Grandmother's scrap-book, or, The way to do good. Designed to encourage the highest religious attainments within the power of man .. online

6. Always remember that you are to " stand
before the judgment-seat of Christ."

If travelling :

1. Never, on any plea whatever, travel on
the Lord's day.

2. Make your arrangements, if possible, to
stop in some place where you can enjoy suit-
able religious privileges.

3. If at a public house or watering-place
on the Lord's day, do not mingle with indis-
criminate company ; keep your own room as
much as possible, and be engaged in such a



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 69

way as may make the day profitable to your
soul and honorable to your God.

4. Every day, find or make time for your
private duties of reading, meditation, self-ex-
amination, and prayer.

5. Carry tracts and good books with you, to
read, distribute, or lend, according to circum-
stances.

6. Seek for opportunities to do good to the
souls of those into whose society you may
fall.

7. Never, by deed or conversation, appear
to be ashamed of your religious profession.

8. Eemember you are to " stand before the
judgment-seat of Christ."

Let me entreat you to read these items of
advice over and over again ; and recur to
them in every time of temptation. They are
the affectionate warning of one who knows the
danger of your situation, and whose heart's
desire and prayer to God is, that you may
maintain your Christian integrity, honor God,



70 grandmother's scrap-book;

live in obedience to his will, and enjoy the
peace which can alone spring from a " con-
science void of offence," because " the love of
God is shed abroad in the heart."

Friend reader ! would it not be well to cut
the above out, and paste it on the top of your
trunk ?



Short-sighted Policy. — Dr. Livingstone,
in a speech at the late anniversary of the Lon-
don Missionary Society, spoke of the people of
a district in Africa who could nearly all read
and write, the Jesuit missionaries, whose mem-
ory is still held in high respect, having taught
their ancestors. He said that he would not say
a word against these missionaries ; but with all
their worldly wisdom, they had not wit enough
to give the people the Bible. If they had done
so, as the Protestants had done in Madagas-
car, Christianity would probably have spread
through the whole of the interior, and he
should not have had the honor of discovering
the country from which he had lately come.



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 71



SABBATH MOBNINa.

Rise, my soul ! the Sabbath dawns !

Rise, and gird thee for its rest ! —
"While the lofty shining ones

Round the throne, supremely blest,
Standing, wait their Maker's nod, —
Mark, my soul, the path they trod.

While they tabernacled here,

Oft with tears their couch was wet,

Oft their hearts were faint through fear ;
Pierced with thorns their bleeding feet ;

Yet to honor Jesus' name,

Gladly bore they grief and shame.

'Mid their duties and their cares.

While their burdens made them groan,

On their path beset with snares,
Bethlehem's Star serenely shone !

Lighting up the king's highway, —

Beaming o'er them day by day.

When their six days' work was done,
Rested they from cares of earth ;

When arose the Sabbath's sun.
Then began their hallowed mirth ;



72 grandmother's scrap-book ;

Songs of joy and gladness borne,
Ushered in the sacred morn.

Thoughts of Christ, and how he rose,
Victor over Death and Hell,

Vanquishing our fellest foes, —

Thoughts of those in bliss that dwell

Free from sorrow and alloy,

Filled their hearts with holy joy.

Rise, my soul, pursue the path

Once by Earth's redeemed ones trod.

Till these shades of gloom and wrath
Vanish in the smile of God.

Rise, and with the orient sun,

Put thy beauteous garments on.



The possibility of evil disturbs the anxious,
but only the probability of evil disturbs the
cheerful. A large part of the liabilities which
hover before the eyes of the former, are never
thought of by the latter.

Knowledge of the world is dearly bought at
the price of moral purity.



OB, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 73



"TALK TO ME OF JESUS."

" Talk to me of Jesus, mother," said a little
child of three years old, while lying feverish
and breathing hard on his mother's lap.
" Talk to me of Jesus, and let Annie get me
the picture-book. There is one large and one
small picture of Jesus in it." Could a parent,
who loved to hear her child speak of that dear
Saviour, refuse to tell the little one of what he
did, and what he said ; of how he lived, and
how he died ? His sister brought the book,
and the little boy did listen earnestly to his
mother as she told of Jesus, when he said,
'' Suffer little children to come unto me, and
forbid them not, for of such is the king-
dom." It was the Sabbath hour, and the
mother's heart was chastened.



They pay too dear for fame or wealth,
Who pay in peace of mind or health.



