favourable hour to descend and fill the heart with His heavenly grace. Be not afraid, only believe!"

I went home, and though I required repose, yet the anxiety which I felt for the salvation of my unhappy friend rendered my sleep restless and disturbed; but resigning myself to His sovereign pleasure, I found that "in the multitude of my thoughts within me, the comforts of God delighted my soul." On the following morning I returned to my friend as soon as my other engagements would permit.

He had passed a distressing night. Death was upon his countenance; the change, though not unexpected, was strikingly visible. There was not a trace of that fierce despair which had marked his features during part of the day before; they were completely softened down. He stretched out his hand as I entered the room, smiled faintly, and said, “Oh, you are welcome, surely you will not leave me now!"

When I had remained with him a short time, I perceived that I had only to comfort and encourage him, by further enlarging upon the glorious truths of that Gospel, which alone can bring true peace to the soul. They only who have been placed in similar situations, can fully enter into my feelings, when I perceived that he was beginning to understand the plan of salvation. His whole countenance became calm, and he exchanged his agonized expression for a look of deep and thoughtful interest. The imputed righteousness of Christ, who is the Fountain opened for sin, and for uncleanness, the freeness and fulness of the Gospel, the love of God in sending his Son, His readiness to receive the vilest sinner that comes unto him through the Saviour, the worthiness of that Saviour, His finished work,-all these various exhibitions of the scheme of redemption seemed every moment more powerfully and more irresistibly to engage his thoughts, and to occupy his heart.

Hours passed away, and every hour showed that death was about to secure another victim. But the mind of the sufferer had no sooner clearly seen the grace of God in the gift of His Son, than it seemed to rest with such a holy, humble confidence upon that grace, as to form a strong and striking contrast to his previous state of despair and horror. "Tell me, my friend," said I, "how you feel."

66

I have hope! my hope is in Christ: but," after a pause, "I should like to recover.

"

"Are you afraid to die?"

"No, I cannot say that I am afraid to die; but had I seen the awful nature of the change which passes upon the ungodly at death, in the light I do now, it would have been impossible for me to have lifted my hand against myself."

He wept very much; but suddenly checking himself, he exclaimed, in the language of Scripture which I had before read to him, "And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God”— (1 Cor. vi. 11). After another pause, he said, "Still I would like to live. When I think how my short, worthless life has been spent in the service of the devil, and that I have never given even one moment of it to God, I should like to recover, in order to show the sincerity of my repentance, and my love to the Redeemer.”

66

Well, my friend,” I replied, " we must leave these things entirely in the hands of the Lord; we cannot always understand his ways; and we should ever remember that 'secret things belong unto the Lord.' He knows your heart better than you do yourself, and perhaps He can observe that a longer life might neither promote his own glory, nor enhance your eternal peace. To submit in silence, and without murmuring, is a lesson which he requires his people to learn."

A distressing hiccough, accompanied by occasional delirium, now attacked him; but at every lucid interval, he asked to have the Scriptures read to him. But these intervals became less and less frequent, and at last seemed to have quite departed. Long and anxiously did I listen to the incoherent expressions, and mark the pallid cheek and brow, damp with the dews which announced the setting of his sun; but in vain, no parting recognition dropt from his lips, I then besought the Lord of life and death to walk with him through the dark valley.

Suddenly, I perceived him looking steadily at me; I rose; he smiled, and, stretching out his hand, said, “You are still with me."

I said, "do you know me, my friend?”

66

Oh, yes; you are Mr.

"Are you aware of your state?"

66

Yes, I feel that I am dying!"

"Do you feel happy?"

"Yes, happy! very happy!"

66 Have you no fear at all of the prospect of death?"

He raised himself upon his arm in the bed, looked up in my face with an expression of almost reproach, and said, "How can you ask me such a question? Have you not told me that the work was finished by Christ?"

He then sunk quietly down on the pillow, and relapsed into a stupor, from which he never awoke; but, in an hour or two, yielded up his spirit into the hands of Him who gave

it.

[Scenes of Death, by John Thwaites, M.D.]

A WARNING TO IMPENITENT SINNERS,

WHO DELUDE THEMSELVES WITH THE EXPECTATION OF A DEATH-BED REPENTANCE.

