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ence between those times and our own. The Gospel, "when a new thing,' must have come with far more freshness and power than it can now, when people have been accustomed to hear about it from childhood."

Miss T.-"Yes, and all think they believe, who have been in the habit of hearing about it; forgetting that, to enable us to be true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, requires the teaching of God's most Holy Spirit, as much in the nineteenth as in the first century. When St. Peter made his confession of faith, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' our Lord told him he could not have known this, unless it had been specially revealed to him by his Father in Heaven."

Mrs. M.-"Do you think we are at liberty to expect such teachings as the Apostles had ?"

Miss T." Indeed I do; I think we make such poor advances in religion, because we will not take the Bible literally. We are contented with a superficial faith, without going to the very root of the matter, and enquiring, whether our feet are planted on a rock. We are particularly told, that no man can call Jesus Lord, but by the Holy Spirit,' and yet that 'there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.' Does not this prove our extreme need of the teaching of the Holy Spirit ? our need, that the 'eyes of our understanding should be opened,' that the Spirit should move on the face of our minds, and say, 'Let there be light.'

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Mrs. M.-"Do you think we are in darkness, and know nothing without that teaching ?"

Miss T." I believe, that the 'carnal mind is enmity against God,' and cannot understand the things of God, because they are spiritually discerned. And this makes me also believe, that the soul can be taught nothing really good or true, save by the Spirit of God."

Mrs. M.-" I think I have very vague views in religion; I have often felt it a dry subject; knowing it ought to be the chief interest of my life, and yet not able to make it so, from it's having no hold of my affections. So it has been but a formal business with me, reading the Psalms and Lessons every day, and hoping that if I did my best, all would come right at last.”

Miss T." I remember that was once very much my own state of feeling upon the subject. But there came a time in my life, when a light was shed upon my path, which has never since left me; but, in spite of all my deficiencies, has shone brighter and brighter, and made me a different person from what I once was."

Mrs. M.-"Tell me a little more about it, and what was the chief subject of this change of mind."

Miss T." It came about in a very simple way, unknown to any one but myself at the time. My spirits were exceedingly depressed, and my worldly prospects very dark. I was unhappy, disappointed, and deploring my want of some such definite object, such a neverfailing interest in life, as should satisfy the desires of my heart for happiness. I was constantly reading a variety of books, seeking rest for the sole of my foot, and finding none. One night, an old nurse, who had been for years and years in the family, and whose gentle voice and tender manner always stole their way into the heart, said, as she smoothed my pillow, 'Ah, Miss Clara, if you did but know the voice of the good Shepherd, and would follow Him, who so loved you, as to give His life for you, how happy you might be ! There was a tremulousness in her voice, as she said this, as if she feared she might be taking a liberty, that went to my heart. I was about to reply, but her soft step

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was gliding out of the room, yet I heard her saying to herself, He would do more for her, than all her great books, much more, He would give her peace.' 'Peace,' I exclaimed to myself, shall Clara's heart ever know peace?' Then, as if I had never heard them before, the words darted into my soul, Come unto me, all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Surely, thought I, that is a message to me: I will ask the Lord to give me rest; I will, as He bids, take His yoke upon me, and I will ask Him to be the Saviour of my soul. I rose from my bed, and in the stillness of night, I poured out my inmost soul in prayer to God, telling Him all my sorrow, confessing my unworthiness, my ignorance, and my very coldness in wishing to serve and please Him. And I entreated Him to make me clearly know what it was to hear the voice of the good Shepherd, what it was to follow Him, from believing that He had loved me, and given His life for me?"

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Mrs. M." And were your prayers answered?" Miss T.-"They are being answered; that night the Sun of Righteousness rose upon my soul. I had the first view of his beams, and of the healing that was in them. I saw how completely it was God's desire, that I should be happy and redeemed, since He had sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world,' and His written word, to lead us to know Him; and I made my firm resolve, that, God enabling me to do so, I would from henceforth, like Mary, take my seat at the feet of Jesus, and hear His words."

Mrs. M.-" Had you no misgivings as to His recepyou ? "

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Miss T." Would He have stood at the door and knocked, had He not intended to come in, when I should hear His voice and open unto Him? And when

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ever I listened I found, that never man spake as He spake. To whichever page of my Bible I turned, I heard a still small voice, which seemed bent upon bringing me into peace. My child,' it would say, 'Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. True, you are indeed a sinner, a prodigal, who has wandered into a far country, but I have come on purpose to seek you and bring you home. Turn not away in fear, from me, who have loved you with an everlasting love. Fear not to wash and be clean from all sin: I have myself borne your sins in my own body on the tree. Plead not your unworthiness, I know it to be great, but this is my name, JESUS, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. In the white robe I give you, fear not to enter with boldness into the very presence of my Father, no more to be looked on as a sinner, but as a beloved and accepted child, whom He will ever richly bless. And think not, I will ever leave you or forsake you; whom I love, I love unto the end, and none shall pluck you out of my hands: you shall never perish, for I give unto you eternal life.' Could I doubt His reception of me, after such words as these could I fear when he said, 'It is I, be not afraid,' and when I found, that during all the time He was on earth, He never sent one single soul empty away, that asked Him for acceptance; that His whole walk was a living com→ mentary on His own words, Ask and ye shall have,

seek and ye shall find.""

Mrs. M." But is not His service hard? did you not find you had much to give up?"

Miss T.-"Never can I call His service hard, nor His yoke heavy. Believe me, there can be no greater mistake, than to imagine a Christian's is a dry service. Whatever his master calls him to give up, He gives

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him the will and power, as well as the command to do so. A new heart, and a new nature, are very real, very effectual gifts, which came down from above, from Him who is the bestower of every good and perfect gift. And with a new nature, strengthened from above, to fight against the old, all true Christians find that 'God's commandments are not grievous. The truth has made them free,' and though till the Master cometh to bruise Satan under their feet, they must ever be soldiers, yet are they victorious ones. They are not of the world,' but then they do not wish to be so; they are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, therefore is it their delight, to walk in the Spirit. And in spite of all their difficulties and struggles, I am quite persuaded, that not one genuine believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, would, in the hour of his greatest sorrow, exchange his own condition, even on this earth, with that of the most prosperous of the children of this world. I would to God, said one, heavily laden with fetters, standing before kings and princes robed in purple, I would to God, that all that hear me, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.' His feeling is the feeling of all, who having like him found the pearl of great price, like him, count all things else but dross."

Mrs. Mansfield did not reply, for the bell rang for prayers, and she rose to obey its summons. But her smile (at all times so beautiful and winning) had even more than its usual sweetness, when she wished Miss Talbot, good-night. And as the latter pondered over their conversation, while she was going to rest, hope whispered, 'I shall yet see Mrs. Mansfield, all that my heart wishes her to be, both almost, and altogether a Christian.'

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