Wolff has often witnessed similar conduct in women who had lost some piece of money of the most insignificant value; and this shows the dreadful covetousness of the Eastern people.

The next morning the caravan proceeded on through the desert, and slept in a camp, as usual; when a quarrel arose between two of the travellers, one saying to the other "Thou stupid fellow, thou art ignorant of thy religion." The other replied, "Ask me a question, and see if I cannot answer it." The other said, "Then tell me what was the name of the prophet's daughter who married Ali ?" The other did not know. And here Wolff, who had overheard the discussion, called out, "Fatimah Khatoon was her name." (Khatoon means a lady, so that she was called "Fatimah the lady.")

The man who had challenged the other, now exclaimed, "See, this Christian dervish knows it, but thou dost not know!"

Wolff again interposed, "Now, I will ask you who boast so much, some questions. Answer me! With whom did Muhammad travel, and to what place did he travel, when he was thirteen years of age? And who invited him to a sumptuous dinner?"

The man knew not one single word of this. Then Wolff said, "He travelled with AbooTaleb, his uncle; and came near Bussorah in Syria, on his way to Jerusalem; and it was by Baheerah, the monk, that he was invited with his party to a sumptuous dinner."

As Wolff concluded, a dervish rose from amidst the caravan, and approaching him said, "Verily, Youssuff Wolff, thou art a dervish indeed. Untruth is not in thee!" Wolff at once presented this dervish with a Bible, and commenced speaking about religion, which he always did on the slightest opportunity.

At last, the caravan arrived in Burchund, where Wolff went to a caravanserai to sleep; for Ameer Assaad-Oollah-Beyk, Governor of the place, a Sheeah by persuasion, and vassal to the King of Persia (but who had already been for thirty years a rebel against his liege lord, and the Prince Regent Abbas Mirza), was very suspicious of every traveller who came to the place; being afraid that he might be a spy upon him, sent from Abbas Mirza. Wolff, knowing this, did not delay at Burchund; but set out the next morning for Herat, accompanied only by his own two servants, and a camel-driver conducting the camel which carried the Bibles.

He walked the whole distance-being forty miles; and just as night had set in, two horse

men came up behind him. They were of that mighty and brave race, the Pooluj, the bravest people of Central Asia; who were afterwards entirely defeated and subdued by General Sir Charles Napier. When these two Pooluj came behind Wolff, they said, "We are sent by Ameer Assaad-Oollah-Beyk to bring you back, because you are a spy from Abbas Mirza."

The history of the matter was this. Before Wolff arrived at Burchund, a report had reached the place that Abbas Mirza had already marched into Khorassan, for the purpose of putting an end to slave-making, and of exterminating the Khans, among whom Ameer Assaad-Oollah-Beyk, as one of the chief rebels, was included. And Wolff was suspected of being a spy from Abbas Mirza, on his road to Herat, to make alliance with Shah Kamran, its king.

Wolff had no resource, but was forced to walk back to Burchund, a journey which he accomplished in three days, and then he was brought to the old castle, which was the residence of the Ameer. Those castles are called in the Persian, ark, from which our English and German word "ark" is derived, and it means "a fortress."

Here Wolff was dragged into a large dark room by the Ameer's soldiers, in a rude disrespectful way. Each of the soldiers had a matchlock gun in his hand, with a burning, smoking torch upon it, which spread a sulphurous odour through the room. On one

side of the room sat the Ameer, with the chiefs of the desert around him. The Ameer himself had a most beautiful eye, and pleasant countenance; and both he and all the other chiefs had a galyoon in their mouths, and were smoking. On the other side were the Moollahs sitting; and in the midst of them was a dervish of high repute, whose name was Hadjee Muhammad Jawad.

Wolff was at this time in his Persian dress, and carried a Bible under his arm, as was his universal custom in travelling. The Ameer first opened his mouth, and asked Wolff,

"Where do you come from?"

Wolff said, "I come from England, and am going to Bokhara.”

"What do you intend to do in Bokhara ?" asked the Ameer.

Wolff replied, " I, having been a Jew, visit that nation all over the world, and wish to go to Bokhara, in order to see whether the Jews there are of the ten tribes of Israel, and to speak to them about Jesus."

