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THE SABBATH.

No day for me has half the charms,
So free from care and wild alarms,
As this the welcome one.
For me no day so full of joy,
Of sweet content without alloy,
As this the hallowed one.
No day so rich in peaceful rest,
So fairly clad, so purely drest,
As this-the welcome one.
A robe of righteousness thou hast,
To clothe the future, as the past,
E'en thou-the hallowed one.
Lull'd to sweet rest the cattle seem
In quiet peacefulness to dream,
On this-the welcome one.
As if, to them, there ne'er arose
A day so full of soft repose

As this-the hallowed one.

For man thou'rt made in earliest days,
Who in return observance pays,

Tow'rds thee,-the welcome one.
Leaves busy cares of wealth and power,
To enjoy the calm and sacred hour
With thee-the hallowed one.
The tuneful bell, with solemn call,
More deeply sounds and musical
On this-the welcome one.
Inviting sinners to their God,
To hymn his praise, his mercy laud
On this-the hallowed one.

Ah! well it is, that we should rest,
On this the holiest and the best,
On this-the welcome one.
The day alone of all the seven,
We take from earth to give to heaven,
E'en this-the hallowed one.

Creation's Lord, his fiat past,
As pausing from his labour vast,
On this-the welcome one,
Commanded frail and erring man,
His sins confess, his motives scan,
On this-the hallowed one.
Let one and all, on earth below,
Before his footstool humbly bow,
On this-the welcome one.
Before the throne, repentance bring,
And thankfulness and praises sing,
On this-the hallowed one.

E. P.

MONTHLY REGISTER.

CHURCH SOCIETIES.

S. P. C. K.-Abstract of the Report of the St. Andrew's Branch of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Manchester, during the first six months of its establishment.

THIS Society was formed under the auspices of the Manchester and Salford Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and the control of the Incumbent. The several resolutions on this occasion were moved by the Reverends, the incumbent and curate, H. Fielding, vicar of the parish, R. C. Clifton, clerk in orders of the parish, and secretary of S.P.C.K., W. Hutchinson, Newton Heath, T. Corser, Stand, Messrs. George Peel, John Potter, &c. &c. The following was the composition of the local

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Mr. Wright,

Mr. Carr,

Mr. Longlin,

Mr. G. Peel, Mr. Batt,

Mr. Nell, Mr. Denby. With power to add to their number. "At a meeting subsequently held at the school-room, several ladies and gentlemen gave in their names as visitors. Following high example, these are sent out two and two together. A map of the district has been provided, and the district has been sectionized into portions of about 170 houses each, on an average, and to each such section two visitors are, or are to be, appointed, furnished with a specimen card of the types of the society's bibles and prayer books, mounted on cloth, and a catalogue of the society's publications; a book and a number of cards for collecting deposits; the book being kept in their own possession, and one of the cards being given to each depositor, as a receipt for his payments; this card having, for the better confidence of the depositor, the addresses of

the incumbent and curate, as well as that of the visitors, on the reverse side. In addition to this, the visitors have cards for collecting contributions either towards the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, or the more local purposes of the society, and also a book on the plan of a speculum gregis (looking glass of the flock), for the purpose of ascertaining, as minutely as may be, the occupation, family, religious profession, and condition of the parties included in their round of visitation, and also from month to month or oftener, they are supplied with tracts for gratuitous distribution. The duties of the visitors when thus equipped are, in the first instance, to make themselves acquainted with each family in the district, offering to leave the tracts at the house regularly; to call week by week for their deposits, if they should wish to possess themselves of Bibles, Prayer-books, or any other of the publications of the society, and to direct the attention of the clergy to any cases where their spiritual interference might reasonably be expected to prove of service. Thus every house is visited once at least in every month, and all depositors are called upon once a week. Ôn the first Monday in every month, the visitors meet the clergy and committee, and pay in all their receipts during the month, distinguishing between deposits and contributions. Their amounts are received by the treasurer, and entered in a book kept for the purpose, an acknowledgment being made of his having received them in a small book, kept by the visitors. The treasurer settles with the district society once a quarter. If, as is often found to be the case, those who wish to supply themselves with a Bible or Prayerbook, cannot make their selection, as to size and price, from the printed specimen card, a copy of each priced book is kept at the school-room, and can be examined by the depositors, with an order from their visitor; and when any party has paid up the requisite amount,

the visitors make application to the chairman, who gives them an order upon the society's agent, at the depository, who has instructions to honour the cheque, giving with each Bible "Patterson's Plain Account of the Bible" and with each Prayer-book,

