being a Jumper, and that it did not annoy her in the least to be reviled on account of being one.' 'Ah, but your poor soul!' said he. 'I am sure,' said she, that my Saviour has saved my soul, and I commit it to His keeping.' And to the keeping of the blessed Virgin,' said the poor sick man. She then spoke of the Saviour, as the only one in whom salvation is to be found. He bid her hold her tongue, saying, 'Stop! stop! say no more about that!' The name of Jesus was not sweet in his ears. This same poor man sent to Connemara, to a woman there, who professed by charms to cure the sick. He sent for water to the holy wells around, and sent for a gospel' to a priest at Headford, and it is believed that this 'gospel' has cured him, as he is now somewhat recovered. Everything or anything for him but the Good Physician. When it was told to the sick convert that this man was cured by the gospel,' his reply was: 'He may have recovered at the time the gospel' was brought to him, but I do not believe the cure was effected by the 'gospel;' the Saviour alone can cure me, and in Him alone will I trust.' I am happy to say, the poor man is now recovering, and I hope his trust in the Saviour is real and unfeigned, and that he will ascribe all the praise of his salvation from sin and sickness to Him, and to Him alone.

"The Readers have been well received during the month, and gladly received by some."

KILLERY.

(From the Missionary.)

"During the past month, further evidence of God's blessing on our feeble efforts to spread his Gospel in this place seems to show itself.

In my last I mentioned the case of several Roman Catholic children who, in direct opposition to their priest, and in defiance of his curses (of which he has been liberal), joined our school; all my anticipations respecting them have been fully realised. When the school opened after the Christmas holidays they again appeared, and have since been regularly attending, save on one very cold and severe day.

"It now becomes my pleasing task to record still further evidence of our God working with us-the restoration of a wandering sheep to the fold of Jesus.

"This is the case of a young man who professed himself for some time a convert, but at length gave up coming to church.

This was about three years ago. I visited, and spoke to him again and again, exhorting and admonishing him, yet without any success. Finding my efforts to persuade him unavailing, I at length asked him his objection, as he appeared to have some. He said he had no objection to our religion, but believed it to be the true one; yet he could not bear the unkind look and uncivil salutation of his neighbours, and the reproachful names they were in the habit of calling him. I endeavoured to show him that these were the very things, if we be followers of Christ, we must expect to meet with-'that in the world we shall have tribulation;' and exhorting him to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God;' and that we ought to rejoice if we be counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.'

"After entreaties and exhortations of this kind, day after day, week after week, and year after year, calling on him to remember whose he was, and the price that a most loving Saviour paid for him, our word of advice, although feeble in itself, yet, under the blessing of a gracious and prayer-answering God, has been made powerful. He has received strength to come forward boldly and confess Christ, and declare he is determined for the future, with God's help, to continue His. faithful soldier and servant even unto the end. Allow me to add, that this case I consider particularly interesting, inasmuch as it is the breaking of the ice, if I may so speak. There are many others in this place whose minds are in a similar statenot going to mass nor church, but continually hearing the truth affectionately contrasted with the fatal frauds of Romanism; who need only strength, like this young man, to arise and come forward, and openly declare themselves on the Lord's side, as I consider their minds are fully satisfied that there is no salvation in the Church of Rome. The example in this case may encourage others to follow in his steps; and, indeed, I have every reason to hope that such will be the case.

"Our school at Bundoragha is increasing every day. The attendance is now up to 22, which is really wonderful during this inclement season.

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May God, in His great mercy, pour out more of His Holy Spirit upon all those engaged in spreading the knowledge of His great salvation, comforting the weak, raising up those who fall, and beating down Satan under our feet. May He give to those amongst whom the Gospel is proclaimed the hearing ear and the understanding heart, that the word spoken may be powerful to the winning of many souls unto Jesus."

GALWAY.

(From the Missionary.)

"Since my last report, as is usual at Christmas, I gave the agents a vacation for a fortnight; two of them took advantage of it to visit their friends, one a dying brother, the account of whose last days I forward in this. The agents who remained at home spent their time most usefully, visiting from day to day, and were generally most warmly received. They report that from day to day they had most interesting conversations, some contending for their own peculiar tenets, but, generally speaking, admitting their errors, and saying, that their trust must be entirely in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"One of the parish priests died rather suddenly during the month. I rejoice to say that, weekly or fortnightly, he has received, for several years, controversial handbills, the Gospel Trumpet, and other papers, by post; and I heard, on good authority, that he refused at the last any of the rites of the Church, and would not see the other priests: but, as usual, he was closely watched. I have great hopes that the poor man had received the truth.

