obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Heb. iv. 14-16). On hearing this passage, the woman rushed up to the reader, and, snatching the book out of his hand, exclaimed, almost beside herself, "You wicked man, you have taken from me the most precious thing that I have still remaining of him! the treasure which I 66 در here an additional proof, oh, my Saviour, that Thou faithfully performest Thy consoling promise, If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you'" (John xv. 7). The particulars which the mother subsequently gave about her son proved, beyond all manner of doubt, that he had prize most of all !” Then casting a departed in peace, confident in the hasty glance at the book of which she assurance of his salvation freely_prohad so violently possessed herself, cured by the expiatory sacrifice of Jesus she dropped it on the floor, saying to Christ. Some few of these particulars herself, No, this is not my precious will form the best conclusion of this book: mine is torn, but this one is per- narrative. fect. Forgive me.' "Does your book, From the sad condition of the New then, resemble mine, my good woman? Testament shown to the colporteur, it and is it a legacy from your dear son ?" could be seen that the young soldier “Yes,” she said, "God be praised for had at first made use of the book to it!" The woman quickly left the room, light his pipe, as he had openly avowed; and went into an adjacent apartment. a shameful use truly of a book of which She very soon returned with a new Tes- he had got possession by so detestable a tament in her hand, of the same version trick. But this impious work of and of the same size as the one of which destruction was at length stopped, and the colporteur had been reading; but, the owner of the book had himself as she had said, the book was not com-related to his mother that this took plete, many pages having been torn out of it. The colporteur took hold of it, and opened it, when his eyes fell upon the following lines, written in very large letters :- 66 Received at- -the despised at first, and badly used, but afterwards read, believed, and made the instrument of my salvation. I. L. fusilier of the 4th company of the regiment of the line." : place on the evening before a battle in which his regiment was ordered to occupy the perilous post of the advance guard. At this critical moment, serious thoughts came into his mind in a very strange manner, and all of a sudden the words of the man whom he had tricked out of the book came to his recollection like a thunder-clap, and these words were, "It is a fearful thing to fall into At the sight of this inscription, the the hands of the living God!" "And colporteur put his hand to his forehead, if I should to-morrow full into His like a man who wanted to bring to re- hands!" exclaimed he, in an agony of membrance some fact which had mind. This thought haunted him withoccurred. Light very soon broke in out intermission during the whole of upon him an event, the details of the night, and in consequence, as soon which he had tried to bring together, as ever it became light in the morning, now returned to his memory as vividly he took from his knapsack the book as if it were at that moment taking which appeared to have become his place before him; the town where it had accuser, the terrible voice of which did occurred, the date, the contempt for not leave him a moment's repose. What the book so openly avowed, all these was his astonishment, when, instead of most plainly brought before his eyes the a host of threats which he expected to young mocker, from whom he separated read in the pages which still remained, while telling him of the terrible judg- he read appeals such as the following:ments to which he was exposing him-"God sent not His Son into the world self. The fervent prayer which he had to condemn the world, but that the offered up in his behalf to the throne of mercy and grace, then also came to his recollection; and, lifting his heart up to God, he said, Oh, my God! Thou art admirable in all Thy ways; and we have world through Him might be saved" (John iii. 17). "He that hath the Son hath life" (1 John v. 12). "For He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for our sins only, but also for the sins of the wise with the bodily health of the young soldier. After having been removed from hospital to hospital in a foreign land, there was a respite in his sufferings, which admitted of his being brought to France, and of his returning to his parental roof. It was there, more especially, during the six weeks which he was still permitted to spend on earth, that he glorified Him who had caused him "to pass out of darkness into light, and from the power of Satan unto God." His mutilated Testament was ever in his hand, for he had no other, and he sought to persuade his own mother, as well as every one who came near him, that one thing alone was needful, namely, to accept Jesus Christ as a