206 less than a twelvemonth; and in 1838 (the year before he died) he had formed about seventy young men's societies in the United Kingdom, France, and America. The nature and object of these associa- tions will be best explained in his own words:— "These societies consist of young men between the age of fourteen and thirty-five, of good moral character, and professing no opinions subversive of evangelical principles. The members of each asso- ciation meet periodically, under the superintendence of a pious and experienced president, for purposes of mutual improvement and benevolent exertion. The Bible is considered as their rule, and all political dis- cussion is prohibited. "Young men thus associated have had their minds and time occupied with that which was profitable, and so far they have been saved from that which was injurious, at a period the most dangerous in the life of man, when his passions are strong, when he is least disposed to submit to wholesome restraint, and most liable, through ignorance of the world, to be led astray by the subtle infidel and the embrace of her who flattereth with her lips. "In these associations, native talent that lay hid has been brought to light, cultivated, and directed. Young men who were favourably disposed to reli- gion, but not decided, have been won to Christ; those who in business or otherwise were necessarily associated with the infidel and licentious youth of their own age, or with masters of iniquity, have had their minds fortified, and in the hour of imminent peril have been preserved or rescued. Young men who lacked a judicious counsellor have found one in their president; others who desired suitable and profitable companions have met with them in the members of these associations. The timid have been encouraged, and the forward youth has been re- strained." Proceeding to state the beneficial public effects of these young men's societies, Mr. Nasmith thus con- tinues:— "These associations have united young men of various ages, grades in society, and attainments in religion and piety, and furnished opportunities to each of receiving and doing good. They have been found nurseries for the agency and committees of our Christian-visiting, tract-distributing, Bible, mission- ary, and benevolent societies. Missionaries now in heathen lands have gone from their ranks; home missionaries, pastors of churches, and secretaries of various Christian and philanthropic societies, can bear testimony to the advantages they have derived from their connection with young men's societies. "Some most useful and valuable societies now ex- isting have originated in, and been mainly promoted through, the influence of young men's societies. I have known an infant-school erected, and paid for; prisons visited; the spiritual welfare of seamen pro- moted ; a Sabbath market stopped; Sabbath-schools established; people of colour instructed; the sick visited; the destitute relieved; temperance pro- moted; seventy-nine sermons preached; and 290,000 tracts and handbills distributed at two fairs, all through the united efforts and influence of young men's so- cieties." But all merely human institutions, however pure and elevated their aim, must be subject more or less to the corruptions of humanity, and Nasmith, while enumerating the benefits of these societies, was obliged to acknowledge their occasional shortcomings. In some instances they had failed to produce that benefit, either to their members or others, which might have been expected or that was desired, and the causes of this he has manfully and frankly stated to be the following:—"The indisposition of men of piety, sound judgment, and experience to pre- side over them, and thus guide the youthful energies of their members;—the determination of young men of ardent zeal to have their own way, even to the an- noyance and injury of the whole body—an attempt at a display of one's own powers rather than a deter- mination to use them only to the edification of his as- sociates—a love of the showy instead of the solid— the irregular attendance of the presidents, and of the more experienced members of associations—the in- troduction of a spirit of criticism—a want of forbear- ance with the young, the ignorant, or the weak mem- bers ; so treating them as to lead to their discourage- ment and ultimate withdrawal—a departure from that practical reading of the Word of God which ought ever to characterize that part of the exercises of their meetings; and these," he concluded, "are some of the difficulties that have impeded the progress and efficiency of young men's societies." These, how- ever, were the inevitable evils of all such Christian institutions; they annoyed David Nasmith, but they had also annoyed the apostles themselves. Even in the great work of regenerating the world it was im- possible but that offences should come. But the great enterprise of Nasmith's benevolence, to which all that had gone before was only a prepara- tive, was the establishment of city missions, which he commenced in Glasgow in January, 1826. At that time efforts had been made to preach the gospel to the poor in school-houses and other such places as they would attend. But these were only desultory and individual efforts, and as such they proved a failure. The myriads of poor in such a city as Glasgow could not be overtaken by the occasional labours of a few ministers, and these preaching visi- tations, few and far between, left little or no perma- nent effect upon their auditories. The benevolent men who had originated the practice acted without any established system; and the clergymen who were employed in such extra labours were in demand at so many different stations, that they withdrew, declaring they could stand it no longer. Nasmith waited per- sonally upon eighteen ministers, and asked how many sermons they would undertake to preach in a year; but when only sixty-seven sermons were promised, he saw that this was scarcely more than sufficient to supply the requirements of a single station. The plan was then devised of setting apart one or more persons to carry religious instruction to the poor in their own dwellings; but here the sectarian spirit in- terposed, so that each individual was willing to con- tribute only on condition that the missionary belonged to his own religious denomination. Nasmith saw that churches, not individuals, were needed to sus- tain such a work, and accordingly he commenced with his own brethren, the Nile Street congregation. They entered heartily into the design, and without any sectarian limitations, for a plan was drawn up that embraced the whole city, and upon such a broad basis that every denomination could unite with it. Six young men of the congregation were chosen to collect the funds necessary for the support of a single missionary, with three seniors to select and superin- tend him; and before the day of meeting a sister con- gregation intimated their desire to unite with them, from whom an equal number was united to the com- mittee. Thus the Glasgow City Mission was formed on the first day of January, 1826. Before the year had closed eight evangelical denominations were united in the board of management, and as many city missionaries were in active employment. At the end of the second year the number of missionaries had increased to thirteen, with an adequate fund chiefly