THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Children's Corner.

EDMUND PALMER AND THE OLD CRIPPLE.

"ONLY look, Mary, at that old cripple going down on the other side of the street," said Edmund Palmer to his sister, as she sat sewing at the table, and he was gazing out of the window at the persons who were passing by. Mary went to the window and said, “Oh, Edmund, do not talk in that way! that poor man cannot help being so; he was born so, and cannot help it." Edmund burst into a loud laugh, and said to his sister, "What a soft old fellow he is; I would not be so if I could help it; I would soon get a cure for it; and never be laughed at by people as he is." "My dear," said his sister, "I am grieved to hear that you have so little pity in you for that poor man, who, you know, cannot help being so, and he cannot get a cure for it. I am sure if you were to be so you would feel very much hurt if any one were to say of you what you have said of that poor man. Never again say so, my dear." Edmund only laughed again, and went away.

Now Mary and Edmund had, by the will of God, been deprived of their dear parents, and, with another brother and sister, were left alone. But they were all older than Edmund, who was of a random turn of mind, and would be a soldier in spite of the advice of his sisters, and brothers, and friends; so one day he went to the barracks and enlisted.

It was many years after that he returned home from the wars to his native town, with only one leg. As he came down the street with a crutch, and faint and weary, he blushed when he thought of the poor old man he mocked when a boy. As the big tears ran down his sunburnt cheek, he at last arrived at the home of his brothers and sisters, where he lived and died a happy and sincere christian.

Let this tale be a warning to those of my young readers who have ever mocked or laughed at a cripple, for who knows but that some day they too will be in the same condition ?

My dear young friends, the soldier felt deeply, when he was himself deprived of a limb, the ridicule he had made, when a boy, in laughing at that poor old cripple. Now pray remember, when beholding a deformed person, how gracious the Lord has been in granting you the use of all your limbs, and daily let your praises ascend unto Him for these, and all the blessings continually showered upon you. God careth not for the outward appearance, but all who love Christ in their hearts are heirs of the kingdom of heaven; where all will be perfect.

JOHN BUNYAN'S SLOUGH OF DESPOND

NOT FILLED UP YET.

WE expect that all our readers have read Bunyan's wonderful book "The Pilgrim's Progress - and remember how Christian," when setting out on his pilgrimage, got stuck fast in the "Slough of Despond." Honest John, by that, wished to point out, that when a man begins to feel that he is a great sinner against God, that God will never forgive him, and the more he thinks so the more he flounders and the deeper he sinks in the mud of the slough, until the Saviour comes and says, Take hold of my strength," and so helps him out.

A Minister relates the following fact of a young lady, who was in great distress of mind about her soul and its salvation. She regularly attended religious services with her pious parents, and observing how distressed she always appeared he went to see her. They lived in the country, and on the evening when he arrived at her father's house he had a long conversation with her, but she only said bitter things against herself, and could not be comforted.

Next morning (he says) "I was just about to take leave of the family, when I found myself, suddenly, under the influence of an impression that my work in this family visit was not yet done. I felt constrained not to leave without further conversation with Emeline. Apparently with an anxiety to hear more said to her, she had taken her seat in a weeping posture, and a younger sister also sat near her, who had witnessed the conversation the evening before, and appeared solemn. My mind led me to resume the same train of thought which had been dismissed the evening before.

Emeline,' said I, 'the devil is a liar, and the father of lies, for Christ has so declared. And yet this old deceiver has made you believe that Christ himself is not able to pardon and save you. Listen to the voice of your Saviour in his holy word 'Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' Emeline, you are one of those heavy laden sinners that Christ invites to come to him. You are conscience-smitten, soul-distressed, helpless and hopeless, without his mercy. You are heavy laden under a sense of your supposed unpardonable sins. And yet, your blessed Saviour

JOHN BUNYAN'S SLOUGH OF DESPOND

invites you to come to him for rest. The only condition he requires is comprised in his invitation to come, and accept of his mercy freely-yes, freely. Submit to Jesus on the terms of the gospel, and pardon, rest, peace, and heaven will be yours.'

'O,' said she, 'what must I do to submit?' I replied: To submit to God on the terms of the gospel is nothing more nor less than to believe in Christ, and trust in him alone for salvation; then love and serve him, and the Divine promise is, thou shalt be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ now, and you shall find rest from your burden and be blessed for ever.

I paused. All for a moment were still, and then, with flowing tears, she broke silence (her sister also weeping), ‘O, my sins are too great to be forgiven! O, this distress, this burden! O, this indescribable load! What shall I do? What will become of me? How can Jesus forgive the unpardonable sin ?'

