world even despises. His knowledge, however, of the New Testament made him desirous of obtaining the whole Bible, and he travelled to Lyons to purchase one; but he would do nothing without first consulting his spiritual director, who was a Capuchin monk. He confessed his design to him. "No, no," replies the monk, "do not read the Bible; it's all very well for learned men; but you would entirely lose yourself if you were to read it." He determined, though heart-broken, to obey his spiritual director, and to leave Lyons; but on crossing the bridge, he cast one more look of regret at the city which contained the muchdesired Bible. Again he determined to return and purchase it. "No," he says, "it is a temptation of the evil one;" and he sadly continued his journey home. A year passed by. On some solemn occasion, at the confessional, he asked permission of the priest to read the Bible and New Testament. At first the confessor appeared inclined to accede to his request, but concluded by refusing it. On his return home, he fancied he heard the voice of God himself, which told him to read his book con. tinually. He did so, though he returned yet once more to mass; but the scales had fallen from his eyes. Image-worship and other idolatries now appear to him to be monstrous errors. He wishes to leave the church; but, to avoid making a disturb. ance, he waits till the mass is concluded. While obliged to wait, he reads attentively the portions of the New Testament contained in the Romish liturgy, and then leaves the church, bidding a final adieu to Rome and to the Pope. The evangelist stationed at Tarare soon became acquainted with him, and instructed him more fully in the way of the gospel; but it is by the simple reading of the word alone that he was led to reject papal errors. We trust he is now sincerely converted. The seed sown in good ground had taken strong root, and its fruits were soon visible externally. He is very useful to the cause of the gospel, and has made many sacrifices for it.

We cannot conclude this review of our undertakings without mentioning our Infirmary. This establishment was formed in 1844. The necessity for a hospital for our Protestant females appeared so urgent that we felt forced to satisfy it, looking in faith to Him who is abundant in means. During the two past years we have received much encouragement: several sick persons have learned to know the gospel; others have fallen asleep in the Lord. At the present time we have one person who has learned the love of Christ during her sickness, and rejoices to be with him. Our past experience respecting our Infirmary shows it to be an indispensable complement to the work

of the gospel in Lyons and its neighbourhood. A thousand families are open to the gospel; and we trust that the number will soon become still larger. These families belong nearly all to the working classes, exposed to sickness, and who have no other refuge than the general hospital. Did our Infirmary not exist, it would frequently happen that persons listening to the gospel, and being forced to put themselves into the hands of the so-called Sisters of Mercy, would be exposed to lose, in this sad place, the good impressions previously produced. In our Infirmary they can pass the solemn days of suffering, contemplate the fruits of the gospel, enjoy Christian instruction, and make the most rapid progress in divine things. When on the point of opening our Infirmary, we published an appeal to our friends in France and elsewhere; for, alas! appeals are almost the only resource of a poor church, and which has before it an immense work from which it cannot recede. This appeal was liberally responded to, and we commenced the year 1846 with a balance in hand; but since that period, the assistance we have received is so small, that, in spite of the strictest economy, we had, on the 30th June last, a deficiency of 6,500f., and which has since increased. We informed our friends of the state of our funds in our Report of the Infirmary, and although some few of them have come forward to assist us, yet this has been insufficient; so that our distress has continued to increase. What must we do? We know the many Christian and benevolent works that our brethren and friends have had to sustain, especially during the past winter; we know that it appears less interesting to support a recent than to form a new establishment; and although other infirmaries in France are sufficiently provided for, yet we have been tempted, by our increasing deficiency, to ask ourselves, "Must we give up this tower which, reckoning on the kind assistance of our friends, we had began to build ?'' Nevertheless, we take courage when we look to God; and though he may try our faith, we cannot believe that he will permit our establishment to be closed, which would be a great misfortune to us, an opportunity of triumph for the enemies of the gospel, and a fatal blow to the missionary work. Perhaps these lines may induce the numerous friends of Lyons to add to all they have done for our city a fresh mark of their generosity, by regularly assisting our Infirmary.