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Directions for Devout Behaviour in Church." The pecuniary business is generally concluded before eight o'clock, when the poor of the district generally are invited to attend, and are addressed on such subjects as it may be hoped will tend to their profit. The meetings are opened with prayer, and closed with a benediction. tracts above alluded to are drawn up by the incumbent and curate. Those under the title of ANCOAT'S TRACTS being entirely collections from the Bible, the Prayer-book, and the approved writers of antiquity, and other eminent sons of the church, whom their descendants and brethren love to honour; together with such passages from other writers as coincide with the doctrines of Holy Scripture and the teaching of the church. The other tracts, under the title SOMETHING FOR EVERY BODY, consist of original matter, to meet particular cares, for which it is not so easy to find quotations ready to our hands. There are about forty visitors engaged, but all of these are not yet in full occupation. The following, however, is a tabular result of the labours of those who have entered on their duties:

No. of houses in course of

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ation, should put them forth en masse, without a hint or two as to the lesson

they seem to convey. And first, the practical experience afforded by this society is calculated to establish two most essential propositions:-1. That there is a way in which the laity may bear an efficient part in preaching the gospel, and yet not infringe on the functions of the commissioned officers of the ministry of reconciliation. 2. That it is unfair and illogical, if not wicked, to affirm, that altered circumstances of human society render inefficient the divinely constituted machinery of the church of Christ.

"And beyond this, they suggest to the mind of the thoughtful and humble Christian, these two important queries:-1. Are the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ justified in forming societies for christian purposes, on any other models than that of Christ's own society, till all her energies have been put forth and found wanting? And 2. Have all these energies ever been fairly put forth; or even when to human appearance they may seem to have been evoked and put in action, is a finite being like man competent to decide whether they have answered the inscrutable purposes, hidden in the secret counsels of the infinite Jehovah?

"The course of the Christian, we are told, is to be fashioned according to the dictates of faith-not marked

out by sight. We walk by faith, not by sight, saith an inspired Apostle, and surely it is an abandonment of this maxim to presume to think that the stern, unbending principles which the Most High has decreed, must be surrendered, because human policy fancies it can devise an easier and more amicable method of advancing a religion, which was to bring not peace but a sword. Let us, then, of this society be thankful, that pious churchmen of a former day have framed for the times which were to follow them a society warmed into existence so entirely under the church's wing; that leaving indelible marks of its parentage, to be members of it requires adhesion to the same, and none other, principles than those which the church has decided, to embody the truth as it is in Jesus, and that then in carrying

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out its requirements, we may be jealous, and yet not want knowledge; be firm and uncompromising, and yet not lack charity! Truly, the members of the Anglican branch of Christ's Church may praise and bless God, for allowing the formation of the SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE,a society which, aspiring only to be the handmaid of the church, will ipso facto cease, when it shall have provoked Christians to such zeal for their holy mother, as shall, for the bridegroom's sake, secure for the spouse of Christ her full dowry—the faithful allegiance of her adopted children!

"Nor can even a moment's attention to the statistical returns this report furnishes, fail to remind those who wait for the coming of their Lord, that his promise to be "so always unto the end of the world," was vouchsafed to 66 men, and not to books." It will be seen that in one district, 231 of the 264 houses are furnished with Bibles, and yet, alas! the population thus blessed with the possession of the Word of life, are fearfully deficient in the bearing of those fruits by which our Saviour has said his disciples are to be known. Is there not, verily, a lack of those privileged and commissioned guides, who are (it is under God) to induce the people to HEAR WHAT SAITH THE LORD. Let it be then our constant prayer, that the Lord would send forth more labourers into his vineyard; while assured that labourers only will not secure a plentiful harvest, let us, by all useful means, diligently sow the seed of the Word, that when they shall put in the the sickle, the sheaves may be abundant, and the ears well filled.

