1 Wilmot, the neatest girl, the most industri- day, though commanded to break it by a Farmer Hoskins, who stood by, whispered Mrs Jones. Well, madam, now you have convinced even me of the benefit of religious instruction; now I see there is a meaning to it I thought it was in at one ear and out at the other, and that a song was as well as a psalm; but now I have found the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I see your scholars must do what they hear, and obey what they learn. Why, at this rate, they will all be better servants for being really godly, and so I will add a pudding to next year's feast.' The pleasure Hester felt in receiving a Mrs. Jones, for all this, was as much sur- new Bible, made her forget that she had on prised as the rest at Hester's mean garb: but, an old gown. She walked to church in a such is the power of a good character, that thankful frame; but how great was her joy, she gave her credit for a right intention, es- when she saw, among a number of working pecially as she knew the unhappy state of her men, her own father going into church. As family. For it was Mrs. Jones's way, (and she past by him, she cast on him a look of so it is not a bad way,) always to wait, and in- much joy and affection, that it brought tears quire into the truth, before she condemned into his eyes, especially when be compared any person of good character, though appear- her mean dress with that of the other girls, ances were against them. As we cannot and thought who had been the cause of it. judge of people's motives, said she, we may, John, who had not been at church for some from ignorance, often condemn their best years, was deeply struck with the service. actions, and approve of their worst. It will The confession with which it opens went to be always time enough to judge unfavoura- his heart He felt, for the first time, that he bly, and let us give others credit as long as was a miserable sinner, and that there was we can, and then we, in our turn, may ex-no health in him He now felt compunction pect a favourable judgment from others, and for sin in general, though it was only his illremember who had said, Judge not, that ye behaviour to his daughter which had brought be not judged. him to church. The sermon was such as Hester was no more proud of what she had served to strengthen the impression which done for her father, than she was humbled the prayers had made; and when it was over, by the meanness of her garb; and notwith- instead of joining the ringers, (for the belfry standing Betty Stiles, one of the girls whose was the only part of the church John liked, finery had been taken away, sneered at her, because it usually led to the alehouse,) he Hester never offered to clear herself, by ex- quietly walked back to his work. It was, posing her father, though she thought it right, indeed, the best day's work he ever made. secretly to inform Mrs. Jones of what had He could not get out of his head the whole past. When the examination of the girls be- day, the first words he heard at church: gan, Betty Stiles was asked some questions When the wicked man turneth away from his on the fourth and fifth commandments, which wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful she answered very well. Hester was asked and right, he shall save his soul alive. At nearly the same questions, and, though she night, instead of going to the Bell, he went answered them no better than Betty had done, home, intending to ask Hester to forgive they were all surprised to see Mrs. Jones him; but as soon as he got to the door, he rise up, and give a handsome Bible to Hes- heard Rebecca scolding his daughter for ter, while she gave nothing to Betty. This having brought such a disgrace on the family girl cried out rather pertly, Madam, it is as to be seen in that old rag of a gown, and very hard that I have no book; I was as insisted on knowing what she had done with perfect as Hester.'-'I have often told you,' the money. Hester tried to keep the secret, said Mrs. Jones, that religion is not a thing but her mother declared she would turn her of the tongue but of the heart. That girl out of doors if she did not tell the truth. Hesgives me the best proof that she has learned ter was at last forced to confess she had given the fourth commandment to good purpose, it to her father. Unfortunately for poor who persists in keeping holy the Sabbath John, it was at this very moment that he 1 opened the door. The mother now divided self should teach him to read an hour every her fury between er guilty husband and her night, and he consented. Rebecca began to innocent child, till from words she fell to storm, from the mere trick she had got of blows. John defended his daughter, and re- storming; but finding that he now brought ceived some of the strokes intended for the home all his earnings, and that she got both poor girl. This turbulent scene partly put his money and his company, (for she had John's good resolutions to flight, though the once loved him,) she began to reconcile herpatience of Hester did him almost as much self to this new way of life. In a few months good as the sermon he had heard. At length John could read a psalm. In learning to the poor girl escaped up stairs, not a little read it he also got it by heart, and this probruised, and a scene of much violence passed ved a little store for private devotion, and between John and Rebecca She declared while he was mowing or reaping, he could she would not sit down to supper