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'HE UNITED METHODIST.—THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1908.

An Arrested Life.---(see page 101.)

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No. 6. NEW SERIES. [on11,11 THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 1908. [REGISTERED.] PUBLISHED WEEKLY. ONE PENNY.

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An Arrested Life. "IF that I may apprehend that for which also

I am apprehended of Christ Jesus," says St. Paul. " Apprehended "—ad, prehendo, to seize, to grasp. Paul had been taken hold of by another. His was an arrested life. The stream had been suddenly turned into another channel. A strong hand had laid its mighty grip upon him and pulled him up in his career, then set him right about face, giving to his life a new attitude and bent, and directing him towards a higher goal. From that time he was like a star moving in a new orbit. The same energies of thought and will and love were inspired by a new motive and devoted to a new object.

I. What was this apprehension or arrest of

Paul by Jesus ? It was a new idea of himself flashed into his mind, a new con-ception of his life, its meaning, its purpose, its destiny. Up to the moment when Christ met him on his way to Damascus he had only thought of himself as a Pharisee, a man moulded and fashioned by obedience to the law, patterned after the type of Moses and the prophets. No greater idea than that had ever entered his mind. And when he compared it with the type of man-hood in vogue among the nations around him he knew it to be far nobler than any of them. The Roman idea of a great soldier was distinctly lower. The Greek conception of culture was far beneath it in dignity and worth. He was proud to be a Hebrew and a Pharisee, for nothing nobler was then known to him. But a new light had shone. Jesus had given him an ideal of him-self transcendently greater than the Pharisaic. Christ's thought of character and life appealed to all that was best and worthiest in the man's nature. The thought dazzled his mind and soul; new hopes bloomed, a new love was awakened. He was arrested, apprehended.

Life is full of similar experiences. David is tending the sheep on the hillsides when Samuel sends for him and anoints him king over Israel. Can we imagine the fresh young thoughts and emotions that surged within his brain and heart ? Carey is sitting at the shoemaker's bench when the vision of a missionary's life steals into his soul. Livingstone is arrested by the vision of ,a redeemed Africa. John B. Gough is spending his abilities and energies in drink and folly when there is flashed into his mind the vision of his better self ; a self delivered from the thraldoin of evil habit, a sober, useful, self-respecting citizen. St. Augustine is walking in the garden, a slave to his sensuous nature, when the thought of his possible purity in Christ arrests him, and breaks at a single blow the fetters of his soul.

II. Is not this true also to our own experience ?

How often we have been apprehended by the glowing picture of our better self ! We have seen the man we might be; a higher ideal has gripped us. If we are spending our life in pleasure and self-indulgence, duty appears. If we are yield-ing to temptation, we see the conquests that might be ours through the courageous struggle against

102

THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY 9, 1908.

our lower impulses and loyal adherence to con-science. If we are living for self, Christ stands beckoning us to follow Him.

We can see now where the failures of our life have been, and from whence any success has come. It would have been well for us if we had striven to follow that early ideal which a loving and praying mother endeavoured to instil into our soul. There was more good laid up for us in that than in our unsanctified ambitions and desires, or the solicitations of weak companions. Failure has come through not following the highest we have known, through being moral cowards when the "gleam" beckoned us. Suc-cess has come always along the line marked out by duty and vision.

Is there any holy light shining on us to-day ? Is there any vision of the good which may be ours ? Can we doubt that, as we think of Jesus? If we were to look earnestly at His picture of ourselves it could not fail to arrest. Think of the picture He gave to Peter of himself—fickle, impulsive Peter. " Thou shalt be called Cephas," a stone, a rock, stalwart and strong. Whatever we are, there is in Christ a picture of us. We are good men in that picture, with every sin conquered, with a heart cleansed from all selfish-ness. The will has been brought into harmony with God's. We are standing radiant with holi-ness, mighty in moral energy, transformed with love, and imbued with angel instinct. Every weakness has been turned into strength, every lust into purity. And that is the man we should want to be.

When Paul was apprehended by Christ he sought also to apprehend, to lay hold of the purpose for which Christ had laid hold of him. Did he lose or gain by that ? Who hesitates to answer ? Without Christ, he might have been another Garnaliel, a wealthy and distinguished Rabbi. Who would ever have known of him then? Paul a Christian is an infinitely nobler type of man than Paul a Pharisee. Men never grow less by following Christ: they expand, un- fold, become ampler. When Christ arrested General Booth it was to make something greater of him. Had Lord Shaftesbury or Dr. Barnardo been disobedient to the heavenly vision each would have been lost in his class or profession.

Shall we gain or lose by following Christ ? Who doubts the result? Only He can bring out our best. The world makes only commonplace men: We know sin's type, and pleasure's type, and the type self can. make. Jesus is the only real man-maker. I have always been interested in sculpture. To see what a man can make out of a piece of marble, to see him endow it with his own thought, imagination and feeling, has always appealed to me as the highest form of art. But my greatest interest is to see what Jesus can do with the souls of common men, how He can turn the coward into a hero, and the sinner into a saint, and endow the weak with strength and the selfish with love.

Blow trumpet! He will lift us from the dust. Blow trumpet ! Live the strength and die the lust.

Let the King reign I

LOCAL PREACHERS' EXAMINATION.

LATE B.C. DENOMINATION, OBLIGATORY COURSE.

THE next examination will be held on Thursday, February 14th. Textbooks St. Luke's Gospel (Cambridge Bible), Introduction and first twelve chapters with Notes; Townsend's "Handbook of Christian Doctrine," Parts 1, 3, 4, 5 ; Stalker's "I.ife of St. Paul," mainly, but not exclusively, on Chapters 3, 4, 6, 0.

Candidates will please inform the Secretary, the Rev. T. Braund, Holsworthy, Devon, not later than Monday, January 20th, what subjects they will take. A report of the last examination will appear in the next issue of this Paper. T. B.

Notes by the Way. Mr. Perks's IN a postscript to his notes on the Gift. Thanksgiving Fund, sent to us last

week as we were going to press, the Rev. David Heath briefly announced that Mr. R. W. Perks, M.P., had sent one hundred guineas to the Fund—" a practical sign of goodwill." We desire to emphasise that aspect of this gift. As Mr. Perks made clear in a message that appeared in our first issue, the Union consummated last September was not the Union he wished for. He would have preferred that Methodist Union in England should begin in another way. All the more gracious therefore are, first of all, the good wishes he sent to us for our Church, and, second, this gift to the United Methodist Church. But then Mr. Perks ever was most generous not only to his own Church but to men and women work-ing in wider circles of Christian activity. His gift was accompanied by a very sympathetic letter which added to its grace considerably. One of the Secretaries of the Fund says : "I only needed to mention the Fund to him and he immediately responded." For his gift and the spirit in which it is given our people say to him, "Thanks! a hundred times."

* * * *

Mr. W. P. MR. W. P. HARTLEY, whose in- Hartley's terest in the Primitive Methodist Generosity. College at Manchester is so _well

known, has just made a most generous offer in aid of advanced training among the students. A project is on foot for making it possible for students who enter upon their training for the ministry after having matriculated, to take a three years' Arts course at Victoria Univer-sity and then proceed to the theological course with a view to taking the B.D. degree. On the other hand, non-matriculated students who might be desirous of University honours, will take the ordinary Hartley College course for two years. If at the end of that time they matriculate they would have the option of staying three years more in College and devoting their time to taking the Arts course at the Manchester University. This scheme has not yet received the sanction of the Conference, and it is manifest that its acceptance would mean some modification of the four years' probation which now obtains among our Primitive Methodist friends as among ourselves. And then there is a grave financial problem for the students. "Here," says Professor Peake, "Mr. Hartley has come to the rescue. He has promised to pay the University fees for the Arts course or the theo-logical course or both." He has also offered to pay the College fees for the fourth and fifth years, the third year being already provided for. One cannot but admire the wise and far-reaching lines which Mr. Hartley's generosity so often takes, and surely no investment is of richer promise to a Church than that involved in thoroughly educating its ministers.

* * * *

"A New UNDER the heading "A New Methodist Methodist Church," the Rev. Church." James H. N. Williams contributes

to the "California Christian Advo-cate " an interesting article on the United Con-ference last September. In expounding his title he says, "Not a new Church by a split-off from an older one, but a new one by the Union of three separate branches, each an earlier split-off. Such a new Church means genuine and permanent progress." After an account of the Conference itself he sets out our Creed in full, and says of its Articles that "they are worthy of careful com-parative study, and show that in matters of creed-building the times have changed." In the same connection he quotes the Rev. Nehemiah Curnock's remark : "The Creed is remarkable for what it omits rather than for its contents. It silently ignores beliefs that once filled the air with out-cries of controversial pain and anger." Mr. Cur-nock was not sure that the Pope himself might not sign it. Mr. Williams thinks that the Union "may prove to be the first step towards the union of the Wesleyans and the Primitive Methodists with the new body," and he prays "God bless this new Methodist Church, baptize her with the Holy Spirit, and make her a flaming force of aggressive evangelism! " To which let all our people say a fervent "Amen " We thank Mr. Williams for his prayer and his kindly article.

Dr. T. D. ON a quite different line is Dr. Stephenson T. B. Stephenson's account of the on the Union effected last September. It United occurs in the "English Letter " Church. which he contributes to the "Chris-

tian Advocate " (New York), for December 13th. "Three Wesleyan bodies," he says, "have recently become the United Methodist Church.' It was proposed by some to call it the Union Methodist Church,' and this would probably have avoided some mis-understanding. ' The United Methodist Church ' to a casual' ear, rather suggests that the Union was inclusive, and that the whole of British Methodism is embraced by the new combination. This is, however, incorrect." He then proceeds to point out that of the Methodist Churches which remain outside, the Primitive Methodists number 200,000 and "the original ' Connexion of the people called Methodists '" 600,000. "Taking the mem-bership of the British Methodist Churches at about one million, the ' United Methodist Church' con-tains rather less than one-fifth of the whole; the Primitive Methodists number almost exactly one-fifth, and the Wesleyan Methodist Church num-bers three-fifths. So it will be seen that the newly amalgamated Church is even yet the smallest of the three considerable bodies of Methodists in Great Britain." "But the union of three bodies, which had no sufficient reason for standing apart, is an event upon which the whole ' Body of Christ ' may well congratulate itself and for it give glory to God. Certainly the mother Church of Method-ism has no feeling but one of hearty sympathy in the prevailing joy." We have reproduced in sub-stance the whole of Dr. Stephenson's note, and we have quoted its last sentences in full. These are such as one would expect Dr. Stephenson to write. His comments on our name and his absorption in the arithmetic of British Methodism are—well, not what we should have expected of the Doctor. We should have thought that he would have seen a richer significance in the Union than his line of exposition manifests. However, we thank him for his closing words.

MRS. RENDEL HARRIS ON "SPIRITUAL LIFE."

THE North Staffordshire Free Church Federa-tion kept a "Quiet Day" in Bethesda, Hanley, on Thursday of last week. The Rev. J. Whitehead Clegg spoke in the morning on "Fire-proof work," basing his remarks on 1 Cor.

In the afternoon the chairman was the Rev. W. Lansdell, and two excellent addresses were given by Mrs. Rendel Harris and the Rev. W. Bainbridge. Mrs. Rendel Harris discoursed on "The Spiritual Life : Its Inward Experience and Outward Expression." Mrs. Harris quoted from various parts of the New Testament to show that there could be this inward fellowship with God, and believing that this was so, the question was how did they receive it? There were many dif-ferent answers. Some believed it could be obtained through sacramental rites, forms, and ceremonies, others said it came by election, others were of opinion that it came at revival times through great waves of emotion. She did not rely on either of these very much. As regards revival services she had again and again seen waves of emotion pass through large audiences and with good results, and yet in spite of this she preferred the experience which came out of quiet intercourse with God Himself. In connection with this wonderful per-sonal union she believed that the complete sur-render of the human will had a great deal to do with the blessing received. Some people said they had a religious temperament. How she hated the word! There could be no union with God unless through the absolute nothingness of the creature. As regards the outward expression, Mrs. Harris was of opinion there were quite a number of ways by which this inward union was given expression to outwardly, including the confession of Christ with the mouth.

The Rev. W. Bainbridge followed with a very thoughtful exposition of "The Prophet Habakkuk's Message to Men of To-day." Mr. Bainbridge gave a very clear and thoughtful explanation of what he conceived to be actuating the prophet's mind when he gave this message, and his address was listened to wills considerable interest.

JAMES WRIGHT. •-•--

JANUARY g, 19013. THE UNITED METHODIST. 103

TABLE TALK. -----

THE great influx of news items has rendered it necessary to enlarge this week's issue to twenty pages.

* * * *

The illustrated Supplement next week will be of special interest. It will deal with Shebbear, the Mecca of our old Bible Christian Church.

* * * *

A post card, just received, says : " UNITED METHODIST better and better. Bravo ! Maga-zine good, tool "

* * *

We give on another page quotations from some of the letters we have already received about the two new Magazines, "The United Methodist Magazine " and "The Pleasant Hour." We also continue to receive most kindly words of apprecia-tion of this Journal. We are much gratified and greatly encouraged that our attempt to "excogi-tate the programmes for three perodicals," to use a learned friend's phrase in a recent letter, is meeting with such kindly approval. We shall strive all the harder to make the weekly and the monthlies a greater success still.

* * *

We have had the honour also of receiving most kindly congratulations on our appointment as Con-nexional Editor, and good wishes for a successful period of service, from Sir Samuel J. Way, Chief Justice of South Australia, and from the Rev. W. F. James, of Jamestown, South Australia, a recent welcome visitor to all the Conferences of the Churches now forming the United Methodist Church. The Editor is grateful for such kindly words and encouragements.

* * * *

Sir Samuel J. Way says : "It has been a great joy to me to know how enthusiastically the Union has been accomplished. I trust that the first Con-ference is the precursor of happy usefulness for the United Church." Sir Samuel, who already receives THE UNITED METHODIST, expresses his intention of subscribing for the Magazine also.

* * * # *

The Rev. W. F. James says in his letter that the United Church "has begun its career under hap- pier auspices titan any preceding United Methodist Church I have known or read of." As there are probably not three people in either hemisphere who know as much about Methodist Union and tlta inner history of Methodist Unions as Mr. James, these words from his pen are significant indeed.

* * * *

Mr. R. J. Butterworth, the veteran member of the Baillie Street Circuit, Rochdale, is one of a number of local passive resisters whose goods were recently distrained upon.

* * * * *

Although he is in his eighty-sixth year, the Rev. J. Swann Withington is busy putting down en-gagements for this year. They already extend to the third Sunday in June. We congratulate Mr. Withington ct.n the physical and the mental vigour which characterize his green old age.

* * * * *

The memory of Dr. George Matheson is a cherished possession to all sections of the Church. With his sanctified imagination and spiritual vision he holds foremost rank among writers of devotional books. A happy idea has occurred to Miss Hatty Baker to make a collection of his most beautiful prayers, assigning one to each day of the year. The little volume, entitled "Day unto bay," is issued by the National Free Church Council.

*

The Rev. S. F. Collier, a few months since, prepared "The Free Church Council Hymnal " for the National Free Church Council. Owing to the great success of the hymnal it has been found 'necessary to produce an edition in tonic sol-fa.

The National Council announce this for publication in a few days.

* * * * * THE Rev. Herbert Cook, our minister at

Grantham, has been appointed. President of the Grantham Evangelical Free Church Council for 1908. A seasonable Message to the Churches from his pen appears in the "Grantham Free Church Record " for this month.

* * * * *

A GENEROUS CHALLENGE.

We most earnestly draw attention to the chal-lenge announced by the Rev. David Heath on another page. A gentleman in the West, of notable name in that part of the world, has generously promised a hundred guineas to the Thanksgiving Fund if nine others outside the Denomination (as he himself is) can be got to give a hundred guineas each, thus making a thousand guineas. The promise of Mr. R. W. Perks, M.P., will count as one towards the nine required to com-plete the effort. Can our readers help the Secre-taries of the Fund to the names and addresses of gentlemen in their own districts who are likely to consider invitations to become subscribers of one hundred guineas to the Fund?

* * *

On Christmas Eve the staff of the Country Fire Department of the Commercial Union Assurance Company presented Mr. J. H. Mills, of our Trinity Church, Forest Hill, on his retirement from business, with an address (signed by all the mem-bers), and a handsoine inkstand.

* * * * *

"FIRST IN METHODISM." An interesting decision was reached at the

quarterly meeting of the Halifax South Circuit of the United Methodist Church on Saturday. This was that the salaries of ministers be paid monthly in place of quarterly. The latter system has always been adopted previously, and we believe that Saturday's resolution is the first of the kind in the history of 'Methodism. The ministers affected are those of Hanover (Halifax), King Cross, Bethesda (Elland), and Bethel (Brighouse).

* * * *

MINISTERIAL ARRANGEMENTS. The Rev. F. J. Jenkins has accepted a hearty

invitation to remain as pastor of Locking Road Church, Weston-super-Mare, for a fifth year.

The Rev. T. S. Clarke has intimated his inten-tion of leaving the Radstock Circuit at next Conference.

The Rev. S. Vernon has been invited to the Manchester Third Circuit for a sixth year.

The Rev. W. J. Penberthy has accepted a unani-mous invitation to remain as minister of the Eastville Park Church, Bristol East Circuit, until 1910, but has intimated his intention of removing at that date, when he will have completed eight years' service.

The Rev. J. Ball will remove from the Denton Circuit at the Conference of 1908, after three years' service.

At a largely-attended meeting of members and seat-holders of the Claremont Church, Burnley, the Rev. F. W. Sparkes received and accepted a unanimous invitation to the pastorate of the Clare-mont Church, Burnley, for another two years, until

10:1..Ph0.e Revs. W. F. Ellis and J. Higman have accepted cordial invitations to remain in the Truro (Eastern) Circuit for 1908-9.

The Porthleven Circuit has unanimously invited the Rev. A. Knight for a second year.

The Rev. W. R. A. Budd succeeds the Rev. John Ninnis at Millom next Conference.

The Rev. E. Prowse (B.C.) has accepted an invitation to the Burslem Bethel Circuit (M.N.C.) for next Connexional year. The Rev. Joseph Morrey has been invited to remain in the same Circuit a third year.

The Rev. Dr. Keen has consented to remain a third year in the Ilfracombe Circuit in response to a unanimous invitation.

The Rev. G. W. Bishop has decided to leave No. 2 Section of the Bury Circuit in 1908, and will be -succeeded by the Rev. William Bennett.

The Revs. S. Westcott and R. R. Greenslade have protnised to remain in the Llantrisant Circuit another year.

The Rev. W. J. Christophers has been invited to remain in the Downharn Circuit a third year.

The Rev. J. IV. Clayton has accepted a hearty invitation to remain in the Haslingden Circuit a fifth year, until 1910.

The Rev. T. Ouance has received a unanimous invitation to remain in the Portland Circuit for the fourth year, but has deferred decision in con-sequence of the health of his eldest daughter. The Rev. F. Husband has accepted an invitation for the third year.

•

DEATH OF THE REV. JOHN ADCOCK.

As we go to press there conies the announce-ment, which we make with regret, of the death on Friday, January 3rd, of the revered and vener-able Rev. John Adcock, Manchester, who passed away in his eighty-fourth year. The interment took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Weaste Cemetery, Salford, where a few weeks ago he laid the remains of his beloved wife. An account of the funeral will appear next week. "A great man was John Adcock," says our President, the Rev. Ed. Boaden.

BOOK STEWARD'S ANNOUNCEMENTS.

OUR serial publications have had an encouraging reception with the opening year. It is quite clear that some of our friends have been vigorously at work, and we thank them most heartily for their well-directed efforts. We anticipate far greater results when the Magazines are better known by our people, and we shall look out each day for supplementary orders from those who represent us in the Circuits. Let them be forwarded with promptitude, and in the matter of carriage they shall be treated with generosity and consideration.'

• * * * * A free copy of "The Pleasant Hour " has been

sent to every Sunday School Superintendent in the January parcels, and almost anyone can obtain a specimen copy by applying to their minister. If their wishes are not met, let them write to our Publishing House.

• * * * *

The critics have not been silent. We have no wish that they should be. A friendly interchange of view is healthy and stimulating. It is through much difficulty and sacrifice that every true king-dom is entered. But while you criticize, please lend a hand. For all who have a mind to work there is ample occupation, and it is only thus that the highest interests of the United Methodist Church can be promoted.

• * * * *

We are now on the eve of the Simultaneous Mission, indeed, it has already begun. If any-one needs a further supply of posters, or enquirer's cards, let them send at once to 12 Farrmgdon Avenue. If anyone requires counsels for young converts, there is an admirable booklet by the Rev. Robert Brewin, entitled, "Starting Heaven-ward," that would be helpful. It is now in its twenty-fifth thousand. The price is one penny each, or six shillings per hundred. The Rev. W. Kaye Dunn has a similar publication, at the same price, entitled "Messages to Converts." They are both on sale at our Publishing House, and specimens can be had on application.

• * * * * Do you require a Hymnal suitable for the Simul-

taneous Mission? If you do, try "Hymns of Light and Life," to be obtained from your own Publishing House. It contains 352 hymns, many of them well adapted for an evangelistic mission, and when the Mission is concluded, the collection will be found suitable for week-night services. The price is twopence net. Send for a specimen.

* * * * * Some friends are sending their orders to 12

Farringdon Avenue, instead of the Publishing Houses of the other sections of the United Method-ist Church. We wish it to be clearly understood that the Book Room of each section is still in full operation, and will be until next March and probably longer. While the United Methodist Church Publishing House is at 12 Farringdon Avenue, each section, at the present, receives a supply of its publications, to be despatched from their respective Book Rooms. When any change takes place, it will be duly announced.

ANDREW CROMIHE.

104


Doings of Our Churches. ACCRINGTON.

