For the Utica Christian Magazine.

A MODERN LAZARUS.

THE Rev. John Newton, in one of his letters, says, "A poor old man or woman, in a parish work-house, if faithful in their profession, and submissive to their lot, who rejoice to hear of the great minister's success, and pray for him, .may be equally great in the sight of the Lord, who seeth not as man seeth, and accepteth, not according to what his people actually do for him, but according to what they would do, if they could. I suppose, when Lazarus died, no train of coaches attended his funeral, he had probably no funeral oration, no sumptuous monument; but he had an attendant guard of angels, and is represented to our conceptions as obtaining a chief seat in the kingdom, even in the bosom of Abraham. And what is said of him, Luke 16, will embalm and honor his memory to all succeeding generations.”

I have sometimes thought, that too great a share, in the biographical department of periodical publications, is given to men of great talents and eminent stations. Their history, indeed, is worthy of remembrance, and affords a pleasing source of improvement. But many people are not ministers and great men, nor do they expect to be; and, as they take it for granted, that such examples are above their imitation, they do not even aim at the same degree of excellence.

The story, which I am about to relate. is not attended with this difficulty; and it is hoped, that no person may be in a situation so low, as to feel, that this is a pattern too high for his imitation.

Not more than fifty miles from the city of Albany, and in an obscure village, there died a few years since a poor man, whom I shall venture to name Lazarus. He was, by employment a basket-maker; and from his earliest days had walked in the low and solitary vale of humiliation, unnoticed by the world, and attended by a companion, whose mind, formed for his, and whose aims, in unison with his, were directed to that country which is above, the heavenly Jerusalemthe city of the living God."

Under the blessing of God, they had always supported themselves by their industry, though they never possessed any great share even of the necessaries of life.

When I first became acquainted with them, they lived in a very mean cottage, and supported themselves with some degree of comfort, though they were about seventy years of age. Lazarus worked at his baskets and his wife in her loom. What was wanting in the comforts of life was supplied by

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their mutual friendship, their united and humble dependance on God, and their unfeigned gratitude for his mercies. Many times, when present at their coarse and frugal meals, I have felt myself, and the world reproved for ingratitude, while I heard him so frequently acknowledge the goodness of God in feeding them so comfortably. I am confident that they were not less grateful over a crust of brown bread, than many, who daily feed on the flesh of a stalled ox.

Their children, not being in affluent, nor some of them even in comfortable circumstances, were unable to afford them any prospect of support, in the decline, and under the infirmities of life. So that, even before decrepid old age, they had the prospect of being reduced to want, and of becoming the objects of charity. What their feelings were, in view of this prospect, I am unable to say, as I never heard them mention it; but, from their general character, I have reason to believe, that, while it was a source of anxiety at times, it caused them, generally, to look up to their heavenly Father, and expect their bread from him, who feedeth the ravens and provideth for the sparrows.

It can do them no harm, and may be useful to others, to remark, that they had but a moderate share of economy, which was a disadvantage to themselves and their children. And further, till toward the close of life, they belonged to different denominations of christians. This was a trial to both : for while they were united in heart and in the great doctrines of grace; while they were travelling the same road and drawing near to the same home; while they could unite in reading and hearing the word, and in praying, they could not eat together at their master's table !—the woman was a baptist. It is probable that their difference in sentiment, tho' it produced as little variance between them as between any in similar circumstances, was an occasion of neglecting their children. For when parents are not agreed in giving instruction and exercising authority, their children often disregard the former and despise the latter. Several years, however, before their removal to their heavenly home, they were agreed, and seemed to walk in perfect harmony.

They were remarkable for honesty. Though they were very poor and needed all that they could earn, they were most scrupulously exact to render to every one his due. At a certain time Lazarus came to one of his neighbors with great concern because he had neglected to speak to him about a small quantity of provision that he had obtained of him; though his neighbor did not design to receive any pay, and he himself had voluntarily done several things for bis neighbor, of equal or greater value.

Their attention to public worship and the means of grace was almost proverbial. They owned no horse, nor any kind of carriage; consequently they always went on foot, unless favored with a ride by the neighbors. Yet when they were in health and the roads not impassable, they were as much expected in their place as the minister in his. Very often were they in the house of God, and there in season, when other professors, favored both with horses and carriages, were hindered by the storm. Their hearts were always there, and their apparel was not too good to be exposed to the storm. In pleasant weather I have seen them several miles from home at a religious conference. And, scores of times, to speak within bounds, have I seen the glimmer of their lantern, directing their way thro' the darkness of night, from their habitation to the place of conference and prayer, and passing by the houses of many, who were much nearer and younger than themselves, and yet could not venture Often have I thought that their lantern would rise up in the judgment against many, who will lose their souls, tho now full of excuses for neglecting the social worship of God.

