OLDBURY. PROGRESS OF THE MATERIAL AND THE SPIRITUAL. THOUGH a great effort was made, when the Rev. J. Taylor was in the circuit, to reduce the debt on the chapel and school by paying off £700, leaving a debt of £1,400, yet the spirited friends who worship at the Tabernacle, J. Silvester and J. Sadler, Esqrs., and Messrs. J. M. Sadler, B. Sadler, J. Field, W. Fisher, H. Dixen, W. Aston, J. Pardoe, A. Millward, Josh. Bagnall, J. Bagnall, and others, felt it was a burden which should not be endured, and, therefore, resolved it should be paid off. The Rev. J. Hudston, who was then superintendent of the circuit, issued a circular, appealing to all the friends for help. A subscription list was opened, which has since been vigorously worked by the Rev. J. Wilson and the Messrs. J. and J. M. Sadler. The Rev. W. Cooke, D.D., also very generously engaged to preach a sermon annually for three years, on condition that not less than £100 should be raised after each. A little more than this was raised after the two first, and £112 was joyfully contributed after the last. The collections and subscriptions now amount to about £1,100, so that £300 is wanted to complete the work. While working for the material, we felt the necessity of working for the spiritual also. The congregation was very thin, and the church very languid. Some sighed for a return of the good old days when the Tabernacle was filled with the Divine glory, and not a seat was to be obtained; and some prayed fervently on the subject, but there was no indication of a revival; ministers prepared awakening sermons, but sinners did not come to the chapel; burning sentences were hurled from the pulpit into empty seats; no soul-saving work went on, but some soul-losing work did, in the form of backsliding. Then said the minister, "Sighing and praying are good, but we must work also. If sinners do not come under the Word, we must visit from house to house on Sabbath afternoon, between five and six o'clock, and compel them to come in." Gentlemen distinguished for wealth and position in the town, as well as the sons of toil who did battle all the week with the stubborn materials of Nature for bread, cordially engaged in the work. The congregation soon improved, and all the lovers of Zion rejoiced. But the strike came, and this land of fire was threatened to be cleared of smoke and flame. There was a conflict of opinion about that strike, into which the friends did not wish to enter; they therefore retired until the conflict should cease. Still the good work was kept in view, and prayed over; and still there was a gradual improvement in the congregation until it was said, now and then, "What a large congregation we have had to-night!" and a demand has been made for sittings until there is scarcely a good one to be obtained. A few weeks ago it was resolved to hold a series of special services. A large number of bills was circulated, and each nightprocessions of gentlemen, forgemen, mechanics, and labourers, were formed, which sang through the principal streets, and the ministers, as heralds of the Cross, announced the services and invited the people. The hearts of many were touched. Some who had received the precious truth in our Sabbath-schools felt its strange power in their hearts; backsliders who had long wandered from the fold felt a strong desire to rejoin their old friends, and many who were desperately wicked joined with them and came to the Tabernacle. There the power of the Son of God was made known; and there the ungodly, the profane, and the backsliders, found mercy. During the services a pious collier spoke to another, at the pit, whom he knew to be a wicked man. On inquiring how he was, "Oh," said he, "I am very happy; the people at the Tabernacle have converted me, and my wife, and my son. We are a happy family now." And now the services in the Tabernacle are very precious to all, and each Sabbath is a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. We trust that the Tabernacle will soon be filled again with the Divine glory. To maintain our advanced position as the first church in the town, and also to meet the demand for comfortable pews, we must not only pay off the debt, but also enlarge and beautify the chapel. At Dudley Port the work of the Lord has been advancing for some time. When the special services were held there we formed processions, and went down the roads singing, giving short addresses, and inviting all to the chapel. Then the people came to their doors to hear the songs of Zion, and many followed us to the chapel, which was filled on the Sabbath evenings, and there was a large attendance on the week nights. The Spirit of the Lord worked mightily on the hearts of sinners, and many gave themselves to God. Among these we observed a profane swearer, who dropped on his knees, and, in floods of tears, sought and found the pardoning mercy of God; and also an aged sinner, who sought the Lord one night in tears; but he stood bolt upright; he had something the matter with his knees, he said, but he could not prevail; conviction was powerful within. He came the next night, when pride broke out of his knees; he had got into a good place for kneeling, and he was the first to pray. And he did pray. His tears and prayers were enough to make angels weep for joy. He was happy in the pardoning love of