In

nearly amphibious) they must have been drowned amidst the waves drifting them to and fro, unless speedily carried to shore, or taken up by some vessel. Two of the men having embraced christianity immediately cried, "Let us pray to Jehovah; for He can save us." “Why did you not pray to Him sooner?" replied their pagan comrades; "here we are in the water, and it is useless to pray now." The christians, however, did cry mightily unto their God, while all four were clinging for life to the broken canoe. this situation a shark suddenly rushed towards them, and seized one of the men. His companions held him as fast and as long as they could; but the monster prevailed in the tug between them, and hurried the unfortunate victim into the abyss, marking the track with his blood. He was one of the two who were idolaters. After some time the tide bore the surviving three to the reef, when, just as they were cast upon it, a second shark snatched the other idolater with his jaws, and carried off his prey, shrieking in vain for assistance, which the two christians, themselves struggling with the breakers, could not afford him. This circumstance very naturally made a great impression upon the minds of their countrymen, and powerfully recommended to them the "God that heareth prayer." -From Tyerman and Bennett.

IT IS HARD TO GET TO HEAVEN.

It is a

BELIEVE it to be a hard thing to get to heaven. business that requires much care and pains! much caution and circumspection: the work of religion will not be done to purpose, if we do not make a business of it. There is difficulty in doing it, and there is danger of miscarrying in it. It requires the whole of man, Eccl. xii. 13; and all little enough. It is no easy matter for a man to cross himself in sensual delights, and employ himself in spiritual exercises.

But set yourselves, with all speed, to do what is to be done in order to it. If there is so much to be done, it is the more needful to begin betimes, the sooner the better. Do not put off, for it will be ever the longer the more difficult. Think how eager and industrious sinners are, and perhaps you yourselves have sometimes, in the service of sin, compassed sea and land to bring about some carnal wicked design, and let that shame you into a more diligent pursuit of your eternal welfare. Strive with yourselves in serious consideration, take pains with your own hearts; you may soon find occasion to quarrel with yourselves, and with the service of sin : O! take the first occasion. Work upon your hearts awakening considerations; strive with God in prayer for his grace; beg of God to take hold of you.- From a volume of sermons by the Rev. M. Henry, lately published by the Religious Tract Society.

IMPUTATION.

IMPUTATION (says the learned Dr. Owen) is an act of God, of his mere love and grace, whereby on the consideration of the mediation of Christ, he makes an effectual grant and donation of a true, real, perfect righteousness, even that of Christ himself, unto all that do believe, and accounting it as theirs, on his own gracious act, both absolves them from sin, and granteth them right and title unto eternal life. Hence in this imputation, the thing itself is first imputed unto us, and not any of the effects of it; but they are made ours by virtue of that imputation.

A MODERN PHARISEE.

AS a minister was on his way to preach in a village, he met a man, and informed him he would be glad if he would come with him and hear a sermon. "A sermon," exclaimed the man, “I have not heard a sermon for thirty years!" The minister said, he surely did not mean to say he had not been in a church for thirty years? "I do mean to say so," rejoined the man; "for I do not need to go and hear sermons, I am good enough without them; the minister cannot make me better than I am, and we can go to heaven without sermons." The minister in astonishment said, "Do you believe the Bible? for, if you do, it declares, that 'where two or three are met together,' &c.; that faith cometh by hearing;' and the apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Hebrews, enjoins them to consider one another, to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,' &c." "-"O yes," answered this modern Pharisee, "I believe the bible, and know all these things you have mentioned, but I do not need preaching; I am good enough, what need I go?" The minister then seriously asked, Do you think you will get to heaven by your good works?" "Think!" says the man, "I do not think so, but I say so surely my good works will take me to heaven." This plain disclosure of the poor man's gross ignorance deeply affected the minister, and he told this poor man, that if he could get to heaven by his own good works, another might also; if a second, why not a third; if a third, why not all; and if all, then what use was there for Jesus Christ to ́suffer and die? for his coming into the world was "to seek and to save the lost," and his word expressly states, "not by works of righteousness which we have done," &c. and again, "by the works of the law no flesh living can be justified." He went on, stated the end and design of Christ's coming from heaven, and taking upon him our nature, when the man interrupted him by saying, "Does not the bible also say, when speaking of the death of the righteous, They rest from their labours, and their works do follow them?"" "Yes," rejoined the minister, "it says so, but mark the way works come in, they follow them; they do not go before them to procure an entrance, but they get to heaven before their works; by your way, the works would go and get heaven for them, and they would follow their works, but we

