stranger, may praise God in heaven for the truth heard from you. "Let your speech be seasoned with salt." Keep the heart full, and you will have something to say. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Every day the ungodly are uttering fatal words, kindling bad passions, and destroying souls. Every day, therefore, all Christians should be saying something for Christ. Many a time, through grace, a single saying has been blessed to the awakening of a soul. Pray for help to devise and utter such things every day of your life, as may lead those who hear you to faith in your Redeemer.

INTEMPERANCE IN NEW YORK.

In the year 1849, at least 40,000 persons were arrested for intoxication, or for crimes committed while in a state of intoxication. Eight out of ten of all the persons committed to prison in Albany last year, were the victims of this vice. Nine out of ten in Erie county, of all the crimes, were the fruit of intemperance. Similar reports are made by many counties. The State prisons speak to the same effect; and this state of things is growing worse. So of pauperism. Hence the taxes. Three-fourths of the permanent paupers were victims of intemperance. To support these last year, cost 369,400 dollars. Besides these were 63,764 temporary paupers, two-thirds the victims of drunkenness, whose support was 235,998 dollars, making more than 600,000 dollars, which the sale of liquors cost the State in a single year. Then comes the cost of criminal proceedings resulting from the use of intoxicating drinks. Almost the entire police system in all our cities is chargeable to intemperance. The salary of the police officers in the city of New York, is more than 600,000 dollars. Yet threefourths of this is for intemperance alone. Take away intemperance, and one-fourth of all the men would watch the city better than all do

now.

[It is strange that such should be the state of things, after all the world has heard of the power of temperance in New York.]-ED.

PROPERTY AND INCOME-TAX.

A parliamentary return, issued at the instance of Mr. Moffatt, contains the following particulars with reference to the operation of the income-tax, which the Chancellor of the Exchequer intends to re-impose "for a limited period." The total number of persons who paid incometax in the year ending the 5th of April, 1849, was 144,626, and the gross amount received was £5,605,532. The receipts are thus made up: Schedule A, £2,656,796; Schedule B, £320,098; Schedule C, £750,781; Schedule D, £1,529,398; Schedule E, £848,459. The total income on which the duty was charged was upwards of £54,000,000. The amounts received from the various classes of income were as follows:-Under £150 a year, from 35,799 persons, £77,998; £150, and under £200, from 38,902 persons, £178,654; £200, and under £300, from 28,274 persons, £187,776; £300, and under £400, from 14,162 persons, £131,971; £400, and under £500, from 6,896 persons, £84,022; £500, and under £600, from 5,010 persons, £75,267; £600, and under £700, from 2,878 persons, £51,770; £700, and under £800, from 1,852 persons, £39,322; £800, and under £900, from 1,549 persons, £86,998; £900, and

under £1,000, from 775 persons, £21,625; £1,000, and under £2,000, from 4,659 persons, £175,890; £2,000, and under £3,000, from 1,286 persons, £86,248; £3,000, and under £4,000, from 622 persons, £60,399; £4,000, and under £5,000, from 327 persons, £41,887; £5,000, and under £10,000, from 617 persons, £118,974; £10,000, and under £20,000, from 215 persons, £85,867; 20,000, and under £50,000, from 96 persons, £80,511; £50,000 and upwards, from 19 persons, £44,983. THE EFFECTS OF MASKING.-TWO CHILDREN TERRIFIED TO DEATH.

About three weeks since two children, belonging to a man named Brown, formerly a waiter at the Globe Hotel, Exmouth, the one four and the other a few years older, were sent by the mother, who keeps a mangle, after a basket of clothes, and were met on the way by some boys, one of whom had on a most hideous-looking mask. The boy, seeing the children frightened, ran after them, repeating some gibberish, which frightened them more, and having followed them until they turned the corner of the street, transferred the mask to another boy, who managed again to come in contact with the poor children, who returned home instantly, when their parents, seeing them so pale and trembling very much, inquired what the matter was, which they explained as well as they could. The shock, however, was so great that they never recovered it; their health declined daily. The one died three weeks after, and the other died on Wednesday last. Each of them in his illness often exclaimed, "He is coming." "I see him." "There he is," with other like expressions.-Exeter Gazette.

FORMS OF PRAYER.