God. The Dudley Port friends are not satisfied with their chapel, nor should they be. It is too low, too uncomfortable, too little, and very dirty. They purpose building a new one on the opposite side of the road, which shall be sufficiently large and comfortable to give full scope to their holy energies. At Princes End, also, it hath pleased the Lord to bless us. There a number of young men, several of whom belong to the most respectable families worshipping with us, have been converted to God. An affecting scene occurred one evening-a pious mother in tears bending over her penitent son, thanking God that her prayers were heard, and that the long-desired day of his conversion had arrived. Here the Sunday night congregations have improved, the spiritual tone of the church has deepened, and the Sabbath-school has continued, as it has been for some time, comfortably filled in the after noons. We understand that about 200 have been converted in these services, most of whom have joined the societies. The ministers have been generally well sustained by the local preachers, leaders, and members. The efforts have not exhausted any of us, but have rather filled us with life and power, so that in all respects we are better prepared to carry on the work of God than when we began. Blessing and honour, glory and power, be unto God and the Lamb for ever and ever. GOOD DOINGS IN HULL. ESTEEMED EDITOR-DEAR SIR,-In the November number of last year is found an account of an interesting tea-meeting held at Stepney, in this circuit, its object being to raise funds for a new chapel. Last evening we held another meeting in the same place, for the same purpose. The interest excited was much increased by the exhibition of proposed plans for the intended new erection, prepared by Mr. W. Hill, of Leeds, architect. In the early part of the year our Sykes Street Sabbath-school had a floating debt of £40, which it was very desirable to remove. To accomplish this object, our diligent teachers proposed, under the appellation of a "Beehive," to prepare a number of useful and ornamental articles for sale. Well, the sale came off; and with it, also, came off the obstructing debt for the extinction of whch they had so nobly wrought. Attention was subsequently turned to our circuit debt, which had been accumulating for a considerable time. However, our generous ladies faced the debt in an earnest spirit of united zeal and liberality. A bazaar was soon arranged for, laboriously worked for, and came off with a result which covered the circuit debt, and placed upwards of £20 in the hands of the stewards, as a surplus for the replenishing of the preacher's house with furniture, so much needed. Much credit is due to the ladies for their active efforts on the occasion. In the month of June, and shortly after the liquidation of the circuit debt, another bazaar was held, at Dunswell, having for its object the extinction of the debt upon the chapel. Dunswell is a village about four miles from Hull, where for many years we have had a small interest. They decided for the sale to take place in a tent erected in a field adjoining the farmhouse of one of our kind friends. The weather being favourable, the scene somewhat novel, attracted many from Hull and the adjacent villages. To their praise be it spoken, they have placed the chapel debt among the things of the past. The last important object which the benevolent enterprise of the circuit had accomplished during the past year was the introduction of a warming apparatus into Bethel, and the painting, cleaning, and beautifying of the whole premises, at an expense of £190. The chapel being closed for these improvements, Divine service was conducted in the Protestant Hall. The work being completed, we were favoured in the re-opening with the valuable and efficient services of the Revs. Dr. Stacey, W. Willan, C. Garrett (Wesleyan), and T. Boycott. In winding up their accounts, the Finance Committee were delighted to find that a kind Providence had enabled them to secure the means of meeting every penny of the expenses. We have thus cause to thank God, and take heart. In these efforts, between three and four hundred pounds have been raised for special purposes. God has thus blessed the circuit temporally, and we are looking with confidence and hope to the future for more abundant spiritual prosperity. We have not been, during the past year, without some tokens of the Divine approval, in the conversion of precious souls; but we want to become, more than we have been, a soul-saving people. May God grant it. Amen. T. BOYCOTT. January 4th, 1866. BARNSLEY. MY DEAR SIR, I am glad to be able to inform you that our special building committee, which consists of Messrs. Edwin Kaye, William Bailey, and Thomas Smith, has succeeded in securing a very eligible site for our proposed new chapel. It is situated at the junction of the Sheffield and Doncaster roads, so that we cannot at any time be closed in by new buildings. The cost of the site will be £620. Mr. Edwin Kaye, who is an attached friend of our cause here, has kindly called my attention to an error in my last report. It seems that, some years ago, a building committee was appointed, and an effort made in the direction of a new chapel; but in consequence of the depression resulting from the American War, the friends, after raising £200 by means of a bazaar, were compelled to relinquish further effort until trade should revive. I am glad Mr. Kaye informed me of this, as my ignorance of this fact led me, in my last, to ascribe too much to the preachers, and too little to the people, a thing I should be very sorry to do knowingly. At all events, I can say now most truly that the people are, if possible, more anxious than the preachers to have a new chapel as soon as practicable. A. J. II. MOSSLEY BAZAAR. We have at length the pleasure of presenting the readers of the Magazine with a report of the bazaar held in October last to extinguish the debt on the Mossley Chapel. Great undertakings have often small beginnings; and this was the case with our bazaar. The friends often chafed under the thought that the chapel was burdened with debt, but they never expected that their humble efforts to reduce it would be crowned with such glorious success. In the outset, their highest hopes did not lead them to expect raising more than about £200; but, as the time for holding the bazaar gradually drew near, and it was seen that the ladies were working in such a spirited and self-sacrificing manner, some of the more sanguine of the committee began to believe that a sum of £350 might probably be realized. During the progress of these preparations, Mr. Williams succeeded our much respected minister, Mr. Smith, as superintendent of the circuit, and he heartily entered into the scheme so happily inaugurated by his predecessor; and the friends at Mossley will ever gratefully remember them boththe one as having commenced, and the other as having brought to a close, one of the most successful movements ever undertaken by the church at that place. The bazaar was held in the lecturehall of the Mechanics' Institute, this room being the most central and best adapted for the purpose. On the morning of the opening, which took place on the 26th of October, the room, which is spacious and lofty, presented a most magnificent appearance. It had been very tastefully decorated by the Messrs. Whaite, of Manchester, and the display made by the stalls, together with the decorations, and a number of plants, kindly lent by John Nield, Esq., of Ashton, combined to produce an effect which was beautiful in the extreme. Although the weather was very wet and boisterous, a large number of persons were present to listen to the inaugural address, delivered by the Rev. Wm. Baggaly, the President of Conference. The bazaar being declared duly opened, the ladies who superintended the stalls set to work with a right good will; and the admirable manner in which they exerted themselves was seen at the close of the first day, when the gross receipts were announced to reach the handsome sum of £387. The bazaar continued open on the two following days, and was very well attended on each day, becoming literally crammed towards evening. A band of music was also in attendance; and this, together with a piano kindly sent by Messrs. Locke and Co., of Manchester, was a source of much enjoyment to the visitors attending. The bazaar was brought to a close on Saturday evening; and when Mr. Williams in a short and appropriate speech announced the gross receipts to be £715, a feeling of devout thankfulness to God took possession of every heart, at the thought that He should have so bountifully blessed the work of his servants' hands. On the 16th of December, the committee met in the vestry of the chapel, and after partaking of an excellent tea, the treasurer and secretaries presented the following statement of the accounts: Mrs. R. S. Buckley's stall 184 0 0 Miss Lawton, Mrs. H. Buck ley, and Mrs. S. Dyson's The Teachers' Stall, super- Mrs. Broadbent, Mrs. Bar- 39 14 3 mittee; and this amount was handed over to the trustees, with a request that they would expend £25 in improving the preacher's house, and use the remainder in improvements required about the chapel. Thus ended the labours of the Bazaar Committee; but they cannot close this report without tendering their heartfelt thanks to those friends who so liberally supported them, not only during the bazaar, but also previous to it. The ladies made a great effort to accomplish the desired result, and, through the assistance of kind and liberal hearts, they succeeded far beyond their most sanguine expectations. That this result was brought about without having to resort to the objectionable practice of raffling, is a matter of sincere congratulation to the committee; and they have now the pleasure to believe that the successful result of their labours is in no slight measure due to the very decided stand which was made against the introduction of this practice. On behalf of the Committee, Yours faithfully, JAMES TAYLOR, Treasurer. Hon. DOCTOR ANDREW Secs. WILLIAM HORSFULL Jan. 16, 1866. 