and ever-widening, influence in the About in the World. Sampson Low, pression upon the hearts of true Christ tians that will be greatly beneficial to them throughout the whole of their future course. We sincerely commend the author, whether in poetry or prose, both for her composition and her theme. Baptist Reporter, 3d.; and The Church, 1d. Heaton and Son. WELL-CONDUCTED magazines, deservedly holding a high place among Baptist periodicals. Stones crying out, and Rock witness to the Narrative of the Bible, concerning the times of the Jews. By L. N. R., author of "The Book and its Story," and "The Missionary Link." Book Society, 19, Paternoster Row. to any one book; but we emphasize THIS book is well named. The author A POPULAR, learned, interesting, schohas gone about in the world with his larly, readable, charming volume, which eyes open. He has not only seen for every bible-student should procure at himself, but thought for himself. One once. We have given a string of adEssay in the volume is upon "Looking|jectives which can seldom be applied about us," "which was doubtless suggested by the author's own experience. His whole essays may be characterized by looking below the surface. He does not profess to investigate motives, or to trace events to their ultimate results. His object is purely the social and moral improvement of the world; and to this his observations are well adapted. Independence of thought gives an individual and independent style of writing, which is both powerful and pleasing. It is an excellent book for general reading. We look into the political world and the fashionable world, into the busy world and the idle world, into the gay world and the sorrowing world, into the coming world and the retiring world, and, in fact, all about the world; and become wiser for all we have seen. We are accompanied by a cheerful and instructive companion; and the tendency on the whole is to elevate, rather than to gratify, existing tastes and habits. Tell Jesus. By ANNA SHIPTON. Morgan and Chase, 40, Ludgate-street. THE sentiment of this book is illustrated in a pleasing narrative, in which its influence upon the experience of an emi- | nently pious friend of the author's, and of her own, is admirably pourtrayed. It is calculated to produce a certain im By R. INGHAM. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. THIS is no mere handbook, but in our judgment, a standard work of immense value. Henceforth, whenever we have to contend for immersion, versus sprinkling, pouring, &c., we shall turn to this armoury for our weapons. Every student for our ministry should be drilled in it near his hand to lend to inquiring this book, and every pastor should have minds. Mr. Ingham has immortalized himself. So long as there shall exist a body of believers, who practise the ordinances as they were delivered of the Lord, his name will be had in esteem for his work's sake. May his volume obtain a large circulation. Lays of the Pious Minstrels, 3s. | leader and model of holy song under Houlston and Wright. AN elegant volume of well-selected Two Years After and Onwards. both Testaments. We say not that he is left alone in his glory, and is without worthy imitators. The New Testament the Old, in inspiration. The Church songsters have the advantage in subject; could not do without its psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; and as none were composed for it by inspiration, it it has done with great and good effect. was left to compose them for itself. This Some have poetised for their own profit alone, and others for the benefit of many. "The Brook in the Way," is a collectiou of sacred songs, which, as ripling murmurs, are intended to guide the pilgrim to refreshing streams. The sound of a murmuring rivulet is so soft, so gentle, THE author of this attempt at expla- so melodious, so sweet, that it defies nation of prophecy is evidently suffer- imitation, and claims to have a music of ing from "supposition on the brain." its own. The poetry before us, however, We have read enough of the work to is not an unworthy attempt to chime in learn that Britain is not a "toe-king-harmony with that sound. It is tuneful, dom," and therefore not to be trodden upon-a fact which we extract for the comfort of our readers. Should any desire to follow us in the perusal of this treatise we can only repeat the advice of Mr. Punch to young people who are thinking of being married-shall he lift up the head." "Don't." Joe Witless. Morgan and Chase, 40, Ludgate Street. AN excellent book for children! The The Brook in the Way. By ANNA "THE Songs of Zion," have been more smooth, and unaffected, The waters to The Bible Picture Story Books, Old and New Testament, 3s. 6d. each. Cassell, Petter, and Galpin. MAMMA cannot do better than order these wonderful books at once!. They will certainly make the youngsters happy; they are likely, by God's grace, to make them good. Ripe for the Sickle. James Nisbet and Co., 21, Berners-street. THIS is a brief account of a young lady, who, from her own convictions, through the study of the Word of God and by prayer, renounced the faith of Rome, was sent out to India by the Society for Promoting Female Education in that country, and who, after commencing a course of great usefulness, was suddenly removed by death. Her piety and zeal appear to have been of the purest kind, and well deserving this public tribute of esteem. We are reminded by it of Fanny Woodbury and Harriet Newell in earlier times. Many such flowers have bloomed and faded on the plains of India, whose fragrance has been wafted to our shores. Notices. The second proposed special prayer | praise thee every day," were then sung, meeting, mentioned in our last number, after which petitions for the revival of was held in the Metropolitan Tabernacle the Churches were presented by Mr. on the evening of the 6th February. Long Warren and Mr. Offord: those of the before the time of commencement the latter were preceded by a touching building was crowded in every part. and powerful appeal to the hearts of Between six and seven thousand persons