Paragraphs Worth Pondering.
THE following selected items are sent us by Bro. Canright. Much interesting matter might be furnished for the paper if all, in the course of their reading, would copy off for the Review the striking and interesting paragraphs with which they must more or less meet. "It has seemed to me as if the prerogatives of crowns, and the rights of men, and the hoarded-up resentments and revenges of a thousand years, were about to unsheathe the sword in a conflict in which blood shall flow, as in the Apocalyptic vision, to the bridles of the horses, and in which a whole age of men shall pass away; in which society shall be tried by fire and steel, whether it is of nature and nature's God or not."—Rufus Choate. John Wesley, in his powerful sermon on the use of money, lays down these three rules: Make all you can; save all you can; give all you can. To make without saving, is useless and absurd. To save without giving, is covetousness and idolatry. To make and then save, is wise. To save and then give, is Christian.—Rev. Wm. Arthur. Make no idols of books that carry away the imagination. I will give you a rule to judge whether an author is profitable in the perusal. Go directly from your book and open your Bible; and, without partiality or hypocrisy, say which you embrace with the most delight. The answer will always show the state of your mind, and the profitableness and lawfulness of the book.—Legh Richmond. The way that leads to eternal life is much more narrow than many of our modern professors are aware of; the gate is too straight to allow all their trifling, and self-will, and fastidiousness, and carnal-mindedness, to press through it. The gospel is a system of self-denial; its dictates teach us to strip ourselves, that we may clothe others; they leave us hungry, that we may have wherewith to feed others; and send us bare-footed among the thorns of the world, rather than silver shod, with mincing steps, to walk at our ease among its snares. When our Lord was asked, Are there few that shall be saved? he answered neither yes nor no, but said, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate;" and this word, strive, might be translated, agonize. Beware of belonging to that class which Mrs. H. ingeniously calls the "borderers." Choose whom you will serve, and take care not to prefer Baal. Ask yourself every night, What portion of the past day have I given to God, to Christ, to devotion, to improvement, to benevolent exertion, to effectual growth in grace? Weep for the deficiencies you therein discover, and pray for pardon and brighter progress.—Legh Richmond. In science, learning, all philosophy,
Men labored all their days, and labored hard,
And dying, sighed how little they had done;
But in religion they at once grew wise.
A creed in print, though never understood;
A theologic system on the shelf,
Was spiritual lore enough, and served their turn;
But served it ill. They sinned, and never knew;
For what the Bible said of good and bad,
Of holiness and sin, they never asked.
—Pollok.