loud and earnest. We cannot lift the veil that hangs over that awful scene; but it well corresponds with what we know from other sources, that of these three expressions descriptive of our Saviour's outward signs of grief, the strongest and most empathic is reserved for the time when He was saying, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass."

A NEW YEAR'S GREETING.

MAY it be brighter and better | Commit yourself and all your conthan the years past! It will be so cerns to Jesus. Trust Him! Trust just as you are wholly surrendered Him! Trust Him! What to Him to Christ, our Saviour, and as you is your difficulty? What your emfollow Him, and are perfectly barrassment? What your need? willing that He should glorify He has undertaken all your conHimself in you this year, whether cerns. He has espoused all your by life or by death.

for

66

interests. He was in all points But perhaps the year opens upon tried as you are, and the author of you gloomily, as, unhappily, at this your salvation was "made perfect time of commercial disasters and through suffering." He who was distress, it will upon thousands of henceforth to be the leader of the our fellow-countrymen. You are race came to His power among men perplexed and troubled by some by means of trial and suffering. mysterious event in your history. The experience of loneliness, hunger, It is dark, fearful, and crushing. and weariness for forty days of It baffles all your thoughts and inward strife against selfishness, power. It is to you as a maze from pride, and the glittering falsities of which there is no escape-an en- vanity, brought Him into sympathy tanglement in which there is no with the trials through which must clue, and the new year's greeting pass every man who seeks to rise seems to mock you in your trouble, into true manhood." He, who has you are at your wit's end. You been all the way before you, prohave exhausted your own resources, mises "to make the crooked path the counsel and aid of others fail straight and the rough place you, and you know not what to do. smooth; or to give you strength Still the difficulty presses, your to climb the rugged way. He says, bewilderment increases, your posi-"When thou passest through the tion has become serious. You are waters, I will be with thee; and misrepresented, maligned, reviled, through the rivers, they shall not and persecuted. Help is eagerly overflow thee: when thou walkest sought from one quarter, and through the fire, thou shalt not be another, but as yet every door is burned; neither shall the flame shut-every avenue is closed. In- kindle upon thee" (Isaiah xliii. 2), terests more precious to you than Your posture should now be that life itself are at stake. Reputation, of simple trust in the Lord Jesus-veracity, honour, family happiness, unshaken reliance upon the strength tremble in the balance. Whence of His arm-the faithfulness of His can you turn? Whither fly? promises, and the immutability of Be still, thou tried, tempted, His love. "Jesus Christ the same trembling one. Nearer to you than yesterday, and to-day, and for ever" was the spring of water to the de- (Heb. xiii. 8). What to you is a spairing Hagar is the aid you want. mountain of difficulty, is to Him a

Therefore, with calmness and confidence, leave yourself and your embarrassment with Jesus, and He will sustain and deliver you. Have you entrusted to Him the keeping of your soul? Trust Him with your body also. Trust Him with all your concerns.

plain. What to you is enshrouded thread, so twisted, of your present
in the deepest darkness, is to Him perplexed, painful, and critical
as transparent as the light. The position is in a Divine hand, and
event which to you appears all en- that hand is Love.
tangled a knot you cannot untie-
a skein you cannot unravel-a
difficulty from which you cannot
free yourself-is to Him upon
whom rested "the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge, and fear of the Lord"
Trust Him wholly.
-as harmonious as the counsels of Trust Him evermore, Light will
heaven, and as easy of solution as spring up in the darkness, and you
the creation of a world. Eternal will find this year happier than all
love grasps your difficulty; the the past years of your life.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto Me and rest;

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon My breast."

I came to Jesus as I was-
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.

"Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength."-Isaiah xxvi. 4.

"Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe" (set on high).— Prov. xxix. 25.

"None that trust in Him shall be desolate" (condemned).—Psalm xxxiv. 22.

"He will deliver them from the wicked, and will save them, because they trust in Him.”—Psalm xxxvii. 40.

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee."-Isaiah xxvi. 3.

East Dereham.

W. F.

"COME UNTO ME!"

11th August, 1878.

GEORGE GILLFILLAN'S LAST HYMN.

WITH tearful eyes I look around; It tells me of a place of rest;

Life seems a dark and stormy

It tells me where my soul may

flee;

Oh! to the weary, faint, opprest,

How sweet the bidding-"Come to Me!"

When the poor heart with anguish | When a faint chill steals o'er my learns

That earthly props resigned must
be,

And from each broken cistern turns,
It hears the accents-" Come to
Me!"

When against sin I strive in vain,
And cannot from its yoke get
free,

Sinking beneath the heavy chain,
The words arrest me-'
-"Come to

Me!"

When nature shudders, loth to part
From all I love, enjoy, and see;

heart,

QUIETNESS.

I WOULD be quiet, Lord,
Nor tease, nor fret;
Not one small need of mine
Wilt Thou forget.

I am not wise to know

What most I need;

I dare not cry too loud,

Lest Thou shouldst heed:

Lest Thou at length shouldst say,
"Child, have thy will;

As thou hast chosen, lo!
Thy cup I fill!”

What I most crave, perchance

Thou wilt withhold,

As we from hands unmeet

Keep pearls or gold;

As we, when childish hands
Would play with fire,
Withhold the burning goal
Of their desire.

Yet choose Thou for me-Thou

Who knowest best;

This one short prayer of mine

Holds all the rest.

