To the Editor of the " Gospel Herald.” Wood Hall, Stoke Ash,

Suffolk, August 16th, 1880.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,-Intelligence of the churches is generally so acceptable that perhaps you may be glad to have a few reminiscenses of a pleasant vacation tour spent with Christian friends.

August 3rd. Cambridge. Here every account of our beloved brother Jull's labours is more encouraging. A well-filled chapel, sermons received with pleasure and profit, the increasing regard and affection in which the pastor is held, are gratefully spoken of by all. A great Sundayschool centenary meeting was this day held in the magnificent Town Hall, which was opened by prayer by brother Jull, and all spoke with pleasure of the appropriateness and fervour of our dear friend's supplication.

August 5th.-Cottenham.-Visited the chapel in which Thomas Sutton preached, and payed also a pilgrim visit to the good man's last restingplace. A handsome monument has recently been erected to his memory by his son Cornelius, President of Argyle College. Thought of his direction to John Foreman at his ordination, "to look out for any of Christ's lambs who may be on the windy side of the hill, exposed to the cold blasts of tribulation and temptation, and to seek to bring them ministerially to the sunny side, where the soft rays of the Sun of Righteousness may cheer and revive them." The church is without a pastor, but earnestly desiring one. May the Master hear their cries.

August 7th.-Ipswich.-Glad news of brother Kern's continued prosperity at Bethesda. Zoar Chapel is yet without a minister, but the church keeps nobly together in unity and love.

August 8th.-Beccles.-Stood for

the first time in the late George Wright's pulpit with peculiar and solemn feelings. The unfavourable weather thinned the congregation, but we felt at home and happy. Visited the good man's home and study, which is kept just as he left it, and fancy pictured his tall form bending over his well-used desk as in days gone by. The friends are happy and hopeful, Mr. W. H. Smith, of Tenterden, Kent, having accepted a call to the pastorate after a sojourn of ten years with his present people. Our brother is known and respected in some parts of Suffolk already, and confident expectations are entertained of his success.

August 9th.-Yarmouth.-The little York-road Chapel, a model sanctuary for neatness and comfort, is still without a minister. Every one, however, appeared cheered with brother Beach's sermons on the previous day. A pastor is prayerfully besought by the brethren at the hands of the church's great Head.

August 11th.-Aldburgh-on-Sea.— Visited the neat little mission chapel recently erected, a branch of the Aldringham church. Our brother Bland's kindness to the Christians in this locality is great, and is gratefully appreciated. In company with brother Hill, happed on brother Archibald G. Brown, of Stepney, whose kindness and courtesy were great. His account of his recently-instituted orphanage was most interesting and touching. Shall venture to trouble you with some further particulars next month.

August 13th.-Saxmundham.-At the station we met with a Christian brother who worships at the small chapel in which brother Lockwood of Beccles ministers. We could hear of no great doings, but quiet little gatherings assembled, and blessing is realized.

August 15th.-Stoke Ash.-Hearing some while since of brother Hill's indisposition, we volunteered to preach for him on one of our vacation Sun

days. Accordingly the following bill was widely circulated: Baptist Chapel, Stoke Ash. On Lord's day, August the 15th, 1880, sermons will be preached (D.v.) by Mr. W. J. Styles of London. No collection. Come and hear." The invitation was not in vain; for morning and afternoon the spacious chapel was filled, and our hearts made exceedingly glad. Brother Hill is better. Rest and absolute freedom from ministerial work is, humanly speaking, all he requires.

Âugust 15th.— Occold. — Evening.

Was driven over to the Sunday-school anniversary, Found the quaint little chapel filled, to listen to brother J. W. Boud, of Earl's Soham. The singing was sweet, the sermon appropriate, and all seemed encouraged. The church is without a pastor, brother Cordle having left them.; but they, too, are earnestly seeking a faithful under-shepherd.

Here our jottings end. May God bless the churches of his grace. Ever yours,

W. J. STYLES.

STRICT BAPTIST MISSION.

INDIA.

