grace,

making it known to me, that to uphold and prosper Divine life in its principle, and in its fruits, was his sovereign prerogative, as exclusively belonging to the Holy Spirit; as the first movement of the soul from spiritual death; and that in the plan of the salvation of a sinner, according to his eternal wisdom and purpose, was comprehended all that I needed, for persevering advance in godliness, as to knowledge and obedience. These happy views were suddenly opened to me, whilst reading the ninth and eleventh of Romans. There, seeing salvation, not in its commencement only, but from first to last to be entirely of I was made free; and looking upon a once crucified but now glorified Saviour, with no more power of my own than the praying thief had upon the I also found peace. cross, The declaration of Jesus Christ, 'It is finished,' was enough; and I was graciously given to understand, that contrition, love, and holiness, are the fruits of the Spirit, produced in a believer, when looking to Jesus. I read the chapters referred to, much. On one memorable day, the words, It is not of him that willeth, or of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy,' were as heavenly music to my heart; for while experience had shown my utter destitution before God, I rejoiced to see my eternal salvation secured on the ground of God's free and sovereign mercy; and realized the blessed promise, 'Thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away,' Job xi. 16. The high assurance that Christ was mine, and with him, all things,' has never been withdrawn; but in all I have been called to resist, or conquer, or endure, or suffer, it has been a light from God not to be obscured; an ocean of comfort from the rock of my strength."

We must not abridge this most interesting passage of autobiography. "It now," continues Sarah, "became my delight, not to read only, but to search the Scriptures, which still confirmed my happiness; showing, that the immense demands of Divine justice on me had been answered by my Incarnate God; who became my surety, and was still my Counsellor, my Shepherd, my Friend, my Saviour. And now, indeed, I read the Bible with different views, and different effects; for the attainment of that peace which I had sought in vain by my own power, I found to be the gift of God."

She then began to commit much to memory from the Scriptures; and, when reading the Bible, kept at hand a common-place book, in which to enter such texts as expressed the attributes and perfections of God, and other passages by which her "hungering and thirsting soul was sustained; and thus obtaining Divine knowledge from its eternal

source," she "found guidance for the present, and for the future a strong hope, which was confirmed by advancing years."

Her ardent love of the Bible was a striking circumstance in the character of Sarah Martin. She did not undervalue the works of pious and enlightened persons; but, comparatively speaking, she read them but sparingly; "ever reserving" a much larger portion of time, and of her "best hours for the Bible;" and the advantage of resorting to that Divine Book for minute direction and safe guidance, in circumstances of trial or difficulty, she declares to have been to her " against death."

as life

And now having obtained peace, she looked upward with adoring wonder to that precious Redeemer, who had overthrown all her "deeply rooted and bitter prejudices; had beaten down the tyranny of Satan," and had made her alive from the dead; and to show her gratitude to that Redeemer, was naturally the first desire of her soul.

"In the glorious liberty wherewith Christ had made me free, I wished," she says, " to give proof of my love, and desired the Lord to open privileges to me of serving my fellow-creatures, that happily, I might, with the Bible in my hand, point others to those fountains of joy, whence my own had so largely flowed."

The first privilege conferred upon her was opportunity to teach in a Sunday-school. With reference to this portion of her career of Christian benevolence, she writes, "the blessing of our Father was neither held back from me nor the children; but after a course of years this duty was resigned in favour of the prison."

She next obtained admission to the workhouse; which place she continued regularly to visit; reading the Scriptures and praying with a number of the aged and sick women; from whom, as from the other inmates of the workhouse, she received a hearty welcome.

Sarah Martin began to visit the workhouse in the year 1810; and during this year she conceived that "first wish of her heart," which some years afterwards, "after a few slight difficulties, was granted." She did not make known even to her beloved grandmother, until her object was attained, her purpose of seeking admission into the gaol. "God led me," she says; "and I consulted none but Him."

In August, 1819, a woman was committed to Yarmouth gaol, for a most unwomanly crime. She had cruelly beaten, and otherwise barbarously ted her own child. Sarah Martin, now twenty-eight years of age, and

maturity of her Christian character, went to the gaol, and asked to see this unhappy prisoner; and, on a second application, the

permission which she desired was granted. Nothing can be more touching than the beautiful simplicity with which she describes this her first visit to the gaol, in which she was afterwards the instrument of so vast an amount of good. It was a visit, which in truth-the position in life and circumstances of Sarah Martin being considered-required no less heroism than that which was displayed by Mrs. Fry, when she was locked up alone in the female ward of Newgate, having been warned by the turnkeys that her purse, her watch, and even her life, would be in danger. Alone with the unnatural mother, who "was surprised at the sight of a stranger," Sarah told her the motive of her visit; and set before her "her guilt and her need of God's mercy." The woman burst into tears, and thanked her; and, encouraged by those tears and thanks, Sarah proceeded to read to her the twenty-third chapter of St. Luke, that touching portion of the gospel history, which relates the story of the condemned malefactor, who, though deservedly suffering by man's judgment, found mercy at last, from the crucified Saviour.

