him from bestowing the cup of cold water, when that was the thing most needed. On his journies to and from Bristol, if he saw a weary man or woman by the way-side, he would offer them a seat in his gig, and always gave a book or tract at parting, from a number that he carried with him. He would sit by the bed-side of the suffering and desponding, pray with them, exhort and comfort them. If by chance he had administered too severe a rebuke, he would ask forgiveness for it even from the workman of the most humble rank. It was this delicacy of feeling, perhaps, that won the love which mere gifts of gold cannot purchase. We must leave without notice his public benefactions, which were numerous and liberal. Although he was born and educated in the faith of the Wesleyan Christians, and taught all the doctrinal opinions of that body, his liberality was not confined to his own sect. He assisted the Independents in building a chapel, and acted harmoniously with the church clergyman, in all his plans of good for the parishioners, often giving him money to distribute to the needy whom he might meet with in his pastoral visits. Among several valuable societies to which he subscribed liberally, was the Kingswood Young Men's Association, which was partly composed, in the first place, of some of the worst characters in the village, and it required considerable tact on his part to induce them to become members. They were notorious Sabbath-breakers, and altogether suitable objects for one to exercise his influence upon, who had in early life felt an almost irresistible desire to preach the Gospel to the heathen. Regarding the sinful as "the poor, the maimed, the halt and the blind," whom our Saviour recommended to the hospitality of his followers, he called them from the highways and hedges. He distributed tickets for a tea-party at his own house, to a hundred of the most dissolute young men that could be found. They went; but fearing that they should be compelled to stay to a prayer meeting, they determined to partake of the good cheer, and start off directly tea was over. As they were about to carry their intention into execution, Mr. Budgett rose and said, that he did not call them together merely to give them a repast, but he wished to make them a present of fifty pounds, and he wanted their advice as to the best manner of using the money. After a very long discussion, controlled with great judgment by the host, it was agreed that it should be applied to the formation of a society, to be called the Kingswood Young Men's Association. Many of them, hitherto outcasts from all society but that of the depraved, were put upon the list, and the time of meeting was fixed for Sunday evenings, in the chapel vestry. About sixty attended regularly, and were stimulated by rewards to cultivate their moral and mental faculties. If Mr. Budgett had never done any other good deed, this ought to be engraven in letters of gold; for with God's help, he saved these youths from a life of sin and misery, and probably rendered their lives a blessing to themselves and others. Encouraged by success, he formed a similar society for the benefit of young women. It is not to be supposed that the Successful Merchant was free from failings, but he was conscious of them, and strove to overcome them by self-watchfulness, prayerful resolutions, and active energy; and this is all that God expects from his frail and erring children. So deep a sense had he at times of his own unworthiness, that he would decline preaching on the Sunday, "lest while teaching others, he should be a cast-away." He felt in its full force that warning of our Saviour, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!" He sometimes lamented his hastiness of temper, his neglect of duty, his inconstancy of mind, and the weakness of his faith. The want of time was never a plea for neglecting his religious duties. Reflection and meditation taught him what Hannah More has so forcibly said, "He who cannot find time to consult his Bible, will find one day that he has time to be sick: He who can find no time to reflect, is most likely to find time to sin ?” men. In the month of November, 1850, the first symptoms of dropsy made their appearance, and this disease carried him to the grave in the following April. He experienced none of the bitterness of feeling which induced the rich and worldly Solomon to exclaim, "All is vanity and vexation of spirit!" He had used the world as not abusing it; with rare exception he had applied his wisdom and riches to worthy purposes, and he had also, with rare exception, sought the approbation of God rather than the praise of About a week before his death, he partook of the Sacrament, and joined with enthusiasm in the hymn that was sung after the service was concluded. “He appeared,” said a friend who was present on the occasion, " in a perfect ecstacy of joy and triumph, and continued to utter the most joyful expressions of faith in Christ, and hope of Heaven." He afterwards requested his family to unite with him in singing another hymn. They remonstrated with him for exerting himself so much, but he replied, "O no, there is no chance of recovery; nothing will hurt me now; I am going home; nothing can hurt me now, and I thank God I am ready to go this moment, or am willing to wait longer. If it were put to my choice now, whether I would live for a few years longer to enjoy increased riches and multiplied friends, or whether I would go home at once, I could no more choose, than go into a foreign country that I know nothing about." He took great interest in the young, and anxious thoughts for many friends who were just entering the battle-field of life, somewhat depressed his spirits. He sent many kind messages to the absent, and gave gentle exhortations to all around him, to value. "all things as dross, compared with the one thing needful." A lady, who assisted in nursing him, has preserved a short address which he made to a nephew, to induce him to put faith in God's promises. Suppose," he said, "that you wished to buy some sheep of me, and I had promised to let you have them; you would believe they were yours, though they were in my field, as much as if you had them in your