same time he affirmed his entire readiness | had plainly opened up, in the most obvious to obey the call of the church, and to under- manner, the way he should go, and that take the proposed charge according to their desire, if the members continued unanimously of opinion that he should do so; and their former decision being confirmed, this spiritual negociation was ratified in due course; an application was made to the church in Artillery Street for the transfer of his membership from them to us; and at a church-meeting convened for the reception of the honourable dismission which had been granted, the right hand of fellowship was given to him on behalf of the whole church, on which occasion he delivered a pleasing narrative of the Lord's gracious dealings with his soul, and his call to the ministry, together with a definition of his faith and practice, which appeared to us unexceptionable, and in entire accordance with the grand doctrines of the gospel which he has uniformly and undeviatingly maintained among us; and which we doubt not he will continue to advance and contend for boldly, fearlessly, and unreservedly, leaving the Holy Ghost to bless the word of his He would not fail to over-rule and bless his ministrations, to the increase of the congregation, the additions in numbers to the church, the advancement of its spiritual welfare, and the unfoldings of the divine glory; in fullest confidence that He that sent him to labour in this part of his vineyard to that end, will assuredly provide for his warfare, and his wayfare too. This day being set apart for the public recognition of our dear pastor, we have invited the brethren present to behold our order, to give, as the Lord shall enable them, suitable advice to him as our pastor, and also to us as a church. We doubt not that the advice will be fully ample and appropriate: and are quite sure it will be affectionately delivered; while we pray for grace, not only to listen to, and retain, but practically to attend to the instructions so intimately connected with our prosperity, peace, and welfare. Mr. Jones next called upon Mr. Moyll for an account of his conversion and call to the grace, as may consist best with his sovereign ministry, of which the following is the sub good will pleasure. stance : It has appeared to us no light matter to decide on the successor of our late pastor, Mr. Moyll said " I cannot remember the whose doctrines and manner of life were so time when I was not possessed with reliwell known and appreciated in the churches; gious impressions, although I had not relibut our minds have been greatly relieved of gious parents. I do not recollect their ever anxiety by the manifest light which the taking me to the house of God; nor do I Lord has shed upon our path, directing us ever recollect having seen a Bible in the to our present choice. We believe firmly house. I had been taught at some time, I that the mantle which fell from our late know not when, nor by whom, the Lord's beloved pastor, has alighted on our present prayer. I recollect as far back as six one-that the affectionate regard the former years of age having a consciousness of the breathed towards the church, is no less ex- presence of God. These impressions did pressed by him who has taken up, and now not produce any dread of sin, but a fearful possesses the sacred vesture. We are fully apprehension of the punishment for sin. persuaded that he will sacrifice no part of Things went on so till I was eight years of truth, or the ordinances, from carnal policy, age, when I lost my mother: and so sensible but hold them fast through evil and good an impression did her death make upon my report that the theme of redeeming love mind, that it laid me upon a bed of sickwill comprehend the sum and substance of ness, and brought me so near to the grave his ministrations-that, in fact, his whole as to be pronounced dead. They were about testimony will be of Christ, the all in all. to lay me out, when my sister cried out For the character of our dear pastor, Mr. to them that she thought she felt my breath, Moyll, suffice it to say, that it needs no and requested them to leave me a little eulogy from us, being well known to be be- while. I recovered; but the death of my coming the gospel he professes, and without mother still dwelt much on my mind. The reproach a matter of vital importance in Lord's prayer was my whole body of divithis day of almost universal profession of nity. When anything happened to me, I godliness, without the power and grace. It would be sure to fly to that, and often is, however, but an act of justice to him, on repeat it many times. Thus I went on till this occasion, to acknowledge the integrity I was twelve years of age, when I was of his motives in accepting our call to the bound apprentice to a shoemaker; and now pastorate, unaccompanied as it was by any I had to work hard to live hard-and to very tempting offers of worldly aggrandize- sleep hard; but still the Lord's Prayer kept ment. No alluring baits were, or could be by me. I used to go to the Baptist chapel, presented to his view to influence his deci- (this was at Leominster) and I made applision. And, while he placed a proper re- cation to the teachers to admit me to the liance on the activity of the officers of the Sunday-school; for what education I had church to provide all things necessary for had was next to nothing; they very kindly himself, the church, and the poor of the and affectionately received me, and I conflock, as far as their means and abilities tinued there. It was when I was about would extend, he evidently responded to fifteen or sixteen years of age, I was sittheir call to the sacred trust, from a firm ting in the gallery of the chapel; and belief that the Great Master of Assemblies stretching forth my neck to catch the text -it was this-' Thou art weighed in the bal- | The time came for departing, and he said ances and found wanting.' The words struck me with such a poweras I never felt before. I threw myself back on the seat; and at once the simple thought occurred to me. 