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النشر الإلكتروني

EXTRACT FROM A LETTER.

I will tell you of a pleasing fact, which may serve as an encouragement to you, in seeking the conversion of your friend. A gentleman visited Y-, about three years ago, of high spiritual attainments-young, and a heart glowing with love-who, at the house where he visited, found himself introduced to an Unitarian family. He sought opportunity, and with affectionate zeal adverted to the points of difference. The lady at whose house he was, opposed it as injudicious. He told me, in her presence, he was sorry to offend, and go against her opinion. I replied: "Take up the cross, cut off the right hand." He used to spend hours at the house, with the Bible before them, pointing out that Christ is God. The result was, the eldestain the family reflected afterwards, then forsook the Unitarian meeting, and embraced the opportunity the first moment the path was clear, to become a member of Christ in baptism, and a constant hearer in the Church of England. And it is to be hoped the good will not end here.

WHAT WILL SAVE FROM DRUNKENNESS.

Before his conversion, Cupido was a most notorious sinner, famous for swearing, lying, fighting, and especially drunkenness; which, in consequence of the weakness of his constitution, frequently laid him on a sick bed. On such occasions, he invariably resolved to abandon this degrading sin, and to lead a sober life; but no sooner did his health return, than his besetting sin again prevailed. He was sometimes afraid of the anger of God, though he knew him not, and expected that his conduct would lead to the destruction of his soul. He therefore anxiously inquired of all he met, by what means he might be freed from the crime of drunkenness, conceiving that he might be easily delivered from all other sins. Some directed him to apply to witches and wizards; but these were miserable comforters, for they told him that the very inquiries which he made evinced that he was near death. Others prescribed various kinds of medicines, all of which he took with avidity, but all proved in vain. At length, being providentially led to Graaf Reinet, he heard, in a discourse delivered by Mr. Vander Lingen, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was able to save sinners from all their sins. He immediately said within himself, "That is what I want!" and soon afterwards united himself to the missionary institution, that he might hear something more of this blessed Jesus. In his subsequent attendance on the means of grace, under Dr. Vanderkemp, the secrets of his heart were laid open; he was taught to seek an interest in Christ; and is now become one of our most zealous fellow-labourers; earnestly recommending Christ to his fellow-men, as the only remedy for sin.

ACCOUNT OF THE ESTABLISHMENT FOR WOOLLEN-
PRINTING, AT LINTZ, IN AUSTRIA.

(FROM "AUSTRIA," BY J. G. KOHL.)

The person at the head of the carpet-printing establishment at Lintz is of French descent. The name of this man is Dufreme. He took the trouble to shew me over the table-cover department; and, as I visit such establishments much more on account of the men than of their productions, he became to me in a short time, an object of much interest and respect. He halted in his gait: and, in speaking of his infirm limb, related the history of his life. His father, a French emigrant, had sought refuge at Vienna, and there endeavoured to gain a livelihood by the establishment of a small cotton-printing factory. An Austrian nobleman, Count R., a great friend to the French, lent him a small capital, and a corner of his house. The business turned out well. The father hoped for the re-establishment of his worldly prosperity; and the son, who had been born subsequently to the flight of his parents from France, was destined for the military service; but heaven willed it otherwise—his horse fell with him, his leg was broken, and thenceforward he made up his mind to follow his father's pursuit. Soon afterwards his father died, less wealthy than he had hoped to be, and the son found the business necessary for the maintenance of his mother. He studied how to improve it; and having one day met with some English woollen-printing, he never rested till he had not only imitated, but surpassed it.

Having thus grown up in adversity, and being endowed with an active spirit, he had made himself what he was when I saw him— Imperial and Royal Inspector of Woollen-printing," with a good salary.

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The manufactory that I inspected in Mr. Dufreme's company was exceedingly well arranged, clean, light, and in good order. In the large room, where the colour-setters were busied, I read on a board conspicuously placed, these words written in chalk, "With God's aid." "You are surprised," observed M. Dufreme. "You will see this is the chief point. Our business is very laborious and difficult, and requires not only clear and thoughtful, but also diligent and conscientious workpeople. When I give a pattern to a coloursetter, I give him also some direction how to proceed. He must listen and apply this cheerfully; but he must also consider well with what colour it will be best to begin and end, and give to these matters zealous attention, as a painter would do; for I cannot attend to the detail, and must leave much to the conscientiousness of the workmen, who by a single careless step might create great damage. On their side, they must have full confidence in me, and apply to me on all difficult points. All this is best obtained when a man keeps in mind the words you see written there. It is said that the inmost soul of art is religion and the fear of God; and our work is a kind of art. I take no workman of whose character

