Gleanings. To delight in good is the temper and disposition of angels. REV. J. CLOWES. Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. AVEREL BEAUMONT. More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. There is nothing kills faith sooner than pride. TENNYSON. GEORGE MACDONALD. Let discretion make thy teeth a dungeon for thy tongue. PIERCE EGAN. Every fresh ray of light is a positive gain; the fullest sunlight is only made up of many such.-CHARLES KINGSLEY. It is a good thing to pray for anything. It is a grand thing to begin to pray.-GEORGE MACDONALD. I feel certain from experience that single sentences contain the faith of a man's opinions more than pages of talk. CHARLES KINGSLEY. Evil perishes; it has done its work as a purifying and chastening agent; it dies according to its natural tendency, which is to die. But good is from its very nature and origin immortal.—MISS MULOCH. Thinkest thou that any human being can say, I have a right to be happy? But the right to make others happy is bestowed upon all, and is the highest privilege awarded by the Creator to His children. M. BETHAM EDWARDS. I believe with all my heart that the true is the beautiful, and that nothing evil can be other than ugly. If it seems not so, it is in virtue of some good mingled with the evil, and not in the smallest degree in virtue of the evil.-GEORGE MACDONALD. No man ever prayed heartily without a loving answer-not always what he asked, for the Father knows best what the child needs. Prayer is the spirit's best refreshment; it is the highest conceivable form of poetry; it is converse with God. May I never know a man who never prays, or a woman who never weeps. Prayer is the spirit's sunlight; tears its tender dew.-MORTIMER COLLINS. The tombs of the Sultans and their families are in the gardens of the mosques which they have constructed under kiosks of marble, overshadowed by trees and perfumed with flowers. Water murmurs in jets near or in the kiosk; and the obligation of remembrance is so immortal amongst the Mussulmans, that I have never passed before one of these tombs without finding nosegays of flowers, freshly plucked, deposited on the door or on the windows of these numerous monuments. -Travels in the East. Thus, like the light, faith should ever be direct and inflexible; but love, like the heat, should radiate on all sides and meekly adapt itself to the wants of all.-MRS. CHARLES. Those who gain no experience are those who shirk the King's highway, for fear of encountering Duty seated by the roadside. GEORGE MACDONALD. Always let an angry man talk on without opposition. Angry men have to be played like large fish; they must be given plenty of room. To interrupt an angry man is only to add fuel to his flame. Let him put on his own coal, and he'll soon burn out. A man soon gets tired of being his own stoker.-REV. P. B. POWER. If I Him but have, If He be but mine, If my heart hence to the grave Know I nought of sadness, Feel I nought but worship, love, and gladness. If I Him but have, Glad with all I part, Follow on my pilgrim staff My Lord only with true heart, Leave them, nothing saying, On bright, broad, and crowded highway straying. If I Him but have, Glad I fall asleep; Aye the flood that His heart gave, Strength within my heart shall keep; And with soft compelling Make it tender, through and through it swelling. If I Him but have, Mine the world I hail; Glad as cherub smiling grave Holding back the virgin's veil. Sunk and lost in seeing Earthly fears have died from all my being. Where I have but Him Is my Fatherland; And all gifts and graces come Heritage into my hand; Brothers long deplored I in His disciples find restored. FREIDRICH VON HARDENBERG, KNOWN AS "NOVALIS." Miscellaneous. AUGMENTATION FUND.-The follow- to recommend all the London Socieing report, presented to the last session ties to have collections on Sunday of the General Conference, has been sent to us by the secretary for publication in our pages: "In submitting an account of the measures taken during the past year to promote the interests of the Augmentation Fund, the Council would urge the necessity of sustaining as far as possible the enthusiasm with which the fund was established in 1876. "The importance of this fund can scarcely be over-estimated. It is certain that the Church cannot prosper unless it follow the laws of Divine order. When the Lord was in the world raising up a New Church, one of the first things He did was to ordain apostles and send them forth to preach the truths of His kingdom. The Lord always works according to the same laws; and when the New Church sends forth her apostles to preach the truths of the New Dispensation, she places herself within the operation of those laws, and the Lord can then bless her efforts with success. We shall then be beginning the work at the right end. To do this work efficiently, however, the Church requires thoroughly capable and educated men, and such men cannot be obtained if the talented young men of the Church are unable to see any prospect of reasonable support in their work. Charity, moreover, manifestly requires that the stronger and richer Societies should help those which are as yet in their infancy. "The London District Committee reports that at a meeting held in December last the advisableness of asking for collections in the London churches was duly considered; but it was decided that no