certain tracts which this man has written, and circulated very extensively, in proof of his assertions. From these extracts it appeared that the Insurgent leader has a clear recognition of the unity of the Godhead and the brotherhood of humanity all the world over. The manner in which he has taught this in his tracts is so graphic and enlightened that the reading of the passages called forth the warmest expressions of approval from the audience. Should this man become the reigning monarch, Mr. Milne believed that every facility would be given for the circulation of the million Testaments over the whole extent of that vast continent; but, even if he should not, there was reason to believe that a way for their reception by the people would be opened at the proper time in the order of God's providence.

The Rev. John Young (Wesleyan), the Rev. Mr. Hussey, minister of St. James's, Kennington, Lord Charles Russell, the Earl of Chichester, Bishop Carr, and the Rev. J. Aldis, subsequently addressed the meeting The latter speaker, in simply seconding a resolution, said, "I cannot speak with pleasure when people are in a moving humour. I like to move their

hearts and not their feet."

The Chairman, in responding to a vote of thanks to himself, said that he held in high estimation the honour of being the President of that society, which conferred but did not receive, eclat from great names. Much had been accomplished, but how much yet remained.

The sum that we have accumulated is very great; but I do implore you not to allow that to be to you as the pillars of Hercules, the point beyond which you will not prosecute your enterprise. Your contributions this year are great compared with former sums; but it is nothing at all, it is a drop of water in the ocean, compared to the energies and wealth which God has given to this great nation; and if you would act up to the sense of the responsibility which God has imposed upon you, your exertions will double those of the present year in the year to come, and the year beyond that you will do the same, and be not content until you shall have, by your influence, been the means of blessing the whole habitable globe.

This terminated the proceedings.

SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION.-The annual meeting of the Sunday school Union was held on Thursday evening, May 4, in Exeter Hall; John Cheetham, Esq., M.P., in the chair. Long before the time for commencing the proceedings, the Hall was densely crowded in every part. On the

platform there were a large number of ministers and gentlemen distinguished for their attachment to the cause of Sundayschool operations.

Mr. W. H. Watson read an elaborate report, which commenced by a copious reference to extracts from the foreign correspondence of the committee, of a very interesting character, and it was stated that grants of money and books had been made to various schools on the continent, to the amount of £204. With respect to the home proceedings it appeared, that during the past year six building grants have been made, amounting to £55, and making the total number of grants 319, amounting to £7,044. Of lending libraries, 248 have been granted, making a total of 2,979, the value of which amounts to £1,118. Out of this sum the schools paid only £491. Deputations from the committee have visited 38 provincial towns. The contributions towards the general objects of the Union have fallen short of the amount of former years, which is accounted for by the large sum given to the Jubilee Fund. The committee, therefore, close their Bene. volent Fund with a deficiency of £741. An earnest appeal was made to meet this lack in two years' income. The proceedings of the jubilee were very largely reviewed, special reference being made to the public meetings held in the provincial towns of the kingdom, as well as to the meetings in London. The census returns were largely quoted, and it was stated that there were in 1851 in England and Wales 23,498 schools, with 302,000 teachers, and 3,407,409 scholars. The fact was dwelt upon as one calculated to call forth feelings of peculiar thankfulness to God. It was stated that the amount received up to March 31, on account of the Jubilee Fund, was £5,085 9s. 4d.- -a sum equal to twelve years' income. It was expected that this fund would be considerably increased.

CONINGSBY.- On Lord's-day, April 9th, and Monday the 10th, our annual missionary anniversary was held here. Brother J. Buckley preached two very useful sermons on the Sunday to good and attentive congregations. On Monday af ternoon brother J. B. Pike preached an excellent sermon to an encouraging congregation. After tea in the school-room, the chapel was well filled, and the assembly appeared deeply interested in the addresses that were delivered. especially in that of brother Buckley. Collections, &c., more than £17. G. J. C.

