Cheshire Observer

CHESTER FREEMASONS' SYMPATHY. B The members of the Travellers' Lodge, iNo.1 2609, Chester, had fixed their annual Ladies'j Night" for Saturday, but the function was postponed, and the banquet which usuaUYf follows lodge labour was abandoned. Only absolutely urgent business was transacted, and? at the close of this | The Worshipful Master (Bro. D. P. Morgan, of Prestatyn), addressing the assembled breth- ren, said-Nations, like individuals, have their] periods of trial and tribulation, aad to-day the whole British nation and our fellow-subjects in far-off India and in every quarter of the globe ] are mourning the death of our much beloved Queen, Victoria. Those who knew best the; great and good lady who has gone to? her rest knew her to be a queenly mother and a motherly Queen. While breath is spared us, we shall revere her memory, and look back upon her life as woman, wife, mother, and Queen as a noble example which all the monarchs of the civilised world would do well to emulate. I beg to move the following resolution I'hat we, the members of the Travellers' Lodge of Freemasons, No. 2609, under the Grand Lodge of England, desire to place on record our sense of the unprecedented loss the nation has Bus-I tained in the death of our great and good Queen, Victoria, who was for many years the patron of some of our benevolent institutions, as she was at all times the patron of every agency that made for the well-being of her- loving subjects; and we desire to add to this expression of our sorrow an offer of our aiincere., homage to our illustrious brother King Ed ward VII. Emperor of India, and to further record our heartfelt hope that his Majesty may be f spared for many years to reign over a united, progressive, and contented Empire." The Senior Warden (Bro. William H. Davies) seconded the resolution, which was carried, and the brethren remained standing while the acting organist (Bro. B. Butterworth) gave af! vqry impressive rendering of the Dead! March" in Saul. The lodge was then closed, 8 and the members dispersed. We are informed that the period officially 1 fixed for Masonic mourning is three months, and that it is requested that lodges should satisfy themselves with merely recording their J sentiments, without forwarding copies of their l resolutions, as the Grand Lodge purpose for- !1 warding a special resolution to cover the whole I craft. CHESHIRE UNIONISTS' GRIEF. B On Saturday afternoon, at the annual meeting of the Cheshire Liberal Unionist Association, at i the Grosvenor Hotel, Chester, Mr. H. E. Wil bra- ham on taking the chair, said before they pro- ceeded to business it was only proper that they should briefly allude to the sad loss which had fallen upon the nation at large by the death o our Gracious Sovereign, Queen Victoria. Her Majesty, full of years and honour, had been carried away from us, and he was sure our loss was one we could not over-estimate. Although we as loyal subjects when we said the Queen is dead." also said, long live the King," yet for many years, whenever we heard the health of the Sovereign proposed, or listened to the strains of the National Anthem, our hearts would a once turn to her who was now only a memory, and one of the names written on the long roll of illustrious dead. He proposed a resolution to the effect that the members of the Cheshire Liberal Unionist Association desired to place on record their deep sympathy with the Royal family in the sad loss which they and the nation at large had sustained by the lamentable death of Her Majesty, and gratefully acknowledging the services which she had rendered to her people. Mr. J. E. Reiss, of Cassia, Winsford, seconded, and said while they wished every happiness and long life to the King, those who had lived 4 throughout the reign of Queen Victoria, aq he I had done, could not help constantly thinking of the noble acts she did during her life, the pure life she lived, and the pure atmosphere which ever surrounded her. No monarch ever lived who secured the love and respect of all l < her subjects to the same extent as Queen Victoria. We had seen lately by the papers how t the loss by her death was deplored, not alone in all her dependencies, and all the different nooks f of the globe where the Union Jack new, but by t all other nations. Nations which often bad unkind words for us, at the present moment thoroughly sympathised with us, and this he fie thought was a very good omen for the future £ ( for a good understanding with these nations. B s He was certain no word of his could express their grief at the loss of her who had reigned so long over this country. 8 SYMPATHY OF THE COUNTY POLICE COMMITTEE. At a quarterly meeting of the Cheshirel landing Joint Committee held ati, 1ster Castle, on Saturday, touch-1. references were made to the Queen Victoria. The Chairman vrance-Kay hurst) said: Before com-. busings to-d^y I should like to refer to a subject which I am sure [ has been in our thoughts for the la.st; few days. It is the death of our Most I Gracious Majesty the Queen. The great, calamity has fallen, not only over us as r. nation, but the whole world at large. She had acquired in a most marvellous manner the in- j* tense love and affection of all her subjects in a manner utterly unknown either in thi& country or any other country in the world, and her loss j will be a loss felt throughout the civilisedj world. She died full of years and honour, and left a name which will be revered: and honoured as long as the world lasts. She J will go down to posterity as Victoria the Good. | I have now the honour, gentlemen, with you permission, to propose a vote of condolence." with the King on the irreparable loss the nation has sustained through the death of her Majesty the Queen. I Sir Horatio Lloyd, in seconding the resolution, remarked that in one of those touching and,; thoughtful letters which the Queen addressed from time to time to the nation she stated that though the labours, anxieties and responsi-t bilities inseparable from her position were exceedingly trying, she would earnestly pray that Almighty God would continue to give her' health and strength to work for her dear country as long as life lasted. We all knew.: how wonderfully that prayer was; answered, and how that noble life of; purity and devotion to duty had been almost to the end one of usefulness to the country and to the world at large. It was a matter of consolation to us that the close: of that life was consistent with its whole: career. Let them pray to God that those who; followed her might be influenced by the great and noble example of her life, and that they: might all take to heart the example of devotion, to duty which had characterised the Queen. I I The motion was carried in silence, the mem-' bers upstanding. ( iMA.Gr" fERIAL REFERENCE AT CHESTER' i CASTLE. I At the Chester Castle Petty Sessions on .Saturday, Mr. H. D. Trelawny, the presiding; [magistrate, said it would not be right to cornmence the business of the Court before' ,giving expression to the sincere grief which [was felt all over the United Kingdom through jthe death of our beloved Queen. It was im-i possible for them to realise fully the great ¡mass of good acts which had marked the reign ;of the late Queen for nearly 64 years. They [would remember the late Queen's noble reign for many years to come, and he was sure they .would deeply sympathise with the Royal family ■ in their great loss.—Mr. W. H. Churton (magistrates' clerk) intimated that in conse- iquence of her Majesty's funeral on Saturday, there would be no Court next week. IMAGES 1 ERIAL REFERENCE AT NESTON. 1 Before taking the chair at Neston Petty. fSessions on Friday, Mr. R. Bushell referred to ,-the loss the county had sustained, in common; Swith the whole of the British Empire, in the death of Queen Victoria. It was impossible for them to appreciate the blessings and benefits which, by the Grace of God, she had been 'enabled to confer upon the English-speaking people, and to her subjects all over the globe. They had loved her as Queen for the womanly fway in which she had brought herself into isyrapatby with all her subjects. If any disaster "occurred, the late Queen was the first to notify ther sympathy. They had had a reign of J unexampled love and sympathy for which they should feel truly thankful. REFERENCES AT BROXTON SESSIONS. | At Broxton Petty Sessions, on Tuesday ? morning, Mr. J. H. Leche (the chairman) referred jin feeling. terms to the death of our late Queen. He said a more perfect Queen had never reigned 5 over England, and although her loss was very painful, he was sure they all wished to honour her memory by following her good example in j life. lie hoped that the day of the Queen's funeral would be kept as quietly as possible. They would all deeply sympathise with King Edward VII., and all the members of the Royal Family, in their great bereavement. All should j: keep her late Majesty in remembrance till the 1 end of their days.