will determine the quality of his usefulness if, in a finite degree like unto God, he has eternal ends in view. A life passed on earth. How? Only to please the passing hour? Then farewell that perfection which only the just obtain. But if with the consciousness that life has duties as well as pleasures, then the after-gleams of consciousness will prove fore-gleams of the blessedness of heaven. How varied is human life! Death comes into the palace, or the cottage, and carries away a human soul. It may be a princess who has shone in courts, and yet preserved her highest attributes of daughter, wife, and mother, of whom it was said— "When pain and sickness wring the brow, Or it may be one who dwelt in middle society and felt the reverses of fate and fortune which she bore with patience, never forgetting her sense of what was worthy. Or it may be one of God's poor who knew not the pleasures of earthly life, and whose keenest memories were of the loss of her dearest relatives and friends, of the bitter scorn of the world, of the proud man's contumely. Each has a tale to tell to those who will ponder over it; each of their lives sheds after-gleams of love, and patience, and fortitude, and hope; of each it may be said that she "being dead yet speaketh” Speaketh of the faith that shone throughout life as the animating principle of a heart that trusted in God— Speaketh of the hope that rose above the dark horizon, foretelling the dawning of that heavenly city of which it is said there shall be no night there Speaketh of the love that never failed, but burned to the last with a heavenly glow that sanctified the common duties of life. 'Who sweeps a room as for Thy cause, We are told that Mahomet was once accosted by an old woman who asked if she might be permitted to enter heaven. "No!" said Mahomet; "no old woman can enter heaven." Perceiving the look of sorrow on the old woman's face he added, "They are no longer old when they get there." An eternity of youthfulness! What a prospect is opened before us! Life here has often to rely on its after-gleams of early days to perceive the import of the vision. Our feebleness, our sickness, and our sorrow are too vividly present for us to realize it but by contrast. Yet the youthfulness of heaven is the eternal progression in what is pure and holy, and therefore full of joy. Where are the characters we have formed that are fit for this eternal progression? Look inwardly and test your own. A good test will be the after-gleams which memory casts upon our past conduct. Have we, like the priest and the Levite, passed by on the other side from the calls of duty, and sympathy, and love? The remembrance is tinged with remorse. Have we buried our talents in the earth? In the searching light of truth we stand self-convicted as unprofitable servants. Have we worked diligently in God's cause-trusting not in our own power, but in His; thinking not of our glory, but of the increase of His kingdom; seeking not our own pleasure only, but mindful of that of others, and striving above all that God's will may be done?—then the after-gleams of our lives and the fitness of our souls will herald the welcome greeting, Enter into the joy of your Lord. The after-gleams of life awaken the solemn thought that every hour of our life has an influence for eternity-that every train of thought we pursue tends to mould our thoughts in the future-that every desire we cherish increases the tendency of the heart-that every act we do is building up our character for ever. What are your after-gleams? VERUS. TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV. R. STORRY. ON Wednesday evening, February 4th, an interesting meeting was held in the New Jerusalem Schools, Hornby Street, Heywood, previous to which tea was served to a moderately large number of friends of the church and schools. The occasion of the gathering was to commemorate the completion of the fiftieth year of the Rev. Richard Storry's ministerial career, by the presentation to him of a beautiful gilt timepiece and a set of vases similarly ornamented, besides a gold watch and albert chain, from the members and friends connected with his church, as a token of their esteem and affection. The chapel choir rendered several choice selections of music during the proceedings. The chair was occupied by Mr. James Mason, who was also supported upon the platform by the Rev. R. Storry, Messrs. George Fairbrother, T. Isherwood, and William Bell (chairman of the Local Board). The chairman in his opening observations said that he was proud and glad to occupy the position of chairman over a meeting held for the especial purpose of presenting the Rev. Mr. Storry, our worthy pastor and minister, with a testimonial of esteem and affection for the good work he has done in the Lord's New Church upon earth, and in the Society and town of Heywood, during the last fifty years, the greatest part of which time he has spent in Heywood. Mr. Storry was the first gentleman appointed by the Society at Heywood to become its ninister. This was in the early part of the year 1837. The first time I heard Ir. Storry was at Wigan, where he came to deliver a course of lectures, accompanied by the late Mr. Wild. The next time I heard him was at Liverpool. I was only a youth then, but I can still remember with pleasure the feelings I experienced in hearing him at both places. Some time afterwards it became my lot to leave Wigan and reside in Heywood, where I became better acquainted with Mr. Storry. The chairman after describing the work of the church after his settlement with it, dwelling particularly on the controversy with Mr. Figg and on the coldness with which the New Church has been so long regarded by other Christian communities, continued: I am glad to say a change of feeling has taken place as regards our church and minister. The first time I noticed it was at the banquet in connection with the opening of the Queen's Park. After the Rev. Canon Hornby had replied on behalf of the Bishop and Clergy, there was a unanimous call for Mr. Storry to speak, which he did to the general satisfaction of all present; and in the early part of this year he has been invited to preach in one of the dissenting chapels in Heywood, the minister of that chapel preaching to us on the same day from Mr. Storry's pulpit. This is a very great change from my early experience of Heywood, and one which I hope will continue. Mr. Storry left Heywood in 1847 to become the minister at Dalton. No doubt Mr. Storry thought that by devoting all his time to the office of a minister he could be of more use to the Church and people generally. We had several ministers over us during the time Mr. Storry was away. And in 1861 this Society again invited him to become its minister, where he has been ever since preaching and doing good work for all of us and for the town of Heywood. I hope he will long continue with us, and enjoy the sight and possession of the handsome testimonial which will be presented to him, and which I hope will be handed down to his family as heirlooms by which he will be remembered in years to come. Mr. George Fairbrother was called upon to make the presentation to Mr. Storry in the name of the members, teachers, scholars, and other friends of the church. Mr. Fairbrother said, It having come to the knowledge of their Benevolent Society that Mr. Storry had completed the fiftieth year of ministerial work in connection with the Lord's New Church on earth, it was determined to make him a present as a mark of their esteem and affection. Two lady friends—Mrs. Holt and Miss Lee-at once volunteered to solicit subscriptions towards the attainment of that object, and the result of their canvass had been eminently satisfactory. It was not given to many men to spend fifty years of their life in the Christian ministry, and they would naturally come to the conclusion that when a gentleman had been so engaged for that length of time, he must at least have arrived at the age of threescore years and ten. When he told them that Mr. Storry had not yet reached that age, it would be evident to them that he must have entered upon his work when he was very young, and he believed he was only about eighteen years of age when he did so. As he had now laboured in the Lord's vineyard for half a century, the fact ought to be suitably recognised. When a couple had been married fifty years, it was generally the case that they celebrated their golden wedding. On the present occasion they had decided to make to Mr. Storry a present which was golden; he thought they would all say so when they saw the beautiful gold watch and albert chain with seal attached which he had to present to him, in addition to the other articles which they saw before them. When Mr. Storry first became connected with the church at Heywood, besides conducting a day-school and preaching, he also conducted very successful night classes, which were attended by young men from other Churches, some of whom had since entered the ministry of those Churches, and they were always ready to acknowledge the valuable aid which they received from Mr. Storry at that time. He himself was taught in Mr. Storry's day-school. In 1847 their pastor left Heywood, having received a higher call, which was generally understood to mean a call to a higher salary and less work. Mr. Storry was ordained into the ministry in the year 1838. He became an ordaining minister in 1861, and during this year he again became minister of the Society at Heywood. With the exception of the Rev. Mr. Bruce, Dr. Bayley, and the Rev. Thos. Chalklin, Mr. Storry is the oldest ordained minister in the New Church. He has for many years been one of the most active members of Conference, and has six times been its President. He has also for many years been Sub-Editor of the Intellectual Repository. Besides his having been minister of the Heywood Society for nearly thirty years, Mr. Storry is very much respected as a townsman, has always taken an active part in all educational movements, and the town owes to his advocacy that we are at the present moment in possession of a public free library, on the board of management of which he has been appointed by the Local Board ever since its establishment. During the month of January last he was invited to join the Nonconformist ministers in an exchange of pulpits, in which movement he at once joined. This is an indication of the respect in which he is held by the other religious bodies in the town, and is a movement in the right direction. Mr. Fairbrother then in suitable terms made the presentation. Upon the timepiece is the following inscription: "Presented to the Rev. Richard Storry, by members, teachers, and scholars of the New Jerusalem Church, Heywood, as a token of their deep esteem for him, and in recognition of the valuable ministerial services which he has rendered to the New Church during the last half century, about thirty years of which he has devoted to the Society worshipping at Heywood. May the Lord grant him health and strength to continue the good work.