It is recorded of the celebrated Archbishop Secker, whose learning, talents, and warm attachment to the formularies of his church have been exceeded by few, that when he was confined to his bed by a broken limb, which ultimately terminated his life, he was visited at Lambeth by the Rev. Mr. Talbot, a presbyter of his own church, who was remarkably pious, and who had long been on terms of great intimacy with him. The dying prelate said to him in the course of the interview-" Talbot, you will pray with me;" and when he saw Mr. Talbot rising to look for a Prayer-book, he added-" That is not what I want now; kneel down by me, and pray for me in the way I know you are used to do." The pious man did as he was requested. He poured out his heart in feeling and affectionate intercession for his illustrious friend, and took leave of him for the last time.

BEAUTIFUL IGNORANCE.

A gentleman was once riding in Scotland by a bleaching-ground, where a poor woman was at work watering her webs of linen cloth. He asked her where she went to church, what she had heard on the preceding day, and how much she remembered, She could not even tell the text of the last sermon.

"And what good can the preaching do you," said he, "if you forget it all?"

"Ah, sir," replied the poor woman, "if you look at this web on the grass, you will see that as fast as ever I put the water on it the sun dries it all up; and yet, sir, I see it gets whiter and whiter."

MESSRS. HARDY AND SONS, of Dublin, have just published a third edition of the "History of John Bergan, the Blind Boy, a native of Ireland, a Convert from Popery, as related by himself; with a Memoir, by the Rev. T. H. C. Finny, Chaplain of the Episcopal Free Church, Cork." John Bergan is entitled to a place of no inconsiderable prominence in the list of juvenile biography; but when we add the fact of his being blind, and a convert from Popery, two elements are introduced which greatly heighten the interest, and diversify the character of the narrative. The main facts of John's history, as set forth by Mr. Finny, may soon be told. John was not only blind in the outer, but in the inner eye, with the full average of bigotry found amongst Roman Catholic families. He was, withal, a reprobate lad. By some means he found his way to the Richmond Blind Asylum, where he met with some companions that had renounced Popery, and whom he sincerely hated for the change. But with all his bitterness, there was an element of generosity in his nature, and he soon came to be pleased by the singing of hymns, and the reading of the Scriptures. Like others, he now began to commit portions of the Word of God to memory; but at the outset he was an exceedingly slow learner. It was the work of whole evenings to communicate to him one or two verses. Even after hearing them recited hundreds of times, he could not retain them. The experiment was a curious one, and such as to afford encouragement to people similarly circumstanced, and, indeed, to all young people, whether blind or seeing. His mind, once disciplined to attend, he drank from the fountain of Inspiration in copious draughts. His biographer tells us, that "whole Gospels, most of the Epistles, many of the Psalms, together with various chapters in the Prophets, were carefully stored up in his retentive memory, while other parts of Holy Scripture were not neglected." So thoroughly did this interesting lad master the Word of God, that, in a Scripture examination, he became a very formidable competitor. At one of the annual catechetical examinations of the children sent from all the schools in the city of Dublin, to be examined by the late

Archbishop Magee, John took the lead, to the astonishment of the assembly, and not less of the Rev. Examiner, his Grace of Dublin, who was constrained to remark on the blind lad, "He must have been indebted to the kindness of some friends for his success." These words put the matter rather coldly, for the kindness must have been exceedingly great, which could so recite to him the Word of God till he so largely imprinted it upon his memory; but the grateful youth supplied additional warmth to the matter. Fired with grateful enthusiasm, in the midst of all, he cried out, "Oh, yes!-she is here!-it is hers!-it is not mine at all!" and wheeling round, and holding up the Bible with extended arm, he forced his way through the assembled ladies and gentlemen, in the direction where he thought his kind monitress would be, crying out "Where is she? where is she?" The delighted lady, overwhelmed by this exhibition of heartfelt gratitude, made no signal, but escaped as quickly as possible.

But

John was not to be outdone by her modesty. He hastened to her residence, and urged her acceptance of the Bible. She refused; but she consented to keep it for him till he should leave the Institution; and John soon found a use for his Bible. John took a deep interest in all Bible Society and Missionary success, and in everything which had for its object the diffusion of the knowledge of salvation; and, accordingly, he adopted means-for "where there's a will, there's a way," to the humblest and poorest-to establish a Sunday-school in his native town, Rathangan; and having established the school, he presented his Bible for its future use.

