1838.] REFLECTIONS ON THE 119TH PSALM. 77 us, shall be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." May we all, therefore, carefully keep our hearts as we should wish them to be found at that last awful moment, when all hypocrisy shall be made known, and all secrets found out; and when a man's doings shall be judged and valued by a just God, according to the real sincerity, and purity of his heart. COLLECT. O Almighty and everlasting God, who didst give to Thine Apostle Bartholomew, grace truly to believe and to preach Thy word; grant, we beseech Thee, unto Thy Church, to love that word which he believed, and both to preach and receive the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. REFLECTIONS ON THE 119th PSALM, 113th VERSE TO 120th. THEY who truly love the Lord, can want little persuasion or advice to keep from evil company; they hate all evil ways, yea, the very thoughts of evil; and, therefore, can take no pleasure in sinful or foolish companions; the servant of God will not, in rude language, bid such to depart from him; but he will bid his own soul to have nothing to do with them: "Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men; avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." In so doing, in refusing to take part with wicked or gay companions, we may, perhaps, be put to some trial; we may be ridiculed and reproached, possibly injured, but the Lord is our "defence and shield:" secure of His friendship, we need fear no man's power; under His Almighty protection, nothing can really harm us. Destruction is preparing for all who oppose or disregard Him; and it is set forth in Scripture by many striking figures: they will be driven away like chaff, they will be cast off like dross, they will be trodden under foot like the mire of the street. "The Lord shall judge his people: it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it 3.—Rev. J. Slade's Explanation of the Psalms. 1 Prov. iv. 14, 15. 2 Heb. x. 30, 31. 3 Heb. iv. 1. DR. JOHNSON AND SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. "DR. JOHNSON, a short time before his death, sent for Sir Joshua Reynolds'; and after much serious conversation, told him that he had three favours to beg of him, and he hoped he would not refuse a dying friend, be they what they would. Sir Joshua promised. The first was that he would never paint on a Sunday; the second, that he would forgive him thirty pounds that he had lent him, as he wanted to leave them to a distressed family; the third was, that he would read the Bible whenever he had an opportunity, and that he would never omit it on a Sunday. There was no difficulty but upon the first point; but, at length, Sir Joshua promised to gratify him in all." DR. JOHNSON AND DR. BROCKLESBY. Dr. Johnson said to his physician, Dr. Brocklesby, a little before he died, "Doctor, you are a worthy man, and my friend, but I am afraid you are not a Christian! What can I do better for you, than offer up, in your presence, a prayer to the great God, that you may become a Christian in my sense of the word. Instantly he fell on his knees, and put up a fervent prayer. When he got up, he caught hold of his hand with great eagerness, and cried, 'Doctor, you do not say Amen'!" The doctor looked foolish; but, after a pause, cried Amen! Johnson said, "My dear doctor, believe a dying man: there is no salvation but in the sacrifice of the Lamb of God. Go home, write down my prayer, and every word I have said; and bring it me to-morrow." Dr. Brocklesby did so. DR. JOHNSON'S MANNER. Dr. Johnson was rough in his manner, but anxious to encourage what he felt to be right, and very stern towards those who were encouraging what was bad. When a celebrated learned Frenchman was introduced to him,upon the gentleman offering to shake hands with him,-the Doctor drew back, and put his hands behind him; and, 1 This celebrated painter was born at Plympton in Devonshire in the year 1733, and, after having arrived at the head of his profession, as a portrait painter, he died in the year 1792. 1838.] THE BOY AND THE FEATHERS. 