old chest, said, "Mother, if you don't leave off this crying I cannot talk to you-you must be quiet." "I will, my dear creature, I will then," she said: and something like order being restored, "Now," said Erastus, "I have not saved your life, nor can I, or any or all the men in the world, save your soul: if either body or soul reaps any good from my endeavours, it is to the Lord, and to him only, that the praise is due. Mind what I say: if you don't remember this, I'll not come to see Here the old woyou any more." man renewed her wailings and tears as she exclaimed, "Oh, don't you turn your back on me, for you are the best friend I ever had in the world." "I don't wish to do so," replied he; "but you must not turn your back on God, and your face on man, by thus giving to man the praise which is only due to God." "Ah, but, my dear creature, I should have been cast away if you had not relieved me. I was in such pain!-and when they went over to Mr. -, he said it was of no use to physic me; but when you sent me that nice stuff, as soon as I took it, it made all my pain fly away, just like a little bird flying off a twig of the tree." "I am very glad," replied Erastus, "that it relieved your pains: let us thank the Lord for causing it to do so. We must, however, now talk a little about your soul, mother." * Ah, the soul!" said she," the poor soul! that is the thing. I don't care about the body, so that it may go well with the soul. If I might but be pardoned my sins! Oh, my poor soul! what will become of that?" "I hope," said Erastus, "the Lord Jesus Christ will pardon and receive it." With an uncommon degree of · earnestness and expectation, she fixed her eyes on those of Erastus, and asked, "Do you think he will ?" (To be continued) THE DYING CHRISTIAN. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.”. Psalm xxxvii. 37. ON MINISTERIAL UNSUCCESSFULNESS. SIR,-Your miscellany has produced many sensible and true remarks on the very important subject of Ministerial Unsuccessfulness. While, however, there seems to be any important fact unnoticed (and such I think there is) it becomes our duty, as those who wish well and pray for the prosperity of Zion, to bring such forward. My sentence then is, that one cause of many men continuing to labour in the word and doctrine with so little success, may be accounted for by their having entangled themselves with very unsuitable women as their wives. That many a good man in the ministry is blessed with a help meet, is a fact that needs no proof from my pen. I know some that are real blessings to their husbands, and to the flocks over which God has placed them; but I also know several who are as clogs on their partners' heels, as briers and thorns in their ministerial way. This is a subject that must be plainly dealt with, to be faithfully and usefully handled. It is really a grievous thing, to think how some good men are tried and perplexed between the endeavour to go in and out among their people as a minister ought to do, and that of keeping something like peace and quietness at home. There is a strange and unhallowed kind of jealousy in the minds of many ministers' wives, that absolutely keeps them from those domestic visits among their people, and especially among the country poor, which are so necessary to usefulness. The same disposition, on the part of the lady at the rectory or vicarage, which forbids her husband mixing with his people in their dwellings, throws a chilling and forbidding atmosphere all round the parsonage: so that, instead of its being free of access to all the flock, it is barred and bolted, if not by irons and hold-fasts, yet by frowns, and fretful, high-tempered speeches; so that few or none venture to come thither to proclaim the sorrows of their hearts, or to solicit advice from their spiritual guide. There are many men who would open their doors to, or rather never shut them against, their poor people-men who would rejoice to see young and old come thither with the confidence and affection of children—but who, alas! can never enjoy that happiness, nor hope to enjoy it-And why? because their partners do not approve of it: It disturbs the family: Or it makes the house dirty: Or it makes too much work for the servants: Or, to give a more honest reason, it produces a degree of familiarity between the people and the pastor, which his wife does not like. When a man is thus circumstanced, it is difficult to advise him how to act, and more difficult for him to follow good advice. If he is determined to follow up his ministerial work with a single eye to the glory of God and the good of his people, his house will be a place of broil and contention, of weeping and scolding, of dissatisfaction and uncomfortableness, which must infallibly discompose and unfit his mind for communion with God, either in his closet, his study, or his pulpit. And should he give way to the petty jealousies, the proud airs, and the unchristian feelings, of a worldly-minded wife, then his hands are tied up, and he becomes but the shadow of a faithful, loving, zealous Minister. No one denies but that the wife and children of a Minister of the Gospel have a large claim on his affections, society, and time; but let every Minister recollect, that his God and Saviour, and the cause and people of that Saviour, have a much greater claim than any wife, or relatives, can have, when placed in opposition. Your correspondent M. S.