Many found shelter with us, who had not otherwise a place to put their heads in. We had not long retired to rest, when we felt another smart concussion, and immediately rushed out of doors. This shock brought down more of our church. We have since had many slight ones. On the 9th, I buried the three children, killed by the falling of the church, side by side. Another has since died of the injuries received.

"The island is in ruins; how the fine crop of sugar will be taken off, no one can tell! May the Lord make all things work together for good!' During the earthquake, the bells at Gracehill and Lebanon rang as if for divine service. Below Gracehill, the earth opened and threw out water. The barometer was higher than it had been for some time before.

"We now have our public services out of doors. These were attended, last Sunday morning, by more than a thousand persons. May the Lord bless the preaching of his word to many souls!

"The church is to be rebuilt of wood. We must commence the work in faith. Whence the money is to come, the Lord alone knows. We shall be truly thankful for any assistance which our kind Christian friends may be pleased to afford us, and doubt not that some will be found willing to strengthen our hands for the carrying on of the Lord's work."

"LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED."

PRAISEWORTHY resolution and persevering diligence are, often commended in the proverbial phrase, “Leaving no stone unturned." The phrase is of heathen origin, but full of Christian instruction. Xerxes and his general Mardonius, whom he left to finish the Grecian war, were successively conquered, and obliged to retreat. A report spread that Mardonius had buried an immense treasure in the ground occupied by his tent. Polycrates, a Greek, purchased the field in which the Persian camp had stood; and after vainly digging many parts of it in search of the hidden treasure, he applied to the oarcle of Delphos for advice. He received for answer, "Turn every stone." Polycrates followed the advice, began anew to dig, resolutely persevered, and at length found the treasure.

Y

Let any wise man read Matt. xiii. 44, and he will act the part of Polycrates. The saving knowledge of God, or the reign of heaven in the soul, is 'a treasure hid in a field.' Whoever would be rich in faith, or wealthy for eternity, must buy that field;' he must buy wisdom,' or attend with earnestness to the gospel of Christ. He must also dig the field, exercising diligence, and expending time and labor, to discover the hidden treasure.' He must, in other words, devoutly study the truths of Christianity— counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus.' Should he still have failed to find wealth,wealth in comfort, in Christian experience, in assurance of faith, in living love, and glorious hope, he must then listen to the heavenly oracle, which tells him to leave no stone unturned'-to 'give all diligence to make his calling and election sure.' Let him do this—remembering the while that he can be enlightened, or enjoy strength to study, pray, or labor, only through heavenly influence, and the grace of Christ-and he will be richer than the kings of the earth, the owner of a treasure which no thief can steal, and no expenditure diminish.

A SINNER AN HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

LUKE SHORT, when about fifteen years of age, heard a sermon from the celebrated Flavel, and soon after went to America, where he spent the remainder of his life. He received no immediate impression from Flavel's sermon, and lived in carelessness and sin till he was a century in age. He was now a sinner an hundred years old,' and to all appearance, ready to 'die accursed.' But, sitting one day in a field, he fell into a busy reflection on his past life; and recurring to the events of his youth, he thought of having heard Mr. Flavel preach, and vividly recollected a large portion of his sermon, and the extraordinary earnestness with which it was delivered. Starting as if stung by an adder, he instantly labored under accusings of conscience, and ran from thought to thought till he arrived first at conviction of sin, and next at an apprehension of the divine method of saving the guilty. He soon after joined a Congregational church in his vicinity, and to the day of his death, which happened in the one hundred and

sixteenth year of his age, gave satisfactory evidence of being a truly converted and believing follower of the Saviour. Mr. Flavel had long before passed to his heavenly rest, and could not while on earth have supposed that his living voice would have so long continued to yield its echoes as an instrument of doing good to a wandering sinner. Let ministers and private Christians, who labor for the spiritual well-being of their fellow-men, 'cast their bread upon the waters,' in full faith that, though they lose sight of it themselves, 'it shall be found after many days.'

THE HEAVENS.

