cause, and for the perfect unity existing amongst its members. So strong was her faith in the doctrines preached, and so satisfied was she with the effects that followed, that a short time before her death she was very anxious for one of her children to attend the chapel for twelve months, saying in the most energetic manner, " If you do, I know you'll be converted."

Her last affliction, which had its origin in a complication of diseases commenced in May, 1864, and her sufferings were frequently intense; but in her most trying moments she exclaimed, "The Lord is my refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Those who had the privilege of visiting her, have expressed their pleasure and satisfaction with the clearness of her views and the confidence and trust she manifested, proving that as she neared the end of her journey, she was ripening for glory. About a fortnight before her decease, she requested those around her, consisting principally of her family, to sing "Rest for the weary." Their feelings were too much oppressed-when looking steadfastly and anxiously at them she exclaimed, "If you can't start the tune, I will;" and summoning all her remaining strength, she not only commenced, but carried it through. A few days before her death, she became increasingly anxious about her family, and all whom she knew; preaching to all, intreating them to give their hearts to God, that all might meet in glory. Her only desire was to depart and be with Christ, frequently ejaculating, "There's rest for the weary; there's rest for me." On the early morning of her death, her utterance partially failed, but her face brightened at the prospect of seeing Jesus. Her last almost inarticulate utterance was, "I'm coming, Lord, I'm coming." About nine o'clock, a.m. on the twenty-fourth of January last, her happy spirit, "absent from the body," was "present with the Lord."

"I'm going home." "Jesus is calling me.'

Narrative.

THE LOCAL PREACHER'S WIFE;

WITH

CHARACTERISTIC SKETCHES; BY THE AUTHOR OF GRANDFATHER JOHNSON."

CHAPTER XXII.

THE LOCAL PREACHER'S WIFE AT HOME.

"How far have you to walk this morning, Charles?"

"About seven miles."

"A long walk, there and back. I hope you will take no harm." "Never fear, Polly; especially with such a companion as I hope to have, if I realise the fulfilment of your favourite lines:

"So shall the Lord his follower join,

And walk and talk Himself with me.'

Some of my most delightful seasons have been when walking to or from my appointment, with the Lord by my side."

"The Lord bless you, and make you a blessing," were the words uttered by Polly, as she bade her husband farewell that Sabbath morn. Charles felt himself nerved for the work as he went forth, for he knew that there was power in that utterance of Polly, and that, although he had to take the field, he left a wife at home to pray that his labours might be attended with success.

Charles always preferred walking to his appointments, and walking alone. He could then turn his thoughts inward, and meditate on the subjects he was about to bring before the people. It is true, he had not that power which some men possess of concentrating his mind on one subject. The various objects striking the eye, and the various sounds the ear, would too frequently draw off his mind from the subject of thought. Charles was also a lover of nature, and when leaving the haunts of men to fill a country appointment, as on this occasion, his imagination revelled amid the scenes which God himself had laid out. He has frequently regretted when reaching his appointment to find how little he had done in the way of preparation on his outward journey.

Charles, when he first began to speak for God, met with one of those rough and ready men who despise all preparation, and who advised Charles "to open his mouth, and the Lord would fill it." It was well for him, however, that he had read, and bowed down to, the apostolic teaching, "Study to show thyself approved unto God: a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." How a preacher, with such plain scripture teaching before him, could dare to appear in the pulpit without preparation, he could never make out. Let us now turn to the mother at home.

"Now, Polly, you will get your catechism; let me see—

got?"

"Me have catechism," cried little Stephen.

-how far had we

"O yes, my boy, you shall have one; Stephen will learn soon. It is section 5, Polly-Man accountable to God.' You will remember that

we talked about the children of Israel going out of Egypt, coming to Mount Sinai, that mountain burning with fire, and God speaking from it the ten commandments?"

"Yes, mother; and you told us that God had his law written upon two tables of stone."

"I am glad, my dear, you remember this."

"And we sang, you know, mother—

"The thunders of His hand

Keep the wide world in awe.'

When it thundered last Thursday, you said that was God's voice."

"God's voice," lisped little Stephen.

"You remember that, do you, my darling? May you indeed remember your Creator in the days of your youth. But we must proceed, Polly; and Stephen will learn, too-won't you, my boy?"

"Yes, Stephen will learn."

The catechetical exercise now began.

This catechism, entitled "The Bible Catechism," is formed upon what the writer thinks the order of nature; and the child is the questioner throughout, and, where practicable, the answers are given in scripture language. On this occasion little Polly began.

It em

It is not necessary to recapitulate this catechetical exercise. braced the accountability of man, and his redemption by the Lord Jesus Christ. Of the eleven questions asked by little Polly, nine answers were given by her mother in the words of scripture. The compiler of the catechism has little faith in cramming children's minds with the definitions of men. But he has great faith in the power of God's word. He has no objection to a creed or a system of doctrines, providing it is based on "Thus saith the Lord."

The exercise gone through, the mother said,

"Now, Polly, you have some questions to ask me, no doubt ?"

Several questions suggested by the exercise were asked by the child; little Stephen, with the catechism in his hand, paying great attention the while.

Little Polly asked, "Is the thunder God's voice ?"

"Get your bible, Polly. I will get the concordance. I know I have read it somewhere; I think in the book of Job. Yes-here it is: you know the book of Job, Polly; find chapter xxxvii., verses 4 and 5." Polly reads:

"He thundereth with the voice of his excellency.

marvellously with his voice.""

"Look now, Polly, chapter xl., verse 9."

