God assisting her, she could resign all her worldly concerns into the hands of her Maker. In later years she made few additions to her diary, only continuing to notice remarkable days in the year, such as her natural and spiritual birthdays, the anniversary of our Saviour's incarnation, &c. From these remains, the following extracts will be both profitable and interesting. In 1806-7, she writes :

"My soul is still going out after God. My mercies are very great, therefore I want to be more humble and grateful. My soul is not satisfied with my progress in the divine life. I often feel condemned in my mind that I am not more useful: too much busied about the world, which takes up my time; but (blessed be God) not my heart. Though my hands are employed, I wear the world as a loose garment, willing to give it up whenever my Master calls. Though my body continues below, I am not my own: Lord give me grace to hold out unto my life's end! By grace I am saved, through faith' in the merits of Jesus, and not of myself: it is thy gift, O my God! Glory to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Continually looking to the blessed Jesus

'In all my afflictions, he keeps me to prove
His utmost salvation, his fulness of love.'

I feel myself a poor unworthy, unprofitable creature, with nothing to recommend me to God. I disclaim all I have done or can do: my trust is in Jesus, and in him alone. Were it not for the gift of faith I should despair. Oh, for an increase of faith and love, that I may glorify him in whom I trust! I often feel ashamed that I am not more engaged in his service. I want to speak and act more for God than I do. Oh Lord, lay not the sin of omission to my charge, but forgive it for Christ's sake.

"Dec. 26. I feel a grateful sense of the love of God in sparing me to see the returning season, (a season long to be remembered by me,) when the Lord spoke peace to my soul by bidding me be of good cheer. My sins were forgiven, my burden was removed, my soul filled with love to God and man, and by his grace I am what I am, stripped of all, but dependance on the merits and righteousness of my Saviour.

“August 22, 1816. This day 64 years ago I was born; and blessed be my God that I was born to be born again. Glory to God for calling me to repentance in my youth! He converted my soul and opened a heaven of love in my heart, which has been increasing ever since, I have to complain of my slothfulness and small improvement, but God has borne with my negligence, my sins of omission and commission, and has loved me notwithstanding all I have done. Jesus intercedes for me, and now, as at first, I come a poor helpless sinner, with nothing to recommend myself: none but Jesus, who is the helpless sinner's Friend; and in this faith I hope to live and die.

“August 22d, 1817. This day I am permitted to record the 65th year of my age, in health of body, happy in Jesus' love, and in love and peace with all men. My soul cries out for more of his love, that I may live more to his glory, that the remainder of my days may be

spent in his praise. I feel ashamed before God when I look back to the past, that so little of my time has been devoted to him; so much to the cares of the world: but, through the blood and righteousness of Jesus, who knows my heart's desire, I shall be accepted of my Father.

"Dec. 1817. This day thirty-nine years my God spoke peace to my soul in St. Paul's church, just before sacrament, saying 'Daughter be of good cheer, thy sins are all forgiven.' Oh how shall I give Him praise and honour, who has done so much for me! Though my unworthiness is great, my faith in the merits of Christ is strong. In him I have peace.

'Here I'll raise my ebenezer,

Hither by thy help I'm come.'

May my last be my best days. May I live more to thy glory, my dear Redeemer, that when thou shalt have done with me as seemeth thee good, thou wilt give me grace to triumph over death, and shout victory through thy name. Even this moment, while writing, I feel thy love enabling me to rejoice, not in sparks of my own kindling; no, but in the Lord, and in the remembrance of his goodness to my soul.

