Christ himself; for there is no salvation in any other; and there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.' (Acts, iv. 12.) But this I meant to point out to you, that every little outward event and circumstance of a man's life is ordered by God for his good, as is seen in the cases of those who humbly submit themselves to the will of their heavenly Father; for we cannot doubt that all things work together for good to those that love God." (Rom. viii. 28.)

I still found it hard to understand my father, though his words fixed themselves on my memory. I did not receive the sense of them at that time, neither did I fully understand the lessons which they conveyed for many years afterwards.

My father, perceiving that I did not comprehend him, went on this manner, endeavouring to make his words pleas ant: "Our heavenly Father," added he, "having pity on his poor creatures, and having provided for them a means of salvation, disposes their affairs in life in

that way which he sees will best work towards the attainment of this blessed purpose, that is, their salvation; he knows the way they ought to go, and he puts, as it were, a hedge on this side and on that side, to keep them in that way some are hedged in by careful and vigilant parents, some by strict or hard masters, some by sickness, some by poverty, some by dying friends, some by unkind relations, some by the frowns of the world, and some by the infirmities of their own minds. Nay," added my father, "I could not count half the means which the Almighty uses to restrain his poor people from sin: but there is one thing to be observed, that the thorns in the hedges placed on each side of us by our Almighty Father are seldom felt by those who patiently walk in the paths appointed them, without attempting to break from them, either to the right or to the left; on the contrary, these fences often abound with fragrant flowers and pleasant herbs, which do greatly refresh the pilgrim as he passes between them in his way to everlasting glory."

at

My father then went on to tell me, that as grown people are often kept from doing wicked things, which they wish to do, by poverty, sickness, or other afflictions; so I, who was but a little boy, had been kept perhaps from destroying myself or my sister by those Hedges which I so much disliked. He then climbed up on the bank on the right e hand, and having helped me up also, he raised me so high in his arms, that I could see over the Hedge; and then I perceived that there was exactly on the other side, a deep ditch full of black stagnant water.

n "Look," said my father; "what do you see!"—" A black ditch, father," I answered. "That ditch," said my father, "is deep enough to drown little Bell; and had you succeeded in pushing her through the Hedge, she might have been dead before you could have got through after her to get her out."

1 When I heard these words, I trembled from head to foot, and cried out, "O my sweet little Bell!"

"What means," said my father, "did God use to save your sister?"" The Thorns, father," I answered, "the Thorns in the Hedge."-" Are they not blessed Thorns, then ?" said my father. "Do you not now thank God for this Hedge of Thorns? I trust, my son, that the time will come, that you will thank God for every affliction, however bitter, which he makes use of to keep you from sin."

My father then took me to the Hedge on the other side, and lifting me up, showed me a deep precipice, over which, had we got through the fence, we might have been dashed to pieces. So I looked awhile-after which, my father bringing me down from the bank, walked with me towards home; and as we went along, he said, "Do not, my boy, attempt to break through those Hedges, and you will never feel their Thorns. "Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; but he that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.' (Prov. xxii. 5.)

"Moreover, my son," he added, "when the summer comes, these Hedg

es, if you walk by their side, will afford you a refreshing shelter from the heat of the sun: although they now look so brown and withered, they may then blossom with fragrant haw-thorn, and honeysuckles, and wild roses.”

This conversation (although, as I before said, I did not at that time fully understand it,) together with my evil conduct which had given occasion to it, was never forgotten by me; and as I thought upon it, and talked it over with my father, by the blessing of God, the meaning of it became plainer to me.

I continued to go to school every week with my little Bell, after this accident, till I was fourteen years of age: by this time, by the care of my excellent governess, added to the private religious instruction of my father, I had acquired an education superior to my station: I had a clear knowledge of the leading doctrines and history of the Christian relig ion, and my habits were moral; but the seat of my religion, was yet rather in my head than my heart. My parents and

C