with the mighty work of man's salvation, as planned before the creation of the first man, or ere this mighty earth had commenced its wondrous course. She pointed out the completeness of this work, and how, in instances more numerous than the stars of heaven, or the sand of the sea, it is begun, continued, and finished, for the benefit of individuals, in a way altogether beyond their conception, and frequently where the will rises against it in the most furious opposition. She then proceeded to say something of the distinct characters and offices of the three Persons of the Trinity; enlarging upon the love of the Father, the sufferings of the Son, and the operations of the Spirit: observing how this last deals with the souls of men, breaking down the strong holds of self, and constraining the individual to cry out, "I am undone; I am without help;" thus laying him in the dust, in order finally to raise him up and set him with Christ Jesus in heavenly places, where he is appointed to shine as the firmament for ever and ever.

This conversation was greatly blessed to Constantia, who often took occasion to renew these subjects; and before Mrs. Nevil had been many weeks with her friend, she witnessed such a change in her as could be attributed to nothing less than a divine influence.

The first apparent effect of grace in Constantia, was an apology which she made to her friends for the many hasty expressions she had used towards them, and especially concerning the management of her in youth. She laid the blame of all her misfortunes on her own hasty temper, and confessed that her afflictions were far less than she deserved.

This change in the poor distressed Constantia was evident to all around her, and became a subject of much wonder to those who could not comprehend the power of grace over the human passions. In the mean time, as her soul continued to advance from strength to strength, and to ripen for glory, her body became weaker and weaker: nevertheless, owing to the removal of the complaint from the head, shortly before her death, her features and complexion recovered in a great measure their former appearance; affording her friends the unexpected satisfaction of once again beholding that very face and

countenance, upon which they had formerly gazed with so much delight. Neither was it a small consolation to Mrs. Nevil, to see the countenance of her dying friend embellished with every touching expression of divine love and holy hope.

Some of the last words uttered by Constantia, were an expression of thankfulness for those afflictions whereby her path had been hedged to the right and to the left, and she had been prevented from plunging into those destructive pleasures which would have ended in spiritual death.

I am happy in concluding this story, to be enabled to say, that the society of Mr. and Mrs. Nevil, together with the death of their beloved Constantia, were in some degree blessed to Mrs. Kitty and her sisters, who from that period renounced those light amusements with which they had hitherto beguiled so large a portion of their time, and devoted themselves much to the duties of serious reading and benevolent attention to the poor.

Here the lady of the manor closed her book, and, as the story of Constantia had occupied a longer time than she expected, the young people, after a short prayer, were obliged to disperse in haste.

A Second Prayer for Assistance in the Regulation of the Will.

"O HOLY Lord God, forasmuch as, by the influences of thy blessed Spirit, we have been led to see that the will of the natural man is ever rising in opposition to thine, we humbly supplicate thee to shed upon us the graces of that Blessed Spirit, which alone can enable us to conform our desires to thy pleasure, and to devote ourselves without reserve to thy service. Enable us, O heavenly Father, on every occasion, and in every circumstance of our lives, to say, 'Thy will, not ours, be done.' Teach us to observe the indications of thy will: and as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so may our eyes wait upon thee, our God. Lead us into a happy imitation of those saints,

in ancient days, who, by a faithful submission to thy holy will, obtained a good report, and, confessing themselves to be pilgrims and strangers upon earth, looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

"It is required of us, O Lord, to deny the lusts of the flesh, and to crucify our earthly affections. To thee, O God, and to thee only, we look for help so to do; confessing our weakness, and bewailing our rebellious disposition. We know that we cannot please thee by any efforts or exertions made in our own proper strength: leave us not, therefore, we earnestly supplicate thee, to our own lusts and passions. Let not sin have dominion over us. Hedge us in on the right and on the left, lest we forsake thy way; and suffer us not to depart from thee, or to take the management of our concerns into our own hands. Bless unto us the instruction with which thou hast favoured us; grant that those who watered, and those who are watered, may be equally the objects of thy divine favour. Finally, we beseech thee, guide us through this life by thy counsels, and af terward receive us into glory.

"And now to God the Father," &c.

Secondly, that I should believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith.

WHEN the young party were again assembled in the presence of their excellent and highly revered instructress, they conversed for some time on the history of Constantia, comparing her character with that of Theodosia and the lady of the manor failed not to observe, that the happiness of the one, and her excellent conduct under affliction, with the unhappiness of the other, even when in the most prosperous situation, were owing to the different states of their respective feelings. As one possessed a will subdued and agreeable to that of God, so the other was continually the prey of wayard inclinations and vehement desires, which never could be satisfied. And the lady of the manor concluded this part of her discourse, by again pointing out, that no creature can enjoy true happiness until the lusts of the flesh are subdued within him; inasmuch as these lusts work in opposition to the will of God, and are constantly exciting gloomy and dissatisfied feelings, not only towards the Creator himself, but towards parents, ministers, magistrates, and all who are placed in authority under God. "But," continued the lady of the manor, "we must now leave this subject which has so long occupied our attention, and proceed to other parts of the Church Catechism." She then requested Miss Louisa to say what her godfathers and godmothers had promised for her, secondarily, in her baptism.

The young lady answered, "Secondly, that I should believe all the articles of the Christian faith."

"Before we proceed to an explanation of this part of the Church Catechism," said the lady of the manor, “I think it proper to point out to you, my dear young people, an idea which has more than once suggested itself to me when considering the baptismal vow. Our Church Catechism, as I have before remarked, though an excellent form of words, and containing much that is truly admirable in a very short compass, is, I fear, from its extreme succinctness, often liable to lead ignorant persons into error, and therefore should be seldom used without some judicious explanation. In that part of it, falling under our late and present consideration," continued she, "it is stated that the sponsor undertakes three things in the name of the child: first, that he shall 'renounce the devil and all his works, the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh; and, secondly, that he shall 'believe all the articles of the Christian faith.' To a hasty observer," proceeded she, "it might appear, from the arrangements of the articles of this vow, that it was held by our Church as a possible and probable thing, that the renouncing of sin in its various forms, should go before faith; whereas we are told, that without faith it is impossible to please God; and that he who cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, (Heb. xi. 6.)—although, independent of the authority of Scripture, the experience of six thousand years proves, without the shadow of a doubt, that all attempts made by man to dwell in his own strength have either utterly failed, and ended in open shame, or in what perhaps is still more to be dreaded, in self-exultation and an impious attempt to establish the independence of the creature in defiance of the Creator. We do not, however, presume to hint, that the pious compilers of our Church Catechism," continued she, "had any ideas of this kind: we rather wonder at their producing a work with so few defects; at the same time, we well know that no production of man can be perfect. We are anxious, however, to give faith its proper place before works, the place allowed it by our articles, which are to this purpose: 'Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot