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a tenth-nay, say five per cent. of their income-the necessary work could be accomplished successfully. Let the Church not lack funds, and their path would be smoothed. Those who worked devotedly for the bazaar might with confidence look for God's blessing, and the comforting of the Holy Ghost. He had the greatest pleasure in declaring the bazaar open.

Mr. Charles Shaw, in appropriate terms, moved, "That the best thanks of this assembly be accorded Mr. Mallalieu for opening this bazaar."

Mr. T. Heywood, one of the oldest Sunday scholars, seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously, and with cheers.

Mr. Mallalieu, in acknowledgment, said he gratefully accepted the manifestation of their sympathy in this work. He thanked them for their cordial vote of thanks, and trusted, now that speech-making was done, they would at once proceed to conduct the business of the bazaar in such a manner as to speedily raise the sum required to clear off the debt on the building.

The bazaar was kept open on Easter Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, and the receipts amounted to a grand total of £1,140.

S. T. NICHOLSON.

STALYBRIDGE CIRCUIT. JUBILEE OF GROSVENOR SQUARE CHAPEL.

As a suitable mode of marking the arrival of the Jubilee year of this Chapel, it was arranged that, after undergoing a thorough and muchneeded renovation, it should be reopened with appropriate services; it was also resolved to hold a bazaar, to assist in defraying the expense of the renovation, to clear off a society debt, and to reduce the debt on the trustestate.

The chapel, which has been greatly improved in appearance, both within and without, was re-opened on Sunday, November 19, when the writer preached

in the morning, and the Rev. A. R. Pearson in the afternoon and evening. The services were continued on November 26, when the Rev. G. S. Hornby preached in the morning, and the Rev. W. J. Townsend in the evening. In the afternoon Mr. Townsend also conducted a "Children's Service." The congregations were good, and the collections amounted to £70.

The services were closed with a jubilee tea-meeting, on Saturday, December 2. The chair was taken by R. S. Buckley, Esq., J.P. of Mossley, who congratulated the Church on the improvement and decoration of the chapel, and expressed his wishes for its enlarged usefulness. He hoped that all who belonged to the place would labour to bring others into connection with it, and referred to the losses by death which had lately been suffered, as an incentive to diligence. Mr. Ben Worth next gave an able and interesting sketch of the history of the denomination in the town, in the course of which he said that in 1830 a society meeting was held, at which it was resolved to commence building the present place, and several subscriptions were promised.

The scheme lapsed, however, for a time through a turn-out, but was revived, and four promises of £25 each provided a sufficient nucleus for continuing the project. The subscriptions from the society and seatholders amounted to £300; and the site selected, through certain circumstances, was nearly lost. The debt on the old chapel was £750; but when it was sold the trustees had £100 to the good, and the old fittings were used in the new chapel. The sum in hand at the time building operations commenced was about £500; and the laying of the foundation-stone took place at four o'clock on the morning of July 7, 1832. This remarkable hour was, doubtless, selected on account of the difficulty which the operatives would have expe

rienced in getting there at another time. The chapel was opened on November 11 and 12, and the collections amounted to the handsome sum, in those days, of £131 0s. 8d. There were then no pews in the body of the chapel, and all the sittings in the edifice were let within a week after the opening services had been completed. At the time of the opening a malicious report was circulated through the town that the galleries of the chapel were unsafe, but it was promptly met by Mr. Ridgway, who went to the canal side, stopped a boat of pig-iron, and had it conveyed into the galleries, and distributed all over them in such a manner as at once to demonstrate that the place was perfectly safe. In 1831 the number of church members was 176, and in three years it had risen to 301.

In 1838 it was 392, and in 1840

it had declined to 309. In 1841 the number was 347, but the following year it declined to 173, and in 1844 to a minimum of 132. This minimum was brought about by internal dissensions, and the maximum of 1838 was never again approached nearer than 230, in 1860.

