few well attested instances deserve a passing notice. At Bopalpoor, in India, on the 9th of February, 1825, the hailstones were the largest and most extraordinary ever seen in that neighbourhood, being equal to the size of a goose's egg. At Sylhet, on the 19th of February, 1830, the hailstones were the size of the largest potatoes, and both sheep and goats were killed by them. At Benares, in February, 1836, some of the hailstones weighed two pounds, and at Gwalior, on the 5th of February, 1850, the hailstones were about two pounds in weight, and killed both men and animals. These accounts are from unimpeachable authority, and are by no means exaggerated. Although there are evident signs of approaching spring, few flowers appear on the earth at present; some, however, brave the cold. In gardens the snowdrop, the crocus, the primrose, the violet, and the mezerion; in woods, the spurge laurel, the hazel nut, and the pile wort with its buttercup-like flowers and round leaves; in fields, the common speedwell, the daisy, and the dandelion; and in waste places, rubbish heaps, and commons, the groundsel, the dead nettle, or archangel, and the furze. Birds.-In the first week tomtits (Parus cærulea) chirp merrily in our woods; and the March titmouse (Parus palustris) utters its sharp cry like the sharpening of a saw. The brown owl begins to hoot every fine evening, and the song thrush commences his spring song. In the second week the yellow hammer and the blackbird begin to sing, and geese commence sitting. In the third week rooks fly in pairs and examine their nests preparatory to putting them into thorough repair for their young; ravens build; partridges prepare for nestling; house sparrows pair and chatter; chaffinches sing and are joined by the females which have returned from their winter migration; and the green woodpecker clamours and laughs. In the fourth week goldfinches, wood-larks, and fieldlarks commence their summer song, the curlew utters its quick short note, and pheasants crow and nestle. Quadrupeds.-Moles travel in search of the cockchafer and other grubs, and throw up their hillocks when near the surface of the ground. Sheep drop their lambs. Reptiles.-Vipers and common snakes appear, the rise in the temperature of the earth having aroused them from their torpidity. Insects. The sulphur butterfly is seen in gardens, gnats dance in the sunbeams in sheltered situations, and hive bees quit their hives every fine day to visit the early flowers. S. H. Notices of Books. The Brother born for Adversity: or, the Similarity of the Saviour's Sorrows and Sufferings to those of his Followers. London: John Snow. AFTER a brief introduction, the subject of this little book is divided into three heads, showing the similarity of the Saviour's experience to that of his followers with regard to the physical, the mental, and the spiritual aspects of their lives. It is well calculated to soothe and cheer the mind in its struggles with the privations and asperities of the Christian's passage through this world. Some of the thoughts are deeply affecting as well as encouraging. The author tells us in the preface that failing to find appropriate poetical quotations, he was obliged himself to pen those which appear in this volume. It is rather to be regretted than otherwise that he felt any such obligation, for they add nothing to its value. The thoughts are in no instance higher than commonplace, and their expression is frequently poor in the extreme, and always beneath the prose. Without these attempts at poetry the book would be unexceptionable. How do you Manage the Young Ones. By Old Chatty Cheerful, F. H. H. S. London: Jarrold and Sons. THIS F. H. H. S.-that is, "Fellow of the Happy Home Society," as translated on the title-page-may its fellowship become universal!