do to appear so, they would, through grace, bring about their purpose. Who is wise?-He who learns from every one. Who is powerful?-He who governs his pas sions. Who is rich ?-He who is contented. Shun the least appearance of evil, that you may not be suspected; and if you cannot avoid both, choose rather to be suspected, when you do not deserve it, than to do evil, without being suspected. Be very cautious of believing ill of your neighbours; but be still more cautious of making hasty reports of them to their disadvantage. We often overlook the blessings which are in our own possession, to hunt after those which are out of our reach. Providence is commonly so indulgent to the honest industrious part of mankind, that the more laborious they are in their employments, (provided they trust in God) the more they thrive and are blessed. Humility is the grand virtue that leads to contentment. We should take all possible care how we make enemies; it being the hardest thing in the Christian religion to behave ourselves as we ought to do towards them. In every affair of life despair should give way to hope, and impatience to content; for the hand of Providence is always nearest us when we are surrounded with perils. Afflictions, if we make a discreet use of them, are messengers of love from heaven to invite us thither. Sent by C. H. N. A Mother's Sorrow. 451 To the Editor of the Cottager's Monthly Visitor. SIR, "A MOTHER'S SORROW." ALLOW me to direct the attention of your readers to a very common error, which it is painful to observe so prevalent among the friends and neighbours of those unhappy creatures who have committed some gross sin, and have been discovered. The fault, which I wish to point out, is, in speaking of these individuals, they dwell so much more on the miserable consequences of their sin in a worldly view, than on the misery of the sin itself, as an offence against God. Those who have thus sinned do indeed call for our sincere compassion for their -bodily as well as their spiritual misery, but to bestow all our pity on the former, regardless of the latter, surely betrays a mind unawakened to the knowledge of the true condition of man as born for an eternal state. I remember one instance of a feeling quite contrary to this, which was shown by a poor, and afflicted woman, the relation of which may perhaps illustrate my meaning. Susan B. was a widowwoman, whose conduct had been, through life, highly respectable and industrious; but a long course of severe sickness, at length seemed to have brought on premature old age; while her mind was unimpaired, and her afflictions only made her look forward, with a Christian hope, to a happier world. She had an only son, about fourteen years of age, of whom she was naturally very fond, but whose conduct soon became such as almost broke her down with grief. He had always been a self-willed boy, though kind to his mother; but he now got connected with some throughly bad companions in the neighbourhood, who instructed him in their ruinous ways, which he was quick enough in learning. His mother strove hard to break off this acquaintance, by warnings and reproofs, and by getting work for him, knowing that "Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do." But her efforts were all in vain, he still went on in evil courses. During this time of her affliction, I saw her often, and was much struck by her manner of expressing her sorrow. Her grief, which it was heart-rending to behold, was not so much for the trouble he occasioned her, at her expense in keeping him when he would not work, or at the disgrace which his conduct brought on in the eyes of the neighbourhood; it was chiefly that her son had sinned, and done wickedly, and was going on in a course, which seemed likely to lead to his eternal destruction. Instead of seeking to find excuses to prove that she was not the cause of his faults, she examined her own conduct with a self-upbraiding spirit, as having been perhaps too negligent, or too indulgent; and, with her humble prayers for his repentance and pardon, she offered up her petitions that her own errors towards him might be forgiven. However he went on in the unrestrained indulgence of vice, till he at length committed a robbery, for which he was tried and found guilty ; and he was to be sent to the hulks for seven years. When his poor mother heard of this fresh sin, she was indeed cast down and afflicted. In speaking of him, the tears of bitter grief streamed down her pale cheeks, while her cry of agony, "Oh! my boy! my poor boy!" will not easily be forgotten by those who heard it; and, even in the silence of night, the low moans of her sorrow were over-heard by her pitying neighbours. Still her grief was not so much for what he, or she herself, suffered; it was A Mother's Sorrow. 453 deeper, more heart-rending;-it was still that her child had sinned in the sight of God, and, unless led to repentance, must be cut off for ever from his presence. As this was the chief source of her grief, she sincerely rejoiced when she heard what his punishment was to be, because she learned that he would, during his confinement, be prevented from continuing in his bad habits, have the inestimable advantage of regular instruction, and might be led, by trouble, to listen to the advice which he had before despised. Her prayers were answered, her humble faith and hope were rewarded even in this life; for, before her death she had the happiness of hearing, from himself, that he deeply repented of his past conduct; and he added, "I do hope mother, if I live to be quite free, I may still be a support and comfort to you in your old age, bad as I have been before."-And those, under whose charge he was placed, said that there was indeed such reformation in his outward conduct as gave evidence of the sincerity of his contrition and inward change. Such was the behaviour of this poor Christian widow, who, though ignorant of many things, was convinced that there was but one thing needful, which is such a faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, as shall purify the heart, and lead us to love him, and to keep his commandments,-to dread nothing so much as sin, and to seek for nothing so much as that "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord;" and which His Spirit only can give to our hearts. May all those among us, who thus believe, join constantly and fervently in the fine petition in our Liturgy-"That it may please God to bring into the way of truth all those that have erred and are deceived." M. M. THE SABBATH DAY. How sweet to hail the Sabbath Day! In calm, yet deep humility, E. L. E. PUBLIC HOUSES. CHIEF JUSTICE BEST'S charge to the Grand Jury at Bridgewater, should be very attentively considered. Speaking of the increase of crime, he stated his belief that "the excessive number of public houses was the greatest encouragement to vice and crime. They not only tend to deprave and vitiate, from the facility they give to gambling, but, in their rivalry to each other, they produce deleterious cordials to tempt the appetites of their customers, injuring thereby both the morals and the health of the people." (See Morning Post, August 23, 1827.) Reader! beware how you venture to indulge in visiting Public Houses. may do so, merely intending to take a glass and chat for a while with what you call " a Friend." Who can tell that you may not be tempted to take a second, or that in the first glass, there may not be something which may intoxicate you unawares, You |