than by giving you two instances in which this Christian spirit was exercised and brought forth its blessed fruit.

Mr. M- was a planter, and the owner of slaves; he detested the system of slavery as degrading to both master and man, and he resolved to emancipate his slaves he considered how he could do this so as best to forward both their spiritual and temporal interests; he knew that if he at once made them free, even if he offered to hire them as free labourers, that many would sink into habits of idleness and profligacy, and rather run the risk of starvation than work when not forced to do so. Besides this, as he had purchased these slaves, he could not afford to pay them as hired labourers, for he was not rich. He resolved therefore on the following plan; he called his slaves together and said to them:

"I wish to give you all the opportunity of gaining your freedom if you wish it. You shall work yourselves free, and purchase your own release from slavery for the same sum which I paid for you; I will give you the means of doing this by the following arrangement. You shall work for me five days in each week as usual, for your food, clothing, and habitation. You shall also work for me on the sixth day, but I will pay you wages for that, and give you credit for the money thus earned, which I will take care of for you. Thus it shall be for the first year; during the second year you shall be paid for two days' labour in the week, provided that you work industriously and well; and in the third year I will pay you for three days' labour on the same condition; and in the fourth year I will pay you four days'; and in the fifth year five days'. By that time, I hope you will have not only gained your purchase money, but something over, which you may carry with you to begin life with when you are free."

The slaves knew that Mr. M- would keep his word, and they gladly accepted his offer. They began to labour with a new heart, because they now worked for their own freedom and future well-being. Some accomplished it more rapidly, others more slowly, but within a few years all the slaves on the plantation had worked themselves free. Mr. M-fulfilled his part to them as he had promised, and they could now become free without detriment

to themselves or others. They had become accustomed to work for themselves, to exercise forethought and selfgovernment, at least so far as regarded their own affairs; and they had all enjoyed the opportunity of religious instruction, as Mr. M had established schools on his estate. In the mean time, Mr. M's plantation had been unusually well cultivated, and the slaves had repaid their purchase money, so that he could either pay for free labour, or purchase other slaves and emancipate them in the same way.

The second instance I have to give of the kindly influence of Christian principles over the poor negroes, is a circumstance which occurred not long since at Cuba.

Mr. C, a French planter, was obliged to go to Europe, and left the care of his plantation and negro slaves to a man in whom he had confidence, and whom he appointed as majorat or overseer. This man, however, was of a hard and brutal disposition, and treated the slaves with severity and violence. Before a month had elapsed the whole working part of the population was in a state of riot and confusion, and the life of the overseer was in danger.

Madame C, seeing the state of things, resolved to dismiss the overseer, and take upon herself his duties. Shaded by an umbrella from the heat of the sun's rays, she herself went out with the negroes to the sugar-cane fields, watched them at their work, attended them home, and looked after their food and their comfort, treating them all with justice and mildness. Order and obedience were quickly restored: the slaves worked willingly, and were eager to show their devotion to the good lady, who continued to exercise the office of overseer on the plantation, till she found a man capable of governing the slaves according to her views. Some time after this when her husband was dead, and her son had the management of the plantation, there was a general insurrection on the neighbouring estates. Mr. C- was obliged to go to his plantation on the south side of the island, where just then the tumult was in full force; the chief overseer was also absent for a time. Madame C called together the deputy-overseers, who were all negroes, and thus addressed them:

"You know what is going forward at this time, not far from this place; the negroes have risen, and they murder and plunder their owners."

"Yes," the negroes answered; "we have heard that it is so."

