He, the Omnipotent, who cannot lie- servants, shop-keepers, that we are apt to lose
Whose word will stand unchanged amid the sight of him, and fix our eye only on them.
ruin
But how did the silver dollar get on the door
Of dissolving worlds, as eternal as eternity, sill? some boy may ask. It happened that a
Has so declared.

ravens, would feed her.

pious young blacksmith was going down to the seaboard in quest of business. It was several miles before he could take the stage coach; so instead of going in the wagon which carried his chest, he said he would walk. "Come, ride," they said; "it will be hot and dusty." He kept answering “No,” to all his friends urged. "I'll walk and take a short cut through the pines," and off he started, with a stout walking stick. As he was jogging on through a piece of woods, he heard a voice from a little lonely hut by the road-side. It drew his notice, and he stepped towards it on tip-toe; then he stopped and listened, and found it to be the voice of prayer, and he gathered from the prayer, that she who offered it was poor, sick, and friendless. "What can I do to help this poor woman?" He did not like to thought the young man.

It was a season of great scarcity on the hill regions of New Hampshire, when a poor woman who lived in a hut by the woods, had no bread for her little family. She was sick without go into the hut. He clapped his hand into either friends or money. There was no helper silver dollar he ever had—and a dollar was a his pocket and drew out a dollar-the first but God, and she betook herself to prayer. She prayed long-she prayed long in earnest ; rich then as he is now. large sum for him to give, for he was not as for she believed that He who fed the young felt that the poor woman must have it. The But no matter, he dollar being silver, and likely to attract notice On rising from her knees one morning, her as soon as the door was opened, he concluded little bare-footed girl opened the door to go to lay it on the sill and go away, but not far; out. Something shining on the sill stopped for he hid behind a large rock near the house, her. The child stooped down, and behold, a to watch what became of it. Soon he had silver dollar! She ran and took it to her the satisfaction of seeing the little girl come mother. It really was a new, round, bright out and seize the prize, when he went on his silver dollar. They looked up and down the road; not a living person was in sight, and neither foot-steps or wagon-wheels were to be heard.

way rejoicing.

The silver dollar came into the young man's hand for this very purpose, for you see a paper dollar might have blown away; and he Where did the dollar come from? Did God was led to walk instead of ride-why, he did send it? Doubtless it was from his hand; but not exactly know, but God, who directed his how did it get there? Did it rain down ?No. steps, did know. So God plans, and we are Did he throw it from the windows of Heaven? the instruments to carry on his plans. OftenNo. Did an angel fetch it? No. God has times we seem to be about our business, when ways and means for answering prayers, with- we are about his, answering, it may be, the out sending special messengers. He touches prayers of his people. some little spring in the great machinery of The young blacksmith is now in middle life; his providence, without in the least disturb- he has been greatly prospered, and given away ing its regularity, and help comes. Sometimes his hundreds since then ; but perhaps he never we do not see exactly how, as this poor enjoyed giving more than when he gave his woman did not; then it seems to come more first silver dollar.

directly from him; while, in fact, our all

being taken care of ever since we were born,

A man's virtue should not be measured

comes just as directly from him, only he em- by his occasional exertions, but his ordinary ploys so many people to do it, fathers, mothers, doings.

The world is a looking-glass, and gives back to every man the reflection of his own face. Frown at it, and it will in turn look sourly upon you; laugh at it, and with it, and it is a jolly, kind companion.

HOW TO KNOW A FOOL.-A fool (says the idolatry, and idolatry excludes from Heaven. Arab proverb] may be known by six things: Covetousness signifies an inordinate love to, anger without cause, speech without profit, or desire for the world. We must be careful change without motive, inquiry without ob- how we regard even lawful things. We may ject, putting trust in a stranger, and not know- lose our souls, our all, thereby. The Savior, ing his friends from his foes. speaking on the same subject, asks the question-"How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of Heaven ?" Again, he declares that "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven" Taking the passage literally, it would entirely exclude the rich from Heaven. To understand some portions of Scripture, and many allusions made in them, it is necessary to have a knowledge of some of the customs practised in the days of the Savior and the Apostles. By way of illustration of this passage, it is aid that, across the great roads there were large gates erected, and in these large gates were sinaller ones, which could be opened or closed, without interfering with the larger. These small gates were called the wicket, or needle's eye. Should a footman go along, he could open and go through the needle's eye with ease. But suppose a camel should approach, with a burden upon it, (as they were used as beasts of burden,) could it pass through? Not in that condition; but let the burden be taken off, and cause the camel to get down upon its knees, even it could go through the little gate, or needle' eye. Hence we see how a rich man may enter Heaven. Let him disburden himself of his riches

None have ever been so good and so great, or have raised themselves so high as to be above the reach of troubles-Our Lord was "a man of sorrows."-Sibbs.