Bazaar and FOXHILL BANK CHURCH has had a Presenta- busy time of late. By a recent thus. bazaar the sum of £365 was raised

to defray the expenses incurred in the renovation of the church and to provide funds for making increased accommodation for the Young Men's Guild. Rev. G. S. Worthington conducted the opening ceremonies, and the opener on the first day was the Mayor of Accrington (Alderman Higham), with Councillor Walsh as chairman ; these positions on the other two days being filled by Councillors A. S. Bury, J.P., J. Washington Baron, J. Booth, and Mr. John Bar-low. The bazaar was held in the schoolroom, which was tastefully decorated under the direction and skill of Mr. Critchley, head master of the day school, and was well attended. An incident grow-ing out of the bazaar was the presentation of an autograph quilt by the Young Women's Class to one of their teachers, Mrs. Whittaker. The scholars bought the quilt from the bazaar, and re-quested the superintendent (Mr. E. Woolley, J.P.) to present it to Mrs. Whittaker as a token of affec-tion and appreciation from the class. Mrs. Whit-taker, in suitable terms, feelingly acknowledged the gift. This event was followed by another presenta-tion to Mr. Jacob Little, the other teacher of the Young Women's Class, of a beautiful and costly copy of the "Teacher's Bible." For this purpose a social gathering was held, attended by about fifty scholars. Cordial testimony was given to the valued services rendered by Mr. Little, who was deeply moved by these tokens of love and apprecia-tion, and made a suitable response. The Church is looking forward to the Simultaneous Mission, and is arranging, among other things, for a house-to-house canvass in the slums and a free tea.

AMBLER THORN. Story of a A GATHERING of a unique character Strenuous and exceptional interest and hearti- EfYort. ness was held in the schoolroom at

Ambler Thorn, to celebrate the completion of an effort to pay for the Church organ, which has recently been enlarged and re-built, and to wipe out the debt on the Church fund. It was announced as a "Thanksgiving Tea and Concert." The tea was generously given by Mr. and Mrs. David Parkinson (Queensbury). After tea the Rev. S. Edwin Davis presided over a really excellent and most enjoyable entertainment given by the choir of the Brunswick Church, Hali-fax. The friends are to be warmly congratulated upon the stimulating history and triumphal suc-cess of their latest effort. For a comparatively small Church, composed almost entirely of work-ing people, to have raised the amount required in so short a space of time without the aid of a bazaar or sale of work, is surely an achievement of which they may be justly proud. As recently as two years ago there was a debt on the Church fund of ,"107, and the deficiency was increasing almost every week. The pastor issued a letter to the congregation, on behalf of the leaders, earnestly appealing for more generous financial support, with the result that the weekly offerings increased more than fifty per cent., and the in-come from other sources greatly improved. In this way not only was the financial leakage stopped, but the debt was also materially reduced. For several years a new organ has been talked of, but the idea had had to be postponed again and again for lack of funds. The members of the choir having held a meeting to discuss the situa-tion, appointed a deputation to wait upon the Trustees, and urge them to proceed at once with the renovation of the organ, and promised to contribute on condition that the work was pro- ceeded with immediately. Their generous offer was gratefully accepted. After very careful con-sideration a specification was drawn up for the rebuilding and enlargement of the organ, at a cost of about £200. At a joint meeting of Trustees and leaders it was decided to make a combined effort to raise sufficient money to pay for the organ and wipe off the debt on the Church fund. With this object in view £27 was raised in con-nection with the annual tea. The late Mr. John Moore and Mrs. Moore utilized their golden wed-ding celebration for the benefit of this special fund, and handed over to the treasurer the handsome sum of £24. The organ was opened on Septem-ber 7th, and opening services realized £29 7s. At

a largely-attended special Church meeting, the Rev. S. Edwin Davis announced that he had secured from Mr. Andrew Carnegie a promise to contribute the last £100, and he urged the friends to subscribe the amount required before Christmas. The welcome announcement was recently made that over £5 more had been received than they set out to raise. Amid a scene of great enthu-siasm, Mr. Davis exhibited the cheque for £100 which he had received three days before from Mr. Carnegie. The audience sang the Doxology with great heartiness, and then the pastor offered a prayer of thanksgiving. As a result of this enter-prise, not only has the organ been paid for, and the Church debt wiped out, but there is now a balance in hand in the Church fund, and the Trustees have enough money left to carry out a much.needed and long-talked-of structural altera-tion at the school, and to renovate the school throughout.

BURY. A Renovation THE friends of the Heywood Street Scheme at Church, Bury, have decided upon Heywood a scheme for the renovation and re- Street. decoration of the Church and the

schools, and a cake and apron fair and Christmas tree have been held in aid of this object. The work is estimated to involve an ex-penditure of between £130 and .4100, and about £70 had been raised or promised before Saturday's effort. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. F. J. Harding, Rev. J. Patchett Burt presid-ing. Rev. J. P. Burt stated that a meeting was held three weeks ago to consider the object in view, and was then promised towards the scheme. Others had since promised to contribute, the Men's Own had had one or two Sunday ser-vices, and that day they found themselves with about £70 in hand. The complete scheme they expected would cost from £130 to Z150, but they did not purpose beautifying the schools until the day- school was closed. He congratulated the ladies who had taken such a keen interest in pre-paring for the fair that day.

ESLYN HAY. Debt THERE was a large attendance at Reduction. the Cheslyn Hay Watch-night ser-

vice. A large number of young men and women who had been to the Christmas gathering of the social class remained for the ser-vice, and augmented the choir. Police, magistracy, County, District, Rural and Parish Councils were represented, and the common folk all gladly heard the Word of God as preached by the minister. A vigorous effort to reduce the debt on the Church Trust 'at Hightown, Hednesford, has been suc-cessfully concluded. At the annuel New Year tea, held on January 2nd, it was reported that £100 locally raised was in hand, and that, therefore, the promised loan of £250 from the Denominational Loan Fund would soon be received, to be repaid in ten annual instalments, thus providing for the ultimate reduction of the debt from £700 to £350. There was great rejoicing over the result. The small Church at Chase Terrace has raised £30 to qualify for the receipt of a loan of £70, to be repaid in like manner as the Hednesford loan. When this has been repaid the estate will be free from debt. The Simultaneous Mission will be worked out at Cheslyn Hay and at Hightown. Arrangements are being made for the services of two missioners.

DARLINGTON. Preparing THE two Darlington Circuits will for a have one plan for both Circuits United from the first Sunday in the New Mission. Year (1908). All the preachers will

serve in the Churches of the two Circuits, and the ministers will exchange quarter by quarter. On Christmas Day a united service for the Darlington Churches was held in Paradise Church, and was conducted by the two ministers—the Revs. William Hall and T. J. Dickinson. There was a splendid congregation, and the ser-vice was in every way helpful.

A united mission will be held during the first week in February. The arrangements are fairly forward. The committee met last week, and it was reported that the Rev. T. Sunderland, of Newcastle-On-Tyne, had accepted the "call" to be the missioner, and that through the kindness of Mr. J. J. Robinson (the organist and choir

master of the Paradise Church), Miss K. Davies, of Welsh revival fame, had been engaged as special soloist. United prayer-meetings have been arranged, leading up to a great open-air demon-stration in the Market• Place on the Saturday night, to be followed by a rousing meeting in the Church. As Paradise Church is central for all the Churches, it has been decided to have the mission in that building ; but on the Sunday afternoon there is to be a great united meeting in the Victoria Road Church. Mr. J. J. Robinson will be the leader of a united choir. Arrangements have been made for visitation of the Districts. There' is already considerable interest in the Churches, and a good time is expected.

FENTON. Mr. Albert ON Saturday evening, December Stanley, 3f.P.,28th, Mr. Albert Stanley, M.P., was. on Soul the principal speaker at a Young Culture. People's Demonstration held in con-

nection with the Institute at Mount Tabor, Fenton, Staffs. Councillor Percy Shelley presided and Revs. H. Rowe and J. Sydney Jones took part in the meeting. Mr. Stanley in an elo-quent address urged the young people not merely to seek amusements, but to store their minds and develop their faculties so as to take their true place in life. Whilst due regard should be paid to the place of muscle and brain, still the culture of the soul was, after all, the most important concern. He believed more and more in the religion of Jesus Christ as the way to reform and regenerate men. The choir sang an anthem. The Cooper family rendered effectively a quartette. There was a good attendance, and, altogether, a most success-ful meeting was enjoyed by all. On New Year's Eve the annual coffee supper was held. Messrs. H. Myatt and E. Brain were the hosts. After-wards the annual Watch-night service was held in the church, conducted by the pastor. Mr. T.. Lovatt and Mr. John Clemens, jun. (of Sheffield)„ took part.

HELSTON. THREE very successful missions have just been

held in the Helston Circuit, conducted by Miss Murley ; fifty persons professed conversion.

LONG EATON. Seeking the FOR the third successive year the Wanderers. workers of Mount Tabor have spent

the last Sabbath evening hours of the Old Year in the endeavour to save the habitués of the public-houses of the town. The affair is organized with care for details. At 8.30 fifty or sixty friends meet in the schoolroom, and march forth, headed by the brass band. They play and sing outside each inn, while the minister and three or four others step inside, greet pleasantly the landlord and landlady, offer them, and their customers at the bar, tickets, and then slip into the various rooms, inviting all to a pleasant hour after closing time. Seldom do they meet with rough treatment, and rarely a surly answer. After nearly all the public-houses have been visited in this way, the party breaks up in the market-place, the minister and choir quickly repair to the schoolroom, and await the guests ; the rest set off in pairs to the publics, that have been allotted to them, to conduct ticketholders to the schoolroom. Over 200 men and women, most of them young and respectably dressed, accepted this year the invitation. Arriving• at the school-room, they found it carpeted and arranged in draw-ing-room style, with easy chairs, gipsy tables, etc. The ladies of the Church quickly supplied them with hot coffee, sandwiches and buns ; books were handed round, and the choir from the plat-form struck up "Stand up for Jesus." Instantly every man and woman rose to his and her feet, and sang lustily. "Now you have stood up for Jesus, will you bow your heads for Him?" They nudged each other and whispered, "He wants to pray." And in a silence that could be felt they were led to the Mercy Seat. Other hymns, many of them chosen by themselves, were sung, and brief, soul-stirring addresses followed from the Rev. J. C. H. Bevington, Councillor Winfield, who presided at the organ, and Brother Murcott, who was rescued at a similar gathering two years ago, and has lived a changed life from that time. The chair-man pleaded with them to sign the pledge, join the Brotherhood, and to take Jesus Christ into their life. Nearly twenty pledges were taken, several signed membership forms for the Sunday afternoon Brotherhood, and after singing, at their own suggestion, "God be with you till we meet

JANUARY 9, 1908. THE UNITED METHODIST. 105

again," a deeply impressive meeting closed with prayer about 11.30. Each year some have been rescued by this means from a course of vice, whom we could hope to reach in no, other way.

NEWQUAY. Successful SINCE Rev. H. W. B. Chapman Special took over the superintendence of the Effocts. United Methodist Church at New-

quay (Cornwall), about eighteen months ago, £206 has been raised by special efforts. The celebration of the last effort, which was to realize 2,100, took place on New Year's Day, by which date the full amount had been obtained. The Mayor of Lostwithiel performed the opening ceremony on New Year's Day. Claremont Hall, the schoolroom of the Church was prettily decorated. A Christmas tree held a prominent place, and the ixesents with which it was loaded had been given by Mr. Richard Snell, who had just returned from Australia. A large number of people sat down to tea, and the concert which followed attracted a big audience. The programme was full of enjoyable items, which in-cluded several songs by Miss Carter's party of chil-dren and a recital by Mr. Frederick Dale. Miss Olive Jenkin, Miss Nellie Wood, Miss Alice Gill, Miss Louie Veale, and Messrs. C. Clemens and Emmett kindly gave their services.

SHEFFIELD. AT the local preachers' meeting of the Sheffield

North Circuit, on Saturday, a paper on "A Preacher's Reminiscences " was read. by Mr. Ash-forth, the oldest preacher on the plan. He came on, on trial, in 1863, and still takes appointments. A most interesting conversation ensued, Mr. Jef-fries, Mr. Talbot,' and Rev. John Young taking the principal parts.

SHREWSBURY. AN evangelistic mission has just been concluded

in the little Shropshire village of Cross Houses. Beginning as a ten days' mission, under the leadership of the Town Missioner, is was con-tinued for twice that period by the superintendent minister and the local preachers. Quite free from extravagances of excitement, marked simply by quiet confidence and resting in the Spirit, the mission was a time of blessing from beginning to end. On the second Sunday night the chapel was packed right up the pulpit steps, the aisle was crowded, there was no room for even one more. Great power has been in all the services, and several have been added to the Church. "I have it," said one old lady, as she went out of the service with God's love in her heart. "It's been the happiest day we have ever had in our life," said a young married couple, who the previous night had received salvation. May the blessing grow and abide!

STOURBRIDGE. £1,250 A LITTLE over three years ago Raised. Stourbridge Church was the cause

of grave anxiety to more than one Connexional Committee, and not a little of the time of the District Meeting was taken up with the serious condition of its affairs. About this time a scheme was entered upon for the com-plete restoration and renovation of the Church, involving an expenditure of £1,200. Some of the friends took a gloomy view of the proposals, and -sought to limit the scheme to a cost of £400. However, so delightful did the plans of the archi-tect appear that reluctantly consent was given to a larger outlay. When all work was done the old Church was transformed into what every-one admits to be the prettiest Church in Stour-bridge—but, oh I the cost I Not £500 but £1,200 I How could those figures be transformed, and be made to look less ugly? The work of the last three years has even accomplished that. First, by bazaar and opening services and subscriptions, £700 was wiped off ; and now, by another bazaar and subscriptions by very generous friends, and the arrival of two welcome cheques promptly paid by the Home• Mission and Chapel Fund Com-mittees, the entire debt has vanished, and a sum of nearly £80 is in hand towards new schools. Not only has financial prosperity been granted to the Church, but spiritual blessing has been sent also. The Church on special occasions is often seen full upstairs and down (for, long years the gallery was never used). The schoolroom is too small for the scholars, and every Monday night sees the Church Parlour crowded with more than

forty Endeavourers. The burden of debt gone, the Church is now preparing for a mission early in the New Year, to be conducted by Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Barraclough, when it is hoped many others will be added unto the Church, such as are being saved. S. 0; R.

SUNDERLAND. Death of BY the death of Mr. Robert Thomp- Mr. Robert son, J.P., at the comparatively Thompson, early age of fifty-seven, the town J.P. of Sunderland and the Dock Street

Church and Circuit have sustained a great loss. A few years ago Mr. Thompson removed to his new home, Over Dinsdale Hall, near Darlington, and almost at the same time broke down in health. In his Monlcwearmouth days he took an active and prominent part in the affairs of Dock Street Circuit, and also in the public life of the town. The Twentieth Century and other Connexional Funds found in him a liberal supporter. He was a man of outstanding ability, and one of the most influential shipbuilders in the north of England. On every hand he was highly esteemed for his character, gifts, and public usefulness. His death occurred on New Year's Day, and the body was brought to Sunderland on Satur-day, and interred in Mere Knolls Cemetery amid marked tokens of sympathy and respect. The funeral cortege was an exceedingly lengthy one and crowds of people lined the streets. The ser-vice was conducted by Canon Hopkinson (Sunder-land) and Rev. J. H. Burkitt (superintendent of Dock Street Circuit). Rev. E. H. Greatorex (Vicar of Dinsdale) also took part. It is only four years ago since Mr. J. L. Thompson, J.P., passed away. Mr. Charles E. Thompson, J.P., who is one of the Dock Street Circuit stewards, is now the only survivor of the three well-known brothers. Rev. J. H. Burkitt paid a tribute to Mr. Robert Thompson's memory at Dock Street Chapel on Sunday night.

Our Foreign Field. LIVINGSTONE COLLEGE, LEYTON.

The report of Livingstone College for the financial year 1906-7, which ended on September 30th, 1907, contains satisfactory evidence of the progress of the movement for giving elementary medical instruction to missionaries, with which Livingstone College is prominently identified. The Right Rev. H. J. Molony, D.D., Bishop-Designate of Mid China, the first student of Livingstone College to be appointed to a missionary bishopric, is one of those who bears most eloquent testimony to the advantages which medical training proved to be to him as a missionary in India. He had spent a session at Livingstone College during his furlough in England, and he strongly advises other missionaries to do the same.

The financial position of the College is a good index of its progress, and the fact that the ac-cumulated deficiency of £522 8s., at the com-mencement of the financial year has been reduced to one of £404 lls. 6d., on September 30th, 1907, is a sign of progress, though it also shows that more help is needed, and that an educational in-stitution of a missionary character cannot be carried on without generous contributions, although, as in the present instance, it is to a large extent self-supporting.

Thirty-two students entered for the whole or pert of the complete session of nine months, re-presenting fifteen different missionary societies, some of thes-! coming from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and South Africa.

* * * * * LADY MISSIONARIES FOR CHINA.

The efforts of the F.M. Ladies' Missionary Aux-iliary have been specially devoted to the further-ance of women's work in China and Africa. Very valuable work has been done both by single ladies previously sent out, and by our missionaries' wives. As the result of their efforts the claims of the work among the women has so increased that it is absolutely necessary further assistance should be sent out. This week, therefore, Miss Boardley, of Leeds, and Miss Murfitt, of London, will leave Southampton for China to take up mis-sion work at our two centres, Wenchow and Ningpo. At Wenchow a large field of labour has opened out in this direction, due largely to the untiring efforts of Mrs. Soothill, Mrs. Stable, Mrs. Plummer, and others, who have done most self sacrificing work among the women and girls.

At Ningpo, the sphere of Miss Abercrombie's earnest work for many years, Miss Murfitt will find many openings, from the training of Bible-women begun by Miss Abercrombie, to the work among the villages carried on by some of the Bible-women, and of which so much waits to be done. There are also very promising girls' schools.

We bespeak the earnest prayers of our mem-bers not only for a safe voyage for these ladies, but that they may be upheld through all the difficulties arising from change of climate, the learning of a new language, and the adapting of themselves to entirely new conditions, and that they may continually be encouraged by a great hope and a boundless faith in our Divine Master's con-stant presence and inspiration.

ISA. VIVIAN, L.M.A. Corresponding Sec.

Our Churches in Brighton. NEITHER the late U.M.F.C. nor the M.N.C. was

represented in this beautiful town, and as many members and friends connected with both will be sure to visit so attractive a watering-place—in winter in search of the sunshine denied to us in the North, and in summer to enjoy the health-giving breezes from the sea, and the exhilarating air of the Downs—it is well to call attention to the fact that owing to the enterprise of the late B.C., the United Methodist Church has there three excellent and commodious edifices well at-tended by devout and earnest congregations.

It was my good fortune to be privileged in December to enjoy the gracious hospitality of friends from Yorkshire visiting Brighton. It was pleasant for a few days to have nothing to do but walk along the extensive Promenade watching the magnificent seas brought in by the south-western gales, or to wander on the high lands at the back of the town. A visit to Mrs. Innocent and her daughter and son-in-law, Dr. Shrubshall, and to the Rev. S. B. Lane, who is now happily recovering from his serious affliction, was very much enjoyed.

The three United. Methodist Churches are ex-tremely well placed, the oldest being in an Easterly direction, and at no great distance, from the Pro-menade ; the next being well towards the centre of the town, and the other being at the Western end.- They are so situated that wherever a visitor may happen to be located he will have no great distance to travel to reach one or other.

We had the pleasure of attending a service at the Bristol Road Church. There was a good congregation ; the singing was devout and inspir-ing; and the sermon, preached by the Rev. J. C. Pye, could not but be regarded as acceptable and uplifting and edifying either there or if delivered to a crowded congregation in Westminster Abbey.

By the kindness of the Rev. S. B. Lane and Mr. W. Gillett, J.P., I went over the other two Churches and Schools. At Stanford Avenue, the school is under the church, but well out of the ground, and both School and Church are large and commodious, and furnished in excellent taste. The cost must have been upwards of £8,000, and the debt is now small. The Shoreham Road Church has only recently been opened, and has all the appearance of newness still upon it. The school here is in the rear of the main building, and is amply supplied with class-rooms and every modern convenience. The Church is beautiful both in exterior and interior, and is situated where a new neighbourhood is rapidly rising up. The cost has been upwards of £7,000, and though at present there is a rather heavy debt, it may be confidently expected that with the execution of plans already laid out, thist,clebt will grow small by degrees and beautifully less.

The enterprise of the friends, led by the Rev. S. B. Lane, is worthy not only of commendation, but also of imitation. Mr. Lane's protracted, stay in Brighton has been marked by growing public esteem and influence, and it cannot but be a joy to him that his appointment to what was a weak Circuit has been attended by such substantial ex-pansion.

Will all our friends who visit Brighton attend one or other of their own Churches? They may be assured not only of a hearty welcome, but also of spiritual profit.

GEORGE PACKER. (An illustrated sketch of United Methodism in

Brighton will appear in the "United Methodist Magazine" for February.—EDITOR, U.M.)

m6 THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY' 9,, 0908_

Our London Letter. THE Revival has begun—good news comes in

from the first three London Churches holding missions.

The Lighthouse, which continues this work until the 12th, under the care of the Rev. D. J. Rounse-fell, reports so far a thoroughly good time and a great moving of heart-strings among the members. May many converts be gathered in the last few days.

At Battersea Park Road, where the Rev. John Jay is conducting a plucky "resurrection " work, very good news comes to hand-29 temperance pledges have been taken and 38 have given their word that the new life in Jesus Christ is now accepted by them !

At Manor, fifty conversions are declared. They range over every class—a marked feature being the number of adult men, fathers of families, who have used the mission as a means to re-shape their lives. Half the fifty are young men and young women who have grown up under the Church's care, the other half are victories snatched from the ranks of "the world." The Rev. W. Stephen has been the missioner, and two days of the mis-sion have yet to run. As soloist Madame Annie Ryall has been an immense help. She is a real evangelist of intense soul-winning power. Our Churches all over England would do well to use her—she is the finest and truest woman singer of the Gospel that I have met.

In view of coming missions, here is a thought for the Churches. Much nonsense. is talked in Christian circles concerning "claiming the pro-mises." To hear the loose chatter we would think that God was a reckless and gullible individual giving His cheques to whoever merely asked—does it not say, "Ask and receive"?

There is not a promise in the New Testament that is not conditional. When Christ spoke His most precious things it was always on the under-standing that a certain qualification already ob-tained in the hearer.

The searching question in every mission worker should be : Am I the sort of person to whom this precious promise was made? Am I the sort of person to whom Christ said, "Ask, and ye shall receive?

