LITURGICAL FORMS OF WORSHIP.

43

necessity for earnest and unflagging exertion on the part of all the members of the Christian Church. He illustrated and enlivened his remarks by a variety of anecdotes. Messrs. T. Smith, J. Mellor, J. Stather, and F. Oliver also took part in the meeting. Several anthems were sung at intervals by the members of the Bethel choir, which added much to the pleasure of the meeting. After thankfully acknowledging the services of the ladies, the choir, the chairman, &c., the meeting was brought to a close; but its memory remains associated with pleasure and advantage.

T. S.

LITURGICAL FORMS OF WORSHIP.

To the Editor of the "Methodist New Connexion Magazine."

DEAR SIR,-There is a subject which I think is worthy of consideration, as it has of late been engaging the attention of a good many of our people, and has received fresh impulse by the controversy now going on in the Wesleyan body. I refer to the use of a Liturgy in public worship.

It is generally admitted that the "Book of Common Prayer" is a splendid compilation, and beautifully sets forth the varied condition of worshippers. It is also regarded as a teacher of Ritualistic and Popish doctrine, and, for the use of Protestant Dissenters, spurious and even dangerous. No doubt there is There are other reasons advanced against its use by us. some truth in these statements, and yet people of all denominations love the book and appreciate its hallowed utterances. A friend of the writer, a most exemplary and intelligent man, who was brought up a Dissenter and took an active part as a member among the "Independents," gave as his reason for leaving that body and going to the Church of England, that "he had gone to be a worshipper, for he was tired of hearing only ministers talk." Now, his way of putting it may be considered a little unparliamentary, but I find this feeling obtaining. There is a great cry out for shorter sermons and more and better singing; in short, the congregations wish to have the privilege of taking a greater part in the service, and to become audible participators in it. Would not a suitable liturgy meet the case? The old and well remembered responses of "Hallelujah," "Glory," "Amen," &c., have served their day, and are heard no longer. It is said that the present age is decidedly more pious than the previous one, and certainly the tone of our What literature is purer, and religion is absorbing the attention of all classes. The service of the sacntuary, therefore, in our day takes a new aspect. suited the Puritanical age will not suit this; the rude hovels in which our forefathers worshipped have given place to skilful architecture; and with this a magnificent philanthrophy and benevolence fills the land. It would be easy to write a long letter in favour of a Liturgical form of worship, but my object I is simply to call our people's attention to it, and to suggest that you would open the pages of our common Connexional organ to its discussion. know it is debatable ground, and requires careful consideration. The same was said of the introduction of the chant-book into our chapels; yet who now would give it up? It has lately been said by a distinguished doctor "that there is sufficient elasticity in Methodism to adapt itself to the wants of the age." So, Mr. Editor, I trust you will allow this subject to be ventilated, for the mutual edification of all. I am, yours faithfully, Manchester, December, 1874.

JAS. FLEMING.

[We see no harm in complying with our correspondent's request, and opening our pages to an interchange of thought on the subject he mentions, provided the communications sent us have the proper modicum of good temper and intelligence. Mere denunciations of Liturgies on the one hand, or eulogies upon them on the other, will not gain admission into the Magazine by our consent; but reasons for or against their use, if set forth in

temperate and appropriate language, may meet with more favour. The subject is alike interesting and important, and we commend it to the thoughtful and devout consideration of those among us who, by a wise discernment of the signs of the times, are qualified to be our counsellors and guides.— EDITOR.]

NEW SCHOOL, SMALLTHORNE, BURSLEM DISTRICT. THE September number of the Magazine contained an account of the laying of the memorial stones of a new chapel and school at Smallthorne, in this Circuit. The school, which forms the basement story of the building, was opened on Sunday last, December 6th. Excellent sermons were preached morning and evening, by the Rev. J. Ogden, of Macclesfield. In the afternoon an interesting children's service was held. A dialogue composed for the occasion was recited, several appropriate hymns were sung by the scholars and the choir, and an address was delivered by the Rev. L. Saxton. The weather during the day was exceedingly unpropitious, but the attendance was good, and the collections amounted to the sum of £35. The school-room is light and airy, looks well, and is very comfortable. It will accommodate from 400 to 500 children. The chapel is intended to be opened in February. The building, when finished, will present a good appearance, and will do credit to the village. The Smallthorne friends, considering their number, are doing noble things, and deserve encouragement. L. S.

HALIFAX SOUTH CIRCUIT.

KINGCROSS.-The friends have decided on the erection of a new chapel and school, and to this end have lately secured an eligible plot of land in Lombard Street, on the Thorn Tree Estate, not far from Queen's Road, and a little back from Kingcross Street, which is the highway. The site is not far from the present chapel, but in a much more advantageous position. Probably, friends will at present satisfy themselves with building a good school (with vestries), which is very much needed; the assembly room of the school would answer for a preaching-room, and would be much more suitable than the present chapel. A general meeting of the congregation was held on the evening of the 15th December, and after tea the Rev. C. D. Ward presided. He explained what had been done as to the purchase of land, &c., and that it was thought advisable at once to proceed with a subscription list, to form a trust body, and as early as possible to have a school built. He stated that Mr. Crossley, M.P., had voluntarily interested himself in the movement, and would give them valuable help in many ways. Some remarks were made by Mr. John Hartley, whe promised a subscription for himself and partner of £100. Mr. J. Clegg said the teachers and scholars were very hearty in the movement, and £100 might be expected from the classes. In the course of the evening, Mr. A. Ramsden shortly addressed the meeting, and, on the motion of Mr. Turner, an executive committee was appointed. The subscriptions promised before the meeting broke up, exceeded £300-viz.: Messrs. Hartley and Sugden, £100; Scholars in the classes, £100; Mr. J. Clegg, £50; Mr. A. Ramsden, £20; Rev. C. D. Ward, £4 4s.; Mr. John Butterfield, £10; Mr. J. T. Hall, £5; Mr. Geo. Kibson, £5; Mrs. R. Willey, £5 5s.; Mr. Jno. Turner, £5 5s.; Miss Eastwood, £3. There is every prospect that the project will be commenced forthwith.

MISSIONS.-The mission services in the Halifax South Circuit have been successful, and the services and meetings well attended and profitable. The deputation for Hanover (Halifax), Elland, and Brighouse were the Revs. Rider and Story, and for the other parts of the circuit, the Rev. E. Alty.

The receipts were as follows: Hanover, £59 6s. 9d.; Brighouse, £23 5s. 3d.; Elland, £16 17s. 4d.; Kingcross, £14 18s. 1d.; Soyland, £6 10s. 9d.; Boulderclough, £3 148. 8d; Lightazles, £2 4s. 9d.; Bailiffe. Bridge, £4 4s.; total £131 1s. 7d. These sums are mostly in advance of previous years, and the contributions of two of the Juvenile Societies have yet to come in.

REDUCTION OF DEBT ON STEPNEY CHAPEL, HULL CIRCUIT TOWARDS the furtherance of the above object a bazaar was held in the Public Rooms, Jarrat Street, Hull, on Tuesday, November 10, 1874, and two following days. Stepney Chapel was built about six years ago, at a cost of about £2700, of which amount there remained as a debt on the premises at the last anniversary of its opening the sum of £1600. This was stated at the public tea-meeting on that occasion by the respected treasurer, Mr. Stather, who, at the same time full of confidence and hope, proposed that an effort should be made to reduce the debt to £1000. As one means of effecting this desirable object, he suggested that a bazaar should be got up and held in the course of the year, towards which the other parts of the circuit should be requested to lend their efforts. This it was calculated would yield one-half of the required sum; and then a supplementary sale of goods in the ensuing spring, together with subscriptions, might produce the other. The friends generally entered heartily into the scheme, and the ladies very cheerfully rendered their most needful and valuable services. The result of their industry and application was seen on the morning of the day for opening the bazaar, in the quantity and value of the articles which occupied the respective stalls.

On the occasion of the opening ceremony there was a larger gathering of the friends than had been witnessed on any previous similar occasion. After a brief preliminary service, conducted by the ministers of the circuit, the bazaar was formally opened by C. H. Wilson, Esq., M.P. for Hull, whose kind patronage and services were cheerfully accorded and much appreciated. The selling part of the business then proceeded with satisfactory results, the amount of sales for the first day being £157.

The total amounts realised at the respective stall were as follows:

The goods remaining on hand, together with additional contributions of articles, will it is hoped, yield by a sale at Stepney an additional sum fo

£100. The success of the effort so far has been very satisfactory and cheering to the friends, and they are still looking for the prospering blessing of God upon their endeavours. And it is hoped that, above all, we shall be visited with those showers of spiritual blessings which are needed for the highest kind of prosperity, the true success of the Church, and the great end of all means. JOHN MARTIN, Secretary.

Memoirs and Recent Deaths.

MRS. SARAH HEPPER,

BRADFORD.

