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wards obtained his liberty, and became an eminent philosopher, an iron lamp by which he studied was stolen ; "I shall deceive the thief," said he, "if he should come again, he will only find an earthen one." This memorable earthen lamp was sold after his death for 3000 drachms, £75 of our money. RAY'S PROVERBS.

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The most plain and natural sentiments of equity concur with divine authority, to enforce the duty of forgiveness. Let him who has never in his life done wrong, be allowed the privilege of remaining inexorable. But let such as are conscious of frailties and crimes, consider forgiveness as a debt which they owe to others. Common failings are the strongest lesson of mutual forbearance. Were this virtue unknown among men, order and comfort, peace and repose, would be strangers to human life. juries retaliated according to the exorbitant measure which passion prescribes, would excite resentment in return. The injured person would become the injurer; and thus wrongs, retaliations, and fresh injuries, would circulate in endless succession, till the world was rendered a field of blood. Of all the passions which invade the human breast, revenge is the most direful. When allowed to reign with full dominion, it is more than sufficient to poison the few pleasures which remain to man in his present state. How much soever a person may suffer from injustice, he is always in hazard of suffering more from the prosecution of revenge. The violence of an enemy cannot inflict what is equal to the torment he creates to himself, by means of the fierce and desperate passions which he allows to rage in his soul.

BLAIR.

The following stories, beautifully illustrate the spirit and practice of forgiveness.

A friend of mine, with whom I was at the time staying a few days as a guest, told me the following circumstance. "I once had a poor neighbour, who had a wife and several small children. His children were crying for bread, and he had none to give them. In his need he broke open my barn and stole three bushels of rye. I caused him to be arrested and brought before the court. He confessed the deed, and stated before the court the reason why he had acted as he did. He was convicted, condemned, and thrust into jail. His family, who were

by his side in the court, with crushed hearts and weeping eyes, returned to their desolate home. The husband and father had been convicted of felony, and cast into prison for a deed which he had committed to keep them from starving.

"I got into my waggon after I had seen him thrust into prison, and went on my way towards my house, congratulating myself that I had done good service to the state, by securing a thief. The thought of the poor, bereaved, and heart-broken wife, and the starving little ones, from whom I had taken a husband and a father, did not once enter my mind. My humanity was smothered in my gratified revenge.

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"Thus I rode along, thinking about the duty of executing the laws against thieves and robbers, and all evil doers. As I was thus ruminating, by some unaccountable association of ideas, the petition of the Lord's Prayer, touching forgiveness, was forcibly brought to my mind; and I unconsciously spoke out aloud, saying, Father, forgive me as I have forgiven my'-enemy, I was going to say. But it came into my mind just then, that I did not wish to be forgiven as I had forgiven the man who stole my corn. I was confounded. I dared not utter that petition. I tried again, Father forgive me,' I cried aloud, but I dared not say, 'as I have forgiven my neighbour.' I was greatly dismayed to think that I had brought myself into a position, in which I could not utter the Lord's Prayer. I rode home in great distress of mind, put up my horse, entered the house, and felt so uneasy, that my wife observed my anxiety in my countenance. When she inquired the cause, I first told her that I had placed myself in a position which for ever precluded me from asking God to forgive my sins, and then related all the circumstances of the case. She tried to comfort me to convince me that I was over righteous-that I could forgive the man though I had punished him—and that I could ask God to forgive me as I had forgiven him. But all her endeavours were to no purpose. My enemy in his dungeon; his broken-hearted wife, and his weeping children, were continually before me; and my mind could receive no comfort from any source. I could not sleep that night. All the following day, which was Sunday, I walked about the house nearly distracted, wringing my

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hands, in agony of mind, and crying out, Father, forgive me,-Father, forgive me.' But I could not say, as I have forgiven my neighbour.' I felt that I did not want God to forgive me, as I had forgiven the trespass of my neighbour. In the evening, my wife suggested that I might perhaps get him out of jail, and restore him to his family. I will,' I said, 'if it cost all my fortune.' This determination for a moment brought peace to my mind. But the thought soon occurred that I might not be able to get him out, or that I might die before I had accomplished it. This again threw me into distress. I walked about my house all that night, crying out Father, forgive me.' But I could not say, as I have forgiven my neighbour's trespass against me.'