In too many places folks touched by a passing revival sentiment will " hatch " a mission and quote, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I— " and in their ignorance of the Book they quote, they will add, what it does not say—"and that to bless." And these folk will flog their mission horse for a few days—and yet arrive at no conversions, and will then proceed. to doubt the power of Christianity to-day. No! The prime question to-day is "Am Z the sort of person through whom the Holy Ghost works? "

Let Leaders' Meetings be held quickly, urgently. Agenda Are we the sort of persons to whom the Lord will entrust converts? The debate need not be long. A humiliating vote may be avoided by spending the remaining hour and a half in prayer.

Is the week-night service a fair thing? Fair to whom? To the minister. Can any genius be expected to work three miracles a week? What really happens is this—a happy thought that by Sunday would have issued forth a well-dressed child, escapes on Tuesday with very scanty clothing, and the bereft nurse must find another to feed and clothe for the coming Sunday's offering.

Is it fair to the hearers? Can the Church do no kinder deed towards them than turn them into chronic sermon-soakers? Is it not a thousand times better that they should themselves give out a little at a testimony meeting held, say, instead of a preaching service? There are Churches in London that used to have select sermons to small parties of twenty, who now have a hundred gathered in C.E.'s and kindred societies.

I strayed out of London recently into a country circuit. The second minister held forth for thirty minutes to fourteen people. The poor lad had only left College last Conference, and yet on that Thurs-day night he was preaching his sixth or seventh sermon that week—Sunday twice or thrice, Mon-day, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Does no-body care for the ministerial lambs? No wonder that before they reach full Connexion so many of them bleat like old sheep.

A Strenuous Connexional Committee examines the young men most faithfully—let it enquire into the iniquities of the Circuits. Wanted! a Factory-Act for Ministerial Apprentices, or a Society for the Preservation of Crispness in our coming men.

I. Dec. 31st, 1907.--"No one feels more keenly for the needy and uncared-for children than does his Lordship, but, on the other hand, the tendency of the present time to relieve parents of all respon-sibility in regard to children they have brought into the world appears to him an extremely mis-chievous one, and calculated to degrade the indi-vidual and to deprive him of his self-respect.

"Hence Lord -- asks me to now send you a cheque for Z2."

II. Jan. 4th, 1908.—"Kindly thank Lord --for his very helpful gift of .42.

ALREADY it has been the good fortune of the Editor and the Book Steward to receive most kindly congratulations on the new Magazines. That in one or two instances these congratulations are accompanied by suggestions for improvement but increases their value. Neither Editor nor Book Steward dreams that he has reached perfection ; but they are encouraged by the approval their attempts towards its attainment have met with, and they mean to get nearer to it next time.

The REV.. EDWARD BOADEN, our President, writes I have been favoured with a copy of the "U.M. Magazine " and of the "Pleasant Hour." My endeavour has been to look at them impartially as though no mention were made of myself ; and my joy in the ability, raciness, adaptation to his work of the Editor finds expression in these words—simplicity, thoughtfulness, variety, beauty, piety—all are there.

We must care for the young, even the little children, and it is a delight to me that you can so write as to make them understand, and captivate their hearts and heads. A brave beginning; thank God for it! May He give you and your helpers all the grace and discernment which you need.

The REV. GEORGE PACKER, Connexional Secre-tary, writes : The first issues of the Magazines are very satisfactory. The` contents of both are deeply interesting, and appropriate for the different con-stituencies to which they are addressed. The illustrations are excellent. These Magazines ought to obtain an entry to every United Methodist home, and it is not too much to say that if they only get an entry they will be read, and following num-bers will be anticipated with eagerness.

The REV. W. BARNES, U.M.F.C. President, writes Dear Mr. Editor,—After looking carefully over the Magazines I sincerely congratulate you on their general excellence. From the literary standpoint they reach a high level. Life, beauty, and perspicacity, the true marks of real litera-ture, characterize most of the articles. You have also given us a wide range, and charming variety of subjects. If the circulation of them is equal to their_merit we shall have no cause of complaint.

The REV. J. S. CLEMENS, B.A., B.D., says Dear Mr. Smith,-1 have received advanced copies of the new issues of the Magazines, and I ,should like to say how very greatly pleased I am with such a beginning. There is positively nothing I can complain of unless (mark the irrepressible "summat"!) one should say the blue of the "Pleasant Hour" is rather cold and crude. But what an infinitesimal thing is that! In form, matter and general get-up it would be difficult to find better productions of the same scope. May you be greatly encouraged in your arduous task by the widespread support the Magazines deserve! And then there's the weekly UNITED METHODIST. We think it is a great improvement in its unified form upon the old tripartite "Free Methodist." The new career has begun admirably.

The REV. W. B. LARK, Bible Christian Presi-dent, writes : Dear Mr. Editor,—I have just been looking through our new Magazines, and I can-not forbear writing you a word of warns com-mendation. My expectations were high, but they are far and away beyond anything I had expected.

Among denominational Magazines I know of but few equals, and, most certainly, none which surpass them. The contents are of a high order, while the "get up" leaves nothing to be desired. The Magazines are in every way a credit to you, and the United Methodist Church may well be proud of them. Thank you most sincerely for the splendid start you have made.

Mr. W. B. LUKE writes us Dear Mr. Smith,—Many thanks for the Magazines you kindly sent to me in advance. I think they represent a notable feat. Remembering the lateness of the hour when

" I fully appreciate his point—re parental respon-sibility. Meanwhile here is the child—hungry r Parental responsibility does not feed him

If parental responsibility be insisted on, the parental right to work for his child logically follows. Let his Lordship assist us to secure this —and then let us mutually agree to flog the loafer who underfeeds his child."

God-speed to the next Missions on the London list the Rev. H. Codling, at Walham Grove, and West Kensington United; the Rev. F. L. Buxton, at Eltham. W. KAYE DUNN.

you were charged with your triple task, it is extraordinary that you should have contrived to infuse fresh vitality into THE UNITED METHODIST, and to create two such Magazines between Michaelmas and Christmas. The juvenile period-ical is likely to succeed among those for whom it is designed, judging by its reception by the younger members of our circle and the commendation bestowed upon it ; and I think the universal verdict will be that the large Magazine compares favour-ably with its denominational compeers, as a bright,. varied and informing Connexional organ.

The REV. R. SQUIRE, Taunton, says I most sincerely congratulate you on the first numbers of "The United Methodist Magazine" and the "Pleasant Flour." You have produced a most readable and interesting and instructive Maga-zine. I shall be greatly surprised if it does not meet with a wide circulation among our people.

The REV. J. DUDLEY, York, says : Let me con-gratulate you on the general "get up" as well as the contents of your three publications. They are comely to look upon and are appetizing and readable from beginning to end. You deserve to succeed.

The REV. A. E. J. COSSON says : I like the Magazines very much. Both most excellent.

The REv. R. PYRE, Forest Hill : The Magazine is admirable. I shall talce a keen delight in show-ing it to our people. The circulation ought to be large. I don't think there is a li-effer fourpenny on the market. If it can be kept up to the level of the first number, of all the things we may be

-proud of not the least is our Monthly Magazine. The REV. W. T. HADDY, St. Ives, says : Allow

me to congratulate you most heartily on Magazine and "Pleasant Hour." I count it an honour to offer such denominational literature to our people. May your bow abide in strength!

A CHURCH STEWARD of twenty-five years' stand-ing, writes Have just gone through the two new monthlies of the United Methodist Church, and heartily congratulate you on results. They are worthy of our Church and do credit to the con-tributors. I wish for you the loyalty of our people ; this 'is the best I can wish for you.

The REV. J. 0. KEEN, D.D., Ilfracombe, writes.: Am delighted with the new Magazines and the weekly paper, and, surely, they will command a wide circulation.

A NOTE FROM REV. W. F. JAMES. OF AUSTRALIA.

----- WRITING December 3rd, Mr. James expressed

deep sorrow at the decease of the Rev. J. B. Stoneman to whom he was much drawn at the Bristol Assembly. He was delighted with the after-glow and echoes of the Uniting Conference. The Union .meetings at Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter and other centres appeared well fitted to foster the spirit of unity, and enable friends of the three Churches to realize the broadening and inspiring effects of Union. He was struck with the magnanimity of Mrs. Sykes, of Huddersfield, a member of the late M.N.C. Church,. in giving-£1,000 toward Mold Green (late Free Methodist) Church—an admirable way of cementing the Union. He rejoiced to learn that a third edition of "Our Founders and their Story" was called for within four months of the issue of the first edition, and hoped many copies would be circulated in the Southern world. A Primitive Methodist District in New Zealand has declared in favour of the question of Union being submitted to mem-bers, and he hoped Australasian Methodist Union would, before long, be made complete. He was struck with the arrangements for the Simultane-ous Mission, and prayed that glorious success might crown it.

Our New Magazines.

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PRICE FOURPENCE.

Contents for January, 1908: Frontispiece.—A Life-like Portrait, printed in

colours, of the President, Rev. Edward Boaden. It is reproduced from his latest photograph, and by those who have seen it, it is highly commended.

Notes of the Month. By the EDITOR.

A New Year's Greeting to the United Methodist Church. By our PRESIDENTS.

Worthy Workers Among Us: Mr. Robert Bird, J.P. By Dr. DAVID BROOK.

Present Day Questions: The Simultaneous Mission. I. By Rev. Dr. TOWNSEND. II. By Rev. JAMES WRIGHT.

The Genesis of the Union Committee. By Rev. W. RIIDFF.RN.

Union and After. By Rev. W. H. LOCKLEY.

Literature as a Fellowship. By Rev. HAROLD TWYFORD.

Gems from a German Mine. Translated by Rev. J. DUDLEY.

United Methodism in St. Ives and Hoyle. By Rev. WILLIAM T. HADDY.

Our Preachers' Page. By DAVID MILFORD.

My Early Days. By Rev. EDWARD BOADEN.

The Diary of an Old Divine. By Rev. J. MARSHALL MATHER.

Our West China Mission to Date. By Rev. J. HERRIDGE BATT.

My Best Story. By RAMSAY GUTHRIE. . Our Church Life and Work : A Monthly Re-

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Contents for January, 1908:

The Editor and his Young Friends (Illustrated).

The Cranstons of Black Roy. By RAMSAY GUTHRIE (with two Illustrations).

Mother Holda Stories. By EDITH H. SCOTT (with three Illustrations).

The Coming Mission. By Rev. ARTHUR HANCOCK.

A United Methodist Hero (Illustrated). By Rev. W. WALKER.

Tales from Tennyson : I.—The Passing of Arthur. By Rev. J. L. Hoolurrs.

The Funniest Little Elf (Poetry).

Bird-Nesting with a Camera. By W. PERCIVAL WUSTELL, F.L,S., M.B.O.U. (with two Illustrations).

If I were a Boy. Autograph Message by the President (Rev. EDWARD BOADEN).

John Wesley in a New Light. By Rev. NEHE- MIAH CURNOCK (with Portrait).

The Snow Fairies. By S. GERTRUDE FORD.

Between Ourselves. By Rev. ERNEST F. H. CAM.

Bible Searching Competition. By Rey. G. P. LITTLEWOOD.

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HAVE YOU SEEN

OUR NEW MAGAZINES They are meeting with general approval and praise.

What some of our leading ministers and laymen say about them :— " Simplicity, thoughtfulness, variety, beauty, piety—all are there." " A brave beginning." Very satisfactory, deeply interesting." "From the literary standpoint they reach a high level. Life, beauty, and perspicacity, the true marks of real literature, characterize most of the articles." "In form, matter and general get up it would be difficult to find better productions of the same scope." " My expectations were high, but they are far and away beyond anything I had expected." "I think the universal verdict will be that the large Magazine compares favourably with its denominational compeers." "I shall be greatly surprised if it does not meet with a wide circulation among our people." " They are comely to look upon and are appetizing and readable from beginning to end." " Both most excellent." "I shall take a keen delight in showing it to our people. I don't think there is a better fourpemay on the market." "I count it an honour to offer such denominational literature to our people." "They are worthy of our Church and

do credit to the contributors." " Am delighted with the new Magazines."

THE ENTIRE BOOK-ROOM PROFITS are devoted to the MINISTERS' SUPERANNUATION FUND, and it is therefore in the interests of every Member

to subscribe to our serials, and to induce others to do the same.

" UNITED METHODIST—BETTER AND BETTER—BRAVO !" This is a reader's verdict on THE UNITED METHODIST—The Weekly Journal of Our Church.

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08, THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY 9, 1908.

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Situation—beautiful, open, healthy. Equipment—modern, including Laboratory, Gymnasium, Playing Fields, Tennis Courts, separate Cubicles, detached Sanatorium. A first-class education at a moderate and inclusive fee. Repeated successes in University and other examinations.

Resident Masters: Mr. F. TEMPERLEY, M.A. (Camb.); Mr. J. A. BROADHEAD, B.Sc. (Viet.), Inter. B.A. ; Mr. W. S. BELL, B.A. (Camb.) ; Mr. Osborn (Lond. Univ.). Visiting Masters for Music (Organ, Piano, Violin), German, Gymnastics, Manual Instiu :tion, Drill.

Far further Particulars apply to the Principal,

Rev. ALFRED SOOTHILL, B.A. (Loud.).

United Methodist College, (BIBLE CHRISTIAN)

SHEBBEAR, NORTH DEVON.

Governor - - - Rev. W. B. LARK. Head Master - T. RUDDLE, Esq., B.A. (Loud.)

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Healthy situation. Playgrounds six acres. Diet of the first quality and unlimited in supply.

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THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

Minutes the United Conference At WESLEY'S CHAPEL, City Road.

CONTENTS:

The United Methodist Church Act. Foundation and Model Trust Deeds. Resolutions of Business Transacted.

United Statistical Returns. Complete List of Stations.

Alphabetical List of Ministers' Names and Addresses.

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Latest Successes: OXFORD LOCAL: July, 1907: SENIOR, Nine Successful, including 17th in First Class Honours and 13th in Mathematics. JUNIOR, Twelve Successful, including 14th in First Class Honours, 1st in Second Class Honours (bracketed). PRELIMINARY, Ten Successful-31 out of 34 entered.

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The Thanksgiving Fund. A GENEROUS CHALLENGE.

A GENTLEMAN in the West, of notable name in that part of the world, has generously promised a hundred guineas to the Fund if nine others outside the Denomination (as he himself is) can be got to give a hundred each, thus making a thousand guineas. The promise of R. W. Perks, Esq., M.P., will be one towards the nine. We shall be happy to announce the remaining eight. ,'"Our business laymen, who go "on 'Change," and else-where meet with well-to-do and sympathetic friends, can in a week or two complete the ten promises. It is a good thing to provoke one another to good works. Wide interest has been felt in the accomplishment of Union among mem-bers of all Churches, and especially among friends who at one time received spiritual and domestic blessing through one or other of the three Churches. It will be a fitting tribute for these to help this Fund at the present interesting and historic juncture. Names and addresses may be sent to the Joint Secretaries of any who may not be personally approached in the way suggested.

IN MEMORIAM.

Some of the promises coming to hand touch a tender and pathetic side of human experience. The living still link themselves with the departed and beloved ones. Sainted souls may even yet take a keen interest in the holy devotion of those who still remain. At any rate, it is good for us to let their memory have a gracious constraint upon us. The influence will not lead us astray. It will greatly augment the benediction that will come upon the gift and the giver. There are thousands amongst us who, humanly speaking, owe every-thing that is best in life to the energy and counsel and example of worthy fathers and loving mothers. "An affectionate wife," "A devoted husband," "A spiritual benefactor." Such terms express memories we do well to cherish and emphasize in all possible ways.

If there are thousands to whom life appeals in that pathetic way, there are tens of thousands whose lives have no such lost chords, but who are blest with a complete home and a full life. Yet many of these happy people have never given a special thankoffering to God. They have now a rare opportunity of returning God thanks in a practical and worthy manner.

The first number of "The United Methodist Magazine" is just to hand. Among its varied and interesting contributions there is one " By our Presidents," a paragraph of which may well be quoted in this column

"If unity is to be perfected, let us remember the financial needs of the Church, and, as far as judge-ment, affection, sense of obligation, duty to our own, and an enlightened conscience will allow, make, in the best acceptation of the words, ' all things common,' and forthwith constitute the ' Thanksgiving Fund ' a glorious achievement and a manifestation of the Christian liberality of the newly-formed community." DAVID HEATH.

24 Park Road, Blackpool. •

STONEMAN MEMORIAL FUND.

MAY I saw haw glad and grateful I am that such a goodly number of friends have responded to the appeal on behalf of this fund. Since it was inserted in THE UNITED METHODIST the Christmas and New Year's holidays have intervened, and possibly the matter may have slipped from the memory of some who intended to subscribe. We shall be glad to receive any contribution that any friend can send. We are anxious to secure as much as possible by this fund in the interests of the widow and daughter of our late co-worker and friend, the Rev. J. B. Stoneman (Connexional Temperance Secretary). Subscriptions may be sent to the undersigned, at 21 Filey Street, Shef-field, or to the President of the League, the Rev. J. S. Balmer, Heidelberg, Read's Avenue, Black-pool. Hoping yet to receive many such,

Very truly yours, JOHN THORNLEY.

Children's Mission. Christmas Party, Newcastle-on-Tyne. Waiting for the Entertainment to begin.

JANUARY 9, 1908. THE UNITED METHODIST. '109

HELPING THE POOR. WOOLWICH.

Distribution of Bread. . Generosity of a Friend..

HERE'S a quandary ! I'm settling down for a quiet evening's "read," and my Church Secretary runs in to say that he has three or four hundred loaves of bread and cake to spare from his rounds to-day, and if I can arrange to distribute it among the needy, I may have, it. That means ,a good deal! My quiet "read " goes at once, and two hours of my sermonizing also in the morning, but the claims of hungry bodies are more insistent than my pleasure, or a sermon's exact logic and meretricious polish, so out I go.

First to the workers. Happily, they use within twenty minutes' walk—all of them. So I do a few unconventional "rushes." Here's a house! Ring the bell. Open the door. "I say—be at the Church in half an hour." "What for? " "Can't stay! Come along ! " That's repeated until I have all the helpers I want for: the reception of the goods. But I must divide this year. There are two Churches under nay charge now. So I must rouse Sister Doreen up. The true light sparkles in her eye as I tell her what to do. "Down to the Church to arrange for the reception of the stuff." "Then get some helpers." "Run around to the people and announce the 'fact." "Then 9.30 in the morning for the distribution." Almost breathlessly all the arrangements are made. There is no time to lose, and I have now to beat up my own recipients. I have my own way of doing this. It can't . be commended to Sister Doreen, or anybody else, but it's mine. First, I have several houses where I know need exists; I go to them. They are also asked to spread the news "Bread to be had at Herbert Road to-morrow at 9 a.m." Then the little corner groceries. "Your customers—pass on the word, please." They take the warmest interest. Then the fried fish shops! These are resorts for the poor in the cold weather for cheap hot meals. They all know cases of want and are willing to help. I have several times thought of enlisting the assistance of the publicans, but I can't bring myself to it. In a couple - of hours I have nearly done the business. Here are some of my cases.

1. I have a suspicion about a respectably-. dressed woman who comes to',Church every Stin-day mornink. She doesn't talk. I ask if there'S a lodger. Could they do with some bread? Then, very gingerly, "How about yourself?" I hear the story Husband out of work for six months. But I can't ask her to attend at nine in the morning. So my boy has to finish that business. These people constitute the social worker's difficulty. They won't beg. Some others seem born for nothing else.

2. Here's a man in a doorway. "Can you do with some bread and cake, friend? " "No! " very gruffly

' • but the gruffness is only his gratitude,

for in his next breath he says "Go next door, mister ; they are all starving there! "

3. A tug at my coat tail ! A pinched little face looks up, and a thin voice 'says : "May I come, sir? " (this boy has overheard me telling my tale in 'a shop, and has followed me modestly); "my daddy's out of work, and mammy doesn't know how to get us bread enough. We're six! " "Oh ! .yes, conic along, sonny, and share as far as it goes."

4. Here's a corner grocery ! I see bread unsold in the window ! They won't thank me for giving' loaves away. However, I ask the "missus " behind the counter. Does she know any "poor," "out-of-works," to whom a loaf or two would be an advan-tage. But she has bread for sale, perhaps she won't care' to help. Oh! certainly, when people starve, 'it is no time to reniember profit ,or loss. She'll spread the news.

Then the morning comes. Children mostly ap-pear—some mothers, a very few fathers. Bags, baskets, aprons, handkerchiefs are requisitioned.. We sort them out according, to the number of children in the family. They all sing "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The distribution goes merrily ahead. As fairly as it can be it is divided up. There. are a dozen mince pies. Dis-tribute them to the youngsters. But they 'must cat them on the spot ! It is as good as eating your own Christmas pudding to see them do it. In half an hour the, whole thing is over, and we are wondering whether our, Secretary' will give. us

the chance of being as happy again before the cold snap is over.

There . is only one fly in the ointment. Some get their news late, and all through the morning little groups come to interview the "Vicar" to see if there is any more bread. Sometimes we lay our own bread-pan under demand when the cases are particularly bad. But the heart has to be, steeled a bit against regrets.

What's the moral! Christian baker, go thou and do likewise. GROSVENOR CORIN.

STICKER LANE, BRADFORD. Poor Children's Treat.

The Young People's Guild is'responsible for an annual treat to the poor children residing in the neighbourhood of Sticker Lane, Cutler Heights, and Dudley Hill. It is on the eve of Christmas that the event takes place, both the promoters and those who participate in the good cheer provided eagerly look forward to it. The necessary funds are raised by subscription, and the appeal this year met with a most generous response, exceeding.the most sanguine expectations. It is needless to say that this fact has very much encouraged the mem-bers of the guild in their efforts to make the festive season a real joy to many whose lives are somewhat drab and monotonous. Between sixty and seventy invitations had been sent out, and of

course they were accepted. The schoolroom was made as cheerful as possible, the decorations in-cluding a Christmas tree. A large quantity of toys, each of the value of sixpence, and consisting of dolls,, drums, engines, trumpets, books, sweets, etc., was distributed during the evening by Santa Claus, wearing his traditional scarlet gown and hood. Before this stage was reached, however, the children had a romp, and then settled down to enjoy a short entertainment. Supper followed, the girls sitting down together first, and the boys afterwards. • Before going home each child also received an orange, and had the choice of an apple , or some chocolates, in addition to a new penny and halfpenny.

