Spirit of God laid hold of him, as if it were already said in the divine counsel, "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles." He was deeply affected by the words of the native preacher, who spoke of the being of God, the fallen state of man, and the way of salvation. He began immediately to learn to read in his own language, attended daily at Johannes' house for instruction in reading and religion and for prayer, and soon became deeply serious and thoughtful. . . .

On a Sunday morning in the early part of 1845, while attending divine service in the chapel, he became overwhelmingly convinced that he must then and there surrender himself to God. He rose from his seat, threaded his way quickly through the crowded mass of rude, staring people crouched upon the floor, and made for his usual praying place in the neighboring mountain. There, alone, without food or shelter, he spent the rest of the day, the night, and the whole of the day following, pleading and wrestling with God for a present and conscious salvation. Early on Tuesday morning he returned, with the joyful news that he had found the Saviour and knew himself to be the child of God. This was the first conversion witnessed by the newly-established mission in that country, and, as far as we know, Nathaniel was the first man in the whole of his nation who embraced the Christian faith and entered into the glorious kingdom of our great Redeemer.

Increased diligence in gaining knowledge and in working for God marked the course of our friend from this day. He made rapid progress in the alphabet and in easy reading; so that within four months of beginning to learn letters he was able to read intelligently those parts of the New Testament which had been hurriedly translated into the Zulu language by Mr. Allison to meet the pressing requirements of the new mission.

That mission was afterwards broken up by war among the natives, and the missionaries driven away. Nathaniel ran away from home to go with the missionaries. He

journeyed all night, through a country infested with beasts of prey, through forest and jungle, crossing river and swamp, till on the next day he reached the wagon. A murderous party, including some of his own brothers, were soon upon his track, and before he had recovered from the exhaustion of the flight he was assailed by his pursuers. They dragged him out of a hut in which he had taken refuge, stripped and beat him fiercely over the head and body, and then pitched what they supposed to be the lifeless corpse into the grass. Nathaniel, however, was not quite dead. The members of the mission party, who witnessed the scene, finding that there was still life in the body, tenderly moved it back to the hut, and washed the wounds. Contrary to all expectation, the poor boy revived, and in a few days, all the native brethren having now assembled, the young sufferer was placed in the wagon, and a start made for Natal. About two hundred Swazis, who had joined the mission at the various stations, followed, and in six weeks the whole party arrived at Pietermaritzburg.

After a good many years of industrious and godly life, Nathaniel became a faithful and useful preacher of the gospel.

Toward the end of 1882 his health began to fail, and disease developed which medical aid could not arrest. His labors were now much lessened, preaching produced great bodily prostration, and confinement to the house for days and weeks together became a frequent necessity. But such was his desire to work while life lasted that he was known to rise after whole nights of painful sleeplessness, and ride to distant places to fulfill his appointments. By the middle of December it was evident to all that his end was close at hand. On the 18th of that month, at his own urgent request, he was put into an ox wagon and taken into Ladysmith to pay a parting visit to his white. superintendent. He scarcely lived to reach home. From the wagon he was carried to his bed, from which he did not again arise. On the night of the 20th a message was sent round to several of his own friends, summoning them to come and witness the

closing scene. Upon their arrival Nathaniel expressed his gratitude at seeing them before he died, and, addressing Johannes Kumalo, he said, "I remember you coming to our country to tell about the Saviour Jesus. Now I am going to receive my crown, and no one can take it from me. It is a crown of eternal life. I have nothing but joy, peace, hope. This is the work of the Lord." After some present had offered prayer, he lay speechless and unconscious for some hours, till in the early morning of December 21, 1883, he breathed his last, and his happy spirit fled from the earthly tabernacle.

On the following day the funeral took place amid general lamentation. In the chapel many native Christians bore testi

mony to the singular purity, the earnest and useful labors, and the happiness in death of our departed brother. More than two hundred people followed the body to the little cemetery, where we laid it down in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. A neat marble monument, erected by the sorrowing widow and children, .now marks the spot, sacred to the memory of one who was an affectionate husband, a loving father and a faithful minister of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Is it worth while to send the gospel to a people among whom it finds such boys, and makes such men of them? Does it pay? Is not one such soul "a pearl of great price"?

I. SOME SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES. From the first authoritative establishment of divine worship, God has enjoined that his institutions and ordinances be maintained by offerings brought to his house as a part of the solemn worship due to him. We shall not improve on God's methods and principles; we do well to give them careful study.

In the Mosaic economy strong emphasis is laid upon giving as a part of divine worship. "Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty: every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee" (Deut. 16:16, 17).

These three great occasions in each year comprised at first the whole of the stated and formal public worship of God. How emphatic is the word-" and they shall not appear before the Lord empty;" and twice elsewhere we read, "None shall appear before me empty."

