Mary the Milk-maid.

157 true, indeed, Mary, for God has promised that the meek he will guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way:' pray what part of the sacred volume have you been reading lately?"" “I was reading this morning, Sir, Isaiah's prophecies about the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then I turned to the accounts which we have in the Testament, and I cannot tell you how much I felt when I read of our Saviour's love to poor sinners, and of the sufferings he endured to save them from eternal misery I could not refrain from singing:

Remember all the dying pains

Which my Redeemer felt,

And let his blood wash out my stains,
And answer for my guilt.

"I am truly rejoiced,” said I, "to find that you were thus employed; we can never think too highly of the love of Jesus Christ, nor too deeply of our own sinfulness, so that we always connect the two together. I am often surprised when I reflect on these subjects, that my own heart is so cold and indifferent, when my whole soul should be affected with love, gratitude, and joy, contrition, humility, and hatred to sin. I trust, Mary, that you have begun to love Jesus Christ in the days of your youth; we cannot commence too soon to love him, we cannot serve him too zealously, -"Ah, Sir! I wish I we cannot trust in him too unreservedly."could say with Peter Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee;' but if I cannot be so bold, I may say, that I do earnestly desire to love Jesus Christ, and that nothing distresses me more, than that I love him so little.'

'Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.'

Just at this time Mary was called away to the dairy by some customers, who wanted milk or butter; I then turned round to John and his wife, and warmly congratulated them on having such a daughter. "We have great reason to be thankful," said John, "for such a dear child, she is a vast comfort to us and to all the children. Sally and I often give thanks to God, that by his grace Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her;' our nearest neighbour, Tom Brown, the wheelwright, has just sent off his son to sea; he was such a desperate wicked boy, that he almost broke his mother's heart; and some of the neighbours say she is justly punished, because she'd never let her children go to the Sunday-School: God be praised, all our children are a comfort to us.'

I then proceeded to talk a little to the children, and drawing out of my pocket a number of serious, interesting tracts with pretty I was soon surrounded pictures, I invited them to come to me. with all the group of rosy faced sunburnt smiling children. A little round cherry-cheek boy perched himself on one knee, a merry curly headed girl clambered up the other, and all of them were eager to say their hymns and chapters, when I promised them the reward of a book. The father and mother stood by, gazing on their little ones with fond delight. I soon heard the children re

Letter of a Sunday School girl to her sister.

158 peat something that they had committed to memory, and presented each of them with a book. No children in the world could be more happy than they, as they ran with their treasures to exhibit them to their beloved parents.

When Mary had served her customers, she returned and joined with the rest of the family, in expressing their gratitude to me for the books I had given them; I then selected half a dozen of the largest, and begged her to accept of them. "It is now time," said I, "that I should wish you good morning."-" I hope you will stay a little longer," said John, " may I be so bold as to ask your Honour to spend a few minutes in prayer with us before you leave?"-I could not refuse the request; we all knelt down together and poured out our prayers and praises at the throne of grace. 'Twas a solemn and an interesting moment;

I then gave this humble pious family an affectionate farewell, and as I departed I exclaimed: "How incomparably superior is the happiness of pious cottagers, to the boasted bliss of worldlings!" Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are paths of peace.

SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

[Y. M. The following communication cannot be too widely circulated, as it is calculated to prove the usefulness of that most excellent and widely-spreading system of Sunday instruction. Infidels may scoff at, the lukewarm may discourage, the jealous may be fearful of, the results of such a combination of energies as now become proverbial throughout England, Scotland, and Ireland, in behalf of the sons and daughters of poverty and ignorance. The infidel hates the Sabbath as much as this employment of it-the lukewarm think every thing will find its own level without human interference-the jealous are apprehensive of the lower orders becoming too wise. If the mode and matter of instruction were in the hands of either of these parties, the effects might be feared; but as they are the fruits of love to God, and a concern for the souls of mankind, the results may be looked for with hope and joy. They who can neither read nor write are the easiest to be seduced into crimes of the blackest and most diabolical kind; being only hearers, they must take every thing upon trust, and may of course be persuaded that laws the most wholesome are tyranny; and that religion is of human invention, for the purposes of oppression.

