There is a Vein for the Silver; and a place for the Gold where they fine it. TO MY FAITHFUL FRIENDS FULFORTH, OF STURRY, IN KENT:DEARLY BELOVED-That great grace, mercy, and a peaceful prosperity of soul, may be with you, and with all that love our Lord Jesus Christ, is, and I trust ever, will be my most earnest prayer. Two things appear more particularly to have moved me to write unto you:First, because when I was with you at Sturry on the 7th instant, I could not open my mind to you as I desired; and, secondly, because I feel persuaded that your sincere and faithful attachment to the cause of Christ has brought many afflictions and severe trials into your souls. Soon after I took my seat this morning in one of the carriages of the Great Western Railway, being on a journey into Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxford, to speak in the name of the Lord, these words-There is a vein for the silver, and a place for the gold where they fine it,' came into my soul; and it did so seem to open up the deeply mysterious path through which I have walked; and did stir up such feelings of sympathy towards those who are opposed to me, as well as those who kindly receive me, that I resolved to give you some account of the severe exercises of my mind in coming to Canterbury, and how (I do hope) the good Lord delivered me from them, As to my coming down to Canterbury, I never came with more peace and gratitude to God for what he had done for me. But the next morning all my past transgressions were canvassed over. I was carried back to the unhappiest part of my life; and I found that some, instead of being prepared to receive me as a servant of Christ, were as determined in their prejudice against me as ever. Well; this was painful to me. Most thankful should I be, if I could heal every wound that I have made, and repair every breach. My soul would greatly rejoice if I could restore a thousand fold, (in every sense) for all the wrong that I have done; but I cannot. Wrong has been done; sin has been committed; injuries have been sustained; but when I declare, as in the presence of God, who searcheth me through and through, that these things were not done with wicked and wilful intentions; when I declare, (after years of deliberate consideration, and painful suffering,) that they all resulted from an overpowering temptation, against which I fought with prayers, and groans, and resolutions, and promises; but which stole upon me, overcame me, and, at length, put such a yoke round my neck, my heart, and my conscience, as to work out everything that was black and bad; when I say this is it christian-like to lay up these things, which have been like arrows in their souls, and now turn them back upon me; and prevent every attempt that might be made to bring about reconciliation? Let me tell you two things, friend Fulforth: first, it is a great comfort to me that these dear souls have not been permitted to turn back into Egypt; however weak and divided they may be, I feel a consolation that they are kept in the way. Oh, may the Lord be pleased to unite and strengthen their hearts, and make them to flourish in the courts of his house. Another thing I can say, my spiritual love to them has never diminished; and I do pray that you will not allow their feelings against me to separate you from them. Do you with me, as they did in days of old with Jonahthrow me over-board sooner than dissensions and divisions should spring up among you. Now to come to the exercises of my mind. When I left Canterbury on Friday morning last, (although I had preached in your little Zoar the night previous with some holy confidence, yet when I awoke the next morning, and set out for London) such a cloud of darkness covered my mind, that I began to look upon myself as one of the basest and blackest of wretches: something said within, 'I had been all my life-long deceived, and was only a deceiver of others.' This filled me with woe, and dark forebodings of something worse to come; and I sunk so low that I almost felt a wish to cease from preaching altogether. In this state I continued, with little intermission, all the way to London; and after I arrived home these dark and dreadful feelings greatly in creased upon me. I preached that night at Mile End to a crowded congregation, from Ezekiel x. 4, 5, but still inward FF sorrow, and secret fear were gnawing the gather thick, old sins come up to rememvery vitals of my heart. Saturday came; brance, and dense darkness veils the mind -then it is a low dungeon. In this low I had heavy sums of money owing me, dungeon I know I laid from the early part but none could I get in. I had heavy of 1840, to the latter end of 1843; and into bills to pay, and nothing to pay them some fearful sense of this low-dungeonwith. Oh, what a day of sorrow was state I have gone this week. In fact, I that to me. But