ANECDOTES. acquiring the language, translating and distributing tracts, &c. It happened one day, as they were in the royal gardens, that Henderson gave a tract to a young physician, who passed by. He read it, and it made such an impression on his mind, that he wished to find who was the stranger that gave it to him. For this purpose, he went to a patient, one of the Moravian brethren, from whom he thought himself likely to obtain the information. This pious man rejoiced to find that such measures were taking to evangelize his countrymen, and rested not till he found out the abode of Patterson and his friend, and introduced himself to them. From this individual our young missionaries learned the deplorable state of Iceland, in respect to the distribution of the Scriptures, and a correspondence was entered into with the Bible Society for supplying the in habitants. This laid the foundation for our two friends being engaged in the service of the Bible Society, and consequently for all the blessings that have flowed, are still flowing, and, no doubt, will yet more abundantly flow, from the Societies now existing in Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Iceland, was going to add, by anticipation, Turkey, Persia, &c &c.-See, my friend, what conse quences may result from the giving away of a single Tract! ANECDOTE OF A SEAMAN. AT a Bethel meeting in New-York, in December last, at a Sailor boarding. house, one of the seamen arose, and made the following remarks: 66 My dear shipmates, I am willing to tell you that I am not ashamed of Christ: he is precious to my soul. You know by my method of speaking that I am not an American, I was born near 5000 miles from here, but I have followed the sea 14 years with those who speak the English language, and it is now as natural to me as my own. Before I left my country, I was obliged to be baptized, and in the presence of the Priest, make a confession that I would strictly observe all the rules and principles of the religion under which I had been brought up; but I did not know nor feel what it meant. I had lived a wicked life, and continued to live so until the year 1811. I often called on God to damn my body and soul. One day I was so angry with God, that I asked him to sink the ship and me with her, for he could not make me more wretched than I was. But in the year 1811, when on my passage from Lisbon to London, while I was at helm [May, in the night, my eyes were directed towards heaven. I contemplated on the wonderful works of God in the firmament above, and then cast my eyes on the ocean below, on which I was traversing. It brought to my mind that there was a wonderful being who had created them all; and that it was that God whom I had promised to love and worship when I was baptized, and left the place of my uativity. I began to feel ued so. much distressed in my mind, and continI was relieved from the helm, and wanted to pray. The vessel was a brig, and her quarter deck was something like a round house, there was but a small space between the break of it and the mainmast. I got into that place where no one on board could see me, and there I prayed to God, and the more I prayed the greater was my distress. I then read the Bible for several days, and prayed earnestly to God. The third or fourth day I came to that precious passage, which "Come unto me, all says, I will give you rest." (Matt. xi. 28.) ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and In these words I had some consolation. I then laid down the weapon of my rebellion, and said in the presence of God, 'Fire nor water, briars nor thorns, by divine assistance, shall prevent me from making progress in a divine life.' Lord heard and answered my prayer, and from that time to this, Christ has been precious to my soul! O my dear shipmates! did you ever read the last chapter of the book of Revelation? If Do not plead with God nor man, and say you have, how can you live in your sins? you are poor and unable to do this or that. O do not let your profanity, intemperance, and dissipation, prevent you from coming to Christ; for there is not one in this room that is more so than I have been. I can testify to the world, that poverty will not prevent any one from accepting the offers of mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord: for when I accepted the terms of salvation, I had not in poverty by my imprudence. O come one cent of money; no. I was wretched to Christ now; this is the accepted hour! servants here. he is calling you by his word, and by his thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he Ho! every one that that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.' (Isaiah, li. 1.) The refuse this invitation this evening? I Ŏ my dear shipmates, can you hope you will not, I am much pleased in seeing so many females at this Betbel meeting; your souls are as precious as seamen's. Is there one weeping Mary here, who has washed the feet of Christ with her tears? If not, begin now; now is the accepted time: O do not put it off one moment longer. There is not one here that can be a greater sinner than Mary Magdalene. Read this night before you go to rest, the 7th ohapter of Luke, from the 26th verse, and then imitate that woman, who washed the feet of Christ with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head; and then see the blessed result: And he said to the woman, thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.'" RULES, Taken from the secret journal of a self-observer, or confessions and familiar letters of the Rev. J. C. Lavater; author of the Essays on Physiognomy, &c. in two volumes His daily rules. The following rules shall always be before mine eyes; they shall be suspended somewhere in my study, and read and reviewed by me every morning and evening. 