possible, we reaffirm Mr. Spurgeon's statement, that the Christian Church has not yet begun to think of China in a thoroughly earnest spirit. The wail of the dying millions has not been heard.

The native Christians send over the message, "Come over and help us." A hundred and twenty missionaries assembled in conference, and representing the whole body of Protestant missionaries in China, call earnestly upon the whole Church of God for more labourers. They appeal to young men to go, reminding them that the fields are white unto the harvest, and that everything is inviting them to noble service. They appeal to fathers and mothers not to hinder, but to encourage their sons and daughters to enter upon mission work, and to rejoice if God inclines them to do so. They appeal to pastors of churches and heads of colleges. They say, "We do not know what to do for lack of men. The country opens; the work grows, Think of one man to hold his own against the surging tide of heathenism! We are ready to be overwhelmed by the vastness of the work. Many among us are tempted to undertake too many duties-hence the broken health and early death of not a few of our best men. We beseech you, therefore, to place this matter before the minds of the young." They wish students to be reminded that they are under the most solemn obligations to give to the claims of China their earnest, unbiassed and prayerful consideration. They ask, and we repeat,

THEIR EARNEST AND SOLEMN QUESTIONS, "When will young men press into the mission-field as they struggle for positions of worldly honour and affluence? When will parents consecrate their sons and daughters to missionary work as they search for rare openings of worldly influence and honour? When will Christians give for missions as they give for luxuries and amusements? When will they learn to deny themselves for the work of God as they deny themselves for such earthly objects as are dear to their hearts? Or rather, when will they count it no self-denial, but the highest joy and privilege to give with the utmost liberality for the spread of the Gospel among the heathen?"

Will not all this be done when the wail which Mr. Kilner, Secretary of the Wesleyan Missionary Society called "the unheard wail, the unheeded wail, the un-cared-for wail of millions of our fellow creatures who have been unreached by the Gospel" is heard by the Christian Church at home? Then what prayer will ascend to the throne of God on behalf of those now neglected multitudes! Then how eagerly will the Church's choicest young men press into the mission-field, and how gladly will those who cannot go, sustain and care for those who do go! It will not be then that the gifts for

Christ's cause in China will be so small in comparison with the provision made for personal expenditure, for home adornments, for costly places of worship at home, and for the accumulation of property.

But that time has not come yet; and while in heathen darkness, unenlightened, unsaved, about twelve millions pass into eternity every year, we need to ask ourselves and each other, "How long shall this fearful ruin of souls continue ?" And to repeat Mr. Spurgeon's solemn and impressive question, "WHEN WILL THE WAIL OF THE DYING MILLIONS BE HEARD ?"

THE SIXTY-SEVENTH CONFERENCE.

'HE Sixty-seventh Annual Conference commenced its sittings in Silver Street Chapel, Bideford, on Tuesday, July 28th, 1885. At 7 a.m. a prayer-meeting was held, conducted by Br. P. LABDON. Directly after breakfast the members answered to their names, and the Conference, which is the largest hitherto held, being duly constituted, Br. JEHU MARTIN, the retiring President, delivered an interesting address, and called upon the Conference to elect his successor. The election was by ballot, without nomination, and resulted as follows:-W. BRAY, 71; W. LEE, 28. Br. W. Bray being then declared duly elected, the election was, with much heartiness, confirmed by the open vote of the whole Conference. In the first ballot for the office of Secretary, several brethren received one or more votes, and no one a clear majority. It was then resolved that the names of brethren who had not received a certain number should be struck out of the list, and Br. Lee having declined to stand, the vote was taken with the following result:-A. TRENGOVE, 82; J. H. BATT, 22; and M. BROKENSHIRE, 12. Br. Trengove was accordingly elected Secretary; and this election also was subsequently confirmed by the unanimous vote of all present. Mr. WELLINGTON CLARKE was elected Journal Secretary; J. C. BASSETT, Duplicate Secretary; J. H. BATT, Minute Secretary; J. WOOLCOCK and the writer, Reporters; W. H. HILL, Corresponding Secretary; and M. BROKENSHIRE and Mr. C. SALTER, Precentors. The retiring President and Secretary were heartily thanked for their able services during their year of office, which each suitably acknowledged. Br. R. KELLEY, who has laboured in South Australia for twelve years, and recently returned to England, received a most cordial welcome, and at the call of the Conference ascended the platform and delivered a brief address, full of interesting references to his work as a missionary in Australia. The Con

ference then proceeded to revise the list of ministers; to afflicted superannuated brethren letters of sympathy were sent. Bros. J. GAMMON and S. SHORTRIDGE were granted superannuation at their own request, and Br. Gammon, who entered the ministry forty-eight years ago, and has, for the last twelve years, ably filled the office of Governor of Shebbear College, was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his valuable services. The Conference deeply lamented the loss by death during the year of the following ministers, viz.-JAMES WAY, in Australia; J. BUTCHER, in Canada; T. WOOLDRIDGE, W. CALLOWAY, W. GILBERT-in the home work -to which must now be added the name of Br. P. R. BROAD, who died at Bodmin whilst the Conference was in session. On hearing the sad intelligence, the following telegram was sent to Mrs. Broad, "This Conference has heard, with the greatest surprise and sorrow, of the sad loss you have been called upon to sustain. It expresses deepest sympathy with you, and earnestly prays that you and your child may receive Divine consolation and support." Obituary notices of these brethren appear in the Minutes of Conference, and we therefore only make this passing reference to them here. The Treasurer of the Missionary Society mentioned that two ministers were wanted for the work in South Australia, and one in New Zealand, and said if Connexional interests were to be sustained in South Australia, it was essential that brethren should volunteer for that interesting field of labour. Those sent last year had given great satisfaction, and persons called of God to preach His Gospel, he thought, should be willing to go to any part of the world where they might be required.