AT Poonamallee, as recorded in the report from thence for June, some had been ill, including the native preacher, and his wife and child. The teacher of the school had left, it having been discovered, although previously quite unsuspected, that his moral character was not good, notwithstanding that he is a professed Christian-not one of our members, but belonging to the Church Missionary Society. The case of a rich land-owner is mentioned, Singaravila by name, who has long listened to Abel Michael's preaching, has long been under deep convictions, and repeatedly expressed a wish to follow Christ, but is prevented by family ties and caste prejudices. speaks reverently of Jesus, and longs to profess Him, Bro. Doll says, and does not conceal the matter. 66 Brethren," our brother adds, "pray for him, that the divine power and grace may liberate him from all idolatrous ties, and bring him to an open avowal of the Lord Jesus Christ."

He

At St. Thomas' Mount, by contributions obtained from friends, principally members of the Madras church, Bro. Noble had been enabled to whitewash and otherwise cleanse the Mission Chapel, "which now looks neat and clean." This chapel was erected about five years ago,

owing to the exertions of Mr. Noble, and paid for by grants from our mission funds, and contributions obtained by our brother on the spot. It has been of great benefit to the cause, as previously no building of the kind for the worship of God by Strict Baptists existed at St. Thomas' Mount. As our brother is about leaving this station, it may be proper here to state that when he was first appointed to it, the Mission church consisted of only two members, although for eight years previously we had supported an agent here, who was a native of the country. During Bro. Noble's occupancy of the post, thirty-six persons in all have joined, of whom twenty-four have been baptized on the spot. He considers that but for various hindrances that have arisen during the last two or three years, more would have been accomplished. He was first appointed to St. Thomas' Mount in

1874.

CEYLON.

Happy Death of one of our Mission Church Members.

In a letter recently received, Mr. Andriesz thus refers to the changes incidental to the kingdom of Christ on the earth :

"The Lord having granted to the church an occasion of great rejoicing, by six persons professing Christ by baptism,

a week had not elapsed before we had to lay a dear brother in his last restingplace. He was the first-fruit of our little church gathered to the garner above, Brother Edwin Meville, aged twenty-six "His end was peace." years. e." Psalm Xxxvii. 37, was the subject selected by me for his funeral sermon. The beginning, continuation, and end of a Christian life, were the subjects on which I dwelt. He lived an exemplary life, and, "He being dead, yet speaketh."

The first time I met and spoke to him was in 1871. He was very much opposed to me in the beginning. He went so far as to say that I was a false teacher, who opposed the teachings of other churches. Yet I loved him, and tried to become his friend, for I knew that his opposition was through ignorance of the Scriptures. One day I took him home to my house, read to him, and prayed with him; the Lord in mercy was pleased to open his eyes to see the danger he was in as a lost sinner, and he embraced Christ through faith as his Saviour. He was baptized, and added to the church in the following year. From that time to the last, I can safely say he was my fellow-labourer. He had to

undergo persecution; for his relatives and friends ridiculed him, and they tried in every way to annoy him, but he bore it all with Christian fortitude.

Having been laid up from January last, I have often visited him, and found him cheerful in his affliction. On the 21st of last month, at 8 p.m., I had a special message from him as I was returning from a meeting. I and some other brother members went to his house and found him fast sinking. The house was full of visitors. I then asked him what was his prospect. He said, "I am safe. I am reclined on the breast of my Jesus." He requested me to sing the hymn, "O for a thousand tongues, to sing my great Redeemer's praise!"

After this, thanks were offered to the Lord for having granted our brother grace to become an heir of salvation. After the prayer, though with difficulty, he spoke to those around of the blessed. ness of serving Christ. He warmly exhorted all to seek the one thing needful. He bade farewell to his wife and his sister, and then requested me not to perform any burial-service over his grave. He then inclined his head on his knees for a few minutes. His sister asked him what he was doing. He lifted up his

his head, and said, "I am going to Jesus," and breathed his last.

"Thanks be to God who giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." HOME MATTERS.

