interesting record of social and religious progress, it startles one to read that in the year 1828, when the old chapel was built, the Mayor and Corporation of Nottingham petitioned Parliament for the repeal of the Corporation and Test Acts. "Spirit of Freedom, on!"

GODLESS LONDON.-When Parliament is not sitting, the newspapers take up strange themes. A gigantic frog; an enormous gooseberry; the sea-serpent by an eye-witness, who is always somewhere out of sight when you want to interrogate him; statistics of attendance at places of worship; long or short sermons; and other themes too numerous to mention. But this season all ears have been bent to catch "an exceeding bitter cry," and all eyes have been turned toward "outcast," horrible," godless London.

It is a good sign that this cry has not been extorted from the people themselves, but has been made by persons anxious for the welfare of the people. It is another good sign that this awful mass of wretchedness and woe is split up, and that its various sections are kept apart by square miles of more respectable districts. Nor should it be forgotten, though in the panic I am afraid it is, that even in the worst districts, I will not say in every block of buildings, there is some agency by which the gospel acts as salt to preserve, if it be not leaven to change, the mass. Every place of worship is a centre of light, and truth, and healing influence, but then the churches are far too few. Every city missionary and every Bible woman is an agency for good, but each one has a district large enough for ten. Why, a single street, or at most two streets, would furnish work enough for the whole time of a missionary, so dense is the population; and this would only allow him a quarter of an hour a week with each family. The evil is manifold, the remedies must be diverse; it is deeply rooted, and will require long, and painstaking, and unromantic effort. We want better laws. We want to be rid of drink-shops. We want "more labourers." But if by means of the first we can pull down the rookeries, we shall not have changed the rooks into doves. If by means of the second we remove temptation, we shall not impart grace. And if by the third method we explore every slum and startle the public by its ghastly horrors,

it will still remain the arduous work of years to transform a pandemonium into a paradise. This kind goeth not out by printing and sensationalism, but by prayer and self-sacrifice. J. F.

THE SOUDAN.-I fancy that if General Hicks, whose dead body has been found with sword in one hand and revolver in the other, were only here to tell his story, we should hardly wonder at the three-fold annihilation which has befallen the troops sent into that region. 2 Kings iii. 9, will describe one of the difficulties of that vast country-lack of water. The climate is one which not one in ten thousand Europeans can stand. The Egyptian government there, as John Morley says, is only "an atrocious form of disorder." Send out a body of Egyptian troops to deal with refractory chiefs, and the chances are that the commander will accept a bribe from the chief to do nothing. The peculation and the perverseness of the Turks of all ranks is inconceivable. Col. Gordon, when acting as Governor-General of the Soudan, had in one month to discharge "three Generals of Divisions, one General of Brigade, and four Lieutenant-Colonels." His black secretary, the man he trusted as his own soul, took £3000 backsheesh. A Pasha who wanted some money accused his harem of stealing 2000 dollars. When they denied it, he made the women go with his tax-gatherers into the market, and point to innocent people, and say, We gave this man 40 dollars, that one 50, and so on till he got the 2000. Again, Turkish soldiers can't pass through a village without stealing some petty article or other from the natives, and thus, for the wretched satisfaction of getting a chicken or two, or some other trifling articles, they make enemies all along their track, and the honest English General who leads them finds himself cut off in his communications for months and months. The General must spare a hundred men to carry back a message to his next post, whereas a couple would be sufficient if the venal soldiery would keep their hands from picking and stealing. To reform the Turk is one of the hardest tasks on earth. Again and again are Englishmen of capacity sent to put different departments on a better footing. But, soon as these men come away, rascals and tyrants are forthwith appointed to succeed them.

J. F.

conversion of souls, the feeding of the flock of Christ, the upbuilding of the church, and the extension of the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour. During the evening the choir sang anthems, &c.

LINCOLN.- The 20th anniversary of the present chapel took place on Dec. 11, 12, and 13. Rev. B. Wood, of Bradford, preached, and a service of song was rendered in the afternoon. Mr. Wood lectured on the 12th. On the 13th tea and public meeting. Mr. G. Hood took the chair, and said that since 1860 the church had increased from a membership of 10 to 96. Interesting addresses followed, by Revs. B. Wood, J. Williamson, M.A., G. P. Mackay, and E. Metcalf. The anniversary was one of the best ever remembered. Proceeds £24. The amount goes to the fund for a proposed new chapel.

