REV. JOHN SPURGEON

GRACE does not run in the blood, but it often runs side by side with it. It is a high honor and a great responsibility to be descended from those who fear the Lord. Our father came of a Nonconformist stock, and his father was a faithful minister of the New Covenant, whose memory is still fresh and fragrant in many parts of Essex. The old gentleman, Rev. James Spurgeon of Stambourne, survived till a ripe old age, and now his son John is marching through the seventies, enjoying life and praising God. He has served his generation well should he even now fall asleep, which may God forbid; but those who hear him now remark upon his singular vigor, his ripeness of experience, and his fidelity to the old gospel. There is a strong fixedness of belief in our father’s mind, and it would take an eternity of modern arguing to reason him out of his confidence. He knows what he knows, and determines to know nothing else. Amid trials not a few the Lord has been with him, and has honored and sustained him, and the last idea in his mind would be to truckle to the inventions of the hour. May his eventide be long and light! We object to the “Reverend” for personal use, but we give it to the patriarchs as their right (thou shalt reverence the hoary head), and to our father as being heartily revered by his descendants.

The portrait is from America, sent by our brother, Mr. Needham. It is not all we should like it to be, but yet it is singularly happy in expression, and, as portraits go, it is far above the average. We hope our readers will agree that the volumes of our record would not be complete, without our father’s portrait. C.H.S.

“WRITE THE NAME OF JESUS ON ALL YOUR CROSSES” A. PRAYER-MEETING ADDRESS BY C. H.SPURGEON.

SWEET isthis hour of prayer, All the sweeter because outside in the world we meet with so much of trouble and disquietude. We have each a cross to carry, a burden which we may not and cannot refuse. What; shall we do with our crosses? For once we will go down to the Philistines and learn from them. “And Pilate wrote a little, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews. ” I know of nothing in which I could hold up Pilate as an example to you, save in this one thing: he placed the name of Jesus on the cross. Writing; these words with his own hand, he refused to alter them: “Jesus, the King of the Jews” must stand over the cross whether the high priests rage or submit. The vacillating governor for once stock to the truth, and would not be driven from it.

Now, whenever you have a cross, write the name of Jesus, the King, above it, and stand to what you have written.

Let us consider Pilate’s inscription word by word. Over your cross take care that you set the name of Jesus. Bear your cross for Jesus, will, Jesus, and after Jesus: this is a grand recipe for making it as light as it can be.

Remember it is only a wooden cross that we have to carry, though our fears often paint it with iron colors. Neither do we hear upon our shoulder a cross which will destroy us, but one upon which we shall triumph, after the manner of our Lord. We have not to bear it first in the procession of sorrow which is wending its ‘way through this ribald world; but “to bear it after Jesus,” along a pathway which he has beaten for us. He has himself carried a cross far heavier than ours, and his hearty sympathy is with us. He is so united to us that all our crosses are his own. Bear your cross for the sake of Jesus. What could you not suffer for him? Bear it with Jesus. What can you not bear in his company? In this way you may joyfully carry your appointed load: the strengthening touch of Jesus will make the yoke easy and the burden light. Oh, that name of Jesus! I could talk till midnight of its depth of meaning, its sweetness, its power, and when the twelfth hour struck you would say to one another “Why, it is midnight, and the Pastor is only as yet upon the threshold of his theme.” There is so much to be said about the name of Jesus that all the tongues of men and of angels would fail to tell the half thereof. It is the joy of heaven above, and meanwhile it is the solace of sorrow below. Not only is it the most majestic name, the most instructive name, the most truthful name, the most powerful name, the most sanctifying name, but it is also the most comfortable name that was ever sounded in this valley of weeping. If you will keel? your mouth flavored and your heart perfumed with the dear name of Jesus, you will find that every bitter thing becomes sweet, and the most unpleasant becomes fragrant. Jesus, Immanuel, God-with-us — why, this is as the opened windows of heaven, and as the inner melodies of the King’s chamber. Our Savior is the cross-bearer, Jesus is the crucified, and therefore we gladly take up our cross and follow him, finding to our astonishment that our cross has grown light the presence of ibis cross.

