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I have lov'd thee in sickness, I'll love thee in health;
And, if want be our portion, why love be our wealth;
Thy comfort in sorrow, thy stay when most weak,
The troth I have plighted I never will break.

C. NEALE.

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DOMESTIC SKETCHES, No. 3.

A DYING BROTHER'S COUNSEL TO HIS SISTERS.

Now send for H, I want to speak to her while my strength lasts." His conversations with her were very searching, but very affectionate. He loved this sister very dearly. She was naturally volatile and buoyant in her spirits, and this disposition sometimes betrayed her into levity. The liveliness of her conversation had often pleased him, but he now thought he had encouraged her in some things inconsistent with real piety. He was earnest beyond his strength in conversing with her. He put very plain and close questions-saying, "I must be answered;-I must speak plainly;-I am afraid, my beloved sister, you do not think enough about religion. I do not see decided proofs of real conversion in you. I have not a sure hope that if you die as you now are, I shall meet you in Heaven. Oh! H—, it is my last request-with my dying breath I am entreating you to seek the salvation of your soul. Suppose you were in my place-in this chair instead of me -waiting for death day by day-could you meet it as I do? Oh! do, my dear sister! do think of death while you are in health. If I had not sought Christ before I was brought so low, I should have no strength or sense to seek him now. I went to Jesus as a poor weak sinner, and found sweet rest,

and I am happy now amidst all this suffering. He spoke in an affectionate manner of the subject nearest her heart." Your merry peal will soon succeed my death knell. Take care that the good seed is not choaked by the pleasures of life! Seek first the kingdom of God. Remember, Hyou have to die. Oh! I cannot leave you in peace, unless I have a good hope that I shall meet you in heaven. H, there is nothing so opposed to religion to the mind of Christ-as levity and trifling. It will keep you back more than anything. Take my solemn warning-I speak from my own experience you will never be a consistent Christian, and you will never grow in grace if you indulge in habitual trifling conversation. It is not like the mind of Christ; your temper is very playful and volatile, and Satan may use it as a snare to injure your soul. Piety and levity cannot long dwell in the same heart. One will destroy the other. **** I am very plain and sincere.

You see, dear H-
I used to be so shy.
speaking my mind now.
about the world and its opinions when death is
near;-death takes away all reserve. I care not if
the whole world were assembled around me-I
would tell them what I now think of religion,-I
should like to see many here that I might tell them
what the Lord hath done for my soul."

But I do not feel afraid of
How little does one care

To another sister he spoke on the study of the Bible." Here," he said, "I speak in a peculiar manner from recent experience, for the last three months-the Bible has been my sole instructor.— It has gradually led me on to clear light and real experience, till every promise is my own. I have read the greater part of it through, several times

during my illness; and often on a Sunday, when I have spent the day alone, I have read the whole of the New Testament, unable to leave off till I had grasped all the mind of the Spirit at once. Perhaps father has thought I read too few religious books. He has looked anxious at my neglect of many he put in my way,-I do not give myself in this respect for an example-but I have found little benefit from books, sermons, or conversations. The Bible, the Bible alone has taught me everything. If I read books on religion, however excellent, the thought always haunted me-it is human-it may be wrong. I could not rest till I went to the Bible. Here I felt sure that all was divine and infallible; and I found such comfort in the simple truth of God's word, that I set aside every other book dissatisfied. I may well be earnest, then, in pressing you to go to the Bible."

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He then said, 'But you must pray over the Bible without the teaching of the Spirit it will do you no good, you must apply it as you go on to yourself, and feel it personally, or you will get no benefit, though you stand the whole day over it. I have been in the habit of reading the Bible on my knees, and I recommend you to do the same. It encourages prayer. I have found it very useful to turn Scripture into prayer, using the very words. There is not a Psalm I have not turned into prayer. I have felt so safe in making prayers from the Bible, because then I knew I could not err; and let prayer always be preceded by self-examination; lay your heart bare before God; indulge not even a doubtful feeling; one secret sin will cloud all.”

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