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The offertories amounted to £40, 18s. 3d. making a total for the four services of £391, 19s. 3d., a truly handsome amount, more than realizing the expectations of the most sanguine amongst

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The Society has now entered fully on its new building and into its accustomed usefulness. Sabbath evening lectures of a missionary character, are given by the minister, and are very largely attended. The visitors are actively engaged in their work of visitation, and at the quarterly meeting, held in the lecture-room on the 14th of January, which was an unusually large one, twenty-seven candidates for membership were received.

left favourable impressions. During their progress 150 "Silent Missionaries' were sold, and a large number of tracts were gratuitously distributed.

JERSEY.-Occasionally during the visit of missionaries to Jersey, lectures have been delivered by them in some public building in St. Helier's unconnected with the Church. The success attending these lectures was partly the cause which led to a private subscription among some of the friends to hire the Prince of Wales's Assembly Rooms, in order that Mr. Pulsford might deliver a course of lectures there. The success, however, owing partly, perhaps, to the inclement weather, was hardly commensurate with the effort, as the attendBLACKBURN.-Mr. H. Cameron, who ance was but small. The most pleasing was appointed as the New Church min- circumstance connected with these lecister for this populous borough a few tures was the gratification warmly exmonths ago, has just been delivering a pressed by a local preacher among the course of popular lectures on the Sun- Wesleyans with all he had heard. Early day evenings which have been well in June a spiritualist lecturer attracted attended, not only by his own flock, considerable attention, especially at St. but by very many strangers. The Peter's, among those who had become Society now appears to be progressing in a satisfactory manner, minister and people working harmoniously together for the spread of the New Church doctrines, and it is not too much to say that Mr. Cameron seems to be "the right man in the right place."

BRISTOL.-The anniversary tea meeting of this Society was held in November last, and was attended by about eighty members and friends. The chair was occupied by the leader, Mr. J. E. Waller, who spoke very favourably of the progress which the Society was making, and the unity which existed amongst the members. He was followed by the Rev. Thomas Child of Bath, who was pleased to hear the state of affairs, and hoped that it would not be long before the Society would be able to meet in a building of its own. Messrs. Palmer, Lee, Barber, and Waller, sen., also addressed the meeting, the speeches being interspersed with musical pieces by some of the members of the Society. During the past year Miss J. De Soyres subscribed and enabled the Society to procure a new Communion service, and has afforded considerable aid on various occasions. The lectures delivered by Mr. Gunton and Rev. Mr. Child have been well attended, and appear to have

favourably disposed towards the Church by the efforts made in that neighbourhood. With a view to counteract this influence, Mr. Pulsford delivered a lecture in the Temple on Spiritualism, cautioning his hearers against its evil effects.

The large proceeds of the bazaar, held January 1876, encouraged the friends to hold another in December.

This time the bazaar was opened for two days instead of one. A band was engaged by Mr. M'Arthur Moir, and every other effort was made to ensure success. Tea was served on the evening of the second day, of which a large number partook. It is due to Mrs. Wellman, Mrs. M'Arthur Moir, and a few other ladies, to state that it was to their talents and liberality that the success of the bazaar was largely due. The net proceeds were £68, 17s. 6d., and a large amount of goods remain over and above for a future effort.

LIVERPOOL.-On the evening of the 20th December the Sunday-school winter treat took place. There was a good gathering of children, parents, and friends, and after tea, before the commencement of the regular proceedings, Mr. J. B. Rumney called attention to the fact that he had, on behalf of a number

of the members of the Society, the pleasure of presenting to Mrs. Goldsack, as a token of their regard and esteem, a purse containing thirty-five sovereigns. As Mrs. Goldsack was not present to receive it, the purse, a very handsome one, was taken to her next day by Mrs. Andrew Pixton and Mrs. Horn. At the conclusion of his Christmas sermon, Mr. Goldsack, referring to this kind mark of respect, said that they both appreciated the good motives which had led to this action; and looking at the depressed state of trade, and the many calls upon the donors, the gift was in no way measured by the amount, handsome though it was. And he trusted that it would be the means of strengthening in every way the bonds between himself and the Society, and making still more pure and precious the many sweet and happy associations connected with his ministry. After Mr. Rumney's speech the evening's entertainment proceeded, and though the magic lantern was not a success, an abundance of recitations, pieces of music, and some dancing by the younger ones, made up a very pleasant evening.

