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tomers pour in or patrons wait; or, even if one earns his bread on the fourth floor, the "elevator" brings the street up to his door. The day's furnace of excitement is kindled in the morning, and glows at a white heat until the crowded omnibus or rail-car carries the weary man out of it toward the sunset. I know of Christian merchants with whom I can never catch a five minutes' important conversation without keeping one or more others waiting impatiently behind me. After such bustling days come the late dinner, the evening paper, the evening visitors, the public entertainments, and, in some happy cases, the evening prayer-meeting in God's house. Amid ali this maelstrom of excitement, how little chance for quiet introspection, calm meditation, or devout fellowship with Jesus!

Even the Sabbath is too often a day of overtaxing strain upon body and mind. Every good thing has its attendant evils; and the evil attendant upon the Sabbath arrangements of many active Christians is that they are deprived of nearly all opportunity for repose of mind, or for study of their own or of God's precious Word. With many good people there is more preaching than praying or thinking, more headwork than heart work, more swallowing of truth than digestion. They hear tenfold more than they heed or remember. And still the cormorant cry is for more sermons, sermons, sermons. To such people—and their name is legion-the excitement of the week simply gives place to the religious excitements of God's day, and through them all the immortal soul finds too little converse either with itself or with God. If Jesus needed an Olivet for quiet communion and prayer, surely His earthly followers need one still more.

Can none be found? Can city Christians discover no time or places for meditation, prayer, Bible study, or heart-converse with their Lord? Yes; they may, if they so determine. I know of a busy but

most pious merchant who rises early, and so hems the day with a good hour over his Bible and on his knees that it does not ravel out into frivolity or undue conformity to the world. I have known of others who had a place for secret prayer at noonday in the loft of their warehouses. Some catch a half-hour of refreshment in the noon-day prayermeeting. Others rigidly keep quiet evening hours for bathing their souls. No Christian can afford to live constantly in the whirl. Daniel needed to have an Olivet in his chamber amid Babylon's roar and impiety. Peter found his on a housetop in Joppa. Let every child of Jesus resolve that he will have a place and a time for meeting his dear Master alone, and he will go forth from such holy interviews with his face shining and his strength renewed. Our Olivets will prepare us for that mount of heavenly glory where we shall see Jesus as He is.

THE PENNY YE MEANT TO GI’E.

THERE'S a funny tale of a stingy man

Who was none too good, but might have been worseWho went to his church on a Sunday night, And carried along his well-filled purse.

When the sexton came with his begging-plate,
The church was but dim with the candle's light;
The stingy man fumbled all through his purse,
And chose a coin by touch, and not sight.

It's an odd thing now that guineas should be
So like unto pennies in shape and size-
"I'll gi'e a penny," the stingy man said;
"The poor must not gifts of pennies despise."

The penny fell down with a clatter and ring;
And back in his seat leaned the stingy man;
"The world is so full of the poor," he thought,
"I can't help them all-I give what I can.'

Ha, ha! how the sexton smiled, to be sure,
To see the gold guinea fall in his plate;
Ha, ha! how the stingy man's heart was wrung,
Perceiving his blunder, but just too late!

"No matter," he said; "in the Lord's account
That guinea of gold is set down to me :
They lend to Him who gi'e to the poor;
It will not so bad an investment be.'

"Na, na, mon," the chuckling sexton cried out;
"The Lord is na cheated-He kens thee well;
He knew it was only by accident

That out o' thy fingers the guinea fell!

"He keeps an account, na doubt, for the puir;
But in that account He'll set down to thee

No mair o' that golden guinea, my mon,
Than the one bare penny ye meant to gi'e."

There's a comfort, too, in the little tale-
A serious side as well as a joke;
A comfort for all the generous poor,
In the comical words the sexton spoke.

A comfort to think that the good Lord knows
How generous we really desire to be,
And will give us credit in His account
For all the pennies we long to gi'e.

"WAIT ON THE LORD."

Psa. xxvii. 14.

No easy task it is to stand and wait;
God's warriors find it oft a trying state,
Needing long years of discipline to learn,
By those whose souls for active service yearn.
Oh happy they who, ere too late,

Have simply learned to stand and wait!

When, harassed and perplexed with many a care,
The willing anxious spirit turns to prayer,
Spreads before God his case, and pleads His Word,
Then humbly rests dependent on the Lord.
Oh happy they who, ere too late,

Have simply learned to stand and wait!

Wait on the Lord in simple earnest faith;
Honour His name by trusting what He saith;
Watch for the answer; though it tarry long,
"Twill surely come and claim from thee a song.
Oh happy they who, ere too late,

Have simply learned to stand and wait!

In quiet patience wait upon the Lord;
Quell all vain murmurings; rest upon His Word;
Commit thy plans into His hands alone,
Willing that His will, not thine, be done.
Oh happy they who, ere too late,
Have simply learned to stand and wait!

For they who wait upon the Lord our God
With eagle wings shall mount to His abode;
They shall renew their strength, nor weary prove,
Resting upon their heavenly Father's love.

Oh happy they who, ere too late,
Have simply learned to stand and wait!

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.

THE Rev. Richard Webb has been The memorial stone of a new compelled to resign his connection chapel has been laid at Govan, with the Baptist Building Fund, in near Glasgow, for the ministry of consequence of his acceptance of the Rev. Jervis Coats.-The chapel the pastorate at Clapham Common. in Morice Square, Devonport, under The Rev. Wm. Bentley, formerly the care of the Rev. E. A. Tydeof Loughton, has been appointed man, has been reopened after travelling secretary in his place. thorough renovation and repair.

