more to occupy the field, or to fill up the ranks where sickness, death, or other cause, has made a vacancy. But I almost despair: and when asked by the poor people, "How is it, Sir, the ladies don't visit us now as they used to? I suppose they are got tired of us?" I hardly know what to

say.

I have no idea of being able to communicate anything of much interest or importance; but as I before said, I bring my portion, from which, if anything useful to others can be picked out, I shall be thankful. I send, therefore, an extract or two from my visitors' memoranda.

"We are gladly received by each family, and have much encouragement to proceed, as some who at first refused to see us have since requested us to visit them. E.A. and her husband have been led to adopt family prayer. The husband was a great wrestler, but this year, though much tempted, refused to attend the games.

"As respects my district, I have but little to notice. M.S., I am sorry to say, does not appear to feel that desire after spiritual things which she formerly did, and I think for the most part shows displeasure, as if she considered my calling on her an intrusion. W.B. appears much pleased at receiving the tracts, and frequently observes, What good ones such and such were.' The others generally express thankfulness for my visit, and all listen with seeming attention to reading," &c.

6

I have lately tried a plan which I trust will continue to answer, especially during the winter months. A visitor calls at a house, and inquires if they would like to see me in the afternoon to expound a chapter; if convenient, the time is fixed, say four; she then calls at the other houses in the district, and invites the neighbours to this meeting, and then informs me. A room where there is an infirm person prevented from attending public worship is preferred. I sometimes conduct three meetings in an afternoon and evening, and at three several districts. They are often very well attended, especially on an evening. I commence with a short prayer, then read a chapter, very simply expound a portion of it, then pray. The whole occupies about half an hour. I think good has arisen from this plan, independently of the mere preaching the Word. Persons have occasionally been listeners who seldom attend other means of grace.

EFFECT OF DILIGENT VISITATION.

"WHY should the faithful minister despair of being enabled to say what Baxter has recorded of the parish :—When I came thither first, there was about one family in a street that worshipped God and called upon his name: and when I came away there were some streets where there was not past one family on the side of a street that did not do so, and that did not, by professing some godliness, give us hopes of their sincerity; and in those families which were the worst, keeping inns and alehouses, usually some persons did seem to be religious. Though our administration of the Lord's Supper was so ordered as displeased many, and the far greater part kept away themselves, yet we had six hundred that were communicants, of whom there were not twelve that I had not good hope of, &c., &c.*

"Every neighbourhood will still show instances of the like effects following the like means; and if these means were universal, so also would the effects be. 'The harvest truly is plenteous.'

"I am acquainted with a parish (and the instance is very far from singular) in which, within a few years, out of two hundred and four adults, eighty-three have become communicants; and out of ninety houses or families, forty-nine use regular domestic prayer, with reading of Scripture; whilst in fifteen of the remaining forty-five, the practice is chiefly prevented by the want of an inmate who can read.

"Many, when they find gross ignorance or gross vice generally existing, abandon the case as hopeless; whereas these evils ought to stimulate to greater exertion, and to the introduction of plans suited to the circumstances, for no plan can be laid down which shall be adapted to every case, though every case will admit its own, if diligently inquired into. Baxter mentions, amongst the advantages which assisted him, the zeal and diligence of the godly people of the place, who thirsted after the salvation of their neighbours, and were in private his assistants; and being dispersed throughout the town, were ready, in almost all companies, to repress seducing words, and to justify godliness, and convince, reprove, exhort men according to their needs: as also to teach them how to pray and to sanctify the Lord's-day ; for those people that had none in their families who could *Baxter's Life and Times, book i. part 1.

pray or repeat the sermons, went to their next neighbours who could do it, and joined with them."

[Extracts from Appendix to the Bishop of Chester's Primary Charge.]

A DYING MAN RESCUED FROM POPERY.

THE following fact was related by the Rev. Hugh Stowell at the anniversary of the General Society for Promoting District Visiting in 1836.