The Roman Governor did not fail to write “Jesus of Nazareth. ” Those last words meant scorn of the bitterest, as if he had said, “The wise man of Gotham,” or Tom of Bedlam. To him it meant that an ignorant country fellow had set up to be a king. Marvel not if upon your crosses there should fall a bitter rain of contempt. Accept shame and ridicule as a part of your life’s burden. Be thou also called “a Nazarene”; be not ashamed to own that thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth. Who are we, that we should receive praise where Jesus received spittle? Let us settle it in our hearts that if there be an epithet of derision it may as well honor us as any one else. The world will not know us any more than it knew Jesus. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, the servants must not expect fair littles. Write Jesus of Nazareth on your crosses, and henceforth contumely and sarcasm will lose their edge.

Very significantly for us, the name of Jesus in Pilate’s superscription is followed by the ‘words the King; Jesus, the King. These also are highly consolatory words, because our hearts prompt us to say — “ Did the King bear a cross infinitely heavier than mine? Then I, a servant, may well take up my load, which is comparatively so light. Jesus, the King, does he condescend? Then to follow him is the utmost height of honor. Jesus, the King, does he ordain a cross for me? Then why should I question his love or doubt his wisdom? If he bids me take the cross, what remain, to a loyal subject but to obey? If he be my King, I should be a rebel if I kicked against the burden which he lays upon me.

Jesus, the King; is it not sweet to think that on the cross Jesus is the King?

When he dies, for the first time in his mortal career his sovereignty is acknowledged by official authority among his countrymen, and the representative of Caesar sits down in Jerusalem and writes, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Hebrew and Greek and Roman had it, under Pilate’s hand and seal, that the Crucified One was indeed a King. Then, my soul, if Jesus triumphed on the cross, canst thou not triumph under the cross if his grace be in thee? Art thou not still a priest and king unto the living God, despite thy griefs, and reproaches, and crosses? He that hath made us kings and priests unto God has not; given us an empty title, neither does the fact of our cross-bearing in the slightest degree cast a doubt upon our royal dignity. We wear cur coronets by patent of the King of kings, and our royalty none may question. Even when the cross weighs heaviest upon us, let us still rejoice that we are honored to suffer with Christ, and are thus crowned as well as crossed. See the royal name set on our cross, and it will become at once lovely in your sight.

But Pilate wrote, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. “Well,” says one, “what has that to do with us?” I answer, write this also on that great cross which the whole church has to carry after Christ. He is a King whom his subjects refuse. The heaviest cross the church has to bear is that the world will not bow to Christ. Perhaps in our younger days we said, We have only to tell men the gospel, and they will obey it; but we soon found out our mistake. We thought that there was very little for us to do except to push the world before us, and drag, the church behind us; but to-day we have a different opinion We see the legions of darkness still in their entrenchments, and though we have won many a victory, yet how small our success compared with what still remains to be done! Africa, China, India, why, these are all parts of the great cross for the church to carry.

Jesus is King of all these countries, for he is “head over all things;” but as yet we see not all things put under him, and this is our cross.

WRITE, on the burden of your service these words, “JESUS,THE KING OF THE JEWS”: and be encouraged. Jesus possesses a throne which rules over Israel, even though Israel be not gathered. “Oh,” says somebody, “the Jews are the last people that will be converted.” Perhaps so, for judicial blindness has fallen upon them; but yet Jesus is their King, and he will yet bring them to bow at his feet. He despairs not of them, he doubts not that Israel shall yet adore him; wherefore be of good courage. Do you wish it had been written, Jesus, the King of the Gentiles? Ah! but this is better still; for when the Jews bow the knee to Jesus, then the fullness of the Gentiles shall be gathered in. Their conversion will be the capture of the innermost citadel of unbelief, I remember how Luther used to talk of the Jews in his wild, cruel way; he did not believe in their salvation at all; but we have made a great advance upon so unchristian a feeling. We hail with acclamation the title, “KING OF THE JEWS.”

My point, however, here is this. The Jews rejected Jesus, and yet he reigned over them upon the tree; and we, too, shall triumph in that very point in which we are most tried, and perhaps most overcome. Tribulations crush us, but we glory in tribulations also. The cross was Christ’s throne over Israel, and our affliction is our conquest over sin through the work of the Holy Spirit, sanctifying it to our purification. Let us not hesitate, therefore, to bear the cross which bore our Lord, and to write over our cross the same claim of kingship which was written over him.

