sanctification, and redemption? 1 Cor. i. 30. If you cannot, then "seek him while he may be found, and call upon him while he is near," Is. lv. 6. For what is your life, it is also even as a vapour and may soon pass away? Look into your general walk and conduct, is it such as to give evidence that you are "born again" of the Spirit of God? John iii. 5; if it is, you are safe, if it is not you are in awful danger. Remember the Scripture saith, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature," 2 Cor. v. 17; and, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," Rom. viii. 9. It is to those only who are "in Christ Jesus," that 66 there is no condemnation," Rom. viii. 1. All others are in danger of perishing with the world of the ungodly.

Are you a servant? pray for grace to renew you in the spirit of your mind, that you may be, like Mary, faithful, affectionate, and attentive to the interest of those you serve.

Are you among the poor of this world? pray that you may be meek, humble, thankful, and conscientious, and exhibit the true spirit of the gospel of Christ your Saviour.

Are you afflicted, tried, or tempted? pray that you may have strength in the hour of need, to enable you to resist evil, and to act as becometh a disciple of Christ. And, finally, "Be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh," Matt. xxiv. 44.

B.

USEFULNESS OF THE TRACT SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS. Norway.

THE Rev. Dr. Paterson says, "I have a very interesting letter from Drontheim, in which they express many thanks for your gift. As you, perhaps, already know, they have printed thirty-seven tracts, of which 92,000 have been printed, and 56,305 distributed. They have been visited by a good man from Germany, who has for the last twentythree years devoted his life to tract distribution, depending entirely upon Providence for temporal support. After having travelled through almost every corner of Germany, with his bundle of tracts on his back, he made his way into Denmark, thence to Norway; and after fulfilling his mission in Christiania, Christiansand, Stavanger, and Bergen, arrived in Drontheim. They immediately gave him 7,000 tracts, with which he is employed going from door to door, and meets with much success. When he has supplied the town, he is going to traverse the country for the same purpose, and then intends going on to Sweden. Thus the tracts will find access into many families who, perhaps, might never otherwise have seen them."

Yorkshire.

A clergyman, after acknowledging the arrival of a grant of tracts, remarks:-"They will enable me to introduce Divine truth among a dense population; and I pray God to bless most abundantly the gift, as well as the givers. I am devising. a new method of distributing the tracts. We have had a month ago a confirmation, and several of my young people that were confirmed are this month become communicants. To keep these dear youths from listlessness, and to make them useful members of the church, I intrust each of them with a small selection of tracts to read to their neighbours. So far as I can yet judge, this has been very much approved of, and I hope, by God's blessing, will promote the end designed. The readers consider the tracts as their own, not to be laid by, but to use. When they have thus finished reading a bundle, they are to apply for more. Thus I make every young person, in a sense, my curate, supplying courts and lanes which I can myself visit but seldom. I read last week, No. 863, 'History of Ruth Clark,' myself, in this manner, to about thirty persons collected in a room, and they were very attentive, and very much impressed. I pray God to bless this and every effort."

Asylum, Mile End.

A little girl, fourteen years of age, who had been under the care of the society for two years, and who, during the whole of that time, had persevered in an abominable falsehood, on one occasion, about three months since, listened with much attention to the reading of one of the books by the matron. The subject was, "the wickedness of telling and persevering in falsehoods, and the consequences of such a course of conduct." A deep impression appeared to have been made; she passed a restless night, and in the morning, with tears in her eyes, came to the matron, acknowledged her wickedness, and in much sorrow disclosed all the circumstances of her life, resolving never to be guilty again of such conduct. She has continued to behave herself well since that time, and we hope will not only become a useful member of society, but a moral and religious character.

Windsor.