get to heaven alone by the merits of Jesus, and works follow." This explanation seemed to silence the man. The minister, having a few tracts with him, selected two, begging him to give them a careful perusal. He promised to read them, and tell him what he thought of their contents.

SPITALFIELDS TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

ONE of our female members, who has been rescued from the dreadful practice of drinking ardent spirits by this Society, and whose deliverance always cheers my mind when I think of it, told me a few days back, that she had a strong temptation presented to her recently by a shopkeeper, on paying a small bill: the person that took the money went backwards and brought a large glass of gin, saying, "Here, drink that, it will do you good." The poor woman shrunk back, and said, "Not a drop, thank you." Why," said the other, "how is that?" "I have not drank any for several months," was the answer. The shopkeeper wished to know what had caused the change in her mind; when she informed her that she had signed her hand against it, and hoped she should never enter upon the practice again. The person who presented it said, "Well, it is a very good thing, and I am sure I will not persuade you to break your resolution;" and immediately took the bumper back. This circumstance reminded me of the praiseworthy conduct of the shopkeepers of Manchester, who met together prior to the Christmas holidays, twelve months ago, and resolved not to offer ardent spirits to their customers. Had the tradesmen of London followed their example, this poor woman would have been spared the trial; however, I trust her fortitude will do good.

J. PERRINS, Secretary.

CHEAP PUBLICATIONS.

A FRIEND requests us to give publicity to the following fact:

A gentleman, residing in chambers in Lincoln's Inn, had, for a series of years, noticed a man attending daily at a stall, in the neighbourhood of his rooms, vending infidel and licentious books and prints; and who appeared to have many customers for his infamous and demoralizing publications. This gentleman has been gratified to observe, that within the last twelve months a total change has taken place in the appearance of the stock of this pander to depraved passions, and he was induced to inquire the reason: the man admitted that his " occupation was gone," as the works of the RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, the Penny and Saturday Magazines, and the other numerous cheap publications, were now the objects of the people's pence. 'And," said the vender, "I can't sell the others now, Sir; I must keep my eye on the main chance. These have driven Carlile, Taylor, and smut, out of the market." We can vouch for the accuracy of the above, from our personal knowledge of the writer; a man of high professional character and honour.-Monmouthshire Merlin.

Extracts from the Thirty-fourth Report of the Religious Tract Society. FOREIGN.

MALACCA.-Several new Tracts in Chinese have been printed. From January, 1830, to June, 1831, 30,269 Tracts and Books on sacred subjects were distributed in various parts of the Indian Archipelago. The Missionaries have not exhausted the funds placed at their disposal, and therefore have not yet drawn for the last grant of £100.

SINGAPORE.-A large circulation of Tracts, in Chinese and Malay, has taken place at this station. Mr. Tomlin remarks, "The people on board the junks, from Cochin China, said they had taken the Books, formerly received, with them to that country; and that they were well known to their countrymen residing there. They were glad of a fresh stock; and, frequently, every man on board was eager for a Tract or portion of the Sacred Scriptures. It was pleasing to observe, that the better the Books were known, the more they were coveted." The same Missionary also remarks, "Fresh doors of usefulness are successively opening before us, which we did not previously anticipate ; the demands upon the Depository are daily increasing; various classes of persons have come to us, voluntarily requesting books." The Committee not having heard whether the last gran of paper was exhausted, have not sent a further supply to Singapore.

