noon of the dreariest night. It declares, that the rose of Sharon shall scatter fragrance on the blasted heath-that the temple of Jehovah shall fling its sheltering shade over every wigwam and every possessor of an immortal soul; and that the spirit of our religion shall quicken into immortal life the entire dead mass of humanity. That progress is the safety of the church will perhaps most easily appear by supposing for a moment all Christian aggression at an end. The formal church-member thinks that he does enough for Christ, when he helps to maintain a chapel that adorns some fashionable street, and gives his proportion to support the minister, who, every Sabbath, entertains him with the richness of his voice, or the gracefulness of his delivery. The religious professor of a higher stamp, awakened somewhat to the solemnities of the universe, seems to look upon the gospel as if it were but a piece of strong and substantial masonry, bridging for himself the fire-ocean of eternal wrath. No longer are our lanes penetrated by men resolute in combating a savagism hardly less hideous than that of Caffraria or Calabar-a savagism which, as you citizens of Edinburgh were told some months ago by the most eloquent of living statesmen, embraces within itself the Goths and Vandals, that may destroy our boasted modern civilization. The missionary returns to his native land-leaving the pagan to his fetish, and to his altar reeking with human blood, our Christianity having ceased to possess any Paul or any Barnabas who, on returning to some Antioch, can rehearse to the assembled church what God did with them in regions of distant and dismal heathenism. Thank God, however, that the picture we have been drawing is entirely imaginary that the description we have been attempting is for the sake of argument alone-and that no future has been forecast by us which is even possible for the church of the Redeemer. But were the church ceasing to hold up before the world the truth of God-what then? Would the church then be a citadel with reason to dread no clang of armour, and no shout of foe? Realise the church without a missionary! You cannot so realise it without discerning its energies expended on doctrinal disputes-on disputes which are contemptible, not only for the evil passions enkindled by them, but also for the paltriness of the points at stake.

The

church is a kingdom certain to be rent and torn asunder, except its banners are borne bravely forward among the enemies of its sovereign. Realise the church without a missionary! You cannot so realise it without discovering that the Saviour is becoming constantly of diminished preciousness-without witnessing spiritual darkness and distress settle down upon all the earnest men and women within its pale. Realise the church without a missionary! You cannot so realise it, and not mourn at the same time over those who seemed true-hearted believers in Christ sinking down by degrees into the abyss of the darkest and coldest scepticism. The experience of John Sterling is a beacon to us: for he lost faith in the Bible when he gave over reading it in the cottages of the poor. Common sense teaches, that if we regard the blessings of the gospel as designed to gladden no hearts but our own, we will seek in vain to believe in the self-sacrifice

of the world's Redeemer. We must imitate the Lord's benevolence, if the consciousness of it is to soothe and benefit our souls. In the parable of the Talents, it should instruct us to find, that he who thought the Master stern was the steward who had buried in the earth the entrusted gold. But why should I go on to specify lesser evils connected with the church ceasing to make wide its borders? If, instead of refusing to be provincial-if, instead of ignoring national boundaries-if, instead of maintaining that her field is the broad earth itself, she begins to talk about a sufficiently extended Christendom — then God's own hand will write Ichabod upon all its sanctuaries. The bearing, to any extent, of man's efforts on the safety of the church, furnishes a motive of stupendous strength to sanctified ambition. Were the lust of power directed by intelligence, warriors would perhaps be pedagogues; and probably our last prime minister would again set about expounding the parables for children. In respect of at least the very highest influence over mankind, you might venture to weigh the humblest schoolmaster, who inculcates occasional lessons of wisdom or piety, against Nimrod or Napoleon. Soon does the field of battle refuse to tell of garments rolled in blood. does the grass cover up the prints of the war-steed's hoof. Soon does the mound, under which myriads occupy an uncoffined and unshrouded grave, appear

Soon

not different from any natural elevation. Soon does the village that was laid in ruins look as it did before the fight raged around its homes-with its old men basking in the sun, and its children blowing bubbles on the grass. A short time silences the echoes of the orphan's wail, and to the widow herself vouchsafes a tearless cheek. But the traces of Christian effort are more ineffaceable than the letters which are chiselled deepest on the hardest rocks. These traces cannot disappear. Recal the triumphs of the gospel in days gone by-how, in but a few years after its Author's ignominious death, the cross was planted where Rome's eagles never flew-how the name of Jesus brought comfort where the name of Cæsar had never given paleness to any countenance. Remember the victories of our religion in times even of corrupted doctrine and enfeebled strength-how it emancipated the slave, abolished the distinctions of caste, dismantled the keeps of feudal barons, and made a stronghold which the king, unbacked by the law, dare not enter, of the poor man's hut. And where have been the battle-fields of Christianity? where her scenes of tri

