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The election of Dr. Benson to the Primacy of all England took place on Monday in Canterbury Cathedral, in accordance with the quaint ceremony which has been observed in electing each succeeding archbishop since the time of Henry VIII. The next step in the filling up of the Primacy will be his "confirmation," which is fixed for Saturday next, at Bow Church, Cheapside. The performance of that ceremony will render vacant the see of Truro, and complete Dr. Benson's election as Primate

of All England. It will then only remain for his lordship to be enthroned, which ceremony is fixed to take place in Canterbury Cathedral on March 29th. It is intended to give an official reception to Dr. Benson on the occasion of his arrival in Canterbury for enthronement. He will be received by the municipal authorities at the Town Hall, and the Town Clerk will read an address of welcome. Preaching at Truro the other day, Dr. Benson mentioned that he had that morning received an affectionate, brotherly letter from the Patriarch of the Syrian Christians, condoling with him on the departure of their dear friend and father the late Archbishop, and praying for his

successor.

The form which has at length been selected for the memorial to the late Archbishop of Canterbury (after providing for perhaps too many local memorials), will probably command general assent. The Tait Memorial Fund will be placed in the hands of the Archbishop for the time being, to be used at his discretion for home Mission work in London and elsewhere. This fund is aptly described by Mr. Beresford Hope as a kind of pocket-money of the Church of England for the increasing emergencies that may arise, but cannot be forecast. In presiding over the Mansion House meeting in support of the movement, Prince Leopold spoke of the national idea of an Archbishop of Canterbury as being likely for many

A motion for judgment was made in Chancery on Saturday in default of pleading in an action by the owners of the Tavistock Chapel against the Rev. Charles Gordon Cumming Dunbar. The plaintiffs obtained from Mr. Justice Chitty an interim ir junction to restrain the defendant, although regularly ordained as a clergyman of the Church of England, from officiating in the chapel, as he was not licensed by the Bishop, and therefore not a "regular clergyman of the Church of England" within the terms of the lease under which the chapel was held. No statement of defence had been delivered, and the time for its delivery had expired. The Colonial ex-Archdeacon who desires still to style himself as an Archdeacon, did not appear, but it was mentioned that he had written saying that he would appear and consent to a perpetual injunction, but without costs. Mr. Justice Chitty said that the plaintiffs were entitled, as a matter of course, to the relief claimed. The order would be for a perpetual injunction with costs.

social position of women, Miss Lydia Becker took occasion to say that she hoped the bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister, would never pass into law until women had looked into the matter, and made up their minds whether they would like it or not; and until they had insisted that it should be just and equal between husbands and wives, and between men and women. present it was grossly unequal, and if passed in its present shape would add a new degradation to women.

In a lecture at Manchester last week, on the legal and

At

A Civil List pension of £50 has been granted to Mrs. Haas, the widow of Dr. Ernest Max Haas, of the Printed Book Department of the British Museum. It has likewise been decided to charge upon the Civil List the pension (200) awarded to the widow of Professor Palmer.

On Monday, at the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, Sir Henry Rawlinson in the chair, a paper was read by Lieut.-Colonel Beresford Lovett, on "Route Surveys in the Elburz Mountains of North Persia;" and the chairman announced that Mr. Leigh Smith had presented £1,000 to the society, in recognition of the interest taken in his Polar Expedition, his experiences in which he had promised to recount at the next meeting.

The well-known Welsh musical composer and instructor, Mr. John Owen, "Owain Alaw," died at Chester last Tuesday.

OLDHAM STREET WESLEYAN CHAPEL, MANCHESTER.

FINAL SERVICES.

SERMON.

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"Thus saith the Lord; again there shall be heard in this place, which ye say shall be desolate without men and without beast, even in the man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, the voice of joy, and the voice gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts: for ood; for His mercy endureth for ever:' and of them that he sacrifice of praise into the House of the Lord."-Jeremiah

cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without

the Lord is shall bring xxxiii., 10, 1.

