Why is this? How many have been translated from our little section of the Church below to the glorious gathering-place of the Church above, whose removal into brighter realms and purer skies, when we have heard it, has excited the sensation of regret,-painful but unavailing, bitter but remediless, because it can lead to nothing,—that there has been so little personal intercourse, so little exchange of little offices of love, so little interchange of any sort. Conscience has told us that the commendation, "she hath done what she could," cannot be ours in such a case. If there has been no time for frequent visits, or a lengthened call, yet a call now and then, a call with earnest prayer for a Divine blessing, and with the hopeful expectation of receiving it, might have been paid. We know it, and we feel it as we allow it. When they die, then we regret that it should have been so. Yet but too oft it leads to but little alteration. Bear then, beloved, the word of exhortation from one, who in that very word would chiefly exhort himself. To visit the saints of God is a costly duty, especially the poor saints. The Great Head of the body calls it not kind in us that we should neglect them, or rather Himself in them. If our beloved sister had wanted a cup of cold water, I believe she would not have wanted it long. But she might have said,-not that she did say it, for she thankfully acknowledged the kindness of many amongst us,--but still she might have said, "I was often in pain, and a sisterly call would have soothed me; in lowness of spirits, and a look of love would have brightened me; in bodily sinking, and a little, yea, a trifling, present for my sickly frame would have soothed me and comforted me; I was sometimes in spiritual darkness, and a few words of prayer might have, through Him who works how He will, and by whom He will, lifted me up, and made me go on my way rejoicing."

If, my beloved, we all considered two things, duly and with deep feeling of the Lord's mind, and with earnest prayer that we might be suitably affected by it in our walk and conversation, it would be a great blessing to us. First, that whatever we have is really not our own, but the Lord's; that our time, our talents, our money, our influence, our experience, yea, our very trials,

are not so much our own property as His, whose we are. Secondly, that what we have is to be used simply for His glory. Oh! did we truly enter into what is contained in these two principles, what a life of self-denying, Christ-exalting conduct, would be, must be, the result! How it would lead us to feel for poor, thoughtless, Christless, Godless, hopeless sinners; how it would lead us also to long after, sympathize with, and do good unto the called, chosen, sanctified family of God. How many a time should we reason thus: This poor saint, this solitary one, this one who may, perhaps, think himself, or herself, neglected, overlooked, forgotten, must be seen, must be called on, must be cheered, soothed, comforted. The word demands it, my conscience enforces it, and Jesus Himself will own it.

My beloved friends, it is because I love Christ that I thus write. It is because I love the Church. It is because I love you. But there is another reason: it is because that I feel myself to have been, as in all things most wanting, so not least in this. I write, therefore, feelingly, and I ought to write humbly and with deep contrition of soul.

But there is another point. For the Lord alone knows how greatly I long after you all, and how much I desire your chiefest, truest, highest good in all things. Beloved, be much in prayer. We are placed in a very serious, in a very trying juncture of our history. Upon the decision to which we are led hangs no little an issue. The Lord Himself be our Director in that, in which we want all direction. As to the individual who is to be my fellowworker in the work and labour of the ministry, I can only give a general word of exhortation, in this, as in all other things, needing such a word myself.

Be very slow in coming to a conclusion; slow, yet not dilatory, for the King's business needeth haste.

Our present situation is most undesirable. The constant change in the supplies is not favourable to the good of the Church. The neglect of spiritual oversight is a serious and an increasing evil.

Yet, in the midst of all this, better far that things should

remain as they are, than that a choice should be made which meets not the Lord's approval.

If you were to refer the choice to myself, it would be no help to me; for I must refer it back again to yourselves, or, rather, to the Lord Himself, through you. You might choose one with whom I could not work; I might choose one who could not work, that is, profitably work, for you.

The Lord Himself must therefore, and He will, be our Director. He must be noted in what He does, and in what He does not. For years have we been in a position in which real efficient help has been wanting. Whom has the Lord brought in our way and placed before us during this period? Have we had many? have we had any? This is to be well noted. I grieve to say how distinctly I have seen during my absence, how frequently Churches have been led, in similar circumstances, in their decision, by a consideration of the congregation, rather than of their own spiritual good and true sanctification, the real spirituality of the Church itself. This appears to me a grea. mistake. In the choice of a pastor, the first object is, in subserviency to the Divine glory, the promotion of their own real and true sanctity.

