"MY DEAREST PAP "I am sorry I exceed three weel

never uneasy at all. This

you though absen

has been wit

and theref

trust a blowet

canst

that

No of the truth and Your uncle J** Sunday, from Hebrews en made perfect.' * * * l love you, and you may father."

ot long after :

at any are willing to devote an udent as I am. My letters, I fear, ye, notwithstanding their ignorance, my desires of a soul regenerated by the ormity to the divine will, and of being the Lord Jesus Christ, may be discerned Sala degree), I know it will rejoice the heart I do hope I am one of those whom

eep and preserve even unto the end; one that

his hand. The privilege is indeed unspeakably hink of my own weakness and unworthiness, I Co the tree grace and love of Him, who has plucked on the burning. I wish I could feel more love, to him who loved me, and gave himself for me. I wholly devoted to him, and to walk with him.

Oh, may my lips and life express,

The holy gospel I profess;

Oh, may my works and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine!'

this is my desire, but I daily and hourly come short of it. I dood weak, but there is a gracious promise: They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.' I hope, my dear mamma, You do not forget me at the throne of grace. Though absent in the body, it is the privilege of true christians to meet there. I trust I

sometimes meet my dear parents there, till we meet to part no te, before the throne of God and the Lamb in glory."

And again:

I am daily more and more convinced, that it is 'the soul of the diligent that shall be made fat,' and lament my own slothfulness and inactivity. I was told yesterday of some races, where twenty-four out of the twenty-seven candidates were so eager to begin, that they set off before the signal was given. Ah! how anxious for the honour and reward this world can give; but they had to race again, and the one who won the first time lost the second. Oh, may I so run, that I may obtain !--not a poor fleeting prize this world can give, but an eternal weight of glory, a crown that fadeth not away.' I know and feel it to be an arduous race; many impediments and stumbling blocks lie in the way; many crosses must be taken up and borne, before we reach the goal; and many enemies encompass the path. When I think on these things, faith (weak as it is at all seasons) fails, and I fear I shall not finish my course; but at other times, I feel that 'more are they that are with me than all that are with them; and I fear not, but rather rejoice, to walk through this wilderness leaning on my beloved.' May I, my dear mamma, beg an increased interest in your prayers, that I may be faithful unto death, and receive a crown of life.'”

I trust I need not make any apology to the reader for inserting a few more extracts from her correspondence. The following were addressed to her eldest sister.

Are not the promises sufficient to keep alive our hope, confirm our faith, and cheer our hearts in the prospect of trial, disease, and death itself? What are trials? The strokes of a tender father. What is disease? A bitter herb, that makes Christ more sweet and precious to the soul. What is death? The pulling down of this mudwall habitation, this frail tabernacle, this crazy lodgment of the soul; bursting the bonds that kept her distant from her God, and prevented her soaring far on high, and resting in the bosom of her Saviour and Redeemer. I feel as if I should rejoice to see one pin after another taken down from my tabernacle of flesh, that it might soon fall to the ground, there to remain with its kindred dust,--but not for ever.

No, at the trump of the archangel, at the voice of its Redeemer, it shall arise glorified, and fashioned like unto his glorious body, never more to be separated from him. Oh! my dearest **, I wish to enter more deeply, more spiritually, more continually into these subjects: it is easy to write, but how hard to feel. Alas! what do I feel but sin? That besets me continually; I have nothing else to call my But His name be praised, if he has caused us to feel our own In Christ only are we strong. May we daily receive from him fresh supplies of grace; may his divine love be more and more shed abroad in our hearts; may we live on his fulness, be clothed in his righteousness, and grow in his likeness. What love has he displayed towards us!

own.

weakness.

'Oh! may we love him more and more,

Till we arrive on yonder shore,

Where all is endless love.'

"Thither we are fast hastening. Happy shore, happy employment; for ever to sing redeeming love, and cast our bright crowns at his feet, ascribing unto him, even to the Lamb that was slain, salvation and honour."

"June 3, 1823.

"*** Sinful and unworthy as we are, dearest **, I trust we shall be raised hereafter in the image, the likeness, the glory of our precious Redeemer. It is this thought animates me, and makes me contented, though conscious of much weakness and insensibility. What if I am despised on earth! What if I do not shine in this vain world!

