a peculiarly tender and interesting nature. She was engaged to be married to a young man every way worthy of her: they had taken a house, and she had gone to see it, and to make preparations for furnishing it. She caught a severe cold while thus engaged (it was during the summer of 1819), and was conveyed home evidently in a dangerous state. I now hasten to the period of her last illness; and while I love to call to mind the blessed things which I myself witnessed, I am thankful to record them for the benefit of her relatives and others. The distance and my engagements prevented my seeing her as often as I wished; but I saw enough and heard enough to convince me that she was dying, as she had lived, in the faith and hope of the Gospel. It was in the latter part of the autumn that I first saw her. She opened her whole mind to me. She told me, that for some months she had been in the most unhappy state of soul, being sensible to herself of a languishing in her spiritual affections. She said, Nothing could exceed my misery:, the Bible was a sealed book: prayer was a strange work: my views were darkened, and I was almost in despair. My friends could not account for my appearance: they knew not that it was the deadness of my soul which caused my uneasiness." She then added, with tears (and it was impossible not to weep tears of sympathy with her), "What added to my burden was, that I should be such a hypocrite. I have seemed so religious. There was one poor man in particular, whom I constantly visited on his sick-bed and read to, and my friends thought me so good; but they little knew with what bitter self-reproaches I came from his bedside. I was conscious that I appeared to others what I was not in the sight of God, and I hated myself." Such was her jealousy of herself and her deep humility.

Again I would pause to address my readers. While we have need to caution many against neglecting to use their talents, we have equal need, in these days of general profession and activity, to caution Christians against abusing them, by placing their zeal and exertions in the room of heart religion-the life of God in the soul of man. We fear many err here. They are active in Bible, and missionary, and visiting societies; they are laborious as teachers in Sunday and other schools: all this is well. But St. Paul feared, lest, after all his preaching, he should be a castaway; and he teaches us, that the most costly sacrifices without charity will profit nothing. No. This dear departed saint had the unction of the holy One, and she knew all things. She wished to abound in the work of the Lord, and she did abound; but she could not be happy unless God had the sacrifice of the heart as well as of the hands. She judged herself no better than a hypocrite, while her heart was alienated from her Redeemer. I know not the exact nature of her avowed declension; and cannot undertake to say whether it was imaginary-merely a declension of spiritual comfort, graciously permitted for wise reasons by her heavenly Father, or whether it was a real declension of spiritual affection, arising from the entanglement of her prospect in life, or the baneful influence of worldly society, into which a long visit to a friend at a distance had thrown her. Be this as it may, nothing would satisfy her heaven-taught mind but the inward witness of the Spirit. Without this, her most righteous deeds seemed to be only aggravations of her guilt and condemnation. my dear readers, learn of this young Christian. Remember that the victory over an unruly affection, or the exhibition of a Christian grace in your deportment, is far beyond the most specious outward

zeal in doing good.

While, however, Miss V. lamented deeply the sins of her regenerate as well as unregenerate days, she spoke out of a heart overflowing with the abundance of the Lord's mercies to her. Her illness no sooner commenced than her hopes and consolations returned. She spoke of this as a peculiar mercy. Her gracious Redeemer measured out his afflictions with the hand of infinite tenderness and compassion. To have endured the sufferings of a lingering disease, added to her inward mournings after her absent Lord, would have been insupportable; but one trial is removed before the other comes, lest she should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. And how striking was the contrast! how peculiarly illustrative of the nature and excellence of real religion! The fairest earthly prospects failed to charm, while the light of God's countenance was withheld from her; and the waning of all earthly enjoyment, added to the continuance of bodily suffering, failed to terrify or distress, while she was favoured with that peace of God which passeth all understanding.

This poor tempest-tost weatherbeaten pilgrim, who had passed through a Baca indeed for several months, weeping in the bitterness of her soul over her departed joys, hears her Lord's voice in the last storm; calmly and composedly contemplates the loss of all things, because the Spirit of the Lord Jesus had hushed her fears and revived her hopes. "I am a vile, wretched, unworthy sinner," she said to me one day, " and I am thoroughly sensible that, without the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, I must be lost and undone for ever; but, thank God, I have a good hope in my Redeemer, and through grace have had, since the beginning of my illness." I believe that, with

in perfect peace till her death. Though kindly and constantly visited by him to whom she had hoped to have been united, she saw him, and she received his attentions and his counsels, without embarrassment or distress. To her neighbours, who visited her, she had always something useful to say, and frequently, when very weak in body, did she attempt to read aloud to them some hymn or passage, which she thought might impress them. She was particularly fond of the Olney Hymns, and pointed out two as expressive of her state, and the help she had found. The one is, "The Legion dispossessed;" and the other, "The good Physician." As her departure drew near, her peace did not forsake her. She knew that she had cast her soul upon Jesus, and she knew that his promise could not fail her. She passed through the dark valley like one who was indeed " looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God;" and it did not seem hard to her, that she was so soon to enter that land where the weary are at rest. Her happy soul calmly and peacefully winged its way to heaven on the 22d of January 1820, in the 25th year of her age.

