from these and similar causes. But we do not know that any good end is to be answered by our dwelling upon this topic, which seems hardly capable of affording us either pleasure or profit; and we are deeply impressed with the admirable sentiment of Mrs. Hannah More, as bearing on the subject, I am never so effectually humbled, as in contemplating the defects of a shining character."

Of the last hours of this excellent man we have little to say. Death appears at length to have come rather suddenly, though it found nim not unprepared. An increasing weakness and gradual debility seemed, for some time, creeping upon him. His usual activity of mind was, nevertheless, exhibited in the interest he took in the repairs, of what he termed, his beloved Church' of St. Saviour's, to accomplish which he exerted his energies both of body and mind. We understand that he attended divine service on the morning of NewYear's day, and was considered on Thursday evening to be in something like his usual health, and in very calm and even cheerful spirits. On Friday, fainting fits came on at intervals; and rather unexpectedly, on Saturday morning, he was called to " resign his spirit into the hands of the God who gave it." His death took place on Jan. 6, 1844, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. It appears to have been of a tranquil and happy kind in every point of view. In very deed he seemed to sleep in Jesus," and "his end was peace.' His bereaved family, flock, and friends, have the consolation of thinking that the beloved object of their affectionate regard has been spared much of that distressing conflict with bodily infirmities, which so frequently accompanies the dissolution of the ties which connect the unseen spirit with its "earthly house of this tabernacle." They may think with pleasure and thankfulness that he "has gone to his grave in a good old age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season : and while they remember the delightful assurance of scripture, "the righteous is taken away from the evil to come," their christian resignation may be turned into hallowed joy, as they contemplate the blissful period at which the glorious anticipation shall be fulfilled," when Christ who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory."

66

66

In the mean time, how pleasing is it to meditate on the case which has been alluded to in this brief sketch,―of our fellow-sinners of every rank, station and profession in society, called by the grace of God to come out from an evil world" and join the "little flock of Christ": to find that the statesman, the medical man, the lawyer, can all join with the "ambassador of Christ" in "sitting at the feet of Jesus," and learning of him who was despised and rejected of men": that no obstacles are so inseparable as to bar our entrance into the kingdom of heaven ; no cares of this world sufficiently rank to "choke the good seed," if it be but watered with the dew of God's heavenly grace: to anticipate the period, when, along with "the spirits of just men made perfect," "out of every nation, and people, and kindred, and tongue," we shall unite in "casting our crown before the throne," saying with a loud voice, "Blessing, and honour, and glory and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever

and ever.

Amen."

6

[Ir will be obvious to our readers, that the dialogue contained in the following pages may-in one sense-be termed fictitious: whereas narratives of real life are the only ones generally inserted in the Christian Guardian. It has been well observed, however, by a writer in the Churchman's Monthly Review, that simple dialogue, from Plato down to the present day, has often proved the most convenient form for pursuing high and difficult inquiries.' We think the same observation holds good with respect to matters which do not come under these heads of description; and, if judiciously and guardedly made use of, this kind of writing may become very beneficial to various classes of readers. We feel no hesitation, therefore, in giving insertion to the following simple, but comprehensive dialogue; believing it to be at once appropriate, judicious and scriptural.-ED.] ARE you going to take the pledge, Stephen? asked John Mitchell. Father Mathew is to be in N-to-morrow, and the whole world will be there to meet him. Two or three thousand will take the pledge, I am sure. It will be a noble sight, Stephen. I hope you will come for example's sake, though you were always a temperate man, and don't need to take the medal for your own sake.'

Stephen Bradford was a very old man, but not a very feeble one, for he had (as John Mitchell said) passed a temperate, and active life, and had reached his seventy-sixth year without suffering any severe illness, or other deep affliction. His children had been brought up in the fear of God, and were now "eating their own bread," (2 Thess. iii. 12.) and serving their heavenly Master in the various places where God had appointed their lot. His wife was still living, and though she felt the infirmities of old age more keenly than her husband did, she was, with him, enabled to say; "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing." (2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.)

