fort of ; 500 were computed to have been there, many of whom gave indication that the Word was with power. I preached twice in the middle of the day at to the moss-workers, who left their work and assembled in an adjacent meadow; there were forty persons present at the one meeting and fifty at the other. A young man professed to have undergone the saving change of heart."

Whether in

"We still rejoice in a goodly share of blessing at visiting or preaching, I am everywhere well received. This is not contradicted by the fact that a school-house where I preached was closed against me by the bigotry of two or three individuals. The only effect was to give me several additional openings, and to obtain for me a greatlyincreased interest. My last sermon there was delivered in the open air to quite a multitude of most attentive auditors.

"The sub-stations continue to present much encouragement. I might have any number were I only able to attend them. The attendance is regularly good-strikingly so.

"Tract distribution also is largely carried on. Some thousands of little messengers are telling north, south, east, and west, how God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth cu Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

"The Sabbath-school is greatly increased and prospering every way. The teachers are very devoted, and already tokens for good are encouragingly evident. But while I have numbers of sick and suffering looking to me for help, nothing touches me like the uncomplaining endurance of these children. I wish you saw their gaunt, sharp features, their bare feet, and thin garments-thin not merely as well worn, but, in cases not a few, from the want of underclothing. How will it be with such in the cold of winter?-and from present appearances it would seem an early and a very severe winter we are likely to have. I know not what to do; my heart is breaking over what I am powerless to remedy. 1 fear to wear my friends by importunity. Death, too, is thinning their ranks. More than one feeling heart is latterly stilled in the grave. I entreat you, my brother, to use your influence to obtain for these some warm clothing; and the God of the fatherless, who hears the sighing of the needy,' will bless you."

"At one of the country outstations, to vary somewhat the form of the service, I left the meeting open for personal narrations of Christian expe rience. One arose, and told how he had seen the love of God in Christ; he had been a Roman Catholic. Another's story ran thus:-I was a careless young man. A pious woman, a Covenanter, lived near. Her husband was godless, and would not permit religious exercises in the house.

She therefore retired to an outhouse, and there prayed aloud and sang psalms. When attending to the cows, I frequently overheard her thus engaged. I thought that I should begin to pray also. I prayed, but as I prayed I grew in my own sight a worse and worse sinner. I wanted the Lord to make me consciously holy that I might come to Christ. I thought the Sacrament might be useful. I sat down at the Lord's table with the deepest dread. Years passed on, and I was no better. One day, when crossing the lonely G bogs, I met a person whom I did not then know. After some general conversation, he asked me how I did spiritually. I opened up my case to him. Now,' said he, 'what have you got by all your praying and sacraments these many years?' 'Nothing,' was my answer. 'What if you now come to God through Christ just as you are?" At these words the light broke in upon my poor, dark, and tempest-tossed spirit like a 'waft' of lightning. I saw that, as a sinner, I was called to believe and trust in Jesus as my Saviour. I was like Pilgrim when he had lost his burden. Those bogs were the gate of heaven to me. been a servant of the Lord since."

Contributions received from 17th August to 16th November, 1876.

I have

4 0 ...I 3 0 0

....I 2 0 0

19 6 0

10 7 4

10 0 4

2 0 3

2 7 6

Subscriptions, by Miss Cowdy 1 15 6

KENT.

Subscriptions in aid of the British and Irish Baptist Home Mission will be thankfully received by the Treasurer-J. P. BACON, Esq., 69, Fleet-street, London, E.C., and by the Secretary, Rev. J. BIGWOOD, at the Mission House, Castle-street, Holborn, London, E.Č. Barclay, Bevan, Tritton & Co.'s, Lombard-street. Contributions can also be paid at Messrs.

THE MISSIONARY HERALD.

THE

The Outlook.

THE beginning of a new year is, almost instinctively, a time of hope. It is a happy peculiarity of our human nature which leads most of us to bid farewell to gloom, disappointed feeling, and memories of sadness, at the same time that we reckon a year as past, and to invest the future, all unknown as it is, with anticipations of good. Even when there is reasonable room for forebodings of coming trial, the feeling of hope is still strong, and will even assert itself as "hoping against hope." We are thankful for this, and we are anxious to derive all the comfort we can from this common tendency. At the same time it behoves us as wise men, to ascertain the grounds of our hopes, the circumstances that make them reasonable or otherwise, lest we should be sickened by "hope deferred," or shamed by hope disappointed.

The year just closed has been one of anxiety and difficulty for our mission in several ways. We have had to face the awkward and discouraging fact of a large debt, and that, in the presence of a necessarily increasing expenditure in the maintenance of our existing agencies; of the natural growth of the work already in our hands, and of the frequently repeated inducements to multiply the fields of our activity. Most gladly would we have yielded to these inducements, but we have thought it prudent to hold back, until the results of the various methods we have adopted to meet our case should be known. Mere impulse would have prescribed a different course, and, perhaps some will suggest that a stronger faith would have done the same; but the former is seldom wise, and the latter needs encouragement from without. Of true earnestness and faith, we believe there has been a good measure, by the mercy of our God, but every consideration of right and prudence has prescribed the course we have adopted. We have held our own, so far; the range of our operations has not been narrowed, and now we hope that whilst continuing to hold what we have, we may, during this year, enter upon a course of extension too.

Now what are the grounds of this expectation? They are few and simple

and they can be very briefly stated. Our friends need not be reminded of the various appeals which we have made for special gifts towards the liquidation of the debt, and for more systematic contributions in order to a regular increase of our income. The first have not hitherto met with the response we had anticipated. Some very generous offerings have come into our treasury, but the number of them has been small. It is possible, however, that many friends have merely postponed their action till more fitting opportunities, and that the interval between now and the close of our financial year will furnish these. Nor have the second realised the wishes of our more sanguine friends, but we know that at least a hopeful movement has begun. With few exceptions, the collections at missionary sermons and addresses have been an advance on the previous year, and the plan of systematic, periodical giving has been adopted in many cases. As one of the latest illustrations of this, we may be permitted to quote the case of the church at Upper Hill-street, Wisbeach, where an auxiliary was commenced last year. No fewer than one hundred and fiftynine names of regular subscribers appear on the recently-published report, contributing £71, whilst in adddition the Sunday-school has contributed £28 10s. Let this example be fairly followed, and we shall speedily be able to accomplish wellnigh all we desire. We are much indebted to our deputations, who have been quite in sympathy with us in this matter.

Another ground of our hope is in the way in which our brethren who ave visited the churches have been everywhere received. The Rev. James Smith says: "All the meetings I have attended have been good, and the missionary spirit is growing rather than decreasing." The same testimony is borne by Mr. Pigott, Mr. Trafford, and the rest. In not a few instances old prejudices which had stood in our way have been removed, and in many places young men's auxiliaries have been formed.

Will our readers make careful and prayerful note of these facts, and each one, in his own sphere, seek for opportunities to emulate the example thus set before him? Specially, will our ministers increase, as well as continue, their kind co-operation. Organisation is an absolute necessity; but with it, by the blessing of God, our success is sure.

Let us all seek, by devout thought and prayer, a renewed and deeper sense of our obligations and our privileges. Gratitude for a personal salvation, the sense of the unspeakable value of even one soul, sympathy with our Saviour, and a supreme love to Him; let there be these, and the ser vice of willing hands will follow fast on the impulses of quickened hearts.