for Church fellowship at but consistent member.

Mrs.

No. 6,

chapel, where she is now an humble

court, was brought up in the fear of the

Lord, and used to attend the sanctuary, as did Mr. also, until they were married, when he refused to go himself or to let her go. When I first called upon her, March last, she said, "I cannot go to the house of God, and I have not had a Christian friend to visit me these seven years." I conversed with her and left her a tract, requesting her to make Mr. acquainted with the object of my visit, which she did, and thus I by degrees became acquainted with the state of her mind. I called from time to time, but did not succeed in seeing Mr. I found he was a blasphemer, a Sabbath-breaker, a drunkard. I selected such tracts as I thought suitable; he read them, and in June last the tract called the "Roll Call" deeply penetrated his mind, but he would not listen to the monitor within. I have continued to call upon Mrs. to read the Scriptures, converse, and pray with her, and when I last called, after a longer absence than usual, Mrs. accosted me with a smile, and said, "O Sir, Mr. is quite an altered man, he has not tasted spirits for weeks; he goes to chapel on Sunday evening; I accompany him, and I do believe he is an altered man. are much happier, but I do not feel all I could desire about my soul's salvation; I must continue to pray; I am convinced that I have done wrong in suffering myself to be kept away from the house of prayer through the fear of man. Call, Sir, again as soon as you can.'

PUBLIC MEETING AT CRAVEN CHAPEL.

We

[We publish the following Report with great pleasure. It is a document highly creditable to a Christian Church, and evinces, that while its members are receiving largely of the blessings of the Gospel for themselves, they are deeply concerned for the spiritual welfare of those around them. It was read by J. I. Marks, Esq., at a public Meeting, held at Craven Chapel, on Tuesday evening, Feb. 26. Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P., presided over the Meeting, and the claims of London and of the Mission were advocated by the Rev. Messrs. Brake, Edwards, Ainslie, Bean, Dr. Leifchild, and Mr. Wilson. From the renewed exertions announced at the close of the Meeting, another Missionary will be immediately appointed, and then the church and congregation at Craven, will enjoy the privilege of having six Missionaries labouring through their instrumentality in six neglected districts of the Metropolis.]

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CRAVEN CHAPEL AUXILIARY TO THE LONDON CITY MISSION.

The duty again devolves upon your Committee, of presenting to

you an account of their proceedings during the past year, and they feel that the occasion calls for the expression of their devout gratitude to the Giver of all good, for the measure of success that has attended their efforts to provide the means of religious instruction to the ignorant poor of this crowded metropolis; while they have still to lament that the means as yet provided, fall far below what the exigences of the case require.

London, the first metropolis of the world—the seat of legislation, of literature, and of science, the mart of commerce, the abode of the noble and the wealthy, is still the rendezvous of vice and crime, the focus of ignorance and Infidelity; and amidst its teeming population, thousands are to be found who are opposed to the laws which bind society together, living in neglect of the worship of God, and sunk in the depths of ignorance and depravity; and it does appear to your Committee, that, numerous as are the edifices here erected to Jehovah,-many as are the pious and devoted ministers of the Gospel, who, from Sabbath to Sabbath, proclaim among us the unsearchable riches of Christ-various as are the institutions established for the spread of religious truth, there still remains a strong necessity for the species of instrumentality employed by the London City Mission; and they feel a believing confidence, while they cherish the pleasing hope, that God will honour this Society as the means of effecting a vast moral renovation in our neglected population.

The last Annual Report of the Parent Society states, that, during the past year, the Missionaries in their ordinary duties, paid 186,515 visits, of which 23,896 were visits to the sick and dying; making a total, since the formation of the Mission, of 658,233, in which number is included 82,099 visits to the afflicted and dying. The ordinary circulation of tracts during the year amounted to 223,056, making a total since the establishment of the Mission of 819,210. The meetings for prayer held during the year were 5,080; making a total of 16,079, which had been held in the dwellings of the poor, and attended chiefly by those who, from want of apparel, or from other circumstances, neglected public worship.

In a recent Report, read at a public Meeting, held in the month of January last, it stated that 250,000 tracts on the subject of intemperance had been circulated by the Missionaries in London and its suburbs. The gin-palaces, public-houses, beer-shops, and many coffee-shops were visited, and a copy of the tract had been left at every gin-palace, and public-house, thus raising a testimony against one of the fearful evils that afflict the humbler classes of the community, and impede the progress of Divine truth among us. Many pleasing results have already followed this noble effort of the Mission to arrest the progress of intemperance, some of which are detailed in the pages of the " City Mission Magazine " for the present month.

Your Committee, in thus contemplating the past successes and future prospects of the Mission, cannot refrain from paying a tribute of respect and affection to the memory of that zealous and devoted servant of Christ, whose sudden and unexpected removal, a few months ago, from the scene of his toil and labour to the repose and felicity of paradise, awakened so deep a feeling of sympathy in the friends of this Institution. The name of David Nasmith, the founder of the London City Mission, will, they feel assured, be honoured by future generations, as the name of an instrument raised up by Divine Providence to effect beneficial changes in the moral condition of our ignorant population. Long may the memory of his example be cherished, and the blessed effects of it be felt, in stimulating the zeal of others. He rests from his labours, but yet speaks to us most powerfully by the record of his zealous and disinterested exertions to promote the glory of Christ in the salvation of immortal souls.

In the last Annual Report of the Auxiliary, it was stated that the liberality of the subscribers had encouraged the Committee to enter into an engagement with the Parent Society to support four Missionaries. These pious and devoted men have been labouring assiduously in the several districts assigned them, and not without evidence of the Divine blessing upon their efforts. These districts comprise 1stly. The vicinity of this chapel, occupied by Mr. Hill. 2dly. The Seven Dials, visited by Mr. Carpenter. 3dly. The neighbourhood of High-street, Marylebone, assigned to Mr. Girdlestone, who was removed to that locality from the St. Giles's District, where he had previously laboured, in consequence of an application from the minister of a chapel near the district, who undertook the superintendence of it. In the new district there is much need of the labours of the Missionary, while the former ground is still occupied by the Mission. 4thly. Duck-lane, Westminster, to which district Mr. Arnold was appointed a few months since. Your Committee have also the pleasure to state, that in consequence of the zeal and liberality manifested by the friends of this Auxiliary, the Committee of the Parent Institution have assigned them a fifth Missionary, Mr. J. Crisp, who has been appointed to labour in a district between the Edgeware-road and Lisson-grove. This district has a crowded population-in some parts of it eight or ten families in a house, and greatly needs more than one devoted Missionary to labour among the poor families it contains. A gentleman connected with this chapel, who resides near the district last named, has expressed great satisfaction with this decision of your Committee, and has kindly consented to take the local superintendence of the Missionary.

The following are extracts from the Annual Reports of the Missionaries, furnished by them to your Committee. Many other interesting facts might have been selected, but it has been deemed unadvisable to add unduly to the length of this Report.

