as the grand agent of regeneration but as the Great Instructor after the soul has tasted that the Lord is gracious, and it is upon this truth we are to rest for an increase of gifts with the spiritual renovation. But the Spirit works by means and instruments. Pastors must therefore teach the people to give scope to their first generous impulses, and lead them to think, to pray and to labour for the conversion of a world when they have been brought to Christ themselves. If the pastor's remark as quoted be true, a low standard of giving is always evidence of a low standard of religion, what shall be said of the revivals that bring in their train such giving as has been mentioned ? We throw out these thoughts for pastors and Christians to ponder. Some churches that have been blessed themselves have immediately thought of and sought to bless others. Their contributions have been increased and their interest in the missionary cause deepened, but with the many it is not so. Some of these churches have sent nothing to the Board the past year, and others have given less; may these and all bestir themselves to be more identified with this great work of the Church and do what they can for him who spared not himself for their deliverance! A PASTOR'S VIEWS. WE call the special attention of pastors and others to the following article, written by one of our most efficient pastors and most earnest workers. His Sabbath school is a missionary school. None superior to it in arrangement, effort and power in our whole Church. Every class has an object— something to do, to pray for, and co-operate with in the foreign field. He seeks to interest the young in the work, as well as the middle-aged and the old. His hints are worthy of study and imitation, and if any will show us a more excellent way of conducting the Monthly Concert, or interesting the Church in this great cause, we shall publish the same with pleasure. OUR MONTHLY CONCERT. L. For many years it has been a favourite service with our people. It is dear, we believe, to the Saviour, and of great importance to the Church and the world. The old idea of simultaneous prayer by many suppliants, near and remote, is well nigh lost-after serving its purpose in the early history of the Monthly Concert. We meet for concerted prayer, without reference to similar services at the same time in other places. From month to month, and year to year, we come to these sacred services to share in the joy of Christ's published victories; to give our sympathies and tears to those who toil and suffer for his name; to remember the millions who perish because they know Him not; to increase our knowledge of what the Church is doing and needs to do to execute her great commission in the world; and to make intercession according to the will of God for the coming and the kingdom of his dear Son. Our offerings of money are made every Lord's day in the Sabbath school, and at our morning service on the first Sabbath of each month. II. The time of our Monthly Concert is the afternoon of the first Sabbath in each month-from half-past three to half-past four o'clock. It is not easy to compress all the parts of the service within a single hour, and still conduct them reverently and to the edification of the people; and hardly a month passes that we do not wish the hour longer. Still we adhere to our rule, in the main, and try to secure promptness, directness, compactness and life everywhere. We do not always succeed; but in spite of failures the service retains sufficient attractive power to fill a large lecture room, sixty by thirty-five feet, with interested worshipers and auditors. III. A controlling reason for brevity is the presence of children and youth. I meet them on the first, as on every other Sabbath afternoon of the month. And the whole service takes its character from their presence. In song their voices, chiefly, are heard, though we that are elder gladly join them as well as we can. And never do we get such help in singing, "From Greenland's Icy Mountains," "There's a Cry from Macedonia," and other kindred pieces, as on these occasions. It is a want in our Hymnology for adults and youth that there are no more pieces suited to such services. So in reading the Scriptures, offering prayer, and giving information, regard is had to the capacities of the young. If we can make the service intelligible and interesting to them, we are sure of general success with adults. And it is surprising how few subjects vital to the great missionary work of the Church require to be so treated as to remove them beyond the range of the youthful understanding. Children can be deeply interested in all the Scriptures that are pertinent to Monthly Concerts; in all intelligence from the missionary fields; in the sending forth of labourers; in the great question of finances; and in direct, fervent, short intercessions, offered not in set phrases, but in such words as the Holy Spirit gives to humble suppliants who are accustomed to plead and obtain the promises of God. IV. A word is in place here about sources of information from which to draw for the Monthly Concert. The daily secular papers, the religious weeklies, and the missionary journals of different branches of the Christian Church are of