Mary,' repeated her eldest daughter, and the rest echoed her words. "Her youngest brother is of a violent temper, and is always quarrelling with somebody; but he never quarrels with Mary, because she will not quarrel with him, but strives to turn aside his anger by gentle words. Even her presence has an influence over him. So it has on all her brothers; and to please her, they have left off taking in the Sunday newspaper, and go to church, or read good books at home. They none of them think as seriously as she does about sacred things, but they avoid making a jest of them when she is present, or saying or doing any thing to hurt her feelings. And some day, Mary hopes that what they now abstain from for her sake, will be abstained from out of love for God, and for fear of grieving the Holy Spirit. "One day, upon Robert, the eldest brother, declining to join a party of pleasure on the following Sabbath, a friend observed that he had no idea he was so changed in his views, and recalled to remembrance the time when he had made a mockery of religion. "Yes,' answered Robert; 'but that was before Mary taught me to love it.' "His sister, who was present, burst into tears. 'I never taught you,' said she; 'I have never said a single word on the subject. God has taught you.' "It is true that you have never said a word, my sister; but your actions have spoken for you, and for God.' 666 "To him be all the glory,' whispered Mary, as she kissed him. "The brother and sister are now constantly together; and Robert is, I think, likely to become a decided Christian. If it be so, he will always say that he owes it, under God, to her influence. And I firmly believe that there are others in the family who will feel the same ere very long. To love and wait is excellent home philosophy.' 6 What a blessing it is when religion enters a family! It may be in the youngest, or the meanest in the house, but it works, by God's blessing, like the leaven hidden in the meal, until the whole lump be leavened. "Happy families!-but, oh! how few-where parents and children fear the Lord, and speak often one to another, and the Lord stands by hearkening, and writing down their words in his 'book of remembrance,' wherein he reckons up his jewels." It has been recommended as a beneficial practice, to offer up a short prayer even as hand is upon your the door to admit you into family intercourse—an intercourse which, more than any other, involves duties and responsibilities, as well as privileges and pleasures. If we could always remember to do this, our influence would doubtless be far more powerful, and the following touching lament would not be heard so frequently as it is: "I feel full of love to others," writes Mrs. Fry, in her daily journal, "particularly those near me, but I have not towards them that patience and forbearance that I ought to have, and I think I am too easily provoked; not sufficiently long-suffering with their faults." We must all have felt this at times; and at such times there is one little text- -a sermon in itself-which it would be well to call to remembrance, containing as it does the exhortation and the motive to obedience. It is to be found in the fourth chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, at the thirty-second verse-" Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." To the gentle, how many will be gentle; to the kind, how many will be kind! How many does meekness change to the like temper! Force, it is true, may subdue; but love gains. And recollect that we must love, in order to be loved. Believe me, there is no greater happiness than that of feeling that we can cheer, and soothe, and minister to the happiness of another, especially those of our own family and kindred. Remember that if we are not doing good in our own sphere, we are doing evil: if we are not acting for God, we must be acting against him. Will those we love, when we shall have passed from among them-and God only knows how soon that may be-be the better or the worse for our presence, for our influence? It is a solemn question, a solemn thought, and may well make us careful, but not despairing. When our blessed Saviour said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness," he said it for the encouragement of all who should believe in him, in all ages of the world: he said it for us. CHAPTER IV. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GIFTED. The blessed angels look and long To praise Thee with a worthier song:- Ir is certain that mental gifts and accomplishments greatly increase our power and responsibility. The gifted, in most cases, become the presiding spirits of the intelligent circles in which they move, and become, by assent of all and without seeking it, the oracles of the rest, either for good or evil; consciously or unconsciously modifying and influencing the conduct, as well as the motives, of all with whom they are brought in contact; while many will hear of, and be guided by what they say and do, whom they may never meet on earth. In proportion as our influence is great, great should be our humility. Our fervent petitions for grace to use it aright will be somewhat proportionate to our consciousness of responsibility. The prayer of David should be continually |