me," and then you shall at that great day hear these words of most loving welcome, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world," Matt. xxv. 34. "It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared," Mark x. 40. Read the beautiful description of it in Rev. xxi. 22—27, xxii, 5. How wonderful to think of such a home prepared for every one of us who loves Jesus? In Heb. xi. 16, we read, "He hath prepared for them a city," and Ps. cvii. 36, "That they may prepare a city for habitation." For our closing verse let us turn to our Lord's own comforting words in John xiv. 2, 3. "In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also." When we read such promises as these, do not our hearts echo the exclamation of the Psalmist (Ps. xxxi. 19), "Oh, how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee!" "Is there, dear Lord, a place for me,

Prepared and freely given ?

Where Jesus is I long to be,

For there I find my heaven!"

Next Monday we will look at the things which we also should prepare for.

"SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS."

WOULD the reader like to know of two or three instances in which this hymn has been found welcome during the last month, and has indeed carried the Gospel to departing souls? The surrounding circumstances are sketched from the life, and culled from various journals of our workers.

A young married woman only in her 20th year, whose former life had been very gay and giddy, was dying of consumption. The Bible-woman found her out, and in every visit besought her to seek that her soul might be saved and her sins pardoned, but she replied with utter indifference, would listen to none of the offers of mercy, and showed not the least signs of regret or repentance.

The Bible-woman still continued to visit her, for she saw she

17 was near death; and as she went in early one evening was glad and astonished to hear her ask her to stay with her. Remaining for a considerable time she of course again brought before her the sweet promises of the Saviour to the sinner, and sang to her some of her favourite hymns, among others the one which begins :

"Safe in the arms of Jesus."

The dying girl on hearing it turned quickly round, saying:"Oh! do sing that once again, it is so sweet."

It was sung, after which the poor thing seemed to slumber; but after a while turned round, saying:

"Where is the Biblewoman?" who answered, "I am here." Mrs. T then describes the expression of her countenance as being actually fearful, her eyes looking as if they would burst out of her head with horror; and all her features telling, by anticipation, of the miseries of a lost soul. She shrieked aloud, “Mrs. T——, I am lost-I am going straight to hell-I tell you Christ cannot pardon me. I am lost! lost! lost!" After which she fell back exhausted, and lay for some time as still as if she were dead.

But the Bible-woman had yet some hope; she knelt by her side and prayed once more most earnestly that God would still have mercy for Christ's sake in this last hour, and it seems the prayer of faith cannot have been unheard, for when the dying one rallied again for a few moments, she lifted her closing eyes for a few moments to look round for the Bible-woman and to say, "Oh! Mrs. T I have seen Jesus, and He has forgiven me: it is to heaven I am going. God bless you. Pray for my husband. I am forgiven. Good-bye," which were her last

words.

B-—.

Another visitor says, "I have to tell you of Mrs. B--. She joined our meeting two years ago, just after we opened it, but soon after she came among us she drooped in health and you kindly sent her to Walton; she returned looking so well, that we quite hoped she would recover, but she soon went back again. I wrote to you about her, and you gave me a letter for Seaford, with a little money to help her. Again she came back looking

C

better, that was this spring. Shortly after I called upon her, she had just got down from the loom, having vomited a quantity of blood; since then she has gradually become weaker and weaker in body, but more and more heavenly-minded; you could see the change in her. She tells me she lies and thinks of the Bible-lessons she used to hear in the meeting, and blesses God for having led her there.

"On Monday she told me she asked God to take care of her husband and daughter, and she felt He would, for He had answered one prayer in making her husband a kinder and better man. At her request I sang the beautiful hymn :—

'Safe in the arms of Jesus.'

A sweet smile came over her face. I do so like it,' she said, and wish, if it is His will, I could be with Him this night.' She did pass away shortly afterwards. So gently, so lovingly. He calls His lost sheep one by one to Himself.”

