schools from all inquiry as to religious teaching, this meeting cannot advise that Congregational schools should reject public aid and inspection."

The discussion which ensued was earnest and protracted. Not a few protested strenuously against the acceptance of Government aid under any circumstances; and even those who thought that Government aid might be accepted under some circumstances (forming, as it appeared in the end, a large majority of the meeting), judged that the concession made by the Lord President was really no concession, and that his proposal was exposed to the fatal objection that religious teaching would still be a condition of aid from the Parliamentary grant. The resolution finally adopted fell back on the position originally taken by Mr. Morley and Mr. Baines in their memorial, and was-"That this meeting considers religious instruction as of inestimable value in the training of the young, but it believes that that instruction will be best reconciled with the rights of conscience and civil justice, if left to the free action of the supporters of schools, and not required by public authority; and desires that the aid granted for the education of the poor shall be granted impartially for the ascertained results of secular teaching, in harmony with the views of the Royal Commission of 1858, which recommended to add to the schools, already admitted to public grants, any school which shall have been registered at the office of the Privy Council on the report of the inspector as an elementary school for the education of the poor." Another resolution followed:- That, maintaining the sacred rights of conscience, this meeting is of opinion, that a conscience clause should be enforced on all who are assisted by the Parliamentary grant." These resolutions have been embodied in a memorial to the Committee of Council on Education.

66

It is not our province at present to discuss, but to report and explain. And in order to explain we add, (1) That the 200, who assembled on the 20th of November, represented no one but themselves. (2) That the object of the meeting was not to cover the retreat" of any one from a position formerly taken, but fairly to discuss their present position in this matter. (3) That the majority which carried the resolutions we have reported were not conscious of abandoning any vital principle hitherto maintained by them. Their belief was that the recommendations of the Royal Commission of 1858 involve in them no violation of their religious voluntaryism. (4) That the resolutions adopted necessarily recognized the "Committee of Council" as an existing institution, from which in certain circumstances edu cational aid might be accepted, but not so as to foreclose the question whether or not a better scheme of national education might not be found. And (5) That the memorialising of the Government in support of the views of the Conference was not an "asking of favours," but a demanding of things that are just and expedient. And this it is our duty to do whether the Government be Tory, Whig, or Radical.

YOUNG MEN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.-A public meeting of a very enthusiastic character was held in Exeter Hall, on December 3rd, 1867, to inaugurate the formation of Young Men's Auxiliaries to the London Missionary Society throughout the kingdom, S. Morley, Esq., in the chair. The meeting was addressed by the Revs. R. Robinson, Dr. Edmond, John Stoughton, R. W. Dale, and W. Morley Punshon, and the following resolutions were adopted: (1) "That this meeting recognizes the continued obligation resting on the Church to give the everlasting Gospel to the world, and rejoices in the past successes of the London Missionary Society:" and (2) "That this meeting, sympathizing with the present financial difficulties of the London Missionary Society, regards with great satisfaction the formation of a Young Men's Auxiliary, having for its object the diffusion among young men of an intelligent interest in the progress of Christianity in the heathen world, and the

annual collection of Ten Thousand Guineas, as an augmentation of the Society's funds."

It is pleasing to know that this young men's movement has already made great progress, and has been accepted and advocated in at least thirty-five country towns. Mr. Morley said, that while unable to offer himself as a member of the Associaation, as a young man, he should be glad to cap their Ten Thousand Guineas with a Thousand pounds. He offered this, he said, with heavy liabilities resting upon him, simply with a view to slightly stimulate the earnestness of a few who might be lukewarm, and as an evidence of his conviction that the London Missionary Society should be brought out of its difficulty, and that the people of the country would stand by the Directors, and enable them largely to increase their operations and to respond with greater liberality to the calls upon them. The question was asked of each one individually, What will you do? and he prayed each to give a thorough, genuine, English answer to that appeal.

THE WEEK OF PRAYER.-Christians of all denominations are invited, as in several years past, to unite in special prayer throughout the week, Jan. 5-12; and the following topics, among others, are suggested as suitable for exhortation and intercession on the successive days of meeting. Jan. 6.-Thanksgiving for the year's mercies, and confession of sin; Jan. 7.-Prayer for nations, for those in authority, for the observance of the Lord's day, &c.; Jan. 8.-Prayer for families, schools, &c.; Jan. 9.—Prayer for Christian Ministers, and all engaged in Christ's service; Jan. 10.-Prayer for the sick, afflicted, widows, and the persecuted; Jan. 11.-Prayer for the Christian Church, and for increase of holiness, &c.

CONGREGATIONAL REGISTER.
November-December, 1867.

[To prevent mistakes and delay, all communications for the Register should be addressed to the Editor, 2, Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row, E.C., and marked on the envelope "For Congregational Register."]

SPECIAL MEETINGS.

November.-Sunday School Convention, Toronto. (President, Rev. F. H. Marling.) Free discussion on Sunday school Questions. Papers were read, and prayer meetings and children's meetings held.

Dec. 5.-Meeting to form a Young Men's Auxiliary to the London Missionary Society, at Exeter Hall. Chairman, S. Morley, Esq; Speakers, Revs. R. Robinson, Dr. Edmonds, J. Stoughton, R. W. Dale, M. A., and W. Morley Punshon.

ASSOCIATION MEETINGS.

