you trace his finger throughout the whole, and thank him for having crowned your exertions with even this partial success, you will find increased cause for the exercise of self-distrust, patience, and humility. God will, I feel assured, bless your endeavours, if you continue to maintain that devotedness of spirit, which your letter so sweetly and fervently breathes. Only trust every thing to him; and pray for the blessing which he alone can bestow. You have more influence over others than I have; and this, provided you fear no one but God, and guard against forming too many schemes, will render you in truth more useful than I have been. But I must remind you, that, even when deeply engaged in good works, it is possible to depart from spiritual Christianity; and I would, on this account, urge you to maintain a constant guard over yourself. You have been brought under the influence of religion, and, in the usual sense of the term, converted to God; but, without constant prayer to him, and the most zealous watchfulness, there is a danger lest you should rest satisfied with this, and relapse into indifference. By being so incessantly occupied in the prosecution of your favourite schemes, and

destitute of stimulating society, you may become cold and lukewarm in your religious duties, and less devoted in your service to God, even though busily employed in promoting the well-being of your fellow-creatures. I would, therefore, earnestly exhort you, my dear friend, to be always

fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," living only to, and for, Him. Thus you will be enabled to overcome difficulties; you will find comfort and peace in believing, and He will protect, guide, and bless you. Your work will prosper, not perhaps in the manner which you design, but in the way which God has purposed.

"I have no other end in view in this exhortation than your good. I wish you to understand that this is, literally, my only object in writing thus plainly. I speak frankly and sincerely to you, because I know that our hearts are closely allied, and because I have sometimes observed with deep concern the dangers incident to young persons; coldness and lukewarmness after the first fervour of religious feeling has subsided; self sufficiency in what they have effected, and too great tendency to absorption of mind in even laudable and benevolent pursuits.

"This is the motive that induces me, once for all, to warn you on this point; for the heart of man is deceitful, and naturally tends to earth if it is not constantly drawn upwards.

"There are yet two things to which I particularly wish to direct your attention ;-prayer and the Holy Scriptures. I find it necessary, in order to keep up habitual communion with God, and to fan the spirit of Christianity in my own bosom, to have constant recourse to them.

"It is by reading the writings of the Apostles, almost exclusively, that I am enabled to press onward in my spiritual course, and to encourage myself to prayer.

"Yours, my dear friend,

In the bonds of Christian love,

G. STOUBER."

Warned and encouraged by such powerful exhortations, Oberlin went on his way rejoicing, and eventually became established in Christian faith and holiness.

But I have now to speak of an event which materially contributed to enhance his temporal happiness. This was his marriage with a very pious and amiable young lady of Strasbourg, named Madeleine Salomé Witter.

Previous to his settlement in the Ban de la Roche, his mother had anxiously desired to see him united to one who would participate in his labours, relieve him from domestic cares, and cheer and solace him in the remote and lonely situation in which he was about to be placed. He, however, was easy on the subject, but, out of regard to his parents, agreed to accede to their wishes, provided they could select a suitable companion for him. Mrs. Oberlin had been told, in confidence, that her son would probably meet with success by asking the hand of the daughter of a rich brewer's widow. He was persuaded to try his fortune in person; but as it had, from early youth, been a principle with him

to wait for some intimation from Providence, whenever his reason proved an insufficient guide, he earnestly prayed that God would be pleased to reveal his will to him, and to direct him in his judgment, whether the marriage would be likely to conduce to his happiness, by the manner in which the mother should receive him. If she should herself make the proposition, he resolved to regard it as a sign of providential approbation; but, if not, to consider it his duty to abstain from mentioning the subject. He then proceeded towards the house, and rang the bell. The mother gave him a courteous reception, and even called down her daughter, whose appearance did not, however, particularly please him; they sat down, talked of a pretended cause of the visit, of the weather, and of the news about the town, till at length, all topics being exhausted, a silence succeeded; the parties looked at each other in some surprise, for Oberlin was a novel visiter there, and then looked down again. This scene of "silent state" lasted about two minutes, when the latter, who had decided in his own mind how to act, made a polite bow, opened the door, shut it again, and took his departure, leaving both