posed, with a view to this that the subject planted in all of us to seek happiness, to which they were to address themselves which we called good, and every creature had been selected. The grand essential of was in this way ruled by its affections. religion was "to shun evils as sins against Man alone had the power of directing God," and from love to the Lord to do his actions, of choosing between this good. In the past we found people almost and that line of action, of learning new entirely engaged in disputes about the truth. The Lord gave all men sufficient external activities of religion and about knowledge to form ultimately out of every matters of thought. For years there had man an angel. The Lord Jesus Christ, been a dispute that had divided the although not known to all, was the Church of the time, and about which even light that lighteneth every man that battles were fought on the alteration of cometh into the world. This light set a single letter in a single word. But up a standard by which we could this state of things was passing away, judge between right and wrong. It as it was felt that none of these things was therefore of the utmost importance to would determine a man's state and condi- realize this great truth, and examine ourtion in the future. What, then, was the selves by this light, for as we lived in answer to the question? The answer was obedience and in acknowledgment of its not far to seek. As soon as men began to teaching, we ensured for ourselves a place think and put this question to themselves in the eternal world. They were taught the Divine voice answered, "If thou also that in the eternal world there was doest well, shalt thou not be accepted; an infinite variety of degrees of states and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at answering to the degree of truth known the door." It was not matters of form, and loved here. As he looked on the whether orthodox or otherwise, that would many faces around him, he could in some determine a man's future. The repe- measure understand this infinite variety. tition of prayers and the confession In conclusion Mr. Hemperley said, to that they were miserable sinners, with- determine a state of happiness in the out real repentance, and an active desire future life, we must follow truth as we to do good, would be unavailing. A person must find out his own sins, and take up his cross and fight them, and as he did this he would be saved and would evince in this life more love to God and charity towards men. In this way he would become a Christian indeed, and be a blessing to those about him; and when he should go into the eternal world he would take this heavenly state with him, and become an inhabitant of that heavenly city for which his life on earth had prepared him. The anthem "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts" (Gounod), was then given by the choir.

The chairman here announced that he had heard with regret that in consequence of indisposition they would be deprived of the presence of Rev. Chauncey Giles, who did not feel himself equal to be amongst them that evening. He had therefore asked Rev. F. H. Hemperley to take his place, whom he now introduced to the meeting. Mr. Hemperley, although quite unprepared with a set speech, was willing to make a few remarks, as he was sure that subsequent speeches would make up for his omissions. The subject was indeed one that went to the heart of every religious inquiry. Our state and condition in the eternal world depended on our state and condition in this world. In other words, our state in this world would be perpetuated after we leave our earthly home.

Our future condition depended upon the impetus given and the direction taken in this life. The desire was im

see it, always remembering the words of our Lord, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." The choir here sung the Te Deum.

Rev. C. H. Wilkins next addressed the meeting in a characteristic and eloquent speech, which called forth repeated applause. He commenced by alluding to the mingled sentiments of pleasure and pain which always attended his visits to London. The fact of his being a Londoner always made him look forward to a visit, and there was always something to see or hear in a large city. But he was so often pained when he thought of the contrast that presented itself between great posses sions and small minds. Sometimes when admiring a handsome mansion a carriage would draw up and the owner would step out, but it was plain from his manner that some from the outside could enter into and appreciate the beauties of the house and garden more than he who occupied them ever could. It was, he feared, often the case that the house was furnished while the mind was empty. Emerson had once said that everything in a country landscape gave him pleasure till his eye was arrested by the sight of an agricultural labourer, who took no pleasure in the scene. It was a sight full of sadness, but he was not sure that deep down under that rough exterior there might not be aspirations that would answer to the beauties of eternity. It pained him to think of a man who had nothing in his mind to correspond to the wonders that

I have carried out as far as possible the intentions of the donors of the fund given to the Conference for missionary operations at Longton, and the dissemination of the Heavenly Doctrines in the Potteries. I have personally made two visits to Longton, preaching and lecturing to the Society, and rendering such other assistance as I was able in furtherance of this mission. At one of these visits I had the pleasure of introducing into the church at Longton several new members, one of them a gentleman from whom I anticipate help in conducting the public services of the church in the future.