—Mr. Howard also paid a fitting < tribute to the memory of the beloved Queen. She r devoted the whole of her life and every power she f possessed to the good of her country. As far as political sagacity was concerned, she had never been equalled, and they had enjoyed an un- paralleled reign. It was pleasing to know that her Majesty had died in the presence of all those she dearly loved, and that her end had been peaceful. K-mr. Leche said he hoped that Saturday at Broxton would be kept as on Sunday by the publicans. j 11EDDISBURY MAGISTRATES' TRIBUTE B At Eddisbury Petty Sessions on Monday, the Chairman (Mr. H. Lyle Smyth) referred to the j £ very sad event that had occurred in the death rof the Queen. He said they were all deeply atta.ched to her, had the greatest reverence ?and love for her, and admiration for the good rqualities she exhibited during her long reign. ?They had all regarded her as a very dear friend "and a mother to the whole country. In the speeches in Parliament last week they had read of her acts, and they realised what he dared say most of them never realised before, the ?enormous ability and influence she exercised in' I the course of public affairs throughout her long reign. He could only add that they all deeply grieved at her loss. They had every reason to believe that her successor, King Edward VII.J lwould follow in her steps. j I CHESTER GUARDIANS' TRIBUTE. I Before the commencement of business at the fortnightly meeting of the Chester Board of' Guardians on Tuesday the chairman (MrJ J. Pover) said they were all aware of the loss the country had sustained by the death ofl the Queen. She was a woman of whom every-; body was fond, and a better woman never lived.; He moved that a vote of condolence be sent to the King and the members of the Royal Family.—Mr. T. Knowles (vice-chaiiman) seconded.—Mrs. Douglas, as the senior repre- sentative of her sex, begged to be allowed to' associate herself with the motion. A deep and painful interest had been taken in the event by; high and low, and there was not a woman; throughout the land who did not love her.—j The motion was unanimously carried. I I TARVIN GUARDIANS' SORROW. IOn Saturday morning, prior to the commencement of business at the meet-i ing of the Tarvin Board of Guardians,! Mr. H. Barnston, who presided, ex-I pressed in the name of the Guardians extreme] ?sorrow at the death of her late Majesty Qaeen? |Victoria, and moved a resolution recording the' ? Board?s deep regret at the great loss sustained.] The resolution was carried in silence. I I CHESHIRE TEACHERS' UNION. The President of the Cheshire District IUnion of the National Union of Teachers (Mr. W. F. Knott), at the annual meeting of the union, held in Manchester on Saturday, saidi they knew they would meet at the dawn of a (new century, but few of them conceived, not- withstanding the probability of the event, that! 1 they would meet on the threshold of a new! reign. They would be lacking in dignity to itheiuselves and in affectionate loyalty to the' .Crown if they began their proceedings without! ?shewing their regard not only for the memory? of the gracious Sovereign lady who had now? passed away, but also their sympathy with the; sorrowing members of the Royal family. It? was not for him to give an estimate of the I Value that Queen Victoria had been to this? country, to the Empire, and to the world at large' ^during more than sixty years. The latter! !;ears of the Queen's reign had beon? ?co existent with great progress in; u"tion, and they as practical educa-? tionists recognised that the general ] condition of the country was brought about ] largely by the Queen's life and the purity of] her Court. The constitutional manner in whichl she had acted had been conducive to the ] advancement at least of elementary oducation.1 Her name had been given to the period during which most of the lives of those present had been passed, and it would be known in all time: as the Victorian era. Lapse of years had' thrown a halo of romance about the days ot? Elizabeth, whom they saw, as the warlike! Queen, addressing her troops at Tilbury. In our own time we had seen a Queen of 80 years! wheeled in a bath-chair through the hospitals listening to the tales of suffering of the soldiers? who had fought her battles at the extremes of |j the Empire. That was a record surpassing in | greatness anything that we knew of the times'I of 300 years ago, of which we, as a nation, felt l justly proud.-Upon the motion of Mr. H. A. Johnstone (Stockport), seconded by Mr. 8. Earlam (Chester), a resolution was adopted Mpressive of sympathy with the Royal Family, md of every good wish to the King for a1| prosperous reign. CHESHIRE AGRICULTURISTS' g CONDOLENCE. S At the annual meeting of the Cheshire] Chamber of Agriculture at Crewe on Monday, ] he Chairman (Colonel Cotton-Jodrell) said )efore passing on to the business, of the | neeting there was one thing he would like to ] Lak them to join with him in doing. He thought it was only right that on the minutes )f the proceedings of a large, important, md representative body like that there ihould be a record of the feelings of the Chamber towards the event which had over- hadowed this land so recently. He was not prepared to address to them words upon the ubject. He thought that coming after the ervices which were held on the previous day iin every religious place of worship at home andl !in foreign countries as well, he did not see that he could add anything to the feelings of those present by any words of his own. He would ?move the following resolution:—"That tbis l assembly of the Cheshire Chamber of A?ricul- I ture desires, at this its annual meetm?, tol, un?te its voice with the universal outburst oi ? sympathy at the grievous and irreparable 10;36 jt.< :.i. 'n this nation and Empire has sustained in the death of Queen Victoria; and humbly to assure his Majesty, King Edward VII., of this Chamber's most heartfelt condolence with' his Majesty and other members of the Royal family fin their great sorrow."—The resolution was fpassed in silence, the members standing. i. i ——————————————

I PULPIT REFERENCES. I In every place of worship in Chester and district affecting references were made on Sunday to the loss the nation and Empire have sustained by the death of the Queen. 9 THE CATHEDRAL. a At the beautiful morning service in the Cathredal there was a large congregation, and it ? was touching to note that everyone wore mourn- ing. The service was sweetly rendered to Stainer £ in E flat, and the special anthem was Blest are | the Departed," from Spohr's Last Judgment." The lessons were read by the Dean and Arch- deacon Barber. Sadly significant were the changes in the prayers, consequent on the death of the Queen. It seemed strange after all these r long years to hear the word Edward instead of Victoria," and Our Sovereign Lord instead of Our Sovereign Lady." In the prayer for the Royal Family, instead of the words Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the Princess f of Wales," the words Our Gracious Queen t. Alexandra, George, Duke of Cornwall and York, •'the Duchess of Cornwall and York" were inserted. At the conclusion of the service Dr. £ • Bridge impressively played the "lJead March" in t "Saui" upon the organ, the congregation mean- while standing. At the afternoon service the anthem was Thou wilt keep him" (Jekyll), and Sir Herbert Oakeley's inspiring hymn Evening i and Morning" was sympathetically sung, while outside the wind fiercely whistled, and the hail- ii stones beat with unaccustomed fury against the 'I. windows of the Cathedral. Sir Herbert Oakley ? enjoyed the distinction of being musical com- "I poser to the Queen in Scotland, and this hymn | was sung by command of her Majesty at the inauguration of the memorial to Prince Consort at Edinburgh. Dr. Bridge brought the service to a close by playing Beethoven's mournful "Dead March." There was another large con- itgregation in the evening, when the hymns sung included that For those in peril on the sea." i. At the conclusion the organist played Chopin's ft" Dead March." S ELOQUENT TRIBUTE BY ARCHDEACON U BARBER. I Preaching in the morning from the text "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance," Psalm cxii. 6, Archdeacon Barber said:—These familiar words surely never found a more responsive echo in our hearts than when they fell upon our ears or were uttered by our lips on Wednesday morning last, at the first service after the news had reached us that our beloved Queen was no longer with us. Too often it may be we >. heed them not; they waken no special memories, convey no distinct and definite promise, bring no special encouragement to us. But then, we i. naturally and instinctively thought of the gracious r lady who had been spared to reign over this king- dom and empire for more than 63 years. With the recollection of her pure and noble life deeply impressed upon us, we had no hesitation in apply- ing the words to her, "The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance." We felt, and we ■ feel now, that for ourselves so long as we may live, and for those who come after us, it will be well if we cherish the memory of that pure, and noble and generous life as something to be grate- ful and thankful for, for the blessings it has r brought to this nation, and as an inspiration to those who cherish it to endeavour in their several J. vocations and ministries to go and do likewise. jr Doubtless in the words there is a promise and an 2: encouragement. God will remember the righteous. £ He will not forget their works and labours of love; even as we read that the angel, "the man in bright clothing," was sent to that devout man the i Centurion Cornelius with the message, "Thy V prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in re- membrance in the sight of God." Even so our Lord Himself, in the wonderful description which He gives of the day of judgment, states definitely the kindly and charitable acts which men do towards their fellows in His name will be re- membered for their good, and will receive the commendation of the Lord, the righteous Judge, I in that great day. And the thought which is thus guggested to us is, or ought to be, very helpful to us. To think that our least and simplest deed of kindness to another, which has been inspired by love for Him who is Love, is recorded and will be remembered for our good, even if we have for- gotten it, should quicken and inflame us, and lead us to be on the look-out for opportunities whereby we can manifest