Light of our way, whose rays are flung
In mercy o'er our pilgrim road;
How blessed, its dark shades among,
The Star that guides us to our God!

Our fathers, in the days gone by,

Read thee in dim and secret caves; Or, in the deep woods, silently

Met, where thick branches o'er them wave, To seek the hope thy record gave,

When thou wert a forbidden thing; And the cold chain and bloody grave Were all on earth thy love could bring.

Our fathers, in the days gone by,

Read thee, while peril o'er them hung; But we, beneath the open sky,

May search thy leaves of truth along:
Fearless, our daily haunts among,

May chaunt the hallowed lays of old,
Once by the shepherd minstrel sung,
When Israel's hills o'erhung his fold.
In the sweet morning's hour of prime
Thy blessed words our lips engage,
And round our hearths, at evening time,
Our children spell the holy page.
The waymark, through long distant years,
To guide their wandering footsteps on,
Till thy last, loveliest beam appears
Written on the grey churchyard stone.

Word of the holy and the just!

To leave thee pure our fathers bled:
Thou art to us a sacred trust,
A relic of the martyr dead!
Among the vallies where they fell,
The ashes of our fathers sleep;
May we who round them safely dwell,
Pure as themselves the record keep.

Lamp of our feet, which, day by day,
Are passing to the lonely tomb;
If on it fall thy peaceful ray,

Our last low dwelling hath no gloom.
How beautiful their calm repose,

To whom that blessed hope was given, Whose pilgrimage on earth was closed By the unfolding gates of heaven!

Extracts of Correspondence.

FOREIGN.

From the Speeches delivered at the Anniversary of the Nagercoil and Palamcottah Native Tract Society.-(Continued from page 79.);

INDIA.-C. Seymour rose, and after moving a vote of thanks to the Parent Society for their liberal aid to the native institution, observed, "As the sun at its rising dispels the darkness of night, so instructions remove the darkness of the mind. To show that our tracts have this effect, I will mention a few incidents. A short time ago, I was reading one of our books to a few people who had collected round me in Trivanderum, when a sorcerer, in company with several others, came up. Finding that I was reading to the people, he became very angry, demanding that I should quit the place immediately. Supposing him to be a person of some authority, I made a salam and quietly retired, not without some apprehension that I might be called to an account for presuming to teach the religion of Christ in a place where idolatry reigns in all its splendour, and is upheld by persons of the highest authority. On the morrow, as I was passing the same place, a person came up and informed me that his master wished to speak to me. I went; and, to my great surprise, I was introduced to the sorcerer, who told me he wished me to read the book I was explaining yesterday. Though he appeared to be sincere, and to be sorry for his conduct towards me on the day before, I could not help feeling some uneasiness, knowing that such persons are capable of the greatest deception. I was encouraged, however, by the words of the Saviour, Take no thought how or what ye shall speak;" and read to him my book, to which he listened with the greatest attention, and seemed much pleased. What is it that could produce so great a change in this man's mind in so short a time? Here is a magician listening to our tracts! Great is the truth, and it must prevail. What an encouragement to be diligent in reading and circulating tracts! While in this capital, I embraced the opportunity of visiting some of the Roman catholic inhabitants. One day, while I was reading the tract, Andrew Dunn,' which drew on a disputation, I was told we stole the scriptures we possessed from the Roman catholics. Being rather startled at the remark, after a short pause, I looked at the person and said, ' If we have stolen the scriptures from you, in bringing them back again, and offering them

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to you, we are only giving you what is your own; you may .surely receive them without fear of injury. This answer removed their prejudice; and I was invited to come into their street as often as I pleased, to read the scriptures and other books."

J. Craigdam rose, and spoke to the following effect:- "I have observed many instances of good produced by the books that this society has published; but, as your time is gone, I shall only relate one. Some time ago, I was informed of the sickness of a heathen, who had made many sacrifices to the devil to obtain a cure, but grew rather worse. I sought an interview with him, and obtained it. The man paid devout attention to me, which encouraged me to visit him often. On such occasions I frequently read portions of our tracts to him. His mind, after a time, became awakened; and he was resolved to make a profession of religion if it should please God to raise him up. His life was spared; and I trust he has devoted it to the cause of the Redeemer."

