must fight. I repeat it, sir, we must perseverance seldom exceeded. In fight! An appeal to arms and to the her visits to the poor, she now carGod of hosts is all that is left us. ried books and tracts, as well as It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the food and raiment; and when she matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace! found persons unable to read, which peace! but there is no peace. was frequently the case, she made The war is actually begun. The it a point to read to them, and to next gale that sweeps from the explain what they could not undernorth will bring to our ears the stand. Her prompt assistance was, clash of resounding arms; our breth- in a great measure, instrumental to ren are already in the field, why a zealous agent becoming extenstand we here idle? What is it that sively engaged in the circulation of gentlemen wish? What would they the Holy Scriptures. She gave him have? Is life so dear and peace so two of the first Finnish Bibles that sweet, as to be purchased at the ever passed through his hands; and price of chains and slavery? Forbid when there was a great demand it, Almighty God. I know not what for the sacred volume in that lancourse others may take, but as for guage, she actually sold her watch, me," cried he, with both his arms in order to furnish one hundred extended aloft, his brows knit, every Bibles to the poor at reduced prices. feature marked with the resolute This was a noble effort in the cause purpose of his soul, and his voice of God: it augured well as to future swelled to its boldest note of excla- usefulness, and the expectations mation, "give me liberty or give me which were excited by it have been death!" He took his seat, and the more than realised. We hear of cry "To arms!" seemed to quiver ladies in England taking part of a upon every lip and beam from every district, and using every effort to eye. Henry lived to witness the put the inhabitants of it in possesglorious issue of that Revolution sion of the Word of God. We rejoice which his genius had set in motion; at it; we bless God for it. But this and, to use his own prophetic lan-zealous woman took a whole city for guage before the commencement of her sphere, perambulated it alone, the Revolution, "to see America and succeeded beyond all expectatake her station amongst the nations tions. of the earth."

In the course of a few months she sold more than one thousand five hundred Bibles, and 1564. Zeal for the Distribution Testaments, and Psalters; and in of God's Word.-Some years ago, this blessed work she continued relates a Christian writer, an ex-perseveringly to engage. In labours cellent Princess in Russia met with so abundant, a variety of interestMrs. and after conversing ing particulars presented themwith her a short time, the Princess selves. One of the most striking said, "Are you not an English- and important is as follows:-She woman?" She answered, "Yes." furnished a certain poor family with "Do you ever go to chapel?" "No." a Psalter: it was the first sacred "Then come along with me," said book they ever possessed, and it the Princess: "step into my car- was hoped that great good would riage: I am going, and I will take result from it. Accordingly, in the you thither." She consented, and it course of a week, she called to see may be truly said that now com- what had become of the newly-purmenced her happiness. Before this chased volume. As she entered the period she was an intelligent, in- room, she found a young person dustrious, and kind-hearted wo- reading it; and after a few obserman: now she became a religious vations on the excellency of the one. Her labours were transformed Scriptures, Mrs. took the Psalinto Christian labours, and were ter and read the 32nd Psalm, which followed up with an ardour and begins with, "Blessed is he whose

transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. . . . unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." A thin partition separated this family from several others, some of whom, hearing an unusual conversation, came in. Another and another followed, until seventeen persons were sitting or standing around her, listening to the word of eternal life. This was a fine opportunity, and it was not permitted to pass unimproved. She explained to them the nature of Divine forgiveness, and the only way in which it can be obtained; showed them how desirable it was to possess such a blessing; and then pressed home the important question to their consciences, "Do you possess this blessedness? Do you see your need of it? Do you earnestly desire it ?" At these solemn appeals one woman began to weep, and walked away. Stop," said this warmhearted lady, "stop. Remember that our Lord Jesus Christ shed tears over the sins of others, and it is no disgrace to weep over your own sins. Come back, and hear more about it." The woman returned, the subject was continued, and soon all present were bathed in tears. The lady afterwards formed a school, and hundreds derived advantage from her visits.

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to learn to read I pointed to a word, and asked my brother to tell me its meaning. This I often did, till at last I could manage to read a whole verse, and then a chapter." The missionary then asked, "Do you esteem the Word of God?" He replied, in his expressive language, "It is my pillow."

1566. Zealous Preacher.Of the few clergymen who entered into the views of John Wesley, and heartily co-operated with him, Jean Guillaume de la Flechère, or, as he was more generally called, Fletcher of Madely, was the most remarkable for his intellectual powers. Although a minister of the Church of England, and vicar of Madely in Shropshire, yet from the day of his ordination he connected himself with the Methodists. His parishioners were principally engaged in the collieries and iron works, and their character such as, to the reproach of England, it generally is wherever mines or manufactories have brought together a crowded population. Fletcher set about zealously to reform them, and devoted not only his life, but his whole fortune in doing good. When some of his remote parishioners excused themselves for not attending the morning service, by pleading that they did not awake early enough to get 1565. Zealous Convert.-A New their families ready, for some Zealand missionary, while visiting months he set out every Sunday at the sick, went to the hut of a poor five o'clock with a bell in his hand, cripple. He found him with a and went round the most distant New Testament lying by his side, parts of his parish to call up the and asked if he could read. He people. Whenever hearers could replied that he could. He was be collected in the surrounding asked, "How did you learn to country, within ten or fifteen miles, read?" as he had never attended he went thither to preach to them school. He said, "I used to creep in the week days, though he seldom about, and after raking the rubbish got home before one or two in the thrown out of my neighbours' morning. At first the rabble of his houses, pick up all the bits of parishioners resented the manner printed paper I could find. Some-in which he ventured to reprove times I got half a leaf of a New Testament, and sometimes a bit of a leaf of the Prayer Book. These pieces, which I got from time to time, I used to sew together. Then

and exhort them; but he soon won upon them, rude and brutal as they were, till at length his church, which at first had been so scantily attended that he was discouraged

1567. Zealous Scholar.-There was a little boy who some years back entered Harrow School, and was put into a class beyond his years, wherein all the other boys had the advantage of previous instruction. His master used to reprove his dulness, but all his efforts could not raise him from the lowest place in the form. But the boy, nothing daunted, procured the grammar and other elementary books which the others had previously studied; he devoted the hours of play and not a few of the hours of sleep to the mastery of these, till, in a few weeks, he began gradually to rise, and it was not long before he shot far ahead of his companions, and became not only the leader of his class but the pride of Harrow. The statue of that boy, who thus zealously began his career, is in St. Paul's Cathedral; for he lived to be the greatest Oriental scholar in modern Europe. His name was Sir William Jones.

INDEX.

(The figures indicate the numbers of the paragraphs, not the pages

of the book.)

Admonition and Reproof, 1-11, 1063, Assembling together, 247.

Alphabet, Twenty-four Letters of the, Believing, 1165.

Boldness in Declaring the Truth, 1392. Chiselling, Only the, 1229.

Christ, Call of, 86.

Christ, Conquering through, 1244.

Boys, Quarrelsome, Reconciled, 1515. Christ, Consolation in, 242.

Bread Cast upon the Waters, 49, 1353. Christ Preached, 908, 1171, 1180.