to learn what he tells us concerning this world or the next-you have the impudence, the folly, and wickedness to pretend to tell people future events; a thing that no human learning could ever enable the greatest scholars in the world to do. But stop, I will tell you your fortune, and mark what I say, for I will tell it from the word of God, and you will find it but too true, I fear, one of these days. Hear then your fortune, it is this, Unless you repent you will surely perish.' The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the people that forget God.' She that repents and believes the Gospel shall be saved, and she that repents not, that believes not, shall be damned.' Now old woman go into some barn, or behind some hedge, and call out to Christ for mercy. Burn your lying cursed cards, and beg God to change your heart, and pardon your sins, and give you grace to know and love the Saviour. If you do this in earnest all may yet be well, but if you still harden your heart, and persist in your trade and iniquity, remember, I tell you from God's own book, that you will go to hell, and be miserable for ever.' While my friend was thus, as he called it, telling the poor old woman her fortune she wept bitterly, and made many promises, all which were, however, but empty air, for as I afterwards learnt, though she refrained from telling fortunes among my friend's people, she followed up her trade in all the adjoining villages, and notwithstanding several future remonstrances and warnings, she remained callous and indifferent to every thing connected with her salvation, and died as she

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had lived, ignorant of Christ, and without hope, and without God in the world. As there was not any thing particular occurred between our parting with the fortune-teller and regaining the parsonage house, I shall here conclude this paper.

No. XVII.

ON a future day, going forth with my friend, we came near a cottage, placed in a garden, and enjoying the purest air of a delightful common, and scenery of a surrounding woodland country. Its whole appearance interested and drew forth some expressions of my feelings. "It is," said

my friend, " every thing, as a residence, which an industrious pious family could require to make them snug and comfortable. It is a little freehold, and contains house-room and gardenground sufficient for all the purposes of the family; but it will soon pass into the hands of strangers, and I fear that the poor woman and her children will have to seek a house and shelter where they can find them; for the husband, the owner and present occupier, is as idle and drunken a fellow as any in my parish. He has long since spent all his patrimony, and is now running into debt and destruction. Never do I pass by this cottage but Solomon's words are forcibly recalled to mind,There are who withhold more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty;' and again, He that is greedy of gain, troubleth his own house.' Now poor old George, the late father of the present owner and occupier, was one of these characters; and every shilling he left behind him has proved a snare and curse to

those who inherited it. Avarice is a great sin, and most hateful in the sight of God when found in ignorant and unchristian men. But when it is found possessing the heart of a man who knows his Lord's will, and who makes a profession of the Gospel, it is doubly hateful in the sight of God and man. And generally the visible displeasure of Providence so rests upon their hoarded wealth, that it is not permitted to administer to the good of their descendants; but, on the contrary, it hastens them into disgrace, and poverty, and sin. While old George was living, I frequently called on him, and often enjoyed his conversation: for up to his death I considered him a poor old man, struggling hard to furnish himself with a little food and raiment, and often I looked at the delapsed state of his cottage with regret that the owner was not able to keep it in repair. And when his illness confined him to his bed, I still more regretted the want of those comforts, up stairs, which his case required. These circumstances, together with his many complaints of the difficulty of getting through the hard times, and the great reluctance with which he parted with one penny weekly towards our Missionary Society, all led me to conclude that he was, as to this world, poor indeed; but judge of my grief and astonishment, when, after his death, I learnt that he had been possessed of nearly or quite three hundred pounds, and that this sum was left behind him; though that while he was living, he would not advance one shilling to help his needy children, nor assist, in the smallest degree, to feed or

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clothe those grandchildren who were suffering through their father's drunkenness. And now, what has all this avariciousness come to? As far as those are concerned into whose hands his money passed, it has proved the greatest curse; and as to his own soul, God alone can tell how it has ended there! For my own part," repeated Erastus, "I can never think of this old man without many fears. Had he been liberal and thankful according to his means, and parted with that portion of his wealth which he could so well spare, and devoted it to God as a thankoffering, the remainder might have been blessed to his children, but, There are who withhold more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty;' and, undoubtedly, 'He that is greedy of gain, troubleth his own house."" "It is, indeed," said I, "a melancholy thought, that any who profess to have their heart and affections set on things above, should, as we often see, cling to the mammon of this world, until their souls are paralyzed, and their perceptions of duty altogether deranged." "Yes," said Erastus; "had this man asked himself for whom he hoarded up his guineas; for what cause he denied himself the decencies and comforts of bedding and furniture; and wherefore he complained of the hardness of the times; and why he so unwillingly parted even with one penny a-week for the cause of God and of souls; what reply could he have made to himself which, as a man professing godliness, and daily reading his Bible, would have been satisfactory. None whatever. George, he was very high in his doctrinal senti

Poor