Our thoughts have run in this train, because we feel that there are those who would reject the book before us as comparatively valueless, through its not coming up, in all particulars, to their standard of opinion. They would seem to forget that it is professedly only passages from the history of a young person; that she died at three-and-twenty, And are there not many that die at and under that age? And doth not the Holy Ghost work before persons arrive at that age? And are there to be no records of such teachings-no helps by the way for young converts-no removing the stumbling-blocks from the way of young pilgrims? Personally we testify that we read this book as a book for the young; we read it as a parent, intensely anxious about the spiritual welfare of his own children; and, we are not ashamed to say, that we never recollect to have wept over a book as we did over it. Moreover, we have since felt a sacred pleasure in recommending it; and, as we have elsewhere stated, it was with no small degree of pleasure we heard of a dear young friend lately desiring it to be read to him, when he was in the very article of death, and within a few minutes of his falling asleep in Jesus. was present in eighteen engagements, served under Lord Nelson in several battles, and at length became master of His Majesty's ship Enchantress. اور "There is a chapel in Bristol which originated with the era of George Whitefield, and in which he frequently preached. The pious man who led the singing there some fifty years ago, for his skill in music was called by courtesy Dr. Phillips, and composed the tune known by the name of "New Sabbath." He, and his equally excellent wife had a daughter, Ann, to whom young George Harris, when visiting Bristol, became attached. Her parents at first objected to his suit, but his piety and exemplary character overcame their objections, and he was married to Ann Phillips in 1806. Their eldest child was named Henry; the second, Nelson, after the great commander under whom Mr. Harris had served; and the third, John. The fourth was a daughter. About the year 1814, Mrs. Harris spent a week with her husband at Portsmouth, and she often spoke subsequently, with pleasure and pride, of the perfect order maintained on board the ship which he regu lated. An oath was never heard, and he had procured Bibles for all his men→→→→ a point not then so easy of attainment as now. But now to the book. Our notice must be brief, but we shall append a Happy in his wife and childrenfew extracts, to enable the reader to with youth, health, and energy-with judge for himself of its merits. It is the esteem of men, and the favour of divided into the ten following chapters: God-the master of the Enchantress had Previous Travellers-the Broad Road- a fair prospect of rising to wealth and the Narrow Way-the Religion of Com- distinction. He had already begun to mon Life-Indications of the Inner Life make provision for those dear to him on -a Home Mission-a Social Mission-earth. Well was it that he had not Companionship by the Way-the Last Stage of the Journey-the City Gate. Upon the threshhold of the history of the dear young person on whose account these pages were written, we meet with the following painfully-striking incident, and yet in it see the wondrous power and divine faithfulness of a covenant God: neglected to lay up treasure in heaven! In December, 1816, he was sent to Ireland in the ship Greyhound, with despatches from the Government. On the 24th-Christmas Eve-he wrote to his wife from on board the vessel, expressing his hope of being with her on New Year's day; but if any unexpected hindrance should arise, he reminded her "During the lengthened national that they could take comfort in meeting struggles of the last century, a fine at the throne of grace, to pray for each young man, of the name of George other and for their children. On the Harris, was pressed on board an Eng- 29th the welcome letter had reached lish man-of-war. He distinguished him- her, and, with a wife's thoughtfulness, self in the service on which he had so she was engaged in various domestic unwillingly entered, and was rapidly preparations for his eagerly anticipated promoted for his good conduct. He return. While thus occupied, a friend, George, with filling eyes, answered, 'Yes,' while Eliza replied, 'No, grandmother-not a bit!' There was no evidence of her heart being less open to impressions of gratitude or sympathy than those of other children; but, unable to realize the circumstances, she shrank not from an avowal which many children, and probably as many grown persons, would have hesitated to make; and with the fearless truthfulness which even at that early age marked her character, refused to acknowledge one feeling of which she was unconscious. who lived in the Hotwell Road, a short | revered relative, she talked to them, as distance from her, heard some men was her wont, of the love of Jesus, and crying in the street. He listened, and asked them if they did not love Him? caught the words, "Lost, on the Nass Sands, his Majesty's ship Greyhound, and all on board perished." With thoughtful sympathy, he went out to stop the men, bought their silence, and sent them away, while he went to request the kind offices of the widow's pastor, in breaking the sad tidings to her. She received the intelligence more calmly than had been anticipated, and expressed her thankfulness that she still had children to love and to live for treasures bequeathed to her by her departed husband. Referring to this period in after years, she said that the text, "I shall yet praise Him for the light of His countenance," often recurred to her mind during that all but overwhelming sorrow. She was then thirty-three years of age: her husband three years older. He had received considerable sums in prize-money, which he had placed in the hands of a ship-agent, as provision for his family in the event of his death. A week after the event, the widow wrote to the agent, and found that he had absconded with the whole, and left her penniless. Every effort to trace him failed; and in about four months, her maternal responsibilities were increased by the birth of another daughter.' "In 1839, when little Eliza was five years old, this excellent woman