tuted the Sabbath-day's pleasures of the people. Now some of the most notorious drunkards have become sober men, quiet neighbours, and zealous Christians."

"Erik Narin, who had been fined twenty-two times for drunkenness and fighting with knives, has become a pious and peaceable man, who now bemoans his former life, and endeavours to make good what he had formerly done amiss. This man thought it amazing that he should now be fined, for reading the Word of God, which had made him a new man, a larger sum than was formerly exacted for drunkenness and the conflicts which might have ended in murder, and that his reading of the Bible was legally called Sabbath-breaking, for which also he had been fined. Besides this man, several others, who had formerly been great disturbers, have become changed, and many examples could be given."

"A shoemaker, who had formerly stolen leather in the places where he had worked, has, by the Word he has recently heard, become a true Christian, and an honest and upright man. He now goes and works gratuitously for those whom he had previously injured by his dishonesty ; not having money to make restitution, he seeks to do it by labour. Similar efforts to make restitution have been put forth by many who now use the Word of God."

And the result of the inquiry further states:

"It caused great joy to see several hundreds of the people, formerly so deeply sunk by intemperance and other crimes, now enjoying true happiness, the durable riches. Tranquil joy and peace beamed from their eyes, instead of the staring glare of the drunkard. No oaths and curses, as before, now proceeded from their mouths, but the accents of genuine piety flowed from their lips.

"In truth, God's Word works not disorder, but order-not derangement, but recollection, wisdom, and consideration ;-not idleness, but diligence—not dishonesty and deceit, but integrity, faithfulness, and honour-it makes the simple wise. Of this we saw numerous living examples."

Still the persecution goes on. We select one out of many cases that have been tried :

.

"A few poor neighbours gathered together to hear one of their number read from Luther's Postilla;' the meeting was adjudged a conventicle, and fines, amounting to nearly £12, were imposed. The demand was met by voluntary contributions in the parish, to prevent the reader and his hearers from being completely ruined."

But the tried brethren of Sweden bear their trials with Christian patience: "By this means," say they, "the Word of God advances, and gains more power, and faith is increased."

Thus, it has happened, that while some of the brethren were imprisoned, or before the Court,-through their "good confession," one or two hostile and hardened hearts have been pierced by the sharp and two-edged sword of the Word of God. On another similar occasion, a manservant, and the two maid-servants of a judge were pricked in their hearts, and began to inquire the way of salvation. A year or two ago, whilst fourteen persons were on their way to prison, they arrived one Sunday morning at a town where there was a small congregation of their brethren. At their earnest request, the conductor allowed them to attend the Divine service. We may imagine their mutual joy at this meeting. The power with which the Lord blessed this word made so deep an impression upon their conductor, that he broke out into a confession of his sins, and, before they separated, was received, at his earnest request, as a partaker with them of the precious Supper of our Lord, and as one of those who "do show the Lord's death till He come."

More recently, fifteen persons have been put in prison on bread and water.

We now close with a sentence or two of the letter from Stockholm, in which these trials are spoken of. Let any tried ones take the comfort they are fitted to give :

"Dear_brethren, how salutary is chastening, both outward and inward. Yes. 'Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.' How necessary that the old man should be crucified and destroyed, that the new man may arise and be strong in the Lord.

"If we look at the history of the Christian Church down to the present time, when has it flourished and borne finer fruits of faith than in those times when it was oppressed, and watered with the blood of martyrs? To enjoy calm and peaceful days is not without its danger; for of themselves they are apt to produce spiritual idleness and drowsiness. May the Lord preserve us from making flesh our arm, or seeking suffering and a martyr's crown as something meritorious. Oh! that is also a dangerous way;

but in all our weakness may we hold fast to the Word of the Lord, and give heed that we are doers of the Word, and not hearers only, and for the sake of confession of Jesus Christ willingly suffer all things. 'For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endureth grief, suffering wrongfully.""

"I WAS A STRANGER, AND YE TOOK ME IN.” A YOUNG Swede of good family, indeed of noble extraction, but very poor, commenced, some time ago, in Stockholm, an orphanage for boys. His career is deeply interesting.

