steadily improved, and lived long to bless the Church and humanity. If the Lord could touch the vitality in one direction, he could in another. Bishop Simpson's case, and ten thousand others, are living examples of that to-day. God does answer prayer for physical good. I know he does. On the God who has so often answered my prayers I will still rely, scientific men and philosophers to the contrary, notwithstanding. Amen."

Rev. Arthur T. Pierson, of the Presbyterian Church, now a pastor in Philadelphia, states that a young man of Indiana, left home for a business opening in Ohio. There a gentleman from his own native place found him, and was shocked to discover he had become a profane swearer. Returning home, he felt constrained to tell his pious parents of his awful degeneracy. They said little and, in doubt whether they had understood him, he called the next day and repeated the statement. The father calmly replied, "We understood you; my wife and I spent a sleepless night on our knees, pleading in behalf of our son; and about daybreak we received the assurance from God that James will never swear again." Two weeks after the son came home a changed man. "How long since this change took place?" asked his rejoicing parents. He replied that just a fortnight before he was struck with a sense of guilt so that he could not sleep, and spent the night in tears and prayers for pardon. Mark-there had been no time for any parental appeal, or even for a letter of remonstrance. While they were praying for him, God moved him to pray for himself.

Rev. Wm. M. Taylor, D. D., pastor of Broadway Tabernacle, New York City, in his "Life and Lessons of David, King of Israel," gives the following very interesting narration: "Once, when in Boston, a well-known member of the American Board showed me the autobiography of the Japanese youth Joseph, who has been in this country for some years, and was lately the secretary of Mr. Tenako, the member of the Japanese embassy who was especially charged with the subject of education. In his own country Joseph's father was secretary to one of the native princes, and he himself was an officer of two swords, and had a good education, being acquainted with two or three languages. A friend lent him. an American Common School Geography in the Chinese language,

and a Chinese Bible, and these two books opened up a new world to him. He described what he felt on reading the first verse of Genesis, which unfolded to him an entirely new view of things, and then he went on to tell how the desire to know Western civilization and Christianity took possession of his soul. His first prayer was, 'O God, if thou have eyes, look for me. O God, if thou have ears, hear me. I want to know Bible. I want to be civilized with Bible.' He left his home, and went to Hakodadi, with the view of getting 'somehow to America, to learn this knowledge. He went thence to China, and in the port to which he went he was led by God's providence to a ship which was bound for Boston, and which was owned by a good man whose heart was interested in the cause of Christ. That gentleman, on the arrival of his ship, hearing the captain's account of Joseph, was interested in him; and his wife undertook to have him educated at her own expense. He went first to Andover and then to Amherst; became a member of the Christian Church and an excellent scholar; and when the Japanese Embassy came to this country, he who, like Joseph, had been sent on before them, was prepared to be their interpreter; and who shall say what he is yet destined to do for his benighted nation?* Thus, winding round the roots of that great revolution in Japan, which has so astonished and gladdened the hearts of us all, we find the prayers of this earnest youth who was thirsting for the knowledge of God. I might say much on many subjects which this little history suggests, but I bring it up now as a fact, indicating how really, and without a miracle, through God's ordinary providence, prayer is answered. Truly, 'more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' Let no man, therefore, ridicule and reason you out of prayer Here is the charter: 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord.""

Fear not, then, to pray, and do not be impatient with God's

*This youth, now the Rev. Joseph Nee Sima, has been now (1883) for some years a missionary in his native land, under the American Board.

seeming delay of answer.

Sometime, somewhere, as has been

delightfully suggested by Robert Browning, your petitions will be

graciously granted:

"Unanswered yet, the prayers your lips have pleaded

In agony of heart these many years?

Does faith begin to fail; is hope departing,

And think you all in vain those falling tears?
Say not, the Father hath not heard your prayer;
You shall have your desire sometime, somewhere.

"Unanswered yet?-Tho' when you first presented
This one petition at the Father's throne,

It seemed you could not wait the time of asking,
So urgent was your heart to make it known.
Tho' years have passed since then, do not despair;
The Lord will answer you sometime, somewhere.,

"Unanswered yet? Nay, do not say ungranted,
Perhaps your part is not yet wholly done.
The work began when first your prayer was uttered,
And God will finish what he has begun.
If you will keep the incense burning there,
His glory you shall see sometime, somewhere.

"Unanswered yet? Faith cannot be unanswered,
Her feet were firmly planted on the Rock;
Amid the wildest storms she stands undaunted,
Nor quails before the loudest thunder shock,
She knows Omnipotence has heard her prayer,
And cries 'It shall be done,' sometime, somewhere!"

THE SABBATH AND ITS OBSERVANCE.

Sabbath rest is a necessity. Nature reaffirms the divine law that one day in seven should be set apart for rest and worship. Both the brute and the human world need it for their well-being. Listen to Dr. Farre, a distinguished physician of England, whose testimony was confirmed as correct by a large association of eminent practitioners: "Although the night equalizes the circulation well, yet it does not sufficiently restore its balance for the attainment of a long life. Hence one day in seven, by the bounty of Providence,

is thrown in as a day of compensation, to perfect by its repose the animal system. You may easily determine this question by trying it on beasts of burden. Take that fine animal, the horse, and work him to the full extent of his strength every day of the week, or give him rest one day in seven, and you will soon perceive, by the superior vigor with which he performs his functions on the other six days, that this rest is necessary to his well-being. Man, possessing a superior nature, is borne along by the very vigor of his mind, so that the injury of continued diurnal exertion and excitement in his animal system is not so immediately apparent as it is in the brute; but in the long run it breaks down more suddenly; it abridges the length of his life and that vigor of his old age which-as a mere animal powerought to be the object of his preservation. This is said simply as a physician, and without reference at all to the theological question." Sabbath rest is a benefit in every way. Its observance gives a satisfaction and confidence not otherwise obtained. It adds a sense of value to life, of advantage to the other six days.

"I have ever found," says the great lord chief justice Hale, “that a due observation of the duty of Sunday has ever had joined to it a blessing upon the rest of my time; and the week that has been so begun has been blessed and prosperous to me; and, on the other side, when I have been negligent of the duties of this day, the rest of the week has been unsuccessful and unhappy to my own secular employments. So that I could easily make an estimate of my success the week following by the manner of my passing this day. And I do not write this lightly, but by long and sound experience."

As to the manner of Sabbath observance, a few suggestions may be welcome. There should be a cessation of all labor put forth merely to secure our own gratification or reward. This does not include works of mercy or of necessity, such as feeding the hungry and saving property from destruction. The Sabbath was made for man. Its object is man's good and God's glory. Rest, worship, holy service, tend to these things. The Sabbath should be devoted primarily to spiritual culture. It has been so employed by the best people from time immemorial. It is the day of "holy convocation." the "Lord's day." It is the "day of all the week the best," uld be held sacred to the best uses. No better view of a