she said, "I can bear all my affliction, for Jesus is with me; I am peaceful and happy." Then her attendant replied, "You know something of the experience of the poet who wrote

'Jesus can make the dying bed

Feel soft as downy pillows are." "Just so," was her answer, "do talk to me about Jesus." Several suitable passages of scripture were repeated to her. She listened attentively until the words "They are without fault before the throne of God" were uttered, when her pale face brightened, and her eyes beamed with joy as she whispered, Oh! say it again. How delightful to be faultless before God's throne. I cannot merit this unspeakable pleasure, I am unworthy and unprofitable, but Jesus died for me. He has atoned for all my sins, and clothed me in His righteousness. I hide myself in Him and am safe."

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At another time she said, "I am going home. I am only waiting the summons, which I shall gladly obey, and leave this world of sorrow for sweet rest in heaven."" The night before she died she said, God is very good. He is going to take me from greater sufferings and sorrow. I shall not trouble you another night. I am going to a land where there will be no more pain, nor sorrow, nor sighing, for God shall wipe away all tears from all faces." A dear friend repeated to her those beautiful lines

"Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to thy bosom fly," &c. "Oh, yes!" she replied, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly;" and then, as if recollecting herself, she said, "Oh, but I must have patience."

Her sorrowing husband prayed with her a short time before her departure, to which she heartily responded. When he asked her if she was happy, she said, "Oh, yes! I am only waiting for the Master's call." He said, "I am so sorry I left home. I would not have done so could I have told what would happen." She replied, "You were doing the Lord's work. You could have done me no good if you had been here. I have had every attention." She was then raised up, and leaned her head for a minute or two upon her husband's shoulder; but she spoke no

more.

Her dear children were then brought in by her almost broken-hearted husband to give their dear mamma the last earthly kiss; but consciousness had departed; she did not recognise their presence; and gradually breathed her soul away to be "for ever with the Lord." "For her to live was Christ, and to die was gain."

R. B. CLARE.

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MRS. ALICE SHEPHERD. DEATH has taken from us-taken to God, thank God!-one of our oldest friends; and it seems fitting that a few words should be said of one who was a consistent member of the Connexion for seventysix years. With the exception of the great age to which she attained, there was nothing singular in the events of Mrs. Shepherd's life. She was born at Castle Donington, on July 17, 1776; was baptized by the Rev. Thos. Pickering in the river Trent, near Sawley, on Sunday, Oct. 2, 1791; was married April 4, 1800, to Mr. John Shepherd, an occasional preacher for nearly thirty years; was left a widow April 18, 1843; and died Aug. 21, 1867. She had therefore attained the great age of ninety-one years when she was taken from us. She was a good wife,

a most kind and tender mother; and though in the course of her long life she had, of course, many trials to endure, she met them in so brave and cheerful a spirit, that she retained her faculties in almost unimpaired brightness to the very last. A stouter-hearted and happier woman it would be hard to find. In her ninetyfirst year she would walk well nigh a mile up hill to join in the public worship of the sanctuary: and when unable to walk so far was not without her solace, since she had great part of the Bible by heart, and could repeat chapter after chapter word for word. Her death was quiet and happy, as the deaths of the aged should be. Her heart, stayed in God, dwelt in perfect peace. To the very last she bore the gentle, composed, bright look with which all who knew her were familiar. In their hearts her memory will be green and fragrant for many a day to come.

MELVIN.-Sep. 2, at Norwich, Peter Melvin, aged 79. For fifty-three years he had been a consistent member of the church in Priory Yard, and for many years a deacon. He was noted for regularity of attendance on all the means of grace, and his end was peace.

ALLEN.-Dec. 8, at Red Hill Lock, Mr. William Allen, aged 75. He had been a deacon of the General Baptist church, Sawley, for many years.

THOMAS.-Dec. 14, aged 57, Mr. William Thomas, of Green End, Wadsworth, for many years a valuable deacon of the General Baptist church, Birchcliffe. He died much lamented, after only a few days illness.'

JOHNSON.-Dec. 17, Mary Elizabeth, the beloved wife of John Johnson, King's Road, Chelsea, and second daughter of Mr. David Newling, of Spalding, aged 31. She was formerly an active member of the church at Spalding.

