holiness, exceed pounds, shillings and pence, in moral power. Dr. Chalmers thought there is no more effective persuasive to religion than the beauty of a holy life; that the beauty of holiness, beaming through the life of a loved relative or friend, does more to strengthen such as stand in virtue's ways, and to raise up those that are bowed down, than precept, command, entreaty, or warning; that the seen but silent beauty of holiness has an energy and a moral suasion about it which surpasses the highest effort of the orator's genius, and speaks more eloquently of God and duty than tongues of men and angels; just as the beauty of holiness, which is enshrined in the four brief biographies of the man of Nazareth, has done more to regenerate the world, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, and to spread his religion, than all other means put together, or all that has ever been written on the evidences of Christianity!

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Some months since I saw a bee dip into a flower successfully; but it did not rob the flower of a single tint, looked as beautiful, and smelt as fragrant, as ever; the perfume seemed to be increased by the activities of the bee. It is thus with one's soul. Activity, like the bee, carries away the honey, but leaves the heart lovely and fragrant as ever, more so through the motions of the active principle within. I have often found it so that by diffusing more Religion in the soul is

of God, I obtained more of God. like water in the fountain, odor in the rose, and sunshine. in the sun, diffusive, dispersing without impoverishing !

What one said of an estate we may say of our religion : it may be imparted yet not impaired. I have often realized this in preaching, scattering Gospel truth, pulpit material, and yet increasing; the five barley loaves, and the two small fishes, multiplied into twelve baskets of frag

ments, each enough for a sermon by and by.. The oil increased by pouring out.-1 Kings 17: 16.

Dec. 30, Monday morning.-What an amazing work of God is this shaping to be! likely to sweep all before it, "like mighty winds, or torrents fierce." Within a short. time past hundreds have been saved. The town is shaken, just by the simple preaching of a felt Gospel. A glorious blaze this, surely! and out of materials, too, apparently as indisposed at first to catch fire, as the wet wood upon the altar on Mount Carmel, after Elijah had poured twelve barrels of water upon it! When God answers by fire, and his Spirit blows it into a flame, how swiftly, deeply, extensively does it spread and prevail, from heart to heart, from house to house, from street to street, from family to family! Let the holy flame spread thus in every land, and how soon would our sin-cursed earth be in a blaze!

Forty sinners found mercy yesterday, and thirty-five the blessing of purity of heart (Matt. 5: 8); all carefully recorded by the secretary, brother William Mallinson, with their places of residence, each new convert receiving at the same time a ticket of admittance to a class, telling him where and when it meets, and the name of his leader. This is an excellent plan, for it gathers the lambs into the fold at once, out of the wolf's way. Now and then one objects to join, for this or that reason; but there is a spare column on the book for "Remarks," such as "To be visited," or "Has not made up his mind what church to join," or "Wishes to consult his wife," or father, mother, or the wife desires to consult her husband, as the case may be. If the convert lives out of town, and there is a class in the vicinity, he receives a ticket to the class, and the leader or pastor is notified. At a leader's meeting, each week, the register is examined, and the "visiting calls" settled upon. This is

the true way to preserve the credit of revivals, and to secure the benefit to the church.

Dec. 31. Surely the word of the Lord is verified: "He sendeth forth his commandment upon the earth, and his word runneth very swiftly."- Ps. 147: 15. What a change in our spiritual atmosphere! what hath God wrought! It seemed as if we were going to have a double winter, but, lo! the spring has come. Jesus seems to be saying to his spouse, the church: "Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear in the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." And the church is replying: "The voice of my beloved! behold he cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. My beloved is mine, and I am his. He has come to the mountains of myrrh, and to the hills of frankincense; until the day break and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved! and be thou like a roe, or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether!"- Cant. 2. O, with what power the church sings!

"Before my faith's enlightened eyes

Make all thy gracious goodness pass!
Thy goodness is the sight I prize :
O, may I see thy smiling face!
Thy nature in my soul proclaim,
Reveal thy love, thy glorious name!
"O, put me in the cleft! empower

My soul the glorious sight to bear!

Descend in this accepted hour;

Pass by me, and thy name declare

"There in the place beside thy throne,
Where all that find acceptance stand,
Receive me up into thy Son,

Cover me with thy mighty hand!
Set me upon the rock, and hide

My soul in Jesus' wounded side!"

Praise the Lord, O my soul! He has made thee to remember thy sorrows, as waters gone by. I was thinking of that question in the book of Psalms: "Who can stand before his cold?" And who can stand before the cold of spiritual indifference? I was tempted to fly before it, as Moses from the serpent in the wilderness. As the Lord recalled Moses, saying, "Put forth thy hand and take it by the tail," so, it would seem, he called me. It was well. The serpent became a rod in the hand of Moses, and by it he plagued the Egyptians with thunder and lightning, and hail, and sickness, and darkness, and other annoyances, till he shook the throne of the Pharaohs, and made Egypt tremble, and by it led forth all Israel from the house of bondage, and over the Red Sea, with songs and acclamations on the further shores :

"Sound the loud trumpet o'er Egypt's dark sea!

Jehovah hath triumphed, his people are free!"

Amen! so let it be, my Lord! As thou didst enable me to take the serpent by the tail, and it has become a rod. The Lord has opened me a great door, and an effectual; but many adversaries and hard fighting for further victories are yet before us. The wisdom that comes down from above is needed. There is no cause for fear, so long as our hearts remain right with God, and he is King in our midst Those words of the Lord by the prophet Haggai are near:

"According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you; fear ye not."-Hag. 2: 5. Then comes the promise, in the next verse or two, of a shaking in the heavens, earth, and sea, and dry land,—the shaking of the nations, and the coming of Him who is the desire of all nations, and the filling of the house of God with his glory, the glory of the latter house to be greater than that of the former. Would that the glory in the Queen-street Chapel may be greater than this glory in Buxton Road! Amen!

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