afflicted, oppressed, and despised, in order to impart to them, with the most sympathetic tenderness, the consolations of the gospel. It is due to him, to the editor who has brought his character before us, and much more to ourselves, to endeavour to imbibe his spirit, and, as far as circumstances allow, to follow his example. Daily Reflections. By G. WYARD, Vol. III. J. Briscoe, Banner Street, Finsbury, Books of this kind are always valuable, even when they possess little more than ordinary merit. If they are but scriptural, with much gospel truth, agreeably diversified, and deeply experimental, they can hardly fail to be extensively serviceable to "the Church of Christ. Amidst the great variety of morning and evening portions, as tastes and sentiments differ, and the best human works by repetition may lose their interest, there is ample room for Mr. Wyard's "Daily Reflections," which need one volume more only to complete the series. They are doctrinal, experimental, and practical, and in their proper relative proportions. We can safely recommend the work as a closet-companion, faithful and true. Words of Wisdom for the Sons of Toil. By GEORGE WILLIAM CONDER. Elliot Stock, Paternoster Row, These are Scriptural and earnest addresses, and well calculated to gain the attention of those for whose highest interests they are specially By B. HARRIS COWPER. Elliot Stock. Few designed.-The Logic of Life and Death. men are better able to cope with the infidel of modern times than the author of this treatise, of which this is one evidence amongst many. Character, and its External Signs. By J. C. J. James Blackwood, Paternoster Row. The subject of this book is one which might repel rather than attract most of our readers. The external signs of character, here alluded to, are not words or actions; they lie nearer to the internal signs than even these; the head must be they are the emanations of the cranium uncovered in reverence as they beam forth; within which the whole work of the mind is carried on. We are not alarmists on the subject of phrenology, nor are we disposed to ridicule inquiries into the why and wherefore of any part of the works of God, There may be something in it, but the great difficulty, as yet, has been to get that something out of it. We may welcome this work as an honest attempt of this Manual. Caryl Book Society, 4, Crane kind. Burrow's Protestant Dissenter's Court, Fleet Street. This is a valuable fluence, and claims of Protestant Dissent summary of the history, character, inin this country. It is just the kind of manual to put into the hands of those who, merely for the want of knowing better, The Sunday Scholar's Annual. First Series. Elliot Stock, 62, Pater-speak and act as if there were little or no noster Row. E.Ç. TALES are best suited to children; they arrest their attention, they remain long in their minds, and they contribute much towards the formation of their characters. They are a powerful means therefore in the education of youth for good or for evil. Those before us are highly commendable both in their tendency and design. How different from the nursery tales of olden times! In Sunday-schools this annual series will, we doubt not, obtain a wide circulation. The real difference between Episcopacy and Dissent. Unobtrusive Piety. A Memoir of Mrs. Mary Oliver. By her HUSBAND. 2, Chatham Place, Walworth Road. biography and self-recorded experience of this Christian lady are well worth preserving. By her own immediate connections, both social and religious, they will be greatly prized. Mrs. Oliver was a daughter of the Rev. John Chin, who laid the foundation of the prosperity of the Church now worshipping in Walworth Road Chapel, of whom, and his partner, interesting memoirs are given in the latter part of this volume. Notices. N Wednesday evening, December which was very numerously attended. connection with the College took place, the whole proceeds might go to the College funds. At the Public Meeting | in the Tabernacle, after prayer was offered by Mr. William Olney, Mr. Spurgeon gave an account of the recent progress of the College. Upwards of thirty students had left for spheres of usefulness during the year. The funds had occasionally declined, but had always in a short time been replenished, so that there had not been much anxiety on that account. Addresses were given by three of the students; Mr. Page, Mr. Cuff, and Mr. Spurrier. Mr. Spurgeon then gave a rapid and graphic sketch of the work and character of Mr. William Knibb. This was followed by an address from Dr. Underhill upon the present state of Jamaica. The attendance was quite equal to any former occasion, and the attention was kept up with increasing interest to a late hour. It was one of the most encouraging meetings on behalf of the College that we have ever witnessed. Bilston, Salem Chapel. On Tuesday, December 5th, a large tea-meeting was held at this place to celebrate its freedom from debt. The chair was