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Forget not thou hast often sinned,
And sinful yet may be;
Deal gently with the erring one,
As God has dealt with thee.

Well, poor James Nunn has gone, as we
have said. Who shall succeed him? Will
any of the "elder sons" who walk and toss
their heads as though they never sinned in
all their life, whereas if they be weighed in
that Matt. vi. 15, "If ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father
forgive your trespasses," (until He has sorely
chastened you for your sins of omission: )
they would be found very light; but will any
of these upright ones ever tread the
threshold, or ascend the pulpit of "Zion?"
Will they? For years, of that beautiful
sanctuary in Goldington crescent, it might
be said by not a few, "The daughter of
Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard; as
a lodge in a garden of cucumbers." Ah, and
as "a besieged city" too. She was not left
by her Redeemer-Lord; nor was she left
by hundreds of his disciples; but from the
memorable day when she was opened, down
to the sorrowful day when the coffin and the
corpse of James Nunn was carried through
his beloved "Zion," not one of "the honor-
able" men would ever tread its floor; but
as soon as God removes His sorrowing son,
plenty looked with anxious eyes toward the
spot. "Who will succeed Mr. Nunn?"
was the question. The LORD gave the an-
swer. And when before the eyes of Deacon
Marks, and others in authority, there
rapidly passed the vision of many a tall
Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, and others,
there was no power to call or anoint them;
but as the barley loaf tumbled into the an-
cient host of Midian, so did a young brother,
George Webb, tumble in among the Zionites
of St. Pancras; and they heard the voice,
"Arise, anoint him, for this is he!" And,
having obeyed the voice of Providence, on
Tuesday, February 2nd, you might have
seen passing through the quiet gates on
their way to Zion, the grave and gracious
George Wyard, the sedate and saintly John
Hazelton, comely and happy John Bloom-
field, the lofty Anderson, the particular
Samuel Milner, with some other good
brethren, such as Flack, Chivers, Meeres,
Pells, Higham, Green, William Webb, and
hundreds of believing people who thronged
the house to give the newly chosen pastor a
hot and hearty welcome.

When Dr. Hawker died, the clergyman who succeeded him, declared he would not stand in the same pulpit as the Doctor stood in; he would have it pulled down, and a new one erected. A gentleman told us in Plymouth, when looking at the stone which recorded the death of Dr. Hawker's successor, that before the new pulpit could be erected, the clergyman who was to

March 1, 1864.

occupy it, and his wife, were both suddenly removed by cholera. How solemn the dispensation seemed! These are solemn dealt with lightly, and we will only add, we things. They are not to be thought of, nor hope the "holy brethren" who assembled in Zion on the 2nd of February, had no such unhappy feelings as the newly-appointed vicar of Charles, Plymouth, had toward Dr. Hawker's pulpit, when the cholera suddenly laid him in the grave. We have much more to say on the subject another day. Recognition days are very well; they are We only now make one remark. something like the nuptial days when two lock. young friends are joined together in wedwinter days, dark days, trying days, and. After these wedding days, come nights of sickness, and seasons of heavy sorrow. Pancras, nor their new pastor are inexNeither the Church at Zion, St. perienced: the Church has had many years of trial, intermingled with joy. George Webb has not had the deep ploughBrother shares of law and terrors, as some have had; but he has had many little afflictions and not a few trials and tribulations by the way; he is highly respected and beloved by hundreds in our Churches where he has occasionally or statedly laboured. one of the few young men of whom we may surely say, The Lord hath called him, formed him, qualified him, honoured him, and helped him. He had no college training, he has no acquired literary talents, he has no stores gathered up from research and reading. He is an original, heaven-made minister; and we expect and hope that the Church at Zion will take care of him. We believe the Lord has given him to them, that they may nurse him, encourage him, and, instrumentally, help him in his growth and onward ministerial labour.

