Greatly shocked I hurried to the house, trembling for the state of his soul. On entering the room it was indeed a dreadful sight; the poor young man, but a few hours ago full of health and strength, now lay moaning on his bed. His mother stood beside him in an agony of grief, and a few friends were with her endeavouring to comfort her, and to do what they could for the young man. "O my boy, my poor boy," she exclaimed, as I entered, "can't you do something for him, sir? O do speak to him? O his soul! his soul!" I approached the bed, but the pain was so great that the sufferer could not speak though he seemed to recognise me; at last, as if he felt himself unequal to give his mind to any thing, he muttered in a feeble way, " bye and bye." The pain soon increased, and it made one's heart ache to see him writhe in his agonies. I then urged his mother and his friends to kneel down with me and pray for him, as he had no longer power to pray for himself and he seemed getting No sooner had I begun to pray, than he sighed deeply, a change passed over his counte nance, and in a moment he was gone!

worse.

I need not say with what deep sorrow I went homewards after I had endeavoured to console the poor broken-hearted mother. The best con

solation I could not give her; I could not speak of a holy and saintly death; I could not say that I had a sure and certain hope of her son's salvation. Many a time have those words wrung in my ears, "bye and bye," and they came into my thoughts as I stood this evening by his grave."

After thanking the vicar for telling me this sad history I wended my way home. " How many," I said to myself," how many there are at this very time, who, like that young man, say of the things of their souls, of the one thing needful, 'bye and bye."" They are always putting off the chief concern; they are always delaying from month to month, from year to year, to turn to their Saviour and to do His will with an earnest mind. What a sermon does that grave preach! How, from his coffin, does that young man, though dead, cry out to the living who put off the service of their Lord, and urge them to seek the Lord while He may be found, and to call upon Him while He is near.

You, my friend, who are now reading these pages, take warning from this poor young man's end. Do not trifle with your soul; do not trifle with your opportunities; where is he now who once said, "bye and bye?" Where will you

be soon? Can you make sure of a single day? May not some accident sweep your soul into the presence of God? Some common day when you go out to work, thinking to come home safe at night, your life may be taken from you. O do not say to your Saviour that you will serve Him bye and bye;" serve Him now; serve Him quickly, or you may be lost.

JOHN HENRY PARKER, OXFORD AND LONDON.

DOORS OR NO DOORS, OR THE RE-ARRANGEMENT OF M- — CHURCH CONSIDERED, IN A LETTER TO THE PARISHIONERS.

It has been for some time my wish to offer to you some observations on the subject of the rearrangement of All Saints' Church. And since all are desirous to re-arrange the Church in the best manner, I invite you to take the trouble to read the few pages which follow, and to give due consideration to the matter, because I am fully convinced that the more the question is considered, discussed, and weighed, the more it will be perceived that the best practicable arrangement of a parish Church is that which provides for the parishioners at large appropriated seats, unencumbered with doors.

It would be unanimously agreed to omit pew doors if it were seen that they are unnecessary, and inconvenient, unsightly, and at the same time costly, and, worst of all, a symbol of division and separation, where all should be community of heart and worship. These are the points to which I wish to draw attention.

Doors are unnecessary, for without them the

seats designed for your Church supply all that is required. They afford place and convenience for the worshippers to stand whilst they utter their praises to the Most High, and profess their faith in Him; to kneel whilst they confess their sins, and humbly pray through the One Mediator to their Father in Heaven; and to sit whilst they listen to and receive the message from on high, conveyed to them in the words of Holy Writ read and expounded.

But I said that the proposed plan will, without the addition of doors to the seats, supply both place and convenience to the parishioners and others.

Whatever may have been the case in other times, and under widely different circumstances, it is, in my opinion, at this time, much to be desired that, as far as it can possibly be contrived, every parishioner should have a sitting appropriated to him; appropriated not in such a sense as that he shall be able to let or sell it ; but so that he may use it; that when he enters his parish Church he may at once know to what part of the venerable building he is to direct his steps; that he may be able to leave and to find, from day to day, his Bible and his Prayer-book in their accustomed place; that he may more fully enjoy all that indescribable and yet real satisfaction (I might almost say, all that help to