slumber to your eyelids, till you have secured an interest in the great Guardian of Israel, whose watchful eyes never slumber nor sleep. The smiles of approving Heaven are of infinitely more worth, than millions of worldscan sweeten all your trials, check your rising tears, calm your heaving sighs, smooth your descent to the lonely grave, and crown you with a Paradise of rich and ever blooming beauties and perennial joys. Treasure, I entreat you, the instructions of your dear departed sister in your hearts, and transcribe them into your lives. O may you in unison with her and all the musicians around the celestial throne in one glorious band sing praises to Zion's King forever and ever. I most sincerely sympathize with you all in the deep affliction, which immerses you in gloom, and hope you will come out of the furnace refined and purified. Letters from all of you would be peculiarly grateful to my heart. I request you to excuse my freedom and inac curacies, as I have written in much haste. Your very affectionate friend, FANNY WOODBURY. Letter to Miss M. S. of Chelmsford. Beverly, Aug. 6, 1815. My dear and much loved Miss S. My earliest acknowledgments and ardent thanks are due for your very affectionate and obliging letter, and the freedom with which you have opened your heart to one who will cheerfully reciprocate your confidence, but laments her inability to establish, strengthen, stimulate and direct you, as she ardently wish es. You do not appear to enjoy that clear ev idence of your union to Christ, and those elevated and rapturous feelings, with which you have formerly been favored in some previous moments, and for which you now aspire; yet I trust you retain a comfortable hope, that you have passed "from death unto life." I think we are too easily elated with raised affections, and then, when they subside, tho we may be equally in the exercise of grace, unreasonably depressed; whereas we ought to regard more the habitual disposition of our minds. Frames and feelings are variable and inconstant; but God never changes. I do believe it would be better with us generally if we kept Christ more in view, and lived more simply and entirely on him, and less engrossed with our little selves. Let us, my dear friend, strive for a confidential trust in him, and solid evidence, that we are his disciples; and then let not every discouraging appearance, every temptation of the adversary, disconcert and unsettle our minds, and throw us into yielding timidity and gloomy despondency. The best way too to get rid of our doubts and fears, is to engage resolutely in what we know to be duty, however crossing to our natural propensities; and to renounce all known sin, and avoid every appearance of evil; tho it should subject us to many mortifications and trials, like the plucking out of a right eye, or cutting off a right hand. In order to Christian enjoyment, much circumspection, watchfulness and prayer are essentially necessary While our course is even, regular and humble, we may expect gracious visits from the Majesty of heaven, and our souls will flourish as cedars in Lebanon; but one devious step, one inadvertent action, may intercept the rays of the Sun of righteousness, and involve us in more than Egyptian darkness. Never, then, never let us suffer our desires and aspirations towards God to grow cold and languid; never let our addresses to Heaven be inconstant, lukewarm and formal. Backslidings ordinarily originate in a failure or negligent and infrequent performance of those duties, which more immediately lie between God and our own souls, and of which no human eye takes cog. nizance. When we take delight in pouring out our souls before God, when the time allotted to devotion is pleasantly and devoutly pass ed, we may be said to make proficiency in the divine life, but when we are reluctant to the duties of the closet, and glad of any plausible pretence for omitting them, we may justly fear that we are in a retrograde motion, and a dan, gerous state. By no means would I insinuate that Christians do at all times hail the seasons of retirement, and feel sweet complacency and freedom in their intercourse with Heaven; for alas, their backwardness, their coldness and their deadness are often lamentably apparent. But it is certain to a demonstration, that all true Christians do generally love to draw near to God, and hold frequent and pleasurable communion with him; while they mourn Over their wanderings and imperfections in the duty. Here I think we may obtain some light respecting our characters; for I apprehend that hypocrites pay more attention to external and moral duties, rather than 10 those, which are spiritual and secret; and however much they may do to be seen of men, still they are not desirous of that honor, which cometh from God only. My dear Miss S. it is infinitely important, that we be Christians in deed and in truth, subjects of that radical change of heart, without which the benevolent Savior has declared with a solemn asseveration, none can enter the kingdom of heaven. May you, my dear friend, build your hope on a foundation, which will stand firm and immoveable, when general devastation and destruction envelope this terraqueous globe, and the breath of the Almighty extinguishes the hope of the hypocrite, and sinks him down to the abyss of wo. Having tasted that the Lord is gracious, and exulted in the auspicious smiles of the glorious Immanuel, surely you are under ten thousand obligations to live entirely devoted to him, and to glorify him with every breath. O magnify, praise and extol his name and perfections, and recommend him to all around you, not only with the eloquence of words, but of actions, and use all your influence and endeavors to promote his cause, and advance his kingdom. Instruct, warn, admonish, and reprove, with all holy boldness and incontestible argument, as you have opportunity, without any fear of man, confiding in the Lord Jehovah; for in him only is everlasting strength. Go in the strength of the Lord God, and he will assist, stimulate and accept you; and who can tell but he may furnish you with a "word in season," and make you the happy instrument of saving a soul from endless death? They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." The seed you sow plentifully in faith and hope, and water with your prayers and tears, may spring up, when you are removed from earthly scenes, and yield a luxuriant increase to the praise of God. What an encouragement is this to active and indefatigable exertions in the cause of Christ. If we would enjoy religion, let us be explicit and open in our attachment to Immanu. el, come out boldly on the Lord's side, manifesting to all that we are not ashamed of the cross of Christ, and that we can cheerfully endure a sneer or a frown, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than treas ures of gold. Even tho wolves and lions should impede our progress, let us press forward in the path of duty, "Looking unto Je sus;" for vigorous faith in him will sink moun. tains into molehills, and overcome difficulties and obstructions almost insuperable. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Wishing you a seat at the feet of Jesus, I am yours with sisterly affection, FANNY WOODBURY. Extract of a Letter to Miss S. P, B.. of Lynnfield. Beverly, Aug. 26, 1813. I Do not feel adequate to the solution of your important queries, but will suggest a few. of my own ideas, hoping they will not be incompatible with Scripture. I apprehend a Christian may be disposed to conform to the world, and to partake in its vanities, and even prefer the company of the great and gay to that of the meek and lowly disciples of Christ. But it must be, when the gracious affections |