ancient friendship, telling him, that neither the colour of his body, nor the condition of his present life, could prevent him being my dear brother in our dear Saviour, and though we must part now, never to see each other again any more in this world, I had no doubt of our having another joyful meeting in our Father's home, where we shall live together, and love one another throughout a long and Amen, amen, my dear Massa; God bless you, and poor me too, for ever and ever.' Massah,' says he, 'it was Christ gave me me. His On the other hand, my entering into all his feelings, together with an account to him which he had never heard before, that thus and thus in mercy the Lord dealt with all his children, and had dealt with me, drew streams of joyful tears down his black face, and we looked upon each other, and talked with each other, with that inexpressible glow of christian affection, that made me more than ever believe, what I have often too thoughtlessly professed to believe, the communion of saints. I shall never forget how that poor excellent creature seemed to hang upon my lips, and to eat my very words, when I enlarged upon the love of Christ to poor sinners; the free bounty and tender mercy of God; the frequent and delightful sense he gives of his presence; the faith he bestows in his promises; the victory this faith is enabled to get over trials and temptations; the joy and peace in believing; the hope in life and death, and the glorious expectation of immortality. To have taken off his eager, delighted, animated, air and manner, would have been a master-piece for a Reynolds. He had never heard such discourse, he seemed like a man who had been thrown into a new world, and at length he had found company. Though my conversation lasted at least two or three hours, I scarce ever enjoyed the happy swiftness of time so sweetly in all my life. We knew not how to part. He would accompany me as far as he might; and I felt on my side such a delight in the artless savour, the solid, unaffected experience of this dear soul, that I could have been glad to have seen him often then, or to see his like at any time now. I therefore took an affectionate adieu, with an ardour equal to the warmest and most Ministerial Encouragement. Lines addressed to Mr. J. Gwinnell, Pastor of Lon don-street Chapel, Greenwich, by a member of his church, when his mind was exceedingly, depressed under a deep sense of the importance of preaching the word of life. To you, dear sir, this grace is given, To cry aloud-behold the Lamb! Oh! may I meet with you above, Then at his feet we there will fall, It would be foolishness to apply a remedy where there is no disease. Christ came 'not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.' He says, 'The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' The physician does not come to tell the sick man to remain in his sickness. The Place where Two Seas Meet. the comeliness placed upon them; the Lord My dear Friend, -The Lord teaches you with the rest of his blood-purchased people, that 'he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.' Your experience, under the divine teachings of the Holy Ghost shows that nothing but a full, free, finished, and everlasting salvation will suit you. You feel that you are a great sinner, and that none but one mighty to save, can save you; this, divine sovereign grace has made you to feel; the Lord is continually showing his people that here they have no continuing city,' no rest, no quietude, peace or safety, but in Christ Jesus, the rock of ages. Without Christ, the soul of a believer is like a vessel upon the boisterous deep, when all is dangerous and stormy; yea, the believer is often brought into a place where two seas meet; he has often to experience a sea of external trouble, temptations, and afflictions; but this is not the greatest; it is the sea of internal conflicts, afflictions and sin, which is the most stormy, tempestuous, Presented to W. Bidder, after supplying the and dangerous. But what an unspeakable Pulpit at Mount Zion Chapel, Devonport, mercy that sometimes, when wave after wave of trouble rolls in, that the great, the red, the AN ACROSTIC in 1827. Long may it prove a source of joy, Be God's electing love to man, Additions to the Churches. flowing and cleansing sea of Immanuel's We now must part; and may the Lord blood drives all away; then all is peaceable, I mpart a blessing on his word joyous, and safe: the trials you are now pass-Left with us here by you; ing through often find you an errand to the throne; and, mark, it is a throne of grace, high and lifted up, that no Pharisee or mere formalist can approach unto: but it is so low that the poor, the needy, the tried, have often found that it is indeed a mercy seat-a throne established (through grace) to show mercy and favour to the suppliants; and I feel assured that you can (by experience) give your une-D eclar'd by you where'er you go; quivocal or unqualified testimony to the fact E xalt our Christ, and we will too that it is indeed a mercy seat. Trials are Rejoice, and add farewell! needful for us, though they are not pleasant to us; they are appointed by him who is too wise to err, and too mindful of his people to be unkind. Your journey may oftentimes be London Street Chapel, Greenwich.-On. rough, dark, and trying, and it is really requi- Lord's day, October 3rd, the ordinance of site it should be, or you would have no use believer's baptism was administered to eight for the promise, 'Thy shoes shall be iron and believers, after a very suitable address by brass.' Surely those shoes were never in-brother Óliver, of London, from What mean tended for a smooth, easy, and comfortable ye by this ordinance?' when Mr. J. Gwinnell path! But again, what an unspeakable mercy led the candidates down into the water. that Jehovah can and does make the rough They sung with a sweet feeling, places (in our experience) plain. He levels down the hills; he removes the mountains ; he regulates the fire; he rebukes the winds, and to the storm he says 'Bestill' and there is stillness, safeness, and smoothness. These are some of the things that I have learnt, (if I am not deceived) in the path in which I have been called to travel. May the Lord help us to see, while all is rough, teasing, and perplexing in and about us, that in Christ all is peaceable, safety, and perfect freedom! No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, they are perfect in him, comely through Hallelujah! praise ye the Lord! two of the candidates had been with the Wesleyans for years, and another was an old member of the Independants, and two were daughters of our sen. deacon, Mr. W. Fisher. In the evening they were received into our church, with four more from other churches, when our dear pastor, Mr. Gwinnell, related their experience before all the congregation, and we have a number more saying, we will go with you for we perceive God is with you. Our chapel is well-filled every Lord's day. This is the Truth. Two questions have of late been dividing and distressing the church of God in Christendom: the first is, whether one brother in the ministry is divinely authorised to hold up, preach against, and publish another brother's faults and infirmities? The second is, whether doubts and fears in poor believer's hearts are to be acknowledged or denounced? We shall not attempt to decide upon these weighty matters; but we shall let others -through the Earthen Vessel-speak on both these points. With reference to the former question, a very sober, and truly spiritual brother in the ministry writes as follows: "Alas! in some quarters of late the envy of Ephraim, and the vexation of Judah have broken out with a most bitter and humiliating rancour, which must make work for deep repentance at some time or other. Had some parties been in a furnace as intensely heated as that into which the polluted worm now addressing you has recently and aforetime been put, they would have other work to do than discerning 'motes and beams' in their brother's eyes, and their doubts and fears would, perhaps, have had an infinitely greater concentration on the reality of their own christianity than on that of others; while their apprehension that they were the chief of sinners would have prevented them from throwing a single stone at others. This will be their spirit yet, if they are what I hope respecting them." 66 BUT, IS THIS TRUTH? Upon the second question, we give an extract from a sermon preached at Edenstreet chapel, Hampstead-road, by Mr. Mackenzie, and which is reported in the last number of the Zoar Pulpit. The preacher said (speaking of some minsters): They seem to have a deep antipathy to the tried, afflicted people of God; a determined enmity and hatred to everything like the painful, deep heart-harrowing exercises of the people of God; they cut and stab at doubts and fears, gloom and despondency, as if it were some capital crime, and as if the people of God took pleasure in them. This is also a mistake and error. I will tell you where the string of it lies: it is doctrinal free-will. There are two kinds of free-will: first, thorough arminian free-will, which totally denies the doctrines of grace; and secondly, doctrinal free-will, which holds the doctrines of grace, but carries free-will into experience. Neither of these will God own or bless; nor will they profit the tried and exercised of the Lord's family. Such per sons will tell you, 'God's saints make a hobby of doubts and fears:' but I deny it, and say it is a libel on God's saints. I do not know one in London, or in England, who does so. It is an insult to the church of God. Can a man make a hobby of his wants, his distresses, or his afflictions, when they come? Surely not. And I do not envy the man who can hear it comfortably, or the man who can preach it. Doubts and fears are the infirmities and weaknesses of God's saints; the same as abscesses, wounds and fevers are the infirmities and diseases of our mortal bodies. But when a man is wounded, diseased, or afflicted, are we to stab, to cut, and to whip him, because of these infirmities? Are we to tell him to heal his wounds, and that he is dishonouring God by having them? He knows he has wounds; he feels his distresses, afflictions, and sorrows; his heart cries, groans, and sighs over them. But are we therefore to say 'he makes a hobby of them?" I say, no: I never met with such christian men; if there be, they are unknown to me. I have been from end to end, and from side to side of this land anong the churches, and I have never met with any but those who have felt doubts and fears to be a source of pain and grief to them. "But can you rid the Lord's family of doubts and fears