tracts from his Diary will show the state of his mind during his stay at the Cape; and also how fully his attention was occupied by the great work he had in view :

"Jan. 11th, 1822.-MESSRS. SHAW, HODGSON, and MELVILLE, take a lively interest in my object, the study of the South-African languages, &c.; and have hopes that good will result from my endeavours.

"18th.-Being myself reconciled to God through the mediation of CHRIST, and enabled to call him my Father by the HOLY GHOST, I am anxious to promote his kingdom, and willing to suffer his will.

"This day be bread and peace my lot;

All else, beneath the sun,

He knows if best bestow'd or not;

And let his will be done.'

"Feb. 8th.-Here is a large country, the extent of which is not known to Europeans,-inhabited by a numerous people, speaking the same language,-who have no religion either true or false, -with only two or three Missionaries amongst them, and not one of them able to speak the language. And yet these are to hear the Gospel preached, and to be taught to do all things whatsoever' CHRIST hath commanded.' Here is work, here is labour! And they have no objection, it seems, to receive teachers. But it is asked, 'Have they any desire to receive them?" They have no doubt a desire for happiness, and to those who know the happiness of loving God, this is a call. Freely ye have received, freely give.' But how can we communicate this happiness to them? What means were used to communicate it to you? Were you not taught to read the Bible, and made acquainted with CHRIST? Then come and tell them about CHRIST, and teach them to read the Bible. Or, if you cannot come yourself, help some one who cannot come without your assistance.'

On the 28th of March, MR. BEAVEN set out in high spirits, with MR. MELVILLE and his family, for Griqua-Town. But how short-sighted is man, and how inexplicable are the ways of God! His constitution was not able to bear the privations and hardships inseparable from the mode of travelling in that part of South Africa through which their journey lay. Though MR. MELVILLE took two wagons, yet, having a large family and much luggage, MR. BEAVEN Seldom rode. He had to travel many miles every day on foot; and slept in the open air, either amongst the rushes or under the wagon, with very scanty means of screening himself from the cold nightly breezes and occasional rains. He was also necessarily confined to a kind of food which was both unsuitable and unpleasant to him. These circumstances so affected him, as

to induce a fever, accompanied with great debility, which soon terminated his mortal existence. In his Diary, MR. BEAVEN speaks of MR. MELVILLE in very high terms of respect and affection, as an eminently pious and excellent man; and makes grateful mention of the kindness which he received from him during his illness. The following are Extracts of a Letter written by MR. MELVILLE to MR. BEAVEN, SEN., in Wiltshire, giving an account of his son's sickness and death :

"Beaufort Village, N. E. of Cape-Town, May 3d, 1822.

"It is probable you may have received intelligence ere this, that your son, MR. SAMUEL BEAVEN, was to have accompanied me to the Boschuana Country. It afforded me great pleasure to give him some assistance in forwarding his object, which I considered to be the advancement of our blessed REDEEMER'S kingdom. In this part of the world there is a wide field for the exertions of men of various talents and qualifications; and I would rank those amongst the most useful, who are apt to learn a barbarous language, and who possess abilities for the translation of the Scriptures. I rejoiced to think that another instrument was to be added to the number of those already employed in pulling down the strong holds of Satan. But how little do we short-sighted creatures know of the instruments GoD will employ in the conversion of the world! The LORD hath done great things for Africa. Many have been turned from 'darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto GOD.' Yet the present prospect in the Boschuana Country is, to the human eye, dark and discouraging. As Christians, we must be prepared for mysterious dispensations; and, with the Bible in our hands, we do not need to be 'troubled and shaken in mind,' even in the time of storm and tempest. Believing you to be a Christian, I do not need to fear that the painful information, which I have to communicate, will cause you to sorrow as those without hope; for you know that as 'JESUS died and rose again, even so, them also which sleep in JESUS will GoD bring with him.' This will be to you a source of consolation, when you hear that your son is no more in the land of the living, to glorify GoD in his feeble body, but is gone home to join in the new song of praise before the Throne for ever and ever. Thus, dear Sir, it devolves upon me, to give you an account of his end.”

After stating that excessive fatigue, want of sleep, and deficiency of nourishment, brought on the fever which ended so speedily in MR. BEAVEN'S death, MR. MELVILLE adds :

"On the morning of April the 8th, we ascended a steep hill, which is the commencement of the Harroo Desert. MR. BEAVEN here complained of weakness, and said he could hardly get up

the hill. Our road now lay through a desert, where there was scarcely any thing for our oxen either to eat or drink. This obliged us to make long stages, and to travel principally in the night. Having travelled nearly twenty-five miles on the 9th, MR. BEAVEN'S fever and debility were greatly increased. He could not be prevailed upon to sit on the wagon, till his strength quite failed him, which was when we were within three or four days of this place. We arrived here on the 20th, late in the evening; and he immediately went to bed in the Landrost's house, and took medicine. The fever had now been increasing upon him for twelve or thirteen days, and frequently during that time he had walked from fifteen to twenty miles a day. His weakness, therefore, was very great. On the 24th, MR. HEMMING wrote by post to the Physician, at Graaf-Reinet, a village one hundred and thirty miles from this, giving the best description he could of the disease, and requesting him to send medicine and advice by return of post. Some medicines were sent accordingly and administered, but without the least effect. A few days before his death, I asked him if he were happy and at peace with GOD. He answered, 'Yes, yes, I am happy.' I frequently asked as to the state of his mind, and he generally said in few words, that he was happy, and quite resigned to the will of God."

