which drank up my spirits, and I cried out in agony'What shall I do to be saved?'

"This was the state of mind which my faithful pastor had been endeavouring to produce in me, and he was ready with an answer to my sincere enquiry-the answer which St. Paul gave to the gaoler-Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts xvi. 31.)

"I was no sooner brought to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, by the persevering and affectionate labours of my minister, through the power of the Holy Spirit, than I saw the depravity of my character, not only in my breach of the sixth commandment, wherein I had been especially guilty, but in innumerable other instances. Nay, I perceived that I had been, from my earliest infancy, living as without God in the world, and that the description in the Epistle to the Romans was in many points applicable to me. Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (Romans i. 29-32.)

"Thus was I convinced deeply of sin, while many and painful were the convictions and struggles which I had to pass through, before I could exercise such faith in the Saviour as brought me peace; and when at length I was enabled to do this, my pastor taught me that it was necessary I should shew the evidences of faith, in all good works. He urged me to seek a hearty reconciliation with my husband, and aunt, and cousins, the latter of whom I had chased from my house in disgust after the death of my son. He was the means of bringing me, also, to a regard for the spiritual and temporal welfare, not only of my relations, but of my servants, and of all those who in any way depended on me, and were influenced by me.

Twenty years are now passed since my beloved son entered into glory, and more than forty since I followed Agnes and her little George to their graves. My worthy pastor and father in Christ, has also, since that time, been removed

from the present evil world, and my husband is now approaching rapidly to the grave. Thus passes away one generation of mankind after another; and among those who have departed, how great is the satisfaction and pleasure in reflecting upon the state and character of such as gave decisive evidence that they were the chosen of the Lord!

"During the last

twenty years of my life I have lived in great retirement; and the world has ceased to possess any charm for me. All ambitious desires passed away from my heart when I lost my son; and every earthly possession, from that time, seemed to be marked in my view with the characters of mortality. But, during the latter part of that period, ever since I was brought by grace to the reception of my Saviour, the violent passions of pride, envy, and ambition, which had taken up their dwelling in my breast, no longer have exercised the same dominion over me. By gazing on my Saviour, I, who had been wounded unto death by sin, was healed. All within me became calm and serene, and I now more vehemently desired the spiritual life of my connexions than I had ever desired the death of those who stood in the way of my worldly advancement. In the court of Christ there is no rivalry: the riches and honours of his kingdom are inexhaustible; and he that most earnestly desires the exaltation of his brother, will himself be most highly honoured; for our Lord saith, He that is least among you all, the same shall be greatest.

"It has pleased the Lord to impart his Spirit to my husband and other relations, and thus abundantly to pour out his salvation upon his servants, who were unworthy of the least of all his mercies.

"During the retirement of my chamber, to which I have been confined for some months past by sickness, I have taken a review of my life, and have been led to consider that there are many events in it, which, if properly stated, might be useful in warning others as to the dreadful effects of ambitious feelings.

"The tendency of these, is, undoubtedly, neither more nor less than to murder; while the feelings of humility lead to life, health, and peace. Perhaps it would be impossible to sum up the total of human wisdom in a smaller compass

than to say, that it consists in that pious acquiescence in the will of God which induces a man to keep in his own proper station, and there to avail himself of every opportunity of testifying his reverence towards God and his love of his fellow-creatures.

"Varieties of rank, and station, and outward circumstances, are ordained of God in the present state; but true honour consists not, necessarily, or independent of true virtue, in any of them. He that does his duty best, be it in a palace or be it in a cottage, is, undoubtedly, the most honourable character; and he that conforms to circumstances with the most humility, is, undoubtedly, the most dignified person. There is a meanness, a littleness, a poorness in ambition, of which even the subject of it himself is conscious, though he would not have it known-for who would not blush to acknowledge those feelings of covetousness and envy, of which this passion is composed ?who dares to avow them openly, or to reveal them even to his bosom friend? Is not envy ever accompanied by shame? And who would not prefer the reputation of rising above such covetous and envious passions, to the gain, the polluted gain, of ambition?