Following this retrospect, addresses were delivered by the Rev. J. Medicraft, chairman of the district, Revs. E. Alty, G. Packer, T. James, and the Circuit ministers. The Revs. L. Stoney and E. Holyoake, and Messrs. R. Street, T. James, T. Worth, J. Hague, S. M. Quire, J. Moore, J. Charleworth, and James Worth, secretary to the Jubilee movement, also took part. The choir rendered excellent service during the meeting, as well on the opening Sundays.

On Thursday, March 1, the bazaar, the fruit of about three months' zealous co-operation, was opened in Chapel-street school by W. Summers, Esq., member for the Borough. A large number of our own ministers in the district, in addition to ministers and gentlemen of the town, were present at the ceremony. The various stalls might be described in the usual

style as effectively arranged and wellfilled with fancy and useful articles, while the value of the goods they displayed may be estimated from the results, which considerably exceeded our early hopes. The following handsome donations, amongst others, were received from generous friends with whom we have no ecclesiastical connection at all: Mrs. Platt, the Woodlands, £25; J. Cheetham, Esq., £20; J. Harrison, Esq., J.P., £5; J. J. Wilkinson, Esq., £5; W. Leech, Esq., £5; and A. Whittaker, Esq., New Jersey, U.S.A., £5.

Mrs. Love, of Durham, kindly sent us £5; R. S. Buckley, Esq. of Mossley, £5; and other connexional friends contributed smaller gifts.

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The moneys raised in celebration of the Jubilee are as follows:Re-opening Collections.. £70 0 0 Subscription List Choir Contribution.. Congregational Stall Chapel-street School do. Bennett-street School do. Refreshment Stall Oyster Stall Flower Stall. Entertainments

Entrance Money Sundries

55 4 0 65 10 9 27 1 1

2 10 0 2 13 0 34 8

29 14 10

0 11 111

£432 3 71

A sale of surplus goods to take place shortly will cover the expenses, which are not heavy.

By the labours and liberalities now reported, the cost of chapel renovation has been met, the debt on the society extinguished, and the trust obligations so far reduced that the remainder may be reasonably regarded as 8 vanishing quantity. The renovating and bazaar committees have merited praise, especially Mr. Thomas Hague, the treasurer, and Mr. J. Worth, the secretary. Mention should also be made of the earnestness and harmony which have distinguished the movement. May be the church will now apply itself with equal unity and zeal to spiritual work.

T. D. CROTHERS,

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MEDITATION ON GOD.

BY THE LATE H. O. CROFTS, D.D.

"My meditation of Him shall be sweet."-PSALM Civ. 34.

To meditate is to think with close attention on any being or thing, to revolve anything in the mind. Meditation is deep thoughtthought employed on sacred subjects, or a series of thoughts occasioned by any object, subject, or occurrence. We cannot make much progress in literature, arts, or sciences, nor can we prosper in any business or profession, without meditation. We may read much, converse much, and write much, still our knowledge will be extremely superficial unless we think much. We have many great readers, fluent talkers, and voluminous writers in our day, but we have few great thinkers. Bacon, Newton, Boyle, Locke, Milton, Shakespeare, Watts, Johnson, Drew, and many others, would never have risen to such eminence in their various spheres had they not thought with close attention. Howe, Goodwin, Charnock, Bates, Owen, Baxter, Bunyan, Taylor, Barrow, Wesley, and others, would never have produced their great theological works had they not thought with close attention.

We should not have had so many examples of eminent piety as we find in sacred biography, if those who have left us such examples had not meditated deeply on God, and given themselves wholly to the Lord. David, the sweet singer of Israel, meditated much on the Divine Being. He remembered God on his bed, and meditated on Him in the night watches. He meditated in God's love day and night. He remembered the years of the right hand of the Most High, and His wonders of old. all His work, and talked of His doings. loving-kindness in the midst of His temple. June, 1883.

21

He meditated also on
He thought on God's

And in our text he

VOL, LXXXVI.

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