believers. Now came the direct reassembled-not to witness a theatrical ference to the unsaved. This was exhibition-not to hear an eloquent | introduced by a most earnest and preacher--not to witness a select and | awakening address by Mr. Spurgeon, diversified display of platform oratory- and was responded to in prayer by Mr. but for a prayer meeting! This was a Stott and Mr. Varley. A hymn followed, sight that could not fail to gladden the commencing thus, "Once a sinner near hearts of good men, and prepare them despair." Mr. Teal and Mr. Burton for the higher enjoyments that fol- then prayed, and Mr. Spurgeon closed lowed. It was evident that the im- with prayer. Inquirers were then enpression of the former meeting had not couraged to retire to the lecture hall, passed away, but its influence had be- where ministers and elders would be come more widely extended, as the glad to converse with them; and many attendance was not only more numerous, responded to the invitation. but some hundreds were unable to gain admission. No extraordinary efforts were made to provide for the meeting; no sensational speakers were engaged; no novelty was either sought or desired. The ministers of the new fraternity, as on the former occasion, in the spirit of prayer, and confident reliance upon the Spirit of God, quietly and solemnly came upon the platform. Several of the ministers who took part in the proceedings were young, and two of them were students yet in the college; but all were of one mind and of one heart. Mr. Spurgeon, after a few words of gratitude and joy for the return of such an occasion, gave out some verses of the 100th Psalm, that all might join in a song of praise. He then suggested that their next duty was to give thanks for the blessing which had attended the former meeting of the same kind, the effect of which, upon his own people, was that ninety-three had set down on the previous evening, for the first time at the table of the Lord. Mr. Marshall and Mr. Barnard presented the incense of praise. Mr. Spurgeon then gave out the hymn, commencing with "Just as I am, without one plea." This was a prelude to confession of sin, which, after a silent confession of two or three minutes of each for himself, was offered in the name of all by Mr. Clark. Some verses of the hymn beginning with, "I will This was one of the most sober, the most impressive, and, we should judge, the most effective meetings we have ever witnessed. The prayers and addresses were all short, plain, fervent, and suited to the occasion. There was nothing artificial, nothing at which the most scrupulous of true Christians could take offence, nothing but what the wisest and best of men must approve. All was simplicity and godly sincerity. There was fervour without enthusiasm, pleading without presumption, familiarity without irreverence, sincerity without guile. If ever there was prayer, there was prayer then; if ever there was faith in atoning blood, there was faith then; if ever there was praise for salvation, there was praise then; if ever there was longing for the recovery of lost souls, there was longing then; if ever the expectation of some great spiritual good, there was an expectation then. The hearts of the people were moved as the trees of the wood are moved by the wind; gently at first, then with a suppressed rustling sound, and, at last, with a deep and heavenly strength without violence, and solemnity without fear; such as David and his followers well knew, when it was said unto them, "When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then shalt thou bestir thyself; for then shall the Lord thy God go out before thee." The annual meeting of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church was held on the evening of the last Wednesday of January. About 1,500 of the members assembled at five o'clock to tea. At seven o'clock the chair was taken by the Pastor. When praise had been offered for past, and prayer for future blessings, the various accounts of the Church were read. These shed a clear light upon the wise direction and intense zeal of this vast body of Christians, and shewed that its vitality had not been diminished in its growth, nor its order or discipline endangered by its size. Beside the support of the ministry of the word among themselves, and defraying the expenses of the Tabernacle, with its numerous officers and miscellaneous requirements, the Church had given to its poor members £581 6s. 3d. For Ragged and Sunday Schools, for Benevolent, Tract and Bible Societies, for the City, the Home, the Irish, the Hamburgh and Foreign Misssions, the amount raised in general collections was £875 14s. 5d. The Pastor's College received £1,466 1s. 5d., by weekly offerings, and the Loan fund for erecting new places of worship had received about £2,000 during the year. The treasurer, Mr. T. Olney, was heartily thanked in the name of the Church by Mr. G. Moore for his kind services, and invited to remain in office during the ensuing year, which he consented to do. Brother William Olney congratulated the Pastor on the great prosperity of the Church, and the marvellous success of the College. He reminded the Church that the College was not separate from the Church, and that the Church was not separate from the College: they were one. As one, they shared the affection, the prayers, and the labours of the Pastor. Well might the Church rejoice to have such an institution connected with it, through whose students, it might publish the truths of salvation: and well might the College be glad that it had such a people, on whose prayers, sympathies, and support it could confidently rely. Instead of the College having been a clog to the Church, it had been a means of increasing its zeal and strengthening its faith. This great work, undertaken by the Pastor, in simple faith in God, without the promise of help from man, 66 and even against the advice of friends, had proved itself consistent with his doctrinal and practical teaching. "Let us," said this earnest brother, as a Church, show our gratitude to God for our high privileges