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Do not give your blooming branches to the evil influences of tap-rooms, immoral books, lying romances, gay society, extravagance, or idleness. May my dear young readers bear in actual after good conduct all the fruit that fair blossoms have promised, and that fond wishes and hopes of anxious parents have desired! That you should never be carried away by the lies and unscriptural ceremonies of a ritualistic religion, nor by the daring reasoning of doubting rationalists, nor by the broad-road gaieties and idleness and follies of this sad age, is my hearty desire, and the desire of all your real friends; and I shall count the GLEANER of real value if God shall only make it a means of moral good amongst the young; and this I am persuaded many can witness it has already been made.

But blooming, promising May reminds me of another solemn thing. What thousands of bright blossoms-dear blooming boys and girls -promising well to ripen into mellow age, are cut off by disease ere the brightness and hilarity of youth has passed. Dear young friend, your living hand takes hold of the May number of the GLEANER, but ere the June number is issued that hand may be a dead hand in the tomb. And if it should be so, where, oh, where, would your undying soul be? Are you prepared for eternity? It is but a few days since I got a note from one of our Wiltshire readers, in which he tells of one of my constant readers taken into eternity after but a few days' illness; and it is but a short time since a young girl in a Bedfordshire village roused her parents in the night; she was taken ill, and ere the sun rose she was a corpse, and her soul had heard its final doom.

A week or two since, a man from this

his arms.

neighbourhood was walking in the streets of London with a friend, who, observing him stagger, caught him, and found he had fallen dead into Oh, how slender is the thread that ties your soul to the body; how soon it may snap, and death must either take you in a moment to everlasting despair or everlasting glory!

Oh, think of your latter end, dear young reader. The highest joy and the richest hire the GLEANER seeks is the salvation of his readers. "Ye must be born again." Sin must be forsaken here, or it will sink you to hell hereafter. Jesus must be sought and found through faith before you die, or you can never be saved. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned."

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Dear seeking reader, "Fear not ye, for I know that ye seek Jesus, that was crucified." 'Seek, and ye shall find" is the faithful promise of that blessed Jesus who is truth itself, and cannot lie. I have reason to believe the Lord owns the truths contained in the LITTLE GLEANER and in the SOWER, to the awakening souls from death, and leading them to the Lamb of God for salvation. In a village called Sutton, about eight miles from where I am writing, a dear young girl has just passed into eternity, who had not been brought up under the sound of the truth, but had been a constant reader of the LITTLE GLEANER. On her dying bed, her whole soul was filled with longings for Jesus, and often did she exclaim, "I know I must have Jesus, or I shall perish!" and when asked what was the means of showing her her need of Jesus, she said, "Reading the LITTLE GLEANER." And ere she left the world, though she had no such bright deliverance as we looked

and longed for, she said that word, "Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth," had been brought with power to her mind, and by its means she was enabled to look to Jesus, and hope he would save her; and a little before she left the body, she spoke of seeing her way clearer than she had ever seen it before. Such instances should encourage me to go on preparing, and my friends to go on distributing, the GLEANER and Sower. I have many back numbers on hand, and would send twenty-five to any friend, for distribution, for six stamps. My aim is the spread of the truth; and in this work I ask my kind friends still to help with their means, and, above all, with their prayers, their willing friend,

THE EDITOR.

MEMOIR OF JANE POOLE.

(Concluded.)

April 28.-I had not seen dear Jane for nearly a fortnight, till to-day, owing to ill health; dear girl, when I entered her room her eyes brightened, she appeared so delighted to see me again. She said "I have been praying for you. I knew you must be ill." She appeared very comfortable in her mind. I read the 4th chapter of John, and spoke of the Living Water, and of its welling up within, and at last ending in eternal glory. Read also two hymns, and prayed with her. In reply to a question I put to her in regard to a change wrought in her soul, I think her words were, "I was miserable when you first came, but afterwards felt more happy, when you read and spoke to me." I said, "I am afraid you have neglected the use of means.' She replied, "I don't

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go out much in winter of an evening, because I cannot see well." 'But," I said, "I fear you did not think of these things before you were ill." She said she did not. Indeed, I fear they had all neglected the means. Her mother now appeared

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to take a great interest in spiritual things. said to Jane, Do you think there is any change in your mother?" She replied, "Oh, there is such a difference in mother, she does not seem to care for the things of this world now." And I am pleased to see her come so regularly to the house of God; and sometimes I have said to her, if she was busy, "I won't hinder you;" but she has said, "I want to listen." Before prayer I said to Jane, Have you anything for me to ask the Lord for ?" In her simple way she said, “Of course I want to go to heaven; but I want to love Jesus more and more." I was pleased to hear this from her. Alluding to the Sick Society, she said, "I shall be sorry when the visits are over; I should be glad for them to visit me, if they gave me nothing. She loved the people of God to read and pray with her.

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May 6.-Going rather later in the day than usual, she was afraid I should not come. She was very ill, but said she was happy in her mind; that Jesus was very good to her. I said, "Do you feel happy in prayer?" She answered, "Yes;" and said, I love to hear others pray." She again expressed her regret at the thought of the sick visitors leaving her; she would like them to come, if they gave her no money. She spoke of some who appeared pleased with the visitors coming to see them, but said, "It is the money they want; they don't want to hear the word of God read. I never cared much about money; it is very nice, but I like to hear the word of God read."

Went again, May 13th, Sunday evening. Hearing Jane was worse I went this evening, after service; found her very ill. She was suffering greatly from difficulty of breathing. On asking the state of her mind, she replied, "I am happy." She told her mother she must look to Jesus alone, and she said to me, "I pray to Jesus, and He is too kind not to hear me." She also said, "I wish I could read." She could not see the print. The word of God and prayer were her delight. She said to me, "I pray to be forgiven, and I know the Lord will." I said, "Yes, if we are made true penitents." She is very weak, and only able to take a little wine and water now.

Read part of John x., and spoke to her of the Good Shepherd, of His great love in laying down His life for the sheep; how He obeyed the law in the room and stead of the guilty, and that it was through His death alone we can obtain life. She appeared much to enjoy it, though she could scarcely keep still in bed. Dear Jane loved to hear of Jesus. She was very fond of hymns. I read two of her favourite ones :

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me.

"Rock of ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
Let the water and the blood,

From Thy riven side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power."

"Jesus! Refuge of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly;

While the nearer waters roll,

While the tempest still is high."

She appeared to be trying to repeat them after paused a little, thinking it might be too much for her. She immediately said, calling

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