One word more and I have done. How frequently does it happen, that the most fearful and desponding Christians have the sweetest manifestations of their Redeemer's grace, and the happiest departures out of life! Miss Varley often said that she could not have conceived it possible, that she should be so happy as she was, during the whole of her last illness. Her friends were astonished as well as herself. Thus, after a long and tedious day of darkness, at eventide it was light. The faithfulness of Jehovah did not fail though the faith of the creature drooped. O, what encouragement for the godly soul to trust!

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Trust in the Lord and be doing good, and leave your cares for the

future in the hands of Him who hath said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee."

I had nearly forgotten to mention, that a clergyman in Yorkshire, a relation, having heard of Miss Varley's state, wrote to her a letter, which she highly valued. She carried it about with her, and spoke of it a short time before her death, as being vastly precious to her, from its dwelling so fully upon dear Lord and Saviour. I have been favoured with a sight of it by her father; and am so struck with its excellence, that I copied it, and send it for insertion at the end of this narrative.

her

I had intended, Mr. Editor, that this narrative should have appeared in a little monthly publication, "The Friendly Visitor," of which I have the care. I thought, however, that it would be an interesting sequel to my other history from our mountains of William S--; and, moreover, I was anxious thus substantially to assure you, that though engaged in a work, which pretends not indeed to rivalry, but the care of which precludes my dressing you as frequently as I once did, I nevertheless remain Your sincere Wellwisher and Friend, W. W.

Dec. 4, 1821.

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A Letter from the Rev. R. W. to Miss Varley.

January 5, 1820.

DEAR MISS VARLEY,

I HAVE long wished to write you a few lines, but from various circumstances I have put it off from day to day; and this, with many other purposes, has often been remembered, and the neglect of it as much regretted. I have been much concerned to hear of

your indisposition, and truly sympathize with you: but we must not murmur under such dispensations, but rather rejoice that God has visited you with so distinguished a mark of his paternal love. The Apostle's assurance, ، that whon he loves he chastens," is of perpetual application, and meets the case of every penitent, suffering sinner. Indeed, God never loves us more than when we are under his chastisements. He said of Ephraim, "Since 1 spake against him, I do earnestly remember him still." What, then, though his correcting hand be not joyous, but grievous to flesh and blood, let us fook through our sufferings to the effects of them, even the peaceable fruits of righteousness. Under such circumstances we often are enabled to look more steadily to Jesus Christ, our righteousness, as we can view the sun more stea

dily, when veiled by a thin cloud. With your infirmity of body, I trust, you are enabled to see much of the infirmity and pollution of both body and soul. Be not afraid to look into yourself, rather pray that God may search you out, and see if there be any evil way in you, and that he may teach you to know yourself; for, the more you can discover of your natural alienation from God, the better. The lower opinion you can have of yourself, the better; nay, the more you can hate and loathe your own sinfulness, the better. For you are then one of those lost creatures, whom Christ came to seek and to save; you are then one of those sick whom he came to heal. Blessed be God that salvation is of free grace and mere mercy; that we are only required to see and feel our wretchedness and necessity, to entitle us to a participation in all the rich provisions of grace and glory. We are unrighteous (God knows), but Christ is our righteousness. His perfect obedience to the law of God is put down to the account of

