MEETINGS FOR SPECIAL PRAYER. WE again invite the members of the Society, and the Friends of Christian Missions in general, on Monday the 5th instant, to unite their earnest supplications, with their Protestant brethren on the continent, to the God of all grace :"1. To deliver our brethren in the South Sea Islands, and the whole Church, from the attempts of the Papacy. "2. To pour his Holy Spirit from on high on all the Evangelical Churches, and to unite them by a living faith. "3. To endow all Christians, and particularly Pastors and Evangelists, with decision and courage to resist Rome, and to advance the glorious reign of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God. "4. To speedily consume by the Spirit of his mouth' (2 Thess. ii. 8) the deadly errors of the Papacy; to break the yoke which she has imposed upon the necks of so many people; and to lead by his counsel the souls whom she would estrange from Christ, and who ought to be dear unto us, into the glorious liberty of the children of God." DEATH OF MRS. BIRT, IN SOUTH AFRICA. THE friends of the Society will participate in the extreme distress and sorrow which the Directors have felt on receiving intelligence, within the last few days, of the death of Mrs. Birt, in Caffreland, in consequence of an accident which occurred while travelling in company with her husband, from the sea-side to the station at Umxelo. The full particulars have not been yet received; but, in all probability, we shall be enabled to communicate them in our next number. Contributions in aid of the Society will be thankfully received by Thomas Wilson, Esq., Treasurer, and Rev. John Arundel, Home Secretary, at the Mission House, Blomfield-street, Finsbury, London; by G. Yule, Esq., Broughton Hall, Edinburgh; J. Risk, Esq., Cochran-street, Glasgow; and by Rev. John Hands, Society House, 7, Lower Abbey-street, Dublin. Tyler & Reed, Printers, 5, Bolt-court, London. THE EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE, AND MISSIONARY CHRONICLE. FOR JULY, 1843. MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. JOHN BREESE, THE biography of a righteous man is VOL. XXI, present the outline of a biography, -which gives but an inadequate idea of its subject. The late Rev. John Breese, of Carmarthen, who still lives in the affections of thousands in the principality, was born at Llanbrynmair, Montgomeryshire, in September, 1789. The care of his infancy devolved on an uncle and aunt, who brought him up as one of their own children. "During the period of his boyhood," (writes the Rev. S. Roberts, the whole of whose interesting letter our limits will not allow us to insert,) "under Mr. Charles of Bala, whose exertions for the religi ous instruction of youth, have endeared his memory to all that knew him, John Breese became one of his best catechumens in this part. What rich reward ministers might reap of their labours with the sabbath-school! Many, besides Mr. Breese, of our most effective ministers, received their first religious training in a sabbath-school. Were our churches generally, more deeply imbued with a sense of the importance of such a training, they would soon have to occupy a position of influence 2 E far higher and nobler than that which they have attained to." From his childhood till he was 21 years of age, his time was spent amidst circumstances which were not conducive to the developement of those moral and intellec mind of the preacher, and make the minister not unwilling to live to please. Some of the sermons, which Mr. Breese preached when a student, produced deep and abiding impressions. The melting tenderness that accompanied on a calm summer's sabbath evening to a vast assembly in a shady court before the chamber window of a pious Christian, then on her dying bed, ripe for heaven, was wonderful and ever to be remembered. I have the account of many other similar instances, but must forbear to insert them. Before the regular time had expired, he was persuaded to leave college, and accept an invitation from a small congregation, which then worshipped at Edmondstreet, Liverpool. This church consisted of about 60 members, and the number of hearers proportionally small. He was ordained the pastor of that church in the year 1817. This church having removed to the Tabernacle, in Great Hall-street, so rapidly increased that that spacious building in the course of a few years became too small to contain the crowded audience which attended his ministry. Another chapel was built in Greenland-street, and in the year 1832, the Rev. T. Pierce accepted a call to become his co-pastor, who still labours there with much suc tual energies, which afterwards in-one from Phil. i. 23, which he preached fluenced and blessed souls. At this time, he entered into the family of a pious farmer, and there he became a decided character and joined the Congregational Church, under the pastoral care of the late Rev. J. Roberts, of Llanbrynmair. His judicious and kind friend the farmer, was not an insensible observer of the deep-toned piety which pervaded his devotional exercises, when conducting the family worship. The fervency, simplicity and comprehensiveness of his prayers, his fondness for the Bible, the purity of his conversation, his love for meditation and retirement, soon commended him to the notice of the church. He was encouraged to prepare short addresses on given subjects which gave full satisfaction to all who heard them and were considered as germs of future eminence. Subsequent to his entering the North Wales Academy he had, for some time, the advantage of the able instruction of Mr. (now Professor) Lee. He was about 24 years of age when he entered that institution, then under the care of Dr. G. Lewis. He distinguished himself there for his unremitting attention to college duties, and was considered a hard student. His occasional labours when at college were wonderfully blessed. It is a general rule, and has on record but few exceptions, that the minister will be, what the student is. The piety which triumphs over the sins which continually beset a student, the devotion which glows in a heart assailed by so many temptations, are likely to shine with increased lustre in the character of the pastor. On the other hand, the student who envies the usefulness of others, but has no resolute mind to labour, who neglects the cultivation of public spirit, self-denial, pious zeal, and is weary to walk with God, contracts such habits as will fetter the cess. Thus he saw that prophecy fulfilled, "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation; and the Lord will hasten it in his time." The Welsh population of Liverpool were greatly blessed, in having a man who laboured so indefatigably to promote among them the cause of benevolence and religious instruction. He did not confine his exertions to his own immediate sphere. He directed his attention to his countrymen at Manchester, who were without the privilege of having the Gospel preached to them in their own language. He paid for a room to preach in, and to keep a Sunday-school. Often, of a Monday morning, he would spend his last shilling on purposes of charity there, and thus reduce himself to the hard necessity of |