Examined and certified by me, as duly entered in the books of the Mission, JAMES WADDELL (of J. WADDELL & CO.),

Fellow of the Institute of Accountants,

Mansion House Chambers, 12, Queen Victoria Street, E.C.

Received for the Missions and Bible-women Nurses, with thanks :-Parcels of clothing, paper pillows, old linen, &c., from Mrs. E. B. Allon; Anonymous; Miss Danvers; C. B.; Gee Jah; L. M. D. N.; Mrs. Oakes; M. A. H.; Mrs. McBayne; Mrs. Joy; Mrs. Robertson; Mrs. Barrett; Mrs. H. Stuart; Miss Walford; Mr. Fraser; Miss Goldsmith; "L," Bayswater; Miss Brady; Miss Braikenridge; Mr. Brightwen; scrap books and clothing, from Mrs. De Soyres; books, &c., from Anonymous, and Miss L. Stokes; text quilts, from Mrs. Bryan; shawls and old linen, from Mrs. Palmer; feather pillows, shawls, &c., from Mrs. Larkins ; hospital letters, from Miss Barclay; Mrs. Robertson; and Mrs. Pedley; and old boots, for St. Giles', from Miss Kirkpatrick, and Anonymous.

Received for the Flower Mission, for distribution to the sick poor :-Cut flowers, from Miss Huish (weekly); Miss Wilson; Mrs. Wigram (weekly); Mrs. Brightman (weekly); Lady Rendlesham; Miss Sharp; and Irene.

Contributions to the LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSIONS can be received by the Honorary Secretary, Mrs. Ranyard, 13, Hunter-street, Brunswick-square, London, W.C.; by the Hon. A. Kinnaird, M.P., addressed to the Bank of Messrs. Ransom and Co., No. 1, Pall-mall East; also by Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, and Co., 54, Lombard-street; and by Messrs. Nisbet and Co., Berners-street. Money Orders should be made payable at the Post-office, Burton-crescent, W.C., in the name of Ellen Ranyard, and cheques crossed Ransom and Co.

C. A. Macintosh, Printer, Great New-street, London.

THE BIBLE NEEDS TO BE STUDIED.

"THERE are thousands of homes where the Bible is read, perhaps daily, and reverently read, but never STUDIED, and there is a wide difference between the two. It may be read for years, and yet there may be no increase in spiritual knowledge, no clear intelligent grasp of the truth, no deepening of heart holiness; and in such cases it will frequently be regarded as a matter of daily routine, a duty to be performed, and conscience would be disturbed if it were left undone, but clearly it is not thought of as a pleasure for its own sake.

"If looked into closely it will often be found that private reading is confined either to the Psalms or the Epistles and Gospels in the Prayer-book, and these usually read without references, without attempt to draw an individual lesson from the passage, and, alas! without prayer beforehand, for the help and teaching of the Holy Spirit.

"We can hardly wonder that such reading fails to influence as it should the Christian's daily walk and conversation; the very end and aim of a daily study of the Bible should be growth in grace, in knowledge, in holiness, in all things lovely and of good report.' 'As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby' (1 Peter ii. 2).

"It is not by any one act of devotion, or by great efforts at long intervals, but by a daily prayerful study that our spiritual knowledge and power will be built up; 'precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little' (Isa. xxviii. 13).

"And it must always be remembered that a deep loving interest in the Book itself only comes from first loving Him whom the Book reveals, and the reverse is sorrowfully true. Distaste for the Bible arises from want of love to the Saviour, whose word it is. Yet that love can only be cultivated by further knowledge of Him, to know whom will be to love Him, and this knowledge will be given to the earnest student, therefore none such need be discouraged.”*

• We quote these introductory remarks from a valuable little book called "Practical Thoughts on Bible Study," in good print, and very simple, yet suggestive of varied modes of study, by Mrs. George Brightwen, which has VOL. IX.-No. 7.

By the Bible readings in the Opera House and elsewhere, which this season it has actually been "the fashion" to attend at least once or twice, the Book of God has been afresh presented to the notice of a far wider circle in London than perhaps in any previous year of the city's history. Bibles were never before so plentiful as now, but they are in the hands of thousands who have thought them very dull and dry reading, and who but rarely open them except in connexion with a Church service.

Now, however, even the well-known Lessons for the day may strike upon many an ear with new force. We hope that not a few of the listeners to Mr. Moody's earnest and vivid expositions have been struck by the fact that he at least is a real believer in all the Book contains, and they may have made a resolve to redeem some of their hitherto frittered hours for Bible study, and to listen to the Scriptures as the very voice of God.

How gladly and readily will numbers of those who have already loved and studied their Bibles try to help these new readers, and has not many an old reader been stirred up likewise throughout the length and breadth of the land, by a great variety of conferences, conventions, and other instrumentalities, to search more and more "the faithful Word?" to see in quiet hours whether the things that they have heard are according to its teachings. This will be the best possible reactionary result on our own minds after all the mighty gatherings and concourses to which we have lately been accustomed.

This stirring up, this wide-spread calling of attention to the things that concern salvation is surely of the Lord, and it will not be evanescent if it sends us back to our Holy Scriptures-so long possessed, so multiplied as to copies, but so little read. In this age of fast living, of vast correspondence, and perpetual interviews, our very guides and shepherds of the flock, when we inquire concerning any view which a new student brings out of Scripture, "Is it so or not?" too often tell us, "We do not know when we shall have time to consider it." Yet what so much worth time? and as time trends towards

reached a second edition, and may be very useful to many. Hamilton, Adams, and Co. Price 9d.

Eternity, the Spirit of God is opening the Scriptures to those who devoutly meditate upon them in a way little known even to our fathers.

There are many diggers for hid treasure. Is not God Himself now coming forth as the expositor of His own Word, of its history and of its prophecy, in a way that will make all nations hear, and refer them back to the old records of His ancient people? Has He not called Himself "The Ancient of Days," and are we not nearly at the close of those four worldkingdoms of Daniel's dream? God bids us read after 2,500 years the disinterred records of Assyria and Babylon. Persia, Greece, and Rome Rome Pagan and Rome Papal—have in turn held rule over East and West, and now that those "thrones are cast down" (see Daniel vii. 9) what is to follow, but the kingdom of the Son of Man, the everlasting kingdom, in which "all peoples, nations, and languages shall serve Him, and when judgment shall be given to the saints of the Most High"?

This is the Scripture foundation for Mr. Moody's expressed belief that we are on the eve of some great crisis of judgments before which the Heavenly Shepherd is gathering His sheep into His fold and then sending each forth to gather in others without delay. The wedding garment waits, even for the halt and the maimed, and the lame and the blind. The highways and hedges of the country side-the streets and lanes of the city-shall all have their message from God, "Be ye also ready," ""whether they will hear or whether they will forbear."

The robe of Christ's righteousness is ready, the feast is spread, and in the hour of the Fall of great Babylon, the everlasting Gospel is to be preached to every nation and kindred, and tongue and people (Rev. xiv. 6), and a great multitude of these," which no man can number," of our own and all past generations, besides the "sealed ones" from every tribe of God's ancient people--all known to Him-shall 'ere long stand before the Lamb with white robes and palms in their hands, their earthly probation ended, and their worship the worship of the New Jerusalem.

Is not all this written in the Book, and, reader, will you not search for it?