man. Between the duties of my profession, and the company of my brother officers, my time was so occupied, that reflection on the past, or contemplation of the future, had scarcely a place in my mind. Thus year succeeded year in a monotonous round, until, at the solicitations of my wife, I sold out, and exchanged the life of a soldier for that of a country gentleThe place I selected as my residence was convenient to a town where, with a faithfulness that would have done credit to apostolic times, the gospel of Christ was boldly and affectionately declared. But though the advantages of a gospel ministry are great indeed, they were at that time quite lost upon me; for, notwithstanding the brightness with which the truth shone around me, I sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. It pleased the Lord, however, in the midst of my forgetfulness of him, to lay his hand of affliction upon me. Still my heart was unsubdued. Death, indeed, appeared awful; but I regarded it as greatly in advance of me: and though I knew I was moving onwards towards it, still I flattered myself that I had yet many years to spend before I should have to encounter his frightful grasp. My state providentially excited the Christian feelings of a devoted servant of the Lord, who, during my illness, paid me several visits. On those occasions, he spoke to me about the love of Jesus in dying for me, and such portions of the Scripture as he judged applicable to my state; and called upon God, in prayer, to bless me. My conceptions relative to these exercises were, that they constituted a sort of duty which a pious man thought it right to attend to, and to which it was very proper for a sick person to submit; but, beyond this, they made no impression upon my mind. It was the will of the Lord, however, that I should recover; and I was soon able to drive out. I now thought I had no more to do with religious means, or even with religious men, until sickness might again, at some far distant day, lay its hand upon me. But how mysterious are the ways of God! how diversified the means he employs to bring sinners to himself! On my first visit, after my recovery, to the town of B-, I was met in the street by the devoted Christian who had so kindly visited me during my affliction. He inquired, in the most affectionate manner, after my health; and I well recollect my reply: it was, 'that I was never better in my life. To my great surprise, however, he pressed upon me the importance of immediately giving up my heart to the Saviour, and of preparing for death. I cannot tell now what more he said; but when he left me, I began to think that, though it might be very right and proper for one to be schooled about religion when lying on a sick bed, it was a most preposterous thing for a man so strongly to insist upon it to a person in perfect health, as I then was. Such were my first thoughts after this, to me, neverto-be-forgotten interview. My friend's remarks, however, induced subsequent and better reflections; and I was at last led to read the Bible for myself. The light that soon broke in upon my mind led to discoveries of a character truly wonderful to me: not only did I read it in the Scriptures of God, that I was a guilty, polluted, hell-deserving sinner, but I felt it in my inmost soul. I felt, too, how powerful my obligations were to love that gracious Being who had so loved me as to give his only begotten Son to die for me. I saw that my whole life had been one continued act of rebellion against him; and my astonishment was great that he had not, long before, let loose the thunder of his power against me, and plunged me lower than the grave. These feelings, however, were accompanied by a hope that the Lord in his infinite mercy would, after all, be gracious unto me, and pardon my sins. Under this impression, I gave myself up to prayer and searching of the Scriptures; and one night, after my family had retired, I threw myself down on my knees beside the sofa, and called upon the Lord to have compassion on me, and remove the burden of my transgressions. How long I continued in this way I cannot now recollect; but before I ceased to plead, in an agony of prayer, the merits of my Saviour's death, the Spirit of the Lord, so clearly set forth Christ Jesus before my mind as dying for my sins, that I could no longer doubt the willingness of God to have mercy upon me. Peace instantly flowed into my heart, and I rejoiced with a joy that was unspeakable and full of glory. I immediately hastened to my bed-room, and, awaking my wife, told her of my newlytasted happiness. Thus did the Lord introduce me into newness of life; and, from that time to the present, I can truly say that his ways have been to me ways of pleasantness, and all his paths peace.' The captain ended his interesting account of his conversion. He evidently felt the making it to be a cross; but, as the Lord's witness, he desired to bear a faithful testimony to the grace which was bestowed upon him: and, having done this, he confidently left the issue to God. The solemn silence which followed was soon broken by Mr. K- -; who, though personally unacquainted with the captain, was not a stranger to his God. The dealings of the Lord with his children, although diversified, exhibit evident proofs to the Christian's mind that they are operations of the same Spirit. It proved so in the present case: the experience of captain B- told feelingly and impressively upon the heart of my mercantile friend. The mercy of the Lord in calling him into the glorious