the Spirit of God was at work, and He never leaves his work undone. I trust in my next paper I shall be able to show how I gradually emerged out of darkness that might be felt into the glorious liberty of the Gospel; how, instead of coming before my Father as a slave, I could draw near to him as an adopted child, a sinner saved by free and distinguishing grace. Billingborough. MARIE.

Memorials of the Life of Mr. Joseph Hamblin.

BY THOMAS JONES.

(Continued from page 81.)

IN N July 1823 he joined the church at Newbury. He had not been long a member when some of his brethren recognized the depth and maturity of his spiritual knowledge, and entertained the belief that God was fitting him for usefulness in the publication of the Gospel. He himself was the last to accept such a belief. He thought the ministry even of a village itinerant required talents far superior to anything he possessed, and he had this conviction that whatever a man's ability for speaking, and his personal acquaintance with the word, its virtue and power, he should have a felt call by the Lord to speak in the Lord's name-a gracious impulsion constraining him to go forth and testify to a gainsaying world that the blood of Jesus Christ alone can take away sin; and without being born again, no child of Adam can enter into the kingdom of heaven. His solemn estimate of ministerial work which made him shrink from entering upon it, many years later disposed him to give it up, and like Jonah run away from it, which, but for the strongh and of God upon him, he would have done more than once. He dreaded above all things the guilt of running without being sent. In his secret soul there was a desire to do service for ONE who had done so much for him; to honour Him who had saved him from the lowest hell, and to tell to his fellow immortals the good news of a free-grace salvation; justification without works; wine and milk to be had without money and without price. But he had no direct commission-no such authority as he thought necessary for a public use of the Great Shepherd s name. Many times previous to a prayer meeting he had a vein of sweet thought which he knew would be acceptable to his brethren, and sometimes he was asked at the meeting to say a few words to edification, but he was as a dumb man through suspicion of himself, and fear of making himself something when he was nothing.

On one occasion an itinerant being unable to attend an appointment at a village station, requested our friend to go in his stead, setting aside as frivolous all his scruples of insufficiency, and insisting it was his duty to stir up the gift that was in him, and not allow an expecting congregation to separate without a sermon, which would be the case if he perversely refused help.

This faithful earnest appeal to his conscience disturbed him greatly, and he could not rid himself of the fear of inward as well as outward reproach if he disregarded a summons so direct and pointed. Still he

trembled at the idea of preaching, so he took counsel of two brethren who consented to go with him to the village station, and there hold a prayer meeting. This, whatever relief it gave himself, did not satisfy the villagers, nor the church who had no doubt of his capacity for usefulness, nor of his duty to assist in spreading the Gospel of the Grace of God.

Again and again he was pressed to turn out and deliver the message, and at length, having exhausted his fund of excuses, he was obliged to yield, and with much fear and trembling he essayed to meet and talk to little rural gatherings in houses licensed for divine worship. In those days it was not safe to hold a religious service in a house or building not registered in a bishop's court, or by a clerk of sessions.

The mark of the beast, in some shape, was an indispensable warrant under TOLERATION for carrying out the Lord's behest, "Go ye out into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature:" and sturdy spirits who disdained a worldly authority interfering with Christian allegiance were mulct in heavy penalties or thrust into prison. No sooner had our friend ventured to declare what he had seen and heard ; which he had looked upon and his hands handled of the word of life, than the belief became general that he was intended of God to bear witness for Him as a preacher of righteousness. The word spoken by him was like the rain and the dew, reviving the tender plants, and refreshing the thirsty. No wonder the cry was 'Give, Give," and that he had more invitations to preach in different places than he could comply with. The Lord's manifest blessing on his testimony, and the supernatural help which carried him happily through services he shuddered to undertake were more than a match for his timidity and unbelief, and made it impossible to him to refuse calls to work in the Master's vineyard. His own experiences of mercy; his fighting, his fears, his triumphs, his joys brought him into sympathy with the afflicted and tempted in Zion; while he could be a fellow helper of the joy of those whose believing hearts were filled with gladness.

