the lowest depths of society there is so much missionary energy and zeal, in congregations that are older and have longer enjoyed the benefits of Christian instruction, there is so much objection and unwillingness on the part of ordinary members even to think of doing anything in that direction. Last Saturday, in this hall, those of us who were present in connexion with the psalmody demonstration had very thrilling evidence how a little musical culture is capable of developing a great amount of talent in that particular direction. Twenty-five years ago, most likely, all that talent would have been folded up in a napkin and buried in the ground, and I could not help feeling on this occasion how much unused ability of various kinds-what an immense mass of unused and wasted power there is tied up in napkins within the congregations of our Church, and what a glorious thing it will be if the day shall come, as I pray it may come speedily, when this wasted power shall be consecrated to the advancement of God's glory. I think nothing is more glorious or triumphant than the vista that is opened up to us when we think of the time when all the members of our congregations who have any gifts shall be led to use them for the purpose of promoting the cause of Christ: then the Church will indeed be a crown of glory in the hands of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hands of her God. I think our Church and people generally are coming to understand better the true character of that spirit which was expressed by him who asked-" Am I my brother's keeper?" It is an interesting thing to compare that word, as it stands recorded on one of the first pages of the Bible, with another word written on its last page-" And let him that heareth say, Come." It seems as if in these passages we had indications of the whole course over which the Bible may be said to take man. The Bible finds man where the fall placed him, murdering his brother, and sullenly asking his very judge, "Am I my brother's keeper?" And it does not leave him till it has brought him to a point indicated by such a passage as this: "And the spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come; and let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." I have sometimes thought of these two passages as corresponding to the marks left by a self-registering thermometer, indicating at the one point the lowest degree of cold during the night, and at the other the highest degree of heat during the day. I pray that through the blessing of God upon our Home and Foreign Missions and upon our other schemes, our thermometer may show a rapid advance from the one point towards the other. (Applause.)

Mr CHARLES COWAN, (elder,) seconded the motion.

Professor GIBSON expressed his sympathy in the work of the Home Mission, and called attention to the necessity of some aid being given to the men engaged in the laborious work of territorial charges.

Dr JULIUS WOOD thought that the smaller towns, such as Dumfries, required to be as much attended to by the territorial missions as the great cities. In his own Presbytery-Dumfries-the work was going on prosperously, and by the close of the Assembly they expected to have four additional charges and a station. He trusted the Free Church

would give them earnest help in this work.

After a few remarks from Mr STEEL, Dalry, who spoke of the importance of the work in mining districts, the report was unanimously adopted.

APPLICATIONS FOR COLLEAGUES AND SUCCESSORS.

The Assembly resumed consideration of the report of the committee on Cases of Colleagues and Successors.

In accordance therewith-in the case of Mr Robert Kinnear, minister at Moffat, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award to him a grant of £40 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, his stipend besides to be made up by the congregation to a sum equal to the equal dividend for the year, and not to fall below £140; the junior colleague to have a stipend not less than the equal dividend, and to benefit exclusively from any addition to be made from an increase of congregational funds.

In the case of Mr David Mitchell, minister at Calton, Glasgow, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award to him a grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to be paid in the meantime out of the unexpended interest of this fund in 1865-66 and 1866-67, the £60 from the Sustentation Fund to be made up by the congregation to a sum equal to the half dividend; the junior minister's stipend to be £200.

In the case of Mr John Renton, minister at Auchtermuchty, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, and resolve that the grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund already given to him to aid in obtaining the services of an assistant, be continued on his obtaining a colleague; the senior colleague to have, further, the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund; the junior colleague to have the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund, and, from the congregation a farther sum of £12, and, so long as he has not the manse, an additional sum of £20, in name of rent.

In the case of Mr John Manson, minister at Fyvie, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £60 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund, and £20 from the congregation in lieu of manse; the junior colleague to have, in this case, the manse and the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund, with a supplement from the congregation of not less than £10.

In the case of Dr Robert Trail, minister at Boyndie, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, the senior minister to have the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund; the junior minister to have the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund, with the addition of £12 from the congregation, and £30 from the senior colleague, and also, in this case, the manse; the General Assembly award a grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to be paid in the meantime out of the unexpended interest of years 1865-66 and 1866-67.

In the case of Mr S. Campbell, minister at Berriedale, applying for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £50 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, and the usual allowance from the Sustentation Fund; the junior colleague to have the usual allowance from the Sustentation Fund, a further grant of £20 from the congregational funds, and to have house accommodation provided for him while he has not the manse.

In the case of Mr William Sinclair, minister at Kirkwall, applying

for a colleague and successor, the General Assembly decline to entertain the application hoc statu; but looking to the whole circumstances of the case, as brought out in the papers, resolve to appoint assessors to act along with the Presbytery in maturing the application for final judgment, with instructions to report to the commission at any of its stated diets, and empowering the commission to determine on the case as they shall

see cause.

In the case of Dr Mackintosh Mackay, minister at Tarbet, applying for a grant to aid in having an assistant, or a colleague and successor, the General Assembly approve of the alternative application for a colleague and successor, and award a grant of £70 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund; the senior colleague to have also the usual allowauce from the Sustentation Fund; the junior colleague to have the usual sum from the Sustentation Fund, and from the congregation such farther sum as shall make up his stipend to £100, and to have the manse, in the event of its not being occupied by Dr Mackay.

In the case of Dr J. J. Wood, minister at Dumfries, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £50 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, subject to the condition that the congregation raise a farther sum of £50.

In the case of Mr J. Stark, minister at Kilfinan, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £50 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, subject to the condition that the congregation raise a farther sum of not less than £20.

In the case of Mr John M'Rae, minister at Carloway, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £45 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, subject to the condition that the congregation raise a farther sum of £20.

