To the Lord I commend you, my dear brother; even to Him who is all-sufficient to supply your every need, and to crown your labours with a Divine blessing. all, but as you are in Him. I would apprise | margin has it. (Exod. xxvii. 20). Let your you, that my first sermon scarcely lasted five lamp also be well trimmed. Have continually minutes; but I learned a lesson by it, which shoes of the preparation of the gospel of has lasted me nearly half a Century! Again, peace on your feet; and, your staff in your aim to be a plain Bible preacher. Never try hand, ready to depart; so that when the to embellish the sacred Word, or to put Bridegroom cometh, you may "" go out to fringes on the garments of salvation. The meet him." Matt. xxv. 6. You are an gospel needs no meretricious ornament. God's under-shepherd; take care to look well after, truth appears best in its naked beauty, its and feed the sheep and the lambs; and, native simplicity. Remember, that as you" when the chief Shepherd shall appear, received your ministry at first from the Lord, thou shalt receive a crown of glory that so be you sure to go to Him when you stand fadeth not away." 1 Peter v. 4. in need of fresh supplies. Always asking, and always receiving; and this because you will find the people among whom you labour, are alway needing. When your people assemble under your ministry with a keen gospel appetite, pray don't amuse them with a clatter of empty platters," (as dear John Stevens said to me, or they will be ready to Talent is now the order of the day. Good Mrs. Greenwood, of Reading, after hearing a fine polished sermon, all prepared, and well read, said to one of the deacons, "It was a fine bill of fare, composed principally of fricassé es and made dishes, but no nutricious, well roasted gospel meat." Let it be your concern to hunt in the field of the Word for good venison; and having obtained it, then mind that you roast it well before you place it on the table. This will prove you not to be a "slothful man.' I refer you to Prov. eat you. xii. 27. But, And now, just a word at parting, accompanied with a folded-down leaf in my memorandum book, which consists of many pages. You will frequently find the work of the ministry to be a heavy burden, pressing sorely on your mind, and weighing down your spirits; and you may resolve with Jeremiah, "I will not make mention of the Lord, nor speak any more in his name." Jer. xx. 9. I have been there, my brother, and I came to the same resolution. I left the dear people of my charge at Hartley Row, in the month of February, 1814, (now more than forty-one years ago,) I travelled to London on foot, resolving to give up the ministry, and to speak no more in the name of the Lord. In the great Metropolis I was as a wandering outThirdly, I would address you, in a word cast. The Lord's-day arrived; I went to a or two, most solemnly, "Take heed that you place of worship in the morning, and to anFULFIL your ministry." I have had this in other in the afternoon, but nothing for me. I my eye all along; so that I need not very had heard of John Keeble, of Blandfordmuch enlarge here. But this is far more street, and I thought I would go there in the important than you or I can possibly con- evening; I did so; the place was much crowdceive. I have often pondered on Acts xii. 25 ed; I went up into the side gallery. Mr. "They had fulfilled their ministry;" Keeble, in prayer before sermon, interceded and on Acts xiv. 26, they had been recom- with the Lord on behalf of his own ministers; mended to the grace of God for the work he said, I think, verbatim, as follows: "Thine which they had fulfilled. O, be an out and own labourers, Lord, I pray for; I do not out man! Tell out the whole truth of the pray for loiterers; but, if there should be here gospel. Be instant in season and out of to-night, one of thy labourers who is loitering, season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all or rather, has run away from his work, O, long-suffering and doctrine; for the time IS send him home again, though it be with a come when men will not endure sound doc-cat-o'-nine-tails at his back." I trembled; I trine, but, after their own lusts, they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears; they turn away their ears from the truth, and are turned unto fables." 2 Tim. iv. 3, 4. "But watch thou in all things: endure afflictions: do the work of an evangelist: make full proof of thy ministry."Verse 5. Dr. Gill says, on my text, "Defend truth; detect error; reprove vice; comfort the feeble-minded, and feed the whole church of God with wholesome food: as a wise steward, giving to every one their portion of meat in due season." O, let your loins be girded, your light constantly burning, your lamp-oil pure and well beaten, so as to cause your lamp to burn always," or "to ascend up," as the wept; I was found out! I mentally cried out, "Lord, will return home to my work; only go thou with me, stand by me, and bless me, and mine ear shall be bored through as with awl to the door-post of thine house, and I will serve thee for ever." Deut. xv. 16, 17. I left London the next day, and on the following Lord's-day I preached from Isaiah lxi. 1, 2. I realised the presence of my Master, and he blessed the word on that very day to two immortal souls, who afterwards joined the church. "What hath God wrought!" Well, my brother, look you to the Lord; cast your burden on Him, and He shall sustain thee. O, may He give thee to fight the good fight of faith, and to lay hold on eternal life. Amen. BLIO In conclusion. My race is almost run. I deemed. How many are there who dispute am nearly seventy-six years of age. I have against the sovereignty of God's grace, the been for forty-seven years in the highly-immutability of his love, and openly deny the honoured employ of a forgiving, and most doctrine of the saints' certain and final perseindulgent Master. He has covered my head verance in grace to glory with other grand in the day of battle. Psalm cxlvii. 