umph? Need I remind you of the Sabbath-school, where little children are told how Jesus loved them, blessed them, and promised them heaven at last? Need I refer to the Clarksons and Dicksons of your own city, speaking within the most squalid hovels often within the breath of the deadly typhus-of him who died for the world on the accursed tree? Need I picture the missionary gathering around him a few unclothed and untutored savages-on one side of him a mother who has flung more than one child to the hogs, and on the other side of him a son who made death by starvation his father's death-and all before him once slaves of the vilest lust, and perpetrators, at the same time, of the most unnatural cruelties-need I picture the missionary speaking to an audience like this, of the Great Spirit's love for mankind, as displayed in the sweat of the garden, or the anguish of the cross? Such scenes as these the historian may not care to show us in his pictured page; but they are scenes, nevertheless, which possess interest unspeakable for the angels in heaven, and for the angels reprobate.

(To be continued.)

ANTI-GOVERNMENT EDUCATION MEETINGS. MOST of our great religious, philanthropic, and educational societies, have held their anniversary meetings. They began in the middle of April, amid hail-storms and frost; but have terminated in sunshine and flowers. May all these Godlike institutions themselves which commenced generally in seasons of adversity-make a similar progress to a triumphant issue. Space will not allow more than the most meagre notice of the position and prospects of the chief societies, labouring in the various departments of philanthropy and religion.

The London Missionary Society meeting was, as it always is, one of a peculiarly in teresting character. The Lord Mayor of London, a Congregational Dissenter, presided; and the speeches consisted of the

Rev. J. C. Harrison, Rev. Dr. Stowe, Rev. Thomas Binney, Mr. E. Ball, M.P., Dr. Halley, Rev. W. Arther, Rev. John Aldis, and others. In the course of the mecting, a little scene occurred, which has been the cause of a good deal of amusement in certain quarters. When the Rev. Thomas Binney appears upon the platform of any public assembly, which is not very often, he makes a point of commencing his speech with a few droll or witty remarks, mostly at the expence of some one on the same platform; and of course, he is generally allowed to have things all his own way; the people laugh and cheer, and the object of his mirth must be content to say nothing, or retaliate in the same humorous strain. On the present occasion, however, Mr. Binney

found a different sort of antagonist, in the person of the honourable member for Cambridgeshire, Mr. Ball. Singular enough, Mr. Ball, although a Dissenter, as all the world knows, is a Protectionist, and Mr. Binney got up a laugh against him on this account, at the meeting, by pretending that he himself had become, like Mr. Ball, "a broken-hearted man,' who wanted protection" to shield him from the multitude of persons, who were continually knocking and ringing at his door, to see Dr. and Mrs. Stowe, who at that time were residing at his house. Mr. Ball, however, was not to be trifled with. On rising to speak, he administered, in the most solemn manner, a very severe castigation upon Mr. Binney, for introducing a species of low comedy upon the platform of a missionary society. The ministers are extremely delighted that the Bishop of the Weighhouse has thus been taken to task by a layman; the circumstance has been the general talk of the London ministerial social circle ever since, and a very confident hope is expressed, that in future Mr. Binney will have a little more regard to propriety, and consideration for the feelings and opinions of those who differ from him, in his public exhibitions. The Report, which was read by the Rev. Dr. Tidman, gave a very cheering view of the state of the mission in the various parts of the world to which the attention of the society is directed, special reference being made to the recent providential re-opening of Madagascar. It appears that the income of the society for the year was £71,882, including nearly £8000 for the special object of the Madagascar mission. The excess of expenditure above the increase was £413.

The Baptist Missionary Society had a very good meeting. The Rev. George Pearce, an Indian missionary, D. Duff, Dr. Hoby, Dr. Beaumont, and Mr. Alderman Wise, were the chief speakers. Although the society began the year with a debt of £4723, it was resolved by the committee to send forth twenty additional missionaries to India, as soon as they could be obtained, at a probable annual cost of £5000. The receipts for the year, it was stated in the Report, for general purposes, amounted to £15,114, 3s. 9d. The amount received for general purposes is £395, 5s. 11d. in advance of the previous year. The total receipts are somewhat less. This, however, arises from the fact, that £400 more were received last year for translations, and there were besides some large special donations. The expenditure

has been £500 less than the income, by which amount the debt has been still further reduced. A very considerable rcduction has been effected in all the items of home expenditure, except agency; but an arrangement has been made which takes effect at the beginning of the present finan cial year, whereby a further saving will accrue. The actual debt now due to the Treasurers is £1813, 0s. 5d. This fact had not long been announced than some gentleman, who would not give his name, offered to pay off the entire sum. Not fewer than 34,000 copies of various parts of Scripture, or entire volumes, have been issued from the Depository, while 39,000 copies in Bengal and Sanscrit have been finished at the press for further distribution. One excellent feature of this society is, the extent to which it employs native agency.

