Section Iii.--Gratitude and Benevolence.

PLANTING TREES.

An old man was busily employed in planting and grafting an apple tree. Some one passing by, rudely accosted him with the inquiry, "Why do you plant trees, who cannot hope to eat the fruit of them?" The old man raised himself up, and leaning on his spade, replied, "Some one planted trees before I was born, and I have eaten the fruit; I now plant for others, that the memorial of my gratitude may exist when I am dead and gone." It is a very narrow, selfish feeling that confines our views within the circle of our own private interests. If man had been made to live for himself alone, we may justly conclude that every one would have been made by himself, and his bounds marked out, so that he might live alone. But since God has made us to live in society, he designs that we should be helpful to each other. The truly ingenuous, benevolent mind, takes more pleasure in an act which will confer blessings upon others, than in one that terminates on himself. The selfish man wraps himself in his cloak, and cares not for the sufferings of others, so that he keeps warm himself. This old man, however, remembered how much he was indebted to those who had lived before him, and resolved to pay his debts. If we would look around us, we should find ourselves indebted to others, on every side, for the comforts which we now enjoy--first to God, and under him, to those whom he has employed as his agents to give them to us. Ought we not, then, to strive in some measure to repay these obligations, by doing something to promote the happiness and well-being of others? Who gave us the Gospel? The missionaries, who preached the gospel to our Saxon ancestors, and the Reformers, who opened the treasures of God's word, when they were hid under the rubbish of Popish superstition. Ought we not, then, in return for this, to send the blessed gospel to those who are now destitute? Who gave us our civil and religious liberties? Our fathers who braved the ocean and the wilderness to establish it, and the sword of the mother country to maintain it. Ought we not, then, to transmit this precious boon to our posterity? And so in whatever direction we look, we shall find some blessing for which we are indebted to the noble generosity, public spirit, or christian benevolence of others. Let us return the blessing, with interest, into the bosom of others. Dr. Franklin, having done a favor to some one, and being pressed with thanks, requested the person whom he had obliged to embrace the first opportunity of doing a kindness to some other person, and request him to pass it round, as all mankind are friends and brothers. A greater than he has said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Thomas Cromwell.

Francis Frescobald, a rich Florentine merchant, had become noted for his liberality to the needy and destitute. A young Englishman, named Thomas Cromwell, the son of a poor man, had gone into Italy with the French army, where he found himself in a destitute condition. Hearing of the liberality of Frescobald, he applied to him for aid; who, having inquired into his circumstances, took him to his house, clothed him genteelly, and kept him till he had recovered his strength. He then gave him a good horse, with sixteen ducats of gold in his pockets; with which, after expressing his gratitude to his benefactor, he made his way home. After his arrival in England, he was taken into the service of Cardinal Wolsey, who was then the favorite of King Henry VIII., and his Prime Minister. After the death of the Cardinal, Cromwell became the King's favorite; who made him a baron, a viscount, Earl of Essex, and finally, lord chancellor of England.

Frescobald the rich Florentine merchant, by repeated losses both at sea and on the land, was now reduced to poverty. Some English merchants, however, were owing him fifteen thousand ducats, and he came to England to collect the money. The lord chancellor, as he was riding to court, met him in the street, and immediately alighted and embraced him; and without waiting for his old friend to recognize him, invited him to dine with him. Frescobald, after recollecting himself, concluded it must be the young Englishman whom he had assisted, and therefore complied with the invitation. When the chancellor returned from court, with a number of the nobility, he introduced them to the merchant, and related the story of the assistance he had received from him in a time of need. After the company were gone, Cromwell inquired of Frescobald what had brought him to England, who related to him his misfortunes. "I am sorry for them," said he; "and I will make them as easy to you as I can. But, because men ought to be just before they are kind, it is fit I should repay the debt I owe you." Then leading him to a closet, he took out sixteen ducats and gave them to Frescobald, saying, "My friend, here is the money you lent me at Florence, with ten pieces you laid out for my apparel, and ten more you paid out for my horse; but, considering that you are a merchant, and might have made some advantage by this money in the way of trade, take these four bags, in every one of which are four hundred ducats, and enjoy them as free gifts of your friend." These Frescobald would have refused, but Cromwell forced them upon him. He then took the names of his debtors and the sums they owed, and sent his servant to demand their payment in fifteen days. In a short time, the entire sum was paid. During this time Frescobald lodged at Cromwell's house; and the latter would have persuaded him to remain in England; but he chose to return to Florence. Here is a fine illustration of that passage of Scripture, which says, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days."

Lending to the Lord.

Solomon says, "He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him again." The following anecdote affords a very striking illustration of the truth of this passage:

In the year 1797, as Mr. M.---- was travelling among the mountains in Vermont he was overtaken by a thunder shower, and sought shelter in a small house, on the borders of a great forest. On entering the house and finding no one but a woman and her infant he apologized, and asked the privilege of stopping till the shower was over. The woman said she was glad to have him come in, for she was always terrified by thunder. The gentleman told her she need not be terrified at thunder, if she only trusted in God. After conversing with her some time on this subject, he inquired whether she had any neighbors, who were religious. She told him she had neighbors about two miles off, but whether they were religious or not, she could not tell. She heard that they had preaching there once a fortnight, but she never attended their meetings. She appeared to be extremely ignorant on the subject of religion. The rain had now passed over, and all nature smiled. The traveller, as he was about to leave, thanked the woman for her kindness, and expressed to her his earnest desire for the salvation of her soul, and besought her to read the Bible daily, and give diligent heed to its instructions. But she, with tears in her eyes, confessed that she had no Bible. They had never been able, she said, to buy one. "Could you read one if you had it?" he inquired. She said she could, and would be very glad of the privilege. "Poor woman," said he, "I do heartily pity you: farewell."