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As they advanced in years and infirmities, they began to be straitened, and to realize the approach of empty-handed and relentless want. With difficulty could the industrious old man go into the woods to procure the timber, which was needful for his work. After he had procured it his strength was hardly sufficient to prepare it for making baskets. And when they were made, he could not, without much difficulty, go abroad to dispose of them. He was troubled also with a kind of lethargic fits, which, with other infirmities, so enfeebled him, that he was obliged to relinquish his trade, and employ all the strength that remained in cultivating a little garden, and winding quills for his wife. Even this small pittance of strength, in process of time, failed entirely, and he became altogether unable to do any thing for his support.

While their infirmities increased, and their strength and income failed, their wants were not diminished. Their cow, on which they depended for a considerable part of their support, they were obliged to sell for the discharge of several small debts, which had been some time accumulating, for the necessaries of life. They had no house, but lived upon hire; and after a time were entirely unable to pay their rent. They had no wood, either to prepare their necessary food in summer, or to make them comfortable in winter. In short all their supplies gradually failed, with their ability to labor; their house, their wood, their provision and their clothing. It was literally as true of them as it had been of their Saviour before them,

that," they had not where to lay their head." Neither did they often know from one week to another, and sometimes from one day to another, where they should obtain the necessaries of life.

After they had been very dependent three or four years, and their neighbours, especially the church, had done much for their support, their case became daily more trying. They looked directly to God in their wants, but felt as though their supplies must come through the instrumentality of men. They put themselves, under God, into the hands of the church, and felt willing to do any thing, that they should advise. They longed to be near the house of God, and enjoy the priv ilege of his worship. This rendered it painful to think of casting them upon the town. Besides, a considerable number of the church, though they knew they had a right as eitizens to demand aid, thought it a disgrace to the christian name to go to the town for it, so long as God had given a sufficiency to themselves and their brethren. They wished to exercise their love to Christ by relieving his members, and did not feel as though they could cast upon the town that precious Saviour, who had laid down his life for their redemption. They considered that he had, in his providence, committed them to their hands, and required them to take care of them as they would of himself, if he were poor and needy; nor did they consider it as their duty only, but as their privilege. All the Church, however, had not the same views; and even some, who were rich in this world,” thought they did enough in paying their proportion of the tax to support the poor of the town. Others, who were willing, were destitute of the means to afford help.

While this weight was pressing upon those, who were willing to put their necks to the yoke, Lazarus became more and more helpless. and was seized with a violent pain in his foot. This was extremely great, and in a short time, together with his other infirmities, confined him to his room. At that time, as it was not thought safe that they should live alone, they resided in the house of one of their brethren, who had kindly taken them in. The pain increased in his foot, and gradually ascended.

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In this situation, the charity of the people, his wife's loom, and some little aid that had been procured from the town, were under God, all his dependance. At the same time, that were rich, exacted to the very last mite all that was due for the necessaries of life. This they had a right to do, according to justice and the laws of our country; but it left no room for the exercise of merey-it left more room for the

exercise of mercy in those, who saw Christ, in this brother, hungry, and thirsty, and naked, and sick, and destitute.

In the mean time the pain in the foot of Lazarus increased to such a degree that his nights were sleepless and his days miserable. That part of his foot in which the pain first began turned black, and indicated an approaching mortification. It would not have alarmed him to have been informed, that he could live but a very short time, and perhaps some would not have been grieved, had he been taken away speedily. But he was to live till his distress should make him weary of his life, and till his patience should almost equal the patience of Job. He was to live, till he should be a means of manifesting to a considerable degree what there was in the hearts of his neighbours. He was not, indeed, "laid at the rich man's gate;" but during eight long months, he was lying in sight, and within a short mile, of more than one rich man's house. His case was frequently mentioned in public prayers, and perhaps it is not known how often those rich men visited him, nor how kindly they fed him and clothed him, and warmed him, and wiped away his tears. The records of heaven will show.

For six months he was in daily expectation of death; and perhaps on any of those days, even that " king of terrors” would have been a welcome messenger. The whole of his foot mortified, and even came off and was laid aside, to beburied with the rest of his body. This was several weeks before the breath of life left him. His wife, worn out with fatigue, found it as much as she could do to take care of him; and her loo stopped. Thus all their support, except what was derived from charity, was entirely cut off, Angels saw, as they stood around their habitation, how great were their wants and trials, how deep and constant his groans, how agonizing their prayers, and how great their need of patience and submission. Lazarus was a burthen to himself, and very often when asked how he did, replied, "I am a monument of God's justice and merey." He prayed and strived, and desired others to pray, that he might have patience and resignation.

At length, after he had been sufficiently tried, and after the "thoughts of many hearts had been revealed," it pleased God to grant him a release. One morning, when his wife was gone out as usual to breakfast with the family, he was left alone, and apparently as well as he had been for many days, a convoy came from the celestial regions, and bore him away to Abraham's bosom. When his wife returned she found nothing but a breathless lump of clay. The joy of his soul on

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