Saviour; "for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mat. xvi. 26). To his very last breath, and as long as his voice could be heard, he exhorted, entreated, and besought all those whom he loved-and now he liad learned to love every one-not to run the risk of falling This last passage, which so thoroughly met the state of his conscience, bowed down by a weight that well nigh crushed it, deeply affected him. He turned it over and over in his mind, trying to find out its true meaning, until, at the sounding of the morning drum, he had to replace his book in his knapsack, fall into the ranks, and march away to meet the enemy. The struggle did not last long, but it was one of the most sanguinary description. At its close, our young soldier was among the number of those who lay scattered over the field of battle. A frightful wound placed him for several weeks on the very borders of the grave; but these were certainly weeks which were blessed for the good of his soul, since the verses of the Word of God which he had read in the morn-in an unconverted state into the hands ing of the day on which he was wounded, brought him to see the truth of this declaration of Jesus Christ, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life" (John v. 24). But while the health of his soul was visibly improved, it was wholly other of the living God; and at the critical moment, when his soul was about to quit his earthly tabernacle, it might, from the expression of happiness and delight which was on his countenance, have been said that, like St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, "he saw the heavens opened, and the glory of God, and Jesus Christ standing on the right hand of God" (Acts vi. 55, 56). The Book and its Missions. GOOD SAYINGS OF GOOD MEN. Free will establishes merit; free grace The shoulder (which is the working checks it. The sun is not beholden to part of the ox) was the priest's portion; us because we borrow light from it: or to show that God's ministers should the fountain because we draw water.-labour for what they receive, and not Manton. eat the bread of idleness.-Ryland. If a minister be erroneous, how should the flock be sound? No readier way to destroy a whole town than by poisoning the cistern at which they draw their water. Man lives by death. His natural life is maintained by the death of the creatures; and his spiritual and eternal life are owing to the death of his Saviour.Dyer. Do not be afraid to part with anything for Christ; it is unbelief that persuades you there is more pleasure, satisfaction, and happiness in anything than in Him.-Romaine. As, at the deluge, the waters covered the highest mountains, as well as the lowest hills; so pardoning mercy cancels the greatest sins, as well as the least.-Arrowsmith. WAYSIDE NOTES FOR THE OPENING YEAR. "How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!"—Zech. ix. 17. BELOVED in the Lord, elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, "Grace unto you, and peace be multiplied." Through the goodness and mercy of our covenantkeeping God, we are brought to stand upon the threshold of another year. With what feelings of self-loathing must we look back upon the now closed year, when we review our conduct. Oh! what a year of rebellion it has been. How have we struggled against the Lord's mind and will, and thought our plans best! Oh! what peevishness of spirit we have manifested when things have gone contrary to our wishes; but, on the part of the Lord, oh! what mercies vouchsafed, what compassion and long-suffering manifested! How great, has been His goodness and, in the unfoldings of the Holy Spirit, how great His beauty. And in such a review, dear reader, do we but echo your experience also? Well, let us then mingle our prayers for forgiveness; let us be found bathed in contrition of spirit at His footstool, beseeching Him to grant us more of that patient faith which shall make us submissive to His divine will, and cause us to throw ourselves entirely into His covenant arms, considering "Him faithful who hath promised." And now, beloved, in expressing a few thoughts upon the "great goodness" and "great beauty" of the Lord, we find that this twofold exclamation forms the climax of one of those Old Testament prophecies which foreshadowed the coming of our dear Redeemer; and the prophet, after calling upon the daughters of Zion to "rejoice greatly, for her King cometh," and after describing His character-His power-His lowliness as the God-man, and the glorious effect which would follow His work and mission upon earth, seems lost in admiration of Him, and can only sum up with this outburst of feeling, "How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!" And that, beloved, is just the climax we must come to again and again "How great is His goodness, how grea is His beauty!" Mark His great goodness in bringing you and me out of the horrible pit and miry clay, and setting our feet upon the Rock of Ages; but for sovereign, electing love, this would not have been the case. Only think of the millions of poor perishing mortals by whom we are surrounded; look at them as they eagerly press into the metropolitan theatres and places of amusement, night after night, at this season of the year, while upon the opposite pavement stands an unworthy worm of the earth, with uplifted heart, thanking his God that he is not among them. Why this difference? We can attribute it to nothing else than sovereign, electing love, and can only exclaim, "Oh! how great is His goodness!" 