amusing poem of his own composition, which was well received. Mr. Mr. Heywood, at the close, addressed a few words to the assembly. He said he was very glad to be present on that occasion, for he believed such meetings to be productive of much good. The Rev. J. Dunning proposed that Mr. Brunskill have the best thanks of that meeting for the able manner in which he had presided. Mr. Walker, jun., seconded the the motion, and in doing so remarked that Mr. Brunskill had helped them out of many of the troubles by which they had been surrounded, had worked hard for and with them as not many persons would have done, and, therefore, to let such energy and such sympathy go unnoticed was base ingratitude. He had great pleasure in seconding the motion, which was carried with acclamation. The Chairman replied in a neat little speech, thanking them most heartily for their confidence in him, and he hoped that the more they knew of each other they would respect each other more. Mr. Nuttall presided at the harmonium in a very pleasing manner. The proceedings were brought to a close by the singing of "Luther's Hymn," after which the Rev. Mr. Dunning pronounced the Benediction, and the company afterwards separated, all evidently having heartily enjoyed themselves.

LEDBURY.-HARVEST SERVICE.Recently harvest thanksgiving services were held in the Town-hall by that portion of the church people of the town who have during the past six months seceded from the parish church. In accordance with an unanimous desire on the part of the congregation, the building was suitably decorated for the occasion. Materials for so doing were in abun

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dance, through the kindness of Michael Biddulph, Esq., M.P., J. Martin, Esq., Mr. Loverage, of the Lilly Hall, Mr. Benjamin Mutlow, Mr. Thomas, of the Wild House Farm, the Messrs. Ward, and other members of the congregation. Amongst the ladies who devoted much time and attention to this praiseworthy object, were Mrs, and Miss Barber, Mrs. B. Mutlow, Mrs. Freeman, Mrs. Tilley, Miss Stringer, Miss Pitt, Miss Russell, and others; whilst the Rev. P. Norton, Major Skurray, Mr. Freeman, and others also lent valuable assistance. should also add that the present occasion was selected by a lady of the congregation as suitable for the presentation of a carpet for the platform set apart for the reading desk and communion table. Appropriate sermons were preached by the incumbent (the Rev. Philip Norton). The text of the morning discourse was John vi. 35, "I am the bread of life." The rev. gentleman began by saying that in ancient times God commanded the children of Israel to write the laws He gave them upon the gates of their houses and the ornaments of their persons. They were to live surrounded by things which reminded them of God. And when the Lord Jesus Christ came, He, so to speak, inscribed the words of truth and love upon the heavens above us and the earth beneath. He drew his similitudes from the most familiar things; so that if our hearts were open to divine impressions we should find " sermons in stones and books in the running brooks." Especially was this true with regard to the processes by which bread is brought out of the earth. From the ploughman preparing the soil to the reapers gathering in the corn, all had been used to set forth spiritual truths.

the Rev. Thomas Dodd, of Worcester, an elderly gentleman. He said: We are met together to-day on a very interesting occasion to take part in dedicating this sanctuary to God, not only as a place for the instruction of the young, but also for the preaching of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to wish success to this noble undertaking. When we look at the neglect which is displayed by the masses of the people, in the many large towns and villages throughout the country, respecting Christian worship, and to the Sabbath of our God, we cannot but rejoice in this and every effort which is made to stem the torrent of evil which, alas! prevails in our land. As a kind of key-note to the doctrines which will be preached in this building, let me call your attention to the words of the Apostle Paul, as written in the 28th verse of the 1st chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians "Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfected in Christ Jesus." Preaching is no new thing on our earth. The Gospel of Christ was proclaimed in the days of the patriarchs. The prophets warned and admonished their fellowcountrymen, and the apostles, we read, went everywhere preaching the "Word ;" and what was the subject of their ministry, though in different ages of the world and in different countries? It was simply this"We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord." Paul sometimes changed his manner, but he never changed his matter. No matter whether at Rome before its greatest orators, or at Mars Hill before the Grecian philosophers, or in the Market-place at Lystra, before the illiterate and unlearned, his doctrine was always the same :

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"We preach Christ crucified.” How solemn, then, is the office of the Christian minister? He is an ambassador from the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is a watchman to the house of Israel-he is a teacher sent from God; and here the apostle tells us what he is to preach, Whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,” &c. What, then, is to be the theme of the preaching in this building? The theme is to be Christ-whom we preach-Christ in the dignity of His person, declaring him to be the Son of God in power; that He who was born of a virgin, cradled in a manger, and brought up at Nazareth, was "the brightness of His Father's glory and the express image of His person." We cannot explain how the human was blended with the divine; neither can we explain how our own souls are blended with our bodies. This was the wisdom of God in a mystery which none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. Little did many think, as they gazed upon the Son of the carpenter, that He was God and man in one glorious person; that He should hereafter exclaim," Before Abraham was I am;" and that He himself should declare to Philip, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," for "by Him were all things created, whether they be visible or invisible,” and “He is before all things, and by Him do all things consist." Therefore we preach Him in the excellency of His work; and what was the great work which the Saviour had in view-the mission for which He came into our world? He came to seek and to save that which was lost. We were degraded, and He elevated us; we were afar off, and He came to bring us

