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expedition ; the health of Mr. Peck's little daughter 

 was in a critical condition. On reading this the 

 diary records : " My feelings cannot be fathomed 

 by others." Then there was a letter from the 

 Committee of the Church Missionary Society, 

 asking the missionary to consider the advisability 

 principally on account of the uncertainty of 

 means of communication of abandoning this 

 Mission next year. 



It might be supposed that in spite of fruit having 

 been gathered in, the agony of separation from 

 his loved ones, and the disappointment concerning 

 the fall of some of the candidates for baptism, Mr. 

 Peck might readily have persuaded himself that this 

 was the voice of God. This thought too might 

 have gained additional force from the consideration 

 of his own health. His throat was a constant 

 source of trouble and pain to him, from time to 

 time even laying him aside altogether. He was 

 not, however, one to allow the wish to be father to 

 the thought. We discover this when we are allowed 

 to read his meditation on this proposal of the 

 Committee. " God does close as well as open 

 doors. But after due consideration and prayer 

 what conviction comes home to our soul ? We 

 ought not to abandon this work. Means of com- 

 munication better than the present can be formed. 

 If we give up our position here, we practically 

 give up the key of Christ's outpost. The utter- 



