you have to answer in a degree for the souls of all those that are under your immediate charge and government. You are bound to consult their spiritual no less than their temporal welfare. Think of what immense consequence your example, your requirements may be! You live not only for yourselves, but for others also. No man liveth to himself alone; but every one is answerable for the consequences of his conduct, as others are affected by it: and the greater our influence is, the more correct and exemplary should be our behaviour. Remember the commendation given by the Lord to Abraham: 'I know him that he will command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord. The care of his family was a leading evidence of his faithfulness and love to God. No one can have a due regard for his own soul who is not concerned for the salvation of others, especially of those who are in any way connected with him. Make, then, and keep, the noble resolution of Joshua: 'As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.'

"When our dear children came from school for the Christmas holydays, they were taken up to see this dying saint: she seemed greatly affected by the sight of them, and said weeping, I used to have great pleasure in their coming home, and I thought I should have had great pleasure now; but now, alas! I can do nothing for them.' Her affectionate mistress then said, 'O yes, Mary, you can do the best thing for them; you can pray for them.' Yes,' she replied, with energy, 'that I do indeed! I often think of poor old Jacob, raising himself upon his bed when he was dying, and saying, "The God which has fed me all my life long, the Angel that redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads ;" and so would I raise myself on my dying bed, and say, The God which has fed me all my

life long, the Angel which has redeemed me from evil, bless these dear children. And O may all of that generation be blessed! May they have grace to fear and love the Lord; and may he take them to heaven when they die! I often consider too,' she added, how the spirit of that patriarch revived when he saw the wagon wheels which were to carry him to Egypt to see his son Joseph; and I long for the wagon wheels to come and carry me to my Saviour in heaven. How glorious a rest, what a beautiful sight will that be!' See how truly great the Spirit of God makes those in whom he resides, be their situation in life ever so humble, or their worldly attainments ever so small. She studied her Bible with a view to profit by it, and to be ruled by its commands; and the saving knowledge of that blessed book gave her a right understanding of God, of herself, and of the world; and inspired her, as it will every one who lays up its words in his heart, with noble and sublime, as well as just and pious sentiments. My dear brethren, fail not daily to consult that sacred volume, which is the repository of all true wisdom. Take it for a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your paths. Pray that it may be written on your hearts, and transcribed into lives and acyour tions. 'It will give you more understanding than your teachers; it will make you wiser than the aged.'

"After having passed a sleepless night, our departed friend said, she believed her heavenly Father had kept her eyes waking that she might enjoy sweet communion with him; and that her refreshments, through these waking, painful hours, were greater than any she obtained from natural sleep. So great was her composure, that she gave directions respecting all the circumstances of her funeral, in order as much as possible to relieve those about her from trouble after

her decease. Many other things she said, and with so much calmness and consideration, that her mistress could not help remarking, Mary, you seem as if you were only preparing for a journey.' So

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I am, Madam,' she replied with great cheerfulness, and the best journey I ever took in all my life: I am going to my dear Saviour.' When Mr. H. according to his usual and laudable practice (a practice which all medical men would do well to imitate, whenever it can be done with safety), faithfully told her the nature and danger of her complaint, she very composedly answered, Every body, Sir, must have something to bring them to their end.' To her mistress she observed, You have heard, Madam, what Mr. H. has said about me. I beg you will not be agitated on my account. It is what my heavenly Father has appointed, and he might have taken me out of the world by many more painful ways. However, I shall do exactly as Mr. H. directs me, because I think it right to do so.' Several persons with kind intention recommended her to try different remedies, but she would apply none of them without Mr. H.'s permission. This she considered as a matter of conscience, saying, that many people, after having applied for regular medical aid, would secretly take other medicines which might probably counteract the prescriptions of their proper attendant, whereby they both hurt themselves and acted dishonourably by those whom they formally consulted. She charged one of her fellow-servants who slept in the same room with her, in case she should be taken off suddenly in the night, neither to be alarmed herself, nor to disturb any of the family before the usual hour of rising, but to stand by her bedside for some time looking at her, to recollect that she might have been that corpse; and to ask her own heart very seriously, whether,

