Home.

I HAVE a home above,

From sin and sorrow free;

A mansion which eternal love

Designed and formed for me.

My Father's gracious hand

Has built this sweet abode; From everlasting it was plann'd My dwelling-place with God.

My Saviour's precious blood

Has made my title sure:

He passed through death's dark raging flood,

To make my rest secure.

The Comforter is come,

The earnest has been given;

He leads me onward to the HOME
Preserv'd for me in heaven.

Bright angels guard my way,
His ministers of power,

Encamping round me night and day,
Preserve in danger's hour.

Lov'd ones are gone before,

Whose pilgrim days are done;

I soon shall greet them on that shore
Where partings are unknown.

APPENDIX.

ORIGIN OF THE CHILDREN'S CHINESE BIBLE FUND.

(From the English Presbyterian Messenger.)

A short time before Mr Burns went out as missionary to China, he called upon a family in Edinburgh to take farewell of two friends, who would have been very unwilling to part with him if they had not loved very much that Church which was sending him out-and loved still more the souls of those poor heathen to whom he was to be sent and loved most of all that kind Saviour who had put it into his heart to go. While he was there, the nurse came into the room with their infant son, then only a few weeks old. The missionary took the little child's hand, asking its name, and when told that he had not yet received a name, "Oh, that does not matter," he said, "if Christ marks upon him his " new name;" and then he prayed that his name might be "written in the Lamb's book of life."

In August 1852, when Mr Johnston, who is gone out to China to join Mr Burns and Dr Young, was in Edinburgh, he called on these kind friends of our mission and of our missionary, and as he was sitting talking to the mother, the same little child, then a fine boy about six years of age, came in, leading his younger brother, each with a piece of money in his hand, which they gave to the

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missionary, who asked them what he was to do with their halfcrowns? "It is to send Bibles to China," they answered. 'And why do you wish to send Bibles to China?" "Because they will tell the Chinese children about Jesus." "Do you pity the poor children of China, who know nothing of Jesus?"" "Yes; mama often tells us about them." "And do you know of any one who is preaching to them just now?" "We have often heard of Mr Burns, who is out in China." "But have you ever prayed for Mr Burns, that God might bless his preaching, and change the hearts of the ignorant and guilty people?" "Yes," said the little boys: and after a few more questions such as these, when they were gone, their mama told our missionary that they often prayed for Mr Burns and Dr Young and the Chinese children, and that they had a little prayer-meeting with herself on the evening of the first Sabbath of every month, when a great many Christians all over England, and Scotland, and America, unite in prayer for our Chinese mission. And we have been told since, that after that short meeting with Mr Johnston, they never forgot to pray that he might be sent out, and taken safely there, and that he might lead many Chinese children to Jesus. They would sometimes pray thus: "Teach Mr Burns and Dr Young the right way to seek the lost Chinese sheep; teach them what to say about the true God to the Chinese, that they may stop praying to the other gods that are not gods."

It was only a few months after this that the same family were going to visit their friends in Manchester; and, as the two boys were going with their parents, they had a busy time before they set out, making everything ready for their journey-putting aside the toys and things they wished to leave until they came back again, and packing up carefully the books they meant to take with them. The favourite book of the elder one was the Bible, and his

employment during part of the journey was searching out the passages referred to in "The Gospel Story," which he was to begin as his lesson on the following Sabbath-the first Sabbath of his seventh year. They travelled by the express train, and got so quickly over the ground, that soon they were within a few miles of their journey's end, and were beginning to talk of those they would see there. "We shall so soon be there, that this is the last biscuit we shall eat till we get to Manchester." Their father asked them to make choice of a Psalm to repeat to him. The elder repeated the first Psalm; his little brother the 121st, each choosing his favourite ; and then in concert, the 23d-" The Lord's my shepherd." They had not very long finished the last verse

"Goodness and mercy all my life

Shall surely follow me ;

And in God's house for evermore

My dwelling-place shall be;'

when the train, which was going very fast, began to shake from side to side in a way that alarmed the older people; but it did not frighten the boys much,—perhaps they thought they would be the sooner home. And so they were :-suddenly the engine went off the rails, there was a tremendous crash, and in a moment the youngest was home!-the happy spirit was in the Father's houseit was only the body of clay that was lying on the bank of the railway. The eldest lingered patiently for thirty-six hours, as if uncertain whether to remain with his beloved parents, or to join his little brother; but he too went home, "which was far better," for "In God's house for evermore, Their dwelling-place shall be."

The toys in Edinburgh will remain long untouched; the little hands that placed them there will not remove them. The friends who