has so long rent the church, and every person must see in Missionary and Bible Societies the only effective means of pulling down those partitions which have so long kept christians out of each other's embraces. There was nothing that the.writer of this sketch admired more in the character of Mr. Smith than that pure and fervent heart with which he loved real christians of all denominations. While he contended earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, where the fundamentals of christianity were concerned, he received to his very heart the humble, the good, and the pious of every denomination, though they might differ from him in some minor matters, And certainly this charitable disposition, next to ardent piety, ought to be a leading characteristic of every Missionary man. And no man ought to be employed by any denomination as a missionary who does not possess it."

It appears by Mr. Smith's journal that after he had travelled from Louisville to St. Louis by land, having passed by Vincennes and several other towns, distributing his Bibles and Testaments, and endeavouring to organize churches, and form Bible Societies, he again returned to Kentucky before he descended the river to Natchez and New Orleans. In the spirit of that charity of which we have just spoken, we find him in Frankfort, Kentucky, thus writing: "Mr. Noel mentions that the Baptist denomination in Kentucky have formed a Foreign Missionary Society; and have raised four or five hundred dollars. But at present they knew not how to appropriate their money. Party prejudices will not suffer them to send it to the British colonies in In

dia. O when shall the day come when men shall feel and act like brethren-when party prejudices shall no more alienate and divide-when man shall ravage no more-and when that kingdom which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, shall everlastingly prevail."

In another town in Kentucky we find him making the following notice in his journal: "On this occasion my emotions were peculiar. I found myself in a large town, containing 2 or 3000 inhabitants. Mr. Mills had been here two Sabbaths, and I two, and neither of us had been able to collect a congregation for the worship of God. I walked through the streets, indulging the reflections my situation inspired. The negroes were collected in groups, laughing and swearing. The boys were playing and hallooing through the town. A vast number of men were out in the skirts of the town, firing at the prodigious flocks of pigeons which were flying over. While the more moral and respectable gentlemen of the place were caly riding out into the country for amusement. Where am I in a christian or a heathen country. If in a beathen country, why is the first day noticed at all. If in a christian, why is it noticed with more noise, and profanity, and wickedness, than any other day of the seven.”

Here we cannot forbear indulging in the pleasing reflection, that times are much altered in the west since the years 1814-15, which is the date of Mr. Smith's journal. I imagine it would not be possible for any Missionary to spend two Sabbaths in any town in the western country without being pressed to preach

It

seems these two dear Missionaries could not obtain an audience in one of our large towns in which there are at this moment three large churches, and a considerable portion of the inhabitants regular and we hope devout worshippers.

I cannot forbear presenting the reader with Mr. Smith's reflections when he had arrived at the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi.

"The rivers of Western America are indeed wonderful. The Ohio, formed by the junction of the Monongahela and the Allegany, both large navigable rivers, receives in its course the waters of the Muskingum, the Kenahway, and the Miamies, the Scioto, the Kentucky, and the Wabash:-it then unites with the Cumberland and Tennessee, and rolls itself off, a mighty flood. The Mississippi, fed by a thousand tributary streams, receives the Illinois, and, passing on, unites with the tur bid Missouri, larger by far than itself. The congregated waters roll forward-meet those of the vast Ohio, and instantly swallow them up, scarcely seeming to be at all increased. At this interesting point I am now arrived. And gladly would I turn the attention of christian America to these mighty streams; not because I see on their banks unexampled fertility, and an inexhaustible source of wealth; but because their shores will one day be lined with an immense population—and because now is the time to sow the seeds of morality, and establish the institutions of religion, in this rising world. If the disciples of Christ do not, the men of Belial will occupy the ground. And then a century may pass away before they will be dispossessed."

The above reflections on our grand western waters; evince Mr. Smith to have been a man of taste and obser vation, and his concluding remark recommends itself to the understanding of every reflecting man. In new countries, and upon our frontiers, the temptations to a savage, and consequently irreligious habits, are very numerous. Hence the necessity of endeavouring to make religious institutions grow up with every new country. Another fact still more strongly impels to this course. In every new country there is likely to be a large portion of wild adventurers and greedy speculators. The baneful influence of their example can only be counteracted by the influence of religion.

The

When at New Orleans Mr. Smith thus writes: "This moment the cannon of the fort and of the frigate Louisiana are roaring to announce the confirmation of the news of peace. Every body rejoices. Indeed the inhabitants of this city, as well as of every other portion of the country, have great occasion for joy. change in their situation which a few weeks has pro duced is surprisingly great. On the 8th of January a powerful British army was within five miles of the town. While there was nothing to oppose it but a body of undisciplined militia, hastily collected on the spur of the occasion, and even fewer in number than the assailants But, by a remarkable concurrence of favourable circum stances, they not only successfully opposed the enemy, but they defeated him, and obliged him to flee to hir ships. While he was still lingering on the coast, evidently meditating another attack, the news of peace arrived. In all these circumstances and events, the hand

of Providence is surprisingly manifest;-so much so, that the thoughtless and even the profane are forced to acknowledge it. But that there should be so manifest an interposition in favour of such a place, is a mystery in divine providence."

A moment's reflection on the last thought in this quotation would have, to the active mind of Mr. Smith, suggested the fact that this marvellous interposition of providence was not in behalf of New Orleans alone, but eminently in behalf of the whole western country. Not a single person, not a single church, not a single school, not a single religious institution, west of the Allegany mountains, but was individually interested in the event of the memorable eighth of January, 1815.

I shall close my extracts from the journal of Mr. Smith's first tour to the west by the following short account of the manner in which the 600 Bibles, carried by Mr. Mills and himself, were disposed of and received by those to whom they were given.

"These Bibles have been very gratefully received; and we had only to regret that we had not, instead of 600, 6000, or even twice that number. The demand for them at the present time is very great. The Tennessee and Louisiana militia are continually calling for them, and manifest a great desire to obtain them. They say they would carry them home with them if they left a part of their baggage. But there is not a Bible to be sold or given away, as we can learn, in the city. Would that all the societies in the eastern states, and all christians could hear this."