by troubling and grieving them? Is a man saved f.om drowning by pushing him into the water? Can you whip God's people out of their distresses, or scold them out of their fears? What says God? 'Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God: speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.' (Isa. xl. 1, 2.) So then, though subject to doubts, fears, and soul exercises; though thus dark, blind, and obscure, at times; tell them, that it is the leper, the halt, the lame, and the blind, that God saves. What indeed has made Job's trials so sweet to the church of God? Is it not being plunged into the same fire, and passing through a measure of the same trials? This is the way to raise up hope, and put down unbelief; this is the way to comfort and bless their souls,-by preaching the truth to them; by plentifully declaring the thing as it is,and not by trying to flog them out of their doubts and fears with legal whips, as some attempt to do. We are, therefore to 'try the spirits; and examine every man's doctrine and preaching to see that it be in accordance with the Lord's testimony, and the teaching of his Spirit in our souls." We fully agree with all that Mr. Mackenzie says with reference to the trials of God's saints; but where the ministers are who cut, stab, and whip the people of God on account of them, we are at a loss to conceive.-ED. THE EARLY DAYS-CONVERSION-CALL TO THE MINISTRY-GENERAL CHARACTER DEATH AND BURIAL OF THE LATE MR. GEORGE FRANCIS, Of Snows Fields Meeting, Southwark. life and ministry of this servant of Christ, I cannot do better than let his own works and WE commence our notice of the death of I heard announced by Mr. Jones, at the anthis dear and aged servant of Jesus niversary of Surrey Tabernacle; he died on Christ, by reiterating the words of THOMAS the morning of January, 5, 1848. He was one STRINGER, who spoke over his of the three at my settlement, said Mr. Jones, grave. "The question generally asked, (said 35 years ago. In taking a brief survey of the Thomas) is How did he die?" 'I will tell you he died in faith-he died in peace-he died in Jesus." Glorious death this; come when, and under what circumstances it may. Of George Francis, it is not only true that he died in faith, he also lived in faith; he not only died, but he lived in peace; he not only died, but he also lived in Jesus; and, like a shock of corn fully ripe, he has at length been gathered to his fathers: and has entered into that rest which is secured unto all the people of God. We see no occasion for grief or sorrow in the removal of this dear saint from the church below to the church above. His ministerial labours have for some time past been finished: and having been literally worn out in the great work to which he was called, the Lord laid him gently and carefully aside until the number of his days were accomplished, and then, dropping his earthly tabernacle, and drawing aside the vail, he took his ransomed spirit into the mansions of immortal glory, where millions of the redeemed together meet, and together sing the honours of their heavenly king. Free grace he preached; free grace is his song, now He's shouting victory with the blood-bought At Jesus' feet they fall. Then we shall shout the glories of the Lamb, But our design is, to place upon record, all that is calculated to be of use and interest to the church of Christ: we proceed, therefore, to lay before our readers the following sketch which has been prepared for us by our esteemed friend and brother, Henry Watmuff. The earthly career of George Francis, the long respected minister of Snows Fields Chapel, has at last terminated, whose death words speak for him: he being dead, yet lived to his 79th year, George to be 80. The At the early age of ten years, Mr. Francis says, The Sun of righteousness began to shine into my soul: I know of no particular took its rise, but this I know, that at this time portion of Scripture or sermon from which this I began to feel a great concern about my soul, and whether there was any ground for me to look for happiness after death.' He then goes on to state-after failing in his resolves to seek the salvation of his soul, on the prinand worse, and now to think of setting out ciple he was seeking it, says, 'I got worse solution that I would never pray any more; again would be vain: I therefore made a rethis was one night while I lay on my bed, but thanks be to God, I was no more able to keep this bad resolution, than I had been the former good ones. I was soon drawn to seek tinued until he was permitted to hear Mr. him again.' In a very obscure state he conRomaine; I heard,' says he, as I never heard before; I found it to be the word of God, from the power which attended it. I remember hearing him once in particular, his text I do not remember, neither do I think I could repeat ten words of it in its proper order; but this I can well remember, that fied in the sight of God, which he shewed his subject was how a sinner could be justiclearly to be by faith, without any of our works or deservings, and which he made appear clearer than I had ever heard done in my life before, or at least had never so well E understood it. He repeated these words over or two persons, that I could venture to speak and over again;' that a sinner brought to to upon soul matters, and I began to profeel his