jects of his pursuit; his pious mother had died with grief, though she knew comparatively little of his conduct; his surviving relatives had become ashamed to own him; and he was now in prison under a charge of dishonesty, committed to carry on other sinful practices. It was under these circumstances that I was informed Wilson wished to see me. I will not attempt to describe the confusion with which his face met mine; nor will I dwell on the really unhumbled state of his heart; for it was but too evident that his shame rather arose from the result of his crimes than from his hatred to sin itself. His promises of future reformation were still distinguished by confidence in his own ability to fulfil them, without a single reference to that divine grace, without which, the Scriptures assure us, we cannot properly discharge our duties. Alas! how shall I describe the end of this unhappy young man? Let it be enough to say that, unexpectedly, the punishment inflicted on him for his crime was far less than justice might have demanded, and, after a short im prisonment, he was again at liberty. But did he pursue the virtuous course on which he had resolved? Ah! no; every good thought deserted him as he left the prison; he soon rejoined his wicked companions; he fell into greater and more awful crimes; and had not disease, the effect of sin, introduced him into another world, he had probably died by the hands of the executioner. Thus ended the earthly career of the once amiable, but selfconfident, Wilson. In the darkness of a prison he yielded to despair; no pious friends knew his condition, or went to counsel him, or to pray for him; and he died without leaving one fact on which Christian charity may found a hope as to his acceptance with God in his last hour. Hast thou, reader, believed the scriptural statement of the depravity of thy heart? Hast thou learnt thy need of a Saviour to deliver thee from sin and its results, and the importance of the influences of the Holy Spirit to conduct thee into the paths of truth and of happiness? Yield thyself unto God; trust not in thine own heart; cherish a spirit of humility and prayer before the throne of the Most High, and safety and happiness are thine for ever. 271 THE MORAL HARVEST. O teach me, gracious God, to sow The seeds of righteousness: Then, in the last great harvest, I Shall reap a glorious crop: The harvest shall by far exceed What I have sown in hope. NEEDHAM. I HAVE now advanced to the last paper of my present volume, and if I am not mistaken, one effect of what has been brought before my readers has been to convince them of the importance of seeking the promotion of the Divine glory, and the immortal welfare of mankind. To encourage each of my readers to pursue these great objects, I shall take the liberty of relating two interesting anecdotes, and then, without a single remark, bid my friendly companion, who has accompanied me through the different scenes I have described, farewell. Several years ago I had the pleasure, when on a visit in the north of England, to spend a day or two with an excellent dissenting minister, who has been settled in a populous town on the great north road for more than thirty years. Among many things that passed between us on the providence of God in sending his gospel here and there, and his grace in impressing it on the hearts of sinners, he related to me the following circumstance, as a striking commentary on that text-" Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth." I "When," said he, "I first came to found almost everything in my congregation in a state of confusion. The church book had been sadly neglected, and the list of members contained the names of many persons, some of whom were dead, others excluded for improper conduct, and others had left the town and had not for many years been heard of. I made out a new list, and the old one, by some means or other, was lost. |