A HASTY GLANCE AT SOME PARTS OF OUR BRITISH ZION.

hearts were opened to pay attention to the
voice of the King of kings; Mercy's stores
were opened; the treasures dealt out in rich
abundance; the words of the poet nicely fit
in, where he says,

'The op'ning heavens around us shine
With beams of sacred bliss;
While Jesus shew'd his heart was ours,

And whisper'd we were his.'

This is enough; 'My beloved is mine, and I am his.' Many of the Lord's dear children were satisfied as with marrow and fatness; cheered with wines on the lees well refined; and I do hope the Word of God will be verified concerning us-' The name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is there.' In every sense of the word it was a good Opening day; the Lord opening the hearts of his children to receive his truth; also he opened their hearts to contribute willingly towards his house; the collections amounted to sixteen pounds; for which we desire to praise our God, and humbly thank our numerous friends. I have sent you an hymn that was composed by a christian brother for the occasion, which is as follows:

OPENING OF GUILDFORD CHAPEL, L. M.
'Great God, thy goodness and thy grace,
Resplendant shines in Jesu's face;
And all thy gracious acts of love
Flow through a precious Saviour's blood.
And we, as monuments of grace,
Are here to celebrate thy praise;
And cause thanksgiving to abound,
While heaven rejoices at the sound.
And as these walls are rais'd for thee,
O may they consecrated be;
And by thy sacred presence blest,
That here the weary soul may rest.
May here the silver trumpet sound,
Sinners be sav'd and rebels found;
And all the church in union dwell,
As sinners who are sav'd from hell!
Long may Jehovah's name be heard,
The truth, the life, the living word;
And at the sound let error flee,
This place held sacred still by thee.
And when a future day shall come,
That God shall call his ransom'd home;
May the great Judge with joy aver,
This and that man was born in her!

'J. G., Kingston.'"

IPSWICH.-Lord's-day, June 3rd, Mr. Poock, of Ipswich, baptised ten persons in the river Orwell. The morning was without a cloud; the sun, as a bridegroom, had risen out of his chamber; the tide in majestic grandeur rose, obeying the laws of its almighty Lord. The candidates advanced with willing steps, surrounded by a host of two thousand spectators, who, on the whole,

171

attended with good order; the great Founder of the institute granted his divine presence to the refreshing of the souls of many; the singing, praying, and preaching was attended with the unction and savour of the Holy Ghost; the candidates rejoiced in their Lord, giving glory to his holy name. Scarce had Mr. Poock come out of the water, when one man, (late of the church of England,) expressed his desire to be one of the next, declaring the Lord had also visited and blessed his soul under Mr. P.'s ministry. 'Blessed art thou, O Lord; teach me thy statutes.' Psa. cxix. 12.

GREENWICH.

"The ordinance of Believer's Baptism was administered by our esteemed pastor J. Gwinnell, for the first time in our new chapel, Bridge Street, Greenwich, on Thursday, May 31st, to sixteen persons, after an affectionate address delivered by brother Allen, of Cave Adullam. Two of the candidates were a son and daughter of an aged minister, Mr. Kevell. And on Lord's-day, June 3rd, the above number, with four from other churches, were publicly received into our church at the Supper Ordinance, our pastor, as usual, briefly relating their various experiences. The Lord is indeed greatly blessing the preached word to the ingathering of his chosen church. May we be kept humble, prayerful, and truly thankful. J. T."

LUTTERWORTH.-" I am, through mercy, as usual, in health of body, but a polluted leper, body and soul: this would be a paradox to most professors, yet I trust you have an experimental key to unlock this mysterious door. Hezekiah knew this, when he said, By these things men live.' To die to live-to be cut down to be preserved-to be famished to be fed-and to have this house burnt down to be driven to a sure hidingplace, are secrets hid from the wise and prudent, but revealed unto babes. Twenty years ago I thought I was deeply taught in many divine mysteries, and could in secret pride look down upon tender gracious souls as far below my standard in experience, both in grace and providence; I now feel myself a fool, often wish I could spend the remnant of my days in seclusion, to mourn my past folly, and be entirely devoted to God, body, soul, and spirit; but the Lord has ordained me to go forth, and take forth the precious from the vile; and the more I plan to keep here in the back ground, the more he seems determined to upset my schemes and send me out. Truly, if I am right, these are awful times. Zion is a wilderness; Jerusalem a desolation; the rams fighting; the sheep wandering; the lambs shivering and crying; and the devil making merry at Zion's calamities. Yet there are a few that tremble for the ark of the Lord, who can and do meet together for

an hour, once a-week, to wrestle with the
Lord for Zion's peace and prosperity. The
Lord give us a heart to love him and his
Zion more and more. Watts says-

"The man that seeks thy peace,

And wishes thine increase, A thousand blessings on him rest." I view myself daily as one of the most striking monuments of the Lord's mercy in the world. Here I have been for years, with a number of kind friends, a peaceable home, a quiet people, a good congregation, and poor souls often coming to me to declare that the Lord does bless the word to them in times of great distress; and plenty of enemies and persecutors to act as the devil's whetstone, sharpening the edge of the instruinent,' having teeth.'