“August 22, 1818. By the goodness and love of God, my Creator, I live to record my sixty-sixth birthday. God is still the same loving, tender, and kind friend to me, and he has been an unchangeable Friend to me ever since I was born; from my youth he has followed me by His Holy Spirit, and has at length got the victory in my heart. Glory to his holy name! I think I have followed the leadings of the Holy Spirit, and am now by his grace and power enabled to fie like clay in the hands of the potter. This summer I have been sorely tried, but not left to myself. The grace of God has been sufficient. I now feel willing to depart and be with Christ:' not my will, but thine be done. If my Saviour has any thing more for me to do, His will is mine. I feel myself given up to him. I am nothing, and have nothing to recommend myself. Jesus is my all, and in all. 'Jesus, thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress; 'Midst flaming worlds, in these array'd, With joy shall I lift up my head.'

Glory! glory to God! that I was born to be born again of the Spirit! While I write my heart rejoices in God my Saviour. Thank God for trials, and for grace to bear them.

"Dec. 1818. This day by the grace and power of God I have lived to see the fortieth year of my espousals to Christ, in St. Paul's church, on sacrament day, and I still find my Jesus present to bless and comfort me. As at first my soul is full: Oh, glorious hope of immortality! my body is drawing toward the grave, and my soul to heaven; there is my portion and my all, through the merits of Jesus Christ, who came to save sinners; and blessed be his holy name, he has never left or forsaken me since first he spoke peace to my soul, but has ever been my support, and

'In all my afflictions, has kept me to prove

The depth of salvation, the heaven of love." "

Memoir of Mrs. MARY CARPENTER.

Thus is closed the last record which Mrs. Carpenter made of her natural or spiritual birthdays. Of the six succeeding years of her life, she has left few notices in her diary, but from those few we learn that her Lord continued to purify her through suffering, and that he supported her in every adverse hour; so that she was enabled still to cry, "not my will, O Lord, but thine, be done." For six more years she was spared as an example to her family and friends, and at length, in the 73d year of her pilgrimage, she sweetly fell asleep in Jesus.

The following interesting letter from her bereaved husband will give the particulars of her death.

"Believing that it would be gratifying to you to receive from me some account of the decease of your friend, my dear companion, I make the following short communication:

"My own affliction prevented my having much conversation with her during her last illness. For some days previous to my attack, she had been quite ill, but not more so than she had frequently been before. The alarming nature of my case seemed to have a considerable effect on her mind, and as my danger increased her weakness About two days previous to her decease I went to her also increased. as she sat in her chair, and having seated myself by her and taken her hand, we conversed at some length on the subject of our dissolution. I had told her on several occasions that I believed the Lord' would spare me for her sake, but now it appeared doubtful. In the course of this conversation she reminded me of a dream she had several years ago, which left an impression on her mind that we should not long survive each other, (this may yet be true.) From this time her weakness and difficulty of breathing increased; my daughters were alarmed at her symptoms, and the physician pronounced her case dangerous, but charged my daughters not to inform me, lest it should Shortly after this a kind of have an unhappy influence on my mind. stupor ensued, and she became indifferent to all kinds of nourishment. The evening before her death my daughters prepared a tea, which she had usually taken during her complaints, but she declined taking it. Hearing this, I left my bed and prevailed on her to take it. This was the last time I spoke to her. Through the night she seemed to sleep quietly, and as often as I inquired after her I was informed that she appeared to be in a sweet sleep. Thus she passed the night of the 4th inst. in apparently calm sleep, without that difficulty of breathing which had been so painful to her, and so alarming to the family. No change took place until about 7 o'clock on the morning of the 5th, (October) when she fell asleep in the arms of her blessed Redeemer. There was no struggle, nor even a sigh or groan that denoted her approaching change. Thus closed our union of between sixteen and seventeen years, during which time she was to me a help-mate indeed, and I derive much consolation from the reflection that I have done all that lay in my power to render her life comfortable. It would have been very gratifying to me could I have conversed with her in her last moments; but this privilege was denied me. The Lord seemed to answer my prayers in one respect: I had often

besought him that he would make her passage through the shades of death calm and easy; and I think I have never known one more so than hers. I do not learn that she said much during her sickness, but what she did say, plainly showed that her whole soul tended upward. She often repeated to me the words of Mr. Wesley:

