homes of the working-classes, particular attention being paid by me to those who are ill and drawing nigh to death. I am always received with affection and cordiality, and I have reason to believe that my labours have not been in vain. In five evenings each week I hold prayermeetings, generally well attended; and in connection with two of these there is a Band of Hope meeting before the one for prayer, which receives from me constant attention. Once each month there is a large gathering of children in our school-room, generally presided over by the Rev. Mr. W———. Addresses are delivered on the subject of Temperance, and the children are trained to sing temperance melodies. These meetings are ever interesting. I am a member of the Rev. Mr. W―'s Bible-class, and my attendance thereat fits me to take an active part in the Sabbath-school, in the prosperity of which I am deeply interested. I am now entirely devoted to my work as town missionary."

The excellent minister who superintends this evangelist, writes concerning him as follows:

"Mr. C― is, I hesitate not to say, one of the most earnest and useful workers I have ever known. He is most abundant in labour."

PRESENT SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES.

It cannot be too widely known, that our brethren, the Congregational pastors and evangelists in Ireland, at the present moment need, as they scarcely needed before, the sympathy of their more fortunate brethren in England and Scotland. The "Irish Church" question, whilst promising most certainly to facilitate their work in its future results, has, with equal certainty, in its present progress and influence, exposed them to peculiar trials. Nothing can exceed the ran

corous hostility of the Protestant ascendancy party to our brethren, simply on account of their firm, though quiet, and unobtrusive maintenance of the spirituality and voluntariness of the Saviour's kingdom. The following letter from an able and devoted minister in Ireland-though not intended for publication-is here given, as an illustration of what many of our brethren there have to encounter:"I suppose it is right that you and our committee should be informed of our condition after the recent terrible struggle which has passed in our borough election. For a good while past, in the course of my intercourse with our people, my influence, as far as it was right and prudent to interfere, has been uniformly in favour of the Liberal policy, yet without much practical result. The explanation is various former training, and the donations given by leading members of the ascendancy party in this town and neighbourhood, to aid the Church-the dependance of some of of our people upon them in the business of life, and especially the strength and bitterness of party spirit that has been cherished here for long enough. Several of our people regard the present contest as one simply and solely between Popery and Protestantism, and they believe that to vote for a Liberal here, is to become the tools of the priests, and to play false to their own religion! In the course of the canvass the Tory candidate, accompanied by some friends in town, waited on me to solicit my vote. I spoke out my mind to him with frankness and candour; told him that I did not believe in State-Churches; that I regarded Disraeli's policy as bad and mischievous, and that I could consent to vote for him only on three conditionsfirst, that the candidate would support Gladstone's policy for Disestablishment; second, that he would vote

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'As my help to them must have appeared hopeless on the ground of conviction and argument, other means were tried to catch me. I was informed that the trustees of the KEstate (to be the candidate's soon) contemplated an endowment for our congregation; that I might get a town park for my cow, if I would apply; and other means were used, which have annoyed me a good deal. I told one of the leaders of the party that no consideration would induce me to support his candidate.'

"Well, what about the consequences of the stand made against intolerance here? It is a ground for complaint, that I did what none of the ministers before me did, and those who were my good friends in days gone by, are angry with me. Some of my own people are by no means pleased, and it seems not improbable that the congregation may be made still smaller than it was, for, as the election approached, some who attended frequently have kept aloof. Our Church funds are likely to suffer considerably, and, what is still worse, my work seems to be quite stopped at a most interesting station. For more

than three years I have conducted a week-evening service at C, some distance in the country, where there are several Protestant families, and no place of worship. The congregation has been good-a large room often crowded-and very steady; and the people were so much interested, and so much did they value the services, that at last Christmas they gave me a copy of Alford's Greek Testament. But how is it now? On last Sabbath evening an intelligent and cautious member of our Church from that quarter told me that he heard, 'they declared they would never come to hear me again, because I refused to vote for -.' And so far they have kept their word, for when I visited the place on last Wednesday evening not one of the people in that quarter came to the meeting! Many of them, I am informed, are Orangemen, and they are notorious for their bigotry and intolerance.

"I may add that I do not suffer alone in this town. The Presbyterians and Wesleyans, who took part with the Liberal candidate, are involved in obloquy and trouble too."

