"That now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." (Eph. iii. 10.) ANECDOTE OF WILLIAM PENN. As a speci THE founder of Philadelphia, William Penn, was completely armed with the spirit of the principle—“ Overcome evil with good." When he visited America, he came without cannon or sword, and with a determination to meet the Indians with truth and kindness. He bought their land, and paid them; he made a treaty with them, and observed it; and he always treated them as men. men of the manner in which he met the Indians, the following instance is very striking: There were some fertile and excellent lands, which, in 1698, Penn ascertained were excluded from his first purchase; and as he was very desirous of obtaining them, he made the proposal to the Indians that he would buy those lands, if they were willing. They returned for answer, that they had no desire to sell the spot where their fathers were deposited; but to "please their father Onas," as they named Penn, they said that he should have some of the lands. This being decided, they concluded the bargain, that Penn might have as much land as a young man could travel round in one day, ""beginning at the great river Cosquanco, now Kensington, and ending at the great river Kallapingo,' now Bristol ;" and as an equivalent, they were to receive a certain amount of English goods. Though this plan of measuring the land was of their own selection, yet they were greatly dissatisfied with it, after it had been tried; "for the young Englishman chosen to walk off the tract of land, walked so fast and far, as to greatly astonish and mortify them. The governor observed this dissatisfaction, and asked the cause. "The walker cheated us,' said the Indians. Ah! how can it be?' said Penn, 'did you not choose yourselves to have the land measured in this way? True,' replied the Indians, but white brother make a big walk.' Some of Penn's commissioners, waxing warm, said the bargain was a fair one, and insisted that the Indians ought to abide by it; and, if not, should be compelled to it. Compelled,' ex. claimed Penn, 'how can you compel them, without bloodshed? Don't you see this looks to murder?' Then turning with a benignant smile to the Indians, he said, 'Well, brothers, if you have given us too much land for the goods first agreed on, how much more will satisfy you?' This proposal gratified them; and they mentioned the quantity of cloth and number of fish-hooks with which they would be satisfied. These were cheerfully given; and the Indians, shaking hands with Penn, went away smiling. After they were gone, the governor, looking round on his friends, exclaimed, 'O how sweet and cheap a thing is charity! Some of you spoke just now, of compelling these poor creatures to stick to their bargain—that is, in plain English, to fight and kill them, and all about a little piece of land."" For this kind conduct, manifested in all his actions to the Indians, he was nobly rewarded. The untamed savage of the forest became the warm friend of the white stranger: towards Penn and his followers, they buried the warhatchet, and ever evinced the strongest respect for them. And when the colony of Pennsylvania was pressed for provisions, and none could be obtained from other settlements—and which scarcity arose from the increasing number of inhabitants not having time to raise the necessary food-the Indians cheerfully came forward, and assisted the colony by the fruits of their labours in hunting. FRUITS OF THE LONDON CITY MISSION. Ir was in July, 1141, I first met with Mrs. N., when she gave a terrible account of her husband. He was so addicted to intemperance, swearing, and other vices; to use her own words, "his home was a hell upon earth"-frequently wanting the necessaries of life. The poor woman welcomed my visit, said she should be always glad to see me, as she should have no other means of instruction. Before leaving, I proposed calling upon the husband. She said, "Don't, sir, for I should neither like to see you injured nor insulted, which I fear would be the case if you attempted to speak to my husband." I urged my request, and she at length consented, and I called at the time appointed, but he was not in the house. I waited a few moments, and he came; but on seeing me in the room, he walked off into the garden, and it was some time before he would come in at length he did, and to the surprise of myself and his wife, he was civil, listened to my remarks, and allowed me to read and pray with him. A few days after, he signed the total abstinence pledge, and kept it for nine months. This proved a turning point in his life; and although he broke the pledge, he never returned to his previous habits. During this time he removed from my district, and I saw but little of him till about six months ago, when, hearing of his illness, I went to see him. This event he has often spoken of since as providential. On entering his room, he seemed much pleased, and said he had often wished to see me. From that time to his death I regularly visited him once and often twice a week. I began, as I considered, on the Gospel plan, showing him the necessity of repentance, a change of heart, faith in Christ, and