festively. And oh, that the dear sent servants of the Lord may so grow in grace and in likeness to their divine Master that, as He wept over Jerusalem, they too may weep, pray, and yearn over perishing sinners! Oh, that they may, by the help and teaching of the Holy Spirit, be led more than ever to warn poor sinners of the awful consequences of living and dying in their sins, and point them to the only means of salvation—the Lord Jesus Christ-that, during this New Year, if the Lord's will, many in their congregations may be brought to know themselves as sinners, and Jesus Christ to be their Saviour, through their instrumentality— Oh, what an honour to be used of the Lord in proclaiming His blessed Gospel-the glad tidings of God's grace to sinners! There is generally much prayer upon entering a New Year. There seems so many things to ask the Lord for, and His goodness in the past ought to encourage us to ask largely for the future. May the Lord help us to pray in faith; and oh, that our greatest desire and chief request may be to " grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ," that we may know more what it is to abide in Him, as the branch abides in the vine. The branch yields blossom and fruit, and does the tree credit by abiding in it. Oh, that we, too, may know more of this abiding in Christ, this child-like trust in Him, that we may bring forth fruit to His honour and glory! We cannot honour God the Father more than by loving and trusting in His Son (John xv. 8), for He loves His dear Son so much that He even loves those who love Him; or, since their love to Him is His own grace, He says, because they love Him (John xiv. 21-23; xvi. 27). And the Lord Jesus, in His last conversation with His disciples, told them six times over that prayer offered in His name would be answered; for "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds When sinners at His throne are found Then how full of meaning are the words of our dear Saviour, "As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you"! Our poor finite minds seem hardly capable of grasping this blessed truth ; it is so great, so astonishing! Oh, for more love-more holy, ardent love-to Jesus Christ! May His great love to us constrain us to love Him more and serve Him better-serve Him with gladness (Psa. c. 2). Oh, that He may become more precious to us this New Year than ever before-yea, nearer and dearer to us than all besides! Doctor Payson has supposed the various classes of Christians to be ranged in different concentric circles round Christ as their common centre. "Some value the presence of their Saviour so highly that they cannot bear to be at any remove from Him. Even their work they will bring up, and do it in the light of His countenance; and, while engaged in it, will be seen constantly raising their eyes to Him, as if fearful of losing one beam of His light. Others, who, to be sure, would not be content to live out of His presence, are yet less wholly absorbed by it than these, and may be seen a little further off, engaged here and there in their various callings, their eyes generally upon their work, but often looking up for the light which they love. A third class beyond these, but yet within the light-giving rays, includes a doubtful multitude, many of whom are so much engaged in their worldly schemes that they may be seen standing sideways to Christ, looking mostly the other way, and only now and then turning their faces towards the light." After reading this extract, who does not long to be amongst those who get nearest to Christ, who are in the innermost circle? May the very consciousness of how far off we have lived only increase this desire. And surely those of us who have felt the most ignorant, helpless, and vile during the past year are the ones who really need to get nearest to Him this year, to receive of His wisdom, strength, and righteousness, that, as we have experienced "without Him we can do nothing," we may likewise experience, "through Christ strengthening us, we can do all things." The Lord does not bless seeking ones for their seeking, but they are often blessed in that exercise, while many who so loudly complain of their lack of grace and of ability to live more to the honour of the Lord, and who seem to charge all their want of fruitfulness to the Lord's withholding grace from them, suffer loss through sloth and carnal-mindedness; and of them it may truly be said, "Ye have not, because ye ask not" (James iv. 2). They are lively in seeking earthly treasure, because their heart is there (Luke xii. 34); and they are walking witnesses of that solemn truth, "To be carnally minded is death" (Rom. viii. 6). Let us, therefore, seek to be continually "looking unto Jesus," looking into His lovely face, that His bright beams may be reflected upon us (Psa. xxxi. 16; xc. 17). Then, if we live through out the year, this will make life happier, and its trials lighter; and, if we die, living very near to Jesus, it will make death easier. May the Lord help us to watch and pray, to watch against everything that hinders prayer, so that we may enjoy more sweet and constant communion with the Father and the Son, through the Holy Spirit 66 With God may this New Year begin, With Him each day be spent ; A READER. MEMOIR OF MARY OVERTON, OF PULVERBACH, NEAR SHREWSBURY, ONLY CHILD OF SUKEY HARLEY. THE life of Sukey Harley having been so widely circulated and read with so much interest, there is no doubt that some account of her only child will be acceptable to our readers. The following brief sketch of her inward life and experience was gathered from her own lips by Mr. Benson, of Pulverbach, in 1879, on her becoming a candidate for the pension of the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society : When very young, I had many thoughts about my soul, and would be at times much perplexed. My serious feelings wore off only to return. Once, when quite a child, I dreamt the day of judgment was come, and I saw the sheep divided from the goats. This produced great fear, and not long afterwards I dreamt again, and I saw the Lord Jesus Christ, who looked intently on me, and said three times to me, "Your name is written in heaven." These were only dreams, but they made a lasting impression on me. When about twelve years of age, I was exercised with a continual fear and threatening in my soul, which I have compared many times to Jeremiah xii. 12. I seemed to have experienced the very same that is there written, and I remember soon afterwards being powerfully impressed according to the words which seemed spoken to me, "I will bring you through with a sword." I thought from these words I should be saved, but this followed me continually-" with a sword," and made me so afraid I could not take comfort from the thought. I married early, and many troubles befell us. I used to feel that my mother had the true religion. I often watched her going to some quiet place to pray. She was the same in private and before everybody, and used to be much concerned for my soul. If anything went wrong in our family, she would say, "Oh, Mary, your soul, your soul!" If I spoke to her at any time of the feelings of my mind, she would seem rather to damp than encourage me, through fear. But my own great fear, as well as hers for me, was, lest I should come short in anything. How I have felt these lines 66 Never, never may we dare, What we're not, to say we are." After my mother's death I was greatly cast down, and thought more of my own end. This used to follow me— "Life's the time to serve the Lord, One day, standing at work in my kitchen, in a moment my heart was lifted up in prayer, and such a cry went up from my soul as I had never experienced before. I exclaimed, before my family, who were present, "Oh, that's prayer!" It was nothing of my own. I never forgot that. It made me know that true religion is from above, and that I never could be justified by my own works. I have many times felt that same cry in my soul but not so strong. In a severe illness, in 1860, when bowed down in soul before the Lord, and feeling a guilty, guilty sinner, the Lord suddenly made me know I was saved; and, with that sweet and powerful hope in my soul, I recovered from my illness. After another return of my heart affection, I was awakened one morning by the lines "The lash is steeped He on thee lays, And softened in His blood." Oh, how light my affliction then appeared! I did but want Him to appear, and I should be ready to soar to Him. Another time I was low and tried, and one night slept and woke again many times. My mind was greatly tossed; and, towards morning, these words awoke me as if One spake to me, "When I have tried you, I will bring you forth as gold." I felt them very precious words to be spoken to one so vile, and I have thought much on them since with comfort, for I felt it was the Lord who spake to me. But I feel to this very day, concerning all these things the Lord has given me— "True faith's the life of God; A few additional particulars concerning this aged saint and her peaceful end have been furnished by the same friend. Mary Overton was a woman of a sorrowful spirit. Naturally reserved and silent, upon the things she felt most she would often say least. Always fearing for herself, she seemed unable, except when under the influence of some fresh touch of the Holy Spirit, at all to speak of past leadings. If she did so, her few words were always telling. She was quickly robbed of her comforts, and then, like one desolate, she "sat upon the ground," often whiles a prey to many fears and doubtings. Yet nothing, during twenty-three years' acquaintance with her, struck me more than the consistency of her case, and the peculiar character of the helps she found, as showing the Lord's compassion and care over her. There was much for faith to feed upon, but with her it was a rare thing to be able to realize the blessedness of the hope which was surely hers. Going into her cottage one day, I found her in tears. She had just felt the spirit of those lines, "My soul, thou hast a Friend on high," and "Fear not, His merits must prevail." Her table seemed spread, and yet a broken spirit, I might almost say, without the consolation, was hers. Christ and His infinite merit was everything in her esteem, but she was unworthy. Another time I found her with her mother's Bible on her knees, and its countless pencil-marks underlining almost every word, according to Sukey's habit in reading the Book so precious to her; and Mary had been led to a passage by a pin which, more than thirty years ago, her mother had stuck into it, and which was there still. The passage was, "Thou shalt weep no more: He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when He shall hear it, He will answer thee;" and, as she read, the blessed Spirit applied the word with power to her heart, and I had just come in to see the mourner rejoice, and her sorrowful face lighted up. Another time, it was after a silent visit with her, for, though in a tender, feeling frame of spirit, she could not speak till on my rising to take leave of her. Then, in broken words, she told me what she had found. "Early this morning, I was cleaning out the ash-pit-I had but just come down-and I felt so low, such a nothing creature, I felt it before the Lord, and it came in a moment into my heart “When thou art nothing in thyself, "I had to drop the shovel, and sit down. I was so overcome at the thought He should speak to me." |