with such call to mind a text to cheer his labour. He a brute, and set off to a neighbour's house, now went constantly to church, and often that she might have the pleasure of abusing dropped in at the school on a Sunday eve him the longer. John, whose mind was ning to hear their prayers. He expressed much disturbed, went up stairs without his so much pleasure at this, that one day Hester supper. As he was passing by Hester's little ventured to ask him if they should set up room he heard her voice, and as he concluded family prayer at home? John said he should she was venting bitter complaints against her like it mightily, but as he could not yet read unnatural parents, he stopped to listen, re- quite well enough, he desired Hester to try solved to go in and comfort her. He stop- to get a proper book and begin next Sunday ped at the door, for, by the light of the moon, night. Hester had bought, of a pious he saw her kneeling by her bedside, and hawker, for three halfpence, the Book of praying so earnestly that she did not hear Prayers, printed for the Cheap Repository, him. As he made sure she could be praying and knew she should there find something for nothing but his death, what was his sur- suitable. prise to hear these words: O Lord, have When Hester read the exhortation at the mercy upon my dear father and mother, teach beginning of this little book, her mother, me to love them, to pray for them, and do who sat in the corner, and pretended to be them good; make me more dutiful and more asleep, was so much struck that she could patient, that, adorning the doctrine of God, not find a word to say against it. For a few my Saviour, I may recommend his holy reli- nights, indeed, she continued to sit still, or gion, and my dear parents may be brought pretended to rock the young child while her to love and fear thee, through Jesus Christ' husband and daughter were kneeling at their Poor John, who would never have been prayers. She expected John would have hard-hearted if he had not been a drunkard, scolded her for this, and so perverse was her could not stand this, he fell down on his temper, that she was disappointed at his findknees, embraced his child, and begged her to ing no fault with her. Seeing at last that he teach him how to pray. He prayed himself was very patient, and that though he prayed as well as he could, and though he did not fervently himself he suffered her to do as she know what words to use, yet his heart was liked, she lost the spirit of opposition for melted; he owned he was a sinner, and beg- want of something to provoke it. As her ged Hester to fetch the prayer-book, and pride began to be subdued, some little disporead over the confession with which he had sition to piety was awakened in her heart.--been so struck at church. This was the By degrees she slid down on her knees, pleasantest order she had ever obeyed. See- though at first it was behind the cradle, or ing him deeply affected with a sense of sin, the clock, or in some corner, where she she pointed out to him the Saviour of sin- thought they would not see her. Hester reners; and in this manner she past some joiced even in this outward change in her hours with her father, which were the happi-mother, and prayed that God would at last est of her life; such a night was worth a be pleased to touch her heart as he had done hundred cotton, or even silk gowns. In the that of her father. course of the week Hester read over the As John now spent no idle money, he had confession, and some other prayers, to her saved up a trifle by working over-hours; father so often that he got them by heart, this he kindly offered to Hester to make up and repeated them while he was at work. for the loss of her gown. Instead of acShe next taught him the fifty-first psalm. At length he took courage to kneel down and pray before he went to bed. From that time he bore his wife's ill humour much better than he had ever done, and, as he knew her to be neat, and notable, and saving, he began to think, that if her temper was not quite so bad, his home might still become as pleasant a place to him as ever the Bell had been; but unless she became more tractable he did not know what to do with his long evenings after the little ones were in bed, for he began, once more, to delight in playing with them. Hester proposed that she her Vor. I. 32 cepting it, Hester told him, that as she herself was young and healthy, she should soon be able to clothe herself out of her own savings, and begged him to make her mother a present of this gown, which he did. It had been a maxim of Rebecca, that it was better not to go to church at all, than go in an old gown. She had, however, so far conquered this evil notion, that she had lately gone pretty often. This kindness of the These prayers may be had also divided into two parts, one fit for private persons, the other for families, price one halfpenny. gown touched her not a little, and the first | ble, that as John grew more neat, Rebecca Sunday she put it on, Mr. Simpson happened grew more indifferent to reatness. But both to preach from this text, God resisteth the these changes arose from the same cause, proud, but giveth grace to the humble. This the growth of religion in their hearts. John sermon so affected Rebecca, that she never grew cleanly from the fear of giving pain to once thought she had her new gown on, till his wife, while Rebecca grew indifferent she came to take it off when she went to bed, from having discovered the sin