routine, and throws them back, and destroys the possibility of affording them a real and sound instruction. There are several little excuses used for keeping children from school ---such as planting the garden, or sending messages. Such matters look to be of slight consequence, but in reality they are of great importance, and it is better to go for two months regularly, if you take pains when your children return home in the evening, to ask them what they have heard and learnt at school,-in such a case, they will learn more in the two months than they will learn in years otherwise. I would sincerely hope that our agriculturists would, as much as possible, remit the services of young children for a great portion of the year. In an agricultural neighbourhood like this, I know there are great difficulties, but such things are to be managed, and "where there is a will there is a way;" and any farmer who is friendly to education, who is anxious that the children should be well brought up-such a farmer will do his utmost to forward the attendance of those children at the schools.

Now I have only to ask a blessing from Almighty God on those who have been to these schools, and on the Minister of the parish, with a hope that the Word of God may ever flourish; and also let me beg a blessing on those children, for their education in these schools that they may grow in grace. It now only remains for me to say that I, the Archdeacon of Hereford, in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, the ever blessed and undivided Trinity, do declare this building to be set apart for the glory of God, in the instruction of the young, for ever.

HEREFORD RIFLE VOLUNTEERS' FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. May 18th, 1861.

Perhaps to some it may appear extraordinary that I, a man of peace, and occupying a position of some eminence in a profession of peace, should feel it my proud honour to bear a commission in the Volunteer Rifle Corps of this city; but we must all remember that the only legitimate end of war is peace; that it is peace alone that you are supporting, and that it is peace alone which you will, by your enlistment, further the prevalence of, in this land. Neither can it be considered that there is anything derogatory to the position in the profession which I occupy, in appearing among you on an occasion of this sort. I believe it is a good and salutary thing, on such an occasion, that there should be Clergymen present, and I hope it is a thing which will not be objected to, either by those present or by others. The position you occupy is not only one which you deserve, but one for which you deserve the thanks of your countrymen and your country. You have come boldly forward to fight for your country, and to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves; and I am sure there is many a heart beats more lightly, many a head is laid with greater confidence, and rests more easy at night on its pillow, because it knows that there is a volunteer force ready, in case of danger and alarm, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

OPENING OF FROME BISHOP CHURCH.
June 6th, 1861.

It has been to me a source of delight to see so many Churches restored during the last nine years,-none, however, in the same style of architecture as that which we

have seen to-day; and it is to me a peculiar satisfaction to see the Norman style-of which there are not only so few in the county of Hereford, but in England at large—carried out so successfully and so ably, in every feature and respect, as that building in which we have been permitted to assemble for the first time.

KENCHESTER BIBLE SOCIETY.

September 27th, 1861.

I feel sincere gratification at being present here, in meeting you, my neighbours, who worship in this Chapel, my friend Mr. Staples, and other ministers who are fellowlabourers in the cause of the Bible. It is a good thing for all of us; it makes us feel we dwell in a Christian land. I don't mean a land merely nominally Christian, but where the spirit of Christ has at least some effect upon our hearts and principles. There has been a great improvement in these matters within my memory, and I thank God for it, and I hope we shall go on improving till Christians consent to lay aside all differences when they are called on to unite in the circulation of God's Holy Scriptures, which is the text-book and the guide of all who profess and call themselves Christians, except those poor blind Romanists who are not allowed to peruse it. And now, my dear friends, I will tell you what good I think a meeting like the present may do for us. I believe that we are all of us half asleep in matters of religion; we go dreaming on, day after day, and year after year, and then, when the dream is nearly over, life almost spent, the flame quivering in the socket, eyes growing dim, ears getting deaf, breath becoming short, we begin to think that there is something more in religion than we ever thought of before, and something more to be done than we

ever saw to; and we send for the Minister, who does what he can to accomplish in a few hours what should have been the constant occupation of our lives. Nothing can be much worse than all this, and it is true we may not have been great and notorious sinners, as far as the world sees; the great moral commandments remain apparently unbroken; but we have been ashamed of Christ; we have not confessed Him before men, and we can have but a faint hope that He will acknowledge us before God and angels. Now, anything that breaks through the dull routine of a godless life, which stirs us up to think but of one duty, is a great advantage; when men begin to think of one duty, and perform that duty, they will naturally begin to think of other duties, and, in time, to perform them also. And so, when we begin to think of the souls of others, and what a shocking thing it is that millions upon millions of men should live and die without one spark of knowledge of the God who made, the Saviour who redeemed, the Holy Spirit who sanctifies, we may be led to think whether our own poor souls, the souls of men who live beneath the blaze of Gospel light, are in a better state than those of the heathen. Well, then, this is one of the great advantages which some even of you, my friends, may derive from being sufficiently aroused out of your usual dream to attend a meeting like the present. If we really, in our hearts, do believe that God willeth all men to be saved; that He knows neither great nor few, “Barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, black or white;" that He is no respecter of persons, but would have all men converted and live, what can be said of us, if we neglect so easy an opportunity of being workers together with God, as by being supporters of an Association such as this? Remember, the days of miracles are past: God no longer works

especial wonders to convert individuals, or nations. He has given us His Gospel, and He has declared His will, but He has left it to mankind to profit by the one, and carry out the other. Oh! how true are the words of our Lord, in the conclusion of that touching parable of the rich man and Lazarus,—“If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead!" Look at the Jews; see how God performed miracles for them, how He led them out of the land of Egypt, how He divided the waters and made a way for them to pass through; how He led them by a pillar of cloud by day, and fire by night; how He smote the rock, and gave them water; how He fed them with manna in the wilderness; how He raised the serpent to heal the sickness of those who looked on it; how, in short, they saw His miracles specially performed before them almost daily, and yet how they hardened their hearts and rebelled yet more against Him. No wonder miracles have ceased. God has not left Himself without witness, but His voice is no more heard speaking with man; His hand is no more stretched out to work wonders. He has given us not only Moses and the prophets, but He has given us His Gospel, and He has bade us go and teach all nations, and extend His kingdom from pole to pole, and entrusted to us the salvation of our brother sinners' souls.

I regard these meetings as most important to the interests of the Church, cementing and binding the Clergy and laity in the bonds of brotherly love, as they do.

Such assemblies tend greatly to strengthen the hands of

I