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The body destroyed to save the soul alive.

nal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. When God's people wander from him, he in covenant love smites them with his chastening rod; and not unfrequently kills the body to save the soul alive.* It was thus that the Most High dealt with Emma B- in bringing back the poor wanderer to the heavenly fold.

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The reader will recollect that, at the conclusion of the last chapter, allusion was made to a great effort which Emma put forth to write a letter to Mr. C, which resulted in a fainting fit, from which she did not recover for some time. The circumstances were these. After receiving the letter addressed to her by the author, of which notice has been taken, Emma felt a great desire to convey to one who had taken so deep an interest in her eternal welfare, the assurance that she appreciated his kindness, and was not unmindful of the awful retributions of that eternity to which she was so rapidly hastening. Having been for a considerable period a member of the author's Bible class, and during that period having availed herself of frequent opportunities of attending upon the ministrations of the sanctuary where he officiated, she looked back upon that portion of her history with deep emotion, and felt rising within her sentiments of kindness towards him, not unlike those that she would have cherished to one who had sustained to her the relation of a pastor; and she wished to record, with her dying hand, her acknowledgment of gratitude to him, and her deep sense of her own guilt and vileness in the sight of God as a backslider. She had thrown together a few thoughts, and had commenced arranging and copying them; but in the midst of the effort, the fainting, which we have noticed, ensued, and she was never able to accomplish what she had undertaken. After her decease, there was sent to the author what she had commenced preparing as a communication to him. It is in an unfinished state; but as it * Compare the 32d verse of the 11th chapter of the 1st Corinthians, with the 30th verse, in connexion with the context.

Emma's last letter.

is in her own handwriting, unfolding the sentiments of her own heart, it will be here inserted.

"DEAR SIR,-Your letter reached me just on the eve of my fulfilling that vow, on which I had so long and so shamefully trampled. It afforded me great pleasure, inasmuch as I felt grateful that you possessed the same interest for me that you ever had. But O! it grieved me that you, whom, in looking back upon former years, I may be permit ted to address in one sense, as my beloved pastor, should have been made acquainted with my great fall; for I knew you would feel sincerely grieved, which is proved in your kind and admonitory letter. I am willing to bear the rebukes of my fellow Christians, to lose the good opinion of those I truly loved; but that I should have been the unhappy instrument, in the hand of Satan, to injure the cause of my blessed Saviour; that I should have encouraged scoffers and infidels, causes me to feel, when I kneel at the throne of grace, sorrow and shame which denies the utterance of words! In reviewing my past life, there is one thing which appears to cast a gleam of hope across its dark and gloomy prospect. Never did I forget my God. Daily have I kneeled at the throne of mercy, and prayed for forgiveness, and to be renewed unto repentance. I am convinced that my almighty Father, in the greatness of his mercy, did not suffer me to neglect him altogether, and graciously condescended to hear my prayer. For in the painful and fatal disease, which like a flash of lightning seized me in the midst of health and youth, I can see his hand snatching me from the abyss of ruin. Your letter gave me much comfort, wherein you urge me to repentance. There are several passages in the New Testament which have caused me a great deal of uneasiness. I allude to the fearful manner in which St. Paul speaks of apostasy. There are many young, professing Christians, who like myself have entered into the pleasures of this world, who yet have continued to kneel at the table of Christ. I could not pollute that table by going

Emma's view of her past life.

forward, when my life was so much at variance with the vow which I had taken when first I knelt there. I humbly ask you to consider these two cases. Is going to the communion table, and observing all the outward forms of religion—is this all that is necessary in leading a religious life? Ah, no! This is not the language of those pious counsels which you laboured so faithfully to impress upon our hearts. You would have said, 'Come not forward, thou hypocrite, to profane this holy communion!' It is useless for me to mention the many temptations which beset me even during my attendance at your church. The thought never entered into my heart that I should ever fall into those temptations; so I did not know my own weakness, nor the world's allurements. I relied too much upon my own strength.

