gyman, and then to destroy or burn them. Several hundreds of Tracts, and a great many New Testaments, were torn to pieces, and then burnt. It is pleasing however to find that, of the 7,000 Tracts which had been given to the Roman Catholics at their own earnest solicitation, not more than 1,200 could be found for the purpose of destruction. In consequence of this act of persecution, the desire to possess Tracts has become so great in many Protestant parishes, that they are read with the greatest avidity by whole congregations." The Hamburgh Society sent to Bavaria 20,000 Tracts, to supply the place of those which had been destroyed.

SWEDEN.-A grant of Swedish Tracts, has been made to Mr. Scott, the Wesleyan Missionary at Stockholm; and the Committee have authorized the Evangelical Society in that city to publish several new Tracts for circulation in Sweden.

DENMARK.-The Society at Christianfeld has received a grant of £5; and £15. have been sent to the Society at Copenhagen, to promote the circulation of Danish Tracts. The latter Society will shortly publish an edition of "THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS," which is likely to be useful. The Society at Modrufel, in ICELAND, continues its labours; and a grant of £10. has been sent, in aid of its funds. In NORWAY, new Societies have been established at Christiana, Tronthiem, Bergen, Stavanger, and Christiansand; and, to encourage the friends connected with them, the Committee have granted £50. and copies of all their Tract publications.

RUSSIA. A considerable circulation of religious truth continues to be made by the friends at St. Peterburgh. It appears that within three years, ending in December 1832, 457,136 Tracts and Children's Books, in various languages, have been put into circulation, including 329,113 in Russ. In addition to these works, 1,000 copies of "DODDRIDGE'S RISE AND PROGRESS," and "BAXTER'S CALL TO THE UNCONVERTED," have been purchased, for circulation among the British and American sailors who visit the port of Cronstadt. The Committee of the Parent Society have sent to St. Petersburgh, during the year, grants in Finnish, French, and English works, to the value of nearly £50.

GIBRALTAR.-About 5,350 Spanish, Italian, and English Tracts have been sent to this station, where they have been useful to the soldiers, and also to the Spanish children. A few of the Spanish Tracts have also found their way into Spain.

MALTA. "THE EVIDENCE OF PROPHECY," has been printed in modern Greek, at the expense of the Society. From this station there has been a considerable circulation of Children's Books, in modern Greek, during the year. About 12,000 modern Greek Tracts have been printed by Mr. Wilson; and further supplies of Tracts and Children's Books, to the value of £58. have been sent to him. A new edition of "THE NEGRO SERVANT," in Greek, has been printed. The Church Missionaries at Malta have printed 58,850 Tracts and Books, in Greek, Italian, and Arabic. A large supply of casts of wood cuts has been sent to the Missionaries, and a grant of £50. paid to them, to promote the circulation of Arabic publications, particularly in Egypt, where free toleration has been granted by the Pacha. The Report refers to the information which has been received from Zante

and Smyrna, and to the great excitement which prevails among the followers of the false prophet, who have willingly received the numerous works distributed among them.

DOMESTIC.-SCOTLAND.

From the First Report of the Glasgow Religious Tract Society. AN agent states the following particulars :—“ In visiting a family in this district, I found that the tract entitled THE PRODIGAL SON' had excited much attention. About half a dozen had read it; it had been read out of the house, and was returned and ready for me. The master of the house had read it three or four times, and was so much delighted with it, and interested by it, that I requested him to keep it altogether. An old woman, with whom I had left the tract, LUTHER ON JUSTIFICATION,' had read it again and again, and I requested her to keep it. She mentioned the tract COME AND WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST,' by Bunyan, as having been singularly useful to her daughter, on her death-bed, some time ago. She said that she was never tired of reading it, and that it afforded her great instruction and consolation. She regretted much that she lost it after her daughter's death; for she had read it often with great delight. I promised to procure it for her. Such is the usefulness of Tracts."

From a Correspondent at Ryde, Isle of Wight.

I AM happy to inform you that many of the tracts have been made a blessing. An aged widow came ten miles, a short time since, for "POOR SARAH, THE INDIAN WOMAN," whose case was similar to her own. Some ladies, to whom I mentioned the circumstance, gave her a great many tracts to sell, as she carries a basket with cakes, &c. and she is now selling them among the country people in the interior of the island, where, I trust, they will be made useful.

ANONYMOUS.

To the Religious Tract Society.

YOUR little, though very numerous family of tracts, seem to be all of one mind, all point one way; surely it is the family of brethren that dwell together in unity; some of the least of this united family are so expert, that they will take a poor ignorant rebellious sinner and lead him right to Christ as the only Saviour. O blessed leaders, may God in mercy increase their number a thousand fold!

Inclosed you will receive THREE HUNDRED POUNDS, towards putting such little whisperers more into circulation, from a well-wisher to their exploits.