-says many excellent things, that no parent would be the worse for knowing. Such little books should be given to all the young mothers in the country. How to Choose a Husband. By the Author of "How to Choose a Wife." London: Partridge and Co to THIS is a very serious book. Its predecessor, though also serious, was written with more hilarity, more pleasantry, but not with more judgment; nor was it better calculated be useful. "Thought after marriage is bitterly too late-you must think now," says the author, and he proceeds therefore to furnish his fair readers with some very serious subjects of thought in an introduction rather long for so small a book, every one of which is worthy of full examination by every young lady who hopes to exercise the privilege of "choosing a husband." The book is composed of chapters on flirtations; sentimental lovers; husband-seeking; principles; position in life; culture; the judgment of friends; refusals; mutual confidence; conflicting habits and sentiments; idiosyncrasies; permanent character; tests; breaking engagements; forsaking all for one; reciprocated love; the throne of grace. It is written popularly, and in a pious strain. Jesus revealing the Heart of God. By AN instructive and profitable meditation upon the love of God in Christ, who only has revealed the Father"brought him out to view"--in his perfect character of love and goodness before the world. The believer will be refreshed by its perusal, and the unbeliever rebuked, if not silenced. The Infidelity of Romanism. A Tract for the Times. London: Wertheim and Macintosh. USEFUL to show to Protestants the essential errors and defects of the system of doctrine believed by Romanists; but we fear useless to convince Romanists themselves, many of whom are better than their system, and are not so well designated no-believers as over-beliey ers. The prejudiced heart submits sooner to scriptural rebuke for sin and loving persuasion to holiness than to logical proof, which is always distasteful to the intellectual pride of man. Mutual-Aid Association Reporter. PROGRESS OF THE ASSOCIATION. THE following letter from Edmund Heeley, Esq., of Birmingham, needs no introduction, save that he has kindly consented, on the request of the committee, to its publication. It was addressed to our General Secretary : "Jan. 8, 1857. "MY DEAR SIR,I am exceedingly obliged to you for the statements you have been at the trouble to send me in your favour, dated the 5th inst. "I had previously read in the 'Local Preachers' Magazine' that your treasurer was in advance, and that the committee had found it necessary to sell out of the funds £500. I hoped to learn that this was occasioned through the delay of remittances from the branches rather than a real deficiency of income. Your explanation has, to some satisfactory extent, confirmed this view; yet there exists sufficient cause for regret that such an institution should in any degree be crip pled in its benevolent efforts by inefficient support. I know of no society which has stronger claims on Wesleyan sympathy, nor has fewer real objections to be brought against it. But, by-the-bye, my paper reminds me I am getting too prolix, and you may begin to inquire, why all these common-place remarks? Faith without works is dead;' true, and sympathy without acts is not much better. You say the demands at this season are numerous,' and your committee do right in meeting them. "I enclose you a cheque for £5 which you will please to pass to the general fund, and I feel very great pleasure in doing so. "How many more are there who, without the least diminution of their new year's enjoyment and their old year's success, might greatly mitigate the sufferings and privations of those who are members of the same church, inheritors of the same promises, and partakers of the same faith-but who, by the wise ar MUTUAL-AID ASSOCIATION REPORTER. rangements of a mysterious providence, are placed in circumstances of painful dependence. 66 Excuse haste, and believe me, dear sir, yours very truly, "EDMUND HEELEY." Our readers will see by the minutes of the committee meeting that the state of the funds is at present a subject of attentive consideration. We hope the hints contained in the above letter with reference to the delay of remittances from the branches, the numerous demands at this season" of the year; the propriety of coupling "faith" with "works," and "sympathy" with "acts ;" and the intimate connection between our efforts to mitigate the sufferings and privations of the afflicted saints, and the completeness of our new year's enjoyment of old year's success, will be received in the noble spirit in which they are given. Here is another letter also of substantial sympathy-it may be thought of an humbler type, but the example it sets forth is worthy of extensive imitation : : "Newcastle and Gateshead Circuit, Blayden, Jan. 5, 1857. "DEAR SIR,-Enclosed is five shillings in stamps for the Mutual-Aid, the surplus of a social tea which the teachers of our Sunday-school held on New-year's eve. The sum is small, but it shows the feeling of the teachers towards the Association. A few of them have promised to take the magazine this year. Wishing you a happy new year and the association a prosperous one-I remain, yours truly, "WM. TAYLOR, Local Preacher." The fellow feeling between local preachers and Sunday-school teachers has always been great, and is thus found to be influential in producing an enlargement of their mutual sphere of 63 fusion of our magazine has been attended with the most gratifying success. A very large edition was exhausted in two days, and we had to go to press with a second, and before that was completed by the printer, a third edition-thus entering upon the fifth thousand of our publication within one week of its issue. For a fortnight past we have not had a copy to supply the numerous demands that are still pressing upon us; and as we are desirous not to incur the expense of another edition, we shall be obliged to any of the brethren, having copies on hand, if they will return them to our publishers with as little delay as possible, unless they have the prospect of disposing of them to new subscribers. For clean copies returned during February in this way, we will pay the price at which they have been bought. It will be well to return them by some free conveyance if possible; if not, the post offers an eligible mode. Many incidents of an interesting character have occurred during the month, all tending to show that the brethren are determined to support the magazine and do all they can to increase its circulation and usefulness. Space cannot be afforded for more than this passing reference, but we should do wrong to omit the following extract from one letter we have received. The writer says: "I am always glad to see the magazine, but this time its arrival was particularly opportune. We are not very numerous in our village, and on the eve of the new year we agreed to have a friendly cup of tea together, and afterwards hold a watchnight. Not succeeding in obtaining help in the shape of preaching, I slipt the Local Preachers' Magazine into my pocket, and by the offer of reading a few pieces of its contents, we secured a very considerable company, and I trust very profitably waited on the Lord the old year out and the new year in, and hope the effects will be felt among us for the time to come." A reference to our January number will show that it was particularly well adapted to serve so excellent a purpose as this. From one circuit we have information that the superintendent has generously permitted collections to be made in aid of GENERAL COMMITTEE. THE monthly meeting of the General Committee was held at Brother Rabbits, 1, Crosby-row, Walworth-road, on Monday evening, Jan. 12, 1857. Present, Brothers Chamberlain, Wade, Rabbits, Gandy, Melsom, Jameson, and Brown. Prayer was offered by Brother Brown. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The secretary reported five deaths during the month. Number of sick, 59. Number of superannuated, 97. A lengthened conversation ensued on the state of the funds, and it was resolved that the President should be requested to address a circular to the branches, calling their attention to this matter. Cases from Devizes, Exeter, Sunderland, Swansea, Spalding, Hull, and Birmingham, were considered decided upon. Prayer was offered by Bro. Rabbits, and the meeting closed at nine o'clock. The next meeting will be held at Bro. Hardy's, Leicester House, Dover Road, Borough, on Wednesday evening, Feb. 11th, 1857. JOHN WADE, Hon. Sec. DIED. Dec. 4, 1856. John Jope, of Alderney, Guernsey Circuit, aged 58. Claim £8. His end was triumphant. Jan. 3, 1857. Henry Robinson, of Bradford, aged 58. Claim £8. His end was peace. He had been on the funds 55 weeks. Dec. 19, 1856. Thomas Burnham, of Spalding Circuit, aged 78. Claim £4. He had been on the funds 186 weeks. His end was peace. Nov. 11, 1856. Jane Willett, of Southampton. Claim £4. Her end was eminently peaceful and happy. DONATIONS, SUBSCRIPTIONS, ETC. RECEIVED BY THE TREASURER TO JAN. 14, 1857. (hm. HONORARY MEMBER. hc. HONORARY