kindly offered to receive him into his house, until he was more perfect in the English language. I soon discovered he was of a sweet temper, a fine understanding, and outwardly very moral; but withal a strong Deist; and as he delighted much in philosophy, he placed such confidence therein as to believe he could set us all right, if he might have but five hours' dispute with us.

I inquired of the Lord concerning the method I should use toward him; and saw, for the present, I was only called to show him condescension and love-to consider myself as his servant in Christ, and therefore to stand always ready to take up my cross, and in every thing innocent to do his will rather than my own. And as I could not say much to him in words, I must the more endeavour to show him, by the example of myself and family, that religion justly bears the character given her in those words :

"Mild, sweet, serene and tender is her mode,

Nor grave with sternness, nor with lightness free:
Against example resolutely good;

Fervent in zeal and warm in charity."

It appeared to me as if those four lines were given me as a direction which I must ever keep before my eyes. And much did I plead with the Lord, that nothing he saw in me, or mine, might tend to set him farther off from God. When we could converse in English with tolerable ease, I perceived he had not only imbibed many wrong sentiments, but had such a stock of Pharisaical righteousness as I scarcely ever met with before.

One day, as he was talking in his free way, about the truths of the Gospel, a friend said, "If your aunt hears you talk at this rate she will be much grieved." He replied, "But I will not say these things to her; though should my aunt talk much to me about religion, I fear I shall not keep my temper: for my uncle drove many people mad when he was abroad. I do believe there were three hundred who were quite mad! They talked of being filled with love, and kept praying and running together, not only while he was there, but since that time also."

Hearing of this, I said, "Tell him I will promise to keep my temper whether he does or not, for my love to him has a better foundation than he can shake." In

order to improve in the English language, he proposed to read to me some hours in a day; and I was to choose the books. Mr. Wesley was so kind as to send him Beatty's Evidences of the Christian Religion, which he read with some pleasure: but as yet his heart remained untouched. I was very conscious I had none of that wisdom which in cases of this kind is often very useful; and where it is joined with Divine unction, does beautifully illustrate the truths it endeavours to defend. But that word was remembered with pleasure, "I will choose the foolish things of the world to confound the wisdom of the wise." And again, "My strength shall be made perfect in weak

Well, thought I, if I have no philosophical arguments to bring, I will so much the more cry to the strong for strength. I cannot do with the armour I have not proved: but the stone of conviction, and the sling of faith, is that which I must depend on; and when these are directed by the Spirit of God, nothing can stand against them.

Many of the Protestants in Switzerland are Deists; they are nevertheless very strict in bringing the young people to the communion; and they esteem it a reproach to do otherwise. My nephew expressed a desire of joining with us in that mean of grace; for having been from home some years at the university, he had not yet been brought to the table. Mr. Horne told him freely his scruples in receiving him as a communicant; but after much conversation, he perceived a degree of conviction, and a desire to know the truth, and consented to admit him.

The first time he came to the table, as he was kneeling beside me, and Mr. Horne was speaking those words, "The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for thee"-I found such a power of prayer spring up in my heart, it seemed as if I claimed a ray of the Divinity just then to penetrate his soul. He hath since told me he felt something very particular at that moment. greatest difficulty, however, lay here, he did not believe the Scriptures. I was therefore cut off from drawing any arguments from them, and could only hold to this, the necessity of a change, in order to be capable of enjoying the Supreme Being.

My

I observed to him, You believe heaven to be a statc, and a place of holiness, and the happiness there to be separate from all sin ;-is there not then an absolute need of having a disposition suited thereto ?-This he readily allowed; but added, "Then I will make myself this new creature. The Supreme Being hath not left his work imperfect. He hath given me powers sufficient, if I do but use them; and if I am to do all by this grace of God, as you say, then what has God to thank me for ?" I endeavoured to convince him of our utter helplessness, except through that assistance which we draw from union with God through the Saviour, without whom we cannot do any thing. He replied, "Indeed, aunt, that is not my case. I do not know how it may be with others, but for me, I do assure you, there is no snare I cannot avoid, nor any passion I cannot overcome."

