and

and that too, even though capital punishment has long been abolished in the country. The chief town in each canton used to prize its gallows as its most important possession, and kept it in good and careful repair. The reason of this was that the gallows was the symbol of power authority in Switzerland, just as the throne or the crown or the sceptre is in other lands; and the worst calamity which could be threatened against any of these leading towns was that this mark of independence and supremacy should be taken away.

In passing up the Vispthal to the valley of Zer-matt we were approaching the high, snow-covered mountain chain which stands as the barrier between Switzerland and Italy. We could see the loftiest peaks of that chain all the way before us; but for the most part of the day our path lay through vineyards and orchards, where the fruit hung in clusters within easy reach of our hand. Butterflies innumerable fluttered around, green, red, yellow, and blue; grasshoppers of wonderful size leaped up in myriads at every step; and the queer, long-bodied lizards ran away from us to hide in the crevices of the rock till we were past. We were in a region of almost tropical luxuriance.

But there is always some counter-balancing circumstance in life; and here, in this luxuriant valley, we found a large proportion of the population afflicted with goitre, that is, an immense swelling in the throat and upper chest, like a great loose bag of flesh, hung under the chin, and making the appearance of the person somewhat unsightly. This disease used to be attributed to the close air of the mountain-girt valleys; but of recent years it has been traced to the effect of the water in certain districts. It is found that where the supply of water is drawn from rocks of a limestone formation, this uncomfortable, though not fatal, affliction invariably prevails.

But lest I weary my readers, I must stop here for the present, promising to bring this series of papers to a close in next month's issue.

JUBILEE MEETING OF LEITH CHURCH.

EXTRACTS FROM PAPER READ BY MR THOMAS STURROCK.

SEVERAL friends like-minded and mourning over the moderatism which generally prevailed, associated themselves into a Christian society in Leith, for prayer and exhortation, near the close of 1802. On the 5th January, they took possession of a house at an annual rent of £35, which they furnished with forms, pulpit and all the necessary fittings for the regular observance of Public worship, and regularly was the floor saw-dusted to keep it clean. Their first collection was on January 5th, and amounted to £1, 18s. 71⁄2d. They not only met on the Sabbath, but also on a week night, which week-night service has been continued until now uninterruptedly. They also commenced a Monthly Missionary prayer meeting for which they rented the Masonic Lodge. It is for a lamentation that this prayer meeting has been discontinued for a few years past.

The first sermon preached by a stranger, was on the 26th April 1803, and the next was by Dr Bogue of Gosport on the 1st September in the same year. Mr Alex. Christie, who was treasurer, was an eminently godly man and sought unceasingly the prosperity of the infant Church. The brethren not only contributed on the Lord's-day, but also on the week-night gatherings, and as in former days, they had a mind to work. In 1804 on February 12th they were visited by Mr Haldane, and the deacons then as now were considerate to their visitors, as they sent him home in a chaise at the cost of 3s 6d. To meet their increasing expenses they seem to have subscribed among themselves, and the large sum of £17, 18s. was paid to the treasurer in August 1804. At the close of this year they were visited by the Rev. Mr Cowie, afterwards of Huntly, as by this time they had been regularly formed into a Christian Church, as I find a special collection made by the members amounting to £6, 95., and shortly afterwards, the Bible seems to have been well used, as on March 24th 1805 there was 5s. paid for repairing and rebinding the Pulpit Bible." In September 1805, negotiations were opened with Rev. J. Pullar in order to his becoming their minister, which he accepted and entered upon his ministry at the salary of £52, in the beginning of October 1805. The first help from other brethren which they received was in April 1806, when £17, 15s. was paid them from friends in Edinburgh and £10 from Mr Haldane. They now began the serious consideration of Build. ing a place of worship, and finally feued ground in the Yardheads on 6th November 1806. The first Trustees were,-James Muir, brewer; David Robertson, cooper; Jonathan Hall, nailer; Gavin Hamilton, wright; Alex. Christie, ironmonger; John M‘Rae, coppersmith; Thomas Doeg, wright; Neil M'Neil, labourer; David Hutton, tailor; William Russel, cooper.

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By refacing the under portion of the stance, they were enabled to erect the place of worship at a cost of about £850, for payment of which they borrowed £600 from a Mr Lothian to repay temporary loans advanced by Mr Robert Haldane and others; so far this was all the pecuniary connection they had with the Messrs Haldane. It may be mentioned that for fourteen weeks prior to the completion of the building, they rented the Methodist Meeting House, for which they paid £4, 18s.

