3l6 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. IX. 



sitteth beside the refining furnace a great Master who can 

 transmute the vilest human dross into gold seven times 

 purified, and died that he might procure for us the elixir 

 of life, and secure for his people a blessed immortality." 



Without passing beyond the ten years to which we have 

 limited our consideration latterly, we shall only add, as a 

 closing stanza to this portion, one more quotation from a 

 letter to Mr. A. Macmillan, in June 1854: "This is a 

 peaceful Sabbath evening, and my heart is full of grateful- 

 ness to God for many and great mercies to me. Amongst 

 these are my friends, and my gratefulness shapes itself into 

 a prayer to God that He will give them His choicest bless- 

 ings, make them like His own dear Son, Christ the Lord, 

 and fill them with His Spirit. And may we all have some 

 work given us to do for Him, and find such pleasure as the 

 angels feel in doing His work and obeying His will ! " 



The desire to conduct a Bible class was more fully met 

 by a request from some young men, in 1852, to meet with 

 them on Sabbath evenings. It was gladly responded to, 

 and some of them remember with vivid interest those hours, 

 and the elucidations given of the book of Hebrews and that 

 of Ecclesiastes. Very full notes remain as evidence of the 

 great care and diligence with which preparation for these 

 meetings was made. His broken health and constant over- 

 work made it impossible for him to continue this work long, 

 dear as it was to him. His services on behalf of the Medi- 

 cal Missionary and other benevolent Societies, can only be 

 glanced at. It may safely be said that, according to his 

 ability, yea, often far above it, as regards physical strength, 

 he was at all times found to be " ready to every good work." 



The constant strain made upon his energies by the work 

 of winter and summer, made the short periods of relaxation 