A Church walking in the purity of the Gospel is the most blessed testimony for Christ, next to His own.

But my head and my paper both say, conclude. With all love and with all real affection I do so, subscribing myself your devoted and affectionate pastor and brother and servant, for Christ's sake,

J. H. EVANS.

Wibtoft, August 19, 1845.

DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD, and for the Lord's sake,— Since I left you, I have, be assured, not forgotten you. I may truly say, you are never long out of my thoughts; greatly desiring that, as a part of the chosen and redeemed family of God, you may be filled with His Spirit and satisfied with His

love; that you may grow in grace and in the knowledge of a blessed Saviour, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our hope; yea, that you may grow up into Christ in all things, in the experience of His infinite worth, in submission to His will, and obedience to His commands.

Beloved brethren and sisters in Christ, much goodness and mercy have followed us since we have been here; all that kindness on the part of Christian friends, and quiet, and retirement, and a pleasant country, could give, we have had.

But this has been the least of our blessings; we have had some opportunities in a quiet way, a way in which there was little demand upon my strength, of speaking the truth to many sinners, and to not a few saints; and not without testimony that the Lord Himself has been with us.

And even this is far from being all the claims upon our praise and gratitude. I trust we have enjoyed something of His presence, which is better than life, in our own souls, and known somewhat of Phil. iv. 7. Oh, how needful is it from time to time, when the Lord Himself opens the door and gives us power to enter, to withdraw from the outward circle and go within. I am quite assured, beloved friends, that it is no uncommon case for a man to be usefully and honourably employed for God, in the Church and in the world, to be looked up to, to be flattered and highly thought of, and, in the midst of it all, to be dry, barren, unctionless, powerless, and all for want of retiring into this inner circle.

Casual observers may not perceive it; superficial eyes may not detect it; but he is, in some degree at least, conscious of it, (and a mercy it is when he is so,) close walkers with God suspect that it is so with him, but the heart-searching God knows it altogether.

I do not mean by this retiring from the world, such a withdrawment as that which I am now enjoying-for that to some of you is quite impossible—and that which is out of the power of a saint of God to possess, can never be essential to his true spirituality. What I mean is, the having some time-however

small the period may be-for positive withdrawment from all things around the being actually alone with God—and knowing it, and feeling it.

I am aware there are great difficulties in the way of some on this point. But much more may be done than is done, and, I believe, where the Lord sees the soul really panting after this real withdrawment from things outward in order to be alone with Himself, He opens unexpected doors; or, if He do not that, gives such power of withdrawment into Himself in the very midst of engagements, as shall be surprising to ourselves and afford us cause of ceaseless gratitude.

Secret prayer is an immense blessing; we shall never know entirely and fully how great the blessing is which is connected with it till we, through grace, reach the land where prayer is no more needed. But great as it is, it is not all that is conveyed to us by this secret withdrawment. In prayer I pour out my heart to God as I feel and all that I feel; but in order that I feel aright, feel what I should feel, I require to be REALLY with God, to be with Him as my God-my God in Christ, my God and Father— to dwell upon His love-His unutterable, free, most gracious, most sovereign, most undeserved love; to have real transactions with God in His love. And how can this be if there be no withdrawment from all things and all persons to be alone with God Himself?

It was said of Lord Anson that he went round the world, but knew nothing of the world. May it never be said of you and of me that in the course of regular duties we go round about the Lord, but do not really, yea, intimately, know the Lord Himself. And in order to this we must be much, yea, often, with Him.

In looking over my letter I seem to have dwelt much upon one point. But it is one to which my mind has been much led. I think that I have seen some of the evils of its not being duly considered in the state of others. I am quite sure that I have suffered many of them, for the same cause, in my own.

Beloved in the Lord, we shall soon be in the land of rest; we shall soon be with Him whom we love; whether we go to Him or He come to us, to be WITH HIM is THE blessing of eternity.