Very plainly let us label our crosses with the regal title in full. Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin were the three common languages of Jerusalem: all men in the Passover crowd would know one or other of these tongues; hence the superscription was repeated in three varying characters.. Let it be plain to ourselves, and then to all others, that we have fellowship with Christ in his sufferings, and that our griefs are akin to his and shared by him. Then our sorrows will build us pulpits from which to preach Jesus; or at least they will be pillars upon which we can uplift the adorable name of our Lord. Our afflictions will teach us many languages: we shall speak to the many sons and daughters of woe, and each one shall hear, in his own tongue wherein he was born, a brother voice proclaiming comfort to the mourners in Zion. It is well to carve the name of the Well-beloved everywhere; but the cross is a peculiarly suitable pillar for uplifting the dear memorial. This title will be read by many if we affix it to the cross. Some will scoff, but others will turn aside to indulge in thought awakened by our thoughtfulness, and to assuage their SORROWS by learning how to make them golden links with The Man of Sorrows. Sure I am you will find it wisdom to

WRITE THE NAME OF JESUS ON ALL YOURCROSSES.NEVER TO SOON.

Why do young people so frequently put off thoughts of religion till H a future day? Do they imagine that they are too young: too young to be delivered from the guilt of sin, too young to be made happy in the love of God? Do they consider that the present time in too soon? Too soon to be doing right, and serving one’s Creator and Benefactor! Whence can such an idea have arisen? Would any young man exclaim, “It is too soon for me to be honest and truthful; too soon to be loving to my parents, and kind to my friends”? How, then, can it be too soon to be true to God, and grateful to our Maker? Few ever think it too soon to gain the favor of men, much less of men who ,cart do them great service; how is it that they talk of its being too soon to be in favor with God? ‘The hand of the enemy of young men’s sons is in all this.

If a fortune were to come in a young man’s way to-morrow, we do not believe that he would refuse it on the plea that it was too early for him to be rich. If he could be promoted to an honorable situation in Her Majesty’s service, we do not believe that our young friend would decline it because it came to him too early in life. We have heard complaints of the slowness of promotion in the civil service, hilt we never yet heard any man say that he had risen too rapidly. Truly good flings can hardly be obtained too soon; for the earlier they come the longer time remains in which to enjoy them. In spiritual things we may fitly use the world’s old proverb, “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’” ‘True godliness is best with the dew upon it. Those who begin with God betimes shall see cause for gratitude in this matter as long as they exist.

We advise those who have long been hoping, to decide at once for Christ and holiness. You have halted too long between two opinions. Decide!

Decide! It is ill to stand by the hour together looking at a feast: why not sit down and enjoy it? Who wishes to postpone happiness, and put off peace?

They do this who delay the seeking of pardon, and tarry long ‘before accepting the blessings of free grace. “It is better late than never,” says one: say rather tat” Ii is better in such matters never to be late. ” C. H. S.

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS “HOW came you to have such a short nose?” asked a city dandy in of a country boy. ‘So that I should not be poking it into other people’s business,” was the reply. There are several people who ought to join the ‘ Anti-poke-your-nose-into-other-peoples-business Society.” The nasal organs which adorn (?) the faces of some folk remind us of the manufacturer who met with an accident in which his nose received an ugly scratch. Having no court plaster at hand, he stuck on the injured organ one of his gummed labels, bearing the usual inscription, “Guaranteed length, three hundred and fifty yards.” This was surely a mistake; but there are noses about which would seem to be of any length when the question is as to their power to poke into the, longest rat-hole. Paul Pry is a leading member of this family, and we fear that he wears a charmed life, after the manner of the Wandering Jew. It has been well said that there are two reasons why some people don’t; mind their own business : — one is that they haven’t any business and the other is that they haven’t any mind.

At the least sign of prying, cautious people draw back, unless the’ want. their private matters to be advertised. When people begin to tell you all about your neighbors, it will be wise to keep your mouth shut, for these same folk will soon be telling the neighbors all about you. Dogs that fetch will carry. Never pour precious liquors into leaking vessels, nor tell your private tales to common informers. Bad name that! We beg the tattlers’ pardon, — we meant, common chatter-boxes.

These meddlesome people are a curse to society; for they invent, and misrepresent, and exaggerate, and insinuate, till they separate true friends, and cause heartburns and jealousies. Oh, for a race of people with salted tongues, who would be silent sooner than speak evil of their’ fellows!

