'convince them by His Word,' that He is Lord of lords and King of kings' (A.R. 743). That is the promise and encouragement for not despairing of this, the French nation, and for steady action with firm confidence in the final result.

For the present, I have some hope in the help of a travelling workman, a missionary colporteur,' who was already a messenger for bringing the good tidings of the new era to some persons in widely different parts and centres in the country, who informs me of them and their states, so that we can feed them with spiritual food as experience shews it to be fitted to their needs. That is the best I can at present communicate to you and for our New Church friends in England and abroad.

Believe me, dear Sir and revered friend, yours truly, AUG. HARLE.

LINCOLNSHIRE.-Colportage and Annual Meeting of the New Church Association. We are glad to state that in this county an attempt has been set on foot to employ this method of spreading the New Church doctrines. "

Early in the present year an offer was made by Mr. Bellamy, a member of the Horncastle Society, to devote his time to the sale of New Church works in Horncastle and in the surrounding district, on condition of being guaranteed 8s. per week, and a commission on his sales. His proposal was submitted to the Missionary and Tract Society's Committee, who at once offered to pay 4s. weekly, for three months; the remainder being met by the Lincolnshire Association. These terms were gratefully accepted, and Mr. Bellamy commenced his labours on March 27th, and has continued them till the present time. His sales have constantly increased in amount, and in the quality of the works purchased. During the first quarter they amounted to £5, 18s. 7d., and, during the seven weeks since, £5, 3s. 5d. worth have been sold. About sixty villages have been visited, and everywhere, the colporteur states, those who have bought from him welcome him again. Towards the purchase of the necessary stock, the following subscriptions were received: Mrs. Bogg, £1, 11s. 6d. ; A friend, 5s.; Mr. T. W. Bogg, £3, 10s. At the close of the first quarter's engagement, the salary

of the colporteur having been found inadequate, a donation of £2, 10s. was made to him by the Tract Society and the Association jointly, and the Tract Society generously offered to guarantee 8s. per week, on condition that the Association undertook not to let Mr. Bellamy's income be less than 15s. weekly, including commission; an offer which the Committee of the Association gladly accepted. As the Lincolnshire Association have therefore rendered themselves responsible for the payment of a colporteur, they will be obliged, unless additional subscriptions are received, to curtail their expenditure for lectures, &c., and thus places not in the neighbourhood of Horncastle will fail to have the New Church doctrines presented for their acceptance, at least to the extent that is desirable; the Association appeals therefore to the Church at large to grant its generous support, that instead of diminishing their efforts they may be able to extend their activities throughout Lincolnshire, and into the neighbouring counties. Subscriptions or donations will be gladly received by Mr. T. W. Bogg, Louth, Secretary to the Association.

On the 18th of August the Associa tion held its annual meeting under the presidency of R. Gunton, Esq., to whose kindness in being present, at great inconvenience to himself, the Association is much indebted. The attendance was small, owing to the unavoidable absence of several. Mr. J. S. Bogg resigned the secretaryship owing to ill health, and was elected president for the ensuing year, Mr. T. W. Bogg being chosen secretary. The operations of the Association in furthering lectures at Horncastle have already been recorded in the pages of the Repository. The income for the past year has been £15, 10s. 6d., of which 31s. 6d. has been paid for the railway advertising board, £6 for lectures, £2, 14s. for colportage, £2, 2s. for tracts, &c., &c. £2, 2s. was due to the treasurer from last year. It was decided to continue the adver tising board, and to have lectures at Spalding and Horncastle, which, by the generous aid of the Missionary and Tract Society, it is hoped will shortly be delivered.

BLACKBURN. The anniversary of the Sunday school connected with the New

Church Society at this town took place on Sunday, September 10th, when the Rev. J. Presland, of Derby, preached two sermons, and addressed the scholars, teachers, and friends. The scholars' service was held in the morning, and the subject of the address was "The Word of God," which the rev. gentleman treated in well-chosen language, suited to youthful minds, showing it was our spiritual light, the breaker of our bondage, and our deliverer; that it was our spiritual meat and drink, our cleanser from spiritual defilements, a weapon for our defence, and, lastly, that it was seed to be sown in our minds, which would bear fruit to eternity. In the afternoon his subject was "The taking of Jesus into Egypt' (Matt. ii. 13-15). He graphically sketched the character of Herod and the terrible destruction of the innocents, and showed that the state at that time was one in which virtue and innocence were destroyed in the human mind and external character. The Great Restorer of these had to take refuge for a time in Egypt. He showed that Egypt signified external knowledges, and that when the Lord's life first stirs within us it must come down from principle and sentiment into words and actions in our daily lives; that the Lord must at first live in our Egypt before He can deliver our higher nature from spiritnal bondage, and restore it to the image and likeness of God.-In the evening his discourse was from Isaiah : "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children (liv. 13). He said the Church was beautifully compared in the Scriptures to a mother, whose children we were. In one way or other children would be taught: their nature was to learn. The kind of knowledge acquired in youth was of vital importance, because youthful impressions greatly biassed after life. How important that all should be taught of the Lord! How essential it was that the Church should co-operate with the Lord in the great work of instructing the rising generation. He urged upon his hearers the duty of their particular Church, who believed in the heavenly truths vouchsafed to them in this new age, who saw the dawn of a coming day that should flood the world with light, to do their duty to their little ones,