79 afterwards, when asked by a friend why he behaved so roughly, he said, "Sir, I will not shake hands with an infidel." At another time, Mrs. Hannah Moore asked him whether he did not think a certain gentleman, whom she named, a very agreeable man; to which he made no answer. On her repeating the question "Child,” said he, "I will not speak any thing in favour of a Sabbathbreaker, to please you or any one else." PILGRIM'S PROGRESS. Bishop Percy was, at one time, on a very intimate footing with Dr. Johnson. One day Johnson took Percy's little daughter upon his knee, and asked her what she thought of the "Pilgrim's Progress." The child answered that she had not read it. "No!" replied the Doctor, "then I would not give one farthing for you;" and he set her down, and took no notice of her. THE BOY AND THE FEATHERS. MR. EDITOR, IN your benevolent wish to benefit your friends the cottagers, and others whom you may visit, you will not, perhaps, consider the following trifle as unworthy of your notice. In the autumn of the last year, I was travelling with a friend, over an extensive common in Surrey, upon which several flocks of geese were feeding. We were lamenting the wretched and squalid appearance of the children, some of whom were lying on the ground before dirtylooking cottages; others were throwing stones at the carriages and waggons that passed; and all seemed idle and mischievous. I observed the great quantity of feathers with which the grass was covered, and my friend said it reminded her of a circumstance that happened to her the year before, when, during many months, she was travelling abroad; an accident, added she, happened to the carriage in which I was passing over a wide and dreary-looking heath, and I went into a small hut while it was being repaired. A neat looking woman was sitting at her work, in a small, but perfectly clean room; she civilly gave a chair, and, while I was thanking her, a sturdy-looking little boy about five years old came in, with a bag filled with what I afterwards found were feathers: he looked very shyly at me, but immediately passed into a sort of shed, from which after a few minutes he returned, bringing with him the empty bag; he ran to his mother, whispered a few words in her ear, and hastily kissing her, he was out of sight in a moment. I inquired why he was in such haste, and where he was gone. "Oh!" said the happy-looking mother in her own language," he is very busy at this time of the year, picking up the feathers which the geese drop. We are very poor, and every little helps; my husband is a steady, hard working man, and he takes the three eldest boys to work with him." How many have you? I asked:-“five,” she said" the eldest is just twelve, and the youngest, a little girl, is not quite four; she is out on the heath picking up feathers with the little boy you have just seen:he told me in his whisper, that he had left her with Jock, our faithful old dog, who never quits her side." In answer to my further questions, she told me that large flocks of geese fed on the heath, and that from the first she had trained her boys to collect the feathers dropped by them. "I sell them at the market," said she, "and with the money I buy some little article of decent clothing, which serves to keep them neat and tidy, by their own earnings; for, though my husband and I, try to give them humble minds both towards God and man, we like to give them decent ways, that they may have a sort of respect for themselves, which, next to their fear of offending the great God, may keep them from any mean or bad actions.' My friend gave me many other particulars relating to this sensible woman and her family; but the purpose of this letter is to advise your young cottage readers Mr. Editor, to copy the example of these industrious children. If the parents of the children living on this same common in Surrey, would bring up their little ones to gather up the feathers, which in the season are lying useless on the ground, they would not only increase their little weekly income, but would give those children habits of 1838.] INFANT'S HYMN.-PRAYER FOR OTHERS. 81 gaining something in an honest way, and save them from that beginning of all sorts of mischief, idleness. I remain, Mr. Editor, Jan. 9th, 1838. Your's and the Cottager's well-wisher. E. M. INFANT'S HYMN. DEAR Jesus, let an infant claim The favour to adore Thy name; Thou wast so meek, that babes might be My gracious Saviour, I believe, Then to a child, dear Lord, impart Tho' oft I sin, yet save me still, From the late Rev. R. Hall's Hymn for Children.-Sent by F. C. PRAYER FOR OTHERS. I LOVE Sometimes in prayer to remember even the meanest stranger I have met on the public road, with whom, perhaps, I have not exchanged a word; or to be urgent in my intercessions for some common acquaintance, for whom I have otherwise never felt any interest. It is delightful to remain longer upon my bended knees, and to recal every individual to my thoughtsevery individual without exception, even during the past day-and to pray for them; then to go still farther, and to pray for all connected with them, but unknown to me. It seems to me, that our love ought sometimes to take such extended sweeps as these, or rather-such extended embracings. Is there one we would wish unsaved? How can we tell but some for whom we prayed, were in a state to need the anxious prayers of all their brethren? What a safe act it is! who is there that our prayers can |