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sented to Miss Ella Best, for her very efficient services at the harmonium, a very handsome work-basket. On the Tuesday evening Mr. Gunton gave a lecture on "Swedenborg, his Life and Writings;" and, at the close, answered several questions which were proposed. All the services seem to have been well received, and will be doubtless useful.

LONDON (Argyle Square).-A General Meeting of this Society was held on Thursday evening, 15th June, to determine the necessary arrangements for the restoration of the church. The attendance was very good, and fairly represented the entire congregation; and the proceedings were marked by thorough unanimity of desire to increase the convenience and fitness of the building for the sacred purposes to which it is devoted, and by an almost entire agreement as to the means to be adopted in furtherance of this object. The Rev. John Presland, minister of the Society, presided; and the recommendations of the Committee, the result of much careful thought and discussion, were proposed by Mr. Watson. These resolutions, which were all accepted by the Meeting, indicated the following details as the principal features of the work to be accomplished:-1st, A complete exterior restoration; the walls, roof, gutters, spouts, stone, and wood-work, etc., being put into thorough repair; 2nd, The enlargement of the gallery windows, to secure additional light and ventilation through the front of the church; 3rd, The cleansing of the interior, and the colouring in distemper of the walls, columns, and ceiling, the tint to be employed being a simple stone-colour, except for the circular shafts in each group of pillars, which will be lightly tinted to imitate red Mansfield stone; 4th, The subdivision of the large blank arched recesses in each transept, to harmonize with the corresponding recess in the chancels bearing the Ten Commandments, with a view to the writing upon each pair of arches thus created of appropriate Scripture texts; 5th, A re-arrangement of the seats in order to increase the space round the place of communion and in the side aisles; 6th, The cleansing and repair of the school-rooms, tea-room, etc., upon the basement, together with the provision of additional

lavatory accommodation. The estimated cost of the restoration will nearly reach £700, towards which £497 are already guaranteed. Vigorous efforts will be made to collect the remainder with as little delay as possible, in order that the Society may avoid debt, to which they entertain a very wholesome aversion. The work will be carried out under the architectural supervision of Mr. W. Woodward; and the church will close for the purpose after Sunday, 5th Au gust, and, it is hoped, will reopen, with special services, on Thursday, 13th September. The annual Harvest Thanks. giving will probably be held the following Sunday, 16th September; and a children's service is contemplated for the afternoon of Sunday, the 23rd. Due notice will, of course, be given of these arrangements.

LONDON (Buttesland Street).—The anniversary services in connexion with the above Society were held on Sunday, 27th May. The Rev. J. Presland preached in the morning from Jer. xlvii. 6, 7, and the Rev. Dr. Bayley in the evening, the text being Rev. xxi. 18. Both sermons were most able expositions of the passages selected, and were highly appreciated by large congregations. Collections amounting to £5, 10s. were made at the close of the services. With the kind assistance of a few friends the church was nicely cleaned for the occasion; and the communion table and font (kindly presented to us by the Islington Society, and first used by the esteemed leader of that Society, H. Bateman, Esq.) were beautifully decorated with flowers. The services will long be remembered for their happy effects: we deem it "a ray of golden sunshine sent to cheer and bless." The bazaar of the Building Fund was held in the Luxembourg Hall, Dalston, on Wednesday, 13th June, and was opened in his usual happy manner by our dear friend, the Rev. Dr. Bayley. Observing that ours was a good cause and that we had a good case, he urged the friends to purchase liberally from the splendid collection he saw before him; and so heartily was the advice acted upon that more than £60 was taken during the day. To the friends who presided at the stalls, or assisted in the musical part of our programme, we are deeply grateful, the success of their

efforts affords them all the recompense posts they had filled so well; and Mr. C. they desired.

H. Wilkins was asked, and gladly consented, to accept the superintendence of the Sabbath School, the one institution of the Church that has not shared in the general prosperity of the past year. The following extract from the columns of the Nottingham Journal, which explains itself, is given here chiefly because it was the means of attracting in the town new attention to the writings of Swedenborg :

AN OLD AUTHOR (To the Editor of the Nottingham Journal). Sir, I copy the following from a paragraph in your paper for to-day :

"We also learn that Mr. S. C. Hall published his first book in 1820, and hopes to issue another very shortly. Between the first and latest there will be a period of fifty-seven years. We do not know any parallel case in literary history."