CHRISTMAS AT THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH CHILDREN'S MISSION, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. •

SHOUTING and singing attracted .the4ttention of the casual stroller in Nelson Street, Newcastle, about five o'clock, on the evening of December 19th. Fiom 'one end of the street to the other there stretched a long line of children. It was raining heavily, but ill-clad though they were the youngsters made little of the wet. They were waiting for the .doors 'of the. Central 'Hall to be

-opened, where they were to be entertained by the promoters of the Children's Mission, Henry. Street. They came from Shieldfield, and there. were a thousand..of, them, varying in, appearance and in

-manner. Sorrie were the genuine gamins of the street. Others were the children of proud and self-respecting poverty. Al,! clutched tightly to a little slip of white paper—the passport for them 'to end-

less delight. Two burly policemen, - the doors being' opened, controlled the entrance: to the ,place of all 'delights. Their task proved no easy one. There were strangers in the crowd who, tidketless, were sent -away forlorn. ,Pathos rubbed shoulders with pleasure in that throng of children.,

Once inside, tables were filled. Bags - of cakes disappeared miraculously. Tea needed no ad- vertiser. "I've 'ad four cups," one grinning youngster remarked;

The children sat down in two lots of 500 a time. The clamour of those.not eating was only rivalled by that of those nearly half-through a substantial meal.

"From the stage overlooking the hall the scene was wonderful," said Mr. G. Bowran, the leader of the mission. "They all attend regularly, and," he added quietly, "we had 950 at our meeting last night."

After tea,. a Punch and Judy entertainment and a ventriloquist provided rapturous enjoyment. Punch, in all the yearS of his epic existence, has never given greater delight.

Finally, as the , children dispersed, bags of sweets, apples, and oranges were distributed, . mementoes—hardly to be kept long—of a great night.

THE C.H. AND 0., AND THE CHILDREN WAITING OUTSIDE.

The Children's Home and Orphanage had 1,800 girls and boys within its shelter in the days im-mediately preceding Christmas. It would need the

faculties of a "fairy godmother" to calculate what weight of happi-ness was in all those young hearts in expectation of Christ-mas joys. It was brimming over all day and giving blissful dreams by nights — dreams of houses and schoolroom transferred into bowers of beauty—of the Mysteri-ous midnight visitations of Santa Claus—of the Christmas' dinner-table, with all the roaring fun. To many of these little children of sorrow it was the first Christ-mas of freedom from starvation, neglect and ill-usage, and a first entrance into the rightful king-dom of happy childhood.%

But outside were many other girls and boys already selected for admission to the Home—selected out of the great mass of suffering children because of their crying need, but for whom room and funds were not yet available, out-side all the warmth and bright-ness and gaiety—some in homes where there would be no Christ-

mas cheer, others in vicious and hurtful sur-roundings, crippled and suffering in 'many ways and still seaside. It was a happy thought on the part of Dr. Gregory and the Com- mittee of the • C. f I. and 0., that in the weeks preceding the Christmas season a great effort should be made to meet the need in one way or another of every one of these little ones. They promised that for each special donation of five guineas, one of the children on the "waiting list" should be received, or otherwise provided for before Christmas- Day. This effort culminated at the Festival held in the Queen's Hall on December 23rd, when the welcome announcement was made that largely through the generosity and the ap,. peals of the Chairman—Mr. Sheriff Wakefield (one of the Treasurers of the C. H. and 0.), who himself provided for the admission of twenty children, the whole of the required amount had been raised, and that a helping hand would be reached out to every one of these waiting girls and boys whose need had not been already met. Towards this most satisfactory result Sir Horace and Lady Marshall contributed 10s., Mr. R. W. Perks, M.P., .4'52 10s., and Mr. Josiah Gunton, C.C., .10 10s.

Before the holding of the Festival, many of these special donations had been received, the donors in several instances selecting the boy or girl whom they desired to benefit, and wherever it had been found practicable, the children, had been taken within the doors of the Home. In all other cases provision was made that the children remaining in their own homes until the early part of the New Year should meanwhile receive substantial help. The total number actually cared for by the C. H. and 0. on Christmas Day. was 1901. F. H.

I10


One Among Many. A CHRISTMAS EXPERIENCE. BY ONE OF OUR YOUNG MINISTERS.

IT was just one week before Christmas. Every-body was busy preparing for the happiest, and, let us hope, the holiest event of all the year, and the young minister left his rooms to visit one or two poor families before going to his own home for a brief holiday. For some time he had stood before his window, which opened towards one of the finest scenes of a famous district, wondering whether his studies should be left and his people visited, or could he postpone his visits till later in the week. But the day seemed to call him forth, for the air was clear and crisp with Decem-ber frost, tempered by the waning sunshine of the afternoon. Perhaps, also, the thought that he had not been to see one or two members of his poor but affectionate congregation for some weeks impressed his sensitive mind ; so, putting on his overcoat, he went down into the poorest part of the small country town.

And what a town it is! Even in winter when the trees are barest, and when the hilltops are mantled in snow, any stranger might discover the beauty and variety of its scenery. There, right in front of the cottages he intended to visit, ,stood a giant rock rising almost perpendicularly out of the swift rushing river beneath. Stupendous, majestic, sometimes overhanging, it stood three hundred feet above the road beneath, like an ominous giant looking down upon insignificant men. There is no view in the town to compare with this. Apparently, at one time, the sides of the gorge had been joined together, but earth-quake or subsidence has riven the two asunder leaving room only for the river and the road which is partly cut out of the rock. Yet in these cot-tages, facing such a scene, there is daily trouble, vea, the conflict of life and poverty. The house into which he entered was lifted up from the road and had the advantage of facing right down the ravine. No sooner had he entered than a woman, tall, refined in features, and in speech, said

"I am so glad to see you, Mr. Fielding. I was hoping you would come to-day as I wanted to speak to you. Please just excuse me a minute, and I will sit down and have a chat with you."

The minister took his seat opposite a poor old woman who seldom moved from her place by the fireside, and waited to hear what Mrs. James, her daughter, had to say.

"I have been waiting to see you," she said, "to tell you about Mrs. Place next door. You know her husband has been working away from home for three months, and they have had to keep two cupboards, as I may say ; and then her husband lost his work, so they have no money coming in except the little which they earn by cleaning the chapel. Well! since last week they have had nothing but bread and jam ; and now Mr. Place has got work again away from home, and he had to borrow the money to get there yesterday. She told me this morning," went on Mrs. James, pointing to the next house, "that she owed the milkman sixpence, and he had told her that unless she could pay he would not leave any more milk. I got an extra half-pint from our own milkman, and gave it to her. I really wish I could help her, but you see, Mr. Fielding, George does not get more than 18s. a week, so I cannot do it."

"There is mother there," she said reaching out and touching the old woman on the cheek ten-derly, "she cannot go without her butter to •her bread, for with us things used to be so different. I could tell you a story of our come down, and its pain, which no one knows but those who have experienced it. The day after last Christmas Day we had nothing in the house, and no coal to make a fire with either. George had been so unfortunate, and could get nothing to do, and so the rent ran up, and we are slowly paying it

off. It makes me so sorry for Mrs. Place and the children. I cannot bear to hear them say they are hungry. I want them to have a better Christmas than we had last year."

" Do you mean to say that Mrs. Place has no money at all, and that they have lived on bread and jam now for a week?" asked the minister.

"I don't think she has a penny," she said, "and she is such a brave little woman, and ready to help me whenever she can, though she has two children. I got her a boat this morning. and made a little pudding for the children at dinner time, while she washed me a few clothes out of the gratitude of her heart. I hope now we will somehow tide them over Christmas, and give them something to eat. Her husband. will not be able to send her anything till after Christmas."

" Yes ; I'm glad I called," said Fielding, "and I will see about helping them over the Christmas."

Leaving the kind-hearted Mrs. James, the minis-ter called to see her neighbour, and found the kitchen tidy after the day's washing, with Mrs. Place busy "rightii-ig- " the clothes. On a chair near the small fire sat a little girl with her slate and pencil. Almost before Fielding had asked how she was, the door burst noisily open, 'and a bright-faced little boy came boisterously into the room, checked only when he saw the visitor. Hurriedly the minister congratulated her upon her husband's success in obtaining work, and leaving more of his limited salary than he could afford in her hand, rushed out into the road and home.

It was a case to help. Fielding could see it. But his Church was the poorest in the town, and he the poorest minister. Only the week before he had helped a poor woman to bury her baby, and had been compelled to ask a few members to help. There were two men in his Church with thirty shillings a week or over, the others were the labouring poor. Even then he felt they would do something to make another happy dur-ing the Christmas season, and so sat" down to write a letter to one he could not go to see. Just then his hostess came into the room to lay tea; he turned round and said:

"Mrs. Walters, I want a sovereign to give a family a respectable Chiistmas. I have just been to a house where neither mother nor children have seen meat for days. I want them to have a Christmas dinner."

" I'll give you half a ,crown," she said, and forthwith produced it ; he thanked her sincerely, and thought of the poor's charity to the poor..

That night on his way to the chapel, the minis-ter called at a small draper's shop to see Miss Biddulph, one of his most sincere workers at the Church, and one who could keep a secret.

"I'm in a hurry," he said, "it is almost time for the League. I want you to propose, after the meeting to-night, that the League consent to give the minister 5s. to provide a Christmas dinner for some poor family. I've just met a case of need to-day, and want to help above my means to do so."

"Very well," said Miss Biddulph. "I know what to do."

Fielding felt rather strange that night, for while the young people were singing that sweet little hymn :

"If you have a kindness shown, Pass it on.

'Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on ;

Let it travel down the years, Let it wipe another's tears, Till in Heaven the deed appears.

Pass it on ;" he noticed the eyes of Mrs. Place drop shyly, and she walked quietly out of the room till the hymn finished. And when the business meeting began, he had to look at the table as if he had discovered some strange device wrought upon its plain sur-face, for sure enough a pair of grateful woman's eyes were on him which he could not then meet. His letter brought a postal order. Some other members gave him their aid, and Mrs. Place and her children had a sufficient Christmas dinner.

No one asked who the money was given to. Mrs. James declared she enjoyed her Christmas dinner that year, better than she had done before, though it was the poorest she ever had. So did the minister.

•

For Local Preachers. I WANT to begin this column this week by wish-

ing each reader "A Happy New Year." May 1908 bring to each preacher increased power and pros-perity in Christian labour. In study, in journeys to appointments, in conducting Divine worship, _in declaring the Divine message, may all preachers find and hand on to their hearers much blessing.

Messenger. I HAVE before me a new book on and sermons, by Dr. W. M. Macgregor, Message. of Edinburgh, in which there is

much valuable and suggestive matter, The title of the volume is "Jesus Christ the. Son of God" (T. and T. Clark ; price 4s. 6d. net), and texts and sermons form an illuminating study of the Biblical picture of Jesus Christ. The first of the sermons is based on Isaiah liii. 7, and the preacher shows the desolate and ruined character of the land of which the prophet spoke, the longing of the people for better experiences, and the eagerness with which they welcomed the messenger of good. To read the sermon is to be encouraged and stimulated. There is much in our own times corresponding to what the prophet saw. Men now are far from satisfaction, and their dis-content may open the way for the preacher. In this sermon we are reminded that the text shows that "the peculiar beauty of the messenger is his feet"; and, it is added, "other qualities a preacher may have, but in the eyes of needy men, this is first—that he hastens. He comes as one who has something to say which his fellows will be glad to hear.' Those who read this column should assure themselves of this fact, and give their mes-sage expecting to meet the needs of their hearers. " With all I HAVE just quoted from the first Saints " sermon in a new volume by a (Eph. iii. 18). scholarly and able preacher. I

could profitably quote from others. Let me give a few lines from the concluding dis-course. In it the preacher refers to the prayer of St. Paul set forth in Eph. iii. 16-19. How was it that he prayed that they might "comprehend with all saints." Why not with all philosophers, com-mentators, scholars? Dr. Macgregor says it was "with all the saints—for it exceeds the power of the wisest to know, it takes a world of holy men to do justice to the, endlessness of the grace of God in Jesus Christ." The statement ought to be suggestive and so I hand it on. The Trinity. "THE doctrine of the Trinity is again

likely to become the battleground it has so often been in Christian history." This is the statement of Dr. Illingworth in his new book, "The Doctrine of the Trinity Apologetically Con-sidered" (Macmillan ; price 6s.), in which he dis-cusses "Some of the popular difficulties that are connected with it in the present day." He asserts that "we find the distinction of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, being taught by St. Paul, presumably within ten or twelve years of the Crucifixion, and presumably in agreement with the other apostles.". He thinks also "that this common doctrine was derived from Jesus. Christ Himself." He admits that later "the doctrine underwent development as regards the language in which it was expressed," and sets himself to discover "what was the original germ of this process of development," and whether the development was "so far legitimate, inevitable, and necessary, that its result may still be called revealed truth." He gives an affirmative answer ; and in the 267 pages of his book says much which is worthy of attention. Mystery. THE author of the book referred to

in the preceding section is not afraid of this term either when applied to the Trinity or any other Biblical object. He knows and says that "science can utilize the laws of gravitation, but cannot explain them. It can employ electricity for a hundred purposes, but cannot tell what electricity ,is. Hence the man of science can 'no longer afford to criticize the metaphysician for fail-ing to conform to his standard of clearness, since he himself loses all standard of clearness on approaching the confines of ultimate things."

All communications respecting this column should be sent to Rev. S. C. CHALLENGER, 43 Breedon Hill Road, Derby.

JANUARY 9, 1908. THE UNITED METHODIST. T I I

Letters of Christopher Hunt.

THE IDEAL LIFE.

To the Editor of THE UNITED METHODIST.

DEAR SIR,—A few books have come my -way recently, written by preachers, which 'do not deal with theology. It is a welcome sign. When emi-nent Doctors of Divinity set before us a dish which ordinary mortals find palatable, things begin to look hopeful. What a day it will be when the Rev. Theophilus Polycarp, D.D., publishes his great work on "How to Fly Kites "! When my bookseller announces that book I shall know that at last our learned Divines are finding their way into that Kingdom where little children are at home. There are certain books on my shelves before which I stand aghast. How ever do the writers put their socks on in the morning? And getting their hair cut! I positively cannot imagine that operation. But, seriously, I plead with our eminent men to, remember that •most of us are just ordinary people. Among mankind marble can be found in remote places once in a century, but as for the rest we are just common mud. Of our forty millions or so all, except an in-significant minority, are common people who eat bacon and wear flannel next the skin.

I.

I should like to recommend to your readers a book that has given me several profitable and pleasant hours. In "Life's Ideals," by the Rev. William Dickie, D.D. (Hodder and Stoughton, 3s. 6d.), we have a work that is eminently sane, wise, and brimful of shrewd common sense. I observe that Dr. Dickie" has written two other books: as well as an "etc." I shall look out for "The Christian Ethics of Social Life" and "The Culture of the Spiritual Life,".for Dr. Dickie is a man whom it is worth while to know. I have my doubts whether I ought also to get that "etc." I have written a few of that sort myself. But there can be no mistake about "Life's Ideals." Opening the book at random immediately on its arrival my eye caught this

"Reason—dot, perhaps, yours or mine—could justify all the claims they (the affections) make upon us; but we do not think of submitting them to such an analysis. Every mother is a Madonna to her child. Do we ask it to furnish reasons for its idealizing love? Do we call this an illusion? Is it morally valueless? Can the bridegroom state his reasons for leading to the altar his bride rather than some other woman, who is perhaps more wise and more beautiful? Has he renounced his rationality because he never doubted his instincts? Is the husband to hold his faith and love in sus-pense until he has tabulated all the reasons for adoring his wife? Life would be utterly intoler-able, impossible, •absurd, if we required to justify to the reason everything we did. We must live, and life is something more and better than a weary game of mental gymnastics."

After this, I read "Life's Ideals" through. I have found it a splendid tonic.

II. Some books on the ideal life inculcate an ab-

normal piety. They set forth John the Baptist rather than the Lord Jesus as the true exponent of Christian living. A book which leads men, as Dr. Hatch has said, "to follow John• the Baptist into the desert rather than Christ into the world" has a good deal to answer for. The chief end of man is not self-suppression, but self-realization. Man glorifies God, not by asceticism, which is anti-social, but by consciously uniting himself with Jesus in love for men and service for His King-dom. The modern ritualistic movement is nothing else but a return to the medieval notion that a superior sanctity attaches to the life of religious contemplation. It does nothing of the sort. Such a doctrine has provided plenty of material for scoffers who regard Christians in no other light than that of scandalized pilgrims hurrying through this trying wilderness to reach the milk and honey of Canaan. The late W. R. Greg says some hard

things about us in his masterly essay on " Ideals" in his "Enigmas of Life." Of course, many of his charges are unjust. An agnostic simply cannot see straight. On the other hand, we have not always realized that a great enthusiasm for some common good is the highway of real life. Is it not some old heathen poet who says it is sweet when the winds are sweeping the waters into storm, in some great sea, to watch the dread toil-ing of another from the shore? Pietism can be as irreligious as that. And not medieval pietism alone, either. You find the Christian either, in the lifeboat or heaping fuel on the beacon fire. •

III. Dr. Dickie recognizes that Christianity has other

purposes than to comfort mankind. Life is sweet, truly, but the goal of life is not sweetness, but Christian manhood. But the sanity of Dr. Dickie's view of manhood is seen in that he de-votes a whole chapter to an Apology for Amuse-ments. He holds rightly that amusements serve ethical ends, especially in youth. Some years ago a pamphlet was written to prove that amusement was the mission of a very undesirable personage. I am glad to see that is not Dr. Dickie's view. Amusement may serve as a discipline to character. "A young man learns many virtues in the field of manly sport. A code of honour springs up in all games in which young men associate, and it is usually enforced with rigour and justice. If a young man has any taint of surliness, or mean-ness, or selfishness, or trickery in his nature, it is soon discovered and knocked out of'him, or he is knocked out of a game. Young men have a savage delight in enforcing honour and fair play, and none know better than they how to punish the offender. From each other they endure chastise-ment which no schoolmaster would dare to inflict, and regard it with that reverence which men pay to the verdict of a court of justice."

All this goes to the making of ideal Christian manhood. Of course, this is not intended as any justification of some modern phases of sport the muddied football oaf, for example. He's a monstrosity. In this case the feet usurp the position of the head. But "the Lord taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man." When amuse-ment runs beyond its measure it becomes incon-sistent with the Christian life ; it is a direct hin-drance to our supreme end—our self-realization.

IV. How to keep our ideals—that is the question. I

find the best way is to keep one hand on the Bible, with such books as "The Imitation of Christ," and our hymn book—one of the richest treasuries of devotion conceivable—close by, and the other hand hard at it. Mr. G. K. Chesterton says he cannot do with the practical politician ; he never does anything. It is the man who lives in ideals and for ideals who does the highest service for God and man. We have practical politicians in abundance. There is quite a slump in opportunist statesmen. But men of no vision are men of no moral fervour. And you never have great politics, or great anything else, without spiritual emotion. To keep our ideals we must yield our self to the great Idealist. We must share that Life which is above time and change. We must look upon life with His eyes.

After that the way is clear before us. We must reach out our hand to our brother. "It is note-worthy that nearly all the commendations and condemnations of Jesus Christ were based upon social service or disservice rather than upon theo-logical opinion. The Samaritan was commended for his fine humanity, though his divinity was all wrong in comparison with that of the Priest and the Levite. Dives was punished, not because he was rich or irreligious, but because he ignored the social contrast. Those who did anything for the least of Christ's brethren, and those who did nothing, were rewarded or punished on the ground that the service of humanity, the care for the well-being of society, was the service of Christ and one of the principal disciplines and functions of the re-ligious spirit." I must thank Dr. Dickie for put-ting these considerations before us in so forceful and striking a manner.

Yours, etc., CHRISTOPHER HUNT.

Little Blessington. P.S.—The printer—or someone else—added an

"s " to the name of the book I referred to the week before last. Thackeray's "The Virginians," I am unacquainted with, I regret to say. My reference was to Owen blister's "The Virginian."

Here and There. 'THE LONDON QUARTERLY."

This Quarterly continues to show how four-square to present-day problems the Editor and his contributors stand. There is nothing remote, aloof or merely doctrinaire about any of the articles. The Editor - and his staff are manifestly living in the opening days of 1909. An enumeration of the contents of the January issue will prove this. Pro. fessor W. T. Davison deals with "The Changeless Gospel and the Modern Mind "; Mr. T. Alexander Seed with "The Letters of Queen Victoria "; Pro-fessor J. J. Findlay with "The People and the Schools "; Professor Holdsworth with "The Synoptic Problem "; Mr. Urquhart A. Forbes with the perennial theme, "Socialism." Mr. A. Addison Devis gives us "A Study of Conversion," and Mark Guy Pearse a study of "Thomas Coryat : A Forgotten Pilgrim." Mr. Alex. Brown deals with "The Mystery of Predestination," and Mr. R. Corlett Cowell with "The Call of the Children." "Notes and Discussions," "Recent Literature," and "Periodical Literature" make up a first-rate number.

is

PROFESSOR DAVISON ON THE CORE OF CHRISTIANITY.

