1881 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUKE. 



199 



.ixidgments are wise and just. Sometimes 

 the individual can not exercise this where he 

 liimself is a party, but only in a case where 

 he has no interest. Kven thieves and rob- 

 bers have tliis sense of fitness and justice, as 

 I have explained. It is this divine part of 

 humanity, or God part, that must rule. It 

 can only be done by committing? one's whole 

 life to God's care, and s<)in^ to him faith- 

 fully and almost constantly in prayer. It is 

 not so much because we lack wisdom, but 

 because we will not use that wisdom, or that 

 we will not let it come uppermost. AYe 

 choose rather to listen to, and cherish, the 

 more agreeable whis])erings of Satan, in just 

 the way our poor brother has dc)ne. Will it 

 pay? If friend Z. will take God into his 

 confidence, and with a strong hand root out 

 these wrong feelings, he will in a litfle time 

 find the love and friendship of theseof whom 

 he has spoken, the most precious and joyous 

 experience he has ever known upon earth ; 

 and instead of having discontented thoughts, 

 his heart will be continually breaking forth 

 in thanksgiving and praise. 



Bye hath not seen, nor car heard, neither hnve en- 

 tered into the heart ot man, the things which God 

 hath prepared for tliose that love him.— I. Cor. 3:0. 



Those of you who have read Part First of 

 Our Homes will remember that I know 

 something of what I am speaking. You will 

 observe that friend Z. stops abruptlv without 

 giving any reason why he is not a Christian. 

 My friends, there is no reason to give ; none 

 in his case ; none in yours, none in that of a 

 single individual on the face of the earth. It 

 is, over and over again, simply — 



Choose you this day whom ye will serve. 



On page 289, of June No. for last year, was 

 a letter from a minister who had become in- 

 volved in debt, as some of you may remem- 

 ber. I presume you also reccollect the ad- 

 vice I gave him, for there has been some in- 

 quiry as to how he turned out. I think the 

 following letter may interest you. You will 

 observe I am in the habit of using " X. Y. 

 Z." as a sort of general signature in many 

 of these matters, simply for convenience' 

 sake. 



Dear Brother Root:— It has been a long time since 

 1 wrote to you, and believing that you are a true 

 friend to me, I thought perhaps you would like to 

 hear something special about me. Your advice 

 given me last year has never beeu forgotten, nor 

 has it been adopted and acted out in life in all re- 

 spects. But so much of it has been, that I am a new 

 man in consequence. Not merely a new man In a 

 financial or business sense, but religiously, spiritual- 

 ly, morally, and mentally; and I feel under lasting 

 obligations to you, and thank yovi even as I do the 

 Lord. Oh how sweet your society will be in heaven I 

 how inexpressibly dear your voice and presence will 

 be judging from the tone of your letters to me. I 

 sold my Interests in the political paper at Webb 

 City, Mo., and came to Carthage in mid-summer, de- 

 voting my time partly to my religious paper, and 

 partly to the ministry. — striving to get out of debt, 

 and then suspend my publication. I made an at- 

 tempt to publish It weeklj% but failed, and came out 

 more in dept than before, and was more in trouble 

 than ever. I then determined to follow your advice 

 just as nearly as I could, having no other out let. A 



complete change in life began, and every idol I 

 could discover in my heart I took to God to be cast 

 out, let come what would. It may not surprise you, 

 but it did me, that pride ruled my heart almost en- 

 tirely, excluding the meek and lowly Jesus. To give 

 up all this, and a great deal more, was most trying 

 tome; but It had to go, and it did go; and then I 

 came nearer the Lord than I had ever been in all my 

 life. 1 could plead with God as a man could with 

 man, it seemed to me. My family were gone on a 

 visit; fall and winter were near; I had no money, 

 and was in debt. What could I do? God said, "I 

 am thy portion," I trusted him, and he prepared a 

 field of labor for me, and also pay for my services, 

 partly in advance, so that our wants were met, our 

 most needful debts were paid, and I saw that men 

 were touched under my preaching more than ever. 

 I am a happy man, 1 love the Lord, and he loves me. 

 My paper is no more. I am preaching all my time 

 and hope soon to be entirely out of debt. Yours in 

 Jesus, — X. Y. Z. 



" NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP." 



Friend Root:— The death-scene which you des- 

 cribed in the Feb. No. of Gleanings was so beauti- 

 fully suggestive, that, although entirely unacquaint- 

 ed with the parties (except through Gleanings), I 

 could scarcely resist the inward promptings which 

 urged me to embody it in verse. I here send you a 

 copy, should you see fit to publish It. 



A triljute to the memory of the Infant daughter of 

 Mr. and Mrs. Shane, whose last words were a volun- 

 tary repetition of her little evening prayer. 



Her work on earth is fully done, 

 And she is ripened for the skies. 

 Sliall she not hasten to the throne. 

 Wlien Jesus whispers her, ' 'Arise' ' ! 

 Her parents weep; but e'en those t^ars 

 Are not withotit a liealing balm; 

 Their little heaven-bonnd knows no fears, 

 But all with her is holy calm. 



And ' ' now I lay me down to sleep ' ' 

 (Once more she would repeat her prayer), 

 ' ' I pray the Lord my soul to keep ' ' 

 (And God is surely listening there;) 

 " If I should die before I wake ' ' 

 (Life ebbs — she hastens the lines to close), 

 ' ' I pray the Lord my soul to take ' ' 

 And then she finds a sweet repose. 



The ' ' amen ' ' trembled on her lips. 

 Her little eyes ,are closed in death; 

 Sufli hcuvrn l)(>rn frioi-y must eclipse 

 The iiroudest monarch's proudest breath. 

 No far-famed bishop's last adieu 

 Can cast such death-scene in the shade. 

 Be ours a trust as pure and true. 

 When we must in the grave be laid. 



And to this end be ours a life 

 Dcvctcd wholly to the Lord; 

 With every inl)rcd sin at strife. 

 Accordiii;^- to tlie Savior's word. 

 A7id, hriuKiii!-' forth (he daily fruits 

 Of ri).rlitic>usiii'ss ;i]id peace (ind joy, 

 A L'liristi:in life stril;es deeper roots 

 Than aught that's earthly can destroy. 



Mrs. HestekA. Awhey. 

 Cottam, Ont., Feb. 16, 1881. 



I presume many of you will be pleased to 

 know how brother Matthews is succeeding in 

 the line that God seems to have so striking- 

 ly marked out for him. Head: — 



Another year Is gone, and we (the Prison Mission) 

 have abundant cause to be grateful to a kind Provi- 

 dence; for over 3,000,000 pages have gone out to Tex- 

 as, La., Ala., Tenn., Ark., Col., Mo., la., Kan., Neb., 

 Min., Wis., Ills.. Ind., Mich., and two boxes ready 

 for Raleigh, N. C. No railroad fare in seven States 

 during 1880. Financially, the first year of any suc- 

 cess since '75. All would have gone free if friends had 

 been thoughtful and careful In sending. One broth- 

 er gave (sent me) $50,00 for incidentals and when 

 the year's work was balanced, there was !J cents left 