Now, as you may suppose, Stephen Bradford was a very happy man ; nevertheless his neighbours had remarked that, during the last two or three years, a shade of sadness would often steal over his venerable face. When John Mitchell spoke to him he was standing beside a new tomb, in the little churchyard belonging to the village where he had lived for forty years. He looked more sad than usual, and seemed to be reading the epitaph which was graven on the stone, and John had to repeat his question, Are you going to take the temperance pledge from Father Mathew?' before old Stephen Bradford heard his salutation.

But when he did so, a glow of indignation passed over his aged cheek, and he answered in a solemn voice; If I wished to lend my feeble

help towards bringing old England again under the Romish yoke, John, I would take the Temperance medal to-morrow; or if I wished to bring a curse on my country by helping to set up those idols which our Reformers (the Lord working with them) pulled down, I would kneel before Mr. Mathew, and thus by my deeds declare, that a plan devised by an idolatrous priest has more power to keep Englishmen sober, than the plain precepts of God's holy word.'

'Well, well, (said John Mitchell smiling) I always took you for a charitable, liberal-minded man; yet now when Father Mathew, in the benevolence of his heart, is trying to confer a benefit on our country, you have nothing but hard words for him. He wants to put a stop to drunkenness and vice, and you begin immediately to threaten us with curses, and yokes, and to talk about setting up idols, idolatrous priests, and so on. Is this your Christian charity, Stephen?'

'Christian charity (answered Stephen Bradford) does not consist in fair words and smooth speeches, though she is adorned with these too, and knows well how to "render honour where honour is due." (Rom. xiii. 7.) But Christian charity means love, John; love something like that which brought our Saviour from heaven to save the poor ruined sons of men. That Saviour was himself the only perfect example of charity, and do you remember what he says of some false teachers in the Jewish Church? "Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of Hell than yourselves :” (Matt. xxiii. 15.) you know a proselyte means a person who is won over to a new opinion.'

'Oh, I know very well what a proselyte means,' said John, but I cannot make out what you mean. Surely when you make a man sober, don't make him twofold more the child of Hell, than he was in his days of drunkenness ?'

you

'I am not thinking now of reforming drunkards, but of misleading Protestants,' answered Stephen Bradford; ' are you so foolish as to think that a man who does not dread the just contempt of his fellow-men, or fear the flames of Hell, will be long kept sober by this idle ceremony? Is the preaching of the Gospel so weak, or the example and teaching of our own clergymen become so useless, that this popish priest is likely to reform those who will not listen, when they are told from the Bible, that "Drunkards shall not inherit the kingdom of God?"' (1 Cor. vi. 10.)

'Why,' answered John, 'we see what he has done in Ireland, and why can't he do as much here? People say he has nearly driven drunkenness out of that country.'

'Yes,' said old Stephen, he has for a little while persuaded poor Irishmen to give up one evil habit; but when I hear of the savage murders which they commit, and of the rebellion, and hatred that are going on in that country, I cannot help thinking of the prophet's words-"Behold ye fast for strife, and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness." (Isaiah lviii. 4.) Mr. Mathew's religion is idolatry; it only defiles the heart instead of changing it, John, and though he may advise you to give up one sin, his religion will bind you fast in the very mystery of iniquity.'

But what have we to do with his religion?' asked John. He does

not try to make papists of us; he only persuades those who are not sober to be so, and those who are sober to make a resolution that they will continue so, and set a good example to others. There's Will Collins, for instance, I have been trying these four years to persuade him to leave off drinking, and you have spoken to him several times yourself, but all in vain. Well, he is going to take the medal to-morrow, and I am sure he will be cured of this vice, for he is quite in earnest about it. You see there is something new and amusing in the whole plan. Kneeling down before so many people to make your promise; getting a medal to remind you of it, and then the fuss, and then the crowd, and the banners-all make the thing impressive, so that a poor man is persuaded to leave off his sin almost without thinking about it.' 'He will soon return to it again, John, (said Stephen Bradford) if the cure is no deeper than that; but we both agree about the benefit of being sober, we know that even in this life, "the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty," (Prov. xxiii. 21.) and God has mercifully preserved us from that terrible vice. What I want to talk about is the mission of this Mr. Mathew-I will not call him father-I believe, he is compassing sea and land to make Englishmen proselytes to popery. There are too many doing the same sad deed in our country now. Rome is hard at work, and you see, John, she has a way of suiting her baits to all sorts of people. Those whom she cannot catch one way, she tries to get hold of in another, and I think Mr. Mathew's plan is about the fairest among them. He is a professed Roman Catholic, and, in that character, he goes through all Protestant England as the Apostle of Temperance.' Ignorant men who learn to look upon him with reverence, will soon feel the same respect for his religion. My heart sank within me, John, when I heard it had been given out, that he was to hold one of his grand meetings at Smithfield! I am not sure whether he ever really went there, as I am too far from London to hear much news from it.'

