like a green bay tree." Asaph saw, and was discouraged, the prosperity of the wicked and the afflictions of the righteous; but he "went into the sanctuary of God, then understood he their end." (Ps. xxxvii. 35—37, lxxiii.)

3. Integrity of heart and purity of conscience form the best basis upon which the afflicted mind can rest in adversity. Under all the complicated trials of human life, all the unkindness of friends, and all the reproach of enemies, what delightful support and consolation are derived from the consciousness, " My witness is in heaven, and my record is on high!" (Job xvi. 19.) "He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." (xxiii. 10.) "If our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence towards God." (1 John iii. 21.) All promises of divine support and consolation are made to the upright in heart; and God delights in their prayer. (Prov. xv. 8.) "If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us." (Ps. lxvi. 18.) "But unto the upright there ariseth light in darkness." (Ps. cxii. 4.)

4. We have no right to arraign the sovereignty of the Divine Being. When the wicked prosper, and unaccountable calamities attend the righteous, we are too apt to reply against our Maker, and say, "What doest thou?" But humble submission is ever becoming to creatures like ourselves-so blind, so ignorant, so guilty. Jehovah has reasons for his conduct, though we cannot perceive them: he orders all things according to the counsel of his own will: nothing is left to the decision of chance, nor any thing decreed but what equally consists with rectitude, wisdom, and love. If we trust in God with an unshaken confidence, (like that of Job, when he said, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him," xiii. 15,) in the furnace of adversity we shall not only be preserved from destruction, but shall emerge with a brighter lustre and a higher degree of purity.

5. In the conferences of Job and his friends we see the ill effects of bitter religious contention. "These four pious men," observes Mr. Scott, "argued together, till, becoming angry, they censured and condemned each other, and uttered many irreverent things about the Divine character and government; and having lost their

temper, would have lost their labour, and been more at variance than ever, if another method had not been taken of deciding the controversy."

6. However upright and excellent our character and actions before men, and though, under certain circumstances, we may justly and properly plead our innocence and rectitude, yet before God we are nothing, we have nothing, but meanness, vileness, and guilt. Self-abasement is ever attendant upon a perception of the Divine glory, and the precursor of advancement, and of the signal favours of heaven. (Job xlii.)

The Returning Penitent.

AN AFFECTING NARRATIVE OF FACTS.

Ir is an interesting and edifying employment to observe the various ways in which the Holy Spirit operates upon the minds of those who are "dead in trespasses and sins," to awaken them to a sense of their misery and danger, and to point them to the only hope set before them in the gospel. While the sanctuary is eminently blessed as the chosen scene of his heavenly operations, yet how varied are the circumstances by which his gracious designs are accomplished! how diversified the paths which all terminate in the narrow way "that leadeth unto life!" He who formed the heart knows best how to impress and secure it; and by what means soever the change is effected, how delightful is it to the renewed mind to listen to the tale of the returning penitent! for while it revives the recollections of his own waywardness and treachery, it also reminds him of the love and tenderness that sought him when a wanderer, and led him into the paths of peace; it renews his sorrow, but confirms his faith. Such emotions were lately excited by a very interesting account given by a young woman of the operations of divine grace upon her heart, in revealing to her the natural alienation of her soul from God, and leading her to seek pardon and reconciliation by the new and living way. Though early blest with r

gious instruction, the pious labours of those who taught her seemed to be in vain, for she grew up unmindful of her privileges, and when come to maturer years, too plainly declared herself an enemy to God, by a lamentable indifference to the salvation of her soul, and by the derision and contempt in which she indulged when persuaded by others to attend to the momentous concern. These sinful dispositions, she confessed, were cherished by residing in a family where real religion was a stranger, and where, by seeing the carelessness and neglect with which it was treated, she learned to undervalue its great importance.

