Keri Keri, forms the sphere of labour allotted to the Rev. W. Yate, who conducts the Sunday duties alternately at each. In his absence from either station, the prayers are read, and an exhortation given in the native language, by one of the resident catechists. Mr. Yate was in New South Wales, during my visit to New Zealand, carrying through the press another and more complete edition of the liturgy, gospels, and other portions of holy Scriptures, which when completed will be highly prized by the people. Even the present imperfect printed copies now in use in New Zealand are so much esteemed by the natives that it is unnecessary to issue them gratuitously to get them into circulation; the people being willing to contribute an ample equivalent for their value, either in potatoes or other productions, which, of course, are appropriated to the furtherance of the other objects of the mission. Sometimes they undertake to earn a book by personal labour, considering one fully worth a month's work for a grown up man, or six weeks for a woman or boy. Indeed in a country like New Zealand, where the value of coin as circulating medium is unknown, produce and labour are the only acknowledged and understood equivalents used in payment in our commercial intercourse with the natives; and the introduction of holy Scripture amongst them is found to encourage industry and social habits, at the same time that its direct effect is to ameliorate the mental and moral condition of the people. That such should be the anxiety of the natives to possess one of these books which, irrespective of their secret contents, would appear to a savage altogether valueless, will be allowed to outweigh the most powerful arguments

that could be offered in proof of the success of Missionary exertions in that benighted country; for it is one which speaks for itself, and that cannot be easily gainsaid.

worn out.

The previous edition of the selections from Scripture and the Liturgy had been some time since issued, and most of the copies had from long use been nearly One man a Chief at Kororareka, came up to me and showing me how much his 'Puka, Puka' had been worn, and in some places rendered almost illegible, said something to me in a whisper, which I could not understand, but having been overheard by Mr. Brown, I subsequently found to be a request for me to intercede with the Missionaries for another. This man moreover, I was informed, had never attended the Mission Schools, but had managed to teach himself to read with the assistance of a slave, who had been instructed in the Mission. The demand for these books is evidently keeping pace with the extension of education, and the only difficulty appears* to be how this demand is to be met. The time has now

*It is gratifying to know that the wants of this interesting and rising Church have been at length supplied, and that the Printing Press is at length in full operation in New Zealand, under the direction of Mr. W. Colenso, who in July 1835 reports having already composed and struck off two thousand copies of the Epistles to the Ephesians and Philippians, and six hundred tables for schools; one thousand copies of St. Luke's gospel, and a 12mo book of 67 pages; 600 copies of the Addition, &c. tables for the natives. Mr. C. then related that he had already bound up 400 copies of St. Luke's gospel, and that the natives were so impatient to obtain them, that he could not bind them fast enough.

fully arrived when ample employment might be given to a printer in that country, and the establishment of a press will prove a measure of efficiency as well as of eventual economy to the Mission. The absence of one of the New Zealand Clergymen engaged in the publication of the new edition of the New Zealand Liturgy, and portions of the Scriptures, is now severely felt; and it is hoped the present will be the last occasion when it will become necessary for a member of that Mission to resort to a country twelve hundred miles distant or that purpose.

THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER.

How often it happens that a passage of Scripture which we may have read over and over again in a careless and unthinking manner, becomes by some trifling circumstance suddenly invested with a force. and meaning which we never perceived in it before, convincing us yet more fully how profitable the word of God is for "correction, and instruction in righteousness!" This was the case with me a short time since while I was spending the evening in a small circle of friends, when the conversation rested for a few moments on the subject of Decoy Birds. of the party had been abroad, and described to us the method there adopted of catching birds by means of decoys, which drew from another a remark on the refined cruelty of man in thus taking advantage of the natural instincts and habits of those helpless creatures in order to ensure their destruction. The

One

scriptural expression, "The snare of the fowler," flashed upon my mind, and the more I thought upon the subject the more I saw how extremely applicable it was to the snares of the great enemy of our souls, that subtle fowler who is ever on the watch to entrap us. How manifold are his devices! The natural propensity of man to follow the example of others, has not been lost sight of by him; how often does he avail himself of it to entangle us in his nets! how often are careless and inconsistent professors of religion employed by him as decoys to allure others from: the strait and narrow path wherein they ought to walk and this more especially in the present day, when the Church is " enlarging the place of her tent," and religion, as good old Bunyan says, is walking through the land in silver slippers. The force of example is too much lost sight of by us all, I mean as a personal and practical thing, for we readily admit it in the abstract. It is a useful though a painful exercise, occasionally to review all our friends and companions, with the object of determining whether the influence which they must necessarily have had upon us, has been for good or evil, whether their example has stimulated us to increased exertion, or tempted us to relax in the work set before us. In making that review, there will be some perhaps for whom we shall have reason to bless God that he has cast our lot among them. But it is to be feared that these will be but few in comparison. I am speaking now in reference to that class of persons known by the name of the "religious world." When we are in the society of persons decidedly opposed to religion we are on our guard; we feel that we are in an enemy's

country, and gird on our armour accordingly. The extreme beauty of holiness; the high and ennobling influence which real Christianity exerts on the human character, have never been so deeply impressed on my own mind as when I have been thrown by circumstances among those who "cared for none of these things." The contrast between their pursuits and those which the Christian has set before him, is too strong to escape observation, and it is with increased humility and earnestness we pray to be delivered yet more and more from the dominion of "the god of this world." But when we are with those who profess to march under the same banner, to follow the same Captain with ourselves, the case is different. We suspect no danger here, and throw off that irksome watchfulness which we had before preserved.

Alas! how often do we find that the deepest wounds we have received in our Christian warfare, have been inflicted in the house of our friends." How often has the solemnizing influence of a faithful sermon been lost almost as soon as the preacher's voice has died on the ear, by the frivolous discourse of those from whom we might have expected better things! How often at night when we have "shut our door," have we felt ashamed and afraid to look up to our Father in heaven, from the misgivings of a conscience that felt soiled and stained from its intercourse with those who thought "foolish talking and jesting" were things not unbecoming a Christian! In the early ages of Christianity this corroding influence of society was felt by multitudes who fled from the scene of temptation to the cloister and the cell; and this, though a very blameable, was a very natural pro