R. D. F.

Notices of New Works.

"The Portentous Signs of the Times." The
Circular Letter of the Kent and Sussex
New Association; for 1849. Mr. W.
Pope, Baptist minister, Meopham, Kent,
Secretary.

THIS association held its annual meeting at
Hadlow, in Kent; and it is stated that the
letters from the churches shewed that they
were in peace; and enjoying a measure of
prosperity. We are fearful that the measure
of real prosperity is very small; if the Table
of 'Numerical Account' may be taken as a
fair index. Nevertheless we are thankful to
find that in some humble measure THE
TRUTH is spreading; surrounded as she now
is by floods of fashionable and popular errors.
Brethren Slim, Edgcombe (of Dover,) Blake,
and Mose preached. We were told that the
discourses were sound; and the meetings
were well conducted.

"Poems on Scriptural, Spiritual, and Experimental Subjects. By T. WELLAND, Pastor of Zion Chapel, Witley, and elsewhere.' London: Houlston and Stone

man.

THIS is the first part of a series, intended
ultimately to form a volume of Original
Poems on spiritual matters. We do not con-
sider ourselves to be any judges of poetry :
but, in reading some of the pieces in this
part, we have been edified and refreshed ;
and there certainly are some striking and
original gushes of a mind more than ordi-
narily gifted for poetic composition. This
part contains, Poems "on the Death of Wil-
My Spiritual Birthday;"
liam Gadsby;"
"Friendship ;" Brotherly Love;" "Naa-
man the Leper;" "The Life Boat; or
Noah's Ark ;" and other pieces.

"Two Dialogues-the first, between Two Christians; wherein the distressed, afflicted, tempted, doubting, and desponding soul is strengthened, encouraged, and comforted. The second-between a Christian and his neighbour, upon the Doctrine of Election, and the Ordinance of Believer's Baptism, wherein Scripture evidence is produced to prove their authenticity, by Edward Arnold, Minister of the Gospel, Cuckfield, Sussex." London: Houlston and Stoneman; to be had also of Mr. Stenson, King's Road, Chelsea.

WE do unhesitatingly say of this little manual, that it gives A SAFE and very CERTAIN SOUND, relative to matters that are of much importance among the living family. Its sound is safe; because all it says is based upon, and backed up by scripture authority; and it is sound because there is no mixture of

error with truth; but there is a faithful compound of doctrine, experience, and practice.

The Circular Letter which had been There are very many sincere souls, who do drawn up by Mr. THOMAS JONES, (of Chatham,) is, indeed, a valuable document; and not know,-or, are not established in the fundamental doctrines of divine grace; ought, as we think, to be printed in a cheap and separate form, for general and extensive neither have they minds capacious enough distribution. It is an able REVIEW of the to digest-or, pockets deep enough to purpast and present movements of the different chase the able treatises which many of our professedly religious bodies throughout conti- fathers in Israel have written in defence of the grand corner-stones of the Christian nental Europe; and after giving our own churches' a sound thrashing; and fear-faith; but such simple, unadorned Truth as lessly pointing out the many infirmities and is contained in this little shilling volume is inconsistencies which too generally charac- well suited to the two-fold necessities of terize the members thereof, the writer comes thousands of the redeemed family. to a solemn close with the following weighty spirit which this little messenger breathes, sentence:-" 'Brethren, there are Signs in is one of DECISION FOR TRUTH IN ALL ITS the Times, and in the state and temper of PARTS-and LOVE TO LIVING SOULS IN ALL THEIR SORROWS, and SAD MISTAKES:the churches, portentous enough to fill us with alarm lest the Lord come and remove therefore, we heartily bid it God-speed; and the candlestick out of his place, and leave say, the churches to experience a famine of the word of life. Let us pray to be delivered from all evil, and for the quickenings and drawings of the Holy Ghost, 'that we may run with patience the race set before us.'"'

Go, little book; and simply tell,

The

How Christ redeems poor souls from hell.