Weston-on-Trent

NEWS OF THE CHURCHES.

THE chapel in Hope-street, Bir- of the church at Little King's-hill, mingham, under the care of the Bucks. Rev. J. Stanley, has been re-opened after enlargement.—The chapel at THE following reports of MINIShas been re- TERIAL CHANGES have reached us opened after repair and improve- since the preparation of our last ment.-A new chapel has been issue:-The Rev. J. Bradford, of opened at Dunnington, near Eves- the Metropolitan Tabernacle Colham, for the ministry of the Rev. lege, to Leytonstone, London; the S. Dunn.-The chapel in Town- Rev. J. P. Cushing, of the Manhead-street, Sheffield, of which the chester College, to Mirfield, YorkRev. R. Green is the minister, has shire; the Rev. A. P. M'Kenzie, been re opened after alteration.- of Regent's-park College, to BigA new chapel has been opened at gleswade, Bedfordshire; the Rev. Erdington, near Birmingham, for W. Wood, of Market Harborough, the ministry of the Rev. W. to Infirmary-street, Bradford; the Donald. The chapel at North Rev. S. W. Bowser, B.A., of Regent's Wootton, Somerset, under the care park College, to be co-pastor with of the Rev. J. Hewlett, has been the Rev. F. Bosworth, M.A., at re-opened after alteration.-Salem South-street, Exeter; the Rev. J. Chapel, Cheltenham, under the care T. Almy, of Hucknall Torkard, Notof the Rev. B. Wilkins, has been tinghamshire, to Park-road, Ryde, re-opened after alteration.—A new Isle of Wight; the Rev. D. Davies, schoolroom has been opened in of the Oakes Chapel, Huddersfield, connection with the English Bap- to Ponthir, Newport, Monmouthtist Chapel, Abertillery, Monmouthshire; the Rev. W. Jenkins, of shire.

Painscastle, Radnor, to Lord's-hill, Snailbeach, Salop; the Rev. P. G. Scorey, of Pembroke Chapel, Liverpool, to Southsea, Hants; the Rev. A. Harrison, of Golborne-street Chapel, Warrington, to Scapegoathill, Golcar. The Rev. J. Collins has intimated his intention to resign the pastorate of the church at John-street, Bedford-row, London.

THE Rev. W. Hall has been publicly recognised as the pastor of the church at Fakenham, Norfolk; the Rev. J. L. Smith, of the church at Burton, Somerset; the Rev. J. Deacon, of the church at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight; the Rev. W. Morgan, of the church at Tondu, Glamorganshire; the Rev. A. F. Collon, formerly of the WE regret to announce the death Metropolitan Tabernacle College, of the Rev. J. Stevenson, M.A., of of the church at Ponder's End; Nottingham (formerly of Derby), the Rev. W. John, of Swansea, of at the age of seventy-one; also of the church at Waunarlwydd; the the Rev. J. Wilkins, of QueenRev. T. H. Evans, late of Llan- square, Brighton, at the age of gollen College, of the church at fifty-five; also of the Rev. R. Treforest; the Rev. T. H. Holy- Snaith, of Carlton-road, Norfolk, oak, of the church at Moss-side, at the age of fifty-nine; also of the Manchester; the Rev. T. L. Smith, Rev. J. Jones, of Briton Ferry.

FEBRUARY, 1879.

THE CHURCH'S PART IN THE UNBELIEF

OF THE WORLD.

BY THE REV. B. P. PRATTEN, B.A.

I.-Preliminary.

WE have lately become familiar with a loud and general and, to a large extent, panic-stricken outcry about the scepticism-as it is somewhat incorrectly called-of the age in which we live. Church Congresses, Diocesan gatherings, General Assemblies, meetings of Unions, Congregational and Baptist, Methodist Conferences, have been ringing with statements and appeals on the subject. The pulpit, the platform, the press, have alike raised their voice of alarm. Not divines alone, but statesmen and other earnest men from among the laity, have taken part in the contest. The matter has appeared so serious that, as if the older apologies for the Christian faith were now become insufficient, a "Christian Evidence Society," embracing distinguished names, has been formed, for the purpose of stemming the tide of unbelief which has set in upon us.

It is not enough to say that this state of things is a very lamentable one. It cannot but be so when we consider that the Book whose claims are called in question is our only safe guide in the high matters to which it relates. It is also, at a first glance, surprising. We regard the Bible as a special gift from heaven, as a boon admirably adapted to meet man's most pressing need. How is it, then, that he is so eager to appropriate other supposed blessings, and yet rejects this greatest of all?

The sources of unbelief must be sought for in one or more of three directions. They will be found either in the Bible itself, or in the persons who reject it, or in those who, by their professed acceptance of it, become the natural exponents of its contents to others.

The first supposition is, of course, mentioned only to be at once set aside. Assuming, as we do, that the Bible is from God, we are sure that it must be perfectly fitted to answer its end, which it can only do by reaching man's intelligence and winning his confidence. We are sure that there can be nothing in the Book, either in its contents or in the way of presenting them, calculated of itself to produce doubt or disbelief rather than acceptance. It should be remembered, too, that the subject of which the Bible treats is not one in which men as such feel no interest. Our acquaintance with the world goes to show that human nature has in it a strong religious element, since few tribes of mankind, if any, have been met with, destitute of some form of religious faith. And when we see how

VOL. XXII. N.S. II.