Professor Davison's article, as one would expect, is written with clearness and force. It combines an exact apprehension of the trend of modern thinking and an appreciation of its best character-istics, with a firm grip of the central significance of the Gospel. It expounds well the characteristic marks of that mixed thing called Modernism against which the Pope is fighting so hard; dis-cerns what is commendable in it and sees clearly that against these features of it the Pope, with all his linked battalions, is fighting in vain. No man who believes, as the Pope does, that Thomas Aquinas has said the final word in philosophy, and that all studies, whether of history or natural science, or any branch of general knowledge, are to be conducted on the principles of that philosophy, is fighting anything except a losing battle. Bows and arrows are no good against Lee-Metford rifles. With Modernism, in its attempt to sum up Jesus as the Prophet of Nazareth, and to compress His message into the Sermon on the Mount, Pro-fessor Davison has no sympathy. "Even if His words be studied by themselves, they must be studied in their height and depth, as well as in their length and breadth. So regarded, they lead us far beyond the Nazarene prophet who uttered them." "The real core of Christianity is found not in the words of Christ taken by themselves, nor even in the Person of Christ as the Word of God incarnate, but only in His Person and His redeeming work for men as recorded in the New Testament and as constituting the very faith of the apostles and their followers., the power by which they turned the world upside down. The eternal truth of God is not the word of the Pope, nor the teaching of the Church, nor the' letter of the Bible, but Christ and His Gospel. The truth is found in the Bible and in the Church in propor-tion as these are interpreted in the light of that changeless Gospel which is our Lord's inexhaust-ible gift to the world, and which constitutes its very light of life. If to some this doctrine is a commonplace, others will discern that in the modern clash and conflict of opinions it forms the only sure citadel of Christian faith." He thinks that the Christian is not bound to defend all that the Councils have sanctioned, nor even all that certain creeds contain, nor the scientific accuracy of Genesis, nor the universality of the Deluge, nor the literal historicity of the Book of Jonah. "He need not close his eyes against the criticism of the Gospels, though he may be slow to believe any one of the complicated theories which seek to account for their existence in their present form. He is not bound to accept the psychology of St. Paul in detail, nor to assert that in the New Testament the Pauline type is the only one discer-nible. But he is bound to hold and defend as for

112


very' life the glad tidings that God who has revealed Himself sundry times and in divers manners ' to the children of men, has given a supreme' revelation of Himself in the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, and that in and through Him has been wrought out a redemp-tion for all mankind, whereby sinners may be first forgiven and cleansed, then sanctified and glorified, and that through the Cross of Christ every child of man may not perish, but have ever-lasting life." These are weighty, disentangling words, and may well be pondered by us all. I

' hope to return to one or two of the other articles in this Quarterly next week. '

* * * * *

The Christian Literature Society of India (9 Duke Street, Adelphi, W.C.), has published "The Study and Use of the Vernacular," a Hand-book for Young Missionaries, by Rev. J. C. Knight-Anstey, Wesleyan Missionary in India. (Price ls.) It is admirably done and will, prove invaluable to those who are about to commence missionary work either in India or China, or wherever else the Gospel has to be preached in the vernacular. E. M.

New Chapel Opening. THE opening of the new chapel at Swalwell, in

the Gateshead (Whitehall Road) Circuit, took place on Saturday, November 30th, when friends were present from nearly all the Churches in this large Circuit. In the absence of Mrs. T. Greener, Mrs. E. Troughton opened the door, and declared the chapel open for worship. A solid silver presenta-tion key was given by •Mr. G. S: Conway, the architect having charge of the work. A good con-gregation assembled in the chapel for the service, in which Revs. J. Nairn (Presbyterian), W. Matthews, E. Troughton, and A. E. Banks took part. Tea was provided in the Presbyterian church, kindly lent, and over 200 sat clown. The tables were presided over by ladies representing Churches in the Circuit, which had contributed trays, and others. In the evening a grand con-cert was rendered in the new chapel by our Dun-stan choir. Mr. R. Winship, J.P., presided, and the chapel was full. On the next day, Sunday, December 1st, opening sermons were preached by. the Rev. M. J. Birks (Connexional Chapel.Secre-tary), and the services were continued on the 8th, when the Rev. E. Troughton was the preacher, and on the 15th, when Mr. N. Jobling occupied the pulpit. The opening. hat been in every way a success ; and there is a prospect of our Church at Swalwell growing in strength and numbers.

The scheme that has been brought to a success-ful issue was initiated only some ten months ago. For many years the Church has been struggling amidst difficulties, owing partly to the unsuitable-ness of the building in which the work was carried on ; and it seemed likely to die out altogether. But the appointment by the Circuit of a strong representative committee to encourage the frierids inspired new hope and determination. Upon exam-ination, it was found that the old estate, consisting of chapel and three cottages, could be re-con-structed, and a chapel with vestry and two cot-tages built at a comparatively little cost. The scheme has now been Carried out. We have a chapel seating nearly 200, a vestry suitable for class and other meetings, with convenience for tea meetings, etc. There are two comfortable cot-tages, which will bring. in rent sufficient to pay interest on the remaining debt and reduce the principal. The total cost is a little over £500. Already over £200 has been raised, and we quite anticipate that this will be made up to £300 not many months hence. We have received consider-able help from friends, amongst, whom are Coun-cillor F. E. Weightman, J.P., who gave £28 5s. ; Mr. R. Winship, J.P., who .gave £8 3s. ; whilst other friends have contributed nobly. Eighty pounds were granted by the Circuit from' the pro-ceeds of the sale of the Teams Chapel ; and the few members remaining at Swalwell have given and collected well.

We also possess a site which was purchased and partly paid for some years ago, but not used, as the building scheme then on hand had to be abandoned. It is generally believed in the Circuit that Swalwell Church has entered on a new career and that it will prosper. A good united spirit prevails, and all are anxious to do their best: 2 E. T.

WATERLOO ROAD CHAPEL.

BENEFIT SOCIETY DISTRIBUTION. NEARLY twenty years ago a few friends of the

Temperance Society met and started a Slate Club, so that working men and women might enjoy the privilege of a Benefit Society without the necessity of entering licensed premises, where so many of such institutions are carried on. The small beginning has now become a large society.

A meeting was held on Saturday, December 21st, when the secretaries, Messrs. J. S. Salmon and W. H. Kernpsell, presented the balance-sheets, which showed a total income of £917, and an expenditure of 4'334 (including ..197 as sick pay and £35 funeral claims), and then had the privi-lege, with the assistance of the officers of the society, of distributing a declared dividend of

ls. 10d. on the year's working, a distribution in which upwards of 530 Members participated. This gives some idea of the work our society is doing in rendering assistance at a time when most needed, and providing Christmas fare to many families in the neighbourhood of the "Old Vic."

On Monday, December 23rd, the annual distri-bution of the Goose Club took place to nearly 100 members. J. S. S.

5n Memoriam. MRS. HANNAH KERSHAW, OF BOOTH-

TOWN, HALIFAX (BRUNSWICK). THIS Church at Bnothtown has sustained a

severe loss in the death of Mrs. Hannah Kershaw. For the long period of fifty-three years she has been a constant attendant at the Sunday and other services. She passed away on Tuesday, December 10th, and was interred in "All Souls " Cemetery the following Friday morning, in the presence of a large assembly of sorrowing friends. The service was held in the new church, being the first of the kind to take place in the new building, which has just been completed. The resident minister, Rev. John F. Lawis, conducted the service, the organ playing "0 Rest in the Lord," as the cortege entered the church, and the "Dead March" in "Saul," as it was leaving. In the course of his address, Mr. Lawis said that Mrs. Kershaw had just' reached the allotted span of human life, having lived for three score years and ten, and for fifty-three Sears of that time she had been a member of that Church. She was a scholar in the Sunday School at the time of the Reform Movement, leaving with the bulk of the school who followed the superintendent. Having lived to see the consummation of Method-ist Union, her connection with that Church covered the entire period between those two events. During- the whole of that time she had lived a most exemplary life. Her calm spirit and quiet demeanour impressed itself upon all who came into contact with her. Her devotion to their Church was beautiful to behold. From its ser-vices she was never absent unless prevented by sickness. It would always be a happy memory that she lived to see the new church completed. She kept her heart young' by retaining to the last her connection with the Sunday School as a teacher. The call came to her in the discharge of her duty. Surrounded by the class, she was stricken with paralysis when about to commence the lesson. She literally died at her post, never having another conscious moment till she breathed her last less than thirty-six hours afterwards. A more devoted mother could not be found; a more unselfish life it would hardly be possible to conceive. "Her children arise and call her blessed." Her life was spent in loving fellowship with our Lord, and now she has entered into the more perfect com-munion of the paradise of God.

MR. JOHN MOORE, AMBLER THORN. MR. JOHN MOORE, the oldest and one of the

most valued members of our ,Church at Ambler Thorn (Halifax N. Circuit), died on Friday, October 26th. He was born in Queensbury, on December 21st, 1837, so that he had nearly reached his seventieth year. He was connected with the Church and school from his earliest years, and maintained an unbroken union with them to the end. Through all the years he has served this Church loyally, devoting time, talents, money, and enthusiasm unfalteringly to its interests. At different times he held every office in Church and school 'open to a layman. He was associated with

the choir for forty years, and for a period of over twenty-seven years held the position of choir-master. For thirty years he was a class-leader,. and at the tune of his death he was still a member of the leaders' meeting, a trustee of Ambler Thorn. and Northowram Churches, and a superintendent of the Sunday School (an office which he had. held for twenty-five years). Mr. Moore waited. diligently upon the means of grace, and dearly loved the services of the sanctuary. His radiant, listening face was beautiful to look upon, and most impressive. Mr. Moore was hearty, humble, and unostentatious, quiet in manner, and gentle in speech. He was naturally observant, shrewd, and intelligent. He had the serenest of tempers, and possessed a keen sense of humour. He was-upright in character, faithful in friendship, wise and prudent in counsel, single in purpose, stead- fast in principle, and untiring in zeal. He was pre-eminently a good man. Christ was a reality to him, and an ever-inspiring presence. He wielded a grand influence in the neighbourhood in which he lived. His death is an incalculable loss to our mine at Ambler. Thorn. S. E. D.

• MRS. JOSEPH TAYLOR, AMBLER THORN-

WE regret to record the death of Mrs. Mary Taylor, wife of Mr. Joseph Taylor, of Queensbury, Halifax North Circuit, who passed away, after a long and severe illness, aged sixty-three. By nature she was kindly, sympathetic, and devout, and homely in speech and manner. Mrs. Taylor was highly respected and greatly beloved by alt who knew her. She was a consistent and devoted member of the United Methodist Church, Ambler Thorn, for over forty years. In her earlier life she was in the front rank of workers in Church and School, and held in much honour for her zeal and loyalty. She was a generous supporter of all the institutions of the Church. For several years Mrs. Taylor's health had been failing, and for the last two year-5 she suffered much, but she bore her affliction bravely and with great patience.

MR. THOMAS JONES AND MRS. BRERETON, HANLEY.

Two -.of the oldest members of Bethesda have recently been called to their rest. Mr. Thomas Jones had been in very feeble health for a long time, and during the winter months he had been unable to leave his house. Thirteen months ago his gentle and devoted wife passed away, and from that time it was evident that Mr. Jones was gross-ing weaker. After a 'comparatively short illness he entered into rest on. Friday, November 22nd, and was interred in the Hanley Cemetery on Mon-day, November 25th. A service was held in Bethesda, when a good number of leaders and, others attended. Mr. Jones was .converted in a mission conducted'by the Rey. James Caughey ire 1858. He was a class-leader for many years, and deeply interested in evangeliStic work.

Mrs. Brereton and the members of her family have"been associated with Bethesda for very many years, and have rendered excellent service in the• choir, the Sunday School, and other branches of Christian service. In the days of her activity Mrs_ Brereton was very busy in association with the various sales of work, etc., and her home was the scene of much quiet hospitality. 'For some years she was greatly afflicted, and during all thiS time she was carefully and patiently nursed by Mrs. Rathbone, her brother's wife, and the members of her family. She passed away, on Saturday, Novrmber 23rd, in her eighty-first year.

MISS RACHEL MARY KIRKMAN, FAVERSHAM.

AFTER an illness of nearly four years' duration, Miss Kirkman "fell asleep" on December 18th. Ever since her earliest days she had been attached to our Church in this town. When twelve years of age, she definitely decided to devote her life to her Master's service. From that time till she was laid aside by sickness she was an earnest worker in Church and Sunday School, and -showed are intense interest in every department of Church activity. When the call came to lay aside her beloved work, and to "serve in suffering," she did not murmur, but took up the heavier cross, and bore" it bravely, unfalteringly to the end. She. was interred in the Faversham Cemetery on December 21St, and a memorial service was conducted in the Stone Street Church on Sunday, by the Rev. W. J. Southern. She was greatly beloved by a large. circle of friends, and the deepest sympathy is felt for her father, Mr. James Kirkman, who for many years was superintendent of our Sunday School.

only covers thirteen pages, but its worth is not to be measured by its brevity. After exhorting his hearers, when they come into power, to rule inspired by the very best spirit, and to take their place upon a judgement-seat from which justice alone is administered, he asks: "What can we appeal to? I am not going to have the public-house on my side. I would rather go into the shades of private life than that. I am not going to have the Sporting Leagues issuing manifestoes in support of me. No. We must appeal to a seriously-minded Democracy, or give up our hopes of Democracy altogether." . . . . "We begin to see that the great problem of Democracy is not power, but the use of power ; not to say : ' Here I am, this I am going to do,' but, ' Here I am, what ought I to do? ' not ' This is the class to, which I belong,' buf ' This is the com-munity of which I form a part.' " . . . . "I candidly confess to you that I can see no hope for the people, for the future, unless we can ap-peal to the character of the people, unless, first of all character is established like a bulwark in our midst." . . . . "You cannot have things done for you, and be a man of character. The man of character . . . insists upon taking responsibilities on his own shoulders, insists upon being enfranchised, so that he shall not be the recipient of good things, but the doer of good things." . . . "Guard your character, guard that inner light that burns in your heart. Then you will say, ' I must bring that light out into the world. I must exercise this character of mine. I, too, am an apostle, a statesman though my foot has never entered the House of Commons. I, too, am responsible for the building of the walls of this New Jerusalem. 1, too, must stand in front of my fellows, and lead theril upwards.'"

Addresses of this character, given, not only to men convened in religious meetings, but to the great body of working men convened for other purposes, would do a great deal to redeem the social movement from its materialistic passion.

BRAMWELL DUTTON. P.S.—Thanks to W. J. for useful literature on

the social work of the Salvation Army, which I hope to be able to use from time to time.

LONDON CHURCH EXTENSION FUND.

DEAR SIR, —The above organization, which in past years has done such excellent service for London Free Methodism, is holding a grand Reception and Conversazione, on Monday evening, January 20th, at Shoreditch Town Hall, Old Street, E.C. (easily accessible from all parts of London). The Rt. Hon. Lord Monkswell has kindly promised to be present and speak. A first-class musical programme is to be provided by the Essex Vocal Quartette, and Miss Rita Gallally, a talented elocutionist, will give recitals. The tickets of admission are one shilling each, and refreshments will be supplied at moderate prices, a la carte.

We are most anxious to make this gathering a thorough success, and the committee will appre-ciate the assistance of all interested in London United Methodism to that end. The scope of the Fund is now wider than heretofore, but we trust that increased support will make it possible to carry its operations far beyond the present pro-gramme of extension work.

Tickets for the Reception will be gladly for-warded and donations gratefully acknowledged by

Yours faithfully, G. BOWER CODLING.

Saxilby, Nimrod Road,

Streatham, S.W., January 2nd, 1908.

• MESSRS. BANKS AND Co., Greta Works, Keswick,

make an offer to supply pencils imprinted with name of Church (in gold) and date of bazaar purposed to be held, on special terms, if twenty gross are ordered. Samples will be supplied if 3d. is sent.


What Our Deaconesses are Doing.

THE conversion of the people to God is the supreme aim of the deaconesses, and they are fre-quently encouraged . by success. An aged man was ill. He knew nothing of the grace which ministers patience in affliction. lie w as res:less and fretful, and his eyes were like those of a caged bird struggling to escape from its prison. He paid little, if any, attention to the sister when she first visited him, and was unmoved by every repre-sentation of God's love and willingness to save. The case being sad and urgent, the sister went again and again at short intervals, but the old man appeared to make no effort even to under-stand her message, and she was at her wits' end to know how to arouse him. She told him the story of Paul's imprisonment at Philippi and the conversion of the jailor. He listened with his usual indifference, until his ear caught the words, "What must I do to be saved?" Then, suddenly raising himself, he exclaimed, "Aye, that's what I want to know." He listened most eagerly to the answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved." "Say it again," he requested, and when the sister repeated it the second time, he pleaded, "Tell it to me again, for it is what I want to know. I never heard that before." She not only repeated the answer again, she explained that it meant the commitment of body and soul to Christ through time and for ever, and soon she had the joy of knowing that the old man could say from the heart

"Not my own! " to Christ my Saviour I, believing, trust my soul.

The change wrought was wonderful. The next time the sister called he welcomed her with grati-tude and joy, saying, "I'm glad you're come. Bless you for what you told me last time. It is true, I have found it so. But, oh! I am so ignorant. As I lie in bed I ask God to teach me how to pray, and He does. The words come I have never used before, thoughts too, so different from the old ones. Bless Him, and bless you for telling me." The sister was indeed blessed by the knowledge that her labour had not been in vain.

* * * * In the after meeting of a recent mission service-.

one of the deaconesses noticed a man who ap-peared thoughtful and distressed. She ascertained that he had been a local preacher for twenty-two year's, then fell away, and for three years he had lived in sin. The Spirit was striving with him, and the sister ventured to speak. He told her that the memory of his early religious life, the thought of his brothers who were useful and honoured ministers of Christ, and the consciousness of his own folly and sin filled him with remorse and shame. Sometimes he had been so overwhelmed as to contemplate suicide. He could not long endure his agony, and he believed he was beyond hope. When reminded that God delighted in mercy, and would save the very worst, he said he believed it as firmly as when he used to preach it, but he could not apply it to himself, for he felt he was worse than the worst of sinners. For more than an hour the friends sang, prayed, and encouraged him with helpful wor‘ds. He listened to all with an anxious heart, and pleaded for mercy and help; but all seemed vain until he requested them to sing as they "used to sing years ago," "I will believe, I do believe, that Jesus died for me." He united his voice with theirs. As he did so his heart went out in trust and love to God, as in the former days, his backslidings were healed, the joys of God's salvation were restored, and his testimony was a delight to all.

* * * * *

The finances of the Institute are extremely low. Through the Christmas twelve friends, six of whom are regular subscribers, sent us, altogether, £5 2s. 6d„ of which 10s. was from "M. D." and

10s. from "E. B.," who desired it to be acknowledged in THE UNITED METHODIST. We are grateful for all the offerings, and hope that other friends, bearing in mind that the Institute is largely dependent upon voluntary contributions, will kindly send us help. T. J. C.

26 B,s3borough Gardens, Westminster, S.W.

The Social Outlook. Emphasis Too little has been said by Labour OR and Socialist leaders, hitherto, about Character. the sterling importance of personal

character in the advocacy of new social conditions and developments. Economic changes are pressed with greater urgency than moral changes. The power of personality is not given its just place in social regeneration, and yet the witness of history and experience makes it the supreme principle in life and progress. Some of the more erratic speakers and free lances con-nected with the modern social movement go so far as to treat most sacred subjects flippantly, and they lightly trample upon human bonds which, in our country at least, have been entered upon and held with reverence.

I do not assume, however, that any responsible leader of men, be he Democrat, Socialist or Labour representative, does ignore the moral, personal qualitative in his conception of a "New Age." He would be foolish to do so. But ordinary readers and hearers have not been impressed by the em-phasis laid upon the moral quality of being in any reconstruction of Society. Secondary things, right and desirable in themselves, have been set in the foreground, and principal thoughts which are involved in the largest scale of being have been pushed into the background. Improvement in material conditions has loomed larger than im-provement in moral energy. This line is fatal to any permanent betterment.

* * *

Environment OF course, the chief idea running and through all social advocacy, like a Personality. strong, fine thread, is that with

better conditions we should have better men. This idea is only true up to a point ; better conditions do not in themselves produce nobler characters. They provide an opportunity, free from the miserable grind of poverty, to culti-vate the finer and holier qualities of a gracious manhood and womanhood, and this opportunity is the extent of their service. No mean service indeed! And a service which all thoughtful Chris-tian people should immediately render to the com-munity. Every man should have his chance ; at present, owing to economic and social disabilities, every man has not his chance. But, judging from history and experience, does more than a fraction of the population become equal to the opportunity which presents itself ? Environment may be pushed at the expense of personality. Do better conditions in themselves necessarily include greater chivalry, purity, honour, generosity and reverence? I have the gravest doubts. We are not without instances of youths being reared in conditions so suitable as to suggest the possibi-bility of perfect character, but the record is a story of degeneration and crime. There, has been a minus in the man, which the conditions failed to supply. If there had been the plus of the Chris-tian dynamic, conditions and character would have harmonized.

* * *

Character IT is refreshing, therefore, to find and so prominent and able an exponent Democracy. of social themes as Mr. J. Ramsay

Macdonald, M.P., discoursing to the Men's Meeting at the Leysian Mission on the subject of Character and Democracy. The address is published as the fourth "Social Tract for the Times,"* and it is full of warning and wisdom. It

Robert Culley. Id.)

114


Young People's Examinations. U.M.F.C. SECTION. THE names of prize winners in the Senior and

Upper Middle Divisions were given in the "United Methodist " of January 2nd.

LOWER MIDDLE DIVISION. The text-book was "China and the Methodist

Free Church Missions," by the Rev. F. Galpin. 1,073 young people over 12 and up to 15 years of age entered, but 538 only went to the Examina-tion rooms and attempted to answer the questions. Of this number 32 won an Honours Certificate, 194 a First Class and 266 a Second Class. There were 46 failures.

The seven prize-winners are 1st. Florence Beatrice May King, Norwich, New

City School, 951 marks. 2nd. Ivy Cliff, Burton-on-Trent, Victoria Street,

95 marks. 3rd. William R. Lowne, Norwich, New City, 941

marks. 4th. Dorothy Dawber, Goole, 94 marks. 5th. Nellie Warrington, Manchester Fourth,

Eccles New Road, 936 marks. 6th. Eveline Annie Hinchliffe, Louth, Eastgate,

93 marks. 7th. Ben Belah Bembridge, Belper, Marehay, 921

marks. These papers were of nearly equal merit, and

the Examiner has had difficulty in fixing upon the order of some of them.

The Rev. G. Dixon Thompson, Wigan, one of the two Assistant Examiners, considers the can-didates might be divided into three. classes (1) Those who were in a hurry and failed to grasp the meaning of the questions, consequently gave erroneous answers. (2) Those who had committed the text-book to memory, and in parrot-fashion answered the questions. Some of the answers were remarkably lengthly, indicating extraordinary memories. (3) Those who had given considerable thought and attention to the study of the subject, and were able to give clear, intelligent and interest-ing answers, which showed they had been care-fully taught in classes by expert and deeply in-terested teachers.

Miss Thompson, of Wigan, reports the papers on the whole well done, many answers easily obtaining full marks. The good, medium and poor papers were generally found in batches, point-ing to the fact that some candidates were more carefully coached than others. She also complains of faulty spelling and poor English. Miss Thomp-son is convinced that the time spent in preparation will have created a greater interest among the young in our China Mission.

Mr. M. Parker, Willington-on-Tyne, the Chief Examiner, considers that as a whole they were very creditably done. There were not many he would call "dead failures." The most knew some-thing of the work in the Far East, and he hopes that all will be inspired to take a deep interest in Missions generally as they advance in years.

