and sympathy on this occasion. Happy is the colony that has such an excellent governor. May God spare his useful and honourable life, and make him more and more a blessing to his people. I also feel deeply indebted to the committees, and to the various ministers and Sabbath-school teachers and other friends, who have so kindly assisted us in carrying out the mission. May God reward them all and bless our united efforts to evangelise the perishing heathen in the South Sea Islands. In the papers sent, you have the governor's speech, and outlines of others delivered at our farewell meetings, which closed my missionary tour of nine months in Victoria, where above £2600 was raised for the new ship and for new missionaries for our mission, and where forty-five native teachers were subscribed for at an expense of five pounds yearly, the first £200 of which is already paid. In whole, in the colonies visited, above £4600 has been raised since I began the work twelve months ago, and to accomplish such work, I have addressed about 470 meetings, and travelled by sea and land about 12,000 miles. Surely we have reason to thank God and take courage. We had just completed our arrangements for our farewell meetings in Victoria, when we learned that the Great Britain was daily expected, and that Mr and Mrs Inglis and Williamu were passengers on board. I had the hope that they would be at our two great closing meetings in Melbourne, but they were a week too late, yet Mr Inglis was in time to be at two of them with children in the suburbs, and his presence gave much additional interest to our meetings, and to the closing of our schemes for the present. By his advice the Committee confirmed a former resolution, they unanimously agreed to, to advise me to go home for additional missionaries; and having already consulted with Mr Inglis on this subject, if my Sydney Committee are of the same mind, and promise the same future assistance to our mission, I have agreed to go home and try to get additional labourers for the New Hebrides Presbyterian mission. And may our gracious God continue, increase, and deepen the interest now awakened in these colonies in our mission, and grant the men needed for extending it all over our islands.

We have just had a meeting of the Sydney Committee (21), at which resolutions have been passed similar to those sent home by the Victorian Committee. As the mail is about to leave, I cannot get a copy of the minutes to send, but will do so by next mail. I have then again to come home as advised, and, perhaps, my next communication will be by word of mouth. All advise me to proceed at once. Mr and Mrs Inglis and Williamu are all well. I am much gratified by their coming, and hope God will guide them in safety to their work, and spare them to do much good among our islands. Hoping that our Mission Committee will acquiesce in the proposals of my Ship Committees, and approve of my coming home for the object in view, and assist in carrying out the schemes, and entreating an interest in the intercessions of all, I remain, yours affectionately,

JOHN G. PATON.

MELBOUNE, VICTORIA, April 9. 1863. DEAR SIR,-At a meeting held in the Rev. Irving Hetherington's church, Collins Street, on April 7. 1863, at three o'clock P.M. (Rev. G. Mackie in the chair), to receive the final report of the labours of the Rev. J. G. Paton, in connection with the raising of funds for the purchase of a mission ship, and for procuring additional labourers, it was resolved :

That having heard the report of the Rev. J. G. Paton, and the statement of the Rev. J. Inglis, arrived per Great Britain, that this meeting desires to render thanks to Almighty God for the success that has already attended the labours of the Rev. J. G. Paton in this and the adjoining colonies in obtaining means for the purchase of a missionary ship for the New Hebrides, and for increasing the number of missionaries, to help in extending the work in the fields now open to missionary enterprise.

The committee also desire to give a most cordial welcome to the Rev. J. Inglis, now on his return to his most important field of labour, and to express thanks to God for the manner in which he has been able to fulfil his mission in Scotland, by carrying the New Testament in the Aneityumesa language through the press, and trusts that his most sanguine expectations may be realised as to the blessings which may spring out of an enlarged circulation of the word of God in Aneityum.

The committee having listened with deep interest to the statement of the Rev. J. Inglis, are unanimous in their opinion that the Rev. J. G. Paton should proceed at once to Scotland, and endeavour to awaken a still deeper interest in the New Hebrides Mission, to obtain, if possible, new missionaries, and to return with them in the new mission ship.

The committee earnestly pray that God may carry him in safety to his native land, and prosper his labours there, that he may receive a cordial welcome, and excite the same interest in Scotland as he has done in Victoria; and that, having finished his work at home, he may return to the islands in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of peace. We are, yours most respectfully, JOHN CLARK, W. SUNDERLAND,

Rev. John Kay, Secretary of the

New Hebrides Mission.

Hon. Secretaries.

MR INGLIS ON COTTON CULTIVATION IN ANEITYUM.-At the meeting in Melbourne at which the resolution printed above was carried, Mr Inglis stated that "great difficulty had been experienced in endeavouring to find an article which would form an important and remunerative item of export for the natives; but when he went home he took with him some specimens of cotton which had grown in Aneityum from seeds which had been casually scattered about, and without any cultivation. When he arrived in England, cotton was at its lowest price, and the specimens which he took with him were only worth from 5d. to 7d. per lb.; but within a year after the commencement of the American war their value increased to 1s. a pound, while within the last twelve months they would easily have fetched from 2s. to 2s. 6d. a pound in the Manchester or Liverpool market. There was little probability that the value of such cotton would fall to less than 1s. a pound for a number of years; and he and his colleagues in the missionary field had conceived that at that price it would make a very remunerative article of export for the natives of the New Hebrides. When he was in Glasgow he succeeded in forming a cotton association, composed of a number of gentlemen interested in missions; and it had raised funds to send out to Aneityum spades, axes, hoes, two gins, presses, packthread, and other things necessary to prepare cotton for the market; and five different kinds of cotton seeds had been obtained from the Manchester Cotton Supply Association. There was abundance of spare land, and the soil seemed most suitable for the cultivation of cotton. It was intended a fellow-missionary, Mr Geddie, should take charge of the cotton plantations for the first year, and if they succeeded, the Glasgow association would take the management in future. That association was not formed, however, with the view of making profit by the experiment, but simply to assist in developing the resources of the natives, and assisting them in establishing a remunerative export. The association would send out an agent to purchase the cotton at certain fixed prices, and would also establish a store, at which the natives might supply themselves with clothing and other useful articles, which would tend to elevate them in the scale of civili sation."

CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY.-While correcting the proof of the last sheet of the Magazine, we have been favoured with the following communication from the treasurer, Mr Finlay :-"The last mail brings from Sydney a first instalment of £700, and from Melbourne £2200,"

Printed by Jon GREIG & SON, at their Printing Office, Old Physic Gardens, and Published by JOHNSTONE, HUNTER, & Co., at their Warehouse, 2 Melbourne Place, Edinburgh.

Ir would be altogether aside from our present purpose, in making this Song of Sion the subject of a brief meditation, to enter into any discussion regarding its authorship, its title, or the peculiar circumstances (if there were any such) in which it was composed. The mere statement of the various and conflicting opinions which have been entertained on these points, would occupy all our space, and, we fear, with very little profit to our readers. The general scope of the psalm, and the instruction and encouragement which it is designed to yield, may be clearly apprehended, without one being obliged to give any positive deliverance on these disputed points. Nevertheless, it need not be concealed, that the language and sentiment of this psalm discover a beautiful adaptation to the circumstances in which, according to many expositors, it was originally composed and sung. We refer to the opinion that this and the other "Songs of Degrees" were chanted by the Israelites as they journeyed towards Jerusalem to keep their solemn feasts, and specially when they drew near the holy city. Travellers tell us that a similar practice prevails among Oriental Christians at the present day, that the valleys and the hills of Palestine resound with the jubilant songs of superstitious pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem.

Very beautifully does this sacred song set forth the security of the true saint, the source of his strength, and the secret of his joy as he journeys Sionwards. Whatever the circumstances in which he is placed, Jehovah is his help and stay, his guide and keeper, and this is enough. Some choose to put the first verse in an interrogative form, thus, " Shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? Whence doth my help come?" Whither shall I turn in my distress and perplexity ? Shall I seek deliverance in anything merely

