struction, and godly admonition, may so be revived in your memories, and sink deep into your hearts, as to produce those gracious results which shall evidence it to be the work of the Holy Ghost, by whose divine and powerful operations attending the word thus scattered abroad, we trust there may yet appear a goodly harvest arising out of the abundant labours of your late beloved Editor and friend.

He was much supported and greatly favoured by the Lord during his heavy affliction. The one theme he so loved to preach," Christ is the Friend of sinners," was exceedingly precious and sweet to his heart. He felt truly what the poet sings

"As they draw near their journey's end,
How precious is their heavenly Friend!"

And now, after having so long known, loved, and preached Him, he is gone to "see Him as He is."

He and others fondly hoped, at times, that the Lord would again bring him forth to labour in the ministry; but, though apparently as well in body on December 25th as he had been for some weeks before, he was during the night seized with alarming symptoms, and in a few hours bade adieu to all below, and entered into eternal rest.

*

He was buried in the graveyard adjoining the chapel at Clifton, where a large concourse of friends assembled to pay the last tribute of loving

* An account of the funeral is given in the SOWER for this month.

respect to a most disinterested servant of Christ and friend of His saints. It was a sad and sorrowful sight, as we looked upon his coffin, then upon the pulpit where he so long stood to preach the Gospel of Christ, then around the chapel, crowded with sorrowing friends; but, while we grieved for the widow, his Church, and for Zion, there was one bright feeling rose above all the sadness and gloom around us, which was this, "He is for ever with the Lord." Having "fought the good fight, and kept the faith," he is now gone to receive his

crown.

Oh, that many of our young readers may know and enjoy that same grace, blood, and love which our dear friend felt to be so precious to and sufficient for him, both in life and in death. Nothing less than the precious blood of Christ can bring you nigh to God. There is no other way of life and peace for poor, fallen, and ruined sinners. This your late friend often told you; and now we pray that the Holy Ghost may give you to prove it by convincing you of your sin, and then leading you to Jesus' atoning, cleansing, and peace-speaking blood.

We trust, too, the LITTLE GLEANER will hold on its way, and still prove useful to our readers, since friends who have your welfare at heart have promised to do what they can in a way of helping to make it interesting and instructive, and we hope you will encourage us by trying to increase its circulation; and those of you who know what it is to draw nigh unto God in prayer, by remembering us before Him, that He would help and prosper us in the endeavour to carry on a work so ably conducted for many years by our late departed friend.

A HELPER.

C 2

A

"GONE HOME TO HIS REST."

FFLICTIONS and death spread a gloom wherever they come, and it is well they should, seeing both are the mournful fruits of sin: "Sin has entered into the world, and death by sin." The removal of an infant from the family bosom beclouds the whole household, but the death of an older child is more keenly felt, because time has made it more interesting to the family and deeper rooted in the affections; but what is the loss of these compared with the death of a loving father or a tender mother?

Many of our young readers may have still in remembrance the illness and death of a parent, and our words may bring afresh to their mind the sorrow that spread over them when they heard the sad news, "Poor father is gone!" but, however keenly felt, this was confined chiefly to their family circle. What, then, must be the grief of the thousands of children who now read the black-bordered pages of the LITTLE GLEANER? How many heavy hearts and tearful eyes will be found as they read and exclaim, “Dear Mr. Sears is gone home to his rest!"

Many will be interested to know how their late dear friend felt when he thought himself in the arms of death. It was on August 6th, last year, that he was seized with such an attack of his heart malady, which made him and his friends feel his days were at an end. When Mr. Lenton, one of the deacons of Clifton Chapel, went in to see him, Mr. Sears said, "I think surely this is death. My poor stained work seems done. Jesus' work was not stained, and that is all my trust.

"Done is the work that saves,

Once and for ever done;

Finished the righteousness

That clothes the unrighteous one.'

66

Oh, that precious Saviour! I love Him because He first loved me. He is all my trust; I am covered with His righteousness.

666

'Jesus is precious, saith the Word;

What comfort doth this truth afford !'"

But God's thoughts are not our thoughts. Strange to say, the dear man of God was in a measure restored so as to be able to go to Brighton for a change of air, returned home better in health, revisited Brighton in November, and derived further benefit. During his last stay there he was much comforted in being visited by many of the Lord's people, to whom he spoke some weighty things, which will not be forgotten by them. His friend and medical adviser, Dr. Corfe, seeing upon one occasion how difficult was his breathing, begged him not to talk, when he exclaimed, "Oh, I must tell you the sweet view I had early this morning, when I cried out, "Lord, increase my faith, and give me a strong hold of Thee;' and the comforting assurance came with it, 'However weak your faith, yet the Rock on which that faith is built can support both a giant as well as a babe in faith.' Oh, what comfort this gave me, not only that my weak faith was as a babe's, but that it was genuine, and that it rested on nothing less than the eternal Rock of Ages."

The last time your dear friend went out was on the 25th of December, when he felt as well as he had been for some time previously; but, on retiring to rest, he was seized with a chill, and found great difficulty in breathing. His dear wife's devoted attention sought everything that could be obtained to relieve him, but all efforts failed, and, after passing a very distressing night, breathed his last about six o'clock on the morning of December 26th, 1877, aged fifty-eight years.

His poor body with all its infirmities was left on earth, but his blood-washed soul was conveyed home to glory. "Absent from the body, present

with the Lord."

Many of our young friends will say, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." May these be not only the words of your lips, but the language of your hearts, which God will hear and answer. A FRIEND.

LONGING FOR GOD.

OUR spirits long for Thee, O Lord,
And cannot be at rest

Until we know that Thou hast made
Thy home within our breast.

For vain are all our fondest hopes
Unless Thou art their end,
Unless Thou art the centre-point
To which our longings tend.

O pain of pains, if Thou dost not
Our joys and sorrows share;
If Thou art absent when our lives
Are weighted down with care.

We do not ask that Thou shouldst stay
All cause to shed a tear;

But that through all our pilgrimage
Thou wilt, O Lord, be near.

O come and live with us, dear Lord;

Come-evermore to stay;

And never let us by our sin

Cause Thee to go away.

W. J. M.