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in the fact that an adorable Providence had permitted him to be carried there, that he might be brought out of the bondage of sin into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

His Christian Experience.

In one of his letters, which was written while his heart was full of joy in believing, he says

"If there is any true happiness in this vale of tears, it is in serving the Lord. Oh that my pen could express the happiness I feel at times. I am lost in wonder, love, and praise; and can safely say—

If all the world my Saviour knew,

Sure all the world would love him too." "

In another which he wrote to a brother, some time after the above, he says—

MY DEAR BROther,

*

"I know not what you may think of religion, but I find it the happiest life that I ever led. Though in captivity, I am enabled to rejoice in God my Saviour * * Sometimes I walk under a dark cloud, from the corruptions of this wicked heart; this heart, which, in my carnal state, I always thought so good a one. But it is my earnest desire to press toward the mark for the prize of my high calling, which is of God in Christ Jesus."

Only one other letter was received from him, from which we copy the following paragraph.

66

Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ, for sparing me even to the present moment, while he is calling my fellow-prisoners on my right hand and on my left, from time into eternity. I trust he will grant me grace to flee sin and hate it with my whole heart. So may he lay me an humble penitent at his feet, as long as I have any being. And at last, may I be found worthy, through his righteousness, of entering into that blessed abode prepared for those that love him.

“P.S. The Lord bless you and keep you in the true and living way."

His Happy Death.

We need not wonder that the aged mother longed to see and embrace a son who had been so changed, nor that her. son would wish to see a mother, whose excellence he could now prize. But this was not to be. They had heard of each other's welfare, but were not to see each other's face in the flesh. A disease, that had taken away many before him, attacked his frame; a rapid consumption followed, and just before the general peace was proclaimed, and when about to return to his native land, he entered into that rest which remaineth for the people of God, in the 27th year of his age, and after a captivity of eight years. A friend who was present stated that his end was 64 peace."

Intelligence.

FOREIGN.-NEWFOUNDLAND.

From an Agent of the Newfoundland School Society. IT is two years since you have had any intelligence from ; but though I have been thus long silent, yet, I am happy to say, your publications have not been so, but, by the Divine blessing, have been contributing their share in the diffusion of spiritual light and knowledge in this neighbourhood, and in the promotion of the Redeemer's glory.

With regard to the tracts, they have been constantly and increasingly circulated from house to house in this harbour, and in my weekly visits (to which my Saturdays are usually devoted) I have constant opportunities both of reading and circulating them with advantage where they are usually listened to and received with thankfulness. When we first came here but very few could read, and there was but little interest felt, but happily these obstacles are giving way, and with much thankfulness we can now record that God has graciously blessed the unworthy efforts of his unworthy servants, and some, though surrounded by many disadvantages, are led by various concurring means, to give their hearts to Him who has sent them his word and your valuable helps, and his Spirit to render them effectual.

As it has pleased God thus far to prosper us in the work with which we are entrusted, by placing under our charge at present upwards of 300 children, besides two smaller branch schools in the neighbourhood, you will readily infer that, by means of the children alone, we have extensive and increasing opportunities for circulating tracts, etc., and such is the case. Your little books, where books are so scarce, are eminently useful in affording them the means of reading, independently of their spiritual tendency and effect, and are always received with joy. At the Bible class, assembling every Friday evening during the eight winter months, at which about 200 children and adults attend when the weather will permit, your tracts, in conjunction with other publications, are read aloud. By means of these interesting services God has often warmed our hearts in this frigid region and has (blessed be his name) not left us without proofs of his power and grace by using such feeble instruments to promote in the hearts of some his own Divine purposes.

Your Cottage Sermons, I have pleasure in stating, are very useful, and are constantly read in many congregations in this neighbourhood; also at and where our two branch teachers are stationed; and all the other places within reach, where there is any one who can read, have been supplied.

I have satisfaction also in adding that there is an increasing demand for your other publications, especially the "Com

mentary," many single volumes of which are now dispersed about the harbour, as the people are too poor to purchase the whole. In one case the volume on the Epistles was half paid for by a blind fisherman on condition of the others reading it to him, which they do on Sundays and at other leisure times.

I cannot tell you anything very striking or interesting, but only that in various ways some few are induced to give more earnest heed to the things they have heard, and this I hope is an earnest that we "shall see greater things than these." We thank your Society for all its assistance to this emphatically barren land; it needs all you can give; it is in want of more tracts and books, more Bibles, more missionaries, more prayers, more zeal, and life, and love; more of the Saviour's presence and the Spirit's power.

DOMESTIC.

