as I forgive and pray for them." Thus the day passed in the most pleasing and profitable manner, when Bob, after reading the bible as usual, retired to his hammock, full of mercy and good fruit.

Eager, the next morning, to meet again, Bob arose at day-light, and opened the state-room door, saw his master had risen from his pillow, and crawled to the corner of his bed-place, where he beheld the cross. There he appeared kneeling down in the attitude of prayer, his hands clasped and raised, and his body leaning against the side of the ship. The boy paused and waited a

few moments. At length he called, in a sort of whisper, "Master." No answer! "Master." No reply! He ventured to creep forward a little, and then said, "Master." All was silent! Again he cried, "Captain." Silence remained! He stretched out his hand and touched his leg; it was cold, and stiff, and clammy. He called again, "Captain." He raised his hand to his shoulder, and tenderly shook it. The position of the body was altered; it declined gently until it rested on the bed; but the spirit had fled, perhaps some hours before, to be with Christ, which is far better.

MATTHEW WILKES AND PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH.-Many years ago, the celebrated Matthew Wilkes of London, being engaged to preach several Sabbaths at the Bristol Tabernacle, the late Mr. Isaac James of that city, was, on one occasion, one of his hearers. At the close of the sermon, Mr. Wilkes announced that he was about to sprinkle, or, as he improperly termed it, baptize, an infant. He then entered into the defence of that practice, founding his arguments upon the stale, and thousand times refuted fallacies (that is, as in reference to infant baptism) of the Abrahamic covenant, the households, and so on. All this he, of course, had a perfect right to do; but to suppose that this eccentric and droll champion of infant sprinkling would content himself with defending his own practice, without having a smart cut at that of the poor Baptists, was not to be expected for a moment: so accordingly, putting forth his full strength, he let fly the following rich and flooring sarcasm at that ignorant and obstinate body::-"The Baptists make a great bother about Philip and the Eunuch; they are everlastingly telling us that they went down into the w-a-t-e-r, both Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the w-a-t-e-r, and so forth. Well now, pray why did Philip and the Eunuch both go down to the w-a-t-e-r?" Then pausing, and looking archly round the congregation, he at length exclaimed, "Why? Because the w-a-t-e-r would not come up to them." This flash of attic wit raised an audible titter throughout the crowded assembly. But alas! alas! most mal a propos for the unfortunate wit, and his crushing argument, just in the very midst of this general tittering, the sexton of the chapel was seen issuing from the vestry, napkin over arm, and basin of water in hand, threading his way through the thronged aisle towards the foot of the pulpit stairs. Mr. James declared to me, that it was with the utmost difficulty he refrained from calling out

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHISMATICAL.Talk of schism, and being schismatical! Why, there is no schism in the whole globe like the schism of the Church of England. There is nobody more schismatical upon the face of the earth, than the clergy and the hierarchy of the church of England. I should like to know,-can you tell me?-with what body of christians on the face of the entire globe the church of England holds communion. It claims a right to separate from the church of Rome. It has no communion whatever with the Lutheran church, or the Helvetic church, or the church of Geneva, or the church of Holland; so that if a real apostolic successor of Luther were to come here and ask to preach at any episcopal church in Islington, or in London, he would not be allowed to do it. This is bad enough, but it is not the worst. There are persons in America who believe that episcopalianism is the right form of church government; but if bishop M'Ilvaine, or any other American bishop, were to come over to England, and want to preach in one of its episcopal churches, not one would give him a pulpit. But there is something more than that. There are bishops in Scotland,- bishops made by the bishops of the church of England, and yet, if these bishops just cross the Tweed, and are invited by any congregation or church to come and preach in the church of England, they dare not. And the episcopal clergy of the church of England dare not preach in America, in Scotland, or in Holland. Talk of being schismatical! Talk of branding dissenters as schismatics! Why, this church of England sect, this parliamentary denomination in England, is the most sectarian and, schismatical sect in the whole globe. Well, they claim the right to exercise private judgment, and by all means

let us give it them; for liberty of conscience is not the liberty of my conscience, but the liberty of every man's conscience. But when these men call us schismatics, it is unworthy of them, it is base, it is wicked, it is unchristian.-Dr. Jenkyn.