was suddenly removed by a fit of apoplexy, and many years passed before the wishes of her heart were realized. That they were realized, after fifteen years' interval, may be an encouragement to similar faith and prayerfulness in the case of other Christian parents and relatives." Whilst one cannot but be humbled in the contemplation of the hardness and desperate stoicism of the human heart, one cannot but at the same time admire the honesty of this dear child. There was no hypocritical assumption, but the simple, straightforward acknowledgment of the truth. It is far easier to deal with such, than to be thrown off one's The writer proceeds to state, guard by mere wordy, heartless pre"Mrs. Harris's youngest son, John, tences, to a something that is neither married at an early age. His first little personally known nor felt. The very daughter, Eliza-the subject of the honesty of this child prepared us for following sketch-was born in the year some after development of a very differ1834. She often went to see her grand-ent power, spirit, and teaching. mother, accompanied by her little cousin Take another glimpse of the girl of George. Sometimes the children re- sixteen:mained several days. Their grand- "It was at the age of sixteen that mother was specially pleased to have Eliza was sent to a boarding-school. them with her on Sundays; and, after Mrs. B- who conducted it, was a they left, made them the subject of kind, conscientious, and pious woman, earnest prayer. She felt considerable and was much distressed by the inveteanxiety in regard to Eliza, predicting rate dislike which her pupil manifested that she would be no negative character, to everything of a religious character. but distinguished by pre-eminence either A high-spirited girl, impatient of conin good or evil. The ardour and in- trol, and disliking all serious things and genuousness of the child's disposition serious people, she appeared to be, of encouraged her hopes, while her self- all her pupils, the least accessible to willed and passionate temper awakened admonition and instruction. On one her fears. occasion she called Eliza into her room, and talked to her earnestly and affectionately on the themes, so all-important, “On one occasion, when George and Eliza were spending the day with this : in the extreme. She could not endure the slightest check or opposition. Her one object was self-gratification, and she realized the description of the apostle, 'She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth." and yet so unwelcome, to young persons | her lips. Her manners were exuberantly -the value of the soul, the uncertainty gay, and her conversation was frivolous of life, and the possibility of an early grave. At length Eliza wept, said that she would really think over what had been said to her, and promised to begin to pray. She returned home for the holidays, and appeared to be slightly influenced by the conversation with her governess. But, long before the holidays were over, all impression had passed away, and she went back to school as thoughtless and irreligious as before. said that her "Weeks passed on; the recess approached, and again Mrs. B-called Eliza aside, and tried to win her to thoughtfulness and prayer, but on this occasion with very different effect. She was excessively annoyed and offended, governess had no business to interfere with her thoughts and feelings, and carried her displeasure so far, that on her return home she entreated her father not to allow her to go to school again, as she 'did not choose to be talked to in that style.' She gained her point, and returned to school no more! She took lessons at home in music, singing, and dancing; also in dress-making, not as a business, but simply with a view to being useful in her family; and here, with the addition of a great deal of light reading,' it may be said that her education for this world ended. Her mind was, to a great extent, undisciplined and uncultivated, and her thoughts being ever employed about the most frivolous subjects, she was as unaccustomed to mental effort as to self-restraint. One more proof of the vanity, and worldliness, and hardness, of the human heart, that grace may afterwards the more conspicuously shine forth by con trast: "Her dislike to religious subjects and religious people, amounted to repugnance. She had a pious aunt, whose society she uniformly shunned. One day, when unavoidably brought into contact with her, she endeavoured to prevent any serious remark by rattling on in her usual style about balls, dress, &c. Her aunt's look of distaste brought hear of these things, aunt?' 'No, my her to a stand. You do not like to dear, and I think a day will come when you will not like them either.' 'Oh, aunt, that day will never come to me! I always intend to go on as I do now. Now for the change "A circumstance and a crisis in her history approached, suggestive of the visitant who came to Christiana in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.' It was in the year 1854. Cholera had re-appeared, especially in Bristol. One morning Eliza felt slightly indisposed. She imagined her symptoms to be those of incipient cholera, and she thought it was come to her. She awoke from her "Thus finished,' according to her dream of pleasure, and her awaking was own views of education, Eliza plunged instantaneous and complete. She awoke into the world with a heartiness and to the consciousness of a wasted life, of energy which could scarcely be surpassed. a neglected soul, of an offended God, of Her first thought on Monday morning a despised and insulted Saviour. She was, 'How can I amuse myself this believed that she was about to be sudweek? To what parties, concerts, denly called into His presence, and into dances, can I go on Monday, Tuesday, a world for which she had not made the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday?' The slightest preparation, with the weight large workshop, in which her father's of unforgiven sin and rejected mercy on men worked, was occasionally extem- her soul. The indisposition which had porised into a ball-room. Dress occu- alarmed her, did not prove to be the pied a good deal of her attention, and cholera, and she soon recovered; but much of her time, and more than her she