Snow


IT SNOWS.


IT snows today, and the fleecy vapor fills the

air, falling in every direction to the ground, so

 that it seems almost as dark as it does when

 night is coming on. The trees stretch up their

 arms to receive some of the frosty treasure; but

 the rude winds will soon shake them bare again.

 God sends the snow for some wise purpose, and

 it is for our good no doubt. 

But, children, when you are seated by the warm

fire-side, with kind friends around you, do you

ever think there are children that have neither

friends nor warm fire-side? Yes, there are many

that are now shivering with the cold.

In a great and rich city I have seen children

whose parents were sick; they had no food to

 eat, no fire to keep them warm, and only a few

 ragged quilts to throw over them, to keep their

 limbs from stiffening with the cold. Can you but

 be thankful to God who gives you so many 

comforts, while many are deprived of them?

How much do you love "the Giver of every

good and perfect gift"? You should love him with

all your heart. You ought to love your parents

brothers and sisters; but you must love God 

more than all besides. Yes, children, Love Him.


 

THAT SWEET MORNING.


I SHALL never forget, when I bowed in the grove

and asked God, for Jesus' sake to forgive my

 sins I had been mourning several days, because

 I was a sinner, and on that morning I went to 

the grove weeping. I was only thirteen, yet felt

 that I was a great sinner. I begged of the Lord 

for pardon and mercy. I wept aloud.

Pressed with the weight of my sins, I felt that

I was helpless and miserable without Christ. And

there ventured to cast myself on the mercy of 

God for time and eternity, in the following words:

"Here, Lord, I give myself away,

'Tis all that I can do.''

At that moment I felt great relief. Peace

gradually flowed into my heart The place where

I was bowed in prayer, seemed the sweetest

 spot on earth. My heart said "Praise the Lord;''

 and it seemed to me that the trees also offered

 praise!

It seemed that all around me was changed. This

however, was a mistake. The change was in me.

That sweet morning I shall never forget I

now remember well (though it was nearly twenty 

years ago) how I felt as I left the hallowed spot

where my heart was first filled with the love of

Jesus. He seemed so near to me, that, as I

 walked from the grove with his praise in my

 mouth, I reached up my arms to embrace him.




 J. W. 1854