church at St. Margaret's to a very respectable congregation, and baptized three children. The Rev. Mr. Twining had performed service there about a month before. The building is completely covered in, and partly clapboarded, and the windows are all in: nothing more can now be done to it until spring, when they expect to proceed rapidly with its completion. The subscriptions already made to the church, and the grant from the venerable Society, will fall somewhat short of the expense of finishing it; but the deficiency, I doubt not, will be readily made up by a new contribution. It is highly gratifying to see this edifice raised in a place but lately known to our ministers, and where at least nine hundred souls may be said to have been living without God in the world. In the evening I officiated in a private house three miles below the church, where more assembled than could find accommodation. On Monday evening also, I preached at the schoolhouse to a numerous congregation, and every where found a pleasing anxiety for religious instruction. The inhabitants concur in expressions of gratitude to your lordship, and in earnest hopes that they may be allowed a resident missionary. Few places, if any, afford a greater field for the active labours of a faithful minister. The people are extremely attentive to the wishes of a clergyman, and contribute to his comfort as far as they can, at least I can so testify from personal experience; and I have no doubt they would at once comply with the conditions under which the Society grant resident missionaries. Great ignorance, as your lordship knows, prevails among them, and, as might be expected from their deserted state, a great degree of iniquity; but the visits of religious teachers have already had a beneficial tendency.

"On Tuesday, 9th of November, Mr. James Bontelier volunteered to convey me and my horse across the bay, ten miles, to Hubbard's Cove, on the western side, where I understood that there were many souls in deplorable want of spiritual attention. I spent the night at Mr. Dauphine's, the leading man in the settlement, aud was indeed shocked to find the state of gross darkness and licentiousness, prevailing among them. In the evening I assembled about forty persons, and performed divine service to them, and also baptized three children. Within a compass of four miles, there reside forty families, most of them large, and comprising, I suppose in all, nearly three hundred souls. They are situated fifteen miles from Chester, on the road leading through Hammond's Plains to Halifax, and have been very seldom visited by any minister of our church. This is one of the many places where a western visiting missionary might be useful.

On Friday I buried, at Mahone Bay, a CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 290.

person twice visited by me, and preached a funeral sermon to a large congregation. In this neighbourhood, the country is very thickly inhabited; and many of the people, members both of the Lutheran and Calvinistic Churches of Lunenburg, and of our own, expressed to me an earnest desire for the frequent repetition of the services of our church among them. They are rather far from Lunenburg (six and eight miles) for regular attendance there on the Sunday; and they are sufficiently numerous and wealthy to have a church for themselves which might, in the summer season especially, be supplied by the missionary at Lunenburg, if in health. I suggested to them that the erection of a church would induce a clergyman to go among them often; and I have little doubt that, if properly urged, the suggestion will be put in execution. This is naturally a beautiful section of the country, but the moral state of the people is grossly uncultivated. I have some intention of returning this way in the course of the winter, and dividing my time, for a few weeks, between Lunenburg and the more distant parts of this extensive and highly important parish.

"Mr. Shreve will perhaps have made your lordship acquainted with the state of the church in Sherbrooke. To his exertions, so liberally supported by grants from the Society and Sir John Sherbrooke and the subscriptions of the inhabitants, it is owing, that a church has arisen where, seven years ago, the beasts of the forest were in full possession. It stands on a very pretty situation, conspicuous to distant parts of the settlement. The ground on which the frame is placed, was given for the purpose by a member of the Roman-Catholic communion. Mr. Wells, the Society's schoolmaster, by whom I was hospitably entertained, informs me that the attendance of the children, in winter especially, is irregular. Here is another point where, in my humble judgment, a visiting missionary might be very useful in cherishing a growing congregation, and pro.. moting the religious interests of the people.

"At Hubbard's Cove, I was gratified to find a congregation of about ninety persons ready to receive me, if it can be called a gratification to see so many souls destitute of the means of grace, and enveloped in ignorance. I was informed that the Lord's day is only distinguished by extraordinary idleness and profanity. The children are growing up in the same wild state, and if they continue without religious instruction, cannot be expected to turn out differently from their parents. I read prayers and preached, and baptized five children (one of them five years old). I suggested the propriety, in so large a settlement, of erecting a place of worship, and received some promises that they would promote such a work. At Cornwallis, a lamentable lukewarmness pre

R

vails on the subject of religion, which, added to the great strength of the various Dissenting congregations, contributes to keep our's small. I am informed that the road which passes Cornwallis church is continued the whole way to the Gut of Annapolis on one side or other of the North Mountain. In this line there reside a great number of inhabitants, entirely destitute of spiritual instruction, unless it be those near to Granville and Aylesford, who may occasionally be within reach of a church. To these people, a visiting missionary might, with the Divine blessing, be eminently useful; besides that he would make them acquainted with our excellent church, of which the knowledge alone is necessary to awaken for her sentiments of veneration and love. It is to be feared also that there are thousands more along the western and southern shores of the province, from Digby to La Have, who are in quite as destitute a condition as those I am speaking of.