and folly of and that very night, instead of skulking be- an over-anxious care about trifles. When hind, she knelt down by her husband, and the heart is once given up to God, such vanijoined in prayer with much fervour. ties in a good degree die of themselves. Hester continues to grow in grace, and in knowledge. Last Christmas-day she was appointed an under teacher in the school, and many people think that some years hence, if any thing should happen to Mrs. Crew, Hester may be promoted to be head mistress. There was one thing sunk deep in Rebecca's mind; she had observed, that since her husband had grown religious he had been so careful not to give her any offence, that he was become scrupulously clean; took off his dirty shoes before he sat down, and was very cautious not to spill a drop of beer on her shining table. Now it was rather remarka THE GRAND ASSIZES, &c. OR GENERAL JAIL DELIVERY. AN ALLEGORY. THERE was in a certain country a great rebellion, and certain high premiums were king, who was also a judge. He was very to be bestowed as a gracious reward upon the merciful, but he was also very just; for he penitent and obedient. used to say, that justice was the foundation of all goodness, and that indiscriminate and misapplied mercy was in fact injustice. His subjects were apt enongh, in a general way, to extol his merciful temper, and especially those subjects who were always committing crimes which made them particularly liable to be punished by his justice. This last quality they constantly kept out of sight, till they had cheated themselves into a notion that he was too good to punish at all. It may be proper here to notice, that this king's court differed in some respect from our courts of justice, being indeed a sort of court of appeal, to which questions were car ried after they had been imperfectly decided in the common courts! And although with us all criminals are tried (and a most excellent mode of trial it is) by a jury of their peers, yet in this king's country the mode was very different; for since every one of the people had been in a certain sense crimNow it had happened a long time before. inals, the king did not think it fair to make that this whole people had broken their alle- them judges also. It would, indeed, have giance, and had forfeited the king's favour, been impossible to follow in all respects the and had also fallen from a very prosperous customs which prevail with us, for the crimes state in which he had originally placed them, with which men are charged in our courts having one and all become bankrupts. But are mere overt acts, as the lawyers call them, when they were over head and ears in debt, that is, acts which regard the outward beand had nothing to pay, the king's son most haviour; such as the acts of striking, maimgenerously took the whole burden of their ing, stealing, and so forth. But in this king's debts on himself; and, in short, it was pro- court it is not merely outward sins, but sin posed that all their affairs should be settled, of the heart also which were to be punished. and their very crimes forgiven, (for they Many a crime, therefore, which was never were criminals as well as debtors) provided heard of in the court of King's Bench, or at only they would show themselves sincerely the Old Bailey, and which indeed could not sorry for what they had done themselves, and be cognisable by these courts, was here to be be thankful for what had been done for them. brought to light, and was reserved for this I should however remark, that a book was great day. Among these were pride, and also given them, in which a true and faithful oppression, and envy, and malice, and re account of their own rebellion was written; venge, and covetousness, and secret vanity and of the manner of obtaining the king's of mind, and evil thoughts of all sorts, and pardon, together with a variety of directions all sinful wishes and desires. When covet for their conduct in time to come; and in this ousness, indeed, put men on committing robbook it was particularly mentioned, that af- bery, or when malice drove them to acts of ter having lived a certain number of years murder, then the common courts immediatein a remote part of the same king's country, ly judged the criminal, without waiting for yet still under his eye and jurisdiction, there these great assizes; nevertheless, since even should be a grand assizes, when every one a thief and murderer would now and then was to be publicly tried for his past beha- escape in the common courts, for want of viour; and after this trial was over, certain evidence, or through some fault or other of heavy punishments were to be inflicted on the indge or jury, the escape was of little those who should have still persisted in their moment to the poor criminal, for he was sure the solemnity, or rather, they prepared for it much as some of the people in our provincial towns are apt to prepare for the annual assize times; I mean by balls and, feastings, and they saw their own trial come on, with as little concern as is felt by the people in our streets, when they see the judge's procession enter the town; they indeed comfort themselves that it is only those in the prisons who are guilty. to be tried again by this great king; and even though the man should have been punished in some sense before, yet he had now a farther and more lasting punishment to fear, unless, indeed, he was one of those, who had obtained (by the means I before spoke of) this great king's