JUNIOR DIVISION.

The text-book was a portion of the booklet on China, chapters 8 and 9. The largest number of entries are usually among the younger scholars. The age-limit fixed was up to twelve years. The number of entries was 1,119. The number actually examined, 578.

Mr. Holroyde (Jarrow) considered the Juniors had acquitted themselves fairly well. Where in-struction was confined to the book the children were rarely at fault.

The Rev. H. Chatterton, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Was gratified with many of the replies and amused with a few others.

The Rev. J. T. Newton, Wallsend-on-Tyne, reports on the apparent fact that many of the children have had no one to train them.

The Chief Examiner, who set the questions, the Rev. W. H. Proudlove, Heckmondwilte, regrets the large number of failures-40 of them scoring less than 15 marks each. A number of the can-didates must have been left to their own unaided efforts, and their interest in the matter was slight Apart from the failures, the average quality of the papers was distinctly good. The Honours papers were very good, the first twelve being of such uniform excellence that it was a matter of some difficulty to place them in order of merit.

The winners of the prizes are : 1st. Charles G. H. Hamilton, Lowestoft, 95 marks. 2nd. George R. Elsey, Wakefield, Walton School,

94 marks.

3rd. Henry Alan Bowlter, Preston First, Orchard, 93 marks.

4th. Stanley Moore, Liverpool North, Stuart Road, 921 marks.

5th. Charlotte Proctor, Goole, 92 marks. 6th. Robert Lee, Rochdale, Castlemere, Castleton,

91 marks. 7th. Edwin Fletcher Blake, Bath, Hope School,

90 marks. The total value of the prizes in the four Divisions

is ,12. ESSAY COMPETITION..

The subject for the year was "The History of the Minor Methodist Churches." It is a surprise that not more than thirteen essays were received by the Secretary. These were sent to Mr. T. H. Fleming, Leeds, who had much pleasure in read-ing the essays but great difficulty in arriving at an award. They were all exceedingly creditable to the writers. The prize essays Were each well done and showed great promise.

Three pounds are awarded in prizes. The first prize of 30s. was gained by Mr. Percy

Butler Melling, of Levenshulme, Manchester Second ; the second of 20s., by Miss Mabel-Christophers, of Downham t and the third prize of 10s., by Mr. Thomas Barrett Reed, of Lost-withiel. The essay of Mr. Joseph B. Greenall, of Lancaster, was most highly commended. The other contributors, all of whom have won the praise of the Examiner, are : Miss Maud Fletcher, Mapperley, Nottingham, Shakespeare Street ; Hedley Plackett, . of Sandiacre, Illteston ; Fred Smith, Burnley, Hanover Church ; John Woolsey, Shirland, near Alfreton ; William H. Harrison, Darlington, Paradise ; George G. Threlfall, South-port ; Thomas Hill, London, Fulham ; Edward Ashley, Crewe, and Lionel R. 'Johnson, Free Town, Sierra Leone. The above are not named in the order of merit. EDWARD CRAINE,

ExaminatiOn Secretary. %Vest Woodburn, Northumberland,

January 4th, 1908.

Celebrating the Union. HULL.

A GREAT Union meeting was held in Campbell Street Church in December. Rev. E. Boaden (President) preached in the afternoon on the blessings of unity and fellowship, and in the even-ing spoke on his previous association with, and memories of, Hull. Councillor G. H. Hampshire spoke on the direct and indirect advantages of Union, and Rev. E. Cato on the London Confer-ence, emphasizing the note of spirituality, mis-sionary fervour and enthusiasm for young life. Mr. F. Needier presided.

TAVISTOCK. The Union demonstration and first united quar-

terly meeting took place on December 18th. The proceedings commenced with the business meeting at ten a.m. This was followed by a luncheon, at which a large number of friends sat down. In the afternoon a sermon was preached by Rev. W. B. Lark (President of the late Bible Christian Conference). Tea was served to a large assembly, and at the evening meeting the speakers were Revs. W. B. Lark and A. H. Boyden, B.A., B.Sc. Mr. Higman presided. The whole proceedings were highly successful, and promise well for the future work of the Circuit.

• • JARROW (Bede Burn Road).—Rev. J. Hedley has

paid a visit to this Church. There were splendid congregations on the Sunday, and on the Monday Mr. Medley gave a lecture on his work in China, the Mayor of Jarrow (Councillor T. Ramsey) pre-siding.

MR. GEORGE WHETTON has received and accepted a unanimous invitation for a second year in the Boston Circuit.

TOOTH-ACHE CURED INSTANTLY BY

BUNTER'S PrTInetesple'srltghStrePre=cdt.i*n. NEURALGIA, Headache, and all Nerve NERVINE Pains removed by BUNTER'S NERVINE. All Stores, Is. no. "A.. sp.. for Tooth... It halloo equal. I bore laud It toorrostully for

7..."—Prol. 1Y. Wiwi., ND.

JANUARY 12TH. JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.— John i. 19-34. TheBaptist's Great Renunciation. CARLYLE calls the imaginative faculty our pro-

phet, priest and king. If this lesson is to move us and others, then our enlightened imagination must illumine our informed exposition ; we must animate the scene by sympathetically re-living and re-sketching it. What rare scope the situation affords for picture-painting! The dress and ap-pearance of the Forerunner; the Jordan Valley, where John and Jesus were simultaneously tempted to undue self-assertion ; the garb and querying of the priestly envoy from the Sanhedrin ; the majestic mien'of the conquering Christ fresh from the conflict, eliciting the spontaneous testimony', "Lamb of God," "Son of God," from the Baptist, and evoking the nascent love and loyalty of His earliest disciples. John the Baptist was the fore-most man of his day, the most powerful reformer (for without a miracle he shook the nation from centre to circumference), and the greatest of the prophets. Like all the truly great he overcame only by undergoing. Our all too prone attitude of taking everything for granted has made us ()verit* or underestimate the great sacrifice which John must have made, second only to that of Moses, so enthusiastically immortalized in Heb. xi. 24-26. John's parents belonged to the Jewish nobility. "Blood was highly esteemed among the Jews, even more highly than it is among our English county families." The bluest blood of all was that in the line of Aaron, so that John's mother, Elizabeth, belonged to the noblest family in Israel. The priests formed part of the Jewish aristocracy, and in social position were the equals of our English bishops. John's father Zecharias might therefore legitimately be called "a peer spiritual of the realm." Theirs was a marriage in high life, and John, their only child, was the heir of inspiring memories and rich prospects, and might have enjoyed the honours, affluence, and comparative ease that were part of his birthright. It might be objected that this description is over coloured, because the less highly-developed civiliza-tion and the simpler life of-those early days made intercourse between the classes much freer ; yet that class and caste scorn obtained is-sufficiently indicated by such observations as "this multitude which knoweth not the law are accursed," and the well-known habitual neglectful treatment of the common people by the hierarchy. John makes his great renunciation, which is all the more ad-mirable because not advertised. His presence in the desert marked a great crisis, which was fol-lowed by a complete, perhaps sudden, break in his manner of life. We witness a soul in its early environment steeped in sacerdotalism and formal. ism, and then we gaze at a developed spirit, fore-most of the religiously unconventional, the non-ritualistic, and the prophetic. What occasioned such a silent yet amazing revolution? Obviously personality transcends environment. Man is always the master, and not the slave, of circum-stances. Is it the familiar experience of reaction or recoil witnessed in human history—a Martin Luther Rule, son of an almost extreme anti-Romanist, becoming a Roman Catholic priest? Or does the mordant phrase applied to the Phari-sees and Sadducees who came out to him in the desert, "Ye offspring of vipers," reveal the dis-enchantment of one brought up in the inner circle, yet estranged by the exhibition of their motives and lives as seen from within? His parents were righteous and blameless; but this, alas ! was the exception, and not the rule. Or did the observed rottenness of Society, secular and religious, synchronize with or follow an illumina-tion of the Spirit—a heavenly vision—which deter-mined duty and destiny? Such a phenomenal effect must have an adequate cause. His priestly descent on both sides brings into strange contrast the prophetic character of his work. His revolt and protest against the controlling corruption, his absolute break with the prevalent Pharisaic type of piety, his rite of baptism symbolical of re-pentance for sin and resolve of amendment, lay bare the Baptist's very soul, and the last analysis only the workings of the mysterious and mighty Spirit of God offer an adequate explanation.

tIternattonai Leeson. BY REV. CHARLES A. ASHELFORD.

NEW EDITION. JUST REPRINTED.

STARTING HEAVENWARD or, The Young Christian Counselled.

By ROBERT BREWIN.

Revised by the Author. 25th Thousand.

Price 1d., or Os. per 100.

MESSAGES TO CONVERTS By W. KAYE DUNN, B.A.

Price ld , or Be. per 100.

ANDREW CROMBIE, 12 Farringdon Avenue, London, E.C.

UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.

LONDON CHURCH EXTENSION FUND. A GRAND

RECEPTION AND

CONVERSAZIONE In ad of the above will be held on

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 1908, AT

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL, OLD STREET, E.C.,

7.0 FOR 7.90 P.M.

The Right Hon. LORD MONKSWELL WILL SPEAK, SUPPORTED BY

STEPHEN GEE, Esq., WM. MALLINSON, Esq., J.P., ROY. HENRY MANN, and other Gentlemen.

MUSICAL SELECTIONS by the ESSEX VOCAL QUARTETTE

Miss MAGGIE INGLIS, A.L A.M. Miss FRANCES HULBERT, L.R.A.M.

Mr. ALEX. BANNISTER. Mr. CLAUDE DYER.

At the Piano, Miss MABEL HULBERT, Gold Med., L.A.M.

Recitals by Miss RITA GALLALLY.

Tickets, ONE SHILLING. Refreshments supplied a la carte at Moderate Prices.

Shoreditch Town Hall is opposite Sboreditch Station (North London Railway) and can be reached by train, tube, bus or tram from all parts M the Metropolis ; within half an hour of all the principal railway termini.

In Commemoration OF THE FOUNDING OF THE

United Methodist Church, A CARD, beautifully printed in Colours, with portraits of the Rev. EDWARD BOADEN and the three other Presidents.

SUITABLE FOR

"Yew Year's .Motto Gard. PRICE ld. net.

lir Order of your Book Room. 11161


In the desert he found time for prayer, medita-tion, and self-discipline, and felt more deeply than even the imperious call and claims of the Divine. He could justly have .anticipated the words of the greatest of the apostles, "What things were gain to me those I counted loss," etc., etc.

The Baptist's Inquisition. The Evangelist begins his narrative with events

which come under his own immediate notice, and easily glides from the profound thought of the Prologue to the simplest recital of facts. Of the Baptist it could be truly said that the "whole man was a sermon." The two things which attracted attention were his preaching and his baptism. Practically the text of all his sermons was, "Re-pent ye; for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand," with emphasis on the latter clause, because it was felt to be fundamental. He knew himself to be the herald of the Messiah's near approach. John's originality as a prophet consisted in the clearness with which he saw, and the insistence with which he proclaimed the necessity of repentance on the part of Jew and Gentile alike. According to the popular conviction all Israel would share in the blessings of the 'Messianic age, specifically because of their descent from Abraham. The Talmud ex-plains the cry of the prophetic watchman in Isa. xxi. 12 by saying, "The night is only to the nations of the world, but the morning to Israel." Not so, says John ; both Pharisee and Publican, civilian and soldier, all who would enter the new Kingdom, must do so through repentance and confession of sin. The same dominant idea pre-vails in his symbolical rite of baptism. When a Gentile "sought shelter under the wings of the Shekinah," it was understood that he was utterly renouncing the past, and in Judaism the outward symbol of such renunciation by the proselyte was baptism. In the Kingdom of Heaven the Jew, like the Gentile, must relinquish all alleged claim and imagined inalienable rights, and enter through the gateway of "baptism unto repentance."

John's message thrilled the nation and multi-tudes flocked to him from all quarters; the tension was great. His preaching can only be compared to that of Savonarola in Florence, 1495-96 A.D. "The Millennium itself must have arrived in Florence in the end of the fifteenth century had that great voice continued dominant as it was for a time." Such teaching must have been specially distasteful to the Pharisees. Moreover, was it not unorthodox in the extreme? The widely-spread Messianic interest at length roused this influential wing of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, as the re-ligious guides of the nation charged in particular, according to the Mishna, with the duty of judging false prophets, to take action and to send a dis-tinguished envoy of Priests and Levites to the erst-while Priest to examine his claims and to criticize his methods. If not quite a heresy hunt, their minute cross-questioning, with insistence on some definite reply, suggests that they would have been glad of any remark which might have brought the Baptist within the power of the supreme Ecclesiastical Court. Who art thou? What then, art thou Elijah? (Mal. iv. 5). Art thou the prophet? (Dent. xviii, 15-18). Why then bap-tizest thou if thou art not the Christ? etc. John's baptism had its historical roots not only in the proselyte baptism of Judaism, but also in the Messianic lustration foretold by the prophets (Ezek. xxxvi. 25, 26; and xxxvii. 23; Zech. xiii. 1), and evidently referred to by these inquisitors. Possibly the Evangelist here wishes to indicate the first signs of the historic development of unbelief, as the closing verses of the chapter reveal the be-ginnings of faith and devotion. Ecclesiastics then, as so often since,_ were perplexed, even charmed, at fresh springs of inspiration and new channels of blessing coming to men from unconventional and uncanonical sources.

The Baptist's Complete, Self-Effacement. John's replies to the Sanhedrin are strikingly

characteristic of the man, and contrast vividly with their parading, self-advertising spirit. If this inquisition can be called the Baptist's tempta-tion, it was promptly met and mastered. Emphati-cally and decisively he disclaimed being the Messiah, or that he possessed any official dignity; he was not even Elijah in the literal sense they intended, though there was a spiritual sense in which he could be likened to Elijah (Luke i. 17; Matt. xi. 14, and xvii. 12). When hard pressed for a positive as well as a negative reply, the utmost he would concede was that he was a "Voice," nothing more ; the Voice is but an agency to express the Word. The King had come, he had only been a Forerunner ; he wished

his personality to be lost in his message. John is the model worthy of our imitation. How we hunger for recognition (the reward of self-expres-sion we whisper to ourselves), gratified if given, depressed if withheld. Our supreme concern must be that our Master should be recognized and crowned.

When asked what right he had to treat Jews as if they were proselytes, and make them submit to a rite which implies that they are impure, John's indirect reply has been thus paraphrased: "You ask for credentials ; and all the while He who is far more than credentials is among you." In the presence of this unique and transcendent Person he feels unworthy to perform even the most servile duty. A familiar saying of the Rabbis was, "Every office which a servant will do for his master, a scholar should perform for his teacher, except loosing his sandal thong." John iii. 30 reveals in full bloom the rare and beautiful humility and self-effacement of this truly great and noble soul. How came this born aristocrat, this naturally independent and masterful spirit in possession of such excellences? Unconsciously he had reached that supreme height which closes Monod's haunting hymn, "None of self and all of Thee."

The Baptist's Telling Testimony. How distinctly the Evangelist remembers the

remarkable testimony to Jesus by the Baptist on three successive, and, for him, memorable days. The baptism of Jesus was for Him His Pentecost, and meant a great spiritual quickening and ac-cession of power, and was followed as all such great moments are by searching tests. On be-holding Him, fresh from the Temptation, the Bap-tist exclaims, "Behold the Lamb of God," etc. Whence arose this brief but profoundly pregnant utterance? Was it a flash of inspiration? Or was it the distillation of months of prolonged meditation on prophecy and the sacrificial systems? The Paschal Lamb commemorated and anticipated redemption ; there was also the Lamb of the morning and evening sacrifice ; and then there was the significant "Lamb " of Isa. liii. The Baptist proclaimed Christ as the Reality to which all sacrifice has pointed, and of which the in-numerable sacrifices were but the symbol. Jesus is the world's Saviour from sin. Professor Garvie, in "Studies in the Inner Life of Jesus," expresses his conviction that at the outset of His career "the vocation Jesus was conscious of and accepted was that of Saviour from sin by the sacrifice of Him-self." The popular ideal was that of a conquering and glorious Messiah, but the uniqueness of Jesus' ideal, derived from the Servant of Jehovah, was that of a suffering Messiah. Note the singular, "sin"—the essence or root principle from which separate sins flow. The redemptive aspect of Christ's work would doubtless be impressed upon him by the frequent confession of sin from those who came to him for baptism. Christ is not only the wand's Atoning Sacrifice, but He is also the Bestower of the Holy Ghost. Not from without, but from within, must true cleansing proceed ; man in his sin and weakness needs Divine cleans-ing and enabling, so Jesus came baptizing with the Spirit, thereby cleansing from sin and infusing new life and power. How far the Baptist saw into his witness "Son of God " we know not ; but the Evangelist, looking back upon that life, which was to St. John a prolonged transfiguration, would read into the Baptist's testimony his own clear insight, resulting from close observation and rich experience. The words of a man who had made such sacrifice for truth and conscience as the Bap-tist had must justly carry great weight. Christ's eulogium on him is the hall-mark of nobility; He made him a spiritual giant. Such an one wit-nesses that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour from sin, the Bestower of the Spirit, the Son of God. To such testimony may we give heed, and enthrone Him Saviour and King

NATIONAL FREE CHURCH COUNCIL AND LAY PREACHING.

--- The question of raising the standard of lay

preaching, and of extending the practice among the Free Churches has engaged the attention of the Committee of the National Council of the Evangelical Free Churches. The Committee is investigating the present methods with a view to the co-ordination of the various organizations, and for the appointment of training centres for the better equipment of lay preachers. It is likely that the matter will be brought before the Annual Council at Southport in March.

INDIGESTION IS THE END OF HEALTH

Health ends when indigestion begins, because nutrition fails. Thus you are starved. Then the impurities which arise from undigested food get into your system. Thus you are poisoned. Mother Seigel's Syrup makes an end of indigestion by strength- ening the digestive organs.

MOTHER

SEIGEL'S SYRUP

IS THE END Op

INDIGESTION.

zi6 THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY 9, 1903.

for the ebilbren. PRIMARY DEPARTMENT.

--- LESSON III.

THE MANHOOD OF JESUS. MARK I. 35-44.

[These lessons are revised and approved by Mr. Thistleton Mark, M.A., Lecturer in Education, Victoria University, Manchester.]

BY MRS. NAYLOR. --

AIM OF TEACHER.—To show how Jesus used His time.

INTRODUCTION TO LESSON STORY. Last Sunday I told you about the life of Jesus,

when He was a happy boy. This afternoon I want to tell you how He spent a day of His great and beautiful life, when He was a man.

LESSON STORY. Jesus stayed at home with His mother until

He was thirty years old. He worked as a car-penter, and every one in Nazareth knew Him and loved Him. But Jesus often thought of the great work He wanted to do for God, and He was only waiting for the moment to come when He was to begin it. He wanted to go to other towns, and preach to the people there about God. At last He asked His mother if He might go, and

re is men Jesus begins M who

ary had

m comeemberin

atg

Histhe

birw

th,e said His work for "Yes, es, my son, go, and God be with

you." She was sorry to lose Jesus, but she wanted Him to do the work God had given Him, so she let Him go.

Jesus went over the hills from Nazareth until He came to the shore of the sea of Galilee. There He saw three fishermen, Peter, James, and John mending their nets. Jesus said to them, "Follow me," and they did so. Jesus had such a beautiful loving face, that good men were glad to follow Him. They went together to Capernaum where the fishermen lived, and Jesus stayed at their homes. On the Sunday He preached, and every day He did some kind deed to sick people.

One morning Jesus arose very early. He stole softly out of the houses through the sleeping town, and climbed up a high hill. When He reached the top, He sat down and watched the sun rise above the hills on the opposite side of the lake. What a grand sight it was I The sky. was all

streaked with beautiful pink light,

on Jesus prays in which, rising above the dark hill, the came the rim of a bright ball of hill top. came Up, up it rose, and in another moment the bright sun was flashing across the hills. The golden light chased away the mists, the birds sang, a new day had begun. Jesus watched the beautiful sight with joy, He had come up the hill to pray to God, now He knelt down and thanked Him for the beautiful world He had made.

Ile had not been there long, when Peter, James and John came up the hill, looking for Him. They had come to tell Jesus that all the people were asking for Him. Jesus was glad men wanted Him, and He set off with His disciples to preach to the people. It was a long dusty road, and they became hot and tired. When they reached the next town, I am quite sure they knocked at a door and asked "Will you let us to drink?" Very likely Peter took the good man of the house aside, and whispered in his ear, "This man is Jesus who goes about preaching; and who cures sick people." Then the good man of the house would say, -"Come in," and he would pour water over their dusty feet, and give them the best he had to eat. That is the way in which Jesus would get His breakfast. Then Jesus went out in the narrow

Jesus village street and began to preach.

preaches to The people came out of their houses

the people. and crowded round Him. He told them such beautiful new stories

about God, that they were astonished and said to one another, "We never heard any one tell such beautiful things before."

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When Jesus had done preaching, He saw a poor man coming towards Him. As the man drew near to Jesus, all the other people moved away, for he was a leper. He was covered with sore spots all over his body, and no one would come near him. Poor man! He had to live outside the town, among the rocks ; he had no home and no one to care for him. He had heard of Jesus, how He cured sick people, and he thought to himself, "Perhaps He can cure me." That is why He came to Jesus. He dare not come quite near to Him; but knelt down and cried out "If Thou wilt, Thou Jesus heals canst cure me." Jesus was not

the Leper. afraid of catching his disease, He stretched out His hand and said, "I

will, be thou cured," and the man was made better. Oh how glad he was! This is the way Jesus spent one of His days, He filled it with beau-tiful thoughts and kind deeds.

Ask the children, How did Jesus begin His day? Will they try to begin their day in the same way, thanking God for their warm happy homes.

What did Jesus do next? Suggest that they too may try to be like Jesus, speak good words, and do kind deeds.

EXPRESSION :

Christian £iibeavour aoptcs.

JANUARY 19TH.

LITTLE FOXES.

JOSHUA VII. 19-26; SONG OF SOL., II. 15.