Yea, did he not preach himself but Christ Jesus the Lord: but he knew Christ as a Brother born for adversity, touched with a feeling of human infirmities, afflicted in all the afflictions of his brethren, and able to succour them that are tempted: and what he knew he preached. Joseph Hamblin's religion was not a cold creed, an intellectual formulary, a dead faith. His ministry was not to the liking of dogmatical stoics who know nothing of those blest objects a broken heart and a contrite spirit; whose craving is all for mere abstract doctrine, and who cannot distinguish between light in the head and life in the soul. His was a religion of life, of feeling, of changes, liftings up and castings down; of progress through arid deserts and fruitful plains, among beasts of prey, and beside the still waters of peace. He was of necessity an experimental preacher. He was the subject of tribulation, was comforted of God in tribulations that he might be able to comfort them which were in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith he himself was comforted of God: II. Cor. i. 4. But his experimental preaching was not the drivelling gossiping prattle of a weak dreamer who fathers all his silly fancies on the Holy Spirit, and outrages common sense by what some call spiritualizing the word. Scripture truth is profitable

for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and instruction in righteousness; and though the teaching may be disregarded the qualified teacher will seldom be despised. Men may affect to believe he is a fool but they know he is not. The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, whereby the ignorance of foolish men is put to silence. Where God sends a man to preach he gives him something to say, something to the purpose. Sets before him an open door and gives him a mouth and wisdom that will put mockers to shame. "Beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Zion THY GOD REIGNETH."

It was not all smooth sailing. As our friend responded to calls for the use of his gifts he found such employ absorbed time-which family claims could scarcely allow. He must needs provide for his own, and to do so required all his time and strength. The places he was invited to preach at were generally at some distance from his home, and when it was a weekday service it took most of an evening to travel thither, preach and return. Then it was needful he should read, and the necessity grew more pressing as he went on. He did not believe in standing up before a congregation totally unprepared, trusting to an unpromised inspiration. True, there were times when, in this sense, he had to be "instant out of season.' Who of our Lord's servants has not had such lessons on the sufficiency of the Master, when the man has been as dumb as a fish, and as dry as a Gideon's fleece, and ere he was aware grace was poured into his lips, and his tongue became "the pen of a ready writer?" A subdued solemn feeling of admiration and thankfulness is born of help thus sovereignly and seasonably vouchsafed; but no wise man so presumes upon such help as to neglect the means of growth in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; II. Col. iii. 18.

Our friend was wise: he prayed for guidance in the study of Scriptures; to be directed to suitable portions for exposition; for judgment to choose out acceptable words; (Eccl. xii. 10.) and for the spirit of Elijah that he may speak God's truth with all boldness: Acts iv. 29. In seeking answers to his prayers he was reminded of Paul's advice to Timothy: "Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine; . . . meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear unto all. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

A LETTER FROM T. J. MESSER, IN SCOTLAND.

MANY hundreds of our readers will be pleased to hear again from one of the hardest-working and most devoted labourers in any part of the world. We hope this May many will again hear our brother's voice in London.ED.] MY DEAR FRIEND AND BROTHER,-I have received the "VESSELS" for March and April, and have been much interested and somewhat pained whilst perusing them. Sorry to hear that Mr. James Wells has been ill, but rejoiced to hear that a measure of health is again granted to him, and that

he has resumed his important labours. May he be long spared to toil in his great Master's vineyard. So my old friend, John Webster, whom I knew in the days of my boyhood, has passed away from this sin mildewed sphere. More than fifty years ago I heard him preach, when he was amongst the Congregationalists. I never saw him again until I met with him in Stonehouse, Devon, about ten years ago. At that time he was minister of the Baptist Chapel there, and president of the Total Abstinence Society. I remember preaching for him, and also having excellent temperance meetings in his large schoolroom. When he removed to Trowbridge I lost sight of him for several years, and did not meet with him again until he took charge of the Church at Stepney. I was sorry to find then that he had ceased to practise abstinence from all intoxicants. The last time I met with him was at a public meeting I attended at Brother Thomas Stringer's Chapel, a short time before I received an invitation from the Scottish League to accept an engagement with them. I was delighted on that occasion with the very pleasing speech he delivered, and judging from the ruddiness of his face I concluded he would outlive me. He has been taken, and I am left. He has, however, gained the "part we toil to find," and he has, I doubt not, "landed in the arms of God." The old labourers are rapidly passing away, and I sometimes fear that those who are rising up to fill the vacancies occasioned by their removal will not prove as faithful to the truth. I have now been labouring under the auspices of the League since Sept. 1st, 1867, and I am astonished at the amount of labour I have been enabled to perform. Since I have been in this "land of the mountain and the flood" I have delivered 39 sermons in Established Churches, Free Churches, United Presbyterian Churches, Independent, Baptist, and Wesleyan Churches. I have also delivered 137 lectures, and in addition travelled some thousands of miles. To show you how I labour I will just jot down a few extracts from my Diary :—

