how you have been preserved, and I often hear something about you, though not directly from you. John Corbitt TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AT MAN But now I must tell you how very kind and merciful the Lord appeared to me, when all appeared to forsake me, and some reproached me and said hard things of me. But the Lord sent his word and healed To my dear and affectionate brothers, sisters, me.' None but he himself could do it. He and friends composing the church and conapplied these words with power to my soul, gregation at Bethesda Chapel, Oldham which comforted me exceedingly: "THE Street, Manchester. REPROACHES OF THEM THAT REPROACHED MAY grace, mercy, and truth rest upon THEE ARE FALLEN UPON ME.' The words you, and the love of my covenant God dwell melted my heart with overflowing joy; and richly in you, and grant that a double porthese words followed: Though thou art not, tion of the Spirit of God may rest upon thy Saviour is a match for all thy foes.' So and flow through my affectionate brother you see the Lord brings his people along Wells into your souls, warming, enliventhrough various trials. I am glad to hearing, invigorating, and comforting you, and great grace be on you all, and great glory who in covenant, love condescended to look redound to the honour of the Eternal Three, with love, mercy, and deliverance on such poor, helpless, undeserving things as you and me; to choose, redeem, call, and quicken to eternal life such as know themselves to have been without God and without hope in this world; once enemies but now friends, reconciled by the blood of Christ, and 'made meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in life.' Oh that my soul lower in humility, in adoration, praise, and could rise higher in thankfulness and sink thankfulness to the Holy Three; but flesh loads me, the world allures me, the devil harasses me, and sin perplexes me, and I can only say, and that I can say with delight, thanks be to God that giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ,' the foundation of God stands sure against all storms, tempests, floods, fears, enemies, devils, angels, or men. Here my soul finds a solid rest on the divine purpose of Jehovah, a safe resting-place in the cleft side of Jesus, a blessed shelter from law, curse, justice's sword, and hell fire, in the complete life, death, resurrection, prayers and intercession of my loving Lord. Should you find it in your heart and mind to visit Dunmow again you could speak in our house, for those that attend the preaching here are chiefly your old hearers; some of them who heard you when you were in your first glory here, and they cannot forget your ministry, and I can say that I am amongst that number; for whatever others might say, I did not then speak against your doctrine, for I must say that my eyes were opened under your preaching to hear of another righteousness, rather than that of my own, which I was seeking to establish; and many of your discourses have made a lasting impression in my heart, as you often described between the righteousness of a pharisee and the righteousness of Christ, which I really first distinguished under your ministry, which delivered me from a great burden. And one of the many sermons that I was made to rejoice under was that which you preached while at Dunmow, concerning The kingdom of heaven being like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.' I felt such a satisfaction in my own bosom that that leaven was hid in me, and I trust I was quite right, although the enemy has been trying hard to make me believe that it was not the true leaven. I am happy to inform you, my brethren, that your poor hobbling parson is well received in this great metropolis. I am very comfortably provided for in all respects, at brother Butts. The dear and ever to be adored Lord was very gracious to me on Lord's-day. He has taken from me all fear I hope Mrs. Garrard and the family are pour out to the people; and I think at the of man, and poured in and enabled me to all well-please to present my kind remem-close of the day we could, with divine probrance to them. Mrs. Caton has just been priety, say, with the apostle, did not our in, and wishes to be remembered to you and hearts burn within us while he talked Mrs. G.; and she says if you will visit Dun- with us by the way?' I am ashamed of my mow she would be so glad to hear you. She distrust of the dear Lord, and am well has lately lost her daughter by death, and is assured that he keepeth mercy and lovvery much grieved; but she died very happy, ing-kindness for ever, and by his grace though, poor girl, she had a great conflict. work eth to will and to do of his own good Mr. Burton, my husband, sends his kind pleasure.' Oh that peace, harmony, broregards to you and Mrs. G.; hope if you amongst us as brethren, return me in therly love, and holy concord may dwell come this way you will be sure to pay us a safety to Manchester, and by his Spirit visit-please to accept of my sincere regards, enable me to preach the gospel amongst for the gospel's sake, and believe me grate- you with the Holy Ghost sent down from fully your's on that account, heaven, My kind love to Mr. Wells and all friends. Believe me your's in the love of God, JOHN CORBITT. Great Dunmow, Essex, E. BURTON. Division and Distraction. hell, understand the place of the damnedsome Limbus Patrum-others, the wrath of MY DEAR BROTHER IN THE ONE LORD:- God-and other, the grave. Some will make I have forwarded you the following extract, Christ two persons-some allow him but which, though written nearly two centuries one nature, and one will-some affirming ago, will be found far too true in its bear-him to be God only-some man only-some