7. He articles of the Christian religion, in which the has stood by me in bygone years, when glory of God, the comfort of believers, and nearly all have forsaken me. He has greatly concerned! the power of true godliness are most nearly blessed my labours to hundreds of immortal "O watch and pray that you may with all souls; and, having obtained mercy to be faith-holy boldness, as well as meekness and patience, ful, (1 Cor. vii. 25.) I am resolved, in his alway speak the truth as it is in Jesus.' strength, to be faithful unto death. My dear A marked declaration of the truth, is of the brother, "Go thou and do likewise." Trust essence of all ministerial work; but, the him when you cannot trace him; and fully fashionable Sibboleth of the day, is charity rely on him for the word of his grace. Ŏ and moderation. Let it be our chief concern keep that which is committed unto thee, acto contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. He that hath cording to the commandment of God our Saviour. Titus i. 3. May God Almighty What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the my word, let him speak my word faithfully. be with thee; may he bless thec, and keep Lord?"" thee; make his face to shine upon thee, and give thee peace. Numb. vi. 24. I add no more. I place the following as an appendix to the above charge, being in my view, of vust importance. It is extracted from a Charge delivered nearly one-hundred years ago. If my reader is a professed gospel minister, I then beseech him to read it prayerfully, and that frequently too, as long as he lives: "Let me caution you that you never declare anything as a part of God's counsel for which you have not a divine warrant in God's word. And what you declare, let it be in such a manner as to excite no suspicion that you do not fully believe it in your own soul; and allow no room for any of your hearers to accuse you of unfaithfulness in keeping in the background, or in anywise shunning to declare ALL the counsel of God. Be much upon your guard as to this at all times, but more especially so in seasons of trial and temptation; and look well to your own steadfastness in the present truth: (so styled by the Apostle, 2 Pet. i. 12.) that is, any truth of Divine revelation may be so termed "the present truth," when it becomes a matter of dispute, and is made the controversy of the day. O let me earnestly beseech, and solemnly charge you, my brother, in the presence of the Lord Jesus, and in the midst of this church of the living God, that you constantly watch and pray that you may never in any instance, or upon any occasion, desert or balk [i. e. omit] the TRUTH; no, not through the flattering smiles of the dearest worldly friend, or the threatening frowns of the most avowed and bitter enemies. While you live, shun not to declare any one truth of Divine revelation. O with what insolence and boldness do some contradict the Scripture doctrines of the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; of the infinite merit of his atonement, and the imputation of his righteousness; together with the Personality and Deity of the infinitely blessed and Holy Spirit. They deny the absolute necessity of his discriminating, efficacious, and omnipotent grace, by which the hearts of sinners are turned to God, and precious souls are re J. A. J. THE REDEEMED CHURCH THE FULNESS OF JESUS. WHILE we rejoice that, "it hath pleased the Father that in Christ all fulness should dwell," for the use of the church both in grace and glory, we cannot but rejoice also with the apostle, that the redeemed church which is His body, should be "the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Eph. i. 23. How rich the grace and favour of our covenant God and Father, that he should constitute us, who are but worms of the earth, and by nature "children of wrath, even as others," the fulness of Jesus. We are made the fulness of Jesus by covenant relationship, constituting Christ the head, and the Church the members of His mystical body; here the word fulness gives us the idea of completeness and perfection; as the head is not complete without the members of the body, so our Lord Jesus Christ, as far as covenant relationship is concerned, would not be complete without His body the church, "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." 