ADMONITIONS FOR MINISTERS. The teacher must be ever a learner. Let him learn from a fool, if the fool can teach him anything. But wise workers are plentiful, and of these he may gather good lessons. He should imitate the great landscape painter, Gainsborough. That man transfused nature into his pictures beyond most of his contemporaries because he was everywhere and always the painter. Every remarkable feature or position of a tree-every fine stroke of nature was copied into his pocket book on the spot, and in his next picture appeared with a vivacity and truthfulness which no strength of memory or imagination could supply.

The minister should have a strong preference for his vocation. No man of eminence in any profession is destitute of a strong partiality for it, even though his judgment may remonstrate with him thereon, as an unfounded partiality. But the minister is justified in placing his profession before all other pursuits. "He alone is the man whose aim is eternity," says Cecil. "The moment we permit ourselves to think lightly of the Christian ministry," said Robert Hall, "our right arm is withered. Nothing but imbecility and relaxation remains."

Ministers should both pray and prepare. They may expect more help than their hearers, and so should unquestionably pray for it. But they fall into error if they trust to the Holy Spirit's influence without due self-preparation. "I have heard such men," says one, "talk nonsense by the hour."

Ministees should catechize as well as preach. For though sermons give most sail to men's souls, catechizing layeth the best ballast in them, keeping them from being "carried away with every wind of doctrine."

Ministers, to speak to the heart, must speak from it. "Before the cock crows," says Leighton, "he flaps his wings and rouses up himself. How can a frozenhearted preacher warm his hearers' hearts? Let the love of Christ constrain the preacher, and his speeches of love shall sweetly constrain others to love Him. None can speak sensibly of

divine love but those who feel it. The most exquisite pulpit orators, without the experience of His love, are not fit ambassadors of Christ-for His embassy is a love-treaty."

OUR BEST POETS NOT GOOD THEOLOGIANS.-Universalism is essentially a poet's creed, not only or chiefly because it harmonizes with the idealizing temperament which shuts its eyes to the stern realities around it, but because it falls in with the spirit which looks on the whole history of the world, and of each single soul in it, as the unfolding of a great drama, in which men and women are the puppets, and God himself at once the great poet and the one spectator. And so, as he himself, if the Creator of such a world, would lead it on to perfect joy and peace, the poet who yields to this tendency thinks of With this as the necessary issue. Clement, of Alexandria, he cannot limit the operation of the infinite mercy to the narrow space of life. With Origen he cannot think, as long as man's freedom lasts, of the possibility of good being extinguished, and dreams of the redemptive work as extending to the principalities and powers of spiritual evil. With Gregory, of Nyssa, he looks forward to the time when one accordant song of jubilation shall ascend from the whole universe to God. So the two great poets of our time, Tennyson and Robert Browning, proclaim a hope as far reaching as those of the patristic theologians we have named. Thus the former, in the face of "thirty thousand college councils thundering anathemas," says

"Oh! yet we trust that somehow good Will be the final goal of ill,

To pangs of nature, sins of will,
Defects of doubt, and sins of blood.
That nothing walks with aimless feet;
That not one life shall be destroyed,
Or cast as rubbish to the void,
When God hath made the pile complete."
So Browning, in his "Apparent Failure,"
expresses his belief that the failure is
not irretrievable-

"My own hope is, a sun will pierce
The thickest cloud earth ever stretched;
That after Last returns the First,

Though a wide compass round be fetched;
That what began the best, can't end the worst,
Nor what God blessed once, prove all accurst."

THE PHYSICAL SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. -It seems to us wholly to degrade the awful and mysterious sufferings of Christ to dwell in the way of minute detail and description on their merely physical aspect. Nowhere are we taught in the New Testament that simply as physical sufferings they exceeded all others. "Surely," says one, "it is their impalpable and spiritual character-the weight of man's sin and of the atoning sacrificetheir connection with the mystery of our Lord's divinity and the two-fold nature, that remove them far beyond all human comparison.”

THE RELIGIOUS ENJOYMENTS OF CHRISTIANS." Joys and transportation," said Jeremy Taylor, "spiritual comforts and complacencies, are no part of our duty; sometimes they are encouragements, and sometimes rewards: sometimes they depend on habitudes of body, and seem great matters when they have little in them; often are they more bodily than spiritual, like the gift of tears. In all accidents, let us make no judgment of God's favour by what we feel, but by what we do."

GOOD WORDS CONCERNING GOOD WORKS." Here I can hold no longer, but must break forth into a deserved commendation of good works. Glorious things in Scripture are spoken of you, ye fruits of the Spirit. By you the gospel is graced wicked men are amazedsome of them converted and the rest of them confounded-weak Christians are confirmed poor persons are relieved— our faith is justified-our reward in heaven by God's free grace is amplified -angels rejoice for them-devils repine at them-God is glorified in them."

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give a man his native denomination where he had his longest and most visible abode from his infancy; by which common mistake Jesus was entitled on the cross, "of Nazareth," instead of Bethlehem.

THINKING AND SPEAKING.-Let us think and judge with the wise; but if we do not speak with the vulgar we shall be dumb to them.

WHY NAMES ARE NOT SPELT AS THEY ONCE WERE.-First, because time teacheth new orthography, altering spelling as well as speaking. Second, the best men have not always been the best scholars, and minding matters of more moment were somewhat too incurious in their names.

THE SUN'S SERVICE.-The sun doth serve mankind for a double use, to lighten their eyes with his beams, and minds with his motion. The latter is performed by him as appointed for signs and for seasons: as he is the great regulator of time, jointed into years and months, carved into weeks and days, minced into hours and minutes.

GREAT SCHOLARS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST TEACHERS.-"I am quite full, I assure you," said a huge water-bottle with a very narrow neck, that was suspended over the flower-bed. "Full or empty, it makes no difference to us," said the flowers, "for we get nothing out of you. Yonder shallow can, though it holds but little, is worth a dozen of you, for what it has it pours out, and we have the benefit of it. You are welcome to the credit of having, but we prefer those who understand how to give."- Original Fables in Leisure Hour.

DR. ALFORD ON CHARITY SERMONS.In his papers entitled, "How to use the Epistles," Dean Alford says that St. Paul, in 1 Cor. xvi. 2, sets his face peremptorily against the great sham of charity sermons, and has no part in stimulating to the ordinary duty of giving.

OLD AND YOUNG MINISTERS. "I have learned this lesson from my long experience in the Christian ministry," says the Rev. James Parsons, of York, "always to treat the younger brethren as brethren-never giving myself airs of superiority-but desiring to look upon them with that kindness which ought to be cultivated by all ministers in remembrance of what they were in early life."

ACCOUNT OF GUNGA DHOR SARANGEE.*

Written by Himself.

THE zemindar of Kaurparri, named Damodar Máhántee, presented to my father, Sadáseeb Sarangee, a house and some land in the village of Kandarkaná, in the Purgunnah of Kokuákhand. He therefore took up his abode there, was married, and had seven children born to him. During the lifetime of my parents, two daughters died, leaving five children. My father died when I was fourteen years of age. For presenting various oblations and sacrifices in the houses of rajahs, zemindars, and very rich brahmins, he received many presents and much praise. He also caused me to read various shastres, as Treekál Sandhiá Páth, Sahasra náma, and very many others, in which my mind was wholly taken up; and thus several years were spent amongst my own people. My eldest brother, Bámádeb Sarangee, practised Satya-náráyan poojah a good deal, and I united with him, putting on a jacket, a turban, and flowers of different colours; and we passed the night in singing and playing music, which pleased the people, and for which they gave us cowries, pice, rupees, cloths, and articles of food, which we took to our homes. I spent my time in this way from my fifteenth to my twentyfifth year, and received much praise. In different peoples' houses, or amongst byragees, I took gunja and bhang, sitting half the night or more in one place, singing the praises of the ten incarnations and gods and goddesses.

For three years I farmed our land, and worked very hard, realizing the fruits, and was happy. I also went to the jungles and mountains, to cut wood and brushwood to burn. I also read various shastres, performed poojah, and

*We have received from Mr. Brooks the above translation of the autobiography of Gunga Dhor. At one time we purposed to incorporate the principal facts with the narrative forwarded by the Rev. J. Buckley, but the idea was abandoned under the impression that our readers would prefer to have this sketch of the life and labours of our departed friend just as it was written by himself.

made various offerings, which afterwards fell to me. In a certain person's house I established the reading of the Bhagabot shastre, and worshipped the pooráns and man as Bhagabán (or God). The people attended this reading for four months during the rainy season, at the end of which many brahmins gave a feast to the boishnobs, and, according to agreement, gave me cloths and money, and dismissed me. I also practised sutsung, sitting and eating in secret along with people of all castes in large parties, showing oneness of mind, and love towards one another.

On account of the work required for the house, and the attention my mother required, I gave a good deal of abuse at that time; for my eldest brother was very idle, and the births of his four children, and deaths, caused great difficulties. After the death of my elder brother's wife, I married him to Krushna Preyá, my younger sister.