IMPENITENT SINNER,-Perhaps you are abusing this instance of Divine mercy, and drawing from it a pretext still to continue in sin, with the hope that however profligate you may be at present, you may yet repent at last, and that the conclusion of life may rectify all your former follies and transgressions. Indeed, the annals of Newgate, as well as the death-beds of thousands, nay millions, will give you no encouragement to trust to this false dependence. I have visited many dying criminals, but I never knew but one, All the rest were either ignorant, or careless, or desperate, or merely lamented their unhappy situation from the evils with which it was encumbered; or after all my hopes disappointed me in the conclusion. Lalone of those condemned criminals whom I have known, gave me a hope that he is safe in glory. The fact is, that men commonly die as they live; and because one thief was forgiven while his soul was as it were departing from his body, we must remember that this was not done that we might presume, but that we might be encouraged not to despair; tremble, therefore, lest as you live impenitent, you may impenitent also.

[From the Rev. H. Budd's Picture of the Condemned Cell.]

THE LITURGY.

THOSE who are unable to afford any considerable assistance to the actual construction of churches, may be able to assist largely and effectually in the advancement of their Saviour's spiritual dominion. They may, upon every proper occasion, urge the necessity and demonstrate the advantages of public worship, as celebrated in our excellent Liturgy; so full, so comprehensive, so emphatic, so consolatory, so truly scriptural that in its due and pious use, every point of necessary Christian doctrine and Christian practice is stated, explained, and enforced;-ignorance is instructed, vice restrained, penitence consoled, virtue strengthened, piety confirmed, and hope established. They may give to these awakening and animating duties the undeviating influence of their own example; and thus endeavour to build up the altar of the Lord that is broken down; to re-establish the power of habit in favour of our public ordinances, by devout attention, by impressive sensibility, by every possible expression of piety, gratitude, and delight, in the performance of the several sacred and solemn services of our Church. Thus may we hope to re-animate the zeal of Christian worshippers; to attract to the courts of our God and Saviour those who have hitherto been strangers there to induce those to appear twice on the Lord's day in "the house of prayer," who have by long custom, unhappily for themselves, thought one attendance quite sufficient. [Dr. Yates's Visitation Sermon, &c., entitled the "Gospel Kingdom."]

BENEFITS OF FAMILY PRAYER.

As connected in the bonds of the domestic charities, we are called upon to hallow these charities, by meeting as a family in the presence of God, and thus declaring, in the holy and decided spirit of Joshua: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." If the richest and purest pleasures are to be found in the endearing ties of kindred, surely the incense of gratitude should arise as a morning and evening sacrifice from the domestic altar. The father, surrounded by his children, who humbly supplicates the guidance and the Spirit of God, may draw down the dew of His blessings upon them,

even when they are far removed from the paternal hearth and home. If he who guides the devotions of his children and servants stands pledged to the watchful and consistent conduct which becomes a Christian; so the children, for whom the divine blessing is daily and earnestly invoked (beside the encouraging promises vouchsafed to such petitions), are secured, by the powerful chain of habit, from the danger of being numbered among the many who forget God. Haply when in distant scenes, and exposed to the trials and temptations of life-when harassed by its cares, or tired with its glittering show-the recollection of that early home, hallowed by the sanctity of parental piety, may steal over their hearts with no unprofitable remembrance: it may kindle up the flame of devotion, which had become dim and almost extinct in the atmosphere of the world, and, blending with feelings of tenderness, may quicken the emotions of repentance, or confirm the virtuous resolve; for it must be remembered, that the grace of God operates through the medium of our natural affections and sympathies, and that in proportion as they are blended with holy recollections, they become auxiliaries and stimulants in our Christian progress.

[From Second Series of Lectures on Parables, by Mary Jane M'Kenzie.]

THE COUNTRYMAN.

"He

COLLINS, the Freethinker, or Deist, met a plain countryman going to church. He asked him where he was going. "To church, Sir." "What to do there?" "To worship God." "Pray, whether is your God a great or a little God?" is both, Sir." "How can He be both?" "He is so great, Sir, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him; and so little that He can dwell in my heart." Collins declared, that this simple answer from the countryman had more effect upon his mind than all the volumes which learned doctors had written against him.

CHRISTIAN HEROISM.

WHEN, in the year 1665, London was desolated with the plague, when all who had the means of abandoning its con