holiness of life, before we can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ilis attention and concern for his soul gradually increased, but a month had nearly passed away before I saw any real signs of penitence, and that was one day when I was speaking of his long course of sin and rebellion against God, and contrasting it with God's dealings towards him in his forbearing mercy, and especially in the gift of his Son. Read Romans v. and vi. "When we were enemies to God," &c. He continued to manifest increasing concern for the salvation of his soul, and became ardently attached to the Scriptures, and he often said to his wife, "O! how I love that blessed book: .I am surprised at my blindness that I could not see its beauty before." My visits became one of his chief sources of comfort, and he often said to his wife, and once to me, "I wish Mr. C was my brother, that he might be always with me." As he felt his need of mercy, he began to pray, and his wife said she often heard him during the night (when he thought no one heard him) earnestly crying to God for mercy on his soul. He never spoke of his affliction towards the last without feelings of gratitude, and often said, it was a mercy that God sent him affliction; for "if I had been cut off before, I should have gone straight to hell." I could state much more, but pass on to notice my last visit, which was on the 25th June. I put some close questions to him, to ascertain the ground of his hope, and his interest in Christ. Would you trust in your prayers?" "Oh no, sir, I have nothing to trust in but Christ: I have no help in myself." "Do you love Christ?" "Yes, I think I do." "Suppose he were present in person at this moment (bearing in mind that he reads the heart), and he said to you, as he said to Peter, Lovest thou me?' what would you say?" "Well, I believe I could say, I do love thee, Jesus.'" His wife said, this visit was made a great blessing to him, and he appeared very cheerful and happy the next two days he lived-frequently speaking of the question, "Lovest thou me?" "Mr. C. asked me, if I loved Christ. Oh, yes, I do: I ought to do so," he several times repeated. On the Friday evening he wished his wife to go to the lecture, in the school-room. She objected, but he said he was not afraid to be left alone. She went, but on returning she found him worse: he had brought up a large quantity of blood, and asked to be assisted into bed. On being placed there, he said, "I am going;" and clasping his hands, said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He attempted the same words a second time, but died with the last word on his lips, aged 31 years. I trust his prayer was answered. FANATICISM. WE read of a religious devotee in India performing a pilgrimage to Hurdwar, a journey of some hundred miles, próstrating himself, and measuring his body every inch of the way as he advanced! There is in the court yard of one Indian temple, (an officer of the navy informs us) what far transcends this. A man may there be seen in a squatting position, which he has maintained steadily for nearly twenty years; he has likewise a small vase in his hand. His object is to qualify himself for the highest order of present saintship and future gratitude. The probation of his elegant employment will now soon be completed. The mysticism of the business is, to render perfect the spirituality of the devotee; to free his immortality from his clay-mortality. Our informant describes the devotee as most filthy; hair long and shaggy, and his nails several inches in length, curling round. When one of the ship's company desired to measure his curly nails, and approached him for the purpose, the attendant priests shrieked with horror at the proposed violation of touch! What will not men do, impelled by fanaticism! It will beget any absurdity; and we need not go to India for proof of the fact. A BEGGAR IN INDIA ABANDONING HIS IDOLS. "AT a village within twenty-five miles of Puna," says the Rev. J. Mitchell, I found a Gosavi, a kind of religious beggar, who manifested a considerable acquaintance with the truth, and told me that he had acquired his knowledge chiefly from tracts, which he had got from me, at a distant village, some years ago. He produced them, two in number, well secured in leathern boards, and evidently much the worse for wear. I gave him a further supply, and invited him to visit me at Puna. He told me that he was in the habit of reading the tracts to the people, and that he had himself abandoned the worship of idols. This is a pleasing instance of the usefulness of our tracts. I trust that many such cases exist. Light is thus evidently, though in a very silent way, much on the increase among the people, and should encourage us still to labour and pray." THE POOR MAN'S EVENING HYMN. God of the poor man! hear us, God of the poor man! heed us, We praise and glory Thee! God of the poor man! listen Their broken, anguished prayer; God of the poor man! lowly He hath no gift more holy To deck thy mercy-seat; Oh! make it right within. God of the poor man! shining With thee how bright his lot! Guard now the night before us, FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE. |