course accessible. And it is well to keep an eye upon the periodicals of the enemies of Christianity. The gatherings of a month from all these sources will be superabundant. Every week the Christian Intelligencer does good service to the missionary cause of the Reformed Dutch Church, and for all Christians. It has the unfeigned thanks of many good people. Although, in a sense, the organ of that part of the Church, it is not the property of the Church. The more credit therefore is due to its proprietor and editor. The paper deserves success for this and all its other excellencies. We have no weekly paper to do this for us, but our monthly periodicals are deeply interesting and of great value. The Home and Foreign Record gives monthly tidings from all the Boards of our Church. The Foreign Missionary, for the young, constantly improving in matter and illustrations, besides doing excellent service in Sabbath schools and families, is an instrument of power for the Monthly Concert. But of all our helps for this service, we prize most the pamphlet edition of the Foreign Missionary, with its able editorials and other original articles; its Reports of Missions; its tidings from many parts of the field; its Hints for the Monthly Concert; its account of the work in other branches of the Church; its suggestive lists of Donations, etc. From such abundant material it is not always easy to make the best selection; to classify facts; to bring order out of confusion; and then getting the heart full, out of its abundancy to pour forth as much as possible in warm ready utterance. But this is necessary. Seldom can you read to advantage. The printed page between speaker and hearer is suggestive of partial preparation. It is useful, I think, to break up the address into parts, calling for specific intercession after specific statements; and that is generally the best Monthly Concert address that calls forth the most intelligent and earnest praise and intercession at the time, and sends the people away to repeat and prolong both in their closets and families. V. Let me add that the great work of our meeting is intercession. This is not confined to the few moments spent in audible supplication. It is going forward from first to last, audibly or silently. All the devotional parts of the service are largely intercessory. They awaken or express the longings of faith in regard to the coming of Christ's kingdom. The information given on all subjects is attended at the moment with the offering up of fervent desires unto God for things agreeable to his will. There are always present humble believers, never heard in public, who are wont to pray, "Thy kingdom come;" and whose gracious affections are quickened, and their prayers directed by what they hear. For these and other reasons, I am impressed with the thought, that in our Monthly Concerts there is great power. The arrangements for admitting suppliants to his presence are made by God Himself, and they are wonderful. We are drawn to the Mercy Seat by his own Spirit. We come in the name of Christ. We plead God's written promises, and we humbly wait and work for their fulfillment. A PASTOR. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MISSIONS. Siam Mission. Bangkok. THIS city is situated on the river Meinam, about twenty-five miles from its mouth. Its population is estimated to be about 300,000, chiefly Siamese and Chinese. The capitol was occupied first as a mission station in 1840. It was suspended from 1844 to 1847, when it was resumed, and has been manned ever since. It is at present occupied by Rev. Messrs. House, Wilson, McDonald, Carden and their wives. Dr. House communicates in this letter cheering intelligence of the success and progress of the work at his station. Several baptisms have taken place of late, both in the school and among others. "We are privileged to report to you by this mail, the baptism, at our late communion season, (the first Sabbath in February,) of three young men, natives of Siam, and you will be interested to learn that they all either are or were connected with our mission school. "Naah.-This young man entered the school as a pupil in 1853-was a diligent, exemplary scholar-and has been for some years past the native teacher in charge. He is the husband of Esther, who was when a child taken into the family of Mr. Mattoon, and has for some years been a member of our native church, and it is an interesting fact that he is the son of Buntai, the first convert to Christianity in this land-a Chinese, who was baptized by Mr. Gutzlaff, as far back as 1830-1. His mother was a heathen, however, and his father, long before he died, had ceased to be an attendant upon Christian worship, though on his deathbed his trust in Christ seemed to revive. It was then that he made this son of his old age over to my special care, and in consequence, he always has been nearer and dearer to me than the other pupils of the school, so that it was with more than ordinary joy that I administered to him the holy rite which numbered him among the disciples of Christ. "How he was led to Christ.