He is

He is in character unblemished, in natural George Webb has an enviable position. powers well-furnished, in Christian experience of mild and moderate tone, in doctrines sound as a bell. And if, with all these great advantages, he can dispense with some of his oft-repeated poetry, and apply himself to the Bible, to the study of everything which may tend to open up the mind of God in the Word; if he can prayerfully, carefully, diligently, earnestly, and habitually give himself up to these and, 2, a faithful and affectionate untwo things: 1, laborious meditation; flinching ministration of God's eternal and most comprehensive truth, and keeping his proper place at all times-he may become, yea, by God's sparing and sanctifying blessing, he will become one of Zion's leading ministers-one of her noblest defenders-one of her successful champions, when the heavy head of John Foreman, the

"Tell to sinners round, What a dear Saviour I have found." At last I made

elastic and ever-flowing brain of James to ask your advice. Ever since I was Wells, the stern and decided Milner, brought to know the Lord I have had a deWyard, Attwood, Hanks, and a host besire to side are silent in the tomb; for ere George Webb reaches his meridian prime, many who are now preaching Christ's Gospel- The desire has increased. except the unbending John Andrews Jones, [and really there is no knowing now how long the Lord may let him live, the Master seems practically to say, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? with the exception of this good old Jireh pastor,] many of the now recognized servants of God will have passed home; but if brother Webb can work, wait, weep, watch, and wrestle, and get his heart, and mind, and soul all filled with the stores of heavenly treasures, ALWAYS THE SAME MAN- -yet ALWAYS with THE GOSPEL in a new phase, he will stand long, Zion will be enlarged greatly, and the Church will prosper and rejoice.

it a matter of prayer to God that if it were His will I was to speak in His name, He would make the matter plain, opening up the Word, and in sending me to some place. No one knew my mind about this matter; but the Lord knew. Not many days passed after that solemn season of prayer, before I was asked to go and speak to a few brethren about three miles from my home. I again asked the Lord's direction. I went with much trembling, took for my text, "Say ye to the righteous, it shall be well with him, for they shall eat of the fruit of their doings; woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him." The Lord helped me for half an hour to tell what He was to the righteous; how they were so: and what He would be to the wicked. Since then I have While such young men as these to whom been employed in this work. I stand we have referred, are growing up into amazed at the goodness of God to me in visible and acceptable usefulness, there are conferring such an honour upon one so unmany who can scarcely be heard at all. worthy, to declare His truth. Dear brother, Their hearts are breaking with the I have my seasons of darkness, and am longing they have for the free proclamation sorely tried, knowing scarcely what of the glorious Gospel of the ever blessed course to pursue. This is a poor place. God. And with the hope of rendering some Should you know of an opening where you service to our Churches and our famish- could send me, I am willing to go, but deing brethren, we introduce the following sire to leave it with the Lord. I pray God note, as a specimen of many constantly to bless, comfort, and support you and coming to our hand,-yours."

OUR YOUNG MEN WILLING TO BE

USEFUL.

"MY DEAR BROTHER IN CHRIST,-I thank you for your kindness. My mind has been very much exercised about the work of the ministry; and, as a father in Christ, I send

We should rejoice to see this young brother in full work in the ministry, where the Lord may lead and bless him. We will give his address to any who require it.

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we remark, that they are the outpourings of love. God is love; His revelations are expressions of love; they are as true as love, and as faithful as love; they are mighty like love, and as vehement as love.

REVELATIONS are from heaven; they have of nations, and to the interests of His ever been the desire of the Church. When Church. With respect to those revelations man had sinned, and so had brought dark-which more immediately affect the Church, ness into Eden, Jehovah was pleased to reveal the purpose of His grace in the person and work of Jesus. God, at sundry times and in divers manners, spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets; but He has also spoken by His Son, and even now He speaks by His Spirit. Sometimes the voice of God was a man, a priest, or a seer, and sometimes an angel. When Jehovah speaks man should listen, for when Heaven speaks, earth is interested.

The revelations of Jehovah have respect to the course of individuals, to the destinies

Jehovah's revelations point to Jesusattract to Jesus, and are concentrated in Jesus; they are intended for the Church of Jesus.