An analysis of this primitive and inspired "Directory for Worship" discloses three fundamental principles, which enter into and constitute the highest type-the ideal— of consecrated giving in all ages and dispensations.

Consecrated giving is to be-
First.-Systematic.

"Three times in a year," i. e., at every attendance upon stated worship as then appointed.

Second.-Proportionate. The worshipper is to offer " as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord which he hath given thee."

Third.-Worshipful. The offering is to be presented "before the Lord thy God, in the place which he shall choose," as one among the various hallowed acts of God's worship.

St. Paul briefly comprehends and reenacts these principles in the Christian economy," Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him" (1 Cor. 16:2). The giving of Christians is to be one of the hallowed acts of the holy day, and as God hath prospered; weekly, worshipful, proportionate.

II. HISTORY OF THE MOVEMENT.

It is interesting and instructive to note in the action of the General Assembly from the year 1871 and onward the progress and acceptance of those fundamental principles.

In establishing the Committee on Sustentation in 1871, the General Assembly enacted " That every church session, as a condition of aid from this scheme (sustentation), shall . . . appoint a committee who shall institute and carry out a plan of weekly or monthly contribution to this object, and to all the boards of the church, so as to present to every member of the church and congregation the opportunity of such stated contribution according to the apostolic order (1 Cor. 16:2) as an ordinance of worship in the way of God's appointment, and according as it hath gone well with them." Further action in the same connection called upon every church session to set on foot forthwith and earnestly to prosecute a plan that should extend to every member of the congregation an opportunity of contributing to all the boards of the church," etc.

In 1872,-inaugurating the first permanent committee on this subject, the Committee of Benevolence and Finance, the As sembly said, "It shall be its duty to use all proper means to promote throughout the church the regular and systematic consecration of property to the Lord," etc. This committee was discontinued in 1874 " with grateful acknowledgments" of service rendered. In reviewing its work the General Assembly found "The principles that had been emphasized and well established were:

"1. Giving should be from spiritual motives, as an act of worship and as a means of grace.

"2. It should be frequent and systematic. "3. A definite proportion, not less than one-tenth of property, should be consecrated to the Lord."

In 1875 the Assembly organized the "Committee of the Synods on the Benevolent Work of the Church," and again "urged the churches to contribute to all the schemes of church work recommended by it,

and advised the adoption of the plan of weekly offerings as an act of worship."

Four years later, in 1879, this last-named committee having been discontinued twe years before, the Permanent Committee on Systematic Beneficence was organized (its title since changed to "Special Committee," etc.), in connection with the appointment of which the Assembly resolved, among other things, "that the members of all our congregations have a right to an opportunity to contribute at least once a year to each of the boards, . . . and the sessions of the churches have no right to withhold that opportunity. Also that it is the duty of each minister in charge to give information, set forth the privilege of giving and urge the claims of each board," etc. The committee is to "endeavor to secure from every member of every church an adequate contribution for each of our objects of benevolence." Each church is enjoined "to have a plan of giving, and each member is to be taught to set apart regularly a certain proportion of his income to the Lord."

Thus has the church by her General Assembly placed herself clearly, unequivocally on record, in advocacy of systematic, proportionate and worshipful offerings from all the people for the support of her great schemes of benevolence. The record is made complete by the adoption, in 1886, of the amendment to the Directory of Worship, as framed and promoted by the last-named committee, as follows:

CHAPTER VI.

OF THE WORSHIP OF GOD BY OFFERINGS. 1. In order that every member of the congregation may be trained to give of his substance, systematically, and as the Lord hath prospered him, to promote the preaching of the gospel in all the world and to every creature, according to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is proper and very desirable that an opportunity be given for offerings by the congregation in this behalf every Lord's day, and that, in accordance with the Scriptures, the bringing of such offerings be performed as a solemn act of worship to Almighty God.

2. The proper order, both as to the particular service of the day and the place in such service for receiving the offerings, may be left to the

discretion of the minister and session of the church; but that it may be a separate and specific act of worship, the minister should either precede or immediately follow the same with a brief prayer, invoking the blessing of God upon it and devoting the offerings to his service.

3. The offerings received may be apportioned among the boards of the church, and among other benevolent and Christian objects, under the supervision of the church session, in such proportion, and upon such general plan, as may from time to time be determined; but the specific designation by the giver of any offering, to any given cause or causes, shall always be respected, and the will of the donor carefully carried out.

4. It is the duty of every minister to cultivate the grace of liberal giving in his congregation, that every member thereof may offer according to his ability, whether it be much or little.

This chapter is founded on the three cardinal principles set forth in the Scriptures. An examination of its provisions in detail

will show how, briefly and comprehensively, it gathers up and embodies the substance of the various deliverances of our General Assembly on this most important subject.

