place, might easily mistake the way at night; no wonder then that Robert Baxter soon got into the wood. In the day-time he might have gone back without difficulty; but the road through the wood got narrower, and so many pathways crossed it in different directions, that Robert struck into one of them, and when he thought that he was nearly out of the wood, he was more entangled in its pathways than before. What would not Robert Baxter have given for a lantern!

While Robert was wandering in the wood, we must return to the cottage of Mary Wilson.

Every reader of the scriptures, who is accustomed with humility to mistrust his own heart, and to seek the guidance of God; to pray in the name of the Redeemer, that God would guide him by his counsel, and bring him to his glory, will see at once the close resemblance there is between Robert Baxter going astray in the wood for the want of a lantern, and a sinner wandering in the ways of error and ungodliness, for the want of an acquaintance with the word of God, which word is a lantern to every pilgrim in his way through the world to the heavenly city. "Thy word," saith the psalmist, "is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." Robert Baxter met with heaps of stones, briers and by-ways, darkness and difficulty; but the sinner who despises the word of the Most High meets with rougher ways, with blacker darkness, and with greater difficulties. O that all would take the testimonies of God, and bind them to their hearts! "For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light, and reproofs of instruction are the ways of life." "I shall find my way well enough without the lantern!" said Robert Baxter-and have we not all said the same thing? for it is not until it pleases God to teach us by his Holy Spirit that we are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked," that we are disposed earnestly to look above for light and assistance : then and then only are we willing to search the scriptures, and to submit ourselves to their holy influence and instruction.

.

Mary Wilson had been respectably brought up, though she was poor. She had pious parents, and that". mercy of mercies," a religious education, had not been withheld. She was taught to fear God in her youth, and she found

him the staff of her age. Most of her friends were dead, and a few shillings a week were all that she had; but as she looked forward with hope and confidence to a glorious immortality in heaven, so she was enabled to endure with patience her trials on earth.

O what a softener of trouble and a soother of pain, what a guide in difficulty, what a lantern in darkness, what a support in difficulty and in death, is faith in the Redeemer! the confidence that he, the Lord and Giver of life, will do all which is right concerning us! It is worth more than thousands of gold and silver, for it bringeth that peace which the world neither giveth nor taketh away.

Blessed with this faith and this peace, Mary Wilson devoted herself to the Lord her God, and pondered over his holy word; for the infirmities of age rendered her incapable of doing more work than what was rendered necessary by her common wants.

Putting on her spectacles, Mary Wilson read the note that Robert Baxter had brought her, by which she learned that her niece purposed to call upon her in a day or two, as she was about to set off for London.

We left Robert Baxter vainly endeavouring to find his way out of the wood. Sometimes he drew near to the road: but not knowing the path, he as frequently returned again, and was as much lost as ever: the words of widow Wilson appeared to sound in his ears, "Take the lantern, and keep in the straight path," and heartily did he wish that he had taken her advice. Fortunately for Robert, though he had no lantern, at last he met in his wanderings with a man who had one; this man was a day labourer, who was returning home through the wood when Robert met him. Robert had some little acquaintance with the man, who not only guided him out of the wood, but goodnaturedly lent him his lantern, saying to him, when he left him, the very same words which had been spoken by widow Wilson, "Take the lantern, and keep in the straight path.”

With the aid of the lantern Robert crossed the brook and the common; but how he would have done this without such assistance I cannot tell, for the little foot-bridge over the brook had a large hole in it, which made it very dangerous to all who crossed it by night, but especially so to those who did not know that it was broken, and when, as

at that time, the brook was full of water. Robert having executed his errand, returned back, calling once more at the cottage of widow Wilson.

"And where have you been all this time, Robert ?"` was the inquiry of Mary Wilson. Why it is a good two hours since you went up the lane, but I dare say you found the road bad enough!"

"Bad enough, indeed," replied Robert; "but the worst of it was, that after I got into the wood, whether the road was bad or good, I could not find it at all. I shall not soon forget the advice you gave me, Mrs. Wilson, though I disregarded it at the time, Take the lantern, and keep in the straight path.""

Mary Wilson was not one of the many talkative persons who have the word of God more on their lips than in their hearts; who are fond on every occasion to preach as it were a sermon, setting forth their own piety rather than the grace of their Redeemer; yet still, as she was a zealous and devoted servant of the Lord, she dared not lose any favourable opportunity of magnifying his holy name; nor of directing such as appeared to stand in need of direction to the holy scriptures, and to the Lamb of God that "taketh away the sins of the world."