The following letter was written by a young woman at service in London, lately a Sunday School girl, to her sister, a Sunday School girl at the same School.

MY DEAR SISTER

I hope these few lines will find you in earnest about your immortal soul, which is of the greatest importance. Your soul, you know, must dwell either in happiness or everlasting misery. We may die soon; and what an awful thing would it be to die unprepared for death! Now is the accepted time! now is the day of salvation! I sincererly hope you will seek for salvation in Jesus, that kind and compassionate Saviour of sinners;-go to him as a poor sinner-ask him to pardon your sins, and make you his for ever: he has promised that he will cast out none that come to him. Do go, my dear sister, and humbly ask him to teach you how to pray to him in a right manner: for we are poor weak creatures; of ourselves we can do nothing, but

through him we can do all things. I am very much concerned about you. You know you are thinking about going to service, and it is very proper you should go: and I hope you will get a place to suit you soon.

In the world there are a great many snares and temptations; and what a mercy to have the kind and loving Saviour for our guide! As we pass through life we need a guide. Let me entreat you to read your Bible as often as you possibly can, for it is a precious treasure; there is something there to suit every station. I am very thankful that you have the privilege of going to a Sunday School; you have very kind and good instruction there, and I hope it will be made a blessing to you, as it was to me. Learn the characters of good children as much as you can, and pray that the Lord would make you like them. I hope you are a good girl to your mother, and do all that lies in your power to help her. I should very much like to come and see all of you this summer; but as I am just settled in my place, it would not be right to ask this summer, but I hope to come next. Now do remember, dear sister, what I have said to you concerning serious things; don't put it off one day; you may be dead to-morrow; and we must all stand before the great God to give an account for all that we have done, whether it be good or bad; and God will say to his chosen people, Come, ye blessed, enter into the kingdom prepared for you: but he will say to those that are not prepared, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. Now if you are concerned about it, and are saying, What shall I do to be saved? feeling yourself to be a poor sinner; go to him; he is the way, and the truth, and the life; he died the cruel death of the cross on purpose that those who believe on him might have life. O what mercy, O what love to poor sinners! He came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. I am happy to tell you, sister, that I feel so much of the love of Christ to my soul, that I cannot express it to you? my sincere prayer is, that he would apply his Holy Spirit to your soul; pluck you as a brand from the burning; call you out of darkness into his great and marvellous light, and make you his for ever. Wishing you the best of blessings, believe me to be your affectionate sister,

1041

THE FUGITIVE.

Dark was the night, the wint ry storm blew loud,
While the lone sea-boy climbs the slippery shroud ;
Desponding sighs burst from him as he past
To the tall summit of the bending mast.
Above no star appears, around no shore,
And deep beneath the angry billows roar;
When, to the winds and seas he thus confest
The sad forebodings of his burthen'd breast.
"Ah! wherefore did I from my parents roam,
Or leave, by folly lured, my quiet home;
Far from that quiet home, those parents, borne
O'er the wide waters, friendless and forlorn ;
From wave to wave receding now I go
Farther from them, and deeper plung'd in wo;
O might these sleepless eyes behold again.
My native cottage on the peaceful plain;
Once more my parents, kindred, friends, embrace,
And gladly recognize each well known face;
No more should vice my foolish heart ensnare,
Or tempt the dangers of the deep to dare...
1erhaps ere now, with keen distraction wild,

H. B.

My frantic mother seeks her worthless child,
Explores each neighbouring village, hamlet, fair,
And ends her fruitless efforts in despair;
While, to my injur'd father's manly grief,
The silent tear administers relief;

