peace; a better feeling already exists. Supplies have been arranged for the pulpit. On the second Sabbath in January the Rev. S. Ward, a coloured minister from Toronto, Canada, will preach the anniversary sermons. May the Lord send to them a man after his own heart, and build up their walls!

CONGLETON.-The General Baptist chapel at this place, after having been painted, repaired and otherwise improved, was re-opened for Divine worship on Lord'sday Nov. 12th, when two excellent sermons were preached by Israel Naphtali, Jewish Missionary of Manchester. Congregations encouraging and deeply at

tentive.

On the following evening, the 13th, a tea meeting was held in the school room, when about 150 friends partook of the refreshing beverage, after which the company adjourned to the chapel. John Dakin, Esq., Mayor of Congleton, presided on the occasion, the Rev. R. Stocks, of Macclesfield engaged in prayer, after which most suitable and interesting addresses were delivered by the Rev. J. Moore, Independent, J. Oyston, Wesleyan, Wright, New Connexion, Tillotson, Primitive Methodist, ministers of Congleton, also by Mr. Naphtali, Mr. R. Pedley, and the Rev. R. Stocks, of Macclesfield. This delightful meeting terminated by a vote of thanks to the chairman, moved by Mr. Hadfield, and seconded by Mr. Peter Gent, who has undertaken to supply the place with the hope of benefitting the people.

The expense incurred in painting, &c., is about £33, and the amount of collection and profit from the tea meeting and other contributions, about £20; any assistance from friends will be gratefully acknowledged by Mr. Ford, Druggist, Willowstreet, Congleton.

FAITH AND WORKS.-"Ye see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only"-James. Not a few are frightened at the thought that works have any thing to do in our justification. They accuse us of "working ourselves to heaven; relying upon our own works; hoping to merit something of God, and gain salvation in some way aside from the mercy of Christ." But they need not be alarmed. We have no idea of slighting the Saviour, or gaining eternal life by any other means than through his mercy. But we do believe that to enjoy his mercy, it is just as necessary to work righteousness, as it is to sow seed in order to have bread in autumn. Faith will not save us, unless that faith lives, any more than a good set of lungs will ensure life, unless they breathe. Devils believe and tremble; and

so do many men, yet they are not saved. Why? Simply because they do not obey. "The obedience of faith" is as necessary as faith itself. Christian faith is always obedient, because obedience is essential to the Christian character; hence when faith in the gospel is made the condition of life, it always involves the idea of obedience. Therefore the apostle says, "The just shall live by faith," and " The life that I live here in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God."

MISSIONARY ANNIVERSARIES.

CHATTERIS.-Our annual Missionary services were held here on Sunday and Monday, Dec. 10th and 11th, 1854. Brother Buckley preached three useful and impressive sermons, especially that of the evening, on the worth of the soul. On Monday we had a good missionary teameeting, when the whole proceeds were given to the mission. The missionary meeting in the evening, though we were disappointed in not having the company and assistance of several friends, was large and deeply interesting. The pastor presided, whose address was followed by affecting statements and solemn appeals in aid of our mission, by Revds. D. Keed, and J. Buckley. Having made, only a few days before, a successful effort to raise about £25 for repairs alterations and improvements in the chapel, our public collections were not quite equal to what they have sometimes been, but with the subscriptions they amount to £11 10s 44d.

J. L.

ASHBY AND PACKINGTON.-The annual Sermons for the Mission were preached by Rev. J. Buckley, on Lord's-day, Dec. 3rd.; and meetings were held on Monday evening at Ashby, and on Tuesday at Packington. Messrs. Preston, Goadby, Bott, and other brethren were engaged. The proceeds of the year amounted to near £33.

W. D. Dichett, Louth, one guinea.

BERHAMPORE FIRE. -Received from Mr.

MACCLESFIELD.-The annual meeting in aid of the above society was held in the baptist chapel in this town, on Monday evening last. David Holland, Esq., presided; and opened the meeting in a neat and suitable manner. Impressive addresses were delivered by Revds. G. B. Kidd, L. Stoney, J. Buckley, and Mr. D. Oldham. After which a vote of thanks was passed to the chairman, seconded by Mr. Stocks, minister of the place. The congregation separated, highly pleased with the mental and spiritual treat with which they had been favoured. The collections amounted to £11 16s 6d. R. STOCKS.

