Gospel; an Irish Missionary, belonging to the Wesleyan-Methodist Missionary Society. He had received a very excellent education, was a good scholar, particularly in Latin; and also perfectly acquainted with the Irish language, in which he preached, in the markets and fairs, for many years, as well as in English. He had many, many seals to his ministry; and, amid much persecution, continued faithfully to pursue his work for forty years. He died on the 14th

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of May, 1839, rejoicing in prospect of that "rest which remaineth for the people of God," aged seventy-eight years. Oftentimes, whilst proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, his life was in danger from the opposition he encountered from the mobs; but he stood firm, and throughout the whole of Ireland bore a continued witness in favour of truth against error. "He being dead, yet speaketh."

DENNIS AND THE PRIEST. "Good morning, Dennis."

"Good morning, your Reverence." "What is this they say of you, Dennis? I am told you have been to hear the preaching of the soupers."

You have been told the truth, your Reverence."

"And how could you dare to go and listen to heretics ?"

"Please your Reverence, God is not a heretic; and it is the word of God, the Bible, that they read."

"Ay, the Bible explained by a Minister." "No, your Reverence, the Bible explained by itself; for when it is allowed to speak, it explains itself without assistance from any other quarter; and in the very act of reading it, we allow it to speak."

"But, after all, the Minister preaches; and he insists on your believing what he preaches?"

"No, your Reverence: the Preacher tells us not to believe on his word; but, when we go home, to take the Bible, and examine whether it contradicts or confirms what he has delivered from the pulpit."

"But don't you see that this is a mere sham; and that you, the common people, cannot examine the holy Scriptures, so as to judge whether they confirm or contradict what the Preacher says?"

"At that rate, your Reverence, St. Luke made fools of the common people; for the Preacher pointed out to us passage in the Bible which mentions that the Bereans compared the preaching of the Apostle Paul with the holy Scriptures; and, more than that, St. Luke commends them for doing so." (Acts xvii. 11.)

"Admirable, Master Dennis! you are quite a Doctor in Divinity. You know as much as a whole Synod of Bishops. Your decisions will be equal to those of a General Council."

"No, your Reverence: I make no pretensions to judge for other persons; but I take the liberty of judging for myself. God

inspired the Bible: I read His inspired word, and that is all."

"But you are not able to understand it." "The proof that I can is, that I really do understand it. I understand very well an almanack made by an ordinary man. Why should I not understand the Bible, which has God for its author? Cannot God express what He means as well as a mere mortal? Besides, the Bible, speaking of itself, says that it is a light."" (Psal. cxix. 105.)

"Dennis, you are obstinate and conceited." "Your Reverence, if he is an obstinate man who never changes his opinion, it is you who are obstinate; but as for me, I found myself in a bad road, and changed for a better, that is all. I have never pretended to be infallible."

"You are very conceited to think that you know so much more than others."

"Others are not very humble in thinking that they know more than God; but it is to God, and not to my fellow-men, that I hold myself responsible."

"I must tell you that if you go on reasoning in this way, I shall not admit you to confession."

"I confess myself."

"Not to me, at all events." "No; but to God."

"To God?"

"Yes; to God, who declares in the Bible that 'if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins."" (1 John i. 9.) "The Church will not marry you." "I will get married elsewhere." "The Church will not bury you." "I shall not trouble myself about my dead body, if I save my soul."

"You will be excommunicated."
"No matter, if I am received by God."
"No prayers will be offered for you."
"I shall pray for myself."

"No masses will be said for you to release you from purgatory."

"They would be of no use; for I reckon on going to paradise."

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"To paradise, do you?" "Yes; to paradise."

"How do you know that?"

"Why, thus: I read in the Bible that the thief when hanging on a cross at the right hand of Jesus, after having confessed his sins to Jesus Christ, who is God, said to him, 'Lord, remember me!' 'And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.' (Luke xxiii. 41-43.) If, then, a penitent malefactor could be pardoned by believing on Jesus Christ, I cannot see why, if I repent, and trust in the same Saviour, I may not equally obtain salvation; and the proof that my hope is well founded lies in what I have read in the same blessed book, that God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John iii. 16.) But as I make a part of the world here spoken of, it follows, that if I believe, I shall be saved."

"But while you are waiting to go to paradise, you must live in this world; and I tell you plainly, that you will lose your livelihood by joining these heretics. No one will have anything to do with you."

