in the pulpit there, I saw the sky through the roof, and the floor was without boards or stones. Our cause was hindered by this state of things, and some refused to attend, supposing that the building was unsafe. Mr. Hewitson, my late colleague, worked hard in obtaining contributions, and the people, considering their very limited means, did nobly. The chapel has been well roofed, has now a boarded floor, and is what is pronounced comfortable. There were not any sittings let before the repairs, but at present nearly all the seats are taken. Our cause was never more encouraging. I spent a Sabbath there with much satisfaction, and witnessed the convincing and converting power of God in the congregations. All the brethren in these islands are hearty in their work, and are showing a deep concern to promote the salvation of their hearers. There are more religious denominations here now than formerly, and diligent efforts are made to benefit the people; but, amidst all, the Methodists have reason to expect a prosperous year.

7. DUNROSSNESS.-From the Rev. R. Daw. September 30th, 1865. At Burra Isle, to which I called your attention in my last letter, the good work is still advancing. All who were then admitted into class are doing well, and when there last month I found additional penitents earnestly seeking the Lord, of whom about fourteen joined the Society. We have many cheering tokens. I have never met the classes with so much pleasure and satisfaction as I have this quarter. I hope to have

encouraging news to report in my next communication.

8. WALLS. From the Rev. W. J. Cooke, -October 18th, 1865.-Our work here is in a healthy condition. Several persons have just been received on trial, and those who were admitted some time since manifest a thorough determination to live so as to glorify God. During the last six months ten of our members have exchanged mortality for life, one of them the leader of our class at Sand. He was a young man who manifestly enjoyed religion, and exhibited great patience in much affliction; recovering some strength, he attempted in the summer to do a little in a home fishing sloop. He often gathered the crew together, and endeavoured to impress them with the importance of religion. He, however, like so many of these islanders, found a watery grave, being washed overboard during a stormy night.-I have now twenty-four in my Bibleclass.

9. UNST. From the Rev. James Johrson.-October 18th, 1865. There is still great need of Methodism in these islands, and it gives me much pain that, owing to the very wide area over which our Societies are scattered, our efforts are not more successful. But for the zealous and efficient assistance of our young men and of our class-leaders, we should quickly languish, if not break down altogether. We pray and hope for an increased number of earnest labourers among this interesting population. Meanwhile we must work and wait.

As our Methodist work in IRELAND is aided by an annual Grant from the Home-Mission and Contingent Fund, the following extracts from the recently published Report of the "CIRCUIT AID AND CONTINGENT FUND," for IRELAND, will interest the friends of Home Missions in other parts of the United Kingdom. The work of Methodism in Ireland is still, to a large extent, Missionary in its character, and is laboriously and faithfully pursued, amidst great difficulties and varied opposition and discouragements :

"It is to be deplored that many of our Ministers on the dependent Circuits are, with their families, still obliged to suffer privation and hardship, because

their income falls far short of the very moderate scale of stipend already adopted by the Conference. For the year ending June, 1864, though a sum of £1,366. 15s. 9d. was raised by annual and special subscriptions and by congregational collections in aid of the Circuit funds, and a further suru of £384. 178. 7d. for the same purpose by means of lectures, &c., yet there was a deficiency in the stipends of the Ministers stationed on those Circuits of upwards of £400; and there is reason to believe that the returns for the year now ending will not show any improvement in these particulars. This deficiency occurred exclusively in the sti pends of twenty-seven married and seven

prosperity, war had broken out between the Basutos and the Boers of the Free State, and the country was now ruined, and the converted Basutos scattered amongst their heathen brethren. The churches had been spared, but the buildings of the native Christians were destroyed. He had come to England to have an interview, if possible, with the Colonial Secretary, and he hoped they would succeed in preventing the Boers and natives from destroying themselves, and sinking into irreparable ruin. He hoped the meeting would pray with him, that peace might be restored, and that Great Britain, like a mother, would have pity on these children, and not allow it to be said that wherever the white race appeared the black race was doomed to perish.

OBSERVANCE OF THE LORD'S DAY IN GERMANY.-A correspondent of Evangelical Christendom says:-I am very happy to be able to begin my correspondence from this place by telling you of an address which has recently been circulated among the proprietors of estates, in order to obtain for agricultural labourers more opportunity to keep holy the Lord's day. The address speaks of the great estrangement of the people from God's Word, and reminds those who are masters over many of their great responsibility, and of the necessity of bringing the people more within the reach of that Word. "It is not enough," says the address, "to give them a few hours for Divine service, but we must give them the whole Sunday. The Sunday is the day which God sanctified, and appointed for rest from toil. If we want the labourers to respect God's commandments, they must see that their masters are also thoroughly in earnest. If the master himself sins against the fourth commandment, he cannot be astonished if those subjected to his authority take little heed of the other commandments; as, for instance, the eighth. We well know that it is not easy to overcome prejudices and habits which have taken root among a whole class of men: but the consciousness of our own shortcomings, and the great responsibility reating on us, must not only give us the will, but also the courage, to overcome these difficulties. It is not possible to give general rules, as the circumstances in different places are so very different; but with true love and earnest fidelity we shall easily find the way and the means." The address is signed by sixty-four proprietors of great

estates. We find among them the best names of our nobility-men known for their personal piety, also men holding high political offices, such as Count Stolberg, the President of our House of Lords, and Count Itzenplitz, our Minister for Trade.

