and every sentence went to her heart. Having finished prayer, he took that for his text: and there God met with her soul in a saving manner; and she, at last, obtained what she had so long sought for in vain elsewhere, rest to her soul in Him, who is the life and happiness of souls. ***The foregoing account of Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Tooly is sufficiently authenticated by the gentleman from whom the writer of the letter had it, the late Rev. Doctor Wood of Norwich. THE THORN BUSHES. 1. Mr. Stanhope and his son Gregory were, one evening, in the month of May, sitting at the foot of a delightful hill, and surveying the beautiful works of nature that surrounded them. 2. The declining sun, now sinking into the West, seemed to clothe every thing with a purple robe. The cheerful song of a shepherd called off their attention from those delightful objects. This shepherd was driving home his flock from the neighbouring fields. 3. Thorn-bushes grew on each side of the road, and every sheep that approached the thorns was sure to be robbed of some part of its wool, which quite displeased little Gregory. 4. " Only see, Papa, said he, how the sheep are deprived of their wool by those bushes! You have often told me that nothing was made in vain; but these briars seem made only for mischief; people should therefore join to destroy them root and branch. 5. "Were the poor sheep to come often this way, they would be robbed of all their clothing. But that shall not be the case, for I will rise with the sun to-morrow morning, and with my little bill-hook and snip-snap, I will level all these briars with the ground. 6. "You may come with me, Papa, if you please, and bring with you an axe. Before breakfast, we shall be able to destroy them all." 7. Mr. Stanhope replied, "We must not go about this business in too great a hurry, but take a little time to consider upon it; perhaps there may not be so much cause for being angry with these bushes, as you at present seem to imagine. 8. Have you not seen the owners of sheep, with a great pair of shears in their hands, take from their flocks all their wool, not being contented with a few locks only? But 9. Gregory allowed that to be true. they do it, said he, in order to make clothes; whereas the hedges rob the sheep, without having the least occasion for their wool, and evidently for no useful purpose. 10. If it be useful for sheep to lose their clothing, at a certain time of the year, then it is much better to take it for our own advantage, than to suffer the hedges to pull it off for no end whatever. 11. Mr. Stanhope allowed the arguments of little Gregory to be just; for nature has given to every beast a clothing, and we are obliged from them to borrow our own, otherwise we should be forced to go naked, and should be exposed to the inclemency of the elements. 12. Very well, papa, (said Gregory) though we want clothing, yet these bushes want none; they rob us of what we have need, and therefore down they shall come, with to-morrow morning's rising sun. And I dare say, papa, you will come along with me and assist me.' 13. Mr. Stanhope could not but consent, and little Gregory thought himself nothing less than an Alexander, merely from the expectation of destroying at once this formidable band of robbers. 14. He could hardly sleep, being so much taken up with the idea of his victories, to which the next morning was to be a witness. 15. The cheerful lark had hardly begun to proclaim the approach of morning, when Gregory got up, and ran to awake his papa. 16. Mr. Stanhope, though he was very indifferent concerning the fate of the thorn-bushes, yet he was not displeased with having an opportunity, of showing his little Gregory the beauties of the rising sun. 17. They both dressed themselves immediately, took the necessary instruments, and set out on this important expedition. Young Gregory marched forwards with such hasty steps, that Mr. Stanhope was obliged to exert himself to avoid being left behind. 18. When they came near to the bushes, they observed a multitude of little birds flying in and out of them, and nimbly hopping from branch to branch.-On seeing this, Mr. Stanhope stopped his son, and desired him to suspend his vengeance a little time, that they might not disturb these innocent birds. 19. With this view they retired to the foot of the hill, where they had sat the preceding evening, and from thence examined more particu larly what had occasioned this apparent bustle among the birds. 20. And now they plainly saw that they were employed in carrying away those bits of wool in their beaks, which the bushes had torn from the sheep the evening before. Here there came a multitude of different sorts of birds, and loaded themselves with the plunder. 21. Gregory was quite astonished at this sight, and asked his papa what could be the meaning of it. "You by this plainly see, (replied Mr. Stanhope) that Providence provides for creatures of every kind, and furnishes them with all things necessary for their convenience and preservation. 22. "Here the poor birds find what is necessary for their habitations, wherein they are to nurse and rear their young, and with this they make a comfortable bed for themselves and their little family. 23. "The innocent thorn-bush, against which you yesterday so loudly exclaimed, you see now is of the greatest service to the inhabitants of the air. It takes from those only that are rich, what they can very well spare, in order to satisfy the wants of the poor. I 24. "Have you now any wish to cut those bushes down, which you find to answer so useful a purpose?" Gregory shook his head, and said, he would not cut them down for the world. 25. Mr. Stanhope applauded his son for so saying; and after enjoying the sweets of the morning, they returned home to breakfast, leaving the bushes to flourish in peace, since they made so generous a use of their conquests. 26. From this story we should be convinced of the impropriety of too hastily cherishing prejudices against any persons or things; since however forbidding or useless they may, at first sight, appear to be, a more familiar acquaintance with them may discover many uses and perfections which were before unobserved. 27. Sweet contemplation, come pursue |