The intended edifice will be built in a modern style of architecture, is to accommodate between two and three hundred persons, will have a small gallery thrown across one end, and on the ground floor there will be a lofty school-room, for the reception of the children of the poor of the neighbourhood, of all denominations; and it is intended to establish a day school as soon as practicable. The chapel will front an intended new street, to be called Chapel-street, which will run from a continuation of North-street to Wellington-road. Access to the back part of the building will be from Upper Grafton-street. We may here state, that several gentlemen in the neighbourhood, of different religious denominations, have subscribed liberally to the erection of the building, and it is expected, when applied to, many others will follow the same laudable example. In the evening, a tea party was held in Pleasant-street Chapel school-room, to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone, and to receive the report of the building committee. About five hundred persons were present. The provisions, which were in great abundance, were of the best description, and all gratuitously supplied by a number of benevolent ladies, in order that the proceeds of the sale of tickets might go to the building fund. Mr. R. SHARPE occupied the chair. Mr. COLTHURST, the secretary, read the report, which stated that the old Pottery chapel was erected by the proprietors of the Pottery, for the accommodation of the workmen, and that up to the time of the separation, they were connected with the old Wesleyan body; but on the occasion referred to, the majority of the society declared in favour of the Wesleyan Association, and from that time to the present, though many of the workmen had left the town, they formed a part of that body. The report went on to state that they had, after the building_was pulled down, obtained a room in Bedford-street; after that they were, by the kindness of Mr. Horsfall, allowed a room in the premises formerly occupied by the Mersey Iron and Steel Company; and during the last month, in consequence of the premises being taken, they were accommodated by the friends of Heath-street Chapel with sittings and room for their school children. The report further referred to the munificent free gift of land and stone to build the chapel, by Messrs. Holme, Lace, and Tomkinson. The Rev. THOMAS HACKING moved the adoption of the report, which was seconded by Mr. J. A. PICTON, who proposed that instead of calling it the Pottery chapel, they should name it the Herculaneum Chapel. Mr. JOHN SMITH, in the course of an animated address, spoke of the blessings of education, and the necessity of the total annihilation of party feeling and party strife in its dissemination, and in the promotion of whatever tended to the moral and physical improvement of the people. The Rev. J. WARD, the Rev. WM. BEVAN, and the CHAIRMAN, next addressed the meeting. During the proceedings, the CHAIRMAN stated, that since the Association was formed, eleven years ago, they had erected and purchased four chapels, and established eight Sunday and four daily schools. In the chapels there was accommodation for upwards of three thousand persons, and in addition to these, they proposed to build the fifth at the Pottery. They had, during this period, erected a chapel at Prescot, and they purposed building one at Woodside, the land for which was already procured; indeed he added that no denomination should be before them in doing good. Mr. D. ROWLAND proposed a vote of thanks to Messrs. Holme, Lace, and Tomkinson, which was seconded by the Rev. M. BESWICK, and carried by acclamation, the whole company rising. Mr. SAMUEL HOLME then came forward amidst loud applause, and delivered an appropriate speech, distinguished by Christian liberality, and expressive of the great interest he felt in the future success of the undertaking. A vote of thanks was then passed to those ladies who had supplied the tables, and, after singing, the meeting broke up, all evidently highly delighted with the evening's proceedings. Liverpool Mercury. OBITUARY. Miss Grace Ingham, departed_this life at her father's house, Union Barr, in the Burnley circuit, January 10, 1846, aged twenty-three years. She possessed an amiable disposition; from her childhood she manifested great tenderness and deep sympathy towards the poor and afflicted; at a very early period the Spirit of God strove powerfully with her, and about ten years ago she had a clear discovery of her guilt and depravity, which led her to seek earnestly the pardon of her sins, and the regeneration of her nature; and, by faith in the sacrificial death of Christ, she obtained redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of her sins. For some time after her conversion, she adorned her Christian profession by a consistent walk and heavenly conversation. But in an evil hour she was drawn into temptation, by associating with one who was a stranger to godiiness, and by degrees she lost all relish for spiritual exercises, and the social and public means of grace. But during the protracted services held in our chapel in 1842, she was deeply convinced of her ingratitude and unfaithfulness, confessed her backslidings, and by faith laid hold on Jesus as the hope set before her in the Gospel; and from that moment she never lost her evidence, but held fast her profession of faith, without