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when Jew and Gentile, bond and free, shall all know the Lord, from the greatest to the least. And I think I can say—

'As pants the hart for cooling streams,

When heated in the chase;

So longs my soul, O God, for thee,

And thy refreshing grace.'

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And again, to another young friend, whom she regarded with much affection

Oh, that all

"I feel so stupid and cold about eternal things, that I am certain I have no part with Christ. What an awful consideration! To be lost, with all my advantages and privileges! my sins may be washed away in the blood of the Lamb! He is willing-he is able-why should I distrust? I will cast myself at his feet, and if I perish, I will perish there.

'A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,

On thy kind arms I fall;

Be thou my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus and my

all.'

"That we may meet in heaven-blissful thought! the Lord grant we may-and that Jesus may

'Clothe us with vestures yet unknown,
And place us near his Father's throne,'

is the earnest prayer of your most affectionate

"LYDIA."

In the summer of 1820 she, for the first time, left her paternal home; and after remaining for a year and a half at a school in the neighbourhood, she was engaged, just as she completed her eighteenth year, as an assistant to some excellent ladies at M., who took a limited number of pupils. She felt keenly this more distant separation from the friends she warmly loved, which, together with a feeling of

the importance and responsibility of the duties connected with her new relation, led her to seek, with fresh earnestness and perseverance, consolation and strength from on high. When at home, in the summer of this year (1822), she and one of her sisters received the holy communion of the body and blood of Christ, for the first time, from the hand of their beloved father; by whom they were welcomed with the earnest delight of an apostle, who could affirm “I have no greater joy than to see my children walk in truth." It may be observed, that the blessing of God appeared about this time to accompany my father's ministry in an unusual degree. Lydia, in a letter written subsequently, says-" Last year (1822) was one to be remembered at dear Olney, and no doubt registered on high. Mrs. M. told me that there was only one sabbath throughout its course, on which there was not a new communicant, and often two or three.* You cannot forget two of the number. 0 may they all continue stedfast unto the end!"

Her

From this time Lydia's progress in knowledge and holiness was remarkably rapid. She became daily more heavenly in her spirit and conversation. heart and affections were truly set on things above; and her whole deportment exemplified, that "to be spiritually minded is life and peace." When distant from her affectionate relatives, and the home of her childhood, she rejoiced to consider herself a stranger

The same may be stated of the year preceding; and my father was accustomed to administer this sacrament fourteen times in the course of the twelvemonths.

and a pilgrim below. Looking to heaven as her home, she was continually aspiring to that undefiled inheritance of purity and love. How often would she exclaim

"This is not our rest, O comforting word!

Our rest is on high, our home with our God;
With singing we'll soar to this land of the blest,
In the bosom of Jesus our souls shall find rest."

With the eye of faith thus directed upward, her spirit rose above the world, so that she was indeed not of it; but cheerfully hastening through it, scattering around her as she passed along, holy counsels and instruction, and ever imploring blessings for all connected with her. Love, that enduring principle, which

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here is tried and purified,

Then hath in heaven its perfect rest,"

seemed to influence her every word and action; while the selfishness inherent in our fallen nature was completely subdued. The fruit of the Spirit, as delineated by the apostle, appeared in her disposition and conversation in early and beautiful maturity. While at M. "her exemplary conduct (to use the words of one of her friends there) gave continual proof of a heart devoted to God, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." Her letters, from which a few extracts are introduced, are expressive of this devotedness of heart to her Saviour; and of ardent desires for the full enjoyment of his presence. To her beloved

father she writes, in April, 1823 :

"MY DEAREST PAPA,

"I am sorry I have not been able to write before, and fear I often exceed three weeks (the time you mentioned); but I hope you are never uneasy at my silence. have been to-day thinking much of you all. This is the second Easter I have spent far from home; but though absent from my earthly parents, I trust my heavenly Father has been with me, and caused me to feel and rejoice in his presence: and therefore I am happy, because not alone. Yes, dear papa, I trust a change has been wrought in me, though gradual. 'The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh nor whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.' I hope it is not presumption or pride to apply this to myself. To His name be all the praise and glory, who alone could accomplish so great a work.

"'T was great to speak the world from nought;
'T was greater to redeem.'

"I feel that that love and that power must be almighty, which has redeemed me from the service of sin unto God.

Though in myself and where he has

perfect weakness, in Him is everlasting strength; begun the good work, we are assured he will carry it on, and perfect it in Christ Jesus. He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax ;' and shall I not trust him? It often gives me much comfort and pleasure, to think that my dear parents do not forget me in their prayers. Though far from you, do not then forget me, my dear рара; I feel great need of your daily remembrance.

*

"Your very affectionate child, LYDIA."

To this her father replied:

"MY DEAREST LYDIA,

"Olney, April 17, 1823.

"Your letter afforded me a great deal of pleasure, as it increases my confidence that you have chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from you. As you have been led to flee for refuge to the Saviour, who will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, you may exercise a confidence in his gracious promise

that he will never leave you nor forsake you. You will not however forget that he keeps his people through faith unto salvation, in the exercise of an humble dependence upon himself, and in the use of his appointed means. In addition, therefore, to the public means of grace, I hope you will always be diligent in reading the scriptures, and attentive to the highly important duty and privilege of private prayer. The holy scriptures will be a light unto your feet, and a lamp unto your path; and prayer is so important to your spiritual welfare, that you cannot expect to enjoy the consolations of religion, nor to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, without its constant exercise. We are so sinful, that we always need mercy; so weak, that we always need help; and so exposed, that we always need protection. But we may expect mercy, and help, and protection, on all occasions, if we look to the almighty Jehovah in confidence and prayer. In this way, my dear Lydia, you may expect to be preserved from sin, and to grow in grace, peace, and holiness. Your distance from home, and that of dear A * *, is a circumstance of regret to me, and I should be glad to see you more frequently; but we must not forget, that for the present you are in the situation in which Providence has placed you; and this recollection should incline us to be resigned to the necessary absences connected with it. It is well for those who can cordially adopt the sentiment of the psalmist: 'He shall choose our inheritance for us.' I am glad that you value and rejoice in the presence of God, whose consolations are neither few nor small. The enjoyment of his favour and loving kindness, will abundantly overbalance the temporary loss of the pleasure afforded by the society of our dearest friends.

"You made some inquiries, in your letter to your mamma, respecting the circumstances of your uncle George's death. But this is a subject, which neither my time nor my paper will allow me particularly to enter upon at present. I can only say, that soon after you left home, a long letter arrived from your aunt Anne, giving an account of the blessed end he made. She states that she could not enumerate the many delightful portions of scripture, which he repeated with application to himself; and he spoke with an eloquence and energy, so much beyond what he was accustomed to in health, that

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