steps should be taken until the finances of the Students' and Ministers' Aid Fund, which at that time showed a considerable deficit, had been placed in a sound condition. the 10th of August, the Sunday immediately preceding the assembling of Conference, in aid of the AugmentaFund and the Students' and Ministers' Aid Fund. The proportion of such collections to be given to each fund was left to the consideration of each Society. The London friends recommend that some such plan as this should be adopted at every session of the General Conference. "In the Midland district the prevailing depression has had the effect of preventing any further development of the efforts of the friends in behalf of the fund. The utmost that they have been able to do has been to hold the ground already gained, and to keep the object in view before the Societies, pending more prosperous times. It is satisfactory to know that the subscribers in this district have so far, in all cases, kept up the support which they had previously given to the cause. The Birmingham Society had a collection in June in aid of the branch for immediate use, and the sum of £14, 10s. 4d. was realized. The Derby Society had a collection in July in aid of the same branch, which produced the sum of £4, 1s. 6d. "This committee suggests that a report should be drawn up and copies of the same distributed among the donors and subscribers, setting forth the whole of the amounts promised and those paid since the commencement of the movement; also showing the amount of aid already given, together with the names of the Societies assisted. Such a report, clearly yet concisely given, preceded by an address recording the general facts as to the condition of ministers and leaders in small Societies which were elicited at the preliminary inquiry, would, it is believed, go far to arouse a more general interest in the cause. Donors may be led to become also sub"A special committee, composed of scribers by having the work brought members of all the Societies in Lon- forcibly and tangibly before them; don, having been appointed to super- while many worthy members of the intend the arrangements for the meet- New Church well able to assist, but ing of Conference at Kensington, it who at present are uncertain as to was unanimously resolved at a meet- whether the mode of applying the funds ing of this committee held in July is really effective towards remedying the evils complained of, may thus be encouraged to take their part in the effort. This seems the more desirable now, as we may fairly hope that the returning tide of material prosperity will soon be setting in, and therefore that a more general response may shortly be expected to the appeals made in this behalf. "In the Western district the Bath Society has had the subject under consideration, and has forwarded a contribution of £1 to the fund. "In Yorkshire the committee has appealed to the various Societies for help in this work, and the Bradford Society has responded with a contribution of £6, 2s. 10d. taken at a collection in May last, and the Society at York has also contributed the sum of £1. It has not been found possible to hold any public meetings in reference to the fund. "From Scotland the committee reports that no public meetings have been held, but that collectors have been appointed in the various Societies. Glasgow has sent in reply the sum of £23, 3s., and Edinburgh has contributed £1. £20 0 0 50 0 0 500 500 2 10 0 Mr. Briercliffe "The committee regret that this earnest action should be thus far confined to a few. The principle of an Augmen tation Fund is that of a general support. Its aim is to enlist the sympathies and to unite the endeavours of all the churches in one great effort to provide for the preaching of the Word and the orderly administration of the sacraments in the churches which are not yet able to make suitable provision for their ministers. The limiting of this effort makes the movement feeble and ineffective, and is also discouraging to those who are forward to help. The Council trust, therefore, that in the future the contributions to the fund will be more general than in the past. RICHARD STORRY, Chairman. As showing the need of a more thoughtful consideration of the labours of ministers, and a more liberal contribution towards their proper support, we give the following from the Christian World: "The work of interesting the Church in the Lancashire district in this fund has fallen mainly to the Rev. R. Storry. The District Committee held a meeting in the church in Peter Street, Manchester, and adopted a resolution appointing the several members of the committee collectors of the fund in the Societies they represented. No marked results seem to have followed this action. The principal effort has been made at Kearsley, where from the first the fund has been heartily supported. At the request of the committee of this Society Mr. Storry visited the Society, preaching two sermons on the Sunday, when collections were made, and attending a meeting on the Monday evening, which was also addressed by the treasurer of Conference, by the Revs. Messrs. Mackereth and Tansley, and by several members of the Society. The collections on the Sunday, aided by two donations of £25 each, amounted to £60. The donations were for the support of an additional student, and the addi- blacked-a single pair. I must say, tional £10 