making India as free in religion, land, and service, as our other dependencies. He who can and will do this will be the greatest benefactor of his species that the present generation has looked upon.

The Hive of Drones.- Dream.

ONCE upon a time I dreamed a dream; and lo and behold, in my dream I saw a hive of bees. The hive was a small hive: few more than a hundred cells were built within it. Each cell was occupied by a bee; but at the farther end of the hive were three larger cells-one in the middle for her majesty the queen bee, and the others for the queen's ministers.

Now it seemed in my dream, that the hive was before me for days, weeks, and months, in succession; but day after day, week after week, and month after month passed, and there was no movement in the hive. At last, I thought that the bees were dead, so I went nearer to the hive, to see if such were the case: and I noticed, on getting close to the entrance, that in many of the cells the bees seemed to be coming out, but had scarcely reached the opening, when they immediately drew themselves back. This occurred many times. Then I looked around for an explanation; and when I looked at the queen and her ministers, I saw that, as soon as the bees began to move in their cells, the ministers seemed with violent gestures to speak to their sovereign. What they said I could not hear; but I noticed that afterwards, the queen-often, evidently, with great reluctance-motioned to the bees to keep in their cells. Then the two ministers looked at each other, and were evidently gratified at their success.

So passed many days, and every day seemed alike. But one day, as I was looking, a bee from another hive passed by; and I stopped it, and asked the reason of the strange and unnatural scenes that were taking place in the first hive.

And the bee answered and said: "This hive is known amongst other hives as the HIVE OF DRONES; yet it is said that there are few drones within it. The cause of the phenomena that you have witnessed is, that the government of the hive is in the hands of drones. The two ministers that you see are two of the oldest drones known to the nation of bees. They were appointed years ago, before most of the bees came to the hive, and before the queen herself was elected. The queen has ever since been in their power. The bees, generally, sympathize with her in her painful and undignified position. She possesses amiable feelings, is of a kind nature, is actively disposed, and is what we call a GOOD bee. But she is weak, and she very much lacks strength and decision of character. The two drones keep her in their power by constant praise of her good qualities, which the queen is weak enough to receive, and by systematic and malevolent misrepre sentations of the bees, who want to get out of their cells.'

At this point the bee stopped, so I inquired,

What do the two drones say?'

'Well, for the honour of bees,' answered my companion, 'I would rather not give a direct reply to your question. You know that it is the duty of bees to be active. A good bee will never stay in its hive many hours. If it cannot bring anything to the common hive when it goes abroad, it should nevertheless be its delight to fly. It was made to fly, and it has taught much to other nations by its ceaseless and happy activity. Now the two ministers hold that it is better to be drones than active bees; and holding such an opinion, they wish to make all the bees in the hive drones like themselves. They think that, by the constant exercise of authority in favour of the repression of the more actively disposed, they will get the bees, by and bye, to like their cells better than the open air.'

'Will they succeed?' said I.

"That I cannot say,' said the bee. They are certain to succeed with some; but the probability is that, by some irrepressible outbreak, or by a sudden self-revelation of her miserable and degraded position to the queen herself, the hive will be broken up, and the two drones be left with those of a like disposition who may choose to stay. Others, however, are of opinion, that the two drones will ultimately put the queen out of the way, and force a drone like themselves into her place. The present condition of the hive is a scandal to the bee-world. Any bee who would revolt from the authority of the drones would do the reputation of bees in general a great service. And although he would be scandalized by many, he would be justly held in high estimation by all the best bees. For myself, I believe that not one only, but scores, will eventually become ashamed of their thraldom, and ACT LIKE

BEES.'

At that very moment, half-a-dozen bees dashed from their cells. The two ministers started to their feet, dipped their stings afresh in poison, and loudly addressed the queen. All the hive was instantly in a general hum, which became so loud that I awoke-and behold, it was all a dream. Then the meaning of the dream was made plain to me; and I mourned to myself, and said, "Ah! Lord, how many churches are like this HIVE OF DRONES!'

Pew-Rents. Another Testimony.

We have already, in past numbers of this journal, delivered our testimony against the system of pew-rents. Further argument on the question we feel to be altogether unnecessary. If ever overthrown and superseded by a wiser and a better method, it will be, as has been the case with everything in England, by the argument of experience only. Prove, not merely that a superior method is capable of being substituted for it, but that the superior method will pay better than the inferior one, and the matter will be settled without any further delay.

The best way, therefore, of helping forward this question is to adduce the testimony of experience; and, with this view, we quote a recent and very gratifying instance of pew-rents abolished.

In reporting lately to the presbytery of the English Presbyterian Church in London, Mr. Ballantyne, pastor of the new Kingsland church, stated that, on entering their new place of worship, the office-bearers had done away with the system of pew-rents. After a long and careful consideration, Mr. Ballantyne said, they came to the conclusion that the house of God ought to be free; that the rich and poor ought to meet in it on equal terms; that it was not the province of elders and deacons to put a price on places in it; and that the maintenance of gospel ordinances in it should be left entirely to the free-will offerings of the Christian people. This was a system,' he added, which the Free Church of Scotland had declared to be right, and which was adopted with great success in many Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Congregational churches in this country and in the colonies. The measure of liberality which his people were already showing under it, and the presence and growth of Christian principle, led him to believe that their treasury would be amply furnished for the support of the gospel amongst themselves, and for the increase of their usefulness in the district in which their lot was cast.'

