Page images
PDF
EPUB

Christ Died for Me.

THE following is extracted from a letter written by Miss Jane Marks Smith to Mr. Thomas Garnett, concerning the death of her Cousin, Mary Ann Marks, who was both an Agent for the Vessel, and a Collector for the Ministers' Relief Society. May the Lord bless its perusal to many souls. The writer says:-"I write to inform you that my cousin, Mary Ann Marks, (who wrote to you for a card of the Poor Minister's Society,) is no more. She departed this life June 3. She had been ill ever since she had the Card, so that she could not persevere to get anything for it. During her illness she often spoke of Mr. Banks, and wished she could see him. She went with me and my mother to Providence Chapel, Sherbourn, and heard Mr. B. every time he preached there, and she liked him very much. And since her death my mother has found the heads of the sermons among her writings. And the last

night she was on earth, she enquired if he was come; and the same morning after she awoke out of a short slumber, my mother said to her, 'Mary, how are you? And she said, ' Comfortable; I have seen the crown suspended over me. My father went to see her, and she said, 'Uncle, I am going home to my Jesus! for the Lord hath told me he will never leave me, nor forsake me.' One morning she said, she had heard a sermon, and she remembered it all; and she quoted what Mr. Banks preached that Sunday morning he was at Sherbourn. My mother said to her, Mary, do you believe he preached the gospel?' And she said, 'Yes; I do: for he was the first man, under God, that brought any evidence to my soul that I was a child of God.' last morning she was on earth, she lay like one in a slumber, and we never expected to hear her speak more. Suddenly she spoke up, and said to my mother, 'Tell to all the world CHRIST DIED FOR ME: and that I AM SAVED IN THE BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. O the glories of heaven! And then she said, 'I lay me down to sleep; and if I wake in half-an-hour, I will tell you all.' She laid down with a smiling countenance, and departed without a sigh or struggle. And the last hymn she quoted

was

Rock of ages shelter me."

The

"Some preachers are like Heraclitus, who was called the dark Doctor, because he affected dark speeches; so they affect sublime notions, obscure expressions, uncouth phrases, making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard; they darken counsel by words without knowledge: men of abstracted conceits and wise speculations, are but wise fools; like the lark that soareth up on high, peering and peering, but at last falleth into the net of the fowler. Such persons commonly are as censorious as they are curious, and do Christ and his church but very little service in this world."-Brooks.

CHURCH

Lines

ON THE DEATH OF A MEMBER OF THE
OF CHRIST, PENT
SIDE, DOVER.
OUR Sister's gone-she's called above,
An object of eternal love;

By GRACE made to salvation wise,
Now fills a mansion in the skies.

She's gone---and we our loss can mourn,
But would not that she might return;
Oh, no! our Jesus doth well know,
How long to keep his plants below.
He waters them while in this ground;
'Tis from him all their fruit is found;
And when he takes from care and toil,
Transplants them to a richer soil.
She's gone--but while she travell'd here
She liv'd-and walked in holy fear;
Spake of her lovely Jesu's name,
To day, and yesterday the same.
Set to her seal that God is true,
In judgments and in mercies too;
Rejoiced in rich redeeming grace,
With joy she now beholds his face.
Her Father laid her gently by
For one short week--then called to die;
Although her mental powers did fail,
She anchored safe within the veil.
And tho' her passage might seem dark
To us, who now know but in part;
Christ safe conveyed this jewel bright,
To realms of everlasting light.
She's left our fellowship on earth,
She proved in time her second birth;
And as a trophy of his blood,

She's taken home to dwell with God.

O may her partner succour find,
From Christ our head, who's ever kind;
Who says he never will forsake,
Though every earthly tie do break.
May he to Jesus closer cleave,
And in the promises believe;

Thus in this heavy trial now,
May he by grace submissive bow:
Know who appoints, and kiss the rod,
Believing that his covenant God
Corrects in love, yet still his friend,
To lead him to his journey's end.
Help him to grow in every grace,
And reach at last that glorious place,
Where they with joy again shall meet,
And cast their crowns at Jesus' feet.
She's gone!--May we her footsteps trace;
Adore the mercy, love and grace,
That makes us kings and priests to God,
And drown our sins in precious bloo..
Then shall we worship Christ in God,
As sinners bought with Jesu's blood,
And join with all the ransom'd throng,
That bless'd, that never ending song.
Glory for ever-glory be,

To the great Undivided Three;

This song shall from my tongue resound,
For I have this salvation found.