VINEYARDS were a familiar sight in ancient Palestine. The vine was looked upon as the noblest of all plants for fruitfulness and beauty, and it is often used as a parable of spiritual things. The Hebrew nation was God's vineyard, "a vine brought out of Egypt." Last week we were reminded of the Christian vine and its branches. We are here invited to consider the in-juries to which it is liable. Among these are the dangers arising from the depredations of nocturnal animals, and especially from the fox, which has a great appetite for grapes, and is not only destruc-tive, but cunning in its habits. The husbandman had to be on the alert, or the labour of months would be destroyed in a few hours by these little thieves. So, in the vineyard of the soul, ceaseless watch needs to be kept against subtle temptations which, if allowed to enter, will speedily make havoc of the tender growths of godliness and ex-tinguish all prospect of fruitfulness.

Roman Catholic theologians have spoken of two classes of sins—mortal and venial. The former include murder, idolatry, adultery and the like, and they can only be expiated by public confession and prolonged and painful penances. The latter comprised slight offences against God and man, such as all men are liable to, and which, upon private confession, might easily be absolved. That distinction finds no warrant in the teaching of Christ. In His view all sins begin in the heart. The angry thought and the vicious look contain within themselves the germs of crime, and are equally reprehensible in the sight of God.

We need, therefore, to be on our guard against the beginnings of sin. Most of us would be re-pelled by the presence of some great and glaring temptation, yet we may be overcome by the more insidious approaches of evil. The little foxes are to be feared even more than the roaring lion.

One such little fox is covetousness. The story of Achan is intended to illustrate this. Achan's offence consisted in selfishly appropriating to his own use that which had been solemnly devoted to destruction. It seemed to him a pity that such beautiful and valuable treasures as he had dis-covered among the spoils of Jericho should be wasted. But it was an act of disobedience and disloyalty, which, unless summarily checked, might have endangered the moral vitality of Israel,

and rendered the conquest of Canaan impossible. The rough justice that was administered to him and to his house has frequently been executed in time of war among nations far more highly civi-lized than Israel was then. The spirit of covet-ousness in our own hearts requires to be no less ruthlessly dealt with. Covetousness is the lust of material possession. St. Paul calls it "idolatry." And so it is, for there is no vice that more effectually draws away the interests and affections of the soul from God and from spiritual realities. "Avarice hath extinguished our affection for every good I " so Dante represents those as saying, who were expiating the guilt of this sin in purgatory. Our Lord Himself has warned us against its seductive peril "Take heed, and beware of covet-ousness " I

We may think of many other "little foxes" that it is necessary to "fake," or capture. One is ill-temper. Comparatively few people, even Chris-tians, take any trouble about their tempers ; yet, as a certain good bishop said, "temper is nine-tenths of Christianity." If we have the misfortune to be born with a bad temper, we owe it as a duty, both to our neighbours and to ourselves, to conquer it. For ill-temper grows and is a source of untold misery. Christian Endeavourers should never for-get the wise advice of Bishop Creighton to them at the World's Convention, "Take care of your temper and your activities will take care of them-selves."

Another little fox is malice—the disposition to harm people who are more fortunate or successful than ourselves. "The tongue is a fire." When it is used to injure the reputation or inflame the feelings of our fellows, it is like one of Samson's foxes, when he tied the torches to them and sent them into the cornfields of the Philistines. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice "; for these are foxes that spoil the vines.

We must not trifle, either, with selfishness. If at present it seem but a little fox, yet it is fraught with tremendous powers of mischief. For selfish-ness is the essence of all sin. A gentleman. has been defined as one who never thinks of himself, but who always thinks of others. That would stand also for the definition of a Christian. "Even Christ pleased not Himself." Love to Him is the fence which will most effectually keep that fox out of our hearts. "Love seeketh not her own."

T. P. DALE.

HANLEY.

AT the Communion and Covenant Service, held at Bethesda on Sunday, Japuary 5th, there was the largest attendance we have- known for some years, and the pastor—the Rev. George Parker—received into Church fellowship fifty-six persons. These have all been added to the Church during the year. They are all adults, and the reception of these promising new members filled the hearts of the friends of Bethesda with holy joy. The Simultaneous Mission will commence on Sunday, January 12th. The Rev. R. Pyke is the missioner, and we are looking for great spiritual profit. The tenders for the new mission room at Elizabeth Street have been let, and the building operations commence forthwith.

TX MISSIONARY ECHO

OF

The United Methodist Church.

CONTENTS FOR JANUARY, 1908. A GREETING. By Rev. E. Boaden, President.

OUR ENLARGED HORIZON. I.—By Rev. W. B. Lark, President (B.C.M.). II.—By Rev. Principal Clemens, B.A., B.D.,

President (M.N.C.). NOTES FROM FOREIGN STATIONS.

I.—Rev. Henry Chapman. II.—Rev. George Packer.

A LETTER FROM THE REY. G. W. SHEPPARD.

MISSIONARY MARVELS AMONG THE MIAO. By Rev. C. Stedeford.

"MY DECISION FOR CHINA." By Miss Lettie Squire, B.A.

GLEANINGS. By the Editors.

LITERARY NOTICES. "IN THE DUST." By El. sle. CHAPEL OPENING AT TSIE-POE.

By Dr. Plummer. IN MEMORIAM FOR THE MONTH. A HOME MISSION AND ITS MAJORITY. "IN MISSIONARY BOOKLAND."

"Our Mission in North China," etc. THE HOME MISSIONS OF OUR CHURCHES.

By Rev. J. Moore. ECHOES FROM OTHER FIELDS. By the Editors.

CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOUR PAGE. By Rev. T. Pointon Dale.

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Special ebeap issue. •

MEMORIALS OF

FREDERICK • WILLIAM BOURNE

Author Of " BILLY BRAY."

By W. B. LUKE.

THE

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UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Approved at the Conference held in Wesley's Chapel, City Road, London, September, 1907.

PRICE ONE PENNY.

I •


Church News in Brief. CIRCUIT QUARTERLY MEETINGS.

BURTON-ON-TRENT.—Held at George Street, the delegates being hospitably entertained by the Circuit steward. Prior to the commencement of the business congratulatory resolutions were passed to the Mayor and to Alderman Rowland, upon the civic honours which had been bestowed upon them. The preachers' meeting proposed that the name of Bro. Biggerdyke, removed from Lincoln to Burton, be placed on the preachers' plan. The new Constitution was considered and arrangements made for Thanksgiving Fund meetings. The Mayor (Councillor C. Tresise) was appointed treasurer and Mr. Heber Robinson secre-tary. 'I he Simultaneous Mission -arrangements were also considered. References were made to the gratifying results of the recent mission at Geoe Street, and the hope expressed that its influence would extend to the other Churches of the Circuit. The numerical returns for the quarter showed a slight increase of full members and a very large increase in the number upon trial.

DOWNHAM. — Rev. W. J. Christophers presided. The financial statement showed a small balance in hand. Messrs. J. R. Bennett, J.P., and J. C. Flat-man were elected stewards ; Mr. F. Roberts, preachers' secretary ; Mr. H. Moore, missionary treasurer ; Rev. W. J. Christophers, missionary secretary ; and Mr. A. Marchant, temperance secretary. The new Constitu-tion was adopted, and preliminary steps taken with the view of erecting a church at Wissington. As the minister is removing to a house recently bought by the Circuit, it was decided to raise a special fund for refurnishing. Tea was provided by Mr. and Mrs. J. R: Bennett, for which they were heartily thanked, and the collection, as a nucleus for the re-furnishing fund, doubled by Mr. J. R. Bennett, totalled £10.

NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME (Ebenezer). — Rev. T. Cooper presided. Mr. J. Bowler was advanced to his last quarter on trial as a local preacher, and Mr. F. Tunnicliffe was received on trial. As an outcome of a joint representative meeting of this Circuit with the Lower Street Circuit, the chairman intimated that a number of local preachers had consented to take service in this Circuit, and that likewise a number of this Circuit had been placed on the Lower Street plan. A committee was appointed to confer and act with the Lower Street Circuit in making the neces-sary arrangements for the approaching Simultaneous Mission, which is to be held in Ebenezer Church, The Circuit officers were reappointed. The numerical and financial statement was of an encouraging nature. There was a slight .increase in the members, owing to the mission at Chesterton, conducted by Rev. James Hooley.

GRANTHAM.—A small floating debt has for some time past been hanging over the Circuit, and at this —the annual Circuit meeting—a feeling of thank-fulness was expressed that the year should close with a clean sheet, and leaving a balance in hand of LI 10s. The financial statement given by the Cir- cuit treasurer (Mr. J. W. Taylor) was heartily re-ceived. The election of the Circuit officers resulted in the appointment of Mr. J. W. Simmonds (of Col-sterworth), treasurer ; and Mr. J. W. Taylor, secretary. In view of the forthcoming Simultaneous Missions, a good working committee has been ap-pointed. Mr. J. W. Taylor gave an interesting report of the United Conference.

ILFRACOMDE.—The Rev. Dr. Keen in the chair. The financial statement was most satisfactory, there being a balance in hand. Messrs. F. W. Drake and J. Smith were elected Circuit stewards for the en-suing year, and Mr. W. II. Trengove was appointed Circuit secretary to the Thanksgiving Fund. Arrange-ments were finalized for the Simultaneous Mission, and hopes entertained of great success and blessing. The report of the annual efforts, last month, was most gratifying Ilfracombe, by a sale of work, ‘55 5s. ; and Woolacombe, by a Christmas tree, Z16.

BIDEFORD.—FIeld at Bideford, Rev. J. B. Stedeford presiding. The various reports were considered satis-factory. Thanks were accorded the retiring stewards, Messrs. C. H. Christmas and J. Adams. Messrs. J. Adams and F. Fulford were elected stewards for the

BOTH LADIES KNOW I Mrs. King, Rtmwell.road, Wickford, states :—" Duty corn.

pels me to tell all who suffer that your pills cured me, after years of pain."

Mrs. A. Wilkinson, of Nelson, says My sister, who suffered from weak kidneys, took one ton, and it has done her more good than pounds spent on medical men."

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coming year. Votes of sympathy were passed with Rev. W. E. C. Harris (junior minister) and Mr. J. Pope (a local preacher of many years' standing) in their severe illnesses. Mr. C. H. Christmas was elected Circuit secretary for the Thanksgiving Fund. A hearty welcome was given to Mr. C. N. Mylne, a missionary student from Shebbear College, who is spending his vacation in doing the Rev. W. E. C. Harris's work in the Circuit.

BURSLEM (Bethel).—Held at Bethel, on New Year's Day. Rev. W. Bainbridge presided. The secretary and treasurer's reports were received as satisfactory. The new Constitution was formally adopted by the meeting. In view of the enlarged quarterly meeting, it was decided that the scale of representation of the Churches should be one in twenty-five, or part thereof. Six persons were appointed to act with a similar number from the Hill Top Circuit on a com-mittee to arrange for the Simultaneous Mission. The officers of the Circuit were re-elected for the coming year.

MILLOM. — A remarkable case of conversion at Millom was reported, with a balance in hand of over ,611. The offerings at Millom were Higher than for many years. The congregations have been very large lately. A committee to arrange for meetings in con-nection with the Thanksgiving Fund was appointed.

TRURO (Eastern). — Immediately after the London Conference the B.C. and M.N.C. Circuits were united under the ministry. of Revs. W. F. Ellis and J. Hig-man. The first meeting with united finances was held on December 30th, when all the places fully met their assessments. Messrs. M. Clemens and A. J. Mansell were elected stewards ; Mr. J. J. Rowse, young people's secretary ; Mr. G. Hope and Rev. J. Higman, treasurer and secretary respectively of the Thanksgiving Fund. Sympathy was expressed with Mr. W. J. Roberts, a popular local preacher, in the prolonged and severe illness of his wife.

PORTHLEVEN.—Regular and special assessments for furniture and repairs to circuit house were paid, and outstanding deficiency slightly reduced. Arrange- ments were made for a mission in each place.

HASLINGDEN.—Rev. J. W. Clayton presided. The steward's financial statement was considered very satisfactory. Income, £133 ; expenditure, £95 ; balance in hand, £38. All the officers were re- elected.

CAMBORNE.—There was a good attendance. It was resolved to form a Sunday School Union for the Circuit, and agreed to invite the B.C. stewards to the next quarterly meeting and local preachers to the preachers' meeting. The finances were considered satisfactory, the quarter's income meeting the ex-penditure, notwithstanci,ing the expenses of two dele-gates to the Uniting Conference in London.

ST. COLUMB.—The first united quarterly meeting was held at Queen's Church. The ministers and preachers, numbering over fifty, met in the morning. Rev. J. Job was elected to the chair. Rev. H. Pollard was appointed secretary to the preachers' meeting for the ensuing year, and Mr. T. Liddicoatt who had been secretary to the U.M.F.C. meeting fourteen years, was heartily thanked for his long and valued services. Subsequently, the representa-tives' of the Bible Christian section met in the Frad-don Church, and those of the United Methodist Free Church section in the Queens Church for financial business, the circuit funds for the time being kept separate. In each sectional meeting the accounts presented by the stewards showed the funds to be in a satisfactory condition, and all the Circuit officers were re-elected. Afterwards, all the members met in the Queens Church for the general business of the united Circuit. Rev. J. Job presided, and Mr. John Hooper was elected secretary of the meeting for the ensuing year. The report of the Union Corn-mittee bearing on various matters concerning the working of the Circuit was presented by its secretary (Rev. J. Hartley Duerden), and adopted. It was re-ported that arrangements had been made for missions to be held in several places during the Simultaneous Mission, and a committee was appointed to help the Churches. Sectional committees and officers for the Connexional Thanksgiving Fund were provided for. After a largely-attended public tea a great public gathering took place to celebrate the formation of the United Methodist Church. The building was crowded to excess. Mr. C. E. Davis, C.C., presided, and addresses were given by Revs. J. Job, J. Hartley Duerden, and H. Pollard.

ROCHDALE, CASTLEMERE.—Rev. W. H. Cory Harris occupied the chair. The statistical report showed the membership to be 855, a decrease of two during the quarter. There were 39 junior members, and 15 on trial. The financial statement showed an increased adverse balance. Mr. W. Dawson (Circuit treasurer) and Mr. E. Townend (Circuit secretary) declined re-election, and Mr. James Duckworth, jun.,

art

L....

Orders may ebeamon given to any of

—r•

—semi Ministers, semi

ii8 THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY 9, 1908.

was elected Circuit treasurer. At the request of the meeting Rev. G. Kilgour consented to act as Circuit secretary for three months to enable the emergency committee to find a successor to Mr. Townend. On the adoption of the new rules the committee recom-mended that the basis of representation be one for every twenty members of each Church in the Circuit and this was approved. In anticipation of the Simul-taneous Mission the Churches were asked .to arrange for systematic house-to-house visitation. The meet-ing approved a recommendation of a meeting of representatives of the Castlemere, Baillie Street, Littleborough, Molesworth Street, and Heywood Cir-cuits in favour of the formation of a Methodist Council to deal with matters affecting the Denomina-tion in the district.

CAMELFORD.—Held at Delabole, Rev. A. C. Phillips presiding. The Circuit stewards were re-elected, and, with the ministers, were also appointed as the Cir-cuit committee for the Thanksgiving Fund, Rev. F. Pearn to act as secretary. The treasurer's statement showed a slight deficiency, which was met from the proceeds of the annual Circuit effort. A resolution .bearing on the prospective temperance legislation, 'urging the Government to make the measure a real in--stalment of temperance reform on democratic lines, was adopted. Two young men and one older brother were heartily received as fully - accredited local preachers, the two young brothers having satis-factorily passed the written examination. A helpful public service was conducted by Rev. A. C. Phillips in the evening.

LEEDS WEST.—Held at Park Chapel, Rev. T. J. Cox presiding. The financial statement showed a balance in hand, but the numerical statement showed a decrease of 33 full members. Votes of sympathy were passed with Rev. T. J. Cox on the death of his son, and with Mr. J. H. Horsman (Circuit steward) in his illness.

FARSLEY, PUDSEY, AND YEADON.—Held at Pudsey, Rev. W. Barnes presiding. The question of Circuit rearrangement was briefly discussed, and a resolu-tion passed that the officials of the Circuit should have a conference with those of the Bramley and Bradford (M.N.C.) Circuits relative to the subject. Representatives were appointed to the Ladies' Mis- sionary Auxiliary. Reports were presented of the arrangements made for the Simultaneous Mission. The new constitution was considered and referred to the Churches. It was resolved that the representa-tives from the Churches to the quarterly meeting should be on the basis of one for every twenty mem-bers for the first hundred, and one for every fifty above that number.

BODNIIN.—Held at Bugle. The financial statement was considered satisfactory. Mr. J. Hooper and Mr. C. T. Trevail were elected stewards for the coming year.

BARROW, ROOSE ROAD.—Held on Saturday, Rev. F. Sparrow presiding. Financial statement satisfactory. Messrs. R. Hudson and R. Robinson heartily thanked for past services as Circuit stewards. Mr. W. Bam-ford 'appointed Church secretary re Thanksgiving Fund. It was decided to instal the electric light, the work to begin forthwith. A healthy conversation fol-lowed on the Mission to be held in February.

HICKSMILL.—Held at Hicksmill, Rev. S. Pascoe in the chair. The financial statement was satisfactory. 'The retiring steward (Captain W. Burrows) was -heartily thanked for his services. Messrs. R. H. Rowse and James Pearce were elected stewards for the coming year. Mr. Walter Jenkins was appointed secretary for the Thanksgiving Fund.

TAMWORTH.—Held at Wilnecote, Rev. C. H. Panter presiding. The numerical returns showed a slight increase during the quarter, and the financial state-ment showed a balance in hand. Messrs. T. Sheldon, Mr. W. Rutherford, and Mr. J. I'. Watton, with the Rev. C. H. Panter represent the circuit at the Dis-trict meeting.

CAMELFORD AND WADEDRIDGE. — Held at Wade-- bridge. At the preachers' meeting the Rev. G. C. Percival presided. After the usual business had been transacted, Messrs. A. Methven and J., H. Hawken were examined and unanimously received on full plan. After luncheon the general business meet-ing was held, Rev. G. C. Percival presiding. Ex-penditure during the quarter was stated to have been slightly in excess of the income. It was announced that most of the places had made collections for the Temperance League. Arrangements were made for the forthcoming missionary anniversaries and also for

'holding evangelistic services. Mr. Percival intimated that Rev. J. Longden will be visiting the Circuit in April in the interests of the Thanksgiving Fund. A resolution was passed calling upon the Government to

-pass a thoroughly far-reaching temperance Dill. BARNSTAPLE.—At the preachers' meeting Mr. J. B.

Chamings read a paper on "Sermons, their Prepara-tion and Delivery." An interesting discussion fol-

lowed. At the general meeting Rev. J. Seldon presided. Messrs. J. L. Brock and C. Arthur were elected circuit stewards, and Mr. J. B. Chamings received a hearty vote of thanks for his past services in this capacity. Mr. J. L. Brock was re-elected re-porter to THE UNITED METHODIST. The Usual ex-perience-meeting was held in the evening, which proved to be a season of great spiritual blessing.

TAVISTOCK.—The first quarterly meeting of the united Circuits was held under the presidency of Rev. L. H. Court. New Constitution heartily ap-proved, and resolution adopted for uniting Circuit funds, provision being made to meet the respective Connexional charges. The Circuit finances were most satisfactory, showing a balance in hand of 48. Messrs. T. Brock and J. Sloman elected Circuit stewards ; Rev. H. V. Capey, secretary of the quar-terly meeting ; and Mr. W. H. Higham, secretary of preachers' meeting. A secretary was also appointed for the Thanksgiving Fund. To celebrate the Union a large meeting was held, when addresses were de-livered by Revs. W. B. Lark, A. H. Boyden, B.A., and Circuit ministers, the chair being occupied by Mr. W. H. Higman.

CHEPSTOW.—Held at Tintern, December 26th, Rev. C. W. Bendle presiding. A letter was received from the Circuit evangelist (Mr. H. J. Watts) asking to be released from his duties, which was acceded to. The financial statement showed receipts and dis-bursements about equal. The retiring Circuit stewards (Messrs. E. G. Walker and John Harris) were re-eleaed. Arrangements were made for the Simul-taneous Mission. Special services to be held during the week of January 12th to 19th. Mr. John Roberts was elected secretary, and a small committee ap. pointed, for the Thanksgiving Fund. Subsequently a public tea was provided, a bazaar being held at the same time, and the usual testimony meeting was held in the evening.

CREWKERNE. — Held at Seavington, Rev. W. J. Smeeth presiding. Messrs. W. H. Oatey and E. Brown were unanimously reelected stewards. The pastor was appointed secretary for the Thanksgiving Fund. Rev. R. J. Tippett will conduct the special services at Hardington and Hambridge in connection with the Simultaneous Mission. His mission at Crewkerne resulted in the admission of fourteen young people into the Church. A week of prayer is to be observed in the various places in the Circuit, commencing on January 12th. The accounts showed a deficiency of 412 14s. 6d., arising from special expenditure. Subsequently a tea and meeting were held, when addresses were given by the Circuit minis-ters. The pastor propounded a scheme by which it was thought that the ladies of the Circuit might raise £100 in the coming quarter, to be divided between the Circuit and Trust funds, which would put the Circuit on a good financial basis, and relieve some chapel debts. It was decided that the scheme be adopted.

BAZAARS, etc. HUDDERSFIELD (Rashcliffe). — A grand Christmas

fair was held on Boxing Day and Saturday, which proved very successful. The net proceeds, about 460, will clear the Trust debt, as well as the deficit on current account. The schoolroom was tastefully decorated for the occasion. Rev. Bruce W. Rose, of Brunswick, conducted the devotional service at each day's opening. Miss Ethel Atkinson opened on the first day, Mrs. Walker Bettye occupying the chair ; and on the second day Mrs. Crossland was the opener, and Mrs. Stork in the chair. There were ladies' sewing stall, young ladies' refreshment and sweet stall, young men's miscellaneous stall, chil-dren's stall, and Christmas tree. Entertainments Were given by the young people.

TONYREFAIL. — The annual bazaar took place at Christmas. There were four stalls. The bazaar was opened on the first day by Mrs. Munro, Rev. S. Westcott presiding. On the second day Councillor William Evans, J.P., performed the opening cere-mony, under the presidency of Rev. R. R. Green-slade. "Proceeds nearly 470. •

PENZANCE (High Street).—To aid the reduction of the debt a chrysanthemum bazaar was held during Christmas. Rev. J. F. Reed welcomed the Mayor (Mr. A. K. Barnett), who opened the bazaar. The Mayor congratulated the society on the fact that in ten years they had paid off £1,460, besides maintain-ing their own fabric and institutions. The Mayor and Mayoress were cordially thanked, on the motion of Mr. J. Peak, seconded by Mr. A. J. Nicholls. On the second day the bazaar was reopened by a number of children, the Rev. E. Prowse conducting the ceremony. Proceeds 4160, being in advance of last year.