I was helped through never go to Canterbury but all my old it, and retired to my bed with a heavy wounds seem to be opened; arrows are shot into my soul; darkness veils my mind; heart, and a mind as apparently vacant unbelief says, I am a great deceiver; and of all spiritual matter as it could well this unbelief throws me down, and I sink be. I arose on Lord's Day Morning, in deep waters. I said, when I got into and said to myself-How solemn a Canterbury, I am come down comfortable, thing it is to be going into the service and hope to remain in peace; but I find it of God in such a state of mind as this! cannot be. Jeremiah describes this low dungeon, in this third of Lamentations; (ver. I besought the Lord to appear-twice 5-11; and again 42-47); He hath comin my bed-room did I go and beg him to passed me with gall and travail,' bittercome into my soul; I felt a real inwardness of soul and heavy labour, without dedesire to come near. I went down into my room, and I tried to draw near to the throne again. Some little quietness began to possess my heart, and after about two hours waiting and seeking, my soul was solidly stayed and comforted with these words "I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul: thou hast redeemed my life. O Lord thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause." Lam. iii. 55-59. From these words I did derive soulsatisfaction. And I will here give you an outline of my meditations upon liverance; to be set in dark places; to have the chains made heavy; to cry and shout, and find prayer shut out; all your paths crooked! Ah, this is dreadful to a living soul. This, in a measure, my mind has passed through again and again. And as I travelled home, last Friday, my soul sunk in sorrow; I groaned and cried, yet found no help, or not enough; I must not say, I found none. In this low dungeon the living soul confesses sin, (ver. 42,) but it finds no pardon; sees nothing in God but anger and judgment. Secondly I called upon thy name, O Lord.' The name of the Lord is Jesus Christ. Now, aman is known many ways: sometimes by his appearance, if we have seen him before; sometimes by his writings, if we have read them before; and sometimes by Christ is known (to living souls) by his aphis name, though we have never seen him. pearances, by his voice, by his writings, by his name. Faith in Christ (as a SAVIOUR able to save unto the uttermost,) will stay up a living soul, and keep it from wholly sinking, even in the worst of times. "They that know thy NAME will put their trust in thee." Faith will hang the soul on Christ, and finally sink, it cannot! the dead; and Christ shall give thee light.' This was twenty years ago; and I may say he hath given me life; he hath sweetly led my soul into the love of the truth; and kept me there; although my path has been so dark. them :THERE are three things I can say of these words. (1.) They are the language of a real child of God. (2.) They are words which describe what my soul has passed through. (3.) They are descriptive of the condition of many a living soul in this day. First-I may speak of the low dungeon. He hath appeared unto my soul, and I Secondly-Of calling upon the name of the feel bound to believe that with the eye of Lord, out of that low dungeon. Thirdly faith I have seen him, and long to again; How a soul may know that God hears its by his voice, I heard him saying, unto mevoice. Fourthly-Of the conflicts and de-Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from sires still at work in the soul. FifthlyThe testimony it bears of delivering mercy and sustaining power. Sixthly-The appeal which the soul makes unto God. And lastly-The request, 'Judge thou my cause.' First-Of the low dungeon. We read of two dungeons into which Jeremiah was But his name. This is a word descripcast. Read that in Jeremiah xxxviii. 6, 7. tive of what he is. A rich man, is some I may say there are many dungeons into men's name; a physician is another man's which a poor child of God may be thrown. name; a lawyer is another; a Doctor in Bailey says,' a dungeon is the darkest, the Divinity (a curer of souls) are other men's lowest, the most dismal part of the names. But what is Christ's name? See prison. When a poor sinner lays under Acts iv. 10, 11, 12. JESUS CHRIST of Nathe terrors of God's most righteous law- ZARETH. Á SÁVIOUR-ANOINTED OF GOD when he sinks into a sight and sense of the -A SEPARATER OF THE PEOPLE. This wickedness of his own heart-when he is is what the living soul calls for To be pressed down under the power of tempta-saved-to be separated-to be brought into tion when God hides his face, clouds the presence of God. I have found this one thing-that as a sense of sin, and sorrow for sin works in my soul, so my soul cries out for the name of Christ, for salvation, for sanctification, and for holy communion. Are you in a low