"Canst thou thunder with a voice like him ?'"

God thundereth

"You see, my children, that the bible says the thunder is God's voice. What next, Polly?"

"Thou understandest my thought afar off.' How does God understand our thought afar off, mother?"

"Really, my child, this is a hard question; but, perhaps, it means this: My little girl thinks now, or she would not ask me this question; God knows what she thinks to-day; and, if she live to be as old as her mother, God will remember then what she is thinking now, and God knows now what she may think then."

Several more questions were asked by little Polly, which the mother had to answer; and, as these extra questions were evidently the result of thought, the mother was not merely filling the memory, but exercising the mind.

VOL. X71.

L

It is now time to prepare for chapel. The mother, in this respect, was impressing on the children her own habit, which she had learnt from her mother. It would have been a strange thing indeed to have seen Mrs. Sims or her daughter come in after the service had begun. Little Polly, of course, had her hymn-book; yes, and Stephen had his. Another practice, too, was invariably followed in this family as soon as the children were taken to chapel; at every collection they had something to put in the plate; indeed, it was one of the first lessons taught; hence, both Polly and Stephen had their savings-box, from which, under the direction of their mother, they drew for the collections.

Occasionally, as a very great treat, the children were allowed to go home with grandmother. This arrangement had been made for this day; hence the catechism exercise, which ordinarily took place in the afternoon, was this day taken up in the morning. To be frank, Mrs. Edwards wished to have this afternoon to herself, to be alone with God.

It has been said that grandmothers are sure to spoil their grandchildren. Mr. Wesley says as much. How could Polly, then, trust her children with her mother? Simple as Mrs. Sims in many things appeared, she had a high and lofty sense of parental responsibility, which had been most judiciously exercised in training her own daughter. And now, although the kindest of grandmothers, the children knew that, beyond a certain circle, they must not trespass; but they were as free as they could desire to be within that circle. For little Stephen to have said, "Grandmother, I want that;" "Grandmother, I won't have this;" would have been strange sounds indeed to grandmother's ears.

"The local preacher's wife" is at home. She is alone with God this Sabbath afternoon. Her mind and heart have followed her husband to his distant appointment. Her Bible is open before her, and the concordance is by it on the table. She is reading Exodus, chapter xvii. Her Joshua is in the field contending with spiritual Amalek. She is beholding afar off, on the Mount of Meditation. But that is not sufficient to nerve

And she did pray, too, and God achieved that night.

his arm for the conflict; she must pray. gave her to feel that a victory would be The writer may be permitted to depart from his usual course, and ask, How many of his brethren, when out in the field, have praying wives at home? Perhaps some of the preachers' wives have never thought of this. But, most unquestionably, those preachers are likely to be most successful when they know that their wives are praying for them at home. "Brethren," said an apostle, "pray for may have free course and be glorified." Sisters, pray for us;" and surely it will not be too much to expect "that the word of the Lord will have free course and be glorified."

us, that the word of the Lord

Grandmother, the children, and Susan came to tea this afternoon. There was much to be told by the children and grandmother, without resorting to the silly practice of talking about everything they had had for

dinner. It did come out, however, that they had some raisins after dinner; that little Polly had read the 93rd Psalm from grandfather's own Bible, and there was his own mark against verses 11 and 12-" Brother Isaac preached from this for the L. P. M. A. A.” Grandmother told them what a good and useful man Mr. Isaac was, and how much their grandfather liked him. They told how they sang a hymn which grandfather was fond of, and that Stephen looked over grandfather's hymn-book with grandmother, &c. &c.

Grandmother and mother go to chapel to-night; Susan stays with the children, and, as usual, puts them to bed at seven o'clock.

The public service is over. Grandmother and Susan have both gone home. The children are fast asleep above. Polly is once more alone. Her thoughts have started on the track in which she expects Charles to come. As she may have to wait some time, she embraces the opportunity of reading a portion of one of her favourite commentators, Sutcliffe. She had, in fact, gone regularly through his commentary, taking a portion, if possible, daily. She had reached the book of Joel, and as there are two very striking paragraphs in his reflections on chapter ii. we will give them to our readers.

"The Lord makes the temporal prosperity of Israel a uniform type of the spiritual and eternal prosperity of his people. When he sends th former and the latter rain to make the floor overflow with wheat, and the vat with wine, he promises to pour out his Spirit on all flesh, both Jew and Gentile; to multiply visions and dreams of Divine things to the aged and the young."

"He promises to raise up a new order of ministers in the church, not of the priests and Levites, but of servants and handmaidens. He promises to fill the church with gifts and grace to prophesy and preach; yea, and that it should be an age of devotion, in which whosoever called on the name of the Lord should be saved. This began to be accomplished on the day of Pentecost, and shall continue to the glory of the latter day. God has made no covenant with any order of priests to be his ministers exclusively; it is ignorance and pride which prompt men to claim this honour. The Christian ministry is a ministry of the Spirit; and he who would silence those who pray and preach in the Spirit, must show his authority before he can command our assent. Besides, the Christian ministry in the primitive days did most extensively employ women to help and instruct their own sex. Many of them were ordained deaconesses, and carried the sacred elements to their sick sisters; the ministers of that age not having access to women as was the custom, and which still prevails in many places in the East... ....Let us wait for the residue of the Spirit."

Polly paused, after reading these reflections of this venerable Methodist commentator, to indulge in some reflections herself. She remembered well the apostolic man visiting her father's house; and was, though young at the time, particularly struck with his child-like simplicity and piety, and