is doing in our respective circuits. We have only to be sober in our statements, humble in our feelings, and keep our eye single to the divine glory, and then our reports of prosperity will produce holy encouragement, confidence, and joy, and stimulate all to prayerful exertion. Nor should we withhold a candid statement even of difficulties and declensions where such exist, for the facts, on becoming known, would elicit sympathy, intercession, and help. We are a Connexion united by mutual bonds of common interest and brotherhood, and the more fully we realize this fact and cherish its appropriate sentiments, the better for us in every respect. We have no notion of obtaining a knowledge of each others' state once a year only, when the Conference assembles or when the minutes are published. Let us know it, as far as possible, monthly. We have a monthly periodical; let a good portion of its pages be filled with a monthly record of the work of God. What is more seemly than this? What is more calculated to cherish the reciprocation of brotherly sympathy and affection? What is better adapted to foster connexional feeling, to secure connexional consolidation, and to promote that aggressive and onward action which should characterize a religious denomination? We know of nothing. Divinity and science, literature and biography are all well in their place, but we maintain that the work of God, its progress in our circuits, and the means employed to promote energetic activity and extension in various parts of the Connexion, should have a very prominent place in our pages; and, indeed, without this the advantages of a religious periodical cannot be fully secured. Such being our views, we feel it our duty to advert to a few encouraging facts in relation several circuits. to Guernsey.-The gracious revival at this place, reported in our pages some time ago, has not passed away as a matter of evanescent excite ment. From a letter sent to a friend a few days ago by the Rev. H. Watts, we learn that sixty persons have been received into church fellowship at that place. London. Our last quarter-day presented an increase of about one hundred, including those on trial. It will delight our friends throughout the Connexion to know that a large chapel has been taken on lease. It is situated almost in the centre of London, in a parish containing 110,000 inhabitants, of which not one in ten attends any place of worship. This chapel will be opened early in March. Since the place was taken, a society of Wesleyan Reformers, worshipping in Shoreditch, have unanimously resolved to unite with us. They are about forty in number, and have a Sundayschool of from eighty to one hundred scholars. We welcome these brethren; they will unite with us at the central chapel, and help us to work the cause there, which we trust will soon present a flourishing interest. We have now five chapels in London, and we hope our friends in the country, when called to spend a Sabbath in London, will not fail to worship with us at one of these places. They will find earnest, hard-working Methodism in London. We were lately informed of a place in the country where we have a new chapel and good congregations, but there was this drawback-"the society was not making corresponding progress, for the people did not like class meetings." Shame upon them. They may not well prosper. We have nothing like this maudlin Methodism in London. The people here love class meetings, band meetings, love-feasts, and prayer meetings, and all the peculiarities of Methodism. It is worthy of remark, that in Guernsey, as soon as the work of God revived in that place, the old love for class meetings revived also, and at once a new staff of leaders was appointed, and ten class books sent for to meet the requirements created by the revival. The objection to class meetings among Methodists, in nineteen cases out of every twenty, is, we fear, the result of a decay in vital and experimental religion. Let religion be revived, and just as naturally as a healthy new-born babe desires its mother's milk, will happy, prosperous souls desire religious communion in class meetings, love-feasts, &c. Ashton. We rejoice to hear that there is an increase of 18 over the Conference return of members, besides 130 meeting on trial as candidates for church fellowship. Brighouse, Halifax Circuit.-We hear that a good work is going on here; the chapel crowded, souls converted, and refreshing seasons experienced. Longton and Hanley.-Respecting these places we need do no more than call the attention of our readers to the interesting letters sent by Mr. G. L. Robinson and John Ridgway, Esq. It delights our souls to hear Oh! of the glorious movement. that it may spread through the length and breadth of the Connexion. In all the letters we have seen from Mr. Booth, he speaks in a strain of fervent gratitude and admiration as to the ministers and friends, testifying how affectionately they receive him, and how heartily they unite with him in the glorious work. Rev. John Taylor's Schools.-Our friends will read with much satisfaction and pleasure the report of a public meeting lately held in Belfast, when the mayor of the town presided, on the occasion of an examination of the scholars under Mr. Taylor's superintendence. The results of Mr. Taylor's plan of education are really wonderful, and reflect the highest credit, both on his ability and diligence, as well as on the benevolent disposition which prompted him to promote the intellectual and moral elevation of children from the humblest classes of society. Adwalton. Our friends at this place have done well. They have evinced true public spirit and liberality. With increased accommodation for worshippers, we hope to hear shortly of an increasing number of both seat-holders and members. See the report of the opening services. Culcheth. For many years a chapel has been wanted here, and we are glad to find that at length an effort has been made in good earnest to accomplish the desired object. There is a noble school at this place, and a good chapel will afford increasing facility for rendering the school a nursery for the Church of God. We have much pleasure in referring our friends to the interesting account of the public meeting lately held to erect a suitable sanctuary for public worship. Ministers and friends, throw off all reserve. Send us information, and help us to render our periodicals the medium for diffusing life and energy throughout the Connexion. REVIVAL AT LONGTON. 66 METHODIST TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW CONNEXION MAGAZINE." MY DEAR SIR,-As you and many of our friends in the Connexion are aware, the cause of God has languished in this circuit for a considerable time past, though the truth has been preached in its purity, and at times with considerable power. This state of things has been a source of anxiety and lamentation to both preachers and people. The time to favour our Zion has, however, at length come, and the seed which has been sown for years by all waters, is now springing up and producing a rich harvest of souls. In the anxiety of the preachers and friends to ascertain by whom Jacob should arise, their attention was directed to the Rev. Wm. Booth, of London. One of the friends had heard him preach there with that vividness of description and energy of thought and speech for which he is so remarkable, and saw with what results-souls being then saved. This friend knew also, from a private and confidential source, that this was not an occasional, but the regular mode of his ministry in London, and that similar results generally followed his preaching; so that there the little one was becoming a thousand, and the small one a strong nation. Following this, the glorious revival of religion at Guernsey, as recorded by you and detailed to one of our excellent ministers by a friend there, took place. It was decided, therefore, to invite Mr Booth to Longton. The London friends, to the praise of their Christian charity and connexional attachment be it spoken, and for which the Longton friends will ever, I trust, entertain towards them the most grateful sentiments, consented to give him up for nine or ten days, and that too without a supply. For the information of those who do not as yet know Mr. Booth, nor enter into the great work he appears called of God to accomplish, -I may be excused saying that Mr. Booth has very humble views of himself, but a very clear apprehension of the source of his great success, as will be seen from the following extracts from his correspondence with the writer:-" You can tell the friends in Longton that if they expect what is called great preaching, or anything approaching to it, they will be thoroughly disappointed. I have a plain message from my Master, and I try to tell it plainly, and sometimes the Lord helps me to tell it with a little point and power. If anything great and glorious is to be done, it must be by the co-operation of ministers and people, and in answer to earnest and believing prayer." This opinion of Mr. Booth is fully borne out by the writer's more intimate acquaintance with him while at Longton. The proper preliminaries of circulating addresses and handbills, exhortations and prayers, had produced in the minds of the friends generally a prayerful state of expectancy. Mr. Booth commenced his labours on Wednesday, 3rd January instant, and at the first service three souls found peace with God. Mr. Booth continued to preach on Thursday and Friday evenings with continued and increasing success; the congregations also gradually increasing, and the interest in the services deepening and widening until they became the subject of general conversation in the town and neighbourhood. On Saturday evening a prayer meeting was held, at which many experienced the salvation of God, and at the close of the evening it was found that upwards of twenty souls had been saved during the week. On the following Sabbath Mr. Booth preached to very large and attentive congregations; and at the prayer meeting following, and to the astonishment and joy of hundreds, upwards of fifty persons experienced the joy of the Lord. The services were continued by Mr. Booth the four following evenings, and continued to excite the liveliest interest, and to attract large audiences. On