is an act of God's free grace unto sinners, in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons as righteous in his sight, not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them, and received by faith alone."-Rom. iii. 22-25; Rom. iv. 5-8; 2 Cor. v. 19-21; Tit. iii. 5; Eph. i. 7; Rom. v. 17-19; Phil. iii. 9. This doctrine is remarkably exemplified in the history of the conversion of a Quaker, which we extract from the "Life of Cornelius Cayley," a faithful servant of Christ, contemporary with Whitefield, which was first published towards the end of last century. The Quakers, our readers must know, are among those, who, while disclaiming any merit for works wrought by them, regard works wrought in them to have some part in the matter of justification.

NARRATIVE OF A QUAKER'S RELIGIOUS

EXPERIENCE.

This person (his name was Trundell) had been for a long time esteemed by all people, as well by his own society as others, for a very sensible man, and of a particularly upright and good conversation of life. To the surprise of many persons, he suddenly became a strong and warm advocate for the doctrine of justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ to all that believe. In consequence of this he took pleasure in attending such places where it was preached; and particularly near his own house. Among others, he attended my ministry there, and prevailed with me frequently to visit him and his family; consisting of himself, wife, and several grown-up children. One day when I was with him, he was speaking with great joy of the beforementioned doctrine, and I learned of him by what means such a change had been effected in his mind. Upon this occasion he gave an account, which I shall here relate to the reader as nearly and exactly as I can remember he did

to me.

"I was (said he) from very early years, convinced of light in my conscience, prompting me to good, and checking me for evil. I endeavoured to obey this inward light; and by means thereof I was preserved from immoral deeds; and made to walk soberly and

regularly in my actions. As I grew up in more advanced years, I knew (said he) this light was the law of God, which always required obedience from me more and more. For a long while, this gave me the answer of a good conscience, and made me very easy; as I always endeavoured to do what it convinced me was my duty, both in doing good, and abstaining from evil. But (said he) after I had gone on in this manner for several years, I came to see the law was spiritual, and required a perfection of obedience, inwardly and outwardly too; and that unless I came up to the standard of perfect obedience, I could not be justified by it. Upon which I laboured more than ever to reach that mark; but instead of succeeding, I was brought into condemnation; for saw more and more how I fell short, and that the more I endeavoured, the more I was sensible I could not bring my heart to answer its demand of perfect purity. So that instead of attaining peace of conscience, I was by this law convinced that I was a lost sinner, under the condemnation and curse of the law, which says, 'Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.'-Now (said he) this brought me into very great distress, not knowing how I could get relief. After some time spent in this sorrow, from an attentive reading in St. Paul's epistle to the Romans, I observed that he spake of the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe. From this and several other passages, I came to see that it was by the imputation of the obedience of Jesus Christ that a sinner was justified through faith in the same. This (said the Quaker) just suited my case, and I was made to submit to it; and then I found peace with God, through Jesus Christ-and ever since my soul rejoices in this blessed truth, and draws me to yield obedience to the law with delight; now I see I am justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed to me. When (added the Quaker) I had found this experience, I endeavoured to make our society sensible of the same; but without success: for they did then, and still do, much disapprove of me; but I cannot help that; I am obliged to abide by what I have learned from God, concerning this only way of justification

"The place itself is almost all that could be desired. The climate is healthy and delightful-the scenery splendid and picturesque-in many parts wild and romantic. The rocks are bold and rugged. The mountains rearing their lofty summits to the skies with awful and majestic splendour, the plains vast and extensive; and many of them remarkably fertile, while others constitute what is called the Haroo, or Sandy Desert, stretching even some hundred miles; the sea abounding with fish almost at our door; the necessaries, and even luxuries of life, supplied in great profusion, unless when vegetation is hindered by want of rain. The animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms here, but especially the two former, furnish innumerable proofs of the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Great Creator. Everything in nature here is on a gigantic scale, unless it be the rivers, which, in summer, are nearly dried up. The very insects, particularly butterflies, beetles, locusts, scorpions, &c., are enormous. As to fish, I may mention that sharks, seals, and whales, abound on our shores, besides innumerable other kinds not known at home. Some of the ridges of mountains, which seem to constitute natural barriers or bulwarks to different parts of the colony, separating them one from the other, are as much as 10,000 feet high.

