Short Sermon.

certainly, had I been there, I should have been of those who clave unto him and believed.' Thus they flatter themselves into false ideas of righteousness, and thank God that they are not as other men are; moreover, as these Athenians.

And so it is that these grand inspired lessons, written by God Himself for our learning, do us no good. They are not for us, we say; we know them; we have learned them long ago. Teach them to children; take them to the heathen; to this and that neighbour, for he is a sinner. We are Christians. We have no idols; we never mock at the Resurrection; we never say to our teachers, Go thy way for this time. We cleave unto Christ, and believe in Him.

God help such ignorance! Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord! for where is the man who has no idol in his heart? If he thinks that he is free, that very thought is proof that he has not yet set himself in earnest to serve the Lord Christ, has not begun to search out his own weaknesses, to know himself. For it is only when a man is in earnest to give up that heart to religion that he becomes conscious of its idolatry, that his eyes are opened to see and his spirit strengthened to destroy the idols which Satan and sin have raised there to wean his soul from God. And when he is breaking them down he knows how the Evil One, whenever he ceases to watch, will raise them up, now here, now there, now in the old, and now in some new and yet more attractive form. Who has no idol?— pride, greediness, bitterness, envying, idleness, hardness, selfishness?

When Paul preached of the Resurrection some mocked. We do not deny what you say. But only to talk of a Resurrection, and not to live for it, not to prepare for it, to make no provision for death and judgment, what is that but a mockery?' And others said, 'We will hear thee again on this matter.' Do we never put off a dutyprivate prayers, family prayers, Bible reading, church going, alms giving, temperance, forgiveness of injuries-to some more convenient

season?

And these Athenians delighted in ever hearing and telling some new thing. What is our first question? Any news?' What has been called, with terrible truthfulness, the Englishmen's Bible? The newspaper, I say, with terrible truth; for which of the twoBible or newspaper-here in Christian England, aye, even on the Sunday, is read the most? And yet, as Paul said at Mars Hill, the Church is ever preaching, 'Repent ye, for Christ is risen.' And if we do not repent, if we do not die unto sin and rise again unto righteousness; if we do not, in a word, believe Christ so as to live Christ-like lives, why then, as Paul departed from Athens, the Holy Spirit will leave us to our own devices and to destruction.

It is written in the Old Testament, My people would not hear My voice, and Israel would not obey Me; so I gave them up to their own hearts' lusts, and let them follow their own imaginations.' And in the New Testament it is the gentle Jesus Himself Who says to them Whom He sent forth to preach His Gospel, Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city.'

DURSLEY-continued.

Needlework excellent. The order and tone of the School leave nothing to be desired, and I have no hesitation in recommending payment of the highest Merit Grant again this year.'

"On the Infants taught in the Senior Schools-about 30 in number-I make one Report. They are taught Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic only, fairly in the Boys' Department, fairly well in the Girls. The question of providing for their better accommodation still awaits the Managers' consideration."

"The necessary steps for providing better accommodation for the Infants should be taken without further delay."

Infants' School.-"The School makes very creditable progress. The only weak point is the Arithmetic of the first Class. Needlework is now well taught to Boys, as well as Girls, and there is marked improvement in Gallery lessons."

The Collections on Midlent Sunday, March 15th, for the "Gloucester and Bristol Diocesan Association," amounted to £1 18s. 7d., which we regret to say is 1 os. 3d. less than the Collections for the same object last year. The Secretaries of the Association are very anxious to get more Annual Subscribers, especially amongst the farmers. The Vicar will be pleased to receive and forward to the Treasurer any subscriptions which may be sent to him.

The Season of Lent is once more drawing to a close. Let us all therefore ask ourselves whether we have profited by it. We must be either the better for it or the worse. If we have tried to use it by deepening our Repentance and overcoming the power of sin within us through self-denial and increased Prayer and Meditation, we may be quite sure that God will give us a very real blessing through it; but if, on the other hand, we have disregarded it, and have wilfully refused to listen to God speaking to us in it, then we may be sure that we are the worse for it, for God's messages to us cannot be disregarded without our being hardened and driven further from Him. May God grant that many souls have been blessed in this holy season, and that when we look back upon our lives on earth from the shores of Eternity, we may be able to see that the Lent of 1885 was a time of great Spiritual blessedness to us.

We cannot be too grateful to the Rev. Frederick Gurney for the very helpful words that he has addressed to us on the Tuesday afternoons. Let us try to show our gratitude to him for coming to speak to us, and to God who sent him, by trying, as he exhorted us, to show the mark of Christ in our Words, Affections, Reason, and Will.

The Lord Bishop of the Diocese held a Confirmation on Saturday, March 28th, in the Parish Church of Berkeley, when six Candidates from this Parish were strengthened and Confirmed in their Christian Profession by the Apostolic rite of Laying on of hands. The Prayers of Parishioners are earnestly requested on behalf of these young people, that they may have grace ever to cherish and keep the Holy Spirit which they have received, and to persevere to the end.

The Vicar takes this opportunity of wishing all his Parish

ioners a very happy Easter. It will be, he knows, a truly happy time to all who have spent their Lent aright and are following the blessed Jesus with loving hearts through this Holy Week.

On Easter Day and until further notice Evensong on Sundays will be at 6 p.m., and the Mission Service at the School will be discontinued.

The Morning Offertory and Evening Collection, for Alms and Church Expenses, on Sunday, March 1st, amounted to £2 1s. 9 d.

On Monday, March 16th, the Triennial Confirmation took place at the Church of St. Cyril, Stonehouse, at which it has been customary to bring the Candidates of this Parish. The Girls' Class, prepared by the Rector, numbered 19, and the Boys' Class, prepared by Mr. Cory, the Curate, 18, 37 in all. A half-holiday was given to the School that the rooms might be at liberty for the assembling. At 2.30 all had met, and the Rector said the preparatory Prayers. That all might reach the Church in good time, accompanied by the School Staff, who, as always, showed their earnest zeal to assist in the Church's Work, a start was made by the assembled body, 42 in number, at 2.45, with many expressions of thankfulness at having so fine and dry a day. The more careful arrangements at the Church than formerly very much increased the impressiveness of the Service. Though the Congregation was large, there was the quietude of a conscious solemnity, and the thought of our own little company was centred in the Act and Prayer of Confirmation. The Bishop's concluding address was listened to with attention and gravity, and altogether much satisfaction was felt. On returning home, all assembled again in the School Room, and were entertained at Tea by the Rector and Mrs. Gibson; a refreshment very much needed, after a Service of some strain and trial. The happiness of the one Body, united by one common obedience in a sacred and sacramental Rite, soon made itself felt as a holy bond, that has higher and more lasting Power to unite than any earthly tie. The meal concluded, the Rector said he should only speak words of pleasure, of welcome and congratulation. Pleasure at the evidence of willingness on the part of the Candidates to come forward, and at the quiet earnestness displayed by all; no pressure of any kind being employed to form the body or to increase the numbers. The pleasure was increased from the conviction that more than usually this result was the fruit of their Teaching in School and Church. The Congratulation and Welcome had reference to the completion of their minority in the School of Christ, under Pastors and Sponsors and Tutors, and to their reception into the Highest Privileges of the Faithful. He told them there was now nothing higher for them in this Life, all that the world bestows was as dross compared with this, and that the Sacramental Life was before them as the specially ordained source of Grace and Blessing, which was capable of maturing them for the still higher life in the future, and provided for them for that end

through the Ministry of the Church. He made a pleasant forecast of what a Parish like this might become, if, receiving triennial supplies of faithful children who would one day fill their cottages, it might gain power and influence in the end, to cast out much of the evil which now troubles the Christian Body, and by such example the world might learn from them, if they would be faithful, how a Nation, perplexed as ours is, might become God-fearing and God-serving, and themselves solve the difficulty, for which as yet no effectual remedy had appeared. The Rector then presented to each child a copy of Heygate's Manual of Devotion, in which was noted, to be filled up, the time and the Church of making their First Communion, with the text from Rev. ii. 10. "Be thou faithful unto Death, and I will give thee a Crown of Life."

The Inspection of the School, begun by Mr. Hole, assistant Inspector, on Monday, March 9, was concluded by Mr. F. B. de Sausmarez on the following Thursday. The number examined was somewhat less than last year, several being kept at home by sickness. The number presented in Standards was 98. The duplicate schedules have been received with the following satisfactory result. Passes in Reading 97, in Writing 88, in Arithmetic 90. Percentage 93.5, against 92.5 last year.

