BARNSLEY.-The third year since the open- | the invitation to the pastorate of Smethwick ing of the Congregational Chapel, Regent Independent Church, and will commence his street, Barnsley, is just completed. The labours there on the first Sabbath of Noservices in connexion with this anniversary vember were held on Sunday, October 9, and Wednes South-WEST MIDDLESEX CONGREGAday, October 12. TIONAL ASSOCIATION.—The autumnal meetEast GRINSTEAD, SUSSEX.-A neat Gothic ings of this Association were held at Hanwell, building has been erected at Ashurst Wood, on Thursday, September 29th. The proceedunder the auspices of the Rev. Benjamin ings commenced by a meeting for prayer. At Slight, formerly pastor of the Congregational the meeting for business, Apsley Pellatt, Esq., Church at Tunbridge Wells. It was opened presided, and an encouraging statement was for public worship on Tuesday, the 11th ult. received concerning the labours of the students A devotional meeting was held at eleven a.m., from New College, in connexion with the when an address, founded on Psalm xc. 17, chapel recently opened at New Hampton, was delivered by Mr. Slight. In the afternoon where also a Sunday school has been formed. a sermon was preached by the Rev. William Other prospects of usefulness appear to be Grigsby, Tabernacle, Moorfields, London. A opening before the Association. A liberal dopublic meeting was held in the evening, at nation was presented by J. R. Mills, Esq. At which addresses suited to the occasion were the public meeting in the evening Mr. Pellatt given by the Revs. D. Davies, of East Grin again presided. The Secretary, the Rev. E. stead, W. Grigsby, of London, and W. P. Morley, of West Brompton, read a short reLyon and G. Jones, of Tunbridge Wells. port, and Mr. Fountain presented the financial GORLESTON, SUFFOLK, – The ordination statement. Addresses were delivered by the services of the Rev. George Firth took place Rev. Ebenezer Hunt, of Park Chapel, Brentat the Congregational Chapel of the above ford, on “Spiritual Husbandry," and by the place on Thursday, the 13th ult. The Rev. Rev. J. B. Catlow, of Hounslow, on “ Divine A. Bourne, of Lowestoft, delivered the intro Sovereignty and Human Agency in Relation ductory discourse, upon the Nature and Con to Revivals of Religion;" and after a few apstitution of a Christian Church. The Rev. A. propriate remarks from the Chairman, the T. Shelley, of Yarmouth, asked the usual interesting exercises of the day were closed questions, and offered the ordination prayer. by prayer. The charge was given by the Rev. John THORNBURY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. – The Alexander, of Norwich. In the evening the ordination services connected with the settleRev. W. Íritton, of Yarmouth, preached to ment of the Rev. J. Morgan to the pastorate the church and congregation. The Revs. - of the Congregational church in this town Griffith, M.A., of Yarmouth, and Mr. Prout, were held on Wednesday, August 17th. The of Norwich, also took part in the services. attendance was very large, and a most de GUILDFORD INDEPENDENT CHAPEL.—The lightful and holy feeling pervaded the assemRev. S. Percy having in the forty-eighth of blies. The Rev. W. Lewis, of Frampton-onhis pastorate retired, the Rev. John Jones was Severn, commenced the morning service by ordained to the pastoral office on the 26th of the reading of the Scriptures and prayer. The July. The Rev. J. Ketley began the service Rev. E. J. Hartland, of Bristol, delivered a by reading the Scriptures and prayer; the most eloquent discourse on the nature of the Rev. T. G. Horton stated the nature of a Church of Christ. The Rev. W. Densham, of Christian church; the Rev. C. H. Bateman Chard, proposed the usual questions. The offered the ordination prayer; Mr. Jones Rev. H. Quick, of Bristol, offered the ordinastated briefly his religious principles ; and in tion prayer, after which the Rev. A. M. the evening, the minister was addressed by Brown, LL.D., of Cheltenham, ascended the the Rev. J. Sherman, and the people by the pulpit, and delivered a most touching and imRev. J. S. Bright. The chapel was built by pressive charge to the minister, founded on the munificence of the late T. Wilson, Esq., on i Tim. iv. 16. The Rev. V. P. Sells, of Newnthe site of the old building, which, through ham, concluded with prayer. In the evening great dilapidation, had become unfit to be the Rev. H. Quick preached a sermon to the used for Divine worship. people from 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. We trust SMETHWICK.