Coleridge says "We should be cautious how we indulge even in the feelings of virtuous indignation. It is the handsome brother of anger and hatred."

BE CHEERFUL.-A cheerful, happy temper keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, excludes each gloomy prospect, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.

When in company do not talk against others, or throw out slanderous insinuations; it is better to say nothing about the absent, if you cannot speak of their good qualities.

Our prayers and Gol's mercy are like two buckets in a well; while the one ascends the other descends.-Hopkins.

"possess them, as though he possessed them
not," and let him humble himself before God,
confessing and forsaking his sins, and he also,
may enter the kingdom of Heaven. A most
beautiful, and withal, a very reasonable il-
lustration of an otherwise difficult passage of
holy writ.
A. A. MATHES.

For the Casket.

SCRIPTURAL ILLUSTRATION.

THE POWER OF WOMAN.

For the Casket.

WHATEVER may be the customs and laws of a country, the women of it decide the merals. Free or subjugated, they reign, because SANCTIFIED Scriptural knowleage is the they hold possession of our passions. But most useful kind of information. "Buy the their influence is more or less salutary, actruth" at any price, and sell it not. The Scrip- cording to the degree of esteem which is tures forbid covetousness, and direct us to granted them. Whether they are our idols or "set our affections on things above." The companions, courtezans, slaves, or beasts of Apostle to the Gentiles, terms covetousness burden, the reaction is complete, and they

make us such as they are themselves.

It sprinkled over it, mused and sang Augustus seems as if nature connected our intelligence Toplady. When a lad of sixteen, and on a with their dignity, as we connect our happi- visit to Ireland, he strolled into a barn, where ness with their virtue. This, therefore, is a an illiterate layman was preaching, but law of eternal justice; man cannot degrade preaching reconciliation to God through the woman, without himself falling into ́degrada- death of His Son. The homely sermon took tion, he cannot raise them without becoming effect, and from that moment the Gospel wieldbetter. Let us cast our eyes over the globe, ed all the powers of his active mind. He and observe those two great divisions of the was very learned. Universal history spread human race, the east and the west, and half before him a familiar and delightful field; and of the ancient world remains without progress, at thirty-eight he died, more widely read in without thought, and under the load of a barbarous civilization: women there are slaves; the other half advances toward freedom and light; the women here are loved and honored. S. MARTIN.

SIAMESE HEAVEN AND HELL.

the Fathers and Reformers than most academic dignitaries can boast when their heads are hoary. He was learned because he was active. Like a race-horse, all nerve and fire, his life was on tip-toe, and his delight was to get over the gronnd. He read fast, slept little and often wrote like a whirl-wind; and though his body was weak, it did not obstruct ACCORDING to the Siamese, M. de la Lou- him, for in his extatic exertions, he seemed to bre and Piere Tachard, there are nine abodes leave it behind. His chief publications were of bliss and nine of sorrow. The former are controversial. Independently of his theoloover our heads and the latter under our feet. gical convictions, his philosophizing genius, The higher each mansion the more delightful his up going fancy, and his devout, dependent and joyous; the lower, the more dismal and tremendous, insomuch that the happy are exalted far above the stars, as the unhappy are sunk ten thousand fathoms deep below the earth. Those who inhabit the higher realm, are called Thenada, the dwellers below, Pii; the men of earth, Manont.

When a soul has once attained to so high a pitch of perfections that no enjoyment here on earth, how refined soever, are suitable to the dignity of its nature, the Siamese think that it is then freed from all future transmigration. From that happy moment it appears no more in this world, but rests forever in Nireupan that is to say, in a state of perfect inactivity and impassibility.

piety, were a multiform Calvinism, and by a necessity of nature, if religious at all, the religion of Toplady must have been one where the eye of God wrought all. The doctrines which were to himself so plain, he was, perhaps, on that acconnt less fitted to discuss

with men of another make; and betwixt the strength of his own belief and the spurning haste of his over-ardent spirit, he gave his words a frequent air of scorning arrogance and keen contemptuousness.