The zeal of this lad was great. The time that other children devoted to innocent play and healthful recreation, John devoted to the committing of hymns and Scripture to memory, whenever he could find any one kind enough to read to him; and it was delightful to see with what joy he received fresh supplies of Divine truth. The lady, to whom he owed so much, appears to have been delighted beyond measure at his spiritual progress, and the obvious tokens that, while she taught, God likewise teaching. No weather could prevent him from repairing to her residence, to

was

receive instruction. He made nothing of wind and rain; and the story is told of the dreadful injury he once received while feeling his way along the streets, by striking his eye against the end of an iron bar a man was carrying upon his shoulder. The pain, of course, agonizing, and the stroke might have hazarded his life. But, notwithstanding the suffering to which it subjected him, so soon as the stun of the blow somewhat abated, he pressed on for his draught from the well of eternal life! One prin

was

cipal feature of John's character was his love, and his desires and efforts to promote union among all around him. It is a curious fact, that he was much addicted to epistolary communication. He composed letters in his memory, and, when he could get a friend to hear him, he would speak them off to the transcriber; putting one in interesting remembrance of the practice of Dr.Johnson, when residing with his friend, Dr. Adams, at Ashburnham, where he was known to compose his "Ramblers" mentally, and then had them transcribed for the printers in London. It is stated, upon those occasions when the leviathan was reposing in an old arm-chair, that when he was thought to be praying, it turned out that he was grinding off an article for the "Rambler." This boy's letters, though not always grammatical, were marked by beauty and simplicity, and full of interest. When he had attracted much notice to him, on the part of pious philanthropists, he was overtaken by delicacy of health, and became worse and worse.

The account which is given of this, in the narrative, is singularly tender. At the same time, his affectionate monitress was overtaken by the seeds of a malady which cut short her career, and, in connection with her, his own race received acceleration. While she was setting out for the North of Ireland, poor John came to the coach-office, that he might give her his last expression of gratitude prior to departing, and hear the coach start that was to carry from him his best benefactor; and there he became exposed to rain, which fastened on him the cold that more speedily hastened him into the world of spirits. This lady, his teacher, again and again brought to the verge of the grave, was still sent back to do more work for her Lord and Master. Within five months from the date of their parting, John rested from his labours-dying in the faith and the hope of the truth which had been so suc

cessfully taught him. She did not very long survive; but, in the twenty-seventh year of her age, followed the poor boy into the world of spirits and of saints.

Thus much by way of memorial. We have next to speak of John's history, written by himself, which is characteristic; full of Irish vivacity, and beautiful simplicity-altogether very captivating. We have already said he was very wicked; and with deep humility he confesses it at the outset of his statement. John commenced his career a Catholic, and from time to time confessed his sins to the priest; at length he was confirmed, and received the customary ticket. The boy says. "The day before confirmation, I was obliged to make a general confession to Priest D, who told me I was as free from sin then as ever in my life; but, when kneeling at the altar, I thought the bishop was not telling truth, knowing that I was then in a very different state, and I returned home, much troubled.' The poor lad's heart was burdened, and his impressions were deepened by a circumstance like that which attended the conversion of Luther: when conversing with a lad of the Institution, he suddenly dropped down dead, which most deeply affected him. He hastened to his room, and, kneeling down in a corner, prayed that God would spare him, and he promised to become a changed boy. Seyen days after this, the priest absolved him from all sin, and he proceeded to the Mass: but he says, "Before I left the chapel, I put the wafer into my handkerchief, doubting what the priest had said, and hastened home." At this time the lady asked him whether the priest read to him anything. He said, "No." The lady suggested that he should desire the priest to read the Bible to him; and John said he would, and accordingly he went. His Reverence said John was a bad boy; that the Bible was only printed in Greek, Hebrew, or Latin, and told him he was a fool for his pains-that priests alone were to learn and teach the Bible. Thus, at the outset, John had a specimen of what was to follow. He was informed, nevertheless, that he might read the life of Jesus Christ, which he would get for three-halfpence, and which was far better than the Bible. John said he would get it. The priest, pleased with his docility, shook hands with him, and bade him good-bye-adding, he hoped God would bless him. But John forthwith fell into the company of another lady, who asked him if he heard the Bible read. John

told her that "the priest said it was a bad book." The lady told him there were several boys attending a Dispensary School, and that he had better go to it. John said, "No, it is a bad school; the boys told me so, and also the priest." However, the lady prevailed upon him to go, and there he heard a chapter read, on the resurrection of Christ, which he had never heard before, and was sorry when the school was dismissed. He asked the lady to read it again to him, and his wish was complied with.

