now that every link of Popery is broken, and every man's bonds loosed. A few, indeed, sigh over the abominations, and in the south of France a cry is heard for the pure word of God; but the labourers are not found, or compelled to conceal themselves.' But notwithstanding this gloomy prospect there yet remained those who still cherished the remembrance of the piety of their ancestors, and many who still continued faithful to the truth. M. Vernier, who visited a place called Mirabel, between Saillans and Orreste, speaking of the reception he met with from the Maire says, 'He wished me to go to his house, where he as well as his family shewed me a great deal of kindness; he told me that formerly, in the days of persecution, the pastors were received and concealed by his family; he shewed me a large tumbler, on which were written these words-'I love God,' and the date of the year, being 1788, and which he informed me had been used by the pastors in the days of persecution, when administering the Lord's supper in desert places. He also shewed me a white embroidered linen cloth, more than a century old, which he said had been used to carry infants into the same desert places to be baptized.' Not longer than fifty years ago,' remarks Mr. Hartley, the Protestant religion was without toleration in France: though less active severity had been exercised under Louis XVI. than under his predecessors, I know not if even at that period a single Protestant temple was permitted by the government to exist. It was amidst rocks, and mountains, and forests, and beneath the temple of the sky that our Protestant brethren assembled together, to call on the name of our Redeemer! I myself have visited in the vicinity of Nismes, the desert where religious assemblies of this nature were held.' There are now 16,000 Protestants in that town, and 160,000 in the department of the Garde, in which Nismes is situated. In the neighbouring department of the Drome there are thirteen Protestant ministers by whom the gospel is preached. It has before been observed, that during the terrible reign of infidelity in France, which succeeded to the days of persecution, there yet remained not only those who cherished the remembrance of the truth, but those who yet continued faithful to it. It is diffi cult to follow into the secrecy of private life, the "hidden thousand" of the Lord, who remain uncorrupted by the evil influences around them; nor when they are found, do their lives ordinarily present aught to record except their faithfulness; yet this must attract to them the sympathy of those who have sufficient knowledge of human nature to feel how difficulties and temptations are multiplied, when every worldly circumstance, every domestic relationship, every daily habit is not only opposed to our religious faith and duty, but has a tendency to draw the soul away into an opposite direction. Mr. Hartley mentions a Protestant lady whom he met at Tours, whose husband had held a considerable rank under the empire. Married to a Roman Catholic in the days of Robespierre, completely deprived of the religious services of her church, and separated from all Protestant society, she still remained firm in her belief. At the time Mr. Hartley became acquainted with her, the close of life was rapidly approaching, and her heart was filled with the hope of meeting the Lord. She received the sacrament with the Pro testant congregation at Michaelmas, and returned to her country seat, intimating her intention of coming again to Tours for the same purpose at Christmas. Before that time arrived, she was no more, and Mr. Hartley was summoned to perform the burial service over her remains. Her grave was in the Roman Catholic cemetery of the village near which she had lived; and of the numbers that assembled round it to witness the funeral one only was of the same faith as herself, the minister. The change which is gradually pervading France is marked by a thousand faint, and, from day to day, almost imperceptible alterations. We hear, perhaps, of the arrival of a faithful minister amongst a congregation whose ancestors indeed were Protestants, but of whose faith they retain only the name. He enters the houses for the purposes of instruction; the inmates run about in wooden clogs, to drown that voice of exhortation which they are so unwilling to hear; he holds a religious meeting, and endeavours to preach to them; the laughing and talking of those close to him interrupts every word. Next we hear that the people are more orderly-that there is silence during public worship-that the meetings are well attended-that schools have been established. Then comes the mention of the pastor's hopes-of the many who have joined them in sincerity-of the multitudes who are flocking to hear. Nor is this confined to one, or two, or three places. The Sociétés Evangéliques employ one hundred agents, ministers, evangelists, and colporteurs in gathering the scattered elements of new churches, and confirming those already established. New places of worship have been built, new congregations have been assembled. At Lyons, Chalons, Bourdeaux, the numbers rapidly increase, and though the whole is but as a drop in the midst of the great population amongst whom they exist, let us hope it is a seed which shall bear an abundant harvest to the truth. 'Les véritables disciples du Sauveur,' as it is remarked in the Bulletin Trimestriel of the Société Evangélique, qui n'ignorent pas que son régne ne vient pas avec bruit, sont heureux et réjouis de savoir que l'évangile de Jésus Christ avance sans que le monde s'en apercoive, en faisant sans cesse de silencieuses conquêtes.' At Souville, in Normandy, a number of the inhabitants, with the mayor at their head, prepared a building in which Protestant worship might be conducted, and invited a minister from Cherbourg to officiate amongst them. The fields are white to the harvest,' but where are the labourers which should work therein? Look at the sums expended amongst the heathen, and the mite dropped into the lap of a sister country, for the benefit of those whose fathers were martyrs for the very faith we profess, and who are in many respects our brethren. It is not too much perhaps to say that about ten or fifteen years ago, a spirit nearly akin to hatred against France was instilled into the hearts of English children and English people; it is time that a feeling so unchristian should cease, and that a different territory, different laws, and a different language should no longer make one portion of the human race, the enemy of another. In alluding to the money spent among the heathen, I do not for a moment mean that it is commensurate either with their wants or their claims upon the civilized communities which have been so long regardless of them, but that there is not a degree of sympathy even approaching to that felt for the heathen entertained for those who need it as much, and who, in the midst of arts, science, literature, wealth, luxury and refinement, are as destitute of the knowledge of the Lord, as the Parsee who turns to the west to worship the setting sun. Infidelity, like a curse, seems to have fallen upon the land. Let us hope that the light which we now see is the early dawn of a better day for France, and if for France, for Europe also: for if Athens and Sparta were the eyes of Greece, England and France, so far as regards human power and human greatness, are the eyes of Europe. THE STORM. THE midnight waves roll on the shore, O Father, thou whose awful power, |