estate have been brought to a happy and successful termination. On Sunday, December 16th, 1866, the Rev. T. Hill preached in the morning, and the Rev. W. Willan in the evening. The congregations were good and the collections satisfactory. On Sunday, December 23rd, the Rev. E. Jones (Wesleyan Superintendent) delivered an excellent discourse; and in the evening the Rev. S. Hulme (President of Conference) preached an eloquent, powerful, and heart-searching sermon. The collections amounted to the handsome sum of £110 5s. 34d. After service the preacher requested the officers and members of the church to remain, to whom he delivered an affectionate and earnest address. A gracious influence pervaded the meeting, and, as bread cast upon the waters, it will be found after many days.

On the 26th of December the annual bazaar was opened in the school-room, under the superintendence of Mrs. Blackburn, the estimable lady of Alderman Blackburn, Esq., to whose indefatigable labours and untiring zeal we are indebted for more than ordinary success. The sale continued the two following days, and realized the sum of £165 16s. 11d.; making a grand total of £276 2s. 24d.

While we are grateful to the Great Head of the Church for the success with which he has crowned our efforts, we deplore the absence of abundant spiritual prosperity; but we fervently indulge the hope, and earnestly pray, that the set time to favour Zion may speedily come.

MEMORIAL STONE,

OAKEN GATES.

ON Monday, November 19th, the memorial stone of a new chapel was laid in Commercial Street, Oaken Gates, Salop, by A. Pilling, Esq., of Bolton.

The Revs. L. Saxton, of Oldbury, and J. Harker, circuit minister, Dawley, took part in the service. Mr. W. Heaford, of Madeley, presented a beautiful trowel and mallet to Mr. Pilling. A bottle, containing the rules of the Methodist New Connexion, a plan of the circuit, a bill announcing the service of the day, and a list of trustees, was placed in a cavity of the stone; after which, Mr. Pilling delivered a powerful address to a large and attentive audience. One pleasing feature of

the day was that 100 boys and girls were present, from various parts of the circuit, to lay a shilling each on the stone, and it was delightful to see the little ones so interested in such an important work. The amount realized upon the ground was £63. This was noble. Tea was provided in the Baptist chapel, kindly lent for the occasion. After the tables were removed, an interesting meeting was held, presided over by W. Heaford, Esq., of Madeley, and addresses delivered by the Revs. L. Saxton, of Oldbury, J. Bate, of Shrewsbury, J. Harker, of Dawley, and Mr. G. Powis, of Lawley Bank.

The friends from the various parts of the circuit were delighted to see their late and beloved minister, the Rev. L. Saxton.

The chapel is intended to seat more than 200 people, at a cost of about £400.

As it will be built in the centre of a large and increasing population, and will be for the spiritual good of the town, it is earnestly hoped the project will have the hearty co-operation and liberal support of the Connexion.

Donations will be thankfully received by the Rev. J. Harker, Pool Hill, Dawley; Mr. G. Powis, Lawley Bank; and Mr. W. Heaford, Madeley.

SOUTH SHIELDS CHRISTMAS TREE.

THE friends of Zion Chapel have just brought to a successful issue a great effort for the extinction of the society's debt. Last year the ladies secured several necessary improvements in the chapel and vestry by means of a bazaar, which realized upwards of £60. This year they undertook a similar work on behalf of the society, and have realized £70. This noble conduct of the ladies bas produced various gratifying results. (1) It has found work for many hands and many minds; (2) it has developed skill and enterprise; (3) it has infused a spirit of union and hope; (4) and it has placed the society in comfortable circumstances. All honour to the ladies. H. MARSDEN. South Shields, Jan. 3rd, 1867.

RESOLUTION OF THE HULL QUARTERLY MEETING. IN the judgment of this meeting, it is considered undesirable to continue the practice of making arrangements

privately by writing, and otherwise, for a change of ministers so long before Conference, believing that this practice interferes with the legitimate duties of the Stationing Committee.

And this meeting pledges itself by prayer and supplication to ask the aid and guidance of the Divine Being, believing that these means will be more in harmony with the spirit of our holy religion, and more conducive to the well-being of the Church.