No such provision, so ample, scriptural and efficient, has before been made in our own or any other church, for promoting and gathering up the streams-great and smallof consecrated benevolence. The hand of God is unmistakably seen in the progress of this work. These scriptural principles, like leaven, are being diffused throughout the church in accelerating ratio. Their faithful inculcation and practice, especially among the rising generation, crystallizing into the power of fixed habit, cannot but produce results beyond the anticipations of the most sanguine. God will assuredly add his blessing to his own work.

"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward." S.

In the excellent speech of Secretary Ellinwood before the Omaha Assembly, published in our July number (pages 80-86), he expresses joy that the churches on the mission fields" are giving us examples of union which we ought to follow here at home." We understand him thus heartily to commend, and we as heartily join him in commending, the spirit of union which is manifesting itself, and which seems to be working out available forms of visible union somewhat more rapidly abroad than at home. Quite evidently some of the ob stacles which hinder reunion of old churches long since sundered in America and Britain do not exist in the mission fields; some of the reasons for separate organizations here are without significance there, and would be quite unintelligible to recently-evangelized people. Yet union on mission fields can only be realized by the concurrence of missionaries who represent different home or

ganizations, and who must have loyal and dutiful regard to the convictions of their respective constituencies.

In no country is the movement for Christian union more vigorous than in Japan. Already the Japanese Christians who have received the gospel from missionaries of the Reformed and the Presbyterian churches constitute the United Church of Christ in Japan. But the Congregationalists also have a prosperous mission in that country, and lately their churches and the United Church of Christ in Japan have been considering the question of becoming united in one ecclesiastical organization. Their General Conference and the Synod of the United Church have appointed committees, which have conferred upon the subject and have unanimously agreed upon a report, which, with some amendments, has been approved by the Synod and the Conference. This report proposes that, in the church to be

constituted, ministers shall be required to accept and subscribe to the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Nine Articles of the Evangelical Alliance; and that they approve for substance of doctrine the Westminster Catechism, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Plymouth Declaration.

They have also signified their readiness to receive overtures from other churches of Christ that are able to accept the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Nine Articles of the Evangelical Alliance.

This seems to be intended as an outline, which, together with an outline of church polity proposed by the same committee, has been referred by the Conference and the Synod to two committees of ten each. The committee of the Conference is to print the report and submit it to their churches. If three-fourths of the churches shall express approval of the plan of union, then their committee is authorized, in conference with the committee of the Synod, to prepare standards of government and doctrine in accordance with the principles already set forth. The committee of the Synod is empowered to unite with the committee of the Conference in preparing such standards.

The right is reserved to the churches of the Conference and to the Synod, respectively, to reject any standards which may be prepared by their committees, but most harmoniously and solemnly the Conference commends the proposed plan of union to the careful consideration of the churches, and the Synod to the careful consideration of its ministers and laymen; and both call upon all with one heart to pray to the great Head of the church that he will bestow upon all and wisdom to decide this most imgrace portant question. The spirit in which this movement is conducted, and the high character of the men who are responsible for it, are well indicated in a letter from an intelligent lady missionary to her father, a min

ister in Philadelphia, from which we are permitted to print some extracts:

MY DEAREST

BANCHO, May 7, 1887.

FATHER-How many

times during the past week I have wished you could be in Tokyo to attend the meetings of Synod which have been held in the Meiji kwaido!

It is not often given us to see with our own eyes so strong proof of the blessings which the gospel has already brought to Japan. The one hundred and twenty delegates who composed the synodical body were, taken altogether, a body of men whom any Christian heart might rejoice over as leaders for the church. Their intelligence, ability, good sense and devotion became more and more evident as the meetings advanced.

Their active work during the past year, their wise forethought as well as their enthusiasm for the future, their earnest and careful consideration of matters affecting the spiritual good of their Zion, gave proof that they are no longer babes in Christ, but growing toward perfect manhood in Christ Jesus. The order and decorum preserved throughout were remarkable, and were largely owing, no doubt, to the tact and firmness of Mr. Ibuka, the moderator, whose quiet dignity was unruffled and whose gentle courtesy was unfailing during the most trying sessions. The self-control exercised at times when we knew the excitement of many was at a white heat could not but excite respect.

She then gives a graphic account of the discussions, which resulted in the Synod's acceptance of the outline plan before given, and closes with the following solemn and fervent words in harmony with those of both the Synod and the Conference:

I am sure you will join us in prayer that the great Shepherd of the sheep will guard his own flock here, that mistakes may not be made which shall endanger the welfare of the church, but that whatever is done may be for its strengthening and purification, and for the honor of his cause and the glory of his name.