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division were brought before him, and not a man was punished without his signature being attached to the order. He was, therefore, perfectly acquainted with those who did their duty and with those who neglected it; and he could bear out the remark in the report, that those who had the love of God in their hearts were by far the best soldiers of the British army. Such persons were seldom to be found in hospital,-it was only in cases of extreme illness that they got there, and they were ready for their duty whenever they might be called upon. He could bear testimony to the fact, that in Scinde pious soldiers proved, without exception, the best and most trustworthy men under all circumstances of real difficulty. Sir Charles Napier invariably found that to be the case during the late war in Scinde, and constantly employed those whom he knew had the love of God in their hearts for special duties.

GOOD FRUITS AMONG THE MEN.

He would mention one or two facts which would show that it was not recently only that soldiers had been found reading the Word of God and uniting in prayer. In Scinde he had the privilege of joining many officers and private soldiers in those duties. After the troops returned into cantonments, at the beginning of 1846, three European regiments at Kurrachee contributed among themselves upwards of eight hundred rupees-eighty pounds, out of which they built a little room adjacent to the barracks, which was set apart for united prayer and for the reading of the Word of God, without the interruption which was unavoidable in the barracks. The key was kept by a pious sergeant, and when any of the men wished to resort to the room for the purposes which he had mentioned, it was always open to them; and there he often saw two or three Christian brethren on their knees or reading the Word of God. He attended that room three times a-week with some of his brother officers and some ladies in the cantonments, and from twenty to thirty persons were often assembled there at once. First the assembly sang a hymn, and then came the reading of a portion of the Old or the New Testament; and, lastly, there was the offering of prayer. Generally three or four persons offered up extempore prayer; and if the Society had heard the prayers offered up for them, -yes, for them, as well as for the comrades of the suppliants in India, their hearts would have been melted as his was. He had come away from those meetings deeply humbled at his remissness in not taking a deeper interest in the work. In 1846, when that dreadful scourge, the

cholera, was abroad in India, out of seven thousand men, the army in Scinde lost eleven hundred in ten days. Of these, six hundred and sixty were Europeans, and among the finest soldiers in the brigade. One of the first victim's of that dreadful scourge was a man of God, a sergeant-major of Her Majesty's 86th regiment. And what would they' think when he told them that the whole regiment asked permission to attend that good man to the grave? The colonel gave his consent, and they attended the funeral ceremony. Strange to say, ere they returned, from ten to twenty of them actually fell down dead; they died, before they could reach the barracks, of the same pestilence which had carried off their departed comrade. The scourge which proved so destructive was blessed of God to the souls of many of the survivors. As to the little chapel, there was not room for those who sought admission. Numbers had their hearts softened, and many were led to look up to the Lamb of God for refuge. He grieved to say that many who seemed softened at the time fell away when the scourge was removed; but, on the other hand, many stood firm, and had remained up to this present day faithful followers of the great Captain of their salvation.

GOOD FRUITS AMONG THE OFFICERS.

With regard to the officers, the change which had taken place in India, within the last few years, was very remarkable. It was about the year 1847 that two officers of Her Majesty's 60th Rifles obtained six months' leave to visit the south of India. They left Kurrachee quite men of the world, one of them being a great amateur performer at the theatre at Kurrachee, but both of them came back with changed hearts. In travelling through some of the jungles of South India they were seized with fever. Some natives came to a cantonment, some fourteen or fifteen miles distant, stating that there were two gentlemen lying at the point of death. A young Christian officer hastened to them and found them in a dreadful state, almost dead with fever. In the bungalow he read to them the Word of God, which they confessed they had seldom done for themselves. While arrangements were being made for their removal to the cantonment, he aimed at setting before them the blessed truths of the Gospel, and entreated them to look to "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." His efforts were blessed to their souls. Their lives were spared; they were brought into the cantonment, and after the lapse of some five or six weeks their health was restored to them. On their return to Kurrachee, one