But it is not only this which makes the address remarkable. It is a decided progress, even compared with the view which many faithful Christians take about the Sunday. What I think most important, however, is, that in this address a number of Christian laymen stand up publicly for the Lord's cause, in a way, they never did before.

GERMANY. CLOSING OF SECULAR SUNDAY-SCHOOLS.-An important measure, bearing on the Lord's day, has been adopted by our Government. There exist here so-called Sunday. schools, (not to be confounded with the Christian Sunday-schools, which are a great blessing here as in England,) in which young men, who are apprenticed before their schooling is completed, find an opportunity of continuing their edu cation by attending classes which are held on Sunday morning during Divine service. By a decree of our Minister for Public Worship and Education, recently published, these classes, which gave offence to all earnest Christians, are forbidden, and must be closed at latest by the 1st of April, 1866.

GERMANY. GENERAL METHODIST CONFERENCE. By the report which has just been published, we see that the tenth annual Missionary Conference of the Episcopal Methodist Church of Germany and Switzerland has taken place in Bremen, in June last. Besi les Bishop Janes, nineteen clergymen were present. The church counts at present 3,465 full members, six hundred and thirteen more than the year before. They are divided into six districts -1. The district of Bremen, with Bremer, Brake, and Delmenhorst; 2. The dis trict of Oldenburg, with Oldenburg, Hamburg, and Flensburg; 3. The Eastern district, with Berlin, Pomerania, and Saxony; 4. The Southern district, with Ludwigsburg, Carlsruhe, and Frankfort-on-Maine; 5. The Eastern Swiss district; 6. The Western Swiss district.

TURKEY.-The news from Turkey is

of a highly interesting nature. The Sultan has directed the Koran to be translated into the Turkish language,

and to be printed, so that every educated Turk may read it for himself in his own language. This is the first

time that the sacred book of the Mussulman has been put into the hands of its believers in any other form than its native Arabic; and the translation is regarded by many strict Mohammedans as near akin to impiety. But, extraordinary as the act is, the reason assigned for it is no less so. It appears that to all remonstrances upon the subject, the Minister of the Sultan has replied that Christians are placing their sacred books, translated into the Turkish language, in the hands of the Turks; and that it has become absolutely necessary as a measure of self-defence that the faithful should be fortified against the New Testament by being able to read their own book, the Koran. Christians, we are sure, will desire nothing better than that the two volumes should thus be brought into close contact in the minds of the population. Stepan Effendi, who, as official agent for the Protestant community, did them more harm than good, is dead; and a successor has been appointed, who, it is expected, will give satisfaction.

was

INDIA. The introduction of the Gospel into Cashmere is greatly op posed both by the native rulers and the people. No European is allowed to remain in that country throughout the year; but it has been visited, for several summers, by the Church Missionaries. When their object became known, it was with difficulty, and at some personal peril, that one of them, on entering the capital, obtained shelter in a house which he had bought and paid for; it was, in fact, threatened with destruction by a fanatical mob. In the summer of last year the first convert - Mohammed Hussan baptized. While yet an inquirer he was not only cast off by his family, but twice imprisoned by the Cashmere Government; on the second occasion thrown into a dungeon, treated like a murderer, and so heavily fettered, that he was unable to rise from the ground for three days. He remained steadfast, however, and was released by the interference of the British agent. Another young Mohammedan, who heard the Gospel last year for the first time, became so interested, that he accompanied the Missionary part of the way on his homeward journey. He was pursued, however, and overtaken.

The soldiers violently beat him, and

having pinioned his hands behind him, led him off to prison. On being brought into the principal court, he was asked if he had accompanied the Missionary party of his own free will. His answer was in the affirmative; and he further stated that he had gone to hear about the Christian religion. He was then sent back to prison, and four days afterwards he was sentenced to be publicly whipped. This shameful treatment accordingly took place, in the presence of a great crowd of witnesses. Meanwhile, news was forwarded to Jummoo, and an order was sent back from the chief Government that he should be imprisoned for three months. He was, therefore, put in chains, and confined until the term was expired. His two brothers, then, at the order of Government, pledged themselves, in writing, to employ every means in their power to prevent his going in future to the Missionaries. The man, however, is evidently in earnest, and has gone to them, in the face of the bitterest persecution.-Evangelical Christendom.