our love unto the least of our brethren, who with us are fellow-members of the body of Christ. But though for our help and comfort this promise is made and this j assurance given, we are surely justified in associa- ting the words with that natural desire to per- petuate the memory of the good and righteous, who have passed to their rest-to speak of their virtues in no idle spint of admiration, but with t the sincere and honest effort to copy them; and f&thus to hand on to succeeding generations an ex-' 2-ample which may be all-powerful in the formation of character. And so of such the son of Sirach :¡, said, "Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore. The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth; ft their praise." Or again, "His memorial shall not depart, an d his name shall live from generation to generation. Nations shall shew forth his wis- [t dom, and the congregation shall declare his Upraise." It is in this sense, and with reference to ijthe irreparable loss which has fallen upon this nation, that we use the words this morning.; "The righteous shall be in everlasting remem- brance." No one could have the slightest hesita-, Ition in applying them to that great and noble] Queen, who is now mourned by millions of her subjects— ja "In that fierce light which beats upon a throne g And blackens every blot she wore the white flower of a blameless life. I was not the glitter and glamour of her high! position, which alone attracted the homage of her, | people it was the conviction, impressed upon' them by many a proof of word and deed, that she; was one with them in all their joys and in all: a their sorrows. The natural instinct of loyalty to! -her person was intensified in every breast by the t; goodness she ever displayed, and by the beauty of her character. "Queen, Wife, and Mother-perfect in each part, And throned serenely in a people's heart." ?And she took her people into her confidence. She f drew aside the veil, which might have hidden herl ?private life from all but her own family, and? fallowed us to see and know what in er of life: ?that wa?. It cannot be out of place, here and' ?now, to note a few of those characteristics wbichj t; ought to be had in everlasting remembrance in? connection with her name. Passing over those of! ?a more personal and individual nature—such, for! t instance, as her tact and firmness and discretion; |and judgment, characteristics which ripened withi fa long experience—and we shall perhaps never! ?know how much we owe to these qualities for the ?preservation of peace, and the promotion of unity Iand concord among nations--passing over these, ?look at some points in which she set such a bright ?example to us, that we shall do well to hold her ?in everlasting remembrance by endeavouring to ? follow it. And first, how industrious she was, and ?'how laborious for her people! Those who imagine i that the occupant of the Throne enjoys a condition sof gilded ease are vastly mistaken. It may be a revelation to some to learn, as they may do from the short memoirs which appear in our news- Ipapers, how hard our late beloved Sovereign ,worked. She never allowed 'her zeal for the pub- lic welfare, which she professed in the declara- tion she made at her Accession, to flag; but kept herself abreast of the emergencies of the times, and the affairs of State, by devoting with un- i failing regularity some hours daily to the study of rthe papers and documents bearing thereupon. We can form but little idea of all that this involved; yet we are sure that these heavy responsibilities could not have been discharged as faithfully and religiously as they were unless the life of the t.Queen had been ordered and arranged with a view 5 to this, and her time carefully mapped out for the purpose. The volume of work which she accom- plished is still imperfectly understood. The drudgery of pen and ink must often have been a fsevere strain. And the First Lord of the Treasury bore his testimony to this on Friday when he 'said, "Short as was the interval between the last trembling signature and the final rest, it was yet :long enough to clog and hamper the wheels of ? administration, and when I saw the vast mass of untouched documents which awaited the_band of the Sovereign of this country to deal with, it was brought vividly before my mind how admirable was the unostentatious patience with which for (Over 63 years, through sorrow, through suffering kin moments of weariness, in moments of despon- rdency, it may be, she had carried on without (intermission her share in the government of this igreat Empire." And as we call this to mind we seem to hear her saying to us by her example, ["Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might." Again, how wonderful was her sym- pathy especially with those who were in suffering or in sorrow! She had herself gone through the furnace of affliction, in those successive bereave- ments which took from her side those whom she loved, and she never failed to shew how much she felt for those who were called upon to endure like trials. The American nation will never forget the spontaneous expression of her sympathy with the widow of their assassinated President. And it was not only with those in high positions that she thus made herself one. It was just the same with the widows and orphans of those whom a colliery accident or other disaster had suddenly carried off. In Scotland she was a frequent visitor to the cot- tage homes of the country side, and was never better content than when directly sharing the sor- row of some poor widow whose cottage, like her Sovereign's Palace, had been left desolate. In liko manner she was with her people in their times of gladness, and was ever ready to manifest ithis by a timely message. It would be impossible, and it is also unnecessary, to attempt to recount the multitudinous ways in which she shewed her sympathy with her people at all times. Though we have grown accustomed to these manifestations we were none the less grateful for them, and for the proof they gave of the true woman's heart get our treasured Queen. But we cannot but think to-day of those frequent visits to her sick and wounded soldiers at Netley Hospital, which, as we learn now, must have been undertaken when her health and strength were failing. Truly she had liearnt how to "rejoice with them that do rejoice, and to weep with them that weep" and well will it be for us if in like manner, according to our opportunities, we endeavour to share the joys and lihten the sorrows of those around us. And we cannot but be struck with the kindness and con- sideration which she displayed to her servants and [dependants. Instances of this have again and again been brought before us. We find them (recorded in "Leaves from the Journal" or in "The ¡Life of the Prince Consort." We have noted the 'anxiety she has felt when some valued attendant has been ill, and the expression of her undisguised sorrow if such illness has been fatal. She seems to have been possessed with a tender solicitude for ¡¡mIi all those who ministered to her. She did not take their services rendered as matters of course,but with that courtesy and grace which were such jewels in her crown. Like that centurion of whom we have v just read in the gospel, whose servant, St. Luke: tells us, "was dear unto him," she expressed in afc marked degree her kindness towards those who waited upon her, and how many a story will beX forthcoming to illustrate this. She took the a keenest interest in their welfare in the truest? sense, and in this matter set a bright example to? every household in the land. There is much which we may all do; and it is more than possible that many of the dimcuities which beset this question would vanish, or at any rate be diminished, ifi heads of families would do their utmost to copy the example which was set them by their most gracious Queen. And if we look for the founda- S tion of these characteristics, and many others which might be mentioned, we can haxp no he?ita- tion in saying that it was a deep religious principle with a firm reliance on God's help. We remember £ the story of the way in which she received from the Archbishop of Canterbury the announcement! of her Accession to the Tnrone, and how she atj once begged the Primate to pray for her. So, too, in the declaration made at her first Council she ..id-in no conventional and meaningless langnag. -"This awful responsibility is imposed upon me so suddenly, and at so early a period of my life, that I should feel myselfj utterly oppressed by the burden were I not sustained by the hope that Divine Providence, which has called me to the work, will give me strength for the performance of it." My brethren, it must ever be so. Hiese, qualities of which I have spoken are not mere; natural gifts and endowments; they are fruits of the spirit, and as such we must earnestly strive after them. And as we thus strive we shall be helped, if we have the righteous in everlasting remem- brance for we shall be encouraged to go and do likewise by the recollection of what has been achieved by men and women of like passions with ourselves. I had purposed, before this great sor- row fell upon this nation, to dwell upon another and yet a kindred topic. To-day is the anniversary of the death of General Gordon, and we may well apply to him also the words of the text, "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." I must, however, content myself with saying that he ex- hibited in a marked degree each of thd qualities to which I have alluded. A firm and strict dis- ciplinarian, he was a man of unbounded energy; he. too, shewed his consideration for those who served him, and his sympathy for all in need of it; I and he was, as we know (for he was