dungeon? Is all darkness, uncleanness, dreadful forebodings and distress? Yet, are you compelled to breathe, to cry, and to call after God? Surely there is hope for you, sad as your estate may be. · Thirdly-But, how may a soul know that the Lord has heard his voice? I will tell you. First, by the whispers of his word. As I was riding home, thinking over my dark path, these words came, 'Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.' (Prov.) I felt a little relief, though but little. When I got home I was going to the Lord for a word; as I drew near, he seemed to meet me with these words, ' If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.' This did lift me up a little. So you will find that God the Holy Ghost will whisper in such words as will help you. And I can tell you these words brought me where David was, (Ps. cxix. 49, 50,) he says, Remember the word unto thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, thy word hath quickened me.' The words which God whispers in become a prop to the fainting soul; and they quicken or cause the soul to spring up in hope, faith, and prayer, and strong desire. Thus, I say, if God speaks words into your soul, and thereby holds you up in hope, in desire, and prayer, depend on it deliverance is not far off-He may hear, and yet not appear to notice; nor whisper in any word; but, if thy soul is compelled to cry on, and to sigh on, he will not forsake you. He will help you with a little help; although you may neither see his hand, hear his voice, nor enjoy his presence. Fourthly-The conflicts and desires still in existence. Hide not thine ear. As though a temptation came in, that God would yet forsake. Oh, if God leaves us, hides his face, closes his ear, all is done and over then, as far as peace and confidence is concerned. Fifthly-The testimony concerning past mercies. 'Thou drewest near, thou saidst, Fear not.' Here are two things-God draws near in providence supplying us; he draws near in mercy, causing us to hope, and then he speaks so as to remove dreadful fear. These two things are exceedingly blessed to be known and noticed in the experience of a living soul. After a child of God is delivered out of trouble, he can then see how silently and gently the Lord did draw near unto him, and did also kindly support him, though at the time no real comfort was derived. Sixthly-The appeal. Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul, hast redeemed my life, hast seen my wrong.' Here faith expresses the work of Christ. He is a Pleader, a Redeemer, a Watcher. These are the three essential characters and works of Christ. Before time, he pleaded for us: in the fulness of time, he redeemed us; through all the dangers connected with time, he watches over us. Seventhly-The request. 'Judge thou my cause." My cause is wrapped up in so much mystery, there is so much apparent sin, and actual sin about it; men are so ignorant of the hidden springs, both of the workings of sin in our members, and the workings of grace in the new man, that very often they cannot come to a true judgment of a man's real condition before God. Jeremiah, therefore, throws himself upon the righteous decision of a holy God, 'Judge thou my cause. I feel I can and may do the same; and leave him to make manifest the true character and determine the eternal condition of your poor servant for Christ's sake. C. W. BANKS. September, 12, 1848. The Lord on His People's Side. The Lord was on his people's side; For nought can change his mind; He'll prove for ever kind. With their Redeemer God; 'Twas ratified by blood. The Lord was on his people's side A sacrifice for sin; And righteousness brought in; Upon th' accursed tree; When he the glorious victory gain'd; The precious from the vile; The Lord is on his people's side Their shield and hiding place. Here is the language of his heart- And with his saints abide! He'll surely take them home to bliss! BISHOP. New Baptist Chapel, Greenwich. THE church accustomed to assemble in London St. Chapel, Greenwich, under the ministry of Mr. Gwinnell, having commenced the erection of a much larger, and more commodious building in Bridge Street, determined to commemorate the foundation by a public religious service, which was held on the afternoon of September 25th. The walls of the edifice having been raised to a considerable height, a platform, covered by an awning, was raised at one end of the interior, while the space below, and the scaffolding around were crowded by spectators. The proceedings commenced at a few minutes after three, by the singing of the hymn "All hail the power of Jesus' name." After which an appropriate and fervent prayer was offered by Mr. Moyll, of Peckham. This was followed by another hymn"Come let us join our cheerful songs," &c. Mr. Wyard, of Soho, then came forward to address the audience. He said, that probably many of