"But the divine will say, that such evils of the heart cannot be overcome by reflections or reasonings of this kind. I grant it. Nevertheless, it is a desirable thing to understand the real nature of ambition, that restless and guilty feeling, which has hitherto supplied a theme to every heathen writer, and which is extolled by some professing Christians, while it has been clothed by genius in the most brilliant robes which fancy could devise: for until we are brought to know the mischief of such feelings—until we know the deep depravity of this state of mind, which the world too much approves—we shall not be disposed to seek the only remedy for our moral defects; that remedy which is found no where but in religion, and in no religion but in that of the Scriptures, where the love of the Father, the death and merits of the Son, and the sanctifying influences of the Spirit, are exhibited with attractions as various as they are wonderful, and by representations as beautiful and familiar as the flowers which enamel the meadows, and the fountains, groves, and valleys, which diversify the face of Nature.

"O how blessed was I when the glorious scheme of human redemption was unfolded to my mind! when I was endued with the power of discerning spiritual things! It was then I awoke as from a dream, and wondered at the hopes, the fears, and the desires which had hitherto occupied my mind, and filled every faculty. Then, indeed, was my house swept and garnished, but not left empty, to the reception of a worse spirit than that which had occupied it before; for love, and joy, and hope, were now admitted there, and for ambition and covetousness, envy and rancour, there was no room. Those benevolent persons, therefore, who are anxious to remove the authority of such tormenting passions from the minds of others, must present to them superior objects for their affections. It is useless to say, ' Love not the world nor the things of the world,' to him who knows nothing beyond the world. The warm affections of the heart must have an object. The infant who grasps a toy may be tempted to relinquish it by the prospect of seizing some more grateful possession; but if you remove the object of his delight without affording him gratification in another, you exasperate him to his own injury, and he will extend his hand to seize whatever may next come in his way.

"To young people, therefore, my reader, commend not the world, or that which belongs to it, but endeavour to draw their attention and excite their affections towards the objects which are beyond this present state of things: fill their hearts as much as in you lies, with hopes respecting future and eternal realities. Spread before them the types and emblems of things to come. Unfold the volume of Nature before them, and teach them to read the language of the heavens-for the heavens declare the glory of God: and if you can (with the divine blessing) bring them to love and to desire those things which are above, you will have afforded them the best protection from those low and envious, covetous and ambitious feelings, which render man impatient towards his inferiors, unkind to his equals, and meanly servile or cruelly envious towards his superiors.

"And now, my reader, I take my leave, having accomplished the design of setting before you my history. May the effect be, to urge myself and you to press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus!"

The history of Matilda Vincent being concluded, the lady of the manor requested her young people to join her in prayer.

A Prayer that we may be liberated from all envious, ambitious, and covetous Desires of the Heart.

"O THOU eternal and mysterious Three in One, thou blessed and glorious Lord God, we entreat thy mercy and pity on account of our many transgressions, and those peculiar sins of our vile nature which lead us to look enviously on the advantages enjoyed by our fellow-creatures.

"Give us, O blessed God, an impressive sense of the emptiness of worldly possessions, and impart that faith which may enable us to look beyond the present life to that blessed state in which there will be no poverty, no tears, no biting scorn, no pride or envy; and where the Lord's flock shall feed in a wide pasture, and enjoy for ever their resting-places.

"We know, O Lord God, that we cannot free our hearts from improper worldly considerations, unless thou, in thine infinite mercy, shouldst condescend to fill them with better things, and to excite our affections towards those which are above. To this end, O Almighty Father, grant unto us a clear and saving view of all that thou hast done and prepared for us. Lead us to perceive how thou, O Father, didst purpose our salvation ere yet the world began, making us the objects of thy electing love ere we inhabited the earth, how thou didst provide for our justification through thy Son, and how thou suppliest us with the means of regeneration and sanctification through the gift of thy Spirit.

"Deign, O Lord, to explain to us thy promises of future happiness; not those only which refer to the latter times, when the primeval glory of creation shall be renewed, and the triumphant reign of Christ shall commence, but also in that more remote period when the heavens and the earth shall pass away, and there shall be no more sun. And grant that the view of these dazzling glories may make the glimmering splendours of the present scene pass from our view, and retire into the darkness in which they must all presently be involved.

And