The Church Missionary Society reports an income of £120,932, being some £10,000 above that of the preceding year. The Report congratulated the subscribers that, in Bengal, 56,000 Bibles had been circulated, being 14,000 more than in any former year; that the conversion of cultivated Hindoos, including some females, whose motives are above all suspicion, mark the character of the past year; and that a vast increase of outdoor preaching to the Hindoos had taken place. The number of clergymen employed by the society

English, foreign, and native-is 172, and the number of native agents of every grade is 1150. The number of native converts is 112,000, while no fewer than 80,000, are under Christian instruction. The committee had to lament the paucity of missionaries, and now would they make an ardent appeal to the clergy and to the universities of their land, to furnish them with men qualified for this work. They were willing to accept any number of men who might offer themselves as missionaries, trusting to Him "whose is the silver and the gold" to supply the necessary support for more extended operations. The Bishop of Norwich, the Earl of Carlisle, and others, made excellent speeches.

The Church of Scotland Mission meeting, which was convened under the presidency of the Duke of Argyle, was by no means small. His Grace affirmed that the old Kirk had completely recovered from the effects of the Disruption, and was prosecuting its work with vigour and success.

The Wesleyan Missionary Society was not remarkable. The speaking was not, by any means, first rate. There was a con

siderable falling off in point of numbers. The income for the year was stated to be £105,000. It is said, however, that extraordinary and desperate efforts have been made to produce this result.

The Home Missionary Society, supported by the Congregationalists, is prospering. The sum contributed during the past year was £5667, fully equal to former years. From the origin of the Home Missionary Society, there has been expended, in missionary operations throughout England, by its means, upwards of £200,000. This society occupies 122 stations in 40 counties of England. The population among whom these labours are sustained has been computed at 460,000. The agents extend their operations over 326 parishes, and occupy 405 chapels. The hearers amount to about 36,000, with nearly 13,000 Sabbath-school scholars. There were added to the churches during the year, 426 members; 100,000 tracts, 67,000 religious periodicals, and 2800 copies of the Scriptures were circulated by the agents.

The Baptist Home Mission reports 400 persons added to the missionary churches, and their present total is 4317. There has also been an increase in the number of Sunday-school teachers and scholars. There are now 100 schools, 1069 teachers, and 7302 scholars. For the most part the Sunday-schools are reported as in a healthful and encouraging condition. The expenditure for the year was £4403, Os. 7d., and there is a balance due to the treasurer of £440, 10s. 3d.

The London City Mission goes on most prosperously. The report read at the annual meeting contained some very extraordinary statements; amongst others, that in certain districts of London visited by agents, there were 14,486 families destitute of the Word of God; and if the other parts not yet under visitation were taken into the account, the probable number of the poor of London without the Scriptures would exceed 100,000 persons. In the city of London proper there were 192 houses, and 300 families without the Bible; in Bethnal-green, 370 houses and 329 families; in the Whitechapel district, 225 houses and 277 families; and in Marylebone, 51 houses and 451 families destitute of a single copy of the Old or New Testament. The missionaries had read the Scriptures on 379,687 occasions, they distributed 4032 copies of the Bible, and they held 20,417 familiar meetings for prayer and Scriptural exposition during the past year. The number of visits paid by the

Society's agents were 1,240,318, being 64,263 more than during the former year; and the tracts distributed numbered 1,766,131. The usefulness of that Society was shown by the following return:-Admitted to church-membership, or to the holy communion, as fruits of the missionaries' labours, 616, being an increase of 65 on the former year; shops closed on the Lord's day, 112; fallen women admitted to asylums, 148; females restored to their parents, 77; females otherwise rescued from vice, 54; drunkards reclaimed, 494, being an increase of 110 on the previous year; couples married who had previously been living in concubinage, 236, being an increase of 66; families induced to commence family worship for the first time, 317, being an increase of 17; number of individuals outwardly reformed, 837, being an increase of 60; and backsliders restored to church-membership, 164, being an increase of 7 on the former year. The income of the Society for the past year amounted to £26,481, 4s. 10d., being an increase on the previous year's income of £3264, 7s. 6d., and the largest income of any year since the formation of the Society.

The Christian Instruction Society, which has of late years been stimulated to greater exertions than formerly by the London City Mission, reports, as the result of the last year's operations, 1184 children sent to school, 1245 cases of distress relieved, 433 copies of the Scriptures circulated and sold, and 848 persons induced to attend public worship.

