assurance.

kind of feeling in God's children, that they may attain to this point—that it becomes a matter of feeling, of They would as much doubt their earthly as their heavenly relationship. They feel quite certain, apart from reasoning, apart from argument, apart from evidence; and this feeling in their hearts that they belong to God, which prompts them to look up and say, “Abba, Father," may be called the Witness of the Spirit—the Holy Spirit giving to the soul this assurance the assurance of its adoption, of its membership in God's family.

But the "Spirit" is said to "witness with our spirits." We are not left alone to the witness of the Spirit. Lest, therefore, any should be content with a fancy that they have the witness of the Holy Spirit, lest they should be content with a mere feeling, the Spirit condescends to combine His testimony with the testimony of our own consciences, and so the Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are God's children."

Now the witnessing of our own spirit is the result of self-examination; and God's work is so marked that every Christian may be assured whether he be a child of God. It ought to be therefore a subject of serious, close, heart-searching, prayerful examination, whether or not we are God's children. We ought not to rest upon our belief that we are, our assurance that we are, our instinctive feelings that we are; but we have to examine into this very closely, to take God's Word, and to compare ourselves with that Word, and to judge ourselves very impartially, very deliberately, in dependence upon the illumination of the Holy Ghost, and to settle it as a matter of solemn scrutiny, as an examination upon the result of which eternity depends, whether or not we are God's children.

And this testimony of our own consciences is to be combined with the testimony which the Holy Spirit gives.

But it is a much pleasanter, a much more precious feeling to realize it as a matter of assurance than as a matter of reasoning. Both are to be done in order that our assurance may be safe; but it is a much sweeter feeling to realize it as a matter of instinctive assurance than as a decision at which we have arrived by the process of reasoning. God in His mercy vouchsafes this gift to His children-the witness of the Holy Ghost.

If, therefore, reader, I speak to any who have not yet received this witness, let me urge upon them to pray God to bestow it. It is a gift which God condescends to bestow, and it will not be withheld if you seek it earnestly, believingly, and prayerfully.

And now the believer, having received these gifts, finds his whole life changed to joy and peace-joy and peace produced by faith in Christ-joy and peace produced by the manifestation of the love of a dying Saviour. Oh! now the believer lives; now he can indeed "run in the way of God's commandments;" now he exclaims joyfully, as he still looks up at that cross, and to that blessed Redeemer who died upon that cross, "He hath given me rest by his sorrow, and life by his death." Now he feels as if there were nothing too arduous for him to undertake, nothing too painful to go through, nothing too shameful for him to bear; he feels as if he could be anything and do anything, or go anywhere, or suffer any appointment of God's providence, if he might thereby manifest his love to that Redeemer who gave Himself for him. Now his life is no longer overcast with gloom and doubt and apprehension. All is brightness around him; all is brightness within him.

W. M. W.

THE BIBLE IN EVERY LAND.

THE REV. JOHN PATERSON, D.D.

IN recording the decease of their lamented and venerable friend, Dr. Paterson, the Committee feel bound to make respectful mention of the long, and faithful, and valuable services rendered by him to the Society. These services commenced at a period of the Society's history of which few who are now officially connected with it have any personal recollection.

In 1805, Dr. Paterson, accompanied by Dr. Henderson, proceeded to Copenhagen, the capital of the Danish dominions, with the hope of inducing the Danish Government to grant that permission to prosecute missionary operations in India which was not then allowed by the British East India Company. Disappointed in their object, and thus compelled to abandon the design nearest their hearts-that of proclaiming the glad tidings of salvation to the heathen-they began to consider how they might best occupy themselves for the glory of God in that part of Christendom upon which his providence had seemed to cast them. The inquiries they instituted, and the spiritual wants they discovered, soon brought them into correspondence with the British and Foreign Bible Society, and led to their being much employed (in conjunction afterwards with Dr. Pinkerton) in promoting the extensive circulation of the Holy Scriptures in the northern and other parts of Europe. In these efforts Dr. Paterson took a prominent part, as his numerous and very interesting letters, inserted in the Society's Reports, show. He may be regarded if not as originating, yet as greatly assisting in the establishment of the first Bible Societies in Sweden and Norway and Finland; and when the great Russian

Bible Society was formed in 1813, under the auspices of the Emperor Alexander I., he became officially connected with it, and continued to have a principal share in its management until its suspension in 1826. A visit paid by him in 1832 to Sweden and Norway, which contributed greatly to promote the efficiency of the several Agencies in those kingdoms, and a subsequent visit to Berlin in 1836, completed his undertakings on the continent of Europe in behalf of the Bible Society.

On his return to his native country, where he spent the remainder of his life, he very kindly and gratuitously exerted himself to promote the interests and extend the usefulness of the Society at home, acting as its Special Correspondent and Agent for Scotland, till, in the year 1850, he resigned that post to the Rev. W. Swan.

The supply of the Gaelic population engaged his special attention and often has he pleaded the cause of the poor Highlanders of Scotland, when recurring emergencies or opportunities called for the Society's aid; and in many ways his watchful and active benevolence sought out channels for the diffusion of scriptural truth among his countrymen.

Glancing at these various and long-continued services, the value of which it is not easy now to estimate, it will be seen how great obligation the Society was placed under to this honoured and devoted servant of Christ, in whom fervent zeal was found united with calmness of judgment and steadiness of purpose; and energetic action with unvarying considerateness and kindness: the whole being stimulated, and guided, and sanctified, by truly Christian principle. The Committee desire to magnify the grace bestowed on their departed friend, and to bless God for having raised him up, and spared him for so long a period to the Society and the church at large. He died at the age of seventy-nine.

N

WAYS OF DOING GOOD.

Among many interesting meetings, that at Witchampton was especially so; and though it is surprising that a sum of £60 should be annually sent in free contributions from a rural parish, numbering not more than 600 inhabitants, yet some of the items read in the report of the Association show how this is done. Many hands and many hearts were engaged in producing this result, and few, I believe, are to be found in the parish who do not take some part in the work. A parrot, with a box attached to his cage, had collected thirty shillings. A poor labouring man, who cultivated a quarter of an acre of allotment ground, sent a little packet to the meeting containing two shillings, with the words, "Thank-offering to God for a good crop of oats and potatoes last year." An intelligent young man, who had occupied himself during the winter in teaching a night school, sent the proceeds of his labours, amounting to above ten shillings, received in weekly pence; while even the poor children from a gipsy school in the neighbourhood sent their halfpence to aid in providing the bread of life. In the adjoining parish of Stanbridge, too, a poor blind man, who has had portions of the sacred volume from the Society, collected seventy-six farthings; and another friend sent ten shillings as the produce of her industrious bees. It is in this way that two small parishes, containing together not a thousand persons, send little short of £100 annually in free-will offerings to the Bible Society. With such friends, and such offerings, you will not wonder that our great work continues to prosper in Dorsetshire.

THE BIBLE IN CHINA.

(From the Rev. Dr. Medhurst, Shanghae.)

I am just returned from a tour into the interior, with the view of distributing the Chinese Scriptures. I was accompanied from this place by the Rev. J.