lost, helpless, miserable state, and claim aloud God's goodness to me; which it casting himself at the feet of Christ, Christ seems, went to those who did not wish to hear was the Saviour of every such soul.' And I about it; but,' he says, 'I was too heavy think if ever I paid attention to anything, it laden with divine treasures to be able to live was to this, which I thought the best news without vent, in consequence of which I was that I had ever heard.' He then proceeds to driven the more to my favorite room, at which describe the joyful reflections these state- time, I used to tell my Lord everything which ments gave rise unto in his soul, accom- befell me, and to unbosom my very soul bepanied by a painful yet gracious sickness fore him; I said, O my Lord, bring me acwhich at this time he laboured under. When quainted with some of thy blood-bought people, at about seventeen years of age, the prison that I may have the soul pleasure of talking doors of his soul were thrown open under about thy wondrous works; rejoicing with the ministry of the honoured Romaine. I them that can rejoice, and attempting to commust make another extract from these early fort them that mourn; which cry God having days, and then close. Soon after this, the implanted, he has evidently heard and anLord was pleased to revive, and at length to swered abundantly above what I could ask or restore me; and I was now inclined to think think. As I was led on in the divine life, I the battle was won, and the conflict over; became more acquainted with myself; saw that I had nothing to do but to ride smoothly more my weakness, felt my total unfitness, on till I got to heaven; but, alas! I knew and, as I thought, the impossibility of any such but very little as yet of what was very neces- thing taking place; when judging it to be nosary for me to know of the evil of my own thing but a temptation, I poured out my soul heart the corruption, unbelief, and filth, before God earnestly, that he would be pleased that lay at the bottom of that dirty puddle, to banish the thought for ever from my mind. which only wants stirring up, to be felt as In this way I got rid of it for months together, well as seen; and also of that host of ene- and I was thankful for it; when again it mies which I then had, and even to the pre- would return with the greatest force, bringing sent moment have to grapple with,-enemies great distress, and, at times almost distracwho are daily trying to stop me in my hea- tion into my mind, then away to my divine venly course. My experience down to the friend I flew again, and told him what had present day, is a composition of light and happened,' and concludes his prayer thus :— darkness, joy and sorrow, life and death; thus I am brought to prove the truth of Paul's account of himself: To will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not.' I would love him above all things, but oh, how frequently do I find that the least thing that presents itself, steals away my heart from my best friend. I would speak of what he has done for my soul, with a view to his glory, but alas! when I attempt it (and that sincerely too), before I am aware, I am drawn off from him, that my soul is concerned to exalt; Christ is forgot and self creeps in, and thus I learn the truth of Newton's words : When I would speak what thou hast done, To save me from my sin; I cannot make thy mercy known, But self-applause creeps in. Mr. Francis's call to the ministry seemed to him of a more wonderful and important character, than his call by grace, and which certainly was not after man's teaching; he says- My general retreat was my bed-room, where I had a table, a chair, and a few books, chiefly consisting of Romaine's Life, and Walk of Faith, two or three Hymn books, and a Bible; this place he says was my chief retreat, where I obtained such precious interviews with my beloved, that could they speak, the very walls would testify to the sacred business transacted between the Lord and my soul. At this time, I knew but one Never, never let me live to see the day when I shall be left to run without mission or commission from thyself.' As soon again as I had got a little over my trouble and hoped it was buried to rise no more; some person or other would speak to me, and say, they wondered that I did not attempt to speak in the Lord's name.' This I suppose has occurred more than twenty times, from different people, and at different periods of time, this would sometimes awaken up all my former anxiety of mind; but blessed is that exercise, or even temptation, that urges us to a throne of grace. 'Here I would make a remark, that when God intends to makes a man publicly useful, he will endue him with a gift in some measure suitable thereto. If a man is destined to be a teacher, he will possess him with an aptness to teach; in this way God blessed me years before I came publicly forward, and there are many living witnesses to prove it. But my trouble and fear sprang from looking to what we call a pulpit, in which place I supposed my work was to begin, when, as I have just observed, it had already commenced; here I remained, nor could I move forward, any more than I could create a world; several of my friends said I should be ordained a parlour preacher at any rate.' Doors one after another, in providence, now opened to Mr. Francis. An important one, we |