Soon after the church was formed, they took steps to extend the cause for which they had associated, and for three years they rented a school-room in the village of Restalrig where religious services were regularly conducted. They also took an interest in every scheme for the extension of the Gospel, especially the Missionary Society, for so early as 1811 they made a collection of £9, 95. in aid of the funds-the brethren were neither numerous nor wellto-do. They were but fifty in number, yet the spirit of love and co-operation and mutual help was so strong, that in 1807 the general funds of the church borrowed from the fellowship fund £35.

These money transactions will bear a favourable comparison with our present efforts. The average collection at the fellowship was 135. or 14s. per Sabbath, our numbers are triple theirs and yet our collections are no more. Mr Pullar resigned the pastorate in January 1817 when for a period of ten months they were supplied by Mr Aikenhead of Kirkcaldy, Mr Arthur of Helensburgh, Mr Elder of Leven, and Mr Hercus of Greenock. In December 1817 the pastorate was accepted by Mr William Henry. At the commence ment of his ministry the Church began the practice of seat rents. There was no

charge however made, the members being left to pay according to their ability. Amongst the members of the church at this time one must be singled out who for piety and devotedness has not perhaps been equalled by any one since,—Mrs Glasgow, known in the church as Sister Glasgow, a poor woman, with a very small and limited income, amounting, I am told, to little more than £12 or £15 a year, yet so deep were the convictions of the great love of her Saviour, that by saving, she in 1818 gave a donation of £15 to the funds of the church. She continued her efforts, and in the earliest years of Mr Cullen's ministry, she so managed her savings as to buy a handsome seal, which she presented to Mr Cullen, and I believe he still keeps it as one of his choicest treasures. Sometimes we hear our treasurer complain that the brethren when they go to the country forget to make up their lack of contributions on their return. In October 1818 I find an entry of 'a member absent from the half-yearly collection £1." During Mr Henry's ministry, the church was known as deeply interested in the spiritual welfare of others. By their influence the Seaman's Friend Society was formed, and also the establishment of a Floating Chapel for seamen, as now represented by the Rev. John Thomson's church. It may be mentioned here that many years after, on one of the visits of Mr Henry to Leith, he went to the chapel and offered to preach, but by this time the Establishment had got it into their hands and refused him admittance, when he preached a sermon in this chapel which was crowded in every part, from the text "O wheel"! Mr Henry removed to London in April 1822. The church was then led to apply to Mr Cullen and on the 20th September of the same year he was ordained.

Soon after Mr Cullen's settlement, the unsuitableness of the place of worship in the Yardheads became increasingly felt. It was an upper room and to the aged brethren it became a burden to climb the rather steep stair. It was not altogether an uncomfortable place when you got into it. The pulpit was plain, and the back seats were raised, for I have a perfect recollection of stepping up to get into the pew. Through Mr Cullen's influence and guidance the church was led to feu the ground on which this chapel is built; competitive plans by two gentlemen were given in and the one executed by Mr Anderson was adopted.

Subscriptions from the general public were received to the amount of £661, and the price of £492 was obtained for the old chapel. The change to the new chapel added considerably to the influence of the church, and (the personal influence of Mr Cullen and his family enabled the church to take a position it had not hitherto enjoyed. In the early years of the last fifty years, three individuals were of great benefit to the Church; they were kind, motherly women who always had a kind word to speak to the young people, and a ready hand for helping the poor.

During the early years of the period we are now reviewing, the Sabbath School Society, the Leith Town Mission, the Tract and other Institutions were either established or revived by the Minister and members of this church. Somewhere about 1828 or 30, a Congregational Sabbath School was set agoing on the Lord's Day, the first of all Congregational Sabbath Schools; the School still continues and its first scholar is still connected with it. Its first superintendent was Mr Gibbs, a gentleman connected with the War Department of the Government, who came to this church under a recommendation from John Campbell of Kingsland. He was assisted and succeeded by the

late Sir George Harvey, who for many years came down from Edinburgh every Sabbath morning at half-past nine, and was much more punctual than the present superintendent. The church also formed a Christian Instruction Society and Home Mission. The Rev. John Craig, now of Linlithgow, was the first missionary, with whom there were about twenty workers who held weekly meetings, distributed tracts and did other Christian work in the district. He was succeeded by our friend Mr Geo. M'Farlane, who for many years has laboured; and perhaps the most successful effort in doing good has been his establishing a Penny Bank, which has been the means of saving £19,250, to the poor people of the district. From causes unknown this Christian Instruction Association has ceased to work. Surely there is enough of young blood and youthful energy amongst us to revive it.