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P. Doddridge rose, and moved, "That this meeting is grateful for the cordial union that subsists between this branch of the society and that at Palamcottah, and for the co-operation and assistance afforded by kindred institutions." He then said, By the publication of tracts, the heathen are beginning to see more and more of the absurdity of idolatry. In the village where I am stationed, a person, whose business it was to play on a certain instrument, and sing before the idol in the temple, now abominates that occupation; and though he has not been so far prevailed upon as to make a profession yet, he has a reverence for the ordinances of the christian religion. On the sabbath he will not work himself, nor allow any under his authority; but he reads the scriptures, and frequently calls in a christian to pray in his family. The reading of our tracts was the principal means of inducing him to adopt this line of conduct. Thus, some are almost persuaded to become christians, while others are altogether persuaded of its importance, and have embraced the gospel. An illustration of this I will mention. One of my heathen neighbours had an interesting little boy, to whom he was much attached, who was taken ill. The parent, after spending much money on physicians to effect a cure, without success, determined on a pilgrimage to a certain idol for that purpose. When I was informed of his determination, he was making preparations for his journey. I went to his house, and explained to him the folly of such a step; and referred him to what is written in several of our tracts on that subject. I perceived, from what I said, an impression was made on his mind. He first wavered, and then said he was determined not to go. In this state of mind I left him; and

on visiting him next day, after reading several useful tracts to him, he exclaimed, 'The Lord is the giver of life, and at his pleasure he can take it away! His will be done. In future I will serve him.' From that day, to the present time, he has boldly professed the truth."

DOMESTIC.

From a Lady in Gloucesterhire.

I REJOICE to inform you of an interesting event. A lady (I am not at liberty to mention her name) was on her sick bed; I was requested by her husband to visit her, which I did, and found her quite destitute of any comfort arising from well-grounded hopes for eternity; endeavouring to point her to the only refuge for guilty sinners, she listened with attention; and I sent her, with a few lines of encouragement, the account of Miss P., by Mrs. Knill. The interesting narrative seemed written for her: she told me afterwards it was many times taken up before she could get through with it, her feelings were so deeply impressed by reading it. Their early histories had been very similar; both had enjoyed a gospel ministry, an eminently pious mother, and to both the world had proved a snare: they had sought its friendship, been led away by outward prosperity, and to both it was reserved that the riches of sovereign grace should be more known in the solitude of the sick chamber, and on the bed of death. At a following visit I found the tract, 285, Peace in Death, had proved very edifying. Although she had been accustomed to hear the gospel from a most faithful minister, yet her mind was far from being clear in her perceptions of the way of a sinner's enjoying peace of conscience, or any thing like an assurance of pardon or acceptance with God. The warm, yet simple statements of the poor old man were honoured to perform this work; and led, I trust, by the Holy Spirit, she reposed, after many weeks of conflict, all her hopes of salvation on the atoning sacrifice of the Redeemer, and died in peace, imploring all around her to seek the Lord while he was to be found, and not to defer the great work to a dying hour. I cannot easily forget the anxiety with which she spoke, while her tears flowed fast, of her past neglect of the Saviour, and her great desire to be found right in the sight of God. Here is another indirect proof of the suitableness of your publications alike in the cottage of the poor, and the parlour and the sick room of those in respectable society; their kind silent messages speak powerfully to the heart and conscience, lead the soul to Christ, and are messengers of peace and hope for eternity.

THE FAITHFUL CANAANITE.

THE sun is not scornful, but looks with the same face on every plot of earth. Not only the stately palaces and pleasant gardens are visited by his beams, but mean cottages, and neglected bogs and moors. God's word is like himself, no accepter of persons: the wild Kern, the rude Scythian, the savage Indian, are alike to it. The mercy of God will be sure to find out his people in the most secret corners of the world; like as his judgments will fetch his enemies from under the hills and rocks. The good Shepherd walks the wilderness, to seek one sheep strayed from many. If there be but one Syrophoenician soul to be gained to the church, Christ goes to the coasts of Tyre and Sidon to fetch her. Why are we weary to do good, when our Saviour underwent this perpetual toil in healing bodies and winning souls? There is no life happy, but that which is spent in continual labour for edification.