ruse it; it was granted, and he read it. His soul was so deeply impressed with the importance of its contents, that he determined to relinquish caste and every other superstition for the Lord Jesus Christ. So far indeed was he influenced by the Holy Spirit, that he set out for and arrived at Serampore; and there became a truly pious Christian, and a zealous preacher of the Gospel.

SABBATH SCHOOL ANECDOTE.

A little boy, belonging to a Sunday school, in London, having occasion every Sabbath to go through a certain court, observed a shop always open for the sale of goods. The little boy, having been taught the duty of sanctifying that day, was grieved at its profanation, and some time considered in himself whether it was possible for him to do any thing to prevent it. At length, he determined upon leaving a tract on the Lord's Day, next week, at the shop as he passed by. He did so. On the next Sabbath, coming the same way, he observed that the shop was shut up.He stopped, and pondered whether this could be the effect of the tract he had left. He ventured to knock gently at the door; when a woman within, thinking it was a customer, answered aloud, "You cannot have any thing: we don't sell on Sunday." The little boy still begged for admittance, encouraged by what he had heard. When the woman recollecting his voice, opened the door, and said, "Come in, my dear little fellow: it was you who left the tract here last Sunday, against Sabbath-breaking, and it frightened me so, that I did not dare to keep my shop open any longer; and I am determined never to do so again while I live."

Let this be an encouragement to the teachers of Sunday schools in enforcing the observation of the Lord's Day; and let it be a stimulus to all serious people, and even to children, to distribute tracts in every possible direction.

THE POWER OF MUSIC UPON THE PASSIONS.

The following is related by the Prince of Cantimer in his works of the Ottomans.

THE Sultan Amarath, a cruel Prince, having beseiged and taken Bagdad, gave orders to put to death thirty thousand men, who had grounded their arms to the haughty conqueror. Among these unfortunate victims was a musician, who entreated the officer that executed the orders of the Sultan, to wait a moment, and permit him to speak to the Emperor. The officer commanded him to be brought into the presence of the Sultan, and give a proof of his art. Like the musician mentioned in Omer, he took a kind of Psaltery resembling the Lyre, having six strings on each side. He accompanied the instrument with his voice, and sung

to the praise of Bagdad, and the triumph of Amarath. The soft and pathetic sounds of his instrument, alternately intermixed with his bold and plaintive airs, produced such a surprising effect upon the soul of the lofty monarch, that his heart was melted into tenderness, and he could not suppress the compassionate emotions of his soul. The skilful musician left him alone. He was completely overcome by the power of melody. He melted into tears of pity. All his turbulent passions seemed changed to softness and compassion. His resentment gave way to relentings; and he changed his cruel intention. In consideration of the capacity of the musician, he not only spared the lives of his thirty thousand captives, who had been sentenced to die, but set them all at liberty.

If such is the power of terrestrial, what must be the melody of celestial music, where the concert of myriads join to sing the praise of God! Oh what ravishing charms to the ears of the whole company of the redeemed from among men, when the ineffable glory of God shall inspire their hearts and elevate their voices to shout hallelujahs for ever!

The following is extracted from the Works of Rev. John Wesley,

"By the Power of Music, I mean, its power to affect the hearers; to raise various passions in the human mind. Of this we have very surprising accounts in ancient history. We are told, the ancient Greek musicians in particular, were able to excite whatever passions they pleased to inspire love or hate, joy or sorrow, hope or fear, courage, fury, or despair: yea, to raise these one after another, and to vary the passion, just according to the variation of the music.

But how is this to be accounted for? No such effects attend the modern music: although it is confessed on all hands, that our instruments excel theirs beyond all degrees of comparison. What was their lyre, their instruments of seven or ten strings, compared to our violin? What were any of their pipes, to our hautboy or German flute? What all of them put together, all that were in use two or three thousand years ago, to our organ? How is it then, that with this inconceivable advantage, the modern music has less power than the ancient?

Some have given a very short answer to this, cutting the knot which they could not untie. They have doubted, or affected to doubt the fact: perhaps have even denied it. But no sensible man will do this, unless he be utterly blinded by prejudice. For it would be denying the faith of all history: seeing no fact is better authenticated. None is delivered down to us by more unquestionable testimony; such as fully satisfies in all other cases. We have, therefore, no more reason to doubt of the power of Timotheus' music, than that of Alexander's arms: and we may deny his taking Persepolis, as well as his burning it through that sud

den rage, which was excited in him by that musician. And the various effects which were successively wrought in his mind, (so beautifully described by Dryden, in his Ode on Cecilia's-day,) are astonishing instances of the power of a single harp, to transport, as it were, the mind out of itself.

Nay, we read of an instance, even in modern history, of the power of music not inferior to this. A musician being brought to the King of Denmark, and asked, whether he could excite any passion, answered in the affirmative, and was commanded to make the trial upon the King himself. Presently the monarch was all in tears; and upon the musician changing his mood, he was quickly roused into such fury, that snatching a sword from one of his assistant's hands, (for they had purposely removed his own,) he immediately killed him, and would have killed all in the room, had he not been forcibly withheld."

The effect of David's harp upon King Saul is well known. It is said, "When the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him." 1 Sam.

xvi. 23.