John had not gone far till he was called to sustain successive encounters with the priests, which very strikingly illustrate the true character of that body, and of their system. The following is to the point:

Priest-Did you go to Mass, to Confession? you hear any bad books?

Did

Bergan-None that I think so.

P.-You think! how dare you think?
B.-Why somehow or other I did.

P.-Your clergy will think for you-how many times did you go to the swaddling school? B.-Twice.

P.-And you are not ashamed to own itthe Deists ask questions which no man in the world can answer.

B-Well, sir, my questions shall be out of the Bible, and yours are not-have you read the Bible?

P.-I have.

B-Well, sir, "There is none other name under heaven whereby we must be saved."

P.-Have you any more?

B.-I want you to examine the second commandment-"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me," Exod. xx. 2, 3.

P. You are a foolish boy (and leaving the question abruptly, he asked); do the Protestants read this?

B.-Yes. P.-You are a puppy, and an ignorant fellow -who made you a ruler and a judge over me? B.-I am not a ruler, but came here for instruction.

P.-You will go to the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, but I will put some holy oil on you.

B.-I refuse it.

P.-Ah! the devil is in you.

B-I was confirmed, and the oil would be of no use to me.

P.-You have no religion-I pity you. B.-Sir, if you answer the questions I have asked, and if you reply to my satisfaction, I will go to Mass. (I then repeated the 11th of Hebrews, and the second commandment.)

P.-Oh! my man, do you understand Latin? B.-No.

P.-You no more understand these things than you do Latin; nor do the Protestants who taught you; but if you will be saved, come and seek of the Mother Church; and if nothing else would convince you, the great numbers who go to Mass should.

B. Sir, if I had lived at the time of Noah, the greater number were then in error; and there were only Noah and his family who listened to the commands of the AlmightyChrist's flock are a little flock.

P.-You are an impertinent fellow.

B.-Sir, if I had lived at the time of the Priests of Baal, I should have been in the midst of idolatry; for the persons who worshipped God were then the smallest number.

P.-Oh! you fool, that is a bad argument. B.-Well, if I do not hear better arguments from you, I shall go and hear the Bible read, and not hear you.

P.-Oh! your Bible will bring you to destruction-I told you so long ago, and I will now give you up to a reprobate mind.

B. You cannot, sir.

P.-You are now perplexing me, and must give an account for perplexing your clergy.

Here a woman came to the rescue of the priest from the biblical screw which John had put upon him, and asked the blind boy who had read the Scriptures to him; insinuating that they "said all these things out of their own heads." The simple lad said he never thought of that before. The priest here struck in again, and began to coax the boy, telling him that they should yet agree, and that he must see John again, when he would have a glass of wine for him. In a few days the same woman took him to another priest, when the following dialogue

occurred:

Priest-Is this the blind boy? How are you? do you continue to be a heretic? do you go to the swaddling school? you have questions enough.

Bergan-I have plenty.

P. You silly fool! I wish I had you in some Catholic country, where I would chastise you for your errors.

B.-If you had me in the Inquisition you would burn me-Christians would not.

P.-Whoever says we are no Christians are liars; do you think I can forgive sins? B.-No, I do not.

P. Who can? B.-God alone.

P.-The Bible is a damnable book!

B. It is a blessed book to me and others. P.-You are an impertinent fellow to contradict me.

B.-If you choose, I will say nothing.
P.-I came here for your instruction.
B.-I have got none of it.

P.-You are a liar.

B. You said if you had me in Spain, you would do something to me.

P.-You are an impertinent boy, and my words will rise up in judgment against you, and these walls also; hear now the words of truth. B. Yes, sir, I will hear the Son of Truth. P.-Is your salvation in the Bible? B.-Yes, but the Spirit of God must give an understanding heart.

P. My salvation is not in the Bible; God forbid that it should be-you know there are many things in the Bible which cannot be understood.

B.-Sir, I never met with them; but I got something therein which did my soul good, and showed that God was a God of love to sinners.

P.-Do you believe that all men are sinners? B.-Yes.

