EDITOR'S ADDRESS TO HIS DEAR YOUNG FRIENDS. * It was my thought, my dear young friends, to leave out for this month my usual address; occupying the first three pages with, first, a portrait of, and, second, some remarks upon, the late lamented Joseph Charles Philpot, editor of the Gospel Standard, but the portrait not being yet to my mind, I have decided not to let it appear until the coming month, thinking our readers would prefer waiting a month to an unsatisfactory portrait. This gives me a little space, of which I avail myself, in order to address my dear readers. I might, however, say, before leaving the subject of the portrait, that it is my intention (D.V.) to give in the April number a portrait of another dear man of God, John Kershaw, late of Rochdale, whom the Lord took to his everlasting rest on the 11th of January, 1870, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years, and after having been for fifty-two years a faithful pastor of the same gathering of the one flock of Christ. He was a most powerful preacher of the full Gospel of rich grace, and a dear lover of the Sunday-school; moreover, was known to hundreds, if not thousands, of our readers, who will, I believe, heartily agree with me that a picture of the dear venerable saint and servant of God will truly adorn a volume of the LITTLE GLEANER. How rapidly, dear young friends, is the generation of which we form a part passing to the bar of God, and thence to their everlasting doom! We are fully assured that the dear servants of *See "A Funeral Sermon" in last month's Sower, and a lengthened notice of his "Life, Labour, and Death," in the Sower for the present month. с God whose names appear above are now in glory, giving all the praise of their salvation to sovereign grace through Jesus' blood. But let each reader solemnly ask in his own bosom the serious questions, Were I called to go before a holy God, am I prepared to meet Him? Would He invite my soul to everlasting joy, or bid me depart to eternal woe? One or the other must soon be the portion of all living, and nothing can be more certain than that there is no meeting God with peace, excepting sin be removed and a perfect righteousness be worn; and nothing can remove sin but the blood of Jesus, and in no other righteousness can the soul appear before God with peace than the righteousness of Jesus. Dear young friends, I ask you with earnest anxiety for your soul's welfare, have you felt yourself a polluted, wicked sinner, unfit to meet God, and have you felt that all natural religion, mere head-knowledge of the truth, self-righteousness, and mere profession are worthless things, and will leave your soul unfit to meet God? And have you been constrained to fly to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ for peace with God? And is the finished work of Jesus made the ground of your whole trust? and are you led to take the precepts of Jesus for the rule of your life? Whoever can in truth answer these questions with a "Yes, through grace, yes," is born of God, is led of the Holy Spirit, and will, when death shall end his days, end all his sins and sorrows, and enter that Where "land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign," "Infinite day excludes the night, But, alas! alas! for those who live and die in their sins, without grace and without Christ! Oh, who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? Dear young reader, the quenchless fire must be yours for your sins, if Jesus is not sought and found by you ere you leave the world. Oh that God may bless the GLEANER, the Gospel you hear, and the teaching of truth you receive, to the salvation of your precious souls. Then will the desire be sweetly granted of Your affectionate, willing friend, P.S.-I am engaged selecting Hymns of Truth for Sunday-schools, to form a larger selection than the one I now have. I shall be thankful to any dear friend who can help me to suitable hymns, or make any useful suggestion, addressed Editor of the LITTLE GLEANER, Clifton, Biggleswade. BIBLE ENIGMA. A KING of Judah please to find, What Nebuchadnezzar had made of gold. A bird renowned for swiftness and sight. These initials form a word, Without it none can see the Lord. Е. Совв. A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LAST DAYS OF ALFRED GARRETT, WHO DIED AT BRIGHTON. HIS disease was consumption; he was eight months ill. He was always very quiet and patient, and very fond of reading good books. A young friend lent him some LITTle Gleaners, which he liked very much, and if any friend talked to him about his soul he seemed distressed, always wept, and as he got weaker and worse his concern for the salvation of his soul became greater. About three weeks before his death he was taken much worse in the night, and thought he was dying. He called for his mother, and said, "Mother, I am dying; what shall I do?_my_sins! my sins!" His anxious mother answered, "There is mercy in the last hour;" and he said, "Oh, mercy! mercy! Lord, have mercy;" and then he gave way to weeping for a long time. The next day his mother thought it advisable to ask a man of God to talk with him, and sent for Mr. Harbour. When he heard Mr. H. was come, he was greatly distressed, for he did not think he could talk to a minister; but after some persuasion he consented to see him, and was very glad he had done so, for he was the means of encouraging him to hope in the mercy of God through Christ. He was always pleased to see him afterwards. When any one asked him how his mind was he would say, "It is very dark; I have no comfort," and he always wanted some one to be reading to him when he had strength to listen. His concern for his soul was very great and manifest till the last week; and then, being so exceedingly weak, he was very drowsy, and often thought his desires and concern were not deep enough to be 66 66 right, or he could not sleep so much. He often felt comfort from the latter part of this passage, "and for them that thought upon His name (Malachi iii. 16). He could come in there, he said. November 20, when labouring hard for breath and suffering from extreme weakness, he said, Oh, my illness and suffering would be nothing to me if I did but know I should get safe at last.' On the 21st a friend asked him if he had any more comfort in his mind, when he shook his head and said, "No, I wish I had." And she said, Do you feel willing to fall into the hands of the Lord, venturing upon His mercy?" and he said, "Yes, that is all I can do." On the 22nd we saw a change in him, which we feared was death. His sufferings were very great through the day, and as the evening came on, we did not think he would live the night through. In the night he was heard to say, "O my poor soul! my poor soul!" and then was quiet again for a time, and all of us that were present thought we should not hear him speak again, thinking he was in his last moments; when all at once his countenance changed, and he revived, and looked around at us all, and said, “Jesus Christ is come! Grandmother, Jesus Christ is come, and has had mercy on me! Oh, bless Him, praise Him, glorify His name;" and then he said, "Mother, trust in the Lord; and you, grandmother, trust in Him." His mother said, "I can part with you now, my dear Alfred! How good the Lord is to come at the eleventh hour! There have been many prayers put up for you; how good the Lord is to hear and answer prayers on your behalf!" and he said, "Yes, tell them He is come, and tell Mr. Harbour;" and then he said, "I want to pray to Him." He was too weak to put his hands together without help, and then he said, "I thank Thee, O Lord, for all Thy |