in having such a Pastor and such an institution, and our devotion to the cause of Christ, by still more systematically contributing, as the Lord has prospered us, to the support of the College. Let us not forget the exhortation, "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." He then called upon the Church to record their gratitude to God for the abundant measure of success which had attended the Pastor's College during the past year. This was responded to by Deacon Brown, in an emphatic manner, accompanied by a donation of ten guineas to the College. The pastor remembered how quixotical the College at first appeared to many. His own ministry had begun in a storm of opposition, but he had been enabled to outlive it, and to obtain a position of comparative quiet in the denomination to which his Church belonged. He looked forward to the day as not far distant when the College should be hailed universally by the Baptist Churches of the land as an institution by which God has done great things, and intends to do still greater. He had to remind the Church how greatly God had blessed the preaching of the Gospel in their midst during the past year. Conversions had been frequent in the Sunday-schools, in the Bible and Catechumen Classes; and never had the Word come with greater power to the great congregation. The Church had received by Baptism 381 members; 102 by dismission from other Churches, and had restored 3: death had taken away 29; 35 had been dismissed to other Churches; 10 were removed by exclusion, and 30 for nonattendance, or having joined other Churches without applying for regular dismission, leaving a clear increase of 382, and the present number of members on the Church books, 2,881. Over the excluded ones they had to mourn; but still to be grateful that, in such a large | C. H. Spurgeon has kindly promised £10; company, there were not more who other donations will be thankfully remade shipwreck of their faith. ceived by Mr. Brown. Mr. Ness, assistant minister, having visited many of the members, bore testimony to the vital godliness which discovered itself in their joy in affliction, and hope in death. Brothers Hackett and Dransfield also spoke lovingly and to the purpose. The Annual Election of Elders then took place, and when the Pastor had pronounced a blessing, the people separated, glad as the disciples of old, when "the Word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly." Within a few minutes' walk of the Bank of England may be found a maze of courts and alleys, circumscribed by Old-street, Bunhill-row, Barbican, and Goswell-street, and intersected by the notorious Golden-lane and Whitecrossstreet. These parts are inhabited by many thousands of the poorest and most wretched of our great city-a large majority of whom appear as ignorant of the way of salvation as the benighted heathen in the backwoods of America or the wilds of Australia. During the last few months, some of our evangelists have been making special efforts to carry the gospel into the hearts and homes of these outcasts of society. One of our young evangelists, W. J. Orsman, has been so far successful as to be the means of raising a small Church in a building which is situated in the centre of the courts, uniting Whitecross-street and Golden-lane. Messrs. T. Cook, Hackett, and Olney, formed a Church, in connection with the Tabernacle, on Sunday, January 8th, which now numbers 28 baptized believers. We have reason to hope that this is the dawn of brighter days for that dark and hitherto neg A new Baptist cause has recently been established in Bromley, Kent. It was commenced by Timothy Harley, a student of the Metropolitan Tabernacle College, who began preaching in the old Market House, which has since been pulled down. In the month of Novem-known as the Evangelists' Tabernacle, ber, 1862, he was removed to another sphere, and was succeeded by Archibald G. Brown, a student from the same College. The services were now carried on in the White Hart Assembly Room, in which the congregation, which averaged at first about thirty, continued steadily to increase, and now numbers about 200. In the month of June, 1863, a Church was formed, consisting of twenty mem-lected neighbourhood. bers, which now numbers fifty. A large In conformity with one of the suggeschapel is in course of erection, the tions in the letter of one of the elders memorial-stone of which was laid by Mr. of the Church contained in our first C. H. Spurgeon, July 4th, 1864. One number, Mr. Spurgeon met the children of the most pleasing features in rela- of the elders and deacons on the evening tion to this young cause is the formation of Tuesday, the 24th of January. After of a mission at Buxhall, Suffolk. The tea, addresses were given by Mr. Spurpastor being there on a visit, was struck geon, Mr. William Olney, Mr. Dransfield, with the spiritual destitution of the place, Mr. Croker, Mr. Stiff, Mr. Brown, Mr. and the great longing of the people to Cook, and a young student, Mr. Walker. hear the simple gospel. He related the The addresses were simple, earnest, and circumstances to his people, and asked appropriate. The way of salvation was them to subscribe small weekly sums, so clearly described, and the invitations of as to enable him to send a fellow-student the gospel were lovingly enforced; acamongst them. The result has been companied with solemn and tender warnthat he is now enabled to guarantee sup-ings against delay. Towards the close port to a minister to that people; and Mr. Charles Hewitt and Mr. Boulcher have been labouring there with great success. The services are conducted in a farm-house, kindly lent for the purpose, which is quite inadequate for the purpose. It is now in contemplation to erect a small chapel, towards which Mr. of the meeting many of the young people were deeply affected; and it is confidently hoped that such a public testimony of their own parents and of others of their concern for their spiritual welfare, will not be in vain. It is intended that similar efforts shall be made in behalf of the rest of the children of the |