ing upon the present day of distraction and made up of both-and others, altogether darkness, divisions and desertions, produced deny him. Some will have his body come for the most part by the diversity of con- from heaven-some from the virgin-and flicting opinions circulated both from the others, from the elements. Some will have pulpit and the press, the inevitable con- our souls to be mortal-some immortalsequence of carnal reasonings, the element some bring it into the body by infusionof men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the others by traduction: some will have that truth. the soul was created before the worldothers after some will have them created altogether - others severally: some will have them to be corporeal-and others, incorporeal: some of the substance of Godand others, of the substance of the body. So infinitely are men's conceits distracted with variety of contradictory opinions, whereas there is but one truth, which every man professedly aims at, but few actually attain to; every man thinks he hath it, and yet few enjoy it. The Lord mercifully hasten the time when the one Church shall be blessed with the labours of men distinguished for sincerity of soul, simplicity of spirit, spirituality of conversation, soundness of speech, solemnity of mind, sobriety of judgment, and steadfastness of faith. May your recent affliction prove to have been a happy inlet of heavenly instruction to your truth-warmed soul, and your future ministry be an honoured outlet of holy information, to others, of what God hath done, and is doing for you. Peace and prosperity attend you. Pray for your's affectionately, Chelsea, Nov. 2nd, 1848. JOHN STENSON. ALEXANDER Ross in 1658 wrote thus, "So vain and luxuriant are the wits of men, in finding out many inventions, and shaping themselves forms and ideas of religion; every one esteeming his own the best, and as much in love with his own imaginations, as Narcissus was with his shadow in the water, or as Deucalion with his own picture. Some reject the scriptures-and others admit no other writings than the scriptures. Some say the devils shall be saved-others that they shall be damned-and others that there are no devils at all. Some hold that it is lawful to dissemble in religion-and others the contrary. Some say that antichrist is come-some say not: others that he is a particular man-others that he is not a man, but the devil: and others, that by antichrist is meant, a succession of men: some will have him to be Nero, some Caligula, some Mahomet, some the Pope, some Luther, some the Turks, some of the tribe of Dan; and so each man according to his fancy will make an anti-christ: Some will observe the Lord's-day only-some the Sabbath only -some both, and others neither. Some will have all things in common others not. Some will have Christ's body only in heaven -some everywhere-some in the bread others with the bread- others about the bread-others under the bread-and others, that Christ's body is the bread, or the bread his body and others, again, that his body is transformed into his divinity. Some will have the eucharist administered in both kinds-some only in one-and others, not at all. Some maintain that Christ descended into hell in respect of his soul-some only in his power-some in his divinity-some in his body-and some not at all. Some by "The main causes of these distractions are pride, self-love, conceit, ambition, contempt of the church of God, ignorance of the power of God in reading the scriptures of truth, the ill-humour of contradiction, the high spirit of faction, the growing desire of innovation and intrusion, the want of true humility and sincerity, undue anger, cruel envy, and bitter malice; the benefit that ariseth to some from fishing in troubled waters; the malignant eye that some have on the churches prosperity; the greedy appetite that others have for quails and the flesh-pots of Egypt, rather than for manna, though sent from heaven; the want or contempt of authority, discipline, and order, in the church; which like bulwarks, walls, or hedges, keep out the wild boars of the forest from rooting up the Lord's vineyard, and the little foxes from eating up the grapes thereof. "Therefore, the wisdom of God hath appointed and authorized bishops, pastors, overseers, presbyters, elders, or ministers, (call them what you will) for regulating, curbing, and reproving, such luxurious wits, as disturb the peace of the church, by their fantastical inventions; knowing that too much liberty is no less dangerous than tyranny, and too much mercy as pernicious as cruelty." Blessed be the name of the Lord, truth shall triumphant be, notwithstanding hell's opposition thereto; and blessed be the people who solemnly submit themselves to the felt authority of divine truth. Because the Lord reigneth," therefore, "let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains;" yea, let all those that seek the Lord rejoice and be glad in Him; let such as love his salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!" Sure I may add with David, "But I am poor and needy, yet the LORD thinketh upon me; thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God." Psalm xl. 16, 17. J. S. The Experience of a Converted Curate. TO THE EDITOR OF THE EARTHEN VESSEL. RESPECTED SIR-As a constant subscriber to, and reader of your invaluable periodical, I take the liberty of submitting the undermentioned poetical effusion-being the experience of a curate whom I have frequently heard on my annual visits to Ipswich. He was casually and necessarily invited to read prayers for the Rev. R. Lunsden, of St. Peters, (who is a pure unmixed gospel preacher,) having three services on the Sabbath, his regular curate being obliged to go into Wales, his father and mother near death, caused this change. And I must premise, this new supply was a truly worldly man, (when so engaged) he being merely on a visit at Ipswich. But mark ye, the leedings of Jehovah! He read the prayers well. And you will perhaps say, 'Oh, yes, so far well; but what then?" Why, I will shortly tell you. The present rector, Mr. Lunsden preached from Jeremiah xxiii. 