tageous to the parties who disposed of them; but when the sales were larger than he at first anticipated, instead of retaining the entire profits to himself, which, of course, he was legally entitled to do, he was in the habit, from time to time, of making the most liberal advances, and thus, after the transactions seemed to be closed, many an author was made to share unexpectedly in the riches of his liberality. One estimable man, whose praise is in all the churches, and whose admirable works have met deservedly with a wide circulation, felt himself constrained to adopt the somewhat unusual course of putting a curb on his publisher's generosity. His notes upon the subject are exceedingly creditable to himself, and I hope I may be excused if I venture to quote a few sentences :—

more.

'I shall agree to accept a hundred guineas, but no I had no reason to expect anything for this book. You remember our conversation about the price of it. Then I do not think you can afford it. Should there ever be so much profit on it, I shall be very glad. You have taken such pains with my little productions, and given such a quantity away, that I should be very glad if this one brought in a few pounds' profit to the good old house of James Nisbet and Co. They will do good with the money. But I should be very unhappy in accepting a sum which made this impossible. I remember

writing the same way about the tracts, and you gave the money in my name to different objects. But, for the reason now stated, I do not wish this either. I deeply feel the generosity and personal kindness which have prompted you and your worthy partners to make such an offer; but the half of it is all that I can take. It will defray the journey I am now about to take, and will be as seasonable, as more would be oppressive. Now, my dear friend, I hope you understand the business part of this letter, and that you will make me happy by letting me have my own way for once.'

Alongside of this characteristic note, let me give the testimony of another witness :- As it is an honour and a privilege to minister to the household of faith, so it is a comfort and satisfaction to deal with the members of it. It is just thirty-seven years since, in the providence of God, I first became acquainted with dear Mr. Nisbet. Just after I married, I took a house in Alfred Place, within a few doors of Haldane Stewart; and soon after I got there, I wandered in company with my dear wife, and Helen Plumptre, to Mr. Nisbet's shop in Castle Street. Among other things, I have a distinct recollection of his having taken us into his back parlour, and introduced us to Mr. Knill, who had lately returned from India, and was on the point of proceeding to St. Petersburg. This reminds me how given to hospitality dear Nisbet was, especially to missionaries and

trait in his And as our

Me I will

their families. I always admired this character-blessed fruit of the Spirit! God has said, "He that honoureth honour;" and the dear man was enabled to honour the Lord with his substance, and all that he had; so the Lord, in a variety of ways, put great honour upon him. To Him be all the praise. I have no doubt the providential circumstance of our feet being directed to Castle Street, and to its ending in Miss Plumptre, two years after, sending the first volume of the "Scripture Stories" to be published, was the means of giving our dear friend a considerable lift in the world. And never did the dear man cease to talk of it, and, while grateful to the instrument, ascribed all to the good hand of God. Nothing ever struck me of my dear friend's more, than his very grateful remembrance of any little favour or benefit conferred upon him. And I am sure, he and Mrs. Nisbet took every occasion of practically showing their sense of it. How often did I and my family, especially my two eldest sons, on their way to school at Iver, experience their kind hospitality! I do reckon it among my mercies that I ever knew dear Mr. Nisbet, and I shall ever entertain a grateful recollection of him. I am sure his life and conduct preached many a sermon to me. I long to have a picture of him over my chimney-piece.'

I presume that communications of this character,

so honourable to both parties, are but seldom to be met with in the business transactions of any mercantile firm. It is refreshing and instructive to meet with them even occasionally. And I cannot help thinking that, if they indicated the rule, rather than the exception, there would be much more of the blessing which maketh rich, and which addeth no sorrow, and a great deal less of the disaster and the bankruptcy with which, at the present day, and even in the case of houses of long standing, the commercial world is so often startled and disturbed.

I am not aware that, in the course of his business transactions, James Nisbet ever met with any very serious losses. There was one debt, however, amounting to a considerable sum, which he himself had reckoned to be a bad one. But, contrary to his own expectation, the debt was eventually recovered. He did not, however, spend it on himself, or his family, but laid it out in the purchase of plate, which he presented to the church in Regent Square. I need scarcely say that the gift was graciously accepted, and the acknowledgment of the kirk-session is, I think, deserving of a place in this record :

'To Mr. James Nisbet, elder of the National Scotch Church, London, and to Mrs. Nisbet, his wife, a member of the same church.-Dearly beloved brother and sister, we, the kirk-session of the National Scotch Church, have this day received a

your

very valuable set of communion vessels, consisting of eight cups, two flagons, and two plates, as an offering out of substance unto the church of Christ under our care. We accept them in the name of the whole church, and do tender unto you our thanks, and the thanks of the whole church, for the same; and we shall take order, that this your deed of love, and act of bounty, be written in the books of the church, and go down to our children for a memorial. We can wish no better wish for the flock committed to us, than that they may be filled with the like spirit, and abound in the same liberality, to the honour of God, in which ye, the heads of your house, have so greatly abounded. Our prayer is, that you may increase in the gift of God, and that you may transmit it to your children, and your children's children. May the Lord have you in His holy keeping. Farewell.

'From your faithful brethren in the Lord.-Edward Irving, Minister of the National Scotch Church; William Dinwiddie, senior, Elder; Archibald Horn, Elder; D. M'Kenzie, Elder; Andrew Panton, Elder ; William Hamilton, Elder; David Blyth, Elder; Charles Vertue, Deacon; Alexander Gillespie, junior, Deacon; John Thomson, Deacon; J. Henderson, Deacon; Thomas Carswell, Deacon; David Ker, Deacon.

NATIONAL SCOTCH CHURCH,

May 5, 1828.'