restored. On the 25th of January, W. Hindle had to leave for Scotland, but we determined to carry on the work. With help from other places, the interest was kept up until W. Hindle's return on the 25th of March, when other special services were published. During the last fortnight we have held fifteen meetings, and the Lord has given us times of refreshing. The total increase to the church since Jan. 1st is thirty. C. PAGE.

BEDLINGTON.-The work continues to progress by the aid of C. Abercrombie, who continues labouring to build up the church and convert sinners. Since report of last E. O. seven have been immersed and added to the church, two of them from the Sunday school. It is hoped that others will be encouraged to decide for the Lord shortly. R. M.

NEWCASTLE. It is with pleasure we record the spread of truth in Dinnington, a colliery village some seven miles from Newcastle-on-Tyne. Two brethren came there to reside about eighteen months ago, and connected themselves with the Newcastle church, attending the Lord's table as frequently as health and weather permitted. Their hands were soon strengthened by two confessing faith in Christ and being baptized. The four began to break the loaf in one of their houses, also to hold preaching meetings. The result has been that six more have confessed the faith, and been buried with their Lord, and have risen to walk in newness of life. They now number ten, with prospect of further additions. We are also happy to report four added by baptism to the church in Newcastle. W. HINDSON.

LEICESTER. Four young persons have surrendered to Jesus the Christ by faith, repentance and immersion. Three of them are in our Sunday school.

J. LEAVESLEY.

LIVERSEDGE.-Since writing last month we have had the pleasure of adding one more to our number by immersion into the ever blessed name.

W. KERSHAW.

CHELSEA. Since our last report, the Lord has given us peace and prosperity. We have been cheered and strengthened by the addition of fifteen to our number. Twelve by immersion, one previously immersed, and two by restoration. Several others are inquiring after the good old way, whom we trust the Master will shortly seal for His own. On April 14th, commonly known as Good Friday, the church here held its annual social gathering. This has become quite an institution, but on this occasion it had a special significance. Bro. Bartley Ellis was brought into the fellowship of this church some thirteen years ago, and since that time has continued membership with us, devoting himself to the work of an Evangelist, labouring earnestly and successfully in the Lord's work, both here and elsewhere, so that his praise is abroad in the churches. It occurred to us that this would be a suitable time to express in a practical form the love and esteem in which he is held by us. Accordingly arrangements were made to do so. Tea was prepared and, with few exceptions, all the members were present. After tea, Bro. R. Hutchison took the chair, and, after singing, prayer, and opening remarks, Bro. J. Bannister, in the name of the church, presented Bro. Ellis with the Englishman's Greek Concordance, the Christian Baptist, McGarvey on Matthew and Mark, Milligan on the Hebrews, Campbell and Owen Debate, and Campbell

Observer, May 1, '76.

and Purcell Debate; also with an easy chair and a purse of £7. The whole arrangement was effected in such a way as to keep him in ignorance of the gift until it was before him, so that he was overcome by the suddenness of its presentation. Later in the evening he made a suitable and stirring speech. Several addresses were presented, interspersed with anthems, etc. Sister Black contributed a very pleasant address, in which the poetic element found a place; and Sister Henshaw gave an enjoyable description of the proceedings in rhyme. We closed one of the happiest evenings we have ever spent in family re-union, by singing G. Y. Tickle's "Earth and Heaven." J. BANNISTER.

SHEFFIELD. Since last report two more have been immersed and added to the church. J. P.

Family Room.

LITTLE SPARKS.

"Ponder well the greatness of the little."

IT has been said that it is only by comparison things are great or small. An inhabitant of the Alps or Cordilleras would gaze upon Ben Lomond or Helvellyn with a smile of contempt, while to an Englishman from the fens and flats of Lincolnshire they would be the very acme of all that is sublime and beautiful.

Were we to follow up this argument we might be adrift upon the wide sea of metaphysical speculation; we will confine ourselves, then, to the simple facts every human life verifies.

We confess that Omnipotence only can see in the tiny flower with its fairy-like pencillings and delicate hues, an object as intricately grand as the snowcapped mountain or rushing cataract; our human bosoms will glow at the one, while we tread the other unnoticed beneath our feet. In proportion as Divinity dwells within, shall we be able to trace the greatness and power of the Creator in the atoms of His creation.

The greatest minds seize the little floating straws of opportunity, while the lesser ones wait for the large vessels that never come in.

Many thousands of apples must have fallen unnoticed to the ground ere the trifling incident occurred that suggested to the mind of the immortal philosopher the great truth that keeps this world, and the planetary host, revolving through space. Thus it has been by the simplest occurrences of every-day life that thinking minds have wrested from creation her most wondrous secrets.

How many a little boy's vision has been delighted by the gurgling of steam from a tea-kettle spout, and his ears charmed by its suggestive song, yet it was reserved for James Watt to discover from that common occurrence the gigantic power of one of nature's greatest forces.

