'Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth.'PROV. XI. 31.

HE kindness shown by James Nisbet to his dear friend, Alexander Russel, generous and disinterested though it was at the time, was eventually, and in many respects, advantageous to himself. It led to a regular correspondence with his brother John, while prosecuting his studies for the ministry at the University of Glasgow, and even after his appointment to the parish of Muthil, in Perthshire. The correspondence throughout had reference almost exclusively to matters of religious experience, and there is every reason to believe that the counsels of that godly man were of signal service in clearing away doubts and discouragements with which he was occasionally perplexed, and leading to that 1orce and stability of

character by which, ere long, he was so eminently distinguished.

'Be brave, my brother!

He whom thou servest slights

Not even His weakest one;

No deed, though poor, shall be forgot,
However feebly done.

The prayer, the work, the thought,
The faintly-spoken word,

The plan that seemed to come to nought,
Each has its own reward.

Be brave, my brother!

Enlarge thy heart and soul;

Spread out thy free glad love,
Encompass earth, embrace the sea,
As does that sky above.
Let no man see thee stand

In slothful idleness,

As if there were no work for thee

In such a wilderness.

Be brave, my brother!

Stint not the liberal hand,

Give in the joy of love;

So shall thy crown be bright, and great

Thy recompense above.

Reward, not like the deed—

That poor weak deed of thine—

But, like the God Himself who gives,
Eternal and divine.'

'God shall be with you, and bring you again into the land your fathers.'-GEN. XLVIII. 21.

of

N 1808, his health was somewhat impaired by incessant labour, and having intimated his purpose of spending a few

weeks in Scotland, he received a letter

from his father, which shows very clearly that his views in regard to religious matters were of the old Moderate stamp, and very different from his

son's.

He says: We are very glad of seeing our beloved son again; and, James, I desire you will make yourself free and easy among all your acquaintance. I am very happy to think you have got so much of the fear of God about you; but, you know, if you began to speak much about religious matters, they will be saying it is an outward show, so the less you meddle with

these matters the better for your short stay. You know, if the people you are connected with are in error, they have other people to correct them, without your troubling yourself with them. I am told by a gentleman that you are a teacher of the Sunday schools, and he would not think much to hear you preach in the streets of London, which I would be very sorry for, as you never got education for that purpose. I hope you are not following the principles of the Methodists, as, you know, we had plenty of them in Kelso, and some very worthy people followed them. Concerning the meetings you attend, God Almighty never desired man to spend all his time in godliness. He designs such as you or me to labour and work for our bread while on earth. To such as ministers He gives the divine law to lay down to us, and it is their duty so to do. I am very happy to hear that you are going on in the good way; but too much for some young people turns their mind, and cuts off their days, while they might have been useful members of society. I shall say no more upon this head. I beg you will take the earliest opportunity of coming and seeing your father and mother, while, God be thanked, we are both able and willing to take care of you.'

In a religious point of view, his visit to his native place was not very satisfactory. He says in his journal: Had a long conversation about the sermon

F

we had heard, our London friends, and their employment; upon the whole, a poor Sabbath, very unlike our dear Sabbaths in London. Oh! how little do we in London consider the advantages we enjoy in having faithful ministers to dispense the word and ordinances amongst us! Lord, enable us to improve by what we hear, and let our privileges never rise to condemn us, from our want of attention to the means. My friends are surprised at my cheerfulness, having heard such sad accounts of the bad effects of Methodism upon me. Am sadly deficient in speaking to them about the great salvation; but have, at least, convinced them, that I retain my reasoning powers, and enjoy a happiness of which they have no conception. I have lost much in coming here;-no prayer-meetings, no Thursday-night sermons, no companions with whom I would wish to be on intimate friendship, and no Sabbath schools. With the loss of these, which is most of all, I have lost Mr. Nichol.'

'Pray that Jerusalem may have

Peace and felicity;

Let them that love thee, and thy peace,
Have still prosperity.

Therefore I wish that peace may still

Within thy walls remain,

And ever may thy palaces

Prosperity retain.