and that the friendship of the world is enmity with God. She might bear taunts and coldness. She might submit to accusations of pride, or self-esteem, or unkindness; but how could she bear the thought that the everlasting welfare of those whom she revered and loved was still at hazard?

It was this that tried her so sorely.

Her

And throughout her life, this trial was always her keenest. yearning over unsaved relatives or companions, often rose to agony. That one whom she loved should be lost for ever, was more than she could bear to think of.

Her new position in her circle is thus referred to by one dear to her "in the flesh," and afterwards yet dearer in the Lord :-" On her return it was very manifest that a real and decided change had taken place. It was now that she began that constantly kept up correspondence with J. W. which will best describe the progress of her soul, the trials she met with, and the battles which, as a faithful soldier of the cross, she had now to fight. One of her sorest trials was that she stood alone and had no one to speak to or sympathise with her; and, to her affectionate nature, this must have been very painful. I had totally forgotten all I had learned in K- and had, at this time, a decided enmity to the truth. I remember yet the painful feeling which the sight of M- reading her Bible used to stir up. There was one spot in a little spare bedroom where she used to meet with God; and, go at what hour I pleased, there she sat with her Bible on her knee, poring over its contents. 'She is for ever at that tiresome Bible,' was my thought, but, fortu

nately for me now, I never gave expression to these feelings. One day she came to me with a book tied up, and inclosing the little paper which I sent you.* I opened the parcel eagerly, in the hope of finding a book congenial to me; and felt much disappointed that it was only a Bible. What a long-suffering God he has been to me! My beloved one did not go long mourning alone, however; for, about two months after her return from K-, you came to Edinburgh and visited us. When M- told me you were coming, the mention of your name brought strange feelings to my mind, and I felt the instantaneous conviction flash upon me, that now was the time when Christ or the world must be chosen. The Lord inclined me to listen to you, and I believe, if I have found the Saviour at all, it was that evening when you spoke of him to me.

unto salvation.

From this "little paper we extract a few sentences:-"My beloved sister, will you accept as a present from me the accompanying volume? It is the best of books, for it is able to make you wise Oh! pray to God that it may do so. Read often in His holy book, and read with prayer. . . . . Pray that he may teach you to love him. Do not despond, and say you cannot love him, that you have no feeling. Pray for feeling. Ask him to teach you to love him and his ways, better than all the world, and he will teach you. . . . . He longs for you to come to him, that he may bless you by giving you himself.

He wants to make us happy with his love even here; and then, when we leave this life, where shall we be if we have believed in his name? In heaven with Himself. We shall see him face to face, we shall see him as he is. Is not the thought of living for ever with Jesus in heaven, enough to make us give up this poor, perishing world? . . . . One thing is needful; oh! choose that good part, and it shall not be taken from you. And, dearest, when we pray for ourselves, do not let us forget to pray for others. Let us pray that, as we are now a family on earth, we may be found, at the last day, a family in heaven. That God may enable you to overcome, is the carnest prayer of your most affectionate sister, M--August 20, 1841.

After this, M- was most earnest in her exertions to win the rest of us to Christ, and we agreed to have a prayer-meeting for them every night, which we kept up as long as we were together. The Lord has answered many of these prayers of hers already, and I trust that he will answer them still, and bring those of us nigh who are as yet afar off."

Her anxiety as to the spiritual wellbeing of others, referred to in the above extract, is thus manifested in a letter to myself, of date Sept. 25, 1841:-" Do you think that has really found peace? She often quite puzzles me. She is at times full of joy, and at others, again, she does not seem to know whether she believes or not. She appears to me to take her confidence too much from what she feels; and, therefore, when she does not feel, she begins to doubt. Perhaps you can discover her real state from her letters to you; and you would make me very happy if you would write a few lines to me, to let me know what you think of her. Oh, my dear sir, how anxious I am about her! She is very anxious about others, which surely she would not be, if she did not see the necessity of it herself. You will be glad to hear that our two friends, whom we spoke to you about, seem very anxious. One of them (who, I think, is most so) came to speak with us yesterday. She said she knew no one who would speak to her about these things, and she seems to dread the ridicule of her companions, if she were to become religious; and then, she says, she is so fond of the world, and that she has not strength of mind to give it up. But if she were once to taste purer pleasure,

I

if she could taste and see that the Lord is good, she would not be so fond of the world, and would not find it so difficult to give it up as she thinks. She asked me for a book upon the vanity of the world; could you tell me of any that might be of use to her?.. have another favour to ask of you, that you would pray for my beloved little brother, who is away from us all. Perhaps we may never see him again on earth. Oh ! pray that we may meet him in heaven. And will you ask God that he may meet with Christian friends wherever he goes, who will tell him about Jesus? Oh that I could know that he is Christ's! Then would he be safe, whatever happened to him in this vain world."

Some short time after, the relative referred to in the commencement of the above extract, having become a fellow-pilgrim with her on the way to Jerusalem, we have such a letter as the following, giving us a glimpse of their feelings and trials:- I must tell you an interesting conversation we had.

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and

and

were dining with us, and, after dinner, some remark of R's about putting 'love' in place of charity,' in the 13th of 1st Corinthians, led to a deeply interesting conversation upon spiritual things. Oh! it is a very solemn thing for two girls like us to speak of these things before others; and very painful. They were all very angry with us; for they think we suppose none of the family is converted but we two. They say they cannot understand us at all; and said, it was so strange to see two of one family thinking differently from all the rest; and when he said,

Can you explain it? I said to him, Lay the case before God, and ask him to explain it to you. Oh! I just fancied God opening his eyes, and shewing him the reason. Oh! he could understand us then! It was a painful scene; but I felt very grateful that we were permitted to speak for God before such precious ones. It is strange how unbelieving I feel at these times, and how deserted, as if I were left entirely to my own strength. I am always glad when we speak in that way, for it gives us an opportunity of bringing in a great deal of God's Word, and it makes them think of these things whether they will or no; and it does R and me good, for it stirs us up, and makes unseen things more real. But I wonder when any of them are to be changed. . . . The only thing that gave me comfort this morning was these simple words-the God of truth. But when the Spirit really applies them, they can feed the soul for a long time. Can't you trust the God of truth, my beloved one? Oh, yes; let us trust in him at all times. We shall soon see him face to face, and then all unbelief will fly away for ever. We cannot gaze on that loving countenance, and have another fear. Oh to see it now by faith! Jesus seems to be smiling on us both, even while I am writing to you. Oh to be his only, his wholly, his now, his FOR EVER! I was much pleased with what you said, about speaking to one soul every day. It would indeed be very blessed if we really did that. We are apt to say, that is too little; but, alas! if we look back upon our past life, how many days in which we have done nothing! Oh! we are selfish creatures; at least I am."