reply; "but I will speak to Mr. Knill on the subject.". She did soand asked whether my congregation would undertake to send this Missionary. I answered her that they would, and he was sent accordingly. It happened one day, when I was packing up his boxes, with some medicines, his clothes, and fifteen Bibles, just as I was putting the Bibles into the box, a peasant called at my house on business. As she passed, I said to her, "Can you read?" "Yes," said she, in my own language." "What is that?" "The Finnish." "Finnish!" said I, "here is a Finnish Bible; read it." She received it, read it, and returned the book. "Have you a Bible?" "No, I never had one; I never had enough to buy one." "How much money have you now?” “Only one ruble." "Well, give me that, and I will give you this Bible." She looked at me with distrust, not thinking I would let her have it for that sum. "I mean what I say," said I; "if you give me that ruble, I will give you this book." She gave me the ruble, and I returned her the book; and, oh! if you had seen with what joy she received it! She pressed it to her bosom, while tears gushed from her eyes; and she seemed to feel in her heart, that she had got a treasure, the lamp of life, to direct her through this wilderness to heaven. I then said, "Go tell your neighbours-if any of them wish to receive a Bible, they shall have one for a ruble." She went to the hay-market, held up her book, and exclaimed, "See! See!" "What is it?" "The Bible!" "Where did you get it?" "I got it from the foreign priest." "What did it cost?" A ruble." A ruble! no, that's impossible! you couldn't get that for a ruble!" "Yes, I did; and the man told me, that if any of you wished to have one at the same price, you might." They took the book from her, gave her two rubles, and said, "Now if you can go and bring us two Bibles for that, you shall have your book again; if not, we will keep it, for your having deceived us." She came to me, looking very sorrowful, fearing that I should not let her have the books; but I gave her them, and said, “Tell your neighbours it is true; they may have as many Bibles as they will bring rubles." She went-the tidings circulated-and what was the consequence? In six weeks time I sold eight hundred copies. Some persons came sixty versts to procure them, and were at my house by day-break, that they might not lose the precious opportunity. I was, however, in some measure, taken by surprise. Certainly I was not prepared to furnish 800 Bibles, and therefore did not know what to do. I had given my word to supply the people; and as they poured in, ten or twenty at a time, I felt at a loss. I said to my wife, "What shall I do? our Master is faithful; I have given my word to the people, and if I fail I shall lose my character. She replied, "It is God's work; go forward." Oh, it is noble when a man's wife cheers him on in a good work! My dear female friends, if your husbands should grow faint in the cause of Christ, it is your duty to support them. I have lived among Mahometans: there women are trampled upon. I have lived among Indians: there women are degraded. It is only where Christianity is known, that women are raised to their proper level in society.-Well, I put a hundred rubles in my pocket, and went to the Bible shop to get a fresh supply. As I went, a thought entered my mind-Is not this too much to give away? would not fifty rubles be enough? you have a wife, you have a family to provide for. While this thought was beginning to work in my mind, on passing the end of a street I saw a funeral: that funeral preached a sermon to me, and the text was, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; for there is no work, nor device, in the grave

whither that person is going." I felt humbled, and ashamed of the feelings that had passed my mind; and forthwith went and laid out the hundred rubles. A short account of this circumstance was drawn up and sent to my friends; and in a few days all the money was raised for these Bibles. Oh, my friends, while you have a single eye to the glory of God, be encouraged! He will provide the means to carry on His own work.

About this time, a young person who had become pious called on me; and in the warmth of her feeling she said, "Next week will be my birth-day, and our people will expect a present: now it is a remarkable circumstance, that all our servants can read-what can I give them so good as a New Testament?" "Nothing! nothing!" "Do you think you could get me some Russian Testaments?" "I don't know; I have. not applied for some months, and I always go in fear and trembling; for my friends are gone, and I am left alone." I went however, and purchased two, and came away with one in each pocket, fearing lest I might be observed. I sent her the books: she gave them to the servants and soon afterwards came to me again, saying, "The people are delighted with the books! can you get any more?" "I don't know, but I will try." From this time I began to circulate Russian Testaments and Psalters, till it had pleased God to enable me to circulate not less than 30,000 copies of them: and all this began by my asking a poor woman if she could read!-But if 800 Bibles cost a great deal of money, 30,000 Testaments and Psalters would cost a great deal more. "Now," thought I, "what can I do?" I had a friend in Scotland-a lady, whom I had never seen; but I heard of her, and had written to her some letters about Scotland. To her I wrote, and said, "Now if you can send us the sum of ten-pounds, it is the very thing that we need for carrying on the circulation of the Scriptures." answered by return of post, saying, "Instead of ten pounds, which you ask, I enclose you fifty pounds." (You are surprised at such generosity-I hope you will all imitate it.) I received the letter at the postoffice; and, though surrounded by merchants, clerks, bankers, &c., I am not ashamed to confess that I burst into tears. I went forthwith and purchased some Testaments, and in a few days called upon the merchant on whom the order was drawn. He looked at it some time, and then said, "This may be all very right; but the lady evidently does not understand how to send money out of England." I wrote her word of this; whereupon she sent me another sum of fifty pounds. A certain kind friend said to me, a few days afterwards, "If ever you have any further need of money, I request you not to send to that lady; for she can keep nothing back." "Thank you!" said I; "if I want money, I shall always apply to that lady." What is the use of applying to men whose hearts are as hard as stone? No-go to those who love Christ, and who love the souls of men, and there you will always succeed. I then wrote to London, and applied to your noble and glorious Society; and from that time to this, there have always been Bibles to circulate in Russia, and a great demand for them.

