of his countenance may shine upon me, to sweeten the bitter pangs of death to me-we cannot live comfortably without his love, much less can we die comfortably without it. That is my first request; the other is, that you will accept and embrace some plain but weighty counsels. God is my record, that my heart's desire and prayer for you is, and has been, that you may be saved, and in love to your salvation I leave these directions with you.

1. Above all things look well to, and labour to make sure of an union with Christ, knowing assuredly that, without union with him, all your religion is vain and ineffectual.

2. Take heed of too much addictedness to this world, as remembering, that if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him; and that the friendship of this world is enmity to God.

3. Dwell much within, and be much conversant in heartwork, in studying the heart, cleansing the heart, keeping the heart, looking always upon it as the veriest cheat and impostor in the world, deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

4. Take heed of splitting upon that fatal rock of self-deceit, of which you have sometimes heard, and upon which the greatest part of professors split and perish for ever.

5. Set up and keep up the worship of God both in your families and closets; for the Lord's sake let none of yours be prayerless families.

6. Always maintain a great honour and reverence for all God's ordinances, and in an especial manner honour and sanctify his sabbath. The sabbath-day is your soul's marketday; O lose not your market.

7. Be universally honest and upright in your callings, and your dealings in them; the fraudulent dealings of professors do much reproach the gospel.

8. Covet to seat yourselves under a sound, clear, searching gospel ministry, and keep mainly to the same ministry; and the Lord guide you therein.

9. Labour that your profiting under the ministry may appear unto all men; it will be a dreadful thing to enjoy rich means, and bring forth no fruit to perfection. O sirs, be fruitful Christians.

10. Expect further trials and sufferings, and prepare for them. There is a dark and gloomy day coming, such as, I am apt to think, you and I have never seen any like unto it, and such as wherein, possibly, you will think it best with them that God shall have hid in the grave beforehand. But be not troubled, it will be short; and a glorious day will follow, a day wherein the church of God shall sing the song

of Moses and of the Lamb, a day wherein our dear Lord and Head shall reign gloriously. And therefore,

11. Pray and long, long and pray much and earnestly for the coming of the day of God, for the coming of Christ's kingdom. "Thy kingdom come," is a petition which should be much upon our hearts. O do not rest in low things as to Divine appearances and manifestations, both in the world and in your own souls.

These counsels I leave with you, out of that entire love and affection I bear to your salvation, and our Lord's honour as concerned in you. I will conclude all with that solemn profession to you, which Augustine often made to those to whom he was wont to preach, namely, that it is the desire of my soul, that as we have been often crowded together to worship God in one earthly house or temple, so we may all worship him together for ever, in the heavenly house or temple; and if we must never pray, and preach, and hear, and mourn together more on earth, yet we may love, and sing, and praise, and admire, and rejoice together for ever in heaven. Which that we may do, the God of peace, (who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,) make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you and me that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen and Amen.

My dear friends, I am your weak and languishing, but yet cordial friend, and willing servant, in Christ, and for Christ. EDWARD PEARSE.

A LETTER TO THE EDITORS.

[We insert this plain effusion of a simple-hearted poor man, hoping it may encourage others to exert themselves as he has done, in making known the publications of the Religious Tract Society.]

Bradford, Wilts, March 7, 1840. I HAVE for many years been a subscriber to the Tract Magazine and other periodicals; but the Tract Magazine or Christian Miscellany I firmly believe is the cheapest and best periodical now emanating from the press, at least so it appears to me; and as such I have and do recommend it to others, not that I do in consequence slight, disrespect, or undervalue other periodicals and works issuing from your press, but to myself and others whom I know, this in particular is a favourite work. It is impossible to express the esteem I hold to it, and that solely on account of the soul-reviving

matter it contains, and Christian spirit which it exhibits. Blessed be God for the many spiritual refreshments and heart-cheering seasons I have received and experienced, while perusing its truly Christian and instructive pages. How often has a short anecdote or narrative, (and with these I am chiefly delighted; and with which this little work so richly abounds,) been the instrument of smiting the Rock, like Moses' rod, and causing the obedient waters to flow, and the heart to rejoice! how frequently have these waters bedewed the pages of the Tract Magazine! "Put thou my tears into thy bottle."

My fellow youth and young companion in Christian fellowship and communion, who is very recently gone to his eternal rest and reward, very often remarked to me how much he prized this little work. When we first commenced taking it in, we both sent and purchased at your depository two volumes of the preceding year; so much did it engage and attract our attention, and though many years have since elapsed, that regard doth still exist and increase. Oh that I might one day see my departed friend and brother, and be with him in that innumerable company standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, where they hunger no more nor thirst any more, but the Lamb which is in the midst of them feeds them and leads them unto living fountains of waters, and God wipes away all tears from their eyes.