Mr. Girdlestone states, that, with few exceptions, his visits have been received with kindness, and that in some of the courts in his district, where he anticipated the greatest insult, he has received comparatively kind treatment. Some encouraging circumstances connected with visiting the police-office situated in his district, are given in the Missionary's own words. He says, "In addition to my regular visitation, I have, for some time past, met with great encouragement in distributing tracts in and around the vicinity of the police-office. I have used every means in my power to communicate religious truth to the many wretched creatures of both sexes, of much depraved character, who are congregated in this place; and have succeeded, in some instances, with character the most flagitious, upon whom I have reason to believe the word spoken will leave an indelible impression. Going into the office one morning where a vast number was assembled, the policeman kindly urged me to give tracts to every person present. This being done, and a word of exhortation given, he requested me to accompany him to the cells, where several unhappy creatures were locked up, some of whom were threatening vengeance against their prosecutors, some blaspheming, others laughing, and one or two spitting through the gratings. As soon as the officer unlocked the cells, and the prisoners saw the tracts in my hand, they looked with astonishment. Those of them who were disposed to ridicule were immediately silenced by the officer. Some of them, with tears in their eyes, thanked me, and behaved with great decorum; and their ready attention to instruction affords a hope that, if their lives are spared, they will become better members of society. As I was about to leave the office another policeman came up and requested me to lend him some tracts, for he had received great benefit from them, and thought they were calculated to do immense good in that neighbourhood; adding that if those wretched creatures to whom I had just given such warnings, could pass them by with indifference, they must be hardened indeed. I asked him several questions of a spiritual nature, to which he answered very satisfactorily; and I found he attended a place of worship whenever his official duties did not prevent him. I feel, therefore, encouraged by the reflection that so large a number attending in this place, exposed as they are, to all the corrupting influence of bad example, are receiving instruction from the tracts given to them. That entitled, Prepare to meet thy God,' has been exclusively circulated; it has aroused the attention of many, and the policemen, as well as others, have read it with great interest: and though no cases of decided conversion have at present resulted from them, yet there is great reason to hope that my visits to this place will be very beneficial and productive of much good."

The Missionary has been employed in supplying twelve districts with the "Tract on Intemperance" above referred to, and has distributed 4,525. One instance is selected from several, and will

"For some

show that this labour has not been useless. He says, time past the neighbourhood of court has been disgusted with the conduct of a notoriously drunken woman, named the wife of a cabman. This woman was regarded as the pest of society. She read the tract over several times, and at last began to reflect on the disgrace she had brought on herself and family. All her best articles of furniture were gone-the children were dirty, and ragged, and half-starved, while her husband was almost broken-hearted by her conduct. At length she came to the determination to relinquish her evil propensity. She has ever since kept her resolution, and entirely refrained from intoxicating drink. I have visited her several times since, and a great change has taken place. The children are neatly clothed and sent to school-the furniture is clean, and everything indicates a change for the better. She speaks very highly of the tract, and has lent it to a friend of hers, to whom she trusts it will be made useful, as it has been to herself."

Mr. Arnold, who has been labouring in connexion with the Auxiliary little more than six months, reports, that he is consequently but partially prepared to describe the degradation, immorality, and depravity which prevail in his district, where even those reputed honest do not (with few exceptions) scruple to adopt the meanest artifices in order to cheat the unwary, and defraud the unsuspecting. Some idea of the characters to be found in this district may be obtained from the following case, related by this Missionary. He says, "I visited No. 7, Dlane, for the purpose of ascertaining the cause which prevented a youth, who had lodged there, from attending the afternoon Meeting, when a young woman living with a man, one of whose names is told me (to use her own language) that he was 'sent down three months for buzzing' (a technical word for picking ladies' pockets). When I expressed sorrow that so many should be engaged in such unlawful and sinful practices, she replied, by way of excuse, that he was not the only one by thousands,' and that 'he must live.' 'My man,' she said, 'is going to join your instruction meeting-I hope you'll convert him.' On my telling her that I could only act as an instrument in so desirable a work, she replied (having been several years in St. John's-school), 'I know that you can do nothing of yourself,' &c. 'But to tell you the truth,' she added, 'I think that what is to be, will be, and 'tis no use trying to prevent it: if we are to be hung, we shall be hung; but what's the odds, so long as you're happy.' I replied, 'If you think that you are necessarily obliged to commit such crimes as would lead to such an issue, I do not; and as to your being happy, I question that too. Now are you?' With an oath, she exclaimed, 'I wish I was dead!' obtained a livelihood, she replied, 'Why, 'tis no use telling a lie, for I dare say you know as well as I do.'

On asking how they

'Not exactly,' said I.