Dec. 20th. War, war," is still the burden of the press, the parlour and the parliament. The war spirit is fairly up in this country, and the whole people seem to be in danger of being carried away with it. The brief allusion made last month to a rumour of a great battle taking place on the 5th ult., turned out to be painfully true. With a force of some 60,000, animated by the presence of the grand dukes of Russia, the attempt was made to drive the allied forces from before Sebastopol into the sea. The Emperor is said to have boasted, that one allied soldier should not be left in the Crimea; and his reinforced armies were inspired with the hope of effecting this purpose. Worked up to the highest pitch of excitement, the vast columns of the Russians before daylight moved over the valley of Inkermann on the weakest part of the British position. This whole and mighty force were kept in check, cut down, and charged by 8,000 of the British Guards, who maintained successfully the unequal conflict for three or four hours, with a hardihood and power and courage unparalleled in the annals of war! Six thousand French came to their assistance, and charging the enemy in flank, sent the masses confusedly down the hill. It is supposed the Russians lost near 20,000 men: and the allies suffered to the amount of about a fourth of that number, and lost four generals. The Russians were seen bayoneting the wounded as they lay on the ground! A miscreant officer, who authorized this inhuman murder, having been taken prisoner, has been tried by a court martial and hung. Reinforcements have been arriving rapidly since this battle. Omar Pasha with 45,000 Turks has also embarked. The weather has been very wet and boisterous during the past month. The camp ground is like a bog. The men often walk in deep mud. Several of the 46th the non mi ricordo regiment, have sickened and died since their arrival at the Crimea. There was a severe hurricane on the 14th ult., which destroyed several ships, and their stores of the materiel of war, and of provisions, blankets, and warm clothing, unhappily went down. The effect of the

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storm on land was very disastrous. Tents blown over, the sick exposed, and the poor soldiers almost perishing with wet and cold. The Government at home promptly provided immense supplies of more clothing; and all people seem to be doing something for the comfort of the brave army, which most marvellously keeps up its spirits. When these supplies do reach them it has been said that never was an army on a foriegn soil better cared for. Miss Nightingale, with a large staff of nurses, has arrived at Scutari, and is tending the wounded. At home 'the Patriotic Fund," for the relief of the widows of soldiers who fall in the Crimea, is popular, and is becoming large. There has been but little fighting since Nov. 5, and the siege operations have been but languidly conducted. Some 200 railway labourers have been sent to assist in earth works, construct railways, &c., about the camp. Messrs. Peto and Co. have provided them at the expense of the government. The Russians seem dispirited by their repulse at Inkermann, and are waiting for reinforcements. Their sufferings are reported to have been extreme, and most destructive.Sir Charles Napier landed at Portsmouth last week.--Parliament assembled on the 12th inst. "The prosecution of the war," was the main topic of the Queen's speech. She announced the conclusion of a treaty with Austria. What this may be we do not at present know, nor have we or the country much confidence in the House of Hapsburg. It may be for good, and end the war. It may be treacherous and the beginning of disasters. If so, many of them will fall on Austria herself. The aspect of the House of Lords was splendid; but the numbers of the nobility who had some external sign of mourning was considerable. War is a game which inflicts serious wounds on all classes alike.

Pallida mors æquo pulsat pæde

Panperumque tabernas regumque turres. Alas for war! It makes havoc with many peaceful people, and turns the nations into ferocious wild beasts who are ever destroying each other. Even in Kamschatka the British ships have been

teries. Much as we may deprecate war there seems little prospect of Russia being brought to terms at present. Meanwhile the people at home are feeling the burden of war taxes. A doubled income-tax, brought down to incomes of £100 per annum, enforced by the Queen's assessors with a spirit of oppressive extortion which reminds one of the publicans of antiquity, is grinding the faces and souring the tempers of multitudes; the high price of provisions, the interruption of commerce, and other evils of war are being painfully felt. If we, who are after all, the richest people under heaven, complain because of our burdens, what must be the sufferings felt in Russia, where their whole commerce is stopped, and levies of hundreds of thousands of men are continually being made as food for the sword? Despite of all our troubles about the war there are not a few bright thoughts that will gleam across our minds. The heroism of our soldiers, become the theme of admiration and panegyric all over the world; the entire destruction of the hatred felt towards us by the French nation, and the hope that this war will lead to a quiet and peaceful future, and to the extension of true liberty and the rebuke of barbarous and crushing despotism, are thoughts which, like a ray of sunshine, sometimes cheer and warm. The Government and the houses of parliament seem unanimous in their determination to carry on the war with vigour. The Militia are to be sent to garrison the places occupied by regular troops that they may be spared for the war; and a bill to enable them to provide and pay foreign soldiers is now before the House of Commons.

