“WHY should I,” says Dr Duff, the great missionary, in a letter to a daughter, “who have been the child of so many mercies, be faithless or doubting? If any man living should trust in the Lord absolutely, and cast upon Him the burden of all his cares, personal, social, official, domestic, surely I am that man. All my days I have been a child of Providence, the Lord leading me and guiding me in ways unknown to me—in ways of His own, and for the accomplishment of His own heavenly ends. Oh, that I were more worthy! But, somehow, I feel as if the more marvellous the Lord’s dealings with me, the more cold, heartless, and indifferent I become. Is not this sad—is it not terrible? All the finer ores are melted by the fire—the earthly clay is hardened. Oh gracious God, forbid that this should continue to be my doleful case! May I not resemble the clay any more! May I be like the gold and silver ore; when warmed and heated by the fire of thy loving kindnesses, may I be melted, fused, purified, refined, assimilated to thy own holy nature. O Lord, soften, break, melt this hard heart of mine!”