swells his heart with spiritual joys. They are, in fact, two distinct forms, which the same principle assumes, and we cannot compare one with the other, so as to assign to either the pre-eminence. Neither can exist in a genuine state, without some measure of the other. It is, however, undoubtedly the former, which is the great test of Christian character. It is the former, which we are to strive to establish in our hearts, and in which we may depend upon making steady and certain progress just in proportion to the faithfulness of our vigilance, and the sincerity of our prayers.*

* *

Our business then is, in our efforts to bring our hearts into a right state in respect to God's kingdom in this world, to cultivate a steady, healthy, active interest in it,—not to struggle in vain for continued religious emotion. If the one really reigns over us, it will lead us to exactly the right sort of effort in God's cause; and it will bring to our hearts many happy seasons of the other, in our hours of retirement, meditation and prayer.

4. It must be your habitual feeling, in all your plans for the salvation of souls, that you are and can be only the instrument, that the only efficient means of success must be a Divine influence exerted upon the soul. Consider often, how radical, how entire is the change which you wish to effect. If you only desired to alter a friend's course of conduct, by showing him another in which he might more safely and certainly gratify the reigning desires and affections of his heart, you might perhaps do it by the mere natural effect of the information you might give. But here, it is the very desires and affections of the heart themselves, which you wish to change. You are going to offer him the communion and friendship of God. It is just the very thing he would most dislike and avoid. He would rather have God away than near. You are going to offer him forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ his Saviour; far from valuing the forgiveness of sin, which implies the abandonment of it, it is the continued commission of sin which he most eagerly clings to. The terms of salvation, and the duties arising from them, are humbling: he is perhaps hesitating whether he can comply with terms so disagreeable. He is naturally proud. He can be pleased only with what is lofty. Now his heart must be changed, so that he shall love these very terms, and love them on the very account of their humiliating

C

character. He never can be saved, until he so feels his sins, and the attitude in which he stands towards God, as to find the lowest place before the throne of God, the one to which he comes easily and with pleasure, and where he finds the greatest peace and happiness. You do not come, therefore, to show the soul a new way to get what it loves, but you come to lead it to love what it most dislikes and avoids. Humility, penitence, a lowly walk with God, the ceaseless presence and restraints of Divine communion, escape from sin and every sinful pleasure, and the absorbing of the soul in holy spiritual joys;-these favours, invaluable as they really are, are not such as we can expect mankind to welcome, if left to themselves. In some cases, that is, when you act in coincidence with the desires and affections of the heart, the more clearly and distinctly you present reasonable claims, the more certain it is, that they will be adopted. But the more clearly and distinctly you offer these spiritual blessings to the world, the more open and unequivocal will be the decision with which they reject them. nature, they run exactly counter to, and tural feelings, and wishes, and desires. them, to will and do good. While you kindly invite, He must move their hearts to love the boon you offer, and to accept the invitation. You must always feel this. It will make you quiet, lowly, submissive. You will walk humbly and softly before God in your labours to promote his cause, and it will be safe for Him to give you success. [Compressed from a Modern Author.]

For in their very across all their naGod must work in

ON THE QUALIFICATION OF A DISTRICT

VISITOR.

Ir is not necessary, as it would not be generally possible, that the Visitor should be of superior rank. At a manufacturing village with a population of 3,500, a society has been formed among the pious poor, consisting of twenty members, and divided into classes of five each; each class being under the direction of a discreet person, and the superintendence of the minister. These classes undertake to visit in their turns for a week such of their poor neighbours as may be old, infirm, or sick, carrying such assistance as the minister can provide, reading the Scriptures, and praying. The number of visits

made during each week are from twenty to twenty-four. Through the blessing of God, great good has been done by this society, and the minister has derived from it much valuable help.

[From the Appendix to the Bishop of Chester's Charge of 1832.]

THE harvest is so immense, that if an individual labourer has time only to gather a few scattered ears, he may be assured good will have been effected, which otherwise might have remained undone. If an individual can spare one single hour in a month, or labour only one portion of the year, he need not withhold his help because he can do no more. We shall welcome him to our company. I would only specify one qualification, in the absence of which we would not willingly associate any one with us. He who would join us in this work, must engage in it on Christian principles he must himself be a Christian in faith and practice, and his main object must be to assist the clergy in ameliorating the condition of their fellow-creatures, and bringing souls through Christ to heaven.