In the case of Mr J. Sandison, minister at Arbroath, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £40 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, the congregation farther providing a sum of £50.

In the case of Mr C. Nairn, minister at Dundee, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £40 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, the congregation farther providing a sum of not less than £60.

In the case of Dr J. Roxburgh, minister at Glasgow, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he already having a colleague, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award to him a grant of £50 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, with the usual allowance from the Sustentation Fund, the colleague to have the remainder of the Sustentation Fund dividend, and such provision by the congregation as they have already agreed to make.

In the case of Mr T. Gray, minister at Inverurie, applying for aid in employing an assistant, the General Assembly approve of the application, and award a grant of £30 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to be paid, in the meantime, out of the unexpended interest of years 1865-66 and 1866-67.

In the case of Mr R. Donald, formerly at Sheuchan, applying for a

grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, and that the acting minister at Sheuchan shall receive the equal dividend from the Sustentation Fund, the General Assembly approve of the application, award a grant of £30 from the Aged aud Infirm Ministers' Fund, to be paid, in the meantime, out of the unexpended interest of years 1865-66 and 1866-67, to Mr Donald, the allowance he at present draws from the Sustentation Fund being to that extent reduced, and resolve that the acting minister at Sheuchan receive in future the equal dividend.

In the case of Mr Samuel Smith, formerly minister at Borgue, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, the General Assembly, in the want of a medical certificate or any evidence of infirmity, decline the application in the meantime, but authorise the commission, in August, to dispose of it, in the event of a medical certificate of infirmity being then produced.

In the case of Mr Robert Lundin Brown, Largo, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, with the view of his retiring from his charge, the General Assembly, in the want of any medical certificate or evidence of infirmity, decline the application in the meantime, but authorise the commission, in August, to dispose of it, in the event of a medical certificate of infirmity being then produced.

ASSISTANTS.

It was unanimously agreed, that it be remitted to the committee on the Sustentation Fund to consider and propose a scale of grants to aged and infirm ministers on whose behalf application is made for a grant to aid in employing an unordained assistant, in the same way it is now done in the case of applications anent colleagues and successors.

REPORT ON PSALMODY.

Mr LIVINGSTON, Stair, gave in the report of the committee on Psalmody. He said, in submitting the report, that had time been less restricted, he might have commented upon some objections that had been made at last Assembly and since in regard to the musical labours of the committee during the former year, but he would dismiss these with the general remark, that, in fitting time and place, he was ready, in the terms of ancient chivalry, to defend these "against all deadly." He would notice one, however, which affected the proposal of new versions, viz., that these would bring in a number of difficult tunes, which their people could not acquire. He affirmed that there was no necessary connexion between difficult music and any form of metre. There were plenty of difficulty tunes in common metre, and plenty of easy ones in peculiar metres. Four of the tunes referred to were printed in last year's report, so that all might judge of their fitness for popular acquisition. The most elaborate metre they offered is that for the tune "Ein feste burg," which rings throughout all Germany in schools, churches, &c., and he saw no reason why it should not be so in Scotland. With regard to funds, he thought it was very unfortunate that they had not a supply at their disposal, more especially with reference to the department of the teaching of sacred music by persons well qualified for the duty. In many localities ministers and others admitted that they were anxious for the improvement of the psalmody in their congregations,

but they stated, as the great drawback, that they had not in the locality any person that was qualified to undertake the task of musical teaching. In this way the mouth of the committee was in a great measure shut, and the movement for the improvement of psalmody in these districts was brought to a stand-still. The United Presbyterian Church had repeatedly given their committee a considerable grant for such purposes. With regard to chanting, he said that it was a kind of music which had been gaining ground in past years in various denominations, and, among others, the English Presbyterian Church had formally adopted it. It was also finding its way into the Free Church. That had not arisen from any movement on the part of the committee; they had been almost silent on the subject. They had acted throughout with very great caution; and though they had nothing to say against that kind of music, they did not like to do anything to favour the introduction of it till the proper time. That time, he thought, had now come, and it was desirable that it should now be looked at by the Assembly, though, perhaps, it was scarcely necessary that they should pronounce any formal deliverance on the subject. The great point involved in this matter, which he hoped would receive the attentive consideration of the House, was the necessity of considering the question of using larger portions of the Psalms than they had been accustomed to do in past years. He believed that there was a strong feeling getting up on that subject in many quarters. They had been accustomed to cut up the Psalms, as it were, into shreds and patches, by making short selections from them; but it was rarely the case that they got through a Psalm in such a way as to preserve the connexion between one part and another. Something should be done to remedy this, and he saw nothing for it except to introduce the use of that kind of tunes. The singing of the common tunes more quickly might do something in that direction, but would not meet the real requirements of the case. After all, they would only be coming nearer to the practice of the Reformation times, for in those days four or five double verses were the average amount of a psalm that was sung at once, instead of about half that quantity, which had been the standard since ever he recollected. In relation to a statement with respect to the late Mr Hately-which had been made in the public papers-he begged to say that the committee had never delegated to him or to any other individual the selection of the melodies which appeared in the supplement which had been issued, or in any portion of the Scottish Psalmody; the committee, on the contrary, had always kept that in their own hands. They had consulted many who were qualified to judge in the matter, but had always decided for themselves. At the same time, so far as the harmonising was concerned, they had often consulted Mr Hately, and adopted his arrangements or alterations. With regard to the success of the recent supplement, while he would not speak definitely on the subject, he could say that those apprehensions expressed last year were not in the least likely to be realised. On the contrary, there were the most favourable reports as to the reception the book had met with. The committee did not wish congregations to rush upon these tunes and adopt them at once, to the exclusion of older ones. If they saw them making their way steadily and gradually, that was all they desired. One great, practical end that was to be served by the increased circulation of Church music throughout the country was the