74 grandmother's scrap-book;



YOU CAN NEVER RUB IT OUT.

One pleasant afternoon a lady was sitting
with her little son, a white-haired boy, five
years of age. The mother was sick, and the
child had left his play to stay with her, and
was amusing himself in printing his name with
a pencil on paper.

Suddenly his busy fingers stopped. He
made a mistake, and, wetting his finger, he
tried again and again to rub out the mark, as
lie had been accustomed to do on his slate.

" My son," said his mother, " do you know
that God writes down all you do in a book ?
He writes every naughty word, every disobe-
dient act, every time you indulge in temper,
and shake your shoulders, or pout your lips ;
and, my boy, you can never rub it out I "

The little boy's face grew very red, and, in
a moment, tears ran down his cheeks. His
mother's eye was on him earnestly, but she
said nothing more. At length he came softly



75

to her side, threw his arms round her neck,
and whispered, " Can the blood of Jesus rub it
out ? "

Dear children, Christ's blood can rub out
the evil you have done, and it is the only
thing in the universe that can do it. " The
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin."



Remarkable Confirmation. — A long in-
scription of a thousand lines, taken from the
tablets at Nineveh, was recently given to Sir
Henry Rawlinson and three other eminent
scholars for translation. Their translations,
when compared, were found to agree, not only
in the general purport of the document, but
very frequently were verbally the same. The
complete success of the experiment establishes
the correctness of the system of interpretation
by which the inscriptions on the monuments at
Nineveh and Babylon have been deciphered

Slander no man. Remember the echo.



76 grandmother's scrap-book;



FATHER, I CAN'T TELL A LIE.

Christians have been praying in Boston.
A morning union prayer meeting at eight
o'clock has been blessed of God, and many of
the churches and Sabbath schools visited by the
descent of the Holy Spirit. In one church, the
Sabbath school teacher asked a little girl if she
had family prayer at home. She was obliged
to answer, No. She said to her father, " My
teacher asked me if there was family prayer
in our house, and, father, I could not tell a
lie." That father was worldly-minded ; but his
little daughter's appeal reached his heart. He
was led to serious reflection, and publicly to
join himself to the people of God. He has
also become a missionary of Christ to others,
and his labors have already been blessed in the
hopeful conversion of three or four of his
former associates.



77



"OUT OF THE MOUTH OF BABES."

A PHYSICIAN of high standing, an opposer
of religion, was about to start for California,
when his little child came to him and handed
him a Testament, saying, " Pa, you must take
this to read on the road." He pushed the
child away in a passion, saying that he did
not want to be encumbered with any such
thing. His wife persuaded him to take it to
please the child. On his way to the gold
regions he was taken dangerously sick, and
his companions were obliged to leave him, as
they thought, to die. He became alarmed for
his sins, and was about to give up in despair,
when he thought of the Testament. He com-
menced reading it, and his mind was led to
take hold of the promises, and to accept of
Christ as his Saviour. He recovered from
his sickness, went to the gold regions, and
a few days since returned rich, not in the



78 grandmother's scrap-book ;

treasures of Egypt, but in that more durable
substance that fadeth not away, eternal in the
heavens.



Strive to obtain a heavenly frame of mind ;
it is worth the labor of years. Always carry a
smile, and gpeak an encouraging word for the
disconsolate. " But to do good, and to commu-
nicate, forget not ; for with such sacrifices God
is well pleased." Heb. xiii. 16. "As we have
therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all
men." Gal. vi. 10. " For of the abundance of
the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke vi. 45.

To complain, is to confess weakness ; and
so men conceal their suifering and weari-
ness. This makes society more agreeable, but
also makes life seem to the young easier than
it is.

The relations of life are very various, and
call different faculties into action ; so that
men are alternately leaders and led.



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 79



RESIGNATION.

BY MRS. E. C. JUDSON.

Stricken-, smitten, and afflicted,
Saviour, to thy cross I cling ;

Thou hast every blow directed.
Thou alone canst healing bring.

Try me till no dross remaineth ;

And whate'er the trial be,
While thy gentle arm sustaineth,

Closer will I cling to thee.

Cheerfully the stern rod kissing,
I will hush each murmuring cry ;

Every doubt and fear dismissing.
Passive in thine arms will lie.

And when, through deep seas of sorrow,
I have gained the heavenly shore,

Bliss from every wave I'll borrow,
And for each w^ill love thee more.