"I wish I could give you as lofty an estimate of the morals and piety of the people. At many of the missionary stations I believe the work of God goes on prosperously, particularly under the agents of the London, Wesleyan, and Moravian Missionary Societies; and beyond the limits of the colony the Missions of the Paris Missionary Society among the Bassoutis prosper amazingly. In several of the towns also where Europeans reside, there is a sprinkling of evangelical piety. Some of the ministers of the Dutch Colonial Church (the greater part of whom, by the way, are Scotchmen) are excellent godly men, and I have no doubt they do what in them lies to promote the cause of truth and the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom. But they have not all the freedom that we are privileged to enjoy. They are fettered by the law of the land' in the exercise of wholesome Christian discipline among the members of their Churches. In fact, there is scarcely such a thing as ecclesiastical dis

cipline among them; some have been even suspended from their ministerial office for refusing to baptize the children of ungodly parents, who happened to reside in their parish, and it may be were nominally members of their Church. There are about thirty ministers of that Church, and five presbyteries throughout the colony. The parishes are very extensive, but thinly inhabited. They are more like provinces or counties than parishes: e. g. Clan-William embraces above 22,000 square miles, and has a population of ten or fifteen thousand. There is only one minister for that district; but his lack of service is made up by the faithful labours of five or six missionaries from the London, Wesleyan, and Rhenish Societies. So it is in other parts of the colony.

"In the division of Zwellendam, embracing 7,616 square miles and 20,000 people, there are only four regular ministers and one parochial missionary. In Worcester division, embracing 20,000 square miles and 8,000 people, there are only two ministers but four or five missionaries. The ministers are paid by Government, the missionaries by the Societies to which they belong. It may be remarked that the parish minister looks after the European population chiefly, while the missionaries labour among the coloured people, who are by far the most numerous. In Cape Town there are three ministers of the Dutch Reformed Church, and two large places of worship occupied by them. Besides these, we have one Lutheran church with two ministers, two Episcopal churches and three ministers, one of the old Scotch Establishment with one minister; one Independent Church with one minister; one Roman Catholic church, having a bishop and two priests; one Wesleyan with three ministers or missionaries. Besides these, we have the following mission churches for the coloured people, viz., one belonging to the South African Missionary Society; one belonging to what is called the Apostolic Union, with two ministers; one belonging to the London Missionary Society; one of the Old Church of Scotland, and one of the Free Church. Each of the mission churches has at least one day and one infant-school attached to it. The Episcopal Church has an infantschool and a sewing-school connected with it. We have two infant, two day, and two sewing-schools connected with our Mission.

"It is difficult for me to speak of the number of members composing these different communities, or of the number of children belonging to their schools. The Dutch Reformed Church claim eight or nine thousand souls as belonging to them, including old and young; although perhaps scarcely more than eight or nine hundred, or one-tenth, attend public worship on the Sabbath. The Episcopal congregations may number eight or nine hundred between them; the Old Scotch Church about 150 or 200; the Wesleyans 100; the Roman Catholics 100; the Lutherans 600 or 700; the Independents 100; the Free Church about 100 whites, and the same number of coloured persons. When I mention the congregations, I mean the actual average attendance on the Sabbath. If we include the children of our schools as members of our community, we have about 600 or 700 souls under our care. The Apostolical Union Church, of which Dr. Adamson and Mr. Stegmann are the pastors, claim about 900 souls as belonging to them, if not more. Dr. Adamson is at the head of the South African College, and was formerly the pastor of the Scotch Church here. Mr. Stegmann is one of the ministers of the Lutheran Church; but has for many years devoted himself most zealously to the missionary work. He preaches in the Dutch language, although he received his education for the ministry chiefly at Aberdeen. We have, in compliance with the wishes of our friends, and with the sanction of the Committee at home, purchased a site for our missionary premises, which has cost 2,500l. The old buildings which were upon it we have been under the necessity of taking down, and the walls of the new premises are already progressing. If we can only obtain funds, we hope to see the new erection finished in twelve months or thereabouts. We shall require in all about five or six thousand pounds, and the sooner we can get it the better. Our friends here are neither numerous nor wealthy; yet they have subscribed already to the extent of 6007., and we hope they will do much more. We must look to the staunch friends of the cause of Christ and of His Free Church at home for assistance in the time of our need: we trust Manchester will not be behind in this work of benevolence, as it is usually foremost in all others. If you can use your influence with any of your friends of the English

Presbyterian Church to send us timely aid, I need scarcely say that we shall feel greatly obliged.

"Mr. Hawkins, of Calcutta, kindly engaged to raise 1,000l. for us; but his efforts must be crippled by the distressing Occurrence of the new Free Church in that city having fallen down, which will render a new subscription of 3,000l. there absolutely necessary.