The discovery of the New World, the vast Continent of the Americans, since become so large a mine of wealth, enterprise, and intelligence, was owing to a few floating branches and seaweeds, thrown by the rolling ocean at the feet of Columbus as he wandered

Observer, May 1, 76.

upon the sea-shore. They awakened the dormant thought in his mind from which he arrived at the conclusion that there must be land in the direction from whence these strange plants came. Again, when near the object of his dreams, when the seamen, believing him a mere visionary, mutinied, and would have compelled his return, by similar floating weeds he proved to them the truth of his supposition, that restored their confidence in and obedience to his leadership, which subsequently led to such great results.

A little boy, trudging to school one winter's morning, had to pursue a very circuitous path, on account of the bridge he usually crossed being broken down. This drew his attention to the construction of bridges, and now there is scarcely a port in the United Kingdom that has not some monument to the skill and ingenuity of John Rennie in the shape of elegant and endurable bridges. He spanned the Thames with the bridges of Waterloo and Southwark, and left as a legacy to the country the plan of the really great conception, the new London Bridge.

So trivial were the events that fired the intellect of those master minds.

These, however, are not the only lofty gates that have swung upon little hinges.

Laurenticus, for the amusement of his grandchildren, took the impression of some letters he had cut from the bark of a tree. From this little incident sprang the wonder-working press of our day.

Though the invention of telescopes and microscopes be involved in considerable obscurity, it is said that some children, playing with some bits of glass in a spectacle maker's shop, discovered the wonderful effect of a concave and convex lens, and ran with delight to their father, who improved upon their discovery.

Incidents such as these serve to show that to the observing eye, the attentive ear, the industrious hand, and persevering mind no steps are too small by which the earnest and energetic may attain success.

The wildest cataracts gather their strength from the little runnels that trickle down the hill-sides. The avalanche that overwhelms villages and dooms many inhabitants to destruction, commences as a loose piece of shaken snow.

The only Englishman that ever attained the Papal dignity was choked by a fly. Captain Speke, after having braved the dangers and difficulties incident upon his Nile discoveries, was accidentally shot while pursuing peaceful sports at home.

What father ever dreamed that the little sips of wine given to his offspring should create the appetite that would make of the bright, curly-headed boy a debauchee and a drunkard? Or what youth indulging in nightly excess ever thought of the future these little concessions to temptation were preparing?

The habit of economy is one particularly incumbent upon youth, and in this, attention to trifles is the mainstay of the whole; for

character, not the great trials or joys that come once or twice in a lifetime. No chain is forged without links; and these little events are the links in the chain of habit that winds with such adamantine power round the spirit.

'Oh, hopeful youth, thy first beginnings heed;
For oh, how pregnant and how grave is life!
Weigh well the end, deem nothing small or mean,
For habits have a strange vitality."

Words are things in momentary use; how few ponder or select them, yet who shall estimate the worth of a word of timely sympathy! It drops from the lips like silver dew, refreshing wherever it falls; forgotten as soon as uttered by the speaker, it sinks with a holy leaven into the listener's heart, often shedding sweet music over a life of bitter trial, exciting the selfish to self-sacrifice, or rousing the enervated to exertion.

There are little deeds of kindness that have earned a bounteous harvest. From charity the English Government once gave an asylum to a few poor Flemings, who established in our country the manufacture of woollen goods; and there are little acts of courtesy that have brought a rich reward. Napoleon stayed to adjust his wife's shawl, and the infernal machine exploded in vain.

Courtesy is a rare virtue; it is the oil that prevents the hinges of life from creaking. We should become morose and selfish, without those trifling kindnesses it is the duty of man to show his brother man. "Seldom now is life exacted

Harshly to atone for wrong,
They're but nameless sacrifices
That to common life belong.

"Only those who oft receive them

THE clouds hang heavy round my way,
I cannot see.

But through the darkness, I believe,
God leadeth me.

'Tis sweet to keep my hand in His,
While all is dim;

To close my weary, aching eyes,
And follow Him.

Through many a thorny path He leads
My tired feet;

Through many a path of tears I go,
But it is sweet

To know, that He is close to me,
My God, my guide.

He leadeth me, and so I walk,

Quite satisfied. blind eyes He

may reveal

No light at all,

But while I lean on His strong arm

I cannot fall.

MATILDA E. EDWARDS.

Observer, May 1, '76.

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THE

CAN

AN the Tree be good? The Baptists have got through their great anniversaries with pleasure and profit, and not without indications of good during the past year. Still, they have their lamentations, and perhaps foremost among their difficulties is that of providing and sustaining an adequate ministry. Many Baptist ministers get less than £100 per year, and, taking into account the smallness of a large number of their churches and the demands upon the funds of their larger ones, there seems little or no probability of providing for many of them the means of decent living. But this is not all, and perhaps not the worse feature in the case. There are a considerable number of churches wanting ministers, not because they cannot pay them, but from inability to find men up to their requirements. It might be supposed that the colleges could soon meet this want by sending out a greater number of young men certified as no longer novices and duly

fitted to "take charge "" of the flock. One might think that Mr. Spurgeon's college alone could meet the requirement. But the difficulty

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is not in the want of men. While there are many churches that cannot find ministers to suit them there are far more pastors, wanting churches, whom the churches do not want. The colleges are sending out plenty of men, but so many of them are worth so little when sent that the present lamentable condition is the result.

