where there is a large family and no servant, for the mother to have everything as she could wish; yet such was Susan's earnest desire to please her teacher, that the mother could not resist the entreaty to get her ready in time; and it was pleasing on a Sunday morning to see the little girl hastening to the school, clean and tidy. She was both a credit to her teacher, and an honour to her class.__ Oh how pleasing it would be if all mothers were like Betty E-, and all scholars were like little Susan!

But notwithstanding all these excellences, it is not known that she ever felt any deep concern about the salvation of her soul, until she was afflicted. Hitherto the work had been preparatory, just like the first efforts of a gardener, when he determines to cultivate a piece of waste land. He takes his spade and turns up the earth; then he gathers out the stones and throws them to a heap; then he collects the weeds and burns them; then he lays on the manure and sows his seed. Next he watches to see if the seed is beginning to grow, and by and by the blade appears, then the stalk, then the bud, then the blossom, and last of all the fruit. And this seems to be the general process appointed by a wise, and holy, and merciful God, for leading sinners to final and complete salvation.

The account which Susan's pastor gave me of her experience, agreed so exactly with the scriptural view of the work of the Holy Ghost, that I could not but mark the process in the following manner.

1. She is convinced of sin.

Soon after she was seized with the affliction which removed her from us, she said to a young lady who visited her, Oh I am afraid to die." Her friends requested me to call and see her, which I did; and on approaching her bed-side, she repeated the same words, "Oh I am afraid to die." I then referred to what she had been taught respecting the Lord Jesus, and of the way of salvation by Him; to which she replied, "Oh, sir! I have been very very naughty, I have told stories many times." On my observing that though such conduct was very sinful, and ought to occasion deep repentance, yet it is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save the chief of sinners, therefore to him she must look for pardon. "Yes, sir," said she, "I know all that; but I have trifled and even played, when you have been preaching and speaking of these things, and now what shall I do!" Here we behold the finger of God. The first grand work of the Spirit in conversion is to convince of sin; to pierce sinners to the heart and make them cry out, What shall we do? An

old divine says,
"Conviction of sin by the Spirit of God, is in
order to cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ." This is
in exact accordance with the gracious promise of Christ,
"He shall convince the world of sin." On the day of Pen-
tecost thousands came to Peter and to the rest of the apostles
saying, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" In the
prison at Philippi, there was another fulfilment of it, when
the keeper called for a light and sprang into the cell of Paul
and Silas and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" And
the same blessed work of the Spirit is heard in the agonizing
cry of the little Cornish girl, "And now what shall I do ?"
2. She begins to pray.

Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice,
Returning from his ways;

While angels in their song rejoice,
"Behold he prays."

And say,

After conversing with her for some time, I prayed and left the room. During my absence, some female friends, one of whom was Susan's teacher, read to her, and spoke of the compassion of the good Shepherd who takes the lambs in his arms, and carries them in his bosom; and urged her to pray to him, which she did, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me."

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At this time, the distress of her mind was very great, but she grew more calm, and expressed a hope of obtaining mercy. The grand truths of the gospel had long been familiar to her mind. She did not want information, so much as the application of the truth to her conscience. And now she obtained it; for God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shined into her heart to give her the light of the knowledge of the glory of God as it shines in the face of Jesus. The gospel plan of salvation is adapted to all classes, and all climes, and all ages. Here the old may find mercy, and here the young may be saved-for

3. Notice her simple reliance on the Saviour.

Her friends, wishing to know whence her present composure proceeded, and anxious that she might not deceive herself, made particular inquiry into the foundation of her hopes, to which she replied, "I hope in Jesus, I can rely on him.

On my next visit to her, I was surprised and delighted to mark the happy change which she had experienced. The case of the dying thief was mentioned, and a part of Cowper's hymn repeated which begins with,

There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Emmanuel's veins;

and after some person had repeated,

The dying thief rejoiced to see,

That fountain in his day,

she caught it, and exclaimed, with great emotion,

Oh may I there, though vile as he,

Wash all my sins away.

All that she now said, and all she seemed to think, was about the Lord Jesus.

4. She enjoys consolation.

Another friend repeated the words of David in the 23rd Psalm, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," and then asked her if she knew anything of the support of which David speaks? "I do," she replied, "yes I do;" and then clasping her little hands together, she added, "Yes, he is with me now, I feel that he is."