if God had then, or soon should summon her, she were prepared to appear before her Judge. Indeed, it was her constant custom to take every proper opportunity of awakening the minds of those with whom she lived, and stirring them to a due regard for their precious and immortal souls. She said, she was very desirous to depart, if it were God's will; but if he thought fit to continue her life, she willingly submitted to his good pleasure. On this ground, she dared not refuse to do all in her power to take any thing that was ordered her for that purpose, because otherwise she should sin against him; and if his glory would be in any degree promoted by long and very severe sufferings, she would not on any account wish one of them lessened or removed; as yet she had had none that she could reckon severe. This she said when labouring under such very acute pain in her side, as frequently made her start and cry out almost involuntarily, at which she was very angry with herself, saying, Wherefore do I groan? I can bear all this; and my Saviour will not lay more upon me than he will enable me to endure. How much more did he suffer for me a sinner! His cup was all bitter; but he gives me many sweet refreshments." This is another instance of that real greatness and dignity of mind which true religion only can inspire. She then prayed most fervently for us, for our children, for her fellow-servants, for all with whom she had ever lived, for all who had used or thought ill of her, for all the parish, and for the whole world. She expressed with tears her thankfulness to her valuable medical attendant for his unremitting exertions, and said, 'I wish him to know how grateful I feel for his attention to me. He has done every thing for me that man can do, and in the kindest way. I am sure he feels for me. No one could do me

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any lasting good; for I was sure from the first that my time was come; but he has soothed my pain, and made my passage as easy as human skill could make it.' One day, when her sufferings had been very great, she said, If people could feel but for a short time what it is to die, they would not live so carelessly as they do. Thankful, indeed, ought those to be who can undress themselves and lie down in their bed free from pain, and rise up again in the morning to their daily work; but we are apt to be sadly forgetful of these blessings when we are in health and strength. It is an every-day sin, sufficient of itself to condemn us for ever. It is ungrateful and undutiful. We go about our business and think nothing of it, because it is common; whereas every breath we draw, and every step we take, ought to fill us with thankfulness for his undeserved mercies. The good Lord pardon and deliver us!' She added, Profession is nothing, and talking is nothing, and feeling is nothing; a religious life is all that can be depended upon, as evidential of our justification.'

"The mother of this faithful disciple was as well as herself a praying Christian; and she prayed not only for herself but for others also. She earnestly besieged the throne of Grace in behalf of her children, and she was a living witness of the success of her prayers. Probably the grace bestowed on her on whom we are speaking may have been the effect of her early and earnest intercessions. The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous availeth much.' The conversion of that eminent bishop and great luminary of the church, St. Augustine, may be considered as an answer to the reiterated fervent supplications of his pious mother Monica. Prayer is not only our bounden duty but our highest privilege. God graciously invites and encourages us to lay our wants be

fore him. He is pleased with our importunity, and would have us look up to him as children to a father in every time of need. A way of access is always open through the all-prevailing mediation of his dear Son, for whose sake he will hear our petitions and grant our requests; and shall we not take advantage of such a permission, and desire all the benefits consequent upon the due use and improvement of it? We know not what mercy we may lose by restraining prayer before God. How can we expect success in any undertaking, if we do not entreat for a blessing from heaven upon it? And if it is our duty as Christians to pray one for another (as the Apostle exhorts us to do), how much more for those who are near and dear to us; especially our children, who by reason of their

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and inexperience are necessarily exposed to the most powerful temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil? We read, that holy Job made continual and particular supplication and intercession through the appointed means for each of his children, lest they should sin and curse God in their hearts, or should at any time have done so. O let us follow his excellent example! Let me enforce upon all parents the practice of this most important duty. Thus only can you expect a blessing to rest upon them and upon your endeavours to promote their welfare. Fail not to recommend your children to the care and protection of your heavenly Father, that through his grace they may be delivered from the corruptions that are in the world, from the deceitfulness of their own hearts, and from the snares of Satan. Entreat the Lord daily, that he would sanctify them in body, soul, and spirit, and preserve them unto his heavenly kingdom.

"Our faithful domestic possessed a most tender conscience, of which,

were it expedient, I could adduce many striking proofs. Little failings of duty, and what may be called by some trifling circumstances, which too many would not perceive, affect those who are renewed in the spirit of their mind, and have advanced to a high degree of virtue and holiness. The last time she received the blessed sacrament at church, for some reason or other, she was induced to put only sixpence into the plate, whereas she had always before been accustomed to give a shilling. She did not forget afterwards that she had felt less liberal on that occasion than she ought to have done, and had given a momentary consent to the suggestions of Satan and her own deceitful heart; and in order to atone as well as she could for this fault, she requested that two shillings might be put in for her on Christmas-day, though she could not be present, which was accordingly done. She told me, that if she knew of any whom she had wronged in the slightest degree, either in their goods or reputation, she would entreat their pardon, and with Zaccheus instantly restore fourfold. If she had spoken angrily to any person, though on the most just cause, such as the defence of her master's right or credit, she could not rest satisfied till she had apologized for the offence. One day when her mistress went to see her, she felt so very restless and uneasy that she desired to be left alone for some time; but soon after her conscience smote her, for having acted as she thought ungratefully, and she would not go to sleep till she had asked her pardon for what she called her unhandsome and disrespectful conduct towards her. O what a blessing is a quick and tender conscience! The possessor of it will be sure enough not to commit great and heinous sins, when so grieved for what may be almost said to be no sins at all.

