free, but Christ is all and in all." We were astir betimes in the morning, and after paying a visit to the other hut, and purchasing a few rein-deer-skins and spoons of rein-deer horn, as memorials of our interesting friends, we took leave of them. It was, no doubt, fortunate for us, that the hut we slept in had been erected on the very day of our arrival, as cleanliness is not the cardinal virtue of the Laps. As it was, on descending to the margin of the lake, before rejoining our party at Malmag's-gaard, we found a plunge in its clear waters a most grateful sequel to our night's proceedings. R. H. L. (separate) me and P—, for he's sure to kill me. I kept it quiet as long as I could; but yesterday morning, when, against his will, I was going to the Free Church, he followed me out, and, before the neighbours, seized me by the neck, and kicked me into the house, locking the door, and continuing to beat me, and prevented me from going to church by locking me up in the house. I can keep it quiet nae langer, and ye maun do something to arrange for a separation." I said, "that was a very serious matter, and every method likely to mend matters should be tried rather than contribute to put asunder those whom God had joined ; and even if I were to comply with your present wishes and get a separation effected, you know you have three children: he would retain them, and you ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRAYER. could never be happy when you reflected Is a village on the north bank of the Tay that you had deserted them, and left (Perthshire), there lived a man, by pro- them to the care of such a reckless and fession a carrier, of obliging dispo- apparently godless father. The very sition but of an assumed surly manner- thought would render your future life priding himself on giving snappish an- miserable." After talking to her for swers, frequently accompanied with pro- some time in this manner, she still confane swearing, which, as it appeared, he tinued crying, and at last said, "Oh, reckoned a mark of manliness; indeed what will I do?" I said, "You know he seemed fond of the cognomen be- your husband is the most reckless and stowed on him by some of his neigh-incorrigible man in the district; none bours, of "The Swearing, Tearing Carrier." It happened one evening, when our carrier was returning from town, that he had fallen asleep on the top of his cart, and he fell. One of the wheels passed over his shoulder and slightly grazed the side of his head, and for some days his case was thought dangerous. In his illness, the writer of this called to see him, but was sorry to find that his mind had not been properly affected by the deliverance he had experienced from what was so nearly causing instant death. In a short time he got well, and resumed his former employment with all his former reckless habits. About that time the disruption in the Church of Scotland took place, and the carrier and his wife were, like many others, divided in opinion as to which side to take. The carrier's wife favoured the Free Church party, while he stood aloof, and endeavoured to bring her to join the other side. On a Monday morning the wife called at my house and expressed a wish to see me. When she came into the room she was in tears, and on asking what was the matter, she burst out with this exclamation:"Oh! you must come and sinder can change that man's heart but the gracious Being who formed it; but He can do it; and the best advice I can give you in your trying situation is to commit the matter unto God, and He will direct your steps. You know who hath said, Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.' Do you act the Christian out and out, and leave the matter in God's hand. If your husband again beat you, and you feel unable to refrain from crying, go into your other room and cry your fill. Pray for your husband frequently and sincerely, that God would give him a new heart and put a right spirit within him, and continue till God see meet to answer your prayer. It may not be long, and if you are enabled to act in this way, I would not be at all surprised to see your husband going along with you to the same church, and in every respect acting both as becomes Christians.' When I had said this, she ceased crying, wiped her eyes, and looked at me with a very pleasant smile, saying rapidly, "Dinna expect a' that, dinna expect a' that-that would be heaven again on earth!" Well, I said, I had great hopes of her succeeding by earnest prayer. "Just go away home, ask strength from on high to| enable you to perform your duty. I too will take an early opportunity of speaking to him; but do not let him nor any know that you complained to me." 66 On the following Friday I met our carrier in the market, and asked him if he was at leisure, as I had something to speak to him about. He coloured, and said he was not at leisure. I saw he dreaded that I was to speak to him about the bad treatment of his wife, for in Scotland for a man to lift his hand to a woman is fortunately as rare as it is generally held disgraceful and degrading. "Well," I said, "let us walk out of the crowd a little. I will not detain you many minutes." When by ourselves I added, "How is it that you never attend the prayer-meeting in my house? Your wife and daughter attend. I hope you are glad of it." He said, Yes." "Well," said I, "you know you were very near eternity lately, and were mercifully delivered. It was a solemn warning, and you should receive it as such. Our prayer-meeting is, you know, on Saturday evening. Will you attend?" He said very frankly, Yes, I will." And he came; and on the morrow the carrier and his wife went together to the Free Church, and ever after, while they continued in this country, the carrier became a valiant champion for the Free Church I believe conscientiously-gave up his swearing and snappish answers, and it was remarked by every one that he had become a much improved man. This was acknowledged to myself even by some who had taken offence at his former conduct. 