Trips help to save from tumbles.



80 grandmother's scrap-book ;



CHILD'S EVENING HYMN.

The day is gone, the night is come,

The night for quiet rest ;
And every little bird has flown

Home to its downy nest.

The robin was the last to go ;

Upon the leafless bough
He sang his evening hymn to God,

And he is silent now.

The bee is hushed within the hive.

Shut is the daisy's eye,
The stars alone are peeping forth

From out the darkened sky.

No, not the stars alone, for God

Has heard what I have said ;
His eye looks on his little child,

Kneeling beside its bed.

He kindly hears me thank him now

For all that he has given, —
For friends, and books, and clothes, and food.

But most of all for Heaven, —



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 81

Where I shall go when I am dead,

If truly I do right ;
Where I shall meet all those I love,
As angels pure and bright.



The torn Tract. — A devoted servant of
Christ in Philadelphia states that a young man
strolling down to the wharf on the Sabbath,
received the tract, " Warning to Sabbath-
Breakers." He was so offended with its title
that he immediately tore it up. Soon tlie
thought occurred to him, " I am a Sabbath-
breaker ! " and he was brought under deep
conviction of sin. The remainder of that Sab-
bath was devoted to the concerns of his soul ;
he was brought to trust in Christ, and to pro-
fess faith in him. He is now active in the
Sabbath school, and lives a life of prayer.

There are many good things in this world,
but it is often difficult to get them, and easy to
loFO them, and dangerous to use them,
6



82 grandmother's scrap-book;



GOD DOES .NOT FORGET, HE ONLY
WAITS.

Kev. Dr. Taylor, of Newark, relates the fol-
lowing incident for the encouragement of par-
ents to pray for their children : —

Many years ago, an old man, a devoted
Christian, started a prayer meeting, which is
still continued, having resulted in many and
glorious fruits. As a pastor, it was my privi-
lege to be with him, particularly during his last
illness. In several visits made to his house, I
found him on the Mount, looking over on to
the Land of Promise. Finding nothing, seem-
ingly, to mar his comfort or interrupt his joy,
I determined to satisfy myself whether there
was nothing that gave him any trouble of lieart.
On entering his chamber, I asked him, in simple
terms, " How are you this morning ? " " 0,
sir,-" said he, " I am well : why should I not
be well ? I am near home. Yes, I am near
home — near heaven." I took the opportunity



83



to ask him, " My dear sir, has there been noth-
ing of late resting upon your heart, as an occa-
sion of trouble ? " He spoke not a word, but
turned his head over to the wall, and lay so
between five and ten minutes ; then he rolled
his head back upon his pillow with his face
towards me, and I saw the tears streaming down
his cheeks. " 0, yes, sir," said he, " there is
one great trouble." " What is it ? " I in-
quired. " Speak your whole mind to me
freely." " Well," said he, " I have ten chil-
dren, and I have prayed to God for more tlian
thirty years that I might see some one of them
converted before I die ; but he has denied me.
They are all grown up, as you know, but are
not yet Christians!" " How do you get over
that trouble ? " I asked. " Ah," he replied,
" I get over it as I get over all other troubles
— by rolling it over upon Christ. I know that
God means to answer my prayers, but he means
to wait till I am gone. But he will do it ; I
know he will; my children will be con-
verted."



84 grandmother's scrap-book;

This man lias been in his grave for fifteen
years, and I have watched over his children
ever since his death ; and now to-day I am able
to say that seven out of the ten have been born
into the kingdom of God, and the eighth has
just experienced conversion. This is the an-
swer to his prayer ! God did not forget, he
only waited ; and, in like manner, he will an-
swer the prayers of all parents who pray in
faith for the conversion of their children. Let
us, therefore, take courage, and lay hold upon
the 'precious promises of God !



Genuine Faith. — The smallest degree of
faith is true, is saving faith, as well as the great-
est. A spark of fire is as true fire as any is in
the element of fire. A drop of water is as
true water as any is in the ocean. So the
least grain of faith is as true faith and as sav-
ing, as the greatest faith in the world. The
least bud draws sap from the root as well as
the greatest bough. The least faith marries the
soul to Christ.



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 85

THE PRODIGAL'S WELCOME.