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Ay, Robert," said she: "would that through grace you could bear it in mind, not only in passing through a lane in a dark night, but in passing through the world. I amʻan old woman, and have lost my way many a time when neglecting the lantern of God's holy word, but never did I lose my way when that lantern directed my steps. Many a thorn and brier have pierced me when wandering out of the straight path of christian duty, but never have I been injured when my feet were on the highway of the King of kings, and my face and my heart towards the city of Zion.” "I believe you, Mrs. Wilson; but it is much easier to give good advice than it is to take it."

True, Robert; but there is one comfort the sincere followers of Jesus Christ usually have, and that is the knowledge that if any duty be too hard for them to perform, they may pray to their heavenly Father, for Christ's sake, either to help them to do it, or to do it for them."

"That is a comfort truly, Mrs. Wilson; but I must be moving, for I am sadly beyond my time already. I cannot

remember one-half what you have said; but I shall not soon forget one part of it, you may be sure, and that is, "Take the lantern, and keep in the straight path." Robert wished Mary Wilson good night, and departed.

It is not always that the most earnest attempt to direct the attention of a fellow-creature to God is successful; but a simple text of scripture, or a short remark, is sometimes accompanied by the Divine blessing, when an eloquent sermon is but little regarded. The word of God is often heard without profit, and urged without effect. It is as the grain cast into the earth; it may fall in a thorny or barren place, or it may be cast on good ground; but an humble and sincere desire to increase the followers of Christ will never be altogether in vain, for we cannot engage in God's service without being benefited ourselves, whether we benefit others Robert Baxter bore in mind the advice of Mary Wilson, because its value had been impressed upon him by the trouble he was in when he neglected it; and it is more frequently by trouble and sorrow that it pleases God to draw wandering sinners to himself, than by joy and prosperity.

or not.

When Robert returned home he accounted for his being so long, by relating the circumstance of his losing himself in the wood, adding the advice given him by Mrs. Wilson, "Take the lantern, and keep in the straight path." He did not soon forget it, and my readers also will find advantage in remembering it.

GREAT RESULTS OFTEN PROCEED FROM SMALL

MEANS.

DURING a journey for the Tract Society, the person who represented the Parent Institution, met with two facts which much encouraged his own mind. At one meeting, a minister stated that he felt much interested in the prosperity of the Society, because one of its little works had been useful to his own mind. "The History of John Wise" had been given to him when quite young, and he hoped it was the means of deeply and savingly affecting his heart. At another meeting in Cornwall, after the statement of the deputation had been made, the minister of the town rose, and said, that if it were necessary to produce any additional information of the usefulness of the Institution, he would add one fact. When he was engaged in business in London, he met with a poor woman who sold fruit in one of the courts near Lombard-street, and

she also had in one of her baskets a few of the tracts of the Society. His finances being low, he thought he would rather give a halfpenny to read and return the tract, than give a penny for the complete possession of it. He pursued this plan for a considerable time, and read many useful tracts. He confessed that they were the means of convincing his mind of sin, and he hoped of leading him to the Saviour too. This young minister is now zealously engaged in preaching to a number of poor villagers, "the unsearchable riches of Christ." Who can despise these small instruments of good?

DODDRIDGE'S RISE AND PROGRESS OF RELIGION
IN THE SOUL.

SINCE this book has been stereotyped at the expense of a friend, and added to the list of the Tract Society's publications, it has had a very large circulation, and has been exceedingly useful. A friend, connected with the Parent Institution, once mentioned to a christian brother, that much good had resulted ⚫ from this plan of stereotyping approved works, and he gave him full particulars on the subject. Some time afterwards, this christian brother was spending a few hours with a friend, and in the course of conversation he referred to the information he had received, and intimated his conviction that this was an excellent mode of doing good. A daughter in the family was present, and heard this conversation. The thought occurred to her mind, "Surely this must be a good book, or the gentleman would not have given a considerable sum for stereotyping it, that it might be sold at a cheap rate. Yet I have never read it, though my father has had it many years in his house." This young person was thus led to read this valuable work, and it was the blessed means of her conversion to God. She has become a most decided christian, and feels the liveliest interest for the conversion of her former worldly companions. "A word fitly spoken how good is it !”

THE SLEEPER.

ARE not men asleep? What is a state of sleep, but one of ignorance concerning all that is surrounding us? Suppose a case. A man lies down to rest; he leaves all quiet in his house; he falls into refreshing slumbers; and while he sleeps robbers enter his dwelling; he minds it not: they plunder his most valuable property; he thinks nothing of it. Perhaps he is in the midst of some splendid dream; he imagines that he has secured permanent advantages, that he has gained large accessions of wealth, which will make him easy for the remainder of