"The amount of missionary labour rendered has not been quite equal to that of last year; and, unless the fund is increased from some other source, cannot be so large in the year before us. The monthly visit of the Rev. W. Bates afforded the opportunity of usefully employing the services of this esteemed minister after he had been compelled to relinquish the pastorate of a Society. His labours at Longton were continued to the time of his departure from all earthly service to his heavenly home. His loss is severely felt by the little flock to which he last ministered, and his place will not be easily filled. In addition to the monthly visits of Mr. Bates, I was able, by the kind consent of the Committee of the Manchester and Salford Missionary Society, to arrange for frequent visits to the Potteries by Mr. Henshall, their zealous colporteur, whose visits are warmly appreciated by the members and friends in the district. I instructed Mr. Henshall to spend a Sabbath at Longton, and to employ the following day in colportage work in one of the populous towns of the Potteries. In his report to me he writes: "The colporteur has visted the Potteries eight times, preached sixteen times, and held a number of cottage meetings for conversation on the Doctrines of the Word. He has distributed one thousand tracts, and sold several copies of the "True Christian Religion," the 66 Apocalypse Revealed," Clowes' Histories, Bayley's "Brighton Lectures," and Chauncey Giles' "Spiritual World." He has visited Tunstall, Burslem, Hanley, Stoke, Fenton, Kidby, Newcastle, Mow Cop, Macclesfield, and Congleton. During the past twelve months there has been an increase of members and a marked improvement in the knowledge of the Heavenly Doctrines.'

"I have only to add that the payment of the rent for the current year is kindly undertaken by Edward Ford, Esq., of the Lawn, near Stoke. Only one half-year's rent, therefore, appears in the accounts which accompany this report.

"RICHARD STORRY."

After

AUSTRALIA.-A Visit to New South Wales. (To the Editor of the Intellectual Repository.) Dear Sir,-After continuously working in Victoria during a residence of fourteen months, I resolved to visit New South Wales in compliance with the kindly request of the members of the New Church in Sydney, at the same time engaging to deliver a series of lectures explanatory of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem. I left Melbourne on April 29th by the s.s. Barrabool, in company with several gentlemen who were all strangers to me. clearing the river Yarra, which in its lower parts is both uninteresting and not altogether pleasant, we got into Port Philip's Bay, and commenced what proved to be a very agreeable and refreshing voyage. During the passage, which necessarily lies along and near the coast, I had an opportunity of forming a better estimate of Australian scenery, with which I was much charmed, especially at some spots, where we came in view of grand mountainous country, which appeared to me to be in every respect equal to what I have often seen in Cumberland and Westmoreland. Some of the peeps are particularly lovely and inviting, and I fancied to myself that, if populated with people of the right kind, those localities must be among the paradises of earth. There was often in my mind a strange feeling of astonishment that this fair land was so long unknown and shut off from communion with the Christian world; nor could I help desiring for her, men worthy of her wealth, and gifted with willing hearts, unselfishly to open her longneglected treasures for the comfort and delight of mankind. Australia seems to me to be the last continent to be really understood or appreciated, but perhaps, when known, she will not be the least loved. That, however, must depend upon those who possess her. It was a crime, I think, to inaugurate her history by making her a prison for convicts; and if England has a little trouble with Australia's sons, let her bear in mind that, as a mother, she did not foster her fair child with the milk of human innocence.

The only passenger by the Barrabool that particularly engaged my attention was a medical man-a gentleman of a highly cultured and thoughtful mind-with whom I happily obtained much pleasant intercourse. As a scientist this physician had long absorbed the merely naturalistic and materialistic faith that is now so widely prevailing. To him nature was a plenum as to Tyndall, and there was no room for a God. But on a visit to Melbourne his faith in this was shaken, and he was so far influenced as to be convinced that there is a spiritual world.

