this gracious influence: the ungodly who would not be persuaded though and careless becoming anxious; the drunkard becoming sober; the profligate leaving his vices and becoming chaste." Still further, the Rev. WM. MARRABLE, Prebendary of St. John's, Dublin, says: "I left Dublin on Tuesday, by the one o'clock train, for Belfast. I was informed that the Bishop of Down and Connor was to preach that evening in Trinity Church. On arriving at Belfast, I proceeded at once to the church, which was soon crowded to excess. The Bishop preached a suitable sermon from Galatians v. 16, after which he referred to the revival movement to the following effect:-Though looking with some distrust upon the extravagant reports which have reached me, I yet felt it my duty to summon my reverend brethren, who were witnesses of what was going on, to consider how it was best to improve the opportunity; and after hearing the reports of men of calm and sober minds and mature judgments, I felt that God was shedding abroad in many places a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, inducing in many cases a reformation of life. I speak not now of bodily prostrations, to them I attach little importance; but of that strong conviction of sin, prayer for mercy, calling on Christ for pardon, and the testimony of a reformed life-and who can scoff at such fruits as these? We behold reformation in the drunkard; the dishonest becoming just; an increased attendance on the means of grace; surely, "this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. Another clergyman of the Church of England, in the diocese of Down and Connor, writes: one rose from the dead, and argue because there are some false cases, there are no true ones. All the objections I have heard are such as I myself should be ashamed to make. The experience of every day confirms more and more my conviction, of a great and unusual work of God having been wrought in this place." The Rev. G. V. CHICHESTER, curate of Portrush, has published a statement of facts, "from one residing and labouring in the midst of this most hopeful and genuine work," in introducing which, he says: "I cannot but feel, in conjunction with the great majority of those who, like myself, have personally witnessed and shared in the movement, that Archdeacon STOPFORD'S pamphlet is calculated to leave a wrong impression on the public mind. It is quite incorrect to say that sensitive women are the only subjects of the change, for there are a great number of strong men affected in every locality; and sometimes more violently affected than the women. It is also unjust to give the impression that all the cases of conversion can be reduced to hysteria. By far the greater number of cases are either without hysteria, or soon lose the symptoms; and the genuineness of their religion is proved by its fruits." Well now, beloved, we say, in the language used by the Rev. Wm. MARRABLE, "Who can scoff at such fruits as these," or say otherwise than that this is the finger of God? "It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes." But what say the Roman Catholics themselves about this work? Why they are terribly perplexed at it, which is a good sign. The Nation, a Roman Catholic newspaper, says: Irish nation is fast dissolving. Ireland is ceasing to be a Roman Catholic nation. The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland will need a defence association of guardian angels, to save it from extinction.” The "In this great awakeing movement I speak only of what I myself have seen, and I can, thank God, bear the most encouraging testimony-I see a continued steadfastness and seriousness in all our people, and a continued anxiety for the Word of God and prayer, together with great love for all those who are Christ's people, and an anxiety for "The truth is, we are in an emerthe souls of those who are not. The gency. We have fallen upon a crisis. objections which some have advanced The enemy has already forced our are made either by persons who sit at a entrenchments. These gallant Celtic distance, and have not taken the trouble poor that stood the front of the to examine for themselves, or by those battle these three hundred years are routed and falling, and we are holding pass, that whosoever shall call on the silly councils in the camp! The name of the Lord shall be saved ?" proselytisers are everywhere-even the Whether the present be the times poor soldiers' wives are ensnared." spoken of thus, we dare not venture to Dear Editor, we could multiply facts judge, but, beloved, it does seem that but dare not further lengthen out our course should be, to be found much our article. One thing must be, I in prayer. Thanking God for what He think, evident to every thoughtful mind, has done in snatching poor deluded which is, that we live in most eventful Romanists from the thraldom of Popery, days. What is passing in other places and praying that whether with instruwe know not, but in this town, now ments or without them, He will still that these wonderful movements are further accomplish the purposes of His being noised about, in the Apostle love and favour. Nor should we forget Peter's language, "Multitudes are to pray for those Ministers of the coming together and are confounded." Gospel who are labouring in the midst Some, amazed and in doubt, are saying of this work. We are told that if God one to another, "What meaneth this ?" was not giving them supernatural Others, mocking, are saying, "These strength, it would be impossible for men are full of new wine." But may them to get through their duties. Oh, not Peter's further language be appli- then, may they have supporting grace, cable to the present times, "Ye men of and may He pour out a spirit of grace Judæa and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, and supplication upon His believing be this known unto you, and hearken to family; that union with one another may my words for these are not drunken as be more manifest; that the