own, because I had promised them; so you must believe that God will give you the blessings you require of him." 66 The last request that he made was, that five sovereigns might be given to four members of his class. He was then sitting up; but shortly after, feeling more ill, he went to bed. A sudden expression of pain escaped him, a short convulsive struggle followed, and he then "peacefully passed on." He died in the faith of the Wesleyan Church. To all, rich or poor, his example is instructive. Few of us can acquire his wealth, but all may endeavour to imbibe his spirit, and like him, obey the injunction of the Apostle, "Whether therefore ye eat, or whether ye drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God." S. L. SONNET. "Nevertheless, when it shall turn unto the Lord, the vail shall be taken away." So would we, blessed Lord, turn unto thee, ANECDOTES OF TRACTS AND TRACT DISTRIBUTORS. No. I. THE Religious Tract Society, founded in 1799 by Rev. George Burder, of Coventry, is now a very large association, with paid and unpaid agents not only in both Continents, but in Australia, and most of the islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Men of eminent piety have from time to time rendered it valuable pecuniary and literary assistance, and in 1849, when it had been established half a century, it had issued five hundred millions of tracts, some of which had been translated into one hundred and ten languages and dialects. Members of all classes, not completely destitute, may assist in the spread of moral and religious principles by lending or giving tracts, and although there is scarcely any part of our Master's vineyard in which so little perceptible fruit rewards the labourer, we have abundant proofs from the reports of this large society, that admirable effects have been produced by tracts on individuals who might otherwise have remained for ever in the bondage of sin. As an encouragement to the young to go on sowing good seed, we have selected a few anecdotes of the valuable effects of tract distribution, when there seemed little prospect of any good result; and we have inserted some short notices of tract distributors with the hope that the loiterers in the market place, half willing to be hired, may put aside all imaginary obstacles, and join in this portion of their Saviour's work. They are abridged from a volume entitled, "The Jubilee Memorial of the Religious Tract Society." "A few years since, a gentleman staying at Hastings was about to join a prayer meeting, when he perceived a group of soldiers standing near the chapel. He put his hand on the shoulder of one, saying, There is a prayer meeting, come in-who can tell but a little leaven will leaven the whole lump?' They declined to enter, but accepted a few tracts which he offered them. About two years after this, when staying at Eastbourne, where a regiment of soldiers was stationed, he was surprised at a request from one of them of a few religious tracts for the sergeant who was then on guard. The next morning the sergeant himself called on him, and reminded him of the incident that occurred on the steps of the chapel. 'You tapped me on the shoulder and said, Come soldiers, who can tell but a little leaven may leaven the whole lump? We did not go in, but you gave us some religious tracts which I bless God for. Ours is an immoral regiment, but through your tracts we may reckon on twelve or fourteen praying men in the regiment.' Among the audience who attended a meeting of the Auxiliary Society at Boston, was a poor hedger and ditcher, who, from a hurt in his hand, had been rendered incapable of work. He found from the speeches and reports that the society was an important one, and that it had subscribers in most places in Lincolnshire, but that there was not even one in Holbeach, the very large parish in which he resided. He was annoyed at what he regarded as a disgrace, and the thought crossed his mind that he might do something towards obtaining subscribers. He purchased a copy of the Boston Gazette, containing a report of the speeches, that he might read them to his friends on his return; but they turned a deaf ear to him. He was not a man to be easily deterred, however; and he walked back to Boston, a distance of eighteen miles, to receive directions from the secretary as to the best mode of proceeding. With a large bundle of reports and tracts he went his way, lending them or giving them as circumstances required, and with little assistance, he obtained a hundred subscribers during the year. After he had recovered from his hurt and could return to work, he employed himself during the frosts of winter in "tracting," as he called it, and travelled many scores of miles to distribute tracts without any remuneration. was distressed to find that in the annual report of the society his labours were to be noticed, and would only consent to it on the representation, that other hard-working labourers might be stimulated by his example. He An old vendor of tracts, when visiting a depository at Stroud, related the following fact:-"As I passed through a village in Yorkshire, I asked a poor woman to buy a religious tract. She refused. I turned round and threw one in at the door, and the wind carried it under the table. The man of the house came home, saw it, took it up, and read the title, The Wonderful Advantages of Drunkenness; he left his dinner, and put it in his pocket. After he got to his work, he read it. In the evening his companions missed him at the alehouse; and when they saw him they enquired where he was on the preceding evening. He said he had been reading a religious tract. On giving this account of himself, they all laughed, and said he was going to turn Methodist. His neighbours said, John P. was sober last night, which quite surprised them, as this seldom occurred. But from this time he kept from the public-house, and began to pay his debts. His wife told all who enquired about him, that the cause of this great change was reading a religious tract, which a poor man had thrown in at their door. After being away two years, I returned to that neighbourhood again. I stopped at a public-house, about two miles distant from the village before named, |