"In concluding this report, then, it can only be necessary to add, that the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge was the first MISSIONARY SoCIETY, HOME and FOREIGN, the first BIBLE SOCIETY, the first PRAYER BOOK SOCIETY, the first SOCIETY for the EDUCATION of the Poor, and the first TRACT SOCIETY; and surely if preeminent diligence in the cause of the truth of God, constitute a claim on thes ons of the church of God, then such a claim is put forth for support and co-operation by this society, as

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Mr. T. Saulez, appointed a catechist for this island, sailed from Liverpool on Tuesday last, the 5th November.

The Bishop of Montreal has recently sent home a list of eighteen new stations in his diocese (Lower Canada,) at which the services of Clergymen are urgently required.

"To the Secretary of the Society.

"Marton, Bridlington, Yorkshire, Oct 2, 1839.

"REVEREND SIR,- Having now completed my visit to the East and North Ridings of Yorkshire, I am in a condition to state to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, how far it has pleased God to prosper the work which has been entrusted to my hands. It would be improper not to mention, that the Society has not that measure of support in Yorkshire, which might be anticipated from the wealth and extent of the county.

"But I would not be supposed to address the Society in the language of discouragement. Far from it. I have found on the contrary many new supporters, as well as many old and at

tached friends; and I doubt not that the zeal of both will be quickened by the partial discouragements which I have met with. I have mentioned the East and North Ridings as my principal sphere, but the first place which I visited for the Society was in the West Riding-the town of Doncaster. Two very numerous meetings were held there on the morning and evening of the 3d of September. On the preceding Sunday, I had preached twice in the town, as well as to a numerous congregation in the ancient village church at Campsall. The collection in the town was divided between the Incorporated Society and the Church Missionary Society. Including collections in some adjoining villages, and at the anniversary meeting at Armthorpe, on the evening of the 2d of September, the gross amount was above 100%. The poor villagers at Armthorpe were much occupied by their harvest, but they displayed as deep an interest in the objects of the Society, as their wealthier neighbours at Doncaster. At the morning meeting in the latter place, the Archdeacon of York gave the Society the great advantage of his presence as chairman. In no part of Yorkshire has the system of parochial collections been more efficiently carried out than in this neighbourhood, and should the same exertions be made in other places, the income of the Society will be imanensely increased.

"From Doncaster I proceeded to Malton, where great efforts have been made to keep up the spirit which was produced by a visit from the Secretary of the Society last year. The Society is especially indebted to the exertions of the Rev. W. Walker, Secretary to the District Committee, as well as to the Ven. Archdeacon Todd, who presided at the numerous and respectable meeting which was held on the 6th September, in the town of Malton. The Rev. Dr. Hook, vicar of Leeds, lent his very valuable support, as well at the meeting as by an able sermon preached in the morning of the same day at the parish church. The audience was composed of the first families in the neighbourhood, and the sum collected in the course of thy day exceeded 401.

"The next station was Whitby. To those who know how ill this place is itself supplied with church-room, it would not be surprising if the extension of the Gospel abroad had not found many supporters there. I am happy, however, after preaching upon the subject on Sunday, Sept. 8th., to have established a District Committee, at a meeting held on the following evening. A few permanent subscribers enrolled their names on the occasion, and in Charles Saunders, Esq., who undertook the office of Treasurer, the Society will, I doubt not, have an active advocate.

"At Redcar, to which I next proceeded, a District Committee was formed for that place and the adjoining villages. The Rev. James Holme, vicar of Kirkleatham, became Treasurer; and the Rev. Joseph Wilkinson, incumbent of Redcar, Secretary.

"From Redcar I returned to Thirsk, when a meeting was fixed for the 12th of September. The attendance was respectable, and a District Committee, for which preparations have been made during the preceding year, was formally completed. In all these places I endeavoured to impress the importance of establishing Parochial Committees upon the clergy who were present, and many expressed themselves satisfied of the expediency of a step, which will, I am satisfied, prove as conducive to the efficiency of the church at home, as it is essential to its extension in the colonies.

"Circumstances prevented the possibility of a meeting in behalf of the Society's designs at York, and I therefore gladly availed myself of an opportunity of preaching on the following Sunday, in that metropolis of the North, where a course of lectures, recently delivered by the Rev. T. Myers, on the Ancient History of the Saxon Church, afforded an appropriate introduction to the operations of an institution, which is endeavouring to establish pure and primitive Christianity in other countries.

"The villages of Thorpe, Arch, and Boston, about twelve miles from York, are the seat of a very thriving District Committee of your Society, at the annual meeting of which I next

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