The florist watches with anxiety, and waters with tender care, the various productions of his garden; and whilst he bestows on the splendid and costly plant his arduous labours, he does not overlook the meek violet or the humble lily; he rejoices in their growth and their increase, and observes with pleasure from time to time many off-shoots transplanted to other parterres, there to exhale their sweetness. It is thus with the Christian philanthropist :-he regards his own land on which the Sun of Righteousness sheds its gentle yet powerful beams with intense interest, and puts forth his best and holiest energies to support those institutions which have the glory of God for their object. He is the zealous upholder of the Bible Society and the Missionary Society; but he is equally the friend of the Tract Society and the Sabbath School. He views with satisfaction their progress and extension in his own country. But far higher is his joy to find them making their way to other dark and distant lands, and he prays and labours, and labours and prays that the light of life may beam on the whole world, causing every desolate and uncultivated region to rejoice and blossom as the rose.

It will be gratifying to such minds to observe the cheering circumstance, the introduction of that unostentatious though effective, nay, more than effective-I might almost say omnipotent instrument in the conversion of the world-Maternal Associations, into India. Of their beneficial effects in other lands no more need be added than what has been previously stated; but we would say a few words, commending the subject to the serious attention of Christian mothers. It is too well known to be refuted, that the foundation of character is laid in early childhood, and that unless the foundation be then well laid it is in vain to expect that the future superstructure should be either commodious or magnificent; in short, mediocrity in manhood is the result of neglect in childhood and on whom does this important work rest? The mother. The mother. It is with her to determine in a measure what her child shall hereafter become; whether he shall be a blessing or a curse to society. If she be cold and indifferent to his spiritual interests, seeking more his temporal advancement than his eternal happiness, let her not wonder if she reap the bitter fruit. Were every mother a Hannah, or a Eunice, these societies would be unimportant, for every domestic circle would be a nursery for the Church, and such holy children as Samuel and Timothy would not be objects of wonder; but, we fear, this is not the case. Can even the most prayerful, the most devoted parent say that she has sought, with all the earnestness the case demands, the conversion of her child? Now, Maternal Associations are preeminently adapted to awaken the attention of mothers to this all-important subject, to shew them the very responsible station they fill, the vast amount of influence they possess, and to induce them to bring this treasury of influence to aid in the regeneration and conversion of a lost world. And they have had this effect the tender heart of the mother has been brought to the humbling conviction that she has sinned concerning her, child; she has told her sorrow to others, and touched a sympathizing chord in their bosoms; they have met together, consulted the word of God together, prayed together, and they have found that as "iron sharpeneth iron, so doth the countenance of a man his friend ;" they have followed their prayers with vigorous effort; the Spirit of God has breathed upon this consecration of purpose to the divine glory; has touched the hearts of their children, and they have had the happiness of seeing one after another subscribe with their hands to the Lord, and surname themselves by the name of Israel. And why may we not look for the same blessed results in a country where spiritual privileges are comparatively few-where everything in the moral atmosphere has a tendency to depress and enervate the VIII.

4 I

mind? The understanding of the child begins to develope earlier, and the mind is more susceptible in this country than in more northern latitudes; who shall direct its opening powers, who shall answer its inquiries, guard it from heathen contamination, store its mind with knowledge, lead it to the fountain of truth to imbibe its freshening streams, whilst infusing by a holy example the spirit of that religion so eminently adapted to make the heart of a little child happy? Who but a mother? There may be the desire to discharge this delightful duty aright, but in the spacious and almost solitary homes of India, where there is an absence of extraneous excitement, where vigorous action must be sustained by a deep sense of responsibility, and where often languor steals over the frame and indisposes it for action,-what so calculated to keep the mind awake as this combination at stated periods for mutual counsel-mutual sympathy-mutual prayer. Those who have been most blessed in their families, who have seen most of the work of the Spirit of God amongst their children, whether they be young or arrived at adult life, should meet to impart to others the means they have found most effective. The Christian mother mourning over the waywardness of her offspring, and the youthful mother anxious to bring up her tender charge in those ways which are indeed pleasantness and peace, but scarce knowing how, should mingle in the little assembly, that their hearts may be encouraged and their purpose strengthened. The Christian mother would find her reward in her labour, were she to bring together those parents just emerging from heathenism, or those who have been trained in Christian schools, teach them that their infants possess something more than mere animal existence, that they have immortal souls, for whose happiness they are in great measure responsible now that themselves have tasted of the word of life, encourage them to exercise a moral, a spiritual influence over their children, that they may see and feel that their Christianity is not a mere name, but a lovely reality. Do any inquire, what is the end most earnestly desired, most eagerly sought in these maternal meetings? Not that the objects of maternal love and tenderness may attain distinction in this world-not that they be highly esteemed among men, but that they obtain favor of God-that their names may be early written in the Lamb's book of life-that their path, should their lives be spared, may be that of the just, shining brighter and brighter unto the perfect day-that their deaths may be happythat their eternity by their early conversion may be the more blissful. One deeply interested in Maternal Associations (the Rev. E. Kirk), recently made the following touching appeal, at

