fessing Christians in this country, and in all countries, have the form of godliness, while they deny the power thereof; they bear the name of Christ, while destitute of his pure and holy Spirit; and while they profess attachment to the doctrines of Christianity, are neither purified by their influence, nor animated by their discoveries.

"But it is not so with you, who have felt the enlightening and renewing influence of the truth. Your perceptions of the evil of sin will produce deep and pungent sorrow; and having discovered the moral danger to which you are exposed, you will institute the inquiry with deep and solemn anxiety, What must I do to be saved? You will then feel that there is a power in your belief of the truth of the gospel which you cannot resist, and which you will have no disposition to resist ;—a power to agonize, as well as to console; a power to depress, as well as to elevate; a power to awaken terror, as well as to inspire hope.

"And what can afford you relief, when the mind is thus surcharged with its overwhelming solicitudes ? I have known some who have been recommended, when under the first convictions and impressions of the gospel, to try the effect of a change of scene and of society-and to have recourse to the light reading of this buoyant age. Absurd recommendation! Will a soft and salubrious air,—a calm retreat, or murmuring brook,—a cascade or a fountain, minister to a MIND diseased? Will the opening morn or the evening shade,—the song of earliest or of latest bird,-the landscape or the mountain torrent,-the serenity of the sky or the tempests of the ocean, operate as a charm in the removal of guilt from the conscience-diffusing peace and joy over the troubled spirit? The

sights and sounds have a charm, but only over the mind which is at ease. Disturb its passions and its feelings, and ere they can be reduced to stillness, some power must be brought to act on them which bears a relation to the cause of their disquietude. Hence, saith the Apostle, Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.'

"I will not detain you by any process of metaphysical reasoning on the connexion between our belief, and our mental peace, but take you at once to the testimony of the Scripture. Are we not told that 'By grace we are saved through faith; and that not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.' And when the jailer of Phillippi proposed this question to the apostles, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' what reply did they make? Did they tell him to go and reform his life, and to multiply the number of his deeds of charity, that he might, by these expedients, conciliate the favour of Almighty God? No; They said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.' Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.""

6

On returning home after the conclusion of the service, she overtook her friend, Miss Winkworth, to whom she said, with some degree of surprise, "Have you been to church this morning?" "Yes, my dear; I heard that the Rev. Mr. was going to preach; and as I am attached to his ministry, I availed myself of the gratification of hearing him."

"He is," Miss Hutchinson replied,

a most

eloquent preacher; but I was more struck with the sentiments which he uttered, than with the manner in which they were delivered. 1 shall never forget this Sabbath. The truths which I have just heard have made an indelible impression on my heart. A new scene has burst open upon my mental vision -grand and lovely, such as fancy could not sketch. The hidden mystery is explained. I now feel that I need a Saviour, through whom I may have access

to the Father."

66

"I observed," said Miss Winkworth, "that you felt deeply interested in the subject, which has been stated with so much simplicity and accuracy."

"I have listened to other, discourses,-I have admired them, but I never felt the influence of the truth as I have this morning. To what cause must I ascribe it ?"

"To that question, my dear Maria, I will reply by quoting the language of the Apostle James:Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruit of his creatures.' congratulate you on the events of this holy day. When we meet again we will converse more fully on the subject. Adieu; peace be with thy spirit."

I

THE MODERN MARTYR.

No. 11.

"What makes the difference? grace alone."

BARTON.

THE first impressions which religious truth makes on the renewed mind, are usually deep and powerful-it awakens its dormant energies, excites a new class of feelings,—gives birth to a new order of reflections, and anticipations; induces sympathies and anxieties which relate to spiritual interests, and distant worlds, and effects such a transformation of character, that the change must strike the public eye. But while there is a uniformity of result, there is a diversity in the means which are employed by the Divine Spirit to produce it, and a variation in the mode of their operation. The correctness of these remarks will be exemplified in the following correspondence.

MY DEAR CHARLOTTE,

"I feel condemned when I look at the date of your last letter, that it should have remained so long unanswered; but I hope you have too much confidence in the permanency of my friendship, to suppose that my silence proceeds from any decrease of attachment. I have often intended to write, and have made several efforts to carry my resolution into effect; but such has been the perplexed and agitated state of my mind for some few months past, that I have not felt sufficiently composed to do it. When you asked me, at our last interview, for my opinion on the subject of religion, I then informed you, as you may probably recollect, that I

w

was not qualified to give you the information which you wanted; but having, since then, turned my attention to it, I will now redeem my promise, by communicating to you the result. Like most others, I affixed no definite meaning to the term; yet thought that I was very religious. I read my Bible -went to church-offered up my morning and evening prayers to the Almighty; and practised the social virtues of life. I had no conception that any thing more was necessary to fit me for the kingdom of heaven, than a continual discharge of these relative duties; and should, most likely, have remained in this state of ignorance had it not been for the conversation of my estimable friend, Miss Winkworth. By her appeals to the Scriptures, I was soon convinced that the whole of the human race have sinned against God, and are consequently under a sentence of condemnation-that the Saviour died to expiate the guilt of sin-that we must have repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, before we can obtain forgiveness or peace of conscience and that we must be renewed by a supernatural power, before we can understand the spiritual design of the Christian revelation, or feel its purifying and animating influence on our heart. But though I was convinced on these points, by the testimony of the Scriptures, yet my conviction produced no other effect than to agitate my passions, till I heard the Rev. Mr. deliver a most excellent discourse in our church, when the Gospel came not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance.

The impressions produced by this sermon, were such as I cannot accurately describe; but I will state to you the moral effects which flowed from them. I felt myself a sinner, I felt that I needed