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Ad Interesting Narrative.
Two you: g men, the children of pious
and wealthy pa, i ids, felt th--uis».: ves exceed
ingly displeased at heirm constantly refused
the family carriage on the Lord’s day. It
was in vain thev urged their confinement
during the w<#k, a- 1 a sufficient reason, why
thev should be thus indulged on the Sab
bath. It was the father’s settl' and rule, tint,
the authority which commanded him to rest
included also bis servants and cattle ; lie
therefore turned a deaf ear to their entrea
ties and remonstrances. In their madness.
«r in'their folly, they determined to resent
this refusal, by leaving their situations and
going to set. .Intelligence -1 1 this step was
transmitted to the Rev. John Griffin, of
Port. «ea, and he was requested to make dili
gent inquiry, and on finding them to use
ererv p s-.ble means to induce them to re
turn home. After some scare ■ he found
them in a rendezvous house,.and introdu
cing himself, he stated his business and
urged their r turn. He however, urged
them in vain : for,bent upon the fulfilment
of their design, they Ranked hr.a for Ins
advice, blit dele mined to reject it. Among
other reason - -*,hr their return, he urged the
feeling of their parents, a» 1 e-p - • dally those
of their mother. “Think,” said the good
Bint), “ what mu.-t vour mothe: s situation
vanl prayer, after looking lorw.uni to this
time, when in your s cietp and in your wcl
fare, she hoped to in jet a rich reward for
all that she had suffered on your account;
yet in one ki mini, and bWone imprudent
step, she S id you p!u g . • misery, the
depth of which you cauuot conceive of, and
herself the subject of a wretchedness she
has never dfcsci red at your hands ”
Tu the heart of the youngest there was a
sense of gratitude, which answered to this
appc .l; and bursting into tears, he expres
sed his sorrow for his conduct, and his wil
lingness to return. Still, the oldest remain
ad obdurate. .’Neither arguments persuaded
him, nor warnings alarmed him. The car
riage had been repeatedly refu-ed; he had
made up his mind to go to sea, and to . l,c
would go. “ Theio ’’ saict .Mr. Griffin,
u come witJ so u O’ i will get you
n stop, and you shall go out, as a mau and
a gentleman.” This he declined, assigning
as a reason, that it would make his parents
feel, to have it said that their son was gone
as a .common sailor, therefore he would go.
“Is that your disposition was the reply.
“ Then young man, go,” said Mr. Griffin,
“and while 1 say, God go with you, be sure
your sin will find you out, and for it God
will bring you into judgment.” With re
luctance. they left him ; the youngest son
was restored to his parents, while all traces
@f the elder one were lost, and he was
Mourned for, as one dead.
After the lapse of a considerable time, a
loud knocking wae heard at Mr. Griffin’s
door. This was early in the morning. On
the servant’s going down to open the door,
*hc found a waterman, who wished imme
diately to see her master. Mr. Griffin soon
appeared, and was informed that a young
man under sentence of death, and about to
be executed on one of the ships in tho har
bor, bad expressed an earnest desire to see
him, urging among other reasons, that he
oouhl not die happy unless he did. A short
time found the minister of religion on board
the ship, when the prisoner manacled and
• uarded, was introduced to him, to whom
Tie said, “my poor friend, i. feci for your
condition, but as 1 am a stranger to you may
I ask why you have scut for me ? Lt may
be that you heard me preach at I‘ortsea.”
“Never, sir. Ho you not know me ?” “ l
do ms..” “Do you not remember the two
young men, whom you some years since
urged to return to their parents, and to
their duty “ 1 do! .1 do, remember it;
and ia member that you wore one of them.”
“ I have sent th n lor you to take my last
farewell of you in this world, and to bless
you for y -ur efforts to restore me to a sense
of my duty. Wouii God, that i had taken
your adv ice ; but it is now too late My sin
has 1 iu 1 me out, and lor it God has brought
me into judgment. One, and but one con
eolation remains ; I refused me offer of going
to your house until f could lie provided for
assigning as a reason, that it would make
my pa rim; > fed to have it said t’iieii sou was
t common sailor. A little reflection showed
me the cruelty of this determination; 1. as
sumed another name, under which 1 enter
ed myself; and my chief consolation Is, that
I shall die unpitied and unknown.”
