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and he will be enquired of to do good to the family. I must look to him to avert harm and to bestow favour. None but he can defend; none but he can help. And if he be for us, who can be against us? Ask for family blessings, and they shall be given, if I ask aright. Seek for family blessings, and they shall be found, if I seek in a right manner. Oh! how important that I should ask aright, seek aright, worship God acceptably in my family, so that his blessing might come down on every member. His favour is life. His frown is death.

TEMPERANCE IN THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.

Ir will be recollected that one of the objects of the great French missionary enterprise at the Sandwich Islands, which was carried on by sword and cannon, was the propagation, not of the Gospel, but of fourth-proof brandy. A solemn treaty was entered into, guaranteeing to his most Christian Majesty, the King of the French, his heirs and assigns, the privilege of introducing as much of this missionary instrumentality as there was room for. This treaty is still unrepealed, and France stands before the world the only governmental grog-seller on the globe. Recently, the usual license for the island of Maui, to which but one is granted by the government, was sold at auction; and we are happy to say that a mercantile firm at Lahaina, originally from this country, have done themselves the great honour of purchasing it at a great sacrifice, for the sole purpose of suppressing the sale of ardent spirits on the island. They paid 1310 dollars for it, and had made up their minds to give 2,000, rather than to have it fall into the hands of those who would make use of it. "Nine-tenths," these gentlemen say, "of all the difficulties that masters of ships have with their crews originate at the grog-shops;" and their determination is, that not a drop shall be sold on the island during the year.-New York Evangelist.

DOING SOMETHING EVERYWHERE.

AT one of the anniversaries in London, the Rev. Richard Knill said: "When I used to travel for the London Missionary Society, I went to Peterborough. A farmer there had read the report of that society. He found that we had 123 missionaries. He sent to Mr. Arundel to say, I have a great desire to hit out something new. I question whether any member of Parliament would have hit it. He said, 'I am determined to have something to do with every tract distributed, every sermon preached, every school estab lished; and for this purpose I will give a sovereign for each of the missionaries. Here is a check for £123, in order to do some

thing all over the world.' That is what I call an enlarged idea. But in the mean time another report came out, and stated that 13 new missionaries had been sent forth: Well,' said he, 'I am determined to keep it up;' and he gave another £13. If all rich young men and rich young ladies were to say, 'I will have something to do with every Home Missionary station; I will give a sovereign for each of the missionaries; I will be interwoven with their efforts; this society would soon be released from difficulties. We are stewards, and we shall be called to account for the words we speak, the thoughts we think, and the actions we perform. Oh, to give up our account with joy! Some people are in agonies on their dying bed, and some are filled with joy and peace in believing. Depend upon it, not a blush will rise on your cheek for anything you have done for God; not a bitter reflection on that account will be on your bosom on that great and awful day in your history. Let us come to the help of this society. A sovereign from each of us would relieve the society from all embarrassments. I do not like the word embarrassment; I never was embarrassed in my life -and I do not like to have any society embarrassed. We could set it free if every heart and every hand were occupied in doing something for it, as the Lord our God has prospered us. enter into the spirit of the apostolic exhortation, Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not [and shall not and cannot be] in vain in the Lord.""

Let us

SONG FOR THE WILDERNESS.

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord."(Ps. civ. 34.)

I JOURNEY through a desert drear and wild,
Yet is my heart by such sweet thoughts beguiled,
Of Him on whom I lean, my strength, my stay,
I can forget the sorrows of the way.

Thoughts of His love-the root of every grace,
Which finds in this poor heart a dwelling place;
The sunshine of my soul, than day more bright,
And my calm pillow of repose by night.

Thoughts of His sojourn in this vale of tears;
The tale of love unfolded in those years
Of sinless suffering, and patient grace,
I love again, and yet again to trace.

Thoughts of His glory-on the cross I gaze,
And there behold its sad, yet healing rays;
Beacon of hope, which lifted up on high,
Illumes with heav'nly light the tear-dimm'd eye.

Thoughts of His coming-for that joyful day,
In patient hope I watch, and wait, and pray;
The dawn draws nigh, the midnight shadows flee,
Oh what a sun-rise will that advent be!

Thus while I journey on, my Lord to meet,
My thoughts, and meditations are so sweet
Of Him on whom I lean, my strength, my stay,
I can forget the sorrows of the way.

M. J. D.

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FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. 323.

AUGUST, 1845.

VOL. 27.

LAST DAYS OF M. J.

It is now nearly twelve months since we first visited M. J. She was then what her neighbours called an ailing woman, though able in some degree to attend to the wants of her family. Our visits were frequent, for we found her dark and ignorant, "careful about many things," yet neglecting "the one thing needful." Entire unconcern seemed to be the chief feature of her state; and though unable to read, the awful warnings or precious promises of the everlasting Gospel were alike unheeded. More than once we remember, when urging upon her the importance of eternal things, a hen straying into her cottage was the pretext for closing her ears to the word of life; and pained, disquieted, and almost hopeless, we left her; and while pursuing our homeward path, enjoying the abounding gifts of our heavenly Father's love in providence and grace, our hearts have been lifted up to him in behalf of poor M., that the leprosy of sin which clung to her might by the great Physician be removed. Ah! little did we anticipate the word was so soon to go forth, "I will, be thou clean." Well might the gracious Saviour's words be applied to us in this, and in many other instances, "O ye of little faith, wherefore did ye doubt?"

Many cases requiring the watchful care of the minister of this extensive parish having occurred, poor M.'s cottage was passed by him for six weeks or two months, he supposing she was going on as usual. About this time, the writer having some business in the quarter where she lived, called to see her. She was in bed; but on hearing the door opened, she looked up, and said, "Oh! I thought you long in coming; I wanted some of my children to let you know how ill I have been, but they are so shy, I could not persuade them. I have watched

for my dear minister too every day, for I longed to tell you both what God has done for my soul. When I last saw you, I was on the road to hell; now my everlasting home is heaven." We could scarcely believe the evidence of our senses; we could for a few moments only gaze upon the once anxious, fretful countenance, now lighted up with holy joy, and wonder and adore. The Holy Spirit had indeed done his mighty renovating work. She was a "new creature;" "old things had passed away; all things had become new." To no human instrumentality did she attribute the change. "All is his own work," she constantly exclaimed, while tracing to us the way in which the Lord had led her to himself.

During many following visits, we gathered from her, that soon after the last visit of her minister, a sense of sin took such hold of her, that night and day for a week she could scarcely bear the anguish of spirit she endured. "I was just sinking," she said, "into despair and into hell, when the thought came into my heart that the Lord Jesus pardoned the thief on the cross, and therefore might, if he would, pardon me. This was the first

ray of hope. I cast myself at his feet; I sought him in earnest; I determined, if I perished, I would perish there. Oh! if you knew what a treacherous woman I have been all my life long, day by day breaking his commandments, you would wonder at his love in suffering me to approach him."

The case being reported to her minister, he hastened to her bed side, and, with a thankful and rejoicing heart, beheld the lost sheep brought into the fold of the Good Shepherd, and heard from her dying lips the most cheering expressions of faith and confidence in Jesus.

Being asked one day how it was she remembered so many passages of Scripture, which were now her daily food, she replied, "I don't remember them; it is the Holy Spirit whispers them to me. No, no, I have nothing good in me; all is from God. Often, very often, when you or our dear minister read to me, I used to wish you were done, and was glad when I saw you turn away; but now I can understand why you came-God

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