unanimously invited me to pay them a visit. My way being hedged up most singularly in Montreal, I quietly bade them farewell, and went aboard a steamer about nine o'clock, on the night of the 27th October. My heart was deeply affected with the kindness of many of my friends; I could mention their names, but, as they are strangers to you, it is perhaps unnecessary. They are, however, very, very dear to my heart. "Ah! there are spirits in this fretful world, Which grow not old, and change not with the seasons." When morning light came, I found I had mistaken the vessel, and had got aboard a freight steamer, which had three vessels in tow-a ship, a brig, and a barge. Every thing indicated we were going to have a tedious passage. To help the matter, when we were near the centre of lake St. Peters, the pilot got deceived by the lighthouse-ship, which had drifted from her moorings, by a heavy gale a few hours before. So he steered by the false guide, as some christians do by backslidden or unconverted ministers, and so get on the shallows as we did. The ship we had in tow struck, and stuck fast. Finding her unmoveable, we were compelled to remain in the lake all night, and lighten the ship. The captain reproached the pilot, that in the blaze of day he should run so blindly out of the channel. The poor pilot laid the blame on the light ship, as Adam did on Eve. Then J. C. reflected thus. Ministers and old professors may be compared to that light ship. Two passages will confirm the application. PHIL. iii. 17.-Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. PHIL. ii. 15, 16.—That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. An able writer comments upon "holding forth the word of life," thus-" An allusion, some think, to those towers which were built at the entrance of harbours, on which fires were kept during the night, to direct ships into port. Genuine christians, by their holy lives and conversation, are the means of directing others, not only how to escape those dangers to which they are exposed on the tempestuous ocean of human life, but also of leading them into the haven of eternal safety and rest. 'That I have not run in vain.' This appears to be a part of the same metaphor; and alludes to the case of a weather-beaten mariner, who has been long tossed on a tempestuous sea, in hazy weather and dark nights; who has been obliged to run on different tacks, and labour intensely to keep his ship from foundering; but is at last, by the assistance of the luminous fire on the top of the tower, directed safely into the port." The meaning of these passages is evident. The word towers, in the above extract, is very expressive. I wish that all the lovers of Christ were as permanent. I have often admired the lines,— 66 Strong in thy strength I'll stand a tower, Alas! they mostly resemble these floating lights; and, much as the event may jeopardize others, they are too often driven from their moorings. Now I thought, so long as they keep in the right channel of life-in the position designed them by God; their anchorage ground the Bible and the Atonement; their anchor the hope of eternal life ;faith their cable, reaching unto that which entereth within the veil; (HEB. vi. 19.) in the mean time holding up the light of profession; supported by a holy life and godly conversation; then, indeed, they are lights and guides which may be depended upon. But should they be set adrift by the storms of temptations, break their cable, or drag their anchor into the regions of error; keeping up at the same time the old lamp of profession; then, if we depend upon, and steer our course by them, we shall most assuredly get aground upon the shallows of lukewarmness and spiritual death; or, upon the rocks of open sin, and make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience. Now, I continued to reflect; what these land-marks should have been to our pilot, the Bible is designed to be to all sincere christians. "Thy word," says the Psalmist," is a lamp to my feet, and a light unto my path." And says St. Peter, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts." Our pilot should have tried the position of that light ship, by the adjacent land-marks, before he had ventured to follow it; and we should endeavour to ascertain the scriptural character of the doctrines, lives, and experience of all ministers and christians who offer to guide us, before we intrust our souls to their care. God will no more excuse us for having been led astray by any of them, than our captain would the unhappy pilot. "If the blind lead the blind," says Jesus," they shall both fall into the ditch;" that is, into hell! That vessel with her light, was once, and only a few hours ago, in the best position she could occupy; but what shall we say of those professed ministers of Christ, and those nominal christians, who, by their own confession, allow they have never been born again, and who positively deny that any man can know his sins forgiven, but who, at the same time attempt to direct others the way to heaven ? This deceitful light ship occasioned the running two vessels aground, and the rest had to tarry beside them during a long and dark night; while we served as beacons to other vessels, which passed us in the darkness. Such clergymen and professors ruin thousands of immortal souls. The night becoming cold and dark, I left the deck, and spent a few hours in the main cabin, reading and writing very comfortably. Yesterday morning we again got under weigh, and continued our course down the river. Night brought on bad weather, with rain and deep darkness, so we crept towards the shore, and lay in a place of shelter till morning. We are now moving forward, and hope to arrive at Quebec this afternoon. I have an elegant and spacious cabin almost to myself; for the passengers are few. My time is employed in writing, reading, and praying. This season of rest is most refreshing to my body, and God is deepening his work in my soul. I have amused myself part of the time in perusing a work on "practical navigation." It is a most interesting science. To what perfection has it been carried since the days of the Phoenician Navigators, fifteen hundred years before Christ. I was much interested in the compass department. The east and west variations of the magnetic needle are as mysterious as the northern attractions. The dip of the needle, as either the northern or southern pole is approached, and its perfect level at the equator, are perhaps, equally unaccountable. The aberrations of the needle are better understood, as they arise from local attractions. Masses of iron aboard the ship, &c. draw the needle, more or less, from the magnetic meridian, according as the disturbing cause may be situated with regard to the needle. But why do these aberrations vary, as the ship's head varies along the meridian ? If I understand the author aright, some of the greatest aberrations take place when the ship's head is near the east or west points; but decrease toward the magnetic, or northern meridian. It is pretty clear, though some may doubt, that the seamen's compass was invented in China, eleven hundred and twenty years before Christ; improved at Naples, in the year of our Lord, 1302; its variations observed, 1500, and its dipping in 1576. You may thank this tedious steamer for this long letter. I am, as ever, your most affectionate brother in Jesus Christ. J. C. LETTER V. TO THE SAME. Quebec, Lower Canada, Dec. 22, 1840. My dear Friend, Glad I am, that for once you are pleased with the length of my letter; whether it was worth the postage, is another question. My last was dated aboard the steamer, on my way to this city. I landed on the same day, about three o'clock in the afternoon. The society had received information that I had left Montreal for Quebec; and were waiting for me in the large school room adjoining the chapel. Brother Selley, the junior preacher, met me on the quay; we |