his appearance before Pharoah: his exaltation, honourable position, the famine in Canaan, his brethren in Egypt, their recognition by him, his enquiries, the detention of Benjamin, his making himself known, their grief, the news carried to the father, the father's disbelief, his being convinced by a sight of the waggons, his journey to Egypt, the meeting of the old man and his son, their joy and exultation. Religion elevates man-it elevated Joseph, and raised him to honour. In Joseph's history the providence of God was wonderfully displayed. That God that preserved Joseph will preserve us. May we trust Him for all that we need! Third Anthem, "Joseph and his Brethren." Mr. John Storey spoke as follows: He was glad to see such a large and respectable audience; he loved music, and always would do so; sacred music reminded him of the anthems of the skies-it was delightful and melodious; there were no discordant notes among the redeemed, their harps were tuned to life, and as they joined in concert to celebrate the praises of their Redeemer and God, the sweet strains of their music gave expression to their boundless enjoyment, where sin is excluded, and peace and righteousness shall reign for ever. Their social feeling, their Christian sympathy, showed their marked approbation of the present musical entertainment. We live in a world of wonders: the wondrous story of the Cross was effecting the world's renovation. The true moral elevation of man was the object of the Gospel, it sought the amelioration of universal man, its end would be accomplished, its triumph is certain. Its Author proclaimed this great truth, and the truth would make man free. We live in an age of progress -intellect is on the march. The moral elevation of the working-classes was in their own power; many had risen in the scale of society, and were now enjoying the honour and dignity of true manhood. We are made for social enjoyment. He was sorry to see man degraded-noble man, redeemed by the priceless gift of the Son of God. The vice of intemperance degraded him. Many were sunk in the cesspools of misery, and bending their downward path to the vortex of eternal ruin; but the Gos pel was able to rescue man, to raise him from vice and his dissipated ways, and establish him in a position honourable, noble, and dignified. Selfreform, under the grace of God, was a work he admired, and the ardent aspiration of his soul was that it might become universal. Then would peace, truth, and righteousness be established among men. Fourth Anthem, "The Promised Land." Captain Waters, from Sunderland, then observed : He was highly gratified to meet them on the present occasion, and exceedingly glad to think that the Seaham friends had not forgotten him, but had invited him to come and enjoy this musical festivity. He was particularly fond of music, but was a very bad singer himself. He could detect errors in music, but could not mend them. Music is a powerful thing; it softens and melts; it affects the birds in the air, the beasts in the forest, and the fishes in the sea. Music is consoling, cheering, and edifying. There is music in heaven, to which we are going-heaven is a place of musicthe new song is sung by countless myriads before the throne; they all knew it, and they sung it without a discord. He would sing there as well as others. How beautiful the song, how delightful the theme-the love of God to fallen man, man redeemed from sin and saved from its consequences, and the soul-inspiring and God-honouring subject! Its an exhaustless theme, we will never tire of it, it will be always fresh and ever new. Fifth Anthem, "Deliverance." Mr. George Makepeace said, it afforded him great pleasure to see such a respectable audience. It was now his duty to explain the object of the present concert. The object of it was the benefit of the singers. He thanked them sincerely in coming so nobly forward to assist the choir, to obtain what they needed. He trusted the society would cherish a friendly feeling to singers, and he hoped the singers would love each other. "United they stand, divided_they_fall." Let peace, harmony, and truthfulness be among them. They fill an important place in the Church; let them sing with the heart and with the understanding, and God will bless their work. Sixth Anthem, "Sweet Hallelujah." A vote of thanks was now kindly tendered to the Chairman, the Choir, and to the Ladies, the conductors of the tea. Mr. Storey pronounced the benediction. The meeting separated highly delighted and gratified. This is the first public concert the Tabernacle Choir have held. They are deserving of attention for the able manner in which they performed several of the pieces on this very interesting occasion. THOS. NICHOLSON. Seaham Harbour. Circuit. To God be all the glory. The hopes of our friends here have considerably revived, and instead of talking among themselves, and coming to the conclusion (as they were doing last August) that they could not exist as a separate society more than twelve months, they are now hoping for, and looking forward to the day, when they may become a self-supporting Circuit. May the great Head of the Church hasten the day. Amen. J. HANDLEY. April 23, 1856. YORK CIRCUIT. To the EDITOR-Dear Sir, was On Sunday, the 20th of April, 1856, two excellent and appropriate sermons were preached in our chapel in Lady Peckitt's Yard, York, by the Rev. W. Dawson, of Leeds, President of the Annual Assembly, on behalf of our Home and Foreign Missions; and on Monday evening, the 21st, the public meeting was held. In the unavoidable absence of Mr. Moreland, of the Grosvenor-street Circuit, Manchester, who had promised to take the chair, and who sent 17. towards the collection, the meeting