Be not discouraged; for, it is certain blessings from heaven will attend thee.

66

An Address to the Ministers, and Churches of Christ in Old England.

PART II.

Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him, because he followed not with us."-LUKE ix. 49.

:

BRETHREN-Satan's kingdom is a king-measure of faith given, with the ability dom of lies, murder, darkness, and death; that God giveth according to the oracles and without the light of the glorious gospel of God,' of Christ, this world is a fac-simile of hell! But the kingdom of Christ is a kingdom of light, life, truth and love. For this purpose the Son of God was manifest in the flesh that he might destroy the works of the devil.' Were the natural sun taken out of the solar system, what a dark world this would be, and if Christ, the heavenly sun of righteousness, is left out of our ministry, O what a dark world is this! It is only by the light of the natural sun that we see the Sun so it is only in the light of the spritual Sun that we can see any beauty and loveliness in Jesus. In thy light we see light.' The natural sun gives light to all the natural world, and our true spiritual sun gives light to all the regenerate spiritual world. The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy sun shall no more go down. The life was the light of men.' Thus where Christ the light of life is in the soul, it must come to the light and see the sun. The sun may blaze at noonday on a dead man's eyes (dead in trespasses and in sin,) but he doth not see the light, because there is no life within. But Jesus saith, 'This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'-John vi. 40.

God, in his universal goodness, by the natural sun, enlightens all the revolving sphere, and the inhabitants thereof. He maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust.' Would not you think that a very selfish man who would have all the sun, and rain, shine, and fall on his own field, and none on his neighbour's field? God's good gifts fall on all men in the natural world, and his perfect gifts fall on all the regenerate spiritual world, Christ and all his perfections are God's great gifts to the church. And it is in the name of Christ and by the power of the Holy Ghost in preaching the gospel, that light breaks in upon men's minds, to discover satan's works of darkness, and through the name and power of Jesus, devils are cast out of men's souls; and if souls are enlightened by the same light, from heaven, why should we endeavour to blow each other's candle out, that we may shine alone? Some preachers appear yery jealous of others, and would not allow them to shine if they could prevent it. But if we see the spirit of truth and love in any man, why should we forbid his prophecying, preaching, and casting out devils? Having gifts differing, but all the same spirit, let us prophecy, according to the

But as the sun does not shine round any body at one and the same time, in this mortal state, we have all a dark side, and satan, the old serpent, crept up the dark side of Peter, and up the dark side of some other disciples of Jesus, Master (said they) we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and we forbade him because he followed not with us.' Ah, brethren, don't ye see, the idol great I, WE and Us! We forbade him because he followed not with us!' Jesus said, 'Fordid him not, for he that is not against us is for us, for there is no man that can do a miracle in my name that lightly speak of me.' Ah but they would not be silenced with the meek and kind words from the mouth of Jesus. No, no, they must be at him again, for satan prompted him to revenge; on another occasion, saying, 'Lord, wilt thou command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?' Then Jesus returned and rebuked them, and said, 'ye know not what manner of spirits ye are of, for the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives but to save them.' This was evidently the work, and spirit of satan the old murderer, infusing thoughts of murder, revenge, and death, into the mistaken disciples. Jesus came not to destroy us, for satan, sin, and self have already destroyed us, and our only help, life, and salvation is found in him. Brethren, let us not be high-minded, nor self-conceited, lest we fall into temptation, and be led by our own spirits, to think that great I, WE and us, and our favorites, and party, are the only sect, sent to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out devils; satan is too wise and cunning for us, if Jesus withdraw his power and wisdom from us. For who is sufficient to cast devils out of those, who are going about to cast devils out of others? NONE BUT JESUS, NONE BUT JESUS.' If he had cause to rebuke his disciples, doubtless we shall sometimes need his rebukes; and if we get too high, let us rejoice that we are made low, and not faint when we are rebuked of him. For whom he loves he rebukes.

Now, as the created sun enlightens all the Latural world; so Jesus, our heavenly sun, enlightens, warms, cheers,and fructifies all in the regenerate spiritual world, and would not that be a foolish man who would endeavour to obstruct the sun light from shining on his neighbour's field? And are we not foolish if we think we have all the light, wisdom, and knowledge in us sufficient to preach, prophecy, and cast out devils, to the exclusion of others, on whom, and in whom, the heavenly light shined?

TOPLADY'S DYING WORDS.

Leicester, May 18, 1849.

