October 19 and 20, being the days set apart for universal PRAYER FOR SUNDAY-SCHOOLS, were observed by our schools at the Tabernacle as a season of special supplication. On the Sunday morning the Pastor preached from 1 Kings xviii. 12, a sermon which is published under the title of " Obadiah; or, Early Piety Eminent Piety." At the

prayer-meeting, on the Monday evening, there was an unusually large attendance, and the petitions were mainly on behalf of the young. Some pleasing testimonies were given by the parents of children who have been converted, and have joined the church at the Tabernacle; and the Pastor delivered an address to teachers upon some of the qualifications for successful service.

Another party of missionaries, on this occasion all ladies, who were about to leave England in connection with the CHINA INLAND MISSION, were commended to the Lord in prayer. Altogether, the meeting must have been exceedingly helpful and encouraging to all who are engaged in Sundayschool and mission work.

Mrs. Evans asks us to mention that she has very gratefully received from our Brother Potter, at Agra, a large and useful parcel of clothing for the Poor Ministers' Clothing Society. Other contributions, either of money or materials, will be heartily welcomed, as many applicants are seeking the help of the Society. The Colporteurs' Clothing Society also needs assistance. Donations and applications should be addressed to Miss Hooper, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, S.E. The working meetings are held in the Ladies' Room, on Monday afternoons, alternately with the Orphanage working meetings. Both poor ministers and colporteurs are aided by these two societies, and money is made to go a long way by the skill of the lady-workers. The time draws near when it is peculiarly seasonable to gladden these poor servants of the Lord with boxes of useful things. We do not ask for mere rubbish; but good second-hand clothes are acceptable, and better still, new articles of apparel which have become a little out of fashion. Our draper friends do great good when they send on what they have not been able to sell during the season. Our clients are not very careful about the novelty of the cut.

COLLEGE.-Mr. H. H. Driver, who came to us from the church at Auckland, New Zealand, has completed his term with us, and has arranged to return with our son Thomas at the end of this month, or early in December. He leaves us with the heartiest good wishes of the President, tutors, and students, who all unite in commending him to the brethren at the other side of the globe.

Mr. G. J. Dann, of James' Grove, Peckham, has been selected by the committee of the Baptist Missionary Society for the post of pastor of the church at Allahabad, India.

By the time these "Notes" are in the hands of our readers he will be on his way to his new sphere of labour, where we trust he will be greatly useful.

Mr. John Stubbs, who was obliged through failing health to come home from Allahabad, has now so fully recovered his strength that he has prevailed with the committee to send him out again for mission work in India, where his heart has been ever since he was compelled to return.

Mr. A. McCaig, of Streatham, is going to Brannoxtown, Ireland, to occupy the place vacated by Mr. Stubbs; and Mr. T. L. Edwards, of Luton, succeeds Mr. Wainwright as pastor of the church at Stocktonon-Tees.

Our friend, Rev. J. M. Hewson, has sent the following lines In Memoriam of our student, Mr. Frank Snell:

Taken by a Father's hand,
Taken to the better land;
Taken to the home of love,
Taken to the rest above.
Taken in the bloom of life,
Taken from a world of strife;
Taken up from faith to sight,
Taken into God's own light.
Gone from all his friends so dear,
Gone from those he loved to cheer;
Gone from earth-beyond the sky,
Gone to join the saints on high.
Gone from fellowship below,
Gone the utmost bliss to know;
Gone from serving Jesus here,
Gone beyond all doubt and fear.
Away from sorrow, sin, and pain,
Away the heaven of love to gain;
Away to join the pure and blest,
Away with Jesus Christ to rest
Away from College, class, and friend,
Away where pleasures never end;
Away while work was but begun,
Away to hear his Lord's "well done!"

EVANGELISTS.-During the past month Messrs. Fullerton and Smith have been in Belfast, where large numbers have attended the services, and many have received the truth as it is in Jesus. The evangelists will continue in Belfast for part of November, and they will afterwards visit several other towns in the North of Ireland. They are fully engaged for many months to come.

Mr. Burnham has been at Swanage and Wareham lately, and this month he is to be at Wood Green and Melton Mowbray.

Mr. Russell's visits to Attercliffe (Sheffield) and York Road, Leeds, were productive of much good. At both places the evangelist found several of his heartiest helpers in those who were converted at his services last year. Pastor R. Ensoll reports that at Attercliffe a week of special prayer and house-to-house visitation prepared the way for the meetings, which were large and enthusiastic from the very first; and night after night anxious enquirers were pointed to the Saviour. Among the many who have

professed to be converted during the mission there are nearly all the members of one of the young men's classes. Mr. Russell has since conducted a series of special services at New Whittington.

