appointment, was brought to rejoice in God four weeks afterwards. The conversation of Christians with their neighbours, at their own houses, was rendered a great blessing. Pious females rejoiced over the conversion of their husbands to a prayer-hearing God.

One of the ministers, walking out in the afternoon to do good, came to a house where the sons of the family had gone to work in the field, about a mile from the house. He went on through the woods, and found them busy with their hay. Taking a rake in his hand, he joined them in their work, and, when night came, returned with them, and encouraged them to seek the Lord. In less than a week three of those young men were joyfully engaged in the service of God. The house of worship in that place has been honoured with the conversion of many souls; and this revival, which still continues, shews that God hears the prayers, and blesses the efforts, of his believing children. A FRIEND TO REVIVALS.

Windham, New York.

OPEN-AIR

PREACHING.

To the Editor of the Revivalist.

SIR,-The apostle's question, "Is he the God of the Jews ouly?" may, with a little variation, be applied to the subject of revivals; and the inquiry, "Is he the God of America only?" answered in the apostolic fashion, "Nay, but the God of England too." There is, and I trust it is too palpable to be disputed, or feared, there is a visible revival of religion in Britain within these few years; whether the provocative agency, under divine auspices, has been American or not, I shall not stop to inquire: but I am sufficiently gratified by the fact itself, in common with the whole

church of the living God, to exclaim, "Bless the Lord, O my soul !" and it is impossible to read the inspired messages of the apostle John to the Asiatic churches, without feeling anxiously solicitous for the church in Britain, that she may not assimilate to their failings, and share in their punishment. Looking round for evidences of a more lively and prosperous state of vital godliness than in former years, I think I discover it in the renewal of those efforts (à la Whitfield and Wesley) which are now made in and around the metropolis to promulgate the gospel in the open air, and arrest the attention of thoughtless wanderers, amidst their flagrant profanation of the sacred day. It is too true that we owe much of this kind of exertion to the erratic example of others; but if purity of motive is combined with simple scriptural statements, and affectionate appeals, I am convinced it will do more to advance the cause of religion among the poor, than anything that has occurred for the last fifty years; and its only rational and consistent opponents must be the proprietors of ginpalaces and beer-shops, those pests and curses of society, and disgraces of a professed Christian legislature; while its warm supporters should be found in the pastorage of every Christian church, without regard to sect or party, both in and out of the establishment. It is true, it is rather a self-denying sort of labour,* and something like shepherds' dogs, barking the wandering sheep into the Christian fold; but there are

*What does our valued correspondent mean by this expression? We have reason to believe that he has been personally engaged in open-air preaching, and we seriously ask him, Where is the difficulty and self-denial? It only exists in the imagination. We remember well the ghosts of supposed difficulties that followed us before we made the trial, and the manifold excuses we manufactured; but we at length tried, and cordially do we rejoice in the mercy which afforded success.-ED.

pious, self-devoted, and able men in all the churches, who should be sought out, and encouraged to aid in the work; and as the present season will only permit a sort of intermediate effort, in rooms of the poor, (no mean or unworthy refuge neither,) it would be well if all the congregations round London would prepare for a vigorous campaign in the year 1837; but I need not trespass further on your pages, not doubting you will second the effort by your own recommendation, and that of other and abler correspondents than Dear Sir,

Trevor Square,

Yours faithfully, E. D.

THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN BRITAIN.

[With an Engraving.]

THE time and means by which the gospel was first introduced into Britain is involved in considerable obscurity. For a very long period, the opinion prevailed that Joseph, of Arimathea, was the honoured missionary who introduced it to our forefathers, but modern researches have made this matter doubtful. For the engraving of the ancient building at Glastonbury, reputed as the first Christian church in this island, we are indebted to SAMMES'S "Britannia Antiqua Illustrata ;" and the following particulars of it are gleaned from the Chronicles of William of Malmsbury.

Its length was sixty feet, and its breadth twentysix. Its walls were made of twigs winded and twisted together, "after the ancient custom that king's palaces were used to be built." "Nay, castles themselves in those daies were formed of the same materials, and weaved together." Its roof was of straw, or after the nature of the soyl in that place, of hay or rushes." The top of the door reached to