New Connexion Sunday School, sickness which ended in conat that place, as a scholar; being sumption. Her medical adviser told the parents he had no hope of her recovery; the disease was too deeply rooted ever to be removed. During her illness she felt convinced that the voyage of life was nearly concluded. One day her mother asked her if she could wish to recover? She replied with fondest affection: "If it be the Lord's will I should, for the sake of my dear father and you; as I am your only daughter, I might render you some assistance in your declining years. But nevertheless," said the patient sufferer, "not my will, Ô my heavenly Father, but thy will be done." a girl of good natural ability, she made such progress in learning as afterwards to become a teacher in the Sabbath-school, and often has she been heard to say these days were the happiest of her life. In 1844, our sister and her parents joined the society-all meeting in the same class. In a short time, her father was appointed to be the leader. Jane's experience at this valuable mean of grace was generally short, but forcible. Her father says, religion with her was a good deal better felt and enjoyed than expressed; that is to say, she could not give utterance to her happy feelings, but could exclaim with our poet:"Angels assist our mighty joys, Strike all your harps of gold! But when you raise your highest notes, His love can near be told !" Our sister enjoyed a moderate share of health until 1850. Soon after this her father was conversing with Jane on the goodness of God. She said: "0 yes, bless the Lord, he is too good to be unkind; I believe it is for some wise end that I am afflicted; bless the Lord, O my November 9th. After the soul!" At another time, when Sabbath evening's service, her the class met (for it was held at parents discovered that some her father's house), he gave out derangement of her mind had one of our sister's favourite taken place. This was a sore hymns, "Come, thou fount of trial to the family and friends. every blessing," &c.; she exHow mysterious! She remained claimed: "Tune my heart to at home in this awful state about sing thy praise!" and when her four months, but not improving, father came to those words, "O her parents, very reluctantly, to grace how great a debtor," consented for her removal to the he was overwhelmed, and wept. asylum! She remained there Jane then took it up, and gave ten weeks, when, by the bless-out the remainder of the hymn, ing of God upon the means used, she was restored, and returned to her father's house in exerting all her strength to raise we meet in the mansion above, where all is assurance and peace, and sorrow and sin are no more." The heavenly messenger now came and put an end to all her sufferings. Her happy spirit took its flight at two o'clock, p. m., June 16th, 1853. Her death was improved at our chapel, in Newton Moor, precious to my soul. May the Lord help me!" The Lord answered that prayer. On the day she died, she called her brother Thomas to come near, and with true sisterly affection, before death had sealed her lips, gave him suitable advice with regard to his spiritual welfare. May those dying words of a dear sister have the desired effect! by Mr. James Farron, one of About an hour before our sister our local preachers, to whom departed, her father said: "Well, our sister Jane was peculiarly my dear Jane, I hope you have attached, having received much no fear of death?" No," she spiritual instruction from him replied, why should I fear? when appointed there. His text death has no terrors, he has lost on this solemn occasion was: his sting! and the world has no "She is not dead, but sleepeth." charms for me." A few minutes The chapel was crowded this before she departed this life, she evening, and the congregation held out her hand to her mother, retired deeply affected. and fixing her eyes on her, for the last time (it was a look of filial tenderness and love), as if she wished to say: "Bless you, my dear mother, farewell until 66 66 "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." A FRIEND. Newton Moor, Ashton Circuit, May, 1854. THE EDITOR'S DESK. QUERIES AND ANSWERS. is easily explained when another text is brought to shed light upon it. Hence, in Prov. xi. 8, we read "The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.” How often has this fast been exhibited, and how it clears away all obscurity and mystery. Take another passage in Isaiah xi. 3-4-"For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel. thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom; Ethiopa and Seba for thee," &c. Now, here is an historical illustration of the passage in question. Wicked Pharaoh and his people held God's people in bondage, and refused to let them go from the oppressor's yoke; and such was their stubborn resistance to God, that either the Egyptians must be destroyed or God's people must not be delivered; therefore, the Most High destroyed the Egyptians rather than his own promise should fail. Thus he made the wicked a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright. QUERY 2.-GOD'S PEOPLE DELIVERED AS PREY TAKEN FROM THE LION.-Amos iii. 12. DEAR SIR,- Knowing that you are willing, through the columns of our excellent magazine, the JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR, to explain any passage in the Scriptures that we do not ourselves comprehend, I respectfully beg an explanation of Amos iii. 12-"Thus saith the Lord: As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch." I remain, dear Sir, yours truly, JAMES BOOTH. ANSWER. The passage means that while very many of the Jews should be wasted and destroyed by their enemies, yet a few should escape. But these few should escape very narrowly, after being exposed to the greatest danger. This fact is foretold in a very strong and expressive figure. Amos, the prophet, was a herdsman, and the incidents of his pastoral occupation supplied him with rus tic and pastoral figures of speech. Here the enemies of Judah and Israel are compared to a lion, and the Jews to his helpless prey, on which he pounces with a deadly purpose; but as a portion of prey is sometimes rescued even from the lion by a daring hunter or shepherd, so should a small remnant of the Jews and Israelites escape, though with great difficulty, just as a man escapes his pursuers by stealth, after having been hidden for some time in the corner of a bed or couch. So, notwithstanding the dreadful ravages made among God's people by the tyrant monarchs of Damascus and Babylon, yet some few should be rescued, even as prey is snatched from the jaws of a hungry and devouring monster. QUERY 3.-WAS THE DEATH OF OUR LORD BY CRUCIFIXION NECESSARY? DEAR SIR, I shall esteem it a favour if you will answer me the following question. Was the Crucifixion of Christ essential to the Atonement, or was it necessary? I am yours respectfully, ANSWER.-The death of our blessed Lord and Saviour was indeed necessary for man's redemption; but the particular manner of his death by crucifixion was not absolutely necessary. Our Lord might have laid down his life some other way, and it would have been equally effectual for man's salvation. He might have died in the agonies of Gethsemane, and the atonement would thereby by the prophecy, but God, fore have been secured. But God, seeing their conduct, revealed foreseeing the unbelief and per- it beforehand. Nor does this secuting malice of the Jews, and mode of death lessen the efficacy that they would put our Lord of the Saviour's sacrifice, beto death if they could, permit-cause he freely laid down his ted their wickedness to take its life. No man could have taken, course in the crucifixion of it from him had he resolved to Christ, and even foretold that retain it; but, as the Redeemer it would be so. Hence the ful- of man, he freely laid it down, filment of that prophecy became and calmly suffered himself to an evidence of his Messiahship, die by crucifixion. Hence his and of the truth of Scripture. voluntary death becomes the This fact does not lessen the redeeming cause of our life and wickedness of the Jews; their salvation. Glory to his blessed conduct was not forced on them Name! POETRY. CHEER UP. NEVER SO gloomily, man with a mind, Gives with a smile what you take with a tear; Look to the light; Morning was ever the daughter of night; Many a foe is a friend in disguise, Many a trouble a blessing most true, Strive like a man ; This is the bravest and cleverest plan; |