presided over by Mr. J. Watson, Secretary of the Wesleyan Reform Societies, in the York Circuit. The meeting was addressed by the Circuit minister, and the Revs. J. Mather of Rochdale, W. Dawson of Leeds, and W. Cave of Fulford. All the services were well attended, a gracious influence pervaded the congregations, and the friends appear to have been delighted both with the sermons on the Sabbath, and especially with the address of Brother Mather, and the President at the public meeting. The collections are about 21. in advance of last year. more We are thankful to say that our prospects in York are of a cheering character than they have been for some time past. Our congregations have considerably improved, a few additional sittings have lately been let in the chapel. SeveIral have joined the Society, and this year, for the first time for several years, we expect to report a small increase in our numbers for the York CAMELFORD. To the EDITOR,-Dear Sir, The Camelford, Wadebridge, and Bodmin Circuit being virtually two, I am not able to give you accurate information concerning the whole. On the Camelford side we are advancing numerically and financially. We have recently had our Missionary meetings, at some of which we have been aided by the Revs. M. Baxter, and J. S. Withington. All our churches took up the warmly, and have contributed liberally, so that we have raised 1931, being about 91. more than last year. Thus we are moving in the right direction, for last year was 511, more cause than the previous year. The Lord has poured His Spirit upon us in the whole circuit, so that at our last Quarterly Meeting, it was found, that 770 had recently given their hearts to God, for which we are thankful to the great head of the Church. May 14, 1856. W. BECKETT. CALSTOCK, TAVISTOCK CIRCUIT. To the EDITOR.-Dear Sir, About four and a half years' ago, when expulsion from the Conference ranks was so rife, the Rev. John Ryan, 2nd, then Superintendent of the Tavistock Circuit, expelled me from the society at Calstock, after being connected with it for thirty years, for the then enormous crime of taking the chair at a public meeting held in the Baptist Chapel, for the purpose of giving two of my brethren, local preachers, an opportunity of publicly stating why they had been dropped from the Plan, and also from society. This led to the division of the society (namely about 38) when about 20 left with us, and we at once established separate services, in a small room taken for that purpose, which was continued for some considerable time, getting our supply of preaching, in addition to what we could do ourselves, from wherever we could find a brother disposed to help us. Our society increased, and we went on our way rejoicing. After some time a few of our society emigrated, and among them two of our local preachers, (one of whom has since returned again.) We then had a meeting to consult what we should do, when it was proposed to examine the principles, rules, &c., of the Wesleyan Association, which we found quite in accordance with our own views, and finding also kindred spirits among the friends connected with that society, together with the high estimation in which we held Mr. M. Miller, who was then in the Tavistock Circuit, we were led to unite ourselves heart and hand with them that is with the Circuit, for the Association had no society, or even preaching in Calstock before. And so we continued to worship in the same rooms we at first engaged for our separate services, until now that the Lord has been pleased to open our way to build a house to His glory. On Monday, October 8, 1855, the foundation stone was laid. Mr. A. Hands, our circuit minister, preached in the afternoon an excellent sermon, from John iii. 16, in our preachingroom, after which we went in procession to the site of the New Chapel, when Mr. W. Williams, an aged and retired Independent minister, after a very impressive prayer, proceeded to lay the stone, making some beautiful and appropriate remarks, when the service concluded with singing and prayer. We then had a public tea, about 130 enjoying themselves with the good things provided, which was followed by a public meeting in the Baptist Chapel, kindly lent for the occasion. Mr. J. D. Reed, having been called to the chair, appropriate addresses were delivered by Messrs Foale, of Devonport; W. Cloake, Baptist Minister, Calstock; W. Williams, Independent; J. S. Brown, Devonport; and A. Hands, Tavistock. Altogether it was a most happy day, and good was done. The collections of the day were from 91. to 10%. Since the commencement of the building, God has been pleased to pour out His Spirit among us, and much good has been effected in answer to prayer, so that our society, which numbered 24 about three months ago, has been more than doubled, and the Lord is still reviving His work. The On Good Friday, March 21st, 1856, the opening services of the above were commenced by Mr. S. Lambrick, of Bodmin, who preached two most excellent sermons, morning and afternoon, after which there was a public tea which was well attended, about 220 partaking of the cup "which cheers, but does not inebriate." In the evening we held a public meeting, Mr. J. D. Reed in the chair, which was addressed by Messrs. R. and J. Foale of Devonport, S. Hicks, Lanson, W. Williams, A Hand, - Thomson, and S. Lambrick. It was indeed a blessed day, and many were constrained to say it was the best Good Friday they had ever spent. On Easter Sunday, the services were resumed by Mr. J. S. Withington, of Liskeard, preached morning and evening; and Mr. W. Williams, in the afternoon. sermons were of a very telling and effective kind, and great good was the result. On the Monday evening, the