Search for Truth. 269 itself, and seeks to blind others, to all that is wrong in the views which it has adopted. And thus, whilst the most thinking men are in search for truth, and are seeking to bring it forth, on whichever side it lies, party men, on either side, are forward to defend every abuse, and to support every absurdity. And, when there is this spirit abroad, there is no ignorant scribbler who will not find readers,-and none of his trash so disgusting as not to be swallowed by them.A wretched writer of the present day says, that the Queen of England, in case of the King's death, would have as large an income as would cost the labour of 15,000 individuals, working fifteen hours a day;meaning, no doubt, to find readers foolish enough to believe that so much labour is exacted from the people to support the Queen. Whereas the truth is, that the sums raised for this and similar purposes come chiefly from the rich; the richer a man is, the more he pays in taxation: and, in truth, the money spent by kings and queens is spent among the people, and if the means of supporting the royal dignity were cut off, the working people of this country would find themselves greatly injured, instead of benefited by it. Whatever ministers are in power, the truth of this will be understood by them; and the people of England, who think, will understand it too, and will be too wise to listen to the folly and falsehoods with which the ignorant and malicious would seek to deceive them. No good friend of his country would wish to see or to encourage needless expense; and luxuries, which lead to vice, ought, in every point of view, to be discouraged, as destructive of moral and religious principle. But our King and Queen have shewn every desire to lessen the public burdens, instead of increasing them; and it is melancholy to think of the mischief that the penny scribblers of the day are spreading among those who, perhaps, read little else than their wretched publications, and are apt to believe that whatever they see in print must be true. V. A MOTHER LAMENTS OVER THE CORPSE OF HER LITTLE INFANT, AGED FOUR MONTHS. PRETTY lily flower, The blossom of an hour, My lovely star of light, In heaven's splendid height. My dearest, darling child, Its lamb it wants, The babe who on me smiled. No, no, do not return, Such harmless doves,- Oh! Jesus, God of grace, As this my babe, Sittingbourne. J. H. FRAGMENT OF A SERMON. [We have sometimes recommended our readers not to tear up, or burn scraps of paper, without first examining what is written on them. We rescued the following fragment from the fire it seems to be part of a sermon on conformity to the world.] "IN those cases where God decidedly speaks, we are not for a moment to hesitate, we are to obey. Some account of Samuel Brooker. 271 But there are doubtful cases-cases where there is no direct command: but here, though the act be not sinful, yet it may lead to others which are sinful, it may encourage a disposition which is contrary to that pious watchfulness, that devotion towards God, which the earnest Christian feels it his duty, and his safety, and his happiness to cultivate. In such cases he will see how much it behoves him to be on his guard. If his Christian profession be sincere, he will be quick to see his danger; and a monitor within will restrain him, and his heavenly guide will direct him. To such persons we need give no precise rule; we can give none. There are, however, practices, and there are places, and there are scenes in which the world' is engaged, which a Christian feels at once to be wholly inconsistent with the rules of his religion, and where he cannot help seeing that a state of mind is encouraged which is wholly in opposition to that of a soul preparing for eternity. If any one feels that the world is tempting him into scenes where there is profligacy, or gaming, or drunkenness, or forgetfulness of God, to him God decidedly speaks, and says, 'come out from among them, and be separate.' SOME ACCOUNT OF SAMUEL BROOKER. I HAVE in a former number * given an account of the good effects that, through the Divine blessing, Susan Brooker's example and humble endeavours produced on some of her neighbours. The following paper will shew their effect on her father. Brooker was, as I have said, an honest industrious, sober man; but he was "all for this world:" he seldom thought about eternity; and when he did, it was only to comfort himself with the idea that one who lived so good a life as he did, must be sure to go to * March 1831, page 106. heaven: he never thought of Jesus Christ, for he felt not his need of a Saviour-nor desired the help of his Holy Spirit, for he seemed to know not that he was a sinner, and that of himself he could do “ no good thing." Such a character we often meet with; a good moral character, as it is called:—but it is one that fills with sorrow the thoughtful and pious mind, which cannot but contemplate the dreadful sentence that awaits such: "Yet lackest thou one thing;"-" thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting.' Brooker would sometimes scold, and sometimes laugh at his daughter, for being, as he called it, so "over religious."—and he was often surprised to see how meekly she took his reproaches:-for when she was a very young girl Susan had at times been very saucy to her father, and would often give him a pert answer: he could not but notice, too, how much more comfortable she had made his home lately. Another thing struck him; he had always thought that religion must make people melancholy, and he would often snatch the Bible out of her hands, saying that he could not bear to see her mope over it, it would make her dismal. Yet he could not but see, that since she had become religious, she had always been happy and cheerful; if they had only dry bread for dinner, she would never grumble, but would try to keep up his spirits and make him contented too. Brooker, as I have said, noticed all this ;-for he was a man that did not want for sense; but he never troubled himself to consider, why it was, or to ask after that "6 more excellent way," which led to so much that was good. About this time Brooker, as he came home one evening from work, told Susan that he had heard there was to be a very grand fair at the neighbouring village of Charlton next day, and that several of the men that worked along with him were going to it, and that he meant to go with them; and you shall go too, Sue, if you like it," he added, "for you are a good, quiet, girl, I will say for you, Some account of Samuel Brooker. 273 and never want to go out a pleasuring, as some do." Susan was delighted at her father's praise. She thanked him for his offer of taking her to the fair, but said that she had really no wish to go; she could not also help feeling uneasy at the idea of his going to a place that offered so much temptation, and she ventured just to hint this to him, though, in as gentle a way as possible. Brooker was fortunately in great good humour; he therefore did not answer her roughly, but only laughed at her." Why, what does the girl mean," said he, " am I not old enough to take care of myself?-when did you ever know me take a glass too much? No, no, though I don't make a talk about religion and the like of that, I'm as far from following bad ways as they that do-why, there's old John Churchill, you never hear a word from him but about religion; and yet was not he taken home drunk last week, and again yesterday evening; what do you say to that?" Indeed, father, it is very sad to see people making religion a cloak for their sins; but then, it is not John's religion, but his want of religion that lets him do such things:-he can talk well about religion; but, if he really felt it, he would act as well as talk.-You, dear father, have never followed such ways, I know, but then the Bible tells us that our strength is but weakness, unless God's Holy Spirit help us, and that it is through his blessed assistance alone that we can escape temptation, or can ever please God." Brooker bade his daughter hold her tongue and pack off to bed. Susan's father set forth early, and joined some of his neighbours, who were also going to the fair. Susan watched him till he was out of sight, and then went in doors with a heavy heart. She could not conceal from herself that he was going into a scene of much temptation, without the only unfailing shield against it:-she lifted up her heart in prayer to her heavenly Father, and implored his mercy for her earthly parent; and, cheered and comforted by this, she went about |
