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nounce you condemnation. Self-deluded creature! can you imagine that your want of real religion can justify your contempt of those who possess it? Persevere in making sport of God's servants, as fools and hypocrites; treat the Bible as a fable, and religion as a farce, a few weeks longer; till death and judgment shall convince you that "the Lord God of recompences, will surely requite!"""

INTERVIEW WITH A LADY FROM INDIA, &c.

Towards the latter end of the year 1811, Mr. Cooke was travelling between London and Maidenhead in the coach. One of his companions was a young woman of about twenty-four, of genteel appearance and manners, but evidently labouring under great distress and anxiety of mind. As soon as a favourable opportunity occurred, he endeavoured to discover the nature of her distress. He soon learned, that she was a native of India, but had been married very young; and, having a great desire to travel, had come with her husband to England. After a short time, he had deserted her. Almost frantic and bewildered, she had been searching all the inns on the various great roads, to find the unprincipled man. Forlorn and friendless, in a strange land, she was still in pursuit, though reduced almost to a state of despair-wandering from place to place in search of the only object of her affections, and quite ignorant of any considerations that might mitigate her trouble, or administer support under it. A little conversation showed Mr. Cooke that she was not merely an entire stranger to religion; but when he attempted to direct her to its consolations, he found that she was an enemy, and that her mind had been prejudiced against it by infidel objections. With patience and attention, he heard all she had to say against the Bible and religion. He met and answered her objections; and then directed her, as a sinner, to implore reconciliation to God-and as a distressed and injured woman, to seek support from that Bible she had despised, and cast herself upon the mercy and grace of that God whom it reveals, but whose friendship she had not hitherto sought. He continued the conversation till they parted. She was powerfully impressed with what he said, and at parting he gave her his address. It pleased God signally to bless his remarks to

this distressed lady. She began, in the midst of her trouble, to seek the Lord, and he was pleased to lead her to those sources of consolation in the Bible, which composed her mind, and opened to her a prospect of a happier life and a better world. She wrote a letter soon after to Mr. Cooke, in which she informed him of the great change wrought in her mind, and of the support and composure she had derived from those momentous truths to which he had been the instrument of directing her attention. In terms of the liveliest gratitude, she mentioned his kindness, sympathy, and instruction. In a second letter, written when she was about to return to India to her friends, though without her husband, she gives some few particulars respecting herself, and displays, in an interesting light, the pleasing change which had been wrought in her sentiments and feelings. The following is an extract from this letter, which is commenced by stating that the writer was on the eve of departing from England for India. She says:

"To remind you of your past kindness, and, consequently, of my indelible obligations, would only be a repetition of what I have already faintly attempted, but can never sufficiently express. My return to India, though an event long the object of my most favourite thoughts and sanguine expectations, I could have wished had happened on happier terms; since I must inevitably endure many a bitter pang, when I am absolutely under the cruel necessity of leaving behind, him in whom is centred my whole dependence and happiness. Thus it is ever with human affairs! The alluring cup, ere it reaches the longing lip, is frequently contaminated by the infusion of poisonous weeds, which totally destroy every fancied pleasure, which our flattering imaginations had anticipated. An over-ruling Providence has wisely ordained it should be so, in order to wean our affections from the trifling occurrences of this short state of probation, and as a further inducement to place them upon the truly essential and paramount points of futurity. It is said to be the privilege of friendship sometimes to be troublesome: in the present instance, I have much reason to fear having involuntarily encroached greatly beyond its limits. But a communication of our distresses to a real and sincere friend, particularly when arising from mental causes, is undoubtedly an alleviation to the afflicted mind. Such a friend must I ever consider one, who has justly proved himself so, in every sense of the word, at a most trying and urgent crisis, when every spark of hope was nearly extinguished, and I was

sinking on the verge of despair; then religion, with her benign influence, re-kindled the torch, and snatched my soul from perdition. Had I chanced to have met with so persuasive a monitor prior to my unfortunate peregrinations, I had escaped much unnecessary trouble, also, the loss of what I can now never cease to regret*. The principles you instilled would have taught me contentment, the mother of true happiness, in whatever station of life the Almighty might have been pleased to place me; far more so, when, in my native land, among my own relatives, in the entire possession of a husband's affections, or, at least, having no reason to think otherwise; the darling and only child of a fond and affectionate mother, and, in point of pecuniary circumstances, infinitely superior to any in all probability I can ever aspire to again; even female vanity, gratified to an extent unknown in this country, from the customary homage ladies are used to receive in India. Alas! how widely is the scene reversed, through a foolish and idle curiosity, too prevalent in young people, to become the traveller, which often originates from secret vanity. This it was first seized my infatuated senses; being encouraged by the promise of returning again, of which, from the state of our affairs, I did not entertain the least doubt. Therefore, instead of objecting, I eagerly embraced the project of visiting Europe; else, I am persuaded it would not have taken place. Let me not then repine at past advantages, but, with proper resignation to the will of God, meet the just punishment of my former follies, and rather let it serve as a timely warning, by endeavouring in future to avoid similar errors.