of them, with whom he had been previously intimate, called upon him, and to his great astonishment questioned him about the little meetings which were held for prayer before he went on leave, and asked whether he should have any objection to his attending. He left the meeting to imagine how he received this request; Mrs. Hughes joined in entreating him to come, and as long as he remained at Kurrachee he continued to attend the gatherings in that little place of worship. His regiment being ordered to the north-west frontier, where it took part in the battle of Ghuzerat, prayer was daily offered in his tent, and officers and soldiers both participated in the benefit. He would only mention one other case of the same kind. Many of them might remember what was thought of the 10th Hussars before they left this country for India. He was happy to tell them that a great improvement had taken place in that regiment, and that it now contained a little band of men who were frequently engaged in pouring out their hearts to Him who alone was their help and trust. There was one noble non-commissioned officer of that regiment, Serjeant James-he thought his name ought to be made known-who contributed, not a paltry guinea a-year to one Society, but ten rupees every month for the Church Missionary Society, and the same amount for the British and Foreign Bible Society, and for the Religious Tract Society. Every month did he send down from his tent thirty rupees, to be divided equally among those three Societies. That man had now, landed with his little band of brethren in the Crimea. Such were some of the men who were now engaged in fighting this country's battles.

A PEASANT GIRL'S GIFT.

THE REV. F. Monod of Paris, at a recent meeting in London, gave the following instance of the good effects of tract distribution :-Two soldiers, leaving France for the Crimea, received a tract from the hand of a peasant girl as they passed along the high road. This was a year ago, and some two or three months back it was heard on good authority that these men had died in the peace and joy of Jesus Christ their Saviour, whom this tract had taught them to know and love.

Reader! go and do thou likewise.

How many such precious opportunities of doing good are lost every day!

REJOICE.

"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him."-MATT. XXV. 6.

Rejoice, all ye believers,

And let your lights appear;
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising,
And soon He draweth nigh,-
Up! pray, and watch, and wrestle,
At midnight comes the cry!

See that your lamps are burning,
Replenish them with oil,
And wait for your salvation
The end of earthly toil.

The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near,
Go, meet Him as He cometh,
With Hallelujahs clear!

Ye wise and holy virgins,

Now raise your voices higher,
Till in songs of jubilee

They meet the angel-choir.
The marriage-feast is waiting,
The gates wide open stand;
Up! up! ye heirs of glory,

The Bridegroom is at hand!

Ye saints, who here in patience
Your cross and suff'rings bore,
Shall live and reign for ever,
When sorrow is no more,
Around the throne of glory,
The Lamb ye shall behold,
In triumph cast before Him
Your diadems of gold!

Palms of victory are there,

There, radiant garments are,

There stands the peaceful harvest

Beyond the reach of war.

There, after stormy winter,
The flowers of earth arise,

And from the grave's long slumber
Shall meet again our eyes!

Our Hope and Expectation,
O Jesus! now appear;

Arise, thou Sun, so longed for,
O'er this benighted sphere!
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see

The day of earth's redemption
That brings us unto Thee!

LAURENTIUS LAURENTI.

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THE HOPES AND JOYS AND TRIALS OF MISSIONARY WORK.

W

E give our young readers the following extracts from the letters of the wife of a devoted mission. ary, which have recently reached us :

The Young Church Builders..

"Mr. M. is building a pretty little inexpensive Gothic Chapel with the materials of the boys' old school-rooms. About £40 were needed, out of which our Bhowanipore native Christians have subscribed £10. Is not this good, considering the richest amongst them has not an income of more than £20 a-year and the poorest has no more than £5! The rich one is Peerus's husband. But I must tell you about my girls. Two of them get a small sum for acting as monitors. These I asked for a subscription, knowing they could spare a few pence. They were de

lighted, and would insist on my taking their salary for a

VOL. IV. No. VII.

JULY 1855.

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