children a blessing either in grace or providence? The Master had come and called away his dear jewel from my bosom, because he had need of her; and though it shook me sadly in its removal, and I found my trouble and earthly sorrow swell high, yet I was somewhat enabled to find a place in his loving heart to rest my all, and was daily and hourly constrained to go to him with a "Lord, remember me!" and it was his gracious will to teach me to know the power of Isaiah. xli. 10, "Fear not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God;" and how sweetly was I led to read (Matt. vi. 32), “For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." When the day arrived for her interment, the friends, six good men, came to bear her to the grave. My trouble was removed, and I wished to have laid down with her in burial, and smiled upon the coffin with the last look with exceeding joy in my heart, returned with God's people to talk a little of what grace could do for the soul, and how it was preserved, though tossed like an empty boat upon the raging main, sink it could not, for Jesus was its life, and who said, “Because I live, ye shall live also." So I found it under this solemn dispensation; but the affliction had taken fast hold of my nerves, and being very weak, I had not long lost my dearest earthly friend ere I fell sick, and was confined to my bed for some weeks. I had fixed upon my daughter, whose age was little more than fifteen years, to keep my house, who was, poor dear girl, but very incompetent to nurse me. I mourned like a dove, and suffered much from inward sorrow, as well as from fever and great bodily pain, and fully concluded I should soon follow; but man's ways are not as God's ways, nor our thoughts either. I lived to prove he could raise me from the deeps in which I was then placed; and it was the Lord's will that this affliction should be made the means of raising me up several friends. Among these was the clergyman of the parish, a kind, humane gentleman, who, hearing of my trials, brought me back the burial fees, and added thereto a guinea, though he knew nothing of me any further than my being a Dissenter, and never going to Church; and little did I think at that time he was a chosen vessel unto God, which, in after years, was fully proved in the testimony given at his death. My employer also added to the sum, with others, which came to hand entirely unsought and unlooked for.

Was it because I had faith at the time to believe I should find such friendship from the world? No. Or was it, as old John Wesley declares, that every one may believe and work righteousness before God? No, not a particle of it, though, bless the dear Lord's name, dark as I might be, as to what he was about to do, and did for me, in the disposal of men's hearts to do me good, I fully ascribed my justification to his obedience to the law, and rejoiced in the doctrine of his imputed righteousness as a whole for my acceptance before the three-one Jehovah, who had clothed and fed me all my days.

While I lay in this state one and another called to see me, whom I little expected would have done so-one gentleman in particular, who, when he entered my room, said, "Well, Groom, how do you do? I

am sorry for your loss and affliction. Do you want any assistance?" and left me twenty shillings, and sent me two bottles of Cape wine. I thanked him for his kindness, and was enabled to trace it to a far higher hand, though not forgetting the instrument the Lord was pleased to make use of to show me such favour. My mind was led to examine more closely the Lord's conduct to me in all that had taken place-how the rebellion of my heart had manifested itself before him, and how his wisdom and grace were displayed in the quietude of his unworthy dust-how he had humbled me before him; and I said, in the language of the Psalmist, "Can the dead praise thee, O Lord, as I desire to do this day?" Am I not one of thy dear children? Though thou hast laid thine hand upon me in mercy, love, and judgment, thy correction is good: and thus, "Thou givest songs in the night." Here I am, Lord, raise me, and lift up my soul. This he was pleased to do ; and while in my weak state, I had several dinners sent to me, and I recovered strength again-attended to my work-paid the doctor's bill, which was heavy-and once more was set free with a balance in hand. Would any one think, that under so many delivering mercies, I should ever have doubted the Lord's goodness again? and surely, I may add, none but such a wretch as myself could do it. But ah! The heart

of man is desperately wicked, who can know it?"

66

Now my widower state was felt most bitterly indeed, as my chil dren were at that age which required more care and attention than my daughter was able to accomplish for them, and I found much devolved upon me. I looked up to the Lord for wisdom that I might act rightly, in order to promote their comfort and happiness in the absence of their dear mother; and under all circumstances I had great cause for thankfulness therein. Finding myself a lone man I sought little or no society, and used, when my exercises of the day were over, to shut myself up in my chamber for reading, meditation, and prayer, or if I sought relief from this repose, it was to walk alone in some secluded field, where I could solicit the God of heaven to hear my groanings poured out unto him, and most astonishing to myself, found the sorrow of the mind wear off, and daily was I more weaned from her I knew I could meet no more in this vale of tears, and again went more frequently with the people of God, but with clearer light and knowledge into the covenant oath and purposes than I had ever experienced before, while faith in the stability and faithfulness of Jehovah claimed my closest attention.

I had another trial making rapid approach in the wisdom of God, in laying his hand of affliction upon a little boy of whom I was fond. He was the second son of my last family who was visited with pleurisy fever, and lay very ill. I felt much for the child, and sought the Lord many times for his recovery, which was granted, though not before my faith about him was sharply tried-the doctor, at one time, giving me no hope that he would survive, and I said, "Well, Lord, help me to be resigned to thy will, shouldst thou see it right and best to take him from me I see it must be consistent with thine allwise will I should