liberty of his children, stood out before his mind in all its importance; and, from a heart overflowing with gratitude to God, he, too, declared, in a brief manner, what the Lord had done for his soul. The scene altogether was one of deep interest of interest which doubtless extended itself beyond the room in which these strangers sat, and in which angels themselves refused not to participate. I have before observed that there were at this time, in the coffee-room, two or three small parties of gentlemen, who at first were busily engaged with the newspapers: it was observed, however, that as captain B—— proceeded with the account of his conversion, the papers were laid down, and the most marked attention seemed to be paid to his interesting narrative; so much so, that although it occupied a considerable time, the bell was never once rung, nor the smallest uneasiness manifested by any of the gentlemen present. The evening was now, however, considerably advanced and, after some refreshment had been partaken of, the officer, captain B., and Mr. K. warmly shook hands, and separated for the night. What the thoughts and feelings of the strangers were on retiring to rest, I presume not to say. On the mind of one individual, indeed, reflections were induced by the statements he had overheard, such as he was before an entire stranger to, and which the following morning fully disclosed. Captain B., who was an early riser, had not long entered the coffee-room, where he was alone, when one of the gentlemen who had sat during the preceding evening near to Mr. K., came down stairs, and having saluted the captain, took a chair beside him. He was a young man, of most gen tlemanly exterior and manners. Without any circumlocution, he adverted to the occurrences of the last evening, and mentioned that what he then heard had made a deep impression upon his mind. Captain B. at once entered into his feelings, and to him the young man disclosed his entire heart. I write now from recollection, and cannot therefore say that I record as related to me, his exact words : his statement, however, in substance was this:-"I am by birth a Roman Catholic, and descended from an opulent and respectable family in one of our midland counties. After my education had been completed, I was sent by my parents to travel on the continent. In early life, my prejudices had all been engaged in favour of the church of my fathers; but the scenes which I witnessed in Italy transmuted my attachment into disquiet, while the doctrines which I had heard broached in France riveted the bands of infidelity firmly upon my mind, and I returned to Ireland, in my politics a zealous Roman Catholic, but in my creed completely anti-christian. Such was my state on entering this room on the last evening; but by your statement relative to your conversion, my attention was arrested, and after my astonishment had in some degree subsided, I thought with myself, Here is a military man-one who has had opportunities of seeing the world-he has no inducement to practise a delusion upon his fellowmen, such as priests and monasteries have-he bears testimony to the enjoyment he has found in the Bible and in prayer: there must then, after all, be something in religion." He added, "This is still my conviction, and may I beg you to tell me how I should act." To say that the captain was interested by this candid confession of his state, would be too weak an expression. His whole soul was drawn forth towards him, that he might become the saved of the Lord. To one who had been himself, by the power of Divine grace, turned from darkness to light, there can be no great difficulty in pointing out to others the way of reconciliation. The Bible had been the captain's sole director; he recommended it, therefore, strongly to his young friend as his secret guide. He recommended him, too, to pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit's teachings when he read it; and above all, to look to Jesus, who is the Alpha and Omega of the oracles of God, and the author and finisher of salvation to all who believe upon him. His counsel was short, but it was sufficient. The coach-hour had arrived, and his new acquaintance-his more than acquaintance, his brother beloved, bade him a hasty, and as it proved, a final farewell, until the morning of the resurrection. He had scarcely left the room, when Mr. K. made his appearance. With feelings almost bordering upon ecstacy, captain B. related to him the interesting conversation he had just had with the young gentleman who had that moment left for T, the residence of his father; and as the coach bore him rapidly onward, the prayers of both were offered to God on his behalf, that he who, by their feeble testimony to the power of his grace, had begun a good work in his heart, would perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. would expose his soul by leaving the "true church," the disgrace he would bring upon his family, and the sorrow into which he would plunge her, were all urged upon him in a manner, and with a force and pathos, that a mother's tears and a mother's voice alone could do. All, however, were ineffectual. He stood firm, not in his own strength, but in His who has promised to perfect His strength in our weakness. The old lady's grief was now extreme; but there remained yet one other plan to be tried. Coercive measures were resorted to, and for some time he was debarred from all intercourse with his family. Whether, indeed, by this severe treatment, or originating in other causes, I