42

THE SINNER'S GOOD HEART.

females. While George sung, Mercy, O thou Son of David,' this forlorn creature wept abundantly.

'After sermon W-R- repeated a hymn, aud Mr. Br distributed many tracts, for which most of the hearers were eager. We then passed into the opposite room. I stood between two very sick women, of the looser sort, who could not be younger than forty. They both confessed themselves to be exceedingly vile; and when I asked one, for what I should particularly pray, she replied, That I may have an interest in Heaven, so that, should I suddenly be called away, I may not be rejected.' When I had offered prayer with her, I passed to a woman no better than either of these, who was calmly contending with Mr. Br, that she always had a good heart.

"Are you not a sinner?" I demanded.

No; my heart is good by nature: I never saw a distressed person but I wished to help them, and did all in my power. I've done all I could, and behaved as well as I knew how, and therefore expect that God won't be very strict with me.'

"Have you done no evil? Or, granting even that, which is not true, for I find you in a bad place,-have you not come short of the glory of God? How came you here if you are not a sinner ?”

With a solemn face and much earnestness, she still maintained her integrity of heart; when, to cut the matter short, I asked,

"Do you think yourself better than the apostle Paul?"

"Why, no, I can't say I am better.'

SELF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

43

"Know, then, that he confessed himself a sinner, and after his conversion could say, ' O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death' If, then, you are not better than Paul was, you have a wicked heart; but if you are better, you are welcome to contend for a higher scat in Heaven. Remember, however, that if you are as much of a sinner as Paul was, and do not repent, you must be accursed for ever."

This is a true picture of the self-righteousness of an unprincipled woman. O what a proud rebel is fallen, degraded, abandoned man!

With two ladies, and Mr. B--r, who came to attend on divine worship with us, I descended into W-F-'s room. He is much weaker, but appears to have gained some knowledge. He quoted a part of the twenty-third Psalm very appropriately, saying, that he remembered the verse from having heard good old Dr. Rodgers preach from it, when he could himself see, and when he was a very wicked young man. I spoke of his having followed plays, and similar follies; but I could easily perceive that he is truly ashamed of those unprofitable works.

An old deformed woman, who lay on the next bed, turned over and said, with a very coarse voice, “Poor William is very sick, and I offered to say prayers to him, but he did nae like 'em. But I think he may'n't get better ones for a' that. I offered to sing to him too, a hymn about Jesus, but he did nae like that neither, and so I sang on, nothing minding him a bit."

'Do you really then pray?' I asked; and she re

44

FALLACIOUS CONFIDENCE.

joined, "Ay, to be shaure; and why shoudn't I do that?"

Certainly, you ought to pray; but do you love Jesus Christ?'

Ay, to be shaure I do; and why should'n't I do that? I know I do."

'Why do you love him?'

"Because he died to help us to do good works, to be shaure; and charity, you know, covers a multitude of sins. You can't deny that!"

"Do you expect to be saved by Christ?'

66

Yes, to be shaure I do; by Christ and my own good works together."

'What makes you think that you shall be saved?' "Because I belong to the holy Catholic Church, and Christ died for his Church, to help them to be charitable."

'You may belong to any external church, and yet be damned. Forms cannot save you, if they be the best forms.'

'Ay, but I know he'll save me, for he gave himself for the Catholic Church."

Here one of the ladies, who was clothed in black, asked, But do you confess your sins to Christ?' "What is that to you? Are you my father confessor ?"

This was her spirit; but no one ever seemed more confident of salvation. While I was praying, at Wil liam's request, I confessed that our good works could not save us, and entreated God that no one might be left to trust in outward ceremonies. The old woman was so much enraged at this as to cry out, "Christ

THE ENRAGED SINNER.

45

died to help us to do good works, I say; he died for the holy Catholic Church."-After this she was silent, and when I had concluded the address to the throne of grace, I attempted to show her more perfectly the WAY OF LIFE. She covered her face, however, and would not answer a syllable; principally, I suppose, because I said, that the holy Catholic Church includes all who sincerely believe on Christ, and none else.

One thing must be very evident to my readers. The same sort of pride and bigotry which infects the polite and fashionable unbelievers, has its residence in the breasts of the most abandoned wretches. It seems that even an old hag, with her red face, can seriously insist on having a good heart by nature. Yet, she can ask, Why, what evil have I done? Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wick edness. Prov. xxx. 20. Another, covered with rags, can talk about securing salvation by her good works of charity. Let the most benevolent, who have no better ground of confidence towards God than their own confidence, hear this woman talk, and they must be disgusted with that, which they allow in themselves. It really requires much grace shed abroad in the heart, to make the sinner acknowledge, with gratitude, that by grace we are saved, through faith; and that not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.

THE GENUINE CATHOLIC AGAIN.

February 10th.

With wounded wing, or bleeding breast,
Ah! where shall either victim rest?
Can this with faded pinion soar
From rose to tulip as before?
Or Beauty, blighted in au hour,
Find joy within her broken bower?

BYRON

THIS morning I visited the two wards in the Hospital which contain lewd men, and left Doddridge's Rise and Progress in each, which they promised to read. They were attentive to all which I said, and were pleased to have me call on them. Indeed, they' had previously intimated to one of the nurses, that if I did not visit them," they should absent themselves from my public discourses. In another ward I visited a sick Italian, and my Roman Catholic friend; who lifted up his hands and eyes to Heaven, prayed in loud whispers, and said, "O! I need Christ to save me, enough, indeed! that I do. May God be merciful to me a sinner! This man has no objection' to the true doctrine of confession to Christ, and not to a priest, and of the remission of sins through the' Redeemer alone.

I

In the evening I preached in a ward of lost females in the Almshouse, in which public worship has never before been attended; and then visited two other rooms, containing persons of the same sex and character. M― B-, of my former Journal, still lives, and appears to be a Christian; but she must be contented to remain on the bed of death. In the same room a young woman lies, who has been a public professor of religion, and a prostitute at the