strength, the sea rolling majestically and yet gently, the air balmy but invigorating.

"After breakfast I consulted the captain in regard to the distribution of books and tracts

among the crew; he gave his full and cordial consent to any efforts we might choose to make for the spiritual welfare of the ship's company; informing me at the same time, that it was his intention to call the sailors together and distribute among them books and tracts which the Bible and Tract Societies had furnished for that purpose. This was accordingly done, each man being furnished with a Testament and several tracts, in the language with which he was most familiar. It was interesting to see the eagerness with which all accepted the volumes, and more interesting an hour afterward to see them here and there on the deck in the shade, attentively reading what had been thus furnished.

"At eleven o'clock we held our first public religious service, which was conducted throughout by Mr. B. His discourse was very appropriate and practical, founded on Matt. viii. 1—4. The majority of the sailors,—I regret that I cannot say all,—were present, and listened with gratify

SERMON ON BOARD.

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ing attention to all the exercises. Since dinner my time has been spent in reading Alleine's "Heaven Opened;' and in conversing on personal religion with one of the mates. He labors under the mistaken notion that an officer of a ship cannot really be a good man; that he must swear now and then, or lose his authority over the men. He moreover tried to be a Universalist, for the sake of quieting his conscience, while living in the conscious neglect of every duty which he owes to God. I tried faithfully but kindly to show him his error and danger. While uneasy afterward from the fear of having offended him, he came up from below with a pair of new worked slippers in his hand, which he begged me to accept; testifying plainly by this act that he was not indifferent to my interest in his true welfare.

"On the whole, this day has been a Sabbath of rest to my soul. God has seemed near, Christ precious, heaven attractive. I have thought much of the past and the future; much of my loved ones living, and more of the dead. Quiet tears have stolen down my cheeks, which were not all expressive of sorrow. My heart is often full to overflowing. Visions of a blessedness

which is unalloyed, and knows no end, are ever rising to my spiritual eye. Thought, and desire, and feeling are ever busy with what has been, or what is to be. Oh, that I could find my rest and my enjoyment more fully, more exclusively, in God. Then would every event be to me a blessing."

A few days later, Mr. Aitchison was taken quite unwell, and suffered considerably for a time. Then, more than ever, his mind turned back to scenes of other days; and "while suffering the most, and feeling the saddest," he says, "my thoughts, almost of their own accord, took the following form:

There is a hallowed spot,

Beyond the Atlantic wave,

To which my heart in sadness turns→
My much loved Mary's grave,

Within the church-yard gate

That hallowed spot is found;
Where stands a snow-white tablet,
There droops a grassy mound.

Beneath that grassy mound
Are wife and child asleep;

While I, a weary mourner,
Am left alone to weep.

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CHEERING VIEWS.

But soon these tears will cease,

My wanderings all be o'er,

And husband, wife, and child, in heaven

Shall meet to part no more.

67

'April 29. Have had some cheering views of the future. Find myself frequently repeating, with prospective reference to my work in China, those lines which seem to have been favorites of the great Judson:

66

"In these deserts let me labor,

On these mountains let me tell
How he died, the blessed Saviour,

To redeem a world from hell."

Oh, if I could but win some poor Chinese to Christ, how more than repaid should I be for all the self-denial it costs to go to that distant land! But let me remember that mine is the work; the result is of God. My life will not be in vain, I am confident, even though I should die before reaching my destination. My consecration, imperfect as it is, will, I trust, have some influence with others in leading them to the consideration of personal duty to the heathen.

"April 30, Sabbath. Early in the morning had a delightful conversation with Mr. B. on the

nature of heaven's felicity. We are both of the opinion that much of the Scripture language is figurative; but I am more materialistic in my anticipations than he; more prone to speculate on the subject; perhaps less disposed to rest satisfied with the plain revelation of God in regard to all the future. I trust my conjectures, analogies, reasonings, and I may add, my hopes will never be at variance with divine truth. I long to know more about the condition of the departed. love to think of the joys of the ransomed. I find profit in meditating on the glory that is to be revealed in the saints. Surely we can hardly

think too much of heaven.

I

"May 1. Our arrangements for public religious exercises on board are mainly completed, and are as follows:

"1. A blessing asked before every meal by Mr. B. and myself alternately.

"2. Prayer every evening on deck, accompanied by the reading of the Scriptures, and the repetition of a hymn; conducted by us successively on alternate weeks.

"3. A sermon on the Sabbath, by us alter