of collodion before the portrait is taken. We have here the opportunity of introducing the Great Atonement prepared from the foundation of the world, covering the glass of God's Word from Genesis to Revelation. No substituted alloy will take the proper impression or form the true picture. Divine light alone thrown upon the true focus secures the object. Then there is the process of development, without which, although the correct impression be made, yet, without being developed, it remains invisible, and can only be manifested by washing away the unimpressed part of the collodion. Here the washing of regeneration becomes needful, and continued washing in the Fountain for sin and uncleanness is required, until all filthiness of flesh and spirit is washed away. And unless thus washed, we have no part in Him; but, being thus washed and sanctified, all old things are done away, and all things become new, and Christ-like features are alone to be traced. And then there is the toning process, by which the true picture is embellished, and its colour given, and what is called the tone, taken; produced by the application of additional chemicals. So the true Christian keeps adding to his stock of Christian graces until he takes the proper tone of his Divine Master: it may be varying in character and degree, but still the effect of the one and self-same Spirit, dividing unto every one severally as He will. Lastly, there is the fixing. After the true taking of a picture, if it were not abiding but little service would be rendered. Chemicals have to be applied that make it permanent; or, as it is technically called, fixed; and the picture remains firm and fades not. So the true Christian should be practical, firm, and faithful, and show that he is of Divine workmanship; that he has Christ formed in the heart, the hope and evidence of eternal life. J. R.

THE WESLEYAN METHODIST LOCAL PREACHERS'
MUTUAL-AID ASSOCIATION.

CHAPTER XXII.-ANNUAL MEETING ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, 1868.
BROTHER GEORGE THOMPSON, of Ashton, President.

THE General Committee met in the Wesleyan Schoolroom, Mill Lane, Ashton, on Saturday evening, June 13th. Twenty-four chapels were open for Sunday services, which were supplied by about thirty brethren, from all parts of the country. A love-feast was held in the afternoon in Stamford Street Chapel; an open-air service in the evening.

The business meeting began on Monday morning, Bro. John Carter, the Treasurer, in the absence of the President, presiding. The Report showed 1,667 benefit and 425 hon. members, total 2,092; being a decrease of 19 benefit, and an increase of 16 hon. members; net decrease

3. The expenditure exceeded this year by £63 1s. 1d., reducing the joint-stock to £4,805 2s. 5d.

Brother George Thompson, of Ashton, was elected President, John Carter re-elected Treasurer, and Thos. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary. About fifty brethren were present.

The Magazine came up for discussion. The Report states: "Various suggestions were made, and a very general expression of approval was elicited as to the contents of the Magazine." The loss upon it for 1867 was £40 3s.

There was no official sermon on this occasion, but a new plan was adopted in reference to the Lord's Supper, it being celebrated at half-past nine in the morning at Stamford Street Chapel, before the commencement of business. It was presided over by the Superintendent.

As it was not expected that there would be much pressing business, the General Committee had requested Bros. Chamberlain and W. B. Carter to prepare papers to be read and discussed at this gathering. Bro. Chamberlain read his paper, which was afterwards printed in the Magazine, under the title of "The History and Work of Our Association " (page 193, 1868). This paper was discussed, and it was generally approved. Bro. W. B. Carter read his paper, and thanks were voted to him, and it was to be printed and discussed at the next meeting; but the time for discussing it was not found till the year after. It appears in the Magazine for August, 1868, under the title, "Mutual-Aid for Mutual Improvement." Both the papers were printed and issued with the Report for 1868.

CHAPTER XXIII.-ANNUAL MEETING, KING'S CROSS, LONDON. 1869. BRO. WILLIAM BOWRON, London, President.

