of which were we to take the smallest portion in our mouths would create a loathing. And yet he dares to be proud even towards God!-dares, in his insig nificance, to arraign the wisdom of his Creator; refuses to read his Holy Scriptures, or disbelieves the life-giving revelation which He has condescended to make to the world!

"I scarcely know a text of Scripture in the whole Bible," remarked Mr. Gracelove, "that demands a more devout attention, than the one to whose solemn import I have just invited your notice; and the reason is, because the sin of pride, which the Saviour graciously warns us against, is the besetting sin of the human heart. We can never read nor meditate too often, nor with too great awe and humility, on this startling passage of our Lord's personal ministrations- Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein.'

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But remember the glorious promise :—

To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.'"*

* Rev. ii. 7.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE momentous declaration of Christ-of God Himself, incarnate in the flesh-with which the last chapter concluded, and which is calculated to make the ears of the worldly-proud man tingle when he hears it, concluded, also, the deeply-interesting conversation which that chapter records.

Shortly, afterwards, Mr. Gracelove retired from the bedside of his sick friend, whose strength was now sufficiently exhausted to require repose; although it had been wonderfully sustained by the powerful mental excitement which had given, for the time, additional energy both to his body and his mind.

In fulfilling the pious obligations of Christian duty, in which he had just been engaged, Mr. Gracelove had received the best reward of a conscientious mind, in the apparently happy success with which his endeavours had been accompanied. Knowing, as he did, the carnal occupations of Mr. Stately's life; the course of dissipation, and the fashionable excesses to which he had sacrificed both his time and his vir. tue,—so utterly at variance with moral and religious impressions, our friend had not expected to behold, so soon, the highly satisfactory result which, to human sense, had crowned his exertions. He now saw the pride of the self-sufficient man prostrate in the dust; his worldly pretensions subdued; his peni

tence and convictions of sin confessed; the reformation of his life resolved upon;-and all his haughty claims to live and act as he chose, surrendered implicitly to the will of his Saviour, in obedience to the Gospel of the grace of God.

Still, our moralist felt, that time alone could test the sincerity of that repentance he had so recently witnessed; the renunciations of sin that had been made; and the practice of righteousness that had been promised. He knew too well the deceitfulness of the human heart; of resolutions made under the apprehension of death; and he waited, with trembling anxiety, to see the issue of a return to health, which so often dissipates in air " vows made in pain." Yet, he could not help saying to himself," If this work be of God, it must and will succeed." He remembered that most encouraging assurance to all true penitents, already adverted to, clothed in the inspired language of the great apostle of the Gentiles, in which he says, "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."*

On the termination of the interview which has been related, the sick man made an earnest request to his estimable guest, that he would kindly remain at Bowness for some days, to await the crisis of his malady, as well as to afford him the solace of his society. "Your presence," he said, "is as needful for my recovery as that of my medical attendants. You have been to me more than a friend; you have been a neighbour,' in the strict scriptural sense of * Phil. i. 6.

that term. Like the good Samaritan, you have poured into the bleeding wounds of my heart the oil and wine' of religious consolation; and never shall I forget the obligations I owe you, if it shall please the Almighty to raise me again from this bed of sickness and of sorrow."

Such an appeal, as may be readily imagined, was responded to with the most cheerful acquiescence. A letter was consequently despatched to Derwent Cottage, to apprise its beloved mistress of her husband's protracted visit; with a detail of all the circumstances that had occurred during his absence from her, with which he felt sure she would be greatly interested.

The reader is aware that Mrs. Stately was present at the interview, which had taken place in the sick man's chamber. It may now be mentioned, that her conduct on that mournful occasion conciliated towards her the sincere respect of their zealous monitor. Though listening to the conversation in perfect silence, her frequent tears, and anxious countenance, bore ample testimony to the affectionate sympathy she felt with regard to her husband; and her absorbed attention to the religious subjects introduced, and dwelt upon, testified to the deep interest they excited in her mind.

A gratifying proof of the reality of such an impression was afforded her guest on the following day; for, on leaving the apartment of Mr. Stately, with whom he had been again conversing, he was accompanied by his wife into the sitting-room adjoining. She had, indeed, expressed a strong desire to hear

his opinions on two essential doctrines of Scripture; which, she said, had always appeared to her to involve a contradiction;-" At least," qualifying the expres sion-" too hard for me to understand."

On taking their seats, the lady prefaced her inquiry by remarking, "how extremely grateful she felt to Mr. Gracelove, for the soothing and comforting, as well as most edifying sentiments, which he had addressed to her poor invalid on the previous day. How very precious, my dear sir," she said, "have been your consolations to my poor husband. What gracious instances of mercy, even at the eleventh hour-nay, at the very last moment,—did you produce from the sacred Scriptures, to rescue his terrified soul from despair. You displayed before him the love of Christ, and, I may truly say, before myself also, in the most endearing and affecting point of view that could have been presented to the mind; and with which the blessed Bible alone could

have furnished you. In vain may we look for such pure, disinterested love upon earth, as was His, even among our most devoted relatives."

Most true it is," answered her companion:

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

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Ye are my friends,' said the adorable Saviour, 'if ye do whatsoever I command you.

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'Henceforth, I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,