memorial of my Mary-one remaining object of my love! But I have since had abundant reason to see and feel the goodness of the Almighty in taking this little precious one from me in his early infancy. For, considering the state in which I remained for eighteen years after his birth, how corrupt a teacher would he have found in me! And when it pleased the Lord to open my eyes, as he did at the time and in the manner I am about to show you, it might then have been beyond my power to lead him in the way which I myself had just been taught to discern. But leaving these reflections, which you, good Sir, may make more justly than I can, I return to my story.

"After entering my forty-fifth year, I was one day, about the season of Midsummer, sent by my lord's order to his estate in the next parish, where I was directed, among other jobs, to fell a tree which stood on the side of a brook which turned the very mill in which my brother was foreman. The tree stood, as it were, about a bow-shot below the mill, and my brother's cottage right over against the mill, and somewhere about the same distance from the spot upon which I was employed. The season of the year in which this happened I well remember by this token, that while I was preparing to work, a cuckoo sat upon a neighbouring tree, and continued her cry till disturbed by the noise I made with my hatchet, upon which she took flight right over my head.

"My sister, Bessy Hart, who proved a tender wife to 'my brother, had always shown a great desire to be kind to me, not only for my wife's sake, whose memory she dearly loved, but for my own, as her husband's brother, and one whom she had known from a boy. Nevertheless, I never could be persuaded to come within her door, because the sight of her was calculated to renew my bitterest recollections. I have, however, since that time been made to see the impropriety of giving way to such feelings, inasmuch as they partake greatly of the nature of rebellion against the divine decrees, to which we owe the most implicit and cheerful submission, if from no higher principle, yet assuredly from the persuasion which we ought to have, that he who is our Father will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief, yet will

he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. (Lam. iii. 31-33.) But I had no idea at that time of the covenant mercies of God. I saw the Deity in that point of view in which every natural man beholds him in the light of an inexorable judge. I had the very feeling which constrained the first offenders to seek a hiding-place from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden: and, in compliance with that feeling, I habitually fled from the contemplation of God, encompassing myself with my own vain conceits and false opinions.

"As I had hitherto shunned my brother's family, I now hoped that I should be able to finish my work in that place without their knowledge; and with this view I hastened to accomplish it, though with many fears, lest the noise of my hatchet might reach them, and bring me and my occupation to their minds. While I was thus engaged, a young man of a pleasing aspect, and dressed in a black coat, came down the bank, and passed by me with a book in his hand, on which he looked from time to time, as if committing its contents to memory. He saluted me very civilly as he passed, and then went on towards a neighbouring wood."

"After continuing my work till near dinner-time and seeing no one else, I hoped I might complete my task, for that day at least, unregarded. But just as I was preparing to take my bread and cheese out of my bag for my solitary dinner, my brother's eldest daughter, who was a little older than my son would have been had he lived, came down the side of the brook towards me, carrying her youngest brother, an infant of about two years old, in her arms. She came smiling up to me, and accosting me by the familiar appellation of uncle, invited me in her mother's name to come in and dine with them.

"This young girl was just in the bloom of beauty, and though resembling her mother, was not altogether unlike my ever beloved Mary; her voice especially resembled my Mary's; and the child she held in her arms was exceedingly lovely. I looked at both with a degree of agony I could not suppress, and asked her roughly who told her I was there?

1

"We heard your hatchet, uncle,' she replied. 'And my mother sent me out to seek for you.'

666

'Go,' I answered, 'and tell your mother I cannot come into her house and see her surrounded with so many blessings, while mine are perished in the grave.'

666 Nay, but uncle,' said the young girl, we cannot help that: and if you would let us, we would be your children, and our father and mother would be your comforters.'

"Go, child,' I said, 'and tell your parents they cannot comfort me.'

"She looked at me for a moment, and then wiped away her tears with the corner of her apron.

"I could not bear this; but taking up my hatchet, which lay by my side, I dashed it from me, uttering an expression of lamentation and despair which I cannot now remember.

