why? Because, that prince said, they were a great commercial nation, and kept peace in order that their commerce might not be interrupted. Christianity, he was persuaded, might be introduced among the Mohammedans, but policy must be observed. The way to introduce it was, by sending out missionaries, some as medical men, and others as artizans. If that plan were adopted, by the grace of God, they would introduce Christianity in all nations. It was gene rally thought among his countrymen, that by giving females instruction they did them harm, but he had said that it was the only thing to make them noble. They charged him with being mad, but before he left, he made one of their clergyman take four young ladies under his care for instruction. He had proved to the Mohammedans in many ways that Christianity was the true faith. Some of them had asked why it was that the English people were so happy, to which he replied, that the Lord said, "I will bless those that serve me." The way to keep the world at peace was to labour in the diffusion of Christianity. Each Christian was able to do something. That doctrine was inculcated by the apostle. One might preach, another might write, another study languages, another translate the Bible into some language into which it had not yet been translated; some merchants could give their pounds, and others could give silver. He hoped the time would come when their own church-that church which began 1800 years ago-would promote such societies, and make the same efforts that it did in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth centuries. His own church prayed to the East, another prayed to the West; but what was that if there were but union in promoting Christianity? He had told Mr. Noel that it was painful to see so many divisions. The church must unite; when those of the East and of the West, of the North and of the South, united together, great good would be done. He hoped that the cause would be taken up; that more missionaries would be sent-that the Bible would be printed in different forms, and tracts in different languages; he hoped they would translate those tracts into the Arabic. There were 160,000,000 who understood Arabic, but who followed Mohammedanism. He had studied the Koran and other sacred books of the Mohammedans, there was nothing in them equal to the Holy Scriptures. But even the very Koran bore witness to the truth that Jesus Christ was Lord; that in the last days he would meet with all those who had followed him and taken him for God, and that he would enter with them into the kingdom of heaven. If the Koran bore that testimony, why should they experience any embarrassment in sending among the Mohammedans the Bible? He hoped that his life would be spared to disseminate it amongst them, but if he died in the attempt, it was a glory to be a martyr for Christ. He was a stranger amongst them, but he felt that he was amongst friends where Christianity was free. He was very pleased to hear his friend from China. His speech would enable him to make a very long tract on Christianity, and print it in Arabic. To hear his friend from China stand up and speak in favour of Christianity was delightful to his heart. He hoped that if he should appear upon that platform at some future period, he might see not one or two, but very many foreign costumes. He hoped the time would come when all nations, men from China, Syria, Arabia, and Africa, would come to this country to thank the Christian friends

here for their liberality, and for the course they had taken in promoting Christianity throughout the world.

The Hon. and Rev. BAPTIST W. NOEL, in moving the next resolution, said it was delightful to hear persons from foreign shores teaching a British audience those great lessons of gospel wisdom to which it ought to be their happiness to listen. It was both a novel and delightful spectacle to find persons in a foreign dress, and with a foreign accent, renewed by the grace of God from the evils of the fall, and brought to experience in their hearts, and to exemplify in their conduct, the influence of a genuine Christianity. Proofs had been presented to them in the case of the learned professor of theology from Geneva, and in those of their brethren from China and from Syria. They had been told that 500,000 tracts had been distributed along the coasts of China. Those were two striking and important features in connexion with the publications of this Society: therefore it was that they found men to write these tracts and funds to distribute them. For what was a well written tract? It contained briefly the exposition of the grand plan and doctrines of the word of God, sometimes sustained by a short affecting narrative. A tract was written in plain language, intelligible to the mass, and therefore easily to be understood, and to which also they could refer at their leisure. Another advantage connected with tracts was, that they might be printed in large characters, and that was of some importance when it was considered how many there were who could read but imperfectly, and whose sight was impaired by age. A traveller might conceal a tract about his person, and carry that where he could not carry a Bible. To persons in this country, who could as easily place a large book on their shelves as a small one, that might not appear to be any peculiar advantage; but he would appeal to Mr. Assaad if it were not an advantage in a country where the possession of a book would expose to personal danger? It was desirable, in such circumstances, to have a few leaves which might be easily hidden, and the possession of which would escape even the eye of vigilance. He would appeal also to his friend from China, and ask whether there was much probability that books on the Christian religion would be read, if the size of those books exposed their possessors to the surveillance of the wily mandarins, and the punishment of the bastinado. Tracts might be diffused far and wide throughout even China, as they had been to such an extent in other parts of the East. And with what success they had been distributed, instances had that evening been furnished. What a blessed thing it was to have the testimony of their two foreign friends on that point. And how important was it that strenuous exertions should be made by British Christians to nourish the work wherever they found that it had commenced. Mr. Assaad had spoken of an individual in Persia, who was wavering as to the truth of his own system, and was nearly ready to embrace Christianity, but who needed to be sustained by the instructions and examples of genuine Christians. The case of a Moolah also had been referred to, who seemed anxious to embrace Christianity, but who dreaded the consequences, and earnestly entreated Mr. Assaad to bring him with him to this country. Those instances of solitary individuals who stood in need of aid ought to induce a generous support of societies like the