66 Some years since, he and his family emigrated to the United States, and it was pleasant to observe by his letter that a prayer-meeting was held in his own house. May God continue to carry on the work which he seems so mercifully to have begun, and make him useful in the land of his adoption in bringing others from darkness to light. G. SLAVERY IN THE UNITED STATES. AN active member and office-bearer connected with one of our own congregations has lately returned from a visit to the United States of America. He has favoured us with his impressions of slavery in the following communication, which we recommend to the careful consideration of our readers: "I visited Richmond, Virginia, that I might see and hear for myself on the spot something on that all-important subject, slavery. Some of our friends in the north endeavoured to dissuade me, acknowledging that it was the weakest point of their social system, nor should strangers (they said) judge of what the slave-owners desire to do only by what they now do. with us in England, slavery in the abstract, "There, as in the Northern States, and and, indeed, slavery as it exists under the most favourable circumstances, is very generally considered an evil that ought to be got rid of as soon as it can be done consistently with safety to life and property." "You should know that, at least so far as I had an opportunity of ascertaining the facts, both the domestic and factory slaves (I saw nothing of the field labourers) practically had, equally with our factory people, and to a greater extent than our domestic servants, the command of their own time; the working hours of the factory slaves are not longer, and of the domestic slaves much shorter. In the family of the friends we visited, the domestics retired to their dwellings after tea, and were not expected to do any work for the family afterwards. The remainder of the evening is generally spent in attending to their own families, or if they have none, in seeing their friends. In both cases they have board, lodging, clothing, and medical attendance provided for them. The factory slaves in the establishments I saw (viz., the manufacturing of tobacco into cigars, &c.) had generally tasks assigned to them; all work they performed beyond these tasks they were paid for, and in the wages-book for the previous three weeks shown to me, these extra payments varied from sixty to seventy cents to about four and a-half dollars weekly each, averaging about two dollars, or eight shillings of our money. animal wants are concerned, they are fully "So far then as their bodily comfort and as well off as the majority of our operatives, without the anxiety of providing for sickness, old age, or want of employment. "With regard to their moral and spiritual wants, they have generally an opportunity of attending the ministrations of some preacher; but there is a law in some of the States making it penal to teach slaves to read, except with the consent of their master. The owners inform me, that practically, this law is very generally a dead letter. The negroes have naturally no desire for instruction, but in many cases they do learn to read and write, and are sometimes taught by their masters and mistresses, or their families. I fear, however, that the practice of giving instruction to the negroes on the part of the owners is not the rule but the exception, and you will see by the report of a conviction sent herewith, their law against instruction is still enforced. It is in this that I think the owners and their supporters err, because they fail sufficiently to appreciate the mighty influence of God's Word in restraining the evil propensities of our nature, and in implanting principles and motives that would raise the possessor from the bondage of his merely animal passions to an intelligent and truth-loving being. "The reason assigned by those who are opposed to the instruction of the negroes is, that it would make them discontented with their position, and give them a power which might be used against their masters. An argument this which is most inconsistent with another often put forward, that 'the negro intellect is too dull and obtuse to receive instruction.' And thus we see in the Southern States a slave population on the increase, their animal wants abundantly supplied without the instruction necessary to restrain the animal passions, which the abundant supply of these wants must necessarily strengthen. If the slave-holding States do not see the probable consequence of such suicidal policy towards a people growing at least in physical, if not in political and moral strength, and do not take a different course, by encouraging the negro to read his Bible, and seek for moral and intellectual instruction, I don't know what may be the consequence to the white men in the slave States. "I am glad to observe since I returned to this country, from the message of the Government of Alabama to Congress, that the obligation of the slave-owners to look to the improvement of the moral and social condition of the slave is beginning to be acknowledged, as you will see by the extract from the message I send you herewith. No doubt, the obligation has been long felt by parties who have been prevented from acknowledging it by the indiscriminate rebukes of imprudent friends of the slave, and of interested demagogues, who make abolition of slavery the passport to eirculate their dogmas of women's rights, as also their Infidel and anti-sabbatarian views. You should know, that, although in Britain abolition is treated as a social question of humanity and morals, in America it is treated also as a political question, and largely used for political purposes. This greatly embitters the controversy. "From what I was able to learn of slavery in the very short time I was in a slave State, I think it is felt by the owners to be both an expensive and a troublesome system; if, therefore, it is a