"He tried various occupations, but none suited him. He always felt restless. One idea haunted him—he wished to have a little home for some poor deserted boys, whom he might train up for the Lord, and give to the other schools as monitors for the other children. This was the day-dream of his youth, but he did not see how it could be accomplished. His relations gave him a little assistance to prosecute his studies. Of this he partook sparingly, lived nobody knew how, earned a little here, and a little there, and put it in a savings'-bank, looking upon it as the capital belonging to his orphan home. Sometimes he lost sight of his plan for a short time. He once thought he would be a clergyman, and serve the Lord in that capacity; but he knew nothing of the learned languages, and everybody said he was too old to begin such studies. But he went at the age of nearly thirty, and sat down meekly on the lowest form with the smallest boys at school, and went through the preliminary studies with indefatigable patience and labour. To become a clergyman, he found, however, was impossible, and just at that time the prospect of becoming a city missionary was opened to him. It seemed to be quite in his way; his delight was to do good to his fellow-creatures, and to make their Saviour known to them. But wherever he came the children gathered round him, and all his early visions awoke afresh. I have heard him speak with enthusiasm of a future little home with those poor boys around him. And why did he not begin immediately?' you perhaps inquire. No, because it is not here as in England, where every benevolent idea, founded on truly Christian principle, is encouraged, and means to promote it are immediately brought forward, almost as soon as it is uttered. Here, when contributions come few and far between, and

mostly consist of threepences and sixpences, there is always a struggle between 'trusting the Lord,' and what we call 'tempting the Lord.' Poor H., he was in a sad struggle before he decided on taking two little rooms, and the two first pupils. This, however, he did last April. Yesterday I went to see him and his boys. They were now twelve of various ages. I found them assembled round a large table, busily occupied with their lessons. For most of them he gets some little pittance either fron the parish or some private person, but in no case does it exceed L.4 per year, and then he feeds and dresses and instructs them. One poor boy he showed me, whom he found in the street one night. He brought him home to sleep there, and has had him ever since. The boy looked at him much as a dog looks at his master. He has now got four rooms altogether. The furniture of his 'home is motley. He got from friends and acquaintances, from one a sofa, from another a table, and so forth. Some contributions he got in eatables. These, if possible, he carried home himself, and actually one evening walked home with a large ham under his arm. I mention these slight circumstances to show his simplicity and self-denial. The Swedes are in general much more particular and ceremonious in such cases than Englishmen. He had a visit the other day in his humble abode, which many would have envied him. Jenny Lind went to see him. The account of his little 'home' brought tears into her eyes, and she exclaimed, 'Oh, take me there!' She went, and promised him a present of clothing, to be bespoken at Herrestad, for the boys."

May the Lord richly reward the labours of His servant; and fulfil His word in the case of these gathered outcasts, "I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you."

OUR MADRAS MISSION LIBRARY.

It will interest and please our young readers to get at long length from Madras some intelligence of the Mission Library which they collected the means of sending out to that station some years ago.

We quote from the Report as to the Madras Mission published a few weeks ago by the General Assembly's Committee:

"Soon after entering into the new premises in 1852, a library of 773 volumes, for the use of the teachers and more advanced pupils in the Institution, was received from Europe-"the gift," and a munificent one it is, "of the children of Scotland to the youth of India." The books are well suited to a missionary institution; many of them, indeed, being very valuable. They were accompanied by a terrestrial globe, and a number of diagrams and plates illustrative of astronomy, geology, natural philosophy, &c. The young donors, as well as the mission, were greatly indebted to the editors of The Juvenile Missionary Record, for aiding in carrying out the necessary arrangements to their full completion. So valuable a present, for an object so excellent, by contributors so young, does the highest credit to all connected with it. While grateful to all, our heartfelt thanks are especially due to the youthful benefactors. We cannot make any suitable return for their Christian liberality and affection, so remarkably manifested. But while our pupils are enjoying their gift, we can only pray that He who put it into their hearts to be thus mindful of their Hindu brothers in a far distant land, may himself abundantly reward them with all needful blessings temporal and spiritual.

"The Library, it may be added, has been further enriched by valuable works, contributed to it by John Hope, Esq., of Moray Place, Edinburgh, and more recently by George Wylie, Esq., M.C.S., to both of whom also we would tender our best thanks.

"The Sabbath Scholars connected with Crown Court Chapel, London, have also most kindly sent a supply of Bibles, with a number of Tracts, &c., for the use of the second class in the Mission. To these our young friends our hearty thanks are likewise given."

AN OLD SABBATH SCHOLAR'S LETTER FROM

CALCUTTA.

CALCUTTA, September 8th 1855.

"MY DEAR -In my letter of last mail, I promised you something interesting; and I have no doubt you will say it is so, when you peruse this, although it is clothed in poor enough language. The incident is about a convert to Christianity, and what I am going to tell you has come under my own observation.

"When I was a boy at the Sabbath school I used to