"On revisiting Wellington, the people evinced the same thankfulness as for my notice of them in November, and the same anxiety for the erection of a church. Those present subscribed for this undertaking to the extent of their ability. Besides the number I have already mentioned as contained in this settlement, there are, among the neighbouring Blacks, about thirty Methodists, who would attend our church; and at Hammond's Plains there are several church families within reach. And, moreover, we are not to overlook the probability of many of the other Blacks in the vicinity, though chiefly called Anabaptists, being benefited by this church, for your lordship knows how many of our best congregations elsewhere have, at one time, been called by other names than that of our church. After the erection of a church shall have stamped civilization on the character of this place, we may suppose the settlers will increase, particularly if this road should become the high road to Annapolis. I have another request to prefer to the venerable Society in behalf of these people; and that is, for the usual allowance for a schoolmaster. To say nothing of the children of Blacks, there are between forty and fifty of White parents, now entirely without means of learning to read their Bibles, and for these I solicit this provision. If the Society grant 100., I hope there will be money enough to accomplish the building of both church, and school-house. An individual offered fifty acres of land for the latter purpose.

"The difficulty with me has been, not where to find places in want of my assistance, but to decide where my services would be most useful. In the course of these journeys I have travelled one thousand miles, on horseback (with the exception of about sixty), in an unfavourable season of the year, and over the worst

roads in the province. I have had the satisfaction of carrying the important tidings of the Gospel, and the noble services of our excellent church, to some places where such things had not before been heard, and to many where they were strange sounds. And I have also been allowed to administer the sacraments, where, but for my visits, they could not have been had; in which, however, I would not have your lordship understand me as saying that I have done any thing more than it was my duty to do, or than 1 found pleasure in doing."

POOR PIOUS CLERGY SOCIETY. We lay before our readers three of the afflicting extracts from letters received by this Society in the course of the last year. They afford ample proof of the necessity and utility of the institution. Really, sir, I regret exceedingly, that I am obliged to apply to the Society but the circumstances I

1. "

To

am going to state will, I trust, plead my excuse..... The Lord in his infinite wisdom has been pleased to visit my family with severe affliction lately. My poor wife has been confined to her bed for several months; and medical attendance amounts to a very considerable sum. this may be added many other expenses, which, under other circumstances, would have been avoided. Were it not for this long and painful illness, which is the cause of my present embarrassment, I should have been able, with economy, to maintain my family with comfort My salary is ninety-five pounds per annum, and no house. My family consists of six children, all dependant on me for support Congregation 700 : communicants monthly about ninety.

2." It is with real regret, that from the lowness of my present circumstances, and the several little demands upon me for necessaries which I am unable to meet, I feel compelled to apply reluctantly once more to your benevolent institution for relief, hoping it may be the last time; as my children are beginning to go off from me, and I have the promise of some advance in my salary after Michaelmas, being now but eighty pounds. I have six children: two are entirely dependent upon me, and three others partially so Resigning myself and all my concerns to the Divine will, and confiding in the already experienced liberality of the generous Committee,-I remain, &c."

3. ".. I serve the curacy of only. The stated duty, morning and evening service alternately on each Sunday; but, in the summer season, when not prevented by illness, 1 preach twice each Sabbath. My whole annual income is about seventy pounds including fees, &c. I have four children; three wholly dependent upon me, and the other I clothe. Congregation about 200; and a Sunday-school of about 60 children."

FRANCE.

FOREIGN.

The king's speech, at the opening of the chambers, gives strong assurances of the peace and prosperity of the country. The commercial treaty lately made with Great Britain is spoken of with much satisfaction; and, though it does not go the extent of making commerce as free in practice as in theory it ought to be, it is doubtless another important innovation on the illiberal and impolitic system of international jealousy and exclusion. The speech further alludes to the treaty with Hayti under the softened phrase of "having at length fixed the fate of St. Domingo, and closed a painful wound." It had surely been more magnanimous to have pronounced at once, as George the Third did in the case of the United States of America, the recognition of independence, than to leave the meaning of this part of the speech from the throne to be gathered from other and extra-official sources, especially as there is no such reserve in alluding to "the indemnity procured for the ancient planters." The speech also proposes a further remission of taxes, an augmentation of the revenues of the church, and a law to check the progressive subdivision of landed property, with a view to build up again a national aristocracy, the absence of which the ultra royalists consider as among the most portentous results of the Revolution. The intended law is however only permissive, not compulsatory, allowing persons, if so they please, to entail their estates to the eldest son.