Will not the friends of Ireland, of Protestantism, of Christ, help the Committee with their prayers and their substance, to sustain, encourage, and multiply the brethren who are labouring so self-denyingly to benefit the sister island?

WORK, FOR THE

WORK, for the night is coming, Work through the morning hours, Work while the dew is sparkling,

Work 'mid springing flowers; Work when the day grows brighter, Work in the glowing sun; Work, for the night is coming,

When man's work is done. Work, for the night is coming, Work through the sunny noon; Fill brightest hours with labour, Rest comes sure and soon.

NIGHT IS COMING!

Give every flying minute

Something to keep in store;
Work, for the night is coming,

When man works no more.
Work, for the night is coming,
Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing,
Work, for daylight flies.
Work till the last beam fadeth,

Fadeth to shine no more;

Work while the night is dark'ning,
When man's work is o'er.

THROUGH EVIL AS WELL AS GOOD.

We must love the truth, not only when we can live by it; when we can get advantage by it; but then also, when it must live upon us, when it must have our estates, our peace, our names, our liberties, our lives to live upon, and to be maintained by: we must follow Him when we must deny our selves, and take up our cross when we must thoroughly deny our selves; for the word in the original is a compound, noting more than a single, more than an ordinary self-denial; when we must take up our cross, not choose what cross we are willing to meet with; to think if it were such an affliction that such a man hath, I could bear it, but I know not how to bear this; but it must be our cross and willingly taken up and that daily too; we must be willing to follow Him through the wilderness. If the Lord will lead us through the fire, and through the water, yet we must follow Him there; if He will lead us where fiery serpents and scorpions are, yet we must follow Him there.

WORLDLY POLICY.

The King of Navarre told Beza, he would launch no further into the sea, than he might be sure to return safe into the haven; though he showed some countenance to religion, yet he would be sure to save himself. Many think it wisdom not to venture all in one bottom. It was once the speech of a deep politician, that it was good to follow the truth, but not to follow it too near at the heels, lest it dash out his brains. Ananias and Sapphira would be Christians, they would join with the Apostles, they saw great things were done by them; their possessions must be sold, and the money laid at the Apostles' feet; but something must be reserved in case they should want after

wards, and then repent them they had gone so far, when it should be too late; and this is the very root of Apostasy. But it is otherwise with a sincere heart that follows God fully; in such a one there is a holy kind of desperateness, so to cast itself upon God and His ways, as never to expect any comfort, any good, but there.

UNSOUND BEGINNINGS.

Unsound beginnings in the profession of Religion, are a cause why men do not fully follow after the Lord; their hearts are not thoroughly broken, nor deeply humbled, the truths of God not deeply rooted at first, their souls not well principled, the foundation not well laid: If men be not well principled at first, in their entrance in the ways of God, they are like to prove but shufflers and bunglers in Religion all their days. If cloth be not well wrought at first though it shows fair in the loom, yet it will shrink when it comes to wetting. The cause why many do so shrink in the wetting when they come to suffer anything in the ways of Religion; it is, because their hearts are not well wrought at first.

OUR OWN RESOLUTIONS.

One cause that hinders men in following God fully, it is, going out in the strength of their own resolutions, not in any strength that they receive out of the fulness of Jesus Christ; they trust more to their own promises than to God's. Luther reports of Staupicius, a German divine, that he acknowledged of himself, that before he came to understand aright the free and powerful grace of Jesus Christ, that he vowed and resolved a hundred times against some particular sin, and never could get power over it; at last he saw the reason to be, the trusting to his own resolutions.

On another occasion, after the labours of the Sabbath-day, I laid me down upon my bed to sleep, and in my sleep I dreamed another dream.

I thought I saw a young girl, from twelve to fourteen years of age. I noticed that she stood by a small door, wishing and trying to enter. She tried much, but without avail. Then she stood still and wept. I thought that she would break her heart if she continued to weep like that.

Some one passing by came and asked her what she wanted, and why she was so miserable, and bade her not sit there, whining and crying about nothing.

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Sir," said the young girl, "I want to get in at this door. I must get in. I will get in. I will die, rather than not get in."

The man went away laughing.

