introduced among them, and for which we have given them a predilection. Perhaps they may heavily feel the want of fuch occafional fupplies, when it may be too late to go back to their old and lefs perfect contrivances, contrivances which they now defpife, and which they have difcontinued fince the introduction of ours. It is, indeed, to be apprehended, that by the time that the iron tools, of which they had become poffefsed, are worn out, they will have almoft loft the knowledge of their own. In this laft voyage of our Commander, a ftone hatchet was as rare a thing among the inhabitants as an iron one was eight years before; and a chiffel of bone or ftone was not to be feen. Spike-nails had fucceeded in their place; and of fpike-nails the natives were weak enough to imagine that they had gotten an inexhauftible store. Of all our commodities, axes and hatchets remain the most unrivalled; and they muft ever be held in the higheft eftimation through the whole of the islands. Iron tools are fo ftrikingly ufeful, and are become fo neceffary to the comfortable exiftence of the inhabitants, that, fhould they ceafe to receive fupplies of them, their fituation, in confequence of their neither poffeffing the materials, nor being trained up to the art of fabricating them, would be rendered completely miferable. It is impoffible to reflect upon this reprefentation of things without ftrong feelings of fympathy and concern. Sincerely it is to be withed, that fuch may be the order of events, and fuch the intercourfe carried on with the fouthern iflanders, that, instead of finally fuffering by their acquaintance with us, they may rife to a higher fate of civilization, and permanently enjoy bleffings far fuperior to what they had heretofore known.'

Dr. Kippis's Life of Capt. Cook. p. 405.

CONSIDERATIONS TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNANIMITY AMONG CHRISTIANS.

"Ban

E of one mind, love as brethren; and be at peace among yourselves," were apoftolic injunctions, which will ever be binding on all profeffing Chriftians. If they be what they profcfs, they have a participation of the Spirit of Chrift, which was, and is, and ever will be, a spirit of peace and love. If Chriftians ftrive, if they contend earneftly, let it not be about words, names, forms and circumftantials in religion, in which the wifcft of men may, and VOL. IV.

4 F

do

do differ; but, let it be against the common enemy; let it be for the effentials, in which they are all agreed. Let them

ftrive together for the faith of the Golpel :" let them " contend earneftly for the faith once delivered to the faints." But let them not fall out among themselves by the way, merely because they cannot all think exactly alike concerning certain unimportant circumftantials. To prevent their zeal from raging againft one another; and to promote unanimity, peace and love among themselves: let them confider the relations in which they ftand connected; the imperfections common to them all, the advantages given to their enemies by means of their own imprudent quarrels; and particularly, their own comfort, ftrength and beauty, when they dwell together in love and unity.

By nature, they are fellow-creatures, fellow-finners, and fellow-mortals; yea, they are children of wrath, and of difobedience; as fuch it was no wonder that in times paft, they ferved divers lufts and pleafures; and lived in malice and envy; but as Chriftians, they are new creatures. They are begotten, born or quickened by one and the fame Spirit. They partake of the fame principle of divine and spiritual life; and are towards God, of one heart, and one foul. They have one Father, and as fuch, are brethren. Collectively, they are the family and household of God. They are fellows in many refpects: fellow-citizens, and fellowfervants; fellow-travellers, fellow-foldiers, and fellow-fufferers. They are fellow-heirs of exceeding great and precious promiles; and, by and by, will be fellow-heirs of an exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Ranfomed by the fame precious blood, and regenerated by the fame good Spirit, they enjoy the fame liberty; they act from the fame motives, by the fame rule, and to one and the fame end. They are connected and cemented together by the clofeft and ftrongeft ties. They are living ftones, built up a fpiritual houfe, an habitation for the living God. They are not only members of the fame family, but even branches of one and the fame Vine. They all derive fap from the fame root, that they may produce abundantly the fame precious fruit.

If fuch confiderations will not preferve unanimity among the faints, let us in the next place confider, that they have no reafon to be hard one upon another, because there are many imperfections common to them all. Far be it from any of them to fet up for infallibility: they know that in many things they all offend. The most difcerning of them fee only through a glass darkly. It is no

uncommon

uncommon thing for them to think differently at different times; to live to alter their opinions of certain points, concerning which, they had before been far too confident. When fallible mortals exclaim, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we," and that in exclufion of all others, they do but proclaim their own arrogance. While fo many imperfections remain, we must not expect in all things to fee exactly alike. In little matters there will be thades of difference, but if our heavenly Father bear therewith, certainly we ought. There is no doubt but he permits these things, not with a defign to excite contention about them, but to exercife our Chriftian charity and forbearance. Are we not all encompaffed about with infirmities? Then let us bear with one another's weakncffes, and never more contend about trifles.

