grieved away the Spirit, and hardened my neart against the truth. The Spirit left me; but I believe and am sure, that it was only for a season. I am confident that he will return, and then I shall become a christian."

"Ah, my friend," said I, laying my hand upon his shoulder, "you are cherishing a most dangerous confidence. You are not grieving, but insulting the Spirit of God; and your heart may be withered by his wrath, instead of being melted by his love. But God is merciful, only be sure you live until the Spirit returns. Be careful of your life, for you stake its salvation on its continuance. I never saw him again. A few months after this interview, during my absence from the place, he was found in his barn suspended by the neck, and quite dead. No reason could be assigned for this act of self-destruction. He met with no heavy affliction. He had an affectionate wife and several small children. His business was prosperous. His earthly condition was in all respects happy. But he could not wait for the return of the Spirit. Abandoned of God, and tempted by the great adversary of souls, without strength to resist, he madly cut short his own probation, and quenched his presumptuous hope in the blackness of darkness.

Reader! have you grieved away the Spirit, and still expect his enlightening and converting influences? Make a covenant with death and hell, that will stand· and be sure not to die until your hope is realized.

Importunate Widows.

THE parable of "the unjust judge and the importunate widow," has stimulated the faith of many a daughter in Israel. Many years ago, in the western part of NewYork, were several pious widows, having large families of children, for the most part without hope in Christ. There was no stated ministry from whose salutary influence upon their offspring they might hope for good. Religion was low, the church existed but in name. When they looked around them on their families and their neighbors, and saw the rapid growth of wickedness, and the daily lessening influence of piety, their hearts well nigh

died within them. Hope almost departed, and would nave taken a final flight, had it not been for the work of God. Looking into the oracles of truth, they read of exigencies as great as their own, and of relief guarantied by a prayer hearing God. "There was in a city, a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary, and he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, though I fear not God, neither regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?"

Sustained by such simple but vivid exhibitions of the duty and efficacy of prayer, these pious women resolved to cast all their care upon the Lord. They associated with them as many other females as they could, and established meetings for prayer in behalf of the desolations around them, and particularly their own households. They persevered through many discouragements. Illness, bad weather, distance from place of meeting, and other circumstances commonly fatal to faithfulness in such associations, scarcely interposed any obstacle to these women. And their prayer was not unheard. Four or five persons connected with the families of these importunate wives and mothers, were hopefully converted during the first year. But the blessings did not stop here. Their desires for the salvation of sinners had now been strengthened by indulgence at the throne of grace, and it began to show itself in action. "They that feared the Lord spake often one to another." Other professors were awakened to duty, means were taken to procure a pastor, and as a result, religion was revived, the church greatly increased, and many of the members of families represented in that praying association, hopefully changed from death unto life. In some instances, almost whole families, with extensive connections, seem to have been brought under the influence of religious principle. The stream of blessing has so obviously flowed over the heritage of these good women, that the connection between their perseve

ring prayers, and the happy result, is a matter of common remark among the pious of that place, and is regarded as a monument of the divine faithfulness to the promises implied in the parable of the importunate widow.

One Sinner destroyeth much good.

A- was an infidel, open and rancorous in his trea-ment of all revealed religion. To the poison of his principles was added the corruption of a vicious life, and yet, though he commanded no respect in the village of his residence, he had a great deal of influence. He had a vast fund of low wit, and could sing bacchanalian songs with such an effect, that sober and sedate men in passing the open window of the bar-room, would often pause to listen, and he must be grave indeed, who could pass on without smiling even at the ribaldry which his heart detested.

A had several children, whom he brought up in ignorance, maintaining that learning only made people knaves and hypocrites. His only son grew up in person, mind and life, like his father. His daughters-but what could be expected under such parental training? The eye of virtue followed them not long, for they walked in other and devious paths. In the same street with Alived three men in humble life with growing families; and though they were all at first above adopting his habits, or approving his principles, yet he was such a good hand at fishing, and so well knew the resorts of the watery game, that he was always with them in the skiff; and he could so beguile the long evenings in the winter, that they would often send for a "quart," to tempt his stay in their shops, that they might listen to his witticisms, or join in the chorus of his songs. As the result, all three became infidels without knowing why, intemperate without knowing how; and the poison spread through their families, and corrupted their whole influence. Thus these four households, comprising between thirty and forty souls, to all appearance, were ruined for this world and the next. Not one of them, so far as the writer knows, ever did well in a worldly point of view, or gave the faintest evidence of grace. And where the deadly influence is to

stop, is known only to Him who knows all things. Verily, "one sinner destroyeth much good."

The Servant Maid.

JANE," said a pious traveler in the north of England, while the girl was serving his table, "Do you ever pray?" "No, sir, I never did such a thing in my life," said the girl lightly and rather in contempt.

"Well, I want you to engage, that you will go by yourself, on your knees, once a day, and offer to God a short prayer, which I will dictate to you, and which you can easily remember, till I come this way again in a few months, and I will then give you a sovereign," (one pound sterling.) "The petition is this: O, Lord, convert my soul for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen."

"I will do it," said Jane, with her characteristic levity. "Remember," said the gentleman, "I shall depend upon your honesty."

"Remember," said Jane, "I shall depend upon the sove

reign."

The gentleman returned after some months, and took lodgings at the inn, expecting to see Jane. But as Jane did not appear, upon inquiry, he was informed that she had left the house.

"For what reason?" said the gentleman.

"Why, sir," said the servant that filled her place, "Jane got a new religion after you were here, and her mistress dismissed her."

"Call your mistress, will you?"

The mistress appeared, and the gentleman asked :"Madam, what has become of Jane ?"

"Why, sir, Jane got a notion to read her Bible and pray, which was all well enough, as she was a good girl, and a more faithful servant for all that. But she was not content to pray, and keep her religion to herself; she commenced preaching, and was troublesome. If any body did what she thought was wrong, she would contrive some way to rebuke them; and the worst of it was, our guests did not always escape her notice, if they drank a little too much, or behaved improperly. And such im

pertinence, you know, would not do in a public house, like ours; we should lose our custom. So I was obliged to part with her, although I liked the girl, and could trust her in everything."

"And where is she?" said the gentleman.

"She is at service, at a near neighbor's."

"Will you send for her? I wish to see her."

Jane soon appeared, and the moment she saw the gentleman, she fell back into a chair, and burst into

tears.

"What is the matter, Jane ?"

As soon as she became a little composed, she was able, in a modest way, to communicate the substance of these facts:

"You remember, sir, how you engaged me to say a prayer every day, and how lightly I entered into it for hire. I was as good as my word, and from that day commenced my task, and offered the petition regularly as you gave it me: 'O Lord, convert my soul for Jesus Christ's sake, amen.' One night, after I had offered this prayer, and laid me down to sleep, I began to think of the wickedness of the bargain I had made, of my motives, of my levity, and solemn mockery. I was distressed beyond what I can tell; I could not sleep; I arose, fell down on my knees, and began to pray in earnest; I wept bitterly; I tried to confess all my sins, and found no peace of mind 'till I found it in Christ.”

"Well, Jane," said the gentleman, putting his hand to his purse, and taking and offering her a sovereign, "I owe you this sovereign."

"Had I ten thousand sovereigns, sir," said Jane in tears, lifting her hands with surprise at the offer, "I could never pay you what I owe."

Confession of Rousseau, a Philosophical Unbeliever.

I CONFESS that the majesty of the scriptures astonishes me, that the sanctity of the gospel speaks to my heart. View the books of the philosophers with all their pomp, what a littleness have they, when compared with this.