What the feelings of Mr. Griffin were at
this ad discovery may be - more easily con- •
•civet) ! ban described. He spent sometime
with him in prayer, and offered him that
advice, which was best suited to his unhap
py case. The prisoner was again placed in
eonfinement, and Mr. Griffin remained with
the officer, who was then on duty. “ Can
nothing bo done for this poor young man?’'
THE ARMY & NAYY HERALD.
prisoner was withdrawn. “I fear not.”
replied the officer, “ the lords of the admi
ralty have determined to make an example
of the first offender in this particular crime,
lie unfortunately is that offender; and’we
hourly expect, the warrant for his execu
tion.” Mr. Griffin determined to go imme
diately up (o London, and, in humble depen
dence uj»on the Lord, tc make every effort to
save the criminal’s life. It was his lot. on
the day of his arrival in the metropolis, to
fibtain an interview with one of the lords of
too admiralty, to whon lie stated the respec
tability of die young man’s connections,
bis bitter and unfeigned regret for tbc crime
which had forfeited his life; and, with that
earnestness, which the vuiue of life is cal
culated to excite, ventured to ask, if it was
possible to spare hiig.
To his regret, he was informed that the
warrant, for his execution had been that
morning signed, and was on its way to the
officer, whose melancholy duty it was to see
it executed. With compassioii, the noble
man said, “go back, sir, and prepare him
for the worst.. 1 cannot tell what is to be
done ; but we. are shortly to meet his majes
ty in council, and all that you have urged
shall bo then stated ; may it prove success
ful.” Mr. Griffin returned, but discovered
that the morning of his reaching home
was the time appointed for the young'
man’s execution. Joy and Tear, and anx
iety. by turns, possessed his mind, as,
within a few minutes after bis arrival, came
a pardon, accompanied with the most ea v
nc: t, request, to go .immediately on board,
lost the sentence of the law should be exe
cuted before lie could reach the ship
Upon the issue of a moment now rested
the life of a fellow creature, and perhaps
the salvation of an immortal soul. The
minister reached the harbor, and saw the
yellow flag, the signal of death flying, the
rigging manned, and, for aught he knew t.o
the contrary, the object of his solicitude at
the last moment of Lis mortal existence.
He reached the ship’s side, and saw an aged
man leaving if, who*© eigffs, and groans, and
tears, proclaimed a heart bursting with
grief, and a soul deeper in misery than the
depths of the waters he was upon. It was
the prisoner’s father ! *
Under the assumed name he bad discov
ered his wretched son, and had been to take
his last farewell of him. Yes, it was the
father who had brought him up ip the fear
of the Lord; who in his earliest days had
led him to the house of God;,and who,
when lost, had often inquired in prayer,
“ Lord, where is my child?” Fearfully
was lie answered; he had found him, but
it was to part, never in this world to meet
again. Such at least must have been his
conclusions in that moment, when having
torn himself from the embrace of his
son, lie was in the act of leaving the ship.
The rest is told in a few words: with Mr.
Griffin he re entered the vessel at the mo
ment. when the prisoner, pinioned for exe
cution, was advancing toward the fatal spot
when he was to be summoned into the pres
ence of God. A moment found him in the
embrace not of death, but of his father; his
immediate liberation followed the knowledge
of his pardon ; and a few days restored the
wanderer to the bosom ol his family.
How forcibly are we reminded by the
foregoing narative ol’ the sinner, who wan- I
ders from G and. Desirous of cultivating his
own depraved appetites, and selfish inclina
tions he abandons the service of his Heav- |
enly Father, because the law of the latter !
does not admit of such indulgence. If he j
may not have his own way, he will enter’
the service of one who allows of every in
dulgencc and the greater the demands for in- j
diligence the more he is pleased. Into the »
service of the adversary of God and of his |
own soul he enters, and spends his strength
and his days in the practice of vice and 1
crime.
Often does his Heavenly Father send af
ter him, admonishing him, and invite him
back. Some Christian, or some Christian
minister, who knows his earthly parents,
and with what sorrow he is embittering
their lives, says to-him “ Why will you die?” •
lu some instances the sinner is melted to
repentance —returns to bis Heavenly Fath
er, and mourns sincerely that lie ever de
arted fipflt him. Rut how often is ho
found, refusing the counsels of the pious—
how often, deaf to the voice of entreaty, and
Inrd&qed against the word and the‘Spirit
of God, does lie wander still farther and far
ther; —miserable, yet proud; ’self-condem
ed, but obstinate ; —afraid ol the wrath to
come, yet persisting in filling up the meas
ure of his iniquity.
At length death approaches. Disease
seizes upon his frame, or he forfeits his life
b J some heuious infraction of law. Hor
ror stricken, he casts his eyes around for
relief. Is there no help? Must he die
and be miserable to all eternity ? In this
was one of the first inquiries made after the
state of fearful apprehension, he sends for
some minister of. the gospel, or for some
Christian friehd to whom he unfolds his
case, and whom lie* urges to plead his cause.
11 is wants are carried to the throue of the
eternal, by the breath of prayer —mercy is
sought —pardon is supplicated—reformation
is promised. In this, hour of alternate
hope and despair, God in pity listens to the
voice of supplication—the humble broken
hearted sinner is pointed unto the Lamb of
God, as one, and the only one, who can take
away sin. Into the hands of the Father,
through the blood of the Sou. he casts all
his interests, and finds peace to his troubled
conscience, He died ; but through the rich
grace of God he is welcomed to a Father’s
house on high—a monument of mercy—tru
ly a brand plucked out of the fire.
There are instances of the salvation of
abandoned sinners like the one whom we
have here suppose I; the in tances, however,
are probably few. And because here and
there one is thus rescued, and is accepted at
the eleventh hour, is it wise to procrastinate ?
is it wise to presume? Shall we sin, be
cause grace abounds; and continue in sin.
in the anticipation that grace has no limits ?
There is one instance on record in the Bi
ble, of a sinner’s being accepted in his dying
moments —the penitent thief. An old di
vine has somewhere said, that “this one
instance is recorded, that u i sinner might
absolutely and spun - —and but due instance
w.s given, that none should presume.”
A REMARKABLE ANSWER TO PRAYER.
A few years ago the Wesleyans at An,
in the county of Essex, occupied a small
cottage for public worship. The Lord re
vived his work, and the place was too strait
for them. They sought and obtained a plot
of ground upon which to erect a chapel.
Some of “ the baser sort ” in the village
weie opposed to its erection : and one to
whom a large tree belonged, one of the
branches of which overhung the ground,
resolved that it should not be erected. His
opposition was bitter and protracted : the
poor people did not wish to go to law : they
theicfore held a special prayer-meeting, and
besought the Lord to interfere. That night
there was a violent storm, accompanied by
thunder and lightning; the electric fluid
struck the tree, and severed the braneh just
where it would have been in the way. Fear
fell upon the enemies of Zion, and the j
building was erected, anu still stands a mon- ,
ument of the liberality of the people, and
one of the “ bulwarks of the land.”
The Sabhatii.—Once give over caring
for the Sabbath, an in the end you will give
over caring for your sotil. The steps which
lead to this conclusion are easy and regular.
Begin with not honoring God’s day, and
you will soon not honor God’s house ; cease
to honor God’s house, and you will cease to
honor God’s Book ; cease to honor God’s
Book, and by-and-by you will give God no
honor at all. Let a man lay the foundation I
of having no Sabbath, and 1 am never sur- :
prised if he finishes with the topstone of no
God. It is a remarkable saying of Judge ;
Hale, “ Os all those who were convicted of i
capital crimes, while be was upon the beach,
lie found only a few who would not confess,
on inquiry, that they began their career of
wickedness by a neglect of the Sabbath.”
Reader, resolve, hv God’s help, that you
will always remember the Sabbath-day to!
keep it holy. Honor it by a regular atten
dance at some place where the gospel is
preached. Settle down under a faithful
ministry, and once settled, let your place in
church never be empty. Give God his day.
—Rev. J. C. Ryle.
Fear Not. —Shou'd I be asked, what is
the grand remedy against undue fear of
every possible kind ? 1 answer in one word,
Communion with God. “ He,” says good
Dr. Owen, “who would be little in tempta
tion, must be much in prayer.” Ply the
the mercy seat. Eye the blood of Christ.
Cry mightily to the Spirit of God. To
which 1 add, wait at the footstool in holy
stillnfess of soul; sink into nothing before
the uncreated Majesty, if he shines with
in, you will fear nothing from without.
What made the martyfs fearless? Their
souls w r eve with Christ—Jesus lifted up the
beams of his love upon them, and they
smiled at all the tires which mau could kin
dle.— Toplady.
We should never estimate the soundness
of principles by our own ability to defend
them, or consider an objection as unanswer
able to which we can find no reply.
Those who suspect all are to be suspected.