CONTRIBUTOR.) Hind Street-Mr. Knight, hm., £1. Exeter-Mr. Hawkings, hm., £1. SwanseaMr. A. Sutton, don., 2s. 6d.; Mr. Ivy, ditto, 2s. 6d.; Mr. Rich. Chelew, 2s.; Mr. B. Davidson, 2s. 6d.; Mr. Way, 6d.; Mr. R. Cordwell, 6d. : 10s. 6d. Stroud Mr. J. Harper, of Ebby, don., 2s, 6d. Leighton Buzzard-A Friend, 10s. Ashbourne— Mr. J. Marple, hm., £1 1s.; a Friend, don., 2s. 6d. ; a Friend, ditto, 2s.: £1 5s. 6d. Andover-Collected at Whitchurch, 19s. 11d.; ditto at Chute, 3s. 1d.; at Stockbridge, 11d.; at Wallop, 1s.; at Andover, 14s. 54d.; at Bourne, 4s. 03d.; at Down Hurstbourne, 1s. 6d.; at Thirwell, 8s. ; at Overton, 2s. 10d.; at Long Parish, 3s. 7d. ; at Callingbourne, 5s. 41⁄2d.; Extra, 3d. : £3 5s. Newport (Mon.)—Mr. H. Collier, hm., quar., 5s. 3d.; collected by Miss Lydia Beavan, 8s. 6d.: 13s. 9d. Birmingham-A further don, by Edmund Heeley, Esq., hm., £5. Stourport-Mr. T. Morgan, hm., £1. Newcastle-on-Tyne-Proceeds of a Tea Meeting, kindly sent by the Teachers of a Sunday School at Blaydon, 5s. Chelsea-Mr. Roberts, Westminster, hc., 10s. HalifaxE. M. Wavell, Esq., hm., £1 1s.; Wm. Foster, Esq., hm,, £1 ls.; G. B. Brown, Esq., hc., 10s. 6d. : £2 12s. 6d. Wellington (Salop)—Proceeds of a Tea Meeting in the free Wesleyan Chapel, Paine's Lane, £8. Southwark and Lambeth-David Plant, Esq., hm., two years, £2 2s.; George Broad, Esq., Sen., hm., £5; Stephen Broad, Esq., hm., £1; George Broad, Jun., Esq., £1; Edwin Broad, Esq., hm., £1; Thos. Panther, Esq., hm., £1 1s.; Francis Cordrey, Esq., hm., £1 1s.; Mrs. Francis Cordrey, hm., £1 1s.; Charles Cordrey, Esq., hm., £1 1s.; Wm. Morren, Esq., hm. £1 1s.; Kennard Bridget, Esq., hm., £1 1s.: £16 8s. REMITTANCES RECEIVED BY THE TREASURER, TO JAN. 14, 1857. Hind Street, £1 15s.; Snaith, 12s.; Exeter, £2 19s.; Bromsgrove, £1 1s.; Southampton, £4 10s.; Swansea, £3 7s. 6d.; Melton Mowbray, 18s.; Stroud, £1 6s. 6d. ; Leighton Buzzard, £3 16s. 6d.; Ashbourne, £3 4s. 6d.; Framlingham, £1 13s. ; Cleckheaton, £3 12s.; Andover, £3 5s.; Lancaster, £3 6s.; Blayden, 5s.; Chelsea, 13s.; Settle, £1 10s.; Isle of Wight, 12s.; North Walsham, £2 2s.; Stourport, £2 19s.; Stourbridge, £3 7s.; Chipping Norton, £2 2s.; Barnard Castle, £2 7s.; Kington, £1 5s. 6d.; Birmingham, £5; Halifax, £4 8s. 6d.; Southwark and Lambeth, £18 11s.; Wellington (Salop), £10 16s. LOCAL PREACHERS' AND CHRISTIAN FAMILY RECORD. MARCH, 1857. Original and Selected Articles. OBSERVATIONS ON THE NARRATIVE OF THE DISOBEDIENT PROPHET. 1 KINGS, XIII. [A REPLY TO THE BIBLICAL QUERY PROPOSED ON PAGE 46.] “How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out."-Rom. xi. 33. Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"—GEN. Xviii. 25. 66 THAT there are difficulties attending the "fairness and equity" of the transaction recorded in the chapter to which attention has been directed may be admitted; and yet, with our finite knowledge, it would ill become us to impugn the impartiality and even-handed justice meted out to all his creatures by the all-wise Jehovah. The assumption that the old prophet was guilty of not denouncing the idolatry of Jeroboam and the Israelites, appears to be unsupported by any proof. Dr. Clarke suggests, "that probably the old prophet was one who had fallen from his stedfastness, and yet not so deeply as to lose the knowledge of the true God." Probably so; but possibly not. For aught we know, he might have mourned over the idolatries of his countrymen in secrecy and silence, or even have publicly remonstrated with them; and yet, as his warnings were unheeded, no mention is made of his efforts. Doubtless, there were many who, under the prophetic dispensation, exercised their gifts, and are passed over in silence by the sacred historians, and whose success is left for the great day to declare. Certain it is, that, although his sons were present at the idolatrous ceremonial, the old prophet himself was absent; and even they might have been present as spectators, rather than as participators in the crime. It does not follow because the old prophet is not said to have denounced the idolatry, that he did not do so; for if we read the narrative recorded in the sixth and seventh chapters of Genesis, we shall search in vain for any proof that Noah-although a just man and perfect in his generation, walking with God · - did more than execute the |