a lonely place; they at last drew near to a solitary hut, and rejoiced at the prospect of a shelter, however humble. They asked admission, and obtained it; but it was almost as dreary and comfortless within as without; and there was nothing prepossessing in the appearance of the inhabitants: these were, an elderly man, his wife, and two sons-sun-burnt, hardy, and rough. They were apparently hospitable, and welcomed the travellers to such homely fare as their cottage afforded; but this air of kindness might be assumed to deceive them, and the travellers became seriously apprehensive that evil was intended. It was a lonely place, suited to deeds of robbery and blood. No help was at hand. The two friends communicated to each other their apprehensions, and resolved that, on retiring to their part of the hut-for there were two apartments in it-they would secure it as well as they could against the entrance of their host-would have their weapons of defence at hand, and would take turns through the night in watching, so that one of them should be constantly on guard while his comrade slept.

Having hastily made their arrangements, they joined the family, partook of their homely fare, and spoke of retiring to rest. The old man said it was his practice, before his family went to rest at night, to commend them to God; and if the strangers had no objection, he would do so now. The Christian rejoiced to find a brother in the wilderness, and even the sceptic could not conceal his satisfaction at the proposition. The old man took down a well-worn Bible, on which no dust was gathered, though age had marked it, and read with reverence a portion of the sacred Scriptures. He then supplicated the Divine protection, acknowledged the Divine goodness, and prayed for pardon, guidance, grace, and salvation. He prayed, too, for the strangers, that they might be prospered on their journey; and at the close of their

earthly journey, they might have a home in heaven. He was evidently a man of prayer, and that humble cottage was a place where prayer was wont to be made.

The travellers retired to their apartment. According to their previous arrangement, the sceptic was to have the first watch of the night; but instead of priming his pistols, and bracing his nerves for an attack, he was for wrapping himself in his great coat, and covering himself in a blanket, as quietly as if he had never thought of danger. His friend reminded him of their arrangements, and asked him how he had lost his apprehensions of danger. The sceptic felt the force of the question, and of all it implied, and had the frankness to acknowledge that he could not but feel himself safe in any house, or in any forest, where the Bible was read as the old man read it, and prayer was offered as the old man prayed.

INDIVIDUAL EFFORT.

THE Redeemer has evidently ordained that his church shall be the instrument by which the world is to be discipled to the faith of the gospel. thou hast sent me into the world," said he in his me

"As

morable prayer, "" even so have I also sent them into the world;" i. e., subordinately for the same purpose. I came into the world to make a gracious provision for the redemption of sinners, and to publish the same; and now I send forth my disciples, whose duty it shall be to make known, from age to age, to perishing sinners these joyful tidings.

The instrumentality of the church is to be exerted in a variety of forms-by her ministry-by her ordinances-but especially by the individual effort of her members. It was among the first lessons which our Saviour taught his disciples, that they were the salt of the earth; by which he indicated to them the

diffusive nature of their influence, and imposed upon them a solemn personal responsibility. The ministry of the word and the administration of the ordinances are confined to certain places and to certain seasons. The light of Christianity, therefore, as reflected by them, cannot penetrate every place; whereas individual members, as angels of mercy, may come to every fire-side; may go up to the market-place; may explore the highways and hedges; enter the abodes of wretchedness and crime, the habitation of poverty, the chamber of sickness; may go every where."

But little attention to the early history of Christianity, as recorded in the lives of our Saviour and his apostles, will be necessary to convince us that personal and individual effort were the great means relied upon for success in those times. Jesus mingled with the people, especially so with the poor and afflicted, and taught them his religion. He would even stop by the way-side, at the call of a beggar, and perform for him a miracle of healing.

The

apostles and early Christians, for the most part, were allowed to do little else than hold private intercourse with the people; and yet the world was soon filled with their doctrine. One grand reason why Christianity spreads so rapidly in times of persecution is, that every believer is aroused to personal effort. Let it be settled, then, that it is the duty and privilege of every believer to live for Christ; to live in the hope and expectation of being useful-useful in the highest degree; in the hope of being made the instrument of turning sinners from the error of their ways to God. That such is the exalted privilege of every true believer, however humble his condition or limited his capacity, is made evident by facts of every day's occurrence. Witness the success of Harlan Page, who but yesterday was doing his work; and what he did,

others may do. Is the church languid? It is in the power of any individual member, under God, to change in a degree its condition. Are conversions seldom? It is equally in the power of every individual to render them more frequent. It may be well for us to consider, too, that it is our duty thus to labour. Has Christ ordained that the world shall be saved? So has he ordained the means by which this salvation shall be accomplished. Jesus having made it the special duty of his people to labour for the benefit of others, they cannot be absolved from it. Hence their responsibility is very great. It can be estimated only by the value of the human soul.

It behoves every member of the church of Christ to inquire how he or she can best promote the interests of the Redeemer among men; for it is worthy of remark, that memorable instances are recorded in the New Testament of the usefulness of women. Many of the Samaritans were brought to Christ by the sayings of a woman; and the apostle Paul takes occasion to make an honourable mention of women who had laboured with him in the gospel. All may be useful, and all should inquire how they can best honour the Redeemer, and be most useful to the souls of men. If at any time the progress of religion becomes stationary in a Christian congregation, it is because the disciples have become idle in the vineyard of their Lord, or next to idle, and perhaps some worse than idle; for God will honour his word and the institutions of his own appointment. He will most assuredly make the "salt of the earth," if it retain its saltness, efficacious.

Nor is the service to which the Christian is called a degrading one. It is ennobling. Nor is it without reward. Whatever is done in the name of a disciple, even the giving of a cup of cold water, shall have its reward. He who labours piously to bring his neighbours to a participation in the grace of the Redeemer, will find a reward in a consciousness of having done

his duty-of having been useful to others-and of having glorified the Redeemer; his reward, too, in the day of judgment shall be great.

BAPTIST CHURCH, ALBANY,

[With an Engraving.]

ALBANY is the capital of the State of New York. The church for the use of the Rev. Dr. Welch's congregation is a beautiful and large bulding, originating in a most amicable and Christian-like separation from the original baptist church in that town. The following account of it is from Drs. Cox and Hoby's "Baptists in America."

"Among the edifices appropriated to divine worship, the church of Dr. Welch is conspicuous. Its splendid portico is formed to correspond with that of the Female Academy; so that while two such elevations contribute materially to improve the appearance of the street, they must also enhance the value of property in the immediate neighbourhood. A gentlemen connected with Dr. Welch's community has erected private houses of great value on either side the place of worship, to complete the design of the architect. The basement of the church is appropriated to schools, and a lecture-room. Instead, therefore, of descending to them, as is frequently the custom, the whole is so well contrived, that the ascent to the floor of the chapel is only a few steps, and the height of the ceiling and dome in due proportion to the building. While an ornamental elegance pervades the exterior, few structures are internally more chaste and pleasing. Six substantial, but not too massive pillars support the galleries, and then rising to the ceiling, sustain the dome, which springs from them."

SCRAPS FROM THE EDITOR'S PORTFOLIO.

BOOK-LENDING.-When Dr. Adam Clarke, author of the celebrated Commentary on the Bible, was a boy, a pious woman, in Coleraine, in Ireland, lent him two books-an abridgment of Baxter's "Saints' Rest," and the "Life of Brainerd." To these two books he ascribes, under God, the formation of his Christian and