one of

NOTTINGHAM.-The anniversary services in connection with this Society were held on 6th May, when the Rev. Joseph Ashby of Derby preached to numerous and attentive congregations. In the morning the preacher spoke on "The Killing Letter, and the Life-giving Spirit;" and, in the evening, answered the question now being asked so earnestly by so many minds, "Will the wicked be annihilated?" The members and friends were exceedingly pleased with Mr. Ashby's treatment of this subject; and the Nottingham Journal devoted more than a column to a clear and interesting report of the discourse. On the following Monday a Social Meeting was held in the School-room, which was well attended and thoroughly enjoyed. After tea, the chair was taken by Mr. C. H. Wilkins, who announced that the Will you permit me to point your programme included a variety of musical readers to "a parallel case; to the selections (by Mrs. John A. Clarke, Mrs. case of an author whose first publication Dobson, Miss Whyte, Miss Dobson, Miss was separated from his last publication Beilby, and Miss Wessen); of Literary by an interval of no less than sixty-two Readings (by Messrs. Brunt, Robert years? I refer to one whom Emerson Whyte, and C. H. Wilkins); together has called "a colossal soul," " with addresses (by Messrs. Joseph Ash- the law-givers of mankind," "by force by, J. H. Whyte, and C. H. Wilkins) of intellect, the last. Father in the on "New Views of Marriage for the Church." I refer to that much-abused, New Age." A very cordial vote of that little-known, and yet that (inthanks was unanimously given to Mr. directly) most influential religious phiAshby for the services which he had, in losopher of modern times, Emanuel so genial a spirit, rendered to the Society Swedenborg. In 1709, at the age of by his discourses on the previous day 22, this man published an edition of and by his interesting address that even- Select Sentences of Seneca, and Publius ing. After the programme had been Syrus Mimus, with comments of his got through, the friends, at the invita- own; comments conspicuous, according tion of the Chairman, rose, and with to the testimony of a first-class critic, for great feeling and with one accord re- vigorous morality and precocious judgpeated after him the Lord's Prayer. ment. In 1771, at the age of 84, he The Benediction was pronounced, and, published his "True Christian Reliat about 10 o'clock, a most pleasant and gion," a volume containing 900 closely profitable meeting came to a close. On printed pages, and, better still, a volume Monday, the 4th of June, the annual filled from end to end with unrivalled business meeting of the Society was held and irresistible arguments, drawn from in the schoolroom. Mr. C. H. Wilkins Scripture, from Nature, and from the was in the chair. The reports of the Heart of Man, for the worship of the Secretary, Mr. John Johnson, and of Lord Jesus Christ, and for a life of obethe Treasurer, Mr. John A. Clarke, dience to His commandments. It is a were of a most encouraging character, wonderful book-wonderful if looked at and showed that the predictions of the apart altogether from the circumstances most sanguine friends had been more of its authorship-especially wonderful than fulfilled; the past year having if looked at as the product of one who been, in every way, the fruitfullest that had been writing uninterruptedly for this Society has yet enjoyed. Most of two-and-sixty years, and who had kept the "old officers were re-elected to the his eighty-fourth birthday.—Thanking

you beforehand for the insertion of this letter, I am, sir, your obedient servant,

CHARLES H. WILKINS.

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.-Seven special Sunday-evening lectures are in course of delivery at the Temperance Hall, 23 Nun Street, by Rev. W. Ray. The subjects embrace the leading doctrines of the New Church, viz., “The Bible," its Inspiration and Final Authority; The Christian Redeemer the only Object of Christian Worship; Redemption and Atonement; The Human Soul, its Origin, Power, and Destiny; The Resurrection and Judgment; Hell, its Cause, Inhabitants, and Miseries; Heaven, its Joys, Employments, and Associations. The attendance has been excellent. There has been an increase of strangers is on each occasion. Considerable interest manifest, and inquiries are being made. We regret we have not a larger and more attractive place of worship, which it is hoped we may some day obtain.

YORK. Our esteemed friend, Mr. Gunton, on his way from Scotland, visited this city, and on Sunday, April 15th, delivered two discourses, in the morning on "Regeneration, or the New Birth, with remarks on Infant Salvation Election and Reprobation;" and in the evening on "The Scriptures shown to be a Revelation from God on Spiritual Subjects, and the only true Standard of Christian Faith.' The audiences numbered over thirty in the morning, and over fifty in the evening. On Monday evening 16th, Mr. Gunton gave a lecture on "Swedenborg, his Life and Writings." The audience was not so large as was expected, but was very attentive, and although questions were invited at the close none were put. One young man, however, a stranger, remained to speak with Mr. Gunton on the Resurrection; and several strangers that have lately attended the services expressed great pleasure in the manner the different subjects were opened out. A number of tracts were distributed, and a few books sold. The friends of the Society were much pleased with the visit, and trust the seed sown will be accompanied with the Lord's blessing, and bring forth fruit to the honour and glory of Him who alone giveth the

increase.

