OLD MOSES.

Mr. B. was a merchant in Baltimore, and did a very heavy business, especially in grain. One morning, as he was passing over the vessels that lay at the wharf with their various commodities for sale, he stepped upon the deck of one, at the stern of which he saw a negro man sitting, whose dejected countenance gave sure indication of distress, and he accosted him with

"Hey! my man, what is the matter with you this morning?"

The negro lifted his eyes, and looking at Mr. B., replied

"Ah, massa, I'se in great trouble." "What about?"

"Kase I'se fotcht up here to be sold." "What for? What have you been doing? Have you been stealing? or did you run away? or what?"

"No, no, massa, none o' dat; its bekase I didn't mind de audes."

"What kind of orders?"

"Well, massa stranger, I tell you. Mass Willum werry strick man, and werry nice man too, and ebry body on de place got to mine him; and I break trew de rule; but I didn't tend to break de rule, doe; I forgot mesef, an I got too high."

"It is for getting drunk, then, is it?" "Oh, no, sah, not dat nother." "You are the strangest negro I have seen for a week. I can get no satisfaction from you. If you would not like to be pitched overboard, you had better tell me what you did."

"Please, massa, don't frow de poor flicted nigga in de wata."

"Then tell me what you are to be sold for."

"For prayin, sah."

"For praying! that is a strange tale indeed. Will your master not permit you to pray ?"

"Oh, yes, sah, he let me pray easy; but I hollers too loud."

"And why did you halloo so in your prayer?"

"Kase de Sperit comes on me, and I gits happy fore I knows it, den; den I gone; can't trol mesef den; den I knows nuthin bout massa's rule; den I holler if old Sattin hissef come, wid all de rules of de quisition."

"And do you suppose your master will really sell you for that?"

"Oh, yes; no help for me now; all de world couldn't help me now; kase wen Mass Willum say one ting, he no do anoder." "What is your name?" "Moses, sah."

"What is your master's name?" "Massa name Colonel Willum C. " "Where does he live?"

"Down on de Easin Shoah."

"Is he a good master? Does he treat you well?"

"Oh, yes; Mass Willum good; no better massa in de world."

"Stand up and let me look at you." And Moses stood up and presented a robust frame; and as Mr. B. stripped up his sleeve, his arm gave evidence of unusual muscular strength.

"Where is your master?"

"Yander he is, jis comin to de warf."

As Mr. B. started for the shore, he heard Moses give a heavy sigh, followed by a deep groan. Moses was not at all pleased with the present phase of affairs. He was strongly impressed with the idea that Mr. B. was a trader and intended to buy him, and it was this that made him so unwilling to communicate to Mr. B. the desired information. Mr. B. reached the wharf just as Colonel C. did. He introduced himself, and said—

"I understand you wish to sell that negro man yonder on board the schooner." Colonel C. replied that he did. "What do you ask for him ?" "I expect to get seven hundred dollars." "How old is he?" "About thirty."

"Is he healthy?"

"Very; he never had any sickness in his life, except one or two spells of the ague." "Is he hearty?"

"Yes, sir; he will eat as much as any man ought, and it will do him as much good."

"Is he a good hand?"

"Yes, sir, he is the best hand on my place. He is steady, honest, and industrious. He has been my foreman for the last ten years, and a more trusty negro I

never knew."

"Why do you wish to sell him?"

"Because he disobeyed my orders. As I

said, he is my foreman; and that he might be available at any moment I might want him, I built his quarter within a hundred yards of my own house; and I have never rung the bell at any time in the night or morning, that his horn did not answer in five minutes after. But two years ago he got religion, and commenced what he terms family prayer-that is, prayer in his quarter every night and morning; and when he begun his prayer, it was impossible to tell when he would stop, especially if (as he termed it) he got happy. Then he would sing and pray and halloo for an hour or two together, that you might hear him a mile off. And he would pray for me and my wife and children, and all my brothers and sisters and their children, and our whole family conection to the third generation; and sometimes, when we would have visiters, Moses's prayers would interrupt the conversation and destroy the enjoyment of the whole company. The women would cry, and the children would cry, and it would set me almost frantic; and even after I had retired, it would sometimes be nearly daylight before I could go to sleep; for it appeared to me that I could hear Moses pray for three hours after he had finished. I bore it as long as I could, and then forbid his praying so loud any more. Moses promised obedience, but he soon transgressed; and my rule is never to whip, but whenever a negro proves incorrigible, I sell him. This keeps them in better subjection, and is less trouble than whipping. I pardoned Moses twice for disobedience in praying so loud, but the third time I knew I must sell him, or every negro on the farm would soon be perfectly regardless of all my orders."

"You spoke of Moses's quarter; I suppose from that he has a family."

"Yes, he has a woman and three children -or wife, I suppose he calls her now, for soon after he got religion, he asked me if they might be married, and I presume they were."

"What will you take for her and the children ?"

"If you want them for your own use, I will take seven hundred dollars; but I shall not sell Moses nor them to go out of the State."

"I wish them all for my own use, and will give you the fourteen hundred dollars."

Mr. B. and Colonel C. then went to B.'s store, drew up the writings, and closed the sale, after which they returned to the vessel;

and Mr. B., approaching the negro, who sat with his eyes fixed upon the deck, seemingly wrapt in meditation of the most awful forebodings, said

"Well, Moses, I have bought you."

