JOTTINGS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12593, 8 September 1906, Page 13

JOTTINGS.

It is intended to erect a memorial tablet in the Lawrence church to the late minister, the Rev. W. Dawson. Dr. Rainy, tho veteran leader of the United Free Church, is expected to arrive in .Sydney in December. Tho annual meeting of tho Baptist Union of New Zealand has been fixed tor October 9th to lfcth al Wanganui. Tho death, is announced of Chief Rabbi i>aul Jacob Elyashur, Chacham 80-shi of Palatine, on July 21st, at the age of 'J2. Ho succeeded to tho offioe ] in 1894. I By the last San Francisco mail newe J hasccme to hand (etatos tho "Outlook") i that the Rev. P. C. Dnnvard, M.A., of tho United Free Church of Scotland, is coming out to New Zealand. Mr Durward, who was trained at the University and New College of Edinburgh, .had a meet brilliant career. At college he acted for some time us assistant to Professor Ma&son. in English. Literature, and, iii the Divinity Hall as assistant to tho lato Professor A. B. | Davidson, in Hebrew. He earned the j coveted distinction of carrying off the Hamilton Scholarship at the New College-, and completed his literary and' theological course by studying for a j year i.m Germany. After acting as assistant to the Rev. Dr Black, of Inver- i ness, he was called to the pastoral charge of Denny. The new church built in his ministry thero and opened ; flftftr the Union of the Churches, was one of these claimed by the Legal Free Church, a claim, however, which, was Hucooissfully resisted.. Mr Durward', who lias been advised to come to New Zealand for the sake of the health, of • his 3'oung femily, should prove a valuablo addition to the scholarship and 1 pulpit power of the Presbyterian Church. Ho will arrive in the colony j about the end of October. I The Summer Conference of the Student Christian Movement of Great Britain and Ireland, hold at Coniehead Priory, near Ulvorstone, was attended by 300 women, students and 600 men students. It is described ac "one of the most momentous religious events of the year." The correspondent of the "Record" says:—"The eight of 800 youmg men and women assembled for the express purpose of conferring and mutually inspiring each other on the Christian life is magnificent. Tlio hope it nourishes of tho possibilities of a united Christendom, the assurance- it offers of the vitality of our historic faith in minds open to every modern influence, the strength it exhibits of, intelligence united to spirituality, all afford one of the most encouraging signs of the day." The 3000 th consecutive number of the late Rev. C. H. Spurgeon's sermons has just been published. This is quite a unique event in sermon literature. Noj picacher in England or in America has ever produced such a record, and the publishers state that still there are more to follow. Sufficient unpublished manuscripts of Mr Spurgeon/s sermons remain in their possession to last for some years. No. 3000 is entitled "Come and welcome," was originally preached August 19th, 1875, and is distinguished by the qualities tha£ made the Ecrmona so widely read throughout the world. Tho English WesJeyan Conference had a pleasant surprise Jast month in connection with its Foreign Mission Society. Tho Rev. Marshall Hartley pleaded <for nn increase of £10,000 in the annual income, and « sum of £15,600 to remove the debt. Mr R. W. Perks, M.P., created! a sensation by confessing a oompletfe change of attitude toward/ the foreign missionary department, and announced that he would henceforth increase hie anroua.l subscription from £10 to £500. Mr Williamson Lamplough challenged the connexion to raieo tihe annual income by £10,000 by the promiso that a "few friends of the society" would give £10,000 down for t.he extinction of the debt, if that wore done before next March. Before the adjournment woe made for the evening session the en~ tire debt had been, cleared away, and over £5000 of the required increase of income guaranteed. The Rev. E. P. BlamircG, one of the New Zealand represcnitatives at the conference, referring to this great impulse of generosity, An a letter published in the 'Outlook," says:—"Dγ Allen told mc a few minutes ago that to-day's seseion is more remarkable for generosity than the miomarable financial love-feast in conineotioni with the Million Fund. Strong meni have wept. Missionaries have taken heart. The mission secretaries have felt the lifting of an intolerablo burden , , and we all rejoice in this unmistakable revival of missionary seal. Ctod bo praised!" America is taking from Britain in tho person of the Rev. Hugh Black, of Edinburgh (says an" American paper) one of the front rank men of the British pulpit. Mr Black is going to tho Union Seminary, New York, whero he will occupy the newly created chair of practical theology. Ho is still a young man, but has won name and fame for himself as an eloquent and powerful preacher. For ten years, as junior minister of Free St. George's, with the famous Dr. Alexander Whyte as senior minister, Mr Black has appealed through his sermons to all classes of society in the Athens of tho North, fiom the peer to the peasant, from the Earl of Rosebery to t.he humble artiean. Airong those who will mire the future American profetseor when «ie has gone from Scotland will be Ao punster, who has found in tho cirrious conjunction of the names Why to and Black a happy hunting ground for his art. A current saying, for instance, has been that in the mornings Dr. Whyto has blackened the eniute, and in the evenings Mr Black has whitened the sinners, ami that Kay ing is not all a pun. Tho new president of tlio English. Methodist Conference (the Rex. A. Clayton) in hie official speech at the Conference, said:—"Every department of our work has prospered in the past year. For a moment I refer to one— the most important. There is a net increase of membership of tho church of over 13,500. The total membership ie now 495.2&5. There nro over 35.000 on trial for membership, and nearly 102.000 in junior society clasps. Such a report luu« not boon presented since the tirst Nottingham Conference (at which tho decisive vote on Lay Representation was taken) thirty years ago. The increase that year wae nearly 15,000. Theco returns are cheering to us all. A !argo proportion of the increase is the result of work done in tho circuits by shall I i-ay it ?—ordinary preachers?, and our feflow-labourera in ordinary chapels and schools by ordinary methods. It i« to mc * delight to be able to say that, through the blessing