hand with his rent. What was eighteen shillings to Squire Harmer? why, he GAVE Bet Harrison three pounds, when she lost her cow the year before. Though Wortley was not quite convinced by this reasoning, yet he did'nt know how to answer it, and he did think that the Squire would not press hard upon a poor man with a large family.

Some months went on, and there was no improvement in Wortley; though he was less boldly wicked than Brent and others. There was something still within him that occasionally struggled and held him back. Mr. Harmer saw that he was not quite hardened; and by often coming to the cottage, he got to know Mary better, and so to be more anxious to save her husband. Nothing that a kind, but firm and judicious friend could do, to help one that wouldn't be helped, was left undone by him but it was all in vain; and at last he felt it to be his duty to take away the garden, and give it to an industrious man of good character, who was struggling to keep his family off the parish.

About six weeks after the garden was taken away from Wortley, Mr. Fenton, the clergyman of the parish, was sent for one morning to visit him. He found him to all appearance a dying man: but he lingered for many weeks; and there was not a day that he did not receive some kindness from Squire Harmer. The clergyman discovered, in the course of his long attendance, that he had joined a set of poachers; and being weak and ill fed, had caught a terrible cold, which he had taken no care of till it was too late. The poor man was, by God's grace, brought to a state of sincere contrition: the instruction and prayers of Mr. Fenton were followed up, hour after hour, by Mary Wortley, whose deep and genuine piety could hardly fail to win its way, at such a time, into the heart of one that loved her, and that had death before his eyes. Her prayers for her poor husband were heard; but a turning to God

upon a death-bed is always a thing of misery and fear. Such conversions are very rare; and their sincerity is hardly ever certain. They who are so saved, are saved so as by fire: an entrance into heaven cannot be ministered abundantly unto them; their case cannot be the case of those who have long sought for glory and honour and immortality, by a PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN WEll

DOING.

Still, however, Wortley died a sincere penitent. One of the last evil feelings that Mr. Fenton had to combat, was the anger he cherished against Mr. Harmer, for having taken away his garden. This, however, was at last overcome; he was made to see, that the example set in his case had prevented the necessity of more instances of the same kind of firmness... for even Clough and Wilkinson had paid up their rent afterwards, and the Squire had now a dozen of thriving tenants; whereas Mr. Wescott, who had forgiven Brent and kept him on, was paid by nobody, and was soon obliged to take his land from the poor altogether. He was at last made to see, that Mr. Harmer's known anxiety for the welfare of the poor, being coupled with firmness and religious principle, was the very thing that made him keep his word; and he was led on to apply this to God's dealings with mankind, and to see that God is to be feared even because there is mercy with Him. That mercy has made Him send His Son into the world, to suffer and to die for our sins; has made Him offer pardon to all who will believe in and obey that Son; has made him send His Holy Spirit, to assist all who will be saved. In a word, the mercy of God has made him grant us the most favorable conditions possible: we may be sure, therefore, that nothing more favorable is kept behind; and that all who do not accept these terms, have great reason to fear. God is not a

42 Peter i. 11.

5 Rom. ii. 2.

6 Psalm cxxx. 3.

God of mercy only, but of firmness and justice too. To the wicked our God is a consuming fire'.

Wortley died on the 23d of last September, having received a promise from Mr. Harmer that his wife and children should never have to beg their bread.

LITANY OF ST. JAMES.

THE following passage from this very ancient Litany will show how closely our own Litany has followed ancient examples :

"We beseech thee, O Lord, for thy Holy Church universal, to keep it unshaken and unwavering unto the end. We beseech Thee for me (the Bishop), for all the priests, deacons, and for all the clergy, that thou wouldest give them understanding, and replenish them with Thy Holy Spirit. We beseech Thee, O Lord, for the King, and those in authority. We beseech Thee for the widows of the Church, for those in holy wedlock, and childbearing, for the young children of Thy people. We beseech Thee for sick persons, for those in bitter slavery, for those in banishment and under proscription, for those that travel by land or by water. We beseech Thee for those that hate us and persecute us for Thy name's sake; for such as have erred and strayed, that thou wouldest turn them to good and soften their hearts. We beseech Thee for the catechumens of the church, that Thou wouldest perfect them in the faith; for those who are troubled by Satan, that Thou wouldest free them from the assaults of the devil; for our brethren who are penitent, that Thou wouldest receive their repentance, aud forgive them their sins, and us ours. We beseech Thee for kindly seasons, for abundance of fruits, so that continually partaking of good things from Thee, we may evermore praise Thee."-Professor Blunt.

7 Heb. xii. 29.

TELL YOUR SOUL OF THE CROWN.

WHEN the custom of evil things, and the desire of wealth keep on bewitching thee, do thou war against them by that way of thinking, which tells us, "Great is the reward we shall receive, for despising that pleasure which is but for a season;" and say to thy soul, "Art thou quite cast down because I cheat thee of pleasure? Nay, be of good cheer, for I am introducing thee into heaven. It is not for man's sake that thou doest it, but for GoD's. Be patient, therefore, a little while, and thou shalt see how great is the gain. Endure for the present life, and thou shalt receive an unspeakable confidence." If we would discourse with our soul in this way, and not only consider that what is burdensome in goodness, but also take account of THE CROWN that comes thereof, we shall quickly withdraw her from all wickedness.-St.Chrysostom. (Homily V. on St. Matthew, § 14.)

GOD CONQUERS, AND WE CONQUER TOO.

way

Do not talk to me of labours and sweats: for not by the hope only of the things to come, but in another also hath God made goodness easy, by assisting us every where, and putting His hand to our work. And if thou wilt only contribute a little zeal, every thing else follows. For to this end will He have thee too to labour a little, even that the victory may be thine also. And just as a king would have his own son present indeed in the battle-field; would have him shoot with the bow, and show himself, that the victory may be reckoned his, while he achieves it all himself; even so doth GOD in our war against the Devil. He requires of thee one thing alone, that thou show forth a sincere

hatred against that foe. Then, if thou give Him this, He by HIMSELF brings all the war to an end. Though thou burn with anger, with desire of riches, with any tyrannical passion whatever, if He do but see thee stripping thyself, and prepared against it, He comes quickly to thee, and makes all things easy, and sets thee above the flame, as He did those children of old in the Babylonian furnace: for they too carried in with them nothing but their good-will. St. Chrysostom. (Hom. V. on St. Matthew, § 14.)

THE GOOD PARISHIONER.

THE GOOD PARISHIONER is at once near to the church, and not far from God; like unto Justus, "One that worshipped God, and his house joined hard to the synagogue." Otherwise, if his distance from the church be great, his diligence is the greater to come thither in season.

He is timely at the beginning of common prayer. Yet as Tully charged some dissolute people for being such sluggards that they never saw the sun rising or setting, as being always after the one and before the other; so some negligent persons never hear prayers begun, or sermon ended; the confession being past before they come, and the blessing not come before they are passed away.

In the sermon he sets himself to hear God in the minister. Therefore he divests himself of all prejudice, and listens very attentively. At every point that concerns himself he turns down a leaf in his heart, and rejoices that God's word has pierced him, as hoping that while his soul smarts, it heals.

He does not accuse his minister of spite for particularising him. It does not follow that the archer aimed, because the arrow hit; rather our parishioner reasons thus: If my sin be notorious, how could the