Perhaps on me my brethren, sisters, call-
Wretch that I am who could forsake them all!
Who wantonly conspired their peace to slay,
By crimes at home, and absence while away.
Vainly ye call, for I no more shall hear
Your friendly voice invite me to draw near;
No more the heartfelt joys of home partake,
Or share your pastimes at the village wake;
No more to church each Sabbath morn repair,
Raising the song of praise and voice of prayer;
Nor taught of those who lead ingenuous youth
Through wisdom's portal to the shrine of truth;
Her sacred oracles with awe survey;
Read, meditate, remember, and obey.
O! that my wand'ring feet had ne'er forsook
Th' unerring guidance of God's Holy Book!
I had not then with vile associates strove
To thwart my Maker's and my parents' love,
Nor spurning at remonstrance, madly fled

Where winds and waves roar vengeance round my head."
Scarce could these thoughts dart through his fear struck soul,
Swift as the flash precedes the thunder's roll,

When down on hidden rocks, with horrid crash,

Conspiring elements the vessel dash;

Despairing shrieks ascend the skies in vain,

Drown'd in the deep-mouth'd bellowings of the main ;

While ne'er to rise, till the last trumpet's call,

Ocean's abyss profound ingulphs them all ;

Save the poor youth, whom heav'n's indulgence spares,
Once more-in answer to parental prayers.

He, from the tow'ring topmast rudely cast,
Clung to the buoyant fragment of a mast;

Which, midst surrounding deaths, some angel bore

O'er the wild surges to the distant shore,

Where dawning day's reviving beams arose,
And friendly strangers soothe him to repose.

There, as by slow degrees, his strength return'd,
With gratitude to God his bosom burn'd.

From thence with throbbing heart and alter'd mind,
His native cot he sought and parents kind,
Where floods of joyful tears stream down each face,
While they the long-lost fugitive embrace.
But never, from the hour of his return,
Did he again compel their hearts to mourn.
Death only bade the pleasing union cease,
When they descended to the grave in peace.

Y. M.

THE CHRISTIAN HERALD.

VOL. III.]

Saturday, June 7, 1817.

[No. 11.

A NARRATIVE

Of the state of Religion within the bounds of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church; and of the General Associations of Connecticut, of New Hampshire, and of Massachusetts Proper. Every thing which relates to the Redeemer's kingdom is important to the world, and of peculiar interest to the people of God. The General Assembly, therefore, feel a pleasure in presenting to the churches under their care, a summary of the state of religion within their bounds during the past year.

In entering on this duty, they cannot conceal their grief, that, in many parts of our wide extended country, there are many vices still prevalent, such as profaneness, intemperance, sabbath-breaking and gambling; vices, these, which will always be, whilst they continue, a cause of just complaint and of deep regret. In many instances, however, a check has been given to these degrading and sinful practices, by the salutary operation of moral societies.— Societies of this character, if instituted on proper principles and conducted with suitable prudence, promise to be very useful in laying, at least, an outward restraint upon the disturbers of the peace and order of society.

In some instances too, we learn, with feelings of the greatest concern, that the walk and conversation even of professors, are not such as becometh the gospel of Christ. They are cold and formal in their demeanour, and in their conduct conform to the vain customs of the world. Alas! they seem to have forgotten the solemnity of that transaction, when they laid their vows before the altar of God, and avouched the Lord Jehovah to be their God. The General Assembly feel it to be their duty, tenderly, but faithfully, to warn such of the danger of their condition, and the pernicious influence of their example, and earnestly to exhort them to strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die.

Fidelity to the churches requires that these subjects of grief should be presented to their view; yet it is not to be understood that the evils complained of are more prevalent than heretofore. There is, indeed, abundant reason to believe they are not. The -general aspect of the church of God has never been more favourable within our knowledge than at the present time, The age in which we live is to be characterized as the age of christian charity. Numerous associations are formed, which have for their object the alleviation of human misery; associations, by the efforts of which the widow's heart is made glad, the orphan's tears are wiped away, and poverty is relieved in its cottage of sorrow. Nor has benevolence limited her exertions to relieving the temporal ne cessities of mankind. A higher object has claimed her attention, and

L