Twice, however, it appears, during his illness, MR. B. was called to sustain a severe conflict with the Tempter. But he cried to the LORD, and was heard; the snare was soon broken, and he was enabled again to triumph. MR. MELVILLE observes,

"As I was standing by his bed, he suddenly called out aloud, 'O, MR. MELVILLE, the snare is broken; Satan has been tempting me, and would have robbed me of my confidence in GOD; he disposed me to reason about my present state, and represented every thing in the most gloomy colours. I now feel my confidence restored, and am happy and resigned to the will of God.' MRS. MELVILLE asked, if he thought he should recover; he replied, 'If I die, I shall go to heaven.' She asked again, if he had no prospect of recovering; to this he said, 'I leave it to the LORD; but if I die I shall go to heaven.' He exchanged mortality for life, on the 1st of May, 1822, at seven o'clock in the evening.'

MR. B. died in the twenty-seventh year of his age. Thus his "sun went down while it was yet day." The following Extract from his Will, dated April 22d, 1822, shows, that though, in the order of an inscrutable Providence, he was not permitted to put his hand to that work which lay so near his heart, and for which he had made so many sacrifices, yet he did what he could for the spiritual interests of South Africa:-"I give and bequeath to the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions, in South Africa, the whole of my property remaining after the necessary expenses of my funeral, &c., are defrayed, in trust for the said Missions." VOL. VII.

43

Scripture Illustrated.

From the Wesleyan Methodist Magazine.

REMARKS ON SCRIPTURE CHARACTERS, AND ON THE CASE OF THE OLD PROPHET, MENTIONED IN 1 KINGS: CH. XIII.

It has long appeared to me of some importance, that we should distinctly remember that the Bible (I mean particularly the Old Testament) is not a Book of Biography :-by which I mean, that no individuals are mentioned, either as to their character or conduct, but only as either relates to the general history, which history, in its ultimate aim, is the revelation of the MEDIATOR, and the preparation for his advent, as MESSIAH.

I am well persuaded that this principle, clearly laid down as preparatory to the reading of the historical parts of Scripture, would be sufficient of itself to answer many cavils, and remove many difficulties. On this account I have seen with regret the labours of some good men in compiling "Scripture Characters." For though the conduct in various instances, whether good or bad, of individuals recorded in Scripture, contains matter of instruction and admonition; (1 Cor. x. 6, 11; Heb. xi. 2 ;) yet, (and I have chiefly in view those of the Jewish Church,) persons living under an inferior dispensation, and who, if distinguished, are so, as Prophets and Kings, cannot form proper exemplars to us under the Christian dispensation Their being brought forward as such, has had, on the whole, a hurtful tendency; being done, I am persuaded, contrary to Scripture design, if we may judge of intention by the evident withholding of materials, and of tendencies by effects.

But though we may be cautious of models,* we need not be so of warnings; and therefore I venture to suggest some thoughts on the account given us (1 Kings xiii.) of the very singular behaviour of the old Prophet who resided at Bethel. There is no reason to disbelieve his assertion, (ver. 18,) "I am a Prophet also as thou art," because he is expressly so called, both in this chapter, and 2 Kings xxiii. 18. But I apprehend, dwelling in Samaria, he was an unfaithful one; otherwise a Prophet need not have been sent from Judah to reprove the sin of JEROBOAM. Unfaithfulness in an office (more especially a sacred one) is to the strength of the soul, what the cutting off of SAMSON'S locks was to the strength of his body;-the man is left weak, and powerless against the first besetment of temptation. I suspect that the old Prophet felt himself slighted in not being distinguished from his idolatrous neighbours by some notice from the Prophet of Judah; and hence resulted his attempt to bring him back, which would have been

I mean prior to the period of Pentecostal Baptism. (John i. 33, vii. 39.)

lawful if his sons had not distinctly reported the refusal of the King's invitation. Having thus begun to slide, the path became more slippery, and he hesitated not to tell a lie to effect his purpose. And afterward, when pronouncing the sentence of GoD on the disobedience he had occasioned, he doubtless painfully felt the guilt he had himself incurred, and its punishment. Instead of his character being raised or established, as he designed, in the view of his neighbours, he was obliged first to confess his deceit to the Prophet whom he had injured; and afterward the whole became public, and has been transmitted to posterity by the sacred records. Much cause had he indeed to mourn over the grave of his brother; and we may hope that he sincerely mourned over his own sin,-but he deserved not that this should be recorded. If an undue regard to his own reputation had been the cause (as I suspect it was,) first of a criminal silence, and then of criminal words, his penitence, though it might come before the mercy-seat, was very justly denied admission into the short memoir concerning him: but he confirmed the word of the Jewish Prophet, and was allowed to be laid in the same grave with him, whereby his bones remained undisturbed when JOSIAH (2 Kings xxiii. 18) fulfilled the divine threatening. As I think this view of the case may minister admonition to us, I have ventured to submit it for insertion.

Miscellaneous.

From the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.

NARRATIVE OF THE CONVERSION OF MIRZA MAHOMED ALI,

A LEARNED PERSIAN.

(Continued from page 300.)

WE gladly resume this very delightful and important Narrative, taken, as we stated in our last Number, from the "Scottish Missionary and Philanthropic Register;" '-a monthly publication, which is conducted with much candour and ability, and deserves the attention of all who feel an interest in the extension of the Kingdom of Christ.

Further Extracts from MR. M'PHERSON'S Journal.

April 18th, 1823.-MAHOMED ALI had scarcely taken his seat this morning, when he began conversing about the state of his mind. 'Whilst I was reflecting and communing with myself during the night,' said he, 'I felt my mind much perplexed about the Godhead of Christ, when it thus occurred to my mind, "Dost thou not believe that God is omnipotent, and that nothing is too hard for him?" My heart replied, Yes. "Dost thou not believe that if God willed, he could condense the world into the small

compass of an egg? Thou seest what a small organ the eye is,

and yet what a great space it takes in: how then is not God