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The solace derived from the communion service.

six miles from me, so secluded and unknown is my retreat, that for ten years, the whole period I have spent in this spot, I have never had a single visiter.

"It was for many long weeks after I began to build my rude cabin before I found any comfort in religion. During this period, as I had no Bible, I perused the little volume I have spoken of frequently and attentively, and derived great satisfaction and benefit from it. It contains a choice collection of precious Scripture, and its prayers are truly evangelical.

"One afternoon, as I sat in my cabin meditating upon my past life, and thinking over all my numerous sins, I opened this Prayer Book. My eye fell upon the Confession in the Communion Service. It seemed exactly descriptive of my state and feelings. I felt that my sins and wickedness were indeed manifold-that I had most grievously insulted the Divine Majesty by thought, word, and deed. The remembrance of my sins pressed down my soul like an intolerable burden, and all that I could do, as the tears rolled down my cheeks, was to cry-' Have mercy upon me-have mercy upon me, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive me all that is past.' There was comfort in thus pouring out my soul to God. But still greater comfort was soon to descend into my pierced and wounded heart. I read on as follows:- Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all who truly turn unto him.

"Come unto me, all ye that travel and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.

"So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

"Hear also what St. Paul saith.

"This is a true saying, and worthy of all men to be received, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.'

"These words, as though they had come that moment

The spiritual character and value of the liturgy.

from the mouth of God himself, in a way that I cannot explain dissipated my sorrow, and filled my soul with peace and joy. O how did my heart then burn with desire to praise and magnify that glorious grace, which could cancel the whole sum of my guilt! The book was still in my

hand, and as my eye passed along I saw this appropriate exhortation,

“Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.'

“ And with a full soul I joined in the response,

“It is meet and right so to do: It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty Everlasting God: Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious name; evermore praising thee and saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory: Glory be to thee, O Lord Most High."

"I relate these circumstances with this minuteness, because I trace in this whole transaction the hand of God. His Spirit must have put it into the heart of my wife to have packed up this book with my things. And this book, by the blessing of God, was the chief instrument by which I was plucked from the pit of damnation and despair. This formula of worship, unless I greatly err, has been much misapprehended and misunderstood in the living world. There is a spirituality in it which cannot be discovered, or felt, till the soul is taken off from sensible objects and fixed in intense abstraction upon God. During my long solitary residence in this spot, I have never found any way of approaching the throne of Omnipotence, that satisfied me so well as in its simple forms of devotion. In the litany especially there is a pathos and depth of feeling almost beyond the reach of uninspired composition. And I often feel while repeating the Gloria in Excelsis amid this solitude, that I am standing in the porch of heaven,

Ascertainment of the will of divine Providence.

and have caught the echo of that angelic worship that goeth up around the throne.

"I have spent ten years in this lonely glen, having for my chief employment the service of God. In a way, unnecessary to explain, I heard at an early date that provision had been made for the comfortable support of my wife and children. That I am still in the land of the living is unknown to them. If it be God's will, I am content to remain here till my course is finished; and to lay my bones in this sweet valley where I first found happiness.

"Although there are some reasons that would lead me to wish to return to the living world, yet when I reflect upon the character of that world-when I remember what I was when I mingled with it, and when I consider the deleterious influences that are constantly emanating from it, I shudder, and shrink from the thought of entering again upon that fearful arena of danger and death.

"Still that my life is continued, and my strength preserved, seems to be a divine intimation that I have something to do. I have sought the divine direction; and resolved to abide by the decision of Providence. If this manuscript ever comes to light, which I now commit to the waters of the Hudson, and search is made for me, I shall deem it my duty to leave this retreat, and again revisit the living world, relying upon the power of my Redeemer. But, if this perishes in those waters, I shall conclude that it is the will of Heaven that my bones should sleep in this glen till the resurrection morn.

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Bar-room conversation.

CHAPTER VII.

THE SEQUEL.

“Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
Wretched wanderer far astray;

Found thee lost, and kindly brought thee
From the paths of death away."

MR. COLCHESTER, having thus given us this very singular account, proceeded as follows, with a sketch of his own religious history.

"The narrative of the reformed profligate was listened to with profound attention. So singular and striking were the facts rehearsed, that for several minutes after I laid down the manuscript, every individual in this rustic audience kept his station and remained silent, as though waiting to hear what his neighbour should first say.

"Well, that's a marvellous story,' at length said the landlord, hitching his chair forward, first on one side and then the other.

“Poh! I thought we were go'n to hear about where some treasures were hid,' said a rough and ragged looking fellow, who stood leaning over a chair, and whose name, as it afterwards appeared, was Wager.

"Yes,' said his neighbour, who sat in the chair over which he was leaning; 'I'd give more for a little chink than a thousand such stories.'

"This story has told us where treasures are hid,' replied a plain, but clever looking man, sitting on the other side of the room. It says that treasures are hid in the Prayer Book. And this is what my good old mother used

Impression upon Mr. Colchester's mind.

to say. And I believe she has gone to heaven. She used to say that this was a precious book, and in her opinion next to the Bible.'

"Poh! for such treasures, friend Hamar,' vociferated Wager; 'that 'are Praying Book may do for old grannies, and crazy hermits, and such like—but let me have a little of the paying treasure.'

"I suppose you'd think the pearl of great price wasn't worth picking up if you should find it in the street,' said Mr. Hamar, with some warmth: but the remark was evidently lost upon the obtuse mind of his neighbour.

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"They are the Episcopals,' said a thin old looking man, drawing his chair near to Mr. Hamar; they are the Episcopals, a'nt they, who have the Prayer Book?' "Episcopalians,' replied Mr. Hamar.

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"I have heard tell,' said he, that that order of folks have got a meeting house in P- -.

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Upon this Wager started up, and said,

"Well, friend Hamar, if you're a mind to, I'll go with you next Sunday to Pto see how they carry on with this wonderful Prayer Book, that this hermit tells about.'

"Just at this moment, the landlord told me that my bed was ready, and as I had no desire to remain to hear this gossip, I gladly availed myself of the opportunity to retire, and be by myself.

"The story in The Manuscript had awakened in my mind a train of thoughts of the most serious character: I longed to be alone that I might commune with my own heart. The thought which was uppermost in my mind was, that there is something in religion which I am a stranger to, and while a stranger to it, I am unfit to die. My thoughts all that night, while asleep and awake, were upon the hermit in the forest of Lucerne. I could see the old man amid those wild solitudes on his bended knees pouring out his soul in prayer to God. He was seldom from my thoughts during the next two days. Having per

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