never ashamed j to confess it), a man of true piety and deep re- ligious feeling. His life and character may then be taken as fitting illustrations of what I have said? this morning. One word more. On the two last! Sundays our subject, suggested by the services of the day, has been the sacredness of family life. While the example of the centurion to-day may? well lead us to another phase of it, and to shew? all due solicitude for the temporal and spiritual needs of those who serve us, the same thought is even more forcibly pressed upon us as we think) of the life of our departed Sovereign. She has i set before her subjects the pattern of what home' life, in all its relations, ought to be. Nearly 60 years ago she wrote, "They say no Sovereign was ? ever more loved than I am, and this because of our 1 domestic happy home and the good example itl presents." If that was true then, it certainly was! true to the end, even through all the sorrows: which at times clouded it. It was recognised by her children, for in that touching and tactfuL address to his first Council our King referred to his beloved mother as "uniting the virtues ofi supreme domestic guide with the affection and; patriotism of a wise and peace-loving Monarch."j "The righteous shall be in everlasting remem-j brance." What better prayer can be offered than; this-that the memory of that home, with its' earnest devotion to duty, its kindness and tender-i ness, and its pure love, may be ever kept alive' in this nation by a continuous endeavour to copy its Christian character and beauty? Thus indeed the memory of the just will be blessed. I BISHOP JAYNE'S TRIBUTE. I J The Bishop of Chester (Dr. Jayne) preached; at St. George's Church, Stockport, on Sunday] night. His theme, suggested bp the text, "David, i after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep," wis that we should not go through life listlesdy, selfishly, half- heartedly, not making the best of the gifts, small or great, with which we were endowed, but that life should be governed by a persevering resolve 1 to try and serve our God, cur neighbour, our Church and our country. The Bishop proceeded And how can we better vise the inspiration which comes to us from the lift of that great and good servant who has just entered upon her rest, than to try and do something not on the same: scale, but in the same spirit, and with that' K magnanimity of soul which so conspicuously characterised Queen Victoria? Our homage of ii affection and regard will shrivel up, will fall j, flat, will be essentially unworthy unless it has this £ result, that it stimulates and embraces and inspires you and me to go and do something in! ? the way of service after the high example which, for 63 years, in the providence of God, has been .Put before our country and our Empire. You see, written in largest letters upon the life, upon! |the great career of Queen Victoria, this, that she was a true servant of her country and of her God.! And it is for us, by the help of God, to go to our homes, to go to our different responsibilities, |and to our different places of service, be they 8 small or great. and pour into each one of them something at least of that great spirit which ?our Queen learnt from Him who said, 'I am ?among you as he that serveth.' Life, then, is service; service is the only test of greatness andl jgservice must be rendered to our own generation. Most of us can only touch one little part of the fringe of our own generation, but here again the question is what mark shall we leave upon the particular part of the generation which comes within the scope of our influence? The Arch- ibishop of Canterbury has said that probably with- out their having any idea of the way in which the influence came to them thousands of men and women in this land are better and worthier and truer and holier because the Queen has lived and set such an example as she has given to her sub- jects. On a small scale that should be the case with eve ione of us. There are little eyes and little ears looking at us and listen- ing to us; watchful neighbours, friends or enemies, looking upon us; and without our know- si ing it our innuence is telling upon them for good or 'for evil, for better or for worse. And besides that, which is the deepest power of all-the power of what we are, the power of our conduct-there is also what we do. Our generation must be ^influenced by that, and through our own genera- tion we have a good opportunity, though we may ?not be able to trace it out, of influencing others. j What kind of a mark is it that we are leaving on the generation that comes in the range of our ?innuence? Our Queen through her long life saw ?several generations pass by, ind can we doubt as ?we read, for example, the words spoken in Council by King Edward VII. that he feels—and by God's grace will ever more deeply feel-the influence that must be left on him and his career y his august and honoured and revered mother? Yes, it is impossible for us, even with the most vivid imagination, to be able to tell how Queen Victoria's influence, by the grace of God, will stamp itself in letters of gold upon successive generations of the English Empire, and beyond the English Empire upon <he destinies of the world at large. You know how her heart went out towards all races belonging to the Empire. You know how she lived for them and how all their joys and sorrows came home to her; and 1 where there is a like abundant soul of loving kindness and sympathy and goodness the power so exercised knows no bounds, and it will go on bearing fruit a hundredfold for the honour of I God and the welfare of the men and women and children of all races whom it touches." I ST. OSWALD'S. I  Preaching at St. Oswald's on Sunday morning from 1 Tim., ii.—1, 2, the Vicar (the Rev. E. C. Lowndes), after quoting a passage from th sermon preached in the Cathedral by Bisbo Stubbs, on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1887, continued:—" All that has happened sine these words were written, has but served to throw the picture into higher relief. We have seen that gracious tact and that sound judg- ment, which characterised all Queen Victoria's actions, steadily increasing and maturing with the manifold experience of advancing years. We have seen that thoughtfulness for others, and that power of sympathy, which she had learned in the school of personal sorrow, deepened and quickened by the accumulation of fresh sorrows and bereavements, and by the knowledge brought home to her by so many added tokens, that she had won the hearts of her people, and that they shared in all her griefs and joys. We have seen that steadfast devotion to duty which marked her reign, waxing but more unremitting and self- sacrificing, when the infirmities of age might justly have led her rather to seek repose and relief from the continuous cares and labours of her exalted position. We have seen the example of domestic virtues which she set as the head of the first family in the land, and B which has done so much to raise and purify the family life of this country, growing ever l more brightly as her children's children to the fourth generation were gathered round her. H And now she is come to the grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Life's work well done, H Life's race well run, H Life's crown well won, H Then comes rest. ■ l And so to-day we thank God that he has l granted her in health and wealth long to live ■ We thank Him for her faith in Him, for th I lnit'less blessing of her reign, and for herflj !?ood example. We thank Him for the grace that has guided the heart and mind cf her who coming as a helpless girl to a position too critical for the strongest man in his own strength, has governed her people with un- paralleled devotion and identification of herself with them, through a period of changes and I t. developments also unparalleled, and still advancing." H I ST. JOHN BAPTIST. N' The sermon, which was preceded by the use | of the Collect for Unity from the Accession Service, was preached by Canon Cooper Scott j from the 2 Kings, xiii-14, 0 my Father, m Father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen | thereof." The preacher after shewing the con- nection of these words with a time of national mourning and anxiety, said :—We are stricken, suddenly, we may say, because the condition or our Queen was, no doubt wisely, concealed from us. yet. we should have been glad to have been. allowed a longer time to watch and pray for ,f- ,7" one to whom we and the world owe so much.