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in defiance of all laws human and divine, a set of Sabbath-breakers like themselves, in their several journies of business, and journies of pleasure. The number which the various inns of the kingdom pour forth upon those occasions every Lord's day, is incalculable.

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How frequently hath it excited my commiseration, when in some sweet morning of the Sabbath, the Diligence hath passed the street under my window. Alas!' I have said, 'what a wretched way of life must that be, which loses the very distinction of days by such uninterrupted labour! Surely, except in form, there can be no difference of character between the driver and the horses; when both are trained to expect the going over the same tract of ground in their daily labour.' How irresistibly hath my heart sometimes, when pursuing the reflection, been impelled to admire, and in that admiration to adore, the distinguishing grace of God! Who maketh thee to differ from another?' is a sweet morsel for the gracious soul to feed on, whenever such occasions of reflection occur. I have felt the full force of it many times on the Lord's day; particularly when in the same moment, in which I have beholden a party of pleasure-loving creatures, driving through the streets on their various excur

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sions, in order to consume this blessed day in idleness and dissipation; I have seen some gracious souls gladly hastening to the house of God, to adore his goodness, to hear his word, and to implore the effusion of the Holy Spirit on his churches, both ministers and people, on this sacred day of rest!

-The reader will pardon this digression, I hope, induced by the impulse of the moment.—

My friend, as was before observed, had left me in the inn, in order to visit those regions of ignorance and sin which the stable furnisheth. And never surely was a mission to the most darkened nations of any hemisphere more needed, than to such British heathens of our own.

My friend possessed every requisite for the office. Added to a natural gentleness of manners, and a suavity of deportment, he had acquired the most winning art of persuasion. He knew how to adapt his discourse in the least offensive method, so as to arrest the attention of his hearers. And although few perhaps were ever better formed to shine in the circle of the great and the learned; yet he had imbibed the full spirit of the Apostle's lesson, and knew how to condescend to men of low estate.'

His first endeavour was directed to find out some leading trait of character in the poor un

informed mind of the person he addressed.— His next object was to suit his discourse in correspondence to his apprehension. And in cases where but little opportunity offered of a personal conversation, if providentially any of the fraternity had acquired any knowledge in letters, he had the pleasing art of prevailing upon them to accept of one or more of the pious little tracts, which are now so generally circulated, and which he always carried about with him in his pocket for this purpose.

THE STABLE BOY.

IT so happened, that a poor boy, who acted as subordinate to the ostler in the stable, and indeed as a general underling to all the menial servants of the inn, was engaged in rubbing down one of the horses in the stall, when my friend entered the stable. The gentleness and condescension with which my friend bid him "good morrow,' so very dissimilar to the surly language which he in general received from his companions, soon called up his attention. And as my friend entered further into conversation with him, first on subjects pertaining to his

office, and then by an easy transition, and by a manner peculiarly his own, on matters of an higher nature; the poor lad's heart, like that of Lydia mentioned in Scripture, was opened to attend to things spoken.

The subject, (as I afterwards learnt,) to which my friend adverted, was the happiness of 'that rest which remaineth for the people of God,' in the upper and brighter world; contrasted to the toilsome and unsatisfying nature of all things here below. And when he came to describe the love of the Lord Jesus in purchasing this rest for his people, and his affectionate desires that the poor, and the weary, and the heavy laden, should come to him, and find this rest unto their souls; the poor youth, unable to contain his emotions, melted into tears. He did not in so many words say what he felt, but his eyes expressed it. My friend, who possessed great quickness of penetration, perceiving the effect, without seeming to notice it, then made his discourse somewhat more personal; and held forth the pleasing consideration to his view, that this love of the Lord Jesus was intended for him. The poor boy wiped away the tear which had fallen on his cheek, and drew nearer to my friend, as to one whose kindness had begotten confidence and affection; and

manifested that kind of sympathy of soul, which seemed to thank him for what he had said, and to request him to say more.

THE DISASTER.

INTERESTED in the highest degree with this awakened concern in the youth, my friend had forgotten the situation of one of the horses in the stall near him, and was unconscious of any danger until he felt its effect. By a violent kick which he received in his side, just beneath the ribs, he was thrown on the pavement in the stable, and remained in a state of insensibility for a considerable time, after we had brought him into the house and placed him on the bed. The alarm, given on the first rumour of this disaster, soon reached my ears; and it was some consolation to me, in the very afflicting circumstance, that I was present to see him taken up, and very gently carried to his cham

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As soon as he had recovered from his fainting, I ventured to approach his bed-side, and taking him by the hand, expressed my great concern for what had happened. 'How unfor

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