the great things of earth, and with the Jews have a kingdom of this world, with its power and wealth and pomp. If we have less here than we expect, and suffer after all our faith and diligence, eternity is long enough to make amends for all; but that a sinful world should yet be a prosperous world is utterly incongruous, unless we would have our portion here. While the world wilfully is so vile, no wonder if it be so miserable. When sin makes the greatest breach of order, and divideth our hearts from the Creator, what wonder if lesser disorder do attend it, and we be all divided from each other? Whose conscience will scruple rebellion, resistance, and disobedience against the higher powers below, that is hardened in rebellion, resistance, and disobedience against God?

It is a great mistake to expect perfection of so excellent a thing as holy order here on earth. If we are sure that there will be no perfection of knowledge and such other graces as are necessary to our perfect order, we are equally sure that that perfect order cannot result from our imperfectness. Can ignorant, froward, imperfect men, make up a perfect church or commonwealth? Can we be more greatly mistaken than when we ascribe to earth the prerogatives of heaven? The whole cannot be gold, when so many of the parts are stone and iron. Unbelieving souls, repine not in your ignorance against the Lord. When you come to heaven, and see the perfect order of His kingdom, and look back with better understanding on the affairs of the world that now offend you, then blame the Lord for imperfection in His government, if you can. All mercies on earth are but hatching in the shell. We must know what earth is, that we may the more thankfully know what heaven is. We must sow in tears, if we will reap in joy. If sin were not suffered to show itself in the world, it would not be sufficiently hated, nor grace, nor Christ, nor heaven, sufficiently valued. We love the godly much the better, because the neighbourhood of the ungodly showeth us the difference. Holy order will be the sweeter to the saints, because of the odious confusions that stand by.

They are good works as from God, and as to the final issue which He accomplisheth by bad instruments. When the work is rough and unfit for his upright ones, He useth to leave it to polluted hands. Even evil angels are ofttimes His instruments in afflicting, and God doeth good by the devils. But where there is such a difference between the Principal Cause and the instruments in the work, and each worketh as he is, and bringeth somewhat of his nature to the effect, no wonder if there be a mixture of order and confusion in the world; and that be sinful and confused as coming from men, which is good and orderly as from God. If there were nothing in the world but what is of God, there would be nothing but what is good. But when Satan hath got so great an interest, and is become a prince that ruleth in the children of disobedience, shall we wonder to find the works of Satan? Or shall we dare to impute them to the Lord, and to blame His government because the enemy makes disturbance?

It is the reckoning-day that sets all right. Many are now tri

umphing whom God laughs to scorn, because He sees their day is coming. Till then we must live a life of faith. If fleshly props be taken from us, and we be left to live on God alone, our comforts will be the more pure, as having little of the creature to defile them. When all men that we trusted to are gone, we shall comfort ourselves only in the Lord our God. And is not He enough for us alone? How apt are we to draw out from God to men! But when some prove insufficient, and others treacherous, and their friendship is as the waves and the weathercocks, we shall then cleave the closer to the Rock of Ages, and retire ourselves, with mortified and heaven-devoted souls, to God. And the more we converse with Him, and see Him in all His creatures and their products, the more we shall see His order in their confusions, and their confusions making up His order. But O, when we see His blessed face, and behold the glory of the Universal King, how sweet a harmony shall we then perceive in the concord of all the motions and affairs that now seem only tumultuary and discordant! We shall see how all these distant lines do meet in God; and in Him we shall find all Providences reconciled, and making up one beauteous frame.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

THE NEW CHAPELS IN THE FIRST LONDON CIRCUIT.

SOON after the Conference of 1846, the ministers and leading friends of the First London Circuit began to see the need of providing for the extension of the work of God, especially by obtaining additional Chapelaccommodation. This necessity had been felt and acknowledged long before; but insuperable obstacles had existed in the way of a large expenditure. Now, however, a crisis had seemed to arrive. The venerable City-Road Chapel-after having lost through successive years its influential children, who went to reside in the various suburbs-was still full, often overflowing; and filled, too, with Wesleyan families, including only the super-addition of the Radnor-Street Sunday-School. There was little or no room for strangers, or for the unconverted part of the population.

