tobacco.

Good bye, sir; good bye. God bless you. There

is nothing like temperance after all."

From the Sailor's Magazine.

IS IT WORTH CLIMBING FOR?

A BOY at play struck his ball somewhat awkwardly, so that it fell on the roof of a high barn. He immediately scrambled up the rugged door, and clinging by the holes in the brick-work, reached the top of the barn, rubbing the skin from his fingers, tearing his clothes, and running the risk of breaking his neck. He gained his ball, it is true, but was it worth climbing for?

A man climbed up a greasy pole, on the top of which was stuck a hat, for any one who chose to take it from its elevated position. The man had great difficulty to climb up the pole, for it was greasy, so that he had to take sand from his pockets to rub upon it, that it might be less slippery. At last he reached the top, but, the hat being nailed fast there, it was spoiled in being torn away. The man obtained the hat, but was it worth climbing for?

The boy and the man already mentioned, were climbers after things of little value; but all earthly things are of little value, compared with things which are eternal. A peasant boy may climb after a bird's nest, and a prince may climb after a kingly crown, both the bird's nest and the crown will fade away. Whether we are climbing after the fading baubles of earth, or the enduring joys of heaven, in one way or other, we are all of us climbers, and it would do us no harm if setting the object of our desire before us, we were frequently to put to ourselves the question, Is it worth climbing for?

EXTRACTS FROM THE JOURNAL OF HENRY MARTYN'S VOYAGE.

SHOWING SOME OF THE REALITIES AND DIFFICULTIES OF THE WORK OF A CHRISTIAN MINISTER.

66

August 23, 1805.-Went aboard the 'Pit,' Botany Bay ship. She is carrying out 120 female convicts. They were well accommodated; but the person who showed me round, said, they had no Bibles or religious books. While he and the rest were with me, I could neither speak to them particu

larly, nor distribute tracts; but on deck observing some improper conduct in a seaman, I spoke to him, and, after a little conversation, declared what the law of God threatened, and directed him how he might be able to leave off his sin. “No,' said he, I cannot do that, and will not;' and, soon after, I saw him in defiance behaving as before. Our conversation drew others about me, who all questioned me concerning the harm of it, with the utmost contempt. I told them that, though they could make a laughing matter of it now, they would think differently of it at the day of judgment. However, I could not leave them without telling them of the gospel, and the way God would deliver them from sin: this made them rather more serious; chiefly, I suppose, because they could not but receive with civility what I spoke to them mildly as a great mercy and privilege. I afterwards went below alone, and finding a few women, spoke to them, and gave them a few tracts. One whispered to me, in great emotion, asking me if I was not a Roman priest. Guessing her intentions, I asked her if she was not a Roman Catholic, and advised her to confess her sins to Him who knoweth the heart. On going away, I proposed to Captain B. to preach next Sunday, but he did not seem to accede to my proposal. I went away much shocked at the iniquitous state of the ship, and found no sympathizing sentiments in our shipmates, who returned with me to the Union' (ship), for they treated it with that levity which characterizes wicked men, when treating of sin. Afterwards went on shore, at the east point of the harbour. Walking to the fort I passed two men hanging in chains for murder. My feelings, which had been excited in the ship, were now greatly agitated. The wickedness of that earth, on which I was destined to dwell so long, impressed me very deeply. I seemed to have received a new idea, in considering what sort of people God had to manage. Advancing to the brow of the headland, with my face toward the wide and lovely ocean, I thought-O Thou has sent me as a sheep among wolves. My heart, too, is the same, disposed to the same iniquities. I looked towards India, and remembered that they were heathens, perhaps ten times worse than anything I had seen. Yet I felt no disposition to do anything but labour in the gospel among my fellow creatures. Seeing a middle-aged soldier sitting under the wall of the fort, I began a conversation, and found he was a Roman Catholic. In answer to my arguments against the main errors of his superstition, namely, the use of the intercession of the virgin and the saints, and dependence on our righteousness for acceptance: he replied very sensibly and seriously. I was pleased that he made objections, as it was not a captious spirit; because it showed he understood what

6

I said, and felt the force of it. Afterwards, while I opened the system of the gospel to him, he listened with great attention, without interrupting; and having nothing more to reply, I left him, after giving him 'Vivian's Dialogues.' He read, he said, the English Testament. On my return to the beach, the boat not being ready, I walked to see some ruins, and afterwards sat on the turf near the rocks, reading Acts xxi. with great comfort. Oh, what should I do without God! In the afternoon went below, and read Pilgrim's Progress' for about an hour. Afterwards wrote a little of a sermon; but Mr. took away almost all the evening by coming to tell me, first, that he had been defending my conduct before the junior officers of the regiment, who had declared that, if they were commanding officers, I should not be suffered to talk to the men in this way about religion, thus unfitting them to be soldiers; and, second, by opening his mind to me on the subject of his revengeful temper, which had just been excited. I endeavoured to advise him on the subject.

