boys fat round the fire. Prefently they began to fing van fongs. This appeared to me fo much like revelling that I felt fomething within that would not fuffer me to join them; and while I fat filent, in rather an unpleafant mufe, thofe words funk into my mind, What docft thou here, Elijah? They had fuch an effect upon me that I immediately left the company; yet, fhocking to reflect upon, I walked away murmuring in my heart against God, that I could not be let alone, and suffered to take my pleasure like other children! At other times I have been greatly affected by reading or thinking of the doctrines of Chriftianity. One day in particular I took up Mr. R. Erikine's Gospel Sonnets, and opening upon a piece called A Gospel Catechism for young Chrif tians: or, Chrift all in all in our compleat redemption, I read, and as I read I wept. Indeed I was almoft overcome with weeping, fo interefting did the doctrine of eternal salvation appear to me yet, there being no radical change in my heart, thefe thoughts paffed away, and I was equally intent on the pursuits of folly as heretofore. Sometimes I felt a frange kind of regard towards good people, fuch of them especially as were familiar in their behaviour to young people, and would fometimes talk with me about religion, I ufed to wish I had many thousand pounds, that I might give fome of it to them, who were poor as to their worldly circumstances. I was fometimes the fubject of fuch convictions and affections that I really thought myfelf a converted perfon; and lived under that delufion for fome years. The ground on which I refted this opinion was as follows-One day as I was walking alone I began to think seriously what would become of my poor foul! I felt myfelf the flave of fin. Till now I did not know but that I could repent at any time: but now I perceived that my heart was wicked; and that it was not in me to turn to God, or to break off my fins by righteousness. I faw that if God would forgive me all the paft, and offer me the kingdom of heaven on the condition of giving up my wicked purfuits, I fhould not accept it. This conviction was accompanied with great depreflion of heart. I walked forrowfully along, repeating thefe words, Iniquity will be my ruin! Iniquity will be my ruin! While poring over my unhappy cafe thofe words of the Apoftle fuddenly occurred to my mind, Sin fhall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under graee. Now the fuggeftion of a text of fcripture to the mind, and espe cially cially if it came with power, was generally confidered by religious people, with whom I occafionally affociated, as a promife coming immediately from God. I therefore fo understood it, and thought that God had thus revealed to me that I was in a state of falvation, and that therefore iniquity 1hould not, as I had feared, be my ruin. The effect was, I was overcome with joy and tranfport. I fhed, I fuppofe, thousands of tears as I walked along, and feemed to feel myself as it were in a new world. It appeared to me that I hated my fins, and was refolved to forfake them. Thinking on my wicked courfes I remember ufing those words of Paul, Shall I continue in fin that grace may abound? God forbid! I felt, or feemed to feel the strongest indignation at the thought. But ftrange as it may appear, though my face that morning I believe was fwoln with weeping; yet before night all was gone and forgotten, and I returned to my former vices with as eager a guft as ever. Nor do I remember that for more than half a year after it I had any ferious thoughts about the falvation of my foul. Thefe About a year afterwards, however, I was again walking by myself, and began to reflect upon my courfe of life; particularly upon my former hopes and affections, and how I had fince forgotten them all, and returned to all my wicked ways. Inftead of fin having no more dominion over me, I perceived that its dominion had been increased. For fome minutes I was greatly dejected; but was inftantly relieved by what I accounted another promife from God. words were fuggefted to my mind, I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy tranfgreffions, and as a cloud thy fins. By this, as by the former, I was overcome with what I confidered as God's great love to me, and shed I fuppofe thousands of tears, not of forrow, but of joy and gratitude. I now confidered myfelf as having been in a backfliding state, and that God had graciously restored me; though in truth I have every reafon to think that the great deep of my heart's depravity had not yet been broken up, and that all my religion was mere tranfient impreffion, without any abiding principle. Amidft it all I had lived without prayer, and was never, that I recollect, induced to deny myself of one fin when temptations were prefented. I now thought, however, furely I thall be better for the time to come. But alas, in a few days this alfo was forgotten, and I returned to my evil courfes with as great an eagerness as ever. I now began to draw towards fixteen years of age, and as my powers and paffions ftrengthened, I was more and more addicted Qq z addicted to evil: nor was I merely prompted by my own propenfities, for having formed connexions with other wicked young people, my progrefs in the way to death was thereby greatly accelerated. Being of an athletic frame, and of a daring fpirit, I was often engaged in fuch exercifes and exploits as, if the good hand of God had not preferved me, might have iffued in death. I alfo frequently engaged in games of hazard, which though not to any great amount, yet were very bewitching to me, and tended greatly to corrupt my mind. Thefe, with various other evil courfes, had fo hardened my heart, that I feldon thought of religion. Nay, I recollect that on a Lord's day evening about this time, when my parents were reading in the family, I was fhamefully engaged, with one of the fervants, playing idle tricks, though I took care