Confider further the bad effects of all difcord, and uncharitable contentions among chriftian brethren. "Avoid foolish queftions and contentions," fays the Apoftle, "for they are unprofitable and vain." Saints never do themfelves any good thereby, but on the contrary, each party receives injury. They injure the common cause and ftrengthen the hands of the common enemy. Should parties of the fame army meet in the night, and, by mistake, fight against one another, caufing mutual deftruction in their contention for victory, how would they forrow when the light of the morning fhould discover their mistake! And, how would their enemies rejoice to hear thereof! The application is eafy. The contentions of believers are the triumph of infidels. Our Saviour fays, "A houfe divided againft itself cannot ftand." In all focieties, fays the pious Matthew Henry, "Common ruin is the confequence of mutual quarrels. Divifion ends in defolation.” Religious difcord is alfo difgraceful. If fheep of a pasture, and birds of a feather, can agree to feed, and fold, and flock together; what a fhame is it for the ranfomed of the Lord, the household of faith, the peaceable fubjects of the Prince of peace, to bite and devour one another? But

Finally, how pleafing, how profitable, how beautiful, for brethren to dwell together in unity! The Pfalmiit compares it to the precious ointment poured on the head of Aaron, and to the dew of Hermon, and the dew that defcended upon the mountains of Zion. It is good in itself; it is pleafing to God; it is fweet to the faints. It is allur ing even to finners. In a word, it is conformity to heaven itself. Surely there is fomething weighty in thefe confiderations! Under the influence of them, let us ftrive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace." 4 F 2

66

S. B.

ANECDOTES,

HE firft of the following Anecdotes will contribute

Tomething, I hope, toward keeping alive that fenfe

of the neceffity of Chriftian Miffions to the Heathen world, which at prefent appears fo deeply to poffefs the minds of the Lord's people; and the fecond to encourage their perfeverance in their pious labours. The former I had from a Gentleman who has been frequently in Africa, and with whom I accidentally met on a late journey. He appeared to be a man of obfervation and probity; and finding he had been as far up the country as to the dominions of the King of Dahomy, I enquired into the truth of a report pretty widely circulated, that the dwelling of the King was partly furrounded with walls of human fkulls; and he anfwered by ftating the facts that follow, as having fallen beneath his own notice. The latter is extracted from a German publication, which I believe has never yet appeared in the English language.

S. P.

I. Some of the Africans regarding the Tiger as God of the woods, and others the Shark as a kind of Neptune or God of the feas, pay divine honours to these creatures refpectively. The King of Dahomy worthips the Shark, When one of these fith is taken on that part of the coaft which lies the neareft to his territory, it is immediately conveyed in a vehicle, fomewhat refembling the palanquin of the Eaft, to a temple near the King's refidence, dedicated to this animal. There the Shark's fleth is eaten by the King and his attendants; and on every fuch occafion a number of flaves are invariably facrificed in honour of their God. The heads of the victims are piled up in the temples, and there are already collected two immenfe heaps of them, which are increafed with every freth Shark brought from the coast.

II. A young Catechist under Mr. Shwartz, a Chriftian Miffionary at Tiruchinapaily, hearing that a relation of his at a diftance had died in Heathenifm, difcovered much diftrefs of heart, and begged permiffion to go and preach Chrift to the furviving members of the family; which having obtained, he fet out the next day, in company with fome other natives on his journey. On the way, they were attacked by a party of robbers, who ftript them of all their clothes, food, money, and whatever elfe they had about them. With much intreaty, the Catechift obtained from one of the thieves, who appeared to be an apoitate Papist, his books, and a rag to bind round his

middle;

middle; and thus he went to the next town. His companions had relations there, who provided them with neceffaries on their arrival; whilft the poor Catechift was left standing naked in the ftreet, with his books on his arm, having no refource, but in the providence of God. length a goldfmith of the place accofted him, and enquired who he was, where he lived, and whither he was going. The Catechift told him that he lived with the preacher of the true Gofpel, at Tiruchinapally--that he was going to carry the good tidings to his relations at Uttama-paleiam-but that the Lord had tried him on the way, by fuffering him to fall into the hands of the Kallur, or thieves. The goldfmith then invited him to his houfe, and defired him to read to him out of the Chriftian books he had brought with him; which having done, his hoft very kindly entertained him for the night, and when he left him in the morning, gave him an old garment and three measures of rice; in return for which, the Catechift left with him a little book, and purfued his journey. The next day he came to another town, where he was equally unknown; but here the Lord opened the heart of a Brazier, who chearfully entertained him, and paid great attention to the doctrine of the Gofpel. On the morrow, the Bailiff who had alfo requested at his lips, inftruction from the word of God, furnished him with more rice, and gave him a good garment instead of the old one prefented by the Goldfmith. When he came within one day's journey of his relations, he found he had to pafs through a tract abounding with dangers; but here alfo the Lord raised him up a friend, in an old fchool-fellow, with whom he accidentally met, and who lent a ferious ear whilft the Catechift thewed him the way of Salvation. This man furnished him with a guard of ten perfons, in whofe company he arrived fafely at the place of deftination. Here he was the happy inftrument of bringing to the knowledge of Jefus the Widow of his deceafed relative, a youth of the place, a Serwikaren, or Centurion, and a Roman Catholic Cathechift, the latter of whom received a New Teftament with his face on the ground, in token of his gratitude for the book, and his reverance for its author. From the Centurion he received a Turban which compleated his drels; and by means of the convert from Popery, a guard of 30 men to attend him home; where he returned, after an abfence of thirty days, greatly ftrengthened in his faith, and more than ever devoted to the fervice of him, who when he was hungry had provided him with food, and when naked with raiment; fecured him from all danger on his return, and fo graciously helped him to accomplish the object of his journey.