blessing: nevertheless, we can speak of what we have handled and felt. We can tell to those around what a dear Saviour we have found. I would not attempt to draw my readers into a mere form of religion. It is the power I want should be felt. Among the blessed, blood-washed host now in glory some were perhaps well known to some of my readers, and they have left behind them a testimony that this great joy was in their hearts. They gave proof that

"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform."

What a mercy that children sometimes are enabled to speak of everlasting joy begun in their hearts while upon earth. But remember, all who have found great joy gave evidence that guilt, doubt, and fear preceded joy. All have found it so who pos sess it, and it is quite possible to lose the feeling of joy after possessing it. I will mention one or two of their names which are familiar to you. In the memoir of S. A. H.,* she was asked this question: "Are you as happy now as you have been ? She answered, “No. I have no joy." A little further on we read that she had great joy; and what was the cause of it? Jesus Christ was revealed to her as her Saviour. Again, in the Memoir of Rachel Burrows; she also had this great joy, but before she had it she said, "I am such a very great sinner; I do want my sins to be forgiven." Soon after this she said to her mother, "I am quite happy, Jesus has forgiven all my sins." Hers was great joy. Both these, you must bear in mind, were praying sinners. This great blessing must be earnestly sought for. It is promised to those who

*Vol. I. of The Little Gleaner.

seek it. God has solemnly declared that He will be "inquired of for these things by the house of Israel to do them for them." He will have his people feel their need of Him.

In the volumes of The Little Gleaner, you have records of many who had great joy; their names are too numerous to mention. They were all convinced by the Holy Ghost, and made to cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner." And the Lord heard and answered their prayer, by speaking peace to their souls through means of faith in His holy word.

Are any of my readers thirsting for the joy of pardoned sin? Õh, seek it at the cross; there is no forgiveness but through the blood of Jesus, and nothing but faith, which is God's gift, can apply that blood. But I fear some of my readers are careless and indifferent about this great joy. Oh, careless, prayerless child! you are dead in sin. Oh that your sinful state were made a grief to you! Then would you be often sighing and praying for faith in the precious blood of Jesus; you would long to feel your sins forgiven and to love the Lord, and to live near to Him, and to live to His praise in this present evil world. And oh, if my youthful reader should be one of the few who feel their sins are all forgiven, he will praise the Lord for ever and ever, and can understand

"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds

In a believer's ear;

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear."

He that has come guilty to the cross, and there has tasted pardoning love, knows what is meant by Yours sincerely,

great joy."

JOHN PRIOR.

MEMOIR OF THOMAS HOWELL,

Who was born July 31st, 1851, at Doughton, near Tetbury, Gloucestershire, and fell asleep in Jesus, at a quarter past eight o'clock in the morning, on Tuesday, the 10th of June, 1862, aged 11 years and 9 months.

To the Editor of "The Little Gleaner."

DEAR SIR,-A very remarkable display of God's sovereign power, love, and mercy manifested itself in the conviction, conversion, and happy death of a boy eleven years of age, blind from his birth; and as I was with him much, I had frequent opportunities of speaking and praying with him. He

always displayed great veneration towards the Bible, and was very attentive whenever it was read; and being blessed with a retentive memory, his mind was pretty well stored, and he could form a very good judgment for his age, when he heard any person converse upon Bible subjects, whether their views were in accordance with the analogy of faith. He always appeared to be a very tender plant, but there is every reason to believe he was one of the dear Lord's right-hand planting. It was thought expedient, a year and a half since, to send him to the Bristol Asylum, or School of Industry for the Blind. On the 8th of April, 1862, we went to see him, and thinking his constitution was too weak for discipline, we brought him home, and procured medical advice. His medical adviser said there was no hope of his recovery. The superintendent of the asylum said that he had no knowledge of his illness, as no complaints had been made; but the disease was too deeply rooted ever to be eradicated.

When he first came home, he said he had a secret, but he would not tell it to any one but William (meaning me), and as we had always slept together, it was deferred till bedtime. He always considered me his confidential friend. At the beginning of last winter, one of the blind boys let a pump-handle fall with great violence upon his nose, and this was a source of the greatest trial and suffering. It was really heartrending to hear him tell of his sleepless nights, and his being obliged to jump out of bed almost distracted; he never had a proper circulation in the nose afterwards; it was a torment to him as long as he lived. About this time his hair came off, but was restored again. He said his nose had always been (and was up to his last night) the greatest trial he ever had; but his medical adviser said he thought

the obstruction in the nose did not originate from the blow. My reason for saying so much upon this subject is, that during this time he gave the first sign of true spiritual life. Amazing it was to see how he was kept from complaining to any one of his sufferings. He bore all with the utmost fortitude and resignation, and said, "I never felt condemned till then; it came into my mind that it was a just judgment from God inflicted upon me for a certain thing, and what He considered a very wicked thing. You will recollect it when I tell you (and so I did, although it was upwards of two years since). One night, whilst you were engaged in family prayer, I interrupted you, and you were very much grieved, and took me to task about it; and the worst of it was, I did it a second time; and the Lord hath said, if His children sin against Him, He will break their bones; and I thought it would be much better for me to go to heaven with broken bones, than to have my whole body cast into hell." He said this, no doubt, in reference to remarks he had heard upon the Lord breaking David's bones, in Psalm li. It appeared he had been gradually declining for some time past, but now it began to be more formidable; at one time he expressed a wish to live out the summer. Conviction of sin caused him much suffering and anguish of body and mind. His features appeared in the course of two or three weeks like a man of fifty, and he appeared to be quite conscious of his approaching dissolution, and would often say, "William, I am afraid it will be an eternal death to my poor soul." And when speaking to him of the power and efficacy of the blood of Jesus, and His ability to save, he would stop me short, and say, "I know He is able, but I fear He is not willing." "But," said I, "has He not made you willing?" "Well," said he, "I know there is no other refuge for