6

Could any of our readers supply us with facts illustrative of the same position, viz., that, for the support of the ministry, people will give with a freer will, and give more largely, when not taxed according to the pew-rent system?

A Prayer for the Troubled,

When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me.'

APPEAR, O Thou, who very present art,
In rest recruiting, and in action guiding
Those who to Thee all-willingly impart

The heavy task of their deep want providing.

I know that secretly thou workest, Lord,
But openly reveal thy wisdom kind;
With thy sweet light my spirit turn toward,
As still my spirit turns toward thee, blind.

Open my vision and unlock the limbs

That know they live, yet in sad palsy lie:
Oh! stir the deep whereon my spirit swims;
Becalmed, afraid, my God to thee I cry.
Profound art thou in thy salvation, Lord;
Most subtly inward is thy holy work;
I know thy treasures are within me stored;
But ah, what spoilers still within me work.

Oh, save me from the dark deceiving worm,

Which wastefully devours what thou hast given; Save from that spoiler the engrafted germ

Of thy right will which angels do in heaven.

How holy and secure those angels kind

Whose gentleness the struggling church assists; Possessors ever of an open mind,

Free to the sun, untroubled with dark mists.

They seeing, know the ever-shining source
Of being and its blessedness, the Lord:
And in communion of life's hallowed force

They take and give, they ask and have thy word. Oh Thou one Lord, in Thee such being is

That from thee million spirits have their name: Still thou providest them with changing bliss, That still to thee their love may higher flame.

What heaven so high but love is still beyond?
What hell so deep that love is not below?
What length of time, or stretch of fancy fond;
What breadth of countries can creation show;

Such that love is inadequate to fill,

To reach, to brighten, and to reconcile ?
All in the all is Love, and hidden still

It opens with a new and heightened smile.
Here are we dark and weak, yet are we not
Excluded from thy glorious family;
Pain to thy children is a transient lot,

We suffer that from sin we may be free.
Angels and men, the prophet and the child,
These all are what they are by gift of thine;
No break or gulph is there, the undefiled
Are tenderly made one by birth divine.
If but a letter of the all-perfect name,
If but a mark of the celestial pen
Distinguish us, we will, despising shame,
Abjuring self, live boldly among men.

Named after God! a little like to him

In whom the entireness of the name divine
Brightly involved was once by woes made dim,
But now unfolded shines, yet more to shine.

Only by Christ can Jesus be explained,
Behold the Man, thy God! and thus become
An image of the love whence thou hast gained
The initial figure of an endless sum.

Oh fill us with the energy that filled

Thine own dark days, Great Master, with success;

Sustaining thee as still thy mercy willed

To share and so subdue the world's distress.

Thou who in Jesus wert in Jesus art,

My present Saviour art thou, therefore I

Seek life from thee through him that my new heart Of and for him and hope may testify.

How sweet to me is life when shadows grey
Threaten a sunset to my spirit's sun;
I would not into memory sink away,

And weary dreams of work too sadly done.
Return in light, faith to my faith impart,
Love to my love, and eyesight to my eyes,
Life to my life, and motion to my heart,

Nerve to my arms, and to these, victories. Restore my joy, let sweetly rippling peace Be in the stead of dark stagnating calm, In truth of thy salvation, Oh release

My bondaged spirit from engirding harm. So act in me that I from thee may act, Free with a liberty thou hast inspired; Then like a broken city recompact

My heart shall fortress be, and home desired.

Oh that partaker of that sweet content,

Which all who in thy love believe have known,

I may the primal blessing thou hast sent,

The dove-like peace, enjoy which from thy throne Forth-issuing visits every trusting heart,

To give to it the sign of that communion
In which the great and small alike have part,
Knowing each other in the same high union

Of heart to Thee, the first, the universal,

The great, the hidden one, yet the revealed;
Then here my song shall be a true rehearsal
Of melodies which heavenly voices yield,
That celebrate the good of everything
Which round about with various appealing
Offers thy love, Thou all-providing King

Its ever-growing gift each day revealing.

Show me the greatness of thine own transcending,
With tender trustfulness my spirit fill;
Then with each sorrow shall a joy be blending,
We grieve for sin, because we love thy will.

And grief which comes of holy love brings joy ;
Teaching us but our want to let us find
That thy consuming sunshine can destroy
The brooding shadows that oppress the mind.

Our soul its union with thy blessedness,

So feels that power begins again to flow,
And all these shadows of distressedness
Leaving, forth on our voyage true we go.

Only in bliss are they who are in truth,
The inward truth of holicst behaviour;

Keep me, O rescuing God, whose endless Truth
Still as we fall reveals thee as a Saviour.

Oh! be thy name written and read in me,
That Jesus so may be more glorified,

Then I, rejoicing in thy family,

Shall love with ever-lessening fear and pride.