thereby, but giving all praise and glory to his goodness who so graciously preserved, blessed, and delivered me.

"ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE MERCY AND

TRUTH."

AN irreligious couple residing at W-, near S-, as I was told by an old man in my congregation, upon the death of their only child, were deeply afflicted, and, being destitute of Christian hope, they loudly expressed their discontent at the providence of God, and entreated their faithful minister to tell them why He, who is the Lord of all, and whose very name the Bible says is Love, should have removed from them their only, their darling child. The man of God-and this name is rightly applied to their good pastor, who has since entered the joy of his Lord-endeavoured to answer these questions in the sermon which he preached after the death of the child, and concluded his address with the following

words :

"Do you desire to understand why God has seen fit to call your child to himself? I answer, It is His will that one of your family should be in heaven. If the hearts of the parents were not set on heavenly things, neither would the child have been directed thither had its life been spared. Listen to a parable. There was a good shepherd, who had prepared a rich pasture for his flock; the gate was set open, but none of the sheep chose to enter; as often as he called them to it, they would flee from him; till he took a lamb in his arms, and carried it into the enclosure, then, behold, all the sheep hastened to follow. This good shepherd is Christ-the rich pasture is heaven-the lamb, your child; and if you have a parent's heart, seek to be admitted also. The Lord has removed your lamb to himself, that the parents may follow. Amen."-From a German Paper.

INTELLIGENCE.

From the Report of the Paris Tract Society.

THE following extract from an old work is interesting, as showing the means of usefulness employed by Protestants of the sixteenth century:

"The first means God employed to call the inhabitants of the city of Dieppe from the error of their ways was rather vile and abject in the eyes of the world. It was by the instrumentality of a bookseller of the name of Venable, who

had a few good books, which he carried on his back in a common basket. He was rather well instructed in the truth for a man of his condition. God, in a short time, blessed his labours abundantly, and brought many, even among the most eminent citizens, to the knowledge of Divine truth; for it is as easy for him to deal effectually with his people by weak instruments as by mighty. He has generally chosen the former, as, when the gospel was first preached by twelve poor and simple fishermen, and by a tent-maker, he conquered and gained almost the whole world by their means. M. Venable having arrived at Dieppe from Geneva, in 1557, and distributed a few of his books, at first ten or twelve persons, and they not the most respectable, determined to renounce the error of their ways, and embrace the gospel, the truths of which they had just been taught. They chose Venable to expound to them the word of God, and lead them in prayer, till the number of the faithful should increase, and a minister should be given to them."

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"Thus far the Chronicler.' Listen now to M. Vitet, author of the History of the Ancient Towns of France,' who thus speaks of the history of Dieppe

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"Three years had scarcely elapsed since a poor colporteur's pack introduced into that city the first germs of the new faith, when half of the inhabitants, if not more, had renounced Roman Catholicism. The old form of worship languished and was forsaken, while the followers of the new living church went on boldly from strength to strength, till she feared not to claim the right of building a temple.' What did the colporteur's pack contain?' continues the Paris Report.' Was it writings full of controversy ? History tells us it was nothing else but an immense number of Bibles, psalms of Marot, and pious little books. Would not one be ready to think that, instead of the history of 1557, it was simply the relation of what now daily occurs by means of colportage? The former part is already realized in many places; and why should not the latter be soon realized here and there? Let us not then be offended with the author of these mandates.""

Russia.