As our accounts are made up about the middle of October, friends will greatly oblige by sending in their contributions to Mr. Briscoe, 17, Arlington-square, Islington, N., Financial Secretary, not later than the 8th of that month. Not many of our churches as yet make annual collections for their own mission. Those who have done so in previous years will, it is hoped, repeat their liberality this year. Our kind friends at Tring have already done this, and forwarded a larger amount than on former occasions. Keppel-street, the mother of the mission, never fails in this respect. Mount Zion, Hill-street, Dorset-square, has done well in this direction, and the churches at Thame and Sydenham for many years past have sent us their annual gatherings. And now that the churches in London and Suffolk are beginning to fraternise in matters" concerning giving and receiving," we may, with all reasonable confidence, expect that this grace will increase, and that many other churches in both places will follow the example set by some of their number, and make it a matter of love to Christ to give an annual collection to the Strict Baptist Mission. Our friends in London and suburbs will please bear in mind the circular addressed to them last month on the cover of this magazine, and make arrangements to have the "missionary" lecture delivered in their chapels or school-rooms during the course of the ensuing autumn and winter. Great pains have been taken by our friend Mr. Styles in making the necessary preparations, in respect of slides, &c., in order to render the lecture instructive and attractive. The results arising from these lectures will, it is hoped, prove of great benefit in extending the knowledge of our operations, and awakening increased interest therein amongst our friends.

Great pleasure is felt in stating that to the list of Sabbath-schools connected with our mission has now to be added that at Wedmore-street, Holloway, under the superintendency of our friend Mr. Philip Jones; pastor, Mr. Boulton.

The attention of our friends is earnestly requested to the notice on the cover relating to the Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday, Nov. 2nd.

SUFFOLK AND NORFOLK HOME

MISSION.

ON Tuesday, July 27th, a meeting was held in Keppel-street Chapel, Russellsquare, in the interests of this Mission. An excellent tea was provided by the liberality of two kind friends, to which a considerable number of free invitations were given. The public meeting was presided over by W. Kennard, Esq., of Croydon, who gave an appropriate address upon the subject of evangelical work in our own country, its need and its claims, leaving other speakers more fully acquainted therewith to treat of this society and its efforts in the eastern counties.

To this Mr. R. E. Sears, of Foot's Cray, spoke at large, and much to the point, having spent nearly eighteen happy years at Laxfield, and having throughout that time been engaged in preaching the word in the villages surrounding, as many as ten stations having at one time been so occupied, and many gracious results realized.

Mr. C. Masterson, of Alie-street, followed with similar evidence, having been also engaged for several years at Hoxne, near Eye, in the same work.

Mr. S. K. Bland, of Ipswich, one of the secretaries (who attended in the place of Mr. C. Hill, of Stoke-Ash, prevented by ill-health), then gave a statement of the principles upon which the society had been formed nearly fifty years since, in the faith and practice of which it was still continued, glancing at some of the large and abiding blessings resulting from the gospel preached in outlying districts, and in cottage homes, in past years, as well as several of the more recent tokens of the same divine power owning the same truth. Of the claim, also, which those who thus

serve in the self-denying-often toilsome -but always blessed work, have upon those "who tarry at home;" of the reflex influence for good on the churches and their pastors promoting this service, as well as the civilizing and socially purifying and elevating effects thereof on the villages and village homes, all which were proved by many undeniable facts, some of which of a very interesting character, were given. Several of the churches in Suffolk and Norfolk were originated as preaching stations, and have been for years aided by the society until able to "walk alone," their pastors engaging in the same work, and thus the "body fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body."

In many districts, in summer seasons, open-air preaching was still much resorted to, and had been blessed to many.

The meeting was also addressed, in earnest and profitable words, by H. Cooper, Esq., and the brethren, G. W. Shepherd, Reynolds, of Islington, and the pastor, W. J. Styles. The services were opened in prayer by Br. Martin Wilkin, and closed by Br. J. H. Dearsly.