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devils, those other fellows, going about, | less pit. No man shall stop me of this have no business to do it, unless they ask boasting in the regions of old England, your permission, and become your servants nor forbid my preaching Jesus while God and followers; therefore, forbid them at gives me life and breath, neither will I once.' Thus you may see that satan was forbid you. When any of you who preach trying to make them blow one another's Jesus, pass this way, come and preach candles out, that they might fight in the him in my pulpit, and try and outshine dark. And satan has been trying the old me; and I trust I shall rejoice in the light, trick over again in this our day; each one and glorify God on your behalf. saying, great I, we, and us, and our party WILLIAM Garrard. are the only men to preach, prophesy, and cast out devils, and we forbid others preaching in our circle, in our connection, or in our pulpits; and on the same ground, others may forbid you; and thus the old serpent, the prince of darkness endeavours to skulk in the dark passions and prejudices of all parties; and herein lieth one of the depths of satan,' to hide himself in the deep and dark prejudices and caverns of our deceitful hearts; and those going about to cast devils out of others cannot cast them out of themselves. Thus, if Jesus, by his Spirit, power and grace did not cast the devils out of us, they would remain in us all; and I find many devils hunting me that are too strong for me, if Jesus did not say, 'Come out of him.' O, these stubborn devils! they go not out only by prayer and fasting.

TOPLADY'S DYING WORDS. Ir was in 1775, that Toplady came to Lon. don, from Devonshire. By an engagement with the trustees of the French Calvinist Reformed Church, in Orange Street, Leicester Fields, Mr. Toplady preached his first lecture there on Sunday, April 11th, 1776, on that spot he closed his ministerial labours, which continued there for the term of two years and three months. On Easter Sunday, the 19th of April, 1778, as he attempted to speak fron-Thy dead men shall live, together with my body shall they arise,' &c., his hoarseness was so violent, that he was obliged, after naming the text, to descend from the pulpit. After the above Sunday he preached four times, and on each occasion his words were to the In former times the Papists forbad the congregation as if he should never see them Protestants preaching and casting out more, until he met them in the kingdom of devils; and this was the council of the heaven. A few days preceeding his dissodevil in them; and in the days of Cromwell, lution, sitting up in his arm chair, and when the Independents nearly grasped the scarcely able to speak, he said, 'It is imreins of power, they forbad the Baptists possible to describe how good God is to me. preaching and casting out devils, and im- I have enjoyed such sweet communings prisoned some Baptists in Suffolk. (Read with God, and such delightful manifestaCrosby's History of English Baptists.) And tions of his presence with, and love to, my what is the case now among the Baptists pro- soul, that it is impossible for words, or any fessing the sound truth of the gospel? Why language, to express them. I have had one party forbidding another to preach in peace and joy unutterable. I know I am their circles, connections, and pulpits. Some safe and secure; for his love and his coveare saying, 'What business has that old nant are everlasting.' All his conversafellow Osbourn to come to England preach- tions, as he approached nearer and nearer ing? We could do it all without him. And to his decease, seemed more and more what business has that little fellow Banks happy and heavenly. He frequently called to run about preaching? We will forbid himself the happiest man in the world. them in all places and pulpits where weOh,' says he, how this soul of mine longs have any influence. And we have not much opinion of that fellow Garrard for allowing them in his pulpit.' I tell you this, sirs, you have quite as good an opinion of Garrard as Garrard has of himself; he knows much more evil of himself than you know of him; and can go down the deep stairs of depravity, corruption, and deceit of his own heart, much deeper than you can go down into it; but as he finds no bottom to the stairs which leads down to the bottomless pit, he had rather be looking upward, and praying, and saying, 'draw me, Lord, that I may climb higher and higher into the knowledge of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Yea, growing in grace, and the knowledge of our standing in the divine perfections in Christ Jesus our Lord, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.' The lengths and breadths, and heights and depths of the love of Christ that raised our souls from death and the horrible bottom

to be gone! like a bird imprisoned in a cage, it longs to take its flight. When he drew near his end, he said,Oh, what delights! Who can fathom the joys of the third heaven? A little before his departure, he was blessing and praising God for his abiding presence, and the shining of his love upon his soul.' The sky,' says he 'is clear; there is no cloud. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly! Within the hour of his death, he called his friends and his servants, and asked them if they could give him up? Upon their answering in the affirmative, he replid, 'Oh, what a blessing it is you are made willing to give me up into the hands of my dear Redeemer. It will not be long before God takes me; for no mortal man can live (bursting, while he said it, into tears of joy) after the glories which God has manifested to my soul.' Soon after this, on Tuesday, August 11, 1778, in the 38th year of his age, he closed his eyes in peace.