an interest in this vessel as the Potter who is forming it. We murmur, only because we do not know any better. In our ignorance and unbelief, we are ready to think sometimes that he is spoiling his own work, just when, perhaps, by means of some deep and heart-weaning affliction, he is about to finish it, and take it away to the temple Here is the believer's blessed consolation, "O Lord, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand" (Isa. Ixiv. 8). above. HONOUR THE AGED. AN old man entered a railway carriage and was looking around for a seat, when a boy, ten or twelve years of age, rose up and said, "Take my seat, sir." The offer was accepted, and the infirm old man sat down. "Why did you give me your seat?" he inquired of the boy. "Because you are old, sir, and I am a boy!" was the reply. A hundred years ago there would have been little need to record, as remarkable, a thing like this. Among customs that are good or hopeful in the rising generation, there is one great change for the worse manifest to everybody-a declining spirit of reverence towards age and towards God. "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God; I am the Lord." We hope all our young readers can repeat the missionary hymn, "From Greenland's icy mountains." Perhaps there is not an English-speaking Sabbath school in the whole world, where the truth as it is in Jesus is taught, in which that hymn is not known. Shouldn't you like to know who wrote it? and when, and where, and how it was written? Reginald Heber was born at Malpas, in Cheshire, on the 21st of April 1783. He was a very clever boy; and at seven years of age he had translated Phædrus into English verse. He became a minister of the Church of England; and while rector of Hodnet, in Shropshire, he, in 1819, went to pay a visit to his father-in-law, Dr. Shipley, at Wrexham, on the border of Wales. Heber, now in his thirty-sixth year, had come to Wrexham to deliver the first of a series of Sabbath evening lectures in Dr. Shipley's church. In the forenoon of that same Sabbath, Dr. Shipley was to preach in behalf of the "Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts." On the Saturday afternoon, Heber and his father-in-law sat chatting with a few friends in Dr. Shipley's parlour. Dr. Shipley, knowing his son-in-law's happy gift in writing poetry, said to him, "Write something for us to sing at the service tomorrow morning." Heber went to another part of the room, and in a little time had prepared the following three verses : "From Greenland's icy mountains, From India's coral strand, Their land from error's chain. The gifts of God are strown; Bows down to wood and stone. The joyful sound proclaim, Has learnt Messiah's name." Heber read the three verses over, and only altered a single word. The seventh line of the second verse was, "The savage in his blindness." He struck out that word, and put instead of it the better word heathen. "There, there," coolly remarked Dr. Shipley, "that will do very well." Heber was not satisfied, and said, "No, no; the sense is not complete." In spite of his father-in-law's earnest objection, Heber went away, for a few moments longer, and then, coming back, read the following glorious concluding verse: "Waft, waft, ye winds, his story; It spreads from pole to pole! In bliss returns to reign." And so came into the world that hymn of all missionary hymns. In 1823, Dr. Heber departed for Calcutta, as the missionary Bishop of India. There he laboured without ceasing; and it was said that wherever he went, his sweet kindness of character won even "the heathen in their blindness." He died suddenly, while in a bath at Trichinopoly, in 1826. MISSIONARY NOTES. "Thy Kingdom Come." Bibles and Telescopes. If we are challenged to show that the conversions that take place amongst our mission stations are really solid conversions, a glorious proof is found in the fidelity of those persecuted Christians in Madagascar. I remember walking along the streets of London one day, and meeting a member of the London Missionary Society, who told me that they had just read a letter from Madagascar which had much affected them. It was in the very midst of the persecution, and this was a letter asking that they would send them more Bibles, but that among the Bibles they would send a few good English telescopes. I said to this gentleman, "What do they want the telescopes for?" And he told me that they were now compelled to worship in secret; that they gathered amid the valleys of their beautiful island, and that they had their scouts upon the hills, watching for the approach of their enemies; and that they thought if they had only some good English field-glasses, they could see the soldiers sent to arrest them before they could come upon them. That seemed to bring to one's thoughts the history of the Scottish Covenanters in the days when the Bible was brought out of its hiding-place, and when the pastor read such words as these, "For thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."Rev. F. Greeves (Wesleyan). Idols Abolished in Japan. WHAT did we hear the other day of Japan? Thirty-five millions of people were ordered by the Government to change their religion! That was truly a blessed work of disestablishment and disendowment! They had idols in every street, and they worshipped those idols. But the other day an edict went forth that every idol was to be brought down; and all the idols have accordingly been taken down from their standing-places, and any man who worships an idol in Japan in future is to be punished. Japan is now ready for the teaching of the truth. -Rev. J. W. Dalton, M.A. Trousers White at the Knees. WE Methodists are great people for prayer, and I trust we always shall be. I always think it is a good sign when a Methodist's trousers get rather white about the knees; it is a sign he works hard upon them. Let us pray for our missionaries abroad; and, depend upon it, nothing will support them more than when they know that the prayers of tens of thousands are daily offered up to God on their behalf. Let us likewise pray for our churches at home. Let us pray for a glorious revival. That is what we want; and if we get a revival in England we shall support more heartily than we have ever done the missionary cause.W. S. Allen, M.P. A Brahman Lady's School. "A SELF-TAUGHT Brahman lady," by name Kamini Devi, has been conducting, "in her own private house," a Zenana school, numbering twenty-three pupils, at Bagmungatchi, in the district of Howrah. This, as a sign of the times, must cheer the heart of every well-wisher of the country. That a Brahman lady, away in a village, should have educated herself by her own efforts, is a remarkable fact; that she should have further, at her own instance, set up an institution for the education of her ignorant sisters, is more remarkable still. The Englishman. Chinese Boys for Jesus. THE Chinese Sabbath school at Passaic in America has an average attendance of thirty-five scholars. At their recent anniversary, one of the banners had this motto," Boys of the province of Canton go for Jesus." BOOKS. MARDY; OR, THE FAITHFUL SERVANT. London: W. B. Horner, Paternoster Row. 32mo, 40 pages. Price One Penny. There are few situations in which a daily life may be made more truly a missionary life than that of household servants. If they profess to be Christ's, their consistency, or their inconsistency, is sure to be noticed. Here is a sketch of 'a faithful servant," who is stated to have been a means of blessing to "hundreds of souls." Mardy did not make her Christianity a reason for a slight or slovenly way of doing her daily duty; but was, while health lasted, a pattern of loving fidelity to those whom she served on earth, as well as of faithfulness to her Master in heaven. We heartily commend this little book to our girl-readers who are going, or have gone, to their first "place." LITTLE JANE; OR, TAUGHT OF GOD. By the Melrose. 16mo, 48 A touching tribute, by an earnest minister, to the memory of a lamb of his flock, taken away when only nine years old. It beautifully illustrates the words of the title," Taught of God." There be many who say that they are "looking to Christ," who yet care little to be spoken to about being born again. What but the teaching of the Holy Spirit could put such thoughts into the heart, and bring such words from the lips, of a little child? THE SABBATH SCHOOL. SABBATH morn is breaking, Sabbath bells are ringing, Little ones are singing, Singing simple lays; Father, bid them welcome; While in Bible reading, Teach them in their youth. Jesus, lead them gently, Gently to thy fold; Bless the little children, As thou didst of old. FRIOCKHEIM. J. F. CHINA. THE HILL STATIONS IN FORMOSA. DR. DICKSON thus describes a recent visit he made to the hills : I started for Poah-be, our nearest Pepo-Hoan settlement, on Friday morning. On reaching Toa-buc-kang, a large Chinese town, with a population of some three or four thousand, I dispensed with my chair and rested a little before proceeding. We are pretty well known in this town and neighbourhood, having to pass through it in going to and coming from the hills. For some time past I have been much impressed by the kindness of the people, who generally invite me into their houses and provide me with tea, hot water, or whatever else I may require. As is usual among the Chinese, many suffer from disease, especially from eye-disease. Indeed it is quite painful to see so many blind people whom a timely operation might have cured. There are always a number of patients seeking medicines; but on this occasion I thought I should venture to do an operation or two, provided I could find any one willing to be operated upon. Three were found willing. Accordingly I began to look about for a suitable place. It is anything but agreeable to draw blood in the presence of a large crowd. I found a quiet, well-lighted room quite near to where I was then standing, into which I took my three patients, whose eyes, I have no doubt, will be greatly benefited by what was done. During my short stay, I told the people of Jesus Christ and him crucified. Having once had a beginning here, I shall try to gain the good-will of the people as far as I can. In this way many who would never think of coming to the hospital in Tai-wan-foo may receive lasting benefit. When the Chinese do not come in search of us, we must obey the command of the Master and go in search of them. I reached Poahbe in the afternoon, and spent a very pleasant evening at the Friday evening prayer meeting. I was busy on Saturday making preparations for the Sunday services. During the day I had a few patients to see, most of whom were members or adherents of the Poah-be church. The services on Sabbath were very interesting. In the afternoon I met some very intelligent young people, who were desirous of being admitted into the Church. On Monday I walked to Kam-a-na, by way of Baksa, and spent some time with one of the Baksa deacons who is dying of consumption. Poor man, he is too weak to rise out of bed now, but his faith seems to grow as his bodily strength weakens. I read a few of our Lord's sayings, and then commended him to the Lord in prayer. I spent Tuesday evening in Kam-a-na. The school has been broken up, as the busy season is near, when every one must be employed in some way. I had one eye operation here, and heard with pleasure of the satisfactory results of former operations. On Thursday I arrived at Baksa, where the school is still flourishing. The scholars are not very regular in their attendance, but on Friday there were seventeen present, the oldest being a man of sixty-four years, and the youngest a boy of nine. This aged scholar comes partly, I believe, because he has little else to do, and partly to give his countenance to so good a work, he being an elder of the church. For some time back we have been endeavouring to teach a few to read and write the Chinese character. The New Testament in the colloquial, when it comes, will be a great blessing. [This is the work that |