opening services were brought to a close by a lecture from Mr. J. S. Withington, on "Uncle Tom's Cabin." The services were all well attended, those on the evenings being over crowded, and the collections, together with the proceeds of the tea, amounted to above 201., which, added to those at laying the foundation stone will make about 301. Our chapel will cost us about 2201. or 2301., and we hope when all is done by way of subscriptions, &c. that can be done, to be placed in tolerably easy circumstances. To God be all the praise. But what cheers us more than all is, that we have so many new converts to take to our new Zion, and that the Lord Jehovah, has been pleased to consecrate our New Chapel -not by the services of a bishop, but by making it the birthplace of souls, twelve having been born of God there since the opening. Our prayer still is, "O Jesus ride on till all are subdued." That the Lord may increase us an hundredfold, is the sincere prayer of yours in Christ Jesus the Lord. J. D. R. BURNLEY CIRCUIT. To the EDITOR-Dear Sir, ON Sunday, April 27th, 1856, two sermons, in aid of our Home and Foreign Missions, were preached in Mount Pleasant Chapel, Burnley, by the Rev. J. Thompson, of Blackburn. On the Monday evening following, a public meeting was held in the same chapel. The chair was occupied by P. Phillips, Esq. After the reading of the report, the claims of missions were ably advocated by the Revs. J. Batey, Baptist; J. Stroyan, Independent; R. Smith, Primitive Methodist; J. Thompson, W. Jackson, J. Mather, and E. Wright. A most delightful feeling pervaded the assembly, and I am happy to say, the collections were considerably in advance of last year. In March, 1855, our friends at Burnley, engaged a town missionary, who has been very diligently employed; the result of his labours has been most satisfactory. His salary for the past year was raised by voluntary contributions, but for the present and succeeding year, it will be met by contributions and the proceeds of a Bazaar, which was held on the 7th of May, and the three following days. The schoolroom in which it was held was tastefully decorated with evergreens, fruit, &c., on the occasion. The stalls, on which were exhibited useful and ornamental needlework, confectionary, &c., were most attractively disposed; they ran along each side, across the upper end, and down the middle of the room. Beyond the cross stall was a platform on which stood a pianoforte, which every now and then sent forth its sweet sounds, interesting the assembled visitors. The tables were attended by Mesdames Wilkinson, Whitehead, J. Harling, Todd, T. Harling, and Hanson; Misses Wrights, Wilkinsons, and Richmonds, and Mr. J. Todd, under the able superintendence of of Mr. George Graham. Great praise indeed is due to all parties concerned in the getting up of the Bazaar. The proceeds were highly encouraging, amounting to the sum of 711. I am, dear Sir, yours truly, May 17, 1856. POETRY. FOR A SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY. We, O Lord, a youthful band, Now accept the song of praise We would here ascribe to Thee, Brought us once again to see And appeal for present aid. Parents, friends, and teachers, all With united heart and hand, Come responsive to our call, Touch'd by love's resistless wand, Join their grateful song with ours, For unnumber'd mercies shown, Emulating angel choirs, Worshipping around the throne. Still Thy watchful care bestow, THE WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE. JULY, 1856. THE PULPIT, AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE AGE. No. IV.-HOW ITS FUNCTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED. In our last paper on the exercise of the function of the Pulpit, we presumed to suggest that the minister should evince a firm reliance on the Truth—that he should present the truth in all its spirituality and in all its fulness-and, finally, that his efforts should be specifically adapted to the great objects of the Christian ministry. On the last of these particulars, want of space compelled us to close without fully developing our views. We must now return to the subject, and try, if possible, to commence our lucubrations precisely where we left off in the former paper. We cannot lay too much stress on a minister's obligation to keep the great objects of his calling constantly in view. Is it askedWhat are these objects? We answer, Everything is a legitimate object of the Pulpit which relates, however remotely, to man's salvation, or to the Redeemer's glory. The apostles, whom we must take for our Exemplars, never lost sight of these objects for a moment; never put forth an effort which had not a specific bearing on the salvation of the people and the honour of the Master. In their concentrativeness of purpose, the early teachers of the Christian religion resembled the most distinguished speakers of the classic ages. As the Athenian orator, in the most noble specimens of his art, kept his object ever before his eye; never stating a fact, never employing an image, never enunciating a sentiment that did not bear on the illustration or enforcement of his argument ; so these apostolic models of the Christian ministry kept their object constantly in view, and employed their resources with unstinted profusion, in the illustration and enforcement of the Truth. The interests, with which, they were entrusted were too momentous to permit them to think for a moment of self-aggrandisement, or of any other matter, besides the great result. And it is this, more than any other characteristic of their ministry, which has commanded the homage of all ages. Nor is the veneration in which they are held based on exceptional grounds. We judge, in X |