LONDON, PALACE GARDENS CHURCH. -In the absence of the Rev. Dr. Bayley at the opening services of a new church at Birmingham, the Rev. W. B. Hayden of Portland, U. S., occupied the pulpit both morning and evening. He took for his text in the morning Luke vii. 14, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." The miracle, he said, was full of meaning to the thoughtful mind even at the present day. The word death, like all other terms used in Scripture, besides its natural signification, had a spiritual meaning fully symbolized by the natural event. Thus, to die spiritually was to depart from the true life-a life of goodness-and the confirmed life of the wicked is called the second death. The death pronounced against our first parents did not denote the death of the body but the death of sin. Science told us that death was a necessary condition of humanity, and the apostle says, "It is appointed unto all men once to die." There was nothing to dread in natural death. What was to be dreaded was the death of the soul. St. Paul calls it "dead in trespasses and sins." Our Lord said, "Be not afraid of them that kill the body,

and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear, fear him which, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear him." Who, said the preacher, is this whom we are to fear? Not the Lord our Saviour; He does not cast into hell. If His holy will prevailed there would be no lake of fire, no wickedness or misery in the universe. To whom then did the words of our Lord apply? To some terrible potentate who had power over two worlds. This would be a truer idea than the other. But even then the Lord who so loved us that He came down to save us from our sins would not leave us in his power. It was self alone that had power to cast into hell. If we had to endure future torments they would be self-imposed, and as Nathan said to David it would be said to us, "Thou art the man." From this point of view he could better explain the lessons of his text. The Saviour who stood visibly by the side of the son of the woman of Nain stands invisibly by us, addressing us as dead in trespasses and sins, and carried towards our end in the coffin of our own lusts. He says -Arise. He came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. Now, to impress the world with this, the true object of His mission, He condescended while on earth three times to put forth His hand and restore physical life. All His miracles were strictly typical of His work in the hearts and understandings of His people. The three instances of His raising from the dead teach that His work was for all men. Both sexes are represented in these accounts; and to teach us that we should look to our Lord at all times and seasons, we have an instance of this call at the three important stages of life, viz., childhood, as in the case of the little daughter of Jairus, the attainment of manhood in the case of the son of the widow of Nain, and lastly, maturity in the case of Lazarus. Then, as if to teach us that the longer repentance is delayed the nearer we approach the second death, in each case a longer time is said to have elapsed between death and the resurrection. We are reminded how readily childhood is led to the contemplation of the things of heaven. The child arose from her bed of suffering. With the young man it is different. His funeral

was taking place, and he had consequently who really understand him he is perbeen dead some few days, while Lazarus fectly intelligible, and gives them so (probably a middle-aged man) had been much heavenly light as to remove all four days in the grave; and as a last lesson we also learn that in this world it was never too late to repent.

At the evening service Mr. Hayden took for his text Gen. xii. 9, the subject "The Rainbow." being

that mist which prevents men from understanding both the works and the Word of God. For coherence and harmony look to Swedenborg. -Your obliged servant,

AUXILIARY.

66 London, Nov. 20, 1876."

The

We extract the above from the Kensington News. In the same paper have RADCLIFFE, LANCASHIRE.-A bazaar appeared short reports of two lectures was held at this place in the last week by Dr. Bayley, on the School Board of the old year to commence a fund for work of London, a notice of the services the erection of a new church. on Christmas Day, and of a concert given by the choir of the Church. All these services seem to have been attractive and interesting to the audiences present.

OXFORD. - The following letter, which will appropriately close our account of the newspaper correspondence in this city, appeared in the Oxford Times of December 2nd :

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growth of the Society is such as to render it certain that at no distant time increased accommodation must be provided for the congregation, and it has been thought prudent to commence the work of raising funds for this purpose. the opening of the bazaar addresses were given by Wm. Pickstone, Esq., of Maesmynan Hall, Denbighshire, who was appointed to preside over the opening ceremony, and by Revs. R. Storry, P. 'SIR,—The brief letter of T. S. M. Ramage, and J. Boys. Mr. Pickstone has given me a vast amount of pleasure. in his opening address recalled to mind It will delight all lovers of fair play' many of the early workers in the Society who are fortunate enough to read it. whom he had known when a boy in the Nothing does so much damage to the Sunday-school, and commended the intellects of young men as the system of members for their effort to provide for advising them to avoid reading such their present and prospective wants. books as might help them out of a Nothing was so much to be feared in the groove. I remember once hearing a Church as stagnation. It was better to lecturer advising his audience to have pull down even a good building and nothing to do with Shakespeare, and he erect another, than to sit listless and then concluded by saying that he never unoccupied. The wants of the Church read his works, and never intended to were progressive, and its members must read them! He had got his informa- be unceasingly active. After short adtion about Shakespeare second-hand, dresses from Mr. Storry and Mr. Raminstead of reading for himself. The age, Mr. Boys, the esteemed pastor of case is just the same with Mr. Walsh. the Society, briefly described its present Few men have read much of Sweden- position and wants. All the sittings in borg, not only without admiring him, the Church were not occupied, but an but even without receiving him. No entire pew was not at liberty. Any man is so little understood, because no one, therefore, desiring a pew for his great author's works have been so in- family could not be accommodated. Inadequately studied by non-receivers. creased accommodation was therefore All we ask is that theologians shall required, and the best mode of securing adopt the maxim of T. S. M., and advise this was the erection of an entirely new people to read all books and judge for structure. The bazaar was for the comthemselves. A man of his breadth of mencement of a building fund, and he mind should study thoroughly our exhorted all who were engaged in it to author's works, and then, instead of work unitedly together, to put down all finding their reasoning 'dreamy,' he disagreements, and to labour onward would find it full of life, vigour, and with zeal and perseverance to accomplish intelligence, and what is better, thor- the work which they had commenced. oughly practical. He is only 'dreamy' The stalls were erected in the comto those who have a dreamy and misty modious schoolroom adjoining the notion of what he teaches. To those church, which was tastefully decorated

