is truly blessed without his blessing,) meet his case. He read the book again; his wife also read it to him, and he became a sober, useful man, instead of a maudlin drunkard. On another occasion, the master of a vessel returned to the society a parcel of tracts which had been sent on board, complaining that once before his men had meddled with such like books when they should have been attending to the ship.' This was a mere excuse, for religion aids and advances, and does not impede, the duties of life. The society, desiring that 'patience might have her perfect work,' sent still other tracts on board, and some of them had so interested this same master, that on his return from the vessel he sent anxiously for another parcel, and spoke in high terms of the benefits conferred on himself and his men by these silent preachers which had gained entrance to the vessel."

"Then, mother," said the elder of the boys, "if so much good is brought about by these nice little books, why do not pious persons send them all over the world?"

The mother then related the proceedings of the principal tract societies, adding that much more ought to be done in this way. The boys looked and felt guilty, and made a promise to spend some of their future spare money in furtherance of such admirable objects-pleasing in time-profitable in eternity.

Their kind parent then related to them some very pleasing and striking anecdotes displaying the immense benefits of those "silent preachers." I entreat those who read this to turn in their minds by what method they can advance the glory of God, through the blessed instrumentality of books or tracts of sound piety and profit. SIGMA.

REFLECTIONS OF A DYING MISSIONARY. COULD the friends of missions see the things which I see, and hear the things which hear, they would not withhold their contributions from the treasury of the Lord-could they see, as I do, the hearts of my brethren and sisters united in prayer and in labour as the heart of one man, could they behold these wretched heathens, from day to day, carrying on their breasts and on their foreheads the badges of heathenism, and know the cruel bondage in which they are held-there would, I think, be no more need of missionary sermons, and missionary agents, to unlock the coffers of the rich. The country would be all in motion, some would give their thousands, and multitudes their sovereigns and pence, till the treasury of the Lord should be filled. If the object could not be effected in any other way, some would live on bread and water, and others would sell their houses and lands to furnish the means of enlightening the heathen-of making known to them the only Redeemer of sinners."

Ah, Christian reader, could you place yourself by the side of a dying, laborious missionary, you would feel, like him, that money was only really valuable when devoted to such a cause-and might not the application be made to every Christian as to personal service in the field. It is not to be questioned, but that there are many who might usefully labour among the heathen, who are resting at home, feeding in a rich pasture, forgetting that thousands of thousands are perishing for lack of the bread of life which God has granted, and provided, for the sake of a ruined world. Let us each think-let us think we hear the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send-who will rise up for me against the evil-doers ?"-where is the soul to be found who,

having tasted that the Lord is gracious, can be willing to stay in inglorious retirement, and not reply, "Lord, here am I, send me"? Might not ministers do much by looking round upon their members, and encouraging some to go to the blessed work; and might not many go forth who have not yet done so. The time is short-the subject is important-the ranks of missionary labourers are annually thinning→ the heathen are still numerous, wretched, and perishing; let us not forget fifty thousand are daily dropping into eternity without that gospel which, in many cases, it is not only our duty to send, but to take, for their deliverance and salvation. These lines have been written with the hope that others may take up the subject of personal service, and offer to the Christian church some remarks that may bring it generally forward, so that more labourers may be thrust out into the harvest.

ANXIETY.

SEEK first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.-I urge this removal of your anxieties for your sakes, that you may profit thereby. For remember, it is a mistake of the enemy to make you believe that your anxiety about the future makes the future prosperous. Anxiety impedes success. Anxiety I reckon to be all against a man. Nevertheless, these faculties of man must be spent on something; but not on the uncertain future of this world. These faculties, anxiety and desire, hope and fear, and high ambition, which are the true distinctions of man from the lower animals, (for they have a kind of understanding and wisdom; hence the Scriptures say, God hath given man "more understanding than the brutes that perish,")-these truly human faculties, anxiety and desire, hope and

fear, and high ambition, do wear man out until he find their proper object. They buoy him up with baseless hopes; they sink him with cloudy fears; they transport him with mocking ambition; they deceive him, they baffle him, they sell him over to the mastery of devils, and make him even a devil incarnate; until they find their free and proper object in the revelation of God. Then they rise, they soar, they mount; they dwell with God; and they are fed by him with divine food, which nourisheth divine strength. They become at once powerful and peaceable like God; though they could command legions to their aid in the time of trouble, they rather bear and endure, as Christ did, for the sake of the fallen world, because they know that a rest remaineth for them; they endure misery and death, and triumph in the last extremity. And yet, though these parts of our nature— to wit, anxiety and hope, desire and, fear, and high ambition are so durable and strong, they are led as a lamb to the slaughter.-REV. E. IRVING, M.A.

THE CARE OF THE SOUL.

READER,-In the following remarks, I shall adopt the language of direct and personal address. I suppose you to be convinced, by every day's observation, that your continuance in this world must very soon terminate. You believe in the ennobling doctrine of the soul's immortality, and of the continued expansion of its capacities of enjoying or suffering throughout its endless existence. You believe in eternal rewards and punishments; and you believe that the soul's future destiny will depend, not upon the wealth here amassed, the pleasure here enjoyed, or the knowledge here acquired; but upon the moral character here formed, and the spiritual life here begun. With this belief, you are conscious that you

have not formed that moral character, or commenced that spiritual life, which alone can fit you for eternal happiness. If such be your belief, and such your condition, I ask you to read what follows as if it were addressed directly to yourself alone.

What, then, is the worth of the soul? How shall it be measured? How shall it be conceived? With what shall it be compared? Its immortality, and its ever-expanding capacities, are the elements on which its value depends, Let one immortal soul enjoy for ever any definite and continued degree of happiness, however small, it is clear that the sum of its enjoyment through the whole of its eternal existence would exceed the sum of happiness that could be enjoyed in this world by all the myriads of men that have ever inhabited it, or by the eight hundred mil lions that now inhabit it. Nay, the excess would be beyond all computation. Add, now, that the soul will enjoy not a very small continuance of happiness, but an inconceivably great, ever enlarging, and abso lutely unbounded, measure of felicity, going on increasing with its expanding capacities, in a geometrical ratio, through the interminable ages of its immortality, and who will attempt to draw the comparison between the sum of that one soul's hap-piness and the sum of all the worldly felicity of all the world's inhabitants, from its creation to the present time? Well might it be asked, "What will it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"

Reader, do you go about, from day to day, conscious that there is in you a spirit of this inestimable -value? And yet there is. Such a soul is committed to your care, and for its destiny you are accountable. And how stands that account? I appeal to your conscience. If you are assured that your soul is safe, I have no more to say. But if conscience tells you there is something wrong-if there comes over you,

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