'What! does God Almighty weigh people in scales? Then I thought to myself How does he?' and I imagined it was in this way: he put all their good works into one scale, and their bad ones into the other, and according to which scale preponderated, so sentence was passed. I immediately began to look for my good works. I searched through near the whole of the time of sermon, but could not find one to put in the scale; bad ones came up of themselves in great numbers-they wanted no looking for. All at once in his sermon I caught the words 'This man comes down full. But who this man was, I could not find out. I would have given all I possessed to have known what he said before those words. I was engaged looking for some of my good works, but found not one. I went out with feelings I never did before. At this time all the forms of prayer I had used, and which I had learned in addition to the Lord's Prayer, availed me nothing, neither did me any good. Things went on this way a considerable time. Despair seized me, and hell stared me in the face. I was under the powerful influence of infidelity-if there is no God-if there is no heaven-no helland the Bible only a book drawn up by men! All these things caused a dreadful state of mind. "Under these feelings I came to London when about twenty years of age. Went first to one place of worship and then to another. I heard Mr. Upton, and having Rippon's Hymn Book, I thought he must be a good man; so I went to hear him. At last I heard of a man of the name of Church; and made up my mind to go and hear him. I met with a man whom I knew, and he advised me not to go to hear him; and gave him a most dreadful character. But I said to myself I'll go and see what sort of a man he is. I went. He took for his text, 'Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not; and let fall some of the handfuls of purpose for her.' In opening up this text, it seemed as though somebody had been and told him all about me. Happiness, peace, comfort, and joy followed. I continued under his ministry for about six years, when circumstances induced me to leave that place. About this time I met with a friend who said to me in a familiar way, 'Come and hear old Father Francis; I think you'll find a home there.' I went, and I found a home; and there I stayed till I was called out into the ministry. I cannot say that I was particularly anxious about this matter until I was spoken to on the subject. Being one day at a friend's house, Mr. Church was there on a visit. After sitting there some time, he fixed his eyes on me in a singular way-and says, 'I have a word to say to you, young man, before you go.' 'You must come along with me.' I went. And he began, 'Now, (said Mr. Church,) you have been laid upon my mind both night and day; I feel persuaded you are either preparing for the mork of the ministry or the grave. I think it is for the former; as such, I would have you look well to your motives.' I was panic struck; and began to protest against it. 'Well, well, (said he) leave it. Will you come to the prayermeeting on Friday-evening? I answered, 'Yes.' As soon as I left him, I felt in a dreadful dilemma; having promised to go to the prayer-meeting, they would be sure to call upon me. I knew not what to do. By day or by night, preaching or the grave was uppermost in my mind. At last, Friday came, I knew not what to do, or what excuse to make that I should not go. I thought I would say I could not leave my work. The time came, I jumped up off my seat and went to the chapel, and went up behind the pews and hid myself. But presently up comes Mr. Church, and reaches over his long arm, takes me by the collar, and so dragged me to the table pew; and asked me to read a chapter and speak a few words. A Psalm had been uppermost in my mind all day, so up I got, and began -forgot my own timidity, and went on for half-an-hour-then I thought of myself, and down I sat, and would have given anything to have escaped out of the way. After this I was sent for to go to one place and another, so that sometimes I was much engaged. But I was much afraid I was running without having been sent. It was about this time I joined Mr. George Francis's church, under the idea that I would preach no more. But it was not long before invitations found me there. I made all the excuses I could and got off sometimes. In the providence of God while I was preaching at Hoxton, one Sabbaththe trustees of Providence Chapel, Featherstone Street were there, and they begged of me to come and preach there; I went and preached to a little better than half-a dozen persons, from 'Fear not little flock,' &c. I continued to go; the congregation increased, and the place became too straight. We removed to Albion Hall. Here it was that those who heard me, wished to be formed into a church upon gospel principlės. Our esteemed brother Foreman then and there united us into a church. The church increased; during the sixteen or seventeen years that I was with them, about two hundred were added to the church: about one hundred of whom were called through my instrumentality. During the latter part of the time that I was there I found that the tide had ceased to flow, and therefore began to ebb. I mentioned it to some, and after consulting a minister or two, I gave in my resignation of the pastoral office. At the same time I HAD NOT ANY FORECAST VIEWS OF PEСКНАМ, oranyother place, but threw myselfentirely on the Providence of God. It was about. this time the Peckham friends wrote to me wishing me to supply for them. You know the results." Mr. Moyll then read clearly and distinctly a confession of his faith and belief. The Doxology was sung, and the morning service ended at Two o'clock. In the afternoon, Mr. Geo. Wyard read a portion of Scripture, and offered up what was termed the Recognition Prayer. After which Mr. Jno. Foreman, gave the charge. In the evening Mr. P. Dickerson preached to the church and congregation. SOME OF THE DYING EXPERIENCE OF William Upton, of Leicester. Continued from page 118. WHEN I returned home again, I was surprised to find him still in this world, but gradually sinking in a deep decline. I remarked to him, that I thought his residence would have been changed long ago. He replied, with calm composure, I am waiting till my change come; but it appears God has something to do with me yet, there is some reason, (though only known to Omnipotence himself). There is some purpose of the most High to be accomplished; and when that is done, I shall be taken to my eternal rest. I asked him how he felt in the prospect of that great change, which could not be far distant? I remarked that it was a solemn point, to take a leap into eternity. (He replied,) ah! I do feel it to be a solemn consideration, sometimes I am overwhelmed with the thought, and wonder how it will be with me in that solemn hour. But (said he) grace is all-sufficient! Sometimes when I have been meditating upon these things, I have felt the devil insinuating into my mind distrustful and hard thoughts of God. He said to me, how do In July, 1846, I again left home, but told the poor old man I should write to him, and hoped he would write to me if he was able. He felt very much when I took my leave of him, as he said he had no other friend he could talk to, and feel communion with in the things of God. The following letter I received from him, September 14th, 1846 : "Dear Friend and Brother-I have felt anxious to hear from you, for did you know the state I am in at this present time; my trembling limbs, and tottering hands; and to visit and comfort me, I have nobody; and in my own house I find nothing but stumbling blocks, and none careth for my soul. When I lie down I am full of tossings to and fro, wishing for the morning; and when the morning comes, it brings reflections to mind, that I have no one to comfort me. Then I think of those blessed priviledges 1 used to enjoy, when you came to read and pray with me; O how many times we have been blessed together; well, bless the Lord, he is just the same he will and does hearken to the cries of his elect children. O my dear brother, your prayers and mine, I hope, are bottled up in heaven! And the thoughts of going home to my heavenly Father, sweetens all the bitter cups I have to drink. "The bud may have a bitter taste, When we arrive at home. --Please to excuse my writing much, I feel very ill, and scarcely able to hold up my head. From your loving brother in the Lord, "WILLIAM UPTON." I heard no more of this afflicted servant of the Lord till I arrived home again, which was in December, 1846; when I was told he was not expected to live a day. I hastened in the morning to see him, and I shall never forget the joy that appeared visible in his countenance when I was in you know God will be with you at that im-troduced into his chamber. It appears a good God to me; I feel he is a merciful | the Lord had not taken me away into the God, and I shall soon be with him in glory. He continued-Thomas, though I am so highly favoured, and so blest, yet I feel still the remains of sin in my heart. O, he said, turning up his eyes-O my vile and sinful heart. Then (said I,) you cannot talk of any perfection in the flesh as many do. No, Thomas, (he replied,) I feel my heart is sinful and vile; yet, though I am brought down to this low and feeble state, I feel the leprosy is in my very nature, which causes me to cry out with Paul, "O wretched man that I am." I am sure, that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing; and yet I can at the same time thank God, through Jesus our Lord, I am brought to seek all my perfection in my blessed Lord. portant moment? Sometimes you are in darkness; and think God cares not for you. Perhaps it may be at that moment when you most need Him. (O, says he,) when I feel these vile insinuations, I know they are from the devil; for he tries to get me to doubt, and discredit what God has spoken. But God is faithful. He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." I believe this in my judgment. But the thing is, I want the feeling sense in my heart at all times, and this I have not. I know if I am one of God's, (and I firmly believe I am:) that I am safe at all times, and under all circumstances, whether in darkness or light. Why should I not, God is the same, Jesus is the same, and "loveth at all times?" Yet I do feel dying, and entering into the presence of God to be such a great thing, that I have need of more strength than I now have to go through it; but his blessed word says, I shall have strength according to my day: I rely upon his faithful word; believing, I will trust, and not be afraid. that he earnestly desired to see my face before he died, for he had been crying out Thomas in the night several times. This was very singular, as he did not know that I was coming home at that time; but the Lord granted him his desire, and I was brought home sooner than I anticipated. ("He worketh all things after the council of his own will.") He began by saying, I have been wishing for you to come, that I might tell you what great things I have experienced of my Father's love; how I have been blessed with manifestations from God. I feel myself built upon the rock Christ, -now and then I feel his love sweetly shed abroad in my heart. I remarked, I am thankful the Lord favours you with his gracious presence in your last hours; you see he is better to you than all your doubts and fears. Have you passed through much darkness of soul? He replied, no-this last few weeks I have been highly favoured; for I have been free from the perplexing temptations of Satan. O! God is I remarked to him, that God suffered sin to rise and show itself, from time to time, in the hearts of his dear children, that they may know that sin is not done away from our nature, as many light and frothy professors imagine: but that it is there still, to vex and tease, though not to conquer or to reign; for (says Paul,) "grace shall reign." And this implies, that sin would reign if it could; but it is kept under, overcome, and vanquished, by the all-sufficient grace of our adorable Lord Jesus; for (says he,) my grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in thy weakness.' Feeling then our own weakness, emptyness and sinfulness, we are brought to this point -to renounce ourselves, and to look out of ourselves to that finished work of Christ; and herein we are accepted, justified, sanctified, and shall be conducted safe to glory. Yes, yes, (he replied,) I feel it so I am sure of it, Thomas: there is no other hope, here I feel I am resting upon a rock. This is no delusion, no fancy of the brain. After our conversation, I read and prayed with him, in which he heartily responded. When I was about to leave him, he said, Thomas I am so glad you are come to be with me in my last moments; I thought I should have died without seeing you again on earth, but if I had, we should have met in heaven, to sing the praises of God together. I left him promising to come and see him again in the morning. To be concluded in our next. Acknowledgment and Apology. country to die; I dare not say that I felt at all uneasy about the matter. Living or dying, I trust, I am the Lord's. Through the kind instrumentality of means used by my very dear friends, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Berry, of Rollright Heath, I sufficiently recovered to return home to my church and friends on Saturday, May 20th. I can never forget the truly christian tenderness, sympathy, and care with which both Mr. and Mrs: Berry ministered to my necessities in my sickness. That the Lord may very richly reward them, is my most earnest prayer. Indeed, all through this month, the goodness of the Lord has been wonderful towards me. The friends at Wolverhampton, and at Oldham Street, Manchester, received me so kindly, and such a union sprung up between us, that I really fell right into love with them, and I felt I could do anything to serve them. And yet withal I could not preach to please myself. No. My preaching appeared (to me) to be so lean and lifeless at some places, that I really felt quite ashamed of myself. When I came to Chadlington, however, (the last time I preached in Oxfordshire,) the Lord did so nicely break into my soul, and gave me such a feeling sight and sense of his everlasting love towards me, that I really preached away all my dreadful pains and distressing fears; and after spending a night at good brother Aldred's (at Charlbury-and he and his dear spouse were as kind to me as if I had been their own child,) I came home with a heart filled with thankfulness and praise to the God of all my mercies. Now, dear friends, I am going to be plain with you. In consequence of the heavy losses and disappointments which I have experienced during the last two years, I was sunk so low that I could not tell which way to turn, nor how to act. But through the goodness of the Lord unto me this month, I have been enabled to pay my landlord, and a few other claims: but I am still greatly encompassed; so, unto you that wish well to the EARTHEN VESSEL, I say, do what you can to help her on her way. My apology is this. On my return home, I found a vast number of communications; and some letters requiring immediate answers. By the help of the Lord, I will read and reply to them all in July. Join with me, dear friends, in praising my everbountiful Lord; and do not forget to pray for your willing servant, THE EDITOR. DEAR FRIENDS, Readers, and Correspondents, -Since