P.-I do not; but did you get everything you wanted in the Bible?

B. Yes, everything necessary to know for my salvation.

P.-Tell me what?

B. What I never got from you, or any other man, viz., "That God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself," 2 Cor. v. 19; and "that it is life eternal to know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent," John xvii. 3. The Bible says we must trust to Jesus Christ for salvation, Acts xvi. 31 --and you never told me that.

P. And so you set aside what God the Father can do for you?

B.-No, sir, all are equally engaged. P.-And what did God the Father do for you?

B.-Oh! sir, it is you ought to tell me! P.-I told it, and preached it last Patrick's Day.

B. But I will tell you: "God the Father sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins," 1 John iv. 10; "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life," John iii. 16.

P.-And what does the Holy Spirit do?
B.-It cleanses our hearts.

P.-And what does baptism do?

B.-I am not prepared to answer you, and now wish to go away, not having got the instructions you promised.

P.-Were you at any place of worship, or at the Sunday-school?

Priest-You rascal, I have a Bible of my own. Bergan-Rascal is not a Christian name. P. Why it is right to give you up, you are beyond advice; and those that are beyond advice are beyond grace; so I give you up to the devil.

B.-I thank God you have not that power; for He that sticketh to me closer than you do, will keep that being away.

P.-Ah! I tell you what-there was a woman here some time ago, just as you are now. B.-I hope, sir, she will continue so. P.-Don't you know it's going to the devil? you're going-you're going-you're gone! B.-I am not, sir; I am here yet.

P. Well, I told this woman I was the very person who would put the devil into her.

B.-Well, sir, this is an entertaining story, for I never heard of a priest putting the devil into any person before!

P.-I was obliged to do it:

B.-Well, sir, you should do your duty.

P.-I told her it was to convert her soul, and not to do her any harm; and that when she gave up her bad opinions, I would send him away. Did you ever see or feel a black clock? it was brought out of her mouth in that shape, and she spit, and spit, but could not get him

out: so I said, "Come out of her, come out of her, you old serpent, you have no call there," and he came out. In about a month after, she became a sincere believer in the Church of Rome, and died a Christian. Another woman Iwas going to confession: the devil himself was in her mouth, and made her ashamed of her sins; and before she came out of the chapel, he took her spirit, and left the body there.

B.-If you find such a story in the Bible, I'll believe you; but we have spent a deal of unprofitable time, and must give an account for 66 every idle word."

P.-Do you consider these idle words?
B.-Yes, sir, they are certainly idle words.

Thus much may suffice for specimens, on the one hand, of the ignorance and wickedness of the priesthood; and, on the other, of the value of Scriptural instruction.

How truly might this interesting boy say, "I am wiser than all my teachers. Passing over a great deal that is most interesting and affecting, we must hasten on to another scene that brings forth some characteristic points. The priest having set forth the duty of praying to angels, John ventured to hint a doubt, and expressed a contrary conviction, when the priest cried out :

P.-You are wrong.

B-Well, sir, let us open the Bible; I have a small one here. (I gave it to him, hoping to receive it back).

P.-(Cutting off the cover, and handing it to me) That is all of it you shall ever receive.

B.-The Bible is not my own, and I request you will give it to me.

P.-A good horse-whipping ought to be given to you; it would serve you better than that lying book.

B. I never heard it called a lying book before! (He then gave me a push, and bade me begone). You did not answer any of my questions.

P.-It is casting pearls before swine.

B." Cast your bread upon the waters, and in many days it shall be found," Eccles. xi. 1.

P.-Well then, come here, my dear fellow, and I will give you one opportunity more; now ask your questions.

B-Do you depend on Christ alone for salvation?

P.-Christ is not the only way of salvation. B.-Contradiction!

P.-You are a liar!

B. Your friendship and mine is not lasting. After asking repeatedly for the Douay Bible, it was sent for to another house. I then took it up and kissed it, saying, This is given for our instruction; why do you keep it from us?

P.-What do you say to the holy sacrifice of the Mass ?

B. It is altogether a made-up-pack of fictitious and lying stories; but the people do not know anything about it.

I then got him to read the 14th chap. of 1 Cor., and talked to him much on the subject he then got up, stamped his foot, and said, "Go, go down to hell, there to remain for ever. It may be very probable that I shall see you