"I trust in Him who gives us day by day our daily bread;' and if God be for me, what can all those do who are against me?"

"You will be a laughing-stock to everybody."

"And what will that signify? Was not Jesus Christ mocked and set at nought?" "Everybody will shut their doors against

you."

"Jesus Christ had not where to lay His head."

"You will be called an apostate."

"Was not St. Paul the greatest of apostates at his conversion?"

"Everybody will take pleasure in refusing to do you a kindness."

"The world persecuted the Master, and therefore may well persecute His disciples; and the more I am persecuted for my faith, the more I shall feel that I am truly a disciple of Jesus Christ."

"Well! We shall see how long you will hold out. First of all, no one will give you work."

any

"And what next?"

may tell him that he is not a Christian; for Christ commands us to forgive offences, while this man indulges revenge. Jesus commands men to love one another, and this man appears quite disposed to hate me. Should he happen to be a Priest, you may tell him that his prototypes were the members of the Sanhedrim who, through hatred, condemned Jesus to death. Should he be an Ultramontane, you may tell him that I am astonished at nothing done by him and by those who invented the Inquisition. Lastly, should it be yourself, be assured that your vengeful spirit is to me the best proof that you are not in the truth. Christ said, 'Forgive,' and you take vengeance. Christ said, 'Teach all nations,' and you refuse even to let them read the Bible. Christ said, 'Freely ye have received, freely give,' (Matt. x. 8;) and you sell,-not, indeed, the Gospel, for that you conceal,-but you sell your masses, your prayers, your dispensations, your rosaries, your tapers, your indulgences, your baptisms, your interments: but, as for me, I can make shift to do without any of your wares, while I apply to that God who gives heaven gratuitously."

"Gratuitously!"

"Yes, gratuitously; and this it is that vexes you! For when a blessing is bestowed gratuitously, the concurrence of those who sell is not wanted. Yes, gratuitously! this one word is ruinous to all your schemes. God gives, and you sell. God pardons, and you punish. God loves, and you hate. How can you expect that we should not go to God, or wonder that we do not come to you? But act towards me just as you please I have learnt not to fear those who can kill the body; but only to fear those who can destroy the soul; in other words, I stand in no awe of you."

"You are an insolent fellow.”

"I am not; but I have the courage to speak the truth."

"You are impious."

"I have been so, while bending the knee before images of wood or stone; but I have ceased to be so, since I have believed in the living God, and trusted only in my Saviour."

"You are a miserable wretch."

"Yes, a miserable sinner; but a penitent and humble sinner, I trust, whom God has pardoned."

"You will always be a "What I shall be, I do not know, but I know what I wish to be. I wish for the future to live in purity, because it was precisely my sins that crucified the Saviour. I wish to be sincere, just, and charitable, because Jesus has been so good as to give me everything. Allow me to tell you what kind of person I am. When persons love me, I love them in return; when they do me a favour, I wish to return it twofold; the more generous others are towards me,

looking with astonishment, I felt it applied for me! for me! Blessed be His holy name, few have had more striking evidences of their acceptance; and yet, perhaps, for a quarter of an hour, I was fearful to lay hold of it as the blessing I wanted. My load was gone, and happiness seemed to be near me; but I could not declare it to be in my possession, until at last I seized it; and raising myself up from the floor, I praised the Lord. The enemy, however, robbed me almost at once; and I returned again to the chair where I had been kneeling, and called on some one to pray with me. I was soon undeceived: my confidence returned, and I rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. I returned to my own home about three or four o'clock, and declared to my mother and brothers what God had done for my soul. On the following day my two brothers and many others joined the Society: indeed, such a day has hardly ever been witnessed in the annals of Methodism in this parish. I continued for some time to be remarkably happy, and enjoying the pleasures which religion alone affords. I talked about sanctification; but it seemed to be a state so far above what I could expect, that I thought only a very few were permitted to enjoy it. But the more I inquired about it, the more plainly I saw that it was not only a privilege which God was desirous I should enjoy, but what my own state actually demanded. I discovered that the seeds of bitterness were still in my own breast; and sometimes their appearance pained me exceedingly. Unbelief also was not destroyed. In the morning, perhaps, I have felt happy in God, and by the evening I seriously doubted of my own acceptance: and whilst even the love of God has been enkindled in my breast, unbelief has presented its snaky front, and the horrid rivalry pained my soul. I hardly knew what manner of man I was. It appeared I watched over the passions as a mother would over a quarrelsome family; and whilst fearing many times the result, I earnestly prayed to God for deliverance. Blessed be His holy name, I did not pray in vain: the Spirit daily helped my infirmities; and laying hold of the promises, I bore them to the throne of grace, and demanded their fulfilment. On the morning of the day in which I was enabled to claim it, I was strongly drawn out after its possession. I read and prayed, and endeavoured to believe for it whilst in our Furze Crofts, but did not lay hold. Having, however, to go into another parish in the afternoon, I determined to avail myself of a solitary place, and wrestle with God in prayer. I would here remark that I felt an extraordinary stir in my own soul as if all was confusion. I proceeded to the top of a high hill, where none but God, I expect, saw me, and uttered