Soon

"Very well," said she; "I now place myself and my family under your protection; my son must be away for two or three weeks, there will not be a white man on the plantation, neither will I send for any-I depend upon and shall confide in you. I shall consider you responsible for the behaviour of the negroes; if you observe any disorder among them, let me be instantly informed of it." They promised readily and faithfully that they would. after this, Madame C, being sleepless one night, got up between two and three o'clock in the morning, and looked through the windows; she saw, to her surprise, one of these deputy-overseers armed, and keeping watch before the house. She called to him, and asked "if any thing were amiss." No, all is quiet," he replied; "but we feared that some of the riotous negroes from plantation might come here and disturb your ladyship, and therefore we have resolved to take turns in watching the house every night, so that your ladyship might sleep in peace and safety." Madame C-thanked him for this proof of their devotion, and asked how the slaves on her plantation were behaving, and whether they worked as well as usual. "Better than usual," was the answer; "they know that Madame places confidence in them, and they wish to prove that they deserve her confidence. Your ladyship will be always safe." And so she was, and remained in perfect peace watched over by her own

negroes.

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Do we not see here fulfilled the two precepts of St. Paul? Did not this Christian lady bear this burden of her poor slaves, or help them to bear the burden of slavery, by dismissing her cruel overseer, and governing them with justice and mercy, and thus "fulfil the law of Christ?" and did not the faithful slaves remember that "there should be no schism in the body, but the members should have the same care one for another," when they watched so carefully over their lady?

E. A.

WHIT-SUNDAY.

On the descent of the Holy Ghost.-Consider, first, that on the feast of Pentecost, when the disciples were all assembled together, "suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts ii. 2-4.) Thus having received the promised Comforter, with all his gifts and graces, they are quite changed into other men. Instead of being weak and cowardly, as they were before, they are now on a sudden become firm and courageous; they begin boldly to preach and to publish the faith and law of their crucified Lord, and bring thousands to embrace it. O Divine Spirit, how wonderful are thy operations! Ah! when wilt Thou work the like change in my soul? Christians, praise and magnify your God for sending down his Holy Spirit upon his Apostles, and for all the wonders that He wrought in the first establishment of his Church! If the solemnity of Pentecost was observed by the Israelites as one of the three principal feasts of the year, because the old Law was on that day published from Mount Sinai in thunder and lightning, how much more religiously ought Christians to observe this solemnity, because, on this day, the new law of grace and love was published on Mount Sion, by the coming down of the Holy Ghost, (not in thunder and lightning, but in tongues of fire,) in flames by far more sweet and amiable.

Consider, secondly, that the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles in the form of tongues, to signify that He came to make them fit preachers of his word, and to endow them with the gift of tongues, accompanied by heavenly wisdom and understanding of the mysteries of God and the truths of the Gospel, to the end that they might be enabled to teach and publish, throughout the whole world, the faith and law of Christ. Now these tongues were of fire, to signify how ardently

this Divine Spirit sets those souls on fire in which He abides; inflaming them with Divine love; consuming the dross of their earthly affections; putting their earnest desires and endeavours to advance from virtue to virtue, in continual motion; and carrying them upward towards the God of gods, in the heavenly Sion, as the flame always ascends upwards to its proper element.

Consider, thirdly, that the coming of the Holy Ghost was not promised merely to the Apostles, or to the first Christians, nor confined to the primitive ages, but was designed as a blessing to be entailed on the people of God throughout all ages. "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth." (John xiv. 16, 17.) He has promised to remain for ever with the pastors of the Church of God, to guide them into all truth in teaching his people, and to be for ever with the sheep of Christ, in order to guide them into all truth, in their belief and life, and become the source of all grace to their souls. Wherefore, although we are not to expect his visible descent in the form of fiery tongues, we are nevertheless entitled, if we are sincere in our endeavours, to expect a share in his invisible graces and communications, and to aspire to the honour and happiness of being made his temples.—Meditations for Every Day in the Year.

The necessity of God's grace.-He who is not convinced of the absolute necessity of God's grace to invigorate his obedience to the divine laws, must be a perfect stranger to himself, as well as to the Word of God; and must have been as careless an observer of what passes within his own heart, as of what is written in the holy Scriptures. But the sober Christian hath learned from the Scriptures to speak and to think more humbly of himself, and more becomingly and magnificently of God. We are there taught that "we are not sufficient of ourselves to think," much less to do, "any thing as of ourselves, but that our sufficiency is of God;" that "it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure;" that it is by the Spirit we must "mortify the deeds of the body," if we would live; that "it is God who, by his Spirit, makes