The young man pushed his way through the crowd. Was it his friend? No; God had not yet closed the door for him. The man who lay senseless on the table was the old porter who had sent them up to the signal-house, and kneeling by his side, in earnest prayer, was the signal-man! The poor man was still breathing, but gave no other sign of life.

In a few moments all was over; and the young porter could now begin to realise the fact that the man who but a few hours before had been scoffing at the Word of God was himself gone to appear in God's presence. It was an awful thought. Could there be any hope for him?

The young man asked one who was present when the accident happened to tell him about it.

Had the poor man "And

been senseless all the time? "No, not at first.' did he speak after you took him up?" "Yes, he spoke when we brought him in." "What did he say y?" "He said, Fetch the signal-man! I am dying. Fetch the signal-man! I want him to pray!' Yes, that's the way he went on- Fetch the signal-man.' So we went to fetch him, and he came at once, but then, poor fellow, he couldn't speak, and we couldn't find out if he knew what was said to him; but we could do no more."

And we know no more. The eternal condition of that poor despiser is to us unknown; and must be until the coming of the Lord. But there was one trembling sinner who went that night to ask again to hear the words of life from the one who had spoken to him in vain three hours before. The young porter believed, and was saved. His companion remained unmoved. He must have been far more hard of heart from that awful evening than he had been before.

Circumstances alone can never change the heart. It is by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost alone that under any circumstances a sinner is brought to repentance. Thus the one thief on Calvary believed and was saved-his companion, who alike saw the dying Saviour before him, perished in his sins.

I would now ask you, reader, to consider this solemn truth, that in the case of those who scoff at the people and the Word of God, it is not, alas! simply in ignorance that they do so; at least in many, if not in most cases, it is not ignorance, it is the terrible enmity of the natural heart of man against that which he knows to be of God. When the old porter saw the awful reality of death before him, the one to whom he turned for help was the very man whom he had treated as a fool, perhaps as a hypocrite; and as it came out, he had known in his heart that the signal-man was right, even at the time that he had mocked him. Unsaved sinner, are you aware against how much light you are sinning? How will you stand speechless before God if you die unforgiven? for you know what you are doing only too well.

It was remarked to an old Wiltshire labourer, that an excuse might be made on the score of ignorance for an ungodly person who caused much trouble in the village.

"There is a main deal said in this world about ignorance," he replied; "but I sometimes remark this: I seem to see all the Lord's people standing one side of a line, and all the wicked, ignorant people, as you say, the other side. Now I've often observed, that if one of the Lord's people does so much as put half his foot across the line, the most ignorant of them on the other side will call out at once, 'Look there!' Can I believe that people who are so sharp to see the least that's wrong in a saint don't know that they themselves are the wrong side of the line altogether?"

And I would ask you in much love whether this is not true of you; if having heard the good news of God's gift of His Son, you are still in your sins-still standing apart from Christ and His people?

Did you know that in ten minutes you would die, and you might change places with any who are safe for heaven, you are well aware that you would then rather be some old saint whom you have despised and laughed at, than the merry companion who joined you in doing so. But how

rich is God in mercy! He has forgiveness not only for the ignorant, but for the sinner who knows what he is doing. Christ died for the one as well as for the other. "Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." Under the law of Moses a sinner might not bring a sinoffering except in a case of ignorance. But now the offering has been made which justifies from all things. Christ is in that verse called "this Man." Not that He is only man. He is also God. But it was as man that He died, and it is on account of His death that God has forgiveness for you, for this simple reason, that He was punished instead of the sinner. Will you not believe that He was punished instead of you, whatever your sins may have been? "By Him" (what blessed words!) "all that believe are justified from all things!"

The Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity.

HE word Providence, in reference to God, is not found in the Bible; but is not the doctrine there? The word Immortality, in reference to the soul, is not in the Bible; but is not the doctrine there? The word Trinity is not in the Bible; but is not the doctrine there? There are three Persons in one God, designated the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost; and although, as it regards essential Godhead, they are one, yet, as it regards personal distinctions, they are three; for, the Father is not the Son, and the Son is not the Spirit. The doctrine of the Trinity is clearly revealed in the sacred volume in the Old Testament, but especially in the New Testament. It is a subject of pure revelation; and had it not been revealed, we could never have become acquainted with it, nor could it ever have entered into our minds. God is a God of benevolence and truth, and it would be blasphemous to imagine

that He desires to deceive us, and to lead us into error; and, therefore, would He have employed so many expressions in His Word, which evidently imply and teach the doctrine of the Trinity, if that doctrine did not have its、 origin in the mystery of His nature, and if it were not founded on eternal and unchangeable truth? That attempted illustrations of this subject have been unwise and unsatisfactory is no valid argument against its reality. It is not contrary to our reason, but it is infinitely above our reason. Humility, reverence, profound adoration, become us in the presence of such a subject. There should be no attempt to explain, no effort to comprehend. We are to believe it, not because we can comprehend it, but because it is revealed. Not only the doctrine of the Trinity, but how many subjects there are which cannot be comprehended by us. They soar infinitely above us in their mystery and sublimity; and we feel and acknowledge our own insignificance in the presence of such subjects, and our own utter inability to understand and comprehend them. As it regards the doctrine of the Trinity, we cannot comprehend, but we believe, we adore, we choose the Triune God for our present portion and our everlasting all. This Tri-Unity distinguishes the nature of God from every other nature in the universe, and it thus stands alone in its mystery and majesty. May this Triune God regenerate my heart, pardon my transgressions, save me from the love and dominion of iniquity, make me holy and happy and useful, and prepare me for a triumphant deathbed, a glorious resurrection, and a blissful immortality!

Setting out for Heaven.

A SIMPLE STORY.

CHAPTER IV.

FEW leagues from Schlenthal lies the village of Samari. At the entrance of this village a pretty little house may be seen. In summer-time its

green blinds and the green trees surrounding it seem to vie with each other in their endeavours to make it look bright; but to-day the blinds have the best of it, for the trees are leafless, and spoiled of their summer verdure— it is winter-time, and Christmas Eve.

Do you remember Mary and John Werner, those two poor little orphans who set out twenty-four years ago to seek for heaven? Have they found it yet?

Dr. Neuring and his wife made room for them in their home, and in their hearts too, as if they had been children of their own. They taught them how to learn and how to work, and employed them diligently in the house, in the garden, and in the kitchen; but also they taught them to join their hands in prayer, and entreat the Saviour to make them meet to see His face in heaven.

John and Mary became pious children. They loved their foster-parents with all their hearts, and were ever seeking to forestall their wishes. Mary had had many a hard fight against her obstinacy and passion; but she had strength imparted to her, enabling her to overcome her faults, and she profited by the loving corrections she received. She never forgot the promise she had made by her mother's dying bed to take care of her little brother.

John's greatest pleasure was to be allowed to accompany his adopted father when he set forth on his rounds to visit his patients. Dr. Neuring had many who lived some distance off, and he liked to take one or other of the children with him. John eventually became quite as much his help as his companion.