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"Look before you."—Are you a lover of pleasure? Is the theatre, the card-table, the company of the drunkard, the profane, and the licentious, your delight? What will you do when death surprizes you? O! look before you to that solemn hour, when all the instruments of your pleasure shall be taken away!

Drunkards, swearers, Sabbath-breakers, unclean and unholy persons, "Look before you." The day of judgment is hastening on apace. Your thread of life will soon be cut, and you will be plunged into eternity! Let me intreat you to pray earnestly to God to change your heart, and to make you a new creature. Do not delay, for you may, like many others, die suddenly. Who can tell but that even now, your death-warrant is signed by the God that gave you being! This may be your last day-your last hourand the last address you may ever read. Linger not, but flee, O! flee from the wrath to come. Look unto Jesus

he is able—he is willing to save you.

"Look before you," Christian, what joy is yours, heaven, happiness, God!-Surprising thought! For you there is laid up a crown of righteousness, a throne of bliss, a kingdom that cannot be removed, in those regions where sin, and sorrow, and sufferings are unknown. Amidst your trials and tribulations, your losses and disappointments, "look before you." HEAVEN WILL MAKE AMENDS FOR ALL. Youth's Mag.

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CHINESE CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY.

MR. MEDHURST, in his work on China, observes :-" In the summer of 1816, a more than usual attention to the truth was paid by one of the Chinese printers, who professed his determination to take up the cross and follow the Saviour. The following extract from Mr. Milne's journal, refers to this individual:

"Nov. 3rd. At twelve o'clock this day I baptized, in the name of the adorable Trinity, Leang Kungfah, commonly called Leang Afah. The service was performed in

a room of the mission house. Care had been taken, by previous conversation and prayer, to prepare him for this sacred ordinance; and finding him steadfast in the faith I baptized him. The change produced in his sentiments and conduct is, I hope, the effect of Christian truth; yet, who of mortals can know the heart? Several searching questions were proposed to him, and an exercise suited to a candidate for baptism composed and given to him to meditate on.'

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'He belongs to the province of Canton, is about thirtythree years of age, can read a plain book with ease, and is of a steady character and frugal habits. His temper is not so sociable as that of many other Chinese; he was formerly obstinate, and occasionally troublesome, but of late there has been scarcely anything of this kind to complain of.

"With respect to his former life, he observed, 'I rarely went to excess in sin; yet I have occasionally been guilty of drunkenness and other kindred vices. Before I came hither I knew not God; but now I desire to serve him.' He wished to be baptized exactly at twelve o'clock, when, to use his own words, the shadow inclines neither one way or the other.'

"At baptism the following questions were proposed to him, to which he answered as follows:

:

Question. Have you truly turned from idols, to serve the living and true God, the Creator of heaven and earth? Answer. This is my heart's desire.

Q. Do you know and feel that you are a sinful creature, totally unable to save yourself?

A. I know it.

Q. Do you really believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Saviour of the world; and do you trust in him alone for salvation?

4. This is my heart's desire.

Q. Do you expect any worldly advantage, profit, or gain, by your becoming a Christian?

A. None; I receive baptism because it is my duty.

Q. Do you resolve from this day until the day of your death, to live in obedience to all the commandments and ordinances of God; and in justice and righteousness before men?

A. This is my determination, but I fear my strength is not equal to it.

"On my part, the ordinance was dispensed with mingled affection, hope, and fear. May he be made faithful unto death; and, as he is the first-fruits of this branch of the mission, may an abundant harvest follow, to the joy of the church and the honour of Christ."

His account of his own experience is as follows:-" Before I believed in the Saviour, though I knew myself to be a sinner, I did not know how to obtain pardon, I used to go every new and full moon to the temple, and prayed to the gods to protect me; but though my body worshipped the gods, my heart still cherished evil thoughts and desires, together with designs of cheating and lying which never departed from my mind.