66 Certainly He did not find anything in us to admire. Sinful, hell-deserving creatures that we were and are still, it is amazing that He had anything to do with us, otherwise than to cast us out of His sight for ever; and it is amazing that He still bears with our peevish, naughty, sinful ways in the wilderness. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof," must be our language. But ah! there again His goodness shines forth, for His visits are love visits, not dependent upon our worthiness, but upon His mercy and grace. "I am not worthy, Lord, Sinful and self-abhorred ;" thou hast put that cry into my and yet "Still come, And it is the thought of the presence of Jesus that causes Zechariah, in this prophecy, to call upon the daughters of Zion to rejoice greatly, and to "shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; for behold, thy King cometh;" that is a blessed and substantial reason why they should re joice; yea, in personal participation, dear reader, can we point to one that there is no rejoicing in spirit unless has failed during the past year? They "the King" has come. Absent from may not have been realized just as we Jesus, and all is gloomy; but when He calculated upon, and we may have comes He proves Himself to be "the thought, in our rebellion, that His goodlifter up of my head." And then not ness would have been greater if displayed merely is His great goodness manifest just in the channel that we would have in setting us at liberty, and delivering had it run, but we must be brought to us from the power of hell and the bon-acknowledge, 'He hath done all things dage of sin, but in the great work of re- well." And surely a review of the demption completed for us; as the in- Lord's goodness during the past, can spired Psalmist, in the midst of all his but strengthen our faith in Him as a distresses, cries out in this self-same way, covenant-sustaining God for the future; Oh, how great is thy goodness which as David says, "I had fainted unless I thou hast laid up for them that fear had believed to see the goodness of the thee, which thou hast wrought for them Lord in the land of the living.' " "Wait that trust in thee before the sons of on the Lord, be of good courage, and men." And that work wrought out by a He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I precious Christ for His own elect family, say, on the Lord." And it is therefore however poor, foolish prattlers will dare that we need not approach the unfoldto say to the contrary, is a complete ings of another year with misgivings and work, and not as they make it out, a forebodings, but in a waiting and cheercomplete failure; no, no, it is wrought ful spirit; for whatever we may have for us by Jesus, and in us by the Holy seen of the goodness and beauty of the Spirit which brings us to this gracious Lord, be it our consolation to know we fact, wherein again His great goodness shall assuredly see "greater things yet." exhibits itself, that our religion is not Poor Jeremiah had seen a great deal what we can cast off, or we should have when he was thrust a second time into done so long ago, but it is a religion that prison; but the Lord said to him, will not cast us off; it has got fast hold Call unto me, and I will answer thee, of us and will not let us go. And why? and show thee great and mighty things, Because its author and finisher "ever which thou knowest not." There were to liveth." He continueth for ever an un- be greater revelations of the mind and changeable priest. "Wherefore He is able will of his God yet. And so, beloved, also to save them to the uttermost that depend upon it, the future will not be come unto God by Him, seeing He ever a blank page with us; it will be full of liveth to make intercession for them." displays of the Lord's grace, mercy, and Blessed " uttermost," the meaning of favour; so we do well to be of good which is, beloved, "throughout," per- cheer, as we turn over another leaf in fectly," "entirely," "altogether." And our eventful history, beholding it headed, depend upon it, our eternal security is "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, towrapt up in His eternal priesthood; for day, and for ever." Oh, then, let us if He ever liveth, so shall we; and if He look forward with joy to these daily unever intercedes, He will ever prevail; foldings of the blessed Spirit; He who and as He continues to prevail, so