"August 25. (Sunday.)-In my walk on deck, conversed a little with the mate, but to all on religion obtained no answer. Yet he is my staunch friend; for, after dinner, while I was below, he said to Lieutenant D., 'If you won't be religious yourself, why hinder another?' and to several of them, Though you laugh at religion now, by-and-bye your consciences will be overhauled.' He is the picture of a goodnatured, blunt seaman. I retired soon after dinner, and read the Pilgrim's Progress' to the men, who attended in great numbers to hear, chiefly because the rain prevented their being on deck. I never perceived so much of the extraordinary value of this book till now. I am now got beyond most of my poor hearers, but it cannot be helped. The latter part of a Christian's course may be more blessed to them than the beginning. But, as I go on, the book furnishes me with opportunities of making a thousand useful remarks I should never have thought of else. In the evening I walked on the poop, enjoying the thought of the people of God, who were then assembling in different parts of the kingdom to happy worship, particularly the congregations at Cambridge, St. John's, London, and Dock.

"December 6.-Visited this morning the ship's steward, and found him dangerously ill of a fever: it was a melancholy sight. He lay convulsed, with the gunner standing by him, holding a burning lamp, which would scarcely burn, the air was so bad, and the place withal so hot, being directly under the copper, that it was withal almost intolerable. As it was not convenient for him to attend to me then, I promised to come in the afternoon, which I did after a very solemn

season in prayer for a fit frame to minister to a dying man. In answer to a few of my questions, he said, he had a good hope, gave up all his mind to religion, and put his trust in God, etc. I bid him remember the sins of his life, his swearing, sabbath-breaking, etc., and particularly this, that he had always been in the habit of pleasing himself, and not God. This seemed to strike him; he groaned, and said, 'It is very true.' I went on showing the aggravations of his wickedness, and at last asked him again, Do you believe, that if God should refuse to hear you now, in the same manner as you have refused to hear him, he would be just and right.’ To this he now answered in the language of a person convinced. I put this question to him in every variety of form, and he always returned a satisfactory answer. I began to hope his heart was melting under the influence of the Spirit of God; and after asking him the other important question, ‘Do you desire to become a new creature, if it should please God to spare you?' He replied as a person unconscious of innate depravity and helplessness, but with great earnestness. I ventured to proceed to the gospel; but here I had a difficulty, as before, to show him that God would not save him for his repentance or faith any more than for his works; in short, for nothing in himself. I then read the 51st Psalm to him, and John vi., and went to prayer. In the evening, on deck by moonlight, I had a conversation for nearly an hour, directly in point on the subject of religion, with Mrs. S. I was surprised at her increase of religious knowledge of late. The most important part was this, that, when I asked her, 'Can you say that you would do all the will of God, without any reserve, as far as you know it?' she said, 'That I would.'. 'Why, then, it is very plain,' said I, 'that you ought to see, day by day, what the will of God is, if you wish to practise it. On this, she promised that she would read the Bible every day for the future.

46

December 22 (Sunday).—As the ship was lying to for those astern, they made use of the opportunity of having Divine service at the time, though it was two hours earlier than usual. It was a very full congregation; for some Sundays past several of the soldiers were suffered to stay away. I preached on 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18. There seemed to be a considerable stir excited against the sermon, as there were knots of them talking about it afterwards, and they eyed me some with spite, some with contempt. I felt a little unhappy at offending men so; but I still thought, if the whole universe were to rise up and despise, I could face their frowns and retain my confidence in the truth. In the afternoon, below, there was a greater number hearing; perhaps near fifty. In expounding Matt. xii. the verse about the queen of

Sheba coming from the uttermost parts to hear the wisdom of Solomon gave me a most apt occasion to observe how shameful it was that they would not come so far as from the forecastle to the main hatchway to hear about Jesus Christ. My proposal to them to pray seemed to be accepted with the greatest readiness, as they all knelt down. Through God's mercy we were not disturbed. Coming up, I met Major D., who asked if I had been praying with them, and said he thought I always gave them a prayer. This greatly encouraged me to continue. He then told me my preaching was not calculated to win people to religion; for I set duties in so terrific a light that the people were revolted. I felt the force of his remark, and determined for the future to make more use of the love of God in the gospel. The major asked me what was meant by the law.' I told him the Ten Commandments. Said he, I always supposed it meant the gospel; I never could conceive how I should be saved without the law.' I was astonished, and could not help saying, 'If you, with your desire for information, have been so mistaken, what can I expect the poor soldiers to understand.' He had read Romans iii. five times over, he said, but could not understand it at all; upon which I proposed that we should meet and consider the matter. So, after I had had time to pray for Divine assistance, with the assurance that, if he was sincere, God would certainly teach him, we met in my cabin, and I began the epistle. He stopped me at every verse he did not understand: some required a good deal of explanation. In chap. iii. ver. 3—8, I found I did not understand myself; but here he helped me out by several pertinent remarks. In verse 19 he did not perceive what it was the apostle's design to prove, but misunderstood it exceedingly. In explaining 21 and 22, a light began to break in upon his mind. On verse 31 he asked what was the use of God's giving the law to all. I referred him back to verse 20, and he then clearly understood it, and repeated the idea in a very satisfactory manner. Chapters iv. and v. suggested much subject for conversation again. I pointed out those two objects of faith here spoken of, Believing on him that justifieth the ungodly:' a conviction that we were ungodly, or that God was willing to justify such. We stopped at the end of the fifth, of which chapter he said, after some consideration, 'It is very consolatory!' and then again, 'There is something irresistibly fascinating in this chapter.' I was beyond measure delighted at his increasing understanding; and yet I cannot rejoice without trembling. He said he should be glad to come again on the same business. Soon after he went away, Mr. K. came, and we rejoiced together; he said that during my sermon to-day he had felt the utmost