Wilderness-Row Chapel was the rallying centre of a loving and zealous people, amongst whom, and by whom, a vast amount of spiritual good had been done; but, besides being low and unhealthy, it was on the point of going out of our hands. The lease was just expiring. The place could hardly hold more than 500 persons. Hoxton Chapel was still smaller, and inconvenient in a greater degree; and, like Wilderness-Row, was ill situated and unattractive. The little octagonal chapel in Jewin-Street, obtained a few years ago from the Goldsmiths' Company, was the only place of worship which we possessed within the city walls. Thus, in the entire range of our places of worship, we had little more than due accommodation for the members of Society, with their relatives and dependents. Under such circumstances, no great increase to the Societies could be expected. All that could be looked for was the bare maintenance of our present position; and this was an object too low for Methodism to contemplate with

satisfaction. Besides, the Parishes wholly or partially included in our Circuit,-Clerkenwell, St. Luke's, All-hallows, Finsbury, and Shoreditch,comprehended a population of 400,000 souls; while all the denominations had not made spiritual provision for more than one-fifth of the number.

The Circuit was just recovering from the financial trial of the recent division from it of Islington, Hackney, and those places which now form the Eighth London Circuit: new ministers had just been appointed, who were naturally desirous to have a fair field for their labours, and to see fruit of the same; and on every hand it was perceived that a step must be taken in advance, or a fair opportunity would be lost, perhaps for many years. Before the Christmas Quarterly Meeting, various conversations on the subject were held among influential parties; while varying opinions were weighed, and, to an encouraging extent, reconciled and harmonised. One of our ministerial number, to whom his Divine Master had given special gifts for a work of this kind, entered upon the enterprise with even more than his usual devotedness and zeal; being prompted by yearning pity for the souls that were perishing around. And yet the success of the scheme was promoted nearly as much by the clear-sighted wisdom, cautious counsels, and judicious firmness of our honoured Superintendent, Mr. Lomas, as by the earnestness and perseverance of Mr. Rattenbury. The colleagues of these excellent ministers rendered what help they could. The Circuit Stewards gave their personal and official influence, as well as munificent pecuniary support, in pursuance of the common object. The scheme, as tangibly detailed by a Committee appointed for the purpose, was to the following effect: To build a chapel, capable of seating twelve hundred persons, on a site obtained for a lease of 80 years in the New North-Road, in place of the Hoxton-Old-Town Chapel, which was subsequently to be disposed of ;—to build another, to hold fourteen hundred persons, with an under school-room, upon a freehold site in St. John's Square, Clerkenwell,—in place of that in Wilderness-Row;-and a third, nearly as large as the first mentioned, likewise with an under school-room, upon the site already occupied in Jewin-Street. The cost of the whole was estimated at £14,000; and, in order to fulfil the Connexional conditions imposed by the Chapel-building Committee, it would be necessary to raise a sum, including opening and other collections, of £10,000. Many of our experienced and cautious friends were alarmed at the sound. The resources of the Circuit had been greatly diminished within the few years preceding, and a period of commercial depression had arrived more dark and discouraging than the oldest Wesleyan had known; and by some it was doubted whether we could raise by subscriptions more than £2,000. But it was the Lord's work, and it triumphed over all obstacles. A worthy enterprise was put before our people; and it was seen that, when men accustom themselves to view a great object, they themselves become greater. Hundreds began to rise with the occasion. It was proposed that the donations should be paid during three years, and in three instalments. A few who were looked up to as examples, responded by noble contributions; and then all others followed, according to their ranks and degrees of ability. Thus a scale of subscription appeared, which left no doubt as to ultimate success. All classes seemed to vie with each other in this sacred strife. Where the giving of smaller sums, on the part of those who had a small business or a large family, involved quite as much sacrifice as the giving of larger amounts by more favoured individuals, it would be invidious and unjust to introduce some names and omit others. Amidst many touching instances of indivi

dual contribution, the presentation of above £100 by the young people of the writer's own Bible-class, as the amount of their gatherings, deserves affectionate mention.

The foundation-stone of the New Hoxton Chapel was laid in March, 1848, by Thomas Farmer, Esq. The religious service on the ground was interesting and impressive. This was soon after the outbreak of the late French Revolution, and while the public mind in our own metropolis was painfully excited by the Chartist agitation which arose out of that event. It was, nevertheless, a day of holy festivity and joy. The event was felt to stand in connexion with "A KINGDOM THAT CANNOT BE MOVED." More than 1,500 people partook of refreshments in the class-rooms, vestries, and houses of the City-Road premises; and afterwards formed the evening congregation in the thrice-honoured Chapel, at a meeting ably presided over by Joshua P. Westhead, Esq., M.P. The structure in New North-Road, built after a chaste Anglo-Norman model, was finished in September of the same year. The first opening service was conducted by the Rev. John Lomas, who preached from Matt. xii. 6: “BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT IN THIS PLACE IS ONE GREATER THAN THE TEMPLE."

