pressions on her mind, but Mr. Beaufoy was not quite prepared for it. His heart was become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, but he still believed in the essential doctrines of Christianity, which retained their dominion over his faith, though they had lost their original power of impression and excitement. They were both struck with the gracefulness of the preacher's manner, and admired his elocution; but Mr. Beaufoy could not renounce the divinity, or the atonement of Christ, nor could he regard the doctrine of regeneration as a corruption of the gospel. Mrs. Beaufoy thought that every modification and form of Christianity was acceptable to God, but Mr. Beaufoy was capable of distinguishing truth from error; and while she adopted for her creed the poet's stanza, k- d at it

i

'Bout modes of faith let graceless zealots fight,
His can't be wrong, whose life is in the right,

he was convinced that no man ought to be considered as a Christian, who rejected the leading doctrines of revelation.

At length, when expressing his abhorrence of some of the daring charges which he had heard advanced against the orthodox faith, and which he considered as tending to universal scepticism, she replied, "Well, my dear, you can v very easily retain your own opinions, and yet attend on Mr. B's ministry, because he cannot force you to believe against the dictates of your own judgment, and if you sometimes hear them controverted, that circumstance ought not to disturb your peace. As your belief is founded on evidence, and matured by deep reflection, you are in no danger of being carried about with every wind of doctrine, but may fairly calculate on your ability to hold it fast, amidst all the efforts which may be employed to destroy or disturb it." "Very true. I like the morals of Socinianism better than the doctrines. Well it shall be so;and so it was. They took their pew, and occupied it; and as the only restraint which had kept them for a long time from a more decided course of gaiety was now removed, they began to walk more openly in the ways of their own heart, and in the sight of their own eyes. Hitherto they had kept up some semblance of religion, but now they began to con

form to all the customs of the world, and to avail themselves of the various sources of gratification which its pleasures and amusements afford. Family-prayer, the last vestige of their former habits of devotion, was now entirely neglected. Their Bible, which they once revered as their guide to everlasting life, was thrown aside as a useless volume: and though Mr. Beaufoy could not forget that he had been a religious man, yet he wished others to believe that now he was a more happy Mob ¥l be ti r

one.iff

prayer.

It hath been very justly observed, that when we begin to think lightly of error we are in great danger of being corrupted by it; and the experience of all ages proves, that if a professor hold the truth in unrighteousness, he is ultimately given up to believe a lie. That there have been many departures from evangelical principles in modern times no one will presume to deny; but if they were closely examined, to adopt the language of a most powerful writer, "it would be found that they were preceded by a neglect of private prayer, watchfulness, selfdiffidence, and walking humbly with God; and every one may perceive that they are followed with similar effects. It has been acknowledged by some who have embraced the Socinian system, that since they enter tained those views they had lost even the gift of Perhaps they might draw up and read An Address to the Deity; but they could not pray. Where the principles of the gospel are abandoned, the spirit of prayer, and of all close walking with God, will go with it. The confession of Peter, that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, is thought to be that which our Lord denominates the rock on which he would build his church. We are sure that the belief of this article of faith was required as a kind of test of Christianity; and who can look into the Christian world with attention, and not perceive that it still continues a sort of key-stone to the building? If this give way, the fabric falls. Backslidings of this nature are infinitely dangerous. 1 He that declines in holy practice has to labour against the remonstrances of conscience; but he that brings himself to think lightly of sin, and meanly of the Saviour, (which is what every false system of religion teaches,) has gone far towards silencing the accusations of this

unpleasant monitor. He is upon good terms with himself. The disorder of his soul is deep, but it is of a flattering nature. The declension of serious religion in him is no less apparent to others than that of the constitution by a consuming hectic yet, as is common in such cases, the party himself thinks he shall do well. In short, the light which is in him is darkness; and this is the greatest of all darkness" but

As Mr. Beaufoy had no family, the love of accumulation had less dominion over his mind than the passion for display; and being of a facetious turn, and having much leisure time on his hands, he became the leaders of a fashionable circle. Routs, card-parties, assembly-rooms, and theatres now consumed the hours of the evenings, which were once devoted to reading, meditation, and prayer and sometimes the sanctity of the Sabbath was invaded, for the gratification of a country excursion. This passion had taken an earlier possession of his mind than he himself was aware of, and to its fatal tendency may be attributed all the evils and misery of his subsequent life.

