from the crowns bestud with stars which appear on every brow; nor from the palms of victory waved by every hand; nor from the reunion of friends which will know no separation; nor from the vastness of that congregation of the redeemed which will never break up, and whose wor ship will not cease.

Nor will the full fruition of heaven spring from that blessed, that glorious, that eternal sabbath, where there

are

"No rude alarms of raging foes,

No cares to break the long repose;
No midnight shade, no clouded sun,
But sacred, high, eternal noon."

Neither do I think the highest bliss of heaven will arise from the fact that eternity's day will have no setting sun or evening shades; or that there will be no sorrow there, and all tears will be wiped from every eye; or that there will be no clouds or darkness to obscure the effulgence of glory which springs from God himself, and for ever lights the abode of the blessed; or that there will be no separation of loved ones, no sad adieus, no forgetting of kindred ties of husband and wife, of child and parent, of brother and sister; no rude winds of adversity, of poverty, of want, of friendlessness or loneliness; no waves of trouble to roll over the peaceful breast of any in that vast assembly; or that there will be no more death, no giving up of life, no closing eyes, no silent tongue, no deafened ear, no dreaded grave; where" death is swallowed up in victory."

All this long list of pleasing scenes and joys and songs will only add to the real joy of heaven. Our highest joy will be, that in the presence of Christ we shall be made free from sin and in the likeness of God. "I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness."

To be holy like to God will be the highest thought of the redeemed. And as we approximate to that holiness, the wonders and greatness and boundless extent of redemption will open to our astonished minds, and the song of redeeming love will break from our lips. And yet, as higher and newer beauties and charms in God's character appear, and we rise nearer and nearer to it, anew our songs, in concert with the halleluiahs of the heavenly host, will swell into the highest anthem of praise: "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God."

Such may be the experience and joy of every child of Adam. No one so unknown, so obscure, no one so deeply sunken in sin, no conscience, however dark, no soul so near to hell, but that the blood of Christ is sufficient to wash all guilt and defilement away, and, as applied by the Spirit, prepare it to enter into that state of holiness which calls forth the highest joy and sweetest song in heaven.

NEW YEAR'S DAY IN CHINA.

BY THE REV. J. LIGGINS.

ON a recent New-year's day in China-the first day of the seventh year of his Majesty Hien Fung-I was in the city of Shanghai, it being about the middle of our February. Rising early, at four o'clock I went with a brother missionary to the "Temple of the God of the City." Even at that early hour we found an immense throng of worshippers, nearly all of whom were dressed in costly silks and furs. When we went again at eight o'clock, a large number of those we saw were of the poorer classes: the custom seems to be for the mandarins to worship first, the other higher classes next, and the poorest people last of all. We saw no females worshipping at four o'clock, and but few at eight o'clock. It is considered more proper for them to stay at home and worship the family gods which are found in every house.

The worship which we saw at the temple was very heartless, and merely a bodily service. Prayer there was none. Those who came brought silvered paper, incensesticks, and some small coins which foreigners call "cash." The silvered paper they threw into a large urn to be burned, believing that it will be changed into ingots of pure silver for the benefit of the gods worshipped in this temple, who are deified men.

They then lighted the incense-sticks, and held them with both hands towards the idols; and after having slightly bent the body to the idols, they knelt down before them, placed their hands upon the ground, and bowed the head until it touched the hands four times. They then rose again, elevated the incense sticks towards the idols, once more inclined the body, and having put the burning incense in an urn, and cast a few cash into a box for the benefit of the priests, they took their departure, each one

no doubt thinking that, having thus honoured the gods, they ought not to be angry with him, nor cause evil to come upon him during the year upon which they had entered.

It was very painful to see these proofs of their belief that these false gods have control over them and their affairs, and to see them observe such a stupid and senseless mode of honouring those whom they believe to be divine.

On our way home, our feelings of pain and sorrow were increased when we saw the vast number of people who were flocking into the city from the surrounding villages, and thought of the fact, that on that beautiful morning the hundreds of millions of people in this vast empire, from the emperor down to the humblest beggar who can afford to buy the incense and silvered paper, and give a few cash to the priests, are all engaged in this stupid and sinful worship of gods of wood and stone.

As we passed along the streets we noticed that the stores were all closed, and, with the exception of the coolies who carried the sedans of the wealthy Chinese, we saw not a single labourer or mechanic at work on the shore, nor a single boatman on the river. It is the only day in all the year that the stores are closed in China and the labourers have rest; and as we left the temples and remarked the rest from labour, the closed shops, and the quiet manner of the usually noisy Chinese, we could not help saying to each other, "How much this is like Sunday at home, in all except the idolatrous worship." And earnestly did we desire and pray that the time might soon come when quietness and rest from labour should be observed on one day in every seven, and when multitudes, in their best attire, should be seen flocking, not to heathen temples, but to Christian churches-not to engage in the worship of false gods, but sincerely to worship the only living and true God.

The after part of the day, and the two or three days fol lowing, are spent by the people in feasting, making visits, attending plays, and various other amusements.

I know not what feelings have been awakened while reading the above account of the manner in which the Chinese New-year's day is spent by the heathen of that land, but I trust they have been these: first, of thankfulness to God who has, in great mercy, made your lot to be so much better than that of this heathen people; and of

pity and compassion for the poor idolatrous Chinese, who are living without God, and therefore without a wellfounded hope of happiness in the world to come.

QUESTIONS TO UNBELIEF.

IF to Jesus for relief

My soul has fled by prayer,
Why should I give way to grief,
Or heart-consuming care?
Are not all things in his hand?
Has he not his promise past?
Will he then regardless stand,
And let me sink at last?

While I know his providence
Disposes each event,
Shall I judge by feeble sense,
And yield to discontent?
If he worms and sparrows feed,
Clothe the grass in rich array,*
Can he see a child in need,
And turn his eye away?

*

When his name was quite unknown,
And sin my life employ'd,
Then he watch'd me as his own,

Or I had been destroy'd;
Now his mercy-seat I know,

Now by grace am reconciled;
Would he spare me while a foe,†
To leave me when a child?

If he all my wants supplied,
When I disdain'd to pray,
Now his Spirit is my guide,
How can he say me nay?
If he would not give me up
When my soul against him fought,
Will he disappoint the hope
Which he himself has wrought?

If he shed his precious blood
To bring me to his fold,
Can I think that meaner good+

He ever will withhold?

Satan, vain is thy device!

Here my hope rests well assured,

In that great redemption price
I see the whole secured.

NEWTON.

Matt. vi. 26.

+ Rom. v. 10.

Kom. viii. 32.

CHAPTER II.

EIGHT or nine years after leaving Mrs. Franke's school, 1 was on a visit to some friends in London. Time, in that interval, had run on very smoothly with me. Or rather, let me say, with gratitude while I think of the past, that God had dealt very kindly and favourably with me in his good providence. I had enjoyed the blessings of health and ease and affectionate friends, and was full of hope for the future. Some of the hopes I then indulged were eventually fulfilled; others were disappointed: but, in regard to

JULY, 1863.

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