bad place and there be tormented with wicked lieve the promises of Christ ? ' and miserable creatures; but if you The dying girl listened; the pas- go to heaven, you will be happy tor's message by God's blessing with God and Christ for ever. But went to her heart, and the darkness fled away. She saw that she had you must pray and keep on praying, and if you awake in the been looking within, where all was Grandsin, for her hope. Now she looked father, do you ever pray?" This night you must pray. again to Jesus, by the power of the last question, put with all the honHoly Spirit, and feared no more. est simplicity of infancy, touched the old man's heart and dissolved 1074. Noble Spirit.-The Spar-him in tears. Nothing could have tan reformer and legislator, Ly-been more pointed and seasonable; curgus, through whose wise in- and it was believed that a lasting stitutions the Spartan republic so impression was made on his mind. long flourished, had an eye beat out in a sedition which was raised against him on account of the severity of his laws. When the tumult was appeased, the man who had given him the blow was brought to him a prisoner, in order that he might inflict upon him such punishment as he should think proper. But Lycurgus, instead of doing the fellow the least injury, took him into his family, and made him one of his disciples in the rules of virtue and good morality. Having kept him thus for about a year, he brought him publicly into the assembly of the people, and exhibited him for an example of as much virtue then as

1076. Perversity Punished. The philanthropist Howard, finding in travelling that the coachmen would seldom comply with his wishes, hit upon an expedient to cure them. At the end of a stage, when the driver had been perverse, he desired the landlord to send for some poor industrious widow or other proper object of charity, and to introduce such person and the driver together. He then paid the latter his fare, and told him that as he had not thought proper to attend to his repeated requests as to the manner of being driven, he should not make him any present; but to show him that he did not withhold

less too well informed respecting me not to know that I never speak of politics, either in my inn or anywhere else." Notwithstanding this, the angry King continued for some time to address the prisoner with vehemence, till at last his curiosity gained the ascendency. "Well," he cried, "name nobody;

it out of a principle of parsimony, he would give the poor person present double the sum usually given to a postillion. This he did, and dismissed the parties. He had not long practised this mode, he said, before he experienced the good effects of it on all the roads where he was known. 1077. Present Time Precious.- you shall be liberated as soon as ,,you tell me by what means you "Important things to-morrow.' So said a distinguished individual have succeeded in knowing the against whose life a plot was laid. most hidden of my secrets." "I But one of the confederates, reknow them all, your Majesty, from On such and such lenting, sent a notice of the plot, yourself alone. by a messenger, who had particular instructions to deliver it personally, and to state that the letter must be read immediately, as it was on a very important matter. The messenger, however, found the person against whose life the plot was laid in the midst of a feast. The letter and message were both faithfully delivered, but the man of mirth and wine laid it aside, saying, "Important things to-morrow! The morrow he never saw, for that night the assassin plunged the deadly weapon into his heart.

a day you made such and such news known at Berlin; not long after this, such and such articles were in the Nürnberg papers; and a little before or after that, I read in the Frankfort and Vienna

journals this and that article. Now, as your Majesty is not accustomed to do anything in vain, and you always reason very justly, I have attempted to follow the course of your ideas; and the result was, that your Majesty must necessarily have formed the plan which I had sketched out." "Alas!" cried the astonished monarch; "and you, 1078. Sagacious Spy.-A pri- poor sufferer, how is it possible soner was one day brought, by order that your wise nobles do not know of Frederick the Second of Prussia, how to make more use of you?" from Berlin to Potsdam, and con- (To the guard, in German," Unducted directly into his cabinet. bind him, and go your way.") "Of "Do you know these three letters?" what country are you?" "Of the said the King to him, with a stern country of poor Homer, of Cephalook. "Yes, your Majesty." "Who lonia." "I immediately take you wrote them ?" "I." To whom into my service, and create you were they addressed ?" "To the a Count; and as soon as you receive Doge of Venice, my august master." your discharge from the Doge, you "You then acknowledge yourself to be a spy? You shall be hanged." "Your Majesty, I am no spy, and I cannot acknowledge myself any. thing which I am not." "You must either die, or tell me which of my Ministers acquainted you with the secrets of my Cabinet. Take your choice!" "I am acquainted with no person whatever, either in Ber1079. Sceptic's Testimony.lin or Potsdam; nobody in all your Lord Bolingbroke, a man of giant Majesty's dominions, except the intellect, of great political influence landlord with whom I live. As during his life, but an avowed inyour Majesty had me arrested and fidel, declares that "the doctrine brought before you, you are doubt-of rewards and punishments in a

shall go to St. Petersburg as my ambassador. Till that time, we shall speak on literary subjects." Who does not know that Frederick the Great did almost nothing in vain? Count Lusi lived from this time as ambassador twenty years at St. Petersburg.

Oh, mercy,

future state has so great a ten- a sinner I have been. dency to enforce the civil laws and mercy! Do you think I shall die? restrain the vices of men, that Why should I expect to live? Can though Reason would decide against you give me no hope of recovering? it on the principles of theology, she No, none, none! O God, have will not decide against it on the mercy upon my unhappy soul !' principles of good policy." Again There is mercy,' I said, even he says: "No religion ever ap- for the vilest sinner, and there is peared in the world whose natural no sin beyond the infinite mercy tendency was so much directed to of God. Do you know that Jesus, promote the peace and happiness the Son of God, the Redeemer of of mankind as the Christian. The the world, is the friend of sinners? Gospel of Christ is one continual He seeks and saves them who are lesson of the strictest morality, of lost. "Him that cometh to Me justice, benevolence, and universal I will in no wise cast out." While charity. Supposing Christianity to be a human invention, it is the most amiable and successful invention that ever was imposed on mankind for their good."