not to be seen in them. Thefe things were nothing to me at that time; for my confcience, by reiterated acts of wickedness, had become feared as with a hot iron; they were heavy burdens. however to me afterwards.But as I have now brought down my narrative to the period when I truft God began effectually to work upon my heart, I will leave that part to another opportunity, and for the prefent fubfcribe myself Yours affectionately, A. B. ON SUNDAY SCHOOLS. Copied by particular request from the Gentleman's Magazine. York, March 16, 1798. EING on a tour laft fummer through the weft of Eng Bland, amongst other things I vifited the Sunday fehnuls in the neighbourhood of the Mendip hills, under the direction of Mrs. Hannah Moore and her amiable fifters; and I can affure you, I was not a little pleafed with my Sunday's recreation. We fet out as foon as an early breakfast permitted, accompanied by our worthy Member who has fo ably undertaken the caufe of the oppreffed Africans; and, after vifiting two or three fchools in different villages, we arrived at Chedder in Somerfetfhire, a place famous for * Mr. Wilberforce. its its rude and majestic rocks, as well as its excellent cheeses: and where, I am informed, the inhabitants were once almoft as rude even as its rocks. Here we found three hundred children affembled together, to be taught, not only to read, but to understand what they read, and to learn their duty to God and their neighbour. The excellent manner in which the children were queftioned * did not please me more than the ready anfwers given by the children; they feemed to fpeak as if they underftood what they were faying, and fhewed a knowledge of the fcriptures, which, I am fure, many of maturer years, without fuch aid, would not be in poffeffion of; their behaviour too, both in fchool and at church, was fuch as would have convinced any one of the utility of thefe inftitutions; and, when I faw fo many poor children, thus admirably training up in the way they fhould go, I could not help bleffing the fair founders, and heartily withing that more of their fex, as well as the other, were as ufefully employed. At noon, the children going to their respective homes, gave us an opportunity of eating our dinner, which the ladies always take with them on this occafion; and after the children were reaffembled, we proceeded to church in a very orderly manner, and were gratified with the fight of a very large congregation +; for before the ladies undertook the reformation of the town, the church was deferted and the ale-houfes full, there being feldom more than twenty people at church. After our return to the school in the evening, fuch farmers' fervants, and others, as were prevented attending before by the necessary avocations of the day, milking cows, &c. were not afhamed to make their appearance at the fchool, and give answers along with the children; nor could I learn that all the knowledge they acquired made them in the leaft above doing their duty in that ftate of life into which it had pleafed God to call them. The children then, being difmiffed, were fucceeded by two hundred grown perfons, who in a very devout manner, fang a hymn, which was followed by a prayer, and a printed fermon read by one of the ladies. That being over, we finished with a prayer and another hymn: and, * Two little tracts of "Questions and Anfwers for the Mendip fchools" have been published by one of the Miss Moores. † Palm cxxii. 1. A barrel of ale is now drank lefs every Sunday. The fame, I understand, was going on in various other villages; where the ladies cannot attend, the mafter or mistress reads over the fermon. whilft whilft the congregation were finging "Lord, difmifs us with thy bleffing, we entered our carriages and proceeded home *, well pleafed with the occupation of the day. ON THE FLIGHT OF TIME. "Time is dealt out by particles, and these H. G. YOUNG. S the fands in the hour-glafs ftay not in their paffage, but continue in inceffant, tho' almost imperceptible, motion, till the whole are run out: as the bubbles which dance upon the current vanifh as foon as they meet our touch, and the next which advances may burft ere it comes within our reach; fo fleeting, and delufive are the days, the hours, and moments into which we have divided the rapid ftream of time; the inftant which is but now paft has eluded our grafp, and is gone never to return-the one we look forward to may never arrive, or, which is the fame to us, may find us cold fenfelefs clay; incapable of embracing the advantages it offers, or profiting by the lofs of thofe which are gone before it. The prefent moment is all we dare call our own, yet alas! how often do we trifle with it as if time I had almost faid eternity itfelf, was fubject to our countroul! How amazing the infatuation which can induce us to throw away thofe gifts, which tho' momentary in their duration, are of everlasting importance in their confequences! Henceforth, my dear reader, may you, and I be enabled to refolve, that whatever may be the practice of the inconfiderate multitude, we will regard every moment as a talent put into our hands, which must be either ufefully improved, or for ever loft; and may it be the burden. of our morning meditation-of our daily ftudy-of our evening prayer-fo as to fpend each hour that if we thould be call'd to exchange worlds before its clofe, we may be prepared to meet our Judge; and chearfully furrender to him a faithful account of the facred depofit he has committed to our trust. May it be our care to engage in no employment that will not stand the fcrutinizing teft of his all-feeing eye; to partake of no recreation which will tend to unfit our minds for the enjoyments of the bleffed above; let us never be found in the fociety of thofe who can wantonly fport with the facred name of our God, or fcoff at the glo* Chedder is about five miles from Cowflip-green, where the ladies live. rious |