them had come there, expecting to see the ceremony commonly called, laying the first stone;' and, indeed, it was his opinion something of the kind was to take place; and they might be disappointed at finding such was not the case. They had met, however, in this roofless house, this pulpitless chapel, and without so much, it seemed, as a bible to speak from; but many of them, he trusted, had the doctrines and sentiments of that book written in their hearts, and exemplified them by their lives. He would endeavour to address them from the words of the apostle Paul-" For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus." 1 Cor. iii. 11. The text, taking its natural order, informed them three things-First, that Christ is really a foundation; secondly, that this foundation is laid; thirdly, that none other foundation can be laid. He then proceeded to remark 1. Christ himself is a foundation. He is diversely spoken of in sacred testimony of truth: sometimes he is represented as 'a corner stone,' 'a tried stone, elect and precious,' 'a stone of the building, and so on; at other times, as the head of a body, as the shepherd of sheep, and a variety of other metaphors introduced by the Holy Ghost to set forth his wondrous person, character, and achievements, as the Lord of life and glory. On the present occasion, we have to view him as a foundation; and we may notice the following few particulars : 1. He is a foundation personally. There may be among those gathered here, some who deny the divinity of Christ, and even some who deny his humanity; but we have in us. to do alone with the testimony of the Spirit of God, if we speak not according to that, it is because there is no light, no proper light We find that the Bible, from Genesis to Revelations, just goes to prove and set forth the eternal self-existence and independence of the Lord Jesus Christ-his abstract Godhead. And it sets forth, too, the complexity of his character, as God and man—as the mysterious being in whom eternity and time are conjoined, whose return is at once self-existent and dependent; who was from everlasting, and yet who had a beginning. fit and proper foundation on which to rear Then was the person of Jesus constituted a the fabric of divine mercy. In connection with his abstract and complex character, must be considered his pre-mediatorial engagements and performances, rendering him personally the foundation which God has laid in Zion. 2. He is a foundation, relatively considered-that is, as interested in, united to, and identified with his people; sometimes he called his church his brethren, his family, his people, his household. Upon him does Jehovah the Father erect his temple of grace, the household of faith. No Jesus, no salvation; no Christ, no church; no Lord of life and glory, no eternal life for poor sinners. 3. Christ is a foundation, doctrinally considered. There is no doctrine contained in the sacred testimony of divine 'truth, but has its original source in him. Suppose we begin with the doctrine of everlasting love. Jesus says, addressing his Father, and speaking of his people, Thou has sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me;' and then he adds, "Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world." (John xvii. 23, 24.) Then the doctrine of God's everlasting love takes its rise in the person and mediation of Christ; and so with his covenant of grace, Christ is the foundation of that; for it was with him God entered into covenant, for the future salvation and ultimate eternal blessedness of poor guilty men; but for him, there could have been no covenant of grace in which all the people of God now simultaneously rejoice. If we consider the doctrine of election-a doctrine despised and slighted by some, but cordially embraced, and dearly loved by God's Spirit-taught people-we see Christ is also the foundation of that; he is the root of the eternal choice-for we are chosen in him before the world began-before God said, Let there be light,' and laid the foundation of this natural earth; a choice that shall stand good for ever, even when the heavens shall have been rolled away as a scroll. So is he the foundation of a sinner's justification, whether in the presence of God, to his own conscience, or in the sight of his fellow men. And Lastly, he is the foundation of pardon, of preservation, of glorification; and through Thus then, is Christ the foundation, in these several aspects, of salvation-of a salvation perfectly sovereign, free, and eternal. his blood and sufferings we have the forgive- | did to procure heaven for us, we should do ness of our sin-by his power we are kept from love to him. The spirit and conduct from falling-and by him shall we be ad- must be the same, the motive and principle mitted into the eternal kingdom. On these different. points we have but touched. If they be amplified to each of you by the Holy Spirit, not only lodged in your head, and retained there, by the power of memory, which may only nourish pride and vanity; but let down into your heart's affections, then, they will excite humility and love-you will esteem Christ, indeed, a stone elect and precious, as greater and dearer than any on earth or in heaven. 