and vegetables used by man. From the time of the new to the full moon, all plants and all kinds of young grain are said to acquire strength more than at any other period. In places where the young rice plants have failed, others are put down in the new moon. Before the time of reaping it is often said, "The moon will bring forth the ears.""

PASSION.

ANDREW FLETCHER, of Saltoun, in Scotland, was educated under Burnet. He was a great politician, and landed in the west of England with the Duke of Monmouth, in 1685. The revolution restored him to his country. He died in London 1716. He was greatly addicted to passion, and on one occasion finding his footman resolved to quit his service, he asked, "Why do you leave me?"

"Because I cannot bear you temper.”

"It is true I am passionate, but you know my passion is no sooner on than it is off."

"Yes, sir, but it is no sooner off than it is on again."

What a wise maxim is that, "Govern your temper." Although many think it impossible, it is certain that much may be effected by constant care and watchfulness. Passion leads to murder, and has justly been described as a madness.

CHEERFULNESS IN RELIGION.

Serve the Lord with gladness.-Psalm c. 2.

THE people of God have ground for cheerfulness; they are justified and adopted, and this creates inward peace. It makes music within whatever storms are without. 2 Cor. i. 4. and 1 Thess. i. 6. if we consider what Christ hath wrought for us by his blood, and in us by HIS SPIRIT, this is another ground for cheerfulness. It is this that glorifies God, and as the gross sins of the wicked bring a scandal on the gospel, so do the uncheerful lives of the godly. Religion doth not take away our joy, but refines and clarifies it; it doth not break our viol, but tunes it and makes the music sweeter. (Rev. T. Watson.) IGDALIA.

INTELLIGENCE.

THIRST FOR THE SCRIPTURES.

(From the Report of the Bible Society.)

In Königsberg, Dr. Pinkerton had an opportunity of reviewing the concerns of Bible distribution in the province, with Pastor Kahlé, the Secretary of the Society there; he also visited His Excellency Von Waghern, the President, Chancellor of the kingdom of Prussia, as well as many other active friends of the cause. Their Society had issued 1,576 copies last year, and during the last nine months 1,073, whilst their income also was on the increase. 1,273 copies had been issued during the year from the depôt of our Society, then under the superintendence of the Rev. J. G. Bergfeldt, who has transmitted the following pleasing account of a distribution, which took place after a sermon which he preached :

"At the commencement of this year, I preached a sermon in the church of a neighbouring parish, on Ps. cxix. 105. Having stated what the word of God is to be to us, and in what way we are to use it, I mentioned, that we are living in such happy times, that even the poorest person may get possession of the word of God; and therefore is without excuse, if he continue to live without having it in his house : and if he was literally unable to pay any thing for it, it would be given to him gratis, if he manifested an ardent desire to possess it. In consequence of this, I was applied to, the very next day, by several persons of the poorest class, begging for the word of God; and I was glad in being able to supply them according to their circumstances, either at a low price, or entirely gratis. This was a signal to many others: the people found that they were not empty words and expressions which I had preached to them; and they came in numbers, to supply themselves with the word of God. From this parish the report spread to others, that the poor people could get Bibles and Testaments; and thus they came flocking from all parts of the town, so that I had

more than a thousand persons in my house during the last fortnight; and as long as the house has been standing, I am confident not half so many tears were shed in it as during this time; and that not for bodily food, but for the bread of life; not for gold and silver, but for the word of the living God, which indeed is better than thousands of gold and silver. I was employed from morning to night talking to these people, inquiring particularly into their circumstances, and giving them suitable advice and admonition for the proper use of the Scriptures. Numbers

I have been obliged to send away unsatisfied, because I soon found that my stock was not at all adequate to the desire that had been excited. I have given out to individuals here, in my room, during the last fortnight only, on behalf of your Society, 88 Bibles and 213 New Testaments; and only a very few copies are left. Most of them, it is true, were given at a very low price, and many entirely gratis; but I do confess, if it had been into my own pocket, I could not, in very many cases, have taken the few pence which the poor people paid for a Testament. Some said they had not eaten any thing for breakfast, but they were content to go without dinner also, in order to get the book; others had borrowed a trifle from their neighbours, and some had begged the money, &c. And the entreaties of many were such, that they might have softened a stone, even if it had been for something far less necessary than the word of God. In order to prevent any possible abuse, I wrote down all the names and directions of the people; and in almost every book, I wrote on the title-page, 'not allowed to be sold.' For the present, my work is done: the poor people who called to-day I have been obliged to send away empty, with only two or three exceptions. I thank God for what he has enabled me to do, in this way, lately and perhaps the pause which now ensues may be necessary, for I believe I could not have borne such continued exertion much longer."