A FRIEND writes:- "I had lately the pleasure of hearing from the mouth of a soldier, a German by birth, the following account: I am come to buy tracts of you, to the value of five roubles, which amount, being a soldier, I have saved with much difficulty, in order to send them by a safe conveyance to my only sister at Warsaw. I know of nothing

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better to send her from Petersburg than just these books; and I can but wish her the same benefit from them as I have myself experienced. Last summer, the first Russian tracts I had seen were presented to me at the camp, by a strange gentleman. When we returned to town, I sought out your shop, and found there, to my great joy, more than I could then buy.' How well this poor soldier knew in what way to spend the five roubles he had saved with so much labour! A day-labourer's wife, who is much interested in the diffusion of tracts, buying weekly for this purpose a couple of hundred, at two copecs, (200, at two copecs, would amount to 3s. 8d.,) relates the following:-'I came to a house, where I found both man and wife drunk. On leaving them, I left behind me a couple of the little books, called the " Fiftysecond Saturday night." and "Christ calling the Sinful Soul." A day or two after, I called again, and found man and wife sober; and they begged me to bring more books, which they would gladly pay for, but such only as would teach them the things that belong to their peace. I now visit this house often, and have every reason to rejoice, for I find them both sober.'

Canterbury.

MR. TCOMER mentioned a pleasing fact at the Canterbury Tract Meeting. He knew a poor but pious man, who was out of work, and in consequence suffered much distress. His mind was cheered, however, on looking at the Society's Penny Almanack for the daily text. He read there, "The needy shall not always be forgotten," Psa. ix. 18. He left home on the strength of this promise, and went from place to place during the day, but no work could he procure. He was tempted to say, Surely the needy are forgotten." In deep distress he was bending his course homewards, when he saw something glitter on the ground. He picked it up, and found it was a sovereign. This supplied all his necessities until he procured employment, and he then could gratefully rejoice in the faithfulness of God.

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CONSECRATION AND CONFIDENCE.

MY whole, though broken heart, O Lord!
From henceforth shall be thine!

And here I do my vow record:

This hand-these words-are mine.

All that I have, without reserve,
I offer here to thee;

Thy will and honour all shall serve,
That thou bestow'dst on me.

Now it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;

To love and serve thee is my share,
And this thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad,
That I may long obey;

If short-yet why should I be sad-
That shall have the same pay!

If death shall bruise this springing seed
Before it comes to fruit,

The will with thee goes for the deed;
Thy life was in the root.
Long life is a long grief and toil,
And multiplieth faults;

In long wars, he may have the foil
That 'scapes in short assaults.

Would I long bear my heavy load,
And keep my sorrows long?
Would I long sin against my God,
And his dear mercy wrong?
How much is sinful flesh my foe,
That doth my soul pervert!
To linger here is sin and woe,

And steals from God my heart.

Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than he went through before;
He that into God's kingdom comes,

Must enter by this door.

Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet,

Thy blessed face to see:

For if thy work on earth be sweet,

What will thy glory be?

Then I shall end my sad complaints,
And weary, sinful days ;

And join with the triumphant saints,
That sing Jehovah's praise.

My knowledge of that life is small;
The eye of faith is dim;

But 'tis enough that Christ knows all;
And I shall be with him.

Baxter.

I CANNOT see that bird but I must needs think of Elijah, and wonder no less at the miracle of his faith than of his provision. It was a strong belief that carried him into a desolate retiredness to expect food from ravens. This fowl, we know, is ravenous; all is too little that he can forage for himself; and the prophet's reason must needs suggest to him that in a dry barren desert bread and flesh must be great dainties, yet he goes aside to expect victuals from that purveyance. He knew this fowl to be no less greedy than unclean unclean, as in law, so in the nature of his feed. What is his ordinary prey but loathsome carrion? Yet since God had appointed him this caterer, he stands not upon the nice points of a fastidious squeamishness, but confidently depends upon that uncouth provision. And, accordingly, those unlikely purveyors bring him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening.

Not one of those hungry ravens could swallow one morsel of those viands which were sent by them to a better mouth. The river of Cherith sooner failed him, than the tender of their service. No doubt Elijah's stomach was often up before that his incurious diet came; when expecting from the mouth of his cave out of what coast of heaven these his servitors might be descried, upon the sight of them he magnified, with a thankful heart, the wonderful goodness and truth of his God, and was nourished more with his faith than with his food. O God, how infinite is thy providence, wisdom, power! We creatures are not what we are, but TRACT MAG., THIRD SERIES, NO. 84. DEC. 1840.

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