I was speaking, he gazed on me with an expression of much anxiety. Stretching out his hand he exclaimed, 'Do not attempt to make me better than I am. How can I go to the Saviour? Oh, if I could but believe that God would forgive me!' And here the agitation of his mind became so great that he could not listen to my answer.

After

I never

1080. Terrors of the Wicked."Some years ago," says a clergyman, "I was hastily summoned to attend a young man, about twenty-three years of age, who had attempted a time I resumed the conversation; to rush into the presence of his but the dark cloud of his sins rose Creator by committing suicide. It continually before him, and his was Charles B-, a young man mental torture was most sad to likely to attract and win the love witness. After earnestly exhorting of his friends. I went to see him. him to repentance towards God, and After some time spent in silence, faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, I I perceived that his countenance proposed prayer. 'You may pray, was changing, that it was losing he said, but I cannot. God will its appearance of despair, and as- never hear my prayers; no, He suming a look of deep and intense will not listen to me now. anguish. He became restless and prayed to Him in health, and how agitated, hid his face, and in a can I think He will hearken to mournful but distinct voice mur- me now?' I knelt down, and mured, 'The Lord have mercy prayed anxiously and deeply for upon my soul.' When I heard him him. Night drew on, and I was speak in such a tone of anxiety, compelled to leave him in the care I replied that, 'prayer is surely of an attendant. On the following heard if it be sincere. I am as sure morning I returned to him. as that the Word of God is true, had passed a distressing night, and that if you seek His mercy, through death was upon his countenance. faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, your He stretched out his hand as I enprayer will be heard.' 'My prayer tered the room, and smiled faintly. heard! Oh no, there is no mercy Oh, you are welcome; you will for me!' 'My friend,' I said, not leave me now.' Tell me, my the mercy of God would be no friend,' said I, 'how you feel.' mercy at all, if it were not exten- I have hope; my hope is in ded to sinners. God has no plea- Christ; but,' after a short pause, sure in the death of a sinner.' HeI should like to recover.' 'Are no longer struggled to repress his you afraid to die ?' No, but had feelings. With deep earnestness, I seen the awful nature of the he said, 'You do not know what change which passes on the un

He

godly at death in the light I do do yourself, and perhaps He can now, it would have been impos- observe that a longer life might sible for me to have lifted my hand neither promote His own glory nor against myself.' After another enhance your eternal peace. To pause, he said, 'Still I should like submit in silence and without to live. When I think how my murmuring, is a lesson which He short, worthless life has been spent requires His people to learn.' A in the service of the devil, and that distressing hiccough, accompanied I have never given even one mo- by occasional delirium, now atment of it to God, I should like tacked him, but at every lucid to recover, in order to show the interval he asked to have the sincerity of my repentance, and Scriptures read to him. But these my love to my Redeemer.' 'Well, intervals became less and less fremy friend,' I replied, we must quent, and at last seemed to have leave these things entirely in the quite departed. Long I watched hands of the Lord; we cannot al- beside him, listening to his incoways understand His ways, and we herent words, or gazing on his should ever remember that "secret pallid, agonized face, till at length things belong unto the Lord." He he sank back on his pillow in a knows your heart better than you stupor,from which he never awoke."

us."

RICHES AND POWER.

Prov. xiii. 7, 11; Matthew vi. 19, xvi. 26; Mark x. 24; 1 Tim. vi. 17-19. Psalm lxii. 11; 1 Cor. ii. 5.

1081. Ambition never Satisfied.-year 1762, had amassed an immense Cineas, when dissuading Pyrrhus fortune by grinding the faces of the from undertaking a war against poor, and by every means, however the Romans, said, "When you base and cruel, that could increase have conquered them, what will his ill-gotten store. This man was you do next?" "Then Sicily is ordered by the government to adnear at hand, and easy to master." vance a considerable sum of money, "And what when you have con- but excused himself from comquered Sicily?" "Then we will plying with the order on the plea pass over to Africa, and take Car- of poverty. Fearing, however, thage, which cannot long withstand that some of the inhabitants of the "When these are conquered, province, among whom he was what will be your next attempt ?" very unpopular, would give infor"Then," said Pyrrhus, "we will mation to the contrary, and his fall in upon Greece and Macedon, house be in consequence searched, and recover what we have lost he determined to hide his money 'Well, when all are sub- in a way which might elude exdued, what fruit do you expect amination. He dug in his winefrom all your victories ?"" Then," cellar a cave large and deep, into said he, 66 we will sit down and which he descended by a ladder; enjoy ourselves." "But," replied on the door of the cellar was a Cineas, "may we not do this now? spring lock, which, on shutting the Have you not already a kingdom door, would fasten itself. Soon of your own? And he that cannot after this M. Fosque disappeared, enjoy himself with a kingdom, Diligent search was made for him; cannot with the whole world." the ponds were dragged, and every imaginable method taken to find him, but in vain. A few months after the house was sold, and the workmen, beginning to repair it,

there." 66

1082. Avarice Punished.-M. Fosque, one of the farmers-general of the province of Languedoc in the