All in the room exclaimed, "This man must be devil-possessed!"

But the dervish, on the other side, called out, "Silence! This man is not devil-pos

sessed. I shall examine him." And then he proceeded to examine Wolff, in the most extraordinary manner, by asking him, "Do you know Sir John Malcolm ?"

Wolff answered "Yes."

Then, again, asked the dervish, "Do you know Sir Gore Ouseley ?"

Wolff said "Yes," once more.

Dervish. Do you know Lord Hastings, Governor-General of India? Wolff. Yes.

Dervish (in a louder tone.) Do you know the Padri (i. e. missionaries) of Calcutta, Serampore, Madras, and Bombay?

Wolff. Yes.

Then said the dervish, "Thou art a Padre" (a missionary), and added, with exultation at his own shrewdness, "Have I found you out?" Wolff answered "Yes." Upon which the dervish turned to the Ameer, and said, "Now, go on asking him questions, and I will help you out."

The Ameer then continued the examination, as follows:

Ameer. How far is England from Bokhara?

Wolff. Seven thousand miles straightforward, going by sea to Constantinople, and from Constantinople by land to Bokhara; but, as I have come, it is above 15,000.

Ameer. Why do you take such trouble? Why do you mind what they believe in Bokhara? Why not remain at home, eat and drink, and live comfortably in the circle of your family?

Wolff. Sadi says (and, as he spoke, he balanced himself from side to side, as is the custom with dervishes, using also their singing tone), "The world, O brother, remaineth not to any one. Fix, therefore, your heart on the Creator of the world, and it is enough." I have found out, by the reading of this book (here he held out the Bible), that one can only bind one's heart to God by believing in Jesus; and, believing this, I am

IRREVERENCE CHECKED.-An old Scotch clergyman, who was terribly annoyed at many of his congregation indulging in the habit of bolting out of church previous to and during the "benediction," had one day just got that length in the service, and was standing with outstretched hands and closed eyes, when the noise of escaping numbers again attracted his attention, and disturbed the quiet of the church. Quietly opening his eyes, he thus addressed the church officer:-"And now, John, open the doors, and let all those wicked people, who don't want the blessing, retire." This effectually stopped the practice for that day, at any rate.

GOOD.

"I WILL SURELY DO THEE The people of God, like Jacob, are often

like one who walks in a beautiful garden, and smells the odour of the roses, and hears the warbling of the nightingale; and I do not like to be the only one so happy; and therefore I go about in the world for the purpose of inviting others to walk with me, arm-inarm, in the same beautiful garden.

They all at once rose, and exclaimed, "A man of God!-drunk with the love of God! A dervish indeed! Sit down!"

A pipe was now brought to Wolff, and tea; and then the Ameer desired him to read some portions from his book.

Wolff turned to the Sermon on the Mount, and read the first twelve verses; then to Isaiah, and read parts of the 34th chapter, "Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: Let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies: He has utterly destroyed them, He has delivered them to the slaughter," &c. Upon this Wolff enlarged, and spoke of the final judgments of God upon the nations. A general cry now arose, "O God, why do we not repent? O God, why do we not repent?"

And then the Ameer asked whether Wolff had such books in their language, to which Wolff replied, "Yes," and sending for his servant, he caused Persian and Arabic Bibles to be brought into the room, and distributed above forty copies. He afterwards saw people reading, in the open market-places, these very books; and was called upon, more than once, to explain different passages in them. Wolff remained fourteen days in Burchund, sleeping in the house of Hadjee Muhammad Jawad. This dervish is known, not only in the whole of Khorassan, but also throughout Turkistan, including Bokhara, Balkh, and Cabul, Khotan, Kokan, Tashkand, Hasrat, Sultan, and Yarkand in Chinese Tartary, the whole of Hindoostan, Thibet, and China.

in straits; but, like the patriarch, they can put God in mind that His promise came with a "surely;" their faith can rest on God's veracity. David could say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me.' It not unfrequently happens that cloudy days quickly follow a Bethel interview with God; but we should not let them hinder our believing that He will perform His promise-nay, the dark day may be the means of its fulfilment. may say, with David's confidence, "Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel." It is in straits that His people cling most closely to Him for guidance. Turn, then, from the dark providence, to the clear promise-cling to this "surely."

