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work, even then he did not forsake me, nor I him, but he conversed with me, and I with him, yea, I was as much united to him, as when I was at my prayers, set apart for my spiritual recollection. Oh! how sweet and easy such good company made all my labor and toil. He gave me so much strength and courage, that troubles were easily overcome, and I did all the housework gladly, for only my body worked.

"When night came on, and every one had retired to rest, I found rest only in the arms of Divine Love. I slept leaning on his holy breast, like a child on his mother's bosom.

"If ever, through haste or temper, I felt anger or indignation, immediately I felt myself restrained, and the word with which I was going to punish a child remained in my mouth, as if my tongue was bound, and I could not express it; even a spirited word would remain unfinished.

"I often heard prayer spoken of, without a true knowledge of what prayer really was. My whole life is nothing but steadfast love and thanksgiving. This is my prayer. I know no other. I think it would have been a fault if I had left my work to entertain myself in prayer. I found him better, when I was doing my duty, than if I had gone to church at the wrong time. When I had an hour for myself, I sought a lonely spot; not to pray; I did not think of that, but to love him. His majestic qualities created in me so much pleasure, that it seemed as if I was sunk in an ocean of joy. This strengthened and encouraged me to do and suffer all I could.

"I had often more to do on the days set apart for religious worship than on other days. To me it was all the same, work or rest, light or heavy work, for I did not look on what I had to do, but on Him for whom I did all my work.

"I cannot cease from praising the Lord that he placed me in such a position; I find nothing in the world that would have suited me better. I can peacefully live in my position, without being noticed by anybody; for who would think of making anything of a servant girl? Every one dares to punish, blame and despise her, for anything she says or does. Is this not to be desired? Is it not an excellent school in which to learn humility, and in which to trust and expect all from God alone, and to seek only to please him? Truly! in what other position would one learn this better? Should not all servant girls value this as happiness?

"Oh! my Savior, but few know the blessedness of suffering with thee, despised and rejected as thou wast.

"As often as I noticed that others were thought of before me, or when the least in the house despised me, and looked upon me as a castaway, it gave me great pleasure and joy, and it pleased me to do the work that the others thought themselves too good to do, or disliked; and to be subject to the will of others, and

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follow their wishes. The Lord made me submit to children, and I could obey them; my human nature sometimes felt afflicted, but my spirit found it blessed and agreeable, because it pleased my Savior, and so I felt that I could submit quite as easily to the lowest creature on earth, as to the highest in heaven; for I did it not unto the person that I obeyed, but unto the Lord. "For those who caused me suffering, I felt the deepest love, as to a father or mother; for these satisfied the sweetest wish of my heart. I did not know what it means to have an enemy, for those who were called enemies, I called my greatest friends, the only difference was that I loved them the more. As soon as any one offended me, I took them into my heart and they had part in my prayers, even if before this, I had never thought of them.

"So I had lived for twenty years, not losing a particle of the love that he poured into my heart, on that day of my perfect surrender to him, but daily increased in it, more and more.

"What now takes place in me is so exaltingly grand, that I cannot explain or report it. My spirit seems to be lifted above all that is earthly. The joy and peace that I enjoy is so unchanging and perfect, that I believe I have already entered into the joys of the Lord. He is my life and my all; I am no more. I have lost myself again, in the source of my being; not I, but he alone, lives and rules in me. I see him only in me, and nothing else. Oh! the goodness of my God-Oh! the love and peace of God! Surely there is nothing in my heart but God alone." Death removed her to a better life, at the age of sixty-nine years, in the year 1671, October 24.

So very like the picture of this remarkable experience is a note we find in "Kingdom Tidings" from a 'mystic' of today, that we are tempted to accept and reproduce what she calls

"HEAVEN IN THE KITCHEN."

"After some months of extra hard work, when no sooner was one spell of unexpected work completed, and rest was hoped for, than something else occurred, I was feeling it was at last impossible to go on any longer without a pause, when a request came to receive a family of eight for a few weeks till their new home was ready. It was service unto His disciples, and I could not say 'No,' although already I had an invalid requiring special attendance and cooking, and our household would then number twelve, more than I ever before had to provide for; but this was the least of the difficulties. Scarcely were these friends settled in, and the extra maid arrived who could not cook, that my own servant broke down, and was obliged to go home, only being able to return as the visitors were leaving. I could get no other aid, besides not being able to afford more expense.

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"My experience in cooking was limited, and the kitchen range a very tiresome one, but His power surmounted all difficulties, and the result proved that none can work so wondrously as the Almighty One.' The cooking turned out most successfully, and the kitchen was a Bethel, full of the glory of the Lord.

"Continued setting and clearing tables, washing up, cooking, etc., etc., thinking of present needs and planning for the coming days, kept one's mind full of the 'earthly,' and left no time for quiet prayer and meditation, yet His life kept flowing through the soul in a perpetual stream of fresh, living water. Praise was rendered for everything from first to last. Accidents happened, of course, many little things came to try and test patience, but as each came a hallelujah went up from the heart to Him who had permitted it, and meant it for good;' each added difficulty was only as a wing to bear one higher in triumph far above all.

"The weariness of body was overcome, and to me, who never was strong enough to bear much standing, was given strength and life in abundance, in Him who is our life, so that the dear friends were not made to feel they were causing any trouble, nor did they guess the previous inexperience.

"During this, several meetings had to be addressed, with little time for preparation, and the mind so full of domestic details it was difficult to turn to anything else, but His power was specially manifested in the empty vessel surrendered to Him who sent it forth.