We annex a few detached facts. The work at Lyons proves, more than many others, that souls must never be despaired of. One of our agents visited a family, where he met with but little encourage. ment. One day the father said to him,

after a long discussion, "You would not so easily refute my son as you do me; you should talk to him." A rendezvous was fixed for the young man, but he would not attend. Happening to come in at the time, he would not so much as speak to the evangelist, but went to bed. Another agent afterwards called, but was so badly received, that he had not sufficient courage to return. Some time afterwards the first one called again; but matters were very much changed. The mother said to him: "I hope the Lord will have mercy on me, and open my heart to understand his will." Our brother's surprise increased still more, when the son held out his hand to him, and excused himself for having been so rude on the former occasion. "Ah!" said he, "I was then very wicked, and at war with God; but I have read his word, and have found peace for my soul." This family perseveres in the way of truth.

A young woman, whose husband was a soldier in the African army, came into France to receive an inheritance. She was to go to the north; but she preferred remain. ing at Lyons, where she had formerly spent her time very agreeably in the pleasures of the world. She contrived to combine a passionate love for the theatre with very great devotion to the virgin. She discovered at Lyons one of her old friends, who, in the meantime, had embraced the gospel. One Sunday evening, this young person was going to the theatre, when she met her young Christian friend, who was going to the chapel, and said to her, "You are going to your church, and I am going to mine.' "Ah," replied she, with a sigh, "would to God you were going to mine." They separated at the door of the theatre; but the next minute the young worldly woman changed her mind, and running after her friend, they both entered the chapel together. One of our deacons, as is the usual custom, gave each of them a tract. The one he gave to the young Christian woman, was "The Doctrine of Scripture on the Worship of Mary;" and as it had a brightcoloured paper cover, her friend exchanged it for her own, which had none. This tract, which was not intended for her, was the instrument which was to break, at one blow, her love of the world and her attachment to the Church of Rome. She read it several times. Her conscience was alarmed. If the worship of Mary gave way, she saw that all her religion must go with it. She would do all she could, however, to save it; and solemnly promised the virgin she would remain faithful to her. The following Sunday she went to mass; but she had hardly entered the church, when her tract came into her mind so strongly that she could listen to nothing else; and, on returning

home, she read it over again. From that moment she gave up both mass and theatre, and her sole pleasure is attending our religious meetings. She seems to devour the word of God; and one of our sisters, with whom she now lives, gives the most satisfactory testimony to the sincerity of her conversion.

Six months since we mentioned a conference that had taken place between two zealous Popish partizans and our pastor, in the house of an old colonel, and which had been useful to him; it was also to be useful to some others. The principal Popish speaker printed a pamphlet, which he entitled, "The Triumph of Truth over a Chief of the Heretics ;" and pretended to give an account of the defeat of the arch-heretic, who, it was said, had been vanquished by some poor weavers, and had been obliged to hide his shame by flight. Some thousands of this pamphlet were distributed in Lyons; but, by God's blessing, by which the efforts made in favour of error turn to the advantage of the truth, this publication has fulfilled its title very differently than its author intended; and we know of a good many persons, in whose hearts it has really accomplished the triumph of truth; or, at least, produced serious impressions in favour of the gospel. One young man, a devout Romanist, who had had some discussions with one of our agents, and to whom this pamphlet had been given, as an arm to defeat all heretical colporteurs, immediately called upon our brother with it, persuaded that he was now invincible. There was little difficulty in showing him that, in order to prove the authority of the Romish church, the author began by undermining that of Scripture itself; and that, in order to become good Romanists, the book proved that we must begin by becoming infidels. The young man was much struck with this, and began to doubt of a church which could only be established by the destruction of the Holy Scriptures. He bought a New Testament, and soon after was knocking at the door of the chief of the heretics, to be more fully instructed in the way of truth. Another person, who is exceedingly zealous for the gospel, and who has introduced M. Cuenod into about a dozen families, has been awakened by this publication.