—The Rev. R. A. Davis, for these services will long be remembered by all merly minister of the Wesleyan Free Church, who took part therein. Moseley-street, Birmingham, has accepted 11 Poetry. TO THE MEMORY OF JOHN ANGELL JAMES. For those whose souls have fled, Leaving to memory No records bright and fair, No reliques prized and pure, Nought that may soothe despair, As destined to endure. But life with thee was hope, And death enduring gain; Not darkly didst thou grope In terror, doubt, or pain, As those who have no guide, Nor know the way to take, Risking their highest stake. Met first at Mercy's gate, Whose way was ever straight; More clear, more strong, as on Revealed the Eternal Throne. Freed from all mortal care, And Time’s corrupting air. Thy industry of love, Is God's good will to prove. Embalmed in loving thought, By influences caught As fragrance from dead flowers, From life's most hallowed hours. E'en to our mortal sense; Bequeathed fond evidence For truth and righteousness, And heavenly blessedness. All that was most of worth, Committed to the earth; Thy voice is with us still, WILLIAM HARDEN. St. John's Grove, Croydon. Who hath made it the work of his life to bless tears, He bath bound the wreath on the brow of the bride, He hath stood by the couch when loved ones died; Pointing the soul to a glorious heaven, As the ties which bound it to earth were riven. Methinks ye'll weep another day, When the good old man has passed away, When the last of his fleeting sands have run, When his labour is o'er and his work is done; Who will care for the flock and keep the fold, When his pulse is still and his heart is cold! We'll miss him then ; every look and tone So familiar now, for ever gone, Will fill the heart with inward pain, And ye'll long and listen for them in vain ; When a stranger form and a stranger face Shall stand in your honoured pastor's place. LIGHT! “Let there be Light," it said; The darkness at that instant fled, Beamed out in loveliness, Awoke new songs God's work to bless, And laid fresh homage at His feet. Conversion is the morning dawn Of grace upon the heart; 'Tis then God sheds His Spirit's ray, Turns the dark mind from night to day ! The sinner feels His woe depart, For us on earth to know As they behold one soul below, Upon the grave its light! Their flight upward to regions bright, Mine to awake and rise His own bright home above the skies, Shall there be never more; Time's sorrows, aye, and death be o'er ; Life, love, and heaven, all-all mine own. Heavitree. E. BOWDEN. THE AGED PASTOR. He stands in his desk, that grave old man, With an eye still bright though his cheek is And his long white locks are backward rolled From his noble brow of classic mould, And his form, though bent by weight of years, Somewhat of his primal beauty wears. He opens the page of the Sacred WordNot a whisper, nor low nor loud, is heard : Every folly assumes a serious look, As he readeth the words of the Holy Book ; But the thoughtless and gay grow reverent there, As he opens his lips in fervent prayer. He stands as the grave old prophet stood, Proclaiming the truth and the living GodPouring reproof on the ears of menWhose hearts are at ease in their folly and sin, With a challenge of guilt still unforgiven, To the soul unfitted, unmeet for Heaven. Oh, who can but honour that good old man, As he neareth his threescore years and ten wan, I LONDON: MAY BE HAD OF ALL BOOKSELLERS. Price Threepence. J. UNWIN, GRESHAM STEAM PRESS, BUCKLERSBURY, LONDON. ....... 529 ........ CONTENTS Ecclesiastical Affairs. Page Leaven a Type of the Transforming On the Office of Deacon ........... ........ 548 Power of Christianity ....... The Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen Popery. thereof .... ........ 532 The Subjugation of England .............. 553 Biblical Yllustration. Essays. Christ our Passover .... 537 ) Massacre of St. Bartholomew 555 Fighting with Beasts.... 537 Eastern Fuel ........ 538 Statistics. 538 ........ 556 Great Hailstones 538 Exhibition of 1861........................ Broken Bones........................... ....... 557 538 Great Drought 538 Correspondence. Character of the Cretians...... 538 The Missionary's Reward.......... 538 American Religion.............................. 557 Land of the Philistines............... 539 Religion in Wales ................ 558 Zoen in Egypt......... 539 Answers to Correspondents ................. 559 Literary Notices. 560 The late Bishop Wilson, of Calcutta ...... 539 Discourses by W. Anderson, LL.D. 561 Alexander Von Humboldt .................. 541 The Life of the Rev. Richard Knill 562 Hallam and Prescott......... ........ 544 The History of Methodism ...... 562 Punctuality........ 562 Lessons by the Way. Above her Station ............ 562 The Story of a Pocket Bible ........ 562 Wonderful Instinct of Animals The Cradle and the Cross of Jesus...... 563 Is Friday an Unlucky Day? 546 The Workwoman's Day 563 The Robin Red-Breast's Love for Man Margaret Penrose ............ 563 kind ....... 546 The Unseen............ 563 What is this World ?............... 546 The Successful Pole-climber 563 Immortality 546 Earthly Riches ..... 563 Humility ............ 546 Haste to the Rescue ................... 563 The Breath of Prayer ............ 