district, a labourer called one forenoon, and handed me a note from his manager, who introduced the bearer in nearly the following terms:-'I beg to introduce to you the man Goodluck, who is a driver on this estate, and he is a very good man for religion, and I think he is a very fit person and will be of good service as a member of your church.' That was the commencement of our acquaintance. His conduct, regulated by a strict regard to truth and honesty, had gained for him the confidence of the writer of the note. Still he lacked one thing'-the one thing needful. But in March, 1835, our friend and fellow-labourer, Mr. Scott, came over from the West Coast to baptize our first-born. On the occasion of that visit he preached to my people from John iii. 16, 17, and the sermon was specially blest to our friend Day. Referring to that circumstance, during the time of his last illness, he said, 'O, yes, I got some light that day, about myself as a sinner and Jesus Christ as the Saviour, how those who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And then by reading in the New Testament, sent from the Bible Society, which I received on that same day, and by conversation with you from time to time, and by what I heard at chapel, I came to get more and more understanding of the way of salvation; yes, all that the Lord was pleased greatly to bless for the good of my soul.'"

A CONSCIENTIOUS OVERSEER.

"During the four years of the apprenticeship, he occupied the place of an overseer on the estate, and his services in that capacity were highly appreciated by his masters. It was then a very common practice, on coffee plantations, to work on the Sabbath day, during the crop time; but he would not consent to this desecration of that holy day, and the custom was forthwith abandoned. Misunderstandings between masters and people very frequently occurred, requiring the interference of the magistrates; but among the people under his influence that period passed away without any occasion for an appeal to the magistrate by either manager or labourers."

FRUITS OF CONVERSION. "Meanwhile our friend attended on the

means of grace with great regularity, assisted to the best of his ability in the Sabbathschool, and his own growth in knowledge and in grace was very apparent. His name is the first on the register of church members at this station; and through the whole course of his subsequent life he truly 'adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. His character, the high esteem in which he was universally held throughout the district, and his earnest desire to be employed in doing good, pointed him out as the most suitable person for occupying the post of native teacher at the station; and in 1840 he became connected with the Mission in that capacity, and thenceforth to the time of his death he was a most faithful and laborious servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was deeply sensible of his own deficiencies in knowledge and other qualifications required in a teacher of youth. By persevering application he had become able to read the Bible fluently, but the Creole Dutch having been the language in which, for nearly forty years, he had been accustomed to speak, he never could acquire anything like a good pronunciation, or grammatical expression, of the English language. Sometimes he enforced his exhortations to the young by a reference to his own case. " You see me,' he would say, for all I try, try hard to learn, I am only able to speak half-half-broken English, because I had not opportunity to learn when I was young like you. O, I wish I could come young again! But, thank God! I know what it is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and I can tell a'you young people too about what you must do to be saved. Listen to me, then, for though I cannot speak fine high-high words, the truth that I teach you is the same as the Bible teaches all men, black and white, poor and rich.' In the time of slavery the people had no surnames; but towards the close of the apprenticeship a proclamation was issued, requiring the general adoption of surnames by the then apprenticed labourers. He had taken the name 'Day;' and after he became connected with the Mission, it was suggested to him to adopt another Christian name instead of Goodluck. He earnestly inquired if it was a bad name, because if it was bad he would put it away, but if it was not bad he saw no reason for

changing a name to which he had been so long used."

IN LABOURS ABUNDANT.

"After the opening of our chapel at Mindenburg, in 1844, and the consequent division of my Sabbath-day labours between the two places, he superintended the Sabbathschool at the old station, and, every alternate Sabbath, conducted the worship in my absence. Respectable white people occasionally were present, but though he was a most humble-minded man, and rather diffident in his demeanour, he seemed quite at liberty and free from any sort of unpleasant restraint in addressing to all, just in his own way, the blessed truths of the gospel. Once and again, persons of that class happening to be on a visit to some of their friends residing in the neighbourhood, have attended our chapel, and there heard, for the first time in their lives, a black man, a real representative of the once enslaved, but now free labourer, preaching the glorious gospel of the blessed God' to his fellow men; and if such visitors were themselves piously disposed, a personal interview with the preacher usually followed, which invariably proved interesting to the strangers. Henry and Scott's Commentary (with the text), published by the Religious Tract Society, was procured for him soon after he became connected with the Mission as native teacher; and by hard, persevering application, he acquired an ability to peruse it with sufficient ease and intelligence to make it very serviceable to him in his work. He could and did read other books, from which, though unable to read them very fluently, he derived much knowledge that became available as occasion required. But the designation of Native Teacher,' by no means conveyed anything like a correct idea of his office and work. He was a most valuable assistant, not only in the school, but in any way, and every way, in which he could promote the interest of the station. He was daily in the school for five or six hours, but his work neither began nor ended there. His evenings and mornings were often spent in visiting the sick; settling any unpleasant differences that had arisen between members of the church-inquiring into the truth of any rumour that had reached him affecting the consistency of any of the people-col