the Thursday evening the chapel was quite crowded, not less than 1,500 persons being present, and again the communion rail became a spiritual pool of Bethesda, in which upwards of sixty souls washed and were clean. The good work still continues, and at every service souls are being saved. Since Mr. Booth left us, upwards of fifty persons have been saved. To give the whole of the particulars relating to this most interesting work would be impossible. You will, however, be grateful to hear that upwards of 250 persons have professed to find peace with God. Of course, among this number are persons before nominally members, and also members of other churches, so that we may be found in numbers not to realize the whole increase. Both preachers and people have been baptized with this holy fire, and have entered into Mr. Booth's labours. The classes are being thronged with persons saying, "We will go with you, for we see that God is with you.' A morning prayer meeting held at eight o'clock is well attended and characterized with the divine presence. Some of the worst characters of the towninfidels, drunkards, &c.—are being converted, burning their books and becoming sober. At one of these morning prayer meetings, a woman burst forth into prayer in her own peculiar style and language, and declared what God had done for her soul, - that she had not gone to a place of worship for ten years, that she should have degraded it, and that if God must forgive her sins one by one, he never could forgive them, they were so many, but he had forgiven her all at once. Whole families are being saved. Persons who have been backsliders for many years are returning to God with broken hearts. Other churches in the town are being aroused, some of their leaders and members joining in the movement. The flame is extending in the circuit, thus God is making the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land REVIVAL AT HANLEY. Cauldon-place, MY DEAR SIR,-You will be pleased to learn that, on Sabbath-day last, our worthy friend, Mr. Booth, entered on a course of services at Bethesda Chapel, recruited by a couple of days' rest after his labours at Longton. The ministers, officers, and friends, held a preparatory prayer-meeting at seven o'clock, a.m., at which the Master was present, and his people were of good cheer. The morning's preaching was unusually well attended, and the word came with power. A circuit love-feast followed-a large and happy gathering-with only one cause of regret, that the time was so quickly gone; a prayer meeting followed, and a most refreshing season it proved, kept up till the sound of the organ announced that the public service of the sanctuary had commenced. The sight was overwhelming; upwards of 3,400 precious souls filled the place, and, best of all, the presence of God was with them. The singing, the prayer, the eloquent and touching appeals of the minister, the sighs and tears, the softened hearts and holy breathing, all proved that the people were prepared for the banquet of mercy that was prepared for them. The prayer ineeting was a delightful continuance of the public service; the body of the chapel was filled with little short of 2,000 people, and the revival services commenced in good earnest. It is not my intention to give the particulars, for you shall have them for your next magazine, to the glory of God, and for the benefit of the Connexion. In the meantime, the zeal and devotion of our excellent friend, Mr. Booth, are beyond all praise; and next to this, the cordiality with which our superintendent (the President of the Connexion) and his colleagues, and the officers and people co-operate in the good work, I may say, as the heart of one man! No wonder, therefore, that the arm of the Lord has been made bare, and sinners saved, and the name of the Lord magnified; but I will not anticipate what has to come next month. You will have good news from Longton this month, to rejoice every lover of souls and the Connexion; this notice from Hanley will awaken expectations for the March nun.ber, which, I venture to say, will not be disappointed; and, in addition, seeing the anxiety of the people, the need of a holy movement of the kind, and the signal manner in which God is owning and blessing the work, arrangements have been made for supplying Mr. Booth's services in London, for some weeks to come, so that all our Pottery circuits may be visited and partake of the holy influence. And delighted should I be to find that the same spirit has been awakened in other circuits-in short, in all our circuits-that the coming quarter may be distinguished and blessed above the previous ones collectively, and that the next Conference may assemble with good news and glad tidings from every part of our borders, to the glory of God and the joyful encouragement of the Connexion. I remain, dear Sir, faithfully yours, JOHN RIDGWAY. RE-OPENING OF ADWALTON CHAPEL, DEWSBURY CIRCUIT, AND THE OPENING OF AN ORGAN. CONSIDERABLE inconvenience has been experienced by both ministers and people, for upwards of 20 years, from the over-crowded state of our chapel; nevertheless, nothing was done towards its enlargement till the first Sabbath in December, 1853, when, after the evening prayer meeting, a single sentence dropped by a venerable friend found a ready response in my heart; by day-break next morning the subscription list was ready, and in a few days £45 was promised towards its enlargement. The foundation stone was laid on Good Friday, 1854, by Mr. Thomas Baratclough, when a suitable address was given by the Rev. J. Nicholas, of Dewsbury, after which a public teameeting was held in the chapel, when both speakers and hearers were abundantly blessed. On Easter Monday we opened a bazaar in the school-room. The enlargement was from a design by Mr. T. Baratclough, who has kindly superintended the building throughout, which does great credit to his judg ment. The chapel was re-opened for divine worship on Sunday, Dec. 3rd, 1854. A public prayer meeting was held at 7 o'clock, a.m., which was a time of refreshing coming from the presence of God. The Holy Spirit was shed down in rich effusions, as the morning sacrifice ascended; the Lord unveiled the glories of his face, and shed his love abroad. At half-past ten the Rev. Walter Scott, President of Airedale College, preached a very effective sermon from John xxi. 17, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? who was followed in the afternoon and evening by the Rev. J. Poxon, of Ashton-under-Lyne, which services were of a very interesting and impressive character, and have left on the minds of the congregation a most salutary and gracious influence. On Monday evening, December 4th, the Rev. S. Hulme, of Manchester, preached from 1 Cor. xv. 25, “ For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet." A more eloquent and profound discourse has seldom been listened to. On Sunday, Dec. 10th, the Rev. L. Saxton, our highly esteemed superintendent, preached, morning and afternoon, two excellent and powerful sermons, which were followed in the evening by the Rev. T. Allin, of Altrincham, who preached from Isaiah vi. 1, 2, 3, a sublime discourse, abounding with elevating conceptions of the Triune God. Never did we hear the rev. gentleman with such profit and delight; he was full of warmth, energy, life, and power. May he long live, an ornament to the Connexion, and may his declining years be crowned with the richest blessings of divine grace. Though the weather was unfavourable, the congregations were good, the divine presence was amongst us, sinners were awakened, believers were edified, strengthened, and built up in their most holy faith, and God's name was glorified. The collections amounted to £25, but were made up to £27 by a few friends. The cost of the enlargement and the organ was calculated to be about £220. The subscriptions, proceeds of bazaar, and the collections at the re-opening services, amount to upwards of £100. The chapel, when finished, will be neat and commodious, capable of seating from 350 to 400 persons, with a good school-room and burial-ground annexed; it is enlarged 17 feet 6 inches by 33 feet. The new gallery, rising gently from behind the pulpit, will seat upwards of 100 Sunday scholars, whose seats after the first are elevated eight inches above each other. Underneath the gallery is a cottage and vestry, each 16 feet by 12 feet. At the base of the pulpit will be a neat enclosure for the celebration of the Lord's Supper, &c. &c. The organ is a new and powerful toned instrument, built by Mr. Crabtree, of Gomersal-containing the following stops: Open and stop diapason, viol de gamba, principal, twelfth, fifteenth, flute, cornet, and sesquialtrais inclosed in a very neat case, in front of which, and immediately behind the pulpit, are six pews for the choir and senior scholars in the form of a segment. Mr. Samuel Naylor presided at the organ during the re-opening services, whose performances added much to the interest of the services. Our present position is very encouraging, both in the church and the school, and I doubt not that many will often revert to the re-opening of this place of worship, with emotions of the most pleasing character. May it be the spiritual birth-place of all around it, and may they who have reared it, they who have contributed to its enlargement, and they who worship in it, be found at last before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands, crying with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever. THOMAS FLETCHER. Adwalton, January 13, 1855. MEETING HELD FOR BUILDING A CHAPEL AT CULCHETH, MANCHESTER NORTH CIRCUIT. ON new year's day a tea-meeting was held in our school at Culcheth, for the purpose of raising funds towards the erection of a new chapel. The school was crowded with a delighted and respectable audience, and was most beautifully decorated with evergreens and striking mottoes. About 700 persons sat down in cordial sociality to tea, and I believe on no other occasion was the public interest more powerfully excited in this place. The trays were all furnished gratuitously by the friends of the place, and the entire affair did credit to those who had been entrusted with its management. After tea the chair was taken by our excellent friend William |