Oct. 18.-Congregational Union of Sydney, Pitt Street Church, Sydney. President, Rev. W. Slatyer, gave an address on "Spiritual Life in relation to Congregational Churches." Papers were read by J. Fairfax, Esq., on "Public Worship," and by Rev. G. G. Howden on "Admission to Church Fellowship."

CHAPELS OPENED.

Dec. 3.-Blandford, by Revs. F. Beckley and D. Thomas, B.A.

Dec. 12.-Bridge Reeve, an out-station of the Church at Chulmleigh, (Pastor, Rev. J. Woolgar.) By Rev. J. Pinn.

CHAPELS RE-OPENED.

Nov. 20.-Lechlade, by Rev. A. Morton Brown, LL.D.

Nov. 28.-George Street, Oxford, (Pastor, Rev. D. Martin.) By Rev. Henry Allon.

Nov. 28.-Albany Street, Edinburgh, (Pastor, Rev. J. Pulsford.) By Rev. W. L. Alexander, D.D.

Dec. 1.-Gainsborough, (Pastor, Rev. H.
Luckett.) By Rev. E. S. Prout, M.A.

CHAPEL FOUNDATIONS LAID.
Nov. 19.-Hythe, Kent, (Pastor, Rev. J.
Mackinnon.) By J. Finch, Esq.

Dec. 11.-Thornton Heath, (Pastor, Rev.
Henry Lee.) By Mrs. E. Davis and Mrs.
A. Davis.

THE

CHRISTIAN WITNESS,

AND

CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1868.

“MONTHS OF VANITY," NOT VALUELESS.
A Sermon by the Reb. T. Binney.

Job vii. 3.-" So am I made to possess months of vanity."

THE word "vanity" is used in Scripture in at least two senses. It sometimes signifies distress, trouble, affliction, as when it is said "their days did He consume in vanity, and their years in trouble." It is used also to describe what is valueless, useless, insignificant, in such passages as "a horse is a vain thing for help; "the idols of the nations are vanity;

"every man at his best state is altogether vanity." Both senses may be included in Job's complaint. He was made to possess months of "vanity," by being involved in aggravated and protracted trouble; and these months of continued inaction appeared to him as so much of life lost. He could discharge none of its customary duties; the time therefore was like a blanka period that would go for nothing in the estimate of his years. Hence his great anxiety was to get to the end of it. Just as a hireling, bound for a certain period of service, earnestly desires the end, looking to that as deliverance from an evil, "so," says the Patriarch, it is with me—with me, who " am made to possess months of vanity," and who cannot but wish and long for their termination.

This was a very natural feeling, though it was associated with, and sprang from a common mistake. When men are unfitted for active work, we are disposed to think that life has come to a standstill, and that nothing can be done. Hence, people speak of being "laid aside "-put away, as it were, from actual service, like the tool of a workman that is to stand by unused. We so associate the idea of duty with active or public labour, that we are apt

VOL IV.-NEW SERIES.

E

-or

to think, with Job, that months of affliction must be "months of vanity' so much time lost-simply from their being a period of inactivity or silence. We think Job was wrong. He made a false estimate of that stage of his journey through which he was now passing. The good men of the Bible often did this. Jacob thought that everything was "against him;" Manoah that God was about to "" destroy him ;" and even Paul did not at first understand the object of his "thorn in the flesh; and yet in all these cases matters were being divinely arranged to work out an ultimate favourable issue. So important is it "to judge nothing before the time;" not to pronounce hastily as to mere appearances, led (or misled) by the visible phenomena of Providence, or influenced by immediate impressions-impressions which, however natural, may turn out to be both transient and wrong. "It is not in man to direct his steps." "The steps of good men are ordered of the Lord.” "Who knoweth what is good for a man in this life—all the days of his vain life which he spendeth is a shadow ?" He may have "to pass through fire and through water; or to "stand still," and look on, and do nothing. He may not like any of these things; but they are allotted to him, they came according to a Divine arrangement-and it is for him to accept, interrogate, and understand them.

Let us look at Job's mistake in judging of his trouble as he did. We have a great advantage over the Patriarch in forming an estimate of his great and protracted trial. We can look at it as ended; and we must remember that there is all the difference between seeing "the end of the Lord," and watching some one aspect of the process by which it is reached. We can understand Job's sufferings as fulfilled in their results, which he could not do while under them. We can view them, also, in the light of the New Testament-the new light which has been cast on the phenomena of Providence by the discoveries of the Gospel. We can look back on Job's afflictions through the distance of four thousand years-just as we shall be able, by-and-by, to view our own. The time is coming when we shall regard such a loss, such a bereavement, this and that calamity, sickness, trouble, length of confinement, inaction, strengthlessness, as having happened to us four thousand years ago! (speaking after the manner of men). Looking at these things at that distance, and viewing them in all their bearings-seeing their true character, and having learnt the reason, and reaped the results of their infliction, we shall be able to regard the time they consumed as anything but days and months of "vanity." We confine our attention at present to Job, and proceed to notice how the spirit of these several remarks finds conspicuous and instructive illustration in him.

We observe, in the first place, that in these "months of vanity," of which he complained, there was the call for, and the opportunity of exercising certain religious virtues which could not be exemplified at another time. Of course, Job could not serve and glorify God in the same way as he had done before, when his position, health, and circumstances were different. He could not do the same things which he had done when he was rich, honoured, and distinguished. His "months of vanity" were very different from what he