cannot say; but his health soon began to fail, and symptoms of pulmonary disease speedily manifested themselves. Though deprived of the Bible on its being first discovered, he subsequently found means of procuring another. This he at first concealed in his bed; but fearing that he might also lose this copy of the word of his God, he found means to secrete it in the bottom of the easy chair on which he sat, and where it was found after his death, which followed a rather short illness. His subsequent history, at least in the outlines of it, is known to many in the immediate neighbourhood of his father's residence, and is too important not to be known more extensively. The Bible was soon procured, and became the constant, though for some time the private companion of his retired hours. This plan he was led to adopt, in order to avoid grieving his parents, who, especially his mother, was as zealous in her opposition to the Book of God as in her attachment to the superstitious ceremonies of her religion. His habitual absence, however, from the chapel, the change in his whole deportment, together with his spending so much of his time in his own room, soon began to create suspicions in the mind of the old lady respecting her son's religious opinions. The fears which were thus excited were speedily realized, when to her great horror she found a Bible, and that a Protestant Bible too, in his bedroom. With a promptitude and zeal worthy a better cause, he was immediately questioned respecting it. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, his affections had been brought to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus, and his feelings in reference to the Scripture revelation of his God were similar to those of David-" O how love I thy law!" Psa. cxix. 97. Painful, therefore, as he felt it to be to inflict a wound upon the minds of parents whom he dearly loved, he felt bound now to bear a decided testimony to the value of the Holy Scriptures, and to avow his determination | to take them as the rule of his future life. Entreaty and remonstrance succeeded each other, especially on the part of his mother. The danger to which he That death to him was the door to life, there was afforded the most satisfactory proof. Though not allowed to hold intercourse with any of the Lord's people, he found means to communicate, by writing, with a decided Christian friend, who felt a deep interest in his case, and thus documentary evidence was given, that in the mortal conflict he was enabled to rely upon the merits of his Divine Redeemer for eternal salvation, and that the departed is now a redeemed spirit inhabiting the hills of light. As taught us by St. Paul, it is the duty of all real Christains to "shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life,' Phil. ii. 15, 16. That the grand means ordained by God for the conversion of man is the preaching of the gospel, will not be denied; but that the holy lives and heavenly conversation of God's children is another and a very important means, appointed by the Great Head of the Church to bring about the same glorious event, seems not sufficiently regarded. Soulsimmortal souls are perishing around us : but if in their every-day intercourse with their fellow-men, Christians were faithfully to act their part, and prove themselves true "witnesses" for Jesus, against the world and in favour of the gospel, no doubt the Lord's blessing would be granted; and as in the morning of Christianity, when it shone forth in all its freshness and loveliness upon our world, numbers were added to the Lord, even so would it be in our own day, and amongst our own countrymen. No place surely could be more unpromising in its aspect, for successfully casting in the seed of the kingdom, than the soil presented in the public room of a hotel; yet even there it was sown, and in one heart at least it took deep root. Upon the faithful testimony of those devoted men, to the power of his word and grace the Lord set his seal, and we behold a young gentleman, who, up to that evening, was tainted in his politics, and infidel in his religion, becoming a real Christian, and dying happy in the Lord.-R. MY AUNT PRISCILLA.-No. III. my aunt remark on some such occasion, "I must not suffer myself to be irritated about trifles, or how can I expect to stand my ground when real provocations arise?" I have intimated, that when first placed under the care of my aunt, my own temper stood in great need of restraint and regulation. I hope her efforts were not altogether in vain, though I have never yet attained that entire self-control, of which she set me so bright an example; but I often think of some of her observations. "As temperance serves to check and moderate our appetites, in regard to what is pleasing to the flesh, so by meekness, we govern and guide our resentment of what is displeasing.' "When the affairs of life, and especially the conduct of others, seem to require a just resentment, we should consider it a dangerous moment, and watch against such an excess of feeling and expression, as would be displeasing to God, hurtful to ourselves, and injurious to our fellow-creatures. In this imperfect, this sinful world, we shall be sure to meet with I RESUME the subject of my aunt's things that are displeasing to us; but temper, and the principles on which she good sense, and especially Christian prinregulated it. One was, the study of ciple, should surely enable us to preserve moderation and self-denial in personal self-control and equanimity. So that