JESUS FORGIVING SINS.

155

are exchanged, and he passes on. He calls on another day, and again meets the wife. With an expression of deep concern, she says, “That question, ' Can you meet a holy God?' has been ringing in my ears ever since. I feel I cannot meet a holy God; I am very unhappy; I wish you had never called; I was not disturbed before." God had spoken to her; the word had gone forth out of his own mouth, and could not return unto him void. Her anxiety increased; it amounted to the deepest distress ; her health was affected, and she lay for six or seven weeks racked in body and mind. At the end of this time He who had wounded, healed. She is now an active visitor of the poor, realising it as her meat and drink to tell all of Him who has forgiven all her iniquities and healed all her diseases.

A godly mother desires special prayer for her daughter and son-in-law, both abandoned drunkards. The man is led to attend a meeting, and is convinced of sin; he comes again and again, and at the end of about three weeks finds peace. With streaming eyes, in the midst of the meeting, he bears testimony to the pardoning love of God. He knows, he feels, his sins forgiven; but he cannot forgive himself. He tells of his, till now, wretched home, his starved children, his wife and himself going home on Saturday night or Sunday morning both drunk, and ending it with a fight. The wife was converted about three weeks after; she spontaneously stood up in the meeting, and declared her conversion, attributing her own and her husband's to her mother's prayers. home," she said, "is not like the same; we are as happy as angels." At a later meeting, the husband laid hold of his wife's hand, saying aloud, "Sally, can you forgive me? I know God has." All about them witnesses to the

"Our

156

HYMNS FOR THE CHINESE.

reality of the change.

t

Bill,” said she the other day to

a Christian friend visiting them, "doesn't mind who you tell if you think it will do any good; he'll go anywhere and tell them himself if you'd like him to."

HYMNS FOR THE CHINESE.

IN a letter just received, the Rev. W. C. Burns says:"There is yet another part of my engagements during the last month which I have not yet alluded to, but which I trust has not been without use, namely, that I was unexpectedly led to attempt, with the help of one or two native Christians, to add to the psalmody of the native Church here. We were in a most unexpected degree aided in the work, and for the last few weeks ten hymus, in the colloquial of this place, have been printed, and are coming into use in connection with the different missions here. Six of these hymns are founded on the very valuable hymns in the Amoy Colloquial, published a few years ago by Mr. Young, of the London Mission at Amoy, and now labouring among the Chinese in Australia. Of the remaining four, two are from German hymns, with which I became acquainted at Swatow two years ago, when enjoying the society of two German missionaries for a few weeks; the subjects are taken from them and the tunes also. ("O Lamm Gotte sunschuldig," and "Gelobet sei der Horr.") The other two are new. One is an exhortation to believe in Jesus, first sketched by a native Christian, and now set to the tune "Scots wha hae," &c., &c. Both hymn and tune are favourites. The tenth and last is a free translation of "The Happy Land," and sings to the same tune. This is the greatest favourite of

the whole. As a curiosity I enclose a copy of this last hymn. It reads from right to left, and from top to bottom. The number of Chinese letters you will see corresponds with the number of syllables in the English copy of the hymn. There is now here, I am persuaded, a living native Church, limited though it be in numbers; and I feel that it is an unspeakable mercy to have been called to aid in the least degree in providing a medium for the utterance of those praises to God and the Lamb which are breathed from the hearts of those young believers. May the people of God at home aid us by their thanksgivings and their prayers, and may they soon be refreshed by hearing of the rapid progress of the work of conversion to Christ among this people!

"I am, &c., WM, C. BURNS."

ETERNITY.

can

AND O, Eternity! Eternity! Eternity! Who measure it? Who can count the years thereof? Arithmetic must fail; the thoughts of men and angels are drowned in it. How shall we describe eternity? To what shall we compare it? Were it possible to employ a fly to carry off this globe by the small particles thereof, and to carry them to such a distance that it should return once in ten thousand years for another particle, and so continue till it has carried off all this globe, and framed them together in some unknown space, till it has made just such a world as this, after all, Eternity would remain the same unexhausted duration.

This must be the unavoidable portion of all impenitent sinners, let them be whom they will, great or small, honourable or ignoble, rich or poor, bond or free. Ne-. groes, Indians, English, or of what nation soever; all that die in their sins must go to hell together; for "the wages of sin is death,"

BELIEVE AND LIVE.

"Be not afraid, only believe" (Mark v. 36).

COME, BELIEVING.-Coming to Jesus is believing; feeling our need of him, and giving credit to his word, the heart moves toward him in desire and prayer. We do not believe in Christ, if we do not come to him; and we do not come to him unless with the heart we do believe on him.

But when we say, "COME, BELIEVING," we mean come crediting his word, trusting his promise, consequently expecting him to receive, pardon, and save you. Or, come with confidence. Jesus has done everything to inspire you with confidence.

It was much for him to come into our world; but it was more to die for you on the cross. He has given you not only an invitation, but a promise; not only a promise, but his solemn oath; not only his solemn oath, but he has compassed you about with a great cloud of witnesses, He has given you a selection of cases in his blessed word, and there are instances all around you of those whom he has received, and accepted, and made happy in his love. Now, why was all this? Just to inspire you with confidence.

Come, then, to Jesus, believing that he is a loving, faithful, willing Saviour,-that, according to the testimony of his own word, "he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax."

You cannot be justified in excluding yourself from his invitation, or in supposing that he will reject your prayer. The stronger your confidence in him, the more you honour him. The steadier you believe, the sooner will he fill your

heart with joy and peace. Unbelief gives the lie to his word, but faith says, "It is true,"

Believe, and all is easy. Believe, and you will soon be happy. Believe, and grace shall be brought unto you. Believe, and all your darkness, doubts, and fears, will depart,

"This is the will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life" (John vi. 40).

HEATHEN CHILDREN.

One

A MISSIONARY's wife in the Fejee Islands heard one day a great clatter of children's voices outside her house. On going to learn the cause, she found seven little girls who had come a distance of four miles. Each grasped in her arms a bundle of bread-fruit. They were asked, "What are you going to do with these?" "We have come," they said, "to buy a book." The lady then went in-doors and brought out seven books that had been printed for the young of these islands. She told them that four bread-fruits was the price of a book; for it is often found better to sell the books than to give them away. merry little girl at once placed before the lady five large ones, and said she would give them all; but she was told only the right number would be taken. There then came forward a timid little girl, who had in her basket only three bread-fruits—and, indeed, they looked as much as she could carry; but the book could not be bought with these; they were to be sold for four. The girl who had one over stepped up again as quickly as before, and gave it to the little child who was in need. This settled the business, and off they went in high glee.

BOHEMIA.

A GREAT religious movement is going on in Prague and other cities of Bohemia. It is stated that conversions to