present. There might be many at the present time who were strug gling with the truth, and who only wanted assistance to place them in circumstances which would enable them to become acquainted with it. If the grace of God supplied them with sufficient courage, if it animated them with an apostolic spirit, they could dare even Mohammedanism itself in the propagation of Christianity. These tracts and Bibles, aided by living witnesses to the truth, had, among the population of the East, prepared the germ of a great revival of religion in its corrupted churches and among its population. Looking upon those brethren now on the platform from distant lands, they were reminded that it was a pledge of a greater blessing which he trusted would hereafter be theirs. It was as if he saw the first drippings from the Lebanon in their friend from Syria, or from the Himalayan mountains in their other friend. He should judge that the sun was exerting its influence on the snows, and regard those drippings as a pledge that the mountain torrent was about to flow, as truly as if he had seen the clouds gathering black, or heard the rolling of the thunder which foretold a storm. So it was in the case before them. When he listened to his Chinese friend, he perceived the trickling of drops, which told plainly that the fountain from whence they came was abundant. And when he heard his Syrian friend, with his characteristic vivacity, come upon the audience like the thunder and the cloud, he could not but rejoice to see how the grace of God had operated upon the hearts of both, nor could he help regarding it as a pledge of greater good to come. Such were some of the direct effects resulting from the operations of that and similar societies, which showed them that extensive fields were ripening to the harvest. But there were also many indirect benefits. Such exertions tended greatly to break down the divisions which existed amongst professing Christians. Oh, it was grievous to know that such divisions existed, and that they operated in but too many cases as obstacles to the spread of the gospel. Why should not the members of various denominations combine their energies in order, if possible, to succeed in producing greater results still? Let them remember that the sun was in the heavens, and if there were clouds of human prejudice and ignorance which excluded its rays, be it their blessed office, if they had found the truth, to disseminate that knowledge, which, like a strong current of air, should blow those clouds away,so that the sun might shine out in full vigour, and a glorious harvest ensue. It was a heart-cheering thing to him to see that their divisions were not eternal. He could echo the expressions of his friend from Syria. The divisions of Christians presented the most serious obstacles to the diffusion of Christianity abroad. Those divisions must be swept away-they must be united together with the heart. Was it not humiliating that a gentleman should come from Syria to tell them that their divisions wounded his heart. But he trusted that the grand current of human thought was approaching, day after day, nearer to unity. He believed that, year by year, and month by month, notwithstanding there seemed the thunder-cloud struggling against the wind, telling them that the wind was in an opposite direction, yet the grand course was onward, and that by-and-by those thunder-clouds would have discharged themselves, and that opposition current would be arrested, and again the great mind of Christendom would be

flowing on majestically towards the conversion of the world. They were sometimes told that in an institution like this, in which Christians combined to spread the truths of Christianity, there was a compromise of principle. He denied the truth of the proposition. When the Jews of old were employed in building the wall of Jerusalem, an individual might well be excused if he seemed for the time to forget the enclosure of his own little vineyard; that could be attended to at another time, and without help from others. Let Christians do their little work apart, but let them do their great work together. Their little work might be to mention their peculiarities, but let them do it in charity, let them do it alone, let them do it in peace, let them do it seldom. Let them unite to circulate the great truths on which they delighted to dwell, and which would be the happiness of eternity, when all error had passed into truth, and all doubt had passed into certainty. There was no compromise in this union: there was nothing in it of which the great Head of the Church did not approve. Let their friend from the East go back and say that if they seemed to be divided, he knew there was a vast amount of union-that the church of Christ was united in some measure by the spirit of Christianity, and was banded as one to give the gospel to those who needed it, to comfort the sorrowful, to give to the oppressed world freedom, and to distribute through that world the means of present happiness and eternal joy.

The Rev. ROBERT AINSLIE, in the concluding address, said that they had attended a meeting that night at which they had been highly excited, and he trusted that, under the Divine blessing, by that meeting they would be greatly benefited. They had now to retire and see if they could not give a practical result to that meeting, as it respected their own minds and the population of this and other countries. He would simply state, with regard to this metropolis, that deists, papists, infidels, socinians, and profligate persons, were exceedingly busy at the present moment in the circulation of infidel, deistic, popish, and obscene tracts and prints. He would state another fact, that the Religious Tract Society, during the past year, had furnished to the London City Mission, in common with other institutions, large grants of tracts, which had been distributed over a very great part of the metropolis. The London City Mission had been the means of distributing 229,809 tracts; and had the time permitted, he would have stated facts of a very encouraging description. It devolved upon them in retiring from the meeting to retire in the spirit of fervent and of humble prayer, blessing God for what they had that night been permitted to see and to hear, and to remember, at the same time, that there was yet much land to be possessed, that there were thousands and tens of thousands in the metropolis who needed these tracts; for there were not less than fifty thousand families who had not a page of the Scriptures. He would, therefore, most earnestly and affectionately press upon the meeting the necessity of retiring in a spirit of devout gratitude to God for what the institution had been permitted to effect during the past year; and with a determination to look at their own doors and abroad on the face of the earth, and aid the institution in all its operations to the utmost extent of their power.

THE DEATH OF AHAZIAH-ELIJAH TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN.

AHAZIAH succeeded his father Ahab, both in his throne and in his sin. And the same hand, that guided Ahab's shaft, cracked Ahaziah's lattice. How infinite the variety of plagues the just God hath for obstinate sinners! Whether in the field or in the chamber, he knows where to find them out. No place is safe for the man that is at enmity with God.

The body of Ahaziah was not more sick than his soul was graceless. He does not look up to the Almighty hand of Divine justice for the disease, or of mercy for the remedy; an idol is his refuge. How many, even after the clear light of the gospel, in their losses, in their sicknesses, send to these infernal oracles, and bring condemnation on themselves wilfully by a vain curiosity! The message of the jealous God intercepts them with a just disdain, as here by Elijah. Were there no God in Israel, in heaven, what could we do other, what worse?

Behold the true son of Jezebel: the anguish of his disease, the expectation of death, cannot take off his persecution of Elijah. Who would not tremble at the answer of Elijah? There are few tracks of Elijah that are ordinary, and fit for common feet; his actions are more for wonder than for precedents to us. Not in his own defence would the prophet have been the death of so many. The Divine justice finds it meet to do this for the terror of Israel, in TRACT MAGAZINE, NO. 57. SEPTEMBER, 1838.

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