(in the county Derry,) where he has been actively employed for nearly two years, and where (as his letter testifies,) God has been pleased to give a large blessing to his word. I remain, &c.

"MADAM, AS Scripture Reader for the district, I have the honour to receive a letter from you, requesting to know how God has been pleased to bless his word and labour of love in this district; and I have the great pleasure to communicate to you, that God has been pleased to draw, through the instrumentality of the Irish Scriptures, 30 souls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

"These poor converts thank God for giving them the Book of books, as they call it, and also return thanks to the ladies and gentlemen who are so charitable as to send through their mountain glens and valleys the Word of Life, which, now that their minds are open to the truth as it is in Jesus, feels sweeter than honey or the honey-comb. The persecution in this locality could not be borne against, were it not through the Spirit of God, which cheers the converts in spite of the most awful altar denunciations.

"The priest has cursed all, both scholars and teachers, who would not bring their books to him in order to burn them; but I trust from the flame a blaze of Gospel light will go forth-yea, has already gone forth-which all his holy water will not be able to extinguish. One of the teachers was employed by me to work a few days, but the priest came even to the very field, and took him away by the shoulder. Another time, he met one of the teachers, and was going to ride his horse over him! Amidst such persecution, the good work is going on steadily and progressively. God's word will not return to him void, but will accomplish that which he hath sent it to do. I feel much consoled by the passages of Scripture you pointed out to me, and by praying for God's Holy Spirit to fulfil all the duties therein detailed; but without the Spirit of God moves me, of mine own self I can do nothing; but I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.

"I return you my most sincere thanks for your kind co-operation in having the Scriptures read to these poor people, who would never have an opportunity of getting the Scriptures, were it not for such charity.

"I remain, Madam, your very obedient, humble servant,

"BRYAN M."

THE INN OF BETHLEHEM.

"There was no room for them in the inn."-LUKE ii. 7.

AND did that roof no refuge give?
And did those walls afford
No fitting chamber to receive
The blest incarnate Lord?
Did not one glad and eager guest
Haste from that crowded place,
And welcome to its sheltering rest
The Saviour of our race?

Yet let us blame them not; they erred
Through ignorance alone_
The wondrous tidings of the Word
Were yet to them unknown;
They had not by the light been cheered
Of mercy's perfect plan:

The Holy Child to them appeared
The common child of man.

But we, who know and feel his grace-
Our hearts engrossed and cold-
Too oft present no vacant space

Our heavenly Lord to hold:

Each trifling guest can entrance gain,
And kind reception win;

While he, who there supreme should reign,
Is never welcomed in.

These inmates, profitless and light,

Oft wish we to expel,

And fervently our Lord invite

Henceforth with us to dwell:

Yet do we ponder and delay,
Withheld by wavering doubt,
While he, our Saviour, hope, and stay,
Continues still without.

Lord! deign within my heart to rest,
And there sole Sovereign be;
Perchance too oft it greets a guest,
Yet hath it room for thee:

Vain inmates I will bid depart,
Nay, cherish'd friends resign,
If, by their presence in my heart,
They rob me, Lord, of thine.

A. FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE.

FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. 317.

FEBRUARY, 1845.

VOL. 27.

OLD MATTY.

1836. I was told that old Matty M. was very ill, and I was requested to visit her. I had only seen her now and then, for some time past, but knew little about her. She lived with another woman who had two children, in a very small cottage, on P. Green; and I blame myself now for not having taken more notice of her sooner. She never put herself in the way of notice at all, though she attended a Scripture reading at a house where I used to see her. I remember once observing her, and thinking, "Well, I am glad that poor old body comes; I hope she understands what she hears." Truly the Lord knoweth his own, though often hid from the eyes of man. The visitor, who mentioned Matty's illness, said that it was with great difficulty they could persuade her to receive any help, and she would not have any from the Societies. She said others wanted it worse, and she would not take it: though she was really very poor, and in an abode with little or no comfort, though not destitute of necessaries, and past 79 years of age. her sick bed she said, "I find Him precious-I thought I was near before, but find I was not. Whether I live or die, I hope I shall have the Spirit in my heart!"