When Christ was born in Bethlehem, what a grand revelation did Jehovah make of His love for His chosen people! When the day of Pentecost was fully come, what

a marvellous revelation was then made of the Gospel kingdom! And when God is pleased to call a sinner by grace, how strikingly does He reveal the character of His salvation! Yet, further, when the last great day shall have come, how truly and grandly will Jehovah reveal the people of His choice, the work of His own hands, that He may be glorified.

The prophet Isaiah was commissioned to declare that the righteousness of the Church should be "as brightness," and the salvation thereof as "a lamp that burneth." We propose to ourselves to look somewhat into this important revelation.

The Lord Jesus was "The brightness of the Father's glory-the express image of His Person." He is according to His own declaration, "the Light of the World," He is also "a Light to them that sit in darkness." The advent of Christ ushered in the day of salvation. Doubtless, the prophet intended to set forth the coming Messiah as "the Light of Day," and as "the Light of Night," that is to say, "He shall be the sole light of the Church, in all her wilderness wanderings."

Jesus is the Light of Day. Our world would have been dark indeed without this living light. And in our dark seasons, Christ alone is the lamp which Jehovah has ordained for His anointed ones. Light is symbolical of wisdom, and "Christ is the wisdom of God." In Jesus, all the designs of love, all the determinations of purpose, all the accomplishments of power, are laid up, and consequently when Christ is revealed by the Spirit, all the designs of love, in their magnitude, marvellousness and mercy break forth. All the determinations of purpose are seen to be based on Him, to be built on Him; in a word, are seen to be indissolubly connected with Him. All the accomplishments of power, assert the rights of Jesus, reflect His glory, and crown Him with a diadem of living light. Again, light is symbolical of truth. Jesus is TRUTH; the Truth of God, the Truth for the Church. Whatever is true in relation to the Church of God is found in Christ. The grandest truths, namely, those which relate to man's best interests, all centre in Christ. Atonement for sin, righteousness to justify the ungodly, a life of godliness, and a life of glory are all in Christ, who is "The resurrection and the life."

Light is also symbolical of safety. How safe is the soul in Christ! Law never thunders here, terrors never alarm here. Satan may tempt, sin may try, and troubles may distress, death may awaken fears, and thoughts of judgment may give rise to doubt; but while Jesus is the "Light of the Church," Satan will miss his mark, sin shall fail, troubles shall be succeeded by a calm, |

death shall be robbed of his sting, and even judgment shall be anticipated as confirming in glory what had been begun in grace.

Lastly, Light is symbolical of bliss. The more of light, the more of happiness; and therefore Heaven, the World of Light, will be the scene of endless joy. Christ in His righteousness is brightness without obscurity, Light without darkness, a morning without clouds, a meridian sun without a shadow. "Christ the righteous One"is the source of light to his Church (the moon), and the Fountain of Light to all those "stars of various magnitude," which are styled His ministers. Just as the sun always shines, so Jesus is always a light, His light is always Brightness. He made the morning of promise, He made the day of grace, and He will be the light of that world, where there shall be no sun, nor moon, nor stars, He being the One light of that glorious world. Just as a lamp is lighted to burn, and burns for the benefit of others: so Christ was a Saviour, a Mediator, an Intecessor, and will be the Judge: that He might save His people for ever, that He might be the only Mediator, that He might be the prevailing Intercessor, and the Righteous Judge in all those matters affecting the eternal Father, and the eternally beloved people.

Be comforted, believer in Jesus; Jesus ever lives, never to change; He never changes, that you may live for ever. Jesus! Thou art the Glorious Sun of Heaven, The seven-branched sanctuary lamp of earth; Thou art the brightness of a soul forgiven, The Guide of all who know a second birth. Be Thou my Light, of never ending day, Shine thro' the clouds, so dark, of sense and sin; Be Thou my Lamp thro' death-yes, all the way, Until the pearly gates shall shut me in.

LINES WRITTEN ON THE DEATH OF

MRS.

MARGARET MITSON,

WHILE here on earth she felt her need
Of Jesus' cleansing blood;
But this proud nature never taught;
That was her gift from God.
The appointed time arrived, to take
That jewel to Thine heart;
My poor weak nature sighed and said,
Alas! 'tis hard to part.