"Our dormitory, I am glad to say, is going on very well; we have now eight children, and hope to have many more ere long. The schools are somewhat increased, and are going on as well as I could wish them; indeed the progress of the children is most cheering.

"I rejoice to be able to give a good report of our colporteur's work. The sale of Bibles and Testaments is most encouraging. The captain of one of the vessels which came here recently brought him down and introduced him to the crew, and he disposed of a good number to them. The passengers in every emigrant vessel buy from him also; and a market-day never passes without a good many sales.

"The bill-distributor has been, too, most usefully engaged during the month. There is a greater desire than heretofore to take the bills and different papers from him, and we have reason to believe they are much more read.

"One of the Readers was called aside by a respectable Romanist the other day, who told him he thought there was a text quoted wrongly on the bill which was being circulated.

"We have had two controversial sermons during the month; both were attended by Romanists. The last, though the evening was very severe, was listened to attentively by a good number.

Taking into consideration the great opposition we meet with, we are, thank God, going on well, and I trust the plans we have in view for the future will greatly help us on. May our gracious Lord grant it for His own name's sake."

PORTARLINGTON.

"Our staff of agents in this district is still very small, and wholly inadequate to meet the wants of so extensive a field of labour.

"With a view of supplying in some way the present necessity for more labourers, I have begun again sending a careful and, I trust, a faithful person to the various fairs and large markets in the neighbourhood, with an abundant supply of handbills, and by this means we are enabled to address thousands of immortal beings, in plain, earnest, and faithful words; and not only to point out their errors to them, but likewise to point them to 'the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.'

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'If any would seek for evidence of what the state of the Roman Catholic mind is in this district, they need only follow that man through a crowded fair, and watch the reception he meets with. As the same experiment has been tried repeatedly in every fair in the neighbourhood, his business is well known; the nature of those little papers he has in his hand is thoroughly understood. A few will throw them in his face when he offers them; some will indignantly tear them and cast them under their feet, and some civilly refuse taking them; but by far the majority will accept them, and carefully preserve them, and groups of persons may often be seen in retired places, eagerly studying the contents of these handbills. Does not this plan of proceeding sow the seed of eternal life broadcast over the land? and does it not tend to prepare the soil for the much-wished-for time when it may please the Lord of the harvest to send forth more labourers into His harvest?" In the meanwhile, to counteract the effects of these little messengers of peace, the Roman Catholic priests have commenced distributing handbills too, and the following is a specimen of their efforts to enlighten the minds of their flocks.

"A PRAYER.

"The following prayer was found in the grave of our Lord Jesus Christ, and was sent from the Pope to the Emperor Charles, as he was going to battle, for safety. They who shall repeat it every day, or hear it repeated, or keep it about them, shall never die a sudden death; nor be drowned in water; nor shall

they fall into the hands of their enemies in battle; nor shall poison take effect on them. If you see any one in fits, lay it on his or her right side; he or she shall stand up and bless God: and they who repeat it in any house shall be blessed by the Lord; 'and he that will laugh at it will suffer.' Believe this to be certain. It is true, as the Holy Evangelist had written it. They who keep it about them shall not fear lightning or thunder; and they who repeat it every day shall have three days' warning before their death.'

"Then follows The Prayer;' after which is added another, in which this strange passage occurs: Mary and Joseph, pray for me, through Nicodemus and Joseph, who took our Lord down from the cross and buried him.'

Surely if the efforts to benefit the Roman Catholic people of Ireland are to be judged by the respective handbills which are being circulated amongst them, we cannot have any doubt upon which of these efforts the blessing of God's Holy Spirit will rest."

Incidental Gleanings.

(From the Dublin Reports.)

THE CITY WHERE ALL ARE HAPPY.

;

"IN the course of my visiting the Roman Catholics of this district, I called on a woman who had for a few Sundays previously attended the Sunday school. As I read, a little girl of about six years old sat listening most earnestly. At first I ascribed her manner to the idle staring of a child but when I spoke to her, I found that she was able to tell me some things I had said, and was in reality a very interesting child. I visited them several times afterwards; they all received me kindly, but in no countenance did I see such eagerness as in the poor little sickly face of Charlotte. She was sure to listen with attention that surprised me, and sometimes would ask questions. One day she said, 'Since the Lord Jesus loved us so much, why would not every one be trying to go to Him?' She begged of her mother to bring her to the Sunday-school. This she did; but as the little one was so delicate, the mother kept her on her own knee. The texts for the day were Acts, xviii. 9-11. The child sat quietly listening, not a word seemed to escape her;