With palms of victory--crowns of gold,

Free grace through blood that made them bold;
Shall they with rapture swell the song,
A bless'd eternity along.

Dover, May 9, 1848.

E. W. E.

[blocks in formation]

[Dear Sir-I herewith send you the | life in Christ: the christian has to walk

outline of a discourse delivered by the Rev. Thomas Hughes, of Hackney; on October 11, 1835. Your insertion of it in your next Vessel will oblige your's truly, W.]

in it first by a living faith, as thou didst first receive Christ without any evidence of being a believer, but as a sinner. Secondly, not his blood in the absence of his righteousness, but in the fulness in him, as a man purchasing a field purchases all above and beneath its surface. Married to Christ; the poor sinner is married to all in Christ, going on step by step to the fulness in him. A right use of Christ prevents lasciviousness, and prevents staggering at daily infirmities; it enables a believer to draw strength from him; it works by love, and purifies the heart. Have fellowship one with another; the bond of union is the fellowship of the Spirit. He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit.'

6

An Epistle from Manchester.

MR. EDITOR :-I promised you that I would give you some account of the Lord's dealings with me at Manchester; but such has been what to write. If I had promised to give the state of my feelings that I knew not you some account of the treachery, and combined union between my own wicked heart and satan, I feel I should have much to say; but what is the use of poring over our misery, or taking part with the wicked one? He always was, and he always will be a liar, and the adversary of the heirs of salvation.

"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." John i. 17. VIEW Christ as the blessed Head of satisfaction. He covers all our sins, and now all the children are free. The non-imputation of sins to a justified soul is a truth; and whatever may have been your fallen sense of guilt since we last met; but there must be a view of Christ as the head of all grace, light, life, and divine influence to the soul. We have now to do with consciences: the blood is in constant and powerful operation, and is applied by faith to the conscience. Sin is hardening. There is no spiritual apprehension of life in Christ till the blood is applied. The drop of blood on the right ear, thumb, and toe, and then the oil, have much to do with this peacespeaking blood. The Holy Spirit shews the things of Christ: he unfolds the things before concealed, even the mystery of sprinkled blood. The Holy Ghost, in his operation, is clearly discerned by all souls walking in the light. The Lord's people who have not assurance of their salvation, are walking in darkness. Very I was much struck with the account you intimate is the connection between walk- gave of yourself when preaching in Yorking in the light, and having intimate shire; and was truly glad that there was a communion and fellowship with Christ. man of God to be found in the same dismal 'How much more shall the blood of path as myself; not that I rejoiced in your Christ,' &c., &c. The blood pleads in poverty; but that it encouraged me to believe that I was not alone, as the devil would the conscience, purges and cleanses the have me believe, when I get there, as I do conscience. The blood of Christ applied very often; and he is sure to come in with, is so cleansing, no sin can stand before Do you think if you were sent of God to it. Blessed are the pure in heart, for preach the Gospel you would be in this dark, they shall see God.' Take heed of pha- miserable and impoverished state? No; the risaism; it is as bad as antinomianism. Lord fills his poor with good things, but There is a counterfeit holiness, a feigned you are sent empty away; the Lord never humility, a feigned humble mindedness; leaves nor forsakes his, but you are almost, this ever bringeth souls into bondage. if not altogether, alone; your religion only Jacob, Noah, David, and Peter, were not begun in the flesh, and will end in the flesh. cut off from Christ. Does the blood Do you know that when the devil is allowed cleanse from some sins, or some kind of to broach such things as these, I am fooli h enough to become his clerk, and say, 'Amen. sins only? No. From all sin! Lay your whole case before the Lord; ask him to break the chain of sin; make a right use of Christ. The Spirit gives us to see this blessed light; the fulness of grace in Christ, the Godhead-fulness of

[ocr errors]

Aye,' continues he, 'you see some of your friends are forsaking you, and others look cool; others come to chapel but seldom; and these that speak and smile at you are only flattering you; your bible has lost its sweetness; the Lord is withdrawn; you have no

C c

all done; and you will have to give over preaching, and retire into secret.' All these things are so painted, that I cannot see through their deception, and they are so craftily whispered into my soul by satanic craft, that I do not know but that they are true at the time.

access at a throne of grace; your matter is, to me was the minister of the place. When we got there, we had to arrange the preaching; and he persuaded me that the people would be best pleased if I preached; after a little deliberation, I consented, on the condition that the Lord would give me a text: on taking the bible my eyes were directed to Isaiah xxxviii. 17, Behold for peace I had great bitterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.' I know not what I said, but I felt much relief; and I saw the tears rolling copiously down the weather-beaten cheeks of some of Zion's travellers; their looks expressed satisfaction. In the afternoon and evening I felt much more at liberty, and much enjoyed the day. The sun was

Last Sunday (the 13th) I had to preach the anniversary sermons at Baguerley, in Cheshire; and I was as barren in my soul as a man that had never felt the love of God, and satan was hard at my heels. As we were going, my friend pointed me to a placard with my name in large letters; he asked, 'Do you know that gentleman?' He might, as well have knocked me off the carriage, though he spoke in friendship; he did not know what a conflict I had within, nor what ad-risen; the beasts were all gone into their vantage the enemy took of it. I went like a fool to the stocks. This person that spoke

dens; the lambs and the sheep fed sweetly; and if we may draw any conclusion from the liberalityand willing-mindedness of the people, we must say that the Lord blessed us indeed. The little chapel is situated at the corner of a large field; it is very neatly fitted up; I suppose it will seat from 150 to 200 persons at the outside; and we had two collections, afternoon and evening, amounting to £18 2s. 8d. I was astonished, and could but admire the cheerful liberality of the people who love the truth in the heart. There are three old women here, one named Martha, another Mary, and another Betty, from eighty to

got hold of me, and said, that they had got it in their hearts; and they knew that that was Christ's gospel, for they had been more than fifty years sheep in that pasture, and they knew the Master's voice well; thus I proved that the Lord was present. O that I could love him better, serve him more, and trust him implicitly.

This was rather different to the manner in which a certain evangelical doctor went the other day into the pulpit, when a New Congregational Church, [P] in the vicinity of the Metropolis, was opened. The doctor is a noble looking man; and when arrayed in his robes and appendages, the pulpit seemed hardly large enough to hold him. He took his sermon out of his pocket; laid it before him; and proceeded to address the people in an eloquent and lofty strain: but when I recollected that the same parties who are build-ninety years of age each. Martha and Mary ing such splendid chapels (as near like the modern English churches as they dare to come,) are at the same time, by the Evangelical Alliance, doing their utmost to pull down the established church; when I listened to their chaunting; gazed upon their elegantly painted windows, and mighty aisles, reflected upon the extravagant_speculation in building such a place when I thought further of the motive for giving to it so gaudy and so ecclesiastical an exterior-(which motive, we were plainly told was that the imagination of the masses might be taken hold of and induced to come in),-I say, when I put all these things together, I solemnly asked, "Is this pure and undefiled religion-or, is it not a deceitful mockery and daring insult offered unto the Majesty of Heaven?" Truly, the form of Godliness, and the making merchandize of what is called the gospel, is rapidly spreading: but where is the power, the spirituality, the devotedness and conformity to the image of Christ, which in the Gospel's early days it manifestly produced? Surely, I am either blind and deceived; or, England is fast being dressed up by the Mother of Harlots in that gaudy attire, of which, ere long, the Lord will make a most awful fire. Oh, cursed pride and covetousness! What are they not doing? Where are they not now to be found?-ED.

I anticipate the day with trembling and holy wonder when I shall appear in the courts of my Lord, and witness against my accuser and all his deceptions; when I come to show my call by grace, and call to the ministry, and the faith that embraced me at the beginning, I fear not but in the name, and by the help of the Lord, to be able to silence angels, men, and devils. And what should I expect, but to be insulted thus, since the Lord has most signally blessed me in gathering together a goodly congregation, and by his grace added thirty to our number in six months; turned out contentions, and brought in peace; and we are dwelling together in love and harmony; not one hand or voice lifted up in opposition to the recognition, but there are many enemies running round and grudging. The Lord, who is in the midst of us is mighty, and we shall not be moved; and by his grace we shall be saved. The Lord reigneth, let the people tremble; let the saints rejoice; for he com

eth to judge his people with equity and in
righteousness. The Lord teach my soul to
trust him, and live upon the things that I
preach to others, and enrich all his chosen
ministers with the outpouring of his grace,
and support you, and deliver you out of all
trouble, and his name shall have all the
praise. Amen.
JOHN CORBITT.

I

Every Man's Work shall be tried

OF WHAT SORT IT IS.