GREECE. Scarcely any distinct and authentic intelligence has arrived from Greece during the month; but the balance appears upon the whole favourable to the cause of the patriots. The Turkish power, it is stated, has made no progress either by sea or land, and in some instances has met with repulses.

MEXICO. — We have frequently expressed our conviction, grounded on numerous facts, that the power and inAuence of the See of Rome are rapidly on the decline; and notwithstanding the counter-opinion of many reflecting and religious persons, we are happy in thinking that almost every succeeding month adduces new proofs of this important fact. Our readers will recollect the attempt of the pope to interfere in the affairs of Mexico, and the spirited repulse which, even in that devotedly Catholic country, he received, amounting to a complete and official denial of all

his claims to any authority except of a purely spiritual nature. And how does the pope meet this new state of affairs? Does he issue, as in former days, an interdict upon the rebellious kingdom? does he even venture to re-assert his claims, or intimate a single doubt of the legitimacy of those measures, or that government, of which he was so anxious to prevent the establishment? So far from it, he addresses the President of Mexico as his most beloved son, expresses the highest satisfaction at the receipt of the letters and other documents which he had sent him, acknowledges with singular modesty that "the dignity to which, without any merit on his part, he has been raised, forbids his interference with any thing unconnected with the church," and even sends him the congratulations of the apostolical chair on the peace and concord which the Mexican nation now enjoys he does not say by rebellionbut "by the favour of God." We do not mean to intimate that the influence of Popery is not still fearfully prevalent in the world, or that there is not the most ample necessity to oppose it by every wise and scriptural means; but as a political system we trust that its foundations are effectually and for ever undermined. If it rise again, its rise must, humanly speaking, be the result of the skill and zeal of its votaries, unchecked by the more powerful arms of reason and Scripture which Protestants have it in their power to wield. Against such an event Protestants may effectually guard; and it is their duty to do so, by increased efforts, for the diffusion of scriptural education, and the principles of true piety and liberality thoughout the world.

DOMESTIC.

Parliament opened on the second of the month with a speech delivered by commission, in which his Majesty alludes with satisfaction to the assurances of "all foreign princes and states," of their friendly disposition to this country, and expresses his own wish to recommend universal peace; in pursuance with which policy, his mediation has been 'successfully employed to effect a treaty between Portugal and Brazil. He further mentions his endeavours to give effect to the liberal principles of trade sanctioned by Parliament, and the result of those endeavours in connexion with France, the Hanseatic Cities of Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the Republic

of Colombia. But the chief topic of the speech is the pecuniary embarrassments of the country; which are stated " not to have arisen from any political events, either at home or abroad, or from any unexpected demand upon the public resources, or from the apprehension of any interruption to the general tranquillity." "Some of the causes to which this evil must be attributed," it is stated, "lie without the reach of direct parliamentary interposition; nor can security against the recurrence of them be found, unless in the experience of the sufferings which they have occasioned." "But, to a certain portion of the evil," it is added, "corrective, at least, if not effectual remedies, may be applied; and his Majesty relies upou the wisdom of Parliament, to devise such measures as may tend to protect both private and public interests against the like sudden and violent fluctuations, by placing on a more firm foundation the currency and circulating credit of the country.'

To effect this object Government have most strenuously recommended to Parliament two measures; the one, the suppression of country bank-notes under 57., and the other a modification of so much of the Bank-of-England Charter as prohibits more than six partners in country banks. The former measure will intro

duce a metallic currency throughout the country; and the latter will secure the stability of banks on an extended footing of wealth and numbers in the proprietors. Parliament have agreed to the principle of these measures by large majorities; and they have been very generally hailed throughout the country as highly useful and necessary enactments. Bankers' small notes already in circulation are proposed to be allowed for three years longer, but no new ones to be issued. To prevent temporary inconvenience, the bank may issue small notes till next October. No legislative provision, however, we fear, can at once relieve the serious embarrassments which at present continue to press with great weight upon various interests throughout the country. Many houses of long established character, we regret to state, have been added to the list of deficiencies during the month; and we fear that some time may elapse before the ill effects of the present commercial crisis will have subsided. The evil appears to us to have originated in the very great depression of the interest of money, which took place in the

years 1823, 1824, and 1825, and which led to that eagerness of speculation and overtrading which the miserable rate of income to be derived from public and other securities almost necessartly produced. We are now paying the forfeit of that factitious prosperity.

The affairs of Ireland have hitherto been scarcely touched upon in Parliament. We are happy to learn, that the act for the commutation of tithes in that country, has been already carried into effect, in more than one-fourth of the parishes in the island, with much mutual advantage to the clergy and their parishioners. The execution of the suggestions of the commissioners of educa tion has been hitherto prevented by formidable obstacles.