* alludes to Whitfield, * Page 172, May 1825. Walker, Romaine, Newton, Berridge, Milner, Robinson, &c. as men who, through the grace of God, "turned many to righteousness; and he justly fears that there is a great want of their abstraction from and deadness to the world; of their heavenly-mindedness, their spirit of prayer, their love to souls, and of their zeal for God. They were, indeed, burning and shining lights; but then, they (at least all but one or two) were not unequally yoked. Indeed, the greater part of them seem to have been so aware of the difficulty of obtaining a help meet, and of the immense evil of being yoked to one who was not such, that they lived and died unmarried. The writer is no advocate for the celibacy of the Clergy; but he is a strong advocate for the Ministers of God's word preferring their God and his cause to the indulgence of their fancies and the gratification of their uncontrouled affections. This is a duty incumbent on all Christian men, but especially on those who minister in holy things, and who profess to have devoted them selves to the Lord. In the course of my day, I have seen many a fair, blooming youth wither, and come to nought, by an improper, ill-timed marriage connection. I have even seen more than one or two instances of young men, of supposed sterling piety, who were encouraged and befriended at college by the liberality of others, in the hope that they would one day become very active and useful ministers in the church, who-instead of keeping a single eye on the great work of the ministry, and pressing forward through their studies, as anxious to be prepared for the first important field of usefulness in the church, and cause of souls, that might offer-have, before the expiration of their terms and ordination, made engagements of a matrimonial nature; and on taking orders, instead of being ready to go whereever their friends and patrons could point out a field of work for the instruction of perishing souls, the great anxiety, and the only inquiries, of these once-promising men, have been, Where they could obtain a situation that would please their wife! where procure a house suitable for a school and for a family! And, so, many large and barren parts of the field of Christ's vineyard have been rejected by them as stations of labour, because they did not please the wife, or furnish accommodation for a school. Oh! sir, can it be matter of surprise if such men, though preaching the Gospel now and then in the pulpit, do not witness much success? The work of the ministry is a great and solemn work, which requires those engaged in it to bring their whole hearts into its service, and, of course, to make even the choice of a partner, and the time of marriage, secondary matters, in comparison with the grand object of forwarding the work of the Lord. When, therefore, the young Minister is more anxious to marry the woman of his hasty choice, than he is to gather round him a family of children begotten in the Lord; when his first care and plans are to obtain a commodious house and a pleasing residence, rather than a wide field of barren land to cultivate as God's husbandry; when the more aged Minister is obstructed in his goings out and comings in among his flock, or that flock is frowned away from his residence by a wife that is not a help meet; we may lament, but cannot be surprised, at the consequence. Could any admonition of mine reach the ears and heart of females who are desirous of intermarrying with Clergymen, I would say, "Reflect very seriously on the great responsibility of such a union: much good, much evil, will undoubtedly ensue, according as you are or are not helps meet." Nor do I think it the least unkind or unfair to say, that but few out of the great or : mass are adapted for ministers' wives. A Clergyman's wife has a very important, and frequently a very difficult, post to maintain. Without decided, active, humble piety, she is quite unfit for such a station. She must, like her husband, desire to devote herself, and her all, to the cause of God and be able, and disposed, to act much like a female missionary among the poor and ignorant, as well as be fitted to converse with the rich and cultivated portion of her neighbours. She must be as a mother, a sister, and a daughter among the poor; and a sensible, pious, and consistent character among the rich, whenever her duty calls her into their company— which, by the bye, will be very seldom. Her dress must be as unlike that of many a Clergyman's wife, as her views of ministerial duty and her general manners must be. Yes, sir; this is another great stumblingblock, though perhaps few of the guilty will believe it. I, however, can speak from the experience of my own feelings years ago, and can testify from what I have heard both worldly and serious men remark on the subject, that the manner in which many Clergymen's wives and daughters dress-I mean the wives and daughters of serious or evangelical Clergymen-is such as to grieve many, to astonish more, and to furnish a still greater part of mankind with keen and cruel weapons against us. Many a Clergyman is prevented attacking the crying sins of that extravagance, vanity, and indelicacy which prevail in female dress-prevented, by his own wife and daughters exhibiting as much of it as any of their neighbours. Yes; he must be criminally silent; or if he speak out, he only furnishes men of the world with a theme of merriment and just sarcasm, while they can point to his own family as being great transgressors of that decorum which he proclaims as the duty of the Christian. I could wish some more able pens would continue the subject, and say all they can in a way of caution to young men about to enter into the ministry; and, if possible, to give good practical advice to others, how best to act under the circumstances of being fettered and opposed by partners who are not helps meet. In so doing they will much oblige, Yours, Q. Q. Q. the infidel enjoys when near to the gates of the grave? Alas! if "conscience is not seared as with a hot iron," groans and horrors indescribable attend his parting breath. -- THE POOR-HOUSE PENITENT.