We

THESE were made at first for the support of the poor; for the principle of Scotland was, that the ministers should be endowed, and the poor supported by voluntary contribution. This principle has, however, lately been entirely and suddenly changed. The poor are now endowed, and are entitled to claim, as a right, a competent maintenance wherever they are; whereas Christian ministers are stripped of their endowments, and left entirely to be upheld by voluntary benevolence. Instead of paupers, the ministers of a kingdom suddenly stand before us soliciting aid, we had almost said alms. A more sudden or violent revolution than this can scarcely be imagined; and yet how little change has it produced upon the habits of the great mass of the people! Even those who can speak clearly on the theory of this question, seem scarcely at all influenced by it in practice. The men who formerly passed the plate without putting in anything, do so still, the zealous Non-Intrusionist gives just his halfpenny or penny, as heretofore,-scarcely any have increased their contributions. How few now say to themselves, as they pass the elder and the plate on the Sabbath morning, "Now, it depends on me, and on my fellowworshippers, it depends on what we are about to give, whether the minister who preaches the Gospel to us shall, with his children, be starved or not, and whether the ordinances of the blessed Gospel shall be continued in our land, and enjoyed by our children and our children's children." We would fain admonish our fellow-Christians to shake off this lethargy, and fairly to look this subject in the face. No one would believe the extent of the evil,-no one who has not stood and witnessed the fact, would believe how many welldressed and excellent persons have not yet learned to give contributions at the doors of our Free Churches, and how many contribute most inadequately, and apparently only to save appearances. Hence the small, the pitiful sums to which our ordinary collections amount, -collections which, under a proper sys

On

tem of training and Christian sacrifice, might form a large source of revenue, without being burdensome to any of the people. For example, what a small sum would even sixpence or a shilling a-head be from many a city congregation! Men ought surely to give to the service of God a sum equal to what they are perpetually giving for the most trifling gratifications. And yet even sixpence a-head from 1000 people would amount to £25 a Sabbath, or £1,300 a-year. Some may imagine this a large average, as many in every congregation are unable to give sixpence a Sabbath. the other hand, we are persuaded that in regard to many town congregations, sixpence a-bead is a very low average; very many of the people are able to give ten times this sum every Sabbathday, and do in fact spend far more weekly on the most frivolous and unnecessary objects. But take the average at one-half the sum, or threepence aweek for town congregations, and at one-sixth of this sum for country ones, or a penny a-head, and what an immense sum would be raised in this way alone over the whole kingdom! The truth is, we are only beginning to understand the duty and privilege of giving to support the cause of God. We are far, indeed, from the point at which even the stiff-necked and rebellious Israelites arrived, who brought such abundant offerings to the treasury of God, that a command required to be issued to stay their liberality. (Exod. xxxvi. 5, 6.) And yet we are persuaded that much of the evil arises from mere heedlessness and inconsideration. We trust the ministers will speak out on the subject, and we earnestly desire that the hearts and hands of the people may be opened by Him who saith, The silver and the gold are mine." "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase."

66

The members of the New North Church (Rev. C. Brown), Edinburgh, have put this system into thorough operation. They have resolved to have no seat-rents, and at a late congregational

The proposal to act out this suggestion, as the only way of raising a local fund for paying rent for a church, &c., and supplementing the minister's stipend, was cordially and unanimously adopted by the people, and the result was, that upwards of £11 was received as the ordinary collection next Lord's day, with the probability of a decided increase. The plan can be varied indefinitely, according to the actual circumstances of congregations:—

Take the case of a city congregation of 800 members,―

0 16

0

8 4

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3 14 2 £192 16 8

for

These must be reckoned very low calculations, and yet they demonstrate that the minister's stipend may easily be supplemented everywhere, and all local expenses met, without interfering with the contributions for the General Fund. This also leaves room making extraordinary collections for the poor, and for other local benevolent objects. Nor have we made any account for extraordinary donations, when Christians meet with remarkable success in the course of Providence; for as men ought by no means to be extruded from the house of God when they are in poverty, and of course require especially the consolations of the Gospel; so, on the other hand, when Christians are especially prosperous, they should learn to give special donations to the cause of God. Honour the Lord with the first-fruits of all thine increase." The great thing the people want, in short, is to have clear information and definite plans laid before them. There is not so much a want of zeal, or even of means, but the people must be frankly and openly dealt with, and carried along with the elders and deacons in all their proposals for raising the necessary funds.