His faith in this, however, seemed to me to be mainly sensuous and natural, and he was not, I judge, disposed to accept any doctrines drawn from Divine Revelation. During two days I had the great pleasure of directing his attention to the New Church teachings concerning the Lord and the spiritual sense of the Word. These doctrines seemed to be received by him with a real relish, and he promised to inquire further into them. During his brief stay in Sydney he visited Dr. Brereton, with whom I stayed, and after receiving some of the works of Swedenborg, and some of the Manchester tracts, which I carried with me, he wrote saying, "I sincerely trust that I may be led to know the truth, as that is what I have long thirsted after, and these new views give a light to a book which I had before looked on as mythology."

On arriving at Sydney late in the evening of May 1st, I was very kindly met by several friends of the New Church Society, Messrs. Slater, Backhouse, Newton, Hilton, and others. From them I learned sad news, which took me much by surprise. It was of the illness of their highly esteemed leader, and my friend, Dr. Le Gay Brereton. By his previous correspondence and thoughtful kindness, this gentleman had already endeared himself to us, and to meet him was one of the pleasures I looked forward to in visiting Sydney. It transpired, however, that for a month he had been unable to officiate in the Sabbath service, and that his illness as such was to cause some feeling of alarm. Notwithstanding, however, the shadow which this cast over us all, the Doctor gave me a hearty welcome, and I remained in his house, enjoying much delightful intercourse for a full month. At the end of this time my host was much the same as to his bodily health-in hopes of a perfect recovery before long, but still not without much anxiety. Should his life be prolonged, as I fervently pray that it may for many years, I think Dr. Brereton will render important service to the New Church. He is gifted with great literary ability, a powerful intellect, large resources, a warm heart, and, what is wanted in Australia at present, courage and boldness. Mrs. Brereton is a thorough New Church lady, and does much to sustain her husband in his self-denying labours for the Church.

During the first fortnight of my visit to Sydney there were continuous rains. On the evening of the first lecture, the subject of which was "The Spiritual Sense of Holy Scripture," the wet was very heavy, too heavy for any but strong men to be out, and we had an audience of seventy or eighty people in the small room of the

Temperance Hall, which would accommodate perhaps about 250 persons. Some of our hearers had never before heard of a spiritual sense to the Word, and were deeply interested in the explanations and illustrations that were given. One gentleman, an American, visiting Sydney, seemed especially delighted with the light which was thus thrown upon the Worl, or rather, which came from it; and he, with several others, attended every subsequent lecture.

The second lecture was entitled, "Jehovah and Jesus are one," and was delivered in the large room, Pitt Street, on Tuesday, May 6th. It consisted mainly of three parts, the first showing that the Jehovah of the Old Testament was a Man, that is, a Divine and Infinite Man; the second treated of the Miraculous Conception and Incarnation; and the third set forth that Jesus, the Man of the New Testament, was Jehovah, the God of the Old-that He possessed and manifested all the attributes proper to the Supreme God. He was omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. He also constituted Himself the only object of worship, because He was and is the only God. This lecture excited considerable and deep interest. At the close of it at least a dozen questions were asked and answered. Some were presented as objections, and others to elicit further explanations.

The third lecture was on "Christian Faith," referring also to the Christian life, but the Sunday evening when it was delivered was so intensely wet, and the rain came down in such a heavy and drenching pour that we scarcely expected to see any audience at all. There were, however, above twenty-four persons present.

On the following Tuesday evening we again had the large room of the Temperance Hall in Pitt Street, and a good audience to the lecture on the Resurrection. Of this the Sydney Morning Herald gave the following brief account: "On Tuesday evening, the Rev. J. J. Thornton, of the New Church, lectured to an attentive audience of about 300 persons in the Temperance Hall. The subject was, 'The Resurrection-when is it?" He said that the death of the natural body, now and before the fall of man, was an orderly event, and necessary to man's introduction to a higher life. Men were raised up out of their natural bodies, as a rule, about the third day after death, as Christ was; but to this there were exceptions, such as those meeting with sudden death, as in the case of Saul, who was killed in war, and was told by Samuel, the day before his death, that he should meet him in the spirit world the following day. Mr. Thornton brought forward passages from