off all the green skin except for about a fifth part of the way round the pith. Thus it is a piece of pith, all but a little strip of skin on one part all the way up, which observe is necessary to hold the pith together all the way along, "The rushes being thus prepared, the grease is melted, and put in a melted state into something that is as long as the rushes are. The rushes are put into the grease, soaked in it sufficiently, then taken out and laid in a bit of bark taken from a young tree, so as not to be too large. This bark is fixed up against the wall by a couple of straps placed round it, and there it hangs for the purpose of holding the rushes. "The rushes are carried about in the hand; but to sit by, or to go to bed by, they are fixed on stands made for the purpose, some of which are high to stand on the ground, and some low to stand on the table. These stands have an iron contrivance, something like a pair of pliers, to hold the rush in, and the rush is shifted forward from time to time, as it burns down to the thing which holds it. Now these rushes give a better light than a common dip candle, and thus cost next to nothing, though the labourer may, with them, have as much light as he pleases, and though, without them, he must sit the far greater part of the winter's evenings in the dark, even if he expend fifteen shillings a year in candles. You may do any sort of work by this light." A WONDERFUL CURE. There was once an astonishing cure effected in the most singular manner. The patient was suffering from wounds and bruises, produced by the attack of an enemy. From head to foot there was not a sound and healthful inch of surface. All was like putrifying sores. Many attempts had been made to heal him. Medicine had been procured at much expense; physicians, far and near, had been consulted; but the wounds showed no signs of healing. All said he must die. At length a most lovely stranger came that way. In appearance he was of humble birth. He did not look like a physician; yet there was something so amiable, so modest, so trustworthy in his person, that he won attention and respect. He proposed to undertake for the poor sufferer. He confidently affirmed that he could cure him. He asked no pay. He would do it for the love he bore the patient. The wounded man consented. All things being arranged, a third person presented himself, and stood beside the physician. His look was stern and inflexible, and he held in his hand a heavy scourge. He cast a piercing eye upon the physician, and the physician turned with a look of pity on the patient. The healing process commenced. The scourge was applied to the lovely form of the physician. Long "furrows" were made on his back. I looked, and lo! the wounds on the patient were healing. Every stripe on the lovely stranger healed a wound on the patient. I stood amazed, and, behold! the stranger was all wounded, and the patient was all healed! My feelings were moved with wonder and gratitude. I looked again. My eyes met those of my physician, for I was that wounded man; and O, I beheld before me one whom I had abused; towards whom I had been a most bitter enemy! There he was, all wounded for me, and I ail healed. He cast on me a look of pity, of love, of forgiveness. I was about to speak, but he bowed his head, and said, "It is finished!" and died-died for his enemy-died for me! and as he fell, I saw on his "vesture" a name written "King of kings." It was Jesus. By his stripes I was healed, Isa. iii. 5; 1 Pet. ii. 24. My heart broke; scalding tears of penitence coursed down my cheeks; and I vowed to be his to love him for ever! FIVE CONSCIENCES. There are five kinds of consciences on foot in the world; first, an ignorant conscience, which neither sees or says anything, neither beholds the sins in the soul, nor reproves them; secondly, the flattering conscience, whose speech is worse than silence itself, which, though seeing sin, soothes men in the committing thereof; thirdly, the seared conscience, which has neither sight, speech, nor sense, in "men that are past feeling;" fourthly, the wounded conscience, frightened with sin; the fifth is a quiet and clear conscience, purified in Christ Jesus. A wounded conscience is rather painful than sinful,-an affliction, no offence, and is the ready way, at the next remove, to be turned into a quiet conscience. THE SOLITARY HOUR. In a sermon on the words, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you," Tholuck says, "Seek the still hour every day. Why fleest thou from solitude? Why dost thou shun the lonely hour? Why passeth thy life away like the feast of a drunkard? Why is it that too many of you cometh not, through the whole