66 66 66 purpose in your mind. What must be the thoughts "which could make a face like your's appear the pic"ture of horror! I was taking my morning walk, and "have feen you a confiderable time; fometimes stopping and wringing your hands, fometimes quickening your pace, and fometimes walking flow with your (6 eyes fixed on the ground, till you raised them to Hea66 ven, with looks not of fupplication and piety, but ra"ther of accufation and defiance. For pity tell me how "is it that you have quarrelled with yourself, with "life, nay even with Heaven? Recall your reafon and your hope, and let this feasonable prevention of your "fatal purpose be an earnest to you of good things to 66 come, of GOD's mercy not yet alienated from you, "and ftooping from his throne to fave your foul from perdition." The tears which flowed in rivers from my eyes while he talked, gave me fo much relief, that I found myself able to speak, and defirous to exprefs my gratitude for the good man's concern for me. It was so long fince I had known the joys of confidence, that I felt surprising pleasure and comfort frem unburthening my heart, and telling my kind deliverer every circumftance of my ftory, and every thought of my distracted mind. He fhuddered to hear me upbraid the Divine Providence ; and stopping me short, told me, he would lead me to one who should preach patience to me, whilst she gave me the example of it. As we talked, he led me to his own houfe, and there introduced me to his wife, a middle-aged woman, pale and emaciated, but of a cheerful placid countenance, who received me with the greatest tenderness and humanity. She faw I was diftreffed, and her compaffion was was beforehand with my complaints. Her tears ftood ready to accompany mine; her looks and her voice expreffed the kindest concern; and her affiduous cares demonstrated that true politenefs and hofpitality, which is not the effect of art, but of inward benevolence. While fhe obliged me to take fome refreshment, her hufband gave her a fhort account of my story, and of the ftate in which he had found me. 66 This poor lady," faid he, "from the fault of her education and prin"ciples, fees every thing through a gloomy me"dium: fhe accufes Providence, and hates her exist ence for thofe evils which are the common lot of "mankind in this fhort ftate of trial. You, my dear, "who are one of the greatest sufferers 1 have known, are best qualified to cure her of her faulty impatience; ❝and to convince her, by your own example, that this "world is not the place in which virtue is to find "its reward. She thinks no one fo unhappy as herself; "but if the knew all that you have gone through, the would furely be fenfible, that if you are happier "than fhe, it is only becaufe your principles are better." 66 66 "Indeed, my dear madam," faid fhe, "that is the "only advantage I have over you; but that, indeed, outweighs every thing elfe. It is now but ten days "fince I followed to the grave my only son, the fur"vivor of eight children, who were all equally the “objects of my fondeft love. My heart is no lefs "tender than your own, nor my affections lefs warm. "For a whole year before the death of my laft darling, "I watched the fatal progrefs of his disease, and faw "him fuffer the most amazing pains. Nor was poverty, "that "that dreaded evil to which you could not fubmit, "wanting to my trials. Though my husband is by his 66 profeffion a gentleman, his income is fo fmall, that "I and my children have often wanted neceffaries : "and though I had always a weakly conftitution, I "have helped to fupport my family by the labour of 46 my own hands. At this time I am confuming, by "daily tortures, with a cancer which must shortly be 46 my death. My pains, perhaps, might be mitigated "by proper affiftance, though nothing could preferve 46 my life; but I have not the means to obtain that af"fiftance."-O hold, interrupted I, my foul is fhocked at the enumeration of fuch intolerable fufferings. How is it that you fupport them? Why do I not fee you, in defpair like mine, renounce your existence, and put yourself out of the reach of torment? But above all, tell me how it is poffible for you to preferve, amidst fuch complicated mifery, that appearance of cheerfulnefs and ferene complacency which fhines fo remarkably in your countenance, and animates every look and motion? "That cheerfulness and complacency," anfwered the good woman, "I feel in my heart. My mind is "not only ferene, but often experiences the highest "emotions of joy and exultation, that the brightest hopes can give." And whence, faid I, do you derive this aftonishing art of extracting joy from misery, and of fmiling amidst all the terrors of pain, forrow, poverty, and death! She was filent a moment; then stepping to her closet, reached a bible, which she put into my hands. "See there," faid fhe," the volume " in which I learn this art. Here I am taught, "that everlasting glory is in store for all who will ac 66 cept "cept it upon the terms which Infinite Perfection has "prescribed; here I am promised confolation, affist 66 ance and fupport from the Lord of life; and here I <6 am affured that my tranfient afflictions are only meant "to fit me for eternal and unspeakable happiness. "This happiness. is at hand. The short remainder of 46 my life feems but a point beyond which opens the glorious prospect of immortality. Thus encouraged, "how fhould I be dejected? Thus fupported, how "should I fink? With fuch profpects, fuch affured "hopes, how can I be otherwise than happy ?" 66 While she spoke, her eyes sparkled, and her whole face feemed animated with joy. I was ftruck with her manner, as well as her words. Every fyllable she uttered feemed to fink into my foul, fo that I never can forget it. I refolved to examine a religion, which was capable of producing fuch effects as I could not attribute either to chance or error. The good couple preffed me with fo much unaffected kindness, to make their little parfonage my afylum till I could better difpofe of myself, that I accepted their offer. Here, with the affistance of the clergyman, who is a plain, fenfible, and truly pious man, I have studied the Holy Scriptures, and the evidences of their authority. But after reading them with candour and attention, I found all the extrinfic arguments of their truth fuperfluous. The excellency of their precepts, the confiftency of their doctrines, and the glorious motives and encouragements to virtue which they propofe, together with the ftriking example I had before my eyes of their falutary effects, left me no doubt of their divine authori ty. 5 During During the time of my abode here, I have been witness to the more than heroic, the joyful, the triumphant death of the dear good woman. With as much softness and tenderness as ever I faw in a female character, the fhewed more dauntless intrepidity than the fterneft philofopher or the proudest hero. No torment could shake the conftancy of her foul, or length of pain wear out the ftrength of her patience. Death was to her an object not of horror but of hope. When I heard her pour forth her last breath in thansgiving, and faw the smile of extafy remain on her pale face when life was fled, I could not help crying out in the beautiful language I had lately learned from the facred Writings," O Death! where is thy fting? O Grave! "where is thy victory?" I am now preparing to leave my excellent benefactor, and get my bread in a service, to which he has recommended me, in a neighbouring family. A ftate of fervitude, to which once I could not refolve to yield, appears no longer dreadful to me; that pride, which would have made it galling, Christianity has fubdued, though philofophy attempted it in vain. As a penitent, I should gratefully submit to mortification; but as a Christian, I find myself fuperior to every mortification, except the sense of guilt. This has humbled me to the duft; but the full affurances that are given me by the Saviour of the World, of the Divine pardon and favour upon fincere repentance, have calmed my troubled fpirit, and filled my mind with peace and joy, which the world can neither give nor take away. Thus, without any change for the better in my outward circumftances, I find myfelf changed from a diftracted, poor, defpairing wretch, to a contented, happy, grateful |