-At his ex amination previous to admission to the church, he stated, that at one time he came near being ensnared by the subtleties of Buddhism, but reflecting on the superiority of the nations that had accepted the Christian religion, he was satisfied there must be good evidence in its favour, or such enlightened nations had not received it. Then, about a year ago, he was led to think a good deal about the kindness of the teachers (missionaries), who, though of different race and language, had left their own land to be of benefit to the people of this country who were nothing to them, and who, when obliged to go home, had again come back, some once and again-it was kindness indeed that prompted this, and kindness indeed in God to put it into their hearts to come, and what was he to the missionaries that they should care thus for him. While saying this, his feelings quite overcame him, and he could hardly proceed, nor was he the only one moved to tears. He went on to say, that Mr. Mattoon, who was then about leaving for America, had several conversations with him, and his heart was much softened, but it was not till a few months ago, when some of his friends and pupils in the school were baptized, that he resolved to put off no longer the duty of giving himself up to the service of God. It was proper he should do this. Whether it would be to his advantage in this world, or whether he were made poor by it, he would serve the Lord to the end of his days. He had been a sinner indeed, but the Lord Jesus, in whom he believed, was mighty to save. And so his is now a Christian family complete, with the domestic altar set up, a blessing asked at meals, and children baptized and brought up in the love and fear of God." Though missionaries are removed from their field of labor, their influence is not lost. In another letter is an allusion to this touching scene, and Naah's reference to Mr. and Mrs. Mattoon. Mr. Wilson says: "It would have done them good to their own hearts prompted them to commence some months ago, and we trust there are others among us not far from the kingdom of heaven." Tungchow. witness his good confession for Christ. Shantung Mission—N. E. China. Their protracted toil, their prayers, and their long and earnest waiting have not been in vain. They are now far away, but their labours are bearing fruit in Siam." "Dik-Who was several years in the mission school, and more recently in a mission printing-office, has long been weaned from idolatry, and seems quite decided in his choice of the service of Christ, as well as anxious to be numbered among his people. "Ting-The youngest of the three, is a youth 17 years of age by his Siamese reckoning-some five years a member of the school. His heart, he told us, is very different from what it was. Once he thought only of play and trifles, now he delights in prayer, in reading the Scriptures and in thoughts of his Saviour and of God. He sees God and his love in the trees and the sky, and in all the works of his hands. His load of sin was heavy, but while he prayed it hai pai-vanished away. And he could not be discouraged from his purpose-to own the name of his Deliverer before men-by all we told him of the trials to which it might subject him. Indeed, a more brave, loving, earnest young Christian is not often found. May he have grace given him to endure all that may be laid upon him. “Encouragements.—I have written you more fully, perhaps, than is usual in speaking of new converts, but I feel sure you will be interested in these details of native Christian experience. "I need not add, that we are greatly encouraged by these tokens of the Divine presence and blessing with us, and also by the daily walk and conversation of the new disciples. They sustain with unabated interest the daily prayer-meeting THIS is a city of the second class, situated on the southern shore of Pecheli Bay, containing about 80,000 inhabitants. It is in latitude 37°, and has a dry, bracing and healthy climate. It was first occupied as a mission station of our church by Rev. 1861. A native church has been organized, Messrs. Nevius, Gayley and Danforth, in which contained at last report twenty-three members. The influence of this mission is being felt throughout the larger part of the Shantung promontory. The present labourers in this city are Rev. Messrs. Mills and Mateer with their wives. The Rev. C. W. Mateer gives some interesting facts of the progress of the work in Tungchow, in the following letter of January 21. "I am happy to say that we are feeling more encouraged here at this time than any time since I came to China. Shortly before the first of the year, we saw an increasing earnestness among our native Christians, and we ourselves felt more earnestness in prayer than common. There were also more inquirers than formerly. And even the tone of the people on the street has been decidedly improving, less of down-right hostility, and more readiness to inquire into the matter. Our native elder Sin has been especially stirred up, and has surprised us all by his earnestness and efficiency in working with inquirers. "The Week of Prayer.-The week of prayer we decided to try a new plan of operations, and so decided that the four missionaries here should all go out on the street each day from 11 to 1 o'clock and preach thus all over the city. This we continued through the week, having numerous hearers, and there is some evi |