WHATEVER GOD DOES IS BEST.-If God should expose his children to violent trials and misfortunes, able to shake the strongest resolutions, this does not militate against the truth, that whatever he does is always best for his children. For, by such trials, he advances their sanctification, fortifies their faith, withdraws them from vice, and weans them from the world. By these trials, he makes them examples of patience in the church, and to contribute to its edification, and conforms them, in some degree, to Jesus Christ, who died for it. By these trials, he consecrated them to himself, he makes his glory manifest and illustrious, in the power by which they are supported, and by the conquests which, thus supported, they obtain; and he also prepares them for promised glory. There is no affliction which shall not be recompensed by the good which is -connected with it. There are no misfortunes which the providence of God does not make of excellent use to those on whom they fall, and to others, who wisely consider those events. We have a pleasing proof of this in the example of JOSEPH. First, he was threatened with death by his brethren; next, he was thrown into a pit; after that, he was sold for a slave to strangers. There cannot, to all appearance, be a greater calamity. It is dreadful to be hated, particularly by those from whom we should receive the greatest marks of affection: it is dreadful to be torn from the arms of our kindred, and to be driven from our native country: it is dreadful to lose all hope of succeeding a father, and to be at once reduced to poverty, after having been nourished, and brought up in affluence: it is dreadful to be deprived of liberty, and to be condemned to perpetual bondage: it is dreadful, being innocent, to be treated as a criminal, to be shut up in a prison among strangers, of a different language, and of a different religion; nevertheless, behold such was the condition of JOSEPH: such was the choice which God made for him! But wait a few years, and you will see sudden and great revolutions. Wait till providence manifests its designs, and you will perceive they were replete with mercy and wisdom. You now see JOSEPH in affliction and fear; you now see him as the dead among the living; you will see him come forth from his prison as from a tomb, and ascend a throne; you will see his brethren preserved in life by him whom they were willing to destroy; you will see Jacob blessing the Lord, for having recovered his son; you will see the sovereignty fixed in the house of the king of Egypt, and his authority augmented; you will see the whole kingdom, and the neighbouring states, preserved from famine, and a door of retreat opened to the people of God to increase and multiply, and to prepare a way for those events, in which God

was afterwards pleased to display the glory of his power. We see not, indeed, every day similar examples. The wonderful works of God are not continually so conspicuous. But where the men of this world discover nothing like it, the believer discerns an analogy.-De Marolles, a French Martyr.

BEAUTIFUL PRAYERS.-You can conduct your devotional exercises in any way you like; nobody can tell you that you ought to pray in this way, or praise in another way. I am sorry to find that among many ministers, and perhaps members of our churches, there is a disposition to favour a liturgy. A liturgy! Why, there was nothing of the kind in the early history of the christian church. Paul instructs his son Timothy, to tell men how to pray "for kings and for all in authority." If there had been such a thing as a form of prayer, he would never have given him that direction. "But," some dissenters say," they have such beautiful prayers, such a beautiful liturgy, such a beautiful service in the church of England." Beautiful! Has God ever promised to answer beautiful prayers? Is "beauty" is ever applied to prayer in the sacred scriptures! When a beggar comes to your door, will you ever give him anything merely because he makes a beautiful prayer? When you send a petition to the House of Commons, will it be granted because it is such a beautiful prayer? And when a poor prisoner in Newgate sends a petition for a reprieve, will the monarch ever grant it, because it is such a beautiful prayer? Beautiful! And where are all these beauties? Have you never experienced what you call beauty, in an extemporaneous expression of a mind and a heart wrestling with God? Beauty! Do you never regard that as the worst of all epithets, which can be applied to the prayer of a man wrestling with God, for the blessing which he needs? - Dr. Jenkyn.

THE AGED WOMAN.-Let the aged woman be no longer an object of contempt. She is as helpless as a child; but as a child she may be learning the last awful lesson from her Heavenly Father. Her feeble step is treading on the brink of the grave; but her hopes may be firmly planted on the better shore which is beyond. Her eye is dim with suffering and tears; but her spiritual vision may be contemplating the gradual unfolding of the gates of eternal bliss. Beauty has faded from her form; but angels in the world of light may be weaving a wreath of glory for her brow. Her lip is silent; but it may be only waiting to pour forth celestial strains of gratitude and praise. Lowly, and fallen, and sad, she sits among the living; but exalted, purified, and happy, she may arise from the dead. Then turn, if thou wilt, from the aged woman in her loneliness; but remember she is not forgotten of her God.-Mrs. Sigourney.