crime, it is carrying its own penalty along with it; and I believe the owners and white population of the slave States have an interest in and are desirous of getting rid of the system, as soon as it can be done consistently, in their opinion, with safety to life and property. Yet (as I have already noticed) they too frequently are opposed to, or neglect the means for, preparing the slave for liberty by instruction; and this want of preparation, in my opinion, is the only difficulty that stands in the way of abolition-but it is a serious one, it being very questionable whether the slaves, as they now are, have intelligence and self-exertion enough to provide for themselves by labouring for wages, after being so long habituated to dependance on others for the means of subsistence. The question of compensation to the owner for abolition, I think, might be easily settled, as the quantity of good land in the possession of the Government, and unappropriated, would be ample enough, I believe, for that purpose. "I was present at a slave auction, where men and women, boys and girls, were offered for sale. In this case, I believe, there was no separation of relatives, there being no relationships between any of them, and (except in the case of one woman) all seemed to be quite indifferent as to their fate; indeed, they seemed rather to enjoy the laudatory remarks of the auctioneer, and the increasing biddings of the buyers. If those who defend the system of slavery, especially the ladies, witnessed the indecent and degrading treatment both sexes had to submit to before they were put up for sale, as I saw it, I am convinced that they would blush to find themselves the defenders of a system which degraded their fellow-creatures in such a manner. That the slaves themselves seemed indifferent to such treatment, only made the matter worse: as it proved how much the mind was enslaved as well as the body. "I was informed that in the Eastern Slave States, at least, selling slaves by auction is seldom resorted to, except under an execution for debt, or for misbehaviour on the part of the slave (the master, of course, however, being the judge as to the behaviour). I learned also that the slavedealer who merely trades in slaves is not respected, but rather looked down upon in society. "The impression left on my mind, after what I have seen and heard of slavery in the United States, is that, considering it is the slave-holders themselves that alone can abolish the institution, we ought to avoid forcing our views upon them in an offensive manner. We ought to remember especially, that it is to this country they are indebted for the institution. Their own interests, if not their own convictions, as to their duty towards their fellow-creatures, if let alone, will do more than our rebukes. I believe the country would gladly avail itself of any safe mode of getting rid of it. "What is wanted, therefore, is Bible instruction and kind treatment-freedom, in the first place, from mental and moral bondage, then personal freedom may follow without damage to themselves or others. "He is a freeman whom the truth makes free, And all are slaves besides.' "W. S." "THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW A FEW months ago a gentleman from Belfast being in Birmingham, entered a chapel where the Ordination Services in connexion with the settlement of a pastor were being conducted. The young minister addressed the assembled congregation to the following effect: "Some years ago I lived in London. One Sabbath I was wandering about in a careless spirit, not intending to go to any place of worship. I observed a number of people, however, going into a place of worship, and I thought I would follow them; so I went in and sat down. The preacher was a most earnest Irish minister. His discourse made a deep impression on me. It proved to be the beginning of religion in my soul; and if I stand before you this evening not merely as a Christian, but as a Christian minister, I owe it under God to that eminent minister now in glory; I refer to the late Rev. Josias Wilson." What an encouragement for faithful ministers! Mr. Josias Wilson was eminently blessed in the great work of turning sinners from darkness to light while he lived; but now, we find long after his death a case (one, we doubt not, of many) coming to light, furnishing a most affecting commentary on the beautiful words of the Apocalypse,"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours, AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM." SYSTEM AND PRINCIPLE. A SHORT time since, the Rev. Mr. Apresented to my people the claims of one of our great benevolent enterprises; and on Monday I called with him on several members of the congregation. Entering the counting-room of a merchant, the following interview in substance occurred : Mr. A. "Good morning, Mr. B—; our openings for usefulness are multiplying, and all that the Churches will intrust to us, we can most profitably employ on the field of our labours." Mr. B. "I am always glad to see you, Mr. A, and to do what I can for your noble Society," handing him a liberal donation; "we all ought to feel that we are but stewards, and be diligent in doing good while we may." Mr. A. "Thank you, thank you, Mr. B. We know you are a stedfast friend, and so is your partner, Mr. C―. Is he in, this morning?" Mr. B. "No, Sir; he is abroad. He was unexpectedly called away on business, and sailed some weeks since, to be absent about six months." Mr. A. "Then, I suppose, we shall lose his subscription this year? Mr. B. "No, Sir. One of the last things he did before sailing was to request me' to attend to his charities with the same care as to his other business, and to give, for him, to the various objects of benevolence, as they might come before our Church, about the same that he gave last year, or, if anything, rather more, as this year we have been prospered.' Do you remember what was the amount of his subscription last