they became teetotalers; and if this audience were to go down and live in the Saltmarket for a few days, it would do more good than my speaking to doomsday. If any one of you would go down and hear that cursing, brutal husband, who, six years ago, was a noble workman with a lovely wife, to whom he had pledged his heart and affections, with their children clothed, and, happy to see their father, running to meet him; but now they run from him, and his wife trembles to meet him, and makes her prayer to God to strike her dead and take her out of the world. If you were to see such a scene, I am sure you would all give your heart and hand in this noble work. I am sorry to detain this meeting so long, but, as I understand there is a large number of office-bearers of the Free Church as well as members present, I would like to say a few words more, especially to them. My friends, I assume no presumptuous position. It was some time before I made up my mind to join the temperance cause; and I would use the argument with you that I did with a lady. I said to her, If you tell me of the good drink does, I will tell you of the ill it does. I need scarcely say that she could not tell me of any good it does. (Cheers.) Well, now, I wish you to think severally what good it does. Will you have a worse head, a worse purse, or a worse body for being teetotalers? Do you think it would be a great sacrifice to give them up? There never was so great a mistake in the world. The first day I wanted my wine, I thought the servant had not cooked the dinner so well; the second day there was something funny about it; the third day I never thought of the wine at all; and now when I go to dinner, and see the ladies and gentlemen drinking it, it looks to me as if they were drinking salts or castor oil. (Loud laughter.) Depend upon it, it requires no sacrifice at all. If you mean to make a trial, I say, God help you. If you do make it-if you are a drunkard-oh! you need to pray long and deep to God to help you. In regard to those who are not drunkards, believe me there is no sacrifice whatever. I speak from experience. I put it to the Free Church elders, to my brethren in the ministry-I put it to the Free Church membersthat drink does no real good, except as a medicine. It is true that it does thousands eternal evil. It is true that it has carried more souls into hell than any other vicious indulgence. It is true that it is the cause of all the wrecks that flutter in your streets-the cause of the ruin of nine-tenths of the females that walk the streets and disgrace their sex It is true that it fills the prison and the poor-house, and breaks human hearts, and destroys more happiness than any other indulgence whatever. If you cannot put your hand on any good, and I can lay my hand on that world of evil, my dearly beloved Christian friends, what are we to live for? Am I to live for my own indulgence when that is the cause of the ruin of thousands and millions in the land? I say, No! Did Jesus live for himself? He said, "The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." Did Paul live for himself? He said, “He would eat no flesh while the world lasted, lest he made his brother to offend." I pray you take this subject home to your knees to-night. I say, souls are perishing in thousands by these drinks, and I am entitled to ask, and do ask it, that you Christian men and women pray to God that he would direct you and teach you what is your duty. If you can go down before God and pray that he may keep you from being a total abstainer-if you can pray God to keep you from being carried away by this speech, do it, do it! This is a question that requires your solemn consideration, and as you shall answer to him who won't take from us this reply, "Am I my brother's keeper?"Dr. Guthrie.

DR. GUTHRIE ON SUSTENTATION.

GENTEEL poverty! may you never know it! genteel poverty, to which some doom themselves, but to which ministers are doomed, is the greatest evil under the sun. Give me liberty to wear a frieze coat, and I will thank no man for a black one-give me liberty to rear my sons to be laborers, and my daughters to be domestic servants, and the manse may enjoy the same cheerful contentment that sheds its sunlight on many a pious and lowly home. But to place a man in circumstances where he is expected to be generous and hospitable, to have a hand open as his heart is to the poor, to give his family a liberal education, to breed them up according to what they call genteel life-to place a man in these circumstances, and deny him the means of doing so, is, but for the hope of heaven, to embitter existence.. There are certain ways of evading the claims of ministers to such a competence as they are entitled to. Some people do not like to hear of these matters. Some, not many, I hope, are like an honest man belonging to Aberdeenshire-begging the pardon of the Aberdonians here, I tell the story as I heard it-who, on being asked what he thought of the Free Church, he replied, "Oh, I admire her principles, but I detest her schemes." An honest weaver stood up, and was clear for keeping the incumbent at the lowest figure. He saw no reason why ministers should receive more for weaving sermons than he had for weaving webs. He alleged, in proof of the advantage of a poor stipend, that the church never had better nor so good ministers, as in those days when they went about in sheepskins and goatskins, and lived in caves and holes of the earth. any sympathize with the weaver, I answer that I have an insuperable objection to caves and holes"-they create damp; and, secondly, as to the habiliments, it will be time enough to take up that question when our people are prepared to walk Princes street with us; not in this antique dress, but in the more primitive and antiquated fashion of goatskins with the horns on. So I dispose of all such wretched evasions.