The secretary of the Evangelists' Association, in connection with the North

Frederick Street Baptist Church, Glasgow, writes that the fortnight's mission held by Messrs. Mateer and Parker resulted in the quickening of Christians, the reclaiming of backsliders, and the bringing in of many who had been without Christ. On the second Sunday evening the National Hall was crowded with an attentive and interested congregation. This month our brethren are to visit Trowbridge, Hanwell, and Margate.

ORPHANAGE.-We are happy to announce that the gold watch mentioned in last month's "Notes" has been sold for £15, the price we wished to get for it. The friend who purchased it, who is one of the collectors for the Orphanage, says that he would like a good gold Albert chain to match the watch, and if anyone will make the institution such a present he will be pleased to buy it. We cannot do less than make his wish known, and it is possible that some generous giver will enable us to gratify it. We have not yet received an offer for the engravings of Sir Noel Paton's pictures, "Thy will be done," and "The Man of Sorrows."

The Collectors' Meeting is held too late in the month to be reported in the present magazine, but the lists of the amounts brought in will be published in our December number.

Mr. Charlesworth, and his choir of singers and bell-ringers, start on November 6th for their northern tour. They are to visit Lincoln, Barnsley, Sheffield, Scarborough, Huddersfield, Bradford, Halifax, Leeds, York, and Hull. After a few days at home, they start again for Bournemouth, Salisbury, Lymington, Newport, Cowes, Gosport, Portsmouth, Worthing, Brighton, Hastings, Ashford, Folkestone, Dover, Deal, Margate, Sittingbourne, and Chatham. Will all our friends do what they can to make the meetings successful?

COLPORTAGE.-Attention has recently been called in "The Church Congress" to the importance of providing good literature, and seeking to adopt some method of dealing with the unhealthy publications now prevalent. No mention appears to have been made of the necessity for some agency for promoting the circulation of the large quantity of wholesome and interesting reading now provided. To some extent it finds an outlet in the ordinary trade channels. This usually means that books are sold to those who ask for them; but by means of the colporteurs a whole neighbourhood is systematically and regularly visited, with the express object of calling attention to the evils of reading bad books, and by the

display of an attractive and well - selected stock of moral and religious books, and suitably illustrated periodicals, the people are persuaded to purchase that which shall be of lasting benefit to their minds and hearts. Slowly the Christian public are beginning to realize the value of this agency, which combines the bookseller with the evangelist, and works on unsectarian lines.

We are pleased to announce that, in addition to the two new districts reported last month, others will shortly be opened at Epping and Launceston, for each of which £40 a year has been guaranteed, while the matter is under consideration in other districts. Will any friends who did not see the Secretary's letter in the August number of The Sword and the Trowel kindly read it there? It will be sent

by post on application, also Reports and Collecting Books, or any information. Subscriptions are much needed to maintain the General Fund from which assistance to the various districts is constantly drawn.

PERSONAL NOTES.-We cannot spare space enough for notices of many interesting cases of the usefulness of our printed sermons which have recently come before us, but we must find room for the following instances, of which we received information by the same post, although the writers are far removed from one another :

One of our Colporteurs, labouring in an English country town, says that he has been specially requested by a confirmed invalid, who is suffering greatly from paralysis of the spine, to express her sincere thanks for the spiritual food that she finds in the sermons, by which she was first brought to the Lord.

"A Presbyterian, County Donegal, Ireland," writes:-"I have received peace through reading a sermon of yours, entitled 'Sight for those who see not.' (No. 1798.) Although you do not know me, nor I you, personally, I thought it might help to cheer you in your work for the Master, and encourage you in preaching plain, simple, gospel sermons-few, too few, of which we hear. I have to thank you, dear sir, for that sermon; it was printed for me."

The following comes from Afghanistan:"I write this letter just to inform you what an immense deal of good your valuable sermons have done to my soul; and, I am certain, to the souls of thousands, of which you are not aware, and cannot be aware. I knew a man who, for a long time, never went to any place of worship, but he took a great delight in reading aloud your sermons, all by himself, at his own home, just as if he were preaching them. He told me that he liked them better than any others he had ever heard or read. You may judge, therefore, that the Holy Spirit was working in his heart."

Baptisms at Metropolitan Tabernacle.September 25, fifteen; October 2, fourteen.