"Now, when God, in return for the infinite mercies which he has bestowed upon you, asks for the grateful devotion of your heart, can your refusal to His demand be justified, because others have also disregarded it, or because some who said they complied with it were insincere in their declaration ?"

Charles was struck with this plain yet forcible reasoning, and he felt that his uncle was right. He had been sincere in the objection with which he had answered Mr. Hamilton's kind appeal, and now that his difficulty was explained, he frankly acknowledged the mistake which he had made.

“I think I understand it now, uncle," he said thoughtfully, "and I am much obliged to you for making it so clear to me, I only wonder that I have not looked at it in this light before."

"I am very glad, Charles, that I have helped to remove your difficulty," replied Mr. Hamilton, "and if, on reviewing the subject, you do not feel quite satisfied, I will willingly talk it over again with you."

The conversation was interrupted by a hasty summons for Mr. Hamilton to attend the dying bed of an aged parishioner; but enough had been said to convince Charles, that his objection, although honestly urged, was only imaginary, and this obstacle being removed, he was prepared to consider the truths of revelation with a thoughtful and unprejudiced mind. The happy result was, that he gratefully and practically acknowledged the rightful claims of his Maker; and willingly responded to the touching inquiry," Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, my Father, thou art the guide of my youth?"

Charles's visit to his uncle was a very long one; for when the time which was fixed for his return came, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were not willing to part from one who was now so dear to them, and his stay was thus prolonged for many weeks; until at length it was decided, to the mutual delight of both parties, that Charles should make the rectory his home. Mr. Hamilton had not any children of his own, and his affections, therefore, centred more strongly on the only child of his sister; and Charles' love for his kind relatives, combined with his earnest and expressed wish, to choose the sacred profession of his uncle, rendered the change highly desirable.

And now to bring this sketch to a close, we have only to add,

that Charles pursued quietly his studies for two or three years, under the guidance of Mr. Hamilton, while his principles became daily more settled and matured. Deeper acquaintance with his own heart, taught him to look with a gentle and considerate glance on the imperfections of christians, and to excuse much of which he could not approve. He learned that religion may be genuine, and yet be sometimes marred by sin and inconsistency, and this led him to be more tolerant with regard to others, while it increased his own strenuous efforts after a higher degree of conformity to the will of God.

After the usual course of study, he entered the ministry, and became the faithful and devoted assistant of Mr. Hamilton, whose heart was cheered by the evident blessing which rested upon the ardent and self-denying labors of his nephew.

Charles lived with his uncle and aunt as their beloved son; and when at a later period his cousin Lucy became his associate in plans of holy usefulness, the happiness of that little circle seemed complete.

Faithful and affectionate were the appeals of the young minister, especially to the young, in whose welfare he took a deep interest; while those who were acquainted with his early history, were not surprised at the frequency with which he urged upon his hearers the importance and loveliness of christian consistency. C. C.

THE MILLER,

During the French war, when our own country was threatened with invasion, all ranks became soldiers, and every man between the ages of eighteen and sixty was enrolled, forming an aggregate of several hundred thousand, who were held in readiness to protect the country.

At this juncture I had occasion to visit a relative in the west of England, and during one of my country walks, I came to a small mill, situated in a pleasant and retired spot. In front of the house a young woman was feeding some poultry; she asked me to walk in and rest myself. Feeling tired, I thankfully accepted her invitation. In a large arm-chair by the fire, sat an elderly man, whose countenance appeared careworn. An active, bustling woman was engaged in preparing their homely meal. The old

man addressed me by saying that I was welcome to rest myself. I thanked him, and saying that I felt tired with my walk, I took a chair beside him. He appeared so much dejected, that I said "You do not appear well; are you suffering from illness?" He said “No, not in body;" and then told me that his heavenly Father had given him a good share of health, and was leading him through life with a few ailments of body, but he had had heavy trials. Here the old man appeared to be much moved. I remarked that life is full of trials, and it is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom. The old man said, “you appear to feel interested in me, sir, and, if it is not intruding on your time, I will give you an account of some of the trials through which I have passed in my journey through this wilderness-world. The Lord says that he leads his people by a right way; and though opposed to flesh and sense, yet it is a right way, and leads to a city of habitation. For although my trials have been of a most distressing nature, the Lord has laid under me his everlasting arms, and brought me hitherto on the journey of life. Whilst many of my youthful associates are still wedded to this world, and lying in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniquity, I often exclaim—

'Why was I made to hear Thy voice,

And enter while there's room,

While thousands make a wretched choice

And rather starve than come?'