As the traveller was preparing to go, he thought to himself, "This woman is in very great want of a Bible. O that I had one to give her! But I have not. As for money to buy one, I have none to spare. I have no more than will be absolutely necessary for my expenses home. I must go: but if I leave this woman without the means to procure the word of God, she may perish for lack of knowledge. What shall I do?" These passages of Scripture then came to his mind, "He that hath pity on the poor lendeth to the Lord." "Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days." He said in his heart, "I will trust in the Lord." He took a dollar from his purse, went back and gave it to the woman, telling her to buy a Bible with it. She promised to do so, and said she knew where one could be obtained.

The traveller set out, and when night came he took lodgings at a private house. He had a little change left, but as he had two days more to travel, he thought he would make his supper on a cold morsel, which he had with him. But, when the family came to the table, he was urged to take a seat with them, and invited to ask a blessing. He now began to feel himself among friends, and at liberty to speak of divine things; and the family seemed gratified in listening to his conversation. In the morning, he offered to pay for his lodging, but the people would take nothing. He travelled on, till late in the morning, when, finding no hotel, he stopped at a private house for breakfast. While waiting, he lost no time to recommend Christ to the family. When ready to depart, the mistress of the house would take nothing for his breakfast, or the oats, which his horse had eaten. And so he went on, asking for and receiving refreshment when he wanted it, and offering to pay for it, as any other traveller would do; but no one would take any thing, although they did not know but he had plenty of money. "What does this mean?" said he to himself. "I was never treated in this manner on a journey before." He recollected the dollar he had given the poor woman, and the passage of Scripture, which induced him to do it, and said, "I have been well paid. It is indeed safe lending to the Lord." On the second day after he left the cottage in the wilderness, he arrived safely at home, having been at no expense on the way. The Lord has the control of all events. The hearts of all men are in his hands. It was He who inclined the hearts of the people to be kind and hospitable to his servant, and to ask no pay for what they gave him.

About a year and a half after this, a stranger called at Mr. M.'s house, and asked for some refreshment. In the course of their conversation, Mr. M. asked the stranger whether the people in those parts where he lived paid much attention to religion.

"Not much," he replied; "but in a town twenty or thirty miles distant, there has been a powerful revival. The commencement of it was very extraordinary. The first person that was awakened and brought to repentance, was a poor woman, who lived in a very retired place. She told her friends and neighbors that a stranger was driven into her house by a thunder storm, and talked to her so seriously, that she began, while listening to his discourse to feel concerned about her soul. The gentleman was much affected, when he found she had no Bible; and after he had left the house to go on his journey, returned again, and gave her a dollar to buy one; and charged her to get it soon, and read it diligently. She did so; and it had been the means, as she believed, of her salvation. The neighbors wondered at this; and it was the means of awakening them to a deep concern for the salvation of their souls. As many as thirty or forty are rejoicing in God their Savior." Mr. M. who had listened to this narrative, with his heart swelling more and more with wonder, gratitude, and joy, could refrain no longer; but with hands and eyes raised to heaven, exclaimed, "My God, thou hast paid me again!"

When we lend to the Lord, he always pays us with "good measure, pressed down and running over."

An Indian story.

In the early settlement of this country a strange Indian arrived at an inn in Litchfield, Connecticut, and asked for something to eat; at the same time saying that, as he had been unsuccessful in hunting, he had nothing to pay. The woman who kept the inn, not only refused his reasonable request, but called him hard names. But a man who sat by, seeing that the Indian was suffering for want of food, told her to give him what he wanted at his expense. When the Indian had finished his supper, he thanked the man, and assured him that he should be faithfully recompensed, whenever it was in his power.

Some years after this, the man had occasion to go from Litchfield to Albany, where he was taken prisoner by the Indians, and carried to Canada. Some of them proposed that he should be put to death; but an old woman demanded that he should be given to her, that she might adopt him in place of a son, who had been killed in the war. This was done, and he passed the winter in her family. The next summer, while he was at work alone in the woods, a strange Indian came and asked him to go to a certain place on a given day, which he agreed to do; though he had some fears that mischief was intended. His fears increased, and his promise was broken. But the Indian came again and renewed the request. The man made another engagement, and kept his word. On reaching the spot, he found the Indian provided with ammunition, two muskets, and two knapsacks. He was ordered to take one of each; which he did, and followed his conductor. In the day time, they shot the game that came in their way, and at night, they kindled a fire and slept by it. But the Indian observed a mysterious silence as to the object of their expedition. After travelling in this manner many days, they came to the top of a mountain, from which they saw a number of houses in the midst of a cultivated country. The Indian asked him if he knew the ground, and he eagerly answered, "It is Litchfield?" The Indian then recalled to his mind the scene at the inn, and bidding him farewell, exclaimed, "I am that Indian! Now I pray you go home."

Example of Disinterested Benevolence.

A traveller in Asia Minor, in a time of distressing drought, found a vase of water under a little shed by the road-side, for the refreshment of the weary traveller. A man in the neighborhood was in the habit of bringing the water from a considerable distance, and filling the vase every morning, and then going to his work. He could have had no motive to do this, but a kind regard to the comfort of weary travellers, for he was never there to receive their thanks, much less their money. This was benevolence.