have this trial also, therefore, O Lord, do give me grace and patience to bear it." When he was first taken ill, O how did I try to banish from my mind the thought that he would not perhaps be so unwell as I afterwards found he was, and which hung upon me as a mighty millstone, which Satan endeavoured to take advantage of by suggesting it was another proof of the Lord's displeasure. These were some of his cruel devices to my soul. The pain the lad suffered from inflammation, in drawing breath, brought great agony to me, his poor father, and I got no rest day or night. Bleeding was found needful, which means the Lord was pleased to bless, and he grew better, and I got better also, and I may say God was the healer of us both; and I choose thus to record it as one not among the lesser mercies I ever received at the hands of a kind indulgent God.* At this time I was favoured in meeting with a few of the Lord's chosen ones at several places, at some distance, and wide apart from each other. My company and conversation being called for, I was persuaded to speak to them from the word of God, and many appeared to be blest and edified thereby, but not feeling sufficient evidence and satisfaction in my mind as to being called to the work by the Holy Ghost, I thought best to discontinue those exercises, and jcined with them in prayer only; and having a considerable acquaintance in epistolary correspondence, which occupied all my leisure time, together with adding my mite sometimes to the GOSPEL MAGAZINE, I found my mind carried somewhat above my earthly trouble for a considerable time, and not far from this period I had a more eligible situation offered to me under my employer, though I sought it not, and was very much against taking it, notwithstanding it was, I can truly say in the Lord's presence, forced upon me, and I became master in great measure over many who hated me with deadly spite. Here I was placed in a situation over which I had no choice, and inwardly trembled lest something might arise to make things unpleasant either to myself, master, or men; and knowing I had a task imposed upon me of no ordinary responsibility, I often gave umbrage in the execution thereof; and here the subtle poison of the enemy was secretly working to destroy my reputation in the sight of my master and the world, and I was called to pass through an ordeal which, for awhile, laid me in the dust. These waters were reserved for me to wade through; though too deep for human foresight to fathom, the eternal arms of sovereign love were beneath to bring up his poor worm who then needed his immediate help.

* To this son he said on parting with him, during his last illness, "God bless you, my boy, and may he give you a new heart."

HINTS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

THE more our correspondents confine themselves to prose this year, the better we shall be pleased. Few men are born to be poets. ANOTHER. Will they also study brevity? The Editor will try to set the example. Papers ought not to exceed three or four pages, so that the Magazine may embrace variety. Good wholesome food served up in different dishes is generally most palatable.

A THIRD. Don't quarrel in the Magazine, nor think of making it a medium of settling your differences; but if any man has aught against a brother, let him address him personally and privately; and not think to make the Magazine a channel for side-hits. Face to face, and man to man, will settle matters soonest and most amicably.

A FOURTH.-Don't write to the Editor, nor to his Correspondents, for explanations of passages, but make short work of it. Go to your God at once. Wait upon Him-abide his pleasure; and if the Lord chooses to make use of either the Editor or his Correspondents for opening a passage, be it so. The blessing so received will lead the receiver to recognise it as from God-to thank him, and not the man; for Editors are but mere pens in the hand of the Spirit, and preachers only trumpets through which he speaks to his family. We love to see the crown put upon the right head.

TO OUR READERS.

In the midst of a multitude of painful exercises, we have been greatly cheered during the present month by the hearty respondings with which our recent appeal has been met. Some-who were not in our thoughts when we wrote-have met our remarks in a kindly, Christian spirit, and have said, "Henceforth we take the Magazine to ourselves; others, aroused by a fear that their favourite medium of Christian intercourse and communion was about to be discontinued, have exerted themselves, and procured more subscribers; a third party have expressed their willingness to pay more, and recommended an advance in the price of the Magazine; a fourth (Mr. Josiah Cowell) has altogether without our knowledge, published, in the form of a circular, a stirring appeal, which he has sent forth at his own expense far and wide; and a fifth class have, unsolicited and generously, sought to meet our loss by contribution. This we had no thought of when we made the appeal, or mere delicacy (and a proud heart) would have stayed our pen. But the Address is beyond recal; and we rejoice that it is so; for we have now better, more substantial evidence than we otherwise could have had, that in many a niche and corner of the still-favoured land, dwells

a heart that is yet warmed with that one love which flows from the Head, Christ Jesus, down through the veins of those members which stand in mystic union with Himself. Love-his own love shed abroad in the heart-is still in exercise; and that love still flows in liveliest sympathy towards, and interest in, the fellow-members of that vast body which is vitally and eternally united to Himself. We rejoice in the glorious fact, and hail-or would do so at least-with greater zeal than we have ever yet done, those who greet us in the name and for the sake of our dear living Head. We have tasted a little this month of that good old inexhaustible love which rose-when? we know not, but which flows freely, fully, unabatingly down through eternal ages.

May the great Head of the Church, Jehovah-Jesus, our own covenant Lord, vouchsafe his gracious presence this year; may Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Israel's one God in covenant, kindly grant unto both writers and readers this year, such a holy familiarity with himself, and blessed enlargement of heart towards each other, as shall cheer, and animate, and refresh them by the way, and redound to the glory of Jehovah's most sacred name.

In a simple dependance upon Himself, and entirely ignorant of the unfoldings of a day or an hour, we step over the threshhold of another year, exclaiming once again with one of old, "If thy presence go not with us, carry us not up hence."

We feel it to be our's and the Church's mercy that futurity is hid in darkness, the continuous openings of which are the peculiar prerogative of Jehovah, and with which intimately stands connected that glory which He gathers from his faithful abidings and daily supplies of strength to his Church as she traverses the wilderness.

I am not much surprised to hear that the subscribers to the GOSPEL MAGAZINE are not sufficiently, numerous to exonerate you from pecuniary loss, but how to effect an increased sale should be a matter of effort. With respect to yourself I am sure you have done what you could, and I have no doubt your labour has not been in vain. Among its correspondents are to be found many writers upou different subjects,