Again, in regard to the Central Fund, -in one sense the mainspring of this whole financial enterprise-the great matter is, to keep the associations in vigorous working order. This must be done, in part at least, by means of a paid agency. The associations may either be parochial or congregational, or both. The territorial plan has, in some respects, decided advantages. In particular, there is an immense saving of

locomotion on the part of the agents, and it is a much more exhausting process as applicable to a kingdom. There are probably districts, however, where the congregational plan would be simpler and more productive; and, in such cases, each congregation can easily be formed into a permanent association. When the seats are allocated, let a district record be made in a book for the purpose, 1st, Of the names of the people; 2d, Of their residences; 3d, Of the number of the seat they occupy; 4th, Of the sum they are disposed to give to the Central Fund; 5th, Of the time or times at which they are willing to give it. Let the people then be classified into districts, and each district handed over to the charge of a deacon or collector, who may also operate territorially in the district, if he can afford time, enlisting as many more agents as possible; the more Christian agents the better. Let it be clearly understood, that the members of the congregation are to receive their seats whatever they contribute; that monthly prayer-meetings shall be held, and all other means employed for opening the hearts and understandings of the people, and that all the results shall be printed and laid before an annual meeting of the congregation, as well as submitted to the General Assembly. Everything must be done openly. Great results may not be achieved at the very first, but if this method is perseveringly adopted, there cannot be the shadow of a doubt of triumphant success.

We should, therefore, as the grand means of supporting and extending the Gospel, in addition to "free-will offerings" on the Lord's day, simply require the people to elect in every congregation a large body of deacons, and to them we should intrust the whole financial affairs

of the congregation. They should make their periodical, probably weekly rounds, each in his own district; and a very short time would be sufficient for this purpose. If any of the people preferred their coming once a-month, or once a quarter, or once a half-year, instead of once a-week, of course they should yield to the requests of such persons, without altering their general plan. The idea of our ancestors, in regard to elders, might also be brought into play; and lest the deacons should find the labour great, or for the purpose of giving a fresh impulse to the system, there might be a double supply of them

in

every congregation, and they might rest and labour alternately. And, in addition, they should, as we have said already, be encouraged to employ female and other agents to labour in their districts, under their authority. There would also, of course, be a correspondence between the deacons of the whole kingdom, and general and special treasurers for managing the funds, whether of separate localities, or of the general body.

The immense advantages of this plan are evident. We shall just mention a few of the more important.

1. There would be in this a return to. something like the primitive apostolic system. It would make the house of God free, as it was at first, by breaking down and removing the toll-bars. The widow who gave her "mite," the labourer who gave his pence, the inquirer who came to the house of God merely from curiosity (for a portion of the Church should always be set apart for such), would be each as freely assigned their seat in the sanctuary, so long as there was room, as the man who contributed £500 a-year to the fund. Besides, a whole class of office-bearers, who have been allowed nearly to die out in all Presbyterian Churches, although admitted to be divinely instituted,-we mean the class of DEACONS,—would be at once restored to life and vigour; whilst another class, not recognised at all, and whose existence has often had a most secularizing and injurious tendency -we mean the class of mere secular, irresponsible MANAGERS," would be removed. The whole business of the Church of Christ would be conducted, as it should be, by ordained, responsible, and divinely-appointed men. This would give far more confidence to the Christian people, and might be expected to be more blessed by the exalted Head of the Church.

2. Think of the indirect effects of this plan, in the way of diffusing streams of moral health around every new church. The process of seat-letting produces direct evils, and has no collateral advantages. But besides the direct advantages of this system, think of the effects which might be expected to flow from the visits of Christian agents emanating from each of our new churches, as from a centrepoint of light and Christian energy, and passing periodically through all the houses of the neighbourhood, to speak in the spirit of kind expostulation