The Rev. Mr. Butterfield, at the Windsor Anniversary, in tendering his support to the Society, referred to the evidence which had been furnished that God had abundantly blessed it, and said he would cheerfully do all in his powe

to forward its objects. The reverend gentleman gave an interesting account of the spiritual good he had personally received from reading "The Anxious Inquirer directed," which he met with at his bookseller's. He had since felt it

his duty to circulate it; and he knew also that several copies had entered the royal palace. Major Armstrong bore similar testimony to the usefulness of this work. He received it from a friend in India, when his mind became anxious about the way of salvation; and it was certainly made a great blessing to his soul. He had given away many copies of the book in India. He furnished pleasing details of the great readiness with which the tracts were in general received.

Alnwick.

A gentleman present at the meeting stated, that a tract had been the means of preventing a person from committing suicide, who received it when he was actually on the way to the place where the horrible act was about to be committed. He also observed, that "he was the child of a tract." When young he was walking near Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, reading the "History of Rome." A gentleman asked him what book he was reading. "A school-book," was the reply. "I will give you a better book if you will call at my lodgings.' He called, and received a few tracts, among which was No. 113, "Immanuel." The tract deeply impressed him, for he held at that time incorrect views of the Divinity of Jesus Christ. He was often anxious on the subject. The more he read that useful tract, the more his views were confirmed on the subject. It was the means of leading his mind to clearer views of religion in general, and to an entire consecration of himself to God. He can now rejoice in the blessed truth, "Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh."

North Shields Anniversary.

The Rev. Mr. Fisher mentioned a pleasing instance of the usefulness of the tract, No. 277, Do You want a Friend?' The tract was given to a female, who was powerfully impressed by it. She found it exactly suited to her condition. It was read again and again, and led her to seek the sinner's Friend there recommended. At length, she found him, and in him peace of mind, to which she had been previously an entire stranger. There were seasons also when she had not only peace, but joy in the Holy Ghost. This person attended Mr. Fisher's ministry, and maintained a consistent profession to the day of her death.

LINES ADDRESSED TO AN AGED PARENT ON NEW
YEAR'S DAY, BEING ALSO SUNDAY.

STILL spared to bless us, thou art there,
Throned in thine own familiar chair,
Thy active fingers busy still
With youthful energy and skill,
Or, reading with most earnest look
The pages of some holy book,
Silently bidding all to see
The happiness of piety.

Thy loving friends around appear
To wish thee now a happy year,
We too, thine absent children, pray
For thee upon this sacred day;
That still thy hoary head may show
Its crown of glory here below,
That God, thy God, may still be near
To brighten hope, to banish fear.

We pray for thee, and rise in prayer
To heaven, for thou art almost there;
The holy peace which fills thy breast
Is earnest of thy future rest,
Pledges and promises are thine
Of an inheritance divine,

Thy name is written now above,

Loved with an everlasting love."

Almost in heaven! 'tis thine to show.

Something of glory now below;

Already in the molten gold

A radiant shadow we behold,
But when the Purifier's sight
Sees that reflection fixed and bright,
His hand the treasure will remove
To decorate his house above.

Almost in heaven! still patient wait
Watching at that celestial gate,
The bonds of earth are breaking fast,
And death will gently cut the last;
Then will thy Lord before the throne
Thy name with joy exceeding own;
That joy, that triumph may we view,
Nor see alone, but share it too.

A. L.

UPON OCCASION OF THE LIGHTS BROUGHT IN.

WHAT a change there is in the room, since the light came in! yea, in ourselves? all things seem to have a new form, a new life; yea, we are not the same we were. How goodly a creature is light, how pleasing, how agreeable to the spirits of man! No visible thing comes so near to the resembling of the nature of the soul, yea, of the God that made it; as contrarily, what an uncomfortable thing is darkness; insomuch as we punish the greatest malefactors with obscurity of dungeons; as thinking they could not be miserable enough, if they might have the privilege of beholding the light; yea, hell itself can be no more horribly described than by outward darkness.

What is darkness but absence of light? the pleasure of light, or the horror of darkness, is according to the quality and degree of the cause whence it ariseth; and if the light of a poor candle be so comfortable, which is nothing but a little inflamed air, gathered about a moistened snuff, what TRACT MAG., THIRD SERIES, NO. 74. FEB. 1840. C