to qualify, and to bless. The man who brought his son to Christ, did not first endeavour of himself to cast out the devil, but he brought him, as he was. Satan raged, threw the lad down, and tare him; nevertheless Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the child, and delivered him to his father. Luke ix. 42. My friend wants to do the Lord's work, and her own also. Her Lord is, therefore, displeased; perhaps chides, and, it may be, chastises her. At any rate he suffers her to be corrected by her own" evil reasonings;" he does not bless her, and so she is unhappy. May my God bless Martha! Make her a little child. When turning over my papers the other day, I lighted upon a few verses which I extracted, several years ago, from the pages of an old poet. They are now lying on my table. Surely, I thought, when taking my pen to indite this letter, That ingenious production may assist my friend to obey the injunction of her Lord: "Give me thine heart." Prov. xxiii. 26. I shall send it her. There are a simplicity and sincerity in the sentiments, which I really wish she would endeavour to imitate. "My son, give me thine heart." "Give thee mine heart? Lord, so I would, If it were worth the having; Yet sure thou wilt esteem that good, Which thou hast purchased with thy blood, In answer to your "queries," I would just say: There are three offices which belong to the Holy Spirit, and which are exercised most frequently among men; to convince, to reprove, and to comfort. The first two are performed chiefly in impenitent sinners, and tardy impenitents;-He reproves the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. John xvi. 8-11. But, even in a certain class of believers, these offices are exerted with considerable energy. He convinces of indwelling sin, reproves for its continuance, as well as for tardiness in approaching that fountain which was opened for sin and for uncleanness. There is a third office to be accounted for,-to comfort. To many he comes with some of his consolations, but only a wayfaring man who tarrieth but for a night;" he is soon sinned against, and grieved away. Besides, in my opinion, it is not the desire of the Spirit to render that heart too comfortable and happy, in which sin is allowed to exist. It is in the holy heart only where the Holy Ghost is the abiding Comforter. John xiv. 16, 17-26. The Holy Spirit enters the 66 as temple of an unholy heart, I have frequently thought, as Jesus Christ did into the temple at Jerusalem; he enters with " a scourge of small cords," overturns the tables of the money-changers, and begins to drive out the buyers and sellers. Other duties call me away. May God bless you! Think of me sometimes, and pray for continued success in my ministry. Farewell in Jesus, J. C. LETTER XXIII. TO A FRIEND IN AMERICA. MY DEAR SIR, Sheffield, August 27, 1844. In consequence of heavy demands made upon my time, by a large number of correspondents, and the many engagements necessarily connected with a great revival, I have been hindered, till now, from giving you the desired information respecting this interesting town. As the result of the same hinderances, my sketch must, even now, be brief; indeed the very meagre materials which the history of the town offers rather incline me to this. Sheffield is the great metropolis of English cutlery. and other hardware manufactories. It has been distinguished, I believe, from the earliest periods of its history for this department of human ingenuity and industry. Iron arrow-heads, and a particular sort of weapon-knife, were articles which employed the artisans of Sheffield in very early times, long before the use of fire-arms became general. An abundance of minerals, coal, and iron-stone, in the neighbourhood, indicated the destiny of Sheffield, as if by a decree of Providence itself; the locality being so peculiarly adapted to the processes of metallic manufactories. To which may be added, several important streams of water, advantageous for grinding purposes. Mrs. Sigourney has ingeniously woven into verse the "fierce ore-meltings, transmutations," and many curious things which are wrought out by " hard hammerings," on this "the world's anvil," with as much ease as if they had been but "threads of silky filaments." Speaking of her visit to Sheffield, she says: "Many a curious thing Was shown us, too, at Sheffield; ornaments, That unawares the tempted matron's hand But as for me, Though the whole art was patiently explained, Such transmutations, and confess with shame Among the crucibles and cutlery, Compared to that, which on the breezy heights From every flower." We visited, a few days since, the botanical and horticultural gardens, to which the closing lines of the temple of an unholy heart, I have frequently thought, as Jesus Christ did into the temple at Jerusalem; he enters with " a scourge of small cords," overturns the tables of the money-changers, and begins to drive out the buyers and sellers. you Other duties call me away. May God bless Think of me sometimes, and pray for continued success in my ministry. Farewell in Jesus, ! J. C. LETTER XXIII. TO A FRIEND IN AMERICA. MY DEAR SIR, Sheffield, August 27, 1844. In consequence of heavy demands made upon my time, by a large number of correspondents, and the many engagements necessarily connected with a great revival, I have been hindered, till now, from giving you the desired information respecting this interesting town. As the result of the same hinderances, my sketch must, even now, be brief; indeed the very meagre materials which the history of the town offers rather incline me to this. Sheffield is the great metropolis of English cutlery and other hardware manufactories. It has been distinguished, I believe, from the earliest periods of its history for this department of human ingenuity and industry. Iron arrow-heads, and a particular sort of weapon-knife, were articles which employed the artisans of Sheffield in very early times, long before the use of fire-arms became general. An abundance of minerals, coal, and iron-stone, in the neighbourhood, |