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come to want, and be without bread or water, and that none would help them, but that they might be beggars, and miserable, and diseased.

Hold your tongue! Hold your tongue! you wicked woman.

We went immediately to the door, and when the woman saw us she assumed a milder voice, and curtseying, asked charity.

The charity I will give you is this, said Charles, to warn you of your wickedness, and to tell you, that whilst you are cursing others you are laying up curses for yourself-God hears-but he hears in a different manner to what you are thinking, and I know the trick you are trying, to alarm the servants, and to tempt them to give to stop your curses; but I hope you are fortified against such temptations, he said to them, by knowing the word of God, "The curse causeless shall not come." Whilst he had turned to speak to the servants, the woman walked off.

I assure you, sir, said the cook, I am often hard tempted when beggars curse in that way, and if it was my own I'd give it to stop them, for I'm always afraid of their coming down on my head.

You speak very ignorantly. Do you

think that the Lord of Grace will hearken to such prayers? If indeed they meant what they say, "the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to God." 66 They are cursed children whose mouths are full of cursing."

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Yes, sir, but you know the devil-he's a malicious spirit.

Charles, in an angry voice, said, Can the devil injure whom the Lord will not have injured? Do you know how strong a hedge he encompasseth his people with.

Well, sir, don't be angry pray, but more than that, if I could remember it, I know there's a scripture about the curse of the poor. "He

I know what you mean, it is this, that giveth to the poor shall have no lack, but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse."

Yes, sir, I believe that's it.

But cannot you distinguish between the liberality we are to feel towards the poor, as a general body of fellow men and women, to whom we are bound continually to open our hand wide, and the loose and disorderly people who walk about to extort by begging and wickedness, the mite, or the portion, which should be given to the honest or orderly,

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or sick or needy poor? The very fact of the blasphemous tongues of these common beggars, and the wickedness of their lives, ought to shew you at once that such are not meant: they are a disgrace and a burden to society, and genreally speaking far off from God. But towards the poor indeed we should feel as a brother or a sister; and may the Lord forbid we should incur his displeasure by shutting the bowels of our compassion from them! The Lord will mark such, and prove it at that day, when he will tell them who said, Lord, Lord, and did not his will, I was naked and ye clothed me not-Thirsty and ye gave me no drink-Hungry and ye gave me no meat, -for inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me.But as to the curses of the wicked, who shall curse whom God hath not cursed ? "The curse causeless shall not come !"

Neither should you be tempted and deceived by the words of blessing which they can adopt. They mean nothing of prayer, but are very awfully breaking God's commandment. Content to have obtained their own desire, and not afraid to take the Name of the Lord in vain, O! Beware of the GUILTY TONGUE.

CHAPTER VIII.

HAVING Settled the minds of the servants on the subject of the language of beggars, we set out on our intended excursion, and without meeting with much by the way to arrest our attention, we were soon at our cousin's house. We were shewn into the room where she was sitting with her two little girls, engaged in teaching them a hymn.

With great pleasure visible in her countenance, she said, I am particularly glad to see you this morning-I have much to tell you. But first let me again thank you both for awakening my mind to my sin, and through the mercy of God making it a means of leading me into a sort of exquisite pleasure, the meaning and nature of which I never before understood; for in proportion as I have felt a fear of offending against the holy Name of God, I seem to have grown into a delight in the reverence of that Name, and in blessing Him to find my own soul blessed by Him. I cannot

explain to you the sacred joy I feel that I can use the words of David with sincerity of heart, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me Bless His holy Name!"

I can enter into your enjoyment, and bless God that we are made partakers together of the same joy. When we look further, and examine, by Gospel revelation, into the mystery of that Name, we know the source of that delight in the words of the Apostle"Grace be unto you, and Peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

But now, she said, let me tell you of Frederick. It is not long since he left the room, and we had a serious conversation on the subject. He followed me here, and began by saying, You were not in the room yesterday evening when the most extraordinary circumstance took place, and I wish to talk with you about it. I have had no sleep, and still feel greatly agitated, between offended pride, and a better feeling of grateful regard towards our visitor last night. He appears a very peculiar character; he is very severe, and yet he is kind.-Did my foolish conversation disgust you yesterday?

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