66

I now pass to a second evasion, drawn from a case which actually occurred, though not in our congregation, nor in any congregation of the Free Church. A lady, rustling in silks, and in a blaze of jewels, went to visit her minister's wife, more a lady than herself, with the exception of the dress. She condoled with her on the straitened circumstances and means of ministers; and looking into the pale, care-worn face of the excellent woman, said, as she turned up the white of her eyes, " But, my dear, your reward is above!" From the bloodless lips of some poor sinner in a cold, unfurnished garret, where the man of God, facing fevers and pestilence, has gone to smooth the dying pillow, and minister consolation in that last dark hour, I have been thankful to hear the words, "Your reward is above;" but from silks and satins-disgusting!-cant, the vilest cant, and enough to make religion stink in the nostrils of the world! Does that saying pay the minister's stipend ?-will it pay his accounts? Fancy the worthy man going to his baker or his butcher, and instead of paying down money, turning up the white of his eyes to say, "Your reward is above!" I fancy they would reply, "Oh, no, my good sir, that will not pay the bill;" and I say what does not pay the bills does not pay the ministers' stipends as they ought to be paid."

MOODY ON THE PSALMS.

MESSRS. EDITORS-The following incident is getting old, but not so old as to lose its interest. It occurred at the Christian convention held in the Chicago Tabernacle, last November, and conducted by Mr. Moody. I give it as related by the correspondent of the Christian at Work. C. D. T.

"There was quite an animated discussion on the subject of music. Messrs. Sankey and Bliss led. A good brother rose to recommend singing the psalms. I don't mean the doggerel version,' said he, but chanting the prose version.' Of course that riled' those of us whose fathers and mothers went to heaven singing the good old Scottish version; but Moody fixed' him for us. I know of no doggerel version of the psalms,' said he. Congregation will please rise and sing the twentythird psalm, Scottish version." Well, we did rise, and about five thousand of us gave that sweetest song known to human tongues as the old Cameronian army gave it to the echoes of the Scottish mountains. Most of us are hymn singers now, but if you don't want us to make things personally lively for you, you must not throw stones at the old church, or mud at the old psalm book."

MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE.

THE CHINESE MISSION.-REPORT.

To the Friends who have contributed to the Chinese Mission :

IN our correspondence with the Central Board of Missions, prior to the last meeting of Syncd, we urged the claims of the Chinese on this coast, and we endeavored to persuade them to recommend to Synod the establishment of a mission among them. The Board differed from us as to the practicability of such a missionary enterprise at that time; and, making no recommendation, they referred the matter to Synod. This reference by the Board, together with our letter to Synod on the subject, was the occasion of action somewhat favorable to the mission, and the Board was directed to inaugurate the mission, provided there would be sufficient pecuniary encouragement. After some months, the Board decided that such was the condition of finances in the country, and that as so many demands were made upon the church for money for her various benevolent schemes, it would be unwise to attempt the establishment of the mission. Accordingly, they decided not to ask congregations for collections. They informed us, however, that they had no objection to our appealing to members of the church, or to congregations, for help, but the secretary informed us that the Board would assume no responsibility, and that for the proper use of the moneys re'ceived, we would have to be responsible to the donors. Seeing now no other possible way by which we could prosecute the mission work in which we were so anxious to engage, we first issued an appeal to a few personal friends, and such of our acquaintances as we believed to have money to spare. Subsequently we appealed to sessions, asking the appointment of collections. These appeals were for money, not for ourselves -for any remuneration for our labors, or for our support in the workbut only for means with which to rent and furnish mission rooms, and

to meet current expenses. In response to our appeal there were some very liberal contributions. They have all been acknowledged in the magazines. Had they been as numerous as some of them were generous, we would have been able to meet some of the most important demands; to have procured some of the most important helps for the prosecution of mission work among the Chinese. Of these helps, the most needed is a native convert, sufficiently educated, both in Chinese and in English, to be an interpreter and an aid, a native helper and colporteur. In the missions here, such a Christian helper is regarded as indispensable. For want of such, we have suffered great loss; but to procure such, we have not had the means.