5. She administers comfort to her parents, relatives, and friends.

A few hours before her death she requested to see her father and mother and brothers and sisters, and they all came and stood around her bed. She took leave of each of her relatives separately; and on seeing them much affected, she meekly said to them, "Do not weep on my account, I am going to glory."

After taking leave of her family, she requested to see several of her school-fellows and companions. She spoke to each in the most affectionate manner, and last of all she called for her teacher, and some other female friends. She took hold of the hands of each of them, and bade them farewell, saying, "God bless you, I hope to meet you in heaven; do try to meet me there."

By this time there was not a dry eye in the room, except that of little Susan. She was perfectly composed; but many were obliged to withdraw, among whom was the doctor, who afterwards made that remarkable observation already mentioned.

6. She dies rejoicing.

It was now apparent that her spirit would quickly take its flight. Her body was in great pain, but her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour. At intervals she repeated the hymn,

Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,

and the last verse seemed to be very precious to her.

In this way she continued speaking and comforting all around her, until she fell asleep in Jesus. Thus she died, to live for ever. The last intelligible words which she is

recollected to have uttered were, "I do not mind my sufferings. I hope soon to be with Jesus. There will be no suffering in heaven."

Now, reader, I have three questions to propose to you, arising out of the history of little Susan.

1. What Sunday-school child can read this without wishing to be as happy as Susan ?

You learn the same hymns, read the same chapters, hear the same instructions, and have perhaps equally intelligent and affectionate teachers. What good are you getting from all this? Some of you are more than twelve years old, and I fear you have not heartily repented of your sins, and cordially trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of your souls. It is not information that you need so much as feeling, and I call upon you, dear young people, to consider the case of little Susan, and ask the question, Now what must I do? You know the answer to that question, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved," Acts xvi. 31.

2. What parent can read this without perceiving the advantage of a good Sunday-school?

It is very natural for parents to wish to see their children respectable and respected, happy and useful; and there is everything in the habits and discipline of instruction of Sunday-schools to produce all this. Little Susan there learned the plan for securing the favour of God; she acted upon the plan, and found the advantage of it. When asked by a friend if she enjoyed the comfort of having God with her, she replied, "I do, yes I do," and then, clasping her little hands together, she added, "Yes, he is with me now. I feel that he is! Oh is not this worth ten thousand worlds!" And when her weeping parents were standing by her dying bed, she meekly said, "Do not weep on my account, I am going to glory."-Parents, is there not much in this to cheer you? Is there not much in this to show the advantage of a Sundayschool? I am a parent, and I think I have a parent's feelings, and I am sure every tender parent wishes his children to be happy. Then mark the way. Learn a lesson from the little Cornish girl, and train up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

3. What Sunday-school teacher can read the history of little Susan without being cheered by the prospect of usefulness while endeavouring to direct little children to Jesus.

You are sowing seed for eternity, and you ought never to be discouraged. There was everything promising about little Susan while a scholar, and no doubt she often felt convictions; but there was nothing decided until she fell sick. Then the advantages of her Sunday-school training were very manifest.

R.K.

JOSIAH'S DEATH-THE DESOLATION OF THE TEMPLE, AND JERUSALEM.

JOSIAH had happily settled the affairs, both of God and the state; and then seemed to have sweet leisure to enjoy himself and his people. Never king reigned with more active piety towards God, with more love and applause to men. But what stability is there in any earthly things? How seldom is excellence, in any kind, long-lived! In the very strength of his age, in the height of his strength, Josiah was withdrawn from the earth; not without a merciful intention of his glory on God's behalf, but not without some weakness on his own. Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt, comes up to fight against the king of Assyria. What is that to Josiah? The Egyptians attempted to pass through the land of Judah, towards Carchemish, the seat of his war; but as a neighbour, not as an enemy. Yet Josiah resists him.

The king of Egypt mildly deprecated this enmity: he sent ambassadors to Josiah, saying, "What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee

not."

What friend could have said more? What prophet could have advised more holily? Why did not good Josiah say TRACT MAGAZINE, NO. 67. JULY, 1839.

H