wavering unto the end. As a member of society she felt deeply interested in its welfare, and also in the prosperity of the school, to which she was strongly attached, first as a scholar, and afterwards as a teacher. She was the subject of a protracted and severe affliction, which was borne with great Christian patience and perfect resignation. Her Christian experience was clear and scriptural; her faith in the exceeding great and precious promises of the Gospel was strong and unwavering; she realized most delightfully the truth of that Scripture, "Unto you that believe, Christ is precious." I frequently visited our late sister in her affliction, and was much pleased and profited to witness her faith, her humility, her patience, and her cheerful submission to the Divine will. Her end was peace. She obtained the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. May her dear father and mother, and her companions, in the church and Sabbath-school, follow her as she followed Christ. Her sun is gone down, while it was yet day, but for her to depart was to be with Christ which is far better, DAVID RUTHERFORD. 1 Mr. Thomas Parker, died, in the Burnley circuit, on Sunday morning, February 1, 1846. During the last nineteen months of his life he was a great sufferer; but bore the most acute pain with exemplary patience and resignation to the Divine will; his reliauce on the atonement was strong and unhesitating; his peace was uninterrupted; his prospects were bright and cheering. He regularly received the Lord's supper during his affliction, and. that ordinance was made to him a special blessing; his cup of spiritual consolation on those occasions seemed to run over. Mark the perfect mail, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." DAVID RUTHERFORD., ; · " THE WESLEYAN METHODIST ASSOCIATION MAGAZINE. JUNE, 1846. ATTENDANCE ON WEEK-DAY SERVICES. LAMENTABLY small, in numerous instances, is the attendance of professors of religion on the week-day public and social means of grace. This is generally complained of, and is a cause of much grief to ministers, class leaders, and to all whose souls are truly alive to God. Such being the case, the following remarks on the duty and advantages of attending week-day services, from the pen of the Rev. J. A. James, may be as suitable to some of our readers, as to those for whom they were originally penned. We are persuaded they may be read by all with advantage. First. Their obligation, or what makes it the duty of Christians to attend them, when they have opportunity. I admit there is no express command for them laid down in the New Testament; they do not rest on statute law as, as does the observance of the Sabbath. But is nothing our duty for which no positive injunction can be pleaded? Are not general principles in many cases sufficient, as containing particular obligations? You are not commanded to keep holy the first day of the week instead of the seventh; nor to attend twice on the Sabbath to hear sermons; but do you not feel it your duty when you can, because it is conducive to your edification, and is, in fact, one way of carrying out the obligation of keeping holy the Sabbath? That we are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, is matter of plain injunction; here is a general rule laid down without any specification of times, or seasons, or frequency; and surely this general rule implies an obligation to assemble as often as we can, without infringing on other rules, or violating other obligations. Where two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Here is the promise of Christ's presence, given generally, but encouraging frequent meetings, as convenience may allow. In very many matters, such as the amount of our property to be given to the cause of Christ; the amount of time to be devoted to devotional exercises, only general rules are laid down, which are to be left in the hand of love to be worked out at such times and in such measure as opportunity may allow. "To object to meetings that tend to edification; R 66 or to doubt their obligation, because not expressly commanded, demontrates the low standard of the objector's piety; as if every step beyond the measured way were unwillingly trodden; every farthing above the stipulated payment grudged." The language, fairly interpreted, is this, "I cannot find it in my heart to serve God beyond a given point; that ascertained, all the rest is my own." And is this Christian experience? Is this love? Is this, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth I desire beside thee." Cold indeed must be the heart that can reason thus, and apply the stipulations of worldly policy to the service of Him, "who loved us and gave himself for us." " Here, then, is the obligation of such services; their obvious tendency, as we shall presently prove, to edification, and their exact accordance with, yea, their carrying out of, general principles, which are explicitly laid down in Scripture. And, moreover, all this is strengthened by apostolic practice. We are told concerning the first disciples, that they were "continually in the temple, praying and blessing God;" and again, that they "continued daily with one accord in the temple; this was the age of primitive and ardent piety; a type of the decision, fervour, and devotedness, which should characterise the followers of Christ in every age. This was the church's first love, before it was chilled by the contention, secularity and earthly-mindedness, that followed. To the Christians of those days nothing would be more repugnant to the glow of their feelings, to the intense ardour of their renewed souls, than the endurance of long and tedious days of engrossing worldliness, stretching between the seasons of their solemn assemblies. Oh for the intensity of their devotion, the ardour of their love, the tenderness of their affection, the aboundings of their liberality, the fervour of their prayers, and the union and harmony of their hearts. Secondly. I will now place before you some of the rich and numerous ADVANTAGES of a constant and spiritual attendance upon such services. 