PINANG.-The Committee have heard, from Mr. Dyer, that the English books sent to him have been sold. Mr. Dyer mentions an interesting fact, respecting a Chinaman, who, through reading the Tracts, had removed the idol from his house; and had suffered much persecution from his friends, because he had refused to contribute to the repairing of an old idol. A further supply of £30. in Books, has been sent to Mr. Dyer. He is supplied with Chinese and Malay Tracts from Malacca and Singapore.

BURMAH.-There are now four printing presses in operation at Rangoon, which are sending forth a constant supply of Divine truth. The demand is so great, that Mr. Bennett, the Missionary Printer, finds it impossible to meet it. Dr. Judson, in addressing him, remarks, "Do not think that the Tracts you print, stitch, and trim with so much labour and care, are given away for nought. I do not give to all who ask for them, and the most which are given are called for at my house. I am more and more convinced that Burmah is to be evangelized by Tracts." The Doctor adds: "After diligent inquiry, I do not believe that more than one in a hundred is destroyed."

The Rev. Mr. Wade also mentions a curious incident, to show the deep anxiety of the poor Karens, in Burmah, to obtain even small portions of Divine truth. He remarks, “The Karens have heard of the gospel, and some hundreds of Tracts have been carried among them; and though there are few that can read, they are all so earnest for the Tracts, and there not being enough for all who desired them, they cut the Tracts up into bits that they might have a few words or a few lines of the sacred writing to keep in their houses."

So great has been the success of Tract Operations in Burmah, that one of the speakers at the Anniversary of the American Tract Society,

mentioned that the Board of Baptist Missions had been informed of twenty persons in Burmah, who had been brought to trust in the Redeemer, by means of the Tracts they had received, before they had ever heard a Missionary preach, or had seen a single copy of the Holy Bible. A grant of 72 reams of paper and 2,180 Tracts has been sent to Dr. Judson.

INDIA WITHIN THE GANGES.-Moral and spiritual light is gradually spreading in India. The sale of Religious Books continue to increase, and there is a greater readiness than formerly, on the part of the natives, to receive the Tracts which have been prepared for their benefit. The limits of this Abstract prevent a full detail of the important operations of the Societies in India. The grants during the year have been sent to Calcutta, Berhampore, Chunar, Meerut, Cawnpore, Orissa, Madras, Bellary, Bangalore, Nagercoil, Neyoor, Cottyam, Bombay, Bancote, Surat, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. The printing paper and publications, sent to these various stations, have amounted in value to £966. Full and interesting particulars have been received from India, from which a few facts will be now given. The Committee must refer to the Report, for information as to the new Tracts which have been published and circulated during the year, and other particulars.

The CALCUTTA Society mentions, "that, under the divine blessing, the publications circulated have been the means of exciting the attention of some persons in Kharee, a village fifty miles south of Calcutta, to the salvation of their souls; and in this place, 100 persons have since renounced caste and indolatry. Many of these persons regularly attend the means of grace; and about thirty have given such evidence of true piety, as to be gladly admitted into the church by baptism."

The MADRAS Report refers to a letter received from the Rev. P. Schaffter, in which he states, "It will be interesting to you to hear, that the Roman Catholic Priest, who, some years ago, caused the Religious Tracts which had been distributed among the people of his parish, to be collected and publicly burned, has greatly altered for the better. He now receives and reads Tracts with pleasure; and one of our head Catechists has assured me that he commits them to memory, and delivers them to his hearers from the pulpit."

The Society at BELLARY mentions, "Much christian light has been diffused by means of our Tracts among the people at Bellary, and the inhabitants of the surrounding country; and much individual benefit received. Several officers in the army, by the perusal of the Books and Tracts, have been brought to a saving acquaintance with Divine truth."

The NAGERCOIL and PALAMCOTTAH NATIVE TRACT SOCIETY states, that at the last anniversary, the native brethren addressed the meeting with great interest, and related many facts of the usefulness of the Tracts which had been distributed. In this district, within six months, 113 families have renounced heathenism, and professed christianity. In the schools there are 2,000 children, and in reference to them the Missionaries remark, "The education afforded in our schools is bringing into exercise faculties which have long been dormant, creating wants that must be satisfied; it should be our care,