Our next subject will be, Isaiah x.x.xv. 8--_The King's Highway, and its Travellers._

Your affectionate friend, H. S. L.

THE EDITOR'S CLOSING ADDRESS TO HIS YOUNG FRIENDS.

Dear young friends,--We are nearing the close of another year, and we may be nearer the close of our mortal career than we think. What a mercy if we belong to Christ! If so, we are blessed indeed, for those who are His are forgiven their iniquity, are justified from all unrighteousness, are reconciled to G.o.d, and made "accepted in the Beloved." Oh, that you, dear reader, may enjoy that blessed portion! Then, come poverty or wealth, sickness or health, life or death, all will be well with you.

All such are the children of G.o.d, and none besides. To those who love Him, He will say, "Come, ye blessed of My Father"; but to those who are "without Christ" He will say, "Depart, ye cursed!" Which will be your lot? G.o.d grant that you may be taught to flee as sinners to Him who "died for the unG.o.dly," and who has said, "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." We trust you will never find rest and peace only in coming to Christ. If our feeble labours in sending forth the GLEANER are but blessed to this end, we shall be amply rewarded, and we wish the Lord to have all the glory.

Dear young friends, we do not ask you to join the "Salvation Army," so called, but we hope you may be an army yourselves, seeking to spread abroad good reading among both young and old; and we believe that the GLEANER and SOWER will be found most acceptable and adapted for such a purpose, therefore we ask you to join the "Try Army," and shall be glad to receive the names of any who are willing to enlist, to whom we will send sixteen Magazines, post free, monthly, for one shilling and twopence. The postage rate, however, will not allow us to send a less number at a reduction, but a larger number can be sent in proportion, for schools. The Almanacks are nicely got up, and will be found useful to put on walls in bed-rooms, &c. We hope that you will get orders for as many as possible. We will send fifteen for one shilling, post free; no less number can be sent at a reduction. This we do to encourage our readers to obtain subscribers, and to spread abroad the Magazines. The Yearly Volumes are very nice books for presents. GLEANER, picture boards, very attractive, three volumes, four shillings; GLEANER, cloth, also SOWER, cloth, three volumes, five shillings, post free.

Now, dear young friends, we hope you will become a "Try Army," and that we shall see pleasing results arise from your efforts. We hope, too, if spared, shortly to greet you again with "A Happy New Year," and may the Lord bless you each and all with the best of all blessings, that we and you may rejoice together in His mercy, and live to show forth His praise.

Trusting you will not forget us, and that we may still be helped to pray and labour for your good, we remain,

Your affectionate friend, THE EDITOR.

P.S.--Scatter abroad our _Friendly Words_, 1s. 6d. per hundred, post free. All are pleased to receive them.

AN EXPLANATION.

In inserting the article, "The Fish that Swallowed Jonah," in last month's GLEANER, we had no idea of controverting the testimony of Scripture, but merely to show that the quibbles raised by sceptics, as to the truth of a whale being able to do so, are at least very silly.

G.o.d could very easily prepare a whale for such a purpose. But, as sharks are included in the term used in the original by Christ, the word "fish," as in Jonah, would be quite as correct.

THE EDITOR.

PRIZE ESSAY.

THE DISOBEDIENCE OF OUR FIRST PARENTS, AND ITS RESULTS.

In the Bible it is said that Adam was formed before Eve, and that they were both placed in Eden, where there was one tree of which G.o.d said they might not eat. It is also said that Adam was not deceived, but the woman, being deceived, was first in the transgression (1 Tim. ii. 13, 14).

Probably the woman was by herself when the tempter came to her in the likeness of a serpent, and told her that she would not die if she partook of the fruit which G.o.d had commanded her not to eat; but if they took of it they would be as G.o.ds, knowing good and evil. With this saying the tempter succeeded in getting the woman to take the fruit of the tree of which G.o.d told her not to eat, for she looked upon it as "a tree good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise" (Gen. iii. 6), and she wanted to be as G.o.d. All this was instilled into the heart of the woman by the tempter, and G.o.d being left out of her thoughts, she now takes of the fruit of the tree, eats of it, and gives to her husband, and he also eats of it.

