Christ, will meet you and take you in; and the supper will be waiting, and the fires of love burning, and the light and glory of His presence all seen. What a welcome you will receive! And perhaps the memory of what you did for me will come back upon you, bringing waves of pure joy. At any rate, don't fear the dark passage, nor the dark messenger. Receive it all as the little child did, and you will find the home. My prayers will be for you till you are out of sight, and then I will look forward to meeting you again."

The happiest part of Dr. Todd's early life was spent under the roof of this aunt. It seemed to have been a free, open-air life; laborious, no doubt, but with much affection in it, and without any hard or grinding element, as is often unfortunately the case with those children who do not happen to have a father's house for their home; and still better, the light of religion shone in it and hallowed its surroundings, and so the good impressions of early childhood were deepened and strengthened in his mind. As time wore on, and his faculties expanded, his great desire came to be to do good, and for this end he sought to cultivate his mind to the utmost. He said, "It was all I had with which to do good." But, as his after life showed it was a very important and efficient "all." And what talent can any one have which, if he put it out diligently to usury, will not bring in a rich return? We are apt to think, if we were rich what great things we could do, but riches may be overrated. Dr. Todd, in a letter to a young man long after, says, "I congratulate you on being poor, and thus compelled to work; it was all that ever made me what little I am. Don't flinch, flounder, fall, nor fiddle, but grapple like a man, and you'll be a man." In whatever circumstances we may be placed, let us set the great end of doing good before us, and work conscientiously towards it, seeking to realise that of what we possess in any shape, we are but stewards. And by doing good you must not think I mean being a minister or a missionary, or the founder of an hospital, or something out of the ordinary way. Any of these may or may not come in time, but at present doing good may mean nothing more wonderful than soothing a little sister, amusing a sick brother, doing a kind turn to a schoolfellow, giving the soft answer that turns away wrath, coming home with a cheery smile on your face instead of a sulky frown; and in short, following the example of Him who pleased not Himself. And then, though we may not have the talents or opportunities of Dr. Todd, we shall be useful in our own spheres, and may have the happiness of smoothing the rough places in the path of our fellowpilgrims, and even of turning some little feet into the way of life.-From the United Presbyterian Magazine for June, 1876.

OUR FOREIGN MISSION.

THE painful tidings have just reached us of the death of the devoted wife of our Missionary. The sad event took place at Bombay on the evening of Friday the 26th September, and when they were thus far

on their homeward journey. Mrs. Anderson's health has not been very good for some months, and her medical adviser had strongly recommended her speedy return to Scotland; but as travelling in the extreme hot weather is so fatiguing and dangerous, he thought a few weeks delay might be risked. The symptoms do not seem to have been alarming till shortly before they set out for home. From the brief account of her death that has come we gather that she felt very wearied with the long journey to Bombay-600 miles. On the day following their arrival there, very severe fever set in, her pulse beating at the rate of 140 to 160 per minute. At nine o'clock in the evening she fell asleep in Jesus, and was buried next day in the Sewree Cemetery. We feel assured that all connected with our Church will hear of Mrs. Anderson's death with feelings of deep regret, and will sympathise very deeply with Mr. Anderson and his children-the youngest of whom is but a few months old. Ever since going out to India, Mrs. Anderson gave herself heartily to the advancement of the Lord's work among the Gonds. She visited the females in their miserable dwellings, she taught the girls in the Bungalow, and she took a motherly interest in the orphaus. But her work is done and her warfare ended, and now in mid-time of her days she has been called away from the society of her husband and children, to the more immediate presence of her Divine Lord and Master. We believe that she did her duty faithfully and well in that distant land, and her labours of love and works of charity among those for whose souls no man cared, will not go unrewarded. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." The bereaved husband thus writes, "One life-a very precious one to me--has been given to God in connection with our Indian Mission, and her dust shall rest in peace on India's shores till the resurrection morning."

