months he was brought to his dying couch. He felt very deeply, when he saw his end approaching, that he must leave Lucy and his little boy. 1 shall never forget seeing him the day he died. Lucy sat weeping by him, with her beautiful child at her side. He looked at his wife with much tenderness, and said, "Do not cry, Lucy; I am going to heaven. Oh! I am so happy; but God, our God, will take care of you and our little boy; only keep close to him. Our Missionary and his wife will be father and mother to you; but oh, Lucy, take care of your boy! Oh, bring him up for Jesus. Jesus makes me happy! Now, if I never had heard of him and loved him, I could not die so happy. Oh, Lucy, Lucy! never let our child worship idols; bring him up for Jesus." And thus, after saying some other delightful things, he fell asleep in Jesus. Dear young friends, will you not do all you can to send the Gospel to these heathen? You see it made a poor heathen man die happily, and it made him so earnest about the best interest of his little boy. POETRY. "NOT TO MYSELF ALONE." 66 "Not to myself alone," The little opening flower transported cries- The butterfly within my cup doth hide "Not to myself alone," The circling star with honest pride doth boast"Not to myself alone I rise and set; I write upon night's coronal of jet His power and skill who formed our myriad host; That man might ne'er forget, in every fate, His home on high.' "Not to myself alone," The heavy-laden bee doth murmuring hum- Content if this repay my toil- "Not to myself alone," The soaring bird, with lofty pinion, sings"Not to myself alone I raise my song; I cheer the drooping with my warbling tongue, I call the worldling from his dross to turn, "Not to myself alone," The streamlet whispers on its pebbly way- I sweeten and refresh the languid air "Not to myself alone," O man, forget not thou, earth's honoured priest! Its tongue, its soul, its life, its pulse, its heartIn earth's great chorus to sustain thy part; Chief of the guests at Love's ungrudging feast, Play not the niggard, spurn thy native clod, And self disown; Live to thy neighbour, live unto thy God, "Not to thyself alone." ILLUSTRATION OF "LICKING THE DUST." As the Sacred Scriptures were written under divine inspiration, by holy men who lived in what, to this part of the world, is the far-distant east-in the land of Judea and adjacent thereto-so many of the phrases which are used in the Scriptures allude to the peculiar customs which existed there; and some parts of the Word of God, which to some persons appear difficult, are easily explained by those who are acquainted with eastern usages. The royal psalmist David, in the seventy-second psalmwhen referring, as it is believed, in the first place to his son Solomon, and then prophetically to our Lord Jesus Christ-says, "He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust." The meaning of the words, "and his enemies shall lick the dust," may be clearly understood, by noticing the eastern modes of doing homage or giving honour to persons of distinction. On this subject Mr. Harmer has given several illustrations. It appears that various modes of doing honour have, from the earliest periods to which history refers, been practised in the east. Such as kissing the hem of the robe, the hand, knees, or feet of a superior. The kissing of the hand is allowed only as an indulgence to persons who are honoured or much esteemed. Hence we are told that the women that wait on the Arab Princesses kiss the hands of the Princesses, when the Princesses do their servants the favour not to suffer them to kiss their feet, or the border of their robe. Dr. Shaw states, that in these respects the Arabs have had the same practices for two or three thousand years. We have also references to the practice of falling on the ground before a superior in the teachings of the New Testament. Our Lord, in one of his parables, represents a servant as falling prostrate at the feet of his masterand of one servant falling at the feet of another servant to beg for mercy. So also the Syro-Phoenician woman, Peter, and Jarius, prostrated themselves at the feet of Jesus. When Cornelius the Roman Centurion met the apostle Peter, he fell down at the feet of Peter and worshipped him. We do not suppose that Cornelius intended to offer idolatrous worship, or divine honour to Peter; but merely, according to eastern custom, to express his great respect in the most expressive mode. So also the apostle John, when in the Isle of Patmos, prostrated himself at the feet of the Angel-not intending to offer him divine homage, but high respect, according to the eastern usage. Peter and the Angel, however, taught that the honour offered to them was due only to God; and that they were his servants, by whom they had been sent. Kissing the ground in the presence of a superior appears to have been regarded as the most humble act of submission. We are told that the ancient Persian custom of paying homage to the sovereign is that of kissing the earth, or touching it with the forehead, in his presence. D'Herbelot describes a conquered eastern prince as throwing himself on the ground, kissing the prints made by the feet of his conqueror's horse, and saying— "The mark that the foot of your horse has left upon the dust, serves me now for a crown. The ring which I wear as the badge of my slavery is become my richest ornament. While I have the happiness to kiss the dust of your feet, I shall think that fortune favours me with its tenderest caresses, and its sweetest kisses." This abject submission and fulsome flattery, we are told, was very pleasing to the proud conqueror. In many parts of the east the practice still exists of falling prostrate on the ground in the presence of great men, as a token of entire subjection to their authority. The preceding remarks are sufficient to prove that the words "his enemies shall lick the dust," signify that his enemies shall be completely subdued, and compelled to own his authority over them. The enemies of Christ will all be subdued either by his grace or by his justice. If they will not accept his offers of mercy, kiss his sceptre, and be made joyful in his salvation, he will make them "lick the dust." He will bring them down by the power of his justice. They cannot prosper if they will fight against the Lord. "His enemies he will clothe with shame," and he will reduce them to a state of entire subjection. We most earnestly advise and entreat all our readers to accept of the offers of grace-to yield to the influences of the Holy Spirit, which they have, and to give their hearts to our Lord Jesus Christ-to love and obey him. Thus they will secure his favour, and enjoy much happiness both in time and eternity. Christ must reign both over his friends and his foes. His friends will partake of his glory for ever in heaven; but his foes will be miserable for ever. MARTYRDOM OF JOHN BROWN, OF ASHFORD, KENT. IN the spring of 1517, the year in which Luther posted up his theses, a priest, whose manners announced a man swollen with pride, happened to be on board the passageboat from London to Gravesend, with an intelligent and quiet Christian of Ashford, by name John Brown. The |