Accounts from India mention an attack by a Pindaree force upon Cutch. The province of that name, situated to the North-West of India, is under the protection, though not the sway, of the East-India Company.-The Burmese war, in which we have spent so much blood and treasure, without any adequate cause with which the public is acquainted, is likely, it is hoped, to be soon terminated. An armistice has been concluded, and negociations have been opened for effecting a treaty of peace.

Numerous Anti-slavery Petitions continue to be presented to Parliament, and public meetings to be held on the subject. Mr. Brougham has given notice of his intention to bring before Parliament, on an early day, the whole question of Colonial Slavery, in the form of a bill for its mitigation. Various abuses arising out of the subject will be brought forward in succession by other Members.

The five Africans rescued from a French slave-vessel at St. Ives, have been restored to liberty, by a decision of the Lord Chief Justice. Yet had these unhappy men been smuggled into a West-India plantation, they would only have been where so many hundreds of thousands of their countrymen now are, upon no substantially better title. Is it not hypocritical in us any longer to denounce the infamous traffic in slaves, and yet to retain in hopeless bondage its miserable victims?

Ministers do not intend to propose or sanction any alteration of the corn laws, during the present session; but a motion for their repeal will be brought forward by Mr. Whitmore on the 28th instant.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. As in former Numbers of your magazine, you have admitted biographical notices of those who were poor in this world's goods (see, for example, the interesting memoir of Thomas Hogg, Christian Observer for January 1823)-I take the liberty of sending you a short memoir of an aged servant of Jesus Christ, recently deceased, whom I have known personally for the last twelve years, and during the last seven of her life intimately; and who has departed this transitory world, having a "good hope, through grace," of a glorious reward. The substance of the following pages has been collected from her own conversation, and from personal knowledge of her general habits. I think the circumstances of her history calculated to promote, among the poorer classes of society, the increase of genuine religion, the "fruits" of which were largely exhibited by the subject of this memoir; and at the same time, to furnish another proof of the Divine origin of Christianity, as adapted to the endless varieties of age, character, and circumstance throughout the human race: for that sublime system, while it rises in its mysteries infinitely above the conceptions of the most enlarged mind, is yet so simple that it brings home its lessons of instruction to the comprehension even of the meanest understanding.

JUVENIS.

The subject of this memoir, LYDIA W——, was born at a small village in one of the midland counties, on the 16th of January, 1739. Her father kept a small shop, besides working at his trade as a woolcomber. Both her parents died before she had completed her fourth year; and Lydia was received into the house of her uncle, who resided at a neighbouring market-town, and who clothed and educated her. From the time when her reasoning faculties began to dawn, she considered herself as a poor orphan, who must make her way in the world by her own industry; and upon this principle she acted, during the time of her continuance in service, though she had always a laborious farmer's place, and occasionally met with rather rough treatment.

In the earlier part of her life, as far as I can collect, she was not distinguished from the busy crowd around her, as re

spected her moral character, but entered with spirit into the manners and customs of her humble department of the world. In her 35th year, it pleased God, in a particular yet almost imperceptible manner, to stop her in her thoughtless career. Upon my inquiring what induced her first to think practically of her soul, she gave me the following account, which I repeat as nearly as possible in her own words. "I had been for some time," she said, "very uneasy in my mind, and had much inward meditation. I feared that I was not prepared to die, should it please God to summon me to the tomb; and when I thought of the uncertainty of life, I trembled and was afraid. I read my Bible, I attended upon the public ordinances of religion, and I prayed to God; yet still I received no comfort." At length, however, she obtained repose of mind, by means of the promises of Scripture. One passage, in particular, strongly impressed her feelings: "Ye are the Lord's, and his Spirit dwelleth in you;" from which she inferred, that, while she took comfort from the gracious declaration in the former part of the text, she must evidence by her deportment that indwelling of the Spirit described in the latter."I must labour," she said, "to be conformed to the image of God; for, as the same Apostle argues, God hath not called us to uncleanness, but to holiness. The uniform language of Scripture is, Be ye holy, for I am holy." Without holiness no man can see the Lord.' From that period," she continued, "I began a new course of life, and in that course, his blessed Spirit has enabled me to persevere till the present time." Such was the account which this aged Christian gave to me in her 84th year.

I found in the frequent conversations I had with her, that in her mind the duties and the doctrines of Christianity were inseparably connected: and of little use, would she say, is it to profess the Christian name, and to contend for the purity of the Christian faith, unless the sanctity of the life and the renewal of the heart crown that profession, and impart to it allits value.

About her thirty-eighth year, having saved a little money, she took a lodging house, to accommodate travellers and persons employed in business; and, shortly afterwards, she was married to a man who had several children by a