| We are united to-day as a family suffering from | a common loss, and the thought should draw us all more closely toother. We think, or | try to think, of all our Q wen has done for us the wise forbearance and conduct in foreign | affairs, which has sometimes preserved peace i and restored goodwill when complications have l tarisen. We have the testimony of the whole world of the respect and rf-verence in which our Queen was held by other nations. We think of the impartiality with which she conducted the affairs of this constitutional Empire so that Ministers of varying politics unite in testifying to the courteous attention their views received, and have told us that when they differed from the Queen, they were themselves the persons Jwho had formed a wrong judgment. We think ,of the high character for social purity which has always been maintained at the Court, and iof the unbounded sympathy which she always 'shewed to those in sorrow, which made her the ?mother of her people. We think too of the wonderful improvement in the condition of the people which has marke i her reign, so that the poor may well bless the reign of Queen Victoria as covering a time when their whole social pbsition was altered, in respect of their educa- tion, their wages, their food, and their homes. The comparison in respect of these things, between the beginning and the ending of the Queen's reign is so marked as to con- stitute a page in history which is unparalleled. When we think of these things and of the loss we have sustained, we are disposed to cry My Father, my Father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." Yet we do wrong to be faithless in regard to the future. We have cause for thankfulness that we have been allowed to live in such a time, that our lot has been cast in what has been called a golden age or our country. There is mercy in this that our beloved Queen was not called to endure a ong and wearisome illness, oppressed by the iense of her inability to perform the duties of the great position; to within a short time of the end she appears to have been clear in mind, and able to transact the business of the State. We can perhaps trace her own wise considera- ion for the public business, and especially in oreign affairs, in this, that her increasing weak- ness has been carefully kept from us, and aU arrangements made as though life was in no l danger, in order that public affairs might not! suffer confusion, and her nation suffer loss. We  can trace here one of the characteristics of herj ?life, consideration for others, which, combined, witl a sense of devotion to duty, remind us ofj the leading features of her character. Since hat sad Sunday in December, 1861, when the? ?news of the Prince Consort's death reached us,I >eople have not met in God's house on the jord's Day with such heavy hearts as we do ;o-day. Yet here again we must thank God for that high sense of duty which has enabled the Queen in dependence upon God to go on quietly through these 40 years, giving all her ?powers unceasingly to the business of the country. There is a great blessing to us more- Bover in an undisputed succession. There have ?been times in our country's history when uncertainty of this kind has led to grevious ?trouble, plunging the country into civil war, paralysing her industries, and impoverishing her people. But how quietly, and with what a sense of security we have passed from the rule of Queen Victoria to that of King Edward..VII. We should be thankful for such things, and temper our natural cry of sorrow and misgiving with thoughts of hopefulness. Where all recall the longing for peace which was characteristic of our Queen, we can be sensible of the sorrow of heart which she has endured during the past 18 months. No one has been admitted to share the intensity of this secret burden which must have weighed heavy upon the heart, and which she bore for her country's sake. Some are ready to tell us that our country has reached her highest point of glory, that there are signs of decay within, and of successful competition from without. Nations work out their own destiny, and we do not venture to prophesy. We may, however, do this we may believe that if the fear and love of God are the guiding principles of our lives; if the purity of family and social life is preserved (for in this lies the secret of a country's greatness), we shall not be allowed as a nation to fall into a position where our influence for good is lost, or even obscured. There is one point in our Queen's character which naturally should be in our thoughts when we meet in church. It is er genuine religious principles. The Arch- bishop of Canterbury, in his speech in the House of Lords, says :—" Her influence as a woman and, I may add, a truly religious S j woman, was far greater than anything that could be exercised by the wisest statesman or the cleverest administrator. There cannot be any question that all society has been the better because the Queen has reigned. g j Thousands upon thousands I have no doubt are living better lives although they know not the reason, simply because there was such a Sovereign upon the throne. She was a religious woman, she prayed for her people; she set up a true standard of such lives ae Christians ought to live. Throughout the country I do not think there is a jingle heart that is not penetrated by a sense of gratitude that God has given us such a gift."—After the service the Collect from the Service for the Burial of the Dead was used, and the blessing was given by the Bishop of North China. B ST. MARY'S-WrrHOITT-THE-WALLS. I The Rev. H. Blogg, vicar of Frodsham, preaching at St. Mary's, Chester, for the Church of England Temperance Society, said: To-day, my friends, there is one prevailing memory in all our hearts, and in the hearts, I may say, of a sorrow-stricken world. The memory of a saintly Queen who had endeared herself to men and women of divers nationalities, simply because her life was lived, and her sovereign power exercised in full accord with this exhortation of the great Apostle of the Gentiles. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." It was the enuine goodness of Queen Victoria which exalted her to so high an eminence in the estimation of mankind, and which so power- fully wrought her people lasting good. To the character of the Queen, not to her power or position, England owes more than she can ever realise, more than she can ever know. That character has been to all classes in this country the ideal of what is best and highest in true womanhood. Victoria, by the grace of God, aad by the grace of God alone, as she would have been the first to acknowledge, won to irtue multitudes of her subjects, and raised the whole level of social morality infinitely. In the evening the Rector (Rev. H. Grantham) preached from St. Luke i., 6, on The blameless- ness of character." He said at the close of his sermon-" The influence and power of a blame- less life must be felt by all around. Though, as I have said, none save One who ever lived can be called blameless, yet in the example and influence of our great and good Queen, whom we and indeed the whole civilized world mourn, we have in her one bright and glorious star, a pattern indeed to her people. She did her best all through her long life to set them a high and noble example of what true womanhood should be. She was a just and wise governor, a kind and sympathetic friend in time of need, an ideal mother to her people. Brethren, in the presence of death, words must be few, and voices hushed; but we, her loving subjects throughout her vast Empire on which the sun never sets, thank God from the depth of our hearts for such an example of true unselfish love, of purity, and of whole-hearted devotion to the best interests of her people, set forth in the life, and to the very end of the life of our good and gracious Queen. May the bright radiance that spread from the sunset of that beautiful life, be felt by us all here, and to the extremest limit of the civilised world, for the end of that life was Peace, perfect eace.11-The altar, pulpit, lectern, fold-stool, and clergy stalls were draped in black and estooned in violet with white satin rosettes and white crosses. The "Dead March" was played, and at both services the beautiful hymn of Benson's "Lie still beloved, lie still" was sung kneeling by the choir and congrega- tion. The belle were fully muffled with the xception of the tenor, which was completely open, and sounded forth its heavy stroke in the midst of its subdued accompaniments. I HOLY TRINITY. I The Christmas decorations which are kept up j in this church until the Octave of the Purifica- tion (Feb. 9) were all removed early on Wednes- day morning in consequence of the national mourning. On Sunday the Rector announced that the Dedication Festival, usually held on the Feast of Purification (Feb. 2) would be transferred to Trinity Sunday (the Patronal Festival). The Rector (Rev. L. M. Farrall) [preached at the morning service, and the Rev. l T. W. Mundy (curate) in the evening, both preachers expressing in feeling terms the loss which the Empire, and indeed the world, have sustained by the death of the great and good Queen Victoria. After each service a short memorial service, as used in St. Paul's Cathedral during the present days of mourning, was held, the whole congregation remaining on their knees throughout. The "Dead March" in "Saul" was played by the organist (Mr. Pate) at the and of this special service. K? I ALL SAINTS', HOOLE. 