a short prayer in deep distress: indeed, the confusion in my mind prevented me almost from praying at all. I opened the Memoir of Mrs. Hester Ann Rogers, and sought a place to read from it. But even then I seemed to be watching what was passing within.

"Reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God," passed through my mind with a power which I felt to be Divine. I arose from the pile of ruins which I sat on, and, stretching out my hand, exclaimed, "I reckon myself now dead indeed: I will bind the promise around me," and accompanied it with an action as if I had done so. I stopped there a short time to praise God for His goodness in permitting me to enjoy it by simple faith; and on my return home I told my brother George, who had before got into its possession, what I had done, and how I felt. I also told young Roberts of it in the evening. On the day following, however, I got into doubts: the enemy told me I had told lies, and I became miserable in the extreme. These words, however, were applied to my mind, "Stand still, and see the salvation of God." I did so the elouds dispersed, the shadows fled, and in the evening I could tell the world what God had done for me. How enlarged were my views of the fulness in Christ! and how mean did myself appear to be! I felt I was cleansed from all sin, and the heavenly serenity that pervaded my soul is better felt than described. O how delightful it seemed, when going into my closet, to feel that my heart was altogether His, to lay open my desires to Him with the assurance that He heard my prayer, and that no good thing would be withheld from me! I cannot, perhaps, better give you the difference I felt in both states, than by comparing justification to the light of a candle burnt down in its stand, frequently dim and uncertain; * and full redemption, to when it stands properly in its place, presenting an indubitable evidence of acceptance, and a larger amount of faith and love. Notwithstanding sometimes feelings cross my breast seemingly contrary to love, yet I am enabled still to reckon myself dead unto sin.

I have shortened my observations on mother's death to give you an opportunity of judging what God has done for me. If His dealings to my soul have enlarged your views of His infinite love, let your prayer unite with mine, that He who has begun this good work may finish it, for His name and mercy's sake. James Chenhalis desires to be remembered to you kindly.

I am, Dear Sir, Yours, &c.,

A. C.

We should prefer terms of comparison to those of contrast.-EDS.

CEDAR OF LEBANON. THERE is a striking coincidence between the Indian name of the Himalayan cedar, and the term applied to the cedar-tree in Psal. lxxx. The "goodly cedars" of the English Bible are, literally, "cedars of God;" and the Hindu name of the Himalayan cedar (cedrus Deodara) is "Devadara," a term implying that it is in a peculiar manner worthy of being called after the name of the Almighty-the "tree of God"-a "gift" from God to man.... It is expected that the Deodara, which in the climate of Britain exceeds the cedar of Lebanon in rapidity of growth, will soon enter largely into British woodlands. There is, however, an adaptation in the nature of plants to the amount of heat, light, and moisture afforded in the countries to which they are indigenous; and hence in describing the vigorous growth

"NO."

of the cedars of Lebanon, the Psalmist calls them not only the trees of Jehovah, but the trees which He hath planted. The cedar of Lebanon in Britain, planted by the hands of man, far from its native home, shows signs of maturity, while comparatively of diminutive stature; and the common larch, brought from a country not so far away, decays at a very early age in many parts of Britain, where either the soil or climate, or it may be both, may differ from what this tree was accustomed to on its native Alps. There is deep significancy in the emblem of a garden planted by the Lord, as illustrating the advantages of the Christian church. There it is that saints appear like green olive-trees and ever-flourishing palms. -Gorrie's Botanical Illustrations of Scripture.

LAST winter I spent a short time in a pleasant family. They were wealthy, in

fluential, and, so far as I could judge, a Christian family. The father held office in the church; he had erected, and preserved