year?" Mr. A. "Twenty pounds." Mr. B. "Well, here is a check for twenty-five, which is about what I think he would give if he were at home." With thanks to the giver, and especially to Him who had prompted the gift, we went away, wishing,-1st, that all would feel that they are but stewards; 2d, that all would consider their charities a part of their business; 3d, that all would give to the great objects of benevolence systematically and on principle, whether at home or abroad. THE bright peculiarity of the Christian system is the doctrine of a justificationfree, full, and absolute-through faith in Christ. On this first principle there is, indeed, among modern Christians, however they may otherwise differ, a happy Catholic consent and it is shown in this, that, in the records of their personal feelings, the meditations, the diaries, which they have left in their closets, and in the letters which they have exchanged with their Christian friends, the subject, very little varied in the mode of expression, is always foremost and uppermost; this is the theme, this the animation, this the bond, this the wellunderstood ground of happy communion among all Christ's followers-Christ himself, and his sovereign, justifying grace; not the sacraments, not the Church, not prayers, psalms, fasts, sheep-skins, calls,-none of these things: but the Divine Saviour himself, the hope and the only hope of his people.-Isaac Taylor. Missions. LETTERS FROM CHINA. REV. W. C. BURNS TO DR. HAMILTON. Amoy, Oct. 13, 1853. MY DEAR FRIEND,-It is some time since I wrote you anything directly about the progress of the work of the Gospel among us here, and, therefore, I now take up my pen to address to you a few lines. You are already aware that Amoy has been in the hands of a local body of insurgents for the last few months. The Government party have made several attempts to retake it, but as yet without success. The last of these attempts (in which they still persevere, and with rather improving prospects of ultimate success) has placed us in the midst of war for a number of successive weeks. The missiles of death have been often falling thick around us, and have struck and injured more than one of the missionaries' houses; and yet we are preserved in safety and in much inward peace. We have, indeed, cause in this matter to sing of mercy! The missionary schools under Dr. Young's care and my own had been so much reduced in numbers by the unsettled state of things among us, that when, in July, Dr. Young removed from the premises he formerly occupied, both the schools were united in one under the roof where I live. For a time this united school went on well, but since the last attack of the Government party, it has been again much scattered, and the attendance at present does not average above eight or ten boys,-chiefly the older ones. Dur mg the hot months, besides prosecuting my studies in Chinese, I have been doing almost nothing regularly, except in the way of holding a meeting for worship and exposition of the Scriptures morning and evening, in the school-room,-attended in the morning by a few of the pupils, and such persons as choose to attend; those attending have been, as before, chiefly members of the American Mission Church, who live in the neighbourhood, and a few neighbours and inquirers more or less interested in the truth. When Dr. Young had the premises he formerly occupied, I had the use of the preaching hall there as often as I wished it, but never succeeded in collecting a good meeting there. Since he left these premises I have had no place to hold public meetings, and about a fortnight ago I began to feel painfully that I ought to be doing more than hitherto in the way of preaching the Word of Life among this VOL. VI. people. I accordingly made some efforts to obtain a place suitable to be used as a place of meeting, and had hope of succeeding. I was, however, disappointed in this hope, and must have again delayed had not one of our missionary brethren, Mr. Doty, of the American Mission, with his usual kindness, invited me to make full use of their chapel, which is near the place I live, and which, a great part of every week-day, is unoccupied, except by members of the native Church, who are frequently engaged from day to day, in collecting and adressing companies of the passers by. In consequence of this kind offer, so agreeable to my habits and feelings in regard to cooperation in the work of the Gospel, I have been, during this week, holding daily meetings in the forenoon in this chapel, assisted by members of the native Church, especially by one in whom I have been long interested, and whom I have had the privilege of, in part, supporting as a colporteur, or exhorter, during the greater part of the last two years. Our meetings on each day of this week have been encouraging as to numbers,-from thirty to sixty, and as to attention to the Word preached, and as, in consequence of this place being in the hands of insurgents, there are many strangers here, going to and fro, the time seems very favourable for scattering the precious seed. You are already aware, from our previous letters, that the house formerly belonging to the American Mission, and originally occupied by the late Mr. Pohlman, had been given over to us for the use of Dr. Young, or of any other, who, in his absence, might need it. A considerable part of the house has fallen, from the violence of a storm of wind and rain; and it was supposed that 1007., which I drew on account of my salary, would be barely sufficient, at the present high rates of exchange, to rebuild it. However, owing to a contest among the builders for the work, it was undertaken at an unusually moderate rate, and it is expected that when all is put in order there will still be a considerable balance over. We agreed to give 150 dollars to the American Mission, in name of materials belonging to them, left on the premises. Fifty dollars of this I have already paid, and when the building, &c., E |