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of penitence and salvation. Year after year he clung to the Divine promises, and pleaded them earnestly at the mercy-seat.

A short time since, the hearts of parents and friends were gladdened by the intelligence that the lost one was found,—that the prodigal had returned. He had visited a remote South American port, and on his return voyage he was the only cabin passenger. The captain had depended on him to furnish a supply of cards, novels, and other sources of time-killing, soul-destroying amusements; and he, in turn, knowing the disposition of the captain, had looked to him for an adequate supply. The few means of diversion were soon exhausted, and after being ten days at sea, the young man found nothing to do but think. His past life came up in review before him, and conscience revived. Early teachings whispered around him. An injured father's persevering faith, and a weeping mother's counsels haunted his solitary berth. The emptiness of worldly pleasures, and the vanity of earthly plans, led him to reflect on the surer joys and riches of the Christian. He turned to the word of God, and read his condemnation. His guilt rose mountain-high, as the Holy Spirit unfolded the immaculate law. He fell upon his knees, and cried for pardon.

By one of those providences which call forth the adoration of the devout, there were in the cabin of this ship copies of "Nelson's Cause and Cure of Infidelity," "Baxter's Call to the Unconverted," "James's Anxious Inquirer," and "Abbott's Young Christian"; the first to dispel his sceptical doubts, the second to fasten the arrow of conviction in his heart, the third to instruct his inquiring soul, and the last to present encouragements and allurements to the Christian life. He read them all, prayerfully. Before the vessel arrived at San Francisco, the great question was settled, it is hoped, for ever. He made his way immediately to the sanctuary, engaged in Sabbath-school instruction, sought the company of ministers and godly men,―abandoning his former companions in sin, or visiting them only to labour for their salvation; and his letters to his parents breathed the spirit of penitence and consecration, coupled with the most touching expressions of gratitude and affection.

Christian parents, and especially those whose sons are far away from home and from God, will find encouragement to their faith in this narrative. There are few cases apparently more hopeless of reformation and conversion than the one before us. Pride kept him from coming home; an evil conscience restrained him from places and companionships likely to benefit him: only a vigorous faith could anticipate the possibility of a change. Yet grace triumphed; everlasting promises have their fulfilment; the prodigal returns.

What an illustration of the power of prayer! God alone knows how earnestly and constantly that father wrestled for that wayward boy: and how patiently and calmly he expected, nay, relied on his conversion. And in proportion to the darkness of external signs, was the fervency of his petitions. In God's time, always the best time, the answer descends in that lone cabin on the broad Pacific. The providence of God arranges the circumstances and the means which the Holy Spirit blesses in bringing to himself the New England prodigal.

ADDRESS TO THE YOUNG.

THERE are many considerations which ought to induce you, as young persons, to make a prompt and early dedication of yourselves to God. The time of youth is the most important and interesting period of our

existence. In whatever point of view we regard human life, youth always appears to be the most interesting part of it. If we regard human life as a journey from this world to the next, then youth is the period when preparation ought to be made for this journey. If we consider human life as a year, then youth is the seed-time of that year, in which we ought to sow plentifully, in order that we may reap an abundant harvest. If you look at human life as a day, then youth is the morning of that day, in which you ought to "work the works of Him that sent you, ere the night cometh, when no man can work."

Youth is a period, favourable to any important undertaking. There is a freshness and a vigour; there is a frankness and a generosity; a vivacity and a sweetness of temper and spirit characterizing our youth, which does not characterize our declining years. The active limb, the retentive memory, the bland spirit, the glowing affections, the ardent zeal, and the noble generous daring of youth, are all favourable to a life of piety, and of devotedness to the service of God.

The character of youth is formative. Like the clay in the hands of the potter, it is capable of receiving any form or image you may wish to put upon it. Or like liquid metal from the furnace, you may cast it into any mould, and impress upon it any fashion. It is in the time of youth that habits are formed, and friendships contracted, and principles imbibed, which afterwards become rooted and fixed. Like the sturdy oak, which while it was young and tender, might have been bent in any given direction by the power of man's hand; but now that it has struck its roots and fibres deep in the earth, is immovable, and defies his utmost strength; and will only yield to the repeated strokes of the axe.

The period of youth is most critical. It is now that you will receive impressions, and form habits, the influence of which will be felt by you in every step of your future progress through life, and which in their results will be felt by you in the depths of an unknown Eternity. Felt! Yes, felt, either amidst the eternal symphonies of the redeemed, or amidst the everlasting wailings of the damned! O my young friends, ponder the path of your feet! Pause and ask yourselves the solemn question-" What is my character? What am I doing? Whither is my being tending? And where will it close? When my body dies, what will become of my deathless and unquenchable spirit?