The Rev. J. W. Ashworth, late of Glasgow, has been recognised as the pastor of the church in Sion Jubilee chapel, Bradford, for so many years under the care of the Rev. J. P. Chown; the Rev. J. R. Chamberlain, late of Bath, of the church in George Street, Ryde, I. W.; the Rev. T. L. Edwards, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle College, of the church in Wynne Road, Brixton; the Rev. W. Oates, of the church in Longmore Street, Birmingham.

The chapel at Kislingbury, North- dleton, of the Metropolitan Taberamptonshire, has been reopened nacle College, to Williton and Watafter renovation and improvement. chet, Somerset; the Rev. T. Gar-The chapel in Hockliffe Road, dener, of Ormskirk, late of Rawden Leighton-Buzzard, has been re- College, to Warksworth, Northumopened, after extensive alterations berland; the Rev. J. Green, of Heband improvements, for the ministry den-bridge, Yorkshire, to_Sandof the Rev. G. Durrell. The chapel hurst, Kent; the Rev. S. Hall, of at East Hartlepool, Durham, under Staincliffe, Dewsbury, to Worcester the care of the Rev. H. Dunington, Street, Bromsgrove; the Rev. G. has been reopened after alteration. Howe, of Countesthorpe, Leicester-A new chapel has been opened shire, to Newbury, Berks; the Rev. at Batley, Yorkshire, for the minis- H. Webster, of Mills Place, to Park try of the Rev. J. H. Hardy. Road, Royton; the Rev. W. Hood, of Hunton Bridge, Herts, to Rickmansworth; the Rev. J. Brown, of Tamworth and Nuneaton, to Clayton, near Bradford; the Rev. E. Medley, B.A., of John Street, London, to Derby Road, Nottingham; the Rev. W. B. Collins to Birchington-on-sea, Margate; the Rev. E. T. Davies, late of Dolan and Rhayader, to New Chapel, near Llanidlos; the Rev. H. O. Mackey, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle College, to Portland Chapel, Southampton. The Rev. W. Hillier has resigned his charge at Ridgmount, Beds. The Rev. W. S. Mayo, has resigned his pastorate at Rochdale Road, Heywood, Lancashire. The Rev. J. W. Evans, after a pastorate of thirty-two years, has been compelled, owing to ill-health, to resign his pastorate at Kensington, Brecon. The Rev. J. Dunlop has received an address and a purse of sovereigns on the occasion of his leaving Barnet; his ministerial brethren also have presented him with a number of books and a letter of commendation.

The following reports of MINISTERIAL CHANGES have reached us since our last issue:-The Rev. H. V. Hobbs, of the Baptist College, Bristol, to Great Missenden, Bucks; the Rev. R. Shindler, of Claremont Street, Shrewsbury, to Kington, Herefordshire; the Rev. R. C. Page, of Nelson, Pontypool, to Crane Street, Pontypool; the Rev. W. James, of Haverfordwest College, to Llangynedr, Brecknockshire; the Rev. S. Davis, lately residing at Bristol, to Whitchurch, Hants; the Rev. C. B. Berry, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Col- We regret to announce the death lege, to Cullingworth, Yorkshire; of the Rev. J. Preece, for nearly the Rev. J. Brown, of Nuneaton, thirty-seven years the minister of to Clayton, near Bradford, York- the church at Westend, Westbury, shire; the Rev. W. Baster, of the Wilts, at the age of eighty-three; Metropolitan Tabernacle College, also of the Rev. R. Compton, of to Surbiton Hill, Surrey; the Lyndhurst, Hants, after a pastorate Rev. W. Satchwell, of Wyle Cop, of thirty-four years, at the age of Shrewsbury, to Grange Road, Jar- sixty-eight. row-on-Tyne; the Rev. R. J. Mid

ON SOME OF THE SUBORDINATE CHARACTERS

OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

BY THE REV. WILLIAM BROCK.

III.-ONESIPHORUS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD.

We have been able, in the previous papers, to trace out, by comparison of Scripture passages, a tolerably complete and connected account of the persons named. Our present subject must be treated after a different method. The man who now steps upon the scene does not reappear. One Epistle only mentions him, and in the Acts his very name is unrecorded. What we gather, we must gather from two passing allusions in the second Epistle to Timothy. "The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: but, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well" (2 Tim. i. 16-18); "Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus" (2 Tim. iv. 19).

Mark, however, before we proceed, what letter it is in which these references occur. It is the last of all the Epistles of Paul: one written, according to most authorities, during his second imprisonment, and not long before his death. He is again at Rome, but not as on the former occasion in his own hired house, with liberty to receive whom he will, and to speak all that is in his heart. Cold, and worn, and ill, Paul the aged lies in his prison cell; and, of all his many companions, only Luke is with him now. So it happens that the very Epistle which is full of the most heroic confidence in Divine protection is marked by the tenderest yearnings after human sympathy; and the heart of the apostle is swayed like the sea before the rough wind of unkind desertion, and again under the soft breeze of faithful solicitude and care. There go the false friends-"all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes." And here comes the good Onesiphorus, warming Paul's heart by the mere recollection of his fidelity, and drawing Paul's blessing down on himself and on his house.

Onesiphorus, it is clear, was an Ephesian; for Timothy was at this time resident at Ephesus, and there this man's household dwelt. There, then, Paul and he had made acquaintance during the two famous years of the apostle's preaching in the city, now a long time ago. And that earlier time is not forgotten. At Ephesus what a friend he was to me! Timothy knows that too well to have it repeated. That

VOL. XIX. N.S. III.

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