The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-24 00:00:00

THE EXETER HALL SERVICES.

The first six of the present series of special services for the
working-classes were conducted by well-known metropolitan
clergymen. At the seventh service on Sunday evening the
preacher was the Rev. C. D. Marston, incumbent of i :hrist
Church, Dover ; and the fact that the hall was quite full to
hear a clergy max whose name can hardly be said to be known
in London shows conclusively that these great congregations
are not drawn together merely to hear this or that distin-
guished minister. Among those on the platform it was inte-
resting to observe the Rev. Dr. Miller, in whose church at
Birmingham special seryices for working men were first
held. Who shall say " whereunto this may grow 7" There
was the same solemn stillness during prayer and the read-
ing of the Scriptures, and the same heartiness in singing,
which we have noticed on former occasions.

Mr. Marston, having read 1 King xviii., selected his text
from v. 21, "And Elijah came unto all the people and said,
How long halt ye between two opinions ? If the Lord be God,
follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And the people
answered him not a word." After some introductory remarks
on the value attaching to decision of character, he proceeded
to illustrate his subject from the details of the chapter,
showing how strikingly decision for God waa exemplified
by Elijah in the midst of the deeply-fallen nation of Israel.
He might (he continued) dwell on his text in its national
bearings ;—in reference to the abolition of the distinctive
mark of Christianity by one branch of the Legislature, the
petting of Popery, and the false neutrality in India. He
might also refer to its ecclesiastical bearings;—with respect
to the toleration in our Church of Romish doctrine and
Romish practices on the one hand, and of Unitarian doc-
trine and Unitarian developments on the other. But he
would pass over these points in order to come to the in-
dividual application of the question, How long halt ye,
&c. He then proceeded to open up his subject under
three heads—(l), The class of persons more particularly
addressed ; (2), The objects between which they halt ; (3),
The reasons why they halt. He depicted with
much power the miserable state of the waverer,
and spoke with searching faithfulness to the consciences
of his hearers, addressing himself pointedly to various
classes—Sabbath-breakers, pleasure lovers, doubters, lovers
of gross sins, awakened souls, and especially to those who,
like Joseph of Arimathea, were disciples, indeed, " but
secretly, for fear of the Jews." He concluded by an appeal
to decided Christians to make their decision more manifest
before the world. The service closed as usual with prayer,
a hymn, and the benediction.

At Toulon, three days cta who were in a
boat, took advantage of a favourable wind to put out to
sea, first disarming and binding the guard set over them.
The man at the helm, to avcid the same fate, jumped
overboard and remained hanging by a plank, which hap-
pened to be floating, until he was picked up by a boat.
As soon as the escape was known, a steamer was sent after
the convicts, and orders were transmittal to the gendarmerie
all along the coast to be on the watch. The convicts, wi h
the exception of one who is still loose, were captured on the
following day at Glens.
At the theatrical performances in the railway
station at Cherbourg, on the occasion of the visit of the Em-
peror and Empress, collections for the poor were made to
the extent of 934 f., which sum has just been (distributed by
the railway company.