[From Rev. J. E. TYLER'S Address to his Parishioners.]

AN INQUIRY, CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF DISTRICT VISITING SOCIETIES, ANSWERED. As the following questions, proposed by a correspondent, relate to a difficulty which has no doubt often presented itself to the clergy, on entering a new parish, we have given them, with the answer at length, and hope both will be found useful under similar circumstances.

"May I take the liberty of putting a question which I should be very glad if you would answer? What is your advice in the case of a clergyman's entering upon a parish in which he can find, very few, or none, fit to be visitors? Is there any good done by appointing persons to deliver tracts who are not serious? In case none were to be found, would you recommend any society being established until some change was perceptible? In case of one or two, would you advise a portion of the parish being committed to their hands, and more being added as you could find serviceable persons? I rather incline to this latter plan; because, if in order to sweep a parish you put any persons in the place of

visitors, whose heart is not occupied in their work, even although you might light upon more proper persons afterwards, it is exceedingly difficult to get rid of those whom you have already employed."

ANSWER.

"The questions you have proposed, as to the employment of persons as District Visitors who are not serious, are important. And as it has often been put to the committee before, they would offer to you the same opinion they have given to others, which is in fact to adopt the latter of the two plans that have presented themselves to your own mind; and rather to begin with a portion of the parish, and add to the districts and visitors, as suitable persons can be called into action, than to have the whole pre-occupied by those whose spiritual qualifications are not satisfactory.

"Another plan has, in some instances, been recommended, where a minister has funds at his disposal, and that is, to give a small gratuity to a schoolmaster, or a small tradesman of pious character, to induce him to devote his leisure time to the distribution of tracts, &c., by which means the ground is prepared and good seed is sown."

A SHORT NOTICE OF THE LATE REV. ISAAC

SAUNDERS, M.A.

AMONG the earliest advocates of what the celebrated Dr. Chalmers has aptly denominated the "pervading system," may be ranked the late Reverend Isaac Saunders, rector of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Ann, Blackfriars. So far back as the year 1820, Mr. Saunders had divided his parishes into districts, chiefly with the view of drawing the children of the poor to the "City Sunday-schools," by the personal application of the teachers to their parents. Impressed with the importance of its objects, he attended the first meetings of the Society for promoting District Visiting, and the writer of this sketch well remembers, as he walked with him from one of those meetings, how much he rejoiced in the prospect of the Church of England extending her usefulness, by the general adoption of a system of visiting all the poor inhabitants of the parishes throughout the kingdom, at their own houses.

He speedily turned his attention to the application of this plan to the district of which he was the spiritual overseer, and at the close of the year 1829, he, in conjunction with a few of his parishioners and others, formed an association under the name of "The Parochial Visiting Society of the united Parishes of St. Andrew by the Wardrobe and St. Ann, Blackfriars."

The Lord raised up labourers for the work, and in less than a month every room in the several districts had been visited; the spiritual state and circumstances of the poor ascertained; and a moral chart of the two parishes was spread before the first meeting after the establishment of the society. From that period to the present, the system of visiting has been continued with undiminished vigour; the poor have been drawn to a place of worship; Bibles have been subscribed for and furnished, or lent for perusal; children have been led to the Sunday and infant schools; the Gospel has been proclaimed in every room; cases of sickness have been supplied with medicine through the "City Western Dispensary;" coals and potatoes have been dispensed during the severity of winter by the aid of the "City Association for the relief of the poor," and all the machinery of the Christian system has been in continual exercise. To the day of Mr. Saunders's death, of the several institutions which adorned the united parishes, none cheered him more than this. Often has he expressed to the visitors, whom he met monthly, his delight at seeing them gather around him without any summons, and as they reported upon the cases in their respective sections, which he encouraged them to do in detail, by his patient attention to their statements, occasions continually presented themselves of imparting spiritual lessons to those who were engaged in this "work of faith and labour of love." It was his practice to read and expound a portion of Scripture when the visitors had completed their reports, and to close the meeting with prayer, and many of the visitors can testify that these were frequently seasons of great spiritual edification.

It would extend this sketch beyond the reasonable limit, to give a detail of the fruits which "the Lord of the harvest" has vouchsafed to the labourers in this part of his vineyard; but one or two cases may be inserted. Among the persons visited, were an aged man and his wife, who, from circum