The reception accorded in the gaol to this Christian missionary, encouraged her to persevere in the benevolent career on which she had entered; for "the messenger of mercy is ever welcome to those who feel their guilt; and the more guilty, the more welcome, if the glad tidings be but rightly proclaimed." Sarah Martin, during the short intervals of leisure which she could spare from her daily labours, again and again repeated her visits to the gaol. At first she contented herself with merely reading to the prisoners; but within a few months, an increased acquaintance with their necessities, and with her own singular gifts as an instructor, induced her, dependent as she was upon her business as a dressmaker, to set apart one day in the week, to the work of instructing them in reading and writing.

"This day," observes this single-hearted Christian believer, “regularly given, with many an additional one, was never felt as a pecuniary loss, but was ever followed with abundant satisfaction, for the blessing of God was upon me.”

Assuredly the blessing of God was upon her. At this time, Divine Service was not celebrated in Yarmouth Gaol on Saturdays; nor was any respect there paid to the Lord's Day. On one occasion, Sarah Martin, visiting on the Sabbath a female convict under sentence of transportation, found her making a bonnet. She had long desired and recommended, that the prisoners should form among themselves a Sunday service, by appointing one to read to the rest. Her recommendation was adopted; but, aware of the instability of a practice which, though

in itself good, had no "principle of preservation," and thinking that her own presence in the little congregation might be beneficial, she joined their Sunday morning worship as a regular hearer. There was, at this time, no afternoon service; and finding this to be the case, she proposed attending on that part of the day also. After several changes the office of reader devolved up on herself. "That happy privilege," she says, "thus graciously opened to me, and embraced from necessity, and in much fear, was acceptable to the prisoners, for God made it so; and was also an unspeakable advantage and comfort to myself."

Such is this remarkable woman's modest account of the singular services which, dung a long series of years, she conducted within the gaol at Great Yarmouth. Fortunately, however, we have a more adequate account in the report of Captain Williams, who, as the Inspector of the Prison, was present in the chapel of the Yarmouth gaol, on Sunday morning, November 29, 1835.

Thus he writes:

"Sunday, Nov. 29, 1835.-Attended Divine service in the morning at the prison. The male prisoners only were assembled; a female resident in the town officiated; her voice was exceedingly melodious, her delivery emphatic, and her enunciation extremely distinct. The service was the Liturgy of the Church of England; two psalms were sung by the whole of the prisoners, and extremely well-much better than I have frequently heard in our best-appointed churches. A written discourse of her own composition was read by her. .. During the performance of the service, the prisoners paid the profoundest attention, and the most marked respect; and, as far as it is possible to judge, appeared to take a devout interest. Evening service was read by her afterwards to the female prisoners."

...

(Second Report of Inspectors of Prisons, 1836.)

From the commencement of Sarah Martin's Sunday labours, which seem to have begun about the year 1820, she read in the gaol, up to the year 1832, printed sermons: from 1832 to 1837, she wrote her own sermons; and from 1837 to the close of her labours in 1843, she was enabled, as she has recorded, "by the help of God, to address the prisoners without writing beforehand; simply, from the Holy Scriptures.

The ordinary character of the congregations whom it fell to the lot of this extraordinary woman to address, may be gathered from her own most interesting prison-registers. Her hearers have been thus described:*

* Edinburgh Review, April, 1847.

"Pert London pick pockets, whom a cheap steamboat brought, to reap a harvest at some country festival; boors, whom ignorance and distress led into theft; depraved boys, who picked up a precarious livelihood amongst the chances of a sea-port town; sailors, who had committed assaults in the boisterous hilarity consequent upon a discharge, with a paid-up arrear of wages; servants of both sexes, seduced by bad company into the commission of crimes against their masters; profligate women, who had added assault or theft to the ordinary vices of a licentious life; smugglers; a few game-law criminals; and paupers transferred from a workhouse, where they had been initiated into crime, to a gaol, where their knowledge was perfected. Such were some of the usual classes of persons who assembled around this singular preacher of righteousness. Their characters were as distinct as their crimes. A few extracts from Sarah Martin's "Prison Records" will exhibit their variety."

"W. W.-Homely Villager. Very good natural powers; temper good; grateful for instruction; desirous of improving.

"W. Wa.-Inferior capacity; inoffensive; always behaved well; does not seem to have had a bad character.

"J. B.-Extremely ignorant; low habits.

"B. P.-Quiet; slow in capacity; shrewd in his way; and sly. "W. T.- Depraved; deceitful; full of pretence; obsequiously obliging; troublesomely forward in manners.

J. S.-With me, still and almost dumb. He soon compelled the governor to order him to the cell for the most violent conduct.

"J. C—One of the very worst. Foolish, hardened; idle, lazy; and destitute of the wish to improve. In prison a corrupter."

The Sunday addresses, delivered by Sarah Martin to congregations made up of characters such as these, were suited with admirable judgment to their circumstances. While she showed them the inseparable connexion between guilt and misery, and the equally inseparable connexion between holiness and happiness; she showed them also, the only way in which sin can be forgiven and forsaken, and a principle of holiness implanted in the human soul. The grand subject of her preaching, was the CRUCIified Redeemer, ever ready to receive, and sanctify, and eternally save, all who come unto God by Him. "Thus were the realities of their position traced to the fountain-head; a way of escape was pointed out; and in the midst of their sin and shame, they were affectionately allured towards the service of God, as that which should give them freedom, peace, and happiness."