read English, but all took the English ones, saying, "They would take them into Wales where they could get them read."

With the exception of some oaths and threats, and occasional opposition, which, as the disciples of Christ, in attacking such strong holds of Satan, we could but expect, the whole 6,500 tracts were kindly received.

"I could not help thinking," says the Missionary, 66 as I saw the farmer or the drover take the tract and place it carefully in his pocket, perhaps to-morrow night, many miles from this place, in some lonely farm-house, where the Missionary never calls to cry, Behold the Lamb of God!' yourself, your wife, and your children, may by this silent messenger be called to meditate on a Saviour's love. The poor drover may peruse the one given him as he follows his drove; miles from any habitation he may reflect, pray, repent! The blaspheming horse-jockey, many of whom received 'A Problem for a Swearer,' it may not be too much to hope may 'Set a guard before the door of his lips, and swear no more.'

The kind manner in which the greater part were received, was to my own mind very encouraging; especially those that were received by the honest countrymen and women who "came to see the fair." By the men the tracts were frequently received with their hands to their hats, and “Thankee, Zur." How unlike, I thought, is this from those who attend the London fairs, who very often will tear up the tract and throw it in your face.

I might report many conversations I had with different persons while I urged them to "Repent and believe the Gospel," but shall confine myself to the two following cases :

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As I was supplying the different stall-keepers and showmen with tracts on Sabbath morning, a man came towards me and said, "Will you please to give me one, Sir?" Certainly," I replied. "Do you like reading them?" "Yes, Sir, I do now, but some time ago I did not, for I was a very wicked drunken man; but the Rev. Mr. Edwards, of Brighton, persuaded me to join the Teetotalers, and now, for two years I have been a sober man, and want to hear as much as I can about religion." I made known to him the way of life by Jesus Christ. The Word seemed quick and powerful. He said he would go up into Barnet to a place of worship.

As I was passing four brawny railway navigators, to whom Brother C. had given the tract entitled, "A Problem to a Swearer," one of them was reading it aloud to the others very seriously, when one of them remarked, "Well, what that paper says, is all right enough." Simple as these remarks may appear, the manner in which they were spoken compelled me to believe, that this hardened-looking man was convinced in his own mind that swearing was a sin against God.

I cannot but hope that our labours at Barnet Fair will be blessed by God to many who attended it.

MONTHLY REPORT OF SILVER-STREET DISTRICT, MADE BY C. F. HAINES, MISSIONARY.

who was

BETWEEN four and five months ago I entered a house in court. I found a man sitting by the parlour fire. He appeared to be of that order generally denominated "shabby genteel." He requested me to take a seat, and said that Mrs. - the landlady, would be in shortly. I thanked him, and accepted his offer. In reply to a question of mine, he said that he was only on a visit to the house as a medical man; he was attending Mr. unwell. An observation of mine on the severity of the season, introduced the business I was upon. I made a remark on the wisdom of the Divine government, and rejoiced that we could see infinite goodness and benevolence in all the works of our God. I forget the exact answer he made, but it was an attempt to shift the conversation. It struck me in a moment that he was an Infidel, and I instantly renewed the subject. After a few more remarks of the same nature, I observed that he remained silent, and I then put a question which brought him out. I said, "It is a great mercy that we can read the character of God both in his works and his Word. In the one, we are introduced to him as a God of infinite wisdom and power; in the other, we contemplate him as a God of benevolence and love. I hope, Sir, that you study the Divine Being in both these volumes?" His answer was evasive and sceptical. I became very desirous to ascertain his sentiments, as the little he had said bore the marks of a cultivated mind. I therefore again pressed the importance of the sentiment, "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace, whereby good shall come unto thee.” This led to a reply, and a long discussion finally ensued, extending, perhaps, to three-quarters of an hour. At times he was exceedingly angry with me, and once said, "Who are you, Sir, that you take upon yourself to question me on such subjects ?" "I am a Missionary of the London City Mission, Sir, and my business is to instruct and not to offend." "I think, Sir," he replied, "that your conduct is exceedingly impertinent; and it will be far better for you to withdraw." "My dear Sir," I replied, "I perceive that you have embraced erroneous sentiments-those sentiments you may suppose will suit you to live by, although I question if you think they are sound." I paused. "Believe me they will not do for the dying pillow." Here he became very much excited, and there was evident anguish on his countenance. Suffice it to say,

that, although we continued to argue and to differ, we at length parted good friends. He appeared to be a well-educated man, and seemed as though he had been in far better circumstances.

June 2.-On entering the same house to-day, I was accosted by the landlady above referred to, in the following manner, “O, Sir, I am very glad you are come." “What is the matter, Mrs. -?" "Why, Sir, I have been wanting to see you about Mr.

"I

don't know such a name, Mrs. "Don't you recollect talking with a gentleman in this room who was very angry with you?" "I do; but what of that, my friend?' "Why, Sir, he is dead." "Indeed I am sorry for that, but I did not know him." "No, Sir, but he never forgot you. I suppose you remember that he was of a different religion from you?" "I do; he was something of a Deist." "Well, Sir, he went home and was very uneasy for a long time; and soon after he was taken ill and was very miserable. One day he told his wife the reason: he said that it was owing to some conversation that he had had with a man who called himself a Missionary; that he had talked with him a long time, and that what he had said had made him miserable, and that he could not get rid of his thoughts about it. Well, Sir, to make short of it: he got worse, and gave up all his errors and became a true Christian; and before he died he requested his wife to come to my house to try to find you out and tell you that what you had said was the reason of the change. He died very happy indeed, Sir, and his widow has been here to find you, and I told her I would be sure to tell you as soon as you came. A young woman, about twenty-five years of age, now said, "You may depend upon every word that you have heard, Sir, for I heard Mrs. tell the whole of it."

