^>^2 ] 4*mfec v// 
 
 NjfcT&) 
 
THE NAME ON THE KOCK, 
 
 Come, listen to me, and I will 
 tell you a story of a boy. who 
 once tried to get a little honour 
 for himself, by writing his name 
 
2 THE NAME OK THE BOCK. 
 
 higher than all others who had 
 gone before him. There is, in 
 America, what is called a great 
 "natural bridge." It is formed of 
 large pieces of rock, which hang 
 over from two hills, and meet five 
 hundred feet over a deep valley 
 below. You may be sure that 
 many people go to see this curi- 
 ous bridge. 
 
 One day, several boys came to 
 this rocky archway, to cut their 
 names on its sides. Some put 
 them towards the bottom, and 
 some chose a higher place ; but 
 one, more bold than the rest, 
 looked up, and saw the names of 
 many visitors high above him. 
 "1 will try to outdo them all," 
 said he ; " my name shall be the 
 highest yet." In a few moments 
 
THE NAME ON TIIE ROCK. 3 
 
 he was seen climbing the jutting 
 crag. He got on very well at 
 first, by holding the bushes and 
 brambles, until he was beyond 
 nearly all the names on the side 
 of the hill. 
 
 He went up till he was above 
 the tops of the highest trees 
 which grew in the valley, and 
 still upward he went, till he came 
 to a spot which those from below 
 told him was high enough. But 
 he yet saw at a short distance 
 above him a name, and in his 
 pride he shouted out, " I will beat 
 that ! ' ' Again he went on with 
 his climbing. He cut notches on 
 the sides of the arch, and holding 
 on with one hand, he worked 
 away with the other. At last he 
 was at a point which no one 
 
I 
 
 4 THE NAME ON THE ROCK. 
 
 before him had eached, and there 
 he cut his name on the limestone 
 rock. 
 
 The climber now thought of 
 getting back to the ground. But 
 this was not so easy a matter as 
 he at first took it to be. If it was 
 hard to go up, it was yet harder 
 to get down. He saw the danger 
 into which his pride had led 
 him, and his head began to be 
 dizzy. 
 
 By this time a large number of 
 oeople had come together. His 
 : ? ather, mother, brother, and sis- 
 ter, had heard of his peril, and 
 were there also. " You cannot de- 
 scend," cried some of the crowd ; 
 "try and gain the top." And 
 this was all that could be done: 
 eo ; step by step, he began to cut 
 
THE NAME OK THE BOCK. 5 
 
 his way upward. At length his 
 strength was nearly gone, and 
 he clung to the sides of the 
 rock. 
 
 In the deepest agony of mind 
 the father shouted to him, " "Wil- 
 liam, William, do not look down. 
 Your mother, and Henry, and 
 Harriet are all here : we are 
 praying for you. Do not look 
 dow r n. Keep your eye towards 
 the top." At the sound of his 
 father's yoice, the boy grasped 
 his knife again, and upward he 
 was seen once more slowly to 
 moye, until he found himself di- 
 rectly under the middle of the 
 arch. The sight of ropes hang- 
 ing from above roused him to new 
 effort. The blade of bis knife 
 was now worn to the last hal£- 
 
6 THE NAME ON THE ROCK. 
 
 inch. He cut one notch more 
 with it, and it fell from his hands 
 at his mother's feet. 
 
 What was now to be done to 
 save him ? At this moment a man 
 lay down at his full length, with 
 nearly haJf of his body hanging 
 over the top of the bridge. He 
 lowered a looped rope within 
 reach of the fainting youth, who 
 was just able to place it over his 
 head, and then under each arm. 
 And now he was seen swinging 
 over the fearful heignt, while 
 those from above gently raised 
 him to the top. As he came up, 
 one of the crowd seized him in 
 his arms, and held him up to the 
 view of the rest, while the shout 
 "He is safe! He is safe!" was 
 heard above and below. 
 
THE NAME ON THE BOCK. 7 
 
 There, you have listened to my 
 story ; now attend to what I have 
 yet to say. I have in my time 
 seen many climbers, who have 
 wished to cut their names higher 
 than others in the world. They 
 have sought to reach some of the 
 lofty places of earthly renown. 
 But I have seen them at last, 
 like the boy who cut his name in 
 the rock, in places of danger, and 
 from whence some have slipped, 
 to rise no more. 
 
 Instead of cutting a name for 
 yourself in the world, you should 
 rather try to do a little good in a 
 humble way as you pass through 
 it. I would rather have my name 
 in letters of love and gratitude on 
 the heart of a poor orphan child 
 or afflicted widow, than on the 
 
 i 
 
8 THE NAME ON THE HOCK. 
 
 proudest statue or loftiest rock 
 that stands on the earth. 
 
 But seek above all things, to 
 have your names found " written 
 in the Lamb's book of life," Rev. 
 xxi. 27. l j, or what good will it do 
 you if you have the wealth and 
 honour of the world, and your 
 name placed on lofty statues, and 
 yet have no place in Christ's 
 church on earth, and no part in 
 his glory in heaven ? May it be 
 your desire and aim to believe 
 in Jesus as your Saviour, — that 
 through his merits your sins 
 may be forgiven — and to obey him 
 as your Lord ; then you will 
 surely have your names written 
 in that book, and there they will 
 remain when worlds and suns 
 ehall be no more. 
 
 Pardon and Son, Printers, Paternoster row. 
 
i 
 
 
 c 
 
 
m 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 With thy counsel thou shalt guide me, 
 O thou Shepherd of the flock ; 
 
 Safe from every tempest hide me, 
 Fix'd upon the Living Rock. 
 
 Poor and needy, oh receive me, 
 Ee thy rod my staff and stay ; 
 
 And that blessed portion give me 
 Which no power can take away. 
 
 Never leave me nor forsake me, 
 More and more reveal thy love, 
 
 Till thou shalb a pillar make me 
 In the house of God above. 
 
 Then the song of grace abounding 
 Freely round thy throne shall rise ; 
 
 And thy praise, for ever sounding, 
 Fill thy temple in the skies.