occupied by Stephen Thompson, Esq. It appeared from the report of the secretary, that nearly £1,000 had been raised for building purposes since the settlement of Mr. Jackson six years ago, and that the bazaar alone had produced £297 5s. 73d,, inclusive of expenses, so that the rebuilding of the Chapel, the erection of a lecture-room, and the repairs and enlargement of the minister's house had not only been paid for, but a balance of £1515s. 4 d. left in hand towards defraying the cost of a first-class warming apparatus which had just been introduced for the comfort of the congregation. The meeting was addressed by Dr. Evans, of Scarborough, J. Watson, B. Baker, and W. Jackson, of Bilston, D. Evans and T. W. Tozer, of Dudley, T.Hanson, of West Bromwich, J.Turner, | of Wednesbury, and J. D. Rodway, of Caseley. A Committee of Privileges has been appointed by the Baptist Union to take cognizance of all cases of oppression or persecution affecting the members of Baptist congregations. Applications for redress should be sent to the Baptist Library, 2, John-street, Bedford-row, with full particulars of the grievance complained of, addressed to the Rev. Clement Bailhache, Convener of Committee of Privileges. Winslow, Bucks. Services in connection with the ordination of Mr. Robert Sole, student of the Metropolitan Tabernacle College, were held at the above place on Friday, December 1st. The afternoon service was presided over by Rev. George Rogers, Theological Tutor of the College. Rev. G. Walker, of Fenny-Stratford (fellow student of Mr. Sole), read 2 Cor. iv. and offered prayer, The Rev. W. Allen, of Oxford, gave an excellent address on "The Constitution of a Christian Church as set forth in the New Testament." Rev, Robert Shindler, of Tring, proposed the usual questions to the Church and pastor. Rev. W. Piggott, of Aylesbury (Wesleyan), offered the ordination prayer, after which the charge was given to Mr. Sole by the Rev. George Rogers. A social tea-meeting followed, at which about a hundred were present. A public meeting was held in the evening, at which John Neale, Esq., of London, presided. Addresses were given by the Rev. J. Mountford, of LeightonBuzzard (Baptist), on "The Duties of Church Members to their Pastor." The Rev. Robert Shindler, of Tring (Baptist), on "The Duties of Church Members to each other." Rev. T. D. Marshall, of London (Baptist), on "The Duties of Church Members to the World." Revs. J. Minett, Stantonbury, and Rae (Independent), of Winslow, also took part in the services. On Tuesday evening, December 19th, Mr. J. B. Warren, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle College, was recognized as Pastor of the Church assembling at Unicorn Yard, Tooley-street. A sermon was preached in the afternoon by Mr. A. G. Brown, of Bromley. A tea-meeting was held, after which there was a public meeting, at which W. Olney, Esq., presided. The speakers on the occasion were Mr. Evans, of Upton Chapel, Mr. Rogers, Tutor of the College, Mr. A. G. Brown, Mr. G. Hearson, of Vauxhall, Mr. Burton, of Kingsgate Chapel, J. Brown, Esq., and the newly-appointed Pastor, Mr. J. B. Warren. Mr. Gracey offered prayer. Upwards of £20 were collected, which extinguished the only remaining debt upon the Chapel. The Bazaar. BEYOND our most sanguine hopes, or most ardent expectations, goods are pouring in from friends innumerable, and with the parcels kind earnest words of sympathy as welcome as the gifts. The Parcels Delivery, Railway, and Carrier's Carts are coming and going every hour from the gate of the Tabernacle, their burdens proving that whatever may be wanting to the success of the Bazaar, certainly generosity on the part of our friends will not be lacking. Should any Contributors fail to receive an acknowledgment will they kindly excuse the oversight? for although all diligence is being used, as far as possible, to thank every one by letter, the number is very great, and some may possibly escape notice. Personally, as the Lord's servant, do we from the depth of our soul thank our many bountiful friends for helping us in the Lord's work; and pray that an abundant return may be given them from the Master whom they serve with us. Several gifts of money have been sent and privately acknowledged; but we judge that it would not be agreeable to the donors that we should publish their names, and indeed several are so entirely. anonymous as to be even without initials, so that we could not publicly acknowledge them if we would. Will these also receive very grateful thanks! We go to press too early to be able to say a word as to the amount likely to be realized; but we joyfully trust that it will be so considerable as to enable us to aid in erecting several places of worship during the year. NOTICE. Several Correspondents urge us to give more of the Commentary upon the Psalms every month. We can scarcely promise this, for our time does not allow us to proceed very fast with this most laborious exposition; but next month we will endeavour to give two Psalms, and as large a quantity in future as we are able to write. We make a point of studying every work within our reach, and this makes the expounding of each Psalm a work requiring considerable time, Pastor's College, Metropolitan Tabernacle. PRESIDENT-C. H. SPURGEON.