On

March 18.-She said, "I can bless God for laying this upon me, for I thought before I was near, but I see now that I was not, and that He is bringing me nearer. Yes, I have come short. I was dark a long time, but the Lord has opened my eyes; I thank Him for it. Bless Him that He has spared me all this time. I am shamed to think I was so long without loving Him. I have been thinking of my husband, and I hope he is safe. He found at last that he had come short. wasn't there was any thing very bad, ma'am-worse than others-but you know sin is sin, and he found at the last he had come short, and that he must look only to

C

It

Jesus Christ, and so mun I." She sent a little of the broth, received the previous evening, to Nancy's. " Eh, poor old creature, I'd give her any thing I could; she's a good old creature: I learnt a deal going in to hear her and P. read at nights."

March 19.-Found her rather better, and down stairs; she said she had been thinking how thankful she should be that the Lord had spared her, and if she did suffer, it was to bring her nearer to Him: "like as the silver," she said, "which was put into the fire to make it bright."

"Oh, what a mercy that the Lord did not take me some time ago: I know where I should have gone. Not that my husband and I were what people call wicked; we didn't raise no reports: but then, every one has their own bits of sin. Every branch that's joined to the blessed Vine, He purgeth it, I know that; but bless God, I am ready to bear any thing He lays upon me." She said so much about His laying sufferings on her, that a slight fear crossed my mind of her attaching the the idea of some merit to bearing them; so I asked her if she thought they could have any thing to do with procuring her salvation, &c. She looked at me quite with a simple surprise, and said, "Oh, no! I know they could do nothing: Jesus Christ died and suffered to save all that believe in Him, and I do believe in Him." I read to her Rom. iii. 21-26. At verse 25, she repeated after me, "forbearance." "Well may those blessed creatures, who go about amongst the poor-go-many are very hard-I was very hard once, but thank God (she had a particularly emphatic way of saying those two words,) who has opened my eyes; but oh! I've not lived to God's glory." I suggested that she might glorify Him now, by patience, &c., and she said she was quite content for God to do His will. I repeated, "Sweet to lie passive in his hands,

And know no will but His."

To which she listened attentively. I asked if she felt her sin gone over her head, a heavy burden, &c.; "Oh yes," she said.

May 6.-"He has been calling me a long time," she said, "and he winna let me go now. I am so content and thankful, I sit here and think at things. Why you know the Apostles themselves had weak faith. I have been reading of how Jesus suffered, and eh, it cuts me."

May 16.-I asked what she had been reading, she said, of Christ's promise to send the Holy Ghost to His Apostles; and if any one would cover the table with gold, she would not give up what she knew of God for it, or change back to what she was. Whatever people have got, whether old or young, they may change: it is only God that's the same. I quoted Heb. xiii. 18. "I was carnally minded," she said, "that is enmity against God."

May 23.-She was very poorly; said she heard of the clubs walking, "but what is the glory of this world? what shall we do when Jesus comes, if we have not the wedding garment on?”

May 28. She said, though she had not slept, she had had an excellent night, because the Lord was with her. Had had times of great darkness, but then thought of, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved;" and then all was leet, (light.)"

June 2.-"I woke in the night, hearing that text, 'As thy days, so shall thy strength be,' so plain-it was as if a voice spoke for me; and when I heard it, oh, it did make my heart rejoice;" so I repeated to her, "I am poor and needy, but the Lord thinketh on me," as so beautiful and consoling.

June 8.-"If there is one wrong thing in me, it will destroy me, unless I'm covered with the robe of right

eousness."

July 12.-When she woke in the night and felt lonely, she remembered Christ was with her, and thought He had said, "I am not alone, for my Father," &c. When her heart is low, she asks God to lift it up again, by His Spirit. Thought she should have gone before now, but must not set times to God.

July 17.-She said as long as the use of her sight and her limbs was left her, she did not mind what God lay