I am well assured that if I have fled from the wrath to come, it is the Lord's doing; for I know that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. I will now proceed with my narrative.

"My parents lived in a small town in Devonshire, where my father carried on a very respectable business. He articled me to an attorney in the same place, who proved to be a gay, worldly man, and very inattentive to business; the consequence of which was, that his practice declined, and he was obliged, soon after I entered his office, to leave the town altogether. I then returned home. My father about this period experienced some heavy losses in his trade, and after a little while, was compelled to give it up. He had now no means of setting me forward in life; and although I made several attempts myself, they were mostly un

successful. Year after year passed and left me in worse circumstances than before. My father died soon after the reverse of fortune which he had experienced; and about this time, one of his friends kindly enabled me to take this little mill, where I have lived many years in tolerable comfort, although I have sometimes found it hard work to make both ends meet. My wife, whom I married about thirty years since, has been truly a help-meet for me, and has solaced me in all the trials and difficulties through which I have had to pass. We should often have given up, had it not been for the support we both had from the Lord, who helped us, and in the midst of severe trials enabled us to say, 'the Lord doeth all things well;' and to join with good old Eli, in exclaiming, 'It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good!' Nature does not like this, but St. Paul says 'I can do all things through Christ strengthening me.'

My dear wife would often say, 'the Lord has brought us on hitherto, and he will not now forsake us.' We had three children, whom we endeavored to bring up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and blessed be his holy name, our prayers were heard; they all three became followers of Jesus. The boys I found very useful to me in my business: they were remarkably steady, and our mill-work prospered; we also carried on a little farming, and my wife managed the dairy. My sons were now growing up to manhood. William, the eldest, assisted me in the mill, and James managed the farm; whilst my daughter Lucy assisted her mother, and attended to the poultry. Thus we passed many years happily together. I think it impossible to be more happy than we then were. Our mill and farm both answered well, and we were in the enjoyment of peace and contentment amongst ourselves.

"But He who doeth all things well, and who says, 'My ways are not as your ways, nor my thoughts as your thoughts,' was about to permit a great trial to assail our faith. A cloud was about to overshadow us, and blight our happiness and prospects from a most unlooked for quarter. As we were one day enjoying our morning meal, a constable from the neighbouring town, brought summonses to my two dear boys, to attend the justices' meeting on the following Monday, to be sworn in to the militia, both of them being drawn.

"The war was at this time raging with its greatest fury on the continent, and I cannot describe to you, sir, what were the feelings of my dear wife and myself at having our children snatched away from us at so short a warning. As for providing substitutes, that was impossible: they were difficult to be procured, and their price was far above our means: there remained, therefore, no alternative. Our distress was very great when the day arrived for them to leave their hitherto happy home.

"At the time when my sons joined their regiment, the war in Spain was being carried on under the Marquis Wellesley, and troops were continually being sent for the reinforcement of our army in that country. The regiment to which my children belonged, volunteered to go thither soon after they joined it, and the government accepting their offer, they embarked shortly afterwards to join their brethren in arms. We often heard from them. They did not like being in the army: the life they were compelled to lead was so opposed to that to which they had been accustomed when at home. There was much hard fighting, every inch of ground being contested. We dreaded after every battle that we should hear that they had fallen. Year after year passed away, and we still continued to hear from them they were several times amongst the wounded, but were fortunate enough to save their lives.

"One morning as my wife and myself were standing at the mill door, we heard at a distance, the postboy blowing his horn. He passed us at full gallop, crying 'Great news! Great news! A great battle in Spain! Wellesley victorious! Salamanca taken!' and was soon out of sight. We stood trembling; for we knew that many must have fallen, and perhaps our dear boys amongst the number; and while bells were ringing for the victory, and bonfires blazing, we could do nothing but weep, fearing that every post might bring tidings of sorrow to our hearts."

Here the old man could not for some time proceed with his story. After a while, he said "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord!" William had fallen, and James was slightly wounded! From his letters we heard the particulars of poor William's death, and of his own recovery. In the next battle he also fell! Cruel war!" cried the poor old man— -"Both my boys are gone! I shall see them no more until we all stand at the great tribunal !