See you a man rich in grace? Oh! teach with him, if you can, to improve yourselves by him, and the rather because you know not how soon death may snatch him from you, and with him all his stock of grace is gone from you too, except what you made your own whilst you conversed with him; but, alas! instead of holy, profitable, soul-improving communion, some are sullenly reserved, some are negligent and lazy, some are litigious and quarrelsome-more apt to draw forth the dross than the gold; the corruptions, rather than the graces of others: and as grace is not duly improved by communion with men, so I fear that most Christians thrive but little in their communion with God. We are too seldom in our closets, too little upon our knees, and when we are there we gain but little. O Christians, think when you are hearing or praying, I am now teaching with heaven for that which is infinitely better than gold! God is rich to all that call upon him. What a treasure may I get this hour, if the fault be not in my own heart! Let not the upright be unjust to themselves in censuring their own hearts. They are bad enough; but let us thankfully own the least degrees of grace and integrity in them, and possibly our uprightness might be sooner discovered to us, if with a due composure of spirit we would sit down and attend to the true answers of our hearts to such questions as these are: 1. Do I make the approbation of God, or the applause of man, the very end and main design of my religious performances? Will the acceptance of my duties with men satisfy me, whether God accepts them or not? 2. Is it the reproach and shame that attends sin now, and the danger and misery that will follow it hereafter, that restrains me from the commission of it, or is it the fear of God in my soul, and the hatred I bear to it as sin? 3. Can I truly and heartily rejoice to see God's work carried on in the world, and his glory promoted by other hands, though I have no share in the credit and honour of it? 4. Is there no duty in religion so full of difficulty and selfdenial but I desire to comply with it? 5. Am I sincerely resolved to follow Christ and holiness at all seasons, however the aspects of the times may be towards religion? 6. Do I make no conscience of committing secret sins, or neglecting secret duties? A few of such questions would sound our hearts, and discover their sincerity.

Many professors secretly indulge and shelter beloved lusts under the wings of their profession. This, like a worm at the root, will wither and kill them at last, how fragrant soever they may seem

for a season.

Some men have many excellent gifts, and perform multitudes of duties, but one secret sin allowed and indulged will destroy them all at last. He who is partial as to the mortification of his sins, is undoubtedly hypocritical in his profession. If David's evidence was good for his integrity, surely such professors will never clear themselves of hypocrisy: "I was also upright before him, and kept myself from mine iniquity." This is the right eye and right hand which every sincere Christian must pluck out and cut off. And this is a metaphor from surgeons, whose duty it is when the whole is in danger by any part to cut it off, lest all perish. Their suppressing some lust raises their confidence. The indulging of one destroys the foundation of their hopes, and thus they deceive themselves.-Flavel.

ON A SABBATH AT HOME.

Alone-in solitude-this day I spend,
Deprived of all created streams, at which
While passing through this vale I love to drink.
No longer meeting with yon favoured throng
Who in God's earthly courts get near his throne,
And there his special presence still behold;

ELIO

Which, as they spread their wants and cast their cares,
Revives each saddened heart as it hath need,
And sheds a peace, the antipast of heaven.
Ah! can I call myself bereft of all

The blessedness which Sabbath seasons yield?
And shall I murmur when the God of love
Withholds the streams that he may only shew
His fulness is the same, and leads me straight
Unto the Fount above, that there my soul
With his own hand may be refreshed and fed ?
'Tis sweet indeed to be assured that while
His ear is listening to the mingled strains

Of earth and heaven, my voice can reach him too,
As though both prayer and praise did cease to fill
His courts above, or rise before his throne!
Methinks I may rejoice to have the Lord
Of this blessed Sabbath day so fully mine;
To know that I may pour out all my heart
Before his throne-beneath his eye-and feel
That while I'm there his blessing will bedew
My burdened heart, and steal away the weight
Which often seems to sink me in despair.

4

Thus may I commune with my Saviour God,
Until without one cloud of sin and care
In glory I behold Him face to face,
And dwell in endless peace, in joyful love,
Wanting no streams to fill the fulness there!