MY DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD:-I promised to write to you I think, but I am a poor thing, withered and dry, just fit to be gathered for the fire of God's wrath, and, was he to deal with me after my merit, there would be no alternative; I must perish. Now I can tell you I walk under a daily and almost hourly feeling of it, and I should go mad if I had no hope in Jesus Christ; but I often am questioning and fighting, and wrestling about the solidity of my hope. I am put to it greatly, may say all the day long, week after week, months and years am I fighting about the genuineness of my hope; I am not disputed out of it, but that I do hope, trust, and believe, yes, and love too, and that the people of God, and that because they are begotten and born of God, and in their measure bear enough of his likeness for me to recognize them as the Lord's; and notwithstanding I have the word of the Lord at my beck (as we say), and at times seems very useful to me in this fight, yet I am constantly beset with this. Is it real silver and gold? I am grounded in the truth of God's sovereign, wise and gracious purposes in Jesus Christ; I am grounded nicely as to Christ's life, death, and justicesatisfying-guilt, atoning and sin-removing sacrifice, and for whom ! But these are things without me, these are settled mountains, unshaken and everlasting hills. I am satisfied, and not at all wavering about the everlastingness and well ordered covenant, with whom and for whom I do not want to be told that Jesus is full of grace and truth, these things, I see plainly in my measure; these are things done, settled, firm and fast for ever; my warfare does not lay among those things. But I read of a work distinct from those wonder

ful works, a work of the Holy Spirit, the third person in the Holy Trinity. If I am wrong in this, my knowing clearly in my judgment the other, will be of no avail, I shall perish in hell, I am sure. It is about my calling, my life, my faith, my hope, my humility, my patience in tribulation, and my tribulation, my prayer, my love, my sorrow on account of sin, and for the living God, my knowledge of sin, and what is called the plague of the heart, and my self denial, &c. &c.; about the good work begun, and carried on, and perfected by the Holy Spirit: a work worthy of

him that does it, and must be a work of holi-
ness. Now, my brother, here lays my warfare;
others, many at least, I fall in with, do not
appear much concerned, they seem to take
for granted they are right, and so go fishing
in the world, and after this world's stuff, and
its airy, frothy, light, bubbles: such as silver,
gold, stones, wood, and earth, and respec-
tability tinseling, as though Christ had died
to procure a warrant from heaven for them to
be licensed to covet earnestly the empty bub-
bles and vanities of this earth; and they can
prate about faith in Christ and his fulness
in a moment, at any time; but I assure you,
I do not find it so easy to get into Christ's
I have
treasures. I hope I do sometimes.
been very happy at times; but I never was
happy through believing, but what I after-
wards was in war and conflict about it, as to
what of it was real and what was not, or if
any of it was real, and so it continues. I
am frequently very confident about matters
for the Lord's family in the pulpit, and fre-
quently for myself; but for myself, my con-
fidence seldom lasts me to the bottom of the
pulpit stairs, or into the vestry, before the
pulling and hauling begins. I should like
to enjoy my spiritual food, and become a
strong and useful believer, have an honora-
ble religion, live an honorable life on Christ,
and die an honorable death-that would be
to die in the Lord. Please to accept this
letter as a token of spiritual affection, so far
as I am aware of the truth of my own mind.
S. E.

Biggleswade, August 12, 1848.

A Letter by Mr. James Osbourn, O LORD God of Israel, thou who art excellent in working, and in whose hands are all mortal and immortal affairs: thou, Lord, knowest the ignorance and stupidity of thy servant, and how incapable he is, without thy aid, of writing in a consolatory way to one whose soul is in such an embarassed condition as greatly to need a letter of condolence; do therefore afford thy servant help to write to his son in the flesh in a way that shall prove healthful to his poor

afflicted conscience.