C. H. S. WATER LILIES

HOW lovely are the lilies which grow in the water! They never pine ‘with thirst; for their root is in the stream, their leaves float upon it, and their flowers peep forth from it, They are fit emblems of those believers who dwell in God, who are not occasional seekers of divine fellowship, but abide in Christ Jesus. Their roots are by the rivers of waters, and therefore their: leaf shall not wither. A Christian minister once said to an aged Christian, “I pray the Lord often to visit you in his love.” “Visit to! ” cried, the beloved saint. “Why say visit me? He lives here. Jesus dwells in me.”

To that abiding fellowship we ought each one of us to attain. “Blessed are they that dwell in thy house, they will be still praising thee.” This is going to heaven by Pullman car, riding luxuriously as well as traveling swiftly. In this style of religion there are no doubts and fears; abundant grace drowns all mistrust. A little grace will save, but it will not make us sure of our safety. The fullness of the blessing can alone secure us the joy of it.

The longer I live, the more sure do I become that our happiness in life, our comfort in trouble, and our strength for service — all depend upon our living near to God, nay, dwelling in God, as the lilies in the water. To grow on the banks of the river of the water of life is good, ‘but to grow in the stream is far better. God’s lilies need to be in him who is their life. Witch all the earnestness of my soul I would entreat all whom love to cultivate continual communion with the Lord. It may require great watchfulness, but it will well repay the believer for all his care. This river hath golden sands.

Fellowship with God is a land which floweth with milk and honey. I would rather spend an hour in the presence of the Lord than a century in prosperity without him. There are secrets of unknown delight which can never be known to us till we rise above the outward and worldly, and come into the life of God, which is the life of heaven. By faith this is to be enjoyed even now. The faith which brought us life at the first, is the same by which we attain to life more abundantly. C.H.S.

THE TABERNACLE, AUKLAND NEW ZEALAND NOW IN ,COURSE OF ERECTION FOR THE CHURCH UNDER THE PASTORAL CARE OF MR. THOMAS SPURGEON.

INCLUDING the land, the cost will be £13,000, towards which the sum of £2,500 is still lacking in order that the building may be opened free of debt.

The cost of the land was £3,000, and the price of labor is much greater in New Zealand than in England, hence the large expense. By the assistance of many generous Christian brethren this enterprise might speedily be carried to a successful issue.

NOTES WHEN reading James 1:1, “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting,” we dared to observe that the Jews were not two tribes but twelve, and that there are no ten lost tribes. This has brought upon our devoted head vials of wrath from some of the Anglo-Israelites, and a great deal of profound instruction from others of them. The whole theory of Anglo-Israelism is so whimsical and unreasonable that we can hardly mention it without a smile; but as it has evidently become a belief with certain Christian people, we will try to treat it as a rational opinion. To identification between our nation and Israel which has ever yet been set forth is Worth thought; with such arguments we could prove cats to be angels. We are, however, told by several correspondents to be more accurate, and to remember that Israelites are not Jews, though Jews are Israelites. We do remember it, and pray our instructors to observe that the Israelites were the people to whom our Lord preached, “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” Matthew 15:24; and these were the people who persecuted Paul, and of whom he said, “my prayer for Israel is that they might be saved,” Romans 10:1. To these the apostle belonged, for he maid, “ARE, they Israelites? So am I. ” The Jews of that day were Israelites, and the Israelites of that day were Jews: the Jews of this day are the same. Inquire of any Jew, and he will tell you that he is an Israelite. Ask him to which tribe he belongs, and he may mention Naphtali or Asher quite as likely as Judah.

This foolish dream has engendered a number of other silly dotings, and has supplied fuel for the Jingo flame, or else we should have made no mention of it, but have left it for the innocent amusement of the credulous. In any case, fleshly descent is not a thing to be gloried in, or depended upon. The blessings of the covenant are not to the seed according to the flesh, but to the children by promise, born of the Spirit by faith. We deprecate with deep earnestness all reliance upon blood and birth, for that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and nothing more. Even if we were really the natural seed of Abraham, it would avail us nothing: we must be born again from above.

Now in Christ Jesus there is neither Jew nor Gentile: and the attempt to restore the distinction is either ridiculous or pernicious, or a good deal of both. We know that these remarks will bring a homer’s nest about our ears; but as we are already overdone with wasps it will be a change. We shall at least enable many journals to prepare fresh articles for the defense of their crotchet, and we trust they will be duly grateful to us for our help, and be as good-tempered over it as the Lion and the Unicorn will let them he.