Mr. Anderson expected to leave Bombay about the 10th of October, so that he may be expected home about the first week of November. May our covenant God conduct him and his motherless children in safety to our shores, and greatly comfort them by the way. On Sabbath the 24th August, Mr. Anderson had the privilege of baptizing two men-one a Pardhan and the other a Gond, and one woman, the wife of one of the first Pardhan converts. A little girl who was taken into the Orphanage on the 29th July, died two days thereafter. She was suffering from dysentery and extreme emaciation when admitted; but it was hoped that by careful nursing and nourishing food, along with medical aid, she might recover. It was not, however, the Lord's will that she should be restored. Little Janka passed away on the 31st July, and her mortal remains were laid in the cemetery on the following day. On the 13th September another little girl was admitted to the Orphanage, an orphan of the Pardhan caste. was baptized on the second Sabbath of September, and named Janet Miller. David Gajadhar's connection with the Mission was to cease on the 15th September. No one has yet been appointed to fill his place.

She

To show with what feelings the intelligence of Mrs. Anderson's death was received at Seoni, the following quotation is taken from a letter received on the 27th October from Mr. Bose. Under date of 30th September Mr. Bose writes-"This morning the post brought in the startling, sad, and heart-rending news from Mr. Anderson, from Bombay, that Mrs. Anderson entered on her rest at 9 P.M. on the 26th instant. I need hardly tell you how much shocked we all have been here by this grieving intelligence. The feelings of grief and sorrow which have overwhelmed us can better be conceived than described. The announcement of the sad news this morning filled the compound with loud crying and wailing amongst the members of my family and the inmates of the Orphanage, to whom Mrs. Anderson always proved a tender mother. We all personally feel a heavy loss by her death, and it is a terrible and irreparable one to Mr. Anderson, who, though remarkable for his spirit of resignation and strong Christian fortitude, will no doubt feel his spirit weighed down when he comes to realise fully the loss which he and the motherless children have sustained. Mysterious, indeed, are the ways of providence, but we have the assurance that behind a frowning providence our heavenly Father hides His smiling face, and that all things work together for good to them that love God. You will no doubt hear directly from Mr. Anderson all about the latter end of Mrs. Anderson, of which I am ignorant from this distance. But I have the assurance, from what I knew of her and saw of her while languishing here on the bed of sickness, that for her to live has been Christ, and to die has been real gain. No person could have manifested stronger and better proofs of saving grace in the heart than those displayed by her while undergoing the severest afflictions, which led me to remark to others that she was ripening fast for heaven. She has really entered on her rest, and her works do follow her. She will be missed long in our midst, especially by the orphan children over whom she watched with the tenderness and carefulness of an anxious mother, and whose loss they feel more deeply than that of their real parents, when they became orphans in the world."

Literature.

Plymouth Brethrenism: A Refutation of its Frinciples and Doctrines. By Rev. Thomas Croskery, Londonderry. Pp. 168. W. Mullan & Son, London and Belfast, 1879.

WE gladly hail the appearance of this neat, full, and comprehensive volume on " Plymouth Brethrenism." Professor Croskery has shown himself already well acquainted with the subject. His "Catechism of the Doctrines of the Plymouth Brethren," published a number of years ago, which has gone through several editions, has done valuable service in exposing and refuting the leading errors of the system. Since, able articles from his pen in the "British and Foreign Evangelical Review" and other periodicals, showed that he had an enlarged acquaintance with the works of the Plymouthist leaders, and

exhibited the palpable opposition of their principal doctrines to the truths of Holy Scripture, and their injurious effects upon the Church, and to the cause of genuine religion and morality.

By the publication of the present volume, the esteemed author has not only presented his former statements and reasonings in an enlarged and much more satisfactory manner, but has aimed to give a full view of the Brethren's doctrines-their avowed aims and spirit, their manifold divisions, the embittered spirit of the different parties against each other, the reasons of their first success so wide-spread, and the grounds of believing that the system contains within it the germs of its own decay and extinction. The work, which is judiciously arranged and ably executed, is divided into three books--the Church--the Church and its ministry-the Church doctrine. Each of these is discussed in a number of consecutive chapters, in which are lucidly displayed the Plymouthist doctrines-bald extravagant assertions, and antisocial, intolerant, and persecuting spirit. The author labours throughout with the utmost candour to state the real sentiments of the Brethren, and gives in the notes ample quotations from the works and words of their acknowledged leaders. He avoids all harsh epithets and severe reflections, and seeks throughout, by clear exposition of the Scriptures and by sound reasoning, to refute the serious fundamental errors of the Plymouth system and its dangerous tendency. From the evidence which has of late become more and more apparent of the inveterate hostility of the Plymouthists against the ministry-order and doctrinal profession of all Protestant Churches-and their bold and persevering attempts to mar the work of Protestant missions in foreign lands, it becomes an imperative duty to know the system thoroughly, to give its abettors no countenance or quarter; but, on the other hand, to oppose and contend against it by all legitimate means, and in a Christian spirit. This work of Professor Croskery will prove most useful to those who are called to contend against Plymouthist errors, and encounter the wiles and misrepresentations of those who lie in wait to deceive the simple.

