JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13336, 30 January 1909, Page 12

JOTTINGS.

A young minister near New York r<-'cen:!y told a local editor this bit of Autobiography:—-'I have adopted a plan," slid lie, "which 1 believe would lie of briu fit to many ministers. Perhaps it was inspired Cv the fact that in.v eari'>.->-t training was as a newspaper man. I always write a sermon early in the week. Then I deliver it into ir.y -phonograph, and let it rust till •Saturday, tin Saturday I turn on the phonograph and listen to my.v.'if preach —a.s -hoii'.h listening to another's work. \\ nh pencil ami ]>ad I take iwt"s as to whero 1 think tho sermon weak—or at least where it can bo strengthened — then make the revision in time for .Sunday. 1 find this plan a gi-<Mt help to mc. It's worth thc added labour.'"

For the annual meeting of the Council of the Congregational I'nion to ho ho,!<l iji l ;hris.u-.li iirt-.h next month, commencing on Wedm-aday. February 10th. «■•>>!!iorcm-e- on the iollowing questions have lieeii arranged:—"l'nion with God : IU Cultivation and Practice," introduced by the Revs. W. 1). Mac-lii-eii, M.A., and S. Griffiths; '-.Sunday School R'.'lorni.'' introduced by the Rev. J. Read (Jlasson ; "Wanted": A Programme" by the Rev. Win. Saunders; "Wanted: Driving Power," by the Key. W. M. Grant: "The Youth of Cori.grogationaliem," by the Rev. W J. L. Cloas, 8.A.: "Tlie Church Meeting: Its Place nnd Meaning," introduced by the Rev. ii. Hcighwny. In addition to tlio above-mentione<l special meetings, the usual >ei.;es of business meetings will he hold, together with meetings for th<-> young people and thofo in.ter-«-.st"d in home mi=sioii.s. For tho semi.jubilee meeting the Key. B. L. Thomas is to spe-k on '•Invoking Backward.'' while the Hey. W. Evans wilL take lV» subject "Oiir Mission in the Light of To-day." The. Chairman'« address is to be given hy the llev. W. S. Fernio, and the annual sermon by the Rev. A. E. Hunt.

