IN sending forth a new series of the Christian Beacon at the commencement of the second year of its appearance, we feel ourselves bound in common courtesy to assure our readers, not only of our gratitude for their support, but of our earnest wish to make this Publication still more acceptable to them. We will do our utmost to take care that the light which is set up in our watch-tower is indeed the bright and steady flame of a Christian Beacon. It is from the word of life that we would light the lamp that we hold forth, and we desire that the character of our work should be decided and uncompromising; and that every principle, and sentiment in it should be such as may bear to be brought to that light, reminding our readers and ourselves that those who profess to follow Him, who is the "Light of the world," do not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. We are more than ever convinced of the use of such a Publication as the Christian Beacon. We should be sorry to be satisfied with it, as it is; for then we might be led to neglect doing our utmost to improve it. Still, however, we must do what we can, and we shall be grateful to our friends for their suggestions, and still more so for their contributions. We repeat part of our address at the beginning of the last year, that it is intended by means of the Christian Beacon to sound an alarm whenever any dangerous errors are creeping on the public mind; and that it will be our object to look round the whole horizon of Society, and wherever we see mischief coming, wherever we see irreligion, infidelity, or vice invading the land, the world shall have notice given, the sleepers shall be awakened, the weak shall be told to fly, the bold and the manly shall be called out to resist the enemy, and to protect themselves. Again, that if one part of our office is to give warning of danger, another and a more agreeable part is that B of guiding to comfort and to peace those who are in error and distress. We trust our Beacon will throw across the dark, troubled surface of this world a clear and steady light, capable of arresting the wanderer in his course, and of pointing out the real home, the place where he may find rest to his soul. On this very day, the first day of the new year, we beg to call the attention of our readers to the affectionate address of the Rev. Haldane Stewart, at page 20. We only regret that we did not receive it from the Reverend gentleman himself, and in time to insert it in our last number. The subject about which he calls his fellow-countrymen to prayer may be peculiarly suited to one particular day; but surely there is no day for which it is not suited, for if we look for the setting up of the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, we find it written that it shall be thus accomplished, "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts."-Zec. iv. 6. JARED, OR QUITE AN OWENITE. "The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price." 1 Peter iii. 4. FIRST CHAPTER. WHAT a cheerful pleasant abode is a poor man's home in England, when the mistress of the home is an industrious, sweet-tempered, cleanly woman. There is one day in the week when this home is seen to its best advantage, and that day is the best day, the day which the Lord has blessed. Mary Holden was industrious, sweet-tempered, and cleanly; but her home was not cheerful in her sight. Her house and every article of furniture within it, were in their usual beautiful order, in their Sunday order, and it was the evening of that day of Blessed Rest, but her mind was not at rest. She was alone, for she was too ill to leave the house, but she would not allow her family to be absent from the public worship of God to wait upon her. As she looked round the room, her eye rested first on one object and then on another and yet another; and still as she did so her heart grew heavier, for every thing brought to remembrance some happy time unlike the present. There was the long oak dresser, with its row of shelves, and its cupboards above and below-how well she recollected the pleasant surprise of that summer evening when she heard a knock at the door, and found, on opening it, that two men had brought a large handsome piece of furniture for one Mary Holden; and how she could not see their faces, and did not at first know the strange gruff voice of one of the men, till she heard the gay laugh of her kind-hearted husband; and how, when she brought the light, she saw Jared and his brother Edward, then a tall stripling; and how she understood why they had both been busy before and after working hours for the last month, and had kept their secret so well that she knew nothing about it, till the dresser was brought home, the very kind of dresser she had wished for and admired at old Mr. Price's. And there was the old corner cupboard, another surprise of her once kind husband, which he had bought for her at the sale of her poor grandmother's goods, when she had been laid up with the bad milk fever, after the birth of her first-born child, and had been given up by the Doctor, and which she saw for the first time when Jared brought her down stairs with such tender care, and when she woke up from the fainting fit which had come over her from her great weakness; and she remembered that she had then found herself in her grandmother's large comfortable chair-for he had bought that too; and how she had been thinking, before she came down stairs, that their wooden chairs would be so hard and cold for her, and wondering why Jared could wish her to leave her bedroom; and how the tears had come into his eyes when she thanked him for all his tenderness and goodness towards her. And then there was the sampler which she had worked when a girl, which Jared had framed and put a glass over, not only for her sake, as he kindly said, but because of the beautiful verses upon it, and he had taken a pleasure in making each of the children by turns learn those lines by heart, and say them to him when he came home after his work; and how her gentle Ruth had learnt the verses when she was only four years old, from hearing her father teach them to her brother Walter; and that Jared had been so pleased that he brought home the large Bible, and said it should be Ruth's Bible, and wrote her name in it. Mary sighed as she almost unconsciously repeated the lines to herself, Jesus, permit Thy gracious name to stand As the first effort of an infant's hand, And while her fingers o'er this sampler move, Who has not known something of feelings such as these, when looking round upon the old familiar things of a once happy home? Who has not felt the drawing of those unseen links which memory has woven between the heart, and many an object which has been associated with bygone hours of hap 4 THE CHRISTIAN BEACON. piness, some such object which has such a date, as it were, stamped upon it, as the old corner cupboard given by Jared to his wife, in her sorrow and sickness, nay-anything, or every thing, daily meeting our eyes in days gone by, and never to return, when our home was cheered with loved and loving faces, and kindly voices now gone, or what is worse, now changed. From Mary's home some dear ones were gone, but she could look forward to meet with them again. Others were changed-and, alas, the master of the house, the father of the family, he was among the changed! he, the dearest, was the most changed of all. Poor Mary was the last to wake up to the knowledge of that change. She, the greatest sufferer from that change, was the slowest to believe, and to acknowledge it. But now she doubted no longer, she felt quite certain, and she felt quite miserable. Here is one true friend, she thought within herself, one who is not given to change, as the door opened, and old Matty Price came in. Mary was in tears, and looking very wretched. She asked several questions of Matty, and her friend answered her questions, but with great kindness." Was he at church this afternoon ?" "He was not." "Was he there last Sunday?" "No," replied Matty, "Have you seen him there at all lately?" "I have not.' Mary said no more, but after they had sat in silence for some little time, Matty whose eyes had been fixed upon the Bible, said; "The Word of God is shut. When the Word of God is shut, the tears that flow over it are bitter tears; when it is open, the tears may still flow, but they will flow sweetly." "Open it dear friend, said Mary-open it and read to me-I have been brooding over my own thoughts, and looking here and there, and every where but to the only Spring of Peace." "I will read you the text," said Matty," from which Mr. Bradford preached this morning, Mr. Grant preached a very fine sermon this afternoon, but I think the text of the morning sermon will suit you best. It is here; the second chapter of the prophet Micah, and the tenth verse, Arise ye and depart; for this is not your rest: because it is polluted.' "I will think upon it, I will pray over it," said Mary, lifting up her hands. "Blessed, blessed word! it is full of comfort! it is like a precious balm to a wounded spirit!" "He told us," continued Matty, with great earnestness, that there is a rest that remaineth unto the people of God, and he said, "Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." And he added, "Come unto me, saith the Lord, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. |