every true believer, who is thereby justified from all things. It is an encouraging and glorious mystery, that Christ, in his own person, has united our nature to the Godhead; because we are thereby grafted, as it were, into heaven, and because we may now address him, pray to him, open our case to him, commune with him, as with an elder brother. If he be not ashamed, after ascending as a man into heaven, to call us brethren, surely we ought not to fear, but come boldly to the mercy-seat. Would a man fear to be judged by his wife, or a beloved wife by her husband? Surely not. Well, then, this union and sympathy of feeling and affection between man and wife, is pointed out in Scripture as an emblem or type of the far more intimate and mystical union between Christ and every believer. And while our best affections are only corrupt and changeable, God in Christ is all love and unchangeable. Do I wish to love my wife? Do I wish to love my children? Christ loves his people infinitely more; his is an everlasting love. He is pledged, even by an oath (lest we should doubt it), to do all things for them, both for body and soul. Every hour of our lives, he is in the active discharge of his offices on our behalf. As a Prophet, he teaches us by his word and spirit, opening our hearts (as in the case of Lydia) to understand all necessary truths in Scripture; and shining into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, to strengthen, comfort, and support us, as the warmth of the sun ripens the fruit, and causes the earth to bring forth vegetation. As King, Christ is present with every believer, looking into his wants, and giving immediate relief. He is always at hand with kingly power, to succour, save, and deliver him in every mo ment of his surprisals, fears, and dangers; in every trial or duty he be called unto; in every diffi

may

culty he may have to contend with. There is not one gracious acting of the soul in any one believer at any time, in the whole world, either in opposition to sin, or the performance of duty, but it is influenced by and under the kingly power of Christ. Indeed Christ is in every believer, and rules in him as king. All our secret groans and sighs; all our labouring of soul against sin and after holiness; all our godly fear and trembling, are under his eye, and wrought by him. And though his righteousness, or perfect. obedience fulfilled in our nature, be our only title to heaven, yet by the foregoing means he works in us a meetness for the enjoyment of it. But what is still more, Christ is our Priest. The office of the Levitical priests was to pray for the people, and offer sacrifices for them. Christ is always, as our priest, interceding for us, and praying for us to the Father. Because he took our nature into heaven with him, he is touched with the feeling of our infirmities. He begs the Father to forgive us; and the blood which he offers as our High Priest before the mercy-seat, has power to cleanse from all sin.

Now, my dear Miss Varley, contemplate the glorious person of Jesus Christ, in his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King; and, what is more, live in the habitual application to him for the discharge of these offices. He, clothed in manhood in heaven, is fulfilling these high duties for the benefit of our souls; and to all who seek him faithfully, he will manifest himself, as he does not unto the world. Do not torment your mind about obtaining clear conceptions of spiritual things, for here we must be content to see but in part, and know but in part. Christ will reveal himself to your soul in the degree and in the time he sees most fit; for his view of you is clear, though your view of him may be dim; and he knows exactly how to por

tion his favours, so as to keep you from despondency on the one hand, and from presumption on the other. Perhaps if I were with you, you would tell me of many doubts and fears, and that the benefit of Christ's glorious offices may not after all avail you, since you are not certain that you are a true believer. But you have no reason to argue thus. Never sit doubting and complaining, but up and be doing. In worldly matters, the diligent hand maketh rich; and so it is in spiritual affairs. When Satan tempts you to doubt, you may resist him, and drive him off by your Bible, or on your knees. He

R

W.

MR. EDITOR,

ON considering lately those striking words of the prophet Ezekiel, iii. 17, 18, I felt ready to tremble at the awful responsibility; and for a few moments, almost to wonder that any one could be found, who would venture to take the sacred office of the ministry upon him. And yet, alas! not only do vast numbers rush upon it, ignorant, unprepared, and utterly indifferent about the immortal souls committed to their charge; but it is to be feared, that many who know something of the truth as it is in Jesus, and are desirous of guiding their hearers in the way to heaven, have, through the great deceitfulness of their own hearts, very inadequate ideas of the duties of the faithful watchman. How is it else, Mr. Editor, that we find some, of whom one cannot, upon the whole, but think well, so deficient in declaring the whole counsel of God? SO backward in aiming the arrow of conviction to the hardened conscience, by laying open the latent evils of their hearts, and the corrupt practices of their lives? In this day of general profession, it

is certainly a very easy matter to preach all the doctrines of the Gospel, and yet avoid the offence of the cross. Men will endure to hear that all are sinners by nature and practice, but they do not like to learn the particular offences in which they themselves are conscious they transgress. They will even bear too with the assertion, that our good deeds will avail nothing in procuring salvation, and that we must be saved solely and entirely through the merits of the Saviour; but the same persons often will be offended by being told of the necessary work of the Spirit on their hearts, and that even they, the virtuous, the moral, and formally righteous, must be born again, and experience an entire change in the dispositions of their hearts, before they can enter into the kingdom of God.

Demetrius has long been called an evangelical preacher. He holds the doctrines of original sin, human depravity, justification alone, and the imputed righteousness of Christ; and from time to time brings all these subjects forward in the pulpit. His hearers mostly assent