MY DEAR JOHN F.:-Peace and pardon attend thee, my son. Wonderful news from Baltimore have reached my ears of late. Well may it be said, We know not what a day may bring forth. It is a truth that sin hath made direful work among the human family, and nothing but its opposite, grace, can remedy it; and that grace divine grace, can set all things in the soul right and straight is our mercy; and so great too is this mercy that it leaves no just ground for a sin-burdened soul to despair of heaven at last. It cannot be well said that mercy is adapted to any but to the miserable and oppressed; and it is

said the oppressed are not to return ashamed, but to praise God's name, for he will in his own good time arise to the needy and oppressed, and set them all in safety; and the sweet Psalmist of Israel being confident of this matter, he says to the Lord, 'Thou who hath shewn me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on overy side.' And you, my son, as well as David, have reason to believe that the Lord who hath shewn you great and sore troubles, will, if he has not already, bring your soul up from the depths of horror, darkness, and long despair, and comfort you on every side; and then will cause you to cry out and say, O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.'

much hewing, and squaring, and rooting up, and pulling down, that sometimes the man thinks he shall consume away like a moth; but still the Lord will be sure to take good care of his own plantation, and water it every moment; and lest any hurt it, he will keep it night and day.

Bad therefore, as you feel yourself to be, and condemned as you now are by the righteous law of God; yet in my view of the subject there is nothing strange in your present condition, nor is there any one thing in all you say against yourself to check a good hope that in due time you will be brought up out of the horrible pit, and be led forth into light, peace, liberty, and holy joy, to the praise of the glory of God's grace. Divine grace, ere now, hath done wonders on the behalf of the sinful sons of men in the business of salvation; You may be sure, John, that I shall not and it can easily do the same again for my fail to cry to the Lord on your behalf, since son John F.; and I hope, and have good this I have always done, without your reason to believe, it will in a day when you earnest solicitation; and much more shall look not for it. I know right well that an I now do so since your dear soul is labour- afflicted conscience is hard to be borne, but ing under the burden of sin, and your poor God can support one under it. But few conscience surcharged with guilt and mis- people, methinks, have suffered longer than ery, and you have so ardently requested me has your father under a sense of divine disto plead with God for you. Your late com- pleasure, and I can but fancy it to be a munications, (I mean since I left Baltimore type of that tremendous fire which is never this time,) to me have produced a multitude to be quenched: but from a fearful looking of thoughts within me, and also a medley for of judgment and fiery indignation, the of feelings, and some of them have been Lord in the plenitude of his mercy, deextraordinary good and blessed ones. In-livered me, and set my feet upon a rock, deed I can no more describe them than I and from which no man shall cast me can make a world. And in my addresses down. Many have tried their satanic skill, to God too I am at times more than en- artifice, schemes, and devices to effect my couraged on your behalf. 'Bless the Lord, remove from this rock, but in vain hitherO my soul; and all that is within me bless to, and in future 'twill be the same. his holy name. Doubtless your state of mind is as uncomfortable as it can well be, and your distress vastly pungent; and I know this must needs be the case when God with his troops of terror, and his fiery law invades the breast of a guilty sinner, and lays open to his view the fountain of sin within him; for the heart of man is a fount of iniquity, and when the righteous law in its noon-day strength shines into it, sin revives and the man dies, as was the case with Paul; and as the law continues to shine on the putrified lump or mass, the disclosure that is made thereby to the awakened sinner is horrifying beyond description, while at the same time the heart, like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, casteth up loads of filth and foul sediment, which have lodged there a long time, and this makes such rueful work that the poor thing is quite prepared to say, 'O Lord, I am consumed by the blow of thine hand.' But all this cutting, breaking down, and killing work is done to make room for, and to prepare a place where to establish the empire of grace; for grace must reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. In the first settling of a plantation there is an abundance of rough work to be done before any profit Person County, North Carolina, April, 1843. can arise to the husbandman: and in preparing room in a sinner's heart for the P.S.-To all my dear family and brother reception of the King of glory, there is so' Fenner-Knowing how very sudden the

Painful, my son, as it is to me to see your soul wading in such deep and troubled waters, yet it is but right that I should show my hearty concurrence in the mode which the Lord seeth fit to pursue in his treatment of you. And much rather would I see you dealt with after this sort, than to see you come into a public profession of religion, as is to be feared most do, without ever being wounded and killed by the law. As in your letter to me, dated the 17th inst. you say, you will and must leave all in the hands of God who dealeth with all men as he willeth, I hope you will be enabled so to do; and in reference to you and your condition, and your wife and children, I will try to do the same. Thousands and thousands of prayers have I put up to God on my bended knees for your temporal and eternal welfare; and not for you alone, but for your dear mother also, and for all the rest of the family; and I can but hope that some of my poor prayers are now showing themselves, and will yet appear more conspicuous. God Almighty bless thee, support thee, deliver thee, and save thee with an everlasting salvation. Amen.

Your affectionate father,

JAMES OSBOURN.

« PreviousContinue »