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My constant confinement to the house renders it impossible, on my part, to perform those works of love and faith which every true Christian finds so much pleasure in discharging. Slight experience has taught me how much pleasure is to be derived from visiting the poor. Those few visits I made with Miss T were of more benefit to me in teaching me humility, and to be grateful for the many blessings I enjoyed, than any other duty. I do not feel myself equal to the task of finishing this letter. The unexpected pleasure of receiving a letter from you afforded me so much gratification, that I determined to make an effort to answer it. That it has been an effort the above lines plainly show. If in reading them it should appear to you that I wished to justify myself, you will be mistaken. No earthly being but myself can know the enormity of my sins. To me it appears there is not one hour of those years of sin that is not remembered. - Can I not say with a backslider like myself, Have I not mingled in the festival? Have I not courted pleasure in the brilliant assembly and crowded theatre, where beauty and wealth poured around their shining and fascinating attractions?' And this is not all; no eye but that of my God has looked into

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my heart, and seen the vile and sinful thoughts that were there. How can I, when I consider these things, and then turn to the wonderful love of my blessed Saviour, how can I justify myself! O, no! would that I could feel, far more than I do, how great a sinner I have been. O! that you would pray for me that my sins may be forgiven; that the Holy Spirit may cleanse me from all impurity; and that, whether I live or die, may overcome at the last. My earnest prayers shall ever be offered up for the happiness of yourself and family; and if, indeed, we never meet again this side the grave, I trust that Jesus will support me that I may meet you at his right hand."

She had, at this time, the benefit of the counsel of a spiritually minded pastor, who strove to direct all her contemplations heavenward. Doubtless his labours were eminently blessed in persuading her to return to the feet of that Redeemer whom she had so wickedly deserted. The unfinished letter, to which the reader's attention has just been called, shows that she now saw this matter in a true light.

It is an interesting and singular fact, that those who have once tasted that the Lord is gracious, when they wander from the narrow path, and live in known sin for which their conscience every hour rebukes them, seldom or ever become so hardened that they can make up their mind to live altogether without prayer. Their prayers under these circumstances must necessarily be heartless, and offered rather with a view to soothe conscience, than to obtain the blessings asked for. O, should God deal with impenitent sinners and backsliding Christians according to their desert, how soon would perdition open her mouth and swallow them up? It is because his compassions fail not that we are not consumed. Miss H, who visited Emma frequently, remarks: "At this time her thoughts seemed fixed upon her own vileness, and to these sentiments, that dwelt constantly upon her mind, she gave utterance in conversation

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with her friends. In such an humble, self-abased spirit, depressed with the sense of her sinfulness, constantly referring to her backsliding, dear Emma long continued."

Miss T—————, whose name has been already referred to, visited Emma frequently at this time, and her visits were like refreshing showers in the summer's drought. Her conversation was full of instruction, and indicated to this strayed one the precise path she should take to return to the fold. She showed her that Christ was the way. And in prayer she seemed to bear her to the very bosom of Jesus, who came to seek and save them that are lost.

Miss H farther remarks in relation to Emma at this time, "Looking within, instead of turning her eye to the great sacrifice, and comparing her present state of coldness with the warmth of her former feelings, she found in the past only that which was calculated to awaken present doubt and fear.

“O,' said she, 'how clear and simple was once the way of salvation! Tell me, was there not in Mr. M peculiar power of preaching Christ?'

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"I replied, "There was indeed, dear Emma. The way of justification by faith, as exhibited by him, was so plain, that he who ran might read!'

"It was even so,' she responded; but now, although I hear the words I am the way, I cannot seem to find it, and I fear at times I never shall. O, that I felt my sin more.'

"She seemed to be afraid to gather comfort, even from God's word, and when we would quote to her the promises to the penitent she would confront us with the doom of the apostate. Yet I never doubted that she would be received at last into the joy of her Lord, for she was too humbled, too repentant, long to remain unblessed. She looked to God much in prayer, though she complained of the want of evidence that her petitions were accepted. 'O! it used to be so easy to pray,' she said, 'my soul mounted to meet my God; but now, I feel at such a distance, it seems no longer prayer.' Hopes and fears now alternately shaded

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