If we look over to France the war spirit is as rife as in England. The Emperor is said to have silenced a miister who counselled him to withdraw his army from the Crimea, by replying, that he would rather send a reinforcement of 100,000 more men. This Government has offered to engage the Polish prisoners in France to enter the Foreign Legion, an offer almost universally accepted. He has also presented a New Testament to every soldier of his army. The French are so full of admiration at the prowess and courage of the English soldiers that they do not give a full measure to their own.- -There has

Espartero government continues in office. The harvest of this year was above average in Piedmont. Joseph Sturge informs the people of Birmingham that in Odessa and the Danubian ports wheat may be had for less than 2s. per bushel, and that the war prevents our getting it.- -The Swedish Diet, under government influence, has passed another intolerant law, fining any unordained priest 100 dollars for administering the Lord's Supper, and every recipient 16. The King of Denmark has dismissed his government. He is tending to despotism or truckling to Russia.- -The tone of the message of the American president is quiet and pacific. The third reading of the Clergy revenues secularization Bill has been carried in the Quebec or Canadian Parliament. The Fuedal Tenure Aholition Bill has been read a third time. These are movements in the right direction.The Pope has decreed that the Immaculate conception of the Holy Virgin, is a doctrine of the church, and to deny it is heresy. Perhaps next he will decree that all the ancestors of the virgin up to David were of the same order! How pitiable is popery! How puerile the conceit on which the conclave has been professedly praying for these many months! How prostrate, mentally and spiritually, must be those people who bow to such a dictum as infallible !Sir George Grey informed a deputation that waited on him in reference to the large Ecclesiastical grants in the "Australian Constitution Bills,"that in the British parliament ample opportunity would be given for objecting to the clauses on religious worship. The masters and Fellows of Pembroke College, Oxford, have unanimously agreed to a large measure of College reform, throwing open the Fellowships and Scholarships to general competition.The Rev. C. Stowell recently asserted, at the Rochdale Bible meeting, that there was much piety among the brave soldiers of the Crimea, and that they have meetings for prayer and the reading of God's Word. John Bright added, for the Emperor of Russia, that he had remitted duty on Bibles imported into his dominions at the rate of £400 per annum.

-Coal has been found in Greece, and at present yields about 30,000 tons a year.

the path marked out for me by Him who appoints our sphere of labour, some obstacle might be placed in my way so as to prevent my taking the step. The importance of the situation made much impression upon my mind. There is in my constitution a shrinking from responsibility, which has often been the occasion of trials even in the most ordinary duties of life, this has been to me almost a daily cross, since I have been led to see the claims of the Redeemer upon all his redeemed ones, and in this instance I felt it much. But if it is His call I trust to receive the needful wisdom and grace, and while I look to Him alone, I am encouraged to believe that He can make use of whatever instrument He appoints, and since the power resides not in the instrument, but Himself, I may leave this in His hands; so I trust that while I am looking for His decision I shall receive it, and I do believe that in the decision of the Committee I shall have the manifestation of His will." In a second letter dated June 16th, she says, "Well it is quite settled that I am to proceed to India, as an agent of the Ladies' Society. I hope that I do right in recognising in this decision the manifestation of the Lord's will concerning me. This sustains my spirit, that God is the hearer and answerer of prayer, and that He has never forsaken them that seek Him. It has been my one prayer from the first proposition made to me, that if it were not the way marked out by the unerring hand of our Heavenly Father, some obstacle might be placed in my way to prevent me from going astray. With this feeling I have been like one straining the eye to perceive some distant object, anxious to discover some intimation of direction, but my way has opened completely, and without the shade of an obstacle or hindrance from without. I think,

therefore, I must do right to go forward. Oh! that the time to come may prove that I have not been mistaken in this, but may I be helped to labour for Him who has loved me, and given himself for me, and who has commanded each of his disciples to make known the glad tidings of salvation as the opportunity may be given."

You will be grieved to learn that Mrs. Bailey has been, and is still, very unwell; her constitution is so shattered that I fear she will never thoroughly recover without a change to a cooler climate. To leave our work under existing circumstances will be very painful, but our times are in the Lord's hands, our confidence is in Him. O that we may ever receive His direction and blessing.

I may mention, as items of news, that the New Postage Act for India will come into operation on the 1st of October next. Stamps will be in use, and half a sheet of letter paper can be sent any where in India for three farthings, from Reshawur to Cape Comorin, 2000 miles. Newspapers, without reference to distance, are to be charged threepence each; and books will be charged threepence per pound; this we think, considering all the difficulties of transmit, a most liberal act.

The railway was opened from Calcutta to Hooghley a short time ago; the natives are delighted with it; men of all castes and condition will sit together on the same seat in the carriage without any scruples. On the arrival of the train at Hooghley, the natives were so delighted that they tried to raise an English hurrah!

-Lastly, a telegraph from India to Alexandria is seriously thought of; in two or three years it is not impossible that we shall be in daily communication with England.

Yours, affectionately,

W. BAILEY.

contains would call for liable to convey a wrong Three of our present

our