In the midst of the disappointment, the sadness, and the fear excited by our being involved in a state of war, in which there is much to humble and alarm, the devout christian derives consolation and hope from the fact that "the Lord reigns." He is supreme; "the King of kings, and the Lord of lords." He is almighty, and can control all things, and overrule all events for the accomplishment of his own will. He is allwise, and no error can occur in his government. He is holy, just, and good; and therefore, though "clouds and darkness are round about him, righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne." Though we do not always see why he should permit the changes to occur that trouble us, we may be assured that in the end all things will work for good. It shall be well with them that fear him; and "the heavens VOL. 1,-N. S.

shall declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory."

How different are these thoughts from the notions of those who regard this as a desolate and fatherless world! How opposite to the terror that would arise if almighty and sovereign power were united with injustice. How proper for men to know God, that the earth may rejoice in his reign! This morning we contemplated the fall and humiliation of a haughty despot, under the hand of Almighty God; let us this evening direct our attention to some of the sentiments suitable to be cherished at this crisis.

The mere fact that this nation is involved in a war with the mightiest despotism upon earth, is sufficient to awaken within us sentiments of sorrow and humiliation before God.

In a state of war the material interests of the kingdom must needs

suffer. Besides the large expense unavoidably incurred in raising and equiping our armies and our fleets, and in sustaining them, and in replenishing their ranks during the conflict (no small matter to a nation already burdened with the debts incurred by previous wars), the inter ruption to commerce, the paralyzing of our manufactures, and the loss of our national prosperity, is no trifling affair. Situated as our nation is, dependent in a great measure on its foreign commerce and pacific relations for its temporal prosperity, anything which in the slightest degree interrupts those relations, brings sorrow and misery to multitudes of our artizans. Even though England, from her superiority by sea, may not suffer as some other nations might by this war, yet there will be suffering to humanity in proportion as the energies of the nation are exhausted in conflict, and the inhabitants of the world are disturbed.

The enhanced value of all the necessaries of life, going hand in hand with the scantiness of the means of obtaining them, will aggravate the evil, and cause bitter cries throughout the land.

In our armies and fleets how many of the brave men have relations at home, whose fears will be excited for their safety, or whose hearts will be broken by their death! In every war these calamities have been present. Should we not then feel war to be an evil?

ing suns, and irregular diet, bring on them disease in every form. There, in a foreign land, far from the comforts of home, from the tender assiduities of friends, they pine away and die. More are generally consumed by the accidents of war than by the sword. These calamities occur alike to friend and foe; and in every protracted campaign occasion destruction and suffering which humanity shudders to contemplate.

The excitement of the conflict, and the cries of battle, with the clouds which arise from a thousand guns, cover and conceal a large portion of the suffering endured in actual strife. But when we contemplate two wellappointed lines meeting in deadly battle, when we mark how well each is equiped and trained for the work of destruction, and see them, in fury, hurrying each other into eternity, and with a power almost superhuman, cutting down, shooting, piercing, and trampling on each other, we are ready to say, "from such scenes, most merciful God, preserve thy creatures, and let them not so perish from before thy face." And then after the engagement, what numbers of the maimed, the wounded, lie in their gore, amid the trampling horses of an enraged foe! or are left to the mercy of the reckless and heartless harpies that ever hover on the skirts of a battle field!!

all, as far as might be, from the ruthless grasp of those who might come upon them! Here, you would see rich harvests destroyed; there whole villages given up to flames; and in another direction opulent cities taken by storm, and subject to a soldier's license. Alas, for humanity that such things should be.

But to turn from these scenes; is there not occasion for humiliation that the governments of enlightened Europe are not sufficiently advanced in moral principles, and in their own love of right and order, to settle disputes which may arise without an appeal to the sword? We had begun fondly to dream that we were advancing towards such a consummation. It is now nearly forty years since we had a European war. Many disputes have arisen which have been settled by the intervention of friendly states. Since 1848, when most despots trembled for their thrones, the war spirit has gained strength; and now it seems that all Europe is not sufficient to convince Russia, or the emperor, of his injustice, and to persuade him to lay aside his ambition; and he, the most tyrannical, the most arbitrary, and the most barbarous of the whole, disturbs us by his grasping and wily ambition; and appeals to arms to sustain his purpose. Truly it is to be lamented that such a man has so much power.