SALFORD.-The society here has just been favoured with a visit from Mr. J. D. Smithson, who is at present studying for the ministry in the New Church College, London. Mr. Smithson preached in the Temple on two successive Sundays in August, and his discourses were listened to with great pleasure, not only by the Salford Society but by many friends from Peter Street, Manchester, where his respected father laboured so long and so usefully. It is encouraging to hope that a name held in affectionate remembrance by most members of the New Church should continue to be associated with useful labour in the same cause. another correspondent we learn that on the 26th of August Mr. Smithson visited Liverpool, and preached to the society morning and evening. His discourses were impressive, and his tone of mind and delivery such as to encourage the hope of his future usefulness in the Church.

From

SALISBURY.-The Rev. J. R. Hib. bard, D. D., minister of the New Church at Chicago, in the United States of America, being engaged on a tour for the benefit of his health, made a stay of several days at Salisbury, and whilst there, kindly preached on two occasions at the New Church place of assembly. The subjects, which were, on Sunday August 20, "Coming to Jesus-the true Evangelical view of it;" and on the 27th, The Ten Commandments, and the Ten Blessings Compared," were duly advertised, and at each of the services there was present an audience of about 200 hearers, amongst whom were two or three local preachers connected with dissenting congregations. The editor of the Salisbury Journal, the leading newspaper of the locality, was also present on both occasions. All listened to the truths propounded with the profoundest attention, and many heart-cheering remarks were afterwards heard appreciating the views advanced. We understand that an

exchange of Sunday duties is arranged to take place on September 24, between Mr. Dyke and Mr. Marsden of Snodland, which exchange, we have no doubt, will prove beneficial and cheering to the members of both societies.

Obituary.

Removed, on the 15th of April, 1871, from the natural to a spiritual state of existence, Robert Shepherd, aged 71 years. He was a native of England. He removed with his family from that country to seek a home in this country in the year 1849. He settled down in the city of Lowell, Mass., where he resided to the day of his decease. Immediately after his arrival in the city, he sought out the New Church Society, and regularly attended their humble worship, and became closely attached to them in true friendship, as a worthy member of that Society for many years. I have personally been acquainted with him for more than fifty years, and during that period I can truly say that I invariably found him to be a sober, industrious, and upright man. He became acquainted with the heavenly doctrines of the New Church about the year 1820. He soon became an ardent admirer of the glorious truths offered to his acceptance, and a devout reader of the writings of Swedenborg. He possessed a very humble education, but had a good and retentive memory, and soon acquired a very good knowledge of the doctrines of the Church from his diligent and careful reading of them. He soon joined the Society then existing in the small village of Ramsbottom, Lancashire, where he resided, and became a teacher in the Sabbath School attached to the Society, faithfully per forming his duty to the satisfaction of his co-labourers until his removal to this country. But he is now called to a higher state of existence, where his uses will be continued and extended, and where he will be welcomed with the salutation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of Lord." Let us hope that his children who deplore his loss will

resolve to go and do likewise.—From the Messenger.

On the 8th of August last, at Farnworth, in the forty-sixth year of his age, William Partington was removed into the spiritual world. The deceased was brought up in connection with the Kearsley Sunday School and Church, to which he remained attached, although ill-health prevented his regular attend. ance at the services. Though longailing, his removal was somewhat sudden. The departure of his son, whose obituary recently appeared, greatly affected him; but it was little expected that he would follow him within six weeks; such however was the case. There is however the consolation for the survivors, that he has been called to rejoin one he loved so well.

At Timperley, Cheshire, August 25, David Mills, Esq., in the sixty-second year of his age. In early life Mr. Mills was actively connected with the New Church Society at Heywood, where for many years he officiated on each alternate Sabbath as honorary organist. His removal to another part of the country separated him from direct New Church Associations, but did not destroy his interest in the truth. With the advance of life his mind took a deep and thoughtful view of his early convictions, and he found in them increased mental satisfaction and spiritual comfort. He sustained a most painful bodily affliction with fortitude, and looked forward with hope to the time of his release. His life had been actively devoted to the promotion of the leading political movements of his time, especially of such as were, in his judgment, calculated to elevate and improve the condition of the labouring population. He was one of the most earnest promoters of the Acts of Parliament for shortening the hours of labour and extending the range of our popular education. His labours in con⚫ nection with these movements brought him into connection with many eminent men, and made him extensively known and generally esteemed. In all his labours, he assured the writer of these lines, he was influenced by the purest motives, his one desire being to see the great body of the people growing in knowledge and virtue.