chief attention on the excellence of religion, and to find his chief delight in defending its cause, in relating its triumphs, in seeking the experience of its power, and in practising its duties. What a contrast! How loudly does it proclaim the energy of Divine Grace! How forcibly does it prove that that Grace had wrought mightily in the soul of the author of this little volume! It is, indeed, a rare and highly interesting piece, and calculated to be extremely useful.' We think that he intended it for the public eye, for he writes

A short sketch of that life, that sickness, and that death, may solace her surviving friends, and do justice to her memory. O thou God of all grace, vouchsafe that the example here displayed may encourage the strong in faith to persevere, may sustain the weak in a course of piety, and lure the infidel from his hopeless wanderings to the path of faith, hope, and happiness, which the religion of Christ points out to the miserable children of mortality.' p. 14.

'MRS. GROSVENOR was the only daughter of the late Alexander C. Hanson, Esq. Chancellor of Maryland.' Her father and mother are stated to have paid much attention to her education and her morals; and her mind, 'docile, brilliant, and strong, under their skilful culture, was reared rapidly to maturity.' But she lost both her parents when at that most important and usually decisive period of life, the age of 16. She was then left in the city of Baltimore, a new and strange abode, without friends and guides of her own sex, without property, without even common acquaintance, a young, refined, and artless girl, to the sole care of her two brothers, neither of whom had attained the age of 21 years.' The period of 5 or 6 years, which ensued, she afterward regretted as thrown away.

For if she did not live without God in the world, the world and its frivolous amusements stole too much of her time from more solid pursuits, and rational and religious studies.' p. 19.

At this time she became intimate with some very excellent persons of her own sex; and if all of them were equally deserv

ing with such of them as we have the pleasure to know, (for Mr. G. has recorded their names) we can say that they were friends of incalculable worth. These friends, by their conversation and example, and particularly the death of one of them, were instrumental in exciting her attention to her spiritual interests.

Now she wrestled with her God more earnestly-explored the original corruptions of her own heart more vigilantly-searched the book of life more frequently, and became daily more importunate with her God to guide her steps in the right way.' p. 24.

'Gradually, she became enlightened in the great truths of Christianity; gradually, she received the illuminations of Divine Grace; gradually, was her soul filled with love to her Redeemer; gradually, were her affections weaned from earthly objects, and fixed on heavenly. She had no mystic flashes of conviction, no sudden illuminations of the spirit, no miraculous warnings or passionate ecstacies by which her soul was instantaneously renewed.* Her's was the work of earnest and devout prayer, of tearful and agonizing con trition, of solemn reflection, of heaven-directed meditation-she asked, and it was given her-she sought, and she found-she knocked, and it was opened unto her-she asked in prayer, believing, and she received. She advanced from knowledge to knowledge, from grace to grace.' pp. 25, 26.

The following extracts show what were her conduct and language in her last hours.

'As she approached nearer her end, she seemed to become more and more calm and familiar with death-she frequently conversed on that event with all the serenity, solemnity, and fervour, which always marked her conversation on any religious topic. On one

* By this, we understand Mr. G. to mean that she did not thus instantaneously become convinced that she was the subject of that spiritual and saving change which we call regeneration; for, however gradually we may discover that change, it yet is always wrought 'instantaneously. Nor are the particulars which Mr. G. mentions the supposed causes of regeneration, but rather the supposed evidences of it in the minds of many persons.

such occasion she was asked whether she felt prepared to meet her God; whether she could fly to the arms of her Saviour with hope and confidence of happiness. "O yes," she said, "such are my feelings now--I think I have taken a final leave of this world—I think nothing could induce me to wish again to mingle with it.” "It is long since I have prayed for my recovery--It seems to me that all I now want is to be present with my Redeemer. Yet," she continued, after a short pause, "It is an awful meeting, and well may the purest saints tremble at the thought of it-to enter undisguised and alone in the presence of the great God-the just, omniscient, offended, insulted, Almighty Judge of heaven and earth-to be viewed by Him-to be judged by Him!!-O! who is without sin ? Who shall be able to stand?—None, none but those whom a merciful Saviour shall support. O! blessed Redeemer, on thy cross, on thy blood, on thy body, are placed all my hopes in that awful hour--supported by thy Almighty arm, I can meet death without fear-I can pass through the dark valley without fainting-I can enter into the presence of my Judge with hope and confidence-for thou, O! blessed Saviour, hast washed my soul in thy own blood-hast satisfied the claims of divine Justice, hast interceded with thy Father and my Father, and hast procured the pardon of my sins."

pp. 45-47. "It is the constant business of my lingering life to examine and search my affections.". "O! pray for me, that my heavenly Father may not suffer me to be deceived. I have no reason to suspect that I am deceived. On the contrary, I have the firmest reliance on the mercy of my gracious Father. I have the most undoubting hope that the cross of my Redeemer hath subdued my heart. Yet pray for me that I may not be deceived.". "O pray

for me that my gracious Father may enable me, in my last hour, to show you a good example of Christian hope, confidence, and joy.”