But I'm a worm; and Thou art God;
Shall I dispute with Thee?
No! 'tis Thy right to take her home,
Without consulting me.

Now freed from all her doubts and fears.
And clothed in white array,
She'll join to sing of sovereign grace,
Through everlasting day.

Lord, could these mortal eyes behold
How glorious she appears;
Then faith would raise my soul on high,
And stop these rolling tears.
Eternal God, Thou Prince of Peace,
Whom all Thy saints adore;
Teach me to own Thy sovereign hand,
And weep for her no more.
Stamford street.

JAMES MITSON.

ORIGINALITY.

THE PLAIN MAN'S PENTATEUCH:

OR, THE

PREACHER AND

ONE of the deficiencies of the generality of our ministers in this day is the lack of Upon the surface of their minds there is stereotyped the set phrases, and million-times mentioned sentences of other men hence, there is neither interest nor power in their sermons. At least, it is so with many, not with all. When a minister lays hold upon a text, he had need to do with it as the blacksmith doth with a piece of iron he is about to use. The minister should first thrust the text into the experience of his own soul, until it becomes red hot with the heat of life and love which the Spirit of the living God has kindled therein. When the text is thus red-hot, let him lay it on the anvil of a meditating frame of mind-and with the hammer of THOUGHT and the strong arm of prayer, strike it, until the sparks fly in all directions: moulding and fashioning the text into that form and figure which God designs, and whereby a permanent and powerful theme may be given to the people. We know that this is hard work. But the man who has not a soul fired with love to Christ, the man who has not an anvil of solid meditation on which to lay his texts; the man who has not a sledge-hammer kind of thought, and a heaven-wrought power in prayer will never make a successful preacher.

Trapp-good old Trapp-had a pair of eyes which looked everywhere, and fetched matter into his mind from all quarters and his mind being sanctified of GOD, he could expound and illustrate Bible truth in a manner rarely equalled. This month, we give his Dedicatory page, addressed to his honoured friend, William Combe, Esq. He says,—

WORTHY SIR,-You may well wonder, not so much that I now dedicate this peece of my pains unto you, as that I did it not till now; considering how long I have known you, and how very much I am oblieged to You. The truth is this; These Notes (upon Genesis) were the first, in this kind, what ever I finished; and You were deservedly among the first that came into my thoughts, for a Patron to them, But as Pharez once made a breach upon his brother, Zarah, and gat into the world before him, so did those other Works of mine (if at least, that name be not too good for them) deal by This, which now, with its red threed, (a

HIS PREACHING.

sign of its intended seniority,) humbly implores Your patronage, and (if worth while) your perusal: I know you have somewhat else to do, than to read Commentaries; and yet I must needs know too, that You (that are so sedulous a searcher of the Scriptures, and so seriously inquisitive after the genuine sense of such and such dark Texts therein, as, in conference occasionally, You have oft proposed unto me,) cannot but delight to be duely exercised in books of this nature. That Reverend Doctour of Cambridge, that (in the behalf of himself, and his whole Coll edg, for a very good turn you did them.) presented You with the fairest great Bible that ever I beheld, saw something, surely, of your pious inclination to the study of that blessed Book: And, if to the better understanding thereof, this, or any thing else that I have yet written, may be any way serviceable, I have that I sought for. Alphonsus, King of Arragon, is said to have read over the Bible fourteen times, with Lyra's Notes upon it. And those English Exiles for Christ at Geneva, knew they could not present any thing more pleasing, to that Incomparable Queen Elizabeth, than their new Translation of, and marginal Notes upon the holy Bible; which Book of books she had recieved, with both her hands, from the Londoners, soon after her Coronation; and kissing it, laid it to her breast, saying, That the same had been her chiefest delight, and should be the rule whereby she meant to frame her whole deportment. Let it be still Yours, Good Sir, as hitherto it hath been; and let this poor piece of mine (if at any time you think good to consult with it) tell you, in my absence, what my sence is of such places, as wherein, with that noble Eunuch, (Act. 8. 31) You may need an Interpreter. No more, Sir, at present, than to pray the Father of lights (who commanded the light to shine out of darknesse) to give You the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ; That though You have this treasure presented to you in an earthen vessel, in a vile oystershell; (as the Greek hath it,) yet You may partake of the excellency of the power that is of God, and not of Me, who preach not, present not, myself, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and myself

Your Servant for Jesus' sake,
JOHN TRAPP.

