while the more he saw the more desirous he was to be assured of a participation therein.

"But at length a loving Saviour manifested himself, and the Holy Spirit so satisfied him of his acceptance in the Beloved, that, like Paul and Silas, he prayed and sang praises to God at midnight. His wife, who was in a separate bed by his side, he awoke to tell her how happy he was. He then wished he had several of his friends there, that he might testify to them of the truth of the Bible and Protestantism. He said, alluding to a former visit, "For the first time I saw and loved my Saviour. I did not love Jesus before, but now I love him as I love no one else." The last words he uttered were, "Praise to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost," uttering at the close an audible Amen, and repeating it till his lips only could be seen to move; and so, as I would trust, he fell asleep in Jesus." The next instance tells us of the grace of God manifested in

THE CONVERSION OF AN OLD SOLDIER.

Mr. is an old soldier. The former missionary called on him five years before he could get access, and I often thought that I might almost as well speak to the table. His hasty temper, obscene conversation, and blasphemous language, not unfrequently made his neighbours tremble. But it has pleased the Lord-through my visits, I believe-to enlighten his mind, to subdue his will, and change his heart. Twelve months ago, I found that he began to be dissatisfied with himself. He said several times, I wish I had this new heart which you and the Bible speak of so much.' At another time, 'Oh, that I could begin life afresh!" He has frequently wished me to explain the third chapter of John to him. At each visit he has had some feeling in his mind, some portion of Scripture, or some verse of a hymn, that he wished to talk with me about; and when I have not seen him for some time, his wife has been sent to ask me to come. Perhaps two or three of these visits from my journal might be interesting, as showing the progress of the good work in his mind :'Dec. 3, 1855.-While describing the prodigal this afternoon, Mr. said, with weeping eyes, "Ah! that's me! 'Dec. 29.-As I returned this evening, I found Mr. had sent for me again. I believe his Bible and hymn-books, and the library books, have been his chief companions for some time. His wife acknowledged "that he had been altogether a different person the past three months, and especially the past six weeks." He himself says, “I feel I

am a great sinner, and that nothing but God's mercy in Christ can save me." Jan. 16, 1856.-I was increasingly pleased with Mr. to-day. I believe that he is gradually experiencing true "repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ." I found him to-day pondering over his Bible and hymn-book. He directed my attention to the following lines:

What sentiments to be adopted by one whose impure and blasphemous language have even made his ungodly neighbours tremble!"

"Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

RETURN OF JEWS TO PALESTINE.

ON June 11, a meeting was held in London, to take into consideration the best means of establishing an agricultural colony of believing Israelites in Palestine. The Earl of Shaftesbury was called to the chair.

The Rev. R. H. Herschel submitted a statement of the objects which it is sought to accomplish. It is intended to make arrangements for the purchase of tracts of land on which to found an agricultural colony of converted Jews, which should answer the double purpose of providing the means of subsistence for those poor Israelites who, after they had embraced Christianity, were reduced to great pecuniary straits; and of raising and maintaining the standard of the cross in the land in which the great and momentous scenes recorded by the evangelists were transacted; and by that means to bring the Jews in Palestine under the power of Christian influence.

The Bishop of Jerusalem expressed his cordial concurrence in the scheme, and said that never, since the destruction of Jerusalem, did circumstances seem so auspicious for the return of the Jews to their own land as they do at present.

H

THE GOOD COBBLER OF PORTSMOUTH.

OW thankful should our young readers be for the blessings of education, and for the privilege they enjoy of attending the Sabbath School, and other means of religious instruction! There are thousands of boys and girls, particularly in our large towns, who are so poor, and so much neglected, as to have no means of enjoying these privileges. At least, this was the case not very long ago, but now the means of instruction are more easily obtained, and there are many kind persons who find out these neglected children, and labour to bring them to live honest, sober, and useful lives. They teach them in those schools, called "Ragged Schools," established expressly for poor and outcast young people, to read the Bible, to pray to God, and to look to Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

We are going to tell you about one of the first of these Ragged Schools. It was kept in the town of Portsmouth in England, by John Pounds, a poor man, and a cobbler by trade. His house was a small wooden one, in a humble

VOL VI. No 'X.