She

Most of these Bibles passed through my own hands; and when I had not strength to circulate them, friends were raised up to do it.-It pleased God to convert one of the richest merchants in Petersburgh, who had but one son. This son said to him once, in the depth of winter, "I should like to go to Finland, to see the waterfalls." "Well, I have no objection," said the father; "but I should like you to take the opportunity of circulating some Testaments there." With this pro

posal the son complied. The father accordingly wrote to me, "Set apart a thousand Testaments for me, at my expense: my son is about to take a journey, and I wish to have him occupied in circulating the word of God." What a noble act was this! it was like David laying up materials for his son to build the Temple. Alas! are there not some among us, who never in their lives bought a single Testament to give away?—I sent him one hundred Testaments, as an immediate supply. The young man was to be accompanied by another friend, to whom he had communicated his design of distributing Testaments; and when the day approached, he went home to prepare for his journey on the following morning. Now mark how the Spirit can touch the conscience! After my young friend had lain down on his bed, his conscience began to speak thus to him: "You are going to circulate Testaments; yet you never read the Testament for yourself!" This thought led to another, and that to another, and another. At length he arose at midnight, and for the first time fell on his knees, and cried for mercy. Oh, it is an interesting sight when a young man begins to seek after God! If any young persons here are living without prayer, Oh that they would begin this day to live a life of prayer! It would be a life of happiness, a heaven begun below!-He went to bed again, but could not sleep. Another thought now occurred to him: "Suppose that one of these Finns should say to you, Do you love the Saviour? what could you say?" Hereupon he became very mournful. He was however sufficiently acquainted with the Bible, to know that nothing but the blood of Christ can save sinners: he therefore arose a second time, and cried, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" He went to bed again, but not to sleep; and he afterwards told one of his best friends, that, while he was on his bed that night, his mind was all alive, and his conscience all alarm. He thought he had a view of heaven, but it was shut against him: he thought he saw hell, but it was open to receive him: he beheld all his sins, but they were unpardoned; and how then could he sleep? There is no sleep to that eye, and no slumber to those eyelids, which see heaven shut, hell open, and their sins unpardoned. He spent that whole night in thinking about his soul; but it was the best night he ever spent. The next morning he arose, took the Testaments, went on his journey, and returned; but he returned a new creature. Since then he has joined himself to the servants of Christ, and is now one of the most active distributors of the Holy Scriptures.

For the Christian Advocate.

WHO SHALL DWELL IN HEAVEN?

My dear Friend,-You can have no doubt that in the course of a few years you will have terminated your earthly course, and be added to the great congregation of the dead. This truth is clearly taught in the scriptures, and is fully confirmed to us by daily observation. Human life is often terminated suddenly; still oftener, unexpectedly; and pains and sicknesses are its ordinary premonitions. You also probably acknowledge the immortality of the soul, in conscious existence; and consequently must be persuaded that such existence must be one of happiness or misery. This also is clearly taught in the scriptures, for they assure us of a judgment to come, from which the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eter

nal." The difference between these states is immeasurable-inconceivable. The day which ends your life on earth, will seal up your destiny for one or other of these states-"For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." All uncertainty with respect to the result should fill us with great anxiety; and it would, if seriously considered. Matters of temporary moment, and of small importance, often do so. And yet, with respect to this subject, multitudes, who have neither assurance nor wellfounded hope of eternal happiness, are as careless as if they had a guarantee from God for the enjoyment of "eternal life.". It seems to be taken for granted by them, without evidence, that they shall enter into heaven when they die; and this they make a sufficient warrant for the dismission of all anxiety, and the neglect of all serious inquiry. This seems also to be almost the only subject they treat in this manher. The hope or possession of even a small earthly estate leaves them no rest till they have investigated and secured its title-while uncertainty with respect to the soul's eternal welfare scarcely moves a thought, or excites a fear in their minds. Multitudes manifest this inconsistency in yielding to every earthly influence, however trifling, and yet showing no sensibility when the eternal interests of their souls are in question. The fact that insensibility is so general, makes it the more dangerous.