:

THE GOSPEL AND THE SHASTRAS.

The Rev. Mr. Hill of Berhampore relates the following circum

stances:

As I

"At Belliapokar (sixteen miles from Berhampore) whilst preaching in an idol temple, some of my audience sent for a person skilled in their Shasters to oppose me. On being seated, instead of controverting what I said, he exclaimed, Sahib, can you give me a Gospel ?' gave him one, he added, 'I have been three times to your house at Berhampore to procure a Gospel, but never found you at home; and now (looking at the book in his hand) is it my fate to obtain one?" So saying, he rose up, and left me to continue my sermon. According to his statement, he had travelled ninety-six miles in search of a Gospel."

FORMATION OF A SOCIETY IN JAMAICA.

In the course of his tour through the island of Jamaica, Mr. Thomson visited two of the settlements of the Maroons, and in each of them he instituted a Bible Association. His visit to one of them is thus pleasantly described :

"As it grew dark we reached the Maroon settlement, and dined and

took up our lodging with Captain Wright, the Government Superintendent, who had previously given us a kindly invitation to do so. Next morning was the time appointed for our meeting, and at Captain Wright's house. Accordingly, about seven o'clock, a general invitation was given to all to assemble there, and it was given in the form of a proclamation, as I may call it, in the following manner. A man went up to the top of a little hill over the town, and at the height and length of his voice spoke thus: hear ye, 0—0—0—0.' Well, after our herald had made a pause which I think he required, he added the main purpose of his proclamation as follows, verbatim, literatim : • Captain Wright say, all man must come up na him house. 0—0—0—0.' These two sentences were repeated twice, according to custom, and I believe there was not an ear in all the village that did not catch the whole for this is their usual mode of making communications, and from strength of voice, ear, and habit, all is heard and understood. Soon after this heraldic operation, the people began to assemble, although it still rained, as it had done all the morning. The place where we met was a large hall in Captain Wright's house, appropriated for the Maroons to meet in, when he has any instructions to communicate to them from the Government, or about minor arrangements. This place was filled; for on a previous day, when the subject was mentioned to the people, they expressed much readiness to enter into a Bible Association.

Captain Wright then spoke, recommending the object which had been set before them, which he told them had his full approbation. After this we read our rules, appointed our office bearers, and Committee, and proceeded to take down subscribers' names. We forthwith obtained sixty-six, and were led to expect a considerable number more. You would be surprised to learn how many colonels, majors, and captains, we have among our subscribers; but you would understand this, by recollecting that this is entirely a military body. I wish all military bodies could make such an appearance as these Maroons in Bible Society ranks."

ANECDOTE.

THE late Rev. Rowland Hill once rebuked a person who was addicted to drinking: when the man asked him impertinently, "Now do you think a glass of spirits will drive grace out of my heart?" he answered," for there is none in it."--Temp. P. Mag.

No,"

THE FIELD SCABIOUS.

Scabiosa Arvensis. Tetrandria Monogynia. The blossoms of this plant are of various colors, sometimes white, but most generally of a pale lavender, approaching to blue. It grows in pastures and corn-fields in great profusion, in July and August. Its gentle appearance, with a very slight bend at the top of the long stalk, has caused it to be thus noticed. "It softlie droopes its head, as if it had a sad memorie."

"A SAD remembrance !"-oh, why shade,

Fair flower, with words of gloom,

Thy soft pale beauty? or betray
Aught telling of the tomb?

Thou gleamest in the hedge's pride,
Among the ripening corn;

When from the fields, the harvest store,
With shout and laugh is borne.

Thy petals meet the cheerful sun,
Nor shun his ardent gaze,
And to the passing eye no grief

Thy well-known form displays :

And yet, fair flower, thy meaning sad,
Thee to me more endears,

Than if thou didst not tell of woe,

Of agony,

and tears.

A sad remembrance! there are few

To whom earth has not given

Some haunting shade, some thought of pain,

From hearts asunder riven.

One sad remembrance all must feel

The memory of sin;

Pale flower! be thou to me a sign

Of penitence within.

Whisper thou to me, as I feel

How my own heart hath striven, "On earth sad memories may cling,

But there are none in heaven."

OMEGA,