kind but judiciously firm: and as she sunk to rest in peaceful reliance on her Saviour's merits and her Saviour's love, she affection. ately thanked her beloved mother for all her tender care and kindness; but added, (pray, mark her words!) "I THANK YOU MOST OF ALL, FOR HAVING SUBDUED SELF-WILL!"

MY

The Rev. Mr. West was a good man, who felt a great desire to go and preach the glad tidings of salvation for a ruined world to the heathen. On this work he entered, and was led by the Providence of God to go in the employ of the Church Missionary Society, to the Indians on the Red River in

North America. If you look for the Red River in your maps, I think you will find it emptying itself into Hudson's Bay. It is in very high latitude, or in other words, in a very cold country: and there bears abound. Now Mr. West was very fond of a little boy, the son of his friend, and this little boy was very fond of Mr. West. The little boy was fond also of natural history, and knew enough of it, to know that bears were found in the country whither Mr. West was going. And frequently used he to say, "But, Mr. West, I am so afraid of the bears; afraid they should hurt you." "Well then, my dear, (Mr. W. would reply,) you must pray that God will preserve me from the bears." The little boy promised he would; and as soon as Mr. W. took leave of his father to set out on his mission, this dear little boy used nightly to add to his evening prayers; "pray God keep Mr. West from the bears."

One day after Mr. West had crossed the Atlantic, and was with some sailors in a boat in those high latitudes where large masses of ice float in the water, a great, white, shaggy, polar bear was seen on one of these islands of ice licking her two cubs, (bears lick their cubs into shape they say.) The sailors wantonly shot one of the cubs. "A bear robbed of her whelps" is a Scripturs

expression to describe fury. This poor crea. ture instantly plunged into the water to wreak her vengeance on the destroyers of the young one. They fired at her and as they thought wounded her; but this only increased her fury-and though they tugged at the oars with all their might to escape from the animal, it gained upon them so fast, that they had only just time to charge the gun again before the bear was almost ready to spring into the boat. Think of their situation! Mr. West thought of his little friend-his fears and the promise of his prayers. He had prayed, and the Lord had heard his prayers-for Mr. West took the gun-the Lord directed his arm: he shot the furious creature through the heart. They now rowed fearlessly towards the animal from which they had so lately fled with such fear. Mr. W. cut off a paw, and sent it to his dear and now more endeared little friend-in token that God, in having saved him from "the paw of the bear," had heard the prayer of a child. The boy keeps the paw in a box and shews it to his friends.

CONVERSION OF THREE JEWISH CHILDREN, IN BERLIN, 1715.

It happened that a Jew, whose name is Isaac Vent, did live with a Christian, who is an under-officer in the king's troops. The

Jew has three daughters.

The eldest is

named Sprintz, and aged twelve years. The name of the second is Guttel, of ten years of age; and the name of the youngest of all is Esther, said to be eight years old.

These children were intimate with a soldier's wife who lived in the garret; and they would often get up stairs, eat and drink with them, and be present when they said their prayers and sang their hymns. The matter came at last to that pass, that the girls resolved to leave their parents, and to go over to the Christians; and the Christian woman conducted them secretly for that purpose to Mr. Kahman, the minister of St. Mary's church; but no sooner did the parents know their daughters were withdrawn from them, than they addressed themselves to the king to have them restored; wherein they were supported by the whole company of the Jews that lived in this place.

The king was pleased to appoint a good number of divines, with two gentlemen of the privy council added to them. They were to enquire, whether the children might be refused to their parents, who demanded them back, without infringing the right and power which a father hath over them. The commissioners met in my house, July 19, 1715, whither also the girls were called with their Jewish parents. The parents were heard in the first place; and being dismissed, the girls, ardently desiring to be admitted to our holy religion, and refusing to return to their parents and the Jewish communion,the parents were again called in.

In the parents appeared a strife betwixt love and hatred, whilst they did most heartily love their children on the one hand, and

In the chil

abhor them as much on the other. They did not know what countenance to shew them, and what words to use. dren a bashfulness was observed towards their parents, attended, however, with a fear. There appeared a paleness in their face, and a trembling in their whole body. The mother began to shew the children the breasts that gave them suck. She descanted also upon the benefits of education, and the tenderness of that natural affection which is betwixt parents and children.

The girls, affected with these things, declared how sensible they were both of the love of the parents, and the duty of children towards them; but refused to yield obedience to them in a matter contrary to their conscience. At the same time the father began to sigh, to weep, and to lift up his hands to heaven.-Again, the mother's love being turned into rage, upbraided the children with disobedience, and with an obstinate temper; then she began to threaten them with her curses, nay, actually to pour them forth upon them.