"I did not know, doctor, that you were a preacher," said Mr. F, in a tone evidently of barely suppressed anger. He had quietly entered the room, a minute or two before, and had heard a part, at least, of our conversation.

"I am no preacher, sir," I replied; "I am a physician, however."

"I understand. I am to infer that, in your opinion, such subjects as these are the best adapted to benefit my sister in her present state of health!"

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Certainly I do think so, sir; I am sure of it," I said. "I will not argue with you," he replied, and, as it seemed to me, haughtily; "I will see you before you leave the house. I presume that this visit has lasted long enough."

I turned to my patient, she was pale and agitated; and I saw that there would be little advantage in any way, in protracting the interview at that time. I silently wrote a prescription, therefore, and prepared to withdraw. But before I left the room, I took my patient by the hand, and said, "Look to Jesus, he alone can save you. He invites, he entreats you to come to him, just as you are. He says, 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' And," I added, And," I added, "The Spirit and the bride'-the church of the living Saviour' say, Come; and let him that heareth, say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'

I never saw Miss F- again. I will spare my readers the scene which ensued, after I left the room with Mr. FIt is sufficient to say that I was sternly and discourteously dismissed from further attendance on the invalid; and that, soon afterwards, I heard that Mr. F- had again broken up his establishment, and removed to a more southerly climate with his sister.

Two years passed away. In the course of that time I had seen no reason to alter my course. On the other hand, I had unspeakable comfort in feeling that my timidity was gone, and that I could, when occasion presented itself, commend "the glorious gospel of the blessed God" to my patients. In some cases, I knew, these feeble attempts had been coldly received, and had even given offence, for "the offence of the cross "has not yet ceased; but, in other

instances, it was my unspeakable happiness to believe that I had been the means of directing the eye of faith of the dying sinner to the ever-living and exalted Saviour. Thus I was encouraged, in my attempts to "sow beside all waters," in faith in the declaration of God himself that his word shall not return unto him void, but shall accomplish that which he doth please, and prosper in the thing whereunto he sendeth it.

Well, two years passed away, when, one evening, I was surprised by a visit from Mr. F—. We were by ourselves in my library. There was crape round his hat-I noticed this as he placed it on the table-and he was in mourning, though I knew (for I had heard it) that his sister had been Idead more than a year.

"You are sur

He grasped my offered hand cordially. prised to see me, doctor," he said. "You would have seen me before, but I am only just returned home. I wish to ask your forgiveness for the terms on which we last parted. I insulted you grossly."

I answered truly that I had long before dismissed the circumstance from my thoughts, that there was no need for him to seek my forgiveness.

"Ah, but," he said, I wish to do more than this;" and he shook my hand again more heartily than before, and tears sprang to his eyes; 66 I wish to thank you from my heart, as I feel grateful to you in my soul, for all your faithfulness to my dear sister, and for the words you addressed to her in my hearing."

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Sir, Mr. F—, I do not understand," I stammered.

"What you then said, and the results which followed," Mr. F went on, with strong emotion, "became the means of my conversion, sir;" and then he went on to tell me that, from that day, his sister's constraint on the subject of religion, while in his presence, vanished; and that she quietly but firmly avowed her determination to live the remainder of her life, and to die, a Christian.

"I told her," continued Mr. F-, "that she was a Christian, but that there was all the difference in the world between Christianity and such methodism as yours, doctor; and that while I had no objection to a rational religion, I would not, if I could prevent it, have her head deranged and her life imperilled by such nonsense as you had spoken in her hearing and in mine.

66 "

"Well, Frank,' she said, 'as you have no objection to

rational religion, which, with you, means Christianity, or what you think to be such, you cannot object to the Bible.'

"I did not anticipate this, but I said that, under certain restrictions, I of course did not object to the Bible; that it was, as far as I knew, a book of very excellent maxims, though I believed it to contain a good deal that is incom prehensible and mysterious.

"But, dear Frank,' said my sister, 'the Bible is more than this, you know, it is the fountain head of our knowledge of Christianity. Now, as you tell me that I am a Christian, and perhaps would not like to be told that you are not a Christian, is it not inconsistent in us to have paid so little regard to the Bible as we have formerly done?'

