The rapid progress of the gospel at Baypay made it necessary to appoint some one to reside there and teach the people. Although Yap had not finished his course of study, he was chosen to occupy this important station. He was ordained there as an elder and preacher in 1861. He did not give up his studies, but while preaching and teaching he continued to labour hard, under the direction of the missionaries, to bring himself up to the standard. Mr.

Douglas says: "He is peculiarly valuable, from the earnestness of his piety, the solidity of his character, and the wisdom with which he watches over the members and inquirers. He was extremely useful a few years ago, when the work at Baypay was making rapid progress, in helping us to examine those who professed to be converted, and wanted to join the Church. He is at present sorely grieved at the cold state of the Church at Baypay; yet he does not lose hope, but prays and looks for a time of refreshing there again."

Yap was long sorely distressed that the gospel had taken no root in his native district. Lately the London Missionary Society have opened a station in that part; and on a recent visit Yap was greatly delighted to find that many of his old neighbours were brethren in Christ.

He is of the surname Ching, a common name about Amoy, and the same as that of the famous Coxinga, who was king of Amoy and Formosa. The children in the Sabbath schools of Islington Presbyterian Church, London, have the privilege of supporting Yap in his work at Baypay. This short narrative will help them and all our readers to realize more the work that is being carried on on our account in China, and should lead us all to make more special mention in our prayers to God of the workers labouring there for us.

A HINT FROM FORMOSA. DR. MAXWELL tells us that the Christians in Formosa have fixed on special subjects for prayer for each day of the week, so that they may encourage and strengthen each other by the knowledge of their common and united prayers. Every Thursday they pray specially for blessings on the Christians in England who have sent the gospel to them. How many of our readers pray specially and systematically for the infant Church in Formosa?

A CHINESE HOUSE.

THE house of the Chinese presents none of those features of comfort, or even of har mony, which are so common in our homes in England. As we enter the house our attention is at once arrested by the peculiar An air appearance of everything we see. of dirt and discomfort pervades the place, suggesting comparisons between the state of things in England and China, by no means favourable to the latter. The furniture is generally of the most rude and common description, and made essentially for use. One would fancy that the Chinese, as a nation, had come to a common understanding to exclude everything from their houses that had the least tendency to produce luxurious habits. Their chairs, never at any time very numerous except amongst the more wealthy, and frequently supplemented by plain bamboo or wooden forms, are of the most upright and stiff-backed description-of the same identical pattern, no doubt, that was in fashion some two or three thousand years ago. Occasionally one sees a large arm-chair, ornamented with carving of the most curious and grotesque character, consisting of large dragons and strange fabulous animals,-which the Chinese artists suppose to be the very perfection of beauty. At one side of the room stands a four-legged table, made of plain deal; on this is placed the household god, and from this all the meals are eaten. Sometimes the walls are ornamented with long slips of paper, about two feet in width, on which are written sentences, either taken from their classics or composed by some literary native in the neighbourhood. With the addition of a few minor and unimportant articles, we have before us the furniture of a Chinese house.-From "Social Life of the Chinese."

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Shall we,

whose souls are lighted With wisdom from on high,"

be less thankful? For life, for health, for kind parents, brothers, sisters, friends, for food and raiment, for a happy home, -shall we not "sing praise"? And, most of all, for God's gift unspeakable, for Jesus Christ, who came into the world to save sinners, shall we not "sing praise"?

We should sing and "make melody," not only in our hearts, but with our voices. The birds need no teaching; but there are few boys and girls who do not, though some little things seem able to sing almost as soon as they can speak. Let all learn. All have opportunity; for we suppose there is now scarcely a school where there is no singing. And "learn young, learn fair." "Praise is

comely, and it is pleasant." But if it is to be pleasant, there must be not mere noise, but melody. And the better we can sing, the more we will delight in it. When a roomful of children are getting dull and slow at their work, it is like oiling the wheels-just to set them a-singing.

We know of a congregation where the children meet every week simply to sing hymns together. A very happy meeting it is; and many come whose hearts as well voices can sing "to Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." If such a meeting had been held in Jerusalem when Jesus was there, would he not often have gone to it? We know how he loved to hear the children singing, "Hosanna to the Son of David!"

We should learn to sing, that we may the better join in the Sabbath praise. In our churches we have no responses, (and we do not want them): the praise is the only part of the service in which we join with our voices. And we ought all so to join. If we have so little "ear"

that we scarce know one note from another, we need not disturb our neighbour by doing it loudly. But still we ought to join. Is it not a kind of shame that any, old or young, should never open their lips, refusing even to try? It looks as if they thought they had nothing to thank God for. The sparrow does not keep sulky silence because he can't sing so well as the "linty" on the other side of the hedge. He chirps cheerily away, and does his best. So let us all heartily join, and do our best. It was a good word of "Tom Brown's" old Methodist friend,-"When I praises God, I likes to do it joyful." When God is blessing a congregation or a Sabbath school, it is often shown by the way they sing. It was affecting to hear, as we lately heard in Mr. Spurgeon's "Tabernacle" in London, six thousand voices, like the sound of many waters, so heartily singing,

'Rock of Ages, cleft for me." Learn, too, to sing, that you may sing at home. Try, and try, and try again to master a few simple psalm and hymn tunes, such as French, Bedford, Evan, "Morning Light," &c. Sometimes, when conducting family worship in a house, if we ask, "Do you sing praise?" we are told, "No, for none of us, can raise the tune." Now, wherever there are children, there ought to be no such difficulty. There should be a " singingbird" in every house, a boy or girl who, if there be no one else, can say,-"I will be precentor." We know families where, but for some such young singer, there would be reading and prayer, but no praise. And surely the praise is none

the less sweet in God's ear because the tune is raised by a little child. And then, how sweet when the children of a family can sing together their morning and evening hymns! It brightens the house like sunshine.

Christian than

There lived a little girl in Edinburgh, named Jeanie. She was very little,scarcely six years old,-but she loved to sing hymns,—and she loved Jesus. There was an old woman whom Jeanie used often to visit, and to make happy by singing a hymn to her. Nothing used more to delight that old a visit from Jeanie; and when she would hear her little footstep in the passage, or her gentle tap at the door, she used to say, "Here's angel-Jeanie comin'." But Jeanie was not long in this world. Soon she fell sick, and died. The last words she was heard to speak were bits of her hymns, and especially her favourite about Jesus making her his "little snow-white lamb."

Young reader, has your heart, like Jeanie's, yet learned to praise ? Do you feel as David did, when you sing the sixty-third psalm? Does God hear your heart singing, when you say, “I lay my sins on Jesus"? We read that at the dedication of the temple (2 Chron. v. 13), when the praises of the singers went up, the cloud of glory came down, and filled the house. Often it is so still. God often makes praise a precious means of grace. Many can tell that it was through a word in the singing of a psalm, that the first gleam of peace came to their souls. Think of the words while you sing, and look for the blessing.

Jesus loves to dwell in a thankful heart. May both your life and lips praise him. Like David, amid his many sorrows, all through life may you be still able to sing of mercy. You have seen a lark on a summer morning,— as he springs from a field and soars ́up, and up, and up, singing all the while, till he soars out of sight, singing still. Is not this like David? In the last five psalms there is nothing but praise-praise-praise-till like the lark, the sweet Psalmist of Israel goes out of our sight to heaven, singing, 'PRAISE YE THE LORD!"

THE PERFECT MAN.

TAKE Peter, and there is a prominent feature peculiar to himself: one quality attracts you. Take John, and there is a lovely character which at once chains you, and his other graces are unobserved. But take the life of the blessed Jesus, and it will perplex you to discover what virtue shines with purest radiance.-C. H. Spurgeon.

A TRUE PREACHER.

TRULY I love that preacher who does not move me to applaud his eloquence, but to groan for my sins.-Bernard.

"LOST FOR EVER!"

"LOST! between sunrise and sunset, TWO GOLDEN HOURS, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward offered. They are lost for ever!"

"I'll give my time to Jesus;

Oh that each hour might be Filled up with holy work for him Who spent his life for me!"

WORK SWEETENS PLAY. WHAT a deal boys have to learn now-a-days, to be sure! Reading,-Grammar,-History, Geography, - Derivations,—Arithmetic! And then there is French, and Latin, and Greek, and how much more! Well, as the old captain said, "Pull away with a will, lads!" at every one of them. Do your very best at your work, and then play will be all the sweeter when it comes. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." True, but all play and no work,what would that make of Jack? Holidays are coming, and may you have a happy time of it then, boys! You are better off than many older boys, whose holidays seem never to come!

Here is a war going on. Charlie is sounding the attack upon a castle of seasand; and Tom, Dick, and Harry are his troops. The fort will soon fall, but there will be no list of killed or wounded. May God bless you, dear boys, in your work while you are at it, and in your play when it comes !

"NOW'T LIKE COBS OF COAL."

MR. BRADLAUGH was delivering a lecture in the North of England in favour of infidelity, when he called upon any present to reply to his arguments. A collier rose an i spoke somewhat as follows:-" Maister Bradlaugh, me and my mate Jim were both Methodists till one of these infidel chaps came this way. Jim turned infidel, and used to badger me about attending prayermeetings; but one day in the pit a large cob of coal came down upon Jim's yead. Jim thought he was killed, and ah, mon, but he did holler and cry to God!" Then turning to Mr. Bradlaugh, with a knowing look, he said, "Young man, there's now't like cobs of coal for knocking infidelity out of a man.' It need scarcely be said that the collier carried the audience with him.-Missionary News.

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