God. I know that it is not a very popular thing to urge this, and that I am coming to the most difficult part of my speech when I have to say "give back." But really, all religion is a giving back to God that which he has given to us, and the consummation of Christian service on earth is a glorious giving back, "Father, into Thy hands I commend my spirit." But have you given anything else before you commend your spirit to Him? Has your whole life been one of giving back just as the earth gives back to the heaven that which descends, or is that one event in life the exceptional one? brethren, let us "give back." I want you to be enthusiastic in this. I know you must think it an extraordinary thing for a Baptist to make a collection speech, but the collection comes after my name, and I am bound to do my best. I will just tell you about a cartoon that I once saw and will then sit down. The cartoon represented a Baptist, a Congregationalist, and a Methodist. The Baptist was portrayed as a short, broad little fellow, in the baptistery about to baptise a candidate. Written underneath was, "One thing I do," and I took the hint. Then there was the Congregational brother, with kid gloves, flowing beard, classic countenance, and hair parted in the middle-altogether the gentleman; he was in the pulpit with gloved hand uplifted, saying, “Let all things be done decently and in order." Last of all was the patriarchal Methodist brother-with a face like a benediction. He had just been giving a hearty sermon and he was mopping his brow in the old fashioned Methodist style, and there was a smile upon his face the most benignant I have ever seen. And thus represented, with one arm thrown over the pulpit, he was saying, "And now, brethren concerning the collection." Now I want you to fancy for a moment that I am a Methodist and that I am in right good earnest. You will respond heartily I am sure and support your society for which we have all tried to plead this evening. The collection was then made.

Br. W. B. LARK moved, Br. CHARLES DENING seconded, and Mr. MOORE supported a resolution of thanks to the chairman, and the meeting was brought to a conclusion in the usual manner.

Temperance Department.

NOTES.

THERE has been a great deal of discussion at one time and another as to whether fermented or unfermented wine was used by Christ at the institution of the Lord's Supper. It may interest our readers to know what is the custom of the Jews in the present day, and the opinion which they hold on the question. A contributor to the Methodist Times attended a recent celebration of the Jewish Passover, and the following is an account of what he saw and heard on the occasion:-"Supper being ended, I said, amongst other things, to an intelligent Rabbi who sat next me, 'May I ask with what kind of wine you have celebrated the Passover this evening?' 'With a non-intoxicating wine,' he promptly replied. 'Jews never use fermented wine in their synagogue services, and must not use it on the Passover either for synagogue or home purposes. Fermented liquor of any kind comes under the category of "leaven," which is proscribed in so many well-known places in the Old Testament. The wine which is used by Jews during the week of passover is supplied to the community by those licensed by the chief Rabbi's board,

and by those only. Each bottle is sealed in the presence of a representative of the ecclesiastical authorities. The bottle standing yonder on the sideboard from which the wine used to-night was taken was thus sealed. I may also mention that poor Jews who cannot afford to buy this wine, make an unfermented wine of their own, which is nothing else but an infusion of Valencia or Muscatel raisins. I have recently read the passage in Matthew in which the Paschal Supper is described. There can be no doubt whatever that the wine used on that occasion was unfermented. Jesus, as an observant Jew, would not only not have drunk fermented wine on the Passover, but would not have celebrated the Passover in any house from which everything fermented had not been removed. 1 may mention that the wine I use in the service at the synagogue is an infusion of raisins. You will allow me perhaps, to express my surprise that Christians who profess to be followers of Jesus of Nazareth can take what he could not possibly have taken as a Jew-intoxicating wine, at so sacred a service as the sacrament of the Lord's Supper.'"

Mr. N. Smyth has been calling attention to the drink plague in Liverpool, in a paper which gives us some terrible revelations. He says that the guardians of Toxteth Park had their attention called to the large number of cases of application for relief from a particular district of the township. One of their number moved for a return which was prepared, and it revealed the following facts :

These 45 receiving relief in district C., almost without exception reside in streets bordering on district A. Without doubt the drink traffic is chargeable with most of the pauperism to be found in our midst.

The deaths expected in the temperance section of the Sceptre Life Association last year were 50, the actual deaths were only 15.