As he abhorred the doctrine of the fall as much as that of the Divinity of our Lord, I did not speak often on those heads. I sought rather to convince him he was fallen, whether through Adam, or any other way, and that he was a sinner and unfit for heaven: and narrowly did I watch for every opportunity of pointing out any disposition that would help to prove my argument, though it was very difficult to bring him to a consciousness of any. At last I observed he had an abhorrence of the sin of envy, and a sensibility of having felt it. I then, on every proper occasion, enlarged on the happiness of the blessed, as consisting in love, the very contrary to selfishness, which was the principle from which envy took its life; and therefore he must become a new creature to enter into that state. This he now began to see, and sometimes to feel; but all my hopes appeared to be overturned at once by a circumstance which occurred. He had fixed his affections on a lady from whom about this time he thought he received some encouragement. Elated with joy, he was carried out of himself! There was nothing left for me to take hold of. He had no ear to hear but on one subject. I returned to a silent waiting before the Lord.

One night about the beginning of November, I dreamed I was in a church, standing by a communion table, on which lay a large Common Prayer Book, open in the

service of matrimony. I observed it was all marked, as my dear husband used to mark those books he much ap. proved. I beheld it with pleasure, for being near the 12th of November, I took it as a token that he remembered with approbation the transaction of that day,-our marriage. I was conscious of the presence of his dear spirit, as sent to communicate something to me. As I looked on the book, he signified to me the whole was emblematic, though few entered into the spirituality of it: adding, "This is a great mystery: I speak concerning Christ and the Church." As I cast my eyes on that word, "Who giveth this woman to this man?" he pointed me to that text, "None cometh to the Son but whom the Father draweth." As nothing was spoken in words, it is difficult to describe the ideas which were conveyed to my mind. A gleam of light seemed to break forth in my soul, by which I discovered in how full a sense the souls of the redeemed are given by the Father to the Son, as his bride! I then thought on those words, "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready." In this acceptable moment, my nephew came to my mind. I said with a groan, O for our nephew! Immediately I saw a little bird fly around and around. 1 said, That is the emblem of my nephew's spirit. If it come to me and I take it up, his soul will be given unto me. I had no sooner spoken the word, but it came and alighted on the table before me. I took it up, stroked it, and let it fly again. A thought then struck my mind,O, but he does not believe the Scriptures! The bird came, and I took it up the second time. As it flew again, I thought, O, but he does not believe in the Divinity of our Lord! Immediately it returned, and I took it up a third time. I no more saw it flying, but a beautiful large bird stood with great solemnity before me, and I awoke.

As I was in prayer a little time after the above dream, these words bore on my mind, "He setteth the solitary in families, and maketh them households as a flock of sheep." Also, "Thy sons shall come from far; and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side." It was on the Monday night I had the dream here related; and on the following Friday, my nephew received a flat denial from the before-mentioned lady. Here all his philosophy and

boasted reason failed. He was as one driven to despera. tion. The next night he told me all his heart, saying, "O aunt! if you could see into my breast, you would see how troubled I am for the pain I have caused you. But now I see you are in the right. No! we cannot do with. out the help of God. I thought I could conquer every passion, but now I find they are taller and bigger than I." After telling me how many trials and disappointments he had met with in life, he added, "Do, dear aunt, pray with me." I did so, he weeping all the time with groans. When we rose from our knees, he said, "Ah! I am in the wrong, I thought all religion stood in the ab. horrence of outward evil! but now I see there is something more." I told him my dream: when I came to that part of it relating to himself, he was much moved, and said, "O, aunt, if it depend on me, it shall be accomplished, indeed it shall."

The next morning, he told me that after we had parted the last night, as he was striving to pray, he found all his troubles gone, and felt for a few moments such a tranquillity as he had never known before. But his trouble, as well as his reluctance to believe, returned again; yet with this difference, he had now a consciousness that he was wrong, and expressed a great desire to know and

embrace the truth.

From some concurring circumstances, I believed it to be the order of God to invite him to live with me the remainder of the time he had to stay in England; but remembering what a friend had said, "I cannot converse with him any more; he tears open all the wounds of un. belief;"-I said, "Lord, shall it be so with me?" and was answered by the application of that word to my mind, "I will not send you a warfare at your own charges." And glory be to my adorable Lord, so it proved; for all he could say served but to light up a fresh candle in my soul! Every time I read the Scriptures, a new lustre shone on every part, and the Divine evidence rose higher and higher in my heart. I could now observe he heard with deep attention; and one day he said to me, “ Aunt, it is not now that I will not believe, but that I cannot; for when you read the chapter night and morning, and tell your thoughts upon it, it seems unanswerable. But then