J. STATHER, Circuit Steward.

GUERNSEY ANNUAL BAZAAR. THE ladies in this circuit, or rather a few of them, held their bazaar on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of January, and realized £145; this, when compared to some bazaars held in England, may look but a small sum; but it must not be forgotten that ours is an annual effort, and has been so for upwards of thirty years. As usual, £100 has been

given to the trustees of St. Paul's Chapel, to reduce the debt thereon; the remainder, after paying the expenses (some £8) of the bazaar, was handed over to the circuit steward in reduction of the circuit debt. The circuit debt, by-the-by, will soon be a thing of the past, and, for the future, a thing unknown in Guernsey, the weekly offering system having been adopted and worked here for the two last months with perfect success.

B. COLLENETTE, M.D.,
Secretary to the Bazaar
Committee.

MOSELEY STREET CHAPEL,

BIRMINGHAM.

OUR good friends at Moseley Street have honoured themselves by raising, by means of a Christmas-tree, the Ladies' Sewing-meeting, and a teameeting (the provisions being given by Mr. E. Jones), the sum of £43 1s. 9d., which, with sums contributed before, make a total of £150, for the improvement of the chapel. The improvements are indeed very satisfactory, and the friends have done themselves honour by their contribution. May God bless them with great prosperity.

PRESENTATION TO A MIS

SIONARY'S MOTHER. PREVIOUS to the departure of the Rev. W. D. A. Thompson as mis

sionary to China, a skilled photographer in Stockport took a life-size likeness of our beloved brother. A few friends resolved to purchase the work as a memorial of affection, but the question was raised by not a few, "Whose shall it be? who has the highest claim to its possession?" An answer was soon forthcoming: "Who could prize it more than the missionary's mother? Who would appreciate the gift more than she who had so freely given her only son to China?" This decided the matter. The purchase was made, and presented by the writer, in the name of the subscribers, to Mrs. Thompson, accompanied by the prayer of the donors that the pain of separation from a beloved son may be soothed by the fact that that son is a herald of the Cross, and is successfully labouring to bring many heathen of the Celestial Empire to the feet of Jesus. May the parents and children of our Israel often remember in sympathy and prayer our missionaries and their mothers. W. J. WALLACE.

Stockport, December, 1866.

PRESENTATION.

ON Saturday evening, November 10th, the teachers, elder scholars, and friends of our Sabbath-school at Whitefield met in the school-room for the purpose of taking tea with their highlyesteemed friends, Mr. and Mrs. James Smith, who, by the providence of God, had removed to Heywood, and to make a presentation to Mr. Smith, who had been engaged among them as a faithful and laborious Sabbath-school teacher, and the leader of the singing in our preaching services. The writer was voted to the chair, who, at the close of his remarks, tendered to Mr. Smith the tokens of esteem in which he was held, which consisted of an elegant copy of our Hymn Book (pulpit size) and a handsomely-bound copy of Scott and Henry's Commentary, each bearing the following inscription in coloured ornamental letters:- "Presented to Mr. James Smith, as a token of respect, by the Teachers and Scholars of the Methodist New Connexion Sunday School, Whitefield, November 10th, 1866." Mr. Smith, in an appropriate address, acknowledged the gift, and exhorted the young friends to secure a

saving interest in the Saviour, so that at length he might meet them all in heaven. Short addresses were afterwards given by Messrs. Hill, Holt, L. Smith (Wesleyan), Ecclesoll, and Weatherhead, interspersed with hymns and recitations. After the usual votes of thanks, the Doxology and benediction terminated one of the happiest meetings held by our dear friends at Whitefield. W. J. FENNELL.

Our excellent friend, Mr. Ferdinand

Jackson, of Macclesfield, sends £5 as an additional subscription to the mission, remarking: "At the last Conference I promised an additional £5 to the mission. I now enclose it; and really we may take courage now that the Holy Spirit's influence is so wonderfully manifested on our Chinese Mission. It is, indeed, cheering to read the report in the January magazine." We respectfully refer our readers to the article on "China for Christ," page

105.

GEORGE BINGHAM. GEORGE BINGHAM was born in Sheffield, on the 10th of May, 1775. His parents were not religious, and, consequently, neglected the important duty of setting before their children a pious example.

