account of her sister's mission work in connection with the British Syrian schools, Beyrout. This mission had its rise in the terrible massacres of Christians some years ago in the Lebanon. Mrs. Thompson was moved to carry to the widows and orphans the comforts of the love of Christ. She was advised to go back to England, as her task was a hopeless one. She, however, went among them with an open Bible, telling them of the Saviour. Her hardest task was to get them to forgive the murderers of their husbands. Their cry was for vengeance. She persevered, however, speaking to them of "another blood," and at length had the pleasure of seeing in the same school, sitting on the same benches, the children of the murderers and of the murdered.

Afghanistan is a country in which we have at present a deep interest, and Dr. Cooke has shown the strong probability that its people are the descendants of the ten lost tribes.* The Rev. T. P. Hughes, of Peshawur, gave an account of great efforts being made by the Church Missionary Society to occupy strongly the North-West frontier, and eventually to reach Central Asia. Some years since the Ameer was a guest at the mission house. Converts have been won, and many hear the gospel. The Scriptures and the "Pilgrim's Progress" have been translated into the native tongue. Pity that we are not now speaking among this people with a different voice to that of the "big cannon."

Missionary work among the Copts, Armenians, Syrians, and Jews. was described by those who had taken part in it; and, coming back to Europe, interesting accounts were given of missions to the Waldensians, and the Roman Catholics in Spain, Italy, France, etc. The Rev. M. Damas, a Parisian pastor, and the Rev. Signor Barnia, a Sicilian, gave telling addresses, and showed that a genuine missionary work is being done in their respective countries. The latter (Signor Barnia) went out many years ago, as a Roman Catholic Missionary to India, eager to bring to the faith of his own church Hindoos, Mohammedans, and Protestants, whom he regarded as equally wrong. Instead of converting Protestants, however, he himself was led to Christ. He then felt he must go back to his native land and preach to his fellow-countrymen. He was the first native convert in Sicily. A little church soon gathered round, in spite of opposition. A Popish priest, who came to remonstrate with him for his heresy, was led to see his own error, and is now his companion in the faith of Christ, and his helper in its dissemination. Having been priests themselves, they know where to put their finger. In Italy there are now 7,000 communicants, and a great and glorious work is going forward, which the power of the Pope even cannot arrest. In France, also, the work is full of promise. Openings for the gospel are multiplying. There is an unrest in the heart of the people. One able man said, "I am not "Unity, Harmony, and Evidence of Sacred Truth," chap. xxii.

a believer; I wish I were." He became one, however, and is now preaching Christ with eloquence and success. Good work is being done in Paris, one important and valuable mission being sustained by a Christian lady, Miss De Broen, among the Communists of Bellville. A pu blic meeting in the Exeter Hall on the Friday evening, the Earl of Shaftesbury presiding, brought the Conference to a close.

This Conference furnishes fresh evidence, if such were required, of the world's deep need of missionary labour. Nowhere on our globe is the human heart, or the condition of society, such as not to need the gospel remedy. An unfallen innocence, a purity as of Paradise, nowhere exists, although the early opponents of missions deluded themselves by believing, or pretending to believe, in such a state. However lovely may be the natural scenery, "man is vile ;" and in addition to the instances found in this paper, fresh confirmation is given in the act of cannibalism which has recently taken place in New Britain, five native missi onaries (Wesleyan) having been killed and eaten. The cry of the man of Macedonia is still in effect that of the heathen world, “Come over and help us!"

Another thing very forcibly impressed by the Conference is that no remedy is yet found except the gospel. Civilisation has never raised a savage and barbarous race to a higher, moral, and religious condition, although nations have sunk from a splendid civilisation into the deepest degeneracy. There is no lever, no force, no agency, to raise and save, or even to civilise heathen and savage races, except the gospel of Christ. Further as this is the sole remedy, so it is still proved to be effectual, effectual among "all nations, kindred, people, and tongues." It is the world religion.

Not the least important end answered by this Conference is the manifestation of union and harmony among missionary workers of all denominations, and in all parts of the world. Whatever separate interests the communities-so many of which were represented on this occasion-might have, they were seen not to be conflicting-not to be pursued in any spirit of antagonism. The spectacle presented to the world was that of a Christian brotherhood. The Saviour's prayer, "That they all may be one," seemed, so far, to be receiving visible fulfilment; and the effect of this essential union will, for practical missionary work, be invaluable.

In conclusion, we may see cause for Connexional thankfulness. Seeing in how many instances, in missions to the heathen, faith and patience were so long and severely tested by apparent want of success, the evident Divine blessing so soon and so signally attending the labours of our brethren Hall and Innocent and their fellow-labourers in China, is surely a high honour put upon us as a Connexion, and should be a stimulus to our missionary zeal, liberality, and prayer.

London.

G. GRUNDY.

THE EVERLASTING ARMS.

ONE of the sweetest passages in the Bible is this one- "Underneath are the everlasting arms." It is not often preached from; perhaps because it is felt to be so much richer and more touching than anything we ministers can say about it. But what a vivid idea it gives of the Divine support! The first idea of infancy is of resting in arms which maternal love never allows to become weary. Sick-room experiences confirm the impression, when we have seen a feeble mother or sister lifted from the bed of pain by the stronger ones of the household. In the case of our heavenly Father the arms are felt, but not seen. The invisible, secret support comes to the soul in its hours of weakness or trouble; for God knows our feebleness; He remembers that we are dust.