A little anecdote, which she related with ingenuousness and simplicity, may more clearly discover at this period the state of her mind. Having obtained permission to go out one sabbath afternoon, and not feeling the importance of the sacred hours, she thought she would employ the time by taking a walk. And as she was rambling she met a friend, who, having " tasted of the word of life," endeavoured to engage her in religious conversation, and to direct her attention to her present and eternal welfare; but she instantly repelled the attempt, and ridiculed the idea of a young person attending to such gloomy subjects, as she called them, when she had so much time before her. Finding she made no desirable impression upon her better feelings, but rather increased her displeasure, her friend desisted, only adding with a sort of mournful satisfaction, "Well, you cannot hinder me from praying for you. "No," she replied, with passionate earnestness, "but I would if I could." Alas! she knew not what manner of spirit she was of. How little did she think that the time was not far distant when she would fervently implore the blessings she now hated and abused! Merciful God! what patience! what forbearance didst thou return for insult and contempt! "O! the depths of the riches of thy love and wisdom."

99

But though she thus hated instruction, and would none of his reproof, she was a stranger to peace, and the faithful monitor within often whispered that sin was an evil and bitter thing. A circumstance, apparently trivial in itself, deeply affected her at this time, and

appears to have been the first faint gleam of light which gradually led on a bright and cheerful day. She had received, some time before, the gift of a Bible from a pious relative, who, with the hand of affectionate anxiety, had written on a blank leaf of it, "Keep this for my sake, and read it for your own;" but not valuing its holy import, she banished the sacred treasure from her sight, and for a length of time it lay concealed at the bottom of a chest. Searching one day to obtain something of which she was in want, she accidentally removed and opened the book, and the admonition met her eye. Every word reproached and pierced her to the heart. She took up the long neglected treasure, and conscious of her omission and ingratitude, watered it with her tears, and sinking upon her knees, implored forgiveness. But while thus melted into penitence, her mistress entered the room, and discovering the nature of her distress, angrily took away the book and never returned it. This circumstance increased her misery; for now the blessing was quite hidden from her sight, she suffered severely from the recollections of her misimprovement of it. How much do we owe to the pious effort and earnest prayers of those dear guardians of our early years, who, with unceasing care, guided our footsteps in the way of peace, and so often presented us to Him who " gathers the lambs in his arms!" Ah, ye cherished forms, whose heads have long since reposed beneath the clods of the valley, we trust you will see the fruit of your holy pleadings, for we have learned to love our father's God, our mother's early trust." We are hastening to join your happy spirits, and a few more rolling billows will, we hope, land us on those peaceful shores, where the hallowed joy of a re-union will never be interrupted by a discordant farewell! (To be concluded in our next.)

66

Letter to the Editor.

MY DEAR FRIEnd,

IN the present day, the catechetical or interrogatory system is adopted, for communicating the ground-work

of almost every science, with general approbation and success. Those who have practised this mode of instruction, tell us that they find knowledge, thus commumicated, is more readily received by the learner, and more easily retained than on any former plan. If the pupil be at all disposed to think, a question proposed will naturally set him on thinking to furnish an answer; he will wish to find one out himself; or, at any rate, if he is not wholly destitute of laudable curiosity and desire of improvement, his curiosity will be awakened to examine the answer set before him. The question and answer naturally associate themselves in his mind, and at any future period, the very mention of the leading word in either, at once recalls the instructions thus received and treasured up.

Among the numerous catechisms that have made their appearance, I have been long looking for one on the duties of domestic servants, by means of which, young persons in our British and national schools, might acquire much useful knowledge, preparatory to their entering upon the active duties of domestic life a sphere to which many, if not most of them, are destined, and in which much inconvenience and mortification are continually arising, from the total ignorance in which many young persons commence their career. This catechism, I would observe, like every other, should not be laid aside when once committed to memory, but kept constantly at hand for occasional reference. But I speak as if the catechism were already in existence, and am reminded that it is still a desideratum. Looking round on the circle of my acquaintance, I cannot, my dear friend, fix on one more suitable than yourself to supply the deficiency, and I do hope you will turn your attention to it. Your labours already evince, that you are kindly interested in the welfare and respectability of the class of society for whom I plead, and your observation and experience in domestic life, qualify you to write for their instruction. What you say will be kindly received as coming from an acknowledged friend, and will, I hope, prove very useful, as tending at once to promote intelligence, order, and comfort in our domestic arrangements, and mutual con