course of the week, a single hour for self-meditation? You go through life like dreaming men. Ever among mankind, and never with yourselves. So it was not with our forefathers; they had every one a set period which was consecrated to his God. You have torn down the cloister; but why have you not erected it within your hearts?" In another discourse he remarks:-"The first instance of a want of truth toward ourselves and toward God, is seen in this, that we purposely forbear to examine ourselves in the presence of our Maker, -that we do not seek the solitary hour." SELF-ACQUAINTANCE. A mouse that had lived all his life in a chest, says the fable, chanced one day to creep up to the edge, and peeping out, exclaimed with wonder, “I did not think the world was so large." The first step to knowledge is, to know that we are ignorant. It is a great point to know our place; for want of this, a man in private life, instead of attending to the affairs of his "chest," is ever peeping out, and then he becomes a philosopher! He must then know everything, and presumptuously pry into the deep and secret counsels of God; not considering that man is finite, he has no faculties to comprehend and judge of the great scheme of things. We can form no other knowledge of spiritual things, except what God has taught us in His word, and where He stops, we must stop.-Cecil. POLITICAL APOSTATES. He who has been once the advocate of freedom and of reform, will find it much easier to change his conduct than his principles-to worship the golden image than to believe in the divinity of the idol.—Robert Hall. INDEPENDENCE. It is not the greatness of a man's means that makes him independent, so much as the smallness of his wants.Cobbett. CORRESPONDENCE. Dean Swift, alluding in a letter to the frequent instances of a broken correspondence after a long absence, gives the following natural account of the causes: "At first one omits writing for a little while; and then one stays a little while longer to consider of excuses-and at last it grows desperate, and one does not write at all. In this manner I have served others, and have been served myself." BENEVOLENCE. There cannot be a more glorious object in creation, than a human being, replete with benevolence, meditating in what manner he might render himself most acceptable to his Creator, by doing most good to his creatures.-Fielding. FAITH AND HOPE. Faith and Hope are two sisters: they bear a resemblance to each other, yet differ thus-Faith looks at the certainty of the promise; Hope at the excellency of the promise. Hope reads over the terms of the promise; Faith looks at the seal of the promise. Faith believes; Hope waits. Faith shows the Christian the land of promise; Hope sails thither with patience. Faith strengthens home and Hope comforts faith. Faith is the cable; and Hope the anchor; and both these help to keep the soul steady, that it doth not dash upon rocks or sink upon quicksands.-Puritan Gems. : THE LIGHT OF GOD'S COUNTENANCE. As the sun ariseth over the hills in the morning to irradiate with light, and to warm and enliven with fertilising force all that which it illuminates, to scatter miasma, to flush with added charm and beauty the face of Nature, and to pour into hearts and homes new gladness; so shall God in his glory arise upon his people; the light of his character shall animate their hopes and irradiate their hearts, and peace and gladness shall be diffused through their life, when they meet him in their affections, when they turn to him in love! The promise expresses with great vividness and force a fact of joyful Christian experience. It intimates an attainment which all who are really God's children must desire, which many of them have doubtless made. How blessed for all to seek and make it, to take away every hindrance of sin, to turn the soul fully towards God its Maker, to feel the quickening sense of his favour, to read his Word with the glory upon it, to walk in the serene and perfect effulgence of his heavenly light! How blessed for this life, and how clearly and inspiringly prophetic of the future! THE HEART'S SONG. In the silent midnight watches, How it knocketh,-knocketh-KNOCKETH- Say not 'tis thy pulse's beating; "Tis thy heart of sin : 'Tis thy Saviour knocks, and crieth Rise-and let me in! Death comes down with reckless footstep To the hall and hut, Think you death will stand a knocking Jesus waiteth,-waiteth-WAITETH; Griev'd, away the Saviour goeth: Then 'tis thine to stand-entreating Christ to let thee in: At the gate of Heaven beating, Wailing for thy sin. Nay, alas! thou foolish virgin, Hast thou then forgot? Jesus wanteth long to know thee, Now he knows thee not! |