I replied: You have not committed the unpardonable sin. Every sigh, and tear, and groan of distress, and anxious inquiry about what you must do to be saved, attests the fact. From the guilt of all other sins Christ will cleanse and save you, if you submit to him. 'He is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.' Now, Emeline, will you believe satan when he says that Christ cannot pardon and save you? Can you any longer believe satan's lies and be chained down in despair? Or will you believe that Jesus your Saviour, who died for you, who saved a penitent dying thief, a trembling jailor, a persecuting Saul, and millions of other guilty sinners, is able, also, to save you, a trembling, despairing sinner at his feet, pleading for mercy?'

Here I discovered that the delusive foundation of her unbelief and despondency began to be shaken. Trembling, and overwhelmed with anxiety, she exclaimed, 'I do believe in Jesus. O that I could give up my heart to him.' Her sister also, who sat and heard the whole conversation, appeared to be deeply and solemnly affected.

The thought occurred that now was a favourable season for special prayer. Prayer was proposed. We all fell on our knees. God was there, and the mighty power of the Holy Ghost was felt. When prayer was concluded, both the sisters continued on their knees, and broke out into agonizing cries

NOT FILLED UP YET.

for mercy. The younger appeared to have the greatest anxiety. Prayer was made for them again and again, interspersed with sclemn appeals, urging them to renounce every other help but God alone, and cast themselves entirely on the blood of the atonement for salvation. I endeavoured to keep their minds fixed on their sins, their danger, and Christ their only deliverer from condemnation and wrath. And emphatically I applied to their present condition the apostolic exhortation, Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.'

These exercises continued more than two hours, during which time the sisters, of their own accord, remained on their knees, while their distress and anxiety appeared unabated. But now the scene suddenly changed. The younger sister cried out, Jesus is precious! I have found Jesus. I have found my blessed Saviour.' She arose from her knees praising the Lord; and though Emeline responded, Glory be to God!' she remained in her kneeling position in most distressing agony. The youngest daughter ran to her mother, and exclaimed, with accents of the most tender affection, O, mother, I have found my blessed Saviour.'. The affectionate mother appeared overjoyed at the prospect of another child hopefully added to the Lord.

But there was another object before her, calculated to move all the tender sympathies of a mother's heart. There was her Emeline, over whom her soul had yearned, for whose deliverance from the power of the adversary she had prayed, still under chains of darkness, groaning in distress. The mother, observing that she was much exhausted, proposed that she should rise and take some refreshment. But it was not without much persuasion that the mother succeeded, such was the anguish of her soul.

Her distressed state of mind became now, more than ever, the subject of family alarm. I have reason to believe that different rooms in that house were that day converted into closets, from which cries for help ascended to the Throne of mercy. Most fervently did the sister who that day had hopefully found her Saviour, kneel by the side of Emeline, and pour forth her soul in supplications for mercy for her distressed sister. One expression of Emeline must not be omitted. I was speaking

of the love of Christ in his condescension to die for a world of sinners under sentence of death, when she exclaimed, 'O this

JOHN BUNYAN'S SLOUGH OF DESPOND NOT FILLED UP YET.

indescribable burden on my soul! (smiting her breast) this heart must yield to death or love.'

Under such circumstances, the question in my mind was, What now is my duty? A sense of duty had called me to visit a most distressed object of despair. I had endeavoured to set before her, in a plain, scriptural, and convincing manner, the truth of her sinful, condemned, and undone condition by nature. I had instructed her that all the foundation of her help, and hope of salvation, was laid in the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. The despairing Emeline, though at the threshhold of the kingdom of heaven, had not entered. One successful temptation of the adversary might influence her to cast herself down headlong by an act of suicide! What must, what could be done? None but a Divine power could help and save her; yet, to that power and help she must yield her whole heart, and by repentance and faith take hold of the hope set before her, or she must perish for ever.

When

Under the influence of such considerations, a thought occurred to me of committing to writing a concise history of the whole scene of this family visit, with its object and progress. I immediately commenced, and the result was the subject of the foregoing narration. This was the course which God was pleased to bless. During the preparation Emeline appeared gloomy and distressed. Very little was said to her respecting her state of mind. But it was presumed that she was not a little anxious to know what was preparing. completed I read it to her, and praised be the Lord, the review of what had taken place was the weapon in the Divine hand which broke down her heart. She fell upon her knees, and cried out, 'I am willing to submit to whatever Christ requires of me;' and just as the light of day was departing, in the same room where her younger sister had found her Saviour, the long distressed Emeline made a solemn consecration of herself to God, while on her knees, in something like the following words:

'Jesus, thou only Saviour of sinners, I am lost and undone. My heart is wicked; but I give it to thee. I give my body and soul to thee. I give thee thanks for coming into the world to save such a sinner from hell. I desire to devote my life to thy service. I deserve to be cast off for ever; but, if I perish, let me perish at thy feet. O, how wicked I have been in believing satan, and in disbelieving God. Let not my sins any