FOUR WORDS WORTH REMEMBERING. 33 FOUR WORDS WORTH REMEMBERING. MY DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS,-Let me tell you at once why I write you this letter. It is to place before your eyes, and bring to your mind, four short words, which it would be well for you always to remember. I could tell you what these words are if I chose; but will it not be best to wait, and try your patience a little, and let such quick thinkers as you are exercise their thoughts in guessing what is going to be told them? It seems to me so; and while you are trying to think what are those four words, which it is my aim in writing this letter to make you know and remember, I will go on to let you see how I came to think of writing to you concerning them as I do. Last Sunday, while you perhaps were at the Sundayschool, I was visiting the prisoners here, as they were alone in their cells. I went to the cell of a fine-looking man, who has spent twenty-five years of his life in prison. There is a sprinkling of grey hairs on his head, and his face is beginning to show marks of old age, though he is but little more than forty years old. When I came in front of his cell, he fixed his manly eye upon me, and looked as if solemn thoughts had lately been passing through his mind. He spake first. His remark was this-"If I had remembered the words of Hagar, it would have saved me twenty-five years' imprisonment." The words of Hagar, which he referred to, are the very same four words which it is my object in writing this letter, to have you remember. What this man said was the truth, though not the whole truth. He might have said, Had I remembered the words of Hagar, it would have saved my fond mother unspeakable sorrow, while for twenty-two years she knew not where I was; and myself twenty-five years' imprisonment, which is past; disgrace and many a heart-ache, besides future imprisonment as long as I live, and perhaps the loss of my soul. While thinking of the great saving which the timely recollection of a few words would have been to this man, the change of a few feet in my position brought me be 34 FOUR WORDS WORTH REMEMBERING. fore the grated door of another man's cell. I stated to this man what a great advantage his next-door neighbour had just told me it would have been to him, had he but remembered the four words of Hagar, which I repeated to him, and then asked how much he supposed it would have saved him, had he remembered the same words? After a moment's pause, his reply was :"Such a remembrance would have saved my father from a shocking death, and me a narrow escape from the gallows, and imprisonment for life." Knowing, as I did, the history of this young man's doings, I understood very well the meaning of his reply. About two years since, this man took a gun at evening twilight, pointed it through a window, and shot his father dead, as he was sitting in a chair by the fire. I never could learn that there was any special reason, except a bad heart, for his doing this dreadful deed. He was tried, and condemned to die. This sentence was afterwards changed into imprisonment for life. The meaning of the man's answer was this,-had he remembered the words of Hagar he would never have killed his father, and then, of course, would have avoided the sentence of death, and imprisonment for life. It was what these two prisoners told me, as I have now related, that put me in mind of writing this letter to you. If it be true, as I believe it is, that simply the remembrance of four short words would have saved both these prisoners from many bitter reflections, and imprisonment for life, and the father of one of them from a horrid death, I know you will not wonder if I should wish to have all my young friends know what these words are. If you are done guessing what these words are, it is time for me to tell you, that you may see whether you have guessed right or not. You might see the four words, which I wish you always to remember, by taking your Bible, and turning to the 13th verse of the 16th chapter of Genesis; but I will not put you to the trouble of looking after them. Here they are placed in large letters before your eyes-" THOU GOD SEEST ME." Look at these words, my young friends, and never forget them. They are words of solemn truth. God does see you, CONTENT AND DISCONTENT. 