THE PREREQUISITES FOR EMINENT USEFULN s. God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. A triple endowment that, of

the highest worth-"power" the antithesis of "fear," energy of character, calm decision, resolved purpose, a spirit of independence, one that will lead a man to work alone, if others will not help him; a spirit of earnestness, a steady habit of pursuing an object; that is a spirit of "power." "Love," the apostle adds, that is, a spirit of deep compassion, genuine tenderness. "A sound mind," he further specifies; by which we understand sobriety of judgment, a clear comprehensive view of things, a power of keen discernment, of wise discretion; to use the language of an old writer,-to have wit enough to find out what's good, to eschew what's bad, and to make the best use of either." Practical wisdom; not merely the knowledge of right principles, but the knowledge of the right way of applying them. These three-love, power, and a sound mind are the grand prerequisites for eminent usefulness. Not love alone, that makes a mere sentimentalist; not power alone, that makes a rugged character like a rock without verdure; but the two combined, love softening and giving life to power,power supporting and giving energy to love; and a sound mind added to both. We can

not be eminently useful without binding round us this triple cord of christian virtue. Powerless, we lack the means; cold-hearted, we lack the motive; ignorant and foolish, we lack the right method. Without power, we are like a ship becalmed; without love, we are like a ship ice-bound; without judgment, we are like "a ship driven of the wind and tossed." The three make a vessel with sound timbers, ample canvass, and a skilful pilot, and it shall make a prosperous voyage.-J. Stoughton.

BE NOT DECEIVED.-Those who amuse themselves with the hope of a death-bed repentance, are in danger of being deceived. The thief upon the cross is an instance, indeed, of the sovereign grace and almighty power of the Saviour, in snatching a once thoughtless and now expiring sinner from the jaws of destruction; but, to infer from hence, that this will certainly be our case, would be altogether as unreasonable as to suppose that we shall be translated to heaven, both body and soul, because we read of two persons in Scripture who were thus distinguished. We have one instance recorded of a late repentance, that we may not despair; and but one, that we may not presume. Repentance is the gift of God, and it is not to be expected that he should bestow it at last upon those who have slighted and rejected it all their days. Where one has been awakened on a death-bed (and but few even of those have been truly converted), how many have gone out of the world stupid and hardened! The last moments have been spent like the former, in a daring contempt of God, and a wilful -neglect of their souls. On the other hand, some have been filled with unspeakable horror, and previous to their sinking into hell, have sunk into absolute despair. "God is not mocked." Many, indeed, attempt to mock him; but none can do it with safety

or impunity. To mock God is to insult him; and how great the insult, to think of devoting to him the dregs, the very refuse of life, and of engaging in his service when we are incapable of serving him! More than this, it is possible we may be deprived of reason, or be surprised by death, before we can form a wish, or put up a single prayer! Let us not, then, be deceived by the delusive hope of a late repentance.-Beddome.

THE POWER OF GOD.-God is almighty. The power which gave existence, is power which can know no limits. No definite number of finite beings possesses sufficient power to move a single world an hair's breadth; yet God moves the great world which we inhabit, 68,000 miles in an hour; 260 times faster than the swiftest motion of a cannon ball. He works every moment in every part of this vast whole; moves every atom; expands every leaf; finishes every blade of grass; erects every tree; conducts every particle of vapour, every drop of rain, and every flake of snow; guides every ray of light; breathes in every wind; thunders in every storm; wings the lightning; pours the streams and rivers; empties the volcano; heaves the ocean, and shapes the globe. In the universe of mind he formed, he preserves, he animates, and he directs all the mysterious and wonderful powers of knowledge, virtue, and moral action, which fill up the infinite extent of his immense and eternal empire. In his contrivance of these things, their attributes and operations, is seen a stupendous display of his immeasurable knowledge and wisdom. All these existed in the immense eternal mind, as in a vast storehouse of glorious ideas and designs, and existed from everlasting. In them the endless, diversified character of uncreated wisdom, beauty, and greatness, has begun to be manifested, and will continue to be manifested with increasing glory for ever.-Dwight.

WHO LAYS IT TO HEART?-In a great city the memorials of death are frequent; but who lays it to heart? Often is the eye arrested by the funeral crape pendant, from the bell handle, and the door knob, saying silently, "Death is in this house;" but who lays it to heart? The funeral procession, crossing a principal thoroughfare, arrests, on either side of the way, the passing crowd; but anon the crowd moves on, as if they had seen nothing for reflection, and none lays it to heart. Men crowd the marts of business,-they hear of one and another who has gone to the world of spirits, who, a week or two before, were as busy and bustling as any of them; but they lay it not to heart. As one generation dies, the young generation that follows them lay it not to heart, that they in their turn must soon give place to their successors. Those who have lived fifty years, find few around them whom they knew in their youth; and yet they lay it not to heart. In the midst of the dying and the dead, the multitude are intent only on the vanities of the world, and will not lay it to heart.