58 2 4 53 2 10 45 0 0 22 7 10 21 1 1 75 10 4 £744 2 8 111 12 8 Profit of the Bazaar ... £632 10 0 After these accounts had been duly passed by the meeting, it was resolved that the trust debt, amounting to £545, and the society and circuit debt, amounting to £40, be paid off out of the funds in hand. A sum of £47 10s. was still at the disposal of the com LONGTON CIRCUIT. WE are glad to be able to report some particulars from this circuit, which may not be uninteresting to the readers of our Magazine; indicative as they are of improvement and prosperity, and affording tokens of the Divine approval and blessing. We would most carefully avoid the utterance of anything that might be regarded as a "flourish of trumpets," and shall confine this report to those particulars which it is only right should be recorded, as an act of justice to our friends who in the various places have been rendering most material aid, and furnishing fresh proofs of their circuit attachment and Connexional loyalty. Longton, as the head of the circuit, claims precedence. An accumulated balance of circuit and other debts, amounting to £180, had been for some time felt to be an incubus of which we would be gladly rid. But how was this to be accomplished? An esteemed member of our congregation, Mr. Councillor Barlow, solved the difficulty by issuing invitations to a number of leading friends to take a friendly cup of tea at his house. After partaking of the sumptuous hospitality of our kind host and hostess, the matter was laid before the assembled friends, and a subscription at once started; which, supplemented by additional contributions, stands as follows: :- Mr. Councillor Barlow, £14 10s.; Mr. Councillor Cooke, £10 10s.; Rev. Hy. Downes, £5; Master Downes, £1 18.; Mr. Edwards, £5; Master Edwards, £2 10s.; Mr. Palmer, £5; Master Palmer, £2 10s.; A Friend, £5 5s.; Mr. Adams, £5; Mr. Cooper, £5; Mr. Allin, £5 5s.; Mr. Robinson, £5 5s.; Mr. Kent, £5; Mr. G. Barker, £5; Mr. Mason, £5; Mr. Richardson, £3 3s.; Mr. Williamson, £2 17s.; Mr. Wadley, £210s.; Mr. G. Plant, £2 10s. ; Mr. Hill, £2 10s.; Mr. Richardson, £2; Mr. G. Copestake, £1 1s. These subscriptions have been supplemented by the proceeds of the sale of work done by the ladies' sewing-meeting, and the tea connected therewith, amounting to £45; and it is anticipated that the entire amount will be forthcoming when the parties who remain to be solicited have been seen. The congregations at Zion Chapel are remarkably good. At our watch-night service, instead of the usual forty or fifty persons who have congregated in one of the schoolrooms for some years past, we had between 500 and 600 persons present; the body of the chapel quite full. On New Year's Day, the annual school festival was held. Upwards of 800 persons took tea in the schoolrooms. The after-meeting was held in the chapel, which was densely crowded, under the presidency of the Rev. Henry Downes, supported by his colleagues, the Revs. M. Cotton and S. Walker. The children recited Bumerous pieces, and also sung several appropriate hynns, assisted by the choir. Mr. Johnson, organist of Salem Chapel, Manchester, most ably presided at the organ. Much amusement was created by a recitation entitled "The Weekly Offering," from the pen of Mr. F Newberry, and which was most admirably and effectively given by four boys and two girls. We are also experiencing tokens of spiritual revival and prosperity, and so great is the spirit of love and unity prevailing, that we thank God and take courage. Fenton.- Here we have been fa voured with a gracious revival; and, as the result of special religious service, from twenty-five to thirty members have just been received on trial. The chapel, on Sabbath evenings, is filled to overflowing; and, not having a pew or sitting to let, what has long been desirable is now felt to be an imperative necessity-viz., a new chapel. We trust that the decision of the approaching annual trustee meeting will be to arise and build, for we are well able. A most interesting meeting of old scholars was held on Christmas Day, a detailed account of which will be furnished by the esteemed secretary of the Sunday-school, Mr. J. J. Myatt. Stoke. In the month of November, a tea-meeting and concert were held, for the purpose of clearing off a balance of £20 remaining upon the new organ. Mr. Dickson, of Newcastle, presided upon the occasion. The receipts, including £2, the gift of the chairman, were sufficient to extinguish the debt. In Christmas week, the ladies of the church and congregation held a sale of useful and fancy articles, Christmas tree, &c. A large and beautiful assortment of goods were exhibited upon the stalls presided over by Mesdames Baxter, Hill, Taylor, Ridgeway, and Bennett, assisted by Misses Hill, Corbisley, Turner, Allin, Taylor, and Bootman, and Master Taylor at the fruit stall. The sale was opened by the singing of a few verses, a most appropriate prayer offered by the Rev. E. J. Baxter, of Sheffield, and a few words of address by the superintendent of the circuit. The proceeds of the sale, amounting to £40, will be given to the fund for the contemplated erection of new schools and class-rooms and an orchestra. Cheadle. Our chapel at Cheadle, together with the schoolroom, have been coloured, painted, and renovated, at a cost of £40. The re-opening services took place on Sunday, Nov. 12th, 1865. The Rev. H. O. Crofts, D.D., chairman of the district, preached in the morning and evening, and our old 'friend, the Rev. C. J. Donald, in the afternoon. The collections amounted to £13 13s. The public tea on the following day realized £7 5s.; and private subscriptions, amounting to £19 2s., liquidated the entire cost. Our missionary services were held Jan. 7th and 8th. The sermons were preached by the Rev. S. Walker, of Stafford. The meeting was presided over by Wm. Allen, Esq., |