1 Cor. xii. 12. And thus by covenant relationship the redeemed church becomes "the fulness of him that filleth all in all;" and being created anew in Christ Jesus, "For we are God's workmanship created anew in Christ Jesus unto good works," Eph. ii. 10.; and being “established together, by God, in Christ Jesus," 2 Cor. i. 21.; "we all come, at length, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Eph. iv. 13. To constitute the redeemed church "the fulness of hinf that filleth all in all" "Christ dwells in our heart by faith, that we being rooted and grounded in love, and strengthened with might by the Spirit in the inner man, being enabled to comprehend what is the length, and breadth,. and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, experimentally, which passeth knowledge; comprehensively, may be filled, in union with Christ, with all the fulness of God." Thus the redeemed church being made the fulness of Jesus, and filled in union with Christ, with all the fulness of God, we shall be prepared for that glorious oneness, which our Lord Jesus Christ, when addressing His Heavenly Father, reveals as the final destiny of the redeemed church, "That they all may be one; as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." John xvii. 21-23. To raise us to this high and glorious dignity, our covenant Head sanctified himself, that we might be sanctified through the truth, and has given us the glory which the Father had given him, that we may be one, even as Christ, and his Father are one, (22 verse). pour out your heart before God, hold nothing back, tell your Father all your doubts and fears; the footstool of mercy is the only place where you can meet the devil with advantage, and secure the victory. Take the weapon of all prayer, and you will then be strengthened to take the sword of the Spirit in the hand of faith, and weak and feeble as you are, you will be able to make some home thrusts at his hellish power. "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." "The feeblest saint shall win the day, Though death and hell obstruct the way." And the time is fast coming when the enemies you meet with now, you will meet with no more for ever." Amen. W. H. WELLS. Mile End. Now from this truth, that the redeemed THE SOMERSETSHIRE GIPSEY. church is the fulness of Jesus, we infer, first, The greatness of God's love to us. How vast and incomprehensible must that love be towards us, that could conceive and purpose so high and glorious a dignity for the church. Well might Jesus say, when addressing our heavenly Father, "Thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me, and thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world; " and how great must the love of Christ be towards us, to un- Secondly. We infer the divine security of the redeemed church. Will Christ lose a part of himself? Christian forbid the thought; cast it back in the holy indignation of your spirit to the father of lies, from whence it comes. No, the Saviour loves his Father's glory and his own honour too well, to lose one of his little ones: "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied." "Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Poor, trembling, weak believer, know you not that Christ gives unto his sheep, (all of them), eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of his hands." Take courage then, go forward, but let your first visit be to the throne of mercy, July 29th, I was requested to visit a poor DEAR BROTHER,-On Lord's-day evening, aged gipsey, who was lying in a dying state, in a tent on the common near this place. I went, and found him to be an old man, worn out with sickness, just dropping into the grave: he was too far gone for me to read or pray with him, therefore I was obliged to tions. I first asked him if he had ever felt content myself with asking him a few queshimself to be a lost and ruined sinner. He replied, with great earnestness, "Oh, sir, no one knows what a sinner I have been, except myself and God." I then asked him if he knew the way in which poor guilty, helpless sinners, like himself, were saved. He answered, with a most enquiring look, (which plainly proved to those who saw him that he was most anxious to be rightly informed,) "Jesus spilt his blood, didn't he, sir?" I told him yes, and explained to him the way in which God was a just God, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. He listened with great attention; and upon my asking him if he had any hope in the mercy of God, he clasped his hands together, and with joy beaming in his eyes, said, "Yes, mercy I shall have, mercy I shall have." I saw he was too much exhausted for me to say more to him, I therefore left him for the night, and was enabled in secret to commend him to God in prayer. The next day I again visited him, and found him a little revived; he seemed very happy, and told me that I did not come to see him of myself, but that it was his sweet Lord Jesus who had sent me. I cannot now remember the particulars of the conversation I had with him that morning, but I know he spoke most blessedly of Jesus, and expressed a desire to depart to be with him. On Tuesday one of my congregation told me a very interesting circumstance respecting him. It appears that about five years ago he obtained permission to sleep in a barn belonging to a house near the spot where I found him lying. The owners of the barn being fearful that he might set the place on fire by smoking, went out about half an hour after he had gone into the barn to see if all was right; they found him upon his knees in prayer, and he continued to pour out his heart in prayer to the Lord for more than an hour. I was much pleased to hear this account of him, and on the next day, when I visited him, I asked if he recollected the circumstance. He said he did not, but that it was nothing new to him, for he had never been able to live without prayer ever since the Lord convinced him of his state as a sinner, some five years ago; and the other gipsies told me that as soon as they had encamped in any place for the night, he would go away, and behind some hedge pray to the Lord, although, for doing so, he had to bear a great deal of persecution. He