for the occasion. A goodly assembly was present at the opening. The net proceeds amounted to £310.

WINCHESTER.-New Church truth is making its way very slowly, to all outward appearance, in this city, but the members of the Church resident here neglect no opportunity of spreading a knowledge of the doctrines. Services, in strict accordance with the Conference arrangements, are held, morning and evening, on the Sunday in a private house, and the Church militant is thus always represented; yet the friends have long felt that assistance from a missionary centre would do much to keep together a fair gathering of people interested in New Church teachings. As it is, several of them are led to be nonseparatists, though they would be glad to attend public New Church worship. As the few who meet regularly have cheerfully excluded themselves from the benefits of worshipping with the many, in order to preserve a standing testimony to the New Revelation of Divine Truth, and as they are not possessed of large means, it is hoped that something may be done by the Church in the way of encouragement, as any assistance that could be rendered would not be illbestowed upon those who have done what they could, and have long waited patiently for aid. There are at least eight New Church families in the city. Great efforts are always being made, and rightly, to form new Societies. It is equally a work of benevolence to cherish those already formed.

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of Accrington, in the 79th year of his age. Deceased was one of the oldest, if not the oldest, member of the Society, having been connected therewith from childhood. In his early days he was active in the Sunday-school as Treasurer and Office-bearer. He was also at one time a member of the choir, and in other ways rendered valuable service for the Church. In later times he confined himself to an attendance upon public worship, until distance and the infirmities of age rendered it impossible for him to go. He was an ardent lover of the Church, but of modest and unassuming character, and he leaves behind him a wide circle of relatives and friends, by whom his memory will long be revered and cherished.

Died, at New Basford, near Nottingham, December 10, 1876, Mrs. Mary Selby, in the 79th year of her age. She was a dear sister, loved by all who knew her. She has been a member of the Nottingham Society for forty-three years, and, until infirmity prevented, a constant attendant at the public wor ship of the Lord, and a most zealous and earnest worker in the Church. She has suffered much from bodily affliction, but the doctrines of the New Church have in all her trials been a source of consolation of comfort and of peace. "My Saviour," she would say, "knows what is best for me, and His will be done."

Departed this life, at Liverpool, December 5, 1876, Margaret, wife of Mr. A. B. Cragie, aged fifty-five years. The deceased was the only daughter of Mr. Thomas Jones, one of the early and much-esteemed members of the New

Church in this town. She was a person of quiet domestic and affectionate char acter, ministering with kindness and attention to the wants of those she had the opportunity of serving. For many years she has been a very great sufferer from asthma, and this, combined with a severe deafness, has prevented her attendance on public worship. She will be long missed in a home she sought to make happy.

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BEAUTIFUL as is the Lord's life in its progress, it is still more beautiful in its close. Where ordinary humanity so often betrays its weakness, the Lord most conspicuously manifests His strength. As the setting sun appears enlarged by coming into nearer comparison with terrestrial objects, so the Lord ever appears greatest in His deepest humiliations, when He descends into the earthly states of temptation and suffering.

Comparisons have been made, and parallels drawn, between the closing scene of the Lord's life on earth and that of other eminent sufferers for conscience' sake. And this is allowable, for both in His doings and in His sufferings the Lord was our example. But the comparison between Him and others can only be made to a limited extent. All other martyrs to truth and righteousness suffer from a terrible necessity; the Lord suffered from choice. While He yielded to the earthly powers, and suffered Himself to be led as a lamb to the slaughter, He possessed the power of scattering and even annihilating His enemies. Another difference is this. Men suffer to secure their own salvation; the Lord suffered for the salvation of the whole human race. Jehovah made to meet on Him the iniquity of us all. In His sufferings were concentrated the sufferings of the whole fallen race of Adam. The combined power of all the spirits of darkness was brought to bear upon Him, especially in His last temptation, the passion of the cross. The love from which men carry on the conflict of temptation is a finite love; the love from which the Lord carried on the conflict with the powers of darkness was an infinite love; and as

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