BAPTIST FOREIGN MISSIONS.

WESTERN AFRICA.

We have pleasure in laying before our readers the following pathetic letter, copied from the Baptist Record for April, from Mr. Wilson, deacon of the church at Fernando Po, the scene of Mr. Sturgeon's successful labours and death, addressed to Mr. John Neale of Liverpool. We give it in Mr. Wilson's own imperfect English.

"Dear Sir,-Your inestimable letter was read to us by our present pastor,* and from which we were made to understand that you were the friend of our now gone, and much beloved pastor;† he frequently spoke to us respecting you; but our memory being somewhat treacherous, we could not retain the name. And now, not to go on any further from the subject of our letter, we beg to turn (as from your kind lettert we could not rest satisfied, without speaking with you, notwithstanding the distance) your attention to its following details; for from your fraternal love we are led to hold, and confide, that you are the only person, or will be, that would, or could ever be willing to seek our present and eternal good; and so much so, when learning that our late pastor was put forth for Africa, you kindly interested yourself in his behaif, we are eventually led to believe that you are, and can only be the person that ought to be acquainted with all our spiritual need, and so pass it round to the notice of all others to whom we greatly stand in debt for the gospel that has been sent to us; eventually we could not let pass the opportunity of not addressing you on this all-important

event.

"We cannot, sir, describe to you in what state our several minds were led, on the then moment to sustain themselves (and till now) in rejoicings, and thanksgivings, upon hearing here, that you still bear us in your mind, and whilst furthering our cause, would ever do so, and accordingly state how you are exerting yourself, and that with every anxiety, in searching for another shepherd for us, and so congratulate us with his name;§ we would say then, sir, (and with a cry from each and every one of us), in this 'be strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded.' We have written to the kind secretary of our society upon the same, and we trust our letter has reached his hands, as also one to our mother (Mrs. Sturgeon), which we trust has also reached her hands too. Verily, sir, our hearts are wrapped up in much joy, and we hope it

* Dr. Prince.

The late Rev. Thos. Sturgeon.

A Letter of sympathy on their loss in his decease.

will not be long yet before we will break out in the language of the Psalmist, For his anger endureth but for a moment, in his favour is life, weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' Yes, sir, our pastor was endued with a spirit of love, and which will never be forgotten by all who are now enjoying the privileges that our Lord has granted to all mankind through his sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension; or even with those that have not yet entered the ark. Oh, no! it is hard to bring such into motion, or even to execute it, and should we turn to state about that we fear that this, yea, even quires, would not be sufficient to write respecting our now gone and devoted minister of the gospel of Christ. We are thankful to hear that the one found is imbued with the same spirit as that of our late pastor, and who has taken such a love for us; also will be for leaving all connected with him, and all comfort too, to come and live with us. Dear sir, we are waiting for him, and say, that perhaps he will not tarry in coming over to our help. Our every cry is heard by Him, 'whose ear is not heavy, and whose arm is not shortened,' and who will not be long before he answers; but would always give according to all the diversified wants of his saints. And we are led to be so simple-minded as to magnify ourselves in saying, that we will make him that is coming comfortable. We must at the same time ask ourselves, what have we to make him comfortable with ?-poor Africans just hitherto being brought to know good and evil. Oh, no! but at the same time we must say, that what our great High Priest commands that we should do for him that ministereth in good and profitable things, we are in no ways reluctant to do. Oh, no! and shall we then say, or even think, that whatever we may give, is sufficient to compensate for the comforts,&c. he shall deprive himself of, and that to seek and do good for us? No; it is true our temporal circumstances will not allow us to contribute largely to the support of religious ordinances, but him that will be sent to labour among us in the gospel, we hereby promise, and rest assured that we can give with christian liberality according to our several abilities. Our present minister and his, returned in good health from the change of air. They absented themselves for a time to go to the river Gaboon, and are still, thank God, enjoying every health, and we cry daily to our God to strengthen his inner and outer man, and so to encourage him in all his arduous labour. He has much to do; he has to minister in the word, and again

to attend to the town at large, to supply all the wants of the sick and none to assist him. We pray that God will thus see, as we know he does, that one is wanting, and that in very deed.