1. I will never rise in the morning without offering thanks and prayers to God; nor without reflecting that it perhaps may be the last time. 2. I will never begin my daily occupations, neither in the morning nor in the evening, without having previously implored God on my knees in a retired place, (at least for a few moments,) to grant me his aid and blessing. 3. I will not do nor design any thing I would omit if Jesus Christ were standing visibly before me; nothing which I might repent of at the uncertain hour of death. I will, with the assistance of God, accustom myself to do every thing without exception in the name of Jesus Christ; and as his disciple, to sigh eveHoly Ghost, and always to be disposed ry hour to God for the blessing of the to prayer. 4. I will read every day a chapter in the Bible, and particularly in the Gospel; and select some sentiment or other from the chapter I shall read, and revolve it frequently in my mind. 5. Every day shall be marked, at least by one particular work of charity. 6. I will make it every day my principal business to be useful to my family. 7. I will never eat nor drink so much as to cause the least inconvenience or hindrance in the performance of my occupations; and between meals abstain, as much as possible, from eating (a mor, sel in the evening excepted.) 8. Whithersoever I go, I will previously sigh to God that I may not commit a sin, but always leave behind me something useful; the same will I do before every meal, wheresoever I may take it, 9. I will never sleep longer than eight hours at most, while in health. 10. I will never lay down to sleep without having prayed first. 11. In my prayers for others, which I will never omit, I will mention by name, my parents, my wife, my children, my servants, and my friends, &c. 12. I will examine myself after these rules every night, and honestly mark in my journal the number which I have omitted; the same will observe with regard to whatever I shall have read, transacted, said and learned. God, thou seest what I have wrote; may 1 be able to read it every morning with sincerity, and every night with joy and the loud applause of my conscience. Obituary. MRS. BEULAH WITTER. DIED at Gorham, Ontario_county, Dec. 16, 1821, Mrs. BEULAH WITTER, aged 35. Mrs. Witter, the daughter of Benjamin and Phoebe Carter, was born at Killing worth, July 20th, 1786. Being blessed with pious parents, she was early instructed in the doctrines of the Christian religion, and was frequently the subject of serious impressions. Her early years were nevertheless devoted to the follies and amusements so common to youth. One circumstance connected with this rt of her life, deserves to be particuarly mentioned. She knew that danc ing was directly opposed to the wishes of her parents. They did not absolutely forbid her attendance upon balls, but remonstrated with her most solemnly upon the sinfulness of her conduct. When she was preparing to go in opposition to their wishes, she always found that her mother retired to some part of the house to weep over her folly, and pray for the salvation of her soul. The thought would immediately occur to her mind, Shall I go down to hell, loaded with my dear mother's prayers and exhortations? I must meet all these things at the day of Judgment. In this manner she lived, sinning against the dictates of conscience, until August 1805, when she appears to have been for the first time deeply impressed with a conviction of the guilt of sin, She subsequently remarked, "The justice of God appeared to me as it had never done before. I discovered myself to be a vile sinner, justly deserving everlasting misery. I had all my life hated infinite excellence, and loved sin. I concluded I must go to hell, that there was no mercy for me, yet I could not help crying day and night that God would be merciful to me a sinner." In Jan. 1306, she was brought to rejoice in God with joy unspeakable and full of glory. She remarked, "I now could understand how God could save sinners through his dear Son. I no more felt that his law was too severe, nor repined at his saving others. The doctrine of election, at which formerly, my proud heart had revolted, now appeared lovely to me; and my only ground of hope was, that I had been given to Christ, and that he had brought me to a knowledge of the truth." Shortly afterwards she was united with the Baptist Church in her native place. For several of the succeeding years, she was engaged in teaching school. In this employment she was eminently useful, and her religious instructions were blessed to the conversion of many of her pupils. În April, 1810, she was married to Rev. Wm. Witter, a licenciate in the ministry. She entered upon the responsibilities of this new situation with great diffidence in herself, and with fervent prayer that she might so fill it as to glorify God. Her friends have reason to believe that her prayers were answered. It might be truly said of her that she adorned the doctrine of her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. She spent the three next years of her life in Saybrook. In 1813, she removed with her husband to Colchester, Con. where she resided five years, earnestly engaged in promoting the piety of saints and the salvation of sinners. The four last years of her life were spent in the western part of the state of New York, where she was highly esteemed by all for her active usefulness and undissembled piety. In the spring of 1821, she was evidently in a consumption. She became more fervent in prayer, and more desirous to do with ber might whatever yet remained for her to do. At times, she was distressed, lest her master should come and call her unawares. The thought of leaving her husband, and her five small children, also, at times, spread a distressing gloom over her mind. She once said to her surviving partner, "Death appears very terrible to me. I am a poor worm. I am left in great darkness. Do pray for me that my faith fail not, that may have clear manifestations of my adoption, and then I can wait patiently all the days of my appointed time." ness. it pleased God, six weeks before her death, to dissipate this afflicting darkShe said to her husband, "I can freely part with you and the children. The fear of death is all taken from me." Not a shade of darkness came upon her mind from this time till she died. She would often say, "I long to depart and be with Christ. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." In this happy frame she continued, till she was called to join the general assembly and church of the first born whose names are written in heaven. Her funeral sermon was preached by Edler Nehemiah Lamb, from a text selected by herself: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel." Poetry. JESUS, holy, heavenly Lamb, In thy kingdom let us dwell, Angels, join us with your lays, TO CORRESPONDENTS. Accounts of Ordinations, and some other brief articles, are necessarily postponed until the nat Number. D. W. E. is under consideration. HAVING given a brief account of the early life of Mr. Colman, and of his views and feelings in relation to the Christian ministry; we shall now state the exercises of his mind on the subject of preaching the gospel to the heathen. It appears from this part of his history, that an ardent desire to be engaged in missionary service, was associated with his first wishes to become a minister of Christ. When he panted for the salvation of sinners-they were sinners in heathen lands for whom he felt a more than common solicitude. And when he thought of a field of labour, his eyes were directed to regions where the people were sitting in darkness, and the shadow of death. He was deterred by some weigh. ty considerations from making a full disclosure of these feelings at the time he was licensed to preach. But his being a fellow student with an amiable and pious youth who was under the patronage of the Boston Baptist Foreign Missionary Society, kept alive the sentiments which had been long planted in his breast. As the time drew near, THE day in which we live is distinguished for remarkable events not only in the political, but the religious world. Wherever we turn our eyes, we behold the triumphs of divine grace. The Lord is pouring out his Spirit on various parts of our own land; sinners are converted, and the boundaries of the Redeemer's kingdom are enlarged. If we look beyond the shores on which we dwell, and examine other sections of the world, are we not constrained to say, that the set time to favour Zion has come? Does not the wilderness already begin to blossom as the rose, and are not streams of water breaking out in the parched desert? Cold and insensible must be that Christian whose bosom is not filled with joy, when he hears that Pagans are renouncing their idolatry, and direct ing their adorations and praises to the Prince of Heaven; that heathen priests are burning their idols; that Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God, and that a number of Jews are even now gathered unto the spiritual Shiloh. But these remarkable events have not been accomplished by an extraordinary effort of Almighty power. Means have been employed. I cannot mention the names of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and of the Baptist Foreign Missionary Society of England, without a mixture of admiration and awe What heavenly light have they imparted to a benighted world! What streams of comfort have they sent forth to cheer and animate the islanders of the southern ocean, and the wretch ed inhabitants of the eastern climes. I rejoice that, at length, my own countrymen have arisen from their lethargy, and joined in the great work of evangelizing the heathen. And I cannot but congratulate my self that I live in a day like this: a day. in which, unworthy as I am, I may be permitted to bear the torch of truth amongst the benighted inhabitants of the earth. Permit me, in a very brief manner, to state the feelings which I have had relative to the heathen world. For more than a year after my conversion to God, I lived, if my heart does not deceive me, in the enjoyment of true religion. After that, I fell in to a cold, indifferent state of mind. In this state I continued for two or three years. At length I was aroused from my stupidity; and after many painful exercises, on account of my wanderings from God, obtained a peace of mind which I nev. er felt before. It was not long from this period that the memoirs of Samuel Pearce were put into my hands. I read the whole with much interest; but no part made so deep an impression upon my mind as that which related to his feelings con At cerning the heathen world. that time, I had no thoughts of preaching; yet my desires to be useful to the heathen were so great, that I actually formed a plan to go amongst them. I was confident that nothing could give me so much satisfaction, as to point them to the Lamb of God, who alone taketh away the sin of the world. Soon after this, I read Mr. Kicherer's parrative recorded in our Magazine. This added fresh fuel to the flame already kindled in my bosom. I could not bury my feelings any longer, but communicated them to several of my intimate friends. Two years after these impressions were first made, my attention was called to the subject of the Christian ministry. Often did I think, it is im possible for me to preach in this country; here I can never be heard with any attention; but the poor, the heavy ladened East-Indian would listen to the declaration of mercy from my mouth with inexpressible pleasure. At that time, however, no Missionary Society was formed in the United States, and I saw no way open by which my desires would be gratified. This led me to believe that my exercises did not proceed from the Holy Spirit; for he would never give desires which could not be answered. But all my efforts to extinguish the missionary flame in my bosom were ineffectual. My desires continued, and I could not but indulge the hope, that some way would be opened by which I could proceed to the heathen world But |