If the glory of heaven be such as mortal eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor heart conceived, how awfully miserable must those be, who, despising all its immorta] joys, choose the road to death, and ensure a portion in the bottomless pit! O my dear friend, trembling seizes me, when I think how many will come short at last, whose hopes were firm and strong, and who, by the judgment of erring man, were deemed the salt of the carth. Pray that this may never, never be the case of your friend Fanny; for it is what I have reason to fear, when I glance at my life and my heart. O may we build our hopes on the corner Stone laid in Zion; may we glory in tribulation ; may we exult in death; and amidst the momentous scenes of that day, for which all other days were made, may we lift up our heads with triumphant joy, and in tranquil serenity sing the victories of Christ our King. My friend, when our few fleeting days are over, and death has chilled our mortal frames, may our spirits be cemented by the endearing ties, and glow with all the ardour of heaven; and to our glorified and lovely Emanuel we will render a never ending tribute of grateful praise. So may it be. Yours in love, &c.

JOURNAL, 1814.

June 19. For four Sabbaths I have heard scarcely a sentence from the pulpit. Glowing with inextinguishable thirst to visit the courts of my God, and listen to the truths of the gospel, O who can conceive my emotions, when I immure myself in my retirement! With the Psalmist, tears have been my meat, though I greatly fear they were tears of sinful impatience.

This day Dr W. preached below, and esteeming him highly as the compiler of my Harriet's writings, with what relish should I have heard him! But, alas! Providence

destines me to many a woe, and I will cheerfully sub

mit.

But can I be useless in this critical moment, when the world is in tremendous agitation, and all intelligent beings are actively engaged for or against that kingdom which shall prevail: O can I be a solitary neutral? No; it must not be. I must be useful in some way. I have devoted my pen to the Lord, and if he has any thing

"There is no doubt that she here refers to her determination to write occasionally for the Panoplist, a periodical work. To some it may appear strange that she should form such a purpose. An explanation, therefore, may not be deemed improper.

It is doubtful whether she would ever have thought of writing for the public, had it not been suggested to her. She was earnestly addressed upon the subject in a manner nearly as follows:“Though you have a very low opinion of your own composition, yet others, and especially the editor of the Panoplist, can judge of its merits much better than you. He has seen fit to publish one of your letters, which has doubtless been received with pleasure and advantage by thousands. Possibly you may write something of equal merit, and even superior. Think not that you will appear ostentatious in offering a few pieces for the Panoplist. It may be done very secretly; or even if it should be known, it will be readi. ly perceived, that there is a vast difference between offering a composition to the public directly, and submitting it to an editor, who has full liberty to publish or not, according to his judgment, without being obligated to assign his reasons. It is exceedingly de. sirable, that greater numbers should write for the Panoplist. For though now excellent and very useful, it might be more so, if all who have the ability, had also the disposition to enrich its treasures. It is desirable that the editor should have a large number and variety of compositions, from which to make a selection. You feel that others can write much better than you, and that they ought to supply the pages of the Panoplist with matter much bet ter than you can produce, and leave you to move in a narrower, humbler sphere. But while such writers as Z. X. Y. are casting of their abundance into this sacred treasury, are you certain that it is your duty to withhold your mite? What if his communica.

for me to do by writing, he will assist. O may I be enabled to consecrate to him my every talent, and in his

tions upon intemperance, and upon the Sabbath, are greatly superior to any thing that you can hope to produce upon those subjects; yet, is it not possible, that upon some subjects you may be able to furnish a few sentences, or a few paragraphs, that might be pleasing and edifying even to him? Supposing your qualifications for writing to be really as small as you imagine, may not a person of ordinary talents, and scanty information, be enabled sometimes to excel? May not such a person, in some peculiarly happy hour, when fired by some subject that he had long been ac⚫ customed to ponder with the deepest interest, be able to furnish a few pages, that might prove more useful to thousands of readers, than the learned disquisitions of the ablest writers? It must also be considered, that the best writers have generally such a pressure of numerous and important duties, as to leave little time to write for the Panoplist. And not only so, but what may be done by many is in danger of being neglected by all.