The Methodist Times says that the "7,000 public-houses and the 3,000 beerhouses to be found in London are doing more to ruin the bodies and souls of the people than all the churches are doing to save them. Let the churches destroy intemperance, and they will do more to promote the conversion of England than they would do by annihilating the influence of all the infidels and atheists alive. The trade of Burton-on-Trent alone, to say nothing of other places, is doing more real and irreparable mischief amongst us every week than all the Positivists' temples, and all the halls of science, and all the Secularists' publications achieve in twelve months." Yes, let the Churches "destroy intemperance," but how is it to be done? There has been quite enough of beating about the bush. Let us recognise the truth fully and frankly, behind the intemperance of our country stands the liquor traffic as by law established, and we shall never destroy the intemperance until we

have overthrown the traffic. There has been enough of time spent in weeping over the intemperance of the country. Intemperance is an effect, of which the traffic is the cause. Let the Churches arise and demand such an alteration in the licensing laws as shall enable the people to sweep away the cursed traffic from their midst. Let such a demand go forth from the Churches, and no Government will be able to resist it. Until the Churches do this the weeping of which we hear so much can be regarded as no other than a little cheap philanthropy!

The "trade" evidently mean to make political capital, if possible, out of the proposed increase of the spirit and beer duties set forth in the Budget. They are doing their utmost to move heaven and earth and "the opposition" to take up their cause. Will they succeed? Not with heaven, that is certain. Will they with "the opposition"? We question. The temperance sentiment in the country is too strong for that. The Conservative party are hardly likely to run their heads against this sentiment merely to save the brewers. They did it once, but the result was not very encouraging. We feel almost sure they won't do it again.

Dr. Carpenter, in a speech in Exeter Hall the other day, said, "During the time I was in practice as a family doctor I carefully examined my list of patients, and found that in the case of teetotal families whereas their doctor's bills cost them on the average £3 per year, the doctor's bills of the non-teetotalers cost £9 per annum."

Why tumblers are so called. Glass drinking-cups have been found in AngloSaxon graves, and they are all round-bottomed. Such cups could not be made to stand upright, and it has been supposed they were so designed in order to cause the drinker to empty them at once. This feature is said to have given rise to the word "tumbler," which has been applied to our drinking-vessels, though these do not possess the curious shape of the ancient cups.

EDITORIAL NOTES.

IS IT TO BE PEACE OR WAR WITH RUSSIA? Which it is to be, is not yet made public, nor probably can our Government tell. When we wrote our note last month, war seemed almost inevitable. Soon after the negociations took a favourable turn, and peace appeared to be almost certain. This prospect the Tory press, and judging from their conduct both in and out of Parliament, the Tory party, with but few exceptions, hailed with the utmost dissatisfaction. Their speech has been so violent as to produce the impression that it was their object to render peace impossible. We ourselves heard a prominent member of the party describe Russia as a crafty, cruel, and treacherous Power, and say that he hated her from his heart. How responsible persons claiming to be statesmen can denounce a nation in that fashion at such a time as this, charge the Government with having basely surrendered the nation's just claims, and declare that Russia had only to bring pressure enough to bear on our Government to get her own way, is to us incomprehensible. Such a course is most unpatriotic, and looked at from a mere party point of view is equally unwise. It shows, however, beyond doubt that they believe Mr. Gladstone is devoting his best efforts to maintain an honourable peace, and is thereby adding another to his many claims on the gratitude of the nation. At the time we write, rumour loudly proclaims that there is a fresh hitch in the negotiations. But as one difficulty after another has been overcome, we may reasonably hope as to the final result. But let us

not be too sure. The distinctions conferred by the Russian Emperor in so ostentatious a manner on General Komaroff is not a good sign. These may, however, be nothing more than a necessary concession to the war party in Russia. And then again the Blue Book that has been published is not pleasant reading, as we fear it furnishes the assailants of Russia with some grounds for their assertion that she has not been acting throughout with that good faith which is essential to a perfect understanding between two great nations.

SEVERAL PERSONAL MATTERS OF CONNEXIONAL INTEREST our space forbids us to comment on at any length. Our dear old friend, Mr. H. JEWELL, of Woolfardisworthy, died on April the 20th. He gave during life many proofs of his deep and abiding interest in the welfare of the Denomination. A brief Memoir came to hand too late to be inserted this month, but we felt we must make this brief reference to him here.

The "Orient," all well, will reach Plymouth before this note is seen by our readers. Among her passengers are our brother BOTHERAS (all will be grateful to hear that from Naples he telegraphed he was better) and his nephew, and Mr. and Mrs. KELLEY and family.

BR. GILBERT, who has been very weak and poorly for some time, and was unable to attend the Committee meeting in April, is, we are glad to say, better, and hopes to be able to leave home in a few days for a change, with the hope of further benefiting his health; Br. BATT is also better, almost himself again, we trust; and though we have not heard very lately, Br. S. L. THORNE is, we believe, slowly recovering from his serious illness.

OLD TESTAMENT REVISION.-The Revised Version of the Old Testament was published on May 19th, and has been truly described as the chief event of the century in the publishing world. We have not yet had an opportunity to examine the changes that have been made with that minute care necessary to express a mature opinion on the work of the Revisers, but we have seen enough to justify our saying that while it is apparent that they have been wisely conservative, many of the changes they have sanctioned are unquestionable improvements. It is not a little singular and gratifying that so conservative a body as the Upper House of Convocation should have originated a work of this kind, and that they should have sought the co-operation of the foremost scholars of the chief Nonconformist Churches of Great Britain. Holding tenaciously the opinion that the meaning of the Bible is the Bible, the importance of the greatest accuracy possible in every translation of it from the tongue in which it was originally given cannot be exaggerated, and we therefore hail with unfeigned delight this noble effort in that direction. We have been surprised and pained to notice in how many influential organs of public opinion the merits of this Version have been discussed as if the Bible were merely the noblest English classic, while its claim to be the Word of God, the authoritative Revelation of our Heavenly Father's will to His children has been virtually ignored. But the Bible is its own witness, and the extraordinary, often the saving, results it produces, are the only proof needed that its words are indeed "spirit and life." The impetus which will be given to the reading and study of the sacred Scriptures is one of the chief advantages which will follow the publication of this revised version of the Book of God, for readers and students in this as in every age will not be slow to admit that the Bible is one of Heaven's choicests gifts to the world, at once the chief glory of literature, and man's only infallible guide to immortality.

REV. DR. REES.-The death of the Chairman-elect of the Congregational Union only a few days before he was expected to deliver his inaugural address at the annual meeting of that body is an event which has elicited very genuine and general expressions of regret and sympathy. The unusual, the widespread grief that his death has awakened is traceable to the fact that Dr. Rees was the first real Welshman to receive the highest honour that Congregationalism in Great Britain has to bestow, inasmuch as he was not only born in Wales, but never lived out of it or held a pastoral charge in which he did not preach in his mother-tongue, and to the other fact that—himself the son of a peasant-he became during his career one of the most illustrious examples of "self-help” which the generation has furnished, further heightened by his own amiability and goodness of character and the special service he was permitted to render to true religion, and to Welsh Nonconformity in particular. His funeral afforded the most striking evidence of the universal respect in which he was held. It was such as a king could hardly command. It would be hardly an exaggeration to say that the nation assembled to weep at his grave. We shall ever retain a lively sense of his kindness when he was on a visit to Swansea shortly before he settled there, increased by brief intercourse since. What a privilege it must have been to have known him intimately, to be instructed by his wisdom, cheered by his smile, and stimulated by his piety.

THE MAY MEETINGS.-The great length at which we have reported our own Missionary Meeting prevents our giving even a concise and complete summary of the condition and prospects of the great Missionary, Bible, and other charitable and religious Societies and Institutions which have lately held their annual festival. The series begun indeed in April, has been in full swing ever since, and has not yet come to an end. The complaint has been heard in an instance or two that the attendance is falling off; but that complaint is not general. The speeches, if we may judge from the reports, were never better, and the only meeting besides our own at which we had the privilege of being present the enthusiasm rose to the white heat point. Some societies had to report a falling off in their receipts, the bad times being, it is said, chargeable with that. On the other hand, the Primitive Methodists have cleared off their long-standing debt, and both the Wesleyan Missionary Society, and the United Methodist Free Churches', closed the year with a small balance in hand. The Echo of Monday, May 18th, had an editorial note, which, though caustic and severe, is, we fear, much too true to be palatable to many. It says: "It appears from the Religious Press that several of the great religious Societies find it very difficult to make their income keep pace with their current expenditure. The appeals from the platform of Exeter Hall have been so pitiful that we have been induced to look into the matter, and have carefully read the report of one of these societies as a sample. An inspection of the subscription list shows where the trouble is at Instead of being a bright record of Christian liberality, it is to a very large extent a miserable exposure of un-Christian stinginess. The people who manage this great society talk about their despondency, their troubled spirits, and their anxious hearts, yet a number of their committeemen, who are well-to-do people in the City, think that they have discharged their own duty when they have subscribed a five-pound note each, which, after all, is not quite two shillings a week. Their anxiety did not rise as high as half-a-crown. One reverend gentlemen, whose income is nearer two thousand than one thousand a year, figures for one

once.