INTERIOR OF THE OLD SANDEMANIAN MEETING-HOUSE, PAUL'S ALLEY.

The flow and energy which characterised Faraday as a lecturer were replaced in his sermons by a simplicity and earnestness that together are best described as true devoutness. His sermons were always extemporary, although the outlines of them were carefully prepared beforehand, a small card having noted down on either side of it the heads of the elder's discourse and reference to such passages in the Bible as he wanted to quote. One of these cards is given that it may show with what slight notes the earnest and reverent preacher provided himself. A friend, describing him officiating at the chapel, which was situated in Paul's Alley, Redcross Street, City, but which has long since been pulled down, and the Church transferred to Barnsbury Grove, N., said, "He read a long portion of one of the Gospels slowly, reverently, and with such an intelligent and sympathising appreciation of the meaning, that I thought I had never before heard so excellent a reader."

—2 Peter iii. 1, 2, 14. A prophetic warning to Christians.
—First, the power and grace and promises of the gospel.
—i. 3, by His power are given great and precious promises,
—4, divine nature and brethren exhorted to give diligence,
—5, whilst in this life up to v. 8.
—Then cometh a warning of the state into which they may
—fall, 8, 9, if they forget—as he stirs them up, 12, 13, 15, as
—escapers from the corruption, i. 4.
—iii. 14. Wherefore, beloved, seeing ye LOOK for such things,
—their hope and expectation—it is to stir up their pure mind,
—iii., 1, by way of remembrance—hastening the day of the,
—v. 12, awful as that day will be, 12, 7, because of the
—deliverance from the plague of our own heart.
—2 Cor. iv. 18, 17, 16, look not at things seen—temporal.
—Titus ii. 13, looking for the hope and glorious appearing.
—Heb. x. 37, yet a little while, and He that shall come will come.
—The world make His forbearance a plea to forget Him or
—deny Him.
—iii. 4, 5, perceiving Him not in His works. His people see
—His mercy and long-suffering and look for His promise, 12,
—14, and salvation, 15, and learn that He knoweth how to
—reserve, ii 3, 9, and preserve, hence
—they are not to be slothful, Prov. xxiv. 30.
—nor sleeping—Matt xxv. 1. Sleeping virgins
—nor doubting iii. 4.
—nor repining Heb. xii. 12, 3, 5, lift up hands
—Jas. v. 7, 8, be patient—husbandmen
—waiteth, but waiting, Luke xii. 36, 37, 39, 40,
—Peter 41, v. 58, 58 refers to days of long-suffering.
—Wherefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things, beware, etc.,
—danger of falling away in many parts, i. 9, ii. 20, 21, 22,
—great pride of the formal adherers, ii. 19, 13.
— But the assurance is at iii. 18—i. 2, 8.

COPY OF ONE OF THE CARDS FROM WHICH FARADAY PREACHED.

Another of his listeners said, "His object seemed to be to make the most use of the words of Scripture, and to make as little of his own words as he could. Hence a stranger was struck first by the number and rapidity of his references to texts in the Old and New Testaments, and secondly, by the devoutness of his manner." Yet another friend, who had been privileged to hear Faraday preach before his small flock, said of his sermons, "They struck me as resembling a mosaic work of texts. At first you could hardly understand their juxtaposition and relationship; but as the well-chosen pieces were filled in by degrees their congruity and fitness became developed, and at last an amazing sense of the power and beauty of the whole filled one's thoughts at the close of the discourse."

This, his first period of eldership in the Church, continued from 1840 until 1844, when a slight misunderstanding having arisen between himself and the brethren, he for a time relinquished the office; occupying it again, however, later on in life. His earnest religious feeling was an abiding source of consolation to him in all his trials; it affected in no slight degree his life and life-work at all points, although, to his credit be it said, that it was rather the spirit of his religious feeling which was thus manifested, and it is not by any means to be understood that he was in even the slightest degree given to cant, such a thing being far from possible with him. His religion was a something too sacred and too immediately between himself and his God, as he said, for him to refer to it, except when circumstances especially called for it. Then, in the earnest sympathetic words of comfort, which he addressed to those persons with whom he was intimate when they were in trouble, we may trace the true deep current of religion, which was so essentially a part of his nature.

It is interesting to connect the name of our philosopher with a great institution such as the establishment of the penny post. In 1840 Sir Rowland Hill tells us in his autobiography that he was sorely puzzled to find an ink that, having obliterated the postage stamps, should not be removable. "In my anxiety," he says, "I went so far as to trouble the greatest chemist of the age. Kindly giving me the needful attention, though in an extremely depressed state of health, the result of excessive labour, a fact, of course, unknown to me when I made the application, Mr. Faraday approved of the course which I submitted to him: viz., that an aqueous ink should be used both for the stamp and for obliteration."

Referring to this same year we find an interesting entry in Crabb Robinson's Diary. "May 8th.—Attended Carlyle's second lecture.... It gave great satisfaction, for it had uncommon thoughts and was delivered with unusual animation.... In the evening heard a lecture by Faraday. What a contrast to Carlyle! A perfect experimentalist, with an intellect so clear! Within his sphere, un uomo compito. How great would that man be who could be as wise on Mind and its relations as Faraday is on Matter!"

Faraday's life as a scientific experimentalist and discoverer is divided into two periods by an interval of four years, during which he did but little, or, compared with his previous performances but little, work. Such a time of rest was indeed rendered absolutely necessary by loss of memory and giddiness, which had troubled him occasionally before, and which now put a stop to his experiments. This period of partial rest commenced with a three months' trip in Switzerland, where he was accompanied by his wife and her brother. Dr. Bence Jones says, "In different ways he showed much of his character during this period of rest. The journal he kept of his Swiss tour is an image of himself. It was written with excessive neatness, and it had the different mountain flowers which he gathered in his walks fixed in it as few but Faraday himself could have fixed them. His letters are free from the slightest sign of mental disease. His only illness was overwork, and his only remedy was rest."

A few passages from this Swiss journal are all that can be given. The first stay of any length was made at Thun, whence many walking excursions were undertaken, sometimes indeed Faraday walking as much as forty-five miles in the one day, a sufficient proof that he was not at all bodily ill. The journal gives us many a word-picture of the scenery and of the people, with now and then quaint observations and humorous reflections; let the following passages speak for themselves:—