546 God's Pruning ............... 546 The Christian Witness. 546 563 Methods of the Enterprising ..... 546 Papist Priests for Great Britain 564 An Objection 546 564 546 Newspapers............. ........... 566 A Heavenly House Intelligence. Special Religious Services for the WorkPreaching to the Point........... ing Classes The Modern Pulpit ........................ .. 547 Poetry. Pulpit Eloquence 548 Faults of Preachers ......... 548 | My Lambs ........... ........ 568 TITLE, PREFACE, AND CONTENTS TO VOL. XVI. ............. 545 on ........... Slavery...... ...... 566 ence ......................... BEDDOME'S FEVER POWDERS. The Best Remedy for INFLUENZA, COLDS, and all Febrile Complaints. Sold at 1s. 1fd. a Packet, by Barclay and Sons, Farringdon-street; Edwards, St. Paul's-churchyard ; Sutton and Co., Bow-churchyard; or send your address and thirteen postage-stamps to Mr. BEDDOME, Canonbury-park, near London. JONES' £4 4s, SILVER LEVER WATCHES are selling at the Manufactory, 338, STRAND, opposite Somerset House. They are very elegant in appearance, and are warranted not to vary more than half a minute per week. They are jewelled in four holes, and have all the modern improvements. ONE SHILLING above the price of the Watch being sent, in Post-office order, payable to John JONES, one will be sent free to any part of the Kingdom. Read JONES' SKETCH of WATCH-WORK, sent free for a Twopenny Stamp. GOOD STATIONERY AT REASONABLE PRICES, at G. BLIGHT'S, 168, FENCHURCH-STREET, E.C. 529 Theology. LEAVEN A TYPE OF THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF CHRISTIANITY. “Another parable spake He unto them: The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which & woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.”—MATT. xiii. 33. LEAVEN is frequently used by our Lord and the Apostle Paul as a symbol, or type, and generally denotes that which is evil. Luke xii. 1; i Cor. v. 6–8; Gal. v. 9. The smallness of the leaven compared with the mass of the dough, and the rapidity with which it diffuses itself through the whole mass of meal, imparting its own nature to it, indicates its subtile and powerful nature, and renders it a very fit symbol of evil. Evil, like leaven, however small it may seem, has in it a penetrating, diffusing, and assimi. lating power. It cannot be admitted into the heart without tainting and corrupting it; and if allowed to remain there, it will not rest till it has penetrated every fibre, and infused into the whole mass its own foul nature. · Although leaven is most commonly used by sacred writers as an emblem of that which is evil, it does not follow that it may not be used as a symbol of that which is good. The properties which it possesses-the mode of their operation--and its effects on meal-making it lighter, more tasteful, and generally more nutritious and wholesome, render it a fitter emblem or type of that which is good, than of that which is evil. Our Lord, in this parable, employs it as a type of the transforming power of Christianity. Christianity is designed to work in us a won. derful change-to infuse into our hearts principles that will not only modify our outward actions, but work in us a thorough change of nature. There will not only be a difference in our doing, but also in our being. Underits influence and powerwe shall become“new creatures"-"new men.” We shall notice :I. THE NATURE OF THAT CHANGE WHICH CHRISTIANITY EFFECTS. The change which Christianity produces in human nature, is in the parable represented by the change which the leaven produces in the dough. The change which the leaven effects in the dough is a great change-a thorough change; it imparts to the whole mass of meal properties which it did not possess before. I might here observe, with regard to the change which Christianity effects in human nature, that we can form but a very imperfect idea of the greatness of it, because we have been born in a Christian country, where the influence of the Gospel has long been felt. For ages Christianity has been exerting a mighty influence on the nation to which we belong. From our very childhood we have directly or indirectly been living under the influence of the Gospel. To it, more than to anything else, we owe our civil liberties and social comforts. We cannot, therefore, by a contemplation of what Christianity has wrought in us or in those around us, form anything like an adequate and full conception of what Christianity has done for man; because, as I have already observed, we are introduced into a society in the very heart of which Christianity has long been hid, and into which it has infused much of its own nature and spirit, on which it has visibly impressed its own image, of which we all have in some measure partaken. In order that we might have a full and perfect idea of the greatness of the change which Christianity effects where its influence has at all for VOL. XVI. 2 M |