"Adieu, dear Sir, may you meet with the reward justly due to true piety, here, as well as that which infallibly awaits the righteous hereafter; and in your daily prayers for the miserable, may you sometimes deign to remember,

"Your Asiatic Convert."

MINISTERIAL VISITS TO THE SICK.

This day I visited a sick man, totally ignorant of God and himself. I opened the Law of God to him, and

* Alluding to her abandonment by her husband, which had been the result of her "desire to see the world."

showed him his transgressions in thought, word, and deed, and the curse he was under as a sinner. He was sullen and silent; and when I prayed for him, he pretended to be asleep. I then set before him the love of Christ, in dying to bear the curse of the chief of sinners. He opened his eyes, was all attention, and exclaimed, "I thought there was no mercy for such a wretch." I informed him that Jesus died for the wretched and the lost. He burst into tears, cried for mercy, looked to the Saviour, and was delivered from the guilt of his sin, the hardness of his heart, the fear of death, and the oppressive weight of his trial; and soon "magnified the Lord, and his spirit rejoiced in him, as God his Saviour."

Called to visit Mr. B-, suddenly afflicted with cancer in his cheek. He was "a hearer only," living in the lust of the flesh, under a profession of religion. He saw and felt the hand of God; said he had "received the sentence of death in himself," and must obey the summons. He was deeply humbled; cried day and night for mercy; read the Word of God; vielded his soul to Christ for salvation; blessed God for the cancer, as a display of the mercy of God, and the depth of his wisdom. He suffered patiently, continued instant in prayer, mourned over the evil of sin, condemned himself, justified God in his affliction, admired the grace which sanctified his sufferings, warned his visitors against being hardened under the Gospel, through the deceitfulness of sin; exhorted them to "trust in the mighty Saviour's name," and died "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God."

Mrs.

who had lived with an income of 8007. a year in the West Indies, became, on the death of her husband, dependant on her children and friends. Accustomed to govern slaves, she was haughty, full of enmity to religion, and tyrannical in her conduct. She heard me some time in vain ; but, on leaving home for Bristol, I preached from "Now to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith (in its object) is counted for righteous

ness.

Her mind was enlightened; she saw herself to be ungodly; believed in Jesus from the heart unto justification; read the Word of God night and day; walked in the joy of God's

salvation; forgot her poverty, or rather, was thankful for it; and bore her protracted affliction with "all long-suffering and joyfulness." She died, in "full assurance of hope," and left "a sweet odour of Christ," and his all-sufficient grace to her relatives and friends.

On Thursday I was sent for by Miss a welleducated, sensible, amiable creature. Alarmed at my entering the room, she turned pale, and assured me that she had always lived a good life. I asked what she meant by a good life? She answered "a moral life." I asked her if the law of God, the Ten Commands, formed the standard, or rule, of her morality?" Certainly," she replied. I then opened the law in its purity, spirituality, equity, goodness, and perfection, and the consequence of transgressing it: and after praying with her, I left her.

Friday. On seating myself by her, she exclaimed, “ O sir! if the Law of God is the rule of morality, I have never been even moral. I confined my notions of goodness, morality, and religion to outward expressions; but this law requires my heart, all my heart, and condemns every thought, word, and act, that is sinful. I feel convinced that I am a sinner, a condemned sinner." Never did I see the rapid progress of saving knowledge in any case equal to her's. She needed it, for I found she had a cancer in her mouth; all her teeth came out at twenty-three years of age. Two holes were formed at the bottom of the lower jaw, so that she retained liquid in her mouth with difficulty.

My future visits were peculiarly interesting. On entering the room one day, she said, "I pity you, my dear sir; the room must be so very offensive, from my breath; but I bless God for this affliction. It is very great, and through the grace of the Saviour, very light. I envy not the most healthy, wealthy, or honourable. Now!

"Now! I can read my title clear

To mansions in the skies;

I bid farewell to ev'ry fear,

And wipe my weeping eyes."

"There is not a fellow-creature on earth with whom I would exchange conditions. God is gracious; the blood of Christ is my refuge; I am very happy-my trial is short-I cheerfully resign my life-I fear not death, it will be my short passage to Heaven."

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