SEPTEMBER 18

street in the town. He was a cripple, and though he worked hard, he could not make much of a living. To add to his trials, he had the charge of a little nephew, who was lame like himself. As he could not afford to send him to school, nor clothe him properly, he thought he would be his teacher. Then he said to himself, "I may as well have two scholars as one," and he asked the child of a very poor woman to come to his shop, and learn his letters. The two little scholars got on so well, that he next invited a third, and a fourth, till at last he had a class of forty poor ragged children, and of these there were about twelve little girls.

It must have been strange to see John Pounds, with his ragged group around him! One minute he would be knocking the sole of a shoe, another hearing a boy repeat his A.B.C. Now he would be stitching away with both his hands, and then teaching a little scholar to repeat a text of Scripture.

He might have had many more scholars than his shop would hold, but he could not find money to pay for a larger place, so he chose the worst and most ragged, in the hope of doing most good. He would sometimes follow a very poor boy in the streets, and offer the bribe of a roasted potatoe if he would come to his school.

was.

Was not this John Pounds a happy man? Certainly he He was far more happy than many rich men; for the smiling faces of his scholars, and his consciousness of being a useful man, always filled him with joy. And then he was always so kind, and had such cheerful and merry ways of teaching, that the young people could not fail to be pleased and improved. After their lessons were over, he would sometimes have a game of play with them—if they were absent and ill, he was sure to visit them—and if they had nothing to eat, he brought them some food. He also taught them to cook their food, and to mend their clothes and old shoes, so that it was no wonder they loved him very much.

John Pounds died in the year 1839. He was then an old man, and had kept on his school almost to the last day of his life. "When he was buried," says one account of him, "there was neither hearse, nor coach, nor fine trappings; but some of the poor scholars were there, with weeping eyes and grateful hearts, following their kind teacher to the grave.'

What an interesting beginning was this of a work which is now carried on so vigorously, and on so extensive a

scale, in all the towns of our land! Since the pious cobbler began his ragged school, there have been many other persons who have taken a kindly interest in the good work. They have got together those who did not know a letter, nor had ever been in a school. All that many such poor children knew was to lie, and curse, and steal. They had often heard the name of God taken in vain, but they were ignorant of the love and mercy of God, they knew nothing of salvation, the value of their souls, the joys of heaven, the misery of hell. But they have been taught, in these schools, the evil of sin, they have been led to bow their knees in prayer to God, and been directed to Jesus, who bore our sins in His own body on the tree. Many have believed on Him. Some have grown up to be useful men and women; and others, when dying, have thanked God that they ever went to a Ragged School.

Our young readers may never have seen any of these schools; but let them not forget to pray for those places where the poorest are taught the way to heaven-and let it be an object of their ambition to put forth their own efforts in behalf of the ignorant and the perishing in some such way as did the poor cobbler of Portsmouth.

"ESPECIALLY THE PREACHING OF THE WORD."

A MISSIONARY of the Church of England Missionary Society in Ceylon, thus states the result of experience there as to the plans of missionary operations:

"Experience has proved that the more we adhere to the mode and preaching of our great Exemplar and His apostles, the more likely are we to be successful. We should be ready to take up the little ones that may be brought to us with the desire of obtaining a blessing, by being instructed in the knowledge of their God and Saviour; but the main strength of the missionary should be given to preaching Christ amongst the people. Convert the adults, and the children will follow. Convert the children, but the parents will not alter their opinions. Yea, has it not been shown, that to try and lead the lambs in a different way from the flock has failed? It is contrary to the natural order of things: and though, by kindness and teaching, we now and then get one who is better disposed than the rest to follow us altogether, or for a while,-for numbers run