GOSPET, - The Gospel Magazine

534 TrrE Gosplrrr r\[AGAzrNe.
.hacl waadered rvithin tlre rnazes of sin and ignomony and disgrace, horv
u'ould our healts in tlie glorving contemplation throbwith gratiiude to that
sympathizing spirit--that friendly hand-which would seek them out and
endeavours by persuasion, by precept, by exampie, to iead them in the paths
of pieasantness and peace.
Our first extract will contain statistical particulars of London. in reference
to its irrovision for professed pul-,iic rrlorship, as given in the census of
184 I :__
- " Fronr st;rti-tic., v,'ry caleflrllv crrllecterl, 6ve yrals sirrce, lry tlre city Nl'sri6n-ef
;11i5r!1'r rvlrich hale i'epn adrrritred a.-.orr.i.t on rrll lraiiris, it is t,,u"nd rhat
after cleductir.g for infants antl parties rrccessarily left in clrrrge of houses and
pioperty, fivc-eishlhs, or 1,3i2,501) r,f the popularion, miglrt aud oushtto atte!)(l
Sun,iay telt ice in orrr clrr,rches prrd
- clrapels, l)ut tlie rr"rni,"r of sittings
beirrg is5o 111::11 hatf that nrrrnlier, it fuliorrs tlrlr. uprvartlsut /00,0001'ersons
coultl not attend public ivolslriir, i[ ilr.,v lere n.i]iingto use rhe ]eisut'e ihcv
_Pnssess
iir ro Coing. Urrt to sbnrv irori f,,r ih. .,,i!less poi'ulaticn arr: tr.,,m hailorvirrg
the $alibath, or reverencilg tbr: sancluaiy, it is irr aprralting fact that the
attendance on puirlic rvorship did nlt reach By oNE-THTRD ibe accomnrodatiou
providetl, ulrilst tlre accomrr)('dari(,n rrrarided wirs IFSsrnAn- ollE-IrAt l.trf rr.har,
ought t,.t l;e requircd, and could l,e mddt nse of,liti all pt,sscrsing llte opporlunity
so to do attend.
" Fur:hel', ir is an asfoun,ling statement, $'hich, di,! it rrot rest on the plainest
evitlence. rvould be uulrelievahle, that i' tlto Irl;rrrrl r,fJanririca rherc,u*re ,,,orc
('omr!rurricants out of a population of 13S0,000, than there rvere in er,l LoxnoN,
ryrtlr a populariorr i11 134t, of 2,103,279.
" C)nce rnor", it is proved that in tlrr.ee of the South Sea Islantl., Tonga, Habai,
rnd Vilr:ru, numl;ering 18,000 inhalritants, tlre attcirdance orr grublic ilorsbip
rvas 9,000, or one-half, lhilst in the rnost Iasoured par.irh irr Lonilgu, lslirrgturi,
rvith a population, in l$Jl, af.55,690, the rvlrole of tbe chur.cires antl clr'apeli
rvere capal'le of searin,; less tlran one.half, arrd lariorrs of lhose churches antl
chapels were, and are, very far, inrleed, from being filled.,'
I-here is a simplicity towartls the close of the annexed narrative rn,hich
wouid lead one to hope that the lahours of the X,Iissionary ha,1 not been altoE;ether
irr vain. l'hese, rvith a multitude of like cases, must be left to
the judgment of the Great f)ay; mearlwhile it is for the spiritual husbandman
to sow beside all waters, to labour in season and out of season.
" t' *'
T';",iffi"*;-',,'*.'?0""";,:;.1,"
" It is a greitt !)leesure to be enal,led to ricorithe hopeful convers!on of orre
of these fortune-iellers, I\,Jrs. T'--. \\'hen fir'st, I visitetl her, and reproved her
tvilh_tlrc rlickedness of pretendir,g ru usurl) tlre prerogaLile of G,'rl, rhe t'onsl,antl.r'
conten{ierl Lbat there rya: no harnr in it,
, trt tras a llol}csl bit of bread,'
she said, and marle other excuses, wh,clr I couid rro[ for a montent entertain.
Ott one olcasion, another fortune-telier ireinq preselt, I rrad t[re account of
Elyrnas llte solcerer, and alsr of tire tl,rrrrsel 1;o.se..,'ti ri'irir a spirit ofdivinatiorr,
(Acts xvi. 1/; shorvinq that the influenre rrirs iirfernal,:nd erilarging ort the cons.eqrtences.
'i'he younqer fortune-tciler could noi irrar this, and juinpe,l uo arrrl
(laiterl out of the pla,-'e belbre I t'ould atterrpt to stop ber lor praver. S1rr. 'l',,
trlro rvas an aged-rv{)rnan, alrvavs lisrere,l ie.pettiriitv to rn'v ieaclirrg irr th,i
:rripturos, irrs'rrrction. arrd prirl"-'l's; l:nd io as I regrrde,i her as oneof rnu gJlgcial
''as,,i, I lr,d rrp to llre pe'iod c.fl,el dcceu:e, atiour a lear since, pa.cLrl,i,re
than ordiut!'y attflition to'ller case, At lergtb rhe .rror,i ,rf(i^rl appear.eri to
p.r'od,rcg sorne efi'ect upon her, anrl she profi:ssed tri feel herself a siir'rrer-previcrrslv
".he alrvays rnairrtairrerl the ciluirarv. I t',ld her it rvas useless eo "talk
about repentanci rrrrlesshe ll oke off h.r sins, anrl urged her to give up fbrtutete.lling,
Slte rvoulil nor pfornise, slre said. A favouriie phrase ,liith her rvas,. I
like t', sleirk rn'"'n,inrt, and shall tell no lier.' .{fter a'furt}rer lapse of tiine,