spirit of love ye suppose, seeing it is but the third and sympathy may prevail; and may our hour of the day. But this is what was one object in all be to glorify Jesus and spoken by the prophet Joel; And it testify of His love and faithfulness. shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.. And it shall come to : Dear Editor, we rejoice to hear, from dear ALFRED HEWLETT'S testimony, what the Lord is doing through you and by you at Bedminster; and sincerely trusting He will still shine in your midst, and preserve your valuable life, in all affection, Believe me, yours in covenant bonds, G. C. LAYING OF THE CHIEF CORNER STONE OF ST. LUKE'S CHURCH, BEDMINSTER. VARIOUS circumstances have com-raising of this temple, who have neither bined to prevent our furnishing our readers ere this with particulars of this most solemn and interesting ceremony. e say solemn, and so it is on many We accounts. First. How many of even those who may have witnessed the laying of that stone, will never live to behold the completion of the building; for, "Whatis your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Secondly. It is to be feared that there will be some, and perhaps the major part, of those engaged in the actual part nor lot in "the house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." They may chisel, and square, and lay stone after stone in this earthly temple, but give no evidence whatever of being themselves stones hewn out of the quarry of nature by an almighty hand, in order to be "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord." Thirdly. How great is the responsibility of those who shall, from time to time, be called to minister in the place about professedly to be dedicated to the Lord. Will the trumpet give a certain sound within those walls? Will Christ be the Alpha and Omega of the salvation that shall be proclaimed there? Will Jesus, in His glorious Person, character, and offices, be the one grand theme of the preacher? Will the fulness, freeness, and finished nature of a salvation, without money and without price, be declared beneath that roof? Shall man be set in his right place, and God in His? Shall the Creator be abased, and God alone exalted? Oh, how momentous these considerations, especially in these latter times, when every species of error and delusion is so rife; and remembering, moreover, that Jehovah has "hid His treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. ." Fourthly. The fact of the trial to which every man's work must be submitted, may well suggest inquiry as to the nature of his doctrine-and the character of his teaching. "We are labourers together with God," says the apostle writing to the Corinthians, "ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." And, again, in his epistle to the Galatians, he says, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Lastly. The brevity of life may well produce the utmost solemnity of thought. Should the assembly then present, for most part, be permitted to behold the completion of the building now in course of erection, how patent the fact that, long, long, ere that building shall crumble into ruin, the spirit of each and every beholder-pastors and peopleshall have returned to the God who gave it. Where are now the designers, the builders, the occupants of any one or other of the stately edifices we may enter? Where, indeed? May it not be said of them as was said, no less than eight times over, of the names of those given in the short record contained in the fifth chapter of Genesis, "and he died?" Will not the same three short but momentous words be attached to any little remembrance of each of us, "and he died?" Solemn consideration, indeed, when connected with the idea of how and in whom we shall die; for if we die out of Christ, it were better far that we had never been born. The ceremony was thus recorded by the journals of the day: The weather, on the day fixed for the occasion, fortunately was fine, and, as we have stated, numbers of persons had gathered together to view the founding of another sacred edifice in Bedminster. As the time fixed for the commencement of the proceedings drew near, the crowd in and around the site of the intended church drew every instant more numerous; and, despite the blazing rays of the sun, gaily-dressed ladies and more soberly clad gentlemen kept their seats or standing places beneath the fervour of his rays with the utmost persistency and equanimity. About three o'clock a procession of clergy started from the residence of the Incumbent, the Rev. D. A. DOUDNEY, which is within a short distance, and proceeded to the site. On their arrival the service was at once commenced, and the Revs. Canon MADAN, COOPER, COGHLAN, Doudney, HOLLINS, KNAPP, EDWARDS, ASHWIN, TURNER, and BANKES, took each their part in the following: FORM OF SERVICE. Lord has been pleased to put it into the hearts of his faithful people to build an house for His holy worship, we have assembled here this day, we trust in His strength, to carry this good purpose into effect, and devoutly to beg His blessing on our present undertaking. Let us, therefore, commence this service, by singing the 117th Psalm. The following hymn was then sung:"From all that dwell below the skies," &c. Minister. "Except the Lord build the house, their labour is but lost that build it." People. "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Ps. cxxvii. 