-February 4, 1880.' The Rev. R. Storry on rising said that when, at the Christmas tea-party, he referred to the completion of his fiftieth year of service in the Church, he had not the slightest idea or suspicion that any particular notice would be taken of the fact. He could scarcely tell what to say, or how he was to express himself, at this expression of their kindness towards him. While there had been circumstances in his life which had been to himself discouraging, he had always been sustained by a sense of the deep affection which they bore towards him, but he had no idea that it would lead to a demonstration such as had been made that night. Mr. Storry then detailed to his hearers the cause which led him to leave Heywood for Dalton in 1837, which he said was his desire to devote himself entirely to the work of the ministry. He was also influenced by a desire to build up the Church in Dalton, and to extend the knowledge of the doctrines of the New Church in the large county of York. During his residence at Dalton he was sustained by the generous help of his friend, Joseph Senior, Esq., and the confidence of the Committee of the National Missionary Institution, and was thus enabled to deliver several courses of lectures in the large towns of Yorkshire, and was also instrumental in instituting the Yorkshire Missionary and Colportage Association, one of our most useful New Church institutions. He could only thank them, as he did most sincerely, for this expression of their affection, and assure them that in the future as in the past, he should seek to promote the growth of the church and the solid improvement of its members. Mr. J. J. Lee, formerly of Heywood, referred to Mr. Storry as the pastor of his young days. Turning to general subjects, he spoke of the ravages made by our armies in Zululand and in Afghanistan. The men who had taken a part in those wars had been glorified in England because of their deeds. They that night were assembled to glorify one who was a leader in the army of salvation, who had done a good work in the past, and who, he hoped, might long be spared for the work which he had before him in the future. The following gentlemen also took part in the proceedings of the meeting: Mr. Isherwood, who gave some of his early impressions of Mr. Storry when teaching a day-school, he being one of his pupils, and also testified to his worth to the New Church and to the town of Heywood. Mr. Bell, the chairman of the Local Board, in an excellent speech dwelt on the social changes of the last fifty years in England and in the town of Heywood since the commencement of Mr. Storry's work. Mr. Bell was followed by short speeches by Messrs. Wild, H. Fairbrother, A. Hilton, and R. Greenhalgh. A report of the meeting appeared in the Heywood Advertiser, and in the editorial notes of the week was the following notice : "As Mr. Fairbrother remarked, at the meeting held for the purpose of making a presentation to the Rev. R. Storry, on completing his fiftieth year of service as a minister of the Church to which he is attached, it is given to but few men to be able to boast a professional career of fifty years.' Few of those who know Mr. Storry would at first sight be disposed to think him more than a man of sixty, yet he is verging on the allotted space of man's life, as vigorous and active as many much younger men, taking his fair share, not only of the work of instructing the youth belonging to his own school and church, and preaching twice on the Sunday, but also as busily engaged in lecturing as he has always been. It is given to some men to do even a great work in the declining portion of their years, and no doubt, if health permits, Mr. Storry will still render yeoman's service to the New Church and to the town of Heywood, with which he has had such a long connection. In former days he was the schoolmaster on week-days, and on Sundays the minister, and no doubt his training and teaching of others has something to do with the clear and logical method with which he lays his thoughts before his hearers. The very fact that he has six times presided over the deliberations of a Church which claims a highly intellectual standard ought to give him weight as a man of thought, and his kindly manner ought to endear him to his people, and render him the worthy object not only of the highest esteem, but also of generous consideration. The work of the Christian minister is indeed a laborious work, and though it may vary in kind, there is no doubt that he who labours among his people at home is, in his own sphere, as great a pioneer of progress as he who leaves his native land for the burning shores of some distant clime, and yet he is often much more likely to be soon forgotten. This, however, is not likely to be the case with Mr. Storry, for to the Christian minister is in his case added the culture of the literary labourer, by which means he has not only engraved his name in the annals of his own Church, but also in the annals of his adopted town. Not being what may be strictly styled a party man, he has on all occasions been ever ready to come forth to raise his voice on behalf of the downtrodden and the distressed. While his desire has been for the time being to relieve with the bread which perisheth, he has also aimed at placing in the hands of the poor the lever of education, to enable them in a higher sense to be the arbiters of their own fortune. every educational movement has found a warm advocate, and we owe it to his persistent advocacy, as much as to any other influence, that we are at the present moment in possession of a Public Free Library. We trust he may long be spared to live among us, and all will agree that he is deserving of the lasting gratitude of the people of Heywood, and exceedingly worthy to receive the handsome presents which were handed to him on Wednesday evening." PSALM XV. WHO in Thy Tabernacle, Lord, Shall taste the blessings of Thy Word? Who in Thy holy hill shall dwell, And there Thy wondrous glory tell? He who in singleness of heart, Whose conduct and whose carriage shows Or murdering with a slanderer's tongue; In him By the late REV. J. W. BARNES. |