that their prayers were answered, and that she had found her brother, the three young people proceeded to the châ

teau.

It was but midday when the happy party reached the house, and the hour was not yet arrived at which the major had appointed to see his daughter. Nevertheless, Emily stole softly up to his room, and, passing through the antechamber, quietly opened his room-door. There (O pleasing sight!) she saw her father engaged in prayer. He started at seeing her, but she advanced with the boldness of one who brings good tidings; and, gathering speed as she approached, she threw her arms round him, before he could rise, and, falling on her knees by his side, "Join with me, my father," she said, "in the voice of thanksgiving. Your prayers are heard, your supplications have reached the throne of mercy: O my father! my father! your son is found-is returned—is in this house-and waits your forgiveness !"

"Emily!" said the major, turning to her, "my Emily!" and, attempting to rise, his strength failed him, and his daughter, weeping aloud, could scarcely support him till Charles and Christopher ran into the room.

O! who can describe the scene that took place? Love, mercy, gratitude, and tenderness, had their full scope and most happy exercise; and the once-infidel father, on this occasion, gave an indisputable evidence of that change of heart effected only by infinite power. All anger, all resentments, on the part of the father, were past; and the contrite son felt that he could only atone for his impatience and undutifulness by devoting his future life to promote the happiness of his parent.

And now let us attend this blessed family in that last hour of the evening, when, having concluded their temperate meal, they united in one act of prayer and praise, to the honour of divine grace; accompanied by Madame Vauvrier, who had hastened to the château as soon as the happy news had reached her.

And now, I would record—that it pleased the Almighty to enable this blessed family to continue in those paths of piety into which they had been happily introduced, by the divine blessing on the instructions of Madame Vauvrier; that the glorious influences of the Spirit were never with

VOL. VII. I

drawn from them; that deep repentance was vouchsafed to Christopher; and that he now affords one of the brightest examples of godliness which his country can supply.

The infirmities of the major cut him short before age had bleached his head, or he had attained his fiftieth year; yet not until he had held on his knees the children of his Emily, who, in her twentieth summer, became the happy and beloved wife of Mr. Harrington.

The departure of the major was easy and full of consolation; a circumstance that occasioned the aged Madame Vauvrier, who watched him till the last moment, joyfully to exclaim, "O God! I thank thee; for another soul is added to the multitudes of the redeemed."

This venerable Christian was also blessed in her death; and her daughter's children, in the third generation, are now flourishing like cedars in Lebanon; `exemplifying the words of the Shepherd of Israel—I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. (Psalm xxxvii. 25.)

The history of the Shepherdess of the Alps being concluded, the young ladies expressed their satisfaction.

"My dear young friends," said the lady of the manor, "if I have found the means of uniting pleasure with profit, I do most sincerely rejoice; and I hope that when you remember Major Müller and his family, you will feel the conviction that the father of the family was unacquainted with happiness till he ceased to scoff and learned to pray." The lady then requested the party present to join her in devotional exercises.

For a Spirit of Prayer.

"O ALMIGHTY LORD! help us, thy sinful creatures, to pray to thee in an acceptable manner;-inspire us with a deep and lasting sense of the obligations we are under to thee, not only for our creation and preservation, but for the means of grace and the hope of glory. Let our prayers arise to heaven as the odour of holy incense. Accept them in the name and through the merits of our blessed Saviour; and let all our desires and requests result from the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit; and let not the imper

fections of our services hinder their acceptance with thee: O grant us the benefit of that mediation thou hast provided.

"O most merciful God! we pray for all mankind; not only for those who have been made sensible of their help. less condition, but for all who are now living in sin, and ignorance and hardness of heart. We desire to depend entirely on thy mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ. We would unite with the publican, and say, 'God be merciful to us miserable sinners.' O, pour into our hearts more of the grace of supplication; and let a due sense of our unworthiness and helplessness preserve us in a lowly state at thy footstool.

"And now to God the Father," &c.

CHAPTER XXXI.

Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?

A. Two only, as generally necessary to Salvation; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Q. What meanest thou by this Word Sacrament?

A. I mean an outward and visible Sign of an inward and spiritual Grace, given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a Means whereby we receive the same, and a Pledge to assure us thereof.

Q. How many Parts are there in a Sacrament?

A. Two; the outward visible Sign, and the inward spiritual Grace,

Q. What is the outward visible Sign, or Form in Baptism? A. Water; wherein the Person is baptized, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Q. What is the inward and spiritual Gráce?

A. A Death unto Sin, and a new Birth unto Righteousness: for being by Nature born in Sin and the Children of Wrath, we are hereby made the Children of Grace.

Q. What is required of Persons to be baptized?

A. Repentance, whereby they forsake Sin; and Faith, whereby they stedfastly believe the Promises of God made to them in that Sacrament.

Q. Why then are Infants baptized, when by Reason of their tender Age they cannot perform them?

A.

Because they promise them both by their Sureties; which Promise, when they come to Age, themselves are bound to perform.

WE are now drawing, my dear young people," said the lady of the manor, again addressing her young ladies,

"towards the end of our proposed course of instructions; and I have reason to hope, that you, as well as myself, will have cause to look back with pleasure on our frequent happy meetings in this place. I trust they have been as profitable to me as to you; for, in the course of our many conversations, I have been led to study, with more accuracy, and in some order, many subjects, which, before, I had considered only in a desultory manner. It is said, that he that watereth shall be watered; and I am fully convinced, that a peculiar and especial blessing is bestowed on those who, humbly trusting in the divine assistance, devote themselves to the instruction of others."

The young ladies expressed much regret at the speedy cessation of their happy meetings; and their kind instructress hoped that such meetings might be renewed, even after the cause which had first given them rise had ceased to operate.

The lady of the manor then said, "I have another little manuscript to read to you, my dear young people; but, before I commence, I must put some questions to you from the Church Catechism."

The following questions and answers were then repeated. "Q. How many sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church?

"A. Two only, as generally necessary to salvation; that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

"Q. What meanest thou by this word sacrament? "A. I mean an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, given unto us, ordained by Christ himself, as a means whereby we receive the same, and a pledge to assure us thereof.

"Q. How many parts are there in a sacrament?

"A. Two; the outward visible sign, and the inward spiritual grace.

"Q. What is the outward visible sign, or form in Baptism?

"A. Water; wherein the person is baptized, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. "Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace?

"A. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness for being by nature born in sin and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace."