Micronesian Islands, where, it is understood, the Board are about establishing a new and very promising mission. Micronesia is one of the group of islands included in Oceanica, in which, it is estimated, there reside not less than ten thousand inhabitants, divisible into five sections and four dis tinct races. The Australian race inhabit New Holland and the adjacent islands; the Negrillo race, New Guinea in the interior, and the Papuan race the coast, a fierce and warlike people; and the Malay race Polynesia. In climate these islands are most salubrious, in soil most exuberant, and they seem to come the nearest to Paradise of any part of the world. There is an understanding with the English Missionary Board that they shall evangelize the islands south of the Equator, we those north. Micronesia lies a little north of the Equator. It is about 2,500 miles a little southwest of the Sandwich Islands, or fifteen days' sail in the direct course of the proposed governmental steam line to China and Calcutta, and will be very important on this account. It includes the Caroline, Ladrone, and other smaller groups of islands, through 40 degrees of longitude and about 20 of latitude. The mission is to be connected with the Sandwich Islands mission, and is to be carried on mainly by the contributions and ministry of the converted islanders.

The gospel has never been preached in Micronesia. The inhabitants are said to be a mild, amiable, and unwarlike people. They give a higher rank to their women than any other nation. They understand the compass and have divided it into 28 parts, we into 32, while the other islanders have only 4 points. Their religion is peculiar. They have no idols, no temples, no sacred days, and no priesthood. They pray to and worship the spirits of their ancestors. They have heard from sailors the great change in the Sandwich Islands, and the advantage of it, and they have sent for missionaries to come to them and improve their condition. Three missionaries and their wives are under appointment, and will sail during this month for these far distant islands.-New York Evangelist.

ROME'S ASSERTION OF THE RIGHT TO PERSECUTE.-The Pope lately issued a bull against the work of Professor Nuytz, of Turin, entitled, "Treatise on Universal Ecclesiastical Law." The bull condemns and prohibits Professor Nuytz's book, because it denies "that the Church has no coactive power, nor any temporal power, whether direct or indirect ;" that its "temporal power is revocable by the State ;" and that the "compatibility of the temporal power and the spiritual power is a question controverted among the children of the Catholic and Christian Church." The document goes on to declare that the Professor's sentiments "tend to destroy the constitution and government of the Church, and utterly to ruin the Catholic faith, since he deprives the Church of its exterior jurisdiction and coercive power, which has been given to it to bring back into the ways of justice those who stray out of them." We have been assured by the Pope's numerous exponents--cardinals, bishops, priests, and by semi-Romish newspapers who make a loud outcry about civil and religious liberty-though not we believe, in so many words, by the Pope himself, that Rome does not claim temporal power; that, although, indeed, the spiritual sword is hers jure divino, she asserts no pretensions whatever to that of civil government. There is, however, no mincing of matters here; and the Pope broadly avows his right to compel heretics to return to her.

New Year's Choughts.

THIS YEAR YOU MAY DIE.

THIS year you may die, because thousands have died since the last new year's day; and this year will be of the same kind with the last; the duration of mortals; a time to die. The causes of death, both in the human constitution and in the world without, will exist and operate in this year as well as the last.

This year you may die, though you are young; for the regions of the dead have been crowded with persons of your age; and no age is the least security against the stroke of death.

This year you may die, though you are now in health and vigorous, and your constitution seems to promise a long life; for thousands of such will be hurried into the eternal world this year, as they have been in years that are past. The principles of death may be even now working within you, notwithstanding the seeming firmness of your constitution, and you may be a pale, cold, lifeless corpse sooner than the invalid whose life is apparently near its close.

This year you may die, though you are full of business, though you have projected many schemes, which may be the work of years to execute, and which afford you many bright and flattering prospects. Ďeath will not consult your leisure, nor be put off till another year, that you may accomplish your designs. Thousands have died before you, and will die this year amidst their golden prospects, and while spinning out their eternal schemes. And what has happened to them may happen to you.

This year you may die, though you have not yet finished your education, nor fixed in life, but are preparing to appear in the world, and perhaps elated with the prospect of the figure you will make in it. Many such abortive students are now in the dust. Many that had passed through a laborious course of preparation for public life, and had inspired their friends, as well as themselves, with high hopes, have been snatched away as they were just stepping upon the stage; and this may be your doom also.

This year you may die, though you are not prepared for it. When death shows you his warrant under the great seal of Heaven, it will be no excuse to plead, "I am not ready." Though the consequences of your dying unprepared will be your everlasting ruin, yet that dreadful consideration will have no weight to delay the execution.

This year you may die, though you deliberately delay your preparation, and put it off to some future time. You may fix upon the next year, or the decline of life, as the season for religion; but that time may not be at your disposal. Others may live to see it, but you may be ingulfed in the boundless ocean of eternity before it arrives, and your time for preparation may be over for ever.

This year you may die, though you are unwilling to admit the thought. Death does not slacken his pace towards you, because you hate him, and are afraid of his approach. Your not realizing your latter end as near, does not remove it to a greater distance. Think of it or not, you must die; your want of thought can be no defence; and you know not how soon you may feel what you cannot bear to think of.

This year you may die, though you strongly hope the contrary, and flatter yourself with the expectation of a length of years. You will not, perhaps, admit the thought of a short, abortive life; but notwithstanding this, you may be a lifeless corpse before this year finishes its revolution.

Thus it appears very possible, that one or other of us may die this year.-Davies.

Consider the great purposes of the present life can be answered only in time; for there are certain important duties peculiar to this world, which, if unperformed here, must remain so for ever, because eternity is not the season for them.

Both worlds have their proper business allotted them; and the proper business of the one cannot be done in the other. Eternity and time are intended for quite different purposes. The one is seed-time; the other, harvest: the one is the season of working; the other, for receiving the wages: and if we invert the unchangeable order of things, and defer the business of life till after death, we shall find ourselves miserably mistaken. Therefore, if saints would be of service to mankind, as members of civil or religious society; and particularly, if they would be instrumental to form others for a blessed immortality, and save souls from death, by converting sinners from the error of their way; if they would do these things, the present life is the only time. In heaven they will have other employ. These things must now be done or never. And O! what pious heart can bear the thought of leaving the world while these are undone? When once death has laid his cold hand upon you, you are for ever disabled from such services as these. Then farewell to all opportunities of usefulness, in the manner of the present life. Then, even your children and dearest friends may run on in sin, and perish, while it is not in your power so much as to speak one word to dissuade them.

Again: if sinners, who now are in a state of condemnation, would escape out of it; if they who are at present slaves to sin, would become sincere converts to righteousness; if they would use the means of grace for that purpose, now is the time. There is none of this work in hell: they no sooner enter into the eternal world, than their state will be unchangeably and eternally fixed. All are ripe for eternity before they are removed into it: the good ripe for heaven, and wicked ripe for hell; the one, vessels of mercy afore-prepared for glory; and the other, vessels of wrath fitted for destruction; and therefore they must remain for ever in their respective mansions. In hell, indeed, sinners repent; but their repentance is their punishment, and has no tendency to amend or save them. They mourn and weep; but their tears are but oil to increase the flame. They cry, and perhaps pray; but the hour of audience and facceptance is past-past for ever!

The

means of grace are all gone; the sanctifying influences of the Spirit are all withdrawn for ever. And hence they will corrupt and putrefy into mere masses of pure unmingled wickedness and misery. Sinners! realize this thought, and sure it must rouse you out of sleep. Trifle on a little longer, and it is over with you; spend a few days more as you have spent your time past, and you will be ingulfed in as hopeless misery as any devil in hell. Another year now meets you, and invites you to improve it to prepare for eternity; and if you waste it like the past, you may be undone for ever. Therefore, take Solomon's warning, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor wisdom in the grave, whither you are going.-Davies.

"THE HABITATION NOT MADE WITH HANDS.”

Through the goodness of the Lord, my poor clay tabernacle is in tolerable good repair, although the beams and rafters seem to grow weaker. When the Builder intends taking it down, I know not; and as I may and ought to expect that the time will shortly arrive, when I must quit my present habitation, I desire, wish, and pray that my next house may be built of better materials, and not subject to any decay.

I sometimes take a peep at the place where my new house is to be built; but through the dimness of my sight, and the weakness of my understanding, I cannot as yet comprehend the beauty of the situation, nor rightly understand the form of the house; but I am informed by the Builder, that he will make it like his own habitation. I have somewhere read about the form of the city, and the beauty of the streets; and the description is so elegantly grand, and glorious, it is enough to stir up a desire and a longing in the heart to be there.

I am told, farther, that there is a vast number of inhabitants in the place where my house is to be built; and also, that they all live in love, and in peace, and no foe can enter the city, so that the inhabitants live without fear; and I am farther assured, that their employ will be praising the Builder of the city; and as you and I love singing, I humbly hope our voices will be properly tuned, for I should like to sing as well as the best, for really no one will have greater cause to sing than I. Now, I being a tenant at will, the owner of my tabernacle has a right to turn me out at a moment's warning, nay, without any warning at all; therefore, I daily pray that I may be enabled to obey his commands, and that is, to be "always ready." I find a vast number of things want rectifying and altering in my poor tabernacle: but I humbly hope, that as the Builder, I trust, intends my tabernacle for a habitation for himself, he will subdue everything contrary to his good pleasure, and cleanse the house thoroughly, making it a fit and proper habitation for himself. The glorious Builder of my house has left upon record exceedingly encouraging words of promise, to comfort the wayfaring man while on his journey to the desired city. He has also set up way marks, and given proper directions, insomuch that if the traveller keeps his eye upon the directing post, and walks according to the plan marked out, he will not greatly err; besides, there is something more encouraging still: the traveller has for his guide One who is perfectly acquainted with the way to the city, and also knows all the dangers, enemies, and difficulties of the way through which the traveller has to pass; and the guide is more than a match for all the foes that infest the road; nay, he has the power over all countries invested in his hand, and all his enemies, and his followers' enemies, will shortly, and for ever, be put under his feet.

You, dear friend, have had a taste of the fruit of this upper and better country, and the taste makes you long to feast more bountifully upon the heart-cheering, soul-comforting viands. The earnest of your future possession you have already received, which is a token or seal, that the full enjoyment shall be experienced in due time; in the meantime, it is the pilgrim's duty and privilege, to be desiring, hoping, watching, and striving, till the time of deliverance comes; and as the heavenly manna is daily spreading round your habitation, I humbly hope and pray that you may experience abundance of increase, that you may daily rejoice in full assurance of hope, of for ever enjoying the house not made with hands, in a kingdom that shall never be moved.-The Letter of a Poor but Pious Man.