Charles was a favorite and only son in a
pleasant New England home. Unfortunately,
as he entered upon the excitements and pleas-
ures of youth, he caught from infidel compan-
ions the poison of scepticism. Wealth and
fashion gave to the Puritan piety of the paren-
tal heart a repulsive seriousness, and the scorn-
ful smile often betrayed the unwilling respect
he rendered to the family altar. Remonstrance
and tears were in vain. The hue of infidelity
darkened daily upon his otherwise fine charac-
ter, until at length his language assumed a
bolder tone, and his disrelish of domestic reli-
gion became painfully marked.

One morning, after family prayer, he told
his father, with spirited decision, that if he did
not abandon the superstitious custom, he should
leave home ; he would go to more congenial
associations, and find wealth without the an-
noyance of a faith he entirely rejected. His



86 grandmother's scrap-book;

father, with grief, assured Charles that he could
not demolish the altar of prayer, even if it
made a final separation between them ; tlie
throne of grace was too precious to desert for a
day. The sceptic curled his lip in the pride
of perverted reason, and asked for his portion
of money. With strange indiscretion, in too
indulgent parents, it was given, w4th many
tears and strong cries unto the Lord for re-
claiming grace.

Charles went to a distant city, commenced
business, formed friendships with gay and un-
principled young men, and in a year was a
penniless bankrupt. In his destitution . he
thought of home ; and though pride struggled
fiercely with conscience, and affection, he arose
and started for the place of his birth. Most
of the way he was compelled to walk ; and on
Saturday night he was within a few miles of
his father's house.

He stopped at an inn, and in the morning
had not means to pay his bill. The landlord
opened his package, and took out a Bible.



87

Charles, weeping, said it was a mother's gift,
and begged for the neglected volume. The
landlord refused, offering to restore it when re-
deemed by compensation in some other form.
Charles went* sadly on his homeward track,
lingering in distressful thought by the way, till
the sun of that Sabbath was sinking behind the
familiar hills. He quickened his pace, and as
the full moon rose he reached the threshold of
home. By a retired entrance he stole into a
silent apartment. He listened, and heard the
voice of prayer. Moving forward to the par-
tially opened door, he saw the gray-haired
father, surrounded by mother and sisters,
bowed before the despised altar, praying for
him. The rustling of Charles's agitated form
drew the attention of a sister, who gazed a mo-
ment in surprise, and in a wild gush of feeling
exclaimed, " 0, Charles is come I " The prayer
ceased, and in a moment a network of arms
infolded the prodigal. The mother inquired
for the Bible ; a frank confession was scarcely
uttered before the exclamation vvas renewed.



88 grandmother's scrap-book ;

" 0, Charles, we arc so glad you have come ! "
Soon all bowed together, and angels smiled
over the scene.

And is it so, that God holds an attitude as
subduing to every returning sinner ? When
the interests of two worlds are at stake, how
can the prodigal refuge to gather up his rags,
and go penitently to his infinite Father?



An Example for Boys. — We have a carrier
connected with this office, who is between the
ages of thirteen and fourteen, who occupies a
seat in the highest class in our public schools,
has the geography of the country at his fingers'
ends, and who can cipher round a bevy of
schoolmasters, and in two and a half years
more, which will make him sixteen, he will
probably read Cicero and Homer to boot. But
in addition to acquirements at school, he has
three hundred dollars in the Savings Bank,
drawing five per cent, interest, and is daily
adding thereto, all gathered together by selling
newspapers between school hours.



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 89



THE WAY TO BE SAVED.

When convinced persons in the apostles'
day cried out, What sh*^!! we do to be saved ?
the answer was. Believe^ and you shall be saved.
To believe in Christ, and in the remission of
sin by his blood, is the first thing that con-
vinced sinners are called to. They are not di-
rected first to assure their souls that they are
born again, and then afterwards believe ; but
they are first to believe that the remission of
sin is tendered to them in the blood of Christ,
and that by him they may be justified from all
things from which they could not be justified
by the law. Nor is it the duty of men to ques-
tion whether they have faith or not, but actu-
ally to believe ; and faith, in its operation, will
evidence itself. See Acts xiii. 38, 39. Sup-
pose, then, that you do not know that you are
born of God, that you have no prevailing, re-
freshing evidence of it ; should this hinder
you ? Should this discourage you from believ-



90 grandmother's scrap-book ;

ing forgiveness, from closing with the promises,
and thereby obtaining in yourselves an interest
in forgiveness with God ? Not at all ; nay,
this ought exceedingly to excite and stir you
up to your duty he^in. For, suppose that
you are indeed yet in the state of sin, and are
only brought under the power of light and con-
viction, this is the way for a translation into a
state of spiritual life and grace. If you delay
the exercise of faith in forgiveness until you
are regenerate, you may, and probably you will,
come short of both forgiveness and regenera-
tion. Here lay your foundation, and then your
building will go on. This will open the door
to you, and give you an entrance into the king-
dom of God. Christ is the door. Do not think
to climb over the wall. Enter by him, or you
will be kept out.



