accountable to Him for the manner in which you employ them. And next to the great purpose of your own salvation, is the important inquiry, "How shall I most effectually benefit my fellow-creatures ?" The story of the servant, who hid his talent in the earth, though a parable, is not a fable. And if he was found worthy of punishment for hiding one, the possessor of five or ten, who acts as he did, must incur a condemnation proportionably increased.

My dear Mary, I make no apology for this long letter. I am persuaded you have full confidence in my affection for you. But had I used only the smooth language of flattery, you might have had just reason to doubt its sincerity.

for the present, and believe me,

Adieu

Yours, &c.

LETTER XIX.

TO A SABBATH-SCHOLAR, WHO HAS REMOVED

TO A DISTANCE.

MY DEAR ANNE,

I WAS sorry you left

without

seeing me, so that I had no opportunity to take leave of you. You are little

aware, perhaps, of the deep interest felt for you by those who have made you from childhood the subject of instruction and prayer. They feel, that the time of your removal from home is a very critical period in your history. You were early brought by your parents to the house of

God; and the habit of attendance there was rendered easy and pleasant by their example, and their presence along with you. But now, that you are entirely removed from all the scenes and circumstances of your childish days, you are left to the uncontrolled exercise of your own principles and feelings. You never before had such a test applied to these; or such a facility for ascertaining whether your attention to the means of grace be really produced by a regard for the Divine authority, or merely the effect of education. Let me beg of you never to “forsake the assembling of yourself together" with the people of God; as is the manner, alas! of too many when, like you, they are freed from accustomed restraints.

But there is another snare, equally dangerous to the soul, into which you may,

possibly, be more apt to fall. I allude to the error of supposing, that a regular observance of Divine ordinances, is the whole of religion. You are too well instructed to believe that " a form of godliness" is sufficient to save your soul. And yet such is the force of example, and such the proneness of the human heart to rest in formal services, rather than cultivate spiritual affections, that, contrary to the convictions of your own conscience, you may be thus misled. Doubtless, there are multitudes around you, who "have a name to live while they are dead." And you see them apparently satisfied with themselves, respected by others, and prosperous in the world. But do you see that their religion leads them to regulate their tempers, and subdue their passions; to "follow holiness"

in every part of their conduct ; and to "abstain from all appearance of evil,” in the Scripture sense of the word? Have they any solid comfort for the mind, when trouble overtakes them, or any wellgrounded hope in the prospect of death? It is, indeed, possible to go down to the grave with " a lie in their right hand;" to pass into eternity wrapped in the delusive dream of safety, in which they have long slumbered. But, my dear Anne, would you wish "your last end to be like" this? O, do not satisfy yourself with the unmeaning and empty plea, that you are

as good as others." For if you thus stifle conviction, and silence conscience, with what you know to be unscriptural, the time may come, when conscience will cease to trouble you; and you, too, may live and die in a state of awful insensi