"Will angel hands convey

Their brother to the bar,
Or devils drag my soul away
To meet its sentence there,"

"Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away." "Wisdom is the principle thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her; she shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee."

The time of youth is most opportune. Because, in the first place, your difficulties in the way of religion are fewer now, than they will be at any future period of your existence. Evil habits have not yet become inveterate, and worldly friendships have not yet become indissoluble. A long life of sin, of dissipation, and of open rebellion against God, has not yet steeled your heart, and rendered you impervious and unimpressible. Nor have you such a weight of guilt upon your conscience as those who have been placed in less favourable circumstances. You have not so much to abandon and give up; not so much to repent of, as many that are further

advanced in years. All this is in your favour, and renders your return to God more hopeful.

Again, not only are your discouragements fewer, but your encouragements are greater now than they will be at any future period of your life. You are now in the enjoyment of health of body, and vigour of mind. You have the full use and exercise of all your physical and mental powers. Your memory is strong, your feelings tender, and your affections warm and lively. You are young; and to you many of the precious promises of the Word of God are addressed. "Them that honour me, I will honour." "If any man serve me, him will my Father honour." You are young; and to you the Scriptures present many examples of early piety, as patterns for you to look atas models for you to copy after and imitate. Think of Moses and David, of Daniel, Samuel, and good Obadiah, who said, "I, thy servant, serve the Lord from my youth." Think of John and Timothy also, who, from a child, had known the Holy Scriptures, "which are able to make you wise unto salvation, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." And shall we remind you also of Baxter and of Horne, of Wesley and of Whitfield, of Fletcher and of Hall, and of a whole host of others, who dedicated themselves to the service of God in the period of their youth, and of whom it might be emphatically said, that they were "burning and shining lights." If, then, you would avoid the evils which will beset you in your path through life-evils which only tempt to ensnare, and which ensnare to destroy. If you would follow in the steps, and imitate the example, of those noble men-those heroes and champions in the cause of civil and religious liberty-"men who hazarded their lives for the name of the Lord Jesus,"-O, if you would imbibe the spirit, and emulate the zeal, of those departed worthies, then "yield yourselves unto God, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Be pious. Have fixed principles. Record your determination. "As for me, I will serve the Lord."" "For me to live is Christ." “I determine to know nothing among men, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Let Him be your "all, and in all."

And come to the decision now. Say not that you will attend to these things to-morrow, or at some future and more convenient season. The present only is yours, the future has not yet come, and cannot be depended upon. "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” J. M. SAUL.

BIOGRAPHY.

MISS ANNIE MOFFETT, OF SOUTH SHIELDS.

ANNIE MOFFETT was born at South Shields, December 15th, 1829. She was kind and affectionate in her disposition. When about twelve years of age she became a scholar in the Sunday-school, to which she was much attached, and was very regular in her attendance. From early life she manifested a serious turn of mind, and was very obedient and affectionate to her parents. When she was about sixteen years of age she was brought to feel her need of a personal interest in Christ. Her brother in-law, the Rev. S. S. Barton, says, "I well recollect her state of mind while under conviction; she seemed to have a vivid apprehension of her condition as a sinner, but, either from want of correct views as to the plan of salvation, or from excessive timidity, she was the subject of strong doubts, and was a long time before she could cry, 'Abba, Father. All our reasoning and prayer for a time seemed in vain. She was baffled at every point, and the

spirit of darkness and sorrow sat heavily upon her. Sometimes it seemed as though she had compassed the Divine promise, and then the next moment she fell back into a desponding, doubting state of mind. Still she was not left either to herself, or the wicked, painful suggestions of the adversary, but, after a severe struggle, she was enabled to take hold of God, and rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. During my residence in Shields she was a member of my Tuesday evening class. Her experience was always sound and clear. She was never the subject of high rapturous emotion; but in general, her peace seemed to flow as a river. I had no doubt of her perfect sincerity before God. We shall meet her again in the day when God shall bring those with Him who sleep in Jesus." Having given her heart to God, she began to employ her energies in his service. She became a teacher in the Sunday-school, and endeavoured to familiarize her youthful charge with the things belonging to their peace. In this vocation she took great delight, as was evidenced by the regularity of her attendance, and the severe disappointment she felt, when unavoidably detained from the school. She highly appreciated the public ordinances of God's house, took special delight in the class-meeting, and was never absent when health and opportunity allowed her to be present. In the autumn of 1848, she had a severe attack of sickness, which laid the foundation of the disease which terminated her earthly career. However, she rallied for a season, and enjoyed comparative health until the autumn of 1851, when her cough and other symptoms of disease returned. But she was still able to go about and partially attend her business; at the same time manifesting an increasing delight in the Sabbath-school and in the means of grace.