'What matter if he did,' said John Mitchell, Smithfield is nothing more than a large Cattle Market; what objection have you to his speaking there in particular?"

6

Because it is the very spot where the martyrs of England protested, with their blood against priest Mathew's unholy religion. Only think of Englishmen and Englishwomen kneeling before a priest of the same creed that Bonner and Gardiner held, in the very spot where so many of their victims were burnt to death, because they renounced that creed, and upheld the glorious Reformation.'

'Then you really think,' said John, that Father Mathew came to England for the purpose of winning us all back to Popery. If I thought so, I certainly would not go to N

to-morrow.'

I have very little doubt about it,' answered Stephen Bradford; men of his creed stop at nothing to gain converts, but in this case the way has so much that seems kind and benevolent in it, and some of our countrymen have been so easily duped, that we can scarcely wonder at priest Mathew taking so much pains to bring about what he thinks a good end; or even supposing he has no design of this kind, do think Satan will not turn so ready an opportunity to account, when he is making use of very strange tools, to bring us again to idolatry and superstition?'

you

'What other means is he using?" said John. Stephen Bradford did not answer his question at once, but said to him in an inquiring tone; You know our Rector, John, I believe, though you do not belong to this parish?"

• Know Mr. Lindsay!' said John, every body within twenty miles knows that good man I should think: but why do you ask me?"

6

'This new tomb,' said Stephen, was set up over his eldest son, who died two months ago. He was a fine young man, the hope and delight of his parents; and he was the most devoted young christian I ever knew; but he has left us now, and I dare not wish him back again; his parents sorrowed, but come and read the inscription on this stone, and you will see how they comforted themselves. John drew nearer to the tomb, and read aloud,

SACRED

TO THE MEMORY OF

FREDERICK LINDSAY,

WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE, MAY THE 6TH 1843, AGED 24.

"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come." Isaiah lvii. 1.

John remained silent after he had read the epitaph, and Stephen spoke again; that "evil to come" almost saddened the last bright hours of Mr. Frederick's life. I knew him from his birth, and he often sent for me when he was upon his dying bed. I shall never forget the last time I saw him; before that he had always seemed happy hearted, rejoicing in the presence of his Saviour; but this time, though his sweet face was calm as an angel's, he looked mournful and sad. When I came into the room, he took my hand in his, and went on speaking his thoughts aloud, as if I had known what troubled him. I shall be gone Stephen,' he said, and perhaps you too, for your pilgrimage is almost over; we shall not see the days of darkness, but they are coming very fast.' I tried to comfort him, though my own heart misgave me, for I knew there was treason in our own christian camp; but I reminded him of all the good which the Lord had wrought in England of late years; how many good ministers there were, and what numbers of holy men and women. I told him again what devoted missionaries had been sent from our country, to tell the perishing heathen of Jesus Christ the Almighty Saviour; but he shook his head; I know it, I know it, he said, but all these blessings will make the falling off more fearful. There has always been wickedness in the world, and wicked men will fight against God; it is not about the blasphemies of infidels, or the bad deeds of worldly men I am grieving, but for the evil that is in our very sanctuary. Stephen (said he) some of those whom we reckoned as the people of God have almost made shipwreck of faith, by turning their thoughts from Immanuel, to fill them with ceremonies, and forms, saints, and saints' days. But worst of all (he went on) the children of pious parents, baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and taught the pure word of God in their infancy, have gone aside after " fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth." (Titus i. 14.) They have indeed