In this war, though we have not as a nation sought it, or hurriedly plunged into it, may we not too have a rebuke from providence for our national sins? We have had great prosperity; have our operatives and workpeople profited by it as they might? Have they not too often employed their increased earnings in riot and debauchery? Have we not as a whole abused the many blessings we have enjoyed, and, from the highest to the lowest, not cherished that spirit of gratitude to God for them

as we should have done. National sins are not simply the sins of our rulers, and of the great, they are the sins of our people; and to me, one of the most fearful things I see in this land, is the common practical infidelity, and neglect of religion, and contempt of God's word and ordinances, which prevails among a large portion of what are called "the industrial classes of the community." In spite of all that has been done for them, by Sunday Schools, by opening new places of worship, by the general acts of charity and kindness in the church of God, they have for many years past fallen into a lawless, Sabbath-strolling, and irreligious. community. While none will suffer more than they if the pressure of war and taxes should cripple our commerce, and render food and clothing difficult to obtain, none appear to me to present a sadder spectacle in their irreligion and impiety than they; and none more blight my hopes of a bright future for this land. May the Lord turn the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.

God reigns; and how far he may have permitted the calamity of war to come upon us for our national sins, it is impossible to say; but in this sense, as well as in all others, a state of war calls for sorrow and humiliation before him.

It is more than time that I turned to some more pleasing thoughts.

We are involved in a war, which to bring it to a successful issue, calls for great energy in our rulers, the highest valour and skill in our armies, which we hope in God they will display; but what are the sentiments which, next to sadness at this state of things, we should as christians cherish?

I do not think it is well to trouble our minds, as some do, about the prophecies which they suppose are being fulfilled. It enters generally into the nature of prophecy, that it is

not fully understood till after the event: and those, as a rule, who have pried most into futurity by professing to understand the unfulfilled prophecies, have often, in addition to deluding themselves, paralyzed their efforts in christian duty. Time would fail to give illustrations, or I could give many. "God reigns," and he will fulfil his will. The Ottoman power may retire, but who knows if it will not do so before the peaceful progress of the Gospel, among protected christians? No interpretation of prophecy is sufficient to justify our rulers in violating their engagements, and in delivering up Turkey, and all its christian people, to the tender mercies of the intolerant tyrant of the north.

The immediate duties which we owe to the world, as christian men, we are called on to discharge, irrespective of any prediction that may, or may not cover the event.

Nor is it well for us to cherish too confident a dependence on our own resources. We are a powerful nation. We have ships, colonies, commerce; we have a hardy, courageous, and a well-disciplined army. We have all the materiel of war in abundance. We have not for many years known defeat. Our hereditary prowess has not forsaken us. But we shall not do well to rely too confidently on these things. Apart from the fact that our foe is rich in men, and sends them by hordes to the slaughter, he has an army of our order, as well as calibre, not to be despised. The wise man says, "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; neither bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." An overweening confidence on the part of our army and navy might lead to their ruin; and on our part, would betoken a want of that knowledge of the past, and of

that regard to God, which are characteristics of every well-regulated mind.

Nor should we indulge in harsh judgments on our rulers, or on our armies and fleets. In a free country like ours, where every man, publicly and privately, has a recognized right to criticise the conduct of public men, there is great danger lest, in times of public excitement, this license should be carried too far. A temperate and proper use of this privilege, is often of great service to the authorities. They feel the public pulse, and know their own strength by this means. But some of the public papers seem to live by the complaints they are always making. Nothing is right for them. There is incapacity in the rulers; tardiness in the admirals; or a want of something in all. Let such scribblers themselves be put at the helm of affairs, either in the administration or the army, and they would soon prove how much more facile it is to make complaints than to do well.

On the whole, and especially with our present government, and army and navy, we have little to hope for improvement. Let us, and all the nation, as far as may be, give them our confidence in this hour of trial, and generally rest assured, that under that sense of responsibility which never leaves a British statesman, or a commander of our forces, they will do the best in their power to bring this unhappy conflict to a prosperous and peaceful issue. And let us be assured, as neither those in the field or on the seas, are novices in their fearful art; nor those in the cabinet children in the experience of government; that they know better than we do what is best to be done now; and that they will discharge their duty with all fidelity and skill.

In this conflict there are several sources of hope, a brief glance at which I will give before I conclude.