nigh by His own most precious blood. How a sinner could become a saint was a question man could not answer; how he who was guilty could be forgiven was an inquiry to which man could not reply; but we learn here that men are justified by faith, and not by the deeds of the law. There was one method by which we could be saved, and that was by giving Himself for us. In due time Christ died for the ungodly; that is, He made an atonement for our sins, died in our stead, satisfied the claims of Divine justice, and brought in the righteousness, which is unto all and upon them that believe. O wondrous grace! marvellous display of Divine love! Herein was love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and gave Himself to be a propitiation for our sins. This, then, is the Saviour whom we preach. This is the work of which we make honourable mention. He who knew no sin was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, whom we preach in the freeness of His salvation, This is the glory of the Gospel, friends; and it is so free-free as the air we breathe, boundless as the ocean on which we sail. It is addressed to men as sinners against God, without regard to character and without regard to clime. Its language is, "O, everyone that thirsteth come and buy wine and milk without money and without price." Some men preach, and not a few, that they can merit eternal life by the alms which they present. Some look to the priest, and expect absolution; others look to the Virgin, and expect intercession there. One man looks to his own life, and expects to be justified there; another looks to the waters of baptism, and thinks he is renewed there; and another to the Sacrament, and thinks that there is something effica

cious there. Friends, it is all in vain. Christ is the only physician to heal our souls; Christ's blood alone can wash away oursins. It is not our merit, but it is His mercy. Eternal life is the gift of God, which none deserve; but God, for Christ's sake, freely bestows it. The rev. gentleman, in dealing with the second head of his discourse, as to the manner and method of preaching and teaching, observed that the preaching of the Gospel was to be solemn, "warning every man." They were not to preach to please men, but to profit them-to show unto them the way of salvation. They had to warn the sinful to give up their sinful habits; the rich not to trust in uncertain riches; the aged, that they had got to the eleventh hour. Not only was their method to be solemn, but instructive, teaching every man in all wisdom. Ministers required the wisdom of the serpent, combined with the harmlessness of the dove. Alas how much error was being taught in our land ;—how the forms of religion were being substituted for the power, the name for the reality, the bended knee for the broken heart. It was not sufficient for them to point out the disease; they must also point out the remedy. He urged them to get taught of Christ, the great and perfect Teacher. The end of their preaching was that they might present men perfect in Christ Jesus. They were not to suppose by the expression that men were to be saved, whether they repented of their sins or not. He took the apostle's meaning to be that he who repented and forsook his sin and trusted in Christ, that man shall be saved. Oh, what a religion was that which took man from the very ruins of the fall and made his body the temple of the Holy Ghost, the habitation of God

through the Spirit and meet for the inheritance of the sons of light! Might they all be found in Christ, clothed in the peerless garment, which was as bright as God's law, clear as the light, and richer than an angel ever wore. In conclusion, he urged them to attend only those places of worship where Christ was set forth, for that was the most profitable sermon which sent a man home, not praising the preacher, but which caused him to be dissatisfied with himself, which discovered in him things which must be altered, sins which must be given up and repented of. Also how many pulpits were there of which it might be said, as Mary said of her Master, "They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have lain Him." A collection was then made, and after another hymn had been sung, the benediction was pronounced, and the congregation departed. The open ing services were continued on the two following Sundays, the Rev. J. Brunskill preaching in the morning and afternoon, and the Rev. T. Dodd in the evening. The following Sunday the Rev. J. T. Bland preached both in the morning and evening. The collections made during the opening services realized the very handsome sum of 170l. The teachers and scholars contributed 50l. of it. Day and night schools were opened on the following Monday; the attendance now numbering upwards of 150 day and 60 night scholars. We sincerely trust that Mr. Bland will be successful in his ministrations; we hebbe he may be the means of

raising a large congregation of earnest worshippers; that he will be able to develop the true principles of the Free Church and true Protestantism, and that the school may become the means of largely developing the spiritual and intellectual life of the people.

WILSDEN, NEAR BRADFORD.- On Saturday, October 7, a tea party was held in the Protestant Hall, when about 150 people sat down to tea, which was presided over in good style by the ladies connected with the above-named place. After tea, an unrivalled entertainment was given, to a large audience, the hall being quite full. The chair was taken by Mr. J. Howe, a gentleman who had rendered some assistance to the hall, in supplying the pulpit. Mr. Craig, of Bradford, gave some of his most noted recitations, in the Yorkshire style, to the great delight of all present. Mr. J. Simpson presided at the piano. The choir connected with the hall, under the leadership of Mr. R. Whalley, who had got up the entertainment, added no little to the evening's pleasure. I may just add that things are improving. The committee have just decided to have the place cleaned through and painted, and then re-opened. Ritualism is also on the advance in Wilsden. I don't mean to say that the people are becoming Ritualists; what I mean is, that it is on the advance so far as the clergyman is concerned. Some of the Church people in Wilsden have wept when reflecting on the state of things in connexion with their splendid church. H. B.