We

"We need not," says the writer from whom the preceding extract is taken," affect singularity in things indifferent; but to engage in the chase of fashionable appearance is not only an indication of a vain and little mind, but is certainly inconsistent with pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The desire of making an appearance has ruined many people in their circumstances-more in their characters-and most of all in their souls. may flatter ourselves that we can pursue these things, and be religious at the same time; but it is a mistake. The vanity of mind which they cherish eats up every thing of a humble, serious, and holy nature, rendering us an easy prey to temptation when solicited to do as others do in an evil thing. A Christian's rule is the revealed will of God; and where the customs of the world run counter to this it is his business to withstand them, even though in so doing he may have to withstand a multitude, yea, and a multitude of people of fashion : but if we feel ambitious of their applause, we shall not be able to endure the scorn which a singularity of conduct will draw upon us. Thus we shall be carried down

the stream by the course of this world; and shall either fall into the gulf of perdition, or if any good thing should be found in us towards the Lord God of Israel, it will be indiscernible and useless. In short, such characters1 are certainly in a backsliding state, whether they be" ever recovered from it, or not.

26

It was just after they had made an engagement to take an excursion on the water on the following Sabbath, that Mr. Beaufoy received a letter from his aged mother, whom he held in the highest veneration, and from whom he wished to have had concealed the fact of his apostacy. It contained but little reasoning, nor did it breathe the language of reproach. It opened to his view the agony of her own mind, and it made an effort to spring a mine of sorrow in his.

“MY DEAR HENRY,

"You know I always dreaded your going to London, and now, if what I hear is true, I have to dread it. A friend called on us the other day, and told us, that you had left our Society and become a Socinian. I don't know much about Socinians, but 1 understand they say that Jesus Christ is nothing more than a man, and that we must not expect redemption through his blood, or the forgiveness of sins through the riches of his grace, but from our own good works. And have you, my Henry, forsaken that Saviour whom, unseen, you loved when you lived at home with us? And have you made a shipwreck of that precious faith which once filled you with so much joy and peace in believing? and have you departed from the ways of the Lord for the pleasures of sin which are only for a season? We have had no rest since the messenger of woe" brought us these awful tidings, and the spirit of your poor dear father is so broken down with" sorrow, that he has not had a smile upon his countenance since. And can you, my dear Henry, leave the Saviour who once had compassion on you, and did such great things for you, as you so often told us of. If you leave him now how will you be able to stand before him, when he comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly com

mitted, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Oh let me entreat you to return to the Lord with weeping and supplication, and he will yet have mercy upon you, and heal all your backslidings; he will accept you graciously, and love you freely. I cannot give you up, no, I cannot! You are my child, and I cannot endure the thought of living separated from you in another world. Let me hear from you directly, an and tell me if you are as happy, and as holy, and as spiritually-r -minded now, as when you first believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Your father sends his love, and tells me to say, that he shall all go do to the grave mourning for or you.'i bge bain awo red to Your unhappy, but 10 to 66 "Affectionate Mother,

"A. B."

This letter shook the unhallowed purpose of his soul, and he could not venture on the water. It brought over his imagination the scenes of departed bliss-revived recollections which were sacred and subduingand plunged him into the deep waters of mental agony. His wife endeavoured to assuage his grief by saying, "You know you still believe the gospel," but she had no power over the storm of anguish which was laying waste all the happiness of his mind. "Yes," said he, "I do believe it, or this letter would not disquiet me. I have departed from the Lord, and I am gone past recovery. Mine is no common apostacy. My doom is fixed. My end will be awful. Where, ah! where can I go when he cometh to execute judgment upon all. Yes, I do believe the gospel. I feel I do. I believe it, and tremble. Its terrors are upon me. The piercing language of the prophet has been following me ever since the death of that holy man, whose warning voice 1 despised, and now they enter as fire into my bones: Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know, therefore, and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts."

The Lord employs various means to recover his people from a backsliding state; and though for a season he