At No.

Silver-street, live a man and his wife of the name of On my last visit to their apartment, the wife was alone, and she entered very freely into a statement of the kind of life they were living, frankly acknowledging that neither herself or husband ever entered into a place of worship, and that her husband constantly spent his evenings at a public-house. According to her account, he was a good scholar, but never read the Bible. June 21.-To-day, on my knocking at the door, Mrs. opened it and said, "Oh, it is you, Sir, is it? Oh, I don't think that you will be welcome to my husband, I don't think that he approves of you." "Then your husband is at home, is he?" "O yes, he is very bad in bed here, and has been so for a fortnight." I approached the bed, and the sick man said, "I don't wish to have anything to say to you, I don't believe in your sentiments." "What sentiments are yours, then, my friend?" "O, I belong to the Church of England." "I am glad of that," I replied, " as my sentiments are just those of the Church of England." The man looked very incredulous at me, and I continued, "Does the Church of England believe every man to be a sinner?" Why, yes, to be sure it does." "Well, so do I. Does the Church of England believe that without repentance towards God and faith in Christ no man will go to heaven?" "Of course it does." "Well, so do I. And do you believe these things, my friend?" "Why, I suppose that we are all sinners, and that we must all repent, or else God won't forgive us." 66 Then, you see, my friend, that I am just the man that should visit you, for my views and sentiments

66

are those of the Church of England, as well as your own, but now there are two questions which you must allow me to put to you very plainly but affectionately. First, Has God convinced you of your real state as a sinner? and, secondly, Are you brought to a state of real repentance and faith ?” He answered not a word. I followed these questions by showing the practical results that would be sure to follow such convictions, viz., a giving up and forsaking of sin, particularly the sin I knew he was guilty of. The wife, who had been listening, now said, "The fact is, my husband don't believe a word about it, for though he has been lying here a whole fortnight, he has never once touched a book of any kind, He used to read his Bible, and make his children read it too, but he has left it all off for a long time." I conversed with this poor drunkard and half Infidel closely. His grand stand was, that religion consisted in doing unto others as we would they should do unto us- -that we should be honest, &c. I showed him, that there was no religion in any of us, unless it produced such fruits as he had mentioned; but I said, “Mr. did you ever know a man who denied the existence of God?" "Yes, I know one now, and many a time has he tried to make me believe it too." know that man well? "O, yes, he works in our shop." an honest man?" "Yes, as far as I know, indeed I never heard a word against his character in my life." ،، Now you see, my friend, here is a man who denies the very existence of the God that made him, and yet, according to your testimony, does to others as he would they should do to him, do you think that he can be called a Christian?" 66 Why, no, I should not call him a Christian." I read to him several passages of Scripture, showing the necessity of the new birth, pressed on him the importance of hearing the voice of God in the present affliction, and went to prayer with him and his wife. I shook hands with him, he seemed thankful for the visit.

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Two or three deaths have occurred in my district since I last reported, one of which I shall give a particular account of:-On the 15th of April I called for the first time at a house in Londonwall. I had not previously considered it a visitable house, but I thought it better to try it. On the first floor were two females. One appeared to be the mistress, and the other the nurse.

Mrs.

the mistress, seemed very unwell, but did not keep her bed. She was a young woman about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years of age. I conversed with her, she seemed very indifferent, but was civil and wished me to call as I passed. In a fortnight I called again, and found her suffering great inconvenience from a cough. I began to suspect that it was decline, and I put her on my sick list. I now called once a-week and was always received civilly, but the greatest darkness and ignorance respecting Divine things was evident. I trust that I was faithful to her soul. I

showed her the condemned and dangerous state she was in as a sinner against God, and I brought the extensive demands of God's law before her many times. She heard these things for a time with the greatest unconcern, but at length God was pleased to give her an inquiring mind. Considerable anxiety took possession of her soul, and at last I was gratified by the earnest inquiry, "What shall I do to be saved?" I directed her to the sinner's Friend, explained the way of salvation and justification through the blood and righteousness of God's dear Son, and besought her to pray for the Holy Spirit, but she found no relief, no comfort. The greatest horror seemed to possess her soul for days together, she seemed given up to the utmost despair. I now visited her every day at her particular request. Her disorder rapidly gained ground, and it was clear that her time was hastening to a close. The state of her mind was distressing beyond all that I have ever witnessed. The invitations of the Gospel appeared to fall on her ear as though they were never intended for her. I showed her Christ's ability and willingness to save to the uttermost; but no, "I shall be lost! I shall be lost!" was all that could be got from her. Nevertheless, prayer was always acceptable and grateful to her; "Pray, pray for me, were her expressions. I began to be in great distress and to suffer much anxiety on her account. I prayed for her in private as well as at the family altar. At length the Lord was pleased to "manifest himself unto her." She found peace and joy. Serenity of mind and holy joy were her portion. This happiness continued for about ten days or a fortnight. Her disorder now made fearful havoc, drowsiness came on, the time of her departure was at hand, and she sunk for a time into a listless state. I perceived it, and I one day attempted to rouse her by an appeal to her, whether she loved the Saviour or not. She answered, "I hope you do not think that I am turning my back upon Christ because I am so drowsy-indeed, I cannot help it." I said to her a few days before she died, "Would you exchange your hopes and expectations of eternity for the Queen's crown ?" She eagerly caught at the question, and said, "No, not for ten thousand worlds. Jesus is mine and I am his, I shall soon be with my Saviour for ever."

She died on the 25th of June, and is a most delightful evidence that God does own and bless the efforts of the Mission. With the exception of two slight calls by some young man, who read a prayer to her, I was the only Christian visitor she had.

Macintosh, Printer, Great New Street, London.