In accordance with the suggestion of the secretary of the Board, we herewith submit a brief statement of our account, as it stands at this date. It may be somewhat modified by additional contributions or expenditures prior to the meeting of Synod. Now, it is as follows:

Stationery, printing and postage,

Incidental and current expenses, including janitor's bills,

Exchange, or discount on eastern currency (which is not in

circulation in California),

Total expenditures,

Balance on hand,

$ 241 04

216 00

33 34

25 35

$515 73

$99 00

80 60

63 55

33 90

24 90

34 78

336 73

$179 00

From this balance we will yet draw to pay current expenses until the meeting of Synod. What remains we will then place at the disposal of Synod and of the Board, for the prosecution of the mission. This, we presume, will meet the approbation of the contributors.

We cannot close this report without giving expression to our gratitude to the friends who, by their contributions, have shown how lively is their interest in the work in which we are engaged. And if any wish to learn more about that work, and the manner in which, during all our discouragements, we have been endeavoring to prosecute it, they are referred to our printed letters. Nor can we repress the desire to say that we earnestly hope that Synod, at the approaching meeting, will take such action as will result in the establishment of a Chinese Mission, having all the facilities for meeting the pressing demand for earnest, untiring, and successful labor among these heathen, who, in the providence of God, are accessible. To us who are here in the field, and who are brought into daily contact with idol worshippers, many of whom are willing to hear the gospel, the path of duty is plain. And our constant prayer shall be, that the great Redeemer, who said, "preach the gospel to every creature," will permit us to labor for the salvation of these heathen, and that many of the converts may subsequently carry the joyful tidings to the perishing millions beyond the Pacific. N. R. JOHNSTON, P. O. Box 2271, San Francisco.

March 22d, 1877.

FOREIGN.

LETTER FROM MISS DODDS.

LATAKIYEH, February 12th, 1877. DEAR MR. WYLIE-Your letter came in due time, but as you know ere this, your messages to our beloved sister came too late to be received by her in this world. What a desolation her removal has made in our circle, yet what a blessed thing it is to have such assurance as we have concerning her. I think I never knew one who so nearly answered to the term "pure in heart." She had the faculty of making the joys and sorrows of others her own, and up to the very last she was always thinking of the comfort of others. How many changes have been in our little circle in such a short time! I often wonder, if I ever go home, how many of my friends will be missing. This has been a very quiet year in school. To-day three of the largest of our girls went away. Two of them had been using such foul language that we could not tolerate them any longer, especially as they seemed to be corrupting the rest. When they started away, another said she wished to go, so we gave her permission, as it is part of our policy never to compel any one to stay. They are indeed a "people of unclean lips." One longs sometimes to get away from them altogether.

We were very agreeably surprised last Monday, by the arrival of the U. S. frigate "Marion." She stayed a day and a half here, and the visit was a great treat to us all. The captain called on the doctor the first day, and on the second the whole mission went on board. We stayed so long that they could not for shame but invite us to stay for breakfast. We stayed and enjoyed ourselves very much. The band played for us nearly all the time. A great many natives went on board, and they have not yet got over their astonishment at the intelligence, politeness and cleanliness of Americans. Our teacher talked with some of the sailors, and he was surprised to find that they knew all about the history of this country. The way in which the officers treated some of our school girls was also remarked. The most wonderful thing of all, was that no one smoked all day long, on our account, though they all used tobacco. The Moslems think the doctor sent for the ships to bring him arms and ammunition. They actually had one of the workmen, who has done a great deal here, up before the city council, to inquire why he was helping the doctor to undermine the city. The man said he had no knowledge of anything of the kind, but they would not believe him. They insist that he has the city undermined and trains of gunpowder laid under it. I think the idea keeps us safe, humanly speaking. Providence seems to have ordained that we shall be left to depend entirely on the God of Jacob. Our wall has fallen almost entirely, and is in some places level with the ground. This is the result of the prolonged rains which we have been having.

21st. I did not think I would have been so long in getting this letter finished, but this is my first opportunity of sending, for it was so stormy that last week's steamer passed us by. We are all well. Doctor just returned to-night from a short tour among the out-stations. With kind remembrances to all your family from all our circle, I remain, Yours in Christ,

LETTER FROM MISS CRAWFORD.

MARY E. Dodds.

LATAKIYEH, February 28th, 1877.

MR. W. T. MILLER: Dear Friend-The long waited for boxes reached us on the 13th inst., the goods in pretty fair condition, considering the long