THE CONFERENCE SERMON

was preached by Br. J. H. BATT, on the Tuesday evening, from Romans xii. 1-2. The apostle Paul, said the preacher, shewed in the chapter before them that the life of the believer in Christ should be a life of humility and love. The secret of this life was to be found in full consecration to God. Consecration was the Christian's highest act of homage. This would appear if viewed in the light of what it was to God, "holy, acceptable;" what it was to the Christian, "your reasonable service;" and the motives that should actuate him, "the mercies of God." The Christian, also, was not only to perform the act, but to maintain the habit of consecration. On the following day Br. W. LUKE proposed a vote of thanks to Br. Batt for his admirable discourse, also requesting that the sermon be printed for circulation. The Expresident seconded, and F. W. Bourne supported the resolution, which was carried by acclamation. Br. Batt suitably acknowledged

the compliment, and expressed his willingness to allow the sermon to be printed.

CHAPEL REPORT.

The general chapel secretary, Br. A. TRENGOVE, presented in an interesting manner, the annual report, which showed general and steady progress in this department, the work done in 1884 being in excess of any year in the history of the Connexion. A view of the past two decades showed the gross income for the ten years ending 1875 was £131,287 16s. 1d., and for the ten years ending 1885, £204,663 15s. 4d., showing an increase of £73,375 19s. 3d., or in other words, that more is done in the chapel department now in six years than used to be done in ten. The excellent and encouraging report was adopted, and the best thanks of the Conference presented to Br. Trengove for his valuable services.

The annual Sunday school meeting, held on Wednesday evening under the presidency of Mr. RUDDLE, B.A., was most interesting. There was a large gathering of people, and special hymns were sung by the children and teachers connected with the Conference chapel. A well-written report was presented by the secretary, Br. S. ALLIN. The report states that 869 of the children at home have during the year confessed conversion, and joined the Church, and it expresses a hope that many besides have felt the power of Divine love, and only await some kindly recognition to openly declare their allegiance to Christ. For this important work of educating the heart and saving the soul it is desirable to enlist the best talent of our churches. Good speeches on Sunday school work were given by the brethren W. LUKE, I. B. VANSTONE, J. WOOLCOCK, and G. W. ANGWIN.

On Thursday a deputation from the Nonconformist Churches of Bideford and neighbourhood-the Revs. H. E. Holmes (Congregational). J. Shaw (Torrington, Congregational), J. Gibson (Wesleyan), J. Fairbourne (Wesleyan), J. Gillard (Baptist), and J. Rooker, Esq. -was introduced by the Secretary. The President, in well-chosen terms, cordially welcomed the Deputation. An address, which is to be printed in the Minutes, was read by the Rev. H. E. Holmes, and supported in speeches by Revs. J. Shaw, and J. Gibson. The Ex-president and F. W. Bourne reciprocated on behalf of the Conference the kind expressions of the Deputation, and this interesting episode was closed by the singing of a hymn, and prayer by Br. Dymond.

CHINA MISSION.

The inauguration of this mission will, no doubt, make the Bideford Conference of 1885 memorable in the history of the Connexion. The greatest interest was manifested in the subject when it was

introduced as an item of business this year. The Ex-president gave a brief account of the satisfactory interview he and other brethren had had with the Secretary of the China Inland Mission. In reply to a question it was stated that the cost of supporting two Missionaries in China would propably not be greater than the cost of two ministers at home. Br. BATT, who has taken a special interest in the new Mission, gave an excellent address and said that our two men would, he hoped, add a little to the leaven that was already there, and that after awhile many other ministers would follow these now going out to China. He had thought for many years that we ought to have a mission to the purely heathen world. Mr. F. T. GAMMON believed that nearly the whole amount required to sustain these two brethren in China could be raised in our Sunday schools alone. In the school with which he was connected (Waterloo Road) £20 was raised for China last year, in addition to the ordinary income, and another £20 could be raised this year for the same object. The Conference decided to accept the brethren T. G. VANSTONE, and S. T. THORNE for Mission work in China, to be for the time under the entire guidance of the Directors of the China Inland Mission. A marvellous measure of Divine power was felt while the brethren W. B. REED and F. T. GAMMON prayed that a special blessing might be vouchsafed unto this new enterprize, and to the two brethren who had given themselves to the great work. The subscriptions since the London Conference, where the question was mooted, have come in but slowly, but when the financial report of the Missionary Society was presented this year, after the few subscriptions that had been received were read out, and the Treasurer had stated that probably £250 to £350 would be required the first year, without previous arrangement or any special appeal, cash and promises in excess of the amount stated were in the next few minutes received. We have seldom witnessed a better example of cheerful and voluntary giving, or felt a healthier glow of excitement than on that occasion. Mr. W. DENNESS's liberal offer, in Committee, to give £10 a year for five years, and a sentence from Mr. F. T. Gammon that he thought the whole amount needed might be raised in a few minutes, accompanied as it was by the promise of handsome subscriptions for himself and Mrs. Gammon, had something, doubtless, to do with this result; but all felt that that the hand of God was in this matter, and that He was telling us to go forward.

Br. I. B. VANSTONE was elected to the office of Foreign Missionary Secretary in the room of our lamented Brother W. GILBERT.

On Friday evening one of the most interesting of the Conference services was held, namely, the ordination of four young men