If such be the influence of music over the minds of men, with what assiduity should it be cultivated by all Christian congregations! And more especially when it is considered that there is abundance of scripture authority, both precept and example, for its use. If so, if God has commanded us to "sing with the spirit and with the understanding also," how can it be inferred that the learning this art can be detrimental to piety? And how can we sing with the understanding, without learning to understand the art we attempt to practise? If, indeed, any part of divine worship is calculated to excite the affections to things spiritual and divine, it is to hear a congregation of saints raising their tuneful voices. in celebrating the praise of God. But while this duty rightly performed soothes all the passions of our nature, and produces the most exquisite pleasure to the devout soul, yet when it is murdered by the clashing sounds of discordant notes, which grate horribly on the ear, sensations equally disagreeable are produced, and the art itself is thrown into contempt. The drawling languor with which this part of divine service is too often performed, is sufficient of itself to excite all lovers of sacred music to diligence in striving to redeem it from the obloquy cast upon it by such singing drones. Let then the friends of an enlightened and enlivened piety, exert themselves in the laudable attempt to improve this sacred science, and they shall meet with the best wishes of the Christian community, who delight in order and decorum in the Church. of God, for success.

THE BEGGAR AND THE TRACT.

Communicated for the London Evangelical Magazine, by "C. Brooker, Alfriston, Sussex."

ABOUT five or six years ago, while passing through a meadow, I observed before me a beggar; he appeared to bend with the weight of years, having a bag on his back, containing I suppose, his kettle, &c. on the top of which was a bundle of sticks. After walking a short distance, he frequently paused, as if tired or afflicted. When I overtook him, I mildly accosted him and said, "Well master, where do you think you shall be in twenty years time?" He stopped, immediately fixed his eyes on me, and after a short interval replied, "In heaven I hope master.”—“ In heaven, (I rejoined) Why do you hope you shall be in heaven ?" "Because I hope I shall, master."-"But (said I) you know there are two kinds of hope spoken of in the Scriptures; the hope of the hypocrite which perisheth, and the hope of the righteous which is an anchor to the soul; which hope of the two is yours?" "Why faith is a great thing master, is it not?" "Yes, faith is certainly very important." "To be born again is a great thing, is it not, master ?" "Yes to be born again is a very great thing: but (I continued) where did you get all this knowledge ?" "I will tell you master: About nine or ten years ago I was begging for something at one of the houses of the Royal Crescent at Brighton; after waiting for some time, as no one gave me any thing, I turned and walked away; a servant then came after me and said that a lady had sent me a penny and a little tract, which she desired I would read; it was that little book, master, that taught me to know about faith, and about being born again.” "What was the name of the tract?" "A Dialogue between a traveller and yourself: and such was the effect master, which this little tract had on me, that I learned every word of it by heart." "Can you repeat it now?" "Yes master." "Let me hear you." After repeating a small portion of it, his shortness of breath prevented his proceeding any farther. "Master (said he,) I have got an asthma, and cannot go on." Wishing much to ascertain the truth of his statement, I asked him to call on me another day, and repeat the contents of the tract; to which he readily consented. Before we parted he said, "Master I wish you would give me some prayers." "Give you some prayers, (I replied;) you do not find any difficulty in supplicating for a supply of your temporal wants at persons' doors, cannot you ask the Lord to give you spiritual blessings in the same way?"-"Yes, master; but my prayers are so sinful, I am afraid the Lord will not hear me." I endeavoured to explain to him the nature of prayer, and how the Lord would accept the prayers of sinful creatures like ourselves, through the mediation of the Saviour. However, I promised to give him some prayers when he called.

In two or three days after, he came to my residence, when, having in my possession the tract before specified, my dear consort (now no more) and myself, heard him repeat the whole of the tract, both questions and answers, without missing, I believe, a single word; although he was, as he informed me, and I have no doubt of the fact, eighty-two years of age.

I now examined him respecting his general view of religion, which I found to be correct, and which he informed me he had gathered entirely from this excellent tract. Indeed, I am well persuaded, though I wish ever to attach a proper suspicion to the deposition of strangers, that the Lord had so blessed the reading of this little production, as to make it instrumental to the salvation of his soul. He informed me that he was a mason by trade, and that the tract was given him not long after he became incapacitated for labour. After providing him with some prayers, and these, Mr. Editor, I believe were from a little book on "SelfExamination," written by yourself, he departed, promising to call on me again when he came into these parts. I have not seen him since. It is probable he soon after paid the debt of nature; and if so, there is no doubt but he is now ascribing salvation to God and the Lamb among the countless number who surround the throne of glory, acknowledging that little messenger of mercy, the tract, as the instrumental cause of his salvation.

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM ELIJAH BOARDMAN, TO THE EDITOR, DATED JAN. 21, 1822.

DEAR BROTHER,

On the evening of the 12th inst. I called for the second time to visit the Rev. Mr. Crane, the Presbyterian Missionary to the Tuscarora tribe of Indians, in Lewistown. He receives the Methodist preachers, not as strangers, but as brothers belovedHe seems to be an "Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." Himself, his lady, and Mrs. Brown, the tutoress, evidently evince the true Missionary spirit, by endeavouring to ingraft these wilds plants of nature into the true olive tree.

Mr. Crane has built a small house near the centre of the tribe, and is to them as a priest and a prophet. There are from thirty-five to forty families belonging to this tribe, and he has about eighteen communicants, and a number of others very serious. The gracious work is increasing. I learned from brother W. T. Alvis that a singing school in the tribe was to be held that evening, at the house of Mr. Crane. Accordingly in the evening two Indian