"Ah, she is sinking fast," he said; "but do not wake her.' She was sleeping, and a peaceful smile rested on her features.

The sun was shining brightly next morning when Mrs. Wilmot woke. Calling Mary to her side, she said, "Oh, my child, if it had not been for you! but I am so happy now." Her face was illumined with a smile which told of

the light within.

"Mother, dear mother, speak to me," said Mary after a pause.

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'My child, thank God, for it was you who led me to the throne of grace."

The weary spirit had gone to its rest at last. Mary, as she felt her desolation, burst into an agony of weeping.

"My Spirit shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." The minister had just entered, and his words were comforting to the motherless child.

A Remarkable Death-bed Experience.

"If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins."-JOHN viii. 24. "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."-JOHN xiv. 6.

HE truth of these texts was wonderfully illustrated towards the beginning of this century, in the experience of a Saxon nobleman and celebrated statesman, of whose dying hours the following

striking relation has been given as authentic.

In his last illness, we are told, he sent for a clergyman of his acquaintance, and addressed him thus: "I feel very ill, my good sir, and fear I must make up my mind to die, and so I wish very much that you would discourse with me on religious topics; but to prevent you having unnecessary trouble, I may as well forewarn you that I will not listen to anything about Jesus Christ, for I do not believe in Him." "I regret it," replied the clergyman; "but it is well that you have set out with that declaration, as otherwise He

would have assuredly been the subject of my conversation: however, there are various other edifying topics on which I can enlarge, and to begin, I beg to know if you permit me to speak to you concerning God?"

"Oh, assuredly," replied the sick man, "I shall listen with great readiness to all you say regarding God, for I have ever looked up to the Supreme Being with the highest veneration."

"So far we are at one," said the preacher, who forthwith descanted on the love of God to man, in terms so agreeable to the patient that he begged at the close of the visit for an early repetition of it.

On the next occasion the clergyman was eagerly welcomed by the sick man, who inquired with much interest what new theme was to be brought forward for his mental enjoyment, adding, "I assure you, reverend sir, I have longed for your return."

The clergyman met his wish by an animated discourse on the wisdom, omnipotence, and omniscience of God; and these perfections, though calculated to suggest feelings of awe, still did not produce any painful impression on the blunted conscience of his hearer.

On his third visit, the preacher enlarged on the spotless holiness of God, and as its sequence that so pure and holy a nature must necessarily debar all other than pure and holy beings from its presence; while on the fourth occasion he treated of God's inflexible justice.

Under these the sick man begun to wince, and at length, unable longer to refrain, called out, "Hold, reverend sir! this is more than I can bear: if the Almighty be really so holy and just as you depict Him, I am lost."

The preacher made no reply but by a grave bow of acquiescence, and immediately took his leave.

Another and another day came and went, but no clergyman appeared at the sick man's bedside; but on the third an eager summons brought the preacher thither, who was immediately accosted with the anxious exclamation: "Oh,

what has detained you so long from me? My mind is in a chaos of doubt and terror; it is as if I were already in hell, or hell in me. For God's sake, say something to relieve me if you can, and to restore the quietude of mind of which your discourses have robbed me! Surely you can mitigate some of the harsh assertions you have made, or suggest some topic of consolation!"

"Verily," replied the clergyman, "I dare not unsay one word that I have advanced, but must continue solemnly to maintain that the Lord God with whom we have to do, is, although a gracious and merciful, likewise a wise, holy, and just Being, who must of necessity both condemn and punish the wicked and although I assuredly could also tell you several glorious and consoling truths, yet as you are resolved not to hear them, I have no choice but to leave you to linger on, in this most unhappy state of mind, until death shall introduce you to your fate on the other side of time; and so, though my heart bleeds for you, I can do nothing for you, since you have yourself forbad my offering consolation."

"Oh, no, no!" exclaimed the dying man, in an agony; "tell me whatever you think can possibly help me; tell me at least if you know of any way of escape which yet remains open to me!"

"Most assuredly I do," replied the clergyman; "but then you must suffer me to speak of Jesus Christ."

"Well then, speak what you will, and of whom you will!" cried the dying man, with a short outburst of his naturally impetuous temper; "but show me a door of escape from this begun damnation."

Gladly responsive to this call, the clergyman now proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation through the atoning sacrifice of that very Saviour whom the now trembling sinner had so long rejected and despised, but who was yet his Lord and his God, his Creator and Redeemer, to whom he might confidently turn with all his sins, and casting himself unreservedly on his covenanted mercy, receive from his free

favour the pardon and peace he so greatly needed, and which none other could bestow.

"For such sinners as you," continued the faithful preacher, "Jesus forsook the seats of glory, and tabernacled among men; for such as you He shed his precious blood on the cross, and paid the penalty of a world's guilt."

Greedily did the dying man drink in these hope-fraught words; and warmly did his awakened soul welcome the blessed tidings that Christ Jesus receiveth sinners, even the chief. He sought and he found comfort in the faith of Him who came to call, not the righteous, but sinners to repentance; and joyfully recognising in Jesus "the way, the truth, and the life," he accepted Him in all his offices, and as a sinner saved by grace calmly yielded up his spirit in blessed hope of a joyful resurrection. Out of Jesus, a holy God can only be the sinner's terror. In Him only can God be our salvation.

The Ten Commandments

N eminent lawyer was once led to acknowledge the Divine origin of the Scriptures by simply meditating on the Decalogue. For a long time, in spite of the exhortations of a faithful friend, he persevered obstinately in his unbelief. One day, however, when this friend came to see him, he said, with much emotion, "I am a believer."

"How is this?" asked his friend, as much surprised as rejoiced at the news.

"I will tell you. I read over the law of the ten commandments, and after examining it with all the rigour of an advocate seeking for the flaws in his adversary's case, I found it to be perfection itself. The Decalogue begins with our duty towards God. That is just and right. For if there exists a Divine Creator and Legislator, we owe to Him our highest obligations, and all others must depend upon them.

The first commandment forbids us to have any other gods before God. That is right. A divided adoration would be a profanation, and unworthy of Jehovah. The second commandment forbids to make any graven image, or any likeness of God. That is right. For material images would very soon lead man to idolatry. The third commandment forbids us to take the name of God in vain. That is right. Respect in language is one of the firmest guarantees for the reverence of the heart. The fourth commandment enjoins us to consecrate one day in seven to God. That is right. The interval ordained is not too long, nor too short, and it was needful to set apart some time for religion if it was to subsist in the world.

"Then come our duties towards our neighbour; and the second table is not less admirable than the first. The fifth commandment, first of all, lays the foundation of family union by insisting on filial piety. That is right. For the family is the basis of all human relations; without it society is impossible. The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth commandments are intended to protect life, conjugal fidelity, the rights of property, and the reputation of our neighbour. All this, too, is right. A better order could not be conceived in the recital of our obligations, nor one more complete.

"Finally, the tenth commandment is intended to repress covetousness. This also is right and good. Evil thoughts must be attacked in the depths of the soul in order to preserve its life. The Decalogue, therefore, is perfect. Everything is comprehended in as few words as possible. It is all of incomparable excellence. There is nothing in it unnecessary: nothing wanting. Certainly the ten commandments are not the work of man; they could only proceed from the hand of God. My friend, I no longer doubt. I believe !"

The revelation of the law alone, however, could only, according to the testimony of the apostle, have been the ministry of death. We find in it the sentence of death, not the promise of deliverance; for it pronounces accursed who