1, 2. Let us pray. Prevent us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that in all our works, begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name, and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O merciful God, who has been graciously pleased to promise thy especial presence wherever two or three are met together in thy Name; vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to be present with us, who are here now assembled, with all humility and readiness of heart, to lay the chief Corner Stone of this building, that it may be a house to thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. thee, let thine eyes be open and let thine ears be attent unto the prayers that shall be offered in this place. And do thou grant to thy servants, Almighty God, to be strong and of a good courage, for the performance of this thy work; let us not fear nor be dismayed, knowing that the Lord God, even our God, will be with us; He will not fail us, nor forsake us, until we have finished all the work, for the service of the house of our Lord. Amen. After prayer the jar containing the inscription, &c., was deposited; and the stone being ready to be laid, the Minister said :-"The earth is the Lord's and all that therein is: the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein." People. "For he hath founded it upon the seas: and prepared it upon the floods" (Ps. xxiv. 1, 2). Mr. E. T. INSKIP (the representative of the chief contributor) having been presented by his co-Trustees with a very handsome silver trowel, proceeded to the work of spreading the mortar; and, laying the stone; he said:-How solemn is this hour, its history was connected with the past, and is connected with the present and the future; and whilst I have been thus privileged to be one of the feeble and humble instruments of bringing about the scene you are now permitted to witness, and in which I am so highly honoured in sustaining so prominent a position, I am led with one of old to ask, "What am I, and what my father's house, that thou hast brought me hitherto ?" And I can assure you. that I feel it to be an office of great honour that has thus been conferred upon me in being thus called upon to lay the chief Corner Stone of a house for God. O Lord God of Israel! there is no God like thee, in the heaven nor in the earth, which keepest covenant and shewest mercy unto thy servants. Thou dwellest not in temples made with hands: heaven is thy throne, and earth is thy footstool. The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house Now, as to the history of this day. It which we would build in thy Name. has long been notorious, that of all places Yet, O Lord! have respect to the prayer in or about Bristol, Bedminster is the of thy servants and to their supplication. place where the greatest dearth exists of O Lord our God, hearken unto the cry the Word of life; its teeming multitudes and the prayer which thy servants pray being larger than any single minister' before thee-that day and night thine could undertake. And to supply this eyes may be open upon the house which want has been the anxious and deep we would here raise unto thee. Hearken solicitude of a few Christian friends; unto the supplications of thy servants, the teeming myriads have been, and O Lord!-hear thou from heaven thy they, as you now behold, are being cared dwelling-place; and when thou hearest, for; their spiritual wants have been the forgive. And now, O God! we beseech subject of earnest prayer, that the Great Shepherd would open up a way to some spot on which a Temple for Himself might be erected. This site was at length found to be suited as a place where the erection of a Temple for Him who dwelleth not in earthly Temples alone, might be worshipped; and it has pleased that God who hears and answers prayer, to move the hearts of some of His servants to come forward, and of their substance bountifully to contribute towards supplying the spiritual wants of this benighted locality. The heart of our respected and truly endeared Bishop, with others who partook largely of his philanthropic virtues, had been moved; and here we are now assembled to carry out the benevolent design which God, in answer to prayer, has moved His servants to bestir themselves, commence, and carry out. You have now only to pray on, that the blessing of the Lord Jehovah might rest on this temple when erected; and that within these four walls many, nay, very many, might count their new birth; and of whom it might be said, "Lo! this and that man were born there." Now, my friends, we behold an earnest of the Lord's goodness; and we are permitted to see the first evidence of the Lord's smiles upon this work, and to assemble ourselves upon this ground where, in a few months, I trust we may again assemble to greet each other on the consecration of the building. Having laid this stone, it is not necessary I should detain you longer, as I shall have another opportunity of addressing you in the evening; but will, before I retire, ask you all, in true fervour, and in earnest prayer, to join in the supplication, the form of which is in the programme, and which I will now read: Father of mercies! God of love! A We, needy sinners, seek thy face; While resting on thy Spirit's grace; Grant us bright visions of thy face; An army raised, Jehovah's sons, Speak but the word, Behold, they live; Jesus to serve, and praises give. Bestow aboundings of thy grace; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place. Is now, and shall be overmore. Minister. Lord, have mercy upon us. People. Christ, have mercy upon us. Minister. Lord, have mercy upon us. Our Father, which art in heaven: "Forasmuch as Almighty God once hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom accepted the purpose of Solomon, to come. Thy will be done in earth, as it build an house unto His Name, and is in heaven. Give us this day our daily nothing doubting but that He favour- bread. And forgive us our trespasses, ably alloweth this work of ours, to as we forgive them that trespass against found and erect this Temple for His us. And lead us not into temptation; service, We therefore, lay this chief but deliver us from evil. For thine is Corner Stone, in the name of the great the kingdom, and the power, and the Jehovah, the Holy, holy, holy, undivided glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons, but one God, blessed for evermore. Amen." Blessed be thy holy name, O Lord God Almighty, for putting it into our hearts to build this house to the glory |