After stating clearly and at some length the causes of the original success of Brethrenism, the author assigns various reasons to show that it is "not destined to have a long reign." He shows this from "the history of similar developments in the past "-from "the divisions and heresies which have rent and disordered it almost since its foundation "-from "the want of evangelistic zeal in Brethrenism," "want of preaching gifts" among its leaders, and its "remarkably anti-social aspect." Plymouthists in Italy have actually driven back converts into Romanism. The author applies to Brethrenism properly a saying of Andrew Fuller about Sandemanianism: "There is not a surer mark of false religion than its tendency and aim being to make proselytes to ourselves rather than converts to Christ." At the end there are given a few important practical directions to ministers and people throughout the evangelical Churches, in relation to resisting the proselytizing inroads of Plymouthists. These are1, "The Churches ought to look to their own soundness and piety;" 2, “Our Christianity ought to be of a theological type; there must

be the preaching of a full gospel, greater evangelistic zeal, and individual dealing with souls in the matter of salvation;" 3, "Great wisdom in dealing with those who have been temporarily seduced by Plymouthist teaching." "It ought to be the prayer of all the Churches that the Lord would guard His people against the seductions of a system, which, if it obtained general currency, would reproduce in these latter days those dangerous strifes and wanderings which divided the primitive ages of the Church."

Speaking at the close of the spirit and future prospects of the Plymouthist system, the author quotes one of the brethren as declaring " Anarchy, as a matter of fact, is running riot now among brethren, and every fresh difficulty will produce some fresh confusion." He adds-"If all Christendom were Plymouthist to-morrow, it would be splintered into a thousand fragments in the course of a few years." We need say nothing more of the heresies of Plymouthism. It is not, indeed, a substantive religion. It is a mere transitional phase of religious speculation. Dr. Tregelles often lamented the Romeward doctrines veiled in apparent sanctity which were current in Brethrenism. On its ecclesiastical side it tends to Romanism, as in its doctrinal side, it tends to Rationalism. Darbyism, indeed, has been called Popery to the Church, as Romanism is Popery to the world. It has, as a matter of fact, given converts to Popery and to Rationalism. Can we believe that a system so unstable is destined to endure! Again, Mr. James Grant says "I know, indeed, of no sect so utterly devoid of kindness of heart. Darbyism is the most selfish religious system with which I am acquainted." It disregards all the usual courtesies of evangelical brotherhood. Its separative influence in family life has been already referred to. Miss Whately says-"We see on every side wives refusing to pray with their husbands, brothers estranged from brothers, daughters leaving pious parents to lead a life apart; close and happy ties of affection and friendship severed. I never knew a family that Plymouthism entered that it did not wreck its happiness. What sort of religion is that which does nothing but disorganise family life?"

We cannot but add that the style in which the work is issued does great credit to the publishers-Messrs. Mullan & Son.

Ecclesiastical Entelligence.

Edinburgh PRESBYTERY.-This Presbytery met on the 2nd September-Rev. Thomas Hobart, Moderator. Mr. Alexander Smellie, M. A., Student of Divinity, gave in the remainder of his Trials for License, which, like the former parts, were most cordially sustained. Thereafter having expressed his readiness to join in the Bond in Covenanting on the first opportunity, Mr. Smellie was licensed as a preacher of the Gospel.

GLASGOW PRESBYTERY.-Upon the 30th September the ordinary meeting of this court was held. On resuming consideration of the case of Řev. Charles M'Lean, M.D., the clerk stated that he had cited him to appear at this meeting, and had received no reply to this citation. Upon the ground of additional information it was resolved, that seeing Mr. M'Lean has not obeyed the citation to appear at this meeting, and that there is now additional reason