With the best intentions, periodicals in dealing with our Jubilee diverge very widely from the truth. We do not think that they mean to be otherwise than accurate, but they make assertions as to our private affairs which are mere fables. One of them even repeats an old worn-out story about our quoting a profane expression as to the heat of the weather. The tale was in circulation long before our birth, and so far as we are concerned there is not an atom of truth in it. No one can be more surprised at the statements made about us than ‘we are: they are often so remote from the fact that they have much of the charm of roman. It does not matter much, but still a prejudice once excited may prevent persons from hearing a discourse by which they might be blest.

The sea-side months are very unproductive of subscriptions for our College, Orphanage, etc.; but, happily, we are not now distressed by that fact, for we have grown familiar with it by the experience of former years.

When our friends return home they will think of the Lord’s work, and send ill their thank-offerings. The Lord is very tender in his dealings with our faith, and does not allow our brook Cherith to run dry; at the same time, he lets us see the pebbles at the bottom of the stream, and thus gently tries our faith. The Colportage Society, and the Evangelists are scraping the bottom of the barrel very hard just now. The Evangelists especially have cause to look up for speedy aid; yet the Society of Evangelists is one o our most useful enterprises.

Our Prayer-meetings have of late been specially good. At one of them, our dear friend, the manager of Mr. Miller’s Orphanage, strengthened our faith by the story of the Lord’s present dealings with that Institution; at others, Mr. Thomas Spurgeon has spoken with tender power; and at all there has been a deeper feeling and a more intense agony than ever. All this foretells the coming of a large blessing. Please pray for it. A great awakening at Tabernacle may lead the way to a wide-spread work of grace the wide world over. Mr. Spurgeon ’s Visit to Southampton, — Wednesday, August 6, will not soon be forgotten by those who sat in that great storehouse which is called the Rink, Southampton. In the afternoon, Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace was mentioned by many as being, no doubt, a few degrees hotter; but the temperature in the Rink made many fall down as though lifeless, and those who were able to endure the heat pouring through the glass roof must have been drained of their last drop of energy. Yet the attention was deep. In the evening things were cool and the service was therefore more likely to produce good results, for people could give their minds to that which was spoken. Many testified that the word was with power. We hope that the Portland Chapel church obtained substantial help towards their praiseworthy enlargement, which has given them school accommodation of the best kind. Our friend, Mr. Mackey, has a fine warm-hearted people around him, and he is worthy of them.

Thursday, August 7, was the opening day of a Conference, held in the Deanery grounds. Lord Radstock, Lord Mount-Temple, and Lord Lichfield were all fellow-guests with Mr. Spurgeon at the hospitable abode of Canon Wilberforce, and all took part in the gatherings, which were full of spiritual power, and free from the slightest taint of sectarianism. Men of many minds met around the cross, and testified to Christ’s work for us, and the Spirit’s work in us. Mr. Spurgeon addressed the assembly at 8, 11, 3, and 6, and then went back to London, happy in having had strength enough, and none to spare. If attendance at any of these Conferences implied agreement with the peculiar views of those who attend them, we should be absent; but as vital truths are not questioned, but enforced, and minor points are not made into themes of discussion, the result is the advancement of brotherly love, and the advocacy of spiritual truth. This is in pleasing contrast with assemblies wherein the eternal verities are treated as moot matters, and agreement in some minor point is the supposed bond of union. Dear to each Christian man should be his own denomination, but dearer still the Word of God, and the doctrines of grace. The Clue Of The Maze. — Our tiny booklet, last of our works up to this date, has brought us numerous congratulations from thoughtful people, on whose behalf it was written. Certain skeptical folk, who do not care for its teachings, have yet favored us with a kindly word, and we cannot but hope that some of our remarks have touched them more than they care to own.

God grant it may have been so! This is a period of unsettlement: the whole year seems dominated by a November more dense and foggy than any which occurs in the natural season. We are therefore bound to speak on the behalf of faith, and we have done so in this pretty bijou. One lady bought five hundred copies, so high was her estimate of our effort. We printed 10,000, and hope they will soon be every one of them set agoing. Such notes as She following have come in pretty numerously ‘.

A country friend writes : — “ Your ‘ Clue of the Maze’ has been a great help to a cousin of mine, who was getting rather infected with infidel notions.”

An American minister says : — “ I thank you from my heart for the good ‘ The Clue of the maze done me. I have enjoyed the reading of the book beyond anything that in; has been my good fortune to read for months.. It has deepened my devotion, and charmed my fancy, and caused me to pray earnestly that many years of active, service may yet be granted to its author.