Perhaps even with theologians of his own denomination, his credit has been injured by the warmth of his invective, but on the same side it will not be easy to find treatises more acute and erudite-and both friends and foes In short, according to their notion, consum- must remember that to the writer his opinions mate happiness and the ineffable joys of Para-were self-evident, and that in his devoutest dise entirely consist in this sort of anihilation. moments he believed God's glory was involved The remarkable passage ascribed to Muse- in them. um by the ancients, "that virtue will hereafter be rewarded with eternal ebriety" so nearly resembles the impassibility of the soul, that these two opinions may be resolved into one, without the least difficulty or forced construc

tion.

AUGUSTUS TOPLADY.

It was the polemic press which extorted this human bitterness from his spirit; in the pulpit's milder urgency, nothing flowed but balm. His voice was music, and spirituality and ele

vation seemed to emanate from his ethereal countenance, and light, unmortal form. His vivacity would have caught the listener's eye, and his soul-filled looks and movements would have interpreted his language, had there not

In the county of Devon, and in one of its been such commanding solemnity in his tones, sequestered parishes, with a few cottages as made apathy impossible, and such simpli

city in his words, that to hear was to under- has manifested to my soul."- North British stand. From easy explanations, he advanced Review.

UNITY OF OUR RACE.

to rapid and conclusive arguments, and warmed into importunate exhortations, till conscience began to burn, and feelings to take fire from his own kindled spirit, and himself and his hearers were together drowned in the same sympathetic tears. And for all the saving power of his preaching dependent on THE subject of the unity of the human race, the Holy Spirit's inward energy, it was re- has been recently discussed in articles inserted markable how much he accomplished, both in the "Intelligencer." There are relations at Broad Hembury, and afterwards in Orange and bearings to this question which make it street, London. He was not only a polemic one of vast importance. It has been recently and a preacher, but a poet. He has left a brought upon the tapis by the opinion of disfew hymns, which the church militant will tinguished Naturalists of our country, who not readily forget. "When Langour and Dis- have suggested the probability that man had no ease invade," "A Debtor to Mercy alone," common origin, and that the Bible gives only "Rock of Ages Cleft for Me," "Deathless the "history of the white race with special principle, arise:" these four combine tender-reference to the Jews; and so the old hyponess and grandeur, with theological fulness, thesis of Voltaire and others of the day has equal to any kindred composition in modern come up as good as new. Let the tie of brolanguage. It would seem as if the finished therhood be broken-let the inferior races work were emblazoned, and the lively hope (made so by centuries of ignorance and suexulting in every stanza; whilst each person perstition) come to be regarded as creatures of the glorious Godhead radiates majesty, created for the convenience and comfort of grace and holiness, through each successive the superior races, and the best hopes of the line. Nor is it any fault that the inspiration miserable will be forever destroyed. Men is all from above. Pegasus could not have now the serfs of tyrants, must remain so. Such borne aloft such thoughts and feelings; they was not the faith of our fathers, and we do are a freight for Gabriel's wing; and if not not believe it can become popular with their filagreed with human language, they are res-children. To those attracted to novelties of plendent with the truths of God, and brim opinion, (and there are many such,) it will over with the joy and pathos of the heaven-be well for them to know that Linnæus, Leibborn soul. However, to amass a knowledge nitz, Buffon, Humboldt, Blumenbach, Cuvier, so fast, and give out so rapidly, not only Owen, and others, who were the lights of the thought and learning, but warm emotion, was world, have all, however diversified their wasteful work. It was like bleeding the views in regard to Christianity, regarded all palm tree; there flowed a generous sap which the races of men as composed of one species. cheered the heart of all who tasted, but it Those with whom the Bible is a book of plekilled the palm. Consumption struck him nary authority, will be content with the histoand he died. During the last illness, he seem-ry of man given by Moses, and reaffirmed by ed to lie in glory's vestibule. To a friend's Paul, who says expressly, God that made the enquiry, with sparkling eye he answered, "O, world, "hath made of one blood all nations my dear sir, I cannot tell you the comforts of men, for to dwell on the face of the earth, feel in my soul; they are past expression. and determined the bounds of their habitaThe consolations of God are so abundant that tion."-Nat. Intelligencer.

he leaves me nothing to pray for. My prayers are all converted into praise. I enjoy a heaven already in my soul." And within an hour of dying, he called his friends, and asked if they could give him up, and when they said they could, tears of joy ran down his cheeks as he added, "Oh what a blessing that you are willing to give me over into the hands of

Our flatterers are more to be feared than those who speak ill of us.

GRATITUDE.-" Gratitude is the music of

iny dear Redeemer, and part with me; for the heart, when its chords are swept by the no mortal can live after the glories which God breezes of kindness."