"I could not controvert this argument, but I endeavoured to laugh off its force. My sister, however, implored me to be serious. You have banished from me,' she said, the only friend who has ever been faithful enough to speak to me on the subject of religion, and I must submit to the deprivation. But you cannot, on your own showing, object to my studying the Bible for myself. Frank, dear Frank,' she added, 'I must and will read the Bible.'

"I was touched with this, doctor," continued Mr. F—, "and I told my sister that I would not object to this, if she would only bear in mind that her recovery was of paramount importance. If she could study the Bible without injury to her spirits, and consequently to her health, I would not interfere.

"The discussion ceased here," Mr. F- went on; "and we soon afterwards went abroad. My dear sister continued to study the Scriptures, and before long I observed a strange alteration in her. But, meanwhile, my own mind was strongly exercised. The few words I had heard from your lips, sir, addressed to my sister, had fastened on my memory and would not be shaken off. I procured a Bible, and secretly read it; and while my poor dying sister (for I soon knew her to be hopelessly sinking in health) was rejoicing in her newly-found and fervent faith in Christ, and Christ alone, I was driven to the borders of despair by the terrors of the Almighty.

"It was then that my sister discovered the cause of my distress, and she became my teacher, and, under the gui

dance of God's blessed Spirit, my comforter. Ere many weeks had passed away, we daily read the Bible together, and prayed over it together; and the entrance of God's word at length brought not only light, but joy and peace in believing to me as well as to her. And now, while mourning for my beloved sister with no common grief, 1 do not sorrow as those who have no hope; while, for myself, I can, I trust, say with the apostle, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.'"

6

Mr. F's narrative ended here, and he soon afterwards took his leave; but his own history does not end with this conference. Years passed away, and he who had hated the gospel, and poured contempt on the followers of Christ, was an earnest, warm-hearted, and successful advocate of that faith which he would once have destroyed.

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For myself, I have only to add, that this incident encouraged me more than ever in the determination I had formed, while it furnished me with a striking comment on the text: In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand; for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good."

"THY WILL BE DONE."

"If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."
JOHN Xiii. 17.

"IT is often very difficult to know how to act for the best," said a thoughtful man on whose brow perplexity and hesitation had some time sat brooding with a cloud of care; "don't you think So, Elliot ?"

It is so sometimes, doubtless," said Elliot; " but if we allow that the right is the best, our difficulty ought not to last long, I think.”

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By best, I meant right; it is pleasant when we see the path of duty marked plainly out before us, and very trying when we cannot tell what we ought to do."

"In such a case, perhaps, the Lord may be testing our discretion and judgment, that we may know a little more of ourselves, and learn where if any man lack wisdom,' he should apply for some."

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"But what if we do ask, and receive no answer? What

if we cannot find out by any means what the Lord would have us to do?"

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Then," said Elliot, "I should strongly suspect that he would have me do nothing. I would be still and wait, and try to subdue that anxiety to be doing, which, under some circumstances, may be quite as wrong as indolence under others. If on a ramble you come to a wall or a strong fence, you must do one of three things; either break your way through somewhere, or turn back, or stand still. We sometimes ramble out of the line that God has appointed for us, or seek to forestall his providence; and if he hedges up our way, should we try to break through? In the one case it were wise to turn back, in the other we had better be still and wait. God will not be compelled to move at the pace that suits our impatient and impetuous natures."

Mr. Ashley raised his eyes to the calm, manly countenance of his friend, and they said as clearly as eyes could say, "You have touched the right point;" but he remained silent.

"You know," continued Elliot," it is written, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.""

"Yes, I know; but still we are sometimes brought into circumstances which oblige us to-to-seem to act for ourselves."

"In other words, Ashley, circumstances in which God does not direct our steps, breaks his word, and leaves us to stumble on as we may?"

"Nonsense, I did not mean that!" said Mr. Ashley, colouring.

"Then I am sure you will allow me to change your passive verb for an active one, and the statement will stand thus: We sometimes bring ourselves into circumstances which oblige us to act for ourselves! God must be true:' Hath he said, and shall he not do it? hath he spoken, and shall he not bring it to

pass?'

"Is it not possible, Elliot, to come to such a point as Israel on the sea shore-impediments to turning back, no path in view, when it is right to expect that some way of which we are yet in ignorance will be revealed to us?" asked Mr. Ashley, musingly.

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Very possible; but let us be sure of a parallel. Israel stood there by the direct guidance of God himself; the