was learning to know Him. I would not even then have missed the trial.
He became so near, so real, so intimate. The occasional difficulty about
funds never came from an insufficient supply for personal needs, but in
consequence of ministering to the wants of scores of the hungry and
dying ones around us. And trials far more searching in other ways quite
eclipsed these difficulties; and being deeper, brought forth in
consequence richer fruits. How glad one is now, not only to know, with
dear Miss Havergal, that----

"They who trust Him wholly
Find Him wholly true,"

but also that when we fail to trust fully He still remains unchangingly
faithful. He _is_ wholly true whether we trust or not. "If we believe
not, He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself." But oh, how we
dishonour our LORD whenever we fail to trust Him, and what peace,
blessing, and triumph we lose in thus sinning against the Faithful One!
May we never again presume in anything to doubt Him!

The year 1857 was a troublous time, and closed with the notorious
bombardment of Canton by the British, and the commencement of our second
Chinese war. Rumours of trouble were everywhere rife, and in many places
the missionaries passed through not a little danger. In Ningpo this was
especially the case, and the preserving care of GOD in answer to prayer
was consequently most marked. When the awful news of the bombardment of
Canton reached the Cantonese in Ningpo their wrath and indignation knew
no bounds, and they immediately set to work to plot the destruction of
all the foreigners resident in the city and neighbourhood. It was well
known that many of the foreigners were in the habit of meeting for
worship every Sunday evening at one of the missionary houses, and the
plan was to surround the place on a given occasion and make short work
of all present, cutting off afterwards any who might not be present.

The sanction of the Tao-t'ai, or chief civil magistrate of the city, was
easily obtained; and nothing remained to hinder the execution of the
plot, of which the foreigners were of course entirely in ignorance. (A
similar plot against the Portuguese a few months later was carried out,
and between fifty and sixty were massacred in open daylight.) It so
happened, however, that one of those acquainted with the conspiracy had
a friend engaged in the service of the missionaries; and anxious for his
safety, he was led to warn him of the coming