PORTHLEYEN.—Held on December 27th. Proceeds, 435—a good result, considering the prolonged de-

pression, due to the failure of the fishing industry. —(Herland Cross.) Held on Boxing Day. Proceeds, 440, towards building fund.

CHRISTMAS SERVICES. PRESTON FIRST (Orchard).—A Christmas musical

service was held on the evening of December 22nd, when anthems were rendered by the choir. Rev. J. TI. Bowker was the preacher.

GRANTHAM (Woolsthorpe-by-Belvoir). On Christ- mas Day, the choir rendered the service of song, en titled "The Coming of the Angels." Mr. J. Willis presided, and the connective readings were given by Mr. W. Chettle. Proceeds to Trust funds.

BRADFORD (Sticker Lane).—Selections from Han-del's "Messiah" were rendered on Sunday evening, December 22nd, in place of the ordinary service, and a large congregation was attracted. Mr. H. Jowett conducted, and Mr. B. Clough presided at the organ.

OLD-AGE ECZEMA.

WONDERFUL- CURE AT NINETY BY ZAM-BUK.

• "SKIN NOW AS CLEAR AS A BABY'S."

MANY cases of chronic eczema and obstinate ulceration, from one to sixty years' duration, have yielded to Zam-Buk, thus proving beyond question that this vegetable balm is of unique purity and of unparalleled skin-healing power.

Now comes the greatest proof of all—the final triumph which places Zam-Buk above all ordinary skin - medicines. Mr. James Stallwood, of the Cottages, Prestwood, Great Missenden, has just been cured, at nearly 90 years of age, of old-age eczema.

The doctor called Mr. Staliwood's a hopeless case, yet Zam-Buk not only brought him relief from the itching, but expelled the disease and re-newed his skin until it was "as clear as a baby's."

To the "Bucks Examiner" the veteran said :— " Last January a rash broke out on the lower part of my body, and nearly covered my legs. My legs got greatly inflamed, and the irritation was so very bad that I could not rest at night. After this had gone on for some time I had the doctor. He described my ailment as old-age eczema,' and said nothing could cure me. He gave me some lotion, but neither this nor many other things I tried did me any good. I had to take to my bed, and my legs became so bad that it seemed as if my flesh was putrid. Week after week I lay in torture, too weak to get up, and so despondent that I thought I was going to die.

"Fourteen weeks passed by like that, and I suf-fered shockingly from the maddening irritation. Then my nephew visited us, and immediately re-commended "Lam-Buk. The first dressings allayed the irritation, and I began to have more rest. Then I had another box, and at the end of a fort-night I was able to get up. I continued with Zarn-Buk, and got rapidly better. The irritation ceased entirely, my legs healed up, and soon the eczema was all gone. Now my skin is as clear as a baby's."

"Nobody," interposed Mr. Stallvvood's daughter, "thought my father would live through it. The doctor told me it was a hopeless case, but Zam-Buk acted like magic! "

Writing a few days ago, Mr. Stallwood, who is now in his ninetieth year, says :—" My skin is still as well and smooth as when I was cured by Zam-Buk. I am still without a blotch or dis-figurement on me."

Only Zam-Buk with its remarkable medicinal juices and unique healing properties could be ex-pected to successfully treat a case so difficult as Mr. Stallwood's. Zam-Buk dispels disease and grows new healthy skin in a most wonderful way, whether the patient be old or young.

Dr. Andrew Wilson's handsome cloth-bound book, "Homely Talk on First-Aid," contains a lot of information of use to parents. Worth 2s. 6d.; post free for 6d. to our 'faders. Send to Zam-Buk Co., Greek Street, Leeds.

Death.

ADVERTISE In . .

THE UNITED METHODIST WANTS ' COLUMNS.

Situations, Houses or Apartments, Miscel-laneous WOW! or Sales, Births, Marriages, Deaths, are inserted at the following rates:—

THE UNITED METHODIST is the Weekly Journal of the United Methodist Church.

TUESDAY MORNING is the latest time for receiving Advertisements for inserlion in the ensusng. number.

All Communications to be addressed to the Advertisement Manager, 12 Farringdon Avenue. Farringdon Street, London, E.C.

IFOR LLEWELYN REES - Beloved child of Mr. and Mrs.

Isaac Rees, it Graigwen," South Road, Aberystwyth ; passed away January znd, (908, aged-4 years. No cards.

NMI BAZAARS, SALES.—Retiring manufacturer

offers up-to-date stock, fancy brass and oak goods. 100 per cent. profits guaranteed, 41 to £10 parcels. Recommended.—W., 75 Barker Street, Laren's, Birmingham.

WESLEYAN MEMENTO.—Send post raid for Free Specimen of the Famous

Picture " The Mobbing of John Wesley," at Wednesbury, by Marshall Claxton, R.A. Bazaar secretaries liberally treated. For all particulars, write G. Turley, Water Orton, nr. Birmingham.

CHURCH BAZAAR PENCILS and Pee-holders, 'tamped with name of Church and

date of bazaar fr.. Sample 3d.—Banks & Co., "Greta" Works, Keswick _Cumberland. (Cut out for refs.). " Methodist's Industry,"

Tr EEP from Damp.—White ladiarabber ill Waterproof Sheets, 46in. by 42in., with brass eyelet holes, Is each ; !ft. by eft., 5s. ; Eft. by Oft., Is. ; or any size, price in proportion ; carnage 'lard; cash returned lf not approved.—From H. J. Genoa, Rye.

eclUEEN'S GRAVY SALT—Send post card n.to..dzy &I.e.( ;ea sample,. this e delicious ei,ICellgsS are

1Zr:,t7vT■ltens0ar:istdmatnecWomekreigsslarer vieertse.;;II,uriknsghzeiFeog,o,,deetiupply Co.. Ltd.,

64 PAGE BOOK ABOUT HERBS AND `± HOW TO USE THEM. Post Free•

Send for one.—Trimnell. The Herbalist, 144, Richmond Road, Cardiff. Established 1879. Please note new address.

WATERPROOF COVERS, same material and pliable as railway sheets ,• 11 ft.

by 9 ft., 15s.; 15ft. by Sft., 18s. ad.; any sue at ls. 3d. per sq. yd., with lashes. Superior, stout, rot-proof Green Canvas, any size, Is. 6d. per sq. yd., with lashes.—H. J. Gaston, Government Contractor, Rye. ,

A SAFE AND PROFITABLE Investment. —A few Six per cent. Debentures of a

Colliery in Wales for sale. Safety guaranteed. Solicitor s investigation invited.—Apply for par-ticulars, John Crabb, 8 Tudor Street, London, E.C.

RECITATIONS, DIALOGUES, Sketches, Part Songs, Action Songs, Anniversary

Music. 13 assorted numbers, post flee Is. Rosebud Reciter. 7d. post free.—J. Ward, Pub. lisher, Retford, Notts.

VIOLIN.—Strad. Model Professional In. strument. Label dated 1721. Marvellous

tone. Case, Bow, Outfit complete, 18.. ed. Approval willingly.—Mrs. Riches, 48 Ramsbury Road, it. Albans, Herts.

Appointments Wanted. ZI VANGELIST WILLIAMS, the popular ▪ Welsh Evangelist, drawing crowded con• gregations, has a few open dates for Missions. Successful soul winner. Highly recommended. Free or easy conditions.—Applications to Hugh Meredith, Blainafon House, Cardiff Road, Bargoed, Cardiff.

CH ANGE OF ADDRESS.—MRS. and ' MISS STURGES, Evangelists ; prepared

to conduct Missions in New Year; town or country. References, Ministers, various denom-inations. Particulars, Mrs. Sturges, 15 Lawson Road, Southssa, Hants.

Situations Vacant.

DOMESTIC SERVANTS.-600 minted In, NEW SOUTH WALES. Fare £3.

Special party being arranged Apply quicsly. Farmhands, fare £6 ; Miners, £8. CANADA Farmhands and Domestics also wantrd. Have special request for Winter work.—Send stamp, state experience, Methodist Emigration League, Norwich.

LADY HELP required in Chemist's family. No servant kept, charwoman weekly.

Must be domesticated, fond of children, good needlewoman. Give refererces, salary required. —Weston, 37 St. Leonard's Road, Bexhill.on-Sea.

WANTED, immediately, good house, General servant. Christian home. Fcur

in family. Good character indispensable. £16 to £18 No washing. — Girls' High School, Wanstearl, N.E.

Apartments and Boarding Houses.

FIRE INSURANCE. THE FREE METHODIST

FIRE

INSURANCE. ASSOCIATION Insures Connexional, Circuit, and Minis. tens' Property only; all profits accruing are appropriated solely to Connexional purposes.

All communications to be made to Rev. E. BOADEN, 13 Newbold Terrace East, Leamington Spa.

A FEW POINTS TO REMEMBER.

That we guarantee the work. . That unframed enlargements are sent carriage paid. Framed enlargements are sent

carriage forward. That a charge of 2/- extra is made on Colonial orders. We do not send Frames Abroad. That if you want a Water Color Enlargement, be careful to state color of hair, eyes,

complexion, Jewellery. clothing, etc. That we make a charge of 1/- extra (or every figure in groups.

Sanifiles of the three styles described above can be seen at our Offices•

Arenliss THE MANAGER, "The United Methodist" (Photographic Dept.),

12 Farringdon Avenue, London, E.C.

Photographic Enlargements. The great success which has attended our previous offer of Photographic

Enlargements, has induced us to make the following additions, and to supply high-class work of quality such as has never before been offered to the public at the price.

We offer the three following Styles of Enlargements :

No. 1. Black and White - 5/6„,,,g,„,„,„,„„„„, „ 2. Sepia - - 7/6115 ins. by 12 loss.. on an.

India.tint Nate slink

„ 3. Water Color - - 10/6 mount 24 ins, by 18 ins.

These Portraits are enlarged from any Photograph, being delicately and artistically finished by competent Artists, in an indelible process. The prices charged by other high-class Photographers will be found 100% above ours.

If desired we can supply Frames suitable for each style as follows :

•

No. 1, 12i in. Solid Stained Oak Frame, With Gilt Slip 616 Massive Black and Gold Frame, With Gilt Slip 9/-

„ 2. Solid Stained Oak Frame, With Gilt Slip - 9/- „ 3. High-class Gilt Frame - - - - 12/6

READ THESE TESTIMONIALS.

Rey. JOSEPH BALL, 179 Manchester Road, Benton writes :—” The black and white Enlargement you have sent rue is most excellent. the features and expression seeming to come out even better than in tne on tool. I am more than satisfied, and, being en Amateur Photographer, know the value of the work, especially at such a price. I shall be pleased to mention the matter to others, and you can make what use you like of this approval."

E. W., Chichester, writes :—" Many thanks for Photo, I like it very much."

E. C., Bideford, writer TlPtst Enlargements to hand, a am , exceedingly ingly

heletesitettereeemeyerwelI

Send us a Photograph together with P.O. or cheque to cover cost of style chosen, and in 14 days you will receive a work of art that will both charm and surprise you. Your original photograph will be returned at same time undamaged.

Educational.

GREEK TESTAMENT IN THREE MONTHS.—Language study revolution-

ised. Trial lesson and descriptive pamphlet of succeeding lessons, One Shilling. Also Latin, French, German, Spanish.—Secretary, Eversley System of _Language Study, Abbot. Park Road, Leyton.

EBREW.—Yon can learn to read the Old Testament in Hebrew after a few months'

fascinating study. The Eversley System is the only really simplified system of learning lan-guage. Lesson No. 1, One Shilling.—Address as above. .

MR. G. BOWER CODLING (Medallist and Diplome, Teacher at Central Y.M.C.A.).

Dramatic and Humorous Recitals. Selections frets Dickens, for Concerts, "At Homes," etc. Whole or part programme arranged. Mrs. - G. BOWER CODLING, MEZZO-Soprano, Lessons in Voice Production and all branches of Elocution-ary work.—Particulars Saxilby, Nimrod Road, Streatham, London, S.W.

Miscellaneous. 3 los is--nPuOITA0BLE. HARMO-

for Christian workers; new invention; clrolaetd for travelling to portmanteau size ; weight 18 lb. only ; registered ; send illustrated list.—Harland, 76 East Road, City Road, London. Mention this pager.

NEW CURE FOR ECZEMA.—,,,;okw"am, cured after 6 years' intense suffering will gladly send to all readers of Tex UNITED METHODIST full particulars (free)of an inexpensive guaranteed cure for Eczema, Had Legs, Sore Hands, and all Skis Eruptions, on receipt of stamped addressed envelope.—Write to B. G. Paciderma, 3 Swallow Street, Piccadilly, Loudon, W.

.800 WANTED TO BORROW ENO, all or part, by the Trustees of

Warsop United Methodist Church.—Communi. cations to be forwarded to Rev. J. Carnegie, Argyll Mount, Mansfi Id.

House to Let.

SOMERSET. —To let comfortably funds h e Cottage ; three beds ; good water and s a n

tation ; healthy village; mild ; five minutes church, chapel, post ; one mile station. Linen, plate. 7s. 6d. weekly, £20 yearly.—Willett, Woolavington, Bridgwater.

CURE THE WORST COUGH

laniteb Metbornst Cburcb. SUNDAY'S PREACHING APPOINTMENTS,

LONDON.

Appointments are inserted in this column at the rate of 2a. ed. per quarter prepaid.

For Sale.

NTO MORE DISTRESSING Coughs. Diffi-catty of Breathing, Sleepless Nights.

Docket Cough Mixture, the Great Welsh Remedy, cures Colds. Most soothing. 13 lel. and 2s. 9d., chemists everywhere. Postage 3d.—Hugh Davies, Chemist, Machynlleth.

1 ROCKERY DIRECT,—Everything, haute, kj presents, weddtngs, Christmas. Special oiler : 4 sets, breakfast, dinner, tea, toilet ; lot 21s. Best quality. new. Catalogue free.— Alexandra Pottery Co. (Dept. 41, Hanley, Stalls.

CHEAP CHAIRS for Missions, Churches, Schoolrooms, etc. Veneer, cane, rush,

and wood seats.—Mealing Bros., Manufac-turers, High Wycombe. Telegraphic Ad- dress Mealing Bros., Wycombe. Est. 1625

25 WORDS for is. AND ONE HALFPENNY FOR EACH ADDITIONAL WORD.

OAKLANDS BOARDINC ESTABLISHMENT, West Cliff, Bournemouth.

(And "Hanover Lodge." just added.) MU.. HRS. FEND LINDLEY (late of Nottingham) 'Very Control. Home Comforts. Torsos Haden,.

BEND FOR TARIPE

Circuit, Church. Morning. Evening.

Charlotte Street, Caledonian Road. Bermondsey Mission, "Manor," Galleywall Road. Railton Road, Herne Hill. Park Crescent, Clapham Park Road. Park Place.

J. R. Herron. Kaye Dunn. B.A. H. S. Dinsley. F. H. J. Thornton F. L. Buxton.

J. R. Herron. KayeDunn,EA. H. Hooks. F. H. J. Thornton F. L. Buxton.

London 1st London 4th London 8th London 8th Eitham.

TEMPORARY LOANS t SLAARir SUMS.

required by the BOOK ROOM COMMITTEE. Interest not to exceed

behalfClRILY

PeT s7Me' signed by the officers on

the United Church.

Apply to A. CROMBIE, 12 Farringdon Avenue, London, E.C.


WILL MINISTERS kindly send their SUNDAY'S PREACHING APPOINTMENTS? 2s 6d. per quarter prepaid.

Cathatda.—Fann Hands, Gar-deners, Stablemen, Carters, Miners, and

Navvies wanted cons for farm - work and

railway truction. Domestic Ser-ran ts for

house-work. Thousands wanted. Eilta-atIone tgaaranteed. sans

of all classes also wanted. Arti-High wages. Low fares. Call or

send stamp, with p--

tirrilars, par.

Ring, Namarket, Norwich.

TRY OUR FULL TRICHORD

Nearly 4,000 Pianos made and sold, now in use in all parts of the Norld.

Old Age ension?

Then apply (stating age

next Birthday) to • . .

G. H. EDWARD%

S It. rillip's Bowl, florgleb,

LONDON.

WILD'S For Sunday School Prizes.

New Edition, 60 coloured photographs, 17 Maps ; bound in red cloth, round under orners. red gold edges, 23. net. The same bound leather, 23.6d. net.

The same bound in French yaPP. 33. net.

Postage 4d. extra in each case. THE RED LETTER BIBLE, with all the prophecies concerning Christ in the Old Tes tament , and all the words of J ,sus in the New Testament printed in Red Letters. and having also all portions of the Old Testament which are quoted or referred to in the New Testament printed in Boldfaced Type. References and 17 Maps. French yapp, gilt edges,

Rs. net. Postage 4d.

ANDREW CROMBIE, 12 Farringdon Avenue, London, E.C.

7irst.elass - - Wemperanee Notels,

30-40 LUDGATE HILL. (Central for Charing Cross, Cannon St. and Holborn Viaduct Stations, for the

Continent.)

70 & 71 EUSTON SQUARE. (Close to Euston, Midland, and U.N.&

Stations.)

Bandy for EARLY and LATE Train., ELECTRIC LIFT.

Home Comforts. Cleanliness and Quiet. Central for Business or Pleasure.

eveRY SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARY should mintaln

• Copy el

Rev. W. E. SOOTHILL (or w

The Res. JJ. Marten, Darlinglon. writes "Thanks for sending 'Manion The Iast

aTilrreild it rittrhebeSentttytr..eat. IS FULL-PACE ILLUSTRATIONS.

PRICE 6h NET

FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL. LIBRARIES.

Sunday Scbool Libra Ever,

Library

ef the should contain .

LS OF Ttozas/laketti

q'poeaer. Pions

will b6" IrtIrtelan

PO

Prize Medal awarded, Edinburgh, 1890. HARLAND'S EVANGELIST PORTABLE HARMONIUM (Registered), Price from £3 110s. Weight only 18 lbs. Lightest and cheapest on record, yet possessing the power of one twice its weight. Invented for Evangelists, Missionaries, Camp and Tent Meetings, Class-Rooms, and Open-air Work. Just Invented—An AMERICAN ORGAN

in some case and same scale. Very sweet tone. Price £4 I Os.

Please apply for Catalogue, Mentioning " The United Methodist,"

A. J. ILARLAND, 76 EAST ROAD, CITY ROAD, LONDON, N.

BRASSO THE NEW LIQUID

METAL POLISH Does not Stain the Hands.

aPPLICATION for ADVERTISEMENT'

SPACE iti this Paper SHOULD BE

MADE TO:

BEAUTIFUL POCKET BIBLEI—Purl Type, Morocoe, Tapp Edges, Maps worth Veryta price, Is. 9d., poet fres. W111, if not annrwre re money.—W. J. G.... Bromley. e‘. HALF-GUINEA TEACHERS' BIBLES center Helps, Concordance, Maps, IlluetratIons. 4,000 sold money returned If not approved send P.O. is. ed.-

W. 1. GIBBS, Bromley, Rent. 1 0 0 ,BatRPD MUSICA!, LEAFLETS (twenty-four Rosa. Sent foP4-'weT:rita.);,17.,:: 1,1'14.1%2: Bromley, nest.

GEMS OF SACRED SONG. Mute by late Ilse Ads Rosa, S-1 Hymns. Both notations in same booklet. Special offer a, Three copies sent post fres on receipt f Ss...A sample copy sent for Twelve Stamp. by W. J. Guns, Bromley, Rent.

,,,ftusapmalow,

VISITORS TO LONDON." TRANTER'S TEMPERANCE

HOTEL met,112,`:" 6, 7, 8 ts 9, Bridgwater Square,

BARBICAN, LONDON. Central for Business or Pleasure. Absolutely Quiet and Home-like.

Write for "How to spend a week in London," with Tariff

and Testimonials Post free on atklieation.

WILLIAM LOSSOCK, Proprietor-Manage3. Telegraphic Address " Healthiest, London."

INDIVIDUAL COMMUNION CUPS

Can be passed down the pews as safely as the ordinary Com-munion Cup. It is impossible to upset the Cups. All noise or rattle avoided.

Address the Make. TOWNSBENDS, Ltd.. Birmingham ,

OUR EYESI.OUR EARS! New Treatment (..hon,

77211:r, Ve.`11°:„It or the forma Nolen in the heed and a. I ...erg. from the Ea.; Deafness from When. tail

lJ Catarrh. Spiel. Reinstime tor- werd.. Hundreds _orfu letlere In

=117.oirk eT:Int lemst'rurefTtra. Write for upto-date Teatimoniale

and Printed form of Taman. to answer, SENT FADE. Mr. T. ISON (Ilson.s Bye and Ear Dispensary, Ltd./.

7t Gt. George Street. L.eeds. (Estab. am) NoTICH—Sfr. bon Melte tbayrincipal tow.. of Yorkahlre,

theConntlee of DurhamMeetmorland, Cumberland.... W.. for dale. of That& or see notion; in

D.P.", • SPECIAL NOTICE: See tage112,"Iffethodiat Reconier," Winter Number.

AOVERTISEMENT MANAGER,

12 Farringdon Avenue, London, B.C. ,

SONG SERVICES and ANTHEMS, for all Seasons and Occasions.

FREE SAMPLES on approval, from whlah to make a selection, is

OheIrmasters and Organists. Lanes-.

BLACKBURN 0 CO. (Sample Dept. 14), Nude Publishes., Hurler MU, LEEDS,

THE "IDEAL" TRAYS

PATENTED.

veleraoeiwaamem .FreauweeneeneWoluem.'

BIBLES

I20 THE UNITED METHODIST. JANUARY 9, 1908..

Printed at THE MAGNET PRES x, 188, Rye Lane, Peckham, S.E., and Published by ANDREW CnomPip, 12, Farringdon Avenue, Farringdon Sixeet, London, B.C., for the UNITED METHODIST Csuurtos, Thustdaya January 9th, 1903.

Documents

pited Met odist - University of Manchester