the conclusion of an eloquent address on the subject, which will find a response in the heart of every parent:

your

"Mothers, give your children every advantage that truth can give every advantage that holy example can givethat much pleading of the promises of God can give. You feel for the diseases of the bodies of your children-you are speedy in sending for a physician. O feel for the disease of sin which overspreads their souls, and send for the Great Physician. If he come not at first, knock again. He says the door shall be opened. O seek the salvation of children and seek that they may be converted early, for if you want proof there are enough of us who can give you painful testimony, that it is too late to be converted at 20 or 21; not that we may not or that we are not, but it is too late for many important purposes. It gives to the end of life fearful struggles with the early habits of the heart. It is too late to learn that which we might have learnt. We should have gone so much more deeply into the counsels of God if, like Timothy, on our mother's lap we had learnt to love them. O pray that your sons may not grow up to tread the paths of sin before they turn to God. Pray that your daughters from the first development of their moral faculties and moral being may learn to love their God and Saviour, and be trained for usefulness here and for glory hereafter. Your responsibility is great, for the evils of society are to be rectified in the young by you who are mothers. May God's blessed Spirit impress upon your hearts the importance of your work, and lead you to seek light and teaching at the fountain whence they come. Mothers, bring your little ones to Christ by faith, and if Satan and a cold and unbelieving world by its example, influence, and maxims, seem to rebuke you, still bring them to the Saviour, press on to his feet, and never bear your maternal burdens alone, but roll them upon a breast that beats in sympathy with yours-upon the heart and the arms of the blessed Redeemer. Bring them to Jesus as their Saviour and their Sovereign, and teach their wills to bow to His. Bring them to Him as their pattern. It is said of a Grecian mother, that when Alexander the Great was passing through a crowd with his gleaming helmet and waving plumes-just as he was passing by the mother she raised her child in her arms and exclaimed to it, There, my child, that is Alexander, and you must be another such as he.' But let Christian mothers hold up the example of the spotless Saviour, teach their children His blessed history, and say, 'There, my child, be like Jesus-tread in the footsteps of Jesus.""

III.-Delay, an Appeal.

(Intended as an addition to a Tract about to be re-published. )

"I have long known that unbelief was my misfortune-but, O Sir, until to-day, I knew not it was my GUILT!"—

Once more, dear reader, am I summoned to apply the silver trumpet to my mouth, and blow a warning blast. Since last I wrote, I have seen childhood become youth, and youth advance to manhood, and manhood assume the grey hairs of age, and age slide down into its grave; yet one thing have I found in all these, the "SAVIOUR rejected," and "SALVATION by Him" vilely cast away! I have taught in the household: I have instructed in the Sabbath school: I have preached in the christian church: I have proclaimed Christ on the streets of the world's metropolis: I have passed from pastorage in Europe to Missions in Asia, and have now dwelt for a time in the chief seat of the Gospel in the East: I have heard the truth in its greatest power, and have seen profession in its highest forms: yet every where have I seen one evil destroying the blossom of seriousness; one canker eating out the bud of conviction :-that universal evil, that mortal canker, is DELAY! Children, youths, men, and old men say, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a more convenient season, I will call for thee !"

Seest thou that aged worldling, fretting and groping in the darkness of death? go, say to him, "why dost thou torment thyself so?" In the whisper of the tomb he says, "Too late-too late. I delayed. I am―

too late!" So he dies.

Bend down over apoplectic manhood, just fallen on thy street; kneel beside him, whilst gurgling out the last breath of a covetous life, and say softly in the ear of death, "Why groanest thou? behold the suffering Saviour! cry to Him!" Catch his last words. "Oh delaydamnation-I am lost for ever!"-So too he dies.

Go, sit kindly on that pale couch of mortality, beside that wasted dying youth, whose sunken eye is still fixed on that setting sun, and taking its last mournful draught of that glorious western sky! Take his clammy hand into thine and gently say, "Oh youth, why so sad in thy weakness ? What aileth now thy fainting heart?

Is there not a better Sun than that? Is it not said, 'God is their sun?' Canst thou gather up his words? "I thought-hoped-purposed-I promised-but, it is past-gone-lost-I cannot now-no never—I am sinking-I am dark-no sun-oh! no sun. Delay-delay-thouthou damning sin-oh God!-I am!"-And thus he also dies! These, these, my readers, are the servants of delay: such their wages in the end!

I am now in your hands to warn you against this evil. I feel as if I could not leave you until you have taken Christ for your Lord, and received salvation by Him. I do not see you-I may never know you; but now I speak to you by these lines; and beseech you, in Christ's stead, to lose no time, to make no delay, but to be saved now, if ever you desire not to be damned.

IMMEDIATE repentance, immediate faith, immediate conversion to God through Jesus Christ crucified, are your immediate duty; and