At a suitable age he was bound apprentice to a Mr. Thomas Tillotson, one of the first table-knife manufacturers in Sheffield. During his apprenticeship, several accidents placed his life in jeopardy, but a gracious Providence preserved him. When fifteen or seventeen years of age, he was deeply convinced of sin. His concern for his soul led him to the Wesleyan Chapel, Norfolk Street. In those days of earnest Methodism, there was preaching at five o'clock in the morning; at that early hour numbers might be seen wending their way to the house of prayer; before they resumed the secular labours of the day they waited on God to renew their spiritual strength. Among those anxious for salvation was George Bingham. He sought the Lord with tears and prayers. "What must I do to be saved?" was the question that occupied his mind by day and by night. His sincerity was evidenced by shunning wicked company, and a frequent attendance on the means of grace, yet finding no relief to his troubled spirit. It would have been of great advantage to him if he had opened his mind to some Christian friend, or if he had gone to a Methodist class-meeting, where he would soon have learnt the way of salvation, and been brought into

the liberty of God's children. This privilege, however, he did not enjoy. Discouraged by not realizing the blessing of pardon and peace, he fell again into sin, and for several years remained without Christ. But the Spirit did not cease striving with him. After repeated attempts to save himself, he took up the words of the poet, as expressing his own determination

"The way the holy prophets went, The road that leads from banishment, The King's highway of holiness,

I'll go for all his paths are peace." It was not, however, till 1797 that he could fully rejoice in God's salvation. On Easter Sunday morning, in that year, at a band-meeting held in a private house in Broad Lane, at six o'clock in the morning, his burden was removed, and his soul made unspeakably happy. So overflowing was his joy that he wondered why all good people di not praise God as loudly as himself.

Having found the pearl of great price, he felt he had an inestimable treasure, all the more precious because he had long sought it carefully with tears. He then began to speak of this happiness to others, urging them to believe to the saving of the soul. He also saw the necessity of classmeetings. As his exultant joy somewhat abated, and strong temptations assailed him, he sought communion with those who were similarly exercised themselves. In this communion he understood more fully the character of Satan's devices, the dangerous allurements of the world,

the sinful propensities of the flesh, and the way to obtain the victory over all. From the experience of others he learned important lessons for himself. In the class-meeting he gathered strength to meet opposing influences, to overcome temptations, to bear persecutions, and to endure a variety of trials. Here, when harassed with doubts, and almost ready to cast away his confidence, he was blessed with a renewed sense of the Divine favour. The fellowship of saints brought him into closer fellowship with God. The lovefeasts, both in town and country, he attended frequently, and they were wells of salvation to his soul. He also occasionally went with the local preachers to the neighbouring villages to break up fresh ground, to form new societies, and though persecution was his lot, he rejoiced that he was counted worthy to suffer reproach for Christ.

Being one among the first members of our Connexion in Sheffield, our brother held on his way for near seventy years. Some excellent traits in his character are presented in the following communications from those who were intimately acquainted with him. The Rev. J. Flather remarks: "Mr. Bingham was one of those disciples of the Saviour who inspire affection and confidence by the upright and cheerful deportment they maintain in all the relations of life. There was nothing in him to dazzle the world or to excite a painful sense of inferiority in those with whom he was associated. There was not the slightest approach to assumption in his bearing or conversation. The impression produced on the most casual observer, who had sufficient opportunity to form an opinion of him at all, was that he desired in all things to serve the Lord Jesus Christ with a constant reference to his final account. This sprang from no morbid dread of internal misery, but from a grateful sense of the love God had shown to him, and from the sweet hope he had of meeting the Saviour in heaven. Faith in the mercy of God, gratitude for his redeeming love, and a lively prospect of eternal life, seemed to blend in the

habitual state of his mind, making him a humble, earnest, consistent, and joyful Christian. His piety

bore a close resemblance to what is recorded of Nathanael in all respects, and it might be said of him, as truly as of Nathaniel, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.' He never hesitated to speak of Christ in the presence of others. Some thought he spoke occasionally out of season,' but even they were constrained to acknowledge that this proceeded from a heart overflowing with a feeling of the Divine goodness and joy in the Holy Ghost, that would not permit him to be silent. He was of the true salt of the earth, that always kept its savour. He presented a thorough exemplification of the transforming power of the grace of God. I believe he was the oldest Methodist in this locality, and was the last survivor of those who were members of society in Sheffield at the formation of the New Connexion in 1797; and assuredly Methodism might justly glorify God in him. I thus speak of the kind-hearted, sainted George Bingham. He would have been the last to apply the words to himself, but as one who knew him intimately I apply them to him. Be ye followers of him as he was of Christ."