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human and earthly? Shall I put my confidence in man, and make flesh mine arm? Is this the only refuge to which I can flee? Is this my only hope of relief from perplexity, of salvation from impending danger? Does my help come from the great ones of earth or the power of princes? "Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains." To the question thus put, the answer of faith is given, "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." But if we retain the ordinary form of the language, as we are well entitled to do, and consider it as having been chanted by the companies of godly Israelites going up to keep the yearly festivals, how appropriate does it appear! It may be that they had travelled far, even from the utmost corners of the land, their journey is drawing near a close, the mountains that stand round about Jerusalem rise to view on the distant horizon, they catch, perhaps, some far-off glimpse of the sacred city itself, and their hearts beat high as they contemplate the scene, and anticipate the joyful solemnities of their beloved Sion. Their eyes now behold what their hearts have longed for, and their jubilant feelings find utterance in the song, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help." Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Sion. This is the place that Jehovah hath chosen for himself; there he delights to dwell, and there he manifests himself to his people, he communes with and blesses them. To him, therefore, I will look, to Jehovah my King who sitteth upon his holy hill of Sion. His presence imparts sacredness and gives security. He has guided me by the way, and he will bring me into his presence, for "My help cometh from the Lord, which hath made heaven and earth." In this language the pilgrim embodies his experience and expresses his faith. Is it not thus that the believer is enabled to contemplate the approach of gospel solemnities, when the soul, full of gratitude for the past, rejoices in the prospect of near and delightful fellowship with the Most High in those ordinances which are the constituted channels of grace, the streams that make glad the city of God. Is it not thus, too, that the Christian pilgrim, when the toil and struggle of life are drawing to a close, when he is nearing the celestial city of our God, the new Jerusalem, catching by the eye of faith some bright glimpse, some Pisgah-views of the higher life, the unrevealed glory of the future, rejoices the more in the assurance that He who has guided, protected, and fed him by the way, will not cease to grant his aid till the weary pilgrim rests in the new Jerusalem above, whence he shall go no more out.

Rejoicing in the assurance of Jehovah's help, the psalmist can speak comforting words to his fellow-pilgrims, the true Israel of God throughout all ages. "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved." Often with deep joy must the Jewish pilgrims have uttered such words. Their way lay over mountains, and along the verge of precipices; and when they reached their journey's end, and reflected on the perils to which they had been exposed, with lively gratitude would they bless the care which had watched over

them, and carried them safely through. And are there not similar dangers besetting the path of the Christian pilgrim? There are craggy steeps, and slippery paths, and yawning depths; there are difficult duties, sore trials, plausible temptations. Why is it that when the feet of the wicked slide in due time, the saint stands secure? Why, but because the promise is fulfilled in his experience. "He suffers not thy foot to slide." Every true saint knows that it is only by God's grace and strength that he can walk safely amid the snares and dangers of the world. If left to himself, he would assuredly stumble and fall; but, leaning on the arm of Omnipotence, with the eye of faith raised above the vain help of man, above the fear of man, lifted up towards the place where God's honour dwelleth, to the hills whence cometh his help, he cannot be moved. At no time, and under no circumstances, does thy help fail thee, Christian. "Thy keeper slumbers not." Among the many thousands of Israel, thou, a lowly and afflicted one, mayest think thyself forgotten. But it is not so. Jehovah that keeps Israel is never unmindful of thee amid thy sorrows and trials, if thou art an Israelite indeed. Each member of his church is as much the object of his special care as is the whole congregation of the saints. As the apple of the eye he keeps thee, by day and by night he watches over thee; so thine enemies cannot take him by surprise. When the sunlight of prosperity shines full upon thee, or when clouds and darkness cover thy path, still he is with thee. "Bebold, he neither slumbers nor sleeps, who is the keeper of And who is the keeper of Israel? It is Jehovah, but in a special sense it is Jehovah-Jesus. The same mighty and glo rious one who lived and died for them, their Redeemer, is their keeper. Then, trembling, tempted, and afflicted one, why shouldst thou fear? He knows thy way, thy sorrows, thine enemies; he has trod the way; he has borne the sorrow, he has conquered the enemy then trust his faithfulness, his power and love. These are the defence of his church and people even to the end of time.

Jehovah is the helper of his saints, and he is ever near them to render it; at their right hand to defend from every foe. "The Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand." To the traveller through the parched wilderness and under the burning rays of a tropic sun, how grateful is the shade! How much more is Christ to his people! Every earthly source of comfort may be dried up; their souls may be distressed by the ungodliness of society, by the lukewarmness of professors; their spirits may droop under sore temptations, or persecutions; but in the presence of their Redeemer they find shelter, comfort, and refreshment. They sit under his shadow with great delight. Welcome and invigorating as rivers of water in a dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land—" a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall," so are the gracious presence and aid of Christ in the day of trial.

And this protection is guaranteed to them in another form in what follows:-"The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the