(To be continued.)

THE SHIPWRECKED MARINER AND THE GOSPEL

MINISTER.

A Libing Narrative.

CHAPTER II.

MR. EDITOR,-In compliance with your wishes, I here send you an account of some of the Lord's dealings with me in a way of Providence, and shall, as I proceed with my narrative, try to describe something of that way in which He hath been pleased to bring me to know Him, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent. This is the true God and eternal life.

In so doing, as most of the "sable traits" of my character were made manifest in early life, and during my wanderings hither and thither upon the mighty ocean, at which time the providential mercies of "a covenant God" were neither few nor small (though I perceived them not, neither was thankful), I shall commence at the beginning, and shall occupy the first few pages of your VESSEL in describing how "He hath made His goodness to pass before me in the way" whilst in a state of unregeneracy. And here I can appeal to Him who is the Searcher of all hearts, and say, "Lord, Thou knowest that my only motive is to shew forth the greatness of Thy preserving care over me in the evil day, and to give a word of encouragement to others of Thine own people, who have to tread the path of tribulation in the wilderness."

my mouth was full of bitterness and cursing.' This my parents knew but little of; my departed father, I am happy to say, was afterwards brought to a saving knowledge of the truth in the church of which brother Banks* is now (I believe) the pastor, and which was then under the pastoral care of the late Mr. Parker. My father's end was

peace.

My

When I was about six and a half years of age, I distinctly remember one of my companions (a boy four or five years older than myself) had been to sea, and had made two voyages to the West Indies; and from being frequently in his company, as well as seeing that he always had "plenty of money to spend," my mind was fired with the idea that I would go to a foreign land, thinking that "an inheritance might be gotten quickly at the beginning." difficulty was how could I get away from home? At length, meeting one day with my companion, he informed me that he had that day shipped on board a vessel called the Amphitrite, of London; that she was bound to Van Dieman's Land; and as she was going to take out some four or five hundred convicts, if I liked to go, he would manage to stow me away in the "forehold" until such time as the vessel was clear of the land. I could then come on deck, and there would be no possibility of my then being put on shore. This to me was a golden opportunity; "my feet were swift to do evil," and thus my path was marked out, little dreaming that my "hope and expectation were to be cut off" by a merciful interposition of Divine Providence, by which my life was to be spared from About this time, my father obtained a sudden destruction. I accordingly ascersituation in London, which led to our speedy tained the day when the ship was to leave removal, and being the only child, my the docks, the morning of which I went on parents, "too kind and indulgent," allowed board, and took up my abode on the "water me to have too much of my own way; and, casks" in the "fore-hold," where I reas the sequel will shew, I found "the way mained undiscovered till the ship had of transgressors was hard:" the result was, cleared the docks, and had nearly reached instead of my being found in the Sabbath- Blackwall; but, on the third officer school (whither my parents had sent me), I coming below to get some provisions for generally spent my Sundays in playing at the ship's company, I was perceived lying pitch and toss" in Britannia-fields, Is- on my hands and face at full length, in lington, or in any other way that suited my order, if possible, to conceal myself from comparatively infant, but depraved, mind. view. My nest having been thus stirred I was at that time of a quarrelsome temper; up," and being sought out of my hidingfrequently fighting with other boys, and place, according to the "ancient settlement," making use of fearful oaths. I blush while I was brought on deck, received a rope'sI have to say it, that in my very childhood, my "throat was an open sepulchre," and c. W. Banks meets at Old Ford. Mr. Merrett is the pastor. The church under

I begin by saying I was born at Bartonin-the-Clay, a small village in Bedfordshire, where I remained with my parents until I was about five years of age. I had little or no schooling, inasmuch as there was but one school in the place, where the chief branch of education imparted was to say the "Collect for the Day," and to make plait for straw bonnets, to be sold in the neighbouring market towns.

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