had had such a sight of herself, such allowance, were spent in devising pretty a look into the eternal world with all its and tasteful dresses. She had a sweet overwhelming realities, that the question voice, and sang and played with taste, of a little time, more or less, seemed but no hymns of praise were heard from nothing to her. Was the respite of a , few years, if such should be granted her, again to close her eyes to the 'for ever which lay beyond? Appetite and sleep forsook her. By day she wept, and by night she paced the floor of her chamber in restless agony of mind. She made no secret of her anxiety. Diffident and retiring as was her subsequent religious course, she afterwards said, that it would at that time have been to her a matter of indifference, if the whole world had known and talked about it. She cared not, so that she could but obtain the faintest ray of hope-the hope of salvation. "Her friends began to feel for her health or her reason. The medical attendant of the family was consulted, but she might have said to him in the words of the good old hymn, The help of men and angels joined One day he took his young patient out "Then her father, though himself unable to enter into the cause of her distress, went to Christian friends, and begged them to come and comfort his daughter. They saw her often, and tried to direct her to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.' Just so much of latent hope was enkindled in her mind, that she repaired frequently to them in return. She would steal in quietly when she found them alone, and sit by them, and weep in silence as they talked to her of Jesus, and told her that when He said, Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out,' He never could have intended to leave HER out! "She who awakened so much anxious sympathy was slow to take comfort. How can I tell,' she would say, 'whether this is anything more than mere fright-an impression which may pass away as did the first warnings of my governess? I want to know that I am really converted. If I am not born from above, I cannot see the kingdom of God.' Her characteristic energy and decision were brought to bear upon the new object of her life. She gave up all her old companions and amusements, and determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 333 to our mind, is the lack of a clearer, The most defective part of the book, fuller, more decided description of the way and manner in which pardon and peace were bestowed and enjoyed. We could have desired that the writer had dwelt more upon this, as exhibiting the sovereign power and efficacious blood and righteousness of Jesus, as brought and agonized soul of a poor, guilty, to bear upon the sin-smitten conscience Spirit-awakened sinner. But we can account for this defect upon the principle, that the work before us is from the pen of an observer, rather than from the actual partaker in the case referred to. Moreover, the extreme diffidence of the party in question would lead to such a deficiency. She might have been—and doubtless was extremely tenacious of It mattered not how humble the position timent, as expressed by herself, it is speaking of herself; and from one senin life of her new associations might be, clear that she was apprehensive as to the nor how much she had formerly despised them: she clung to them with inexpres-genuineness and stability of the work of in her soul. grace Whilst, therefore, the narrative may lack more definitive particulars of the fact, we must seek for the effects. "By their fruits shall ye know them.”. sible reverence and tenderness now. The dear aunt, whose company she had once shunned as the dullest of all dull things, was sought out. It was the evening, and her aunt was alone. Eliza came in, and sat down evidently much depressed. Her aunt asked if she was (To be continued.) THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE. "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my People, saith your God." "Endeavouring to Keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace." Jesus Christ, the same Yesterday, and To-day, and for Ever. Whom to know is Life Eternal." SEPTEMBER 1, 1859. { No. 161, OLD SERIES. THE PSALMIST'S LANGUAGE MINE! BELOVED, how precious are the Psalms of David; but remember, in order to feel their preciousness, and really to enjoy their savour, and power, and suitability, you must be brought where David was-aye, and David's Lord, too-into trouble. The Psalms have been called the very heart of the Bible; to get at that heart, then, and to draw it out, you must, in some way or other, be the subject of trial-conflict-real heartfelt trouble. The plains of ease are soon passed over, and, considering a child of God is what he is, and where he is, it is well it is so. Carnal security soon follows carnal ease; and it is now as in good old Bunyan's day, the meadowy pathway lies hard by Doubting Castle, where lives Giant Despair. If, then, Zion's pilgrims would have nothing to do with him or his dominions, let them be contented to pursue the old beaten track, tribulation, knowing it is written, "Through much tribulation ye must enter the kingdom;" and "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." When a child of God is the subject of sorrow, or afresh brought into trouble and difficulty, how quickly he flies to the Psalms, and there, in the very language of David and of David's Antitype, pours out his heart before the Lord. And how well may he be comforted by the thought, that if he is not only brought into a practical understanding of David's language, and if nought could so well express his feelings and condition, may he not reasonably expect the same support and the same deliverance as David had, seeing he has to do with Him who is "the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever?"" Surely the Lord's dear people are far too apt to overlook this twofold precious and distinguishing mercy. How different were the case, did the words of the prophet apply to them as well as to the people of whom he spoke. See last verse of the 20th chapter of Ezekiel, “Then said I, Ah, Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?" Have not some of us known what it was, month after month, and year after year, to minister |