requested me to read to him the 3rd chapter of John, which I did, and also the 103rd Psalm, explaining it to him as I read. He seemed to drink in every word, and did frequently, whilst I was reading to him, break out in praising God. What he said came with such sweet savour and power, that my soul was quite refreshed, and we could praise God together for what he had done for us. When I parted from him, he seemed as though he could hardly let me go; he took my hand and kissed it with his dying lips, as though he thought it would be the last time he should ever see me here below, and so it proved to be, for on the following morning he slept in Jesus. From what I could gather from those who saw him die, it appears that he had a most glorious vision of heaven just before his departure, and died without a struggle or a groan. He had never learnt to read, but, from what he had heard read, had obtained a good store of divine knowledge, which seemed to be his meat and his drink. On Monday last his remains were interred in the burial ground at Tatworth; upon which occasion there were upwards of 1,000 persons present. After the procession had returned to the common, I spoke to them from John iii. 14, 15. They were very attentive, and I trust the seed sown will, in God's own time, spring up and bear fruit. Oh, my brother, what a company shall we meet in heaven, taken out of every nation, kindred, tongue and people. May we both meet there, and "We will sing more sweet, more loud, I am, dear brother, your's in Jesus, South Chard, August 13th, 1855. THE GOSPEL MINISTRY CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, cally good, we have said, it must be a livinga truth-expounding-a sympathising, and a growing ministry. What evidence, then, have we from the "New Park Street Pulpit," that there is divine life, heavenly illumination, spiritual sympathy, and a well-guided progression, in Mr. SPURGEON'S ministry? This is the first point. With us, it is a vitally important one: let it be proved to us-as far as it can be proved-that these elements are to be found in the ministry referred to; then, we are justified in the hopes we have entertained respecting it; and are persuaded that in kindly, carefully, and faithfully dealing with any of its descrepancies, we shall have the blessing of the Master attending our labours. To criticise, to cast reflection upon, and to condemn any ministry that comes NOT out boldly AGAINST any vital part of the Gospel of Christ-is to tread on dangerous ground. "Touch not mine anointed; and do my prophets no harm:"-" He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye:"-these are solemn Scriptures; and by them our minds have been awed: and we hope ever to be careful in either speaking or writing, violently or harshly, against any man who professes to be-who appears to be-and, who, in the consciences of many witnesses, is declared to be,-a servant of the living God. We know well enough, that many of the Lord's deep-taught children have gone to hear Mr. Spurgeon: and they have said,-" his ministry will not do for me: " but this is no argument against the vitality of his commission. What in the world would become of all our preachers and pastors, if all God's dear people could profitably and comfortably hear Mr. Spurgeon? Infinite wisdom is most beautifully displayed in the provision and adaptation of ministers, suited to the varied experiences, and conditions of the believing family;-and wonderful, indeed, are the diversities of gifts, graces, abilities, and experiences, even of the most eminent of the Lord's servants. when he said, "the office of a minister is to It was a nice word of Richard Sibbes's, be a wooer, to make up the marriage between Christ and Christian souls:" and we will plainly speak our mind ;-we have hoped, that C. H. Spurgeon's work, in the hands of the Holy Ghost, is to woo, and to win souls over unto Jesus Christ; and we have an impression -should his life be spared, that, through his instrumentality-all our churches will, by and bye, be increased. God Almighty grant that we may be true prophets; and then, to all our cruel correspondents we will say IN CONNECTION WITH A BRIEF REVIEW OF fire away-cut up, cast out, and condemn "New Park Street Pulpit." SECOND PAPER. IN our first paper we proposed to ourselves a certain course;-that course we wish steadily to pursue: consequently, to make a fair and faithful exhibition of that which is decidedly and indisputably good, is the first branch of our work. For a ministry to be essentially and practi THE EARTHEN VESSEL, much as ye may, ye will do us no harm. The temple of the Lord is being built: the workmen are in all parts of the building-some outside, and some in: some in the lower parts, some in the higher; some can hardly be seen or heard at all, others make a tremendous noise, and a most conspicuous show; still, the work goes on: the blazing beauties of Zechariah's speech shall shine in full perfection soon, when of Christ, that prophet said-"He shall build the temple of the Lord; even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory." We set out by declaring, that we have no grounds for suspecting the genuineness of Mr. Spurgeon's motives, nor the honesty of his heart. We are bound to believe that his statements respecting his own experience are just and true. We are bound to believe that in prosecuting his ministry, he is sincerely aiming at three things-THE GLORY OF CHRIST THE GOOD OF IMMORTAL SOULS and the well-being of Zion; and