CHURCH REGISTER.

BURIALS.

March 4-Daniel King, King-Stanley, aged 56 years.

21-Alice Louisa Cave, The Borough, King-Stanley, aged 3 years.

00

STINCHCOMBE,

We feel sure that our readers will sympathize with the Venerable Rector of this Parish in the great loss he has sustained by the death of his elder son, Colonel George Phipps Prevost, who, after many weeks of suffering and great weakness, passed away on Friday last, March 27th, at Chart Lodge, near Sevenoaks, in Kent. His death will be felt by many of our fellow parishioners as a personal loss, for he was much beloved by all who knew him, and was always gladly welcomed whenever he was able to pay a visit to his old home. He will be laid to rest in the Parish Churchyard, near his Kentish home, on Wednesday, April 1st, and we feel sure that many prayers will go up to the throne of Grace on that day for support and comfort for the mourning widow, father, and family in their sad bereavement.

We are glad to be able to say that our Lenten Services have been well attended this year, and we trust that many will have derived benefit from the addresses of the special preachers to their perfecting of repentance and holiness.

'The Services on Good Friday will be at 11, and at 7.30. There will be a celebration of the Holy Communion in the morning, and an offertory for the Missions to the Jews, an object on which a special Divine blessing seems to be now extended, stirring us up to further and more hopeful efforts.

It is hoped that all the Communicants in the Parish will be enabled to partake of the Lord's Supper on Easter Day, when there will be two celebrations, at 8 a m. and at the mid-day Service.

Since our last issue the report of H.M.'s School Inspector has been received, and is as follows:

"The School, which has suffered owing to sickness among the children, is in good order, and on the whole creditably taught. The first three Standards did well, the Handwriting of the fourth Standard is good, but the Spelling somewhat weak, and the Arithmetic both in the fourth and fifth is poor. More Mental Arithmetic is needed. The English passes well in the lower, but not so well in the upper Standards; the Geography is passable. The sewing was very nicely done, and the singing is very fair."

"The little Class of Infants, from which many were absent through sickness is pleasantly and successfully taught, under Mrs. Woodward."

The School earned the Merit Grant "Good."

Amount earned-Standards £56 6 6
Infants .. 20 O

Total £76 6 6

CHURCH REGISTER.

BAPTISM.

March 8-Fanny Beata, daughter of Giles and Sarah Comfort Kent, of

Stancombe.

BURIAL.

March 12-Sarah Woodward, of Coaley, aged 80 years.

00

ULEY-cum-OWLPEN.

On Good Friday the Services will be at Uley Church at 11 a.m. and at 7 p.m. At Owlpen Church there will be a Three Hours Service beginning at 12.45.

On Easter Day there will be Celebrations at Uley Church at 8 a.m., and again at the Morning Service, with Evening Service at 6 p.m. At Owlpen Church there will be Morning Service, with Celebration at 11 a.m., and Evening Service at 3 p.m.

At the Confirmation at Berkeley, on March 28th, there were 8 Males and 3 Females confirmed from the Parish of Uley.

The Annual Offertory for the Expense of Lighting Uley Church for Evening Service, was made on Sunday Evening, March 22nd, and amounted to £1 18s. 1d.

Colonel Milman, R.A. has kindly promised to give a Lecture on Electricity, at Uley School, on Friday, April 1oth. Tickets will be is., 6d., and 3d., and we much advise all our Readers to come as we can promise them a pleasant and instructive Evening. We are glad to hear that a Cricket Club is to be formed at once in the Village. We shall all wish it every success.

CHURCH REGISTER.

BAPTISMS.

Feb. 27-Margaret Elizabeth, daughter of Alfred and Emma Louisa Bailey, Newbrook Farm.

March 15-George Kerton, son of Frederick William and Emma Jane Fisher. 22-Lilian Harriett, daughter of Henry Joseph and Frances Jane

W

Roberts.

BURIAL.

March 28-David Hancock, aged 71 years.

ANTED, first place as House and Parlourmaid. Young Girl.
Well trained. Good character.

Apply to Miss Browne, The Gables, Uley, Dursley.

WHITMORE AND SON, STEAM PRINTERS, LONG STREET, DURSLEY.