Mr Thomas Alien, one of the two lay representatives of tho Now Zealand Metho-list Church to tho English conference at York, is, after a very pleasant stay at Ijoine, now on hf.s way to Now Zealand. .Mr Alien had expected to remain for sonic months longer in Kngland in order to supervise* the transcription from old documents at tho AVeslcyan Mission Houso of matters of deep interest in connection -with thf> early days of mission work and colonisation in Now Zealand. Mr Allen found that the old letters from the early missionaries as well as other documents of interest have been all carefully preserved, and tho authorities at Bishopsgato street kindly afforded every facility in connection with the work of transcription, tlioiigh they would not part absolutely with any of the valuable panere in their custody. Special services of a thanksgiving character aro about to bo held in the Oamaiu Methodist Church in connection with tho discharge of the. residue, of debt upon tho trust property. Some years a : go over £900 was advanced by the Church Building and Loan Fund to enable the trustees to tide over their financial difficulties. This amount has been, repaid at an earlier «ate than originally arranged, and at a meeting recently hold under the pree.dency of the Rev. T. N. Griffin it has been decided to devote a Sunday find wok-night evening to thanksgiving celebrations in commemoration of cntiro freodom and deliverance from XT '™° T }™ nt .y-uftli anniversary of the ' //} thor s episcopal consecrat ion "ill Tiill on .November loth 1009 Measures -will .be taken to celebrate the. event in a suitable manner. With this* consent of his Holiness, tho Central Committee, which has managed tho celebration of his SaoordotaZ Jubileo is to remain in office for the celeorntions in. .November next. Speaking at tho annual'meeting of Iho ttomo Mifeions in tho Seymour street Methodist Church, Belfast on November 30th. Sir Bobert Hart said tiiat among other missionaries in the Catholics In Ulster it might, not j>o orthodox for him to refer to them in terms of praise, but they taught tho essential elements of the knowledge of the trne God. .and ho. musfc say that they went about their work with -wonderful eelf-eacrifico. Tho work whlt .h the Catholic missionaries did amongst the Chinese poor was adm ; ra_ble l It was a pity in regard to tho Protestant nuss.ons that there was so much difference in their tonot.s because, when the Chinese saw this difference they became nuzzled in finding out where the truth lav. Havinjr boon brougnt ud in Confucian morals the 7iad his own ideas of Tho latest prelate to bo presented \Y ■" motor car (says tho "Daily 31a.il- ) is the Bishop of Worcester Tl-o gift was subscribed for by five hundred laymen of the diocese. Tho bishop, to whom the present was quit© a surprise, sent a delightful letter of thank 3, •a the course of which he wrote: "The magnificent 'laymen's oar'—as I intend to call it—will, I trust, bo a sort of parable of the excellence of tho way in which the diocese means to pull together, every wheel and fitting doing it=i work in conjunction with the whole."' A recent speech by tho Bishop of Chichester showed that ho viewvi the possession of a motor-car with mixed feelings. He said ho had come to the conclusion that one of the worst things that had been inflicted on bishops was the motor-car. Motor-oars were an immense convenience for getting about from place to nlace. Ho had confirmed over 5000 candidates since starch Ist, and he was going to sr>f> liow many parishes he could visit during tho year. He had, however, a spiteful feeling against the r.iotor-ep". because when -people saw one could do «< much by its use they expected a great deal to be <7in^. Tlu> Wcslcyan CJiildren's Home, now known as the Nation.-il Children's Homo and Orphannge, was founded nr.d started oti its beneficent career by the Rev. T. B. (now Dr.) Stephensoii. forty years ago fifteen homeless and friendless lads sat 'lown to the first Children's Home Christmas dinner. Last month close upon tryo thousand orplian, neglected, and afflicted children were provided for. Forty years ago the boys wore all honied in a rented house. Today the houses, schools, workshops, and other properties exceed £200.000 in value, and are entirely free of debt. Forty years ngo the total income iiii?ountVf! to ,£:io7. Last year the sum of £J- r >,ooo was expended in addition to the amount spent on new erections. The growth and expnnrfon of this beneficent institution, while securinc widespread benefactions for those who are heavily wojgnttxl at the start of life's journey, will afford special gratification to the" venerable Dr. Stephenson, who is enabled in his retirement from active work to view the- progress made by this now national enterprise. " During the last -week in November the sift* offered to the Holy Father as Jubilee presents by tho various countries of th? world vrere on exhibition in the Vatican. I'ulnco iir.d' wore.viewed by thousands of Romans and. foreign visitors. From every part cf the globe

sacred vestments, chalices, pyxes, ci boriums, monstrances, missals, and altnr requisites have come to the number of many thousands. France, Italy, Ireland. Austria, England, Germany, Scotland, Holland, iSpain, America, Portugal. even Africa. Australia.. China, and Jap-.un. have sent offerings to th© Father of Christendom, for poor churches. At th© inauguration of the exposition at which the _Pope jittend'cd personally, after Cardinal V. Vanniitelii had concluded an address to his Holiness, Princess Massimo presented to his Holiness a richly-bound o.lb;un containing the names of the nations and the individual cities that had contributed to tho offerings. Holding th© album in his right hand-, tho Holy Father said : ''To all these I ow© .special thanks, because they have act-<-d in accordance, with my wish that since thoy de.sired to make offerings on th© occasion of my Jubilee they should present something which -would attest their homage to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and which -would prove of benefit to poor churches. This is tho second jubilee offering which has been made within a few months. Tlie first was splendid; the second surpasses my expectations. I pray tho Lord. then, to make a. return for all 1 you have done, because you havo not wished to honour any person in this world : you are doing honour to Jesus. Himself*"' Then Pius X., after blessing the members of the committee, who have been tlie means of doing yo much to help poor churches, entered, into cordial conversation with the President and returned to his private apartments.