She had, however, fo far conquered this evil notion, that the had lately gone pretty often. This kindness of the gown touched her pot a little, and -the first Sunday fhe put it on, Mr. Simpson happened to preach from this text, "God refifteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." This fermon fo affected Rebecca, that fhe never once thought fhe had her new gown on, till fhe came to take it off when fhe went to bed; and that very night, instead of skulking behind, fhe knelt down by her husband.

There was one thing funk deep in Rebecca's mind fhe had obferved, that fince her husband had grown religious he had been fo careful not to give her any offence, that he was become fcrupuloufly clean; took off his dirty fhoes before he fat down, and was very cautious not to fpill a drop of beer on her fhining table. Now it was rather remarkable, that as John grew more neat, Rebecca.grew more indifferent to neatness.

But

both these changes arofe from the same cause, the growth of religion in their hearts. John grew cleanly from the fear of giving pain to his wife, while Rebecca grew indifferent, from having difcovered the fin and folly of an over-anxious care about trifles. When the heart is once given up to God, fuch vanities die of themselves.

Hefter continues to grow in grace, and in knowledge. Laft Chriftmas-day fhe was appointed an under-teacher in the school, and many people think that fome years hence, if any thing fhould happen to Mrs. Crew, Hefter may be promoted to be head miftrefs.

Z.

THE

BEGGARLY BOY:

A PARABLE.

ONCE on a time a poor beggarly boy, who used to carry matches about the streets, was met by a very rich and worthy gentleman, who obferving his hollow eyes, his fallow looks, and his bent body, as well as the extreme filth with which he was covered, was touched with fuch compaffion for the lad, that he was difpofed to render him fome effectual relief; and accordingly the gentleman dropt a hint that he had a mind to do something confiderable for him. The boy, never expecting any fuch goodness as this, and indeed not liftening very attentively, did not at firft understand what was faid; upon which the gentleman spoke more plainly to him, afking him whether he had a mind to have his dirty rags exchanged for a new livery coat and fome clean linen? for, faid he, if you have a mind to it I will take you into my fervice? and, in that case, Ifhall fit you out afresh, and I fhall take care alfo that your health is looked after; and when you have ferved me faithfully for a few years, which you may do very comfortably to yourself, I will even fet you up in life. The lad, after this, could not help underftanding the offer; but he feemed as far as ever from accepting it, for he

was now quite unwilling to believe the gentleman; and he fhewed by his manner, that he would have been better pleafed to have fold a halfpennyworth of matches in his ufual way, carrying off the halfpenny in his hand, than to have had all the fine promifes which the beft and richeft man in the world could make to him.

This kind gentleman, however, perfifling in his inclination to do the lad a fervice, proceeded next to reason with him: he advif d him, for his own sake, to listen a little more to what was faid, and then remarked to him how ill he looked, which the boy, though very dangeroufly fick, was not fenfible of himfelf: and reprefented to him the difference between leading the wretched fort of life he did, and getting into a regular and comfortable fervice. Nay, he went fo far as even to beg and entreat him, at the fame time obferving that he had no objection to the lad's fatisfying himself that the perfon who addreffed him was no cheat or impoftor: and, in proof of it, he told him his name, informed him how he might learn all particulars of his character, and gave him a direction to his place of abode. In fhort, he condescended to fay every thing that could, in fuch a cafe, be fuppofed neceffary to give a poor boy confidence. and encouragement. In the courfe of the converfation I fhould have obferved, that the gentleman, as proof of his generofity, threw down a fhilling, which the lad picked up, with very little gratitude in his countenance, but with no fmall conceit at his own quickness and cleverness in feizing hold of it; after which he grew as proud as could be of having got poffeffion of the piece

of money, not confidering at all that it was a mere prefent, and that he had not given the gentleman a fingle match for it out of his basket.

I am perfuaded my readers will by this time. be aware that this was a lad who had a very mean and low mind; otherwife he would undoubtedly have been overjoyed at fuch an opportunity of getting above his prefent bafe condition; befides which, I fhould remark, that he had been a long time living among a set of rogues and vagabonds, who being one of them nearly as bad as another, and having feldom feen among them any perfons of a different character, had learnt to fancy themselves a very creditable fort of people, and, when they got together, were juft as proud, in their way, as if they had been the greatest Lords and Dukes in the kingdom. At night the lad went home, and flept among these old companions, in a vile unwholesome room, where, though each would affect now and then to be merry and gay, yet, in fact, they were all of them dying by inches, and, in the judgment of any rational or feeling man, who might condefcend to put in his head among them, they undoubtedly were altogether in as forrowful and wretched a plight as can well be imagined.

In fhort, then, with grief and pain do I speak it, this poor beggarly boy entirely neglected the prodigious offer which had been made to him: he returned to his former company, continued in his petty trade, and dragged on the little remainder of his life in the old way, just as if nothing had happened.

I now propofe, by means of this flory, which

is a mere allegory or parable, to expose the conduct of thofe perfons who are unwilling to com. ply with the gracious invitations of our Saviour, in his Gofpel; for he is that kind and willing friend (with reverence be it spoken) who offers to take us mean and needy creatures into his fervice, and we, if we turn away and refuse the offer, may be likened to this foolish beggarly boy,. having nothing better to plead, as I think I fhall be able to fhew, than one or other of those very excufes, which, when put in his mouth, have appeared fo abfurd and monftrous.

Let us fee whether there is not fome general likeness between the two cafes. I will begin by fuppofing our Saviour, in his Gofpel, to addrefs himself to a man who is quite thoughtless and unbelieving. Now fuch perfons are commonly much more wicked than they imagine, for by following their natural inclinations, and taking no thought to their ways, they permit a thoufand evil difpofitions to grow upon them; the confequence of this is, that when the Gospel first meets with fuch perfons, it finds them quite covered over with wickedness, as this boy was with dirt; though, like him, they are unconfcious of it. It commonly finds them alfo eagerly engaged in fome poor pursuit of this life, as this boy was in felling matches.

I would next obferve, that, in general, when the vaft and unspeakable offers of the Gospel are firft mentioned in the ears of fuch a perfon as I have been defcribing, his mind is fo ill prepared for the fubject, and his thoughts are apt to be fo completely turned another way, that he probably