"Early on Monday morning, I called on the magistrates, told them that revenge had influenced me in the prosecution, and had for a time closed my heart against love, forgiveness, and humanity. I told them that I now saw my sin; and that I never could, without mocking God, ask him to forgive me as I had forgiven my neighbour, while that neighbour and his family were all wretched, in consequence of my revenge. They kindly listened to my plea, and on my entering into bonds for the man's good behaviour, they opened the prison and let him out. I took him into my waggon, brought him to my house, opened my barn, took a bag, measured into it three bushels of rye, tied up the bag, and then said to my neighbour, There, carry that home to your wife and children; and when it is gone, if you cannot get anything for them to eat, come to me, and you shall have some while I have any.'

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Peace was instantly restored to my troubled breast, and I exclaimed aloud, in the fulness of my soul, Father, forgive me now, as I have forgiven my neighbour.' That was the happiest moment of my life. My neighbour forgave me; and from that day we have been on terms of loving intimacy." H. C. WRIGHT.

A visitor once went into a Sabbath school at Boston, Massachusetts, where he saw a boy and a girl, who were brother and sister, sitting together. In a moment of thoughtless passion, the boy struck his sister. The little girl was provoked, and raised her hand to return the blow. Her face showed that rage was working within, and her

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clenched fist was raised at her brother, when the teacher caught her eye. "Stop my dear," said she, you had much better kiss your brother than strike him." The look and the word reached her heart-her hands dropped -she threw her arms round her brother's neck and kissed him. The boy was moved. He could have stood against a blow, but could not withstand a sister's kiss. He compared the provocation he had given her, and the return she had made, and the tears rolled down his cheeks. The sight of his sorrow affected the sister, and with her little handkerchief she wiped away his tears; but her kindness only made him cry the more. He was completely subdued. The teacher then told the children always to return a kiss for a blow, and they would by that means avoid any more blows.

If men and women, families, communities, and nations were to act upon this principle, the world would almost cease to be a vale of tears. Nation would not lift up sword against nation, neither would they learn war any H. C. WRIGHT.

more.

When on the fragrant sandal tree

The woodman's axe descends,
And she who bloom'd so beauteously,
Beneath the keen stroke bends;
Ee'n on the edge that wrought her death,
Dying she breathes her scented breath,
As if betokening in her fall,

Peace to her foes and love to all.

How hardly man this lesson learns,

To smile and bless the hand that spurns;

To see the blow-to feel the pain,

But render only love again.

This spirit not to earth is given;

ONE had it, but He came from heaven.
Reviled, rejected, and betrayed,

No curse He breathed, no plaint He made;
But when in death's deep pang he sighed,
Prayed for his murderers and died.

EDMESTON.

GENTLENESS AND POWER; PERSUASION AND FORCE.

GENTLENESS, Softness of manners; sweetness of disposition; meekness; tenderness. JOHNSON.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.

ST. PAUL.

The Latin for GENTLE, mild, is Lenis, from whence comes LENIENT, LENITY, &c.; Gentilis signifies of the same house, family, name, or stock, from Gens, a nation, a people, &c.; hence a GENTLEMAN, in its original signification, meant a man of birth, or ancestry, Homo gentilis; the application of that term is now less confined, and may be applied to all who, by their manners and behaviour, merit the title; Gentilitas, in Latin, sometimes signifies suitableness or agreeableness of nature or soil, and thence, it would seem come our words GENTLE, GENTLY, GENTLENESS, &c.

The human heart rises against oppression, and is soothed by gentleness, as the wave of the ocean rises in proportion to the violence of the winds, and sinks with the breeze into mildness and serenity.

POWER, command; authority; dominion; influence; ability. JOHNSON. Power is no blessing in itself, but when it is employed to protect the innocent.

SWIFT. That which moveth God to work is goodness, and that which ordereth his work is wisdom, and that which perfecteth his work is power. HOOKER.

The French for POWER is Pouvoir, which is traced by some etymologists to the Latin verb Posse, to be able; and to this derivative are attributable a great number of words now in use, such as POSSIBLE; POSSESSION; POTENT, &c., with their various changes of form and meaning.

And I say unto you, my friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear. Fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him.

LUKE XII.

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