"God is good, merciful and true. He will not abandon me then he will sustain me, for I have no other hope, no other consolation-hath he not said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee ?”— pp. 47-49.

It was not long after this, when the final moment arrived. Her last words were, "GOD BLESS YOU ALL. GIVE HIM

THANKS THAT HE HAS ENABLED ME TO SET YOU THIS EXAMPLE.'

Such was the end of this young and lovely woman. It was a happy and glorious death. It was a triumphant appeal to all, whether our blessed faith brings not comfort unspeakable; but how strong, how suitable, how glorious, its consolations are, no one can ever know, until, like her, he is bereft of all others, and, like her, finds them sufficient when all others fail." pp. 61, 62.

We recommend this work to all, and particularly to every mother and to every daughter; not, indeed, as free from defect, but, in the language of the Rt. Rev. Bishop KEMP, as suited to warm the heart, and improve the best qualities of the soul.' It is, no doubt, a partial sketch, written by a fond and mourning husband; but, with every allowance for his partiality, a partiality which does him high credit, it is consoling and cheering to the Christian, and it is calculated to win over to the side of religion all the tendencies of our humanity to loveliness and excellence, and perdurable good.

The style in which it is written is far above mediocrity, and there are some pages of very fine writing, manifesting deep thought and uncommon powers of language. It was, however, evidently written hastily; and the writer appears constantly to have been intent on his chief design, to honour her memory whose life and death he was sketching, and to honour that religion which had been her support and her comfort. He has given us a biography, which future writers would do well to imitate. He, as it were, renders us intimately acquainted with Mrs. Grosvenor. We seem to stand by the side of her sick bed; hear her expressions of faith and penitence—of love and hope; we witness her peace; we see the smile of triumph on her face,' even when she feels the pangs of death.

Are any of our readers lovers of those polite amusements which fashion sanctions? To their consideration, we recommend the following extract.

"She doubted whether they were objects worthy the pursuit of beings destined to eternity--whether they were consistent with that improvement of the few hours of our earthly pilgrimage which the Scriptures enjoin; and whether their tendency is not to counteract

that blessed Spirit of grace which is constantly striving with man.--Certain it is, that in her own case she felt such to be the fact.They had ceased to give her pleasure-and she had long ceased to mingle in them, but when solicited and urged by her friends. Now that she became convinced that they were wrong, the case was at once decided. While enjoying her usual health, she resolved to abandon them wholly." pp. 27, 28.

We rejoice to read the following passages, and, knowing that the ideas they contain ought to be more generally disseminated, we extract them.

Recurring on one occasion to the events of her past life, it was remarked to her, that her life had been uncommonly innocent and virtuous, and that this must be a subject of great comfort to her in her present condition.

"She said, she hoped it was true, that from her infancy she had endeavoured to shun positive sins, and wicked pursuits-she had generally attended the public worship of God, and had not neglected the duties of private devotion; and, as long as she remembered, had been inclined to good and useful actions, rather than useless and evil ones. Certainly, she said, this reflection was consoling and precious to her a consolation she would not barter for worlds. Yet, she said, her hopes of forgiveness and salvation were none of them placed on this foundation-her motives, even in the most virtuous actions, had not been pure-the glory of God, the love of her Saviour, obedience to his will, had not been her motive-no, her actions would not bear the scrutiny of that all-just Father, who cannot look on sin with the least allowance, and whose indispensable requisition is, My son, give me thine heart. How much of the feelings of this vain world had entered into her best actions! How much precious time had she thrown away on the vanities of this world! How many opportunities of serving and worshipping her heavenly Father had she neglected! How often had she resisted the suggestions of the Spirit of grace striving with her, and urging her to enter on the great work of salvation !"– "Oh no! the catalogue of my sins is endless-my life would justly subject me to eternal punishment-for 1 have constantly rebelled against a tender, long-suffering, gracious Father." "It is the blood of the Lamb slain for the sins of the VOL. I....No. 7. 21