much comfort in reflecting that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, by which I was enabled to hope for mercy, and the forgiveness of my sins." The work which God in mercy begun by means of these Tracts, he carried on by applying the preached word by his Spirit: and though this young servant of God lives eight miles from hence, he attends the preaching of the word often. He loves Christian society; he has begun family worship, though he is the youngest branch of the family, and there is a number of servants; he has also begun a small Tract Society in this place, and his religious knowledge is astonishing, considering his little. daily intercourse with Christians. Though he expresses himself as the chief of sinners, yet he was before his conversion, remarkable for his moral deportment.

This account of a respectable young farmer will I trust be acceptable to you, and I trust it will prove an encouragement to Christians to sow the seed in the morning, and not to withhold their hands in the evening, not knowing which may prosper, this or that, or whether both may be alike good. This is not the only case in which conviction has been caused by one Tract, and a second has been the means of leading the sinner to Christ. One instance I personally know, of the effects of the "Swearer's prayer," and the 'death of an infidel,” producing like effects.

Farewell, my dear friend: be encouraged to work for God in this way; cast the bread upon the waters, accompanying your distribution by fervent prayer that the Holy Spirit, may make your efforts useful to the conversion of precious souls.

WHO IS THE WISE MAN?

"Pray," said a little boy to a friend with whom he was walking out, "which was the wisest man, David or Solomon ?"

Friend. You know Solomon was famous for his wisdom. It is said, "all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart."

Boy. But, do you think he was wiser than David?

Friend. David was a good man and loved God; he is spoken of for his piety, and Solomon for his wisdom.

Boy. Do you know it strikes me that David was the wiser man of the two-I like David best-I would rather have been David, than Solomon.

Friend. Perhaps I may agree with you there; but what is your reason for choosing rather to be David than Solomon ?

Boy. Because I think God loved David, and you know how many psalms David wrote. I love the psalms.

Friend. God put great honour upon Da vid in teaching and helping him to write so many beautiful psalms for the use of his church in all ages. We use his psalms even to the present day; and all God's people love them, and delight to read them. But God put honour upon Solomon too in this way; he also wrote part of the Bible, and it remains to this day. We have the Proverbs, as well as the Psalms, and they are Solomon's writing.

Boy. But I like the psalms best.

Friend. Why do you like the psalms better than the proverbs?

Boy. Because there is a great deal more

about God in them. Now don't you think David was a very wise man to write all the psalms ?

Friend. The psalms are not all David's writing; but he is supposed to have written the greater part of them: and I certainly agree with you, that he must have been a very wise man.

Boy. And wiser than Solomon ?

Friend. 1 will not dispute this matter with you. To love and serve God is a mark of the highest wisdom; for no one can love God without the knowledge of him, and if the knowledge of God leads a man to love and serve him, it is a proof he is a wise man. Such a man is wise for this world and the next too; and such was David-but we find that Solomon asked wisdom of God, and God gave it him; and we find God was pleased with Solomon for this;* he gave him not only wisdom, but also riches and honour beside. So we must consider Solomon a wise man.

Boy. But he was not wise always, for you know he bowed down to idols, and worshipped gods that were not gods, but only made of wood and stone. It appears to me, that Solomon was wise for this world, and David for the next.

Friend. We believe and hope that Solomon saw his error, and sin, and folly in this, and truly repented of it before he died; for as you say, it was a sad proof he was not wise always; and we learn by it not to put our trust in the wisest of men; but in God alone, who is "only wise and blessed for ever. And we should learn also to pray to God for his grace to keep us; for we see,

* See 2 Chron. i. 10, and I Kings iii, 10.

except God is pleased to keep the wisest of men, he becomes a fool.

Boy, But David never did this.

Friend. David never departed from God with his heart; but there was a time when he shewed great want of wisdom, for he forgot God's eye was upon him and he fell into sin and displeased God; but he repented of his sin and God forgave him. I will agree with you here, that there was a great difference in this respect between David and Solomon-David loved God;—and we read that his heart was perfect with the Lord his God; which means he truly loved him always, and was sorry when he had displeased him; and could not be happy, but in the enjoyment of his presence and his favour.

Boy. I will tell you how I think it was. I think the difference was this-David and Solomon were both wise, but Solomon was wise for all the affairs of the kingdom; he was a great king, and he knew how to rule his people; he was very wise in all the things of this world, but David was wise towards God.

Friend. I think you may be right.

Boy. Well then, do you not think this the best wisdom?

Friend. It certainly is, because this world will come to an end; and they who are wise only for this world, will be found fools in the end; but he who loves and serves God has God for his friend, and he will be his friend for ever; this is true wisdom, the knowledge, and love, and fear of the Lord; to depart from evil and to do good-to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength and mind-this is true wisdom. One of our Saviour's names is Wisdom; and he says, "I love them that

treasures.

66

love me." He says again, "I will fill their Blessed are they that keep my ways. Blessed is the man that heareth me, &c. for whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord." Our Lord says, this is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." Seek this knowledge, for it is indeed wisdom; this world will be burned up; all that is in it will pass away and be no more; but when all its wisdom and all its pomp shall perish, the servants of God will be found among the truly wise; for to know, to love and to serve him is to be wise

unto SALVATION.

I-A.

To be "the portion of foxes," (Psalm Ixiii 10,) is for men to have their land or habitation rendered desolate and ruinous, and themselves left unburied. "On my asking a gentleman of the army, (says Mr. Merrick,) not long before returning from the East Indies, in what manner the barbarous nations of that country dispose of the bodies of their enemies killed in battle, he answered, that