from Manabiki, I have seen things which they call "beaters," resembling a small drum-stick, and having a shark's tooth inserted, and projecting, for the very purpose of beating the forehead, and causing the blood to flow, on occasions of grief.

Dancing. David leaped and danced before the ark, when it was being conveyed from the house of Obededom to the city of David. (2 Sam. vi. 16.) So does a Samoan chief sometimes head a joyous procession, and express his delight by leaping, dancing, joking, and all sorts of antics. In going to the first station where I laboured in Samoa, I was accompanied by a party of the people. All on a sudden, soon after we started, the chief of the party came flying in before me, gave two turns on his heels, darted forward two or three hundred yards, and there he leaped, and danced, and capered about, like one demented, until I came up, and off he went a-head again, to go through the same ceremony. He got tired of it, however, and all the sooner as he saw that I did not much enjoy his pranks. On another occasion, I saw a party of natives removing a great house, which they carried bodily on their shoulders. They went singing along, with their chief leaping and dancing a little a-head of them. He had two or three black streaks on his face, his body oiled, and decked off with a garland and necklace of sweet-smelling flowers. In things

such as these I have often been reminded of David dancing before the ark.

Dust.- "The Lord God formed

man of the dust of the ground."Gen. ii. 7. The people at Fakaafo, of the Tokelau group, say that the first woman was made of the loose earth or dust of the ground. The story runs thus :-The first man, who had previously been a stone, thought one day he would make a woman. He collected the light earth on the surface of the ground, in the form of a human body, with head, arms, and legs. He then plucked out one of his left ribs, and thrust it into the breast of his earth model. Instantly the earth became alive, and up starts a woman. He called her Ivi (according to English orthography it would be Eevee), which is their word for rib. How like to our Eve!

Smell."Kissed him, and he smelled the smell of his raiment."Gen. xxvii. 27. Near relatives and warmly attached friends, when they part, or on meeting after a long separation, salute each other by the juxtaposition of noses, accompanied, not by a rub but a hearty smell. They shake and smell the hands also, especially of a superior. A warmhearted old man one day was not satisfied with a shake and a smell of my hand, but as soon as I sat down on the mat beside him, he got hold of my foot, and there he held on for awhile snuffing and smelling at my shoe, notwithstanding all my entreaties to the contrary!

TURNER ON MISSIONS. THE whole world is now open to the messengers of the churches, "the servants of the Most High God, to show unto men the way of salvation."

The voice of Providence is unto all the saints, "Go up and possess the

land."

Vows have already been made by every section of the Protestant Church. It only remains for them to go forth and perform that which they have promised, especially on behalf of India and China. In the former, 200,000,000 of Hindoos, now under the sceptre of the Queen of England, wait to hear the glad tidings of great joy, which are unto all people. China alone would furnish ample scope for the operations of the whole body of Protestant missionaries indefinitely multiplied. The demands of Polynesia are constantly on the increase. The work is extending on every side. Some twenty years ago, it was the favourite field of the London Missionary Society. Much was done to lift it up to the summit of public favour by the fascinating narrative of John Williams. But the mighty impulse naturally by degrees subsided; and for the last fifteen years glowing passion has given place to growing apathy. We, nevertheless, anticipate for it a great revival from the noble work of the missionary Turner, just issued by Mr. John Snow. That work is every way worthy of the cause, the Society, and the times which are passing over us. It is supremely to be wished that all the well-to-do men of every congregation would purchase it for themselves, and that some of them would present a copy to their pastor. The book is every way fitted to quicken afresh the missionary spirit in behalf of Polynesia. With a view to further the great cause, we have in the present

Number given extracts from the chapters which bear on Polynesian conversion and illustration of Scripture. The book is one of the utmost variety, covering the whole field, and penetrating the heart of society. EDITOR.

