THE SNOW-DROP. 11 



ift».escence that had before led her into the revel- 

 ries of the ball-room, did she sit down to read 

 with her husband the word of God, or kneel 

 beside him in prayer. ' The world,' she said, 

 * was pleasant to me while he loved it ; and when 

 he forsook it, so did I : but with this awful difference, 

 Frederick left the world, because he found its 

 friendship was enmity with God : I turned from 

 it because my world was centered in him.' Her 

 husband saw this, and earnestly strove to lead her 

 into acquaintance with herself, as the necf^ssary 

 prelude to her seeking the knowledge of the Lord : 

 but in vain — his opinions were hers, in all matters, 

 and therefore in religion ; but her heart was totally 

 unchanged. 



And here I would pause to impress upon my 

 readers, particularly the younger portion of them, 

 the necessity for self-examination — constant and 

 close — on this momentous point. Too frequently 

 is the force of human attachment, the power of 

 human influence, mistaken for the effectual work- 

 ing of a divine energy in the soul. A favourite 

 preacher will sometimes lead captive the imagina- 

 tion, or the paramount influence of a beloved object 

 seemingly draw the affections, into that track 

 whereon none can truly enter, much less consist- 

 ently walk, but by the guidance of the Holy Spirit : 

 and what a catalogue of woes, not always to end 

 with the present state of existence, might be ex- 



