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the bare mention of the thing to her, that she burst into a passion, and exclaimed, "If I ever wash here again, I wish my arm may rot." For a length of time she maintained her resolution, supported as it was by obstinacy on the one hand, and by her vow on the other. At last, urged by the solicitations of her mistress, she yielded, and one morning resumed her employment. While in the act of washing, a quantity of blood gushed from her arm. She bound it up and expected it would heal; but it never closed. A disease, which to the eye had every appearance of perfect rottenness, settled in the limb, and defied every medical effort to effect a cure. Her frame, also, wasted away, Her illness was lingering, and gave me frequent oppor tunities of being with her. Her visage, her wasting arm, and her whole demeanour, gave pain to a beholder. She always welcomed me to her humble abode, and was at all times desirous for me to pray with her. She felt, and often acknowledged, that her, complaint was the result of "those wicked words," which she had passionately uttered, and in her poor, simple way, implored pardon. She would sink down upon her knees when alone, and seek the remission of her guilt. But her state of mind ever appeared to me to be little short of despair. I never saw her smile. A melancholy, bordering upon wildness, settled in her countenance, and feature seemed to every

say,

ນ

...Have

pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye, my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me. The arrows of the Almighty are within me; the poison thereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me." If ever hope and peace in their lowest degree visited her soul, as the fruits of a trembling faith in the Son of God, it was more than I was permitted to witness. She died; and I preceded her to her grave in solemn sadness at the recollection of her gloomy history.

There is in man a singular propensity to form rash Vows, and declarations like that of this woman are too frequently made to cover a lie. No evidence ap-peared that her declaration was for this purpose, but it was made in a passion, and afterwards undeniably brought down upon her the severe and heavy displeasure of God. Jephtha's rash vow was awfully marked with the divine disapprobation in its disastrous consequences, and stands as a warning beacon.

of mam od THE BLASPHEMER. 2210 9.10 631943 bon bil si

ANOTHER'incident, plainly indicating the interposing hand of God in the instantaneous punishment of sitt, occurred under the observation of a venerable relative of my own, who, after having by a faithful and laborious discharge of the pastoral office led many to heaven, at a good old age followed them to glory. Riding in a part of the kingdom remote from his own residence, he suddenly stopped his horse to notice the singular conduct of a labouring man, who was walking frantically up and down the high road, wringing his hands and weeping abundantly. Many persons were gazing at him; and they informed my relative, that, on the preceding day, the man, exasperated by some trifling cause, burst out into a fit of the most violent and appalling blasphemy, swearing in a manner which exceeded all they had ever heard, and which shocked even those who themselves were not over scrupulous about the use of that language which derives its origin from the bottomless pit. In the midst of this," his spit." speech suddenly stopped. Again he tried to swear, but his voice was gone; nor had it since returned. My relative went towards the man, inquired if the

account was correct, and was answered in the affirmative only by signs, the signification of which no one could misconstrue. He requested the man to lead the way to his house, which he did, and there a large family, consisting of his wife and several children, were in tears. They confirmed the report of the neighbours, and were beyond measure afflicted at the judgment which had overtaken the husband and father. My relative addressed them in kind but solemn terms on the enormity of the offence, which had thus provoked the Almighty. He laboured to awaken in them all, and especially in the man, a sense of their guilt in living, as various circumstances too fully proved that they did live, without the fear of God. He persuaded the weeping family to kneel down around him, while in their names he confessed before God the justice of this fearful visitation, and interceded for the pardon and relief of the blasphemer, On rising from his knees, he exhorted the man to lift uph his heart incessantly to God, for the forgiveness of his aggravated guilt in having been an habitual blasphemer, and for the restoration of his speech in testimony of his forgiveness. He also charged him, if it should please God to afford him relief, instantly to fall upon his knees, confessing his sin, and praising the divine compassion. On the following day he returned by the same road, and on approaching the

village was met by a little girl, who, with a smiling countenance, exclaimed—“ O sir, father can speak again. Pray come and see him." He readily complied with her invitation, and proceeded towards the cottage in silent astonishment. That astonishment was not diminished, when, on entering, he was welcomed by the man, and received from his loosened tongue the! following account. His mind, impressed and alarmed by the loss of his speech, and still further led to ruminate on his guiltiness by the words of his unknown instructor, had been inconceivably agitated and restless. The night came, but it brought him no repose. He spent it in weeping and in silent aspirations for mercy at the hands of that Being, whom he had so offended and insulted. He lay tossing to and fro in the utmost distress, or humbling himself before the divine majesty in self abhorrence. While thus passing the hours of the night, and often involuntarily and ineffectually making an effort to exercise his lost faculty, he suddenly found it restored. His tongue was! loosened. He instantly sprang out of bed, and falling prostrate on the floor, employed his forfeited but now restored faculty in a manner in which it never before had been exercised. Humiliation and praise, selfa reproach and adoring gratitude, gave him freedom of speech, and he was now in a temper of mind which gave a fair promise of future renewal of life Myb