You, my dear reader, may be under its influence, and your welfare requires that you should be awakened from such a delusion, ere God say to you, "Sleep on now." Permit then a friend to deal plainly and affectionately with you. Your wish is, to spend a happy eternity, and you have some expectation, no matter from what source it may be derived, that your wish shall be realized.. Is not your want of feeling and anxiety a proof that you have never given the subject much thought or reflection? that you have taken for granted what you would find it impossible to prove? You say, you hope to enter heaven when you die— What is the ground of your hope of admission there? Have you ever asked yourself the questions-By what title shall I enter upon the inheritance? What shall be the ground of my claim? What are my qualifications for its enjoyment? Such an inheritance should be secured by a strong title-not a shadow of doubt should hang over it. We have no natural claims to this inheritance; nor have we any natural fitness for its enjoyments. These have all been forfeited by transgression, and lost by sin. The law of God shuts out every sinner"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them." "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." This necessarily excludes all the guilty. They cannot be adjudged to eternal life. The law of the kingdom of heaven is explicit on this point. But you may tell me, my hope rests on another foundation. I look to the provision made by Christ. There is forgiveness with the Lord. You are right. The provision is ample. It has never failed when applied. God has made it, and he will honour it. "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered." Pardon and justification will insure heaven. This is according to the will of the testator. The inheritance runs in this line, and it is sure to all the children. The Holy One of Israel will never deny his word.

But how does this affect you? What bearing has it on your case? The question is not, whether justified sinners shall enter heaven-That is an adjudged case. But are you justified? Have you had your par

don sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, so as to have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the point to be inquired into, and here we must make no mistakes. Pardons are not issued indiscriminately. Sinners are not justified as a matter of course. God is no doubt a sovereign in the pardon of sinners. Sinners are not pardoned because they are worthy of such a distinction. Yet was the rebel ever forgiven till he mourned over his sins, with a godly sorrow? till sin was so embittered to him that he could no longer live in it? till, oppressed as with a heavy burden, which he could no longer bear, and of which he could not rid himself, he cried with the publican, smiting upon his breast, "God be merciful to me a sinner?" Have you, in a spirit of deep humiliation, and with fervent prayer, sought the divine forgiveness, and been enabled to hope that you have found it? And as an evidence that you have not deceived yourself with a vain hope, has sin ever since been embittered to you, so that you could not live in its practice, and have you, from a sense of obligation, as well as inclination, been endeavouring to do the will of God?

How, upon examination, do you find it? Is the prospect dark? Are you destitute of evidence? Upon what then do you found your hope of heaven? This is the way, the only way, in which sinners can ever obtain admission there, without a subversion of the law and government of God. He has given his only begotten Son to die as an atoning sacrifice, that he might be just in justifying every one that believethChrist must be received and appropriated. It seems then that all the claims of God's violated law are in full force against you. That you are lying under its condemning power. That you are justly exposed to the wrath of God, and that you have only to die, to which you are every moment liable, to be lost for ever. Do not, I beseech you, turn away from this plain, scriptural view of your state. Do not suffer yourself to be deluded. Do not turn away from this faithful mirror, for that will not change your state, nor lessen your danger. Contemplate your state as it is, and suffer not yourself to believe that the danger is exaggerated. It cannot be. Language is incapable of doing it. Imagination cannot magnify the reality. Let your whole anxiety be to become experimentally acquainted with the forgiving love of God, for till justified, heaven must necessarily be shut against you.

Take another view of your case, in relation to which men are apt to deceive themselves. You think of going to heaven when you die. You think it desirable to be there. Let me ask you, with affectionate simplicity, what you would do in heaven? In what way could heaven minister to your happiness as you are? My dear friend, the elements of happiness are not local-It depends much less upon place than men are apt to imagine. Place men where you please, if their hearts are not in unison with the scene, they could not be happy there. It would not gratify a man whose whole head was sick, and whose whole heart was faint, to sit down at a table covered with every species of food, substantial or delicate, which could gratify the palate of a healthy man. You would do no kindness to a person of a sad and heavy spirit to introduce him into the company of the light-hearted, trifling, and gaynor would it promote the comfort of one of the latter class to be thrown into the society of the former.

We are essentially social beings, and no small part of our felicity depends upon the character of our associates. We choose them for the qualities which they possess, or are supposed to possess, in common with ourselves. In order to render their society agreeable to us,