He would now mention an instance in illustration of what had been said as to the clergy having a kind of ubiquity through the visitors. There was a visitor who, about five months ago, was told by a person, that a mechanic, a man of superior mind, was on a bed of sickness, and that he had no one to visit him; the visitor had gone to see him, and found his mind upon the rack. A Catholic priest had been sent for by the man's sister, although he was not a Catholic himself; but the visitor had told him (Mr. Stowell) that he was sure, from the anxious state of the man's mind, that if he went to see him he would receive his visits well. The next morning, accordingly, he went to see him, doubtful of the manner in which he should be received. He was at once struck with the appearance of the man; his broad expansive forehead was beaming with intelligence and feeling; and as he lay in bed, he turned his eye composedly upon him as he asked him whether his situation had not inspired him with serious contemplations as to his state? The question was received with sullen courtesy, and no answer was made. He again said that surely he must have had some serious thoughts as to his situation; to which the man replied, that he had such views of the majesty of God, and of eternity, and of himself as a sinner, since he had been sick, that he trembled before the mere recollection of them. He then asked, had he in those prospects seen any way in which he could obtain salvation in that eternity, but he received no satisfactory answer; and he at length observed, that he understood the Roman Catholic priest had been with him, and inquired whether he had not taught him the way in which this salvation was to be obtained? The man said that a Dissenter had called upon him, and had talked of election and predestination, but he could not understand him. "But," said Mr. Stowell, "did the priest show you any satisfactory way of procuring sal

vation?" "Oh," replied the man," the priest said that I should be baptized, and I was; and now this appears to me to be my heaviest sin, as making all my previous life that of an infidel." He then asked him if this baptism had procured for him peace of mind? To which the man replied, No; that he had gone through a number of prayers as he had been directed by the priest, but his mind remained as it had been before. He then drew near to the bed and told him how God, although just, yet justified those sinners who clinged to hope through the Lamb who was slain; the man, however, did not at first entirely comprehend him, and he accordingly illustrated the subject further, and at last it broke upon him as if by the grace of God, and his face lighted up with a beam of holy intelligence as he said, "O blessed Saviour! this is what I wanted-this is the salvation I sought and could not find. I adore thee, O God, who has spared me to know this." He never saw more rapture exhibited in the face of any man; but it was not the rapture of the enthusiast, for he was a man of great and powerful mind. On the following day he visited him again, and he found him calm, but he had such a vivid apprehension of the Saviour as the way to the Father, that he was able to pray without wandering, for he found that his heart was drawn nigh to God. After an interval, he entered upon the subject of the Catholic priest. He stated that he had called upon him, and the sick man said that he was determined to talk with him, and desire him not to go about deceiving poor folks as he had attempted with him. Now these were the very words used by this man, for, said Mr. Stowell, I would not misrepresent the minister of any church: "The priest, when he called, asked me if I had gone on repeating the prayers he desired me, and requested when I felt myself near to death that I should send for him, in order that I might receive the extreme unction. I asked him what he meant by the extreme unction. Oh, said he, it is oil that has been sanctified with prayers. I then told the priest that I would have none of this; to which he replied that I was a rebellious child of the Church, for that the Church had appointed this to take place. But said I, may not the Church be mistaken? No, said the priest, the Church is infallible. But, said I, I have read that it was your Church that established the Inquisition which burned hundreds of persons. The priest answered to this, that there might have been a

little mistake there. Well, said I, I have found a Saviour who is never mistaken, and I shall trust in what I have found to be true; the priest made no reply to this, but put on his hat and left the house." The sick man soon afterwards this life in peace, and he committed him to the grave in the strong hope of his happiness in eternal life. This he considered showed the good that resulted from the ubiquity of the clergy in their parishes through the means of visitors, for in the case which he had just related, but for the visitor the sick man might never have been found out by a Protestant clergyman, and his eternal welfare might have been left to the external appliances of Popery.

EXTRACT FROM "FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF
FRANCE," &c.

By JOHN DAVIS, B.D., Chichester.

MR. DAVIS considers that the labouring classes in France suffer less from destitution and poverty than those of England; not because the ratio of their wages to the price of food is more favourable, but for the following reasons:—

"First, That the people of France in general, conscious as they are that they have no legal resources beyond the produce of their own exertions, exercise a much larger share of prudence and foresight in all their relative, domestic, and economical arrangements; and secondly, that from habit, as well as necessity, they are satisfied, and consequently can easily supply themselves, with much inferior articles in food, clothing, and furniture. Another important feature in the case is, that they usually exercise a most wise and salutary precaution in the most important of all domestic arrangements, that of entering into the marriage relation. It is a very rare occurrence in this part of the country—an occurrence which takes place only among the most reckless and inconsiderate of the species-for a couple to be married until, on both sides, there is a considerable sum of money, the produce of a series of years of laborious and active industry, provided, not only to meet the immediate exigencies of the occasion, but to be laid up against the dark days of future suffering and multiplied demands; and no prudent female thinks of marrying until, (besides the fading finery of a bridal

D