The following is one of the fruits of M. Laugt's ministry, since he has been labouring at the Guillotière, and which we give in his own words :-" I saw Mrs. M. for the first time," says M. Laügt, "on Whit-Monday; she was then merely indisposed. I announced the gospel to her; but she did not seem to understand it. A few days afterwards I called again, and found her in bed. As soon as she saw me, she said, 'Ah, Sir, you do well to come to see me again. I

have been thinking continually of what you said to me lately, and I wish to hear you again. What would have become of me, if I had died without seeing you again?' I then spoke to her of the grace of God. She listened with tears in her eyes. I then said to her, Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God?' Yes, Sir.' Do you believe that he died for our sins, and rose again for our justification? Yes, I believe that.' Well, God has said, that whoso believeth in the Son hath eternal life.' 'But must I not do something to merit this great salvation?" I replied to this question, and continued speaking some time to this awakened soul; but she did not yet perfectly understand. The next day, when I called again, she cried out, Ab, Sir, I understand now: we must not do works to merit salvation, but from gratitude to God, who graciously saves us. Ah, Sir, how happy I am!' What makes you so happy?' 'I um happy because of what Jesus has done for me.' Are you now afraid to die?'

Oh, no: I am ready to die when God pleases. I know I shall go to my Saviour.' She has since expressed a wish to take the communion, which I had the pleasure of giving her, with a few friends who were assembled in her room. Never have I seen a soul enjoy a deeper and more heavenly peace. She communicated to all around something of her own ineffable happiness. She was full of love to the Saviour and to the brethren; and in our infirmary, to which she was afterwards removed, she caused much joy to the attendant sisters. Since writing the above, this happy Christian, who was called at the eleventh hour, has rejoined her Saviour." We have rarely witnessed a more glorious end.

We must conclude with a word on the state of our funds. We have already alluded to that of our infirmary: our others are likewise deficient. Our evangelization fund was indebted 9,000f. on the 1st July last; and our deficiency goes on increasing, and

will become very great indeed by the end of
the year, unless our kind friends come to
our assistance. Even the above sum is a
very heavy one for the poor of Lyons. Our
different works have rapidly extended; and
our own resources, instead of increasing,
tend rather to diminish; for the additions to
our church are principally from the poorer
classes, who not unfrequently require assist-
ance themselves from our poor's fund. This
year our expenses have been increased by
the establishment of our new chapel at the
Croix Rousse; we are therefore compelled
to ask our brethren to renew their sacrifices
for us.
In geographical extent, our field of
labour is not very large; but if estimated at
its real value, we are convinced that it will
be found to be one of the finest and most
important in which the gospel is preached
at the present day. Some of our brethren
are beginning to feel that Lyons is a place
on which vigorous effort should be concen-
trated. The Continental Echo has recently
mentioned that enormous sums are annually
sent hence by the Propaganda Society, for
the dissemination of popish errors in differ-
ent Protestant kingdoms. Two hundred
thousand francs, or 80007., are annually
sent, for this purpose, into Great Britain
alone. Protestant Christians should make
similar efforts, and returning good for evil,
secure the abundant preaching of the truth
in what may be called the head-quarters
of error, and the very seat where Satan
dwelleth.

For the Evangelization Committee,
G. FISCH, Pastor,

Côte St. Sebastien, No. 11. Donations thankfully received for the Evangelization Committee of the Church of Lyons, by-The Foreign Aid Society, Exeter Hall; Messrs. Hankeys, bankers, Lom. bard-street: Mr. E. Suter, stationer, 32, Cheapside; Messrs. J. Hatchard and Son, 187, Piccadilly; Messrs. J. Nisbet and Co., 21, Berners street; and by the Record and Patriot newspapers.

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VOL. XXV.