or no she was in a right and safe path; yet she was painfully conscious how easily an imaginative feeling nature, like her's, might be led astray. 'Don't, don't be enthusiastic,' is the warning she constantly addresses to herself. Have we not reason to be thankful, that our Church, while by no means denying the inward witness of the Spirit in the heart, teaches us to look for guidance to the sure voice of the Spirit in the written word, a voice which cannot be confounded with the dreams of enthusiasm. But, while we thank God for the vantage-ground on which we are thus placed, we may study with peculiar profit the experience of a Christian sister of another denomination; for every living portion of the Church of Christ has guarded some part of truth with special care and, however sure we may feel that its fullest and most complete manifestation is to be found in our own Church, we may gain valuable lessons from watching the special effect of special truths on the minds of others. What strikes us in the Memoir of this eminent Quaker, is, the waiting attitude in which she expected the influences of the Spirit. The silence of the Meeting of Friends is not necessary for the attainment of this waiting spirit; we are wholly dependant on Divine influences for power to pray the services of our Church? Why do we not more constantly look for this power to work in us? And in social prayer, in our labours of love, why do we so often feel as if we were going out alone to the battle, when such a Helper is nigh; when we might expect grace to pray in the Spirit; when we might have so much more sensibly the guidance of the Spirit in our labours?

Elizabeth Gurney, after many painful conflicts, determined to join the plain Quakers. She does not seem

to have attached any very great importance to the dress and dialect, but preferring the dialect on principle, she was thankful for another wall of separation between her and the world. In the year 1800 she was married to Joseph Fry; her future residence was either in London or at Plashet House in Essex. She was the mother of eleven children, ten of whom survived her, and she must indeed have had no common energy of mind, to carry her, with frequently feeble health, through the arduous labours she undertook. She was a most fond and affectionate mother; a kind, though as she allowed, somewhat too indulgent, a mistress, and an unwearied benefactress to the poor around her. But we have now to consider her in another and more questionable light ; it is well known that the Society of Friends, not understanding as we do those passages, 1 Cor. xiv. 34, 35. ; 1 Tim. ii. 11, 12., in which the injunctions of the apostle seem to us so plain as to preclude mistake, allow of the ministry of women, when moved by the Spirit. Elizabeth Fry was an eminent minister among them, an evident blessing attended her efforts, but they were a constant and painful struggle to her own timid and sensitive mind, and frequently involved the sacrifice of leaving her beloved home with its duties and anxieties. A few extracts will best shew the state of her own feelings, her first attempt was at her beloved father's funeral.

'Eleventh Month, 3rd. We attended our beloved father's funeral: before I went, I was so deeply impressed at times with love to all and thanksgiving, that I doubted whether it might not possibly be my place to express it there; but I did the evening before humbly crave, not to be permitted to do so, unless rightly called to it. Fear of man appeared greatly taken away

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I remained still, till dearest John began to move to go away; when it appeared as if it could not be omitted, and I fell on my knees and began, not knowing how I should go on, with these words, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty just and true are thy ways, Thou King of Saints: be pleased to receive our thanksgivings; " and there I seemed stopped, though I thought I should have had to express that I gave thanks on my beloved father's account. But not feeling the power to continue, I arose directly: A quiet, calm, and invigorated state, mental and bodily were my portion afterwards, and altogether a sweet day but a very painful night, discouraged on every side, I could believe by him who tries to deceive. The discouragement seemed to arise chiefly from what others would think, and nature flinched and sank, but I was enabled this morning to commit myself in prayer; and may I be preserved in future, if my life be spared, from taking thy holy name in vain; enable me, if thou seest meet, to follow hard after Thee, that I may know thy voice, Thou Shepherd and Bishop of souls, and be as one of thy sheep.'

After this she spoke frequently, and was soon acknowledged as a minister among them.

'Second Month, 7th. 1811. Yesterday was to me an awful and affecting day: there came up a minute from the men, desiring the women to meet them after the next monthly meeting, to consider the subject of acknowledging me as a minister. Friends felt so kindly for me, as to call me out of the meeting to tell me, lest hearing it should overcome me; this was unnecessary, for though I felt and feel it deeply, this was not likely to be the case. It brings me prostrate, before the great I AM; but I feel to have little or nothing to say for

myself: certainly it is cause of humble gratitude, to believe my little offerings in the ministry have not burdened, but been acceptable to the Church. O Lord! if it be thy will to preserve my life yet a little longer, and continue me in this service, preserve me, even if it be through chastisement, from ever hurting thy great and holy cause, and enable me to walk worthy of the vocation whereunto I am called.'

'Sixth Month, 3rd. I find it an awful thing to rise, amongst a large assembly, and unless much covered with love and power, hardly know how to venture.'

‹ Ninth Month, 12th. I went to the meeting of worship with the C's. I had not long been there, before I felt something of a power accompanying me, and words arose, but my exercise of mind was so great, that it seemed like being "baptized from the dead: though not, that I know of, from any particular fear of man; I was helped, I believe I may say, as to power, tongue, and utterance.'

Thoughts crowd thick upon the mind, as we read the exercises this interesting woman passed through, with regard to the ministry. To us, her conduct seems directly contrary to the commands of scripture; we cannot also but notice, how the voice of nature speaks, and in the instinctive shrinking of a modest female from publicity, seems to re-echo the words of inspiration yet through great suffering she perseveres, earnestly praying that if she were not in the path of duty, the painful cup might pass from her. When she declines the task, conscience allows her no rest: but when, to use her own expression, she gives up to it, she finds peace, and a manifest blessing rests on her labors. How are these contradictions to be reconciled? we are at first disposed to think that He who poured his Spirit in anOCTOBER, 1847.

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cient times on Deborah and Huldah, may still sometimes be pleased to vary His usual mode of acting, and again employ a woman's agency to build up his Church. But the command is so plain, the dangers so great, now that the voice of inspiration has ceased, of setting aside one jot or tittle of God's word, that we are rather led to refer the blessing which has attended female preaching to the fulness of His grace, who condescends to prosper the imperfect efforts of his children, when amidst partial ignorance, they earnestly desire to glorify Him. This high commendation was bestowed on Rahab and Jael, though the one had rescued the spies by a lie, and the other had slain Sisera treacherously. So in the days of Hezekiah, the good Lord pardoned those who were not themselves cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. Human actions are very mingled; so that which is right to one person, may be wrong to another. The departed saint, whose conduct we are considering, had no doubt of the lawfulness of a female ministry, had she refused to minister, it would not have been through obedience to the commands of God, but from indulging her own weakness; therefore when she prayed for guidance, she was preserved from this indulgence, and enabled to do what, according to her knowledge, conscience dictated as her duty, and then her sacrifice was accepted and blessed. We hear of no scruples leading her to seek light on the subject of the lawfulness of female ministry, and on this subject, according to the judgment of our Church, she remained in darkness. How much larger a blessing would have rested on her efforts, had they flowed simply in the appointed channels of female influence: it is not for us to say, but we must not judge merely by immediate efforts, or leave out of the account the dan