NEW ZEALAND.-We have received the following letter from our friend Mr. James Batty, which we publish at his request :-"I wish through the Intellectual Repository to tender my hearty thanks to the committees of the London and Manchester Printing Societies and to the various friends who have so kindly responded to the appeal for books, etc. I hope in course of time to show my appreciation of the aid given by rendering a good account of my stewardship, and several friends promise contributions towards advertising the arrival of tracts, etc., illustrative of the teachings of Swedenborg, and where they can be had gratis. As funds permit I propose to insert in the papers paragraphs from the writings or other works bearing upon subjects which may at times be engaging the attention of the public.

"It may interest your readers to know that with the commencement of the year I began to hold a service on the first Sunday in each month for the benefit of my own little household and of any friends who may please to join us -as some always do. Situated as we are, these opportunities of worshipping together are peculiarly valuable in assisting to build up the Church within as well as without in this distant part of the world.

"I give my address- -so that any friends visiting this country, either from home or elsewhere, may know where they will find some one ready to be of service, in the person of yours very truly, JAMES BATTY.

"PONSONBY ROAD,
AUCKLAND, N.Z."

Obituary.

Died at Farnworth, April 8th, 1877, Mr. James Booth, sen., in his 58th year.

Deceased had been connected with the Kersley Society from a youth, first as scholar, then as teacher in the Sundayschool, and finally as member of the Church. During his short but severe illness not a murmur escaped his lips; but in a calm and peaceful manner, retaining the full possession of his faculties, he passed into the spiritual world exclaiming "Let us go home! let us go home!" Also Hannah, the eldest daughter of the above, died in peace on

Good Friday, 26th March 1875, in her 31st year. She had also been connected with the above Society from infancy, passing through the school as scholar, teacher, and finally member of the Church.

Departed this life, at Rotterdam, Holland, on the 8th of May 1877, Ellen Parry, aged 87 years. The subject of this brief notice was the relict of the Rev. John Parry, who, more than fifty years ago, laboured in the Lord's Church at Dalton, Yorkshire. The departure of this esteemed member of the Church takes back the mind to the early days of New Church endeavour in Yorkshire. She was a daughter of Mr. Dean, of Addingham, and was trained in a family of more than ordinary intelligence, and of great amiability of character. A neat chapel was erected by Mr. Dean at Addingham, and missionary and other services held, but the effort to raise a congregation failed. The seeds of truth that were thus sown were not, however, utterly lost. Of our departed sister it may be truly said she was a sincere and intelligent New Church lady, having been a member more than sixty years. Every one who has had the privilege of associating with her in the social circle, will bear testimony to her consistent Christian character. Doubtless the Divine salutation, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord," will have been heard by our departed sister; and she is now experiencing some of the delights which are in store for every one who brings religion into every-day practice.

On the 17th May, after a short illness, Mr. James Burton, of Hollin Bank, Radcliffe, departed into the spiritual world, at the age of 73. An active connection of half a life-time with the Radcliffe Society had endeared him to all its members; and his loss is hardly less felt in the town, where his public labours in the advancement of the general welfare, and his numerous private acts of charity, have won for him the respect and esteem of all classes.

A very large congregation, composed of all sects and parties, gathered in the church on Sunday, June 3, to listen to a discourse delivered on the occasion by the Rev. James Boys. During the discourse, which was taken from Mark viii. 34, 35, Mr. Boys bore testimony to the

humble, simple, and noble self-denying life of Mr. Burton, whom he had known for nearly forty years, and more particularly to his persistent labours in the great cause of temperance, to the help he had given to every church, chapel, and school in the neighbourhood requir ing it, and to his unwearied work in the Sunday-school. The following inscription, which accompanied a handsome testimonial presented to Mr. Burton, exhibits the regard in which he was generally held: "Presented to Mr. James Burton by the teachers, scholars, and friends of the New Jerusalem Sunday-school, Stand Lane, Pilkington, as an affectionate token of their esteem for his earnest zeal, unwearied patience, and long-continued labours as successively teacher and conductor of the above school for upwards of thirty years. Nov. 22, 1873.' This was the second testimonial he had received from the school. His success in Sunday-school management was a fine example of the power of love. To preserve order and gain attention, he never under any circumstances had recourse to the least harshness or severity; all his plans were carried out by kindly influence and persuasion. To see the natural unruliness of some scores of factory youths subside at his gentle voice was very striking.