I packed up and sent you off the EARTHEN VESSEL for May, I have been to Wolverhampton, to Manchester, to Oxford, to Chipping Norton, Rollright, Ripley, Farnborough, and a number of other places in different parts of England, preaching the Gospel of our Lord on an average eight or nine times a week. At Rollright, in Oxfordshire, I was seized with very violent pains in my head, and for two nights, and parts of two days, I did suffer extremely; so much so, that one morning, I had some serious thoughts as to whether labounded, grace doth much more abound!" P. S. This brief acknowledgment I trust will not be misconstrued. The hand of the Lord hath been so powerfully manifested towards me, in raising me up, and making use of me both in preaching and publishing his truth, that I dared not withhold it. And HE knoweth with what increased love and zeal I do desire to spend and be spent in his service. Never, surely, was that text more wonderfully realised-" Where sin The Bodies of the Saints the Residence of the Holy Spirit. THE SUBSTANCE OF A SERMON PREACHED IN PROVIDENCE CHAPEL, Biggleswade, Sept. 12, 1847, BY JOHN CORBITT. "Know ye not that your body is the tem- | I have crucified the Son of God afresh, ple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, and put him to open shame. Yes! there remaineth nothing for me but a fearful looking for of fiery indignation. O, wretched man that I am! How shall I escape the wrath to come? O, that I had never been born! Woe is me, woe is me.' By this he is taught to see and to feel that God is gone out against him, as a sinner, in the curses of his holy law, and he verily knows now what is which ye have of God, and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your bodies and in your spirits, which are God's." 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. THE subject matter contained in the above text is of great importance; for to know that our bodies are the temples of God, insures to us all the blessings of this life, and that which is to come; and without this we are exposed to all the meant by being cast out to the loathing curses contained in God's Book. It matters not how virtuous, moral, decidedly pious, or strict in our attendance, or charitable and benevolent, with out being made new creatures in Christ of his own soul, to wallow in his own blood, to abhor himself in dust and ashes; no eye to pity; no hand to assist; the priest and the Levite both pass on the other side. In this confusion of soul, Jesus, or being born again of the Spirit, he is like one just awoke from a sound and having Christ formed in our hearts sleep, in the darkness of midnight, with the hope of glory, and all our religious his house all on fire; the sight terrifies exercise turning on the pivot of affection, we shall be found as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals. Seeing, then, that this matter is of so much importance I will try, as the Lord shall enable me, to give a description of the effect produced in the heart of those prepared by the Holy Ghost for his own residence. him, the fire scorches him, the smoke smothers him, and a fear of death distresses him; in this confusion he runs from door to door, from room to room, from landing to landing, until he arrives at the top of the house all in confusion, yet in his right mind, having, in this time of emergency, forgot and left every thing for his own life. In this distress, Thus the Holy Ghost exercises those whom he will have for his temple; and thus the Scripture is fulfilled, Seek ye Here are three things I shall notice under this head: First, Confusion; Se- he cries out, LORD, SAVE, OR I PERISH!' cond, Confession; Third, Rectification. First, it is written that while the strong man armed keepeth the palace, the goods are in peace, but when a stronger first, the kingdom of God and his righthan he cometh, and bindeth the strong teousness, and all things needful shall man and turneth him out, then Con- be added unto you; thus they forsake fusion begins: the soul now begins to father, mother, sister, brother, house, feel his lost, ruined, and undone state; land, friends, and treasures, and follow and confused thoughts of death, judg- the Lord whithersoever he goeth, and ment, and eternity flash through every esteem the reproach of Christ greater corner of his soul, making such awful riches than all the treasures of this world. discoveries to him of his inward depra- Secondly, Confession. The poor sinner vity, that quite astonishes and almost now begins to be in real want, and nodrives him to despair. In this confused thing but having those wants supplied state, he turns to the book of God, and will satisfy him; therefore, he is brought finds it written, 'For every battle of to this conclusion, to go to his father, the warrior is with confused noise and and confess, Father, I have sinned garments rolled in blood; but this shall against heaven, and in thy sight, and be with burning and fuel of fire.' (Isa. am no more worthy to be called thy ix. 5.) This, for want of better judg- son.' 'Thou hast set mine iniquity bement, (or being applied by satan,) he fore thine eyes, my secret sins in the light takes to himself, and in ardency of soul, of thy countenance; I have sinned and cries out, 'Yes! I am the man! I come short of the glory of God;' O enhave imbued my hands in innocent blood; ter not into judgment with me, but T |