we alone can unfold the beauty of a precious continue to be preserved from destruc- Christ, and show us the loveliness of the tion; and not until He ceases to be a Church's Bridegroom. And let us now High Priest before the Father's throne, think a little of "His beauty." Oh, and ceases to pray for His own dear how great is His beauty! truly is He people, can one of them perish. This is the chiefest among ten thousand, and the firm conviction of our minds; this is the "altogether lovely." We are apt our daily comfort and consolation. Be- to say of a fellow-worm, how beautiful cause I live, ye shall live also." And are certain features of his countenance, when He dies, then shall we be destroy- but otherwise he is plain. Now, our ed, but not before. Oh, then, beloved, precious Jesus is altogether lovely; perhow great is His goodness! And then fection marks every feature, and if we again, "How great is His goodness" in may so term it, by way of figure, perfecthe fulfilment of His promises. Ah!tion marks every sense. With the mor 99 66 66 year that is before us (if we are spared) to be a marked year, ever to be remembered by us because of the daily unfoldings of a precious Christ to faith's view. Oh, to know more of Him! for "how great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty!" vous at the rustling of the leaves, but all will be right if we can but feel the hand of the Forerunner. It may be a mountain ahead of us, very high apparently, and very difficult to mount, but all is well. The hills melt like wax at the coming of the Lord, and the mountain becomes a plain before our great Zerubbabel. It may be a rough path, but it is a right path, leading to a city of habitation. Let us then advance; it is the same old beaten path of tribulation that the Bible prophets trod, and it is said of them, "These all died in the faith." And tal there may be a defect in the hearing, | alone can afford and produce. We or a weakness in the sight, or a failing want for you and for ourselves, for the in the speech; but our precious Jesus is without a blemish, a sinless, spotless Christ, the perfection of beauty; and His beauty imparted to His church, His graceful features shining upon His bride, and "she adorned as a bride for her husband." And then this prophecy before us displays the principal point of His And now, in conclusion, beloved, beauty to the sin-stricken, gazing be- what can we say, but "Oh, to grace liever, for it says, Behold thy King how great a debtor!" And shall we cometh," having salvation." Not a not trust in the God of all grace, in that mock dignity, like the Pope of Rome, which is before us? We stand upon who cometh amidst the people to dis- the vestibule of another period of time, pense blessings he needs himself, and and shall we not cheerfully and confihas no power to bestow; but the King dently enter the misty future. It may of kings, "having salvation." Himself appear a forest to us; we may hear the salvation in all its completeness; Him-louring of the wild beast, and be nerself having power to save, and there being salvation in no other; Himself "the great I AM." Oh! how great is His beauty! We can look upon Him with admiration; we can fall down at His feet to some purpose; because, if He, having salvation, dispenses blessings, they must be efficacious, and suited to the need and necessity. Hence says the Psalmist, "He raiseth the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the needy out of the dunghill, that He may set him among the princes of the earth," His own dear people. And then, while He came "having salvation," and completed all that was necessary in connexion therewith, when He returned to the bosom of the Father, He left the Comforter, who should reveal the blessings of that salvation to those for whom it was wrought. And we are very jealous, beloved, for the honour of the Holy Ghost, seeing the blessed third person in the glorious Trinity is so much despised. Depend upon it, if the Holy Spirit be not honoured, there will be no unfolding of the beauty of a precious Christ; man will know nothing of Him but as the Spirit shall reveal Him. We may have eloquent thoughts on Christ's life and death, sayings, and prophecies; but it will all be like so many feathers puffed before a balmy breeze, that fall harmlessly upon the stolid earth: we want the powerful manifestations of the Holy Spirit, the gracious outpourings of the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Remembrancer of Jesus. Oh! beloved, that we may feel more of that melting of heart that He "Should the year that now commences, With our Jesus we appear." And so, "brethren, we commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among all them who are sanctified." Beloved, pray for us, that, if spared, we may still use the pen to the glory of our covenant God; and that by such instrumentality, we may cast the bread of life upon the waters, which shall be found after many days, to the praise and |