LONDON, Church Street. Nov. 28, a sale of work was opened by Mr. J. S. Balfour, M.P., in aid of the temperance and general agencies connected with the church. Dr. Burns and the pastor, together with Messrs. Rickett and Mayho, also took part in the opening ceremony. The proceedings were interesting and successful.

LONDON, Westbourne Park. To mark the occasion of Dr. Clifford's silver wedding (the twenty-fifth anniversary of his pastorate), and to liquidate a portion of the chapel debt, a Winter Forest Bazaar was opened in the school-room of the chapel on Monday, Dec. 7. The idea was a happy one, and the winter scene was admirably executed. Sir William

McArthur, M.P., opened the bazaar on the first day, and Joseph Peters, Esq., performed a similar ceremony on the second day. Receipts £930. It is hoped by the sale of remainders to complete £1000 clear of expenses. Our friends are to be congratulated on their splendid

success.

LOUTH, Northgate.-The annual sale was held on Nov. 27th and 28th, and was attended with the usual success, over £91 being the result. The minister's house is now practically paid for.

MACCLESFIELD. - At the missionary anniversary, held on Nov. 25th, Rev. Z. T. Dowen preached. The missionary meeting was held on the 26th, the Mayor, W. B. Brocklehurst, Esq., J.P., in the chair. Rev. W. Lees, of Crewe, served admirably as deputation, and addresses were delivered by Revs B. Broadly (Wesleyan), W. Barnes, Ald. J. W. White, J.P., and J. Birchenough, Esq., J.P.

DUSAUTOY- WILSHIRE. - Nov. 27, at St. Mary's Gate chapel, Derby, by the Rev. T. R. Stevenson, Mr. George Dusautoy, to Anna Letitia, (Lettie) the second daughter of the late Rev. Joseph Wilshire.

HILL-WILSHIRE.-Nov. 29, at the Baptist chapel, St. Mary's Gate, Derby, by the Rev. T. R. Stevenson, the Rev. William Hill, Secretary of the General Baptist Missionary Society (formerly missionary in India), to Matilda, widow of the Rev. Joseph Wilshire, late minister of the above place.

PROUT-MORRELL.-Dec. 18, at Longmore Street chapel, Birmingham, by the Rev. G. Jarman, assisted by the Rev. E. W. Cantrell, A. T. Prout, pastor of the church, to Esther Morrell, of this town.

SACH-GOOL.-Nov. 22, at St. George's Street chapel, Macclesfield, by the Rev. Z. T. Dowen, David, eldest son of Colour-Sergeant Sach, to Elizabeth Ann, eldest daughter of Philip Houson Gool, of Macclesfield.

OBITUARIES.

EATON, Mrs., of Sanby, died on the 8th of December, in the 77th year of her age. She had been a faithful member of the G. B. church for a great number of years. In her last moments she expressed her only hope to be in the Lord Jesus. At her request her remains were interred in the chapel burial ground, by her late pastor, the Rev. J. Parker, of Salem chapel, Longford.

JONES, JOSEPH GRIFFIN, for twenty-seven years a member, and for several years a deacon of the Baptist church, Cemetery Road, Sheffield, fell asleep in Jesus, Nov. 10, 1883, aged fifty-six years. The Rev. Giles Hester delivered an address at his burial. We regret that we cannot give it in full. He pointed out that in his earlier days Mr. Jones was what is called a Freethinker, or infidel. But a change took place, and the enmity both of his thinking and feeling nature was overcome by the Spirit of God. His conversion to Christ was profound and thorough. He carried the evidences of Christianity in his own bosom, and was an epistle of Christ. He knew whom he believed. Doubts and fears, like gnats and flies, might buzz about him for a time, but they found no lodging place in his heart. The main characteristics of his Christian life, as pointed out by Mr. Hester, were, humility, prayerfulness, sympathy, and benevolence. He died in harness, but worn out. You might almost say that he went from the presence of a sick and aged friend into the rest and joy of heaven. He has fought a good fight. He has finished his course. He has received his crown of life.