Printed for the RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, 56, Paternoster Row;
by John Hill, Black Horse Court, Fleet Street.

L.

1

AMONG the Persians there was a law, that whosoever presented himself before the king, unless first called to go in, should be put to death. See Esther iv. 11. We have no such prohibition. The golden sceptre to us is always stretched forth. We have a general, a universal invitation to draw near, at all times, and in all circumstances, in every thing by prayer and supplication to make known our requests unto God; and are authorised to address him, not only as the Infinite, the Eternal, the Almighty, the first cause and the last end of all things; but as our Father, though he is in heaven. It is not the spirit of bondage to fear, but the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. It is not the address of a criminal to a judge, nor of a slave to a master; but of a child to a Father, to whom he is most intimately related, and who feels in him the claims of nature and affection. "I write unto you, little children," says John, "because ye have known the Father." Who is a child so likely to know, as his father? What is the first name he utters, but "my father, or my mother?" To whom is he so likely to flee in every danger? On whom, in every distress,

will he call so freely for relief? He relies upon his care; he expects that he will teach him, and defend him, and provide for him. And will not God, who stands in this endearing relation, exemplify it? And fulfil it perfectly and divinely? Let this, therefore, encourage and embolden us in our approaches to him.

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But see the source of all this-It is the Spirit of God's Son in our hearts that cries, "Abba, Father." It is therefore called "the Spirit of grace and of supplication." And we are said to pray in the Holy Ghost." It is he that shows us our state, and causes us to hunger and thirst after righteousness. "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." He enables us to believe on the Mediator, and thus gives us boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. He makes us spiritually-minded, and renders prayer our privilege; and we feel that it is good for us to draw near to God. Hence we are constant in the performance of it; for if we delight ourselves in the Almighty, we shall always call upon God.

A weighty inference is derivable from hence. We cannot say too much in recommendation of prayer, with regard to our trials, duties, and improvements. Prayer is the life of religion-But what is the life of prayer? "The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” Wherefore, first, let us not grieve the Holy Spirit, and cause him to withdraw or suspend his influences. And, secondly, let us pray for the Spirit, that we may pray with it. Remember, our Saviour has sanctioned it: " If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

JAY.

NEVER DESPAIR.

A MINISTER mentioned, at one of the Auxiliaries of the Tract Society, that he had been accustomed to preach the gospel in a small village, for a considerable time, but without having met with any instances of decided spiritual good. He was proceeding to the place one beautiful evening in the summer, when he observed at some distance before him a young woman, who appeared quite abstracted from every surrounding object. He approached sufficiently near to listen to her repetition of the well-known verse,

"'Tis a point I long to know,
Oft it causes anxious thought;
Do I love the Lord or no,
Am I his, or am I not?"

The minister overtook this young person, and then found she

was one of those christians who sometimes suspend their harps on the willows, saying, "How can I sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" The conversation and the address that evening appeared to remove the cloud of unbelief from the mind of the disciple, and she went "on her way rejoicing." Judge what the pleasing surprise of the minister was, when he discovered that the young person he had then providentially met, traced her first religious impressions to a tract she had received from him several years before in that same village; thus "the bread he had cast upon the water was found, though after many days."

THE JOY OF THE BELIEVER AND OF THE UNBELIEVER.

A TRUE believer cannot supremely rejoice in the things of this world he can be thankful for them as a duty; he can use them with cheerfulness; but the old relish he found in the pleasures, the interests, the wealth, the honours of this world, is in a manner worn off; since he hath experienced a grant, and a view of the glory of God through faith, he can no longer rejoice supremely in them. But, he can exult and triumph in the expectations of approaching glory; and therefore, he can also rejoice in whatever hath a tendency towards it, brings him nearer to it, or makes him fitter for it. If he gains any ground upon sin, any increase in faith and grace; especially any comfortable approach towards God in prayer, meditation, church or sacramental ordinances, he hath his heart's desire, and only laments still that he cannot have more of it. In this respect he can always say with David, in answer to the question, "Who will show us any good?" "Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us." For by this, "by the light of thy countenance," thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their " corn, and wine, and oil increased," i. e. above the joy of harvest, which is a time of general and great rejoicing. He cannot, indeed, rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, as he shall in the full possession and enjoyment of it, but yet the joy his heart is set upon, is of this spiritual nature. If he cannot rejoice in God as he would, yet he hath no heart supremely to rejoice in anything else. But now,

On the other hand, put an unbeliever to this work, a child of this world, and let only the question be asked, Can he rejoice above all things in the hope of seeing, serving, enjoying, and being with God? He will tell you, perhaps, that he can, but at the same time he very well knows that he rejoices far less in this prospect than in any of the things you can name besides he can rejoice exceedingly in the prospect of pleasure, gratification, amusement, company, abundance, distinction, pre-eminence, which