Foreign Seamen.-From a Correspondent at Gosport. I WENT this morning on board a Dutch ship. I spoke to the mate on the object of my visit. I think he was a Roman Catholic; he said the men had plenty of books, plenty of Bibles, etc. At first the men did not seem anxious for them; but in a little time nearly all the crew, of about fifteen hands, came and solicited tracts in their respective languages. I then went on board a Danish ship, bound for Christiana. The captain very thankfully received Danish tracts for his men, and said that in his next voyage he should very probably call upon me, to purchase some Danish Testaments. I then went on board the The captain received me in the politest manner, and pressed me to take coffee with him. He took tracts for his men, German and Dutch, and gave them in charge to the mate to be distributed to the crew, and requested one in each of the languages which I had for himself; and on my informing him that they were gratuitously offered to him, begged my acceptance of half-a-crown for some good object. That half-crown I now forward to the Tract Society, which will, I doubt not, be gladly received, not on account of the sum, but on account of the circumstances under which it was given.

From a Correspondent in Berkshire.

I CALLED a few days since at the house of a poor man in this neighbourhood; he was not at home, but his wife addressed me thus, "Oh what sweet little books these are!" (The Tract Magazines.) "I read one of them the second time lately: when I had finished reading it, I observed to my husband, If we wish to be truly happy, we must pray differently

to what we have done. And I bless God, he from that time enabled me to pray differently; and he has heard and answered my prayer, for I am full of love." The manner of her expressing herself, and her countenance, gave me great satisfaction, as it appeared to me a genuine work of grace had been wrought in her through the instrumentality of that little work, and

that alone.

From a Correspondent.

MAY I beg you to lay before the Committee of the Tract Society an application I have been requested to make for a grant of tracts on behalf of and its vicinity; a very poor and very ignorant district, near Shaftesbury. In the year 1835, your Committee made them a grant of tracts, which store is now completely exhausted and worn out from frequent circulation. It grieves my friends to think that 177 families whose interest in the great truths they treat of, has been sufficiently awakened to make them desirous of more being sent to them, should now be left destitute. Seventyfive of this number of families have their tracts changed weekly by two little girls under Miss- -'s superintendance; the rest are supplied by young men from among the poor, who have voluntarily undertaken the distribution. One of these reported last week, that he had been amply repaid for his trouble, and the many dirty walks of several miles he had taken (the houses and hamlets are widely scattered) by hearing one poor man lately, to whose cottage he was hastening, with a fresh tract, praying in the open air, that the tract "To Day," which he had been reading, might be a means of awakening his benighted mind, and also begging for a blessing on the heads of those who took the trouble of supplying him. In another of his rounds, this distributor heard a wife imploring her husband not to enter a beer-house, and putting him in mind of the tract which they had read together the week before. "Time is short," has been frequently asked for; also No. 277, "Do you want a friend?" The practical piety and missionary spirit which characterizes one of these distributors, has been evidenced by his expressing a desire to qualify himself for becoming master of the Village National School. On surprise being expressed, that he should think of giving up a profitable business (obtained by his own industry) to take an employment for which the salary was necessarily small, he replied that he had long wished to be usefully employed in the vineyard of his Saviour; and that, though we might sometimes be tempted to be weary in well doing, we should never have cause to repent being so employed. He is now about to set to work studying the "Scripture Questions," published by the Tract Society.

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ELIJAH WITH THE SAREPTAN.

SURELY, next after Moses, there was no prophet of the Old Testament more glorious than Elijah: none more glorious, none more obscure. Meanness of descent is no block in God's way to the most honourable vocations; it matters not whose son he is, whom God will grace with his service. The God of spirits knows how to proportion men to the occasions, and to raise up to himself such witnesses as may be most able to convince the world. Elijah spake from Him by whom he sware, whose word was as sure as his life; and therefore he durst say, "As the Lord liveth, there shall be no rain." Man only can denounce what God will execute, which, when it is once revealed, can no more fail than the Almighty himself.

He that had this interest and power in heaven, what needed he flee from an earthly pursuit? Could his prayers restrain the clouds, and not hold the hands of flesh and blood? Yet, behold, Elijah must fly from Ahab, and hide himself by the brook Cherith. The wisdom of God does not think fit so to make a beaten path of miracles, as that he will not walk beside it: he will have our own endeavours join for our preservation. Who can make question of the provisions of God, when he sees the very ravens shall forget their own hunger, and purvey for Elijah? O God, thou that providest meat for the fowls of the air, wilt make the fowls TRACT MAGAZINE, NO. 54. JUNE, 1838.

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