lecting pecuniary contributions towards some special object that might happen to be on hand-conversing with applicants for church fellowship, and in various other ways in which his services might, from time to time, be required. And while he was thus a valuable assistant to the Missionary, he was not less the servant of the church in matters of minor importance. His life was, indeed, in this respect a beautiful illustration of the Saviour's words, 'He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief as he that doth serve.' Luke xxii. 26, "For the space of twelve years he was thus diligently occupied from day to day; and during that long period I never, in one instance, found him to diverge in the slightest degree from truthful, upright Christian principle. If on any occasion I felt suspicious of his having done or said something wrong, such suspicion invariably proved to have been entirely groundless-a mistake, an error in judgment he might have committed; but never, never a known breach of Christian morality. The utmost confidence was placed in him by the people, in regard to their own pecuniary matters, and as the medium of conveying their contributions to the funds of the station. Many of them deposited with him their savings and such documents as they deemed it important to have lodged in a place of security; and after his death all such deposits of money were found to have the owner's name carefully put up with each.

"The thought often crossed my mind that he seemed like one who believed and felt, or had some premonition, that his work would soon be done, and was therefore resolved, by the grace of God, to do with all his might whatsoever his hand found to do. It may seem incredible, but in reviewing the whole period of his connection with the station as native assistant, I cannot recollect ever to have observed him passing away an idle hour. When not employed, as has been already stated, he would be hard at work in his garden, away at his provision ground, cutting fire-wood, weeding grass in the chapel-yard, cleaning out a trench, or doing whatsoever else he found needful to be done about the premises. And when not employed in out-door work, he might be heard reading aloud to his wife, and whoever else might

hands.' On the afternoon of the same day, I called to see him, and on my inquiring how he was, he said, 'O I am happy, happy-I feel no pain at all, only more weak; but I am very happy.' Having sat up on the bed, he began to speak of the knowledge of Christ 'I cannot say I know much; but I know that I have often thought how high and deep the knowledge of Christ is. Many think that, when they know a little of Christ, to be admitted a member of the church, that is enough; but I think that, if we know him truly in our hearts, we shall find there is so much, much more of him to be known, that, if I were to live ten thousand years, I could never fathom it all. The more we know of him, and think of him, we see still more and more that we want to know. O what a great message the Gospel is. I was just talking to my wife about it this forenoon. What a great good the Gospel is! And unless people do believe in Christ as the Gospel teaches, they cannot be Christians. No-to be a be

liever, and to be a Christian, is the same thing. But people trust too much to something else than in Christ only.' He spoke of his baptism, and how ignorant he then was, and how the light came to his soul when he heard Mr. Scott's sermon, on John iii. 16, and how that light gradually increased under the stated means of grace. He continuedOI have learned much how good it is to have patience patience, and that has been a great blessing to me among the people, and at home too; but my wife has been a good, good wife to me. She never, like some females, took on debt-no-not a stiver, for anything. And the gospel has made us both happy. If I must leave her; well, we know the parting must come, and the Lord's time and way is the best. I often have prayed to God, when walking by myself, to give me patience with the people, that I might not be soon vexed, and he graciously heard me, and kept me patient. So I never get angry with them; but tell them everything easy-sa-a-fly -and don't mind, suppose they be in a passion and speak rough.' He then referred to the repairs of the chapel, regretting that, since he was unable to go out, those who used to give him their contributions had drawn back. I advised him to lie down, and not continue to speak more. He lay down,

and then grasped the arm of one of his old friends-formerly a fellow-slave on the same estate-who was sitting at the head of the bed, and said, 'When you came in, I was speaking to this man about his soul. He is an industrious man, and does not drink, or live bad in any way now; but he is careless about his soul. He does not know Jesus Christ; and all his living is only for this world; but what good will the world do him, if he lose his immortal soul? O, yes, that is the one thing needful, the salvation of the soul.'

