but thou shalt know hereafter." If I have seemingly given more time to this work than I should have done, it has not interfered with my communion with you in spirit; on the contrary, as I have myself, from deeper and deeper study, been brought to take stronger hold upon truth, to feel the importance of spiritual and eternal things, so my concern for your spiritual progress has risen in proportion, and eternity. will witness both to my sincerity and spiritual travail in your behalf. St. Paul could not say more truly than myself,

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." God has been faithful in answering my soul's desire; I have seen the inner life spring up, gifts and preserving grace given, so that I do believe you all to be "lively stones, built up a spiritual house," and that you can look back to your mother as the root of your faith and principle, as your spiritual guide; very unfaithful, unworthy, and shortcoming though she be. I have to bless God for the right tone and good disposition of my children.

But I know that "the righteous are scarcely saved," and therefore I must here impress upon you the importance of your position as responsible agents. I have brought you to a certain point; you must now stand or fall for yourselves. The younger ones will be what the elder ones are; therefore, the elder ones must be what their mother was to thema pattern of inflexible principle, a godly example. The world with its ten thousand fascinations, seductions, plausible temptations, lies on the one hand; heaven on the other. Choose

with decision, do not vacillate, compromise, it is the most dangerous thing in the world; be honest, and pray heartily, Wash us, O God, from worldliness. Your short day of probation is for heaven, or hell. "To be carnally minded is death;" this descent to hell is so easy, so almost imperceptible, that I say, beware! It is almost impossible to pass through the world without contracting guilt. The slightest departure from God is a grievous thing, and a very perilous one: while the loss of a soul is the most awful thing that can happen upon this earth. The words of our blessed Saviour are so time-worn that they do not make the impression upon us that they ought, but they are as stable as His throne, and as stringent as His laws; may the Spirit of life with which He has endued them speak to you from the few passages I shall leave with you in His name! "No man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other." "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Which leadeth unto life,—who can understand that expression? I do believe that way to be very strait; we are departing from it, missing it every moment; something is always taking possession of the human mind, instead of the single pursuit of spiritual life; none can arrive at manhood therein without great decision of character, separation from the

world, and very earnest travail of soul. The love of admiration, of popularity, of pleasure, of riches, of the world, these are all corrupting, poisoning, and making vapid the youthful mind. "The pride of life,"-whoever in this world did escape that corruption, save Christ Himself? We are surrounded by so many miscarrying steps, that the world always seems to me descending, descending: the multitude are carried down. the stream into the gulf of the lost, and as they fall, the awful words resound upon the ears of the living, "Few there be that find it."

"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Inordinate self-esteem, vanity, self-elation, and overbearing ignorance are the spirit of the age. "Vanity is the food of fools." I do not know anything so offensive to good, plain common-sense, as emptiness puffed up. Be humble, it is the strait gate. Be in earnest, simple, singleminded,—it is the strait gate. "A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways." Be holy,-it is the strait gate. Be prayerful, have your ordinary and extraordinary scasons of prayer,it is the strait gate, the king's highway to glory. Be diligent to make your calling and election sure; work out your salvation with fear and trembling,-these are the narrow way. Be true to your profession at all times, and in all places-this is the narrow way. Cultivate the friendship of the good-it is the narrow way. Be vigilant, true, courageous, generous, loving, patient, faithful; and when you have done all, say, 'Unclean, unclean! Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest

come under my roof; speak the word only, and thy servant shall be healed.' "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,"-this is the strait gate, and the narrow way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

"What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" We are become so familiar with the Word of God, that its forcible expressions do not make the impression upon our mind they should, whereas, really to live up to the precept and spirit of it, is the strait gate, the way that leadeth unto life; oh that we could do this! If we would accustom ourselves to think of souls lost, eternity lost, we could not trifle as we do; the world would lose its hold upon our affection, and we should rejoice in God our Saviour through whom we have eternal redemption. The words of St. Paul are to me some of the most solemn of the Word of God, "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame." I extract this, because the bare possibility of God the Holy Ghost dwelling in a man, and departing, leaving him more dead than before, is to me an awful thought. It is impossible to renew him again to repentance: and why? because God has done with him, he is then too dead to know or feel himself dead.

My dear

children beware of declension; beware of lukewarmnessneither cold nor hot. I thus write, because the lax, low standard of morals and of religion in our day is deplorable; the Church and the world are identical, although the Word of God remains unalterable, "Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." "Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you." We see the Spirit of God striving with some men; but the spirit of the world, of passion, and of pride at last gains the mastery, and they settle down in churchism, or formalism, or any other ism that the carnal mind is predisposed to; arms are laid down, the battle given up, and pure undefiled religion before God is never arrived at. "The way of life is strait, and narrow, and few there be that find it." There is a way to hell, even from the gate of heaven. Travail, travail, travail only can bring forth spiritual life.

The domestic hearth is a precinct so sacred one knows not how to approach it. But I may say to mothers, subordinate life to the concern of every purpose of your your child's soul. You are his priest, intercessor, guardian angel. With a large family, you will find, even the least impaired relic of the great wreck of the fall-parental affection-still to be impaired: you will find failure, and inordinate affection in your own heart; but if you are prayerful, watchful, and faithful, the blood of expiation will be upon the lintel of your heart; so that even your failure may obtain a double blessing from the God of all grace. "I will pour my Spirit upon thy