for the use of the native Church of India. The contrast between its defectiveness and variety in every branch, in every conceivable feature, of what goes to make up a helpful and solid literature; with the rich stock and almost inexhaustible supply of our European Christian literature, should make us blush with shame for our slothful and grudging spirit; should arouse us to honest, zealous, faithful efforts for the future.

It was no small privilege I had in being the disciple of Pfander in my youth, a worthy successor of the heroic Martyn. It ought to kindle fresh zeal to remember the unfaltering faith, the undaunted heroic constancy, in which he was held so true to Christ, the calm expectation in which he waited to see the cause of Christ renew its youth like the eagle's, and the love of God in Christ subdue even those hard fanatics of the frontier, that breathed out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. The work, then, which we yearn to accomplish before we die is, to follow up and help in bringing to a successful issue the work which that great man so patiently kept in view for forty years-the raising up a band of native evangelists, who, being filled with the Spirit of God, may be skilled to teach and preach, and, where necessary, to argue and controvert; but the former especially, as the weapons least carnal, and the mightiest through God. We feel how important it is that the specialities and separate individualities of race and training and personal character should be made available to the setting forth, by the glowing speech of living men, the glorious gospel of God's grace, in all its converting, transforming efficacy.

If it be true that "the measure of the stature of the

fulness of Christ "* is not attained so well in the individual Christian as in the body of believers, which by joints and bands having nourishment ministered from the Head, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God;† if it be true that the varying and differing gifts of many believers exhibit more perfectly, in their combination, the symmetry and perfectness of the image and pattern of Christ than can the character of any single Christian, then is it not also true of different races of men, that as the Gospel touches and influences ever and again some fresh race, its truth is seen reflected in some new phase of beauty and glory? The reflection of it in the fresh mirror brings to view some unsuspected excellencies, illustrates some new glories, puts it in other yet undiscovered, but no less striking and instructive aspects. So the Mohammedan of the frontier, becoming the servant and evangelist of Jesus Christ, may draw forth original adaptations hidden from us, adaptations of the Gospel to the needs of his brethren; supplies of necessity, which is perhaps not a necessity to us as to them; and the Spirit will be pleased, as we trust, to direct them to some specially appropriate healing balms of the great Physician, just appropriate to themselves, and which may enlarge our views, too, of the preciousness and infinite exhaustlessness of His healing art. We believe this; we are beginning to see it. Thence springs the desire we have, the effort we humbly hope to be allowed to make, to awaken them to a sense of their commission; to make a store available and ready at hand to them of Christian knowledge and learning, should God be pleased to call and consecrate them to be witnesses and evangelists of His saving help, the Gospel of their Eph. iv. 13. + Col. ii. 19.

salvation! Then I ask, dear brethren, will you help us in this? May we count on your sympathies, your almsgiving, your prayers?

Barnabas exercised that influence, we believe, which the native evangelist, if a true, holy, well-taught man, does exercise. He spoke among Cyprians and Cyrenians as one of themselves; they knew him to be, from the first, of pure disinterested motive, of single-eyed devotedness and self-surrender. Instead of being resident landlord of a great property, living in undisturbed self-indulgence and enjoyment of wealth, his days and nights were spent in teaching and preaching Jesus Christ. He felt, thought, and spake as they did; when he uttered the fulness of his heart, he unbared and disburdened the fulness of theirs; they felt that he knew and understood them, and their hearts were bowed under the influence of the soothing impressive counsels of the son of consolation.

In the course of a few months it is expected there will be one hundred native clergy labouring under the auspices of this Society, more than one-third of the whole number of missionaries. May the proportion be largely increased of the native to the foreign labourers, so pray we all! I have not time to dwell on the high character which the Chinese and African, yea, and New Zealand native clergy bear. Your own reading of our missionary annals would readily satisfy you on this head. I have been greatly struck with observing this of late. I commend it to your own attentive observation and careful investigation; for it is a soul-refreshing spectacle of God's grace, and a proof of the working of His hand, such as must hearten us, I think, to labour on more expect

antly, and with a better courage and more venture of faith.

Nor have I space to recapitulate the thoughts (too numerous and varied) which the consideration of the character of Barnabas has suggested to us. I trust the same gracious Saviour, whose beckoning hand we trust we discern calling us to that frontier field of missionary work, may be seen by you also, calling out of sloth and half-heartedness, out of the self-seeking, pleasure-loving, strife-provoking spirit, which is so rife and prevalent; calling you to feel very happy in being allowed to offer heart and hand to the Lord's work; very happy in surrendering something of what you love best; your own selves first; then of that wherewith He has blessed and endowed you, of that which He has spared and left you, it may be, out of that which in His providence He has taken from you, that He may be Himself your portion, your shield, and your exceeding great reward.

XXVI.

The Ascension: the Marriage between Earth and Heaben.

JOHN XX. 17.

"Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."

IN

N the words of our text we have a very remarkable blending of these two, sublimity and gracious tenderness. They were spoken to one who had been forgiven and saved by her Lord; who had learned to know Him and to enjoy His holy, heavenly communion. It was she of whom the Saviour bare witness, "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loveth much: and henceforth her pardoned soul, her whole rescued life, was offered up to Him, but for whom she was still lost and fallen, to whom she felt she owed everything.

*

Very early in the morning of the third day she had come to the place where, as she thought, her Lord lay buried; and on arriving there a sight met her eye, which, had she known the whole blessed truth, would have dried her tears, and gladdened and strengthened her heart; but, as judged of by her feeble sense and trembling faith, only heightened her grief: "she stood without at the sepulchre, weeping." She found only an empty tomb where she hoped to find the sleeping remains of the Lord Jesus. To perfume and embalm the corpse had seemed all the comfort of which the *Luke vii. 47.