I am not certain; I pay far more heed to this than to their skill. And when I have taken one into my employ, I observe him closely, and note whether he works in a pious spirit. Many a one have I dismissed solely on account of his want of conscientiousness; and I believe the chest of the Imperial and Royal Manufactory has been the gainer by this policy. We begin in the morning with a short prayer; and those words are never effaced from the board. I have a design of inscribing on a tablet over the door those fine lines from Schiller's Song of the Bell,"

"And when with good discourse attended,

The course of labour cheerful flows,' &c.

and I believe money so laid out will yield a good interest. Now you see, sir, you know my way of thinking," added M. Dufreme, smiling, and clapping me on the shoulders in a friendly manner, as I applauded what he had said; and he further entreated me to write my name in his pocket-book as a memorial.

SOUTH AFRICA.

The Rev. S. Palmer, Missionary in South Africa, in relating the last hour of a native convert, says, "His death was so different to that of the heathen, who have nothing to comfort them in that solemn hour, that I trust it will produce an impression on the mind of some who are strangers to religion. I heard one intelligent native say, 'Though people may say that God's service is nothing, when they are in health; yet in death we see that it is something.'

"

A DEATH BED.

A death bed is a wonderful reasoner; many a proud infidel hath it humbled and refuted without a word, who but for a short time before would have defied all the ability of man to shake the foundation of his system. All is well as long as the curtain is up and the puppet show of life goes on; but when the rapid representation draws to a close, and every hope of a longer respite is precluded, things will appear in a very different light. Would to God I could say, that that awful moment was as often distinguished by the dew of repentance, as by the groan of despair.

DEATH IN TRESPASSES AND SINS.

The heart of an obdurate sinner may be called his sepulchre, which, by means of long habits of sin, is shut up against grace, as by a hard and heavy stone, and in which there is nothing but darkness and corruption.. It is a very great mercy when the deliverer comes to that prison, when the light shines in the darkness, and holiness itself visits that corruption.

MATT. vi. 34.

"Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof."
Does each day, upon its wing,
Its allotted burden bring?

Load it not besides with sorrow,
Which belongeth to the morrow.
Strength is promised, strength is given,
When the heart by God is riven:
But foredate the day of woe,
And alone thou bear'st the blow.
One thing only claims thy care,
Seek thou first by faith and prayer
That all-glorious world above-
Scene of righteousness and love-
And whate'er thou need'st below,
He thou trustest will bestow.

THE CROSS.

When lowering clouds of sorrow rise,
And you know not where to flee ;
Betake thee, pilgrim, in thy grief,
To the Mount of Calvary:
The cross of Christ is standing there,
To calm for thee the troubled air.

When pleasure's siren notes are sweet,
When her forms are fair to see;
O! pilgrim, bend thy faltering steps
To the Mount of Calvary:

The cross of Christ is standing there,
Than pleasure's form how much more fair.

When riches ope their hoarded stores,
And offer all to thee;

O! stay not near such treach'rous things,
But turn to Calvary:

The cross of Christ is standing there,

With treasures far beyond compare.

Forget not, wheresoe'er thou art,
By land or on the sea;

Thy lingering steps should lead thee on
To the Mount of Calvary:

The cross of Christ is standing there,
And its glory reaches everywhere.

"THE POOR MAN."

A. FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE.

FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. 307.

APRIL, 1844.

VOL. 26.

INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF DAVID HOWEL.

Though a youth not twenty-one, yet for a number of years before his death he was a firm disbeliever in the Bible. He was a young disciple of Paine and Volney. But before he took refuge in infidelity, he was very often more or less awakened, and at times much disturbed with thoughts of the future; and to escape these thoughts -so unwelcome and painful-he embraced hopeless and godless infidelity.

At this time he spent a short season in a town, where he had a desired opportunity, of which he availed himself to his heart's content, of attending upon those who preach in opposition to the word of God, "Thou shalt not surely die;" and by the help of the flattering tongue of such teachers, he became assured that, live as he pleased, he had nothing to fear after death.

Returning home, and meeting Paine and Volney, the desire of his heart was completed. "The Age of Reason" and "The Ruins" readily helped him to the conclusion that the religion of the Bible is a fiction; and, of consequence, all care about the future is weakness and folly. He was without concern about the future, simply because he did not think.

He coveted the embrace of infidelity; assigning as the only reason why he would yield himself up to its ruling influence, that he might escape every degree of conviction that the Bible was a revelation from heaven. And the strength of this desire to discredit the record that God has given, furnished him with patience to read the vulgar ribaldry of Paine against the Christian religion; and but for this he had ceased to read, such were his impressions, as he said, of the contemptible meanings of Paine's character and works.

But with him, depraved desire prevailed over conviction and judgment; and Paine, with all his obscenity

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