All the societies whose object is the evangelization of Ireland have been increasing in strength during the past year. The success which has of late attended the efforts of the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians, has had the effect of stimulating the Congregationalists a little and the Baptists a good deal. The Baptist Irish Society, which always used to be in debt, reports a balance in hand of £419. At the annual meeting, which was held in Albion Chapel, Moorfields, the Rev. Baptist Noel intimated his readiness to make an evangelizing tour in Ireland this summer, with some other ministers, similar to one or two that he made while connected with the Establishment. It is expected that the suggestion will be carried out, and much good, it is anticipated, will flow from it.

The Colonial Missionary Society, supported by the Independents, is looking up; it had one of the best meetings ever known in its history; the Rev. J. A. James delivered an admirable speech, as did also the

Rev. S. W. Ward, a coloured minister from Toronto, who has been, in fact, the pet of most of the platforms this season. He is a good speaker, and evidently a man of considerable education and sound sense, has everywhere been regarded as rather an improved edition of Uncle Tom, brought visibly before the eyes of the public. The funds received for the society during the year amount to £5143, 11s. 3d., and of this the contributions to the Special Fund for Australia have been £1772, 19s. 1d., besides the money raised to be expended at the stations, the colonists have remitted £300 for the more extended operations which recent discoveries demand, and other sums are promised for special objects.

The British and Foreign Bible Society reports an income of £110,000, exclusive of the Jubilee Fund, which already exceeds £17,000. It appears that, since the commencement of the society, there been have issued, by its means, no fewer than 26,571,103 copies of the Sacred Scriptures.

The Bible Translation Society, connected with the Baptist denomination, whose labours relate specially to India, reports that the distributions during the year had amounted to 34,036 copies, and the printing to 39,000 copies. There are about thirty native presses, constantly at work, in Calcutta alone. The receipts of the year amounted to £1452, 6s. 4d.

The British Society for the Conversion of the Jews had a larger meeting this year than on any preceding. A novel expedient, moreover, was resorted to by this Society to render its meeting of a more devotional, and, at the same time, more attractive character. "Ministerial addresses " took the place of moving and seconding resolutions, which were delivered by the Rev. Baptist Noel, Rev. George Smith, and the Rev. Dr. Archer. The report stated some highly interesting facts, such as, that there are 50 Jews among the ordained clergymen in the Church of England, 20 among dissenting clergymen, and above 200 as missionaries to their brethren throughout the world.

The Religious Tract Society meeting was perhaps equal to any of the anniversaries. Both the speaking, and the numbers attending, was better than usual, which is saying a good deal. The Rev. Dr. Duff, and the Rev. Norman M'Leod of Glasgow, were the chief speakers. The total benevolent income has been £9497, 12s. 10d., being an increase on the preceding year of £1359. The grants of money, paper, and

publications, have amounted to £12,134, 5s. 8d., being £3057 beyond the benevo lent income. The sales for the year have been £58,473, 8s. 1d., being an increase of £8136, 88. 4d. The total receipts amounted to £77,690, 11s. 2d. The libra ries granted were 854, for Sunday and other schools, union-houses, and destitute districts, exclusive of books to ministers and schoolmasters at reduced prices. The new publications issued amounted to 171. The circulation last year was 25,851,851, being an increase of 3,305,104.

The Sunday School Union was, as usual, most numerously attended, the body of the room and the galleries being densely crowded in every part. The report stated that the amount which had been subscribed to the Building Fund was £6989, and that grants had been made to 224 libraries, making the whole number of libraries which had had grants, 2731. The retail value of the books given to the 224 libraries was £1321, of which the schools had only paid £437. The balance-sheet stated that the receipts had been, during the past year, £2004, 9s. 5d.; exceeding the expenditure by a surplus of £77, 4s. 4d. The Rev. Dr. Archer, in an eloquent speech, seconded the adoption of the Report, which had been moved by a clergyman of the Established Church.

The Church of England Sunday School Institute was established nine years ago, for a similar object to that of the Sunday School Union-assisting teachers in their studies, and furnishing books for schools. The income of the society during the past year was £1969, and the expenditure, £1741.

The British and Foreign Sailors' Society held its twentieth anniversary breakfast and public meeting, at the London Tavern. The income for the year was £2600. The Rev. Dr. Archer, in an able and eloquent speech, moved the adoption of the report. He stated that, upon a very moderate calculation, there were 250,000 British sailors.

The Ragged School Union commanded an overflowing audience. The noble president, the Earl of Shaftesbury, occupied the chair, and delivered one of his full-hearted and powerful speeches, in behalf of the poor and destitute of the metropolis. The report contained a large number of the most interesting facts. There are now 116 schools connected with the union, and the number of children in them is 8000. The evening classes numbered 5770 chil dren; the Sunday schools 11,270; and the industrial classes, 2030. There are 221