"This is the experience of one who once intensely disliked all household work or housekeeping, and was known to be anything but domestic,' but now, through God's transforming power, is equally happy and content, lighting fires, cleaning saucepans, cooking, etc., as in seeking after souls; for the service is one, whether of lips or hands."-L. E. S., in "As a Witness."

one.

THE GREGORIAN REFORMATION' IN TURKEY.

The movement in the Gregorian community is a very remarkable, and so far as we are aware, a wholly unique and powerful It seems to be the result of seed-truths scattered by various agencies, which have taken root quite independently in many different centers among the young men and women of the old church. Hearts in which this seed had taken root have been naturally drawn together for Bible study and prayer, and so the old story of the leaven' has been lived over again. There are now probably more than twenty groups [at and about Aintab] that are holding frequent meetings, always largely attended, and in which there are abundant signs of a genuine spiritual life and growth. This movement, although deriving much of its inspiration from and having the heartiest sympathy of, Protestants, is, and from the first has been, distinctively Gregorian in its character, and Protestants who attend these meetings continue to take merely the place of friendly visitors and helpers.-Missionary Herald.

Prominences on Mission Fields.

175

SABBATH SCHOOL MISSIONARY EXPERIENCES.

March in every way was a month which tended to discourage one in missionary work. The roads were nearly bottomless, and the weather unfavorable. However, I visited the town of C

Before going there I was told by the leading Sunday School worker in the county that it would be of no use, that there was no religion there, and that I would be driven out. However, I went, and today from no field in which I have labored are the reports and results more gratifying. I met opposition, and plenty of it, from saloons, from prejudiced people, and from a foreign infidel society.

They did all they could to keep me out. I was unable to get the town hall or the schoolhouse at first, and we met for two Sabbaths in the railroad station. The week days were spent wading through the slush and snow throughout the neighborhod, inviting people out, and distributing picture cards, Testaments, and tracts. God blessed these efforts greatly. Enough was raised for a good supply of hymn books, a live superintendent was chosen, and a force of teachers. The town hall was offered then free of charge, and in the face of worldly attractions, such as ball games, picnics, and a big beer garden, the Sunday School was kept going ahead, the first and only Sunday School in a whole township.

In the south part of Emmet County there had been two schools; one was deal and the other dying. This county is so low and level that the prairies look like a big mud lake. In the effort to revive these fields I averaged twelve miles a day for several days, walking through mud and water. One Sabbath morning I walked twentyone miles, and spoke at three points. The following Sabbath over fifty turned out where the school was almost dead, and it is now going right on in its good work. The other school was reorganized, the Lord sent them a new leader for superintendent.

A PIONEER NATIVE EVANGELIST.

The first Mexican convert ordained to the gospel ministry [apparently a man of inherited wealth] was converted while at school in the East, and upon returning home renounced Romanism. He says: "I carried Bibles and tracts into the homes, and exhorted in the villages and among my shepherds. Often while. tending sheep in the wilderness, on my bended knee had I besought the Lord to send some Moses to lead this people. My prayer was answered. In 1869 the first Presbyterian church for Spanishspeaking people was organized in Las Vegas with nine members. My labors (as evangelist) extended to villages, plazas and isolated ranches. We opened up the country for Presbyterian, Methodist, Congregational and Baptist workers, and their schools and churches, in this vast and promising field. Since 1869 thirty Spanish churches, seventeen English and six Indian have been organized, with 3,396 members in three presbyteries. This is but the beginning; and full fruition is still to come."-Assembly Herald.

Critical Study of the Bible.

HISTORICAL OUTLINES.

SECOND QUARTER OF THE BI-MILLENNIUM OF ABRAHAM.

PERIOD OF THEOCRACY, OR "JUDGES."

JEPHTHAI, THE GILEADITE, HIS VOW, AND THE FATE OF HIS DAUGHTER.

In the catalogue of Israel's saviors by special Divine appointment, while the people had no hereditary prince, we now come to the name of Jephthah, and to the supposed impious vow, and more impious human sacrifice, which the accepted versions of Judges x:31, inconsistently and unlearnedly attribute to one of those God-fearing heroes of faith celebrated in the book of Judges and the 11th of Hebrews.

The first verse of our chapter (Judges xi) emphasizes the military distinction of Jephthah, and verses 5 to 10 give remarkable evidence of the estimation in which both his valor and character were held by the very authorities and kinsmen who had outlawed him for a cause in which he had no part. In short, they resorted to him in his exile, where (like David afterwards, in a similar plight) he had organized an irregular soldiery of fellow outcasts, and offered to make him their prince if he would take command in the war with "the children of Ammon."

For, after the 22 years judgeship of Jair (also a Gileadite), "the children of Israel again did evil before the face of the Lord, and served Baalim and Ashteroth," and, in short, all the gods they could find (x:6) among the heathen nations far and near. They scem to have been at this time extraordinarily religious, as idolaters, like the Athenians whom Paul addressed, Acts xvii :22. Consequently, they were brought again to their knees before God by invasion and oppression on the east and on the west; but especially from their neighbors east of the Jordan, where the Gileadites suffered severely the direct force of the victorious enemy trampling over them and crossing the Jordan into the lands of Judah, Benjamin and Ephraim. With bitter repentance they gathered at Mizpeh, where was the ark of God, in confession, supplication and renunciation of their idols, inquiring for a man who should raise