also, in which her duties were executed, gained for her the respect of her equals and the reverence and affection of her lowly cottagers. Could she have uttered the sentiments and the language of Job, which her habitual humility would have disinclined her from doing, she might truly have said with the patriarch—" When the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me: Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me: and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy."*

In addition to these external acts of Christian piety and benevolence, I must not omit to notice, still further, the internal moral economy of Mr. and Mrs. Gracelove's establishment. This excellent woman had organized two Ladies' branch Associations in her house, in aid of those admirable institutions, the Bible and Church Missionary Societies. Of these associations the latter had taken upon herself the office of secretary; and the members of them assembled on two separate days in each month at Derwent cottage, when the various subscriptions obtained by the female collectors were received, and deposited in a box, till they were handed over to the secretaries of the parent society.

In all these works of faith, and labours of love, she was greatly assisted by the wife of the Rev. Augustus Davies, one of the pious clergymen of the district; both of whom united in zealous co-operation in these beneficent designs; the one as a consistent minister of God, and the other as a truly Christian helpmate to her exemplary husband. And never does a woman more gracefully fulfil the ohligations of her marriage vows than when, with "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit," she lightens the cares, by a willing participation

* Job xxix. 11-13.

in them, of her husband's duties. To a clergyman, especially, such a conscientious union of hand and heart must be that drop of sweetness in the mingled cup of life—that solace of his anxieties, and that heightener of his joys, which his arduous functions so much require.

Besides these periodical meetings, with the design just named, an evening was set apart in each month, at Derwent cottage, for the purpose of religious conversation and instruction. Over these prayer-meetings the Rev. Mr. Davies presided, and which were attended by the more serious and well-disposed among the friends and acquaintance of the master and mistress of the house.

The party usually assembled at the hour of taking tea, during which, and for some time afterwards, the subjects that were introduced, and which were proposed by the worthy clergyman for general conversation, respected man's probationary state on earth, and the end of his existence. In the various turns and modifications of thought elicited on these instructive occasions, were comprehended the physical as well as moral works of the Deity. The various doctrines of the Bible, particularly the great doctrine of the atonement by a crucified Saviour; the marvellous love of God in sending his only-begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and to rise again for our justification, became alternately the edifying topics of contemplation. With these holy and sublime considerations was always united that most comforting assurance, that God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance; "who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations ;"+ but who declares, at the same time, that "He will by no means clear the guilty."

In these conversations Mr. Davies naturally took the + Deut. vii. 9.

* 2 Pet. iii. 9.

lead; and was frequently appealed to for his opinion, and for information on various interesting points. After this preliminary interchange of ideas and feelings on the all-important subjects of religion had lasted for some time, the worthy pastor would then open the family Bible, and read a chapter, or some less portion of its sacred contents, and expound and enlarge upon its meaning. The exposition being concluded, which generally lasted about three-quarters of an hour, all knelt down, while the reverend preceptor put up prayers, mingled with praises, on behalf of himself and those around him, to that all-gracious Being in whose hands are the issues of life and death. A meeting thus commenced in the fear and the love of God naturally terminated in the "peace of God;"-that peace which passeth understanding, and which the world can neither give nor take away. Each returned home with a mind composed and edified; pondering the truths of that divine wisdom of which they had so recently heard the inspirations from the very fountain-head-the Bible; and acknowledging, with gratified feelings, that "her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.' Many persons, however, there are-" wise men after the flesh;" and many "wise" women also, who consider such devotional exercises as savouring of what they choose to call "methodistical;" and those who attend them as being

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righteous overmuch." And yet, were you but to hint to these persons anything approaching to an imputation that they themselves were not religious, they would imagine you had affronted them in a very grievous manner. Thus does the god of this world delude the hearts of his votaries! and by infusing into their minds carnal attachments to the perishing things of time and sense-giving them up to that "friendship of the world" which is "enmity with God,”†—rob Him of those *Prov. iii. 17.

+ James iv. 4.

brighter and more enduring hopes which are derived from a closer and more frequent contemplation of the life that is to

come.

And on which side lies the better reason and the safety of the immortal soul?-with the class of the "righteous overmuch," or with that of the righteous over-little? Do we not hear constantly of the holding of scientific meetings, embracing every description of knowledge, some monthly, others weekly, and a few almost diurnally? And shall it be said by any one, calling himself or herself a Christian, that while such societies teach, as they do, but the wisdom of this world, so very soon to pass away from the very longest liver, yet that the divine philosophy which teaches the way to an unchangeable happiness in heaven, may be taught too often, or should be excluded from the socialities of domestic life ?

Without wishing, for a moment, to be harsh or uncharitable, can such persons read their Bibles with humble and teachable minds, and not be aware of the practice of the primitive Christians? It is recorded in Acts ii. 42, of those three thousand souls who were, by the preaching of Peter, converted and baptized, that "they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers;" and in the 46th verse, that "they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”

But an infinitely higher authority than the example of the primitive Christians has said, "that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"* has also said, "Watch ye, therefore, and pray always ;" and has enforced the commandment by the most powerful and encouraging sanctions, by superadding, "that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."+ * Luke xviii. 1. † Luke xxi. 36.

E

Now, although the divine injunction is to be understood with that necessary qualification which does not set aside, or dispense with, the various duties of life, yet does it strongly imply the necessity of a spiritual frame of mind,—the habitual presence in the heart of that spirit of prayer with which those duties should ever be performed. Such a state of the affections towards God is beautifully illustrated in the book of Deuteronomy, where, in allusion to the observance of the divine commandments, it is enjoined-" Thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates." *

Thus it appears, by the infallible declarations of Holy Writ, that in the days of primitive Christianity it was not merely once a month that the disciples of our blessed Lord assembled in each other's houses, but, as also in the temple, “daily; breaking bread from house to house." And this expression

is to be understood as significant of that more solemn act of sacramental worship in which Christians have such near and devout communion with the Deity himself, and such affectionate fellowship with each other..

In preferring religious wisdom to human science, as the author, as well as every human being, is under the most profound obligation to do, he does not mean, in the slightest degree, to depreciate that knowledge and learning,—those elegant and useful arts which adorn while they benefit humanity. He does, however, insist on their infinite subordination to those immortal hopes set before us in the blessed Gospel of Christ, and to those precious means of attaining to their realization in the eternal existence which is to come.

*Deut. vi. 7-9.