pardon. The sins of the heart, however, were by far the most numerous sort of sins, which were to come before this great tribunal; and these were to be judged by this great king in person, and by But when at last the day came, and every none but himself; because he alone possess- man found that he was to be judged for himed a certain power of getting at all secrets. self; and that somehow or other, all his seI once heard of a certain king of Sicily, crets were brought out, and that there was who built a whispering gallery in the form of now no escape, not even a short reprieve, an ear, through which he could hear every things began to take a more serious turn. word his rebellious subjects uttered, though Some of the worst of the criminals were got spoken ever so low. But this secret of the together debating in an outer court of the king of Sicily was nothing to what this great grand hall; and there they passed their time, king possessed; for he had the power of not in compunction and tears, not in comparknowing every thought which was conceiving their lives with what was required in ed in the mind, though it never broke out in- that book which had been given them, but to words, or proceeded to actions. they derived a fallacious hope by comparing themselves with such as had been still more notorious offenders. · Now you may be ready to think, perhaps, that these people were worse off than any others, because they were to be examined so One who had grown wealthy by rapine and closely, and judged so strictly. Far from it; oppression, but had contrived to keep withthe king was too just to expect bricks with- in the letter of the law, insulted a poor felout giving thern straw; he gave them, there- low as a thief, because he had stolen a loaf fore, every help that they needed. He gave of bread You are far wickeder than I was,' them a book of directions, as I before obser- said a citizen to his apprentice, for you ved; and because they were naturally short- drank and swore at the ale-house every Sunsighted, he supplied them with a glass for day night.' 'Yes,' said the poor fellow, reading it, and thus the most dim-sighted but it was your fault that I did so, for you might see, if they did not wilfully shut their took no care of my soul, but spent all your eyes: but though the king invited them to Sabbaths in jaunting abroad or in rioting at open their eyes, he did not compel them; home; I might have learnt, but there was no and many remain stone blind all their lives one to teach me; I might have followed a with the book in their hand, because they good example, but I saw only bad ones. I would not use the glass, nor take the proper sinned against less light than you did.' A means for reading and understanding all that drunken journeyman, who had spent all his was written for them. The humble and sin- wages on gin, rejoiced that he had not spent cere learned in time to see even that part of a great estate in bribery at elections, as the the book which was least plainly written; lord of his manor had done, while a perjured and it was observed that the ability to under- elector boasted that he was no drunkard like stand it depended more on the heart than the the journeyman; and the member himself head; an evil disposition blinded the sight, took comfort that he had never received the while humility operated like an eye-salve. bribes which he had not been ashamed to offer. Now it happened that those who had been so lucky as to escape the punishment of the I have not room to describe the awful lower courts, took it into their heads that pomp of the court, nor the terrible sounding they were all very good sort of people, and of the trumpet which attended the judge's of course very safe from any danger at this entrance, nor the sitting of the judge, nor great assize. This grand intended trial, in the opening of the books, nor the crowding deed, had been talked of so much, and put of the millions, who stood before him. off so long (for it had seemed long at least to shall pass over the multitudes who were trithese short-sighted people) that many per- ed and condemned to dungeons and chains, suaded themselves it would never take place and eternal fire, and to perpetual banishment at all; and far the greater part were living from the presence of the king, which always away therefore without ever thinking about seemed to be the saddest part of the senit; they went on just as if nothing at all had tence. I shall only notice further, a few been done for their benefit; and as if they who brought some plea of merit, and claimhad no king to please, no king's son to be ed a right to be rewarded by the king, and thankful to, no book to guide themselves by, even deceived themselves so far as to think and as if the assizes were never to come that his own book of laws would be their jus about. tification. But with this king a thousand years were A thoughtless spendthrift advanced without at a day, for he was not slack concerning his any contrition, and said, that he had lived promises, as some men account slackness. handsomely, and had hated the covetous So at length the solemn period approached. whom God abhorreth; that he trusted in that Still, however, the people did not prepare for passage of the book which said, that covetous A poor diseased blind cripple, who came from the very hospital which this great man had built, then fell prostrate on his face, crying out, Lord be merciful to me a sinner! on which the judge, to the surprise of all, said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. The poor man replied, Lord, I have done nothing!