-NUMBER OF STUDENTS, 93. Amount required for Students during the year, about £5,000; the rest will be devoted to building Places of Worship. Statement of Receipts from November 20th, to December 19th, 1865. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. Dec. 4 23 9 0 90 Weekly Offerings at Tabernacle, Nov. 27 0 10 0 500 28 7 8 THE SWORD AND THE TROWEL. FEBRUARY, 1866. A Spur for a Free Horse. "Plough with an ox which will not miss a furrow." IT T is the desire of every rightminded believer in the Lord Jesus, not only to be useful, but to be more useful than ever. There is a six in the date of this year instead of a five, and therefore we should all make an advance in our work for our blessed Master. There are a few of us who could scarcely do more than we are doing of our own regular order of work, but there may yet be spare moments for little extra efforts ofano. ther sort which in the aggregate, in the run of a year, might produce a great total of real practical result. We must, like goldsmiths, carefully sweep our shops, and gather up the filings of the gold which God has given us in the shape of time. Select E a large box and place in it as many cannon-balls as it will hold, it is after a fashion full, but it will hold more if smaller matters be found. Bring a quantity of marbles, very many of these may be packed in the spaces between the larger globes; the box is full now, but only full in a sense, it will contain more yet. There are interstices in abundance into which you may shake a considerable quantity of small shot, and now the chest is filled beyond all question, but yet there is room. You cannot put in another shot or marble, much less another cannon-ball, but you will find that several pounds of sand will slide down between the larger materials, and even then between the granules of sand, if you empty yonder jug there will be space for all the water, and for the same quantity several times repeated. When there is no space for the great there may be room for the little; where the little cannot enter the less can make its way; and where the less is shut out, the least of all may find ample room and verge enough. Now the diligent preacher may not be able to preach more sermons; his engagement book is crowded. He may not be able to offer more public prayers, or to search the Word of God more constantly; there is as much time occupied with these things as could well be given to them. Still there must be stray moments, occasional intervals and snatches, which might hold a vast amount of little usefulnesses in the course of months and years. What a wealth of minor good, as we may think it to be, might be shaken down into the interstices of ten years' work, which might prove to be as precious in result, by the grace of God, as the greater works of the same period. Little fishes are sweet, and these little works might possess in blessing what they lacked in bulk. In Switzerland, where land is very precious because rock abounds and the rugged soil is chary in its yieldings, you see the husbandman looking after a little tuft of grass growing on one of the edges of a lofty cliff. From the valley he had caught a sight of it and thought of clambering up to where it grew, but the rock was all too steep. From a ledge nearer the top of the precipitous wall he looked down, but could see no pathway to the coveted morsel of green. That armfull of grass would feed his goat, or help to fill the cottage loft with winter fodder for the cow. Every armful is an item, and he cannot forego that tempting clump. He looks, and looks, and looks again, but looks in vain. By-and-bye, he fetches his bold boy who can follow wherever a chamois can climb, but the boy after a hard scramble comes back with the tidings, "Father, it cannot be done." Father's answer is, "Boy, it must be done." It is only an armfull, and would not be worth a farthing to us, but to the poor mountaineer even a farthing or a farthing's worth is precious. The grass waves its flowers in the breeze and scorns the daring climbers from below; but where there is a will, there is a way; and what cannot be reached from below may be gained from above. With a rope slung round him, or firmly grasped in his accustomed hand, with a stout stake or tree to hold it up above, the Switzer is let down till he gets to the jutting crag, there he stands with his sickle, reaps the grass, ties it into a bundle, puts it under his arm, and climbing back again, joyfully returns with his little harvest. Poor pay, you think, for such dangerous toil; but, fellow-worker for Jesus, I wish we were as venturesome for souls, and as careful of them, as these poor peasants |