Surely you cannot fear that any great evil will result from complying with my request. With regard to yourself, it must conduce to your improvement and edification. Nor need you fear that the public will be injured. If your pieces should be really unworthy of publication, you need not fear that the editor will suffer them to encumber his pages. But if one in four should stand the test of his judgment, might it not do more good than thirty private letters ?-more good than you would otherwise do in a month?

You have given yourself to the Lord in an everlasting covenant: You have often sealed your solemn vows around his holy table: You know and you feel, that your obligations to do good are in. expressibly great. If you have any talents for doing good, it is probably your pen.- -Can you then let it rest ?"

To such considerations as these she listened with the most profound attention and with a downcast look, and scarcely attempted to make any reply. It was probably some weeks before her con science could prevail upon her diffidence and humility to comply with the request. She lived to complete only three papers for this purpose, which the publishers have inserted in this edition, and which will be found at the end of the volume.

blessed service improve them all with fidelity and success. Human applause is less than nothing. To my own Master I stand or fall, according to the improvement or misimprovement of what he has entrusted to my keeping, and O I tremble lest I incur the guilt and doom of the unprofitable servant. May he instruct, guide, and lead me; for

Weaker than a bruised reed,

Help I every moment need.

I want to feel that I am acting for eternity. I want to be influenced supremely and solely by those pure and powerful motives which the gospel holds to view, as those which will alone be pleasing in the eyes of infinite purity, and should ever be the stimulus to external action. A bubble indeed is the praise of man. I have prayed, "Lord, let not my heart be haughty, nor my eyes lofty, neither let me exercise myself in matters too high for me;" and surely a compassionate Saviour will attend to my feeble cries, and guide my doubtful soul. Should others know what I am doing, they would censure, envy, and reproach. But it would be nothing to me; for their souls are not in my soul's stead, neither to them do I stand amenable. At a higher tribunal I must soon appear, and pass a solemn and strict examination, and receive my eternal portion according to the deeds done in the body. To God I owe my all, and his approbation I ardently wish. My business is with him and my own conscience, and not with a misjudging world. May he ever guide my pen, and bless its poor and humble efforts. O may he use me, unworthy as I am, for the promotion of his glory, and advancement of his cause. 0 may he favour me with a heart large enough to embrace the millions of my species, and earnestly to long for their immortal good. I am wary of this narrow, mercenary selfishness, this strange indifference to the

spiritual wants of a dying world. Blessed Emanuel, thou who didst bleed for sinners, O vouchsafe me a por tion of thy compassionate, feeling spirit, and inflame my bosom with ardour fresh from heaven.-Come, dear Jesus, I long to see thy face, and enjoy thy smiles.

NOTE TO MISS E. S. OF BEVERLY.

July 5, 1814.

I REJOICE, my sweet friend, that your heart is enlarged with love and gratitude; and smiling joy sits placid on your brow. As you have received Christ Jesus, so be anxious to walk in his holy commands, and simply trust his faithful word. O may he keep you near himself, and cause you to travel the path he appoints. You are now under renewed obligations to your God; for you have witnessed fresh instances of his mighty mercy and abounding love, and have encreasing cause to say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul." Most cheerfully would I join with you in a hymn of praise for his wonderful mercies vouchsafed to us in relieving our anxiety and dispersing our fears, by his signal kindness to your dear mother. May she be enabled to consecrate her dear children to her covenant God, and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and with grateful heart per form her vows to the Most High. You, my dear Eliza beth have now new duties to perform; for your prayers for the little infant should be ardent and constant, that the Lord would wash his soul in the laver of regeneration, and make him a partaker of his grace, that he may be a chosen vessel unto God, and from a child seek and serve his Maker.