SARAH HEPPER, the daughter of Joshua and Sarah Ann Pollard, was born at Bradford, January 2, 1846. By her parents she was received and regarded as a New Year's Gift from Heaven, and reminiscences of her from infancy are fraught with deep interest. During childhood she gave little trouble and caused her parents no undue anxiety, but on all occasions reverently and cheerfully complied with their commands. Though no remarkable incident occurred, yet many little acts of kindness revealed traits of character, which, under the fostering influences of a Christian home, increased in strength and loveliness year by year. She was possessed of much buoyancy of spirit, and of a thoroughly affectionate disposition; these, united with an anxious concern regarding her spiritual welfare and personal consecration to God, gave a charm to her character but rarely possessed, and were the means of attaching her to a large circle of friends. At the age of fourteen she was placed under the care of the late Rev. Thomas Allin, who, associated with his daughter, conducted a school at the village of Altrincham, a few miles distant from Manchester. A beloved friend of her parents, the Rev. J. Addyman, at that time was stationed in the Manchester South Circuit, and, through the pious counsels and salutary influence of these servants of Christ, she advanced steadily in the acquirement of both secular and spiritual knowledge. By Mr. Allin she was led to attend the class-meeting, and there received part of her education for heaven. After remaining at school one year she returned home, and when about fifteen years of age, her heart, which, like Lydia's, had been gently opening, received, without a storm, the dear Saviour by faith, and she had peace and joy through believing. She attended our Ebenezer Chapel, at Bradford, of which her father was one of the founders, and Ebenezer became then doubly precious.

It was the church of her choice and her spiritual home. Her song was, "Here my best friends, my kindred dwell;

Here God my Saviour reigns."

For a short time she then met in the class conducted by Mrs. Eltoft, and was much benefited by her earnest prayers and excellent advice. For many years afterwards she attended the preachers' evening class, and it was then, ten years ago, the writer first made her acquaintance. Her decided amiability and pleasing manner won his regard, and she became a friend of the family. Death has now interrupted the pleasant intercourse, but only for a season, as they cherish the hope it will be renewed and for ever perpetuated admidst the glories and felicities of our heavenly home. By the advice of the Revs. T. Guttridge, G. Grundy, C. D. Ward, and A. R. Pearson, who have successively been her leaders, she was instructed in the oracles of God, and exhorted to hold fast the beginning of her confidence steadfast unto the end. Her growth in piety soon became apparent,

by her love for the means of grace, her aim after a higher Christian life, and her intense desire to be useful. Our late sister loved the classmeeting, and yet the relating of her experience was not one of her least trials. Nevertheless, for the Saviour's sake, she carried this cross, and the occasions when she failed to testify of God's goodness were of rare occurrence. She invariably spoke with deep feeling, sometimes in tears; and the prayer of the Psalmist often passed her lips, "Create in me a clean heart O God, and renew a right spirit within me." She had a clear perception of Christ's great mediatorial work, and believed in His willingness and ability to save to the uttermost. She likewise had exalted views of the Majesty of God, and of that law which is holy and just and good. Being of a nervous temperament, and highly conscientious, she felt reproved for the slightest breach in its observance, and occasionally lost her confidence, and became the subject of doubts and fears. Often when thus assailed has she retired to wrestle alone with God, the dark clouds have been dispelled, and from those communings has she returned in a happy frame, and with a bright countenance. Our Heavenly Father has rewarded her approaches to the throne, and has imparted the "peace which passeth understanding." The beautiful lines of Montgomery would then accurately describe her condition,

"Anon the clouds depart,

The winds and waters cease;

While sweetly o'er my troubled heart
Expands the bow of peace."

In one of her letters she says, "I want to trust always. I am sure Christ loves me, and I want to be of use to Him." Here her strength and weakness are both disclosed, and from these few words a fair estimate may be formed of her Christian character. At home she exemplified the beauties of our holy religion by striving to make all happy. It is often quaintly and also truthfully observed that: "you must live with people to know them." One of her brothers, several years her senior, and who had attentively watched her way of life, writes thus: "She was always ready to sacrifice self for the good of others; and I do honestly believe from being a child she would have suffered martyrdom rather than have told a lie, or even departed in the least degree from the truth. When any of her brothers were in trouble she would shield them by her love, but never at the cost of the truth. These signs of a well-principled mind as she grew up caused her to be loved by all the family. I cannot call to mind any occasion when she has shown a quarrelsome or enviable disposition. Her good nature was excessive, and I am quite sure her piety was genuine. In every respect she was a pattern of what a loving sister should be, and time will make us feel her loss much more keenly. We do not yet know fully what we have lost. I always had a high opinion of her moral courage, and felt sure she would face death calmly, as her faith in the future was always so strong." Our late sister was blessed with the gift of song, and Psalmody was eminently one of her delights. She was much attached to our hymns, and to some of the popular religious songs. Many a meeting has been enlivened by her hearty singing. Charles Wesley's hymn, beginning

"Jesus lover of my soul,"

was one of her especial favourites, and the pathos with which she has sung on several occasions

"I was wandering and weary

When the Saviour came unto me,"

has been frequently the subject of remark. The words she appeared to feel in all their force, as though they had been written only to describe her own experience. On many Sabbath evenings, after the services of the sanctuary have been concluded, she has spent some happy hours at the homes of friends in the service of sacred song. On those occasions (as all who have been privileged to meet her will testify) she has shown a willingness to