No man can solve the mysteries of life, but
every man of common sense can perform its
duties.



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 91



THE WAYWARD SON.

A PIOUS lady had long and faithfully en-
deavored to lead her children in the ways of
righteousness ; but her eldest son gave not
heed to her counsels, and with grief she saw
him select a companion for life who feared not
God, and establish himself in his own home
without a family altar. But she followed him
with her prayers and entreaties, and he loved
and valued her, as his daily visits testified. On
one occasion, as he stepped in, the title of a
tract which lay upon his mother's table attract-
ed his attention. He wished he could read it.
But, no — he would not, on any account, be
seen taking it up. Still, he could not leave it ;
for the Holy Spirit had made use of the title
of that tract to arouse him from the deep leth-
argy in wliich he had so long been sunk. At
last he covered the tract with his hat, drew it
unperceived from the table, and left the house.

But what should he then do ? He could not



92 grandmother's scrap-book ;

w-ell read it at home without the knowledge of
his wife, and he was ashamed to read a tract
in her presence. As his only resort, he betook
himself to the barn, ascended the hayloft, and
there devoured its pages. Deep convictions of
his sinfulness followed its perusal, and he was
led by its teachings to accept of offered mercy
through a Saviour's merits. The mother now
rejoices over her son, who " was lost and is
found;" and frequently has the happiness of
uniting with him around his oivn family altar ^
in thankful praise to their common Redeemer,
and in suppiications for his blessing on that So-
ciety which scatters so bounteously the leaves
of salvation through the land.



How many a man, from love of pelf,
To stuff his coffers starves himself ;
Labors, accumulates, and spares,
To lay up ruin for his heirs ;
Grudges the poor their scanty dole ;
Saves every thing except his soul ;
And always anxious, always vexed,
Loses both this world and the next ?



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 93



HARD FEELINGS.

" Thou slialt not avenge, nor bear any
grudge against the children of thy people."
All those hard and unkind feelings which you
entertain towards your neighbor because he
has injured you, are forbidden by the Word of
God, and they bring heavy guilt upon your
soul. Do not try to escape by saying this Ife a
part of the old Jewish law that has long since
been abrogated. The words of the Saviour are
still more forcible : " If ye forgive men their
trespasses, your heavenly Father will also for-
give you. But if ye forgive not men their tres-
passes, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses." Matt. vi. 14, 15. A more fearful
denunciation against those who indulge unkind
feelings towards any individual of the human
race could hardly be uttered.



Much of " the evil of our lot " is the punish-
ment of our misconduct.



94 grandmother's scrap-book ;

FORETASTES OF HEAVEN AT THE CLOSE
OF LIFE..

0, THE aged, venerable saint, upon whose
mild countenance is reflected the soft, holy
dawn of heaven! We more than love, we rev-
erence him. His very deadness to all the affin-
ities of earth, makes us feel that he already be-
longs to a higher sphere ! We linger around
lii^ arm-chair as around an oracle, and our
spirits bow and worship in the sacred element
of mystery which breathes around him. A
thousand times blessed is the close of his life,
so full of hope and immortality. The soul that
can rise. above the clouds of earth, can always
behold the infinity of heaven, and, perhaps,
every rightly taught man, before God takes
him, ascends to a Pisgali of his own, from
whence to look farewell to the wilderness he
has passed in the leadings of Jehovah's right
hand, and to catch a glimpse of the promised
land, lying in the everlasting orient before him.

Christian biography is rich in examples of



OR, THE WAY TO DO GOOD. 95

such rapturous and peaceful foretastes as often
characterize the closing scenes of the eminently
pious. Of these, perhaps the most remarkable
is that of the deeply pious and devoted John
Janeway. " I am, through mercy, quite above
the fears of death, and am going unto Him
whom I love above life. 0, that I could let
you know what I now feel ! 0, that I could