In August 1852, the violent conduct of a man, in a state of intoxication near the shop, gave her such a fright that it brought on palpitation of the heart, and increased difficulty of breathing, and disabled her from afterwards going out alone. Now came the time of trial. Cut off from the Sabbath-school, prevented from attending the services of the Sanctuary, except occasionally, yet no murmuring word cscaped her lips. While watching the other members of the family, as they left the house for the chapel, her mother has frequently observed the silent tear stealing down her cheek, and has heard her express the delight she should feel to be able to accompany them. In consequence of difficulty in breathing, for some months previous to her death, she was not able to lie in bed, but sat in an easy chair. When sitting in the chair through the night watches, she has often been so blessed with a sense of the presence of her Heavenly Father, that she was thrown off her natural reserve and entered freely into conversation. On one of these occasions, she observed to her mother "How kind my Heavenly Father is to me, inasmuch as I am comparatively free from pain, adding 'when I look at father, and you, and the children, I feel it hard work to part. But we shall meet in Heaven. I only go a little before."

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An intimate friend, Mr. John Nevison, Junr. recently deceased, has written as follows-"Her gentleness of spirit, her kindness of heart, and perhaps more than all, her evenness of temper, had a beneficial influence on Of her Christian experience, I know more than I can express. Her natural reserve led her to say little, and that little she seemed to say with caution, lest she should give expression to what she did not really feel. She was not satisfied with her attainments, but desired to make progress. I have seen her in tears on account of her littleness of love to Christ. She was the first to speak about parting, and, though she felt much, she said. 'God is too wise to err, and too good to be unkind. What he wills is best. She could speak of her death with calmness. Her great desire was to be prepared. She said, 'Though doubts and fears will arise in my mind, yet generally I have confidence that the Saviour, who has kept me hitherto, will keep me to the end.' I often repeated to her. Thou wilt keep him in

perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee" and asked her whether she experienced the truth of it, and she said 'Yes.'

"On the Monday night previous to her death, she was extremely ill. Through the course of the night she became much easier. I was supporting her head, when she expressed her thankfulness to God for the ease she felt (but I could not tell very well what she said as she spoke with difficulty) adding, 'Help me to praise Him.''

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To her father she said, "I sometimes feel a shivering on the brink, a fear to launch away."

On the day before she died, she was taken much worse about noon, and it was thought that her release was at hand. The family were collected together. She engaged in fervent prayer, quoting, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;" adding, "Pray, pray! Glory! glory! Don't weep for me."

During the afternoon she rallied a little, but as the night advanced she got weaker, and her breathing became shorter. To her father she said, "I cannot fail." He answered, "No, it is impossible, for Jesus is near." She then repeated, "I cannot fail with such a prop." She was now sinking fast. Her father said "Jesus is near, the conflict will soon be over." She whispered, "Yes! yes!" and then fell asleep in Jesus, at half-past six o'clock, Thursday morning, September 15th, 1853.

O may I triumph so, when all my warfare's past;
And, dying, find my latest foe under my feet at last!

On Sunday, October 16th, her death was improved to a crowded congre. gation by our excellent and respected minister the Rev. W. Jones from I Corinthians xv. 55-57.

J. M.

RECENT DEATH.

DIED, November 22nd, 1854, aged eighty-three years, Mr. Amos Slater, of Holmes Chapel, in the Northwich Circuit. He had been a faithful follower of Christ, and a devoted and useful Methodist for sixty-two years. He was original and sagacious in counsel. Neither his mental vigour nor his faith ever failed him. His end was happy. Few men have left a brighter testimony behind them. A short biography is being prepared.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

SECOND LONDON CIRCUIT. For sometime past, we have had gracious and unmistakeable indications at Willow Walk, that God in his great mercy, was about in answer to prayer, to pour out upon us his Holy Spirit. Encouraged by

"The promise of a shower, Dropping already from above,"

we commenced a week's special services on ths 19th of November, and I am happy to inform you, that these special services have been specially blest.

We have seen sinners convinced of "sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come; we have heard them urging,

"The sinner's only plea,

God be merciful to me.' 99

We have had the pleasure of pointing them to the "Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world," and thank God we have had the further pleasure of hearing them rejoice in a sin-pardoning God.

We have gathered into the fold 16 new members on trial, principally

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