Moses made a very low bow, and every muscle of his face worked with emotion as he replied

"Is you, massa? Where is I gwine, massa? Is Igwine to Georgy ?"

"No," said Mr. B., "I am a merchant here in the city; yonder is my store. I want you to attend on the store, and have purchased your wife and children too, that you may not be separated." "Bress God fer dat!

go to meetin sometimes ?"

And, Massa, kin I

"Yes, Moses, you can go to church three times on the Sabbath, and every night in the week; and you can pray as often as you choose, and as loud as you choose, and as long as you choose, and get as happy as you choose; and every time you pray, whether it be at home or in the church, I want you to pray for me, my wife, and all my children, and single-handed, too; for if you are a good man, your prayers will do us no harm, and we need them very much; and if you wish to, you may pray for everybody of the name of B. in the State of Maryland. It will not injure them."

While Mr. B. was dealing out these privileges to Moses, the negro's eyes danced in their sockets, and his full heart laughed outright for gladness, exposing two rows of as even, clean ivories as any African can boast; and his heart's response was, "Bress God! bress God all de time, and bress you too, massa! Moses neber tinks bout he gwine to have all dese commondationers; dis make me tink bout Joseph in de Egypt." And after Moses had poured a few blessings upon Colonel C., and bidding him a warm adieu, and requesting him to give his love and farewell to his mistress, the children, and all the servants, he followed Mr. B. to the store, to enter upon the functions of his new office.

The return of the schooner brought to Moses his wife and children.

replied that he was up stairs measuring grain, and invited him to walk up and see him. Soon Mr. B.'s attention was arrested by a very confused noise above. He listened, and heard an unusual shuffling of feet, some one sobbing violently, and some one talking very hurriedly; and when he reflected upon Colonel C.'s singular movements and the peculiar expression of his countenance, he became alarmed, and determined to go up and see what was transpiring.

When he reached the head of the stairs, he was startled by seeing Moses in the middle of the floor, down upon one knee, with his arms around the Colonel's waist, and talking most rapidly, while the Colonel stood weeping audibly. So soon as the Colonel could sufficiently control his feelings, he told Mr. B. that he had never been able to free himself from the influence of Moses's prayers, and that during the past year he and his wife and all his children had been converted to God.

Moses responded: "Bress God, Massa C., doe I way up hea, I neber ferget you in my prayers; I ollers put de ole massa side de new one. Bress God! dis make Moses tink bout Joseph in de Egypt agin."

The Colonel then stated to Mr. B. that his object in coming to Baltimore was to buy Moses and his family back again. But Mr. B. assured him that that was out of the question, for he could not part with him; and he intended soon to give Moses and all his family their freedom.

Moses was not far wrong in his reference to Joseph. For when Joseph was sold into Egypt, God over-ruled it to his good, and he obtained blessings that were far beyond his expectations; so with Moses. Joseph eventually proved the instrument of saving 'the lives of those who sold him. Moses proved the instrument, in God's hands, of saving the man's soul who sold him.

Old Moses is still living and doing well. He long since obtained his freedom, and at present occupies a comfortable house of his own; and I suppose he now sings and prays 'to his heart's content.

THE ACCEPTED TIME.

BY DR. KRUMMACHER.

But the apostle likewise speaks of "the accepted time" evidently in a more limited sense, whilst including in it, at the same time, the pleasing period of the Corinthian church, the days in which the church of

the saints was in its growth, in which the apostles addressed them, and in which Paul himself gave them to drink immediately from the heavenly springs of revelation, and was able, with parental kindness, personally to watch over and attend to them. And are you not able, my brethren, to tell of a similar "accepted time?" Oh, think how delightful was the season, when your own religious life first burst the bud, and the glory of the Gospel, so fully laid open to you, shone upon you with all the splendour of its vernal radiance; how delightful, when you knew no sound more welcome than the church bells, and when you hastened, in crowds, with joyful expectation, to the house of God! And the word never returned void. There was a rain of the Spirit which descended upon you,-a shaking amongst the dry bones which ceased not, and children were born to the Lord, as dew from the womb of the morning. Oh, how vividly do I still remember how animatedly and joyfully we sowed the seeds of our mission in the field of youthful piety, -that germ which is now grown up to a tree, that extends its beneficent boughs far over the ocean! How present it still is to my mind, how, with beaming countenances we celebrated the first festival of our spiritual triumphs, -how a host of youthful preachers presented you with garlands of the most fragrant vernal blossoms of their inward life,-how, from the threshold of our vale to its farthest extremity, the waters of the sanctuary flowed so rapidly, and the spirit of Divine testimony assailed your hearts, against whose force it was necessary for the man to be doubly armed, who would continue in his unbelief! Yes, this was

an acceptable time," during which, our valley became a city set upon a hill, which was seen far and wide. During this period, the holy fire went forth from our churches, surrounded the neighbouring hills, and kindled blazing fires both far and near. During this period, the beauteous crown of reproach for Christ's sake was woven for us by those that were without, and which adorns us even to the present day. And will it be asserted that this " acceptable time" is past? Oh, no, it still continues in more than one respect. In the preaching to which you now listen, certainly, maturer faith is presented to you, than at that time; you are being more deeply initiated into the word of truth; you are more fervently exhorted to be reconciled