REVIVALS OF RELIGION. 1. THE revival of pure religion is necessary to the accomplishment of God's revealed purposes. Speculation is cold and ineffectual; theoretical systems will accomplish nothing without the power of the Holy Ghost.

2. Revivals are necessary to counteract the luxury and corruption which naturally follows in the train of human industry and business. The slow effects of the ordinary means used, without the special influences of the Holy Spirit, will never prevent the growth of intemperance, or control the love of worldly plea

sure.

3. Great revivals are necessary to prevent the re-action which may be expected from the world. The wicked are already alarmed at the increase of holiness and strict religion. There will doubtless be a great conflict; and if God do not pour out His Spirit, Zion will not be able to stand so dreadful a conflict.

4. Revivals are necessary to provide men for evangelizing the world. Where and how else can men be found? The expense is too great to be borne by the churches, as they now feel and act, while they have also to meet the expenses of worldly conformity and fashion, and think they must "lay up treasures on

earth," so that they can say to their souls, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry."

5. Without revivals in the Pagan fields, all our efforts must fail. Human means will never convert the world, without the power of God. Infidels see this, and confidently calculate that the thing is impracticable. But even infidels are disconcerted when they see a powerful revival of religion. Therefore we may conclude, that great and glorious revivals of religion are to be expected.

What, then, shall we do in view of all this? We must, 1. Believe it. 2. Rejoice in it. 3. Prepare to work in revivals. Gird up the loins of our mind. Put away sloth, and conformity to the world, and bitterness, &c., &c.

Shall we be employed about things of minor importance when such great things are before us?

Above all things, let us not be found opposing or hindering revivals of religion, by unholy lives, or by speaking lightly of them. God forbid, brethren, that we should do anything to strengthen the hands of the enemy.

Signs of a revival of religion.— A good minister should be watchful to discover that state of feeling which calls for increased plainness and fervour of preaching, earnestness in prayer, and diligence in removing existing evils from the church and congregation. He should also study to ascertain the particular means that are proper to be used for promoting in the highest degree the spiritual interests of that people;

whether it be the discussion of some doctrine, or the inculcation of some duty, or the improvement of church discipline, or a great and public increase of prayer, or whatever other measure the actual state of the people calls for.

The principle involved in these remarks is, that God often gives indications, perceptible to the careful watchman, such as render it a duty of the minister and the church to make some special efforts, in dependence on Him for a blessing, to advance His cause.

Old hopes discovered and tested.— Many old hopes are brought to light in revivals of religion. At such seasons not a few shelter their consciences under an old hope, which they have indulged for years, without giving even to their most familiar acquaintances any intimations of it, either by word or deed-an old hope, which in a revival is acknowledged, to the astonishment of their intimate friends-an old hope, which, there is alarming reason to fear, will afford no shelter from the condemning sentence in the day of final retribution! Many have indulged a hope that has never purified their heart, or exerted a salutary influence on their lives. Such cases are plain. These hopes are already too old. They are not the anchor of the soul; and if not given up, they will prove a heavy chain, by which Satan will drag it down to perdition.

Striving for deeper convictions of sin.-One great error among anxious sinners is, that they seek and strive, not for a new heart, but for conviction. And while endeavouring to

gain conviction, they not unfrequently take the direct course to prevent it. They think that they would repent if they had conviction enough, that a want of conviction is all that prevents their immediate repentance, and that they are now doing all that they can do to gain conviction; consequently, that they are now doing all that they can do, under present circumstances, to become reconciled to God; and that they would do more, would do all that is required, if they were placed, by God, in circumstances sufficiently favourable. They are, therefore, blind to the affecting truth, that nothing prevents their immediate repentance and conversion, but their own obstinate unwillingness. How, then, can they feel the power of conviction while they retain such views? God has never commanded them, first to seek conviction, and then repent, but repent without delay.