-But thou hast suffered well,' said the judge; thou hast been an example of patience and meekness, and though thou hadst but few talents, yet thou hast well im. proved those few; thou hadst time, this thou didst spend in the humble duties of thy station, and also in earnest prayer; thou didst pray even for that proud founder of thine hospital, who never prayed for himself; thou wast indeed blind and lame, but it is no where said, my son give me thy feet, or thine eyes, but give me thy heart; and even the few faculties I did grant thee, were employed to my glory; with thine ears thou didst listen to my word, with thy tongue thou didst show forth my praise, "enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." ness was idolatry; and that he therefore hoped for a favourable sentence.' Now it proved that this man had not only avoided covetousness, but that he had even left his wife and children in want through his excessive prodigality. The judge therefore immediately pointed to that place in the book where it is written, he that provideth not for his household is worse than an infidel. He that liveth in pleasure is dead while he liveth; thou,' said he, in thy life time, receivedst thy good things, and now thou must be tormented.' Then a miser, whom hunger and hoarding had worn to skin and bone, crept forward, and praised the sentence passed on this extravagant youth, ' and surely,' said he, 'since he is condemned, I am a man that may make some plea to favour-I was never idle or drunk, I kept my body in subjection. I have been so self-denying that I am certainly a saint: I have loved neither father nor mother, nor wife nor children, to excess, in all this I have obeyed the book of the law.' Then the judge said, 'But where are thy works of mercy and thy labours of love, see There were several who came forward, that family which perished in thy sight last and boasted of some single and particular hard winter, while thy barns were overflow-virtue, in which they had been supposed to ing; that poor family were my representa- excel. One talked of his generosity, anothtives; yet they were hungry, and thou ga-er of his courage, and a third of his fortitude; vest them no meat. Go to, now thou rich man, weep and howl for the miseries that are come upon you. Your gold and your silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire.' but it proved on a close examination, that some of those supposed virtues were merely the effect of a particular constitution of body; that others proceeded from a false motive, and that not a few of them were actual vices, since they were carried to excess; Then came up one with a most self-suffi- and under the pretence of fulfilling one duty, cient air. He walked up boldly, having in some other duty was lost sight of; in short, one hand the plan of an hospital which he these partial virtues were none of them prachad built, and in the other the drawing of a tised in obedience to the will of the king, statue, which was erecting for him in the but merely to please the person's own hucountry that he had just left, and on his mour, or to gain praise, and they would not, forehead appeared, in gold letters, the list of therefore, stand this day's trial, for he that all the public charities to which he had sub- had kept the whole law, and yet had wilfully scribed. He seemed to take great pleasure and habitually offended in any one point, in the condemnation of the miser, and said, was declared guilty of breaking the whole. Lord, when saw I thee hungry and fed thee At this moment a sort of thick scales fell not, or in prison and visited thee not? I have from the eyes of the multitude. They could visited the fatherless and widow in their af- now no longer take comfort, as they had fliction.' Here the judge cut him short, by done for so many years, by measuring their saying, True, thou didst visit the fatherless, neighbours' conduct against their own. but didst thou fulfil equally that other part Each at once saw himself in his true light, of my command, to keep thyself unspotted and found, alas! when it was too late, that from the world." No, thou wast conformed to the world in many of its sinful customs, 'thou didst follow a multitude to do evil; thou didst love the world and the things of the world; and the motive to all thy charities was not a regard to me but to thy own credit with thy fellow men. Thou hast done every thing for the sake of reputation, and now thou art vainly trusting in thy deceitful works, instead of putting all thy trust in my Son, who has offered himself to be a surety for thee. Where has been that humility and gratitude to him which was required of thee. No, thou wouldst be thine own surety: thou hast trusted in thyself: thou hast made thy boast of thine own goodness; thou hast sought after and thou hast enjoyed the praise of men, and verily I say unto thee, thou hast had thy reward:' he should have made the book which had To complete their confusion, they were compelled to acknowledge the justice of the judge who condemned them; and also to ap prove the favourable sentence by which thou sands of other criminals had not only their lives saved, but were made happy and glori ous beyond all imagination; not for any great merits which they had to produce, but in consequence of their sincere repentance, and their humble acceptance of the pardon offer ed to them by the king's son. One thing |