COLLEGE.

— The following students have accepted pastorates Mr. W.G. Clow, at Sherborne, Dorset’; and Mr. H. H. Pullen, at Harrow-on-the-Hill.

T. A. Judd is also leaving us to take charge of the churches at Shrewton, Chitterns, and Tilshead, Wilts. Mr. E. White, who was ‘pastor of the church at Orpington before he came to the College, has completed his term with us, and settled at Clare, Suffolk..

Mr., E. H. Ellis has become pastor of the church at Devonshire Square Chapel, which has united with the church formerly under our brother’s care at Wellington Road, Stoke Newington. Mr. G. H. Carp, who left Southport some months ago, has accepted an invitation from the church at High street, Bow,E. Mr. T. Hancocks has removed from Ton-bridge. to Clover Street, Chatham; and Mr. G. Wainwright from Stockton to Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Mr. M. Baskerville who went recently to the United States, has settled at Lanark, Illinois. Mr. S. A. Dyke, who has been manager of the printing and publishing of The Canadian Baptist, has returned to the pastoral oversight of the College Street Church, Toronto.

Mr. H. T. Peach reports encouraging progress at Pietermaritzburg, but says that there is urgent need of a chapel, as the Government will only let the building in which the services are held from week to week, and at any time the church may be homeless.

EVANGELISTS.

— Our brethren have been resting during the past month, but they will all be at work again soon. The expenses have been going on although the receipts have been very small. As the winter campaign begins we shall be glad to have” the sinews of war” in good condition. It is impossible to make evangelistic efforts entirely self-supporting; indeed, it often happens that where special services are most needed there is the least ability to meet the cost of holding them. Messrs. Fullerton and Smith are to visit Galashiels, Selkirk, and Hawick this month; and in October they go to Belfast. Mr. Burnham is to be part of the month with our brother Cuff, at Shoreditch, and the remainder with the hop-pickers, in Kent, concerning which he writes as follows : — “The nature and work of this mission are so well known by this time that I need do no more than just hint at its various operations, and trust to your readers for the generous response of former years. “We visit the gardens daily, distributing tracts and talking or reading to the pickers over the bins; give shoes and clothing to such as need them, and supply medicine to the sick; hold open-air services in the villages whither the hop-pickers resort each evening; on Sunday mornings visit the camps of the ‘ strangers ‘ (as the denizens of our London courts and alleys are called in the hop country), singing and talking to them of ‘the old, old story’; provide free teas on Sunday afternoons, for the purpose of gathering the ‘strangers’ in the meadow to hold a gospel service with them. “All this work necessarily involves us in heavy expense; but the blessing of God has so manifestly rested on it in the past that we feel it would be a sin and a shame to withdraw, or even to slacken our efforts in any direction. re commence our work in Kent, this September, with an empty exchequer, and therefore would ask kind donors to be prompt in their gifts, as the extent of our ‘operations must, in a great measure, be determined by the income. We promise very careful and economical use of funds entrusted to us for this mission, and a balance-sheet of income and expenditure to every donor. Parcels of tracts or left-off clothing may be sent, carriage paid, to the president of the mission, Rev. J. J. Kendon, Marden Station, S. E. R.; donations to C. H. Spurgeon, Upper Norwood, London: J. J. Kendon, Goudhurst, Staplehurst, Kent; or to “Yours in the service, “JOHN BURNHAM. “24, Keston Road, S.E Peckham Rye, London, ORPHANAGE.

— In Charlesworth asks us to say that he hopes soon to arrange for a tour in Yorkshire with his singers and bell-ringers. He will be glad to hear from any friends who can invite the orphans for a meeting or service in aid of the funds of the Institution. It greatly lightens the expenses to have several places to go to during one visit. The Orphanage can be aided most efficiently by our friends without in the least degree entrenching upon local funds. Our Cornish friends have, aided us gloriously, and we, have hope that Yorkshire will be equally heavy.

By the kindness of Mr. Ross and his friends the children have enjoyed a strawberry tea again this year. They are not likely to forget their generous hosts, to whom we are also very grateful. God bless the friends at Horseshoe Wharf!

Several friends send us contributions for the one to your general account, unless the donors express the wish that their kind gifts should be applied to the Girls’ Orphanage Building Fund , which will remain open until we have completed the buildings on the girls’ side of the Stockwell home.