We may surely ask-Can the tree be good which produces no better fruit than this? The Baptist system of ministry is a wide departure from that instituted by the Apostles and tends to wider and wider insufficiency. Not till the Nonconformist denominations come to a radical change as to preachers, and pastors, and also as to methods of preparing men to sound out the Gospel and take oversight of their churches, will they remedy these evils or make reasonable progress among those who are without. whole thing is foreign to apostolic precept and example. When we forsake the ways of God

The

and set up our own, what can be expected but bad fruit?

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VOLUME IX., the Epistle to the Hebrews, by PRESIDENT MILLIGAN, can be had from the Ed. of E. 0. The following is from the publisher's preface :

"In announcing the volume on Hebrews of the New Testament Commentary, we are pained to state that the Author of it did not live till it had passed through the press. Still we are rejoiced that his work on it was complete before he was called away from this scene of his labours. We doubt not the work will be received as a valuable contribution to Biblical criticism on its own merits. It will be doubly dear to a host of friends of the deceased who had the highest regard for him personally while living, and who, now that he has passed away from us, hold him in most affectionate remembrance. A brief sketch of his life and character will be found at the end of this volume.

For writing this volume, on Hebrews, President Milligan possessed rare qualifications. He was a man of deep and fervent piety. This brought him into close sympathy with the Saviour in his mediatorial and priestly offices. Then his general and accurate scholarship, his practical experience as a teacher, and above all his ardent love for the truth, and nothing but the truth, at once made it impossible for him to fail in a work of this kind. The volume is not burdened with new interpretation. The author has aimed to be safe rather than brilliant; faithful to the spirit rather than original; and eminently practical rather than novel. Still it shows that he had decided opinions of his own, and these are always freely given when thought to be necessary. Nevertheless, the work is conservative. Everywhere we see stamped upon it this peculiar characteristic of the author's mind. President Milligan was naturally a very prudent man, while his profound reverence for the Word of God, and his constant anxiety lest he might lead some one astray, tended to quicken the natural bent of his mind, and shut out all doubtful interpretations, even when the temptation was very great. And it ought to be said, furthermore, that not only his habits of mind, but his studies as well, led him to discredit everything in the new school of criticism, and threw him largely upon the old critics for help. Hence his work from beginning to end has the flavour of the old authors, and may be said to occupy a middle ground between the old and new schools of criticism. While it relies chiefly on the old English commentators as authorities, it is nevertheless well up to the demands of the present times in Biblical criticism.

The plan of this volume does not materially differ from the one on Matthew and Mark, and yet there are some features in this that are specially worthy of mention. It will be noticed that each section is preceded by a careful and full analysis. This we think will be found valuable to the student as helping him at once to comprehend the whole argument. Besides this, each section is followed by practical reflections which are always interesting and sometimes of great value. These supply largely a homiletical part which we doubt not will be very acceptable to most students, and especially preachers of the gospel.

The author had made the study of typology a speciality for many years of his life, and he has freely given us the results of his studies in this volume. And it is believed that his comment on the types will receive the highest commendation from those who are at all competent to judge. We feel confident that this interesting study will receive new interest from what President Milligan has written, and we do not hesitate to call special attention to this portion of his work."

They're

I've

SERMON BY A CORNISH COBBLER.-"He first findeth his own brother Simon." Now I am sure that 'tis a good plan to go looking after one soul. Every soul in the world do belong to our Lord. He made 'em every one, and He bought 'em every one, with His precious blood. His every way; and the devil is a thief. very often thought what a poor master the devil's servants have got. Why when he come up to tempt our Mother Eve in Paradise, he hadn't got a bit o' a little thing for to bribe her with, an' all he could do was to tempt her to steal her master's apples. He hasn't got anything of his own. Andrew

didn't say, I'll try to do all the good I can," and then do nothing because he couldn't find anything to do; but he says, "There's Simon, I'll go and catch him.' That's the way; pick out one soul, and set your heart 'pon it; begin to pray for that one, and go on tryin' till you've got it; and then try for another. We might do a good deal o' good in the world, if we didn't try to do so much. I've heard folk a singin', and meanin it to:

"Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small." An' because realm o' nature wasn't theirs, they didn't give anything at all.-Daniel Quorm.

THE POWER OF THE BIBLE.-An African preacher illustrates the power of God's word, thus: "We know that rocks are very hard. Our cutlasses and hoes can do nothing against them, so we leave them alone. But white people have something that can break up and scatter any rock in Uwet or Umon. You will admit that that something must be more powerful than rocks. So we all know what count. laws and customs are; we cannot change them, so we leave them alone. But a thing has come to Calabar, even God's word, and it has broken up and scattered customs that our fathers thought would remain for ever! What must you say concerning that word but that it is more poweriul than the customs of our country? You know how strong your hearts arehearts as strong as yours have been changed in our town, have been changed by this word; and what must you, therefore, say but that this word is more powerful than a Calabar heart? Bend your heads, then, before this word."

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