indulgence. "Let us not," she would neither the frailty of the weak, the omissay, "suffer ourselves to be humorsome sions of the negligent, the follies of the and hard to please, in our diet, clothes, imprudent, nor the levity of the fickle, and attendance. Those who indulge an should so far ruffle our spirits as to cause over-fondness for these trifles, or an us to utter furious threats or angry reanxiety about them, harbour and culti-proaches; or to make us soon, or often, vate one most fruitful source of irritation or long angry.' of temper. I have seen a man as much distressed, when he could not obtain a dish on which he had set his fancy, or if it were not dressed exactly to his taste, as another would be at going without a dinner, or even enduring a much greater privation. What a disgrace to a rational creature!" ANTIPATHIES AND PREDILECTIONS. There was another feature of my aunt's character, which had a very happy influence on her temper-not exactly selfdenial, but unselfishness. She did not expect or wish her tastes or conveniences to be consulted at the expense of those of others. I never saw her disconcerted at table, or heard her peevishly intimate that the joint which was roasted to please my uncle, would have been more agreeable to her, boiled. Nor was she ever angry with a milliner, who told her that her bonnet could not be sent home on the day it was ordered, as she had already as much work to finish as would take up the whole time. I have heard My dear aunt was of a humble spirit, and this, I think, was one important preservative of evenness of temper. Pride keeps people in continual vexation, while the meek and lowly possess their souls in patience. I think it is a remark of Matthew Henry's, which my aunt used often to quote, "That will break a proud man's heart that would not break a humble man's sleep." Proud people are, of all others, most apt to give offence to others; and so high is their opinion of themselves, that they are continually finding themselves offended by those things of which a humble man would take no notice. They do not find that submission in their dependents, or respect from their equals, to which their own false estimate entitles them, and hence, their lives are made up of disquietude and distraction. But oh, the actual tranquillity and satisfaction resulting from "lowliness of mind," and esteeming others better than ourselves! Phil. ii. 3. Then, respect is received and enjoyed as an unlooked-for boon, and neglect and affront fall harmless at our feet. Such, I am sure, was the happy experience of my beloved aunt. an Closely connected with this, was a deep consciousness of her own imperfections. This led her to exercise great candour towards others, and also enabled her to receive reproof in a proper spirit, and profit by it. "A wise reprover" and " obedient ear" do not often meet; but, when they do, the result is most advantageous. Few people could enter more fully than my aunt Priscilla into the psalmist's desire, "Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head," Psa. cxli. 5. It is a happy spirit that is always ready to acknowledge an error or fault, and desirous of making satisfaction to others, rather than justifying itself; and yet how often does pride prompt us to vindicate a fault, and stand it out, as if our honour were concerned; and to consider those who would reprove and correct us, as our bitterest enemies. knew no better; and, if he were a wicked My dear aunt was in the constant habit If on any one occasion more than another, I think of my dear aunt with veneration, as truly noble, it is when I remember her saying, in the presence of just as many persons as had heard her utter an inadvertent expression, "I was very wrong; altogether and exceedingly wrong; I ought to be deeply humbled before God, on account of it; and I trust and beg each of you will forgive it." I think it was on the same occasion she said, "Oh, the importance of the sacred precept, to be 'slow to speak,' and of accustoming ourselves always to think 1. A constant reference to the example before we speak! Even Moses sinned of Jesus. She would say, "Shall I be when he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.' irritable, and yet profess to learn of Him Although I never knew my aunt dis- who was meek and lowly in heart? posed to excuse her own faults, I often Shall I be unconcerned about giving smile to think how ingenious she was in offence, when my Divine Master wrought making excuses for others; or, at least, a miracle to avoid it? Matt. xvii. 27. devising some reason why she should not Shall I be harsh and unfeeling, and call suffer herself to be irritated by their mis-myself his disciple who was full of tenderconduct. If a child, she pleaded its youth; ness and love?" if an aged person, she made allowance for his age and infirmities; if a poor person, his poverty moved her compassion, and stifled her resentment; if rich, she allowed for the temptations of wealth, which often make people forget themselves; if he were a wise and good man, the general respect she entertained for his character, led her to overlook the offence; if he were a weak and foolish one, she said he 2. A habit of frequent self-examination. Of this her memoranda, written for no eye but her own, afford ample testimony. There was, however, a living testimony, yet more valuable; it was, her own daily growth in self-government, which appeared to all around her. And self-government necessarily supposes selfacquaintance. 3. She cherished a spirit of content |