13 I On the invitation of Dr. Butt, the chairman« of the Hoole Urban Council, the members and I officials of that authority, including the nre? rigade in their uniform, accompanied him to? divine service at All Saints' Church on Sunday morning. The clergy and choir, wearing mourning on their surplices, met the local; !utho..tirs at the entrance to the church, S and preceded them up the aisle. There! jwas a crowded congregation despite the 'inclement weather that prevailed. An iM. pressive observance was made in the formi 'of the service of the death of Queen Victoria, the hymns Hush! blessed are the dead," "The Saints of God! their conflict past," and l Peace, perfect poace being sung in honour of a the illustrious dead, while at the close of the service the Dead March" in Saul was impressively played on the organ, the congrega- 1 tion standing during the mournful recital. The vicar (the Rev. F. Anderson) made special reference in his sermon to the Empire's loss. S Preaching from the text Thy will be d051e" (Matthew vi., 10) he said they had indeed reason to utter those words on such an ] occasion as this. Last Sunday they prayed very earnestly for the nation and the Empire ] that God, in his infinite mercy, would grant ] that our Queen might be spared to continue to reign over us. Not only in our own country, but throughout the world, as the dangerous condition of our Queen was realised, similar petitions ascended to God on her behalf. It had pleased God, however, not in any disregard to our prayers, but in his own infinite wisdom, to call our beloved Sovereign to Himself. As | a people and as a nation we must learn to acquiesce in a higher will than our own respect- ing our beloved Queen. What were the reasons that our Queen had been so sincerely revered lhat she was revered there was no possible doubt. Very many reasons might be given, but he could only make a selection from them, and confine himself to four. The first was the purity of her court. Anything approaching coarseness found no welcome in the court of  Queen Victoria. It was light, not darkness, | that was always welcome there. It was only what was honourable and just; the contrary ,whole gained her favour and regard, and the ?wbole nation knew this well, and its conscience testined that the Queen was right. The second reason of the admiration she commanded was l that she so fully understood, accepted, and adhered to the English constitution. Our l monarchy was a limited monarchy. Our fore- i fathers held that it must be so, struggled hard to make it so, and they succeeded. Our Queen was taught to understand the conditions on which the monarchy was proclaimed, and when she came to the throne she accepted those con- ditions and religiously observed them. While ijustly maintaining the rights of the Crown, ¡she never sought to invade those of Parliament or her people, and her actions were always in .Istrict accordance with the English Constitution. ?A third reason was her sympathy. We aU iknew how valuable was sympathy and what ag| powerful attraction it had. The Queen's sympathy was always very real. It manifested |itseif in so many different ways, and to all ^classes of her subjects. It manifested itself in |g |her messages and letters and her personal ia avisits; not only were the aSUcted among the ich sincerely condoled with, but the humble ?cottager received an equal share of sympathy. ?So long as the English nation endured would ^the life of Queen Victoria be synonymous? |with the Christlike virtue of Sympathy. ,'A fourth reason of her Majesty's popularity ?was that she never neglected duty, and always ?took a real and intelligent interest in every |task she had to fulfil. There was only too | g gotten a tendency to leave duty for ease and l a ?pleasure, but Queen Victoria always placed |duty in the right position, and in her devotion ?to duty she had set a most happy example. It? ?waa well known that every document submitted? for her approval was wisely and carefully ?scanned, and whenever her signature was officially required a satisfactory reason for it E ?had to be given. Exalted as was her position, ?she knew what sorrow meant, and knew what j It was for the divine will to cross the human e will. Many bad been her trials and bitter her experiences. Husband, children, friends had been taken from her side, and national sorrows had been in many cases almost personal ones to her. She had often had reason to look up to the One whose ways are not as our ways, and in the strength given by Him to say S Father, not my will, but Thy will be done." They fully believed it was in Him that our departed Queen trusted. The long reign that had just closed would always form a most j g memorable chapter in English history, [t had j g been a reign in which there were remarkable 9 contrasts. The growth of our Empire and our 8 ,influence had been most astonishing. If two maps, one shewing the British Empire and its influence as they were when Queen Victoria came to the throne, and the other as they were now, were inspected side by side the contrast was indeed striking. It had pleased God that the Queen's radiant sun should set upon us. S | We could have willed it otherwise, but we | | must learn even in this to say Thy will be gj done." As she had departed from us to a better country than any on earth we would thank God that she was permitted to reign over us so many years, and thank God for her example to her subjects. As long as history would last she would be remembered as Victoria the Good. We would pray that the Prince, her son, who bad succeeded her as Edward VII., might be richly endued with wisdom and strength to preside over the destinies of our Empire. As we deeply sym-1 pathised with the Prince in his bereavement we l would ever ask that he would remember his Royals mother's example and seek to follow it. We would ask that he would think of the piety, earnestness, and wisdom of the last King Edward, and while we honoured the memory of l Queen Victoria—a memory that would never die-we would also be among the first to greet our new monarch in the name of Him by whom kings reign, and to desire in the deepest sincerity that God would indeed save the King. A memorial service will be held at All Saints' Church on. Saturday at noon. | 1- SAUGHALL. I The gloom and sorrow caused by the death of ?our beloved Queen still hangs over the village. At All Saints' Church the services on Sunday took a memorial character. The altar and lectern were draped in black and purple, the lectern having also a beautiful wreath hanging from the centre. Miss Lilian Trelawny presided ?at the organ and played the Dead March in Saul" in a most feeling manner at the com mencement of the morning and evening ser- B! vices. It seemed hard to realise the fact that we have no longer Victoria the Good at the head of our realm, but this was brought home to us most forcibly when we heard the old familiar prayers altered to suit the change of B monarchy. The preacher in the morning was l the Rev. E. Dale, and in the evening the Vicar l (Rev. G. D. White), each of them paying an l eloquent tribute to the virtues of her late f Majesty. Special lessons were read, and the National Anthem was sung at the conclusion of the services. A Memorial Service will be held in the church at the same hour at which the funeral will take place at Windsor. AUDLEM. H Preaching at the Parish Church, the Rev. B Stapleton Cotton said, we were standing, as it [wer between the living and the dead. The psalm for the day, I will lift up mine eyes B unto the hills, from whence cometh my help," was from the beginning of that long and glorious reign the resolve of our late beloved Sovereign. It was Heaven's help on which she ever relied, and which never failed her, that gave that marvellous insight and foresight which she possessed to such an unsurpassed degree. Well might our King make also the words of the psalmist his! The best tribute tc l her of ever blessed memory, would be loyally to l serve her son, King Edward. Queen Victoria in her tender relation of mother to her people was dwelt on at some length by the preacher. Notice of a memorial service on Saturday next I! at noon was given..j; I CHRISTLETON. I During his sermon at Christleton Church on I.,ad ,y morning, the Rev. L. Garnett (rector) made a fitting reference to the death of our late Queen. He said the Queen's noble reign could never be forgotten. They knew her to be absolutely truthful, loyal to her friends, for- giving to her foes, and wholly attentive to her duties. It seemed to them that while her Majesty lived everything would go well. She never failed to do her utmost for the prosperity and welfare of the Empire and the good of her subjects. Queen Victoria was more to them than a Sovereign-she was a mother in her many acts of kindness to those unfortunate in life. They would perhaps never see a Queen like her again. She won the admiration and respect of all by her great kindliness and her never-failing sympathy. Despite her own personal troubles and anxieties she was ever ready to sympathise—and that truly-with those who were stricken down with sorrow or bereavement. Her words of sympathy were real words; they rang true and touched id'eoply the hearts of many. AM felt they had lost someone dearly loved, but still everyone ??h ?ou Id be glad that the late Queen now rested ?rom her heavy labours and had joined those ?ear ones who went before. She had served pier generation with noble devotion and con- picuous success. They should keep her in ?emembrance by trying to follow her good example and endeavouring to maintain the prosperity of the British Empire. Although the good Queen had departed from this life, they should not for a moment imagine that af| change for the worse would occur in the history and progress of the Empire. King Edward VII. had gone to the throne at a very anxious B period, perhaps, but, with the prayers andira help of his people, the Empire might be still I further strengthened and its prosperity main-!K tained. ST. WERBURGH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. I At the 11 o'clock service the pulpit wasl' occupied by the Rev. Canon Lynch, and appro- priate references were made to the death of herl-" Gracious Majesty the Queen. He thought that? silence more befitted the occasion, seeing that the honoured remains of the deceased were not yet interred. However, briefly he wished it to -=-c, ,-c-c-'çr" ..J 'be placed on record that as dutiful and loyal i jCatholics they deeply sorrowed with the whole nation in its overwhelming loss, and desired to add their heartfelt sympathies with his Majesty the King aud all the members of the Royal family in the trial it had pleased divine Pro- | vidence to inflict upon them. I ST. FRANCIS'S. I The Rev. Father Seraphin, in referring to the death of the Queen, said:—As Catholics, and by the very nature of our religion, loyal children of this kingdom, we are filled with deep sorrow at the great loss we have sustained by the death of our beloved and venerated Queen. It is the closing of an epoch which will ever remain one of the brightest in the pages of the history, not alone of this nation but of the world. We Catholics can look back on this reign as one of religious freedom and toleration, so that across all oceans, across all continents, wherever the English language is spoken, Catholicity fostered by freedom and liberty has marched on to progress, and to-day the British Empire can count a Catholic popula- i lation of ten millions and a half.