-PART IV. THERE are few scenes more solemn and impressive, or calculated to produce serious reflection, than death-beds. Would we form a right estimate of the world? Let us hasten to the couch of the dying voluptuary, and there we shall find that all has terminated in remorse and despair. Would we ascertain what are the feelings of the debauchee and sensualist, in prospect of dissolution? Listen only to the bitter reflections, the horrible language of despair, that proceed from their mouths, and this will proclaim, as with the voice of thunder, "The wages of sin is death!" Would we know what are the consolations -But, would we observe the efficacy of religion, where shall we see its advantages, its blessedness, displayed, as at the dying bed of the believer in Jesus? There we perceive indeed what grace can do, and behold its effects in the resignation, the peace, the anticipation, which is produced in the breast of the departing saint. He is resigned to the will of his Heavenly Father, as knowing His pleasure concerning him to be best. He meets the last enemy without terror, as "knowing in whom he has believed." He en joys that " peace which passes all living" many years; have experienced his grace and love for some time. But this does by no means lessen the safety of their state who have been called to the knowledge of Christ even at the eleventh hour. I fear, Mr. Editor, I have already trespassed too much by these remarks. he marks. I will therefore take up no more space in your publication (although I should have felt happy in pursuing this subject a little longer), but hasten to the concluding scene of Mary's life. understanding," resulting from a persuasion that his sins are forgiven, that he has been adopted into the family of God, that he is interested in all the gracious promises of an unchangeable Saviour; and he looks forward with joyful anticipation to that moment when he shall see Him "whom his soul loveth," and be found at his right hand for evermore. He rejoices in the prospect of dissolution, as knowing he shall be freed from sin,-his greatest burden and grief while in the flesh -and be like unto Him "in whom was no sin." His dependence is altogether fixed upon the Rock of Ages; and he finds, in the finished work and righteousness of the Lord Jesus, that "joy and peace in believing" which enable him to exult in the language of faith, and to say, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will not fear; for Thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." But by all who have been "redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus," and who have left behind them testimonies of their faith in him, this strong consolation is not experienced; yet when we perceive a thorough renunciation of self, a deep and abiding sense of their own sinfulness, with a simple unmixed dependence upon the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, we have no grounds for supposing such uninterested in the great salvation, but rather abundant cause for thanksgiving to God, who hath wrought in them such evidences of his grace; although there might not appear a faith without doubts, a hope without fear. Indeed, we shall generally find, that those who on the verge of eternity" rejoice in hope of the glory of God," or at that solemn season enjoy "perfect peace," are those who have "walked before the Lord in the land of the The day preceding her death, Mrs. H. with the friend who was present at the first interview, for the last time entered the chamber of sickness. On approaching the bed, they were met by the nurse, who informed them she was asleep. Not wishing to disturb her, they sat down, expecting she would soon awake. Her wasted frame, her sunken eyes, her pallid cheeks, interesting in no ordinary degree, while all the furniture of the bed was clean and wholesome, drew forth feelings of a diversified nature. The cleanliness of every thing about her afforded them pleasure; and the satisfaction that she had wanted nothing to contribute to her comfort, increased those feelings: but when they viewed the poor dying girl, and recollected that ere long" the place that knew her would know her no more for ever," their feelings were of that awfully solemnized nature which it is difficult to pourtray. Hence Mrs. H. was led with anxious solicitude to ask herself, Have I been faithful to the soul of this dear girl? Have I not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God? Have I delivered my own soul?' The nurse coming to her, tended to interrupt those devotional feelings, which she wished to indulge, and which she found so profitable. "Oh, ma'am, I'm glad you are come. Poor Mary has been so wishing to see you! She had a dreadful fit about an hour since, and we thought she was |