be feared. You remember the beautiful hymn we used to sing,

"One is kind above all others,

Oh, how he loves!"

Well, dear children, this kindest of all friends says, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me." Now I hope and pray for you, that you may be found seeking the Lord early, and desiring to love and serve him, and to do something for sending the Gospel to heathen lands. Boys and girls in Britain have much more to answer for than those in China. And why? Just because they have heard of Jesus, and have the Word of God in their houses. May none of you be of those who neglect so great a salvation as is made known in the Gospel! Oh how happy a meeting there would be between us at the right hand of God on the day of judgment if we were all believers in Jesus; we would not forget the time when we sang together about him.

Amoy, the place in which I live, is a large town on an island, quite near the mainland of China. I like it very much, although the climate is much warmer than at home, and we cannot get all the comforts that may be enjoyed there. The house in which I dwell is just at the sea-side; and when I go to see any of my friends here, I always go in a boat, for their houses, too, are by the sea-side. There are, I am happy to say, a good number of Chinese Christians in Amoy; about five hundred. But what are these few among the four hundred millions that live in China. How happy it makes me to hear the Chinese converts sing their hymns to some of the beautiful tunes that we used to sing in the church in Britain. I sometimes go to worship with them, although I can understand very little of their language yet. Their poor neighbours and

countrymen are still worshipping idols, and living without hope. Yesterday and to day there has been an idolatrous play going on in a war-junk, opposite the windows of the room in which I am now writing. I hear the beating of their gongs, and the playing of their instruments, something like the fiddle and highland bagpipe ;-now, and almost all day and night, they have been engaged in their noisy play and idolatrous worship. When a junk leaves the harbour-a junk is just like a large ship-the sailors beat their gongs, and burn papers to get good luck, as they think, and to get into favour with their gods. Is not this a sad proof of their ignorance and folly ? When passing through the streets the other day, I saw a man making his idol with a knife; it was a small piece of wood cut into the shape of a human being. Just read what the Bible says of this in Isaiah xliv., verses 9-20. Dear young friends, be thankful that you are born in a land where the Word of God is known, and see that you make good use of your having it; for unless you do this, you will be much more to blame, and much more punished than the heathen.

I shall close my letter by putting you in mind of a verse of one of our hymns, a hymn which I first heard of from our dear and good friend, Mr. Sinclair; this is the verse, and I hope you will all seek to know the truth of it for yourselves :

"They are blessed, and blessed for ever,

Who in childhood's early day,

Seek the face of Him who never

Turns the seeking soul away."

I CANNOT obey what God hath commanded me, unless I first believe what he hath taught me.-Bishop Beveridge.

THE USEFUL LIFE.

Go, labour on while it is day,

The world's dark night is hastening on ;
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won.

Men die in darkness at your side,

Without a hope to cheer the tomb
Take up the torch and wave it wide,

The torch that lights time's thickest gloom.

Toil on, faint not, keep watch, and pray,
Be wise the erring soul to win
Go forth into the world's highway,
Compel the wanderer to come in.

DR. BONAR.

THE MISSIONARY

NET.

A LAME boy asked a gentleman to give him a ball of twine, saying he wanted to make a net with it, and sell it for threepence, to give to the Bible Society, to help them to print Bibles for the poor heathen; adding, after a pause, "You know, sir, that will print a page.' The gentleman told him "to bring the net to him when finished." The boy did so, when the gentleman said, "You are a good boy, here is threepence for the page of the Bible, and threepence for yourself." "No, sir, oh no!" said the boy, "let me give it all, as it will print both sides of the page."—Old Jonathan.

THE Gospel was first introduced among the Karens by the American missionaries in Burmah, just thirty years ago.

COMING A THOUSAND MILES TO A

PRAYER-MEETING.

Not long ago, in the Fulton Street Prayer-meeting, New York, a young man arose in the back part of the room, and in a very earnest manner said, "I am in this prayermeeting to ask you to pray for the conversion of my father. He is an old man, and is entirely unconcerned about his soul. I have been praying for him now for a long time, and I have become almost discouraged. I have come 1,000 miles to get into this prayer-meeting, and I have come for nothing else but to get you to help me to pray for my poor father, who is going down to eternal death. I have said to myself, "If I can get the Fulton Street Prayer meeting to help me pray, perhaps God will hear their prayers and mine, and my father will be saved." I do not depend upon the prayers of this meeting. I depend upon the promise of God, through Jesus Christ. I come here because I believe you depend on the same. I have come 1,000 miles to meet with those who really depend on the words of Jesus. I believe in the power of united prayer, because the Saviour says that if two or three shall agree as touching the thing which they shall ask, it shall be done for them.

"I thought if I would come here and tell you the story of my perishing father, that your hearts would be moved, as my heart is, to pray for his salvation. Will you pray for my father ?"

A LESSON ON FAITH.

I IMPRINTED on my daughter the idea of faith at a very early age. She was playing one day with a few beads,

which seemed to delight her wonderfully. I said, "My dear, you have some pretty beads there."-" Yes, papa." "And you seem to be vastly pleased with them." "Yes, papa!" Well, now throw them behind the fire." She looked earnestly at me, as though she ought to have a reason for so cruel a sacrifice.

"Well, my dear, do as you please; but, you know, I never told you to do anything which I did not think would be good for you."

She looked at me rather longer! and then summoning up all her fortitude-her breast heaving with the effortshe dashed them into the fire.

"Well," said I, "there let them lie; you shall hear more about them another time; but say no more about them now."

Some days after, 'I bought her a box full of larger beads, and toys of the same kind. When I returned home, I opened it, and set it before her. She burst into

tears of ecstacy.

"Those, my child," said I," are yours; because you believed me when I told you it would be better for you to throw those two or three paltry beads behind the fire. Now that has brought you this treasure. But now, my dear, remember, as long as you live, what Faith is. I did this to teach you the meaning of Faith. You threw your beads away when I bid you, because you had faith in me, that I never advised you but for your good. Put the same confidence in God; believe everything that he says in his Word. Whether you understand it or not, have faith in him, that he means your good."- Cecil.

GOD'S MERCY.

BIBLICAL writers employ the richest terms to declare the mercy of God, but how meagre is language for such a theme. Isaiah tells us that it is "great." Paul declares it" rich." Jeremiah dwells on its "manifold" character. With Peter it is "abundant" mercy. Micah rejoices in