—The Dead March was played at all the services. 8 I FRODSHAM. I On Sunday, in the Parish Church, the Rev. A. Radford, of Chester, in two excellent sermons made touching allusion to the life, character, and qualities of our late Queen Victoria. The Church was draped in black. The hymns, Peace, perfect peace, and Now the labourer's task is o'er," were sung by the choir and congre- | gation, and the organist (Mr. C. H. Hibbert) played Handel's Dead March in "Saul" at the f close of a very solemn service. The altered prayers were used.-At Trinity Chapel on Sun- day the Communion, pulpit, etc., had been draped in black, and in the morning the choir i I and Sunday school children sang the hymn, | Peace, perfect peace." The organists, Messrs. W. H. Pickering and S. Sharp, played the Dead March" in "Saul." | TATTENHALL. I On Sunday morning and evening, servicesw were held in the Parish Church in observance of the National bereavement. Nearly 6veryone wore mourning. The interior ot the church f was draped in black. Special hymns were sung and touching reference was made by the Rector| from the pulpit. And at the conclusion of the? services, the Dead March was played. I HAWARDEN. I The services at the Parish Church on Sunday, were in keeping with the general observance of l mourning in consequence of the death of her l |Mttjesty. The high altar was vested in black, land other parts of the church were similarly | draped. Good congregations were present ^orning and evening, and for the most part, [black garments were worn. The preachers werel ¡he Rev. W. H. Parkes 1U the morning, and the ?Rev. W. T. Williams in the evening. Both i clergymen referred at length to the nationall' Iloss sustained. Special hymns were sung, andj the Dead March in Saul" was played at the !services by the organist (Mr. R. W. Pringle), ¡the choir and congregation remaining standing |^ ?meanwhile, I I ECCLESTON Immediately on receipt of the mournful ] .intelligence a muffled peal was rung. On Sun- day morning the Rector, the Rev. G. A. Robins, ] rpreaching from the text, "Many daughters ) have done virtuously, but thou excellest them' all" (Prov. xxxi. 29), paid a high tribute to ] the life and character of our late beloved sove-j reign. Her reign, he said" was begun in the ] humble discipleship of Jesus Christ. It was ] consecrated by prayer. She set up, by her l (purity of living, a standard of lite for her ] Ipeople to follow, and through the death of one, woman a solemn hush had come over all the. world. Hated by none, beloved and respected by all, she had set for us a noble lesson, which might be summed up in these words: What- soever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.After the sermon the organist, Mr. J. sRobinson, played the Dead March in Saul, 1 the choir and congregation standing.—In the evening the Rev. J. R. Fuller took for his textj j" For to me to live is Christ" (Philippians i. 21)1 and characterised these words a3 the motto of the Queen's life-a life which had been a bless- ing to the nation and to the world. I CHAPELS. I I METHODIST NEW CONNEXION. I  The Rev. E. L. Perry on Sunday evening | ?preached on the words Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus [ Christ." The words, he said, in which the Prince Iof Wales had announced the death of her whom we had learnt to speak of as our Mother-Queen had deeply stirred the heart of the nation, and (had awakened momentous questions of interest ] j and destiny. Referring to life's conflicts, the ] preacher said:—" Our Queen was as much a] j soldier as any of those whom she at times re- I viewed. Her life was not like that of some of herj predecessors, a round of pleasure and selfish E indulgence. She lived to noble purpose. She ihsad formed a lofty ideal of life, and strenuously i strove to realise it. She endured a conflict with outward circumstances. In thought we limit at times such conflict to those in the humbler walks of life, to those who suffer poverty and are ini distress; but in the higher walks of life, within i the charmed circles of Royalty, there are trying ¡ circumstances. This our beloved Queen ex-j perienced times out of number. Those who have! read her biography during the past few days know ] to what extent she experienced at times the truth of the old adage, Uneasy lies the head that wears ] a crown.' But the trying circumstances of life ] were met with a quiet dignity, with a composure I born of wonderful strength of character. She had to contend with the bitterness of bereave- ment. In one year she suffered the loss of mother and husband. This was sorrow upon sorrow. The loss of her beloved consort was a terrible trial. Her life had become so inter- woven with his that when he was removed an abandonment of sorrow was produced such as this world has seldom seen. These bereavements, and others which followed, were sanctified to high and spiritual uses. She was sustained amidst them by Divine grace, and in the midst of sorrow could say with the Master—' Alone, yet not alone, for the Father is with me.' In common with all Royal natures, with all the spiritually-minded, she contended against sin. The fight is necessary in order to win the victory of the future life. Early in life she enlisted under the banner of the cross. When her splendid destiny was revealed to her she said to her tutor I will be good.' She kept her vow, and having fought the good fight until death, she has won the crown of life. 'Until death' —the words remind us that the 'last dread conflict's o'er.' We can hardly realise this. Her life had become so interwoven with the life of the nation; she had been with us so long, that the possibility of her death had almost escaped us. Her bright spirit loosened from the fetters of the body has, however, triumphantly entered through the gates into the city. She sustained life's conflicts so nobly because of her religious' character. A familiar picture represents her, clad as an officer, reviewing her troops. She was really a Christian amazon clothed in the armour of light. She wore the girdle of truth, and was sincere in heart and purpose. We think of the breastplate of righteousness which preserved her conscience and soul from defilement; the gospel of peace, which gave to her confidence amidst life's conflicts; the shield of faith, which sustained her amidst all trials, sorrows and temptations; the helmet of salvation which she wore until God replaced it with a crown of glory. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, which she declared to be the secret of England's prowess, and which is certainly the secret of the Christian's success, was her constant companion. Her religious life was of a noble order. It was marked by a great catholicity. Head of the Episcopal Church in England and of the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, she soared above all party spirit. She was not the patroness of any one party. Losing sight of differences, she rejoiced in the sublime name of Christian. She became what she was through Christ. Grace derived from Him made her life so beautiful and true. We honour her. and in doing so adore the Christ, whose she was and whom she served. It was her l moral excellence, more than the splendours 1 surrounding her throne, that won the love of her j subjects. It is a Christian who, having fought a good fight, having finished her course, having kept the faith, has passed from earth to take her place in the general assembly and church of the firstborn; to stand before God, the Judge of all, among the spirits of the just made perfect." A LAYMAN'S TRIBUTE. On Sunday morning Mr. Beresford Adams occupied the pulpit at the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Boughton. Taking for his text For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain" tphilippians i., 21) he made appropriate refer- ence to the death of the Queen. He said by the death of her Majesty, Queen Victoria, we are called to mourn the loss of a great and good Queen. Her recognition of God was apparent to all. Ever seeking to rule the nation according to the divine will. her sceptre was a sceptre of righteousness. And now that she has laid it down she has passed from an earthly palaoe to the palace of the great King, rom an earthly throne, to join the good of all the ages before the eternal throne of God. There is great cause for thankfulness for all. She has accomplished far more than any other monarch who preceded her on the throne of these realms. She sweetened human life, and purified English Society. While thanking God for her Christly life, let us pray for the King who succeeds her, that he may follow in her steps and by divine grace be enabled to rule this kingdom in righteousness. | PRIMITIVE METHODIST, GEORGE- I STREET. A memorial service was held in the Primitive ethodist Church, George-street, on Sunday evening. The Rev. Jas. Travis conducted the service. A large congregation assembled, and appropriate hymns were sung. The preacher selected as his text Acts xiii., 36. He pourtrayed the early life and training of the late QueenIr, describing her accession to the throne, her long and useful reign, and her happy and peaceful death. He referred to her as a most Con- stitutional Sovereign, deeply interested in the welfare, both social and moral, of her people. In touching words he depicted Iter t^ndnrnetrS 1 and sympathy for the suffering, her hntr.