I have many times thought of writing a few lines to the Committee, to express my approbation of their invaluable publications, and my thankfulness and gratitude for their manifold works of faith and labours of love; yet I have deferred until now, from a conviction of my incapability of doing it in a proper manner, being only a poor illiterate mechanic, labouring hard for the bread that perisheth; and to a very great extent "little and unknown." What little I know, I have derived from hearing and reading the word of God, and the Society's publications, and that is sufficient to make one wise unto salvation.

How excellent are the writings of Bishop Hall, and how beautifully are they embellished with cuts and arranged in the "Tract Magazine;" I never read it without emotion. I am a tract distributor, and when my set have gone through their appointed circuit, it is my plan to stitch a goodly number together, or have them bound into volumes of which I have a great many, and though I prize them very greatly, yet I lend them out to persons whom I can trust; and I have the consolation of knowing they have been the means of doing much good. All praise to Him to whom alone it is due. I am seldom without a goodly number of tracts in my hat, or books in my pocket. I read them in our social prayer

meetings, in my work, and on the road, and in the chamber, and blessed be God I have often seen the tear start in the eye, while I have been reading them to some of my fellow travellers to an eternal world. To a dear aged follower of Jesus who is very deaf, and who is very often complaining of her fears that she shall not get safe home at last, I lent your number for February and pointed her to the article, "How far is it to Canaan ?" She had no sooner seen it, but the tears began to flow down her aged cheeks, and clasping her hands and lifting her eyes to heaven, she exclaimed, "Shall I ever get there; O shall I get home at last; O do pray for me, I have got need of all your prayers." Then pointing to her face she showed me the marks of violence, quite black, which she had received from her cruel and ungodly husband. I gave her all the consolation I could, and silently lifted up my heart to the Lord, for his promised help to this his handmaid in the day of trouble.

What an excellent little volume is "Legh Richmond's Annals of the Poor!" I remember how much a dear pious old couple, whom I formerly often visited, appreciated this book, and who are lately both gone home to glory. They were truly poor in this world, yet rich in faith. Whenever I entered their habitation, I generally saw the aged, and very much and long afflicted old man, sitting in his arm chair by the fire, with his old Bible and his favourite little volume. "Oh that precious little book!" he would exclaim, “I can never readLegh Richmond' without weeping, it is so affecting, so heavenly." But while I am writing Legh Richmond" is in heaven; yes, and the "Dairyman's Daughter," and probably the dairyman too, and the "Young Cottager," and the old man of whom I am speaking; yes, oh what a glorious company stand before yon dazzling throne! The account of the "man overboard" in your last brings to my mind an event which happened a few years ago when I was as signally and as providentially saved from a watery grave, the particulars of which, with several other singular deliverances, I may some day communicate.

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I hope you will kindly forgive this intrusion upon your patience, hoping at the same time, should these few lines meet with your approval, to see them appear in my favourite, the Tract Magazine. I would gladly have forwarded something towards the support of your glorious cause, but it is not in my power at present. But it is my constant prayer that God may abundantly bless your labours, and crown your efforts and endeavours to spread the knowledge of his grace with success, till all the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Amen. G. R.

UPON THE BARKING OF A DOG.

WHAT have I done to this dog, that he follows me with this angry clamour? Had I rated him, or shook my staff, or stooped down for a stone, I had justly drawn on me this noise, this snarling importunity. But, why do I wonder to find this unquiet disposition in a brute creature, when it is no news with the reasonable?

Have I not seen innocence and merit bayed at by the quarrelsome, and envious vulgar, without any provocation, save of good offices? Have I not felt (more than their tongue) their teeth upon my heels, when I know I have deserved nothing but fawning on? Where is my grace, or spirits, if I have not learned to condemn both?

O God, let me rather die than willingly incur thy displeasure; yea, than justly offend thy godly-wise, judicious, conscientious servants; but if humour, or faction, or causeless prejudice fall upon me for my faithful service to thee, let these bawling curs tire themselves, and tear their throats with loud and false censures; I go on in a silent constancy, and if my ear be beaten, yet my heart shall be free.

UPON A FAIR PROSPECT.

What a pleasing variety is here of towns, rivers, hills, TRACT MAG., THIRD SERIES, NO. 78, JUNE, 1840.

G