AUTUMNAL HYMN.

The leaves around me falling,
Are preaching of decay,
The hollow winds are calling-
"Come, pilgrim, come away!"
The day in night declining
Says I must too decline,
The year its bloom resigning-
Its lot foreshadows mine.

The light my path surrounding,
The loves to which I cling,
The hopes within me bounding,
The joys that round me wing-
All, all, like stars at even,

Just gleam and shoot away,
Pass on before to heaven,
And chide at my delay.

The friends gone there before me
Are calling me from high,

And happy angels o'er me

Tempt sweetly to the sky,

"Why wait," they say, "and wither,

'Mid scenes of death and sin?

O rise to glory hither,

And find true light begin?"

I hear the invitation,

And fain would rise and come,

A sinner to salvation,

An exile to his home;
But while I here must linger,
Thus, thus let all I see,
Point on with faithful finger

To heaven, O Lord, and thee.

ARTHUR FOSTER, PRINTER, KIRKBY LONSDALE.

FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. 278.

NOVEMBER, 1841.

THE MISSIONARY MEETING.

"Six thousand years of sorrow have well nigh
Fulfilled their tardy and disastrous course
Over a. sinful world; and what remains
Of this tempestuous state of human things
Is merely as the working of a sea

Before a calm, that rocks itself to rest."

VOL. 23.

The minister of the parish, in a few words, explained to the assembled crowd, that it was usual to hold meetings here for the purpose of supplicating God's blessing on the heathen world, and doing what we can to spread among them the news of salvation. He then introduced to them the Canadian chief, Kahkewoquonaby. He informed them that this chief had come from North Canada, in order to collect money that he might carry on the work of God among his own people. He read his letters of introduction from the Governors at Canada to the Committees of the Bible and Church Missionary Societies, and the letters of recommendation he had brought from his brother chiefs.. Now, I may be expected to describe the appearance of this Indian chief. You must fancy then a tall young man, about the age of five and twenty, with very dark complexion, black hair, a low forehead, and deep-set soft dark eyes. There was in his countenance an expression of superior intelligence, and the yet greater charm which religion often gives. His coat appeared to be of soft brown leather, fringed and scalloped round; about his waist was a broad sash, striped with blue, and red, and white; a collar of chintz, ornamented with flowers in various patterns and colours, was fastened round his neck by a brooch of immense size; and he wore a medal, containing, as we thought, a likeness of George the Third, the great and good king of England. In his hand he held a handkerchief of beautiful texture and of many colours.

M

Our Canadian friend arose, stood on a chair, and showing himself to the people, addressed them in a few words, reminded them that we came together to worship God, the Great Spirit, that he hoped that a better motive than curiosity had brought them together, and that we should all lift up our hearts to God, entreating his blessing; "then," said he, "we shall have a good meeting."

He then read a hymn in his own language, and then the same in English.

"How happy are our ears

Which hear the joyful sound,

Which kings and princes longed to hear
And sought, but never found.

"How happy are our eyes

Which see the heavenly light,
Which prophets would have died to see,
But died without the sight.

"The Lord makes bare his arm

Through all the earth abroad;

Let every nation now behold

Their Saviour and their God.

He told us that he had come from a far country, over the great waters, to see how Christians live in England; for that in his country they had heard much of Eng land, and of the king of England, whom they called their great father. He had been one among the heathen, had lived in their wild and lawless manner, in darkness and ignorance; but eight years since, he had been brought "out of darkness into marvellous light;" he had heard of Jesus, had prayed to him, had believed in him, had been saved by him. He spoke of his countrymen, his subjects, how they had been many in number, like the multitude he saw before him; but the white men coming among them had introduced the fire waters, (such was their expressive name for ardent spirits,) and the poor Indians, by hundreds and thousands, had fallen victims to intemperance; and now, wherever the remnant trod, they trod on the graves of their fathers and their brothers. But some among little remnant had learned to repent and to believe the

the