4. He is the foundation, moreover, experimentally considered. All that a christian man experiences is not christian experience; all that a godly man experiences, is not godliness. There are always in the heart of a believer the two principles, the flesh and the spirit, which continually strive one with the other, and will never coalesce, or be at peace; so that experience must be spoken of discriminatively. There is no experience, after all, worth feeling or recollecting, which does not wean the heart from the world, and set the affections on things above. And of all such experience, all heavenly and holy emotions, Christ is the source. Faith centres in him-the hope of immortal blessedness, and of union with the spirits of the just made perfect, anchors on him all true love to his truth, his cause, and his people, flows from, and is concentrated upon him. Lastly, Christ is the foundation, authoritatively, preceptively, and imitatively. I mean, by saying he is the foundation authoritatively, that whatever is not appointed by him is not to be observed in his church; and that whatever he has commanded is to be done. No man has any right to introduce any doctrine, to establish any practice, upon his own authority; it is at his peril to do so. On the other hand, no man must depart from that which Christ appointed, and the apostles observed. His doctrines and ordinances go together, and no power on earth or in heaven can separate them, or alter them. His commission to his apostles was, to go and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and that is at once the authority and obligation of all his servants. He who sent me to preach the gospel, commanded me also to baptize; and I am bound as much to do the one as the other. Preceptively, also, he is the foundation. The injunctions contained in the New Testament are the transcript of his will: and are to be kept from love to him. And he is set before us imitatively. We are to follow in his footsteps, to 'mind the same things,' to imitate his example as far as it is imitable; but with this difference, he did it meritoriously; we cannot, must not attempt it. What he II. Christ is not only the foundation, but he "is laid" as such. "Behold," says God, "I lay in Zion a foundation stone." He was laid in the eternal purpose of God before men or angels had a being, before the heavens and the earth were made. That was the decree and the design of God, which nothing could prevent or alter. All things were ordered and arranged for that end. The natural universe was built, that on it God might rear his spiritual temple, of which Christ was then laid as the corner stone, in purpose and decree. He was laid by the prophets-by all the sacrifices and typical ordinances under the law and Mosaic economy. All the invitation and promises made by the prophets were made with reference to him, and the souls of ancient believers built up on him; as we read, that the saints "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." (Eph. xi. 20.) He was laid by the apostles-in all their preaching, and all their epistles, they, as "wise master builders," laid this "sure foundation," and built up the church thereupon. And while many have built up "wood, hay, and stubble," which shall perish in the "fire that is to try every man's work," all the true and good servants of Christ in every age of the church down to the present day, have laid him, as the basis of a sinner's hope, as the ground of a saint's security. III. Christ being laid as the foundation, no other can be laid. There is no room for any other-blessed be God, there is no necessity for any other. Man may attempt it, but God will not permit it,-no Godly man will wish it-the world will never sustain it. He that builds upon it will never be put to shame ; sin nor satan will not be able to confound him; heaven will realize and consummate the hopes and anticipations that are based on this foundation, against which the gates of hell will never be able to prevail. If I had not some pleasing hope, that this great matter will form more or less, the sum and substance of preachment within these walls, I could not conscientiously, have countenanced your proceedings to day. As it is in the belief and expectation that it will be so, I wish you "God speed," in the name of the Lord. On the conclusion of Mr. Wyard's address, of which the above is a mere skeleton, Mr. Gwinnell announced that a tea meeting would be held in the old chapel. After prayer by Mr. Abbott, the large assembly dispersed. |