GOSPET, - The Gospel Magazine

53r
fl.ru fums.
Nores anil Nu*atiues of : F:,
Vuol,trtxr;on, principally wnong t$a Acw
of Londan. By R. W. Ver.rlrrx.xrsrr- ioriao" : J. Nisbet aud Co.
o' Cs.lnrry begins at home," so-says the pro'erb. Upon this principle ia somg
le-spects we have ever been advocates of Home, in prefeience io Foreigo,
IVlissions. Tbe artention of the religioue rl,ori.d (s6 cailedl, f.".-""iii"t
Ia.te ye ars, been greatly occupied witb Toreign matters, whilst the conilitioh
g, 'l oy oyo.":untry has been overlooked, anrl left in comparative neglect.
lre heart sickens in the contemplation of our cities, and towns, and viliages.
Behold our London, on a Sabbaih morning ; look at Ct".eow o; ; S;;;r?;;
night ; see the old town of the beauteous-and justly fairlfamedEdt;b;rgti
with its filth, its wretchedness, its depravity ;'"rois the Channel, and w-it_
ness.the idolatry,_the superstirion, thi misery ofthe sister r"t. ;'una tn.n
6ay rr each ancl all have not claims, the most urgeqt, upon even the comnonest
.sympathies of our commotr. nabure: and if jo, how rnuch more
in-a spirirual point of view! We are sot about to justify
I' tt;th"
London city Mission" says and d.oes. Doubtress there are "ll points uBou
rvhich we should materially differ. still we iilte the prioiiotu ni'u
City, or Town, or Village Misiion. We ailmire that philaitluo;:;r"irir
which would feed the h.ngry, clothe the naked, instruci tt e ignoiunt,'a"d
seek to.bring back the guilty'wanderer into the paths of rectitude uoi vi.-
Iue. w-e would sal to all such, r. Go on and prosper,', and to every indif.
ferent, indolent, selfl-lover, ,. Go and do thoulikewise.,,
Moreover, as we have said, so now would we again say, T.est the prinuiples,.
the pracrices, the perseverance of those ye s"eer< to send out as'Missionaries
; the l'lissionary spirit is often a decepiive spirit : the love of name
-tbe desire after fame-tbe secret, and it may be undiscovereii wish to
gtatify a.roving propensity, or to scour a far-off clime, may huu" po*"i_
lultl
though "
!xc1tlng
u-nsuspected influence.'I'est, then,youimen; seni tlrem
tn-to the. hrghways, and the by.rvays,- the courts, the lines ; and the alleyr
of our ciries and torsns; let tirem visit hamlets and the outskl*. oiifri"f.fipopulated
districts. Send some.to po.or.degraded priest-riddenpoup.riria
lreland, ard let them,test trreir lr,Iissionrry z.ui' tfi.r". .Idit
itanag,
if it abides such a scrutiny, safely rhen may ye send them *liti.r."**
they rvould go.
'rbe " Narratives of a six years' Missiou" is replete with statisticar inform'.rtion
as to the condition_of our metropolis, and ii abounds, -or.ou.r, *ith
an acc rmulation of painfully-interesting facts quoted from tire ;oornul oi un
eye-and-ear witness. we havc felt much interested in the work. and -
cannot do it, nor our readers,.justice, rvithout quoting lurgety'from;i. It
is.eviderce of importance and evidence of varieiy in kind. we wish it to
tell, and.we quote at length on purpose that it may teLl, on the hearts and
mtnds of our readers. 'l'he many and the complicated cases that our extracts
,v'ill,bring before us, may well, under rlvely sense God, oI gra-trtude,
no t only impre., ooi on our *ina, own behalf, ,itU but awakenin our hearts a holy "
solrcrtude on behali of our children. They are 6orz, but what to I Here is the
test-here the solemn p.int-to which we should submit our pr.inciples
as to tbe labours of love and visits of mercy connrcted witl^ all Mission'arv
e'terprizes, be they gity_, or town, or village. Supposing rrzr children h'ai
bocn cleat to our coun6el, and rvhen we had gone to oui lart account, lapy