INDEX. Advice to a young tradesman, 230 Believers opinions of themselves, as Have you thought of it? 182 Letter of Brainerd, a, 41 Letter on the new reformation in Light in a parish home, 88 Murderous effects of the confes- Martin Luther's will, 95 Milestone, the, 23 Miracle, a, 30 Exceeding great and precious pro- | Martyr's tears, the, 201 Dying moments, 153 mises, 81 Excuses, 113 Missionary parish, 189 Edward the Sixth and the Bible, 173 No influence, 70 Farmer's carpet, the, 164 Few words to children, a, 177 Follow me! 66 Frenchwoman and the tracts, 152 Gunpowder plot, the, 212 Great whirlpool, the, 25 God's thoughts, 101 Good reasons for going to church, 226 Not yet, not yet, 141 New year, 1 One, 174 Peace in believing, 223, Popish Bribery, 153 Popery, 156 Popery not for the poor man, 33 Prayers returned, 34 Popish fraud, 34 Pictures of Egypt, 3, 26, 45, 63, 84, Prayer-book, the, 6, 47 Paris fête of the sixteenth century, Young French student, 61 a, 74 Prayer for the times, 83 Romish persecution, 196 Rev. Edward Bickersteth, the, 87 Sabbath, the, 193 Seeing Christ, 29 Swiss funeral, 21 Spelling repentance, 51 Small disciple, 68 Swiss Sunday, 131 Select remarks, 170 Thoughts for the close of the year, 221 Three sick beds, 72 Teach the children hymns, 69 Two servants, 128 Your vote, 129 France, 36, 53, 76, 96, 178, 197, Troubles of a French Protestant POETRY: family, 108 Temperance-the daily pint, 66 Unto you that believe Christ is Visit to a condemned cell, a, 170 Women's excuses, 143 Widow Godfrey, 206 Young Christian, the, and her little Christian Warfare, 97 Chastening rod sanctified, 99 Loved, but not the lost, the, 119 What time I am afraid, 19 Ps. cxix. 57, 219 THE FRIENDLY VISITOR. THE NEW YEAR. A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my readers! And fain would I do more than give my empty, good wishes; there is a something cheering and welcome, indeed, in sympathy, yet it can do but little. Gladly would I be the means of contributing, in some degree, that which may substantially help to make it a happy year. And what else would be worth my labour? Surely not to afford some little amusement for the passing moment; nor, indeed, merely to inform the understanding. All this may be well enough in its way, but it would do little towards forming the real happiness of this New Year, or, indeed, towards maintaining the real character of a FRIENDLY VISITOR. And this character must not change. Many things may and must, of necessity, change in this constantly changing state of existence. What changes since the year 1819, when the FRIENDLY VISITOR first started on its mission! Above thirty years have passed away, which, according to the usual calculation, have, seen an entire generation of mankind swept from the face of the earth! What a thought! And of those who ministered to the friendly offices of this VISITOR, and helped to make it welcome and useful, how many now cease from their labours, and know, in their blessed experience, what the rest and happiness of Heaven mean. While toiling through this misty world, so full of perturbations and sorrows, we have but a faint B conception of this rest. Oh, blessed indeed are they who die in the Lord! He, too, who first started this work, and has been permitted through a period that has seen a generation swept away, to carry it forward without interruption, now bends beneath the burdens of life, and is constrained to transfer to younger hands what he has loved to do; though, as long as life and faculties are continued to him, he hopes still, through this medium, to speak a word now and then. What changes, too, in this period, amongst those to whom the friendly visits have been paid! How many have received a word in season, and blessed God for His instrumentality! It has cheered the sufferer in the lonely garret and the humble cellar. It has re-echoed the watchwords of Holy Writ, and said to many a sinking, desponding soul, "Onwards! onwards! fear not, little flock-it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom; a little more fighting, a few more tears, and sighs, and struggles, and then what a burst of glory!what will it be to see Jesus as He is-to be like Him-to love and serve Him perfectly? How light all affliction compared with this weight of glory!" And now a generation of our readers has left the stage of life, and a new one succeeded. Our pilgrim readers have passed the border of the wilderness, and gone beyond the reach of human agency. Change-change is our position here. Yet God changeth not, and his word changeth not; and the sheet-anchor of the Christian's hope is, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." And His servants must go forth not to change with the changing times, but to unfurl the same banner, and to proclaim the same truths, and to make known that glorious declaration in which lies embodied all that constitutes the needy sinner's hope with regard to the immensity of all his present wants, and all that is dear to him for eternity, viz., "I, the Lord, change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." Oh, no! He changes not in His omnipotent sufficiency; He changes not in His infinite love and boundless compassion; He changes not in His unfailing faithfulness; nor in His sovereign purpose and covenant. Here, amidst all that is so changing within us and around us, is the source of all our hope, the motive for all our constancy; that which lifts up our heads as we naturally and constantly incline to sink; and enables us, however our harps may be hanging on the willows, to take them down, at least for one little moment, and to tune them to some song of praise and confidence. "We'll praise Him for all that is past, And trust Him for all that's to come." Yes, my dear readers, in longing to promote your happiness during this New Year, it shall not greatly discourage me that I cannot bring you to a mine of gold, and enrich you with the produce of California or Australia. Ah! is happiness in the deceitfulness of riches? It is enough for me that I can open out to you and put in your possession that "godliness, which, with contentment, is great gain:" enough, that I can tell you how you may have God for your father, Jesus Christ for your Saviour, the Holy Spirit for your comforter and sanctifier, and Heaven for your eternal home. It shall not grieve me that I cannot tell you how to shield yourselves against all the painful changes of human life, when I can tell you of Him who is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother; who is a brother born for adversity; and who has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If, then, we have only our hearts surely there fixed, where true joys are to be found, we may go forward into the dark and unknown future in cheerful hope. A happy New Year will be ours, let its sorrows and its troubles be what they may. Our unchangeable and unchanging God and Saviour will supply all our need, and we shall be made more than conquerors through Him that loved us, and gave Himself for us. And oh! to be the honoured, though feeblest instrument in bringing fellow-sinners to Him who is the only source of happiness, or in opening out the treasures of his grace for the strengthening and helping forward his weary, fainting pilgrims. This is, indeed, worth toiling and living for. PICTURES OF EGYPT. NO. I. ALEXANDRIA. Is the land yet in sight? No!. The broad Mediterranean still encloses us within its dark blue circle. But now there is a speck in the horizon! The good ship speeds along. The speck has grown larger. It spreads right and left. The engines pump up and down; and the paddle-wheels run round faster than ever they did, knowing they are shortly going to have a good rest, after a long voyage. Now, what's in sight? A long low sandy shore, with a row of windmills planted upon it, like a row of mushrooms. A |