Sunday, April 29th.-I preached in the Parish Church at Johnstone, near Glasgow, to 800 or 900 persons.

Monday, 30th.-Went to Glasgow, and lectured in the Hall of the Free Barony Church (Rev. James Wells).

there.

Tuesday, 31st.-Had a glorious crowded meeting in the Hall at Bridgeton. Wednesday, April 1st.-Sailed down the Clyde to Rothesay, and lectured

Thursday, 2nd.-Left Rothesay by steamer for Wemyss Bay, and then took the rail to New Millns, in Ayrshire, from which place I walked to Darvel, and delivered a lecture.

Friday, 3rd.-With the Venerable and Rev. Doctor Bruce for my Chairman, I lectured in the Hall at New Millns.

Sunday, 5th.- I preached in the Baptist Chapel and the New Temperance Hall, at Kilmarnock.

Monday, 6th.-I lectured at Paisley.

Tuesday, 7th.-I travelled from Paisley by rail to Ardrossan, and then walked through a wild storm five miles to West Kilbride, and had a capital meeting in the Parish Church there.

Wednesday, 8th -I walked back in the sunshine to Ardrossan Station to Ayr, where I had a night's rest, which I greatly needed.

Ayr.

Thursday, 9th.-I lectured in the Reformed or Old Covenanters' Church,

Friday, 10th.-I lectured at Munshant; and Sunday, 12th, I preached to a crowded congregation in the town from which I send this letter.

I have to preach (D. V.) at Cumnock, and lecture during the next three weeks at Carsphairn, Coylton, Auchenleck, Ochiltree, Cumnock, Sanquhar, Greenock, and Port Bannatyne, and then (Providence permitting) I purpose coming up to your great city to rest in the bosom of my much-loved family for three weeks or a month. During the time I am in London I don't wish to be altogether idle; ergo, should be glad to FILL ANY VACANT LONDON PULPIT THE SECOND AND THIRD SUNDAYS IN MAY.

I need not say that I begin to feel wearied of travelling, and should be glad if a door was opened to spend the remainder of my days in London in the work of the ministry.

My address in Scotland is 108, Hope-street, Glasgow; and my London address is 21, Lacey-street, Mostyn Road North, Bow.

If no door opens for me in London, I shall return again to Scotland and labour and wait awhile longer.

Since September last I have had an opportunity of preaching the Gospel of Christ to thousands upon thousands of attentive hearers, and I hope the seeds of truth which have been scattered by your old friend from the pulpits of Parish and Free and United Presbyterian Churches will bring forth fruit to the praise and honour of our Covenant-keeping God and Father.

I am sorry to hear that you have been unsettled. I hope the way will be opened for you to erect a Tabernacle in that degraded locality where you have so successfully toiled. Hoping better days are in store for you, and that at even tide it may be light," I am, yours as ever, fraternally,

66

To C. W. Banks.

S. J. MESSER.

Gervan, Ayrshire, Scotland, April 13, 1868. [We thank our brother Messer for his kind wishes. We have never laboured in the ministry with more zeal and delight than we have during the last few weeks. The Lord has been most exceedingly merciful unto us, and his Word has had free course, it has run, and we trust it has been glorified. If it is the Lord's will, we shall continue to travel and preach the Word in the most destitute places; and, in the strength of that arm which has held us up hitherto, we are prayerfully desirous to give him no rest until he entirely delivers us from all the sorrows of the way, and enable us, in uprightness, to erect the Tabernacle at Bethnal Green. Until then we must read Nehemiah in his fourth chapter, and as we have the dark side look also for the bright.—ED.]