66

The

It is of the utmost importance that our principles should be spread throughout this colony at the present time. It is, indeed, now or never with us. destitution in the Highlands of Scotland, and also in Ireland, must have required gigantic efforts to be made, on the part of all who love Christ to meet the emergency. Still we trust that the spiritual necessities of the people here will not be forgotten. The Missions in Caffreland are all but united. We are truly thankful that we are not at the very seat of the war; but the state of matters there, viz., on the frontier, renders it the more imperative on us to secure a firm footing, if possible in this west end of our colony, for the Free Church.

"If the Manchester ladies would send us some prints for frocks, &c., to the poor black children in our schools, and to make bonnets to screen their faces from the burning sun, it would be a great favour.

We wish to give some

as prizes at the Christmas examination. "Maps for our schools we are also much in want of, and a complete set of pictures and lessons for our infantschools, containing above 200 children."

AFTER our creation, and before our corruption, we had power to do everything pleasing to God: but after our corruption, and before our regeneration, we have power to do nothing pleasing to him.- Beveridge.

DOUBTINGS are your sins, but they are also the drugs and ingredients which for the curing of your pride.—Rutherford. Christ, the good physician, makes use of

ALL the afflictions that a saint is exercised with are neither too numerous nor too sharp; a great deal of rust requires a rough file.-Moses Browne.

TAKE up all duties in point of performance, and lay them down in point of dependence. Duty can never have too much of our diligence, nor too little of our confidence.-Dyer.

*

THE Voyage across the Atlantic has been so often described, that I shall say nothing of its comforts or discomforts, further than that the former are as many, and the latter as few, as can well be conceived, when the passage is made by the noble steamers which sail between Liverpool and Boston, via Halifax.

It is with Boston, the capital of Massachussets, and the chief town in New England, that my reminiscences shall begin. New England is the name originally given to that portion of the American continent which was first colonized by the Puritans. It is now divided into six states, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachussets; and it was on the soil of this last, and at a point of the coast forty miles south of Boston, that the Pilgrim Fathers landed in the beginning of the seventeenth century. Plymouth being the port in England from which their ship, the "May-flower," sailed, they gave the name of New Plymouth to their first settlement in this country: and there may still be seen the rock on which the Puritans first set foot. Boston was founded shortly after, and, from its advantageous position, it soon became the principal town in New England. It is situated on the west side of a noble land-locked bay, on a peninsula two miles long and one broad, with a very narrow isthmus. The peninsula projects into the bay so far as to admit of the city being connected with the main land on all sides (except that which looks to the sea), by many wooden bridges, or avenues, resting on piles, and varying in length from 1,500 to 8,000 feet. The town has not been built on any fixed plan, and hence there is no small irregularity in the streets. A good deal, however, has been done of late in the way of improvement, and as the ground rises considerably towards the centre of the city, there are some beautiful promenades, and many elevated points from which striking views can be had of the surrounding bay, dotted with islands, forts, and shipping, and of the neighbouring country, with the towns and villages in the vicinity. The suburbs on * Chiefly extracted from a journal kept during

a tour in the year 1844.

the main land connected with Boston will doubtless grow with great rapidity, as the peninsula on which the city stands is well-nigh covered with buildings. They, however, are in the habit here of banking off the sea, and filling up with rubbish, thus making new land, on which additions to Boston are built. The houses are in general of brick, though some, and these most frequently in the outskirts, are of wood. Not a few are of granite, at least in front. This last is more particularly the case with the churches recently erected. The public buildings, such as the post-office, court-house, city-hall, markets, &c., which are very handsome, are in general entirely built of that beautiful stone. It may be seen here in blocks and pillars, not unfrequently twenty and thirty feet in length. Green blinds, or shades, are hinged on the outside of almost every window, and I doubt not, from what I felt, even in early spring, that they are very necessary in the summer's heat. The outward appearance of things put me much more in mind of English than of Scottish towns; the difference in the aspect of these being much greater, I should say, than between the aspect of Boston and Sheffield, for instance, or Doncaster, or Leeds. There is much activity and bustle in the streets, even though it is winter. In summer it must be still more so. The neighbourhood of Boston cannot but be very beautiful, as the surface is finely undulating, while the heights and hollows are well covered with wood, not very old, indeed, but still old enough, when in foliage, to give shelter and a picturesque appearance. I have visited several of the public buildings. The principal is the Statehouse. It is built on the highest of the three gentle elevations which are covered by the town of Boston, and so it towers over all. There could not be a finer site, and though of brick, yet being coloured grey, and of good proportions, the capitol looks well at a distance. It is surmounted by a dome, from the top of which there is a charming panoramic view of the city and neighbourhood. It is said to surpass the prospect from the Castle Hill of Edinburgh, but I cannot admit that. Still,