Br. Bland expressed the cordial thanks of the committee and workers of the mission to the friends at Keppel-street for the meeting they had invited, and for the contributions that evening (which amounted to £8), and trusted it would be an example other London churches would follow.

Br. Masterson was the first to follow this by saying he should lay it before his friends, who, he doubted not, would be quite willing to have a meeting at Aliestreet.

THREE FOOLISH PASSENGERS. Nor long since, a journey by rail furnished the following incidents :- We had taken our seats, after much crowding at the station, having been careful to get into the right train for the place for which we were bound; for another train had been drawn up on an opposite platform. This had started some few minutes, when

a young sailor, who had been sitting very quietly opposite to us for nearly a quarter of an hour, (for we were in good time,) suddenly thought it needful to inquire of the guard where the train was going to: when, to his surprise, he found that he was in the wrong train; and what vexed him the more was this,-while he had been sitting still the right train had gone off without him. He bundled out, exclaiming

something about "Jingo," whoever he may be. (Well, this I thought was far better than taking God's name in vain, as so many sailors do.) I could not, however, help thinking he was a foolish pas

senger.

We proceeded on our journey; when, almost at the first station we stopped at a young man and his "intended" presented themselves at the carriage-door. There was room for one only, in the place vacated by the sailor. But after a little goodhumoured joking on the part of one of our fellow excursionists, we sat as closely as we could, and made room for both, rather than leave them behind. As it afterwards transpired, it would have been well for them if they had been left behind; for our train was a special one, and stopped at but very few stations; and after they had travelled a long distance, they too discovered that they were in the wrong train, and proved even more foolish than the first foolish passenger, for they had to return a long distance in order to start afresh.

Again we proceeded on our journey, leaving many of our fellow-passengers at the various principal stations, until we were getting near our journey's end; when, at another station, a group of lads entered our carriage, who did not take long to prove that they also were foolish. "Boys will be boys," we know; but boys often have to learn hard lessons, as was the case with one of these lads, and that before long. Almost as soon as they entered the carriage they began playing with their tickets, tossing them up, as if they had never seen a railway ticket before. While I watched them, I excused them in my own mind. It was holiday time. They were glad they were out. It was innocent play; although I expected they would lose them if there happened to be a crack between the boards of the flooring. In a moment, however, before the train had left the station, one of them had tossed his ticket out of window! They got out to look for it, but found it was on the line, close by the wheels of the carriage, and the train was just about to start.

"What shall we do?" said one of them to a railway servant. "Why, get in!" said he, in a sharp tone, giving effect to his words by pushing them in, just as the train was moving. "What shall we do ?" again exclaimed the lad on taking his

seat.

"Pay over again," said I; "it will be a bit of experience for you."

And may we not profit by the experience of these foolish passengers, in another journey which we are all taking? I mean the journey of life. In setting out, let us well consider whither we are going. Are we just awakened to the fact that we are in the wrong train? let us, like the young sailor, get out at once, and start afresh.

Or are we like the young lady and gentleman, who found they had long been travelling in the wrong direction. Do not let us heedlessly pursue the same course; but stop at the first opportunity. and ask to be set right. Do any ask what we mean by these similitudes? Need we remind such that there is but one way to heaven-even Jesus Christ, who said, I am the way." If you are trusting to any one or anything else, you are but deceiving your own souls; for "there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

MANY were the plans of the persecuted Huguenots for escaping out of their "house of bondage " as it was called. They were forced to disguise themselves in various ways, so as not to show they were going on a journey, or they would instantly have been seized and cruelly tortured.

One Huguenot couple, who had resolved to flee, were sadly puzzled how to carry this out. They could disguise themselves; but what was to be done with their baby? If they were seen passing through the gates of the town in which they lived, with a child, they would at once be seized. After many thoughts, their plan was to wrap the infant as a formless bundle, to one end of which they attached a string. They then took advantage of a very deep gutter, like that which runs in the middle of so many old streets in French towns. When night came, the gates of the place were, as usual, closed fast. Now was the