Samuel Gee, Esq., J. P.-This esteemed member of the New Church departed into the spiritual world on the 3rd of June, at Barmouth, Wales. On Whit-Friday he walked with the scholars, and on the following day left Kearsley for Barmouth, where he purposed remaining a few days. On the journey he began to feel unwell and retired to rest immediately on his arrival at the hotel. His own doctor was in attendance on him, but his disease increased in severity, and he passed away on the date named. His remains were brought home and interred at Kearsley amid every demonstration of respect,shops closed, blinds drawn, thousands being congregated along the route to the burial-ground. The following account of our departed friend is extracted from the report of the funeral discourse of the Rev. P. Ramage, which appeared in the Farnworth Journal of June 16 :—

"Mr. Samuel Gee, who entered his heavenly home last Sabbath afternoon

(the 3rd June), was born at Cinderhill He was a member of the Kersley Local on the 17th April 1827, and in the Board from its formation ten years ago. following month was baptized by his Believing that all religion has relation to grandfather, Mr. Thomas Gee. Shortly life, and that the life of religion is to do afterwards the family removed to Kear- good, he entered upon his public duties in sley Moor, and then began those works an unselfish spirit, and we believe, with which have since grown to such large but one motive-the love of the public dimensions. Receiving what some thirty good. He took a keen interest in every years ago was considered a liberal educa- work, local and national, which had tion, he early in life displayed many for its object the well-being of his fellowof these qualities which characterized men. Unsolicited and unexpected by his maturer years. The friends of his himself, the political party with which boyish life relate many incidents illus- he worked placed him on the bench of trating his marvellous endurance under county magistrates. He qualified for suffering of the severest kind-an ele- this honourable office in the month of ment of his character which never for- April, 1870. One who had large op sook him during several years of almost portunities of observing our friend in his continuous illness. Gifted with mental magisterial capacity, speaks of him as powers of a high order, there was scarcely a most careful and most thoughtful any walk in life in which the force of magistrate' a testimony which those his character would not have placed him who knew him best will most willingly in the front rank. For mechanics, how- believe. Of a warm, generous nature, ever, he is said to have displayed a he was always to be found on the side special genius; and as a mere boy, we of Freedom, Right, and Humanity. He find him planning, experimenting, and was the unflinching foe of the oppressor otherwise endeavouring to improve the and the friend of liberty and promachinery of his father's mill. There gress in every clime, for every class, was exhibited, too, that daring and self- and every colour. But among all the reliance and that indomitable persever- public movements that engaged his everance which belong more or less to all active mind, there was none that ranked characters that have left their mark in so high-there were none that lay so the world. Long before he had reached near his heart,-a -as the progress of the to man's estate he took an active part in Christian communion with which he the management of the works. Though, was connected. He was deeply interwith laudable industry, he devoted him- ested in the Sustentation Fund of the self to business, he was also keenly Church, giving towards it the handsome alive to the necessity of attending to his sum of £250, and rendering invaluable own moral and intellectual improve- service in the deliberations of the comment. He attained considerable pro- mittee. The rules which are published ficiency in music, and took a lively are from his pen. He held the mininterest in the musical services of his church. During his early years he was deeply impressed with conversation's of a religious character to which he listened in his father's house. Travelling back in imagination we can see a group of kindred spirits in the home of Mr. Giles Gee, discussing some knotty theological questions, with young Samuel sitting quietly in a corner, scarcely, perhaps, comprehending what was said, yet storing fragments in his memory, which no doubt influenced his after life, and had a large share in forming that fresh, robust, and manly character which we all loved so much. As he grew in years, he grew also in the estimation of his follow townsmen, and was called upon to fill many offices of public usefulness.

isteral office in high esteem; and the
minister always found in him a most
sympathetic friend. He was a tireless
worker in the effort we are now making
to erect a new place of worship; and he
has left a gap in our midst to-day which
will not be easy to fill. Oh, how we
shall miss his faithful friendship, his
kindly sympathy, his genial smile, his
playful humour! When we think of
his useful life-when we remember his
manifold kindness-when we think, too,
of our own necessities, in the moment of
our weakness, we are tempted to cry
out-

'They surely had no need of you
In the land where you are going,
Earth's angels yet are all too few,
And heaven is overflowing.'

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