INTELLIGENCE.

This, I felt sure, would meet with the approbation of the dear friends, the contributors, as their chief design would be to benefit the mission generally. At the same time I felt that it was intended as an encouraging favour to myself to aid me in efforts for the benefit of the child

ren.

That part of the day not devoted to educational instruction, is employed by the girls in sewing, knitting, and crocheting. The work is disposed of, and after the cost of the material is deducted, the remaining money is placed to the workers account, to be a fund at the time of marriage, &c. Children's socks, which they

157

knit beautifully, meet with a ready sale. Some are knitted of cotton, grown in this country and prepared by the girls themselves; but the ladies generally prefer those made of English as they are far superior. The high price of the latter and the difficulty of obtaining it (which we can only do in Calcutta, a distance of 250 miles), besides the expense of commission and carriage greatly diminish the profits; so that a little English cotton or wool is at all times acceptable. Copybooks, pens, pencils, needles, &c, are also of great assistance indeed. These, with cotton and wool are about all the articles really necessary.

CASTLE DONINGTON.-On Sunday, the 20th of Feb., the Rev. II. Wilkinson preached our annual sermons on behalf of the Foreign Mission. On the 21st a public meeting was held in our chapel, and addressed by the Revs. G. Hobill, (Wesleyan), J Carey Pike, and H. Wilkinson. The meeting was exceedingly interesting. The collections and subscriptions for the year amounted to £29 13s. 6d. J.B.

LOUTH.-On Sunday, March 13th, the | an excellent sermon at Asterby, from, "he annual sermons were preached on behalf preached unto them Jesus." On Wedof the Foreign Mission. Rev. John Ste-nesday the public meeting was held at venson, M.A., of Derby, delivered two of Donington, when suitable addresses were his masterly discourses, in the morning delivered by Mr. T. Barton, the pastor, and evening; and Rev. H. Wilkinson ad- and Messrs. Smith, Orton, and Wilkinson. dressed a large audience from various Collections and subscriptions amounted schools in the afternoon. On Monday to £5 13s. evening the missionary meeting was held in the chapel, and suitable and effective addresses were delivered by the Revs. J. Stevenson, J. Kiddall, H. Wilkinson, and J.T. Barker. On Tuesday a Missionary Tea Meeting was held in the Town Hall. The spacious and magnificent room was filled, and the brilliant lights reflected from the richly-corniced ceiling, and the happy faces of the assemblage produced an effect that was truly enchanting. At seven o'clock the public meeting commenced. It was remarked as an unusual event for Louth, that there were six General Baptist Ministers on the platform-the pastor, with Messrs. Kiddall, Burton, J. C. Smith, H. Wilkinson, and J. Stevenson. In a letter recently received Mrs. Buckley had intimated that a scarlet blanket would be acceptable to On Monday evening, a public meeting Thomar, the native minister, and in the was held at Measham. Rev. W. Kelly hall two garments were exhibited. One presided. Addresses were delivered by was a scarlet travelling rug, presented by Revs. W. Gray, Ashby; E. Bott, Barton; Mr. S. Snowden, and another was a and W. Miller. On Tuesday evening, length of scarlet broadcloth, which was at Netherseal, when addresses were depaid for by subscription in the meeting.livered by Rev. W. Kelly and W. Miller, These services throughout were well sustained and deeply interesting. The attendance was good, and the addresses all that could be desired. The Missionary was said to surpass himself in eloquence. The proceeds were about £23.

ASTERBY AND DONINGTON.-The annual Missionary services were held in these places on March 13th and 16th. On Sunday Rev. H. Wilkinson preached

MEASHAM AND Netherseal.-On Feb. 13, Rev. W. Miller, missionary, preached missionary sermons in the afternoon at Netherseal, and in the evening at Measham.

the attendance at the services was very good, and the collections and subscriptions in both places in advance of some preceding years.

MISSIONARY SERVICES.-During the past three months of the present year missionary services have been held at Kirkby, and Kirkby Woodhouse; Mansfield, Market Harborough, New Basford, Burton-on-Trent, Belper, Duffield, and

son to Louth, and the neighbourhood. At all the meetings a pleasing degree of interest was displayed in the progress of the Mission; this remark especially applies to Leicester, where sermons were preached in all our chapels on the sabbath; and a most enthusiastic united meeting was held at Archdeacon-lane Chapel the following evening.

Milford, Hugglescote, and Ibstock, Mea-
sham, and Netherseal, Ticknall and
Hartshorn, Castle Donington and Sawley,
Macclesfield and Congleton, Leicester,
Rothley and Sileby, Queniborough, Leake
and Wymeswold, Louth, North-gate;
with Asterby and Donington; Lenton,
Birmingham, Longford, Wolsey, Derby,
Mary's-gate; Kegworth and Diseworth,
and Loughborough, Baxter-gate. Breth-
ren Wilkinson, Miller, and the Secretary
have, one or other of them, been busily
engaged at the above places. At some
of the meetings they were all present, at
others they found it necessary to divide
their strength. Brother Winks assisted
at Queniborough, and brother J. Steven-
son, of Derby, accompanied Mr. Wilkin- | don before this time.

RETURN OF REV. J. STUBBINS.-A note has come to hand from this valued brother, written on board the ship "Clarence." which states, "Here we are, through mercy, in the Channel safe and well. The pilot-boat is just coming off." Our friends have probably reached Lon

Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the General Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by Robert Pegg Esq., Derby, Treasurer; by the Rev. J. C. Pike, Quorndon, near Loughborough, Secretary; and by the Revs. H. Wilkinson, and W. Miller, engaged, during their sojourn, in England, as Travelling Agents for the Society.

ONE great defect in the church of our day is a lack of spontaneity in the religious life and religious action of its members. This is more or less to be observed in all our efforts, especially those upon an extended scale, making them-to the extent of its existence-unnatural and spasmodic; introducing an angular mechanical formalism, and often entailing signal ruin upon our most cherished schemes. It is sadly perceptible in our religious philanthropy, which certainly is not careful to hide from its left hand what its right hand is doing, and is based, perhaps, almost as much upon a judicious system of advertising, and the temporary excitement consequent upon rhetorical display, as, upon the "charity" which "never faileth," and the constraining love of Christ. But if we would see this spirit of spurious intermittent energy in the sphere where it produces the most disastrous results, we must look at the action of the church in its aggressive movements upon the world. Outward action is the expression of in-dwelling life, or of the want thereof. If there be no life the action will be formal and temporary, the mere result of galvanised purpose. If there be inward life, and it be very variable-waxing and waning like the moon-the action which springs from it will be variable to-rising and falling like the tide. But if that life be full-filled with the "fulness of Him who filleth all in all"-the resulting action will be beautiful, because spontaneous, and steady because flowing from abiding principle, rather than from motives of temporary expediency.

Pity it is that our efforts to do good, and to extend the kingdom of Christ, should be marred and cramped by the dwarfish state of our religious life, and the paralized condition of our religious energies; and a greater pity still it is to find the effect so widely deplored, and the cause so pertinaciously cherished. We are not among those who believe in and bemoan the degeneracy of the church, as though it were on the eve of dying out, like a lamp lacking oil; we think rather that on the whole "This time is equal to all time that's past;" and in many things vastly superior. There may be chaos; but cannot the open ear and the seeing eye hear the voice of God over the abyss, and see the elements of order and beauty struggling to the birth? There may be in the christian church but a partial realization of the christian idea; but still we think the church is nearer now than ever to the stature of Jesus Christ, though still, alas, far from it. There may be a narrower dividing