The following is from the pen of the Rev. D. Round:-"I must confess that, during my residence in Sheffield, I felt great interest in the late highly-respected Mr. Bingham. He was, indeed, an interesting man, and in earlier days he must have been an engaging and valuable companion. My visits were as profitable to me as they were acceptable to him. What I witnessed in him afforded an illustration of the power of God's grace to sustain the mind amid the greatest privations. On my return from the house, I often asked myself, what cannot the grace of God do! To look upon a Christian brother of great age, who is both blind and deaf, is to look upon an object of deep commiseration; and yet when I had taken my seat by his side, and he was made to understand by his dear wife that I was present, he would take hold of my

hand with both his hands, with as much heartiness and cheerfulness as one in all the buoyancy of health and youth, and ask how I was, and then would speak of his peace of mind, of his happiness in God, and of the blessed hope of eternal light and joy. At other times I have sat by his side when he has not known I have been there, and I have watched his lips as they were employed in prayer and praise, and have seen his countenance beam with delight while thus engaged in communion with God. At that time our venerable brother, though he could not hear his own voice, regularly attended to prayer in the domestic circle, and the freedom and fulness of his supplications often astonished those who listened to him. He had, like John the beloved disciple, a most loving nature, and a soul full of music. He had cultivated the taste and talent for music, and was passionately fond of it. I have heard him play several hymn tunes on his little harmonium, keeping time admirably, though he could not hear a single sound. He expressed a desire to be taken once more to the quarterly love-feast in South Street; his relative, Mr. Jenkinson, engaged to be his conductor and guardian. I was present at the love-feast, and remember very distinctly how with what pathos and tears and holy joy he testified that God was his light in darkness, his joy in sorrow, and his strength in old age, and that he was nearing the better land. I wished all the sceptics in Sheffield could have heard the testimony of that venerable saint to the power of God's grace to save and make him happy! That was the last love-feast he attended on earth. I have not the shadow of a doubt that he is now enjoying the nearer and higher fellowship of his Saviour in heaven." "The memory of the just is blessed."

In his eighty-eighth year, and the sixty-sixth of his spiritual life, he took a serious review of his Christian career, remarking that sins of omission and commission had often marked his path, causing him much bitterness of spirit and sorrow of heart. He had followed his Master

afar off. He was oppressed with a deep sense of many shortcomings. He thought that at times he bad mistaken the grounds on which his hopes should have rested, looking more at his own imperfections than at the Saviour's merits and promises. Instead of complaining, he should have been rejoicing. Yet, after all his unfaithfulness, the Lord had not cast him off, but, in the exercise of his boundless grace, had blessed him with a continuance of spiritual liberty and abundant religious enjoyment.

As has been previously remarked, for the last few years of his life he was both blind and deaf, but under these privations he trusted in his God and Saviour. When he could no longer hold converse with his family and friends, he had communion and fellowship with Christ. At length the summons came, and his spirit was released. Separated from the Church militant, he joined the Church triumphant, July 21st, 1866, having sojourned upon earth more than ninety-one years, and having been a member of our society upwards of sixty-nine. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

MR. JOHN LEEMING, HIGH FELLING, GATESHEAD CIRCUIT. MR. LEEMING was born at Percy Main, of North Shields Circuit, in the year 1806. When a boy his parents removed to Heaton. We are unable to state the exact time of his conversion, but that he was born again was soon manifest by his devoting himself to the service of God. His first ticket as a member of the Wesleyan society is dated June, 1825, and he continued a member with them until 1830, when he united with our church at St. Peter's Quay. He now commenced to labour as a local preacher, and took great interest in the Sabbath-school.

In the order of Divine Providence he removed to Berwick, and as we had no interest there, he joined the Primitives, and travelled many miles to preach the Gospel to perishing sinners. During his residence there,