Going too fast.-When Christians may be said to be too fast, or when too slow :

1. In their anxieties for the conversion of sinners.

When Christians feel more for sinners than the apostles and primitive disciples felt in their best frames -when they feel more than the entire sinfulness, the awful condemnation, the fearful condition and terrific prospects of the sinner demand— when they feel more than the dying love of Christ, the proffered bliss of heaven, and the threatened woes of hell can constrain them to feelthen they feel too much-they are too fast; but when they feel less than this, then they feel too little-they are too slow!

2. In their efforts for the conversion of sinners.

When they converse with impeni→ tent sinners in a manner more plain and pointed, and condemning and alarming than Christ and His apostles used-when they urge sinners with more tenderness and affection, and tears, than the great apostle and his greater Master didwhen they persevere in their entreaties night and day, from house to house, more unceasingly than they did when they make greater expenditure of their influence, efforts, and property, than can be countervailed by the worth of the soul, the worth of many souls!-then they are too fast-when they do not come up to this, they are too slow!

3. In their prayers for the conversion of sinners.

When Christians pray with more fervency, more agonizing desirewhen they have more of that faith which, with unyielding grasp, seizes the promises of God-when they have more expectation that God will answer their prayer-when they are more unceasing in their supplications, and feel their own happiness more identified with the conversion of sinners, and the glory of God, than the Word of God, and the glory of His great name warrant, and more than the guilt and peril of the impenitent demand, then they are too fast; and when they do not come up to this, they are too slow!

PRAYER MEETINGS. Life in a meeting.-A prayer meeting should be conducted with spirit. A dull and heavy mode of conduct

ing a meeting will make it dull and heavy. The person conducting the meeting should be prepared. No time should be lost in turning over leaves. A passage of Scripture, short, and selected for point and impressiveness, should be read; and a few verses, not exceeding two or three generally, at one time, selected in like manner, should be sung. Any remarks should be pertinent and brief. On this point every one should examine himself carefully and unsparingly, lest, by ill-timed and protracted addresses or exhortations, he, unconsciously to himself, do injury rather than good. prayer meeting should be confined carefully within its limited time. It is far better that people leave a meeting remarking that it has closed too soon, than that it has been held too long. In case different members of a meeting conduct it in turns, the duty should be previously assigned them, that they may be present and prepared. Variety may thus be given. These are small matters; but small matters do not always produce small consequences.

A

Rambling prayers.-This is one of the most common causes of LENGTH in prayer. The person leading in prayer has no particular matter resting as a burden upon his heart to lay before God, seeking relief. But there are many things which he knows ought to be desired, and which, when they occur to his mind, he supposes he does desire, and he rambles at large, expatiating first on one thing, then on another, as association presents them. Such a prayer, if it can be called a prayer, will probably be long.

Praying from a burdened heart.If a person has a real burden upon his heart to lay before God, his prayer will almost, of course, be short. Any subject, exciting strong feeling, fills the attention to the exclusion of all irrelevant matter. This is frequently seen in our intercourse in the world. Who has not seen a person so full of a subject, that he will speak of nothing else? If the conversation be changed, he will bring it back; if silence happen, he will break it with this subject. A person in such a state never plays with the subject which occupies him. He uses no preface, expletives, or circumlocution to get at a point, but goes directly to it.

Empty prayers.-How many long prayers are offered, from which, if the preface, expletives, and circumlocution were pruned, scarcely any thing would remain ?

Real feeling in prayer.-Real want and real feeling are always expressed with brevity and simplicity. When there are many words, it is obvious that the care is for words. When there is real concern, the only desire is to express it as directly and clearly as possible.

Expatiating in prayer.-Nothing is more conclusive evidence of a mind at ease, and, of course, without a spirit of prayer, than that free expatiation which is long prayer.

Sign of a revival declining.-A person who visited N-, was asked on his return what was the state of the revival? "I think," says he, "it is declining, for I observe the brethren begin to make long and lifeless prayers."

Ineffectual prayer.—It is apparent