Such was the fact of disobedience, which was most heinous in the sight of G.o.d. Thus they both fell from that happy state by this one act of disobedience, and were no longer allowed to remain in paradise. Their life was forfeited. Man became dead in sin, and was placed at a great distance from G.o.d, no more in paradise, but under the power of the prince and ruler of this world. The result of this act of disobedience has filled the earth with pride, self-will, and violence; for all the vice and misery that have ever been known in this world, have been the result of disobedience. All that descend from Adam are born in his fallen image, are sinners against G.o.d, and judgment has come upon all men to condemnation. But "where sin abounded, grace has much more abounded," since Christ, the Seed of the woman, has come, as G.o.d said, and has bruised the serpent's head, that as "sin has reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. v. 20, 21), who hath abolished death, and "brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel" (2 Tim. i. 10); and by His act of obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, believers are made righteous in Him--"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ"

(Rom. v. 17).

JAMES HERBERT COLLINS (Aged 11 years).

_Commissariat Office, Cork._

[Very good Essays have also been received from Ada Cannings, Leonard Luc.o.c.k, Bessie Hills, E. B. Knocker, W. E. Cray, W. A. Tooke, and R. A.

Stevens.]

[The writer of the above Essay receives a copy of "The Loss of All Things for Christ."

The subject for February will be, "Why was Saul Rejected of G.o.d?" and the prize to be given for the best Essay on that subject, a copy of "The Life of John Newton." All compet.i.tors must give a guarantee that they are under fifteen years of age, and that the Essay is their own composition, or the papers will be pa.s.sed over, as the Editor cannot undertake to write for this necessary information. Papers must be sent direct to the Editor, Mr. T. Hull, 117, High Street, Hastings, by the first of January.]

IF aught good thou canst not say Of thy brother, foe, or friend, Take thou, then, the silent way, Lest in word thou shouldst offend.

Interesting Items.

M. DE LESSEPS declares that the Panama Ca.n.a.l will be opened in July, 1890.

SINCE the beginning of her reign, Queen Victoria has been paid approximately 30,000,000 by her subjects.

THE daily consumption of needles in America is said to be 4,200,000, most of which come from Redditch, England.

THERE are 3,100 Smiths enrolled in the city directory of Philadelphia.

There are 250 John Smiths and 310 William Smiths.

CAPTURE OF A SWORD FISH.--A specimen of the sword fish was captured, a week or two ago, in Long Reach, Milton Creek, Sittingbourne, by a bargeman. The fish measured 5 ft. 2 in. from end of tail to tip of sword.

CAROLINE HERSCHEL, the accomplished partner of her brother's astronomical labours, never could remember the multiplication table, and always had to carry a copy of it about with her.

THERE are now in the United Kingdom 1,350 workmen's retail stores, with nearly one million members, and a capital of 9,000,000, besides some millions on deposit. The sales last year to members were over 25,000,000, with 3,000,000 profits.

VALUABLE REMEDY FOR ERYSIPELAS.--One handful of sage, two handfuls of elder leaves, one ounce of alum. The whole of the foregoing to be boiled in a quart of iron water from the blacksmith's forge, until reduced to a pint. To be used as a wash.

THOMAS EMMITT, a man employed on the permanent way of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, has received intimation that a gold medal will be presented to him for his bravery in jumping on to a runaway engine at Blackburn, and stopping it.

IT is said that, in 1887, no fewer than 22,131 human beings died from snake-bite in India, and the number of cattle killed by snakes was 2,514; 417,596 snakes were destroyed, and 25,360 rupees were paid by the Government as rewards for their destruction.

THE question of the Sunday opening of libraries is being excitedly agitated in Bolton. A week or two ago Lord Hobhouse addressed a meeting, presided over by the Vicar, in favour of opening, and quoted a letter in support from the Bishop of Manchester. The clergy of the diocese have organized an opposition, the Vicar standing alone in support of the opening, and recently, at a large gathering, a resolution against opening was carried with the wildest enthusiasm, an amendment by a leading Socialist being defeated.