had thus provided a chimney he thought men were wiser than God, for he had never yet seen any mean cottage where it was intended that all the smoke should escape by the front door.-The King's Son; or, a Memoir of Billy Bray.

REBUKE AND EXHORTATION.

"Billy,'" writes a friend," was so completely absorbed with a desire to do good-so fired with zeal for the honour of his Divine Masterso full of pity towards his fellow-men- -so saved from the fear of man which bringeth a snare-and so impressed with an habitual sense of God's presence and favour, that, without regard to position, or rank, or character, or circumstances, he was ever ready to testify of the reality and blessedness of religion, or to administer such reproof, or counsel, or warning as he deemed necessary. At one time he might be seen in the midst of a group of pleasure-seekers, seeking to impress them with the idea, that real and lasting pleasure was to be had only in religion; at another time he might be found in the midst of an angry quarrelsome party, striving to conciliate by kind entreaties and loving arguments, or perhaps on his knees, asking God to be merciful, and soften the hearts of the angry ones, calling them by name; and anon you might have seen him accosting strangers, whom he met on the roads or in the streets, or hailing certain persons with whose characters and peculiar tendencies he appeared quite familiar, and abruptly, some fastidious persons might say, even rudely, but always cheerfully and lovingly, saying something about Christ and His salvation."

His wonderful tact and address in speaking to friends and strangers personally, whether it came by nature or grace, or in part from one and in part from the other, was certainly one of the most marked features of his character. And yet he was far from belonging to that class of men who have been called "religious chatterers." He had "such an insight into people," he had "such a sense of times and seasons," he had "such a power of putting the truth in an available form, that men could take it without hesitation, and digest it as it were." He seemed to be one of those "unordained men that are ordained of God from their birth to be teachers in this way." His heart seemed to take such "hold of persons," as led him to "think about them, and pray for them, and brood over them," with the tenderest purest affection and sympathy. But his talents were multiplied by the wise and benovelent use he made of them; and to persons who say, "I have not the power he had; and if I had I should not know how to use it," it may be said, as has been said in a similar case, "But it does not follow you ought not to learn; for the learning is

very essential." The church needs the power to preach to individuals, and to preach, as did her Divine Lord, her best sermons, too, on such occasions.

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Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." We may best learn what this means by an example. Billy" says: "At the time I was building Bethel Chapel, I knew a very good man, who had a very wicked woman for his wife. She persecuted him in various ways, sometimes by throwing water in his face. One day she provoked him so much that he swore. He at once keenly felt that he had greviously sinned. Very earnestly did he ask the Lo-a-rd to have mercy on him, Satan busily telling him all the while that it was no use to pray, for no one would believe in him again. When I was working about the chapel the Lo-a-rd spoke to me and said, 'Go up, and restore thy brother.' So I threw down the shovel

that I was working with, and away I went to the brother's house. When I got there his wife began to curse him, and tell me what her husband had said. When she had done I told her what the Lo-a-rd said to the Jews when the woman was taken in adultery, 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.' I asked the husband to walk out with me. I then said, 'Is not the devil telling you it is no use to pray, and that nobody will believe in you any more?'

'Yes,' he

said. Then I told him that the dear Lo-a-rd had sent me to him, and that He was on his side, and that I was on his side, and while I was talking to him the dear Lo-a-rd sent another brother to encourage him. And on the following Sunday the darkness was all dispersed, he regained the blessing he had lost, lived and died trusting in the Saviour, while his wife continuing to harden her heart, and make the path of her husband rough and difficult, was soon removed by death to answer for all that she had done at the judgment seat of Christ." "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." "Billy" had learnt the meaning of this Scripture also. When he was out one Sunday beating up recruits for the evening service he met with a man," who used to say that though Jesus was a good man, he had not all power; and that there was no such being as the devil; there was, he said, no other devil than the wickedness that was in man. He was a scholar, and thought to be a very wise man. We have talked many times on religious subjects. One day when he was arguing that there was no devil, and that all a man had to mind was his own wicked heart and that was all, and that the devil that he had was his own wickedness, I asked what wickedness it was that went into the swine, and drove them over the cliff?

for

He asked me how it was that the Lo-a-rd suffered the swine to be driven over the cliff? And I said to him for two reasons, it seems to me. First to show the power of God; and then to show the envy of the devil; when the devil asked to go into the swine, the Lo-a-rd might have said 'No, you shall not go into the swine, but into the people.' The devil would much rather have heard the Lo-a-rd say this; but he knew that the Lo-a-rd would not give him liberty to go into the people; and being driven out of the poor man, the devils were so full of envy that they would rather go into the swine than nowhere. Now in this you can see the power of God, and the evil nature of the devil. Then he said You nearly always beat me.' But since we used to argue like that, the Lo-a-rd has made him a new creature," one of many whom "Billy' turned to righteousness.

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In January, 1867, "Billy" went to Plymouth and Devonport to hold some meetings for the Primitive Methodists, for he was no bigot, and was willing to serve all to the best of his ability, because he loved all them who loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. They had blessed meetings, rather noisy too. A man reproved "Billy" in the street for making so much noise. "He spoke very sharp, and said he did not mind who heard him. He was not ashamed to do his Master's work out in the street, and I am sure we who love the Lo-a-rd ought not to be ashamed to praise him in the chapel. I told the man that I did not fear him, nor his black-faced master; and if I had hearkened to such as be I should have lost my best friend long ago. My best friend is the dear Lo-a-rd; he has made me glad, and no one can make me sad; he makes me shout, and there is no one who can make me doubt; he it is that makes me dance and leap, and there is no one that can keep down my feet. I sometimes feel so much of the power of God that, I believe, if they were to cut off my feet I should heave up the stumps.”

Reproached one day by a depraved, dissolute man, as being one of those idle fellows who go about living upon others, and doing nothing whatever, he said, "My Father can keep me a gentleman always if He pleases without my doing any work at all; but your father "-pointing to his shabby, tattered garments-" cannot even keep you in decent clothes with all your hard work." "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou be like unto him. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit;" i.e. "If fools talk nonsense, do not talk nonsense with them; if fools boast a victory over wisdom, then let wisdom expose their folly."-The King's Son; or, a Memoir of Billy Bray.

For a literary notice of this Memoir see Large Magazine for this month.

SIX AWFUL THINGS.

Ir is awful for a man who was once a minister of Jesus Christ to revile the Bible, deny the existence of God, and teach the working-classes, when they pay money to hear him, that there is no hereafter, that in the hour of death they will perish like the ass that brays, as the owl that hoots.

It is awful for a man to publish a lie in hypocrisy, saying that he does not disbelieve in God while he is doing all he can with his pen and his tongue to persuade others that nature is God, and science is Providence, thus leading them into theoretical and practical atheism.

It is awful for a man who professes protestantism, and receives pecuniary support from protestantism to falsify his profession and betray bis trust by teaching the dogmas of popery, observing the ceremonies of popery, and promoting the habits of popery.

It is awful for a man who knows by experience the forgiving love of God and the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience-to imbibe infidel sentiments and become a worker of wickedness, even as others.

It is awful for a man who was taught in a Sabbath-school, and who regularly hears the gospel, to have an intellect dark as night through the deceitfulness of sin, a heart hard as stone through resistance of the Holy Spirit, a face red as blood through the use of strong drink, a tongue set on fire of hell through violent temper, and a life full of iniquity through compliance with manifold temptations.

It is awful for a man who has heard many faithful sermons and often felt the strivings of the Holy Spirit to be sick and nigh to death, with guilt on his conscience, remorse on his soul, and a fearful prospect before his eyes of everlasting torments in the bottomless pit.

These awful things are not far off, but nigh at hand, in the midst of England. O Lord, arise, and cause them to cease, is the prayer of Wingate. JOHN BELL, JUN.

MAKE FOR THE SHORE.

ONE fine day, three young men went down into a river to bathe. They found it delightful, and allowed themselves gently to float down the stream. Two of them perceived that they were nearing a dreadful water-fall, and made for the shore. The other insensible of his danger, floated onward. Immediately the other two had regained the shore, they shouted to their companion at the top of their voices, "Make for the shore, make for the shore;" but he gently replied, "It's pleasant float

ing here." A number of people soon assembled at the river side, and they cried "Make for the shore, make for the shore," but all the answer they received, was "It's pleasant floating here." But all at once he became alive to his danger, and then commenced a struggle for life. But alas! it was too late. Already he was in the rapids, and he was carried onward with fearful rapidity, towards certain destruction. No hand now could save him, as with a wild shriek he was plunged over into a terrible abyss, and sank to rise no more.

The state of the sinner is impressively illustrated in the above incident. Gently floating down the stream of worldly pleasure, he has no apprehension of the danger to which he is verging. Fascinated by the sensuous delights in which he indulges, he is deaf to the voice of warn. ing which is lifted up with earnest commiseration at the sight of his approaching fate. Urged by few to the cross, he prefers to float in the unholy enjoyments until awakening up to a realization of his perilous. position, he makes an ineffectual struggle against the sinful habits he has formed; and, as if under the influence of some secret spell, some irresistable incantation, he is borne forward to an inevitable, and overwhelming destruction. Sinner before you reach the rapids, before you arrive at that moment when forsaken of God, He will laugh at your calamity, and mock at your fears. Listen to the voice of mercy. "Make for the shore." Flee to the cross.

Sent by J. FULLERTON, JUN.

IT IS MY WAY. IT IS MY INFIRMITY.

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So many will say, when any practice or habit of theirs is held up their view as inconsistent with gospel principles and Christian practice. No matter how bad the tendency, if it is only their way or infirmity, they seem to feel justified; instead of endeavouring by the grace of God to reform, they continue to excuse themselves and go on in the old way. The professor who is addicted to foolish talking and jesting, will acknowledge its impropriety, but it is his way, and of course must be overlooked; and if you kindly admonish him, you have but your labour for your pains. So of the snarling person, it is his infirmity, and there is the end of it. It is no worse than other men in high standing do. But reader do think. Might not the drunkard, the swearer, the debauchee, or the thief say, the same with equal propriety. If because it is our way or habit we are innocent, so are they. But if we are in a bad way let us get out of it forth with, and the sooner the easier and the better, better for ourselves and for the world around us.

Sent by E. MORRIS.