"The girl turned from me with a fresh flood of tears, and walked slowly back to the cottage. And at the same minute, I heard myself accosted to this purpose.-' My good man what has happened? You seem to be distressed. Can I give you any advice or assistance? If so, command me.'

"I looked around, and saw the person mentioned above as having passed by a short time before with a book in his hand. He now stood close to me with a small purse in his hand, out of which he was taking some money, evidently with the intention of offering it

to me.

"Money I said, 'money! what can money do for one like me? Tell me, Sir,' I added,' will money bring the dead to life? If so I will thankfully receive it.'

"He immediately put up his purse, and took his Bible out of his pocket, meekly answering, 'No, my good man, money assuredly cannot do this; but faith, which cometh by hearing the Word of God-faith can do more.'

"My attention was excited by this extraordinary address, and I listened silently as he proceeded.

"You are probably,' said he, 'under the pressure of some great affliction, and have no comforter. Perhaps you do not even know where to seek consolation. Yet whatever your trials may be, there is assuredly suitable

comfort prepared for you; and the Almighty, I trust, will make you willing to receive it,' He then quoted several texts to me, which I have often since looked out for myself, and which have often yielded me wonderful support: This is my comfort in affliction: for thy word hath quickened me. (Psalm cxix. 50.) Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Rom. xv. 4.) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn. (Isaiah Ixi. 1, 2.)

"Having finished these verses," continued Henry Hart, "he proceeded to observe that the Lord of heaven and earth had provided consolation for the afflicted, and that he himself had undertaken to administer it with his own hand; adding, that there was no affliction incident to man beyond the reach of his consolatory aid.

"It was perhaps with a feeling of curiosity, and a desire for the moment to be diverted by any thing from my own miserable sensations, that I was at first inclined to lend a listening ear to what this gentleman had to offer; for I soon distinguished that the person who addressed me was a gentleman, though his dress was threadbare and bespoke but slender means. As I listened, however, I became interested; and, after awhile, it pleased the Lord so to touch my heart through his means, that I could not restrain my tears-a circumstance which had not happened to me before for years.

"Now, were I to repeat to you, my good Sir, all that this excellent person said to me, I should require days for that which I hope to complete in a very few hours. Suffice it to say, that he did not leave me that morning before he had excited within me a desire to seek for consolation from my Bible. He gave me such a view of the Lord Jehovah, the blessed Three in One, as I had never before received. He pointed out to me especially the love which had been shown to all mankind, by God the Fa

ther, in sending his Son to die for them; by God the Son, in having undertaken to offer himself up a sacrifice for their sin; and by God the Holy Ghost, in his perpetual though invisible efforts for man's salvation in producing that change of heart without which no man can enter the kingdom of heaven.

"These things all appeared entirely new to me, and, with the divine blessing, effected a considerable change in the whole state of my feelings; and more especially so, when I was enabled to see in those sore afflictions, which I had hitherto considered as cruel dispensations, nothing more than the salutary and needful chastisement of a tender Father. I cannot tell you how many hours this pious gentleman sat conversing with me. Suffice it to say, that, before he departed, he informed me that he was minister of the parish in which I then was, and invited me not only to come every Sunday to his church, but to take my dinner at his house; promising to renew his discourse with me every evening upon these matters. I accepted the invitation, and during the space of ten years was a constant attendant on his ministry. And whereas it was far for me to go home on a winter's evening after the last service, I was constrained to take a bed in the good minister's house, which afforded me further opportunity of receiving instruction.

"This gentleman, though polished in his habits, was poor, having a very slender provision; and being only a curate, he lived always, as the old custom was for persons in his situation, in his neat kitchen, having an elderly, decent person for his housekeeper. He divided his time between his private studies and devotions, and his parochial duties; for even his very meals seemed to partake of the nature of both.

"I found exceeding great delight in the company of this holy young man, and had occasion indeed to love and value him greatly, since he laid himself out very earnestly for my benefit, and my heavenly Father was pleased mightily to bless his instructions to my lasting good. He first began, when become a little better acquainted with me and with my history, by endeavouring, through the divine help, to convince me that I had hitherto lived altogether as an infidel, and just as a man