6, "The Lord our righteousness.' The curate was by that sermon convicted, convinced, converted, under a deep law work, and through grace divine, rich, sovereign and free, became the regular curate, and a most zealous, faithful minister. He is now not long gone out as a missionary. The following lines I received from a lady to whom Mr. Boswell presented them. They run thus, and hope to see them in your valuable publication, should you think them worthy. I once was a stranger to grace and to God, I oft' read with pleasure to soothe or engage, But when free grace awoke me, by light from on high, Then legal fears shook me, - I trembled to die; No refuge, no safety in self could I see, 'Twas Jehovah TSIDKENU my Saviour must be. My terrors all vanished before the sweet name, And when treading the valley, dark shadow of REV. W. Boswell, Curate of St. Peter's, Ipswich, 1844. A PARODY ON THE ABOVE. In eternity's round my TSIDKENU I'll praise, By grace hath he quicken'd my soul that And through all my long journey his glory name, That hath ransom'd our souls from sin and fr Tell the wonders he wrought to preserve us fr hell; The vast conquests he won, when on Calv'ry fell. 'Twas TSIDKENU our Aleim, our first and Our Christ all in all, future, present, and past TSIDKENU our Brother, Companion, and Frie Whose compassion and love know no measure end; [thro That name then we'll boast midst the ranson TSIDKENU resounding eternity's song. W. Norfolk College, Greenwich. God's People Dwelling Alone. "Behold the people shall dwell alone." IT is the voice of prophecy, Before the worlds were made, Where chosen in their Head- Though deep involv'd in Adam's fall, No matter if their lot be cast But when the Lord his love reveals, The Lord shall laugh at all their rage, Zion can ne'er be overthrown, AMICUS. The Natural Man and the Spiritual Man: THE AWFUL CONDITION OF THE ONE, AND THE HAPPY ESTATE OF THE OTHER. THE great mass of mankind live and die in their sins, they are totally ignorant of regeneration except in word-the experience of being born again they are strangers to. While in this, their natural state, they are described as 'dead in trespasses and sins,' 'children of wrath,' unable to please God, unable to receive 'the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto them, neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned.' Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it. As the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness to the natural man, he, of course, rejects them-despises them; if he will be religious he takes satisfaction in that which is a vain show in the flesh, some form of godliness which appears most reasonable in his own eyes; and if the truth which condemns his state is brought before his mind, the truth appears folly, and his own folly appears wisdom. The world by wisdom knew not God,' but the world often thinks it knows God and rejoices in its freedom from those (so called) enthusiastic, bigoted, mistaken, fanatical notions possessed by a scattered few, who are really taught of God and who worship God in spirit and in truth. The God of this world-the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, blinds the minds of them that Men naturally are without God in believe not, so that they are kept as ig- the world.' Though his name may be norant as possible of the awful state they repeatedly on their lips, either profanely are in. The great bulk of our popula- swearing by it, or connecting it with tion in England are brought up under some form of religion with which they the idea, that they were regenerated are satisfied. The Jews of old persecuted when infants, and that they have received the prophets and murdered the Son of 'forgiveness of all their sins' though God under a form of reverence of the they have neither felt their sins, nor felt name of God, which they could not bear forgiveness; they take it for granted that to be blasphemed. They considered themthey are not misled, when they are told selves right, and the bulk of our present that they are in a state before God which professors are as far from God as those they have no experience of; they pass poor people were: they are alienated through the various stages of delusion from the life of God through the ignofrom childhood to age, and in their turn rance that is in them, they lie exposed to help to delude their own children, as they the wrath of God as sinners in their sins. have been deluded themselves. Great They form their plans, follow their variexertions are made from time to time to ous inclinations, fulfilling the desires of build and endow places where the popu- the flesh and of the mind, without relation around have missed the advan- ference to the Spirit of God, whether tages of this blind guidance for a time. that be grieved or not. As their bodies It is better to be a sinner conscious that are not temples of the Holy Ghost, nor he has no religion, and without a shelter does he dwell in them, they are not at present, than a poor deluded creature conscious of what is pleasing or disasleep in a refuge of lies. His false re-pleasing to the Lord by spiritual experifuge lulls his conscience, and he hopes he is what he is not. The blind lead the blind and both fall into the ditch.' All people who live and die in ignorance of their need of the