ht, and
while he folds the little ones in his arms, he lifts his eyes to
heaven, and "rejoicing in spirit, says, I thank thee O Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, even so Father, for so it
seemed good in thy sight."

Providentially Mary Burdsall was under judicious direction, and
retained her religious purpose although she lost the sweetness of her
enjoyment. Her experience assumed that unsettled phase which often
characterises the earlier stages of youthful piety. Now miserable
from a consciousness of having grieved the Spirit of God, and again
hopeful, confident, and happy. Sometimes she was driven even to
despair, and admitted the thought that the day of grace was past for
ever. One day while in this state of feeling she overheard her father
conversing with a friend on the awful case of Francis Spira,[Footnote:
"Francis Spira an advocate of Padua, Ann. 1545, that being desperate,
by no counsell of learned men could be comforted; he felt, as he said,
the pains of hell in his soule, in all other things he discoursed
aright; but in this most mad. Frismelica, Bullovat, and some other
excellent physicians, could neither make him eat, drink or sleep; no
persuasion could ease him. Never pleaded any man so well for himself,
as this man did against himself; and so he desperately died. Springer,
a lawyer, hath written his life."--_Burton's Anatomy of Melancholie_.]
her mind was filled with great horror, and she was constrained to
seek refuge in prayer. While she was pleading with God the words were
applied, "Turn ye at my reproof," and the snare was broken. During
this period of mental conflict she steadfastly maintained her
connexion with the church; and thus escaped that total loss of
spiritual feeling, into which many, in similar circumstances, plunge
themselves by withdrawing from the circle of religious influence.
Her exceeding volatility of temper, which was the cause of her
instability, often occasioned her bitter reflections; and as it was a
source of trouble to herself, excited the anxiety of her mother, who
frequently said to her, "There's a wide world will tame thee." Her
own words in reference to this stage of her history were, "They never
turned me out of class, but from my thoughtlessness and giddiness,
I am sure, I was not a proper Methodist." Still the struggle between
grace and nature was secretly going on; and every