home they were engaged in searching the scriptures, to "see if these things were so.”

upon the

The child, who, like the Jews, had been "cut to the heart," to hear she was a sinner, began to revive, as she heard of these "heavenly things." Now the doctrines she was called to prove, dropped on her heart as the dew upon the grass; as the rain mown grass, even the small rain upon the tender herb. How did she encourage herself in the Lord, when she heard of salvation, not by works of righteousness which she was to do, (but through mercy,) by faith in that adorable Savior, who had been made sin for us, though he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him! How did she exult in the names of the Redeemer, "the Lord our Righteousness—his name is Jesus, because he saveth his people from their sins. He was called the Friend of Sinners," said she, "I need not then have trembled So, when I heard I was a sinner. But these proofs on holiness," she continued"how shall I ever be so holy!" "Sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy-Be ye perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect-Every man that hath this

hope in him purifieth himself even as God is pure-Thy people shall be all righteousThis is the will of God, even your sanctification-The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul, and body, be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." While this dear Sabbath-scholar was thus going over her little proofs, and repeating them again and again, she also again and again said to herself, O how shall I ever be so holy? when the next verse to that last quoted, just then met her eye; "Faithful is he who hath called 'you, who also will do it." This was enough; and as prayer she knew, was one of the means of attaining the blessing promised, she knelt down and prayed that the Lord would do as he had said, sanctify her wholly, and preserve her blameless, unto the second coming of her Lord.

You see, therefore, that those painful, but salutary convictions of the evil of sin, which are at first the cause of so much anguish to the believer, are soon followed by peace. This child was now no longer sorry, but happy, that she knew and felt the truth of those things, which she had so often before heard *3

at school, but to which, like every unawakened sinner, she had not paid the slightest attention. It was about this time that Lily, sitting one evening beside her mother, while her mother was sewing, and she was reading her bible, was known to say,

'O mother, I am so happy I went to the Sabbath school;-you cannot think how happy!'

As Lily said this with an expression her mother had never witnessed in her before, she did not quite understand her. She therefore said to her,

"You didna use to be so fond of your lessons, I think-what maks ye sae happy, Lily, my woman?"

Lily turned away her head, and speaking abruptly, said, 'Because before I went there-I knew not that-that I was a sinner.'

"Happy that you are a sinner, Lily," said her mother, who, since she feared God, earnestly desired that all her fatherless children might do the same; and who, in the gleam of light that thus broke in upon her, wist not for joy what to say "happy that you are a sinner, Lily?"

"That I know I am a sinner mother, for if I had not known that, I never would have sought

to come to Christ, who is the Savior of sinners, mother.'"

The mother laid down the boy's jacket, which she was industriously mending, while he, and the other children were in bed, and clasping her hands together, just looked upward, and said in a voice, that could scarcely be heard, "Our Father which art in heaven!" -In fact she knew not what to say, she merely made an effort to pray, and then wiped away a tear with the corner of her apron. But are we to think, because she wept, that she was sorrowful? surely no; for she said, "He maketh the widow's heart to sing for joy."

What farther passed between the mother and daughter at this time I need not, or rather, I cannot here relate: suffice it to say, that though they loved each other before, with the greatest tenderness, and were indeed, all the world to each other, yet now, when their hearts were knit together, by the bond of peace, their affection was increased tenfold.

You are not to imagine that this girl, who had hitherto been a very careless girl, became all at one a good scholar-far from it; there was really, at this time, nothing the least

I

striking, either in her notes or her proofs. shall speak of their character afterwards, at present I am merely noticing the means which, I do not say positively, were instrumental in turning her from the error of her way; but which I say, according to the ordinary method of Providence, most likely, might have been blessed for that purpose; accordingly, when these circumstances became known to her teacher, she desired Lily to learn by heart, the following hymn, entitled,

GREAT EFFECTS BY WEAK MEANS.

"Unbelief the soul dismays;
What objections will it raise!
But true faith securely leans
On the promise-in the means.

If to faith it once be known,
God has said, 'It shall be done,
And in his appointed way;'
Faith has then no more to say.

Moses' rod, by faith upreared,
Through the sea a path prepared:
Jericho's devoted wall

At the trumpet's sound must fall.