35 and me, and everybody else, everywhere, and at all times. If we keep these words constantly in mind, we shall not find it so easy to sin. I have inquired of many men, who have often done wickedly, and have never heard one say, that he ever did a bad deed when thoughts of God were in his mind. Not long ago a prisoner told me that he once formed a plan to steal. At the moment when he was about to reach forth his hand, and take the article, the thought came into his mind, that God saw him. He could not steal. He left the article which he coveted untouched, and went away sorrowful. And here let me affectionately charge and conjure you, my dear young friends, whenever a wrong thought comes into your minds, or a wrong feeling springs up in your hearts-or when at any time you may be tempted to neglect any duty, speak a wrong word, or do a wrong act, banish such thoughts and feelings, and resist such temptation by revolving in your minds these four short words of Hagar-" Thou God seest me."Teachers' Offering. CONTENT AND DISCONTENT. Two little girls went into the fields to gather flowers Here they found buttercups, dandelions, violets, and many other pretty blossoms. One of the children was pleased with every thing, and began to pick such flowers as she met with. In a little while this girl had collected quite a quantity of flowers; and though some of them were not very handsome, yet altogether they made a beautiful bunch. The other child was more dainty, and determined to pick none but such as were very beautiful. She disdained to gather the dandelions, for they were so common; and she would not pluck the buttercups, for they were all of one colour, and did not take her fancy. Even the blue violets were not good enough for her. Thus the little pair wandered on through the fields, till they were about to return home. By this time the dainty child, seeing that her sister had a fine 36 CONTENT AND DISCONTENT. collection of flowers, while she had none, began to think it best to pick such as she could get. But now the flowers were scarce; not even a dandelion, a buttercup, nor a violet, was to be found. At length the little girl begged a single dandelion of her sister, and thus they returned home. When the two children went to their mother, she asked how it happened that one had so pretty a bouquet, while the other had but a single. flower. The children told their story, and their mother then spoke to them as follows:-"My dear children, let this little event teach you a useful lesson. Jane has been the wiser of the two. Content with such flowers as came in her way, and not aiming at what was beyond her reach, she has been successful in her pursuit, and has brought back a beautiful bunch of flowers. But Laura, who could not stoop to pick up buttercups and dandelions, because she wanted something more beautiful than could be found, collected nothing from the field, and was finally obliged to beg a dandelion of her sister. Thus it will always happen, my children, in passing through life. If you are content with simple pleasures and innocent enjoyments, such as are scattered freely along your path, you will, day by day, gather enough to make you contented and happy. If, on the contrary, you scorn simple pleasures and innocent enjoyments, and reach after those which are more rare and difficult to be obtained, you will meet with frequent disappointments, and at last become dependant upon others. Seek not then, my children, for costly enjoyments or extravagant pleasures. Be industrious in gathering those which are lawful, and which are adapted to your situa tion. In this way you will cultivate a contented spirit, and secure your own peace. If, on the other hand, you disdain enjoyments that are suited to your taste and capacity, you will be hard to please, and perpetual discontent will dwell in your bosom. Thus you see that one course will result in something better than riches, while the other will bring evils that are worse than poverty."-Green's Annual. THE SOUL. 37 ILLUSTRATION. THE SOUL. I ONCE heard a minister trying to teach the children that the soul would live after they were all dead. They listened, but evidently did not understand what he said. Then, taking his watch from his pocket, he says, "James, what is this I hold in my hand?" "A watch, sir." "A little clock," says another. "How do you know it is a watch ? " "Very well, can any of you hear it tick? All listen now." After a pause-"Yes, sir, we hear it." He then took off the case, and held the watch in one hand and the case in the other. "Now, children, which is the watch ?-you see there are two which look like watches." "The little one-in your right hand, sir." "Very well, again; now I will lay the case aside, put it away down there in my hat. Now let us see if you can hear the watch tick ?" "Yes, sir, we hear it," exclaimed several voices. "Well, the watch can tick, and go, and keep time, you see, when the case is taken off and put in my hat. The watch goes just as well. So it is with you, children. Your body is nothing but the case; the soul is inside. The case-the body-may be taken off and buried up in the ground, and the soul will live and think just as well as this watch will go, as you see, when the case is off." GOD OUR REFUGE. Luther, when placed in any situation of peculiar danger, was accustomed to say, "Come, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm." "God is the refuge of his saints, When storms of sharp distress invade; Ere we can offer our complaints, Behold him present with his aid." |