should

another year pass away, he would himself have known what are the agonies of a drowning man! but I have good reason to hope that, before the hour came upon him, he had been led to seek the salvation which thousands of worlds could not purchase, through the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I am yet more encouraged to entertain this soothing hope, because I find that, upon joining his regiment in the West of Ireland, he was still placed under the ministry of a faithful pastor; one who laboured indeed for souls, as he that must give account to God for every one of those within the reach of his instruction. And he has written to me sweet words of comfort, for he knew your Papa, and saw in him much that gave promise.

The Lord Jesus beautifully describes the gradual improvement of a Christian to the growths of corn,-"First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear:" and, though what we were permitted to behold was but as the tender blade, just peeping above the ground, we may greatly rejoice even in that.

Oh! that all who minister in holy things were

may

rightly impressed with the deep importance of their office! When a pastor addresses his congregation, he knows not but that, to some poor sinner, it be both the first and the last opportunity of hearing those glad tidings of salvation, which it is his duty to proclaim. He is an ambassador from Christ; and woe to him if he declare not the whole counsel of his Divine Master! Often have I kneeled down, in the solitude of my own chamber, to pray that the Lord would send some zealous teacher, to instruct my dear brother; and this was done. It should cheer the man of God, to consider that many a word of exhortation may be put into his mouth by the Holy Spirit, to answer the prayer of some distant suppliant, who seeks the salvation of a soul then present-one, perhaps, unknown even by name to the preacher, but who may yet appear as his crown of rejoicing, in the of Jesus Christ, at His coming.

presence

The Lord has drawn a thick veil over this work of his mighty hand: but prayer was thus continually made for your dear Papa, by some who knew the preciousness of God's holy word; and, when we have earnestly asked, we may

thankfully acknowledge the tokens which appear of gracious acceptance.

Among several other instances of newly awakened feeling in spiritual things, there is one which particularly delights me; as bearing a strong testimony to the usefulness of that Institution, for which I count it a high privilege to labour; the Society that sends forth religious publications, in vast numbers, over the face of that interesting country, which is now so sadly dear to us, as enclosing the mortal remains of your beloved Papa.*

In Ireland, there is an awful conflict between light and darkness-the enemy of souls comes in like a flood; and the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard against him: even the word of God, which is now finding free course, and being glorified, among those who have too long sat in darkness and the shadow of death, while light was shining around them. I had always hoped that, in the contemplation of these scenes your Papa would be led to a deeper conviction of the unspeakable importance belonging to religion;

*The Religious Tract and Book Society for Ireland.

and that, having experienced in himself a hungering and thirsting after righteousness, he would desire to see the craving of others filled. I was not disappointed: the Lord guided him to a scene well calculated to call forth such sympathy; and I will relate it in his own words, transcribed from a letter which he addressed to the Secretary of the "Religious Tract and Book Society for Ireland."

"Since my arrival here, I have been struck with the eagerness shown by the children of the unfortunate poor, in this miserable part of the country, in acquiring the rudiments of an education which must ultimately lead to the benefit of the people. Now, the extreme poverty of the parents almost prevents them from furnishing their children with any books whatever; and thus they are left with only such as chance may have thrown in their way. I cannot better illustrate what I mean, than by relating what I saw during my last country stroll.

"Passing by one of the meanest hovels, on the skirt of a bog, near this town, I was surprised by the noisy din of a childrens' school; the scene inside baffles description. About sixty

children, from the poorest classes, of both sexes, from four to fourteen years of age, were squatted, in single and double ranks, round the room, and under the tables, at which eight or ten (all they could hold) were writing.

He

"The school master was an intelligent man, and informed me that this was a private school, for both Protestants and Roman Catholics; that he received from two to three shillings a quarter, for teaching each reading, writing, and arithImetic (as far as fractions,) from nine o'clock in the morning till four in the afternoon. regretted the small stock of books, which I reremarked—not more than one to four or five children and to my enquiry, of what books they read, gave so tardy an answer, that I added, 'Protestants the Bible, and Roman Catholics the Lives of the Saints?" To this he replied, that 'the former read the Testament, and the latter what they could get one was actually studying the political state of England in Queen reign!

Elizabeth's

His manner

he felt he was a Roman Catholic.*

proved that

On my ask

that the teacher felt the cruelty

which his church excludes all her