In 1848, the membership had increased to 190. During this period the church enjoyed great privileges from the visits and occasional ministrations of eminent men. Among Missionaries, I may mention John Williams, Robert Moffat, J. T. Freeman, Dr Philip, William Ellis, Richard Knill, Dr Milne, David Livingstone. Among ministers, Walter Hamilton, Dr Bennett, James Parsons, Thomas Binney, John Blackburn, John Kelly, and a host of others. The church not only received such visits, but they have sent out from among them, many to do good service in the work of the Lord, Dr Alexander, Edinburgh, Mr Hercus, Mr John Wilson, Mr Gardner and Mr Lyle to Greenock, Mr M'Neil to Elgin, John Edwards to Canada, Stewart Mackay to Rio de Janeiro, John Ward, Charles Sturrock, John Craig, James Howie, Matthew Simpson, William Nicolson, Russia, and Mr Swan the eminent Missionary of Siberia. He did not exactly belong to us, but he came and took away with him one as helpmate, to work for the Lord in the sterile regions of eternal snow.

As years rolled on the members were making great efforts to reduce the heavy debt which existed on the chapel, and when it was reduced in 1842 to £570, Mr Cullen, in name of himself and the other members of his family, handed a cheque to the treasurer for the full amount, an act which was only the last of a long series of similar instances of benevolent liberality.

On the 5th November 1856 Mr Cullen resigned the pastorate. The church invited the Rev. Angus Galbraith of Stewartfield, who remained till March 1860. The Rev. William J. Cox, colleague to the late Rev. Henry Wight, next took the oversight of the church, and during his ministry the church grew in strength and position. He removed to Dundee in 1872. After a few months' delay our present pastor, the Rev. Geo. Allen, then of Bradford, came amongst us in August 1873, and may his ministry be long and prosperous.

In turning over some MSS. of the late Neil M'Neil of Elgin, we came upon the following, which may be useful :—

A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO BE LAID BEFORE A MEETING OF THE DEACONS OF THE CHURCH, 4th July 1827.

Union, concert, energy, and punctuality are of great importance in the prosecution of both sacred and civil affairs in order to success. Although the primary object of the Deacon's office is to attend to the secular affairs of

the Church with promptitude, plan, and zeal, and not to make it a mere bye job; yet as they were to be " men full of faith and the Holy Ghost," this implies that there are services of a more spiritual nature to be expected from them. There is a great deal implied in using the office well, to purchase to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith. Some of these are :—

I. To aid and second the subject of pastoral vigilance. Even in a small church, if there be only one man's eyes over the body, much may be wrong before he is aware of it.

2. To assist the Pastor in visiting the sick, and calling upon the members of the Church. It might be proper to divide a certain portion of the members of the Church, among the different Deacons, and lay the Church off in different districts, that the Deacons may have an eye more particularly over that plot of the Lord's plantation, both as to visiting and inspecting. This I think is one of the ways to use the office well. Even an hour in two weeks or a month devoted to this would be of immense service. To inquire also, when any of the members in their, division are absent on Sabbath, of the reasons.

3. To cultivate a certain degree of intercourse with the stated hearers of the congregation,-for this the Pastor ought to take a more ample share. But this ought not to lie wholly on his shoulders. Without this a congregation hangs exceedingly loose together. Occasional intercourse draws the cords of attachment more close. It gives an opportunity to us of seeing where any impressions are made; and may bring them into more close contact with the Pastor, and draw them to private prayer meetings, or to church meetings. The securing of the payment of seat rents, and the getting others to take them, would easily follow a measure of this kind. If they have families it may bring their children to the school, or vestry meeting. And when they find a body of men who have concern for their souls and the instruction of their families, their hearts open in attachment.

4. To study to be well qualified, in an open, easy, faithful, and affectionate way, to converse with applicants and young disciples who are added to the Church. It is incalculable how far this would go to strengthen a Pastor's hands, warm his heart, and strengthen his public and private labours.

5. To be exemplary, and conscientious in attending the week-night meetings, and prayer meetings. The ties of attachment are apt to be weakened to those brethren and families whose faces are seldom seen, in the house of prayer, except on Sabbath, or when strangers come to preach. Occasional hearers in these meetings justify their absence on those precedents. If the chief men among the brethren are absent, why not we? In the absence of the head of the family, some member of it should if possible be there. For one of the Deacons now and then to come of a Sabbath afternoon to see the schools, or visit the vestry meeting, it would give an impulse both to the teachers and the children.

6. To have the doors of the chapel always open ten minutes or a quarter before the given hour of meeting, at all times. And especially on Sabbath, and never to be dilatory in being forward at your post. It is necessary first to be exemplary in this, and then excite those who are dilatory.

7. The Deacons in town, I think, should all meet in the vestry with the Pastor, if it were but for five or ten minutes after the labours of the Sabbath are over. It has a careless, chilling appearance to find all slip away like knotless threads, after the labours of the Lord's Day are over. To make