that in all this, the love of Christ constrains him. If-in thoroughly weighing the sermons before us-proof to the contrary appeared, we would not hide it up, but we sincerely trust, no evidence of that kind can be produced. Now, then, for the proofs of life, illumination, sympathy and growth: and the first proof which we derive is that of calm the swelling billows of grief and sorrow; so speak peace to the winds of trial, as a devout musing upon the subject of the Godhead." We cannot but most deeply sympathise with the preacher in these expressions. We have, for years, been favoured to enjoy, at different times, soul-revivings and the purest comforts from meditation on the Person, gospel, grace, and kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. We could not throw ourselves into that holy sea-we could not plunge ourselves into that river "the streams whereof make glad the city of our God:"-but in waiting, in seeking, in meditating,-how frequently has the door of the mercy-seat been opened! The dark clouds have fled-the true light hath shined-our cares and our sorrows have rolled into the valley beneath our feet; while Naphthali-like-as "a hind let loose"-we have mounted high in holy joy, rejoicing in our Saviour-God, and praising his thrice holy name. A spiritual appetite for, and internal relish of gospel grace and gospel glory. This This sacred, this spiritual, this Divine shines most conspicuously in many parts of realization of the Redeemer's promise-" Out these sermons. Whenever the preacher touch- of his belly shall flow rivers of living es upon any string that is directly connected waters," -can never be frequently, powerfully with the eternal glories of a Three-One Je- and blessedly known, but in the souls of the hovah, on the one hand; and with the salva- adopted sons and daughters of the Lord God tion of sinners on the other, then his very soul Almighty. In the course of Mr. Spurgeon's appears to wrap itself in all the energy, and ministry there are frequently to be found love that it possesses, and plunging into the such gushings forth of love to God-of ravishvery bowels of the truth in contemplation, he ing delights in Christ-of the powerful revels there with great delight, with almost anointings of the Holy Ghost-as compel us unbounded zeal, and evidently labours to to believe that God is in him of a truth. We throw this energy, love, and holy fire into the must confess this is the deep-wrought consouls of all who are now listening to his voice,viction of our spirit; and we dare not conceal and hanging on his lips. A specimen of this, it. Why should we? We may be condemned appears in the following sentence. by many; but, whatever it may cost us Nothing will so magnify the whole soul of whoever may discard us-we must acman, as a devout, earnest, continued investigation of the great subject of the Deity. And while it is humbling and expanding, this subject is also consolatory." Now, see, how the inflamed feelings of the preacher's soul break forth in ideas which powerfully bespeak a deep acquaintance with the theme in hand. He says "Oh, there is in contemplating Christ, a balm for every wound; in musing on the Father, there is a quietus for every grief; and in the influence of the Holy Ghost, there is a balsam for every sore. Would you lose your sorrows? Would you drown your cares? Then, go, plunge yourself in the Godhead's deepest sea; be lost in his immensity; and you shall come forth as from a couch of rest, refreshed and invigorated." [There may be extravagance here as regards words; it is true, it may be said to be the language of free-will; implying that the creature can thus plunge into the deep mysteries, and bathe in the ever-flowing mercies of a covenant God; but it is not so: it is the fervency of the preacher's soul earnestly pressing home upon the spirits of his hearers the necessity and the value of close communion with, and of holy meditation upon the purposes, promises, and mediatorial performances of our immortal and invaluable Immanuel. He follows it up with a testimony hot from his own heart, and says]-"I know nothing which can so comfort the soul; so knowledge that, while in these sermons we have met with sentences that perplex usand with what some might consider contradictions-still, we have found those things which have been powerful demonstrations of the indwelling of THE LIFE and THE LOVE of a triune God in the preacher's heart. In thus giving-without reserve-an unbiased verdict respecting the main drift of the Sermons contained in "The New Park Street Pulpit," we do not endorse every sentence, nor justify every mode of expression: our first work has been to search for-(that which in every new work that comes to hand, we search for; that which we search for in every candidate for membership;-it is) LIFE: and if we have not found evidences of a divine life in the ministry at New Park Street, we are deceived-yea, we are blind; and the powers of spiritual discernment are not with us. In our next, we shall endeavor to set these evidences of a heaven-born, and of a God-sent ministry clearly before our readers. And in closing this, our second paper, we earnestly beseech all Christian people who long for a revival in the midst of our churches, to pray for this young man, whom we do earnestly hope THE LORD HAS SENT AMONGST US. Let us not be found fighting against him, lest unhappily we be found fighting against God. Let us remember, he has not made himselfhe has not qualified himself-he has not sent |