We often sink very low under the weight of sorrows. Sudden disappointments can carry us in an hour from the heights down to the very depths. Props that we leaned upon are stricken away. What God means by it very often is just to bring us down to "the everlasting arms! We did not feel our need of them before. We were "making flesh our arm," and relying on human comforts or resources. When my little boy dashes off to his play, brimful of glee, he does not stop to think much about his parents; but let him be taken suddenly sick, or an accident befall him, his first thought is to go to his mother. God often lays His hand heavily upon us, to remind us that we have got a FATHER. When my neighbour A- broke in busi

ness, and twenty-four hours made him a bankrupt, he came home, saying to himself, "Well, my money is gone, but Jesus is left." He did not merely come down to "hardpan;" he came to something far more solid-to the everlasting arms. When another friend laid her. beautiful boy in his coffin, after the scarlet fever had done its worst, she laid her own sorrowful heart upon the everlasting arms. little sleeper was there already the Shepherd had His lamb.

The dear

There is something about deep sorrow that tends to wake up the child-feeling in all of us. A man of giant intellect becomes like a little child when a great grief smites him, or when a grave opens beneath his bedroom or his fireside. I have seen a stout sailor, who laughed at the tempest, come home when he was sick, and let his old mother nurse him as if he were a little baby. He was willing to lean on the arms that had never failed him. So a Christian in the time of trouble is brought to his child-feeling. He wants to lean somewhere, to talk to somebody, to have somebody love him and hold him up. His extremity becomes God's opportunity. Then his humbled, broken spirit cries out

"O Lord! a little helpless child

Comes to Thee this day for rest
Take me, fold me in Thy arms,

Hold my head upon Thy breast."

One great purpose in all affliction is to bring us down to the everlasting arms. What new strength and peace it gives us to feel them underneath us. We know that, far as we have sunk, we cannot go any farther. Those mighty arms can not only hold us, they can lift us up. They can carry us along. Faith, in its essence, is simply a resting on the everlasting arms. It is trusting them, and not our own weakness. The sublime act of Jesus as our Redeemer was to descend to the lowest depths of human depravity and guilt, and to bring up His redeemed ones from that horrible pit in His loving arms. Faith is just the clinging to those arms, and nothing more.

This first lesson in conversion is to be practised and repeated all through the subsequent Christian life. To endeavour to lift our own souls by our own strength is as absurd as to attempt to lift our bodies by grasping hold of our own clothes. The life must come from God. Faith cries out, "Oh, my Lord, Thou hast a mighty arm; hold me up!" The response from heaven is, "I have found thee; Mine arm shall strengthen thee; on My arm shalt thou trust."

Here lies the very core of the doctrine of "assurance." It simply means that I can feel, and every Christian believer can feel, perfectly sure that the everlasting arms will never break, and never fail us. I am not so sure that in some moment of waywardness, or pride, or selfsufficiency, I may not forsake those arms, and trust to my own wretched weakness. Then the curse which God has pronounced on those who depart from Him, and "make flesh their arm," is certain to come upon me. I learn from bitter experience what a pitiable object even a Christian can be, when he has forsaken the living Fountain, and has nothing left but his own broken cistern. God's Word is full of precious encouragement to faith; but it contains terrible warnings to presumption and self-confidence. And while presumption is swinging on its spider's web over the perilous precipice, faith calmly says

All my trust on Thee is stayed,

All my help from thee I bring."

While unbelief is floundering through the darkness, or sinking in the waves of despair, faith triumphantly sings

"Safe in the arms of Jesus,

Safe on His gentle breast,
Here by His love o'ershadowed,
Sweetly my soul doth rest."

This is the theology for times of temptation. Such times are sure to

come. They are testing processes. A late Sunday's equinoxial gale tested every tree in the forest-only the rotten ones came down. When we read and hear how some professed Christian has turned defaulter, or leaped into drunkennesss, or slipped from the communion table into open disgrace, it simply means that a human arm has broken. The man had forsaken the everlasting arms. David did it once, and fell; Daniel did not do it, and he stood. "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations."

This is a precious theology-this theology of trust-for the sick room. We called in this week to visit one of Christ's suffering flock. We talked for a time about the ordinary consolations for such cases as hers. Presently we said, "There is a sweet text that has been running in our mind for months past; it is this,' Underneath are the everlasting arms. The tears came in a moment. That precious passage went to the right spot. It did good like a medicine. And our suffering friend lay more comfortably on that bed of pain from feeling that underneath her were the everlasting arms. Reader! may they be under thy head in the dying hour!

THEODORE L. CUYLER, D.D.

Notices of New Books.

The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia. Compiled and written by the Rev. A. R. FAUSSET, M.A. London: Hodder and Stoughton. (Price 18s.)

BIBLE Cyclopædias have not yet multiplied to such an extent that the appearance of a new one may not be heartily welcomed, especially if the name of its compiler guarantee for it an authority of judgment, based on completeness of research, beyond that possessed by the majority of such publications.

That this is the case with the volume before us we can unhesitatingly affirm. Through his joint-authorship of the "Critical and Explanatory Commentary," the Rev. A. R. Fausset has gained an established reputation for theological and critical learning. Though, as being the work of one mind only, his book must inevitably compare to some disadvantage with such a gigantic production as Smith's Larger Bible Dictionary — which occupied in its compilation the united labours of the most learned of our age-yet, judged as the product of a single pen, it is truly a marvel among literary achievements, and is most certainly worthy of a station in the very first rank of works written for the elucidation of Holy Writ.

The volume-which the author states is the result of seven years' labour-is large quarto size (740 pp.), excellently got up, and enriched with six hundred woodcuts. The special objects which the author set before him in the compilation of the volume are indicated in the following portions of the preface: