irregularity in order that by it you should fall into the sickness, for He intends to discipline you in it and by it. Here recall to memory all the statements there are in Holy Scripture affecting this particular providence of God; remember the letter upon 'Disasters,' and that upon Temptations,' and look to it that you be not in any manner vanquished herein.

"When the devil shall see that he cannot divert you from this particular providence of God, because you are strong and firm in believing; and holding it to be certain that this sickness of yours came by the order of, and in the providence of, God; then he will labour and strive to persuade you that God does not send it for your advantage, but in order to chastise you in this world and in the other for your sins and failings. Here be you strong and firm, recalling to memory that passage of St. Paul-1 Cor. xi. 32 : ‘But when we [Christians] are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world,' and say: I know assuredly that God afflicts me for my benefit, and of this I have no doubt at all. Remember likewise that passage of St. Paul-Rom. viii. 28: All things work together for good to them that love God,' and say: I love God, if not as much as I ought, at least as much as He gives me grace to love Him, and therefore this sickness is for my benefit. Herein stand, herein persevere. And when it shall appear to you that you find the least cause in yourself to hope for this beneficent result in your sickness, then let your confidence and your hope be more assured than ever.

"With these two weapons you will be frequently assaulted, at one time with the one and at another time. with the other. So manage as never to be unprepared with these defensive weapons wherewith to repel the offensive. And should you at any time, through want of preparation, find yourself wounded by one of them,

be not dismayed; do not yield as vanquished; on the contrary, resuming, through greater strength of mind, your self-possession, avail yourself of your defensive arms, and God will help you. And rest assured that had you not believed, had you not confided, and had you not loved, you would not have been assaulted with these weapons, nor would you have felt the conflict with them; but because you believe, confide, and love, on that account are you thus assaulted. Watch and pray that you be not conquered.

"And recollect that he is not held to be valiant who, because he never fights is never conquered; but he is so, who fights and conquers. And for this reason. Scripture states (James i. 12) that the man who is blessed is not the man who is never tempted, but that he is so who endureth temptation. And know that if you are patient in this sickness, you suffer temptation, since it is with sickness that God purposes to tempt you in order to see how you feel in relation to His particular providence, and how strongly and firmly you stand in it, and how well affected you are in your convictions relative to the love He bears you, in having given His only begotten Son as a remedy for your

sins.

"Suffer, then, patiently this sickness with which God tempts you; labour not to be diverted a point from piety; and hold it to be certain, that God, having brought this trial upon you, will give you that crown of eternal life which He has promised to those who, because they love Him, are never diverted from piety. This shall be so through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

SIXTY YEARS AGO.

IT has been said with much truth by one of our poets, that ""Tis greatly wise to talk with our past lives, and ask them what report they've borne to Heaven." If it be so with individuals may it not with equal truth be applicable to communities and to nations?

In the midst of the activities of life in the present day, as it regards the "Society of Friends," when social and philanthropic claims occupy so large a share of attention-it appears desirable to go back a little to the past, and inquire what the earlier part of the present century can unfold to our view. A very mistaken apprehension evidently prevails in the minds of many of our younger members as to the attitude which the Friends took fifty or sixty years ago. To them it appears to have been somewhat of a "dark age"-when "Sabbath Schools," "Home Missions," "Foreign Missions," &c., were unknown. In studying the history of the past, however, whether ancient or modern, we should not bring to it our own standard by which to judge. It has pleased the Great Ruler of the Universe that the world should be progressive, hence, each generation of mankind has its own part to perform; it is not an easy thing therefore to hold the balance correctly,-because with our own limited knowledge it is impossible to place ourselves exactly in the position of those who went before us.

Each generation is so apt to fix its gaze upon its own work, and, perhaps unintentionally, to magnify itself as compared with those who have gone before it, that a brief review of some of the prominent services

accomplished by our fathers may tend to increase our reverence for the many faithful labours performed in their day; it may also check any undue exaltation concerning the various good works with which the Society of Friends in this age are so prominently connected.

At the period of which we speak there were many noble-hearted men and women to be found amongst them, in whose hearts the love of God richly dwelt, and whose work, being done with single eye as unto the Lord and not to men, was largely blessed unto many nations of the earth.

But it was a quiet age. They went about like their dear Redeemer, "doing good" silently, but they carried with them an amount of influence, even among the great people of the land, which was truly astonishing. It was not an age, however, to chronicle their doings, and therefore less is known about them. Even the periodicals which we now hail with so much pleasure detailing the active efforts of our members, did not then exist; and to this, in part, may be attributed the mistaken ideas which we sometimes find to prevail with regard to those who went before us. Let us try for a moment to divest the world of its Bible Societies, its Public Schools, its Sunday Schools, its Tract Societies, with all that these various mighty agencies have since effected, and we may judge in some slight degree in what state our nation then was. In addition to this, let us abstract our steamboats, our railways, and all our other means of quick locomotion, together with the total absence of cheap postage, and then endeavour to place ourselves in the position of the Friends of that day. Would all these privations combined not necessitate more isolated effort? "In union there is strength," we know, but they lacked to a large extent the mediums of this union. The world has advanced rapidly into a

different phase since then. Amongst many other things which were especially lacking at that period must be enumerated the inestimable boon of cheap Bibles. Thus, only in 1812 was held the first meeting of the "London Auxiliary Bible Society." It appears that several Friends were present on the occasion, and from that time until their death did some of these watch with deep interest and take an active part in the affairs of that noble institution. As the Bible Society ramified and sent its branches down to the distant provinces, so the members of the Society of Friends rallied around its standard; whether as secretaries, members of committees, or collectors, they were by no means backward in giving earnest effort to the work. The younger members likewise entered heartily into it, and it was the means of leading them to the houses of the poor once a week, where their sympathies were awakened in various directions on behalf of the visited, and often a wise help was afforded.

Perhaps few in the present day can estimate at what sacrifice these periodical visits were paid in many of our large towns. When both light and air were heavily taxed, people were led to close all the avenues to these health-giving elements which they possibly could. Thus to grope their way up long flights of stairs in total darkness, and in an atmosphere polluted in a high degree, was of constant occurrence in large towns; so that frequently when the collectors reached the top, they were fain to rest for support against the railings, and often gasp for breath. But they did not flinch on this account, nor yet at the danger from infectious diseases to which they were exposed. Poor people could not buy Bibles except by small instalments, hence the work must be done if they got them at all.

Here let it be remarked that at that time "colpor