Presently I noticed, after she had cried a great while, that two friends, who stood just inside the gate, came out and asked what was the matter? They then told her how she might succeed. She had several bundles fastened about her person. 6. These," they said, "we must take away. Unless you will let them go, you cannot enter at this door. If you will allow us to remove them for you, we will, and then you will get through."

Hereupon I heard the child say, ". I feel that my natural heart is reluctant to part with these bundles, for they contain what is very precious to me, nevertheless I would give up everything to get in. Pray help me, kind sirs."

Now I noticed that they began to untie one bundle after another. There were many of them, and they took up so much room, that I wondered where the poor child had got them from, or

how she could carry them, and who had been so cruel as to tie them to her person.

These two friends soon stripped her, and although the door was very small, yet I perceived that, to her great delight, she now easily passed through.

Hereupon she fell to singing, so sweetly and so merrily, that the surrounding woods and groves and mountains, were echoing with her voice on every hand. The words that she sang were simple. They were these:

Oh ! I am glad

I've pass'd the door.

Go back again!
No, never more.

I'll forward run

If rough's the way,
Onward I'll press,

To heaven's bright day.

As soon as she got within this door, I noticed that the two friends who had helped her through, introduced her to a queenly-looking person, who made her many presents. It seemed to me that she must be very rich, because she lavished jewels and precious things, after a most princely fashion.

Now I observed that the girl seemed somewhat bashful, and put the presents from her, saying, "If you please, you cannot intend them for me. My parents are humble. We live in a lonely cottage at home. There is scarcely any furniture there. Besides, I am so poor, and so ignorant, and so wicked, that I am not worthy of such gifts.

To these remarks this queenly person replied: "That which I offer to you, my child, belongs to me. These jewels I freely bestow. Receive them, O my daughter, and rejoice."

Then the girl took the gifts, and she forthwith burst out singing again, more sweetly than ever :—

What riches are these,
O fortunate child!

A crown for my head,
A heart undefiled.
I've houses and lands,
And balmy bowers,
A country so full

Of sweet scent flowers.

I've kingdoms and crowns
That never decay,
I've riches untold,
Which I shall display.
I've promises great,
Exceedingly rare,
Jewels of splendour,
Awaiting me there.
I must not delay,
But forward I'll go;
I'll fight with the sin

That hampers me so..

With a glad heart I noticed that she proceeded on her way.

After a time I saw that she had to wade through certain waters that lay along the route. They were sometimes deep, oft-times muddy. I perceived what seemed to me, dense shadows flying here and there over the surface of the waters.

The girl with great courage went through. I saw that when these shadows came and floated over her, an expression of pain rested upon her countenance. Oft-times, but especially when they were flying about, I observed that she took a sip from a bottle that she carried in her bosom. Also she sent a winged messenger from her, to a great distance. Who he was, or whither he went, I could not tell. This I learnt, that she afterwards always began to smile, and to sing. These are the words which formed the theme of her song on one occasion :

From my bottle I sip,
When my heart is sad.
I find it revives me,
And soon makes me glad.

My messenger goes

All times of the day,
Rich mercies to bring me,
From lands far away.

I cannot tell you everything which I saw in my dream, as it would make my tale too long. One thing I must not forget.

I noticed as the girl went on her way, that in some mysterious manner, very many sparks, or balls of fire, very brilliant and beautiful, as if they had burst forth from a rocket, were continually thrown off from her soul. These I observed not to die out, as I supposed they would, but to burn on with an enduring splendour. I dreamed that after the lapse of centuries they had lost none of their brightness. As these brilliant and beautiful flames, or balls of fire, went forth from her, I saw that she began to sing again, more sweetly than ever. I could not catch the words, and my soul was much grieved on this

account.

In my dream I thought that there suddenly burst upon my sight the outlines of a glorious city.. "And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was a jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald: the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte ; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz ; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl and the street of the city was pure gold.”—(Rev. xxi. 18—21.)

On coming to the entrance of the city, I looked and saw those who lived there walking about its golden streets. They all wore crowns upon their heads. I saw, too,in the distance, a splendid white throne, and One sitting thereon. There were such numbers in the place that no man could count them. And I thought, would God that I were there!

Among those who had passed in at the gate, was one who, looking back, spoke to me. I could not understand what she said, although I could see from her earnestness of manner that it was of much concern.

Hereupon I dreamed that my grief was great. Whilst wondering at the things