They have learned human nature at home.
The Christian in his sick room, as in an
aute-clramber, dresses for heaven.
The Revelation of Christ. — This
began very early, eveu in Paradise. There
| the Sun of Righteousness dawned, and from
thence shone more and more unto the per
fect day. He was announced as the seed
of woman, and the bruiser of the serpent’s
head. # Then as the 6eed of Abrahaui, in
whom all the families of the earth were to
be blessed. Then, as the Shiloh of Judah,
j to whom the gathering of the people should
: be. Then, as the Son of David, and his
j Lord. Os him, Moses, in the law, and the
i prophets, did write. He was held forth,
! not only in words, but in types. He was
| seen in Moses as a prophet, in Aaron as a
| priest, in Joshua as a conqueror, in Solomon
as a prince of peace, in Jonah as dying and
rising again. Every bleeding sacrifice ex
pressed him as an offering for sin; the man-
I mi from lieaveu and the water from the rock,
as the bread and the water of life; the tab
ernacle and the temple as the residence of
the diviniy, in whom dwelt all the fullness
.of the Godhead bodily. The exhibition of
him may be likened unto a perfect portrait
ure of the most distinguished and endeared
personage, at full length, rolled up on one
side of a room, and which the owner grad
ually oj*ct!s to the beholders, till the whole
| figure stands disclosed. So God gradually
; revealed the desire of all nations, while his
! delighted and wondering church exclaimed :
| “ He is fair t than the children t f men.”—
I “yea, he is altogether lovely.”— Jay.
; The idea tint all industrial pursuits ought
to be broken up and every man sent to the
army, is as pernicious as.it is absurb. There
are men all around us who ought to be at the
front; bi!t this does not argue that every
one should be there Wo cannot whip the
Yankees into terms by one battle, nor by a
series of battles, but by stubborn endurance :
and to be able to endure, we must keep up
the machinery of our recuperative energies,
agriculturally, mechanically and otherwise.
It, is madness to stake the fate of the coun
try on one die. We must proceed with the
contest as if it were to last forever, and to
I do illis we must attach no odium to citizens
who are honorably exempted from military
duty. The Government has been its own
judge in determining the number and char
acter of its details and exemptions, and it
therefore follows that men at home may be
just as good patriots as those in the Jield.
Every man who carries a musket is not nec
essarily a true man any more than every
man who serves the government at home is
a traitor. There should be no enmity be
tween citizens and soldiers ; on the contrary,
they should be reciprocally kind the one
towards the other. As to turning out en
masse, when local exigencies require it, that
is a different matter, of which every oue
should be his own counsellor. Every one
is interested and we presume every one
will do his duty. It is charitable to think
so.— Selma 'Reporter.
Nature’s Alphabet. —Nature’s alpha
bet is made up of only four letters—wood,
water, rock, aud soil; yet within these four
letters she forms such wonderful composi
tions, such infinite combinations, as no lan
guage of twenty-four letters can describe.
Nature never grows old; she has no provin
cialism. The lurk carols the same song in
the same key as when Adam turned his de
lighted ear to catch the strain; the owl still
hoots a B flat, yet loves the note, and
screams through the same octave; the stor
my petrel is as much delighted to sport
among the fierce waves of the Indian Ocean
as in the earliest times; birds that lived on
flies laid bluish eggs when Isaac went out
in the 'field at eventide, as they will two
! thousand years hence, if the world does not
| break her harness from tlie orb of day. The
| sun is as bright as when Lot entered the city
|of Zoar. The diamond and the onyx, and
the topaz of Ethiopia are still as spieuded,
' and the vulture’s eye is as fierce as when
j Job took uja his parable. In short, nature’s
! pendulum has never altered its strokes.
! ‘ '
Recent Appointments.— Generals S.
j D. Lee and Wade Hampton, recently ap
j pointed Lieutenant-Generals, have been con
! firmed by the Oonfedi rate Senate. The
promotion of General Hampton makes him
rank General Wheeler, and puts him in
command of all our cavalry now operating
j against Slierman. The very best effects
may be expected to result from this appoint
ment. General Hampton’s presence will
not fail to'inspire confidence and enthusi
asm.
*> ft
Brigadier Gen. Grimes, of North Caroli
na, has been made a Major General, apd as
signed to the command of Rodes’ division,
Ewell’s old corps.
Scarce any time is spent with less thought
than a great part of what is spent in reading