"We humbly pray that the great King and the Head of the church, may guide your deliberations in respect of this, and all other matters, is the sincere prayer of "Yours in the gospel of Christ, "JOSEPH WILSON, Deacon. "Signed in behalf of the members and enquirers of the Church at Clarence."

THE REVOLUTIONS IN EUROPE. "I will shake all nations."-Hag. ii. 7. We mentioned, in our last, the astonishing fact, of the sudden Revolution in France. Since then nearly all Europe has shared in the movement. All the German monarchies, of whatever name, have been completely shaken. Liberty of the Press, Religious Freedom, Trial by Jury, Representative Governments, a Responsible Ministry, National Guards, (which means arming and training all householders as soldiers) have been everywhere demanded, and everywhere, however reluctantly, granted! Austria fell at a blow;- Metternich, politically the vilest and cruellest man in Europe next to Louis Philippe, fled for his life from Vienna. In Prussia, the king, after firing for 13 hours on his people, was compelled to humble to every demand, and to come forth on his balcony and witness the long procession of bodies he had slain to suppress freedom, carried before him. All the smaller states were but as dust before the power of their hitherto oppressed subjects. Little blood, except by the cruel king of Prussia, has been shed by the despots, as the price of liberty. In Lombardy, the northern part of Italy, where Austria has crushed with the most barbarous savageism, worthy of the darkest ages, every aspiration for freedom, the oppressors have been driven from Milan, its capital, but we fear much blood may still be shed before her armies can be driven out. All Italy besides has compelled its powers to grant constitutional governments. Even the King of Hanover, too well known in England, as the Duke of Cumberland, has been compelled to surrender his absolute tyranny, like the others, and even aid the neighbour states in gaining their freedom. This is but an imperfect sketch of events which might easily fill many pages. We may be allowed one or two remarks. The French republic is painfully demonstrating the unhappy consequences of governments undertaking to provide work and wages for the people. Some benevolent theorizers of the Socialist School, who are in the provisional government, thought this possible; Lamartine, the greatest mind, morally and intellectually, in the government, is of the contrary opinion, and events are rapidly proving that the socialists are driving away capital (which is the sinews of industry) and exalting the indolent workman at the cost of the industrious one. We think it only right for the sake of numerous

readers of the working class, to advert to this fact. If it would interest any of them, in a future number we will shew them how powerless is government to employ, to pay, or even to regulate for his good, the labour of the workman. On the other hand, conscience demands that we tell our middle class readers the plain truth, and it is this, that they can no longer refuse to the poorer classes the political rights which they themselves enjoy. The emancipation of the operatives of nearly all Europe, must be followed by universal suffrage in England too. Our workmen, accustomed to be the freest in the old world, will not submit to be lower than Frenchmen and Germans. They ought not. By revolution, or by the peaceful but irresistible power of the middle class uniting with the unenfranchised, the change must come. If we feared the change, we should fear still more to resist it; but we do not. In a representative government it is simple justice that all who pay taxes should have a share in laying them; that all who obey the laws, should have a voice in enacting them, and justice must eventually be most blessed by the Supreme Governor. It is not for us to enter at length into political arguments on the subject. We have written thus much wishing to be free from the blood of all men, and we commend our readers for further information, to an admirable tract by Mr. Miall, editor of the Nonconformist, "The Suffrage; or Reconciliation between the Middle and Labouring Classes."

BAPTISM OF A MINISTER.

On Lord's day evening, April 9th, the Rev. Kerr Johnston, recently minister of the Presbyterian church, Birdhopecraig, Northumberland (in connexion with the Presbyterian church in England), was baptized by his brother, the Rev. Robert Johnston, in Well-Lane Chapel, Beverley.

After an impressive exhibition of the "glad tidings" to be believed, the candidate entered briefly and affectionately upon the baptism to be received. Apart from the question in itself, mention was first made of various leadings of the Lord in bringing him to his present position. In his late charge he had enjoyed the friendship and respect of the congregation generally. But in proportion as his consolation in Christ increased, so was he drawn nearer to "the bible, and the bible alone." Hence prejudice gave way in reference to believer's baptism, and he saw he must be drawn whither Jesus would draw him. Serious persons had frequently hinted at infant baptism as doubtful; but his own mind being shaken, he could not enter into discussion without something more than obscure inferences, disputed tradition, or the authority of names. He had dared to think freely, and at length to renounce what was an unwarranted substitution for christian baptism, and variously pernicious in all denominations practising it.

The chapel was crowded, the audience listened to the address with deep attention, -and many were much affected by the solemn service.