was divided between these eminent uses. In addition to these the following private subscriptions were made for the Augmentation Fund : "In an address on The Minister's Home,' delivered before the London Congregational Board of Ministers, the Rev. Henry Simon referred to some of the troubles arising to the minister from a too limited income. The following pointed remarks are worthy of note: In a large church I know,' said Mr. Simon, one fairly rich member of an inquisitive turn of mind thought one day that he should like to look into his own givings to his pastor; and he hit upon the interesting discovery that 24d. for each service on Sunday, and nothing for any other service during the week, was the precious, very precious, amount of his contributions. At the lowest computation it would cost him 7d. a week to have his boots however, that he forthwith increased the amount. This is the rate of payment which some people-I do not say all-who live in the greatest luxury pay for their education into the mys teries of the kingdom of God. Some however, have been strained to the utfew of our brethren have enough and most in order to enable them to secure to spare; and silver teapots, busts of the best legal help for the prosecution themselves, easy chairs, study tables, of their claims before the Government trips to the Mediterranean, Egypt, Jeru- tribunals, they are very much in need salem, and Jericho, and sundry other of help from their brethren abroad. The things, are not unfrequently added to Committee on Foreign and Colonial their ample store by their admiring and Missions therefore express their earnest admirable congregations. "To him that wish that the brethren in Great Britain, hath shall be given.' But the majority by their liberal contributions, will enof our brethren are simply, miserably, able them to comply with the instrucand shamefully paid; and this not tions of Conference, and send to Vienna always because the church is poor, but a tangible proof of the love and esteem because the conscience of the church is in which we hold our brethren there. not awake to its duty and privilege, or else because it is officered by men with no liberality in their bones. COLONIAL AND FOREIGN MISSIONS.The following circular has been issued to the various New Church Societies, and we commend it to the consideration of our readers :: "DEAR SIR,―The undersigned desires to direct your attention to the following minutes passed by Conference at its last session in London : "Minute 60.-Resolved, That the Conference desires to express its heartfelt congratulations to the brethren in Vienna on the manifestation of Divine Providence in their having regained their freedom of worship, and the property of which they had been deprived by the authorities; and also that their proceedings have resulted in the same freedom which they have obtained for themselves being extended to other Christian bodies. The Conference instructs the Committee on Foreign and Colonial Missions to raise, if possible, the sum of £30 during the ensuing year for the purpose of assisting the Rev. Herman Peisker in the exercise of his ministerial functions. "Minute 62. Resolved, That the Conference has heard with great pleasure of the continued prosperity of the cause of the New Church in Sweden in general, and in Stockholm in particular, and it instructs the Committee on Foreign and Colonial Missions to continue their support of the Rev. A. Boyesen. From the first of these resolutions you will see that our friends in Vienna are able again, under the leadership of their devoted minister, Mr. Peisker, to labour in the establishment of the Lord's New Church in Austria. As their resources, As to the Rev. A. Boyesen, he continues to labour in his own indefatigable way for the spread of the doctrines of the New Church in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. In addition to his pastoral duties at Stockholm and his missionary tours through Sweden, where he meets with great success, he has finished his translation of the "True Christian Religion" into the Danish language, and is now engaged in translating the "Apocalypse Revealed" into the same language. He has also written and published a liturgy and hymn-book and a doctrinal manual for the use of the brethren in Sweden, thus giving a strong evidence of his indomitable energy in the spread of the Lord's New Church. As he has a large family to provide for in the expensive town of Stockholm, and as the support which the friends in Stockholm are able to give to him is inadequate for his daily wants, the Committee of Foreign and Colonial Missions earnestly hope that you will help them to raise the sum of £30, which they resolved to endeavour to raise for Mr. Boyesen. At the last meeting of the committee a letter was read from the Rev. A. Schiwek, who has collected the first Polish New Church Society in Movethen, East Prussia, and who is also ministering to a German Society in the same place. His German Society numbers thirty-one, and his Polish Society eleven communicants. The Rev. A. Schiwek has been ordained by the German New Church Conference, and receives from them assistance to the amount of £15. He received the doctrines of the New Church thirty years ago when the work on "Heaven and Hell" came into his hands. This he read over many times, believing every word which he read; but as he lived in a far out-of-the-way |