INDEX.

THE

FRIENDLY VISITOR.

EDITED BY THE REV. C. CARUS-WILSON.

A NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS.

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A happy new year to all our friends! We feel it to be a great cause of thankfulness that we are able to address our Readers once more at the beginning of a year, and that God has both spared life and has prospered our little periodical so far. Hitherto," we may say, "hath the Lord helped us." Few publications of this sort have been so long before the public; and few (we have every reason to believe) have been so well received and so much blessed. It is not seldom that we receive testimonials of its usefulness; and often do friends write to beg that we will never give up. It is true that we have had some fears on this point; but we are thankful to be able to say (and we are sure that our Readers will be glad to hear it), that we have been increasing in the number of our supporters considerably of late. This is the main thing that must keep us going-the individual effort of our friends to increase our circulation, as old friends die off, and the excessive competition of new periodicals of the same sort, year after year presses upon us.

But, so long as God is pleased to continue the existence of the FRIENDLY VISITOR, the next great thing that we long for is, that He will bless it, and make it useful. Who can

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tell where our pages are scattered in the course of the year? They find their way into the school and the cottage kitchen; into the poor man's sick room, and the servants' hall of the great house; into the prisoners' cell, and the drawing-room of many rich and great people. They go out to our soldiers abroad, and to our vast colonies of Canada and Australia. Who can tell the places which they visit, or the persons to whom they speak, all over the world?

Pray, then, dear Reader-pray for us, and remember us in your prayers; that God's Holy Spirit may be with us, may go out with us, and may use us as an efficient instrument for the gathering in of His eternal harvest. To know that we have many praying friends-this, indeed, will add not a little to the happiness of our labours this new year.

"SHE HATH DONE WHAT SHE COULD.”

MARK xiv. 8.
(For the New Year.)

lance and found wanting." Whilst of the poor, erring Canaanitish woman, who was shunned and loathed of men, the Son of God said, "She hath done what she could." And though the outward act was small, it was accepted in His sight, because it proceeded from the heart of faith.

COMFORTING and cheering words for all those who wish to love and serve God, when we call to mind who the speaker of them was, and what was the occasion on which they were spoken. The speaker was Jesus Christ, who saw and knew the innermost thoughts; the occasion was that, when a poor woman who had been a great sinner, was reproved by the Pharisees for washing and anointing her Lord's feet. Now, in itself, her act was what in the world we should call nothing; and yet by the Searcher of all hearts she was pronounced to have done what she could. Of the great and mighty king Bel- Amongst the multitudes who shazzar, feasting amongst his throng this earth, there are but courtiers, surrounded with luxury, few to whom it is given to shine and mighty in earthly pomp and as glorious lights; but we here grandeur, it was said in the midst see that, in order to be acknowof all this state and greatness, ledged by Christ, this is not ne"Thou art weighed in the ba-cessary, and that, through His

Now these are comforting words, because they show us that, to be acceptable in God's eyes, it is not necessary that we should work any great or mighty acts, but that the humble, penitent, faithful heart is what He prizes.

infinite mercy, there are none who may not be accepted by Him. Let us but try and ascertain the one point, that "we have done what we could ;" and, having ascertained that, let us rest patient and happy at our Lord's feet, always remembering that we are saved, not by any merits of our own, but by the blood of Jesus Christ; eternal life being the free gift of God.

The same spirit pervades all our Lord's teaching. Does He speak of charity? Whose gift represented so acceptable as the widow's mite? And, again, more strongly to enforce the value of the willing heart upon us, does He not say, that "whosoever giveth even a cup of cold water in the name of the Lord shall not lose his reward?" And, again, in all gifts he enjoins, "that there should be first a willing mind."

it cannot be said of you, "She hath done what she could."

Your money, however small the portion entrusted to you may be--has the widow's mite ever been remembered here? Has the effort of your life been to "render unto God the things that are God's?" Your time-has the apostle's solemn injunction, redeeming the time," been ever present in your mind, governing and arranging the disposal of it? In short, has God been present in all things; has your one aim and end been to live unto Him here, and with Him hereafter?

We must, indeed, all say and feel, "who is sufficient for these things?" but, thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, we may also, if we will, say, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'

The past year, with all its mercies, all its changes, all its joys or sorrows, is now gone;

our

Now what season can call on us more closely to examine our-opportunities in it are over. Let selves than at the close of one him, who is in God's power now year, and the beginning of an- striving to live to Him, rememother? How far, then, may it be ber, that "when we have done said of us, "She hath done what all, we are unprofitable servants; she could?" Remember, the we have done but what was our examination must extend to all duty to do; that without Christ our lives. Look back on the past we can do nothing; and that it year, review the different talents is He alone who worketh in us entrusted to your charge, and both to will and to do. But let ask yourselves how have you him go on in the Lord's strength, used them? Your influence (for remembering who it is that has all have some), has it been em- promised never to leave us nor ployed for God, or the devil? forsake us; and has added this Have you tried, as far as in your blessed assurance, that "if we power, to forward God's cause; be not weary in well-doing, in or has your aim been to push on due season we shall reap;" and worldly interests and worldly has also told us, that "a life of motives? And remember, also, godliness is profitable to all men, that if, without actually using both in this world, and in that your influence for the world, you which is to come. have let it lie passive and inert,

To him who has not yet en

tered as a labourer into His Lord's vineyard, I would say, "Oh, come and taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is; seek Him while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; work while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work."

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Oh! remember the Lord's rable of the barren fig-tree; how patiently, three separate times, our Lord visited it; but at the last the solemn order came, "Cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?' E. C.

"AS LITTLE CHILDREN."

"Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

you die, unless your sins are all forgiven."

"Yes, they are," he again asserted; "I asked God just now to forgive them, and He has forgiven them, dear aunty," he repeated, with one of his sweetest smiles.

WE often hear these words of our Lord quoted in reference to faith; but have we ever con- But they are, dear aunty," sidered what the faith of a little he replied, with earnestness. child really is, and what our "I fear not, dear," I contiLord meant when He said, "Ex-nued; "you know you so often cept ye receive the kingdom of tell lies.' God as a little child, ye shall not enter therein"? Let me tell you a fact which came under my own notice. One of my little nephews, a child of three years old, had been guilty of telling a lie. He had been frequently punished for the same thing; so this time I showed him how he had sinned in the eyes of God, and begged of him to kneel down and ask for forgiveness, for Jesus Christ's sake. He immediately burst into tears; but, after a severe inward struggle, he consented to do as I wished. Not many moments after, he came and sat on my knee, and repeated (as he was very fond of doing) some hymns which his mamma had taught him, one verse of which ran thus:

I pressed him to my bosom. I need not tell you how those simple words touched my heart, while I inwardly longed that I had more of this darling boy's perfect faith in God, who has said, "Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened." How often unbelief hides Jesus from the believer, clouds his happiness, and destroys the "perfect peace" which is promised to all whose minds are stayed on Him! My friends, do you take God at His word? Do you, when trials come-when you know not which way to turn-when you cannot move one foot-trust Him thus simply, and believe that He who has promised is "able also to perform?"-that He will