tained on this important point by Archbishop Secker. The second, which I shall proceed to lay before you, emanates from the sound piety and evangelical mind of Bishop Horne. observes:

He

The case of Abraham, of whom St. Paul asserts that 'he believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness,' is here brought by St. James as an instance of one who was justified by works. 'Wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou,'-and wonderful it is that there should be any one who does not see, how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?' And so, his works being all wrought through faith, the Scripture was still fulfilled, which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness; his faith working by love was accepted in Christ Jesus, according to the terms of that Gospel, which the Scripture preached before unto him.' Thus, in this instance of the father of the faithful, as in a common centre, are the doctrines of both apostles met: one says, a man is justified by faith working; the other, by working faith; and this is really, and truly, all the difference between them. What pity then is it, that so many volumes should have been written, to the infinite vexation and disturbance of the church upon the question, whether a man is justified by faith or works, seeing they are two essential parts of the same thing! The body and the spirit make the man; faith and works make the Christian. 'For as the body without the spirit is dead,'—and therefore but half the man,— 'so faith without works is dead also,' and therefore but half the Christian. Nor can any son of Abraham be justified otherwise than his father is declared to have been: 'Faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect."

"And now," said our Christian expositor, placing the book in the hands of the lady that she might peruse it at her leisure, "I do hope I have entirely removed the doubt and difficulty under which you laboured with respect to this interesting and important subject."

"You have, indeed most successfully," she responded. "Nothing can be more lucid and satisfactory than the explanations of the two bishops. Of discrepancy between the two apostles I now perceive there is not a particle. Whoever thinks so, makes a distinction without a difference. I can now clearly recognize the motive of St. James in laying a more particular stress on 'works' than on 'faith,' in seeming opposition, and seeming only, to the declaration of St. Paul, from what is so well stated by Archbishop Secker. For if the former apostle had a strong perception on his mind, at the time he wrote-which was the case,-of the pernicious doctrine and evil conduct of those wrong-minded men in his days, alluded to by the archbishop, who imagined that their Christian liberty not only exempted them from the rites and ceremonies of the Jews, but from all law whatever, and even from that of the civil magistrate,-then, if we wonder at all, our surprise should rather be, that works,' as the demonstration of faith, were not even still more strongly insisted on, for the purpose of at once putting down such licentious and profligate principles.

"One thing, however," continued the lady, "is perfectly plain to my conviction, namely that those two holy men entertained the self-same unalloyed and unqualified doctrine on the subject of faith and works. If, however, there could be the slightest doubt whatever on the subject, yet, after reading the context of each epistle, in connection with the passages in question, that doubt must be immediately solved in favour of identity of meaning; since we perceive, unequivocally, that Abraham is made equally an illustration of his doctrine by

each of these inspired men. Truly does the excellent Bishop Horne declare, in the opinion you have just kindly read to me, that, in this instance of the father of the faithful, as in a common centre, are the doctrines of both apostles met."

Just at this moment the bell rung in the sick man's room; and as Mrs. Stately had nursed her husband with a zealous affection during the whole of his illness; scarcely allowing any one to attend upon him, in participation of her tender cares; she immediately rose from her chair, and extending her hand to Mr. Gracelove, with the expression of many thanks for the edifying and most satisfactory explanation he had afforded her, left the apartment.

The latter, shortly afterwards, mounted his horse, which he had ordered to be in readiness, and enjoyed for a couple of hours, before dinner, the lovely scenery that surrounds Windermere.

A fortnight had, at length, passed away, during which our excellent friend had devoted a portion of each day to those best ministrations of friendship, which consist in reclaiming the heart, and the understanding, from the fatal delusions of spiritual error and infidelity. Think what an act of charity this is! What a momentous task! For a continuance in these delusions involves not merely the well-being of 'threescore years and ten,' but of a period so inconceivably vast, that, if every grain of sand on the sea shore represented a thousand million of ages-when the sands were all gone, and the ages rolled away, the end of ETERNITY Would be still as far off as when the first grain began to speed its course! He watched, and conversed, and prayed by the bedside of the penitent magistrate, with an assiduity which nothing but Christian principle could supply. Nor were his exertions unrewarded. Each succeeding day brought him increasing confidence in the happy result that would follow, as he saw the

Y

faith of the once worldly man grow hourly stronger; his hopes brighter; the charities of his heart more enlarged and

pure.

At length, the medical attendants, whose fears for the safety of their patient had been considerably excited during the fortnight which had followed Mr. Gracelove's arrival, announced that the crisis of the disorder had passed away favourably. They informed Mrs. Stately that in the course of another week, if her husband continued to improve, as they now trusted he would, he might safely be removed by easy stages to his own home. Still, though their hopes were much strengthened as to his ultimate recovery, they prepared his wife to expect but a slow progress towards that happy issue; and, that a considerable period would elapse ere their patient regained the original vigour of his constitution.

And, now, the beloved master of Derwent Cottage began to turn his wistful regards towards the dulce domum of his domestic happiness, adorning the shores, and reflected in the transparent waters of that enchanting lake, in the bright bowers of whose banks all his affections centred. For there his heart told him reposed that bright oasis in the desert of life— the "tellus, et domus, et placens uxor,”—that drop of essential sweetness in the cup of our sorrows that qualifies all

its bitterness.

It was, therefore, finally arranged that Mr. Gracelove should return home on the second morning after the pleasing announcement had been made. He forthwith addressed a letter to her who was, indeed, the 'wife of his bosom,' to apprise her of their speedy happy reunion.

On the day of his departure he dispatched his servant, with the stanhope, to Ambleside; intending himself to proceed thither in a boat from Bowness, along the middle of the lake, in order to enjoy more fully the panoramic beauties of the

magnificent Windermere. Taking, therefore, an affectionate leave of his poor sick friend, and his wife, with a thanksgiving of heart, and the happy confidence of an assured Christian hope in their behalf, which he felt not on his arrival; and followed by the many ejaculated blessings and expressions of gratitude of those he was leaving, he stepped into his boat, and at once launched forth on the bright expanse.

Windermere is the largest of the English lakes; and is sometimes called, from that circumstance, as on account of its general character for grandeur and beauty, the Queen of the lakes.' It extends about twelve miles in length, with a variable breadth of from one mile to nearly two, and a circumference of twenty-six. It lies in a direction almost due north and south; and is bounded, as to a considerable portion of its eastern side, by Westmoreland, while the remainder of that margin, with the whole of the western shore, lies in Lancashire. Windermere, like most of the northern lakes, varies considerably in point of depth. In some places it descends to a profundity of two hundred and twenty feet. This, however, is the exception; as the general measure from the surface to the bed of the lake, and that also along the middle of it, does not exceed ninety feet; and in various places does not extend beyond five fathoms.

Its waters, beautifully transparent as they are, abound with fish of the finest quality; especially char, trout, pike, and perch; while, floating on its shining stream, is often beheld the stately swan, with other species of wild fowl, as teal, widgeons, ducks, and geese.

The characteristics of this noble lake vary considerably as the tourist approaches either of its extremities. The one to the north, in the vicinity of Low Wood Inn, and Ambleside, displays a gorgeous array of mountains which can scarcely be surpassed anywhere in their impressive grandeur; casting their