CHINA. Reinforcements are greatly needed by the various Chinese Missions. The work at Canton in connexion with the Methodists languishes, in conse quence of the Missionaries having been reduced from six to two. The Baptists were lately contemplating the abandonment of their field of labour in China. All the Missions, whether British or American, are tried by the want of men or means. The work in Amoy, however, continues to prosper. During the six months last reported, there was an addition of thirty-three members to the native churches associated with the London Mission, which gives a total of more than eight hundred Chinese Christians in connexion with the several Societies labouring there.

New ground has been broken by the Rev. G. Smith, of the English Presbyterian Mission, at the town KwayT-ham, three days' journey from Swatow. Mr. Smith describes that place as a stronghold of Romanism, adding that it is fearful to contemplate the vast array of agents which the Church of Rome has at work all over China. "Their success," he goes on to say, "is also very great. It is one of the most formidable facts with which Protestant Missions have to grapple. The self-denial, patience, energy, laboriousness of Romish Missionaries are fitted to make one blush. A few Missionaries, settled down, mostly with

families, at the treaty ports, are no match for men who live and labour among the native population, all throughout the interior." Mr. Smith's preaching at Kway-T-ham at first excited

opposition; but this afterwards subsided, and a favourable impression appears to have been made upon some portion of the population.—Ibid.

MR. HOLMES was born at Mill-shaw, Beeston, near Leeds, on the 17th of December, 1789. His parents were zealous and attached Methodists. His father laboured to do good as a Local preacher; and his mother, in her own domestic sphere, shed the light of holiness, steadily and brightly, on all around her. Both finished their course in the year 1810, and both "died in faith." Their son Thomas had from early life the "fear of God before his eyes," and was strictly moral in his outward deport

ment.

When at school, he evinced a great thirst for knowledge, applied himself diligently to study, and distinguished himself by his good conduct, and rapid progress in learning. On leaving school, he became a teacher in the establishment of Mr. Sigston, of Leeds. It is probable that while there he began to meet in class. On the 25th of February, 1807, he was on a visit to his father's house. It was the day for the Methodist quarterly fast; he attended the prayer-meeting, and became deeply convinced of sin. His distress was 80 great, that he withdrew from company, shut himself up in his room, and, in the tears, confessions, and prayers of the prodigal, sought the mercy of God his Father; while he was praying the way of salvation opened to his mind, he apprehended Christ his Saviour, his load of sin was taken away, and his heart filled with peace and joy. He did not know the nature of the blessing which he had obtained; but his pious father, on hearing his statement, assured him it was a gracious manifestation of God to his soul in pardoning and adopt ing love, and exhorted him to cleave to the Lord with all his heart. The fact that he was indeed "accepted in the Beloved," was abundantly confirmed to him in his subsequent communion with God through Christ, and was held clearly and steadily to the end of his life. His letters, written at this time to his parents and other friends, show that he was anxious to secure the salvation of his own soul, and, if possible, the salvation of those about him. His "longing

heart was all on fire, to be dissolved in love." During the ardour of his first love he became a resident at Bradford, and his letters to his family from that town show a zealous interest in the work of God; he speaks with delight of souls finding mercy, and of an expected revival, and states, "I never pray for myself but I remember you, and all my dear friends at Churwell. It makes me thankful and happy to think that we are all joined to the Methodist Society, and desire to save our souls."

At the Conference of 1807 the Rev. John Gaulter was appointed to Bradford. As no Sabbath-school then existed in that town he determined to establish one. Mr. Holmes, and his intimate friend the late Rev. Joseph Fowler, entered very heartily into this work. The vestry of the Octagon chapel was used at first, but soon became too small. A large room was then placed at their service by Mr. Fawcett, and here thirteen hundred children, in a short time, were gathered for instruction. Mr. Holmes took charge of a senior class of boys, and had the happiness to see many of them become truly converted. One entered the Wesleyan ministry, and is still labouring usefully and acceptably in that sacred calling.

In deep solicitude for his spiritual advancement, Mr. Holmes, before he was nineteen years old, wrote a form of self-dedication to God; (chiefly extracted from Doddridge's "Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul;") this he preserved, and read over, prayerfully, once every month, to the end of his life. He commenced also a diary, which breathes the spirit of earnest longing for God, of deep self-abasement because of unfaithfulness and sin, and devout gratitude for the abundant mercy of God. The faithful pages of that private record beautifully disclose his deepening views of spiritual things, his growing humility, and his adoring grateful joy in God through Christ.

In 1809 Mr. Holmes was appointed to meet a class. He was not twenty years of age, but he had had a good