The foundation-stone of the Clerkenwell Chapel in St. John's Square, a chaste and beautiful Gothic structure, was laid by the Rev. Dr. Bunting on the 18th of July in the same year, amid assembled crowds of the most ungodly of the population, for whose spiritual benefit it was about to be raised. Again our own people and congregation retired to City-Road Chapel, to attend a happy and productive meeting, under the able direction of James Heald, Esq., M.P. The St. John's Square Chapel was opened, under promising and auspicious circumstances, in the succeeding April. The foundation-stone of the JewinStreet Chapel was laid on Tuesday, the 20th of March, 1849, by George R. Chappell, Esq., of Manchester; the open-air service following a public breakfast presided over in the most devotional and affecting manner by George Hitchcock, Esq., of the City. A third evening meeting, of an equally hallowed character with the former, was held in the City-Road Chapel, and conducted by our own tried and valued friend, Mr. Vanner. This third Chapel, of chaste Gothic architecture, was opened soon after Conference; the Rev. Thomas Jackson, President, leading the services with his usual impressiveness and spiritual unction. Thus was the headstone brought forth with shoutings; the gladness of the occasion only being chastened by the severe illness of our esteemed Superintendent and Mr. Lomas's successor, Mr. Fowler.

Scarcely was the New North-Road Chapel opened when the pews became rapidly taken and occupied. A congregation, two thirds being new, began to assemble. We rejoiced to meet, in the house of God, whole families before unknown to us. Many individuals were converted and added to the Lord; the Society increased, and its funds prospered. The same result followed, in a highly encouraging degree, at St. John's Square; while the congregation at Jewin-Street is already double its former amount. Although the various buildings are not yet completely finished, and the expenditure is in consequence not closed, yet the financial scheme has been adhered to as closely and faithfully as an enterprise of such magnitude could allow. In the course of the proceedings there were some contingencies and disappointments; yet not more than were expected. The size of the several Chapels, and the ornamental portions of the exterior, were slightly modified; but the following statement of the case, in its financial aspect, may be accepted:

Each of these Chapels has a large proportion of free sittings for the poor. And now these beautiful structures stand, a noble monument of zeal and Christian charity. Peace be with all those who have contributed to a work so elevated and blessed! The new Chapels have tended to put the Circuit in its proper position; and, with the Divine blessing, they will be honoured by the salvation of hundreds now living, and of thousands yet unborn. They have not arisen without much toil and self-denying care, on the part of those who sustained the heat and burden of the day. But this brief statement is put on record, to show how much may be done, and in how short a time, where a noble purpose is conceived, and corresponding activity put forth to accomplish it; and how generally successful such efforts must prove in the midst of our great populations, where unnumbered thousands are perishing in heathenism and sin. ALFRED BARRETT.

Manchester, November 26th, 1849.

ANECDOTES OF LORD CHIEF JUSTICE MANSFIELD.

WILLIAM MURRAY, the intimate friend of Pope, and one of the first of orators both at the bar and in the House of Commons,-the Judge of almost forty years' standing,-was of an ancient and noble but poor Scotch family. He was born at Scone; was sent to school at Perth ; and in his fourteenth year (in 1718) went to London, where he attended Westminster School. Lord Campbell thus describes his journey to London :

"He was to perform the whole journey on horseback,-riding the same horse. Post-horses were not established till long after. There were then two or three times a month traders from Leith to the river Thames, in which passengers might be accommodated; but, if the wind was foul, they were sometimes six weeks on the way. A coach, advertised to run once a week from the Black Bull in the Canongate, to the Bull and Mouth in St. Martin's-le-Grand, did not promise to arrive before the tenth day, and, besides being very incommodious, was very expensive. Mr. William was, therefore, to be carried on the back of a pony which my Lord had bred, and which was to be sold on his arrival in the great city to help to pay the expenses of his outfit there."

In 1730 Mr. Murray was called to the bar. For two years he was without a brief. A successful speech at a trial brought him into notice. Business flowed in upon him. Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, became his client :

"As might be expected, she was a very troublesome client, and she used to visit him herself at very unseasonable hours. On one occasion, when late at night he came home to his chambers, he found them almost blocked up by a splendid equipage; footmen and pages, with torches in their hands, standing round; and the Duchess seated in his consulting-chair. Instead of making any apology, she thus addressed him: Young man, if you mean to rise in the world, you must not sup out.'-Another night, when, after the conclusion of a very long trial in which he had succeeded, he was indulging in agreeable conversation with Pope and Bolingbroke,