inspiration of God to enlighten their mind and enlarge their heart, are lost. No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost.' As men are naturally in this fallen blinded state, no amount of instructionno degree of education-no obedience to the highest degree of light and understanding their natural conscience can attain unto, will save them. The goodliness of the flesh is as the flower of the grass, it fades and falls away when the ence. Self complacency, they may have but divine favour manifested to the soul, they know not. When they are satisfied with their religion, they are pleased with themselves, but the true child of God loaths himself for his own ways, and shrinks from his own fallen nature, when he is delighted with the grace, mercy, and peace God has shewn him. How great must that change be which God effects when he quickens a sinner's soul-when by his own Almighty power he plants incorruptible seed in the heart, and takes possession of the sinner he has freely redeemed, that he may dwell in him, and walk in him, be to him a God, and cause him to find that delight in the Lord, which no person destitute As new born babes desire the sincere of spiritual life could possibly enjoy. It milk of the word that they may grow is indeed a change such as no language thereby, so young men desire to know can describe to the full. Thanks be their father's will in all points which unto God for his unspeakable gift,'-it will affect them, that they may come out is a gift which is without repentance. from every thing dishonouring to God, Once born again-born again for ever. and however great the opposition they Once in living union to Jesus Christ, may meet with. 'Wherewithal shall a eternally saved in Jesus Christ. All young man cleanse his way? by taking needful instruments for fitting such a heed thereto according to thy word.'saved sinner for his proper place here, The things he is connected with, the are ordained and prepared by God, path he treads, have to be brought to whether ministers or furnaces, rods, af- the light of truth, compared with the flictions, friends or foes, all are ordered footsteps of the flock which the Lord has by the Lord so as to work for the good approved, and according as the Lord of them that love him, who are the called shews him light upon any part, he feels according to his purpose. bound to obey the voice of God in his conscience, let the cost be what it may to the flesh; he may delay, he may shuffle with his conscience, he may backslide and for a time seem to escape much pain, but he will be overtaken and brought back through some means, and generally through painful paths. The way of transgressors is hard.' The world in general does not find it so, but they find the end to be most dreadful, the living child proves the truth of scripture as he travels here. When the new born babe in grace comes into the consciousness of his union to Jesus Christ, old things are passed away; behold all things are become new; he is a new creature in a new world, the value of every thing is changed; in the light he has received, he views every thing afresh, he now sees what he never saw before, all subjects that affect him have to be reconsidered, his position toward all around whether relations or others has to be reviewed, and his conduct in every case is right or wrong according to the word of God. The entrance of thy word giveth light.' As it would be impossible for all this to be carried out in a day, and as he cannot have everything before his mind at the same time, the Lord teaches him by little and little, opens various parts of his word as he is able to bear it, and casts a light upon particular parts of his path which he will have his child particularly notice at any time; an infant cannot bear the discipline needful for a youth: and the understanding of a child cannot receive what the mind of a man may easily comprehend; there is growth and training for the children of God, as marked as growth in nature; the senses of both are exercised by experience to discern good and evil according to what each esteems good or evil. The child of God is passive in receiving life, but this life soon shews that it is real life, by its actively exercising his senses and causing him to feel pain or pleasure according as the Lord hides his face, or lifts up the light of his countenance upon the soul. In his favor is life,'—and when he hides his face none can behold him, which causes distressing pain to a child who loves his father's smile. To the child of God, Jesus Christ is life, his presence is a foretaste of heaven. The sheep know his voice and love it, they desire to follow where he leads, and from time to time he enables them to walk with him. After being born again we do not forget all our former prejudices and false views of things, nor do we become ignorant of the way in which the world judges us, we soon find in our own heart that which is still on the side of the world, and which is in league with Satan to destroy our infant life if it were possible. This wretched nature may be confounded and beat down repeatedly, but it will never die and can never cease fighting for long together, till the present body is put off. We have all the weight of habit, custom, natural prejudice and ignorance to contend against and put off. 'Put off the old man and his deeds.” As the mind becomes transformed by the renewing influence of seeing light in God's light, and gradually becomes established in the knowledge of right and wrong in certain things, then the will would obey this knowledge and cleave to the good, abhorring evil; but the flesh hinders, the reasoning mind brings its arguments from the usual habits of the society around, points to the cross, |