THE General Committee met in the Vestry, King's Cross Chapel, on Saturday evening, June 5th. Thirty-one chapels were open to the brethren in London and suburbs, and collections taken in most of them. The sittings began on Monday morning. The Report being read, it showed benefit members 1,680, honorary 430; total, 2,110, being an increase of 13 benefit and 5 honorary. Benefit members' subscriptions, £960 4s., an increase of £24 6s. 4d. on the year. There was an excess of income over expenditure of £170 15s. 11d. this year. £100 was added to the invested capital, bringing that up to £4,975 18s. 4d. Bro. W. Bowron, of Chelsea, was elected President, Bro. John Carter re-elected Treasurer, and Bro. Thos. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary.

This being the year for alteration of the rules, the motion to admit the New Connexion preachers was again urged, and was negatived by 36 to 16. Hon. Secretary's motion for a sliding scale of payments and allowances was negatived by 35 to 6. The observation of the reporter on the

attempts at alteration is rather significant: "The rules must be considered by the brethren as near perfection as possible; for out of the nine alterations only two were adopted."

As the time of the meeting was taken up by the rules, little was said about the Magazine, only that it was to be continued as before, the loss on the year 1868 being £12 9s. 11d.

Tea and public meetings were held, and both well attended. Bro. Bowron, the newly-elected President, occupied the chair at the public meeting till the arrival of W. McArthur, Esq., M.P., who had been announced. The meeting was addressed by Thos. Chamberlain, Rev. James Sugden, Thos. Cuthbertson, Rev. H. G. Ward, W. B. Carter, S. D. Waddy, W. Nelstrop, G. Thompson (ex-president), and the two Chairmen.

This meeting was rendered memorable by the coming out of Mr. W. McArthur and S. D. Waddy. Mr. W. McArthur said: "I confess, with regard to local preaching, in London especially, and when I see the circuit plan with twenty or twenty-four names upon it, and appointments only for six, I ask myself the question, What are the other eighteen doing?" He urged upon the brethren to make openings for themselves. Copy the example of Gideon Ousley, who when in a town in Ireland, when he could not get a bellman to announce a service, took the bell himself, ringing it, announced, "An Irish Methodist minister will preach in the chapel in this town to-night, and I am the man myself."

CHAPTER XXIV.-ANNUAL MEETING, NORTHAMPTON. 1870.

BROTHER S. D. WADDY, London, President.

THE General Committee met on Saturday evening in the Schoolroom of Gold Street Chapel, June 11th. Twenty-four chapels in Northampton and some of the surrounding towns and villages were supplied by the brethren on the Sunday. An open-air service in the Market Square was held on Sunday morning, and a love-feast in Gold Street Chapel in the afternoon.

The sittings commenced on Monday morning. About sixty representatives were present. Bro. Bowron, the President, presided, and said that he expected his year of office would cost him £50; but as it had not, that sum would be available for the funds of the Association. The Report showed benefit members 1,715, honorary 446; total 2,161, being an increase of 35 benefit and 16 honorary; total, 51. Benefit members' subscriptions, £935 4s. 8d., a decrease of £24 19s. 4d. The general balance showed a decrease on the year of £51 2s. 8d., reducing the capital to £4,924 15s. 8d. Bro. S. D. Waddy was elected President, John Carter re-elected Treasurer, and Thomas Chamberlain, Honorary Secretary.

W

Although there was little business of importance to do, the brethren sat for two days. The Lord's Supper was celebrated on Tuesday morning, and in the afternoon of that day W. B. Carter's Paper, delivered two years before, "Mutual Help for Mutual Improvement," was dis cussed; but there is no report of this discussion, and no resolution was taken.

On Monday evening a tea and public meeting was held, Mr. Bond, the superintendent and chairman of the district in the chair, from which he delivered a good address, and was followed by Bros. Chamberlain, W. Bowron, John Carter, S. D. Waddy, R. Durley, John Towne, C. Madder, John Wade (Mitcham), W. Jameson, G. Thompson, W. E. Vernon, and E. Rush. The chairman said he preached his trial sermon when about fourteen years of age; but at sixteen years of age he became a supernumerary, and From that period to the present he S. D. Waddy said that he began young,

rested as such for eleven months. had gone on without cessation. and went to a small chapel near Sheffield to supply for a superior local Preacher. Just before he reached the chapel he saw a number standing outside, waiting for Mr. Dyson; one of these came towards him and said, "Be you coming to preach ?" "So I answered I was going to try. He eyed me slowly from head to foot, then said, 'Well, ye are better than nowt.'"

CHAPTER XXV.-ANNUAL MEETING AT KEIGHLEY. 1871.

BRO. N. A. ALDERSLEY, Keighley, President.

THE General Committee met as usual, on Saturday evening, in Temple Street Schoolroom, Keighley. Twenty-one chapels were placed at the service of the brethren on the Sunday, and collections made. An openair service was held in the morning at nine, and a love-feast was held in Temple Street Chapel in the afternoon.

Business began on Monday morning. The Report showed the number of benefit members 1,739, honorary 464, total 2,203; being an increase of 24 benefit, and 18 honorary, total 42. Benefit members' subscriptions, The free subscriptions having expenditure by £29 7s. 2d.,

£926 18., being a decrease of £9 3s. 8d. increased, the income had exceeded the raising the capital to £4,954 2s. 10d. Bro. Aldersley was elected President, Bro. J. Carter, re-elected Treasurer, and Bro. Chamberlain, Hon. Secretary.

Legacies began now to accrue to the Association. There were four this year, amounting to £142 13s. 10d. These helps have continued since, and probably will continue. There was not much business to do, and the brethren, after the celebration of the Lord's Supper on Tuesday morning, finished the day with an excursion to Haworth, where a public meeting was held, presided over by John R. Redman, Esq.

In the year 1870 it was resolved that the space occupied by the Association on the Magazine should be paid for as an advertisement at cost price. This being done, the loss which had previously appeared on the disbursement side of the balance-sheet disappeared, and a profit of £15 8s. 8d. stood to the credit of the Magazine. This was a very cheering state of things, when compared with the £130 annual loss on the first seven years of the Magazine's existence.

The meeting at Keighley was one of the most successful, financially, that had yet been held. The donations of £25 each from Isaac Holden, Esq., and James Lund, Esq., with liberal donations from others, and good collections at the chapels, brought the first instalment in July to £170 Os. 4d. This was not all the benefit derived through the visit to Keighley, for a considerable number of new hon. members was secured, who have continued their subscriptions to the present day.

The holding of a public meeting at Haworth was taken advantage of to visit its church and parsonage, the scene of the labours and the dwelling place of the famous Grimshaw, the Yorkshire evangelist. In later days Haworth has been distinguished as the residence of Charlotte Brontë, the celebrated author of " Jane Eyre," &c.

CHAPTER XXVI.-ANNUAL MEETING AT LOUTH. 1872.

BROTHER W. JAMESON, of London, President.

THE General Committee met in the Schoolroom of the Free Methodist Chapel, Louth, on Saturday evening, June 8th. No less than forty chapels were open to the brethren on the Sunday for preaching. An open-air service was held in the morning at nine, and a love-feast in the afternoon at two. Preaching also on Tuesday evening at seven. Collections were made in all these places for the Association. This was the second time the meeting had been held at Louth.

Business commenced on Monday morning, June 10th, in the Free Methodist Schoolroom. The Report showed 1,770 benefit members, and 421 honorary, total 2,261; being an increase of 31 benefit and 27 honorary, total 58. This increase is attributed greatly to the exertions of the President and ex-President; new branches having been formed in Hull, Howden, and Scarborough. The benefit members' subscriptions amounted to £979 2s. 6d., being an increase of £53 1s. 6d. excess of income over expenditure, and raising the capital into the next thousand, making £5,063 4s. 1d. Bro. Wm. Jameson was elected President, John Carter, re-elected Treasurer, and Thomas Chamberlain Hon. Secretary.

This being the year in which alterations could be made in the rules, nine notices of alterations had been sent in. Those which would have been organic alterations met with little favour, and were negatived by large majorities.