To a feeling mind the heavens unrol a vast volume, filled with subjects of wonder, love, and praise-wonder at the inconceivable majesty and goodness of the Creator, of so vast, so splendid a system; love for his condescension in deigning to lend his attention to so insignificant a creature as man, even in the meridian of his earthly glory; and praise, for his unchangeable benevolence, infinite wisdom, and perfection. What hand but that of a GOD, could have formed the wide solar system above us? What voice but that of Him who created them, could bid the starry millions move on for thousands of ages, in one unbroken and unceasing march. The lights of heaven are bright and beautiful, still they are but feeble beams from the everlasting fountain of splendour, or wandering sparks of Heaven's dazzling glory. Miss L. DAVIDSON.

THE PLANE TREE.

THE plane tree, that species termed Plantanus Orientalis, is commonly cultivated in Cashmere, where it is said to arrive at a greater perfection than in any other country. This tree, which in most parts of Asia, is called the Chinur, grows to the size of an oak, and has a taper, straight trunk, with a silver coloured bark, and its leaf, not unlike an expanded hand, is of a pale green. When in full foliage, it has a grand and beautiful appearance, and in hot weather, affords a refreshing shade.

RESIGNATION.

LABOUR to be actuated by an even temper, under all the events of providence, and remember that good word which Sir William Temple states, that King William III. said he learned from the master of his ship, who in a storm was calling to the steersman, with this word "steady! steady!" Let but the hand be steady, and the heart quiet, and then, though our passage be rough, we may be able to weather the point, and get safe to the harbour.

ANECDOTE OF TETZEL.

ONE day when he was at Leipsic, a nobleman asked him, "Pray, Father, can you grant me absolution for a sin that I design to commit?" "Surely," he replied, "but on condition that you pay down the required sum.” The bargain was made. Not long after, as Tetzel was journeying from that city, the nobleman attacked him, emptied his chest, beat him soundly, and sent him back, saying, "this is the crime I intended to commit, for which I have already your absolution."

HOW TO SPREAD THE TRUTH.

A lady at Singapore thus writes to the Society for Promoting Christian Education in the East:

A circumstance occurred the other day which gave me great pleasure. I was going to teach two of our children about the birth of the Saviour, and to my utter astonishment, I found they knew all before-hand, and could explain it to me better than I could to them. On my asking them who taught it them, they said their brother, a boy in Mr. North's school? Thus, you see, we can never tell how much good may be done by our schools, or how extensively the truths of the gospel communicated therein may be conveyed by the children to their relations and friends. Thus were two girls who had been shut up in their house, according to Chinese custom, for three or four years, made acquainted with the history of the Saviour's birth by their little brother.

ONLY ONE VERSE.

ANOTHER from Cape Town, relates the following :

I often wish that some of the ladies of your Committee could witness the scene; I am sure they would be highly gratified to see the desire of so many to learn-some with their grey hair, others with their spectacles. One poor woman, past sixty, came up to me and said, “I cannot see to read now, I am too old, but do teach me one verse every night, that I may think about it when I go home, for I want to know about Jesus Christ so much.

FORGIVENESS.

How can we attain the peace of God, without peace? How can we attain the remission of our sins, without remitting the sins of others? How can he that is angry with his brother, pacify his Father, who, from the first, forbids us to be angry.

TERTULLIAN.

"A STRANGER WILL THEY NOT FOLLOW."—John x. 4.

A TRAVELLER once asserted to a Syrian shepherd, that the sheep knew the dress of their master and not his voice. The shepherd affirmed the contrary. To settle the point, he and the stranger changed dresses and went among the sheep. The traveller, in the shepherd's dress, called the sheep and tried to lead them, but they "knew not his voice," and never moved. On the other hand, they ran at once at the call of their owner, though thus disguised.

The Enquirer.
QUESTION XV.—Singing.

(To the Editor of the Youth's Magazine.)

SIR,—A constant reader of your valuable miscellany wishes you or some of your correspondents, would kindly reply to the following query. Whether it be right for a person in darkness of soul to join with a congregation in singing those hymns which express the language of triumphant faith, when it is not possible to appropriate the contents of them to himself? I am, Sir,

Your's respectfully,

HANNAH.