and the little ones would gather round | ever hearing him speak evil of, or him, just like chickens at the clucking of manifest any hatred but to one: and, the hen, to see if they could get another strange to say, that one every other crumb or kernal. On the first Lord's-day in February, we had ten new members which sat down with us at the Lord's table, and as many more hovering round: but still looking to their own unworthiness, kept back upon that occasion: five of them are now candidates for admission, which our departed friend was not permitted to know while here below. So the last time he was permitted to sit down with us was the first Sunday in February. On Saturday, February 27, he was seized with a cold and hoarsness; on the Sunday he did not get to chapel till the evening, when he tried, as was his usual custom, to give out the hymns. The first was that by Irons "O wonderous wheel of providence: and the last, (O! little did we think it was the last time that we should hear his voice amongst us here below), he attempted to read, but his hoarsness prevented him, and he gave the book into the hands of a friend; it was that of Watts person was ready to speak well of — it was himself. Yes; sinful self; “a wicked heart," he often said and sung, is no small part of my burden, sorrow, and pain. But he has done with that, and entered into the joy of his Lord.-JOHN CARTER. Funeral Sermon for Mr. Henry Head. IN attempting to give an outline of the life and death of our departed brother, it will be a few remarks, interspersed with an epitome of a sermon delivered upon the occasion of his death, at Zion Chapel, on Easter Sunday-evening, the fourth of April, to one of the most crowded, attentive, and sorrowing congregations that was ever at the above place assembled together, filling every corner in the chapel, school-room, and yard; and many could not get near. After reading a portion of Scripture, part of the fifth chapter of the Gospel by John, the text was taken from the fourth chapter of the first Epistle to the Thessalonians, and fourteenth verse— "For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him." "" Keep silence all created things," &c. On the Tuesday following, although his cold continued, he went to London In speaking from these words, (said upon business, and while there he heard our brother Carter,) upon this most Mr. Irons, and a Mr. Cooper; for he was solemn occasion, I shall not have to never so much at home as in the house dwell long upon the death and resurof God. He returned on the Friday rection of Christ; because of the first, evening following, very languid; he went the death of Christ, I was speaking on to bed, but came down stairs no more Friday-evening; and of the resurrection till brought down a corpse. On Tuesday I was speaking this morning. But it is morning he kept his bed, and his friends not what I say, or have said; not what for the first time sent for a physician; you may hear or have heard; not what he continued to get worse: but per- you read or profess, but that which is fectly resigned: he had made his will: essential is couched in the three first had done with the world: and was wait-words-'If we believe.' Not merely with ing the will of God. He never expressed an historical faith, a notional, a natural, a wish, word, or desire to get better; or or educational faith; not with a creed or to be restored to bodily health. His creature faith; but that faith which is disorder was of that kind that he was the gift of God, called the faith of God's not allowed to speak nor to be spoken elect; which centres in Christ not merely to, but as little as possible. The par- in a dead and crucified Christ, but in a ticulars I have stated in the sermon. living, risen, and exalted Christ; having Christ was near and precious; the cross finished the work he undertook, and sat was all his theme; and he fell asleep in down at the right hand of the majesty Jesus, on Friday Morning at 10 o'clock, on high; where he ever liveth to make March 26th, without a sigh or a groan. intercession for all that come unto God Thus died, as he had lived, Henry Head, by him. This faith must be wrought in who, by the grace of God, was a most the heart by the Spirit of God-a pereminent christian. I do not recollect sonal, experimental faith, which all the floods of water, cast out of the old ser-able hope, that rested only in, or on the pent's mouth, can never extinguish. things that he had done by himself in Upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ this life; nor was the hope of our dehangs the hopes and security of believers. parted brother, dependent on, or in the And upon, and in this fundamental doc- least upon the things done by him. His trine, centred the hopes and expectations language was-'But what things were of our departed brother. He knew whom gain to me, those I counted loss for he had believed, and that he was able Christ; yea, doubtless, and I count all to keep that which he had committed to things but loss for the excellency of the him against that day. He was enabled knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; to commit both body and soul into his for whom I have suffered the loss of all hands, not only until the day of death, things; and do count them but dung, but until the day of the general resur- that I may win Christ, and be found in rection. He knew experimentally that him, not having on my own righteousgreat truth which Jesus related to ness, which is of the law, but that which Martha, (John xi. 25,) ‘I am the re- is through the faith of Christ, the rightesurrection and the life; he that believeth ousness which is of God by faith; that in me, though he were dead, yet shall I may know him, and the power of his he live; and whosoever liveth and be- resurrection, and the fellowship of his lieveth in me shall never die.' Yes; sufferings, being made conformable unto Jesus had raised him from a death in his death.' But once more upon this sin, to a life of faith upon, and in him, head, Christ died a young man; in what as the Son of God; the only Saviour of we call the prime of life: so our depoor sinners. And the apostle saith, parted friend. It is said of Christ, (Isa, (1 Cor. 14,) If Christ be not risen, then liii. 8.) 'He was cut off out of the land is our preaching vain,' false, deceptive, of the living:' So our friend it appears, empty, delusive, and unprofitable; for to us, in the midst of his usