commodation, the large number of young people growing up among us, the children of Methodist parents-our day and Sunday schools pervading the country, our home missions, and other appliances, with the general peace of our societies, and a ministry improved by education-there ought, I think, to be great searchings of heart why the increase in our body is not larger. I ask myself the question-do I prepare and deliver my sermons with the one object of saving souls? Do I describe the process of conversion, and prove its pressing necessity, as the old Methodist preachers did? I do not say the former days were better than these, and yet I think we may learn something by asking for the old paths. -Rev. Dr. Jackson.

PREACHING FOR A CROWN.-One of these hirelings, mounted on a cob, was trotting briskly on a Sunday morning to the country church where he had engaged to preach. He overtook Howell Davies, Whitfield's coadjutor, who was walking with similar purpose in view. As Howell looked clerical, the equestrian clergyman entered into conversation with him. He spoke of their calling as unprofitable

--

- "I

can never get more than half-a-guinea for preaching." Howell mildly remarked that he was glad to preach for a crown. The cob-exalted priest did not refrain from expressing his contempt for a fellow who so disgraced his cloth. "You'll perhaps despise me more," said Davies, "when I tell you that I am going eighteen miles in and out to preach, and that I have only 7d. in my pocket for all expenses." "Why," cried the other, "you said you were glad to preach for a crown." "So I am,' replied Howell, "for a crown of glory." Whereat Presbyter put his one spur to the flank of his cob, and rode away with a pshaw !-Saints and Sinners, by Dr. Doran.

How SAINTS ARE KNOWN.-Suppose you wished to separate a quantity of brass and steel filings, mixed together in one vessel, how would you effect this separation? Apply a loadstone, and immediately every particle of iron will attach itself to it, while the brass remains behind. Thus if we see a company of true and false professors of religion, we may not be able to distinguish between them; but

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let Christ come among them, and all His sincere followers will be attracted towards Him, as the steel is drawn to the magnet, while those who have none of His Spirit will remain at a distance. Or, suppose we perceive a number of children playing together in the street, we could not, without previous knowledge, determine who are their parents, or where are their homes. But let one of them receive an injury, or get into any trouble, and we learn who are his parents, for he immediately runs to them for relief. Thus it is with the Christian and the man of the world. While we observe them together, pursuing the same employments, and placed in the same circumstances, we may not be able at once to distinguish them. But let afflictions come upon them, and we are no longer at a loss. The man of the world seeks relief in earthly comforts, while the Christian flies to his heavenly Father, his refuge and support in the day of trouble.-Payson.

HOW TO TRAIN OUR SONS.-"It is sometimes urged that a young man is brought up too strictly; there is too much restraining, and hampering, and hedging in; too much catechism and Bible, and urging to church when he does not wish to go. He is tethered at home, and must keep good hours, and remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. He cannot learn the ways of the world, nor study human nature, by mingling with the companions of his choice. Many a sneer is cast on old Puritanic and Presbyterian modes of family government and discipline. But under what other system were such men and women ever produced? From what other homes ever went out such moral giants into this world of ours? Of whom the world was not worthy, and they left us, and the land grows scarce of them."

BAPTIST BROTHER: I don't like your Church government. It isn't simple enough. There is too much machinery about it. Methodist Brother: It is true, we have more machinery than you; but, then, you see, it don't take near so much water to run it.

A QUAKERESS said recently to a friend, in reference to the Quaker formula of marriage: "It is true I did not promise to obey when I was married, but I might as well, for I have had to do it."

DEATH OF THE REV. J. O.

GOADBY, OF PIPLEE.

THE sad intelligence of the decease of the above earnest labourer in the Mission field was communicated in a letter from the Rev. J. Buckley, of Cuttack, under date of August 1st.

"We are in the midst of deep sorrow. The hand of the Lord has again stricken us, and our small number has become still smaller. The stroke, too, has come on us suddenly and unexpectedly, but the Lord has done it, and painful as it is, we must bow to His holy will; 'Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.' Dear brother Goadby died at our house on Monday night last, July 27th, and was committed to his last earthly resting place on the following evening."

For two or three months previously our departed brother had suffered great prostration of strength. It was noticed at the time that his report of Piplee and of his cold season labours (a very full and intensely interesting one) was in Miss Packer's handwriting, but no suspicion of the cause occurred to the writer. This report, also, was later than usual, having only come to hand a few days before the Association. It appears that extreme weakness occasioned both the delay and the necessity of availing himself of Miss Packer's kindly help as his amanuensis.

He was very

drooping at the time his report was written, the whole being dictated as be lay on a couch or large easy chair. This fact will invest the report itself with a a new and tender interest; little did he think that it would be the last!

Shortly after despatching the yearly statement of his labours, Mr. Goad by visited Cuttack for a change, and was there when the intelligence of the sudden death of one of his children in England was received. He returned to his home and family apparently much benefitted, but in another fortnight the symptoms of his disease became so urgent, that it was necessary again to seek medical advice at Cuttack. This time, providen

tially, Mrs. Goadby accompanied him, but no danger was apprehended. The following extracts occur in a letter to Mr. Pike from his heart-broken widow:

"I knew there was cause for anxiety in the approaching crisis, but we did not realize danger until he was gone; and not until about the last hour can we recall anything to lead us to suppose he was aware he was sinking. About eight o'clock in the evening I left him to get something, when he immediately called me back, saying, 'Don't you leave me;' and a little while after he held my hand, and said three times, in a most thrilling tone, 'My darling girl! my darling girl! my darling girl!' A fond kiss-a long, lingering look-and this is all the parting between myself and almost idolized husband. Feeling how weak he was, I asked him in the afternoon if he thought he should get better. He replied quite animatedly, 'Oh, yes! I hope so. I do hope so. You know this is the crisis, and after it has passed I shall get better very quickly.' Many other little things were said; but while they showed no fear as to the result, they were also interspersed with words of triumph and peace which now are the most soothing balm to my broken heart. I feel I must thank God for His tender dealings with my darling. No agonizing pain-no protracted illness. He had often been laid aside latterly, but the chief characteristic of the disease was depression. He suffered comparatively little pain, and only kept his bed two days. always seemed to dread the disease of which he died, but never knew he had it. He scarcely lost any flesh, was as robust and full of life as ever-laying down plans of usefulness for the church, schools, and coming cold season, and full of a bright joyousness, a sweet realization of the glories of the eternal world. When seeing me cast down, he used so constantly and tenderly to assure me it was not mental; his mind was at peace; it was only physical, and would pass as he overcame the complaint.

He

I see now why it was so, but oh! my heart seems utterly crushed and broken.

many kindnesses received from dear friends. About five o'clock on Sunday morning he said, 'I have had a sort of conflict-all through the night my mind bas been drawing parallels between the ways of man and the ways of God. There seemed to me to be many ins and outs, ups and downs,' and then with an intensity of fervour which seemed almost to lift him from the bed, he said, 'and oh! my darling, grace has come off so triumphant, so triumphant!'

"Again a few hours later, after a short season of great inconvenience, he said, 'My precious wife, how good God is to us! to me He is so tender and pitiful in giving me such relief. For ever blessed, blessed, blessed be His name!'

"About three o'clock on his last morning of life he seemed to be thinking of Psalm cxxx. 6; and he said to Mrs. Goadby, 'My darling! my soul longs for Him-far, far more than they that watch for the morning does my soul long for Him.'

"After this there was nothing more said, but in answer to questions he always replied that he had no doubtsthat his mind was in perfect peace. At times his lips seemed to move in prayer, and the name of Jesus was heard; and several times during the last afternoon, the words 'height, depth, unutterable love,' were repeated at intervals. Once when his beloved wife was weeping by his side, he looked up and said, 'Read, my love.' On inquiring what, he seemed to have relapsed into unconsciousness, but on her repeating the question, he said with great warmth, The fulness of the gospel.'

"But the idea of separation does not seem to have distressed him at all, for within a few hours of his death he spoke of the probability of being obliged to return home, and that he could not realize the thought. And throughout his illness only one expression, and that uttered in a time of intense weakness shortly before his death, appeared to imply any doubt of recovery."

We close this account of our late beloved brother by another extract from Mrs. Goadby's letter, and especially

invite the prayerful attention of all the friends of the Mission to the latter portion of it.

"It was a touching coincidence that the text from the Golden Treasury' the day of my sainted husband's removal was, 'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,' &c.; and had it been his own utterance, the last verse could not have been more entirely fulfilled

'O that without a lingering groan,

I may the welcome word receive; My body with my charge lay down, And cease at once to work and live." A more painless and peaceful passage through the dark valley could not have been vouchsafed; and the look of unutterable love and wonder in his dear eyes, as he seemed far gazing into the unseen, can never be forgotten. Henceforth death for me has no sting, and to him I can say

Calm on the bosom of thy God,

Fair spirit, rest thee now:
E'en while on earth thy footsteps trod,
His seal was on thy brow.
Dust to its narrow cell beneath;

Soul to its place on high,

They who have seen thy look in death
No more need fear to die.'

"Since I wrote the former part of this letter my health has somewhat improved, but the utter desolation of my heart seems to press even more heavily; and at times, were it not for heavenly help, it seems as though soul and body must separate, and

'I, too stunned and sorrow-tried to raise
My widowed eyes in trust above.'

O that peace and trust may be more entirely mine, and that my precious husband may, by his death, speak and preach more loudly than by his life! He will not have died in vain, if his devotion of life, and his early death just when so full of hope, and love, and labour, shall rouse a more intense missionary spirit in our churches, and lead some devoted young men to give themselves up to the mission cause. prayed much and yearningly on this subject, for the paucity of missionaries often pressed heavily on his heart, and I cannot think the Lord will let his prayers go unanswered."

He

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ANOTHER GREAT FLOOD IN ORISSA.

LETTER FROM THE REV. W. MILLER.

Khundittur, June 26, 1868. ORISSA has been visited by another severe inundation. There was an unusual quantity of rain in the early part of this month. The floods rose with great suddenness in the Mahanuddy, Brahminee, Kursua, and Byturnee rivers, and with the exception of the first reached a height of sixteen inches above their highest known level, hence the whole country between the Brahminee and Byturnee was submerged, and the people had to take refuge on the highest spots. There has been great destruction of horses and cattle, and some loss of human life, though to what extent is not yet known. The rice crops have suffered severely. The Calcutta road was breached in several places, and all communication between Calcutta and Cuttack suspended for some twelve days. It was reported that five hundred pilgrims to Pooree were drowned in crossing a river near Balasore. Many of the staging bungalows had several feet of water in them, and the inmates had to seek an asylum elsewhere. One, two stages north of this, came down. European, his wife and family, with the man in charge, narrowly escaped with their lives.

A

Our fears were greatly excited regarding this station, it being in the inundated district. The first news received was to the effect that the whole village had been destroyed, and the christians removed by boat to a place six miles distant, where they then were in great distress.

I immediately, after hearing this, sent off a cart load of rice, and though brethren Buckley and Bailey were absent at the car festival, followed myself the next day to ascertain the real state of things, and render what relief I could to the sufferers. On my arrival here I found matters bad enough, though not so much so as had been represented. The friends had not been removed. The bungalow, chapel, and three of the houses, were comparatively little injured all the others were wholly or partially destroyed; the rice crop almost entirely so, and nearly half the land so injured by the flood that it will be useless for years to come. All the people

were very much disheartened by these frequent inundations, and are anxious to remove to some other locality where they may not be liable to these annual inundations, with all their attendant danger and loss. I fear we shall have to prepare for this, in some respects, most undesirable issue. At the height of the flood there was six feet of water in the village, and a powerful current rushing through. Except the main road, two hundred yards distant, the whole country was under water. To pass to the road was impossible, so strong was the current. The whole of the population assembled in one house, the highest raised in the village. As the flood gradually rose to a level with the floor, a platform four feet high, fastened to posts, was erected, on which to place the women and children as the last resource. In the meantime one or other kept looking out from the top of the roof for help. Two or three passing boats were hailed, but to no purpose. They continued instant in prayer, and though in great danger, and without the least hope of help from man, their faith in God, as they told me, never for a moment failed them. They were persuaded that "He who is a present help in trouble" would hear their cries and deliver them. Nor were they disappointed. At his bidding the waters began to subside, and eventually the dry land appeared, and each was able to return to his own habitation, which in most cases presented a scene of ruin and desolation. Nevertheless great was the gratitude expressed for God's interposition on behalf of their lives, though their loss in other respects had been so great. After preaching to the friends, and having the Lord's Supper with them this afternoon, I intend returning to Cuttack.

THE MORNING COMETH.

A PLEASANT Custom prevails in India. At all the military stations of the empire, the troops are summoned to parade in the early morning by the firing of a gun. The night may still be dark; the restless sleeper may fancy it will yet be long. But suddenly amid the stillness loud and clear booms out the morning gun and the reveille is sounded by the bugler's horn. The stars are still shining, and the landscape is wrapped in gloom.