-d of i;, everything that might be considered vulgar 01 j impure, her toleration and Catholicity with regard to creed and religion, and her high per- sonal character as being the secret of the love and respect of her subjects, and the progress and success which had characterised her length- f ened and happy reign. At the close of the, sermon the following resolution was submitted, the whole of the congregation rising in assent, while the organist played the Dead March :— We, the congregation worshipping in the Primitive Methodist Church, George-street, Chester, beg you respectfully to convey to His Majesty, King Edward VII. and all the members of his illustrious family, how deeply we share in the great sorrow which has fallen upon the Royal household and the Empire by the death of our beloved and gracious Sovereign, the late Queen, whose long and unselfish- devotion to the duties of her exalted position secured for her the united loyalty and attach- ment of her subjects." The resolution has been forwarded to the Secretary of His Majesty's Privy Council. CITY ROAD PRESBYTERIAN. At City Road Presbyterian Church the Ref- D. Treborth Jones dwelt upon the unique character of the affection and sorrow that have found expression during the last few days. TbO pulpit. was draped, and the "Dead March" iO Saul" played at the conclusion of eacJ service, the congregation standing. i ( NORTHGATE CONGREGATIONAL. This church was draped with black, and, at the conclusion of the service the Dead March iO Saul" was played. In the course of his sermoft the Rev. F. Barnes said :—"The death of QueO Victoria is a world-wide calamity. Not only 0 the British nation stirred to its innermo^ depths, but in every part of the globe there if sincere and genuine sorrow. Never did monarch command such universal respect 0 such unlimited influence. Many reasons miglj be assigned for this remarkable outburst J rief, such as the unique position she occupid ias monarch of so vast an empire, the ui2pe eedented length of her reign, or the wisdom sl^ displayed in the management of her affaiP But without doubt the most prominent featll were the unsullied purity of her own life, high-toned morality of her Court, and tbe depth and integrity of her religious character, I Without unduly eulogizing all she said and she will be known to future history as t greatest woman of her age. Historians speak of her as a mighty factor in the regenera- tion of human society, as one who by b0* persistent efforts in an upward direction 60 raised the moral tone of the nation as to ma it conspicuous for benevolence and philanthrop1 Endowed with a keen sense of the weight obligations and responsibilities of her rank SD station, she used to the full all her influence 0 the side of righteousness and of truth. Posse ing a keen intellect, she cultivated her gr 1 gifts for her country's good. With queetil dignity, and yet with womanly grace and gent ness, she for many years discharged all duties pertaining to her onerous office. E". in the midst of her heaviest trials and domestl sorrows she persistently kept in tolle with the political and religious life 0 the nation. The testimony borne in bo Houses of Parliament by responsible Ministers pfof the Crown shews her to have been very S largely endowed with a soundness of judgmen tana a clearness of perception which enabled be Etc exert a wondrous power in the councils 0 the nation, both wise and salutory. Althoug a constitutional monarch, she was not a mer cipher in the hands of her ad visers. She hac opinions of her own which on special occasion she was not slow to express, and which (within Parliamentary rule and procedure) she did nO t hesitate to enforce. Although unhappily be own life set while the horizon was yet disturbe by the clash of arms and the din of war, sh was a woman of peace and ardently yearned fol the cessation of hostilities. It is an ope* secret that on more than one occasion she act the part of peacemaker among Continental 1 diplomatists and by the strength of her olvg personality prevented the war dogs from beinfe freed from the leash. But great and beautify as was her character as a queen, it was stilfc more conspicuous in the home life among bt- children and her own immediate friends. It idi 1 not left to the newspaper correspondent, or tof the general historian, to give us a Klimpse 0* the everyday pursuits of Queen Victoria. Thid she did in that inimitable book in which eveo the natural emotions of wife, mother, an" friend have been laid bare for public inspectioØ and criticism. In plain, simple language ribe talks of her late husband, her darling childrelm, her friends, and her servants; and froøJ, these jottings from her own diary "6; c gather that she was' an affectionate f I wife, a devoted mother, an honoured mistres? and a faithful friend and to crown the whoW lthere ca.n be no doubt she was a true Christie Many years ago I bad the privilege of obserf ing closely her demeanour during a service$ Crathie Church, Balmoral, Scotland, whe? summer after summer she was wont to spend 0 quiet month or more, visiting the cottagOO in the village and graciously conferring upo! ,the inmates many queenly bounties. On tJil occasion to which I refer, I was much struck b1 the devout and solemn manner in which sif entered into every part of that simple Presbf terian service, and from all that we are able 11 learn there can, I think, be but one conviction and that is, that she was a true follower of Jestl Christ; and now, brethren, that she has beef taken from our midst at a ripe old age, we mulo be thankful to Almighty God that during bef brief illness she was spared bodily pain, thd almost to the last she maintained her faculties and that when the end came, she quietly fe' asleep." I HUNTER-STREET. The following tribute is by the Rev. JameØ A. Cheeseman, of the City Temple, Huntef street: One of the great things that struck me during the short period of the Queen's ilJ" ness, was the rising tide of emotion that bsf been gradually growing higher and higher if the public mind and heart, just like the watø rises to the lock gates. Sometimes, when t?? are closed, there is a running river beh]L them. So the people have felt the tide emotion in our nation growing day by dap I until at last the blow came upon us and hardly knew what to say, for this good QueO had been so inseparably associated with 0"; lives. She had grown in us as it were. 1" think of Queen Victoria—why, we have if other Queen, and we never did. We wanted rI other. Most of us here were born beneath hit Royal sceptre, and we should have been weJ" content to have died under it. She has beef like sunshine, something that we did not wd to be separated from in our day. She was < sweet and good, sympathetic and pure, true air I noble. And what we have felt all the natie^ have felt. And now there has come the en*" and there is a new King. We hardly know ho" to name the name of a King! It ho been Queen so long-Queen Victoria We can speak about nothing els" Let us see, how the Queen is an example to 00 in our every walk of Me. She has been < Queen of queens, a wife of wives, a mother mothers, a woman of women. In every aspeg of her life she has somehow rendered Om beautiful and lovely. She has known how 0t4o' live among princes and yet live the true a!? simple life of an English wife and mother, af not a stain upon her fair name or reputatio Think of it. That is being a Queen, and thol is the kind of queenliness to which all womff can aspire, and they can have it on the sarJJI terms as she did, through Christ Jesus P? you know why Queen Victoria was the Gr?atZeO-$4l Queen that has ever reigned in England, a!? the greatest monarch in the world in whic? she lived ? Was it because there welo 400,000,000 who were her subjects, or becauo hers was an Empire upon which the sun nevo set ? Not at all. No man or woman is grolo because of anything underneath them. Evelf man or woman is great because of what above them. And Queen Victoria was a grego subject under the great King Jesus Christ. J* was because she was His servant that she WII" the greatest Queen that ever reigned." TIJ' preacher referred to several incidents in tbO life of the Queen to shew her devotions 808! wife, as a mother, and her simplicity in domestid habits. He also alluded with satisfaction t4 the presence of her grandson, the Ger-SO Emperor, at her death-bed. f!nn/>ln^inn he. QA You could not tell from anything the QueeJI ever said to what church she belonged. Sbe was a Presbyterian in Scotland, we know, boD not from anything she ever said; she was SO Episcopalian in England, but not from anything she ever said. And you would not be able tP place her either in the high church or the broai church or the low church from anything sbl ever said. She was the wisest, sweetest, an,) most liberal Christian that ever trod the stapf of a pa ace. Up there in Scotland, where tb* establis ent is a Presbyterian Church, shft the head of the empire, worshipped loyally an? simply in the Presbyterian Church. DOWO here, as the Queen of England, where thO establishment is the Episcopalian Church, if this church she was a regular and devout worshipper. Never did the Queen givo up the regular habit of attending church Where did she learn obedience to tb' law ? Through barristers, or jurist* or statesmen ? That a little, but still more frorf the great law of God that was expounded to bet through worship. There she knelt and prayej, no longer as the Queen, but as a woman wM 'had learned the law of God and to be one d God's servants. When I think of the way 11 which England has been governed during tW last 63 years by our gracious sovereign Queef Victoria, I thank God that it has been my 1 of and portion to live in those times, and to hav" t,iiir, example of queenliness before me, and to have shar. d somewhat in the glory that baØ I -c-"