This may serve to explain further what I observed before, from the beloved Apostle, that they who are born of God cannot sin,' i. e. they feel such a hatred, abhorrence, and dread of sin, that they cannot sin deliberately or continually. Sin is a state or element in which they cannot live; whereas the unregenerate by evil habit and custom can hardly 'cease from sin.' If they do right, it is as much out of course as if the others do wrong. In either case, it is a deviation from their regular method of thinking and acting. Pray, I beseech you, for a tender conscience; that you may be so sensible of your smallest errors and derelictions of duty as to be preserved thereby, through God's grace, from the great offence of wilful and presumptuous sins.

"This eminent disciple was also charitable after her power. Her faith was an operative faith. It worked by love, and thus evidenced itself to be lively and genuine, the gift of God. Perhaps, like the poor widow in the Gospel, according to her ability, she did more than we all.' • She gave diligence gladly to bestow of her little, and thus gathered to herself a good reward in the day of necessity.' She has clothed several children in this parish. She was always ready to relieve, as far as she was able, the wants of her poorer neighbours; and having cheerfully administered to their necessities whilst living, she was not unmindful of them at her death. She never kept by her any wearing apparel which she had ceased to use, but made it a rule to give away what she left off, and to leave it off whilst it would be serviceable to others. We have no right,' she said, 'to spend our money in buying more than we want, or to hoard up that which we possess.' Charity, or Christian love, is declared by the Apostle to be the crown and perfection of all other graces and

virtues. For its utility and continuance it is accounted the greatest of the three: for, when faith shall be lost in vision, hope be swallowed up in enjoyment, love will abide for ever, and be the constant exercise and delight of the saints through the countless ages of eternity.

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During the last few days she felt much comfort from the persuasion that the end of her earthly existence was approaching. This conviction elevated her spirit, and filled her with unmingled joy. One evening she dwelt much on the song of the redeemed in heaven, and repeated several passages from the Revelations. She said, they all sang one song; there was no variance there; they all sang, Salvation to the Lamb, who had loved them, and washed their guilty and defiled souls in his own blood. They all ascribed the glory of their redemption to him alone.' Her conversation at this time was so animated, her countenance so enlightened, her whole soul so absorbed in love and praise, and such a foretaste of heaven seemed to pervade her spirit, that her mistress could not help observing to her, Mary, you are quite on the Mount to-night.' She assented, and said, I hope I have got near the top now; I am going up step by step, supported by my precious Saviour's hand. It is he that leads me, for I could not get there by my own strength. On the morning of her dissolution she was seized with violent pains all over her body. Her mistress, ever attentive to her spiritual as well as her bodily wants, said to her, You have not long to be here. Jesus will soon release you.' To which she replied, I hope he will; I pray that my dear Saviour may soon come and fetch me from hence.' In the afternoon, observing her difficulty in breathing, the same kind friend said, Jesus is trying your faith; he is purifying

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you: and when faith and patience shall have had their perfect work, then your rest will be glorious' (alluding to a passage in Isaiah, which she had often quoted with much feeling and satisfaction in the course of her sickness). Upon this she smiled, waved her hand on the bed several times in token of her assent, and breathed out, Ay, ay, ay,' in a triumphant tone, that rest will be glorious.' As no farther change took place, it was feared she might continue through another night, and therefore an opiate was offered to her, in order to procure sleep. Her voice was much altered, and very weak; but she said, 'I fear I cannot swallow it.' As soon, however, as she was told it was right to try, she made an astonishing effort, raised herself up, and with great resolution drank it down. She then uttered, Thank God Almighty!' and lay down. After the power of audible speech had failed, her lips were continually moving in prayer.

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"Although she had suffered much pain throughout the whole of her illness, by which trial she was enabled, as I have before stated, to glorify God, and to manifest those graces of faith, love, and patience wherewith he had so largely endued her, yet it pleased her heavenly Father to render her departure most quiet and easy; so much so, that the precise moment when the happy spirit took its flight could hardly be ascertained. When informed of her apparently approaching end, I hastened up stairs in order to commend her soul to God in the solemn and affecting words of our apostolic church; but finding on my entering the room, that she was already with Him whom her soul loved, prayer was turned to praise; and according to her own previously expressed desire, such of the family as were there assembled kneeled down, and a pious and excellent minister then resident with us, offered up a thanks