"After a time I was brought to Malacca in the family of a Missionary, who used to preach to his domestics the doctrine of salvation through Jesus. I attended his ministrations, but my heart was not engaged. Sometimes I looked at the Scriptures, and heard them explained, but I did not fully comprehend the meaning. Hearing the Missionary exhort men not to go and worship the gods, I used to say, This is a strange kind of doctrine. According to this, gilt paper and sacrificial candles, gold flowers and paper money, must be useless and sinful. I fear that Buddha will soon bring punishment and death on such an opponent of the gods, and then we shall see whether he will continue to preach these doctrines.'

"A few months afterwards, a priest of Buddha came from China, and lived in the temple of Kwan-yin, hard by. He visited me frequently, and I asked him how I was to obtain the pardon of my sins? He answered, 'Daily recite the true forms of devotion, and Buddha, who resides in the western heavens, will remit the sins of your whole family. If a person give a little money to the priest to chaunt the prayers for him, he will in the next life be born into a rich family, and will not be sent to hell to suffer misery.' When I heard this, I desired to become a follower of Buddha. The priest immediately sent me a volume of prayers, and desired me to repeat them; saying, that if I recited them a

thousand times, I should cancel all the debts of my former life. I accordingly began to repeat the prayers; but onc evening, while sitting alone, it came into my mind that I had committed many real sins, and could hardly expect by reciting prayers, without performing a single virtuous action, to obtain forgiveness.

"In the meanwhile I heard the Missionary preach the doctrine of atonement through Jesus, and at my leisure I examined the Scriptures, which forbade uncleanness, deceit, and idolatry. Then, I thought, these are good books, exhorting men to depart from iniquity; moreover, the doctrines are attested by the miracles of Jesus, therefore this book must certainly be true. I then listened to the explanation of the Scriptures, and on the Sabbath-day read the Bible more attentively, requesting the Missionary to explain it to me. I asked what was meant by Jesus making atonement for sin. The Missionary told me that Jesus was the Son of God, sent into the world to suffer for the sins of men, in order that all who believe in Him might obtain salvation. Feeling myself to be a sinner, I asked how I was to obtain pardon? The Missionary said, 'If you believe in Jesus, God will receive you as his adopted son, and in the world to come bestow on you everlasting life.' On returning to my room, I thought within myself, I am a great sinner, and if I do not depend on the merits of Christ how can God forgive me? I then determined to become a disciple of Jesus, and requested baptism. After receiving this rite, I employed my mind diligently in guarding my life and actions, and became more and more fond of reading the Scriptures. I prayed to God to drive all evils thoughts out of my mind, and cherish good desires within me. I now not only refrained from worshipping images myself, but pitied those who did, and sought to instruct them in the way of salvation. With this view, I made a small book, exhorting men to worship God and believe in Jesus: and on my return to my native village in China, I printed a hundred copies, for the purpose of distribution, when one day I was suddenly apprehended by the police, who brought me before the mandarin. He said that my believing in Jesus, and printing Christian books, were both violations

of the law, and ordered me into confinement. While there, I thought with myself, this book contains the true doctrine of Jesus, the Saviour of the world, who exhorted men to become good-why then should I be persecuted for printing it? I suppose it is because my sins have provoked God to punish me. Therefore, I heartily repented, and prayed that God would pity and pardon me.

"The Missionary afterwards interested some persons to speak to the mandarin on my behalf; who, after giving me thirty blows with the bamboo on the souls of my feet, till the blood flowed, liberated me. The police officers also extorted from me seventy dollars. After I had suffered this persecution and loss of property, I did not dare to turn my back on the Lord Jesus, but accounted that I suffered the just punishment due for my sins."

MEMOIR OF PHILIPPA BROAD.

MANY memorials of piety have been lost through neglect, that might have instructed, encouraged, and stimulated young persons in seeking to walk in the ways of the Lord. The following narrative would also have been lost had it not been preserved by our warm friend, Mr. W. Hawker, of Pelynt. It having been by him lately entrusted to our care, we hasten to transmit it for preservation, among the many valuable stores of our "Sunday School Hive." A Poet has said

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene,

The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

But then it may be remarked, that though neglected and unobserved by men, their value, beauty, and fragrance have been regarded by the all-seeing eye of God, and he has recorded the names of departed worth on his book of remembrance, and has said, "They shall be mine in the day when I number up my jewels."

Some flowers emit a fragrance only while they live;

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