"July 4.-This was the Sabbath, on which he had wished to have, once more, the privilege of speaking a few words to the people about providing means for repairing the chapel. When I saw him in the morning, he said he felt better, having got some sleep during the night. But he spoke very little to those who called to see him during the day, being anxious, as we afterwards learned, to avoid everything that might distract their minds during the sacred services of the Sabbath, and to enjoy himself that quiet in which he wished to pass the day of the Lord, seeing he was not permitted to unite with his brethren in its public exercises.

"On Monday morning, many of the people came to see him, and now, he had a word for all, speaking to them individually, when he thought any of those present required some special counsel, and exhorting all to cleave unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. In the afternoon he sent for me. Speaking with great animation, he said the Lord had graciously strengthened him to speak to his fellow-sinners to day, especially to the females. 'Yesterday morning,' he said, 'I felt very happy, when I saw the young man come, early in the morning, to take the key to open the chapel. I have not told any person, not even my wife; but, on Saturday, I prayed that the Lord would spare me over the Sabbath, that my illness or death might not, in any way, interfere with the public worship of God; and that the members of the church might come together to remember the dying love of the Saviour.' He then burst into tears and said, 'O! what a blessing the Gospel has been to the people in this district, and especially to me, a poor unworthy sinner! I know I must die; whe

ther now or some time after this; but the Lord has been good and kind to me, and I know he will never leave me nor forsake me. I felt strong this morning, and when some of my friends were here, we had worship, end I read the lxxviith Psalm, and prayed with them. There is a question in that Psalm, and the answer of the psalmist exactly suited

me.

You will find it beginning at the tenth verse.' I turned up the Psalm and read from that verse. He repeated, very emphatically, Who is so great a God as our, our God!' He then continued, O, Mr. Rattray, if I die, I know you are going to say something to the people; but don't exalt me-don't speak of what I have done. I am a poor unworthy sinner! Exalt the Saviour! To him be all the praise!-O yes! to him be all the glory! If I am found in him, O, that is all my hope and all my desire.' Throwing his arms around my neck, he said, 'You must not cry, my dear minister! you must not cry! I am happy-too, too happy!—I have no pain, and I have a good bed to lie upon. The Saviour had nowhere to lay his head! and then, he died a painful death upon the cross.' He wished to rise and engage in prayer, 'short, not too long.' I suggested that he had better remain in bed, as he was so weak-' No!' he exclaimed, not now, I am quite strong enough, don't be afraid. What! Jesus Christ kneeled all night on the mountain, on the cold ground. I wont kneel on my soft-soft bed to pray when I am able to get up.' He kneeled by the bed-side, and prayed most fervently for all the people, especially for the young; for his 'poor wife,' for his minister and his family; and poured out his fervent thanks to God for the glorious gospel of his grace. He seemed to have been wonderfully strengthened that day, much beyond what he had been for two or three days previously; but, from that time, his debility increased so

fast, that, though he could reply to any inquiry, it seemed to require an effort to speak for more than a few minutes at a time. But it was evident with what pleasure he could still listen to the reading of a portion of God's word, and join in prayer, when any one engaged in these exercises by his bed-side. One day he would seem to be somewhat revived. Again, a sleepless night would be succeeded by a day in which he complained of being weary all over." "

THE CLOSING SCENE.

"He continued thus gradually to decline, till, on the 29th of July, when, just as I had dismissed the school, in the afternoon, I was hastily called to see him. On entering the room, I found his weeping wife kneeling beside him, with one of his hands clasped between hers. One of the deacons of the church was standing at the head of the bed, which, for convenience, had, for some days, been spread on the floor. He was breathing softly, as if in a very deep sleep. I took hold of his hand, which was lying above his head on the pillow, just as if in that posture he had gone to rest. It had the chill of death upon it. For a few moments we kneeled in prayer at his pillow; and while we were thus engaged, his spirit left the earthly house of this tabernacle.' All was still. Without a sigh or struggle he fell asleep.' 'Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!'

"At the time of his death he was fifty-two years of age. His only surviving relative is the bereaved widow, now left in a very helpless state, having been for two or three years past much afflicted with rheumatism. She will be almost entirely dependent on Christian friends for the means of support. May God be her stay and support, and put it into the hearts of those who have the means to help and comfort her!"