'Poor though I am, despised, forgot,

If God, my God, forgets me not;'

I am rich indeed, and shall shine soon for ever and ever in the kingWe shall not there complain of deadness of soul, or

dom of God.

want of love. Oh no! all will be perfect love, vigour, life, joy and peace. My beloved sister, is this our home, our inheritance? can it be? Then have we indeed sufficient cause for joy.

"I feel that God sent me hither, and I can trace his hand in thus providing for me. He has given me all things enjoy; his mercy is indeed great, and endureth for ever.

richly to How can

we be sufficiently thankful to the author of our mercies-the friend that sticketh closer than a brother! Have you ever mourned his absence? And have you not then had feelings unutterable, when you could enter into the spirit of the Psalmist and say, ' He restoreth my soul.' What a restoration! from spiritual deadness, to life and vigour; from a drooping, desponding heart, to joy in the Lord. How sweet is the consolation that we have an Almighty God, who is able to preserve and keep us from falling. May we feel him to be our Father and Friend, our Saviour and Redeemer, our Sanctifier and Comforter; we may then rejoice in tribulation, and glory in infirmity.

"I greatly desire to see you. Let us, if you please, on the last Sunday unite in imploring a blessing on our meeting at home; that the short time we spend in each other's society, and that of our beloved friends, may be a season of prosperity to our own souls, and of good to our fellow-creatures; that we may be mutually edified and refreshed; and animated to run with new vigour, patience, and joy, the race set before us. Soon, soon, my dearest **, it will be finished; soon the warfare will be accomplished, and our pilgrimage over. A few more meetings and separations, and we shall meet to part no more for ever! Perhaps I shall not be able to write to you again, but I shall not forget you; I shall often be with you in spirit; and I trust sometimes meet you in the presence of my Father and your Father, my God and your God. Oh then, forget not to intercede for your absent, but ever affectionate

"LYDIA."

In October of this year she received a visit from her valued friend Mr. Richmond, who with a son and daughter spent a day or two at M., in order to see her. She had written shortly before, to this young lady

"MY DEAR H.

to

"I was surprised to hear a few days since, that you think of going I do not wish to create in you any gloomy ideas; but I never leave my dear home, or part from my earliest and dearest friends without thinking I may never see them again. We do not know

when we take the last look, or bid the last farewell; but the thought is not painful to me, respecting those with whom I hope to spend an eternity of happiness. * * If, my dear H., we have the blessing of God, we have every thing. What a beautiful prayer is that of Jabez, 'Oh, that thou wouldst bless me indeed!' I sometimes hope that I partake of the blessings of the gospel; but I have many doubts. I feel so little of the spirit of prayer, which is the very breath of the Christian. I desire to feel the wrestling spirit of Jacob, when he cried with holy faith and love, I will not let thee go except thou bless me.* It grieves me that I cannot perceive I make any progress in the divine life; they who belong to Jesus 'go from strength to strength, till in Zion every one appeareth before God;' but I seem weak as ever, daily and hourly backsliding from my God. Yes, I am indeed weak; but I desire to glory in the strength of Christ Jesus my Lord."

And a few months previously

"*** I know you will not be offended at my endeavouring to stir you up to activity and zeal. Though I have many temptations, you have perhaps more. I am far from home; you are in the bosom of your affectionate family. God has graciously placed me where I am keptfrom worldly company, and all kinds of visiting (so apt to draw us from him). You are sometimes obliged to make a few of these visits. I I am deprived of the society of my dearest friends, and am thus, as it were, constrained to seek and enjoy communion with him, whose presence is life; and who calls himself Father, Brother, Friend! On the contrary when I am at home, pleasant conversation, dear friends, and even the cheerful fireside, make me backward to withdraw, and in distant retirement, seek Him whom my soul desires to love. Yet faithful is he that calleth you; and his grace is sufficient. Oh, let us endeavour to animate each other in our course; the race will soon be over; the victory soon be won! Let us be earnest for each other at a throne of grace. What a throne! there we can carry all our sorrows, cares, and anxieties; there we enjoy sweet communion with God in Christ, and experience a foretaste of the joy that awaits us above. Never, never let us neglect it, till we are before the throne of glory.