A young man in the country, in forwarding the amount collected for the Orphanage, sends the following note, which he asks us to insert in the magazine: “Respected Friends, — Having had a little book sent to me describing the working of the Stockwell Orphanage, and having been one of the worst of raged boys myself, but now having a good suit of clothes to put on, a home to live in, and the King of heaven for my Savior, I thought I might try what I could do for this glorious Institution. Many people tell me that they receive good from Mr. Spurgeon’s sermons, so I thought they ought to give a little to God’s cause to prove their gratitude. I therefore put a slip of paper into every sermon that I delivered, asking the readers to give a small donation to the Orphanage. Many were too poor to give me anything, but I collected 15s, 3d., and if all the distributors of the sermons throughout the world would do the same, a little here, and a little there, and a little everywhere would make a good lump. A good time for this is just coming on. Harvest-time is better than Christmas or New Year, as all other beggars are on the look-out then..... “ We shall be very pleased if our friend’s suggestion bears fruit. Collecting boxes and books can always be obtained from the Secretary, Stockwell Orphanage, Clapham Road, London, S.’. COLPORTAGE.

— The following is extracted from the Tenth Annual Report of the Worcestershire Colportage Association, which employs four of our agents : — “ Your agents have’ spent nearly 100,000 hours in our villages; they have made 379,002 visits, nearly- 10,000 of which have been to the bedside of the sick and dying; the Book of God has been read 11,004 times; and 8,608 copies or portions of that sacred Book have been sold.

They have held 2,373 meetings, and preached the good tidings of salvation to from 100,000 to 150,000 persons. As to a distribution of a purer literature among the people, the result is eminently satisfactory. Over 160,000 tracts have been scattered broadcast in village homes and by the wayside; and nearly a quarter of a million of periodicals have been circulated, besides a large number of good and useful books. The appreciation of the public can be best attested by the fact that they have paid upwards of £4,300 for these books and periodicals. As was well said in the report of the Baptist Foreign Missions’ Staud still you cannot, go back you dare not,’ the only possible course open to you is ‘forward. ’ The members of our churches to the full prosecution of their duty in this matter; this is for the outflow and increase of our spiritual life, and the very life of many of our churches, if not all, depends upon the manner in which we throw all our energy into the aggressive work which God has opened up to us, and given us the privilege of being his co-workers in accomplishing.”

PERSONAL NOTES. — A recent number of the New York Episcopal Recorder contained the following interesting paragraph concerning the usefulness of our sermons in Labrador. ’ — “All last winter, in the little mission on the Labrador coast, Mr. Surgeon’s sermons were read in the Mission Church Sunday by Sunday by the lady teachers, who were left by themselves for eight months, through the failing health of the devoted missionary who labored there for many years. These simple services on the Sunday and week-day evenings, when these sermons were the staple of the teaching given, were greatly blessed by God. Many sailors came from the ships anchored off the coast, and, with the resident fishermen, eagerly listened to the Word of Life, and not only were their hearts cheered and comforted, but some were brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ Jesus.”

A sermon-reader writes :” A dear friend of mine, who had so desponded that he contemplated suicide, was led to the Tabernacle one Sunday morning, many years ago, when you preached from the words ‘ Bring him hither to Me.’ (‘ Hope in Hopeless Cases,’ No. 821.) He has been a happy, unclouded believer from that day, and an earnest worker in the Master’s vineyard.”

Another friend says : — The other Sabbath I was preaching in the village of — , when I was pleased to learn that a flint-breaker on the turnpike-road had been brought to Christ through reading one of your sermons. His name is J—. He had a companion at work on the road with him, who was also much blessed by hearing your sermons read. He said — hard-worker as he was — that he would as soon have gone without his dinner as not hear your sermons read for it was J____’s custom to read them on a flint-heap in their dinner-hour. Hearing of these things, I could not refrain from giving them to you for your encouragement.”

One who lends our sermons to his neighbors writes: dearly three years ago had come of your sermons lent to me. I had heard of this Mr. Spurgeon, but never before had read hi. sermons. Every one seemed preached upon me, for the words were suited to my case. I was leading a dreadful life of sin, and had been for years. I attended church regularly, like other so-called Christians, but not a word did the clergyman say to hurt my feelings. When you old me the truth I felt compelled to believe it. How I wished that I had heard the truth preached so plainly before! Under God, I owe my conversion entirely to you. I have never forgotten to pray for you daily.”