About that time my mother died, at which I sorrowed much. I mourned much at the death of my father, and of my brother's wife and children, and had much distress both in mind and body. Then various passages in the Bhagabot occurred to me; and I acknowledged that Nara Hurri pervaded everything. Now and then I wandered about all night without fear; and if I saw a tiger, or bear, or wild boar, or any other wild animal, I thought, "There goes Náráyan," and remained quiet in fear. I also wandered about with others to many villages, playing on the khanjani, and singing: fifty or sixty of us thus united, played on various instruments, and danced. I wandered about in this manner fearless of caste.

I resided for six months in the fort of the Madhupore rajah. I read the Bhagabot in the house of his head man during the rainy season; and after receiving many presents, and much adoration and praise, I returned to my home.

After my return, I went about visiting the houses of rajahs, merchants, and boishnobs, to see whether any of them lived up to the requirements of the shastres, and to hold friendly intercourse with them; and to nothing else did my

mind settle down. I worshipped a man named Mandara Das, a mahanti, and another like him, named Hadi Das, a potter, because they repeated various shastres, and said they were the true incarnation; and therefore my companions went and did the same. A Bengali came to my village about the same time: him the people worshipped, and I did the same. I also worshipped as God another mahanti, a fisherman, and a woman of the Pátrá caste.

About that time I received in my ear the Mahamuntra from a brabmin, and from another other Muntras. I was fully aware that these brahmins were cheats. I therefore looked upon them as liars, and separated myself from them, for nothing that they said ever came to pass.

I

I went to Pooree twice with my father and mother about this time, and again with a friend, and worshipped Juggernath and other gods there. bathed in the five tirths, or sacred bathing places, believing that I should be born again. I also frequently repeated the names of Hurri and Ram Krushna; visited the maths, and the houses of the pundahs, to hold friendly intercourse with them; but afterwards heard of their wickedness, that at the western door of the temple they received a number of prostitutes, giving them money and jewels. I also went into the districts of Madhupore and Jajapore, and various places in the district of Auli; but nowhere saw anything but cruelty and oppression, and therefore became hopeless.

About this time I paid a visit to Soondara Das. He said, "I am the true incarnation, by me truth will be revealed: if you will obey my commands, then you will with me enjoy the age of truth."

Hearing this, I began to considerI am a disciple of Juggernath; and to ascertain whether he was the true Juggernath or no, I went to Pooree alone, had a sight of him, and remained two days. During the night it occurred to me, that were I to give him much abuse, or probe him, perhaps he might be propitious and reveal himself to me, and grant me his blessing. I had with me the iron ramrod of a gun; and after much thinking, I secreted it in my cloth, and went to the temple at night. I gave him much abuse, but he was in no way propitious.

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I therefore went behind the throne, and with the ramrod gave Juggernath several thrusts in the back and sides; but there was no sound or voice, and I received no answer whatever.

Fearing the pundahs, I hastily left the temple. The next night I remained in the temple from evening to midnight performing various rites, but received nothing-merit or meaning, work, deliverance, or revelation. The pundahs then commenced to clean out the temple.

Returning home I decided to be a disciple of Soondara Das, feeling assured in my mind that Juggernath had left Nilánchal (or the blue mountains), and become incarnate in man. And that I might become attached to him, I listened to his words, and at his command assisted him to rise, to sit down, and to walk-as an oil-mill turns round, so did I turn him, and fulfilled all his commands. Myself, Ram Chundra, Doitarée, Bámádeb, Hurri-parri, and others became his disciples, and went about begging the first year for one day; the second year, three days; the third, seven, fourteen, and twenty-one days: thus for three years I went about the district, and for fourteen days went about with other other disciples begging materials for burnt offerings-one of whom was the son of a zemindar. Soondara Das sent people to call him, and said, "Grow in that which is good: your father and mother are angry, and have sent for you: go to your house." After various quarrels we became unsettled, and all returned to their homes disgusted and troubled in mind.

On that day my brother and I separated, and I experienced great inconvepience from having but one room to reside in. Two children were born to me, both of whom died. I cried out, "What shall I do? What shall I do ?" and wept much.

About this time padri Lacey and Sutton paid a visit to Soondara Das, and had much conversation with him. Having read the Ten Commandments and the Scriptures, and having explained a portion, the missionaries sent for me, and both there and at Cuttack gave me much instruction.

I was sent one day, in company with several others, with a letter from Soondara Das to the missionaries at Cuttack, when we had much conversation with