"I the chief of sinners am,

But Jesus died for me;"

placing no confidence in any merits of her own, but relying wholly on the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. During our union our trials were neither few nor small; but in the darkest hours she would be cheerful, and always seemed to have a word of consolation-some precious promise was presented appropriate to our case. She was often buffeted by the adversary, and often had occasion to fly to a throne of grace, where she always found relief. She was truly a woman of much prayer and strong faith, and I have no doubt but she is now reaping the reward of her labours of love. I need hardly say to you, who were so intimately acquainted with her, that in all her intercourse with her friends and neighbours, she failed not to introduce the subject of religion; and few, if any, were long in her company without receiving from her some word of comfort, or of reproof, or of caution, as she considered their cases might require: truly her light shone on all around her. But her earthly race is run, her season of probation is ended, and she is gone from us. Yet the recollection of her pious walk and godly conversation remains, and I trust, for years to come, will have a happy influence on the hearts of those who were most intimately acquainted with her. May I follow my departed companion as she followed Christ, and may my last end be like hers. The following lines were often repeated by her, in a manner that evinced her feeling of their full force :

'Jesus, thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress :
'Midst flaming worlds, in these array'd,
With joy shall I lift up my head."

I remain, your friend in Christ,
THOMAS CARPENTER.

On Sunday, October 31st, her funeral sermon was preached to a large congregation, assembled at the Methodist Church in John-street, from these words, Rev. xiv. 13, "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth: Yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." Yes, they will follow her, and she is now reaping the reward of them.

How many beds of sickness, and habitations of poverty she has visited, that day will declare, when in heart-cheering accents the great judge of quick and dead shall say, "I was sick, and you visited me-a stranger, and you took me in-poor and you administered unto me."

Another of the earliest Methodists has left us, and her seat in the church, (to which she resorted by night and by day, in sick

ness and in health,) is vacated, and who will take her place? Her compeers in age must soon follow. Shall we not find successors in the young, with whom she delighted to converse? Her friendly hand was ever extended to welcome them, and a smile of affection said how much they were beloved, and how willingly she would win them to her Saviour. Oh, that the mantle of the departed saint, might rest on those who were honoured by her love and friendship! Wert thou one of them? Pray for a "double portion" of her spirit: and may the saints of God take encouragement from the life of our departed sister, to seek for that spirit of love and holiness which so eminently characterized her. She has fought the good fight-she has kept the faith-she has departed in peace.

Hail, happy spirit! thy warfare has ended-thy sorrows are past—and thou hast entered into the paradise of God.

MISCELLANEOUS.

LETTER

FROM THE DIRECTORS OF THE SCOTTISH MISSIONARY SOCIETY TO PER SONS PROPOSING TO OFFER THEMSELVES AS MISSIONARIES.

(Continued from page 27.)

THIRDLY, Consider the QUALIFICATIONS necessary for the work. As the work of a Christian missionary is no common work, whether we consider its importance or its difficulties, so it requires no common qualifications. An absurd idea has very generally prevailed that a man who is not fit to be a minister at home, may yet be a useful missionary abroad; just as if it was an easier matter, and required fewer qualifications in a commander, to carry war into the territories of a powerful and insidious enemy, to detect his stratagems, to vanquish him in the field of battle, to storm his fortresses, and towns, and cities, and to subdue the whole country, than to maintain the authority of his sovereign in his own dominions, where it had been long established, and where all was peace and quietness. It is not uncommon for persons whose qualifications are obviously of a very inferior order, to imagine that, though they are not fitted for the higher duties of a missionary, they may yet be useful in some department of a mission. With a show of humility, they profess that if they might only be employed in the work, they would be content to be "hewers of wood, and drawers of water, for the house of the Lord." Such individuals, however, will generally find, that they may glorify God much more effectually by remaining in that situation for which he has qualified them, and by faithfully and diligently performing its duties, than by pushing