they might, ere long, expect to meet an enemy on the field of battle.

Intelligence of this nature served to quicken that activity and zeal, which in Mr. Martyn had not hitherto been either sluggish or supine. He was, therefore perpetually visiting, or attempting to visit, that part of his flock which was so soon to be exposed to the perils of warfare. "I entreated them even with tears," said he, "out of fervent love for their souls, and I could have poured away my life to have persuaded them, to return to God.”—By a sentence in Milner's Church History, "to believe, to suffer, and to love, was the primitive taste," he states that his mind, at this time, was very deeply impressed; observing, that "no uninspired sentence ever affected him so much." It was, in fact, an epitome of his own life, conversation, and spirit: a lively exemplification of which is to be found in the manner in which, during this part of the voyage, he strove against an extreme and oppressive languor of body, which tended to impede his present labors, and threatened to impair his future efficiency.— "The extreme weakness and languor of my body made me fear I should never be used as a preacher in India: But what," said he, "means this anxiety? Is it not of God that I am led into outward difficul

ties, that my faith may be tried? Suppose you are obliged to return, or that you never see India, but wither and die here, what is that to you? Do the will of God where you are, and leave the rest to

him."-"I found great satisfaction in reflecting, that my hourly wisdom was not to repine, and to look for a change, but to consider what is my duty in existing circumstances, and then to do it, in dependance upon grace." So deeply was his soul imbued with the "primitive taste," and so entirely did it accord with that wise maxim, of such universal but difficult application—

"Tu tua fac cures cætera mitte Deo."
"

From Porto Santo to St. Salvador, the voyage was accomplished in little more than five weeks, during which the special Providence of God manifestly watched over Mr. Martyn. Soon after crossing the line, on the 30th of October, the Union, in which he sailed, passed in the night within a very short distance of a dangerous reef of rocks, which proved destructive to two other vessels. The reef

exactly across the track of the Union, and had not the second mate, who was on watch, called up the captain and the first mate as soon as danger was discovered, they would inevitably have been wrecked: their escape was considered as almost miraculous. Pieces of the ships that were dashed against the breakers floated by them, and many of those who had been cast on the rocks were seen making signals for assistance. Anxiety on board. the Union respecting these unhappy persons was

* Take care that you do your duty-leave the rest to God.

intense: happily, however, they were all saved, with the exception of three officers, one of whom lost his life by endeavoring to secure a large sum of money: leaving the vessel too soon, he sunk to rise no more; and, as it was supposed, was devoured by the sharks which surrounded the ships in great numbers. Nor was this the only peril which the Union escaped: on the coast of South America, she incurred a similar risk:-"O how sweet," remarked Mr. Martyn, "to perceive such repeated instances of God's guardian care!"-During this part of the voyage, the novel sight of the flying-fish beginning to attract attention, Mr. Martyn's mind, ever fertile in topics of humiliation, could discover a "resemblance to his own soul in those poor little creatures, which rose to a little height, and then in a minute or two, when their fins were dry, dropped into the waves.” Others, doubtless, would have chosen for him a far different similitude, and would have sought it rather in the eagle soaring into the fields of light, or in the dove of the poet,

"When at length she springs

To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings."-Dryden.

"I find, (Mr. Martyn wrote on his arrival at St. Salvador to two of his friends in England,) that neither distance nor time can separate the hearts which are united in the fellowship of the Gospel, as well as by mutual esteem. Mere earthly affections are weakened by time and absence; but Christian love grows

stronger, as the day of salvation approaches. Already, a watery waste of four thousand miles lies between me and England: but because I have you in my heart, and make mention of you without ceasing in my prayers, you seem scarcely yet out of sight.",

"Though a long sea is rolling already betwixt us, yet I scarcely seem to have lost sight of you, or of my dear friends at Cambridge. The hymns we sing, being chiefly taken from your collection, daily bring to my remembrance the happy days when I went with the multitude to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise. Those seasons are gone by: but I comfort myself with thinking, they will quickly be renewed in a better country, when we come to dwell together in the mansions of our father's house."

The description of St. Salvador, and the events connected with Mr. Martyn's stay there, we have thus recorded by him at some length.

Nov. 12.-"The coast was beautiful, with much romantic scenery. The town exactly resembled Funchal, but was rather more cheerful. The ob jects in the streets were strong negro-men slaves, carrying very heavy casks on a pole, with a sort of unpleasant note-negro-women, carrying fish, fruit, &c.-a few palanquins, which are drawn by two mules. The things exposed to sale were turtles, bananas, oranges, limes, papaws, watermelons, tamarinds, fustich wood. I walked up the hill, in order

to get into the country, and observed a man standing by the way side, holding out for the people's salutation a silver embossed piece of plate of a small oval size, and repeating some words about St. Antonio. Some kissed it; others took off their hats; but the man himself seemed to ridicule their folly. They were performing mass in one church: it was not so splendid as that of Madeira: many of the priests were negroes. I soon reached the suburbs, on the outside of which was a battery, which commanded a view of the whole bay, and repeated the hymn, "O'er the gloomy hills of darkness.' What happy Missionary shall be sent to bear the name of Christ to these Western regions! When shall this beautiful country be delivered from idolatry and spurious Christianity! Crosses there are in abundance; but when shall the doctrine of the cross be held up! I continued my walk in quest of a wood, or some trees, where I might sit down; but all was appropriated: no tree was to be approached, except through an enclosure. At last I came to a magnificent porch, before a garden gate, which was open. I walked in, but finding the vista led straight to the house, I turned to the right, and found myself in a grove of cocoa-nut trees, orange trees, and several strange fruit trees: under them was nothing but rose trees; but no verdure on the ground; oranges were strewed as apples in an orchard. Perceiving that I was observed by the slaves, I came up to the house, and was directed by them to an old man sit