TWO

WO pictures are here skilfully sketched by the inspired prophet. The first is a picture of desolation, of cities deserted, of Jerusalem itself without inhabitant, and consequently of streets in which neither worshipping hosts, nor sacrificial offering, nor songs of Zion were known. The second picture is a perfect contrast to the first. It describes these same cities once more restored to their earlier glory, civil and religious rites again in full operation, voices of joy and gladness rending the air, and the house of God as formerly, when eager worshippers offered there; the sacrifice of praise.

The prophetic eye looked upon these scenes through no long era of time. At the very period when Jeremiah spoke from his prison, prefacing his announcement with the authoritative, "Thus saith the Lord," Jerusalem was being besieged, a hostile army was at her gates, and famine, captivity, or death, like grim spectres, confronted] the people. In a few short months at most, the end would come, when the "gold would become dim, the most fine gold would be changed, and the stones of the sanctuary would be poured out in the top of every street." When the march of events verified the prophetic forecast, and the bulwarks of the hitherto impregnable city were broken through,-Jerusalem taken, and the remnant carried captive into a strange land, truly the desolation was complete. Well might Jeremiah utter his affecting lamentation ! "How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people? How is she become as a widow? She that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary ?" "The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feast, all her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness."

It is significant, both of the uses of adversity, and of the compensations often accompanying trouble, that "Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction, and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old."

Recollections of past mercies certainly do tend to relieve the gloom into which the people of God may be plunged. They are our songs in the night. As memory carries us back to the brightness of bygone years, helping us in thought both to experience over again our vanished joys and bless ings, and to surround ourselves once more with all the pleasant things we had in the days of old,—is not a mighty

agency for good brought into activity, which, if rightly cherished, ought to inspire fresh courage and new hopes? And Jerusalem remembered! What a splendid past her people had to remember, a past full of goodness and mercy, a past in which the befriending hand of God could be distinctly traced. Even so far back as ask of the days that were past, which were before them, since the day that God had created man upon earth, and to ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there had been any such thing as that great thing which God had done for them" in making them his people! Many chapters had been added to their book of mercies since the death of Moses on lonely Nebo. Wealth, and honor, and influence, and national greatness had come to them as blessings direct from heaven. God, too, had made Himself a name and a habitation in their midst. Whatever else might be forgotten Jerusalem would remember her pleasant things connected with Mount Zion. It was beautiful for situation,-the joy of the whole Earth,the city of the great King,-the mountain of His holiness,God was known in her palaces for a refuge. Kings had assembled against her,--had passed by, they saw-they marvelled-they were troubled--they hastened away !—And before these pleasant things could be forgotten, memory her self must be dethroned.

The prophetic picture brings into view one discouraging feature of the situation. Among the people were some who were incredulous as to the future. They said "This place shall be desolate." The circumstances appeared to admit of no remedy. The glory was departed, and, as they believed, departed for ever. The cause which had brought about the national calamities had much to do with the national despondency. But judgment was tempered with mercy. A bow of promise appeared in the cloud. "Behold," said the Lord, "I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in Mine anger, and in My fury, and in My great wrath, and I will bring them again to this place, and I will cause them to dwell in safety; and they shall be My people and I will be their God."

Thus it was to be and thus it came to pass. Many of those who went into captivity lived to take part in the restoration of Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple. They had become "chief of the fathers "-and were ancient men that had seen the first house, and "when the foundation of the second house was laid before their eyes, they wept with a loud voice, and many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off." Who can wonder at this mingling of tears and praise? Contrast could hardly be greater than that existing between the two houses. The first was built in splendour,--when the political horizon was cloudless, and the national wealth without limit. As a structure it was the pride of every Jew, and the envy of surrounding nations. Adorned with surpassing magnificence,-built of the costliest materials,—and furnished with vessels of priceless value, perhaps it was impossible for imagination in its highest flights to conceive anything that could surpass the actual grandeur of that house. But the second house was built under conditions vastly dif