From a Nurse report we cull the following:

“ Mr. B——, only twenty-eight years old, but suffering from a complication of complaints, consumption, dropsy, erysipelas, &c., &c., had been upwards of two months ill. His trade had been that of a working undertaker, and it was supposed that the bad and putrid smells he had imbibed had poisoned his blood, for he seemed diseased all over. He had a wife and three children, and another expected at the time of his death. "Nurse says:

"When I first saw him he knew nothing of the spiritual life. He had occasionally been into places of worship, but did not seem under any concern about his soul, yet from the first he asked me to read and pray with him. The Bible-woman also visited him very frequently, and used to sing and pray with him. She was the first who sang to him:—

'Safe in the arms of Jesus,'

which seemed to have a great effect upon his mind. He was so very grateful for everything I took him. I always made the beef-tea, or corn flour, or anything I had to take him, myself; for he used to say he never tasted anything so nice,

so beautiful, before. But it was the singing that seemed to take hold of his heart.

'I am now a child of God,'

was a great favourite. He was never tired of listening to it. The last time he could speak to me he said, 'Sing to me "Safe in the arms of Jesus," and made me sing it twice over, and then Sweeping through the gates.' 'Ah! Nurse,' he said, 'If you don't see me again, you'll know that "I'm sweeping through the gates.' He was resting on Jesus alone for salvation, and nothing seemed to satisfy him, or give him ease, but to hear of Him. He died November 16th, and I feel sure he is now with Him who casts out none who come to Him. The pain he suffered was at times most excruciating, so that he was almost beside himself for a time. I was away at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, I went home to see my children, and felt I must first run in to see him, as he lived near my house. He was then half-delirious with anguish. His poor wife could do nothing with him; he was threatening to break the window and cut his throat with the glass, but on hearing my voice he became calm. I did what I could to ease the pain, and then sang to him and soothed him, and he never

Once while

had such a paroxysm again. He was so grieved at this outburst of impatience that he often mentioned it with sorrow afterwards, and prayed that God would forgive him that sin especially.

"His widow is in very destitute circumstances. She clings to me as if I were her mother, and is so grateful for what has been done for her husband. She really seems at times as though she would lose her senses with grief and destitution, and yet I hope her mind has been seriously impressed during her husband's illness, and that this trial may be sanctified to her spiritual good."

"WHAT HAST THOU THAT THOU DIDST NOT RECEIVE?”

"DEAR MADAM,

"When this severe weather began I felt obliged to get warm clothing. I was able to supply my need, and then I thought 'Surely I ought to remember how many are suffering c 2

from cold and have no remedy.' I resolved to send you ten shillings as a thankoffering for my own mercies, and a small help for the supply of others. Will not some of your readers try and make some acknowledgment to the Giver of all that they and their families receive?

"Yours truly, A RECEIVER."

EIGHTEEN MONTHS' WORK AT HOXTON.

"MY DEAR MADAM,—

Eighteen months have now elapsed since I first took up the No. 2 Hoxton district, during that period our meeting has undergone considerable changes. Many of the mothers we then had have moved away to other places, and fresh ones have come in their room. While we do not like parting with our old mothers, we are still pleased to see new ones coming in; there is an earnestness and attention about them that we sometimes fail to see in many others who have been longer with us. Only one has been removed by death, the mother of a young family, who told us she never thought anything about her salvation till she came to the Mothers'meeting, but was now at peace with God, resting wholly on the atonement of Christ for acceptance with Him. Two have lately lost their husbands, one of them very poor indeed, she was so grateful for any little nourishment received during his illness; he died of consumption. Although the district cannot be called destitute compared with many others, still we often find those who at least need our sympathy, and also others who really require help.

"A few months ago I noticed one of our most regular mothers looking depressed in the Meeting; before she left I asked her if she was feeling ill; she said no. It was only after close questioning that I got the secret of her sorrow, her husband had been out of work several weeks, they had parted with many of their things, but told no one of it; being from the country they had no friends in London to whom they could go for help, and as the husband told me their relations in the country had all families of their own, and they could not ask anything from them! We gave them repeatedly a little tea, sugar, and bread, until the husband got into work.

"When they were just rallying a little one of their children was taken ill and died suddenly. I knew in the circumstances she could have nothing wherewith to get mourning, and through the help of one or two friends we were able to supply her with what she needed. I shall not soon forget the look of surprise that both of them manifested when I told them why I had come that evening. Both exclaimed, 'I am sure we never dreamt of such a thing; we never thought any one in London would come to bring us anything.' I tried to improve the death of the child by showing