1. It will be no weak test of the depth, and indeed of the reality of your piety, and furnish delightful evidence of the sincerity of your faith. To go with the multitude that keep holy the Sabbath and enter with joy into the courts of the Lord, is far less conclusive on these points, than the practice I now recommend. Many who are totally destitute of spiritual religion, do this. Even they would not incur the reproach of profaning the day of God, by devoting it to worldly business or pleasure. What proof then is it that you love the habitation of God's house, and take pleasure in his service, if you are there on those days only, which you could not with the smallest regard to repu tation, spend any where else? Where can you go on the Sabbath, but to the sanctuary? What can you do with your time on that day, but employ it in this manner? This is but a weak prove of love either to God, his worship, or his saints, to give to them only those hours which could not be otherwise engaged. But to feel such a love as makes you willing and pleased to take a portion of time from business, recreation, and self-indulgence, to hear the Word of Life, to breath the air of devotion, and enjoy the communion of saints, seems one evidence, at least, of a heart renewed by grace. 2. What a sweet and tranquillising occupation is it to the Christian pilgrim, weary of the cares and perplexities of life, tired with the heat and burden of the day, and harassed by the sins and follies of his fellowcreatures, thus to refresh himself in the cool of the evening, with the calm of the house of prayer, the hallowed fellowship of his companions in travel to eternity, and the communion of his God. How composing to his ruffled spirit, and how cheering to his jaded soul, to wander along the banks of that river whose streams make glad the city of God, and lose in its soft murmurs the toils of the day. How agreeable to close the ledger and open the Bible: to lose the hum and jargon of commerce in the songs of devotion; to exchange the society of the worldly and the wicked for that of the righteous; and after having all day looked at things seen and temporal, then to look beyond the narrow and cloudy horizon at those which are unseen and eternal! Is not such a duty a rich privilege also? 3. It helps to perpetuate the impressions, and to preserve the benefits of the Sabbath. How many, at the close of the day of rest, think with a sigh on the coming morning, when the short sacred respite from toil and labour will be over, the world with all its thorny cares return, and the solemn musings, the devout aspirations, and the deep impressions of the holy day be ended and dissipated. How desirable it is, then, to keep alive the feeling, and purposes, and plans of spiritual improvement which were called up by the sermon and the sanctuary. "Alas," says the Christian, "that when raised by the solemnities of public worship on the Lord's day to an unusual height of devotional feeling, and rapt into something like a joy unspeakable and full of glory, by the exhibition of the truth as it is in Jesus; alas, that all this is to be followed, disturbed, and destroyed, by the secular pursuits, cares, and anxieties of the next morning! Oh, that it were always Sabbath." So it will be in heaven; and even upon earth, the Sabbath-day views and feelings may be rendered more abiding and influential than they are, by a spiritual attendance on the week-day services. Some ministers recapitulate the leading thoughts of one or two of the discourses delivered on the preceding Sunday, a practice calculated not only to instruct the mind, but to call up the emotions and to revive the enjoyment which the first and full delivery of them awakened. 4. It checks the growth of wordly mindedness, and tends to keep down the engrossing power of things seen and temporal. Necessarily occupied through the day, and from day to day, in attention to earthly things; with not only the hands full but the heart too, of worldly business; with the mind kept on the full stretch on the subject of profit and loss; and thus led, almost without choice or design, to form an over estimate of the importance of such matters, till the soul of the professor resembles his shop, and is full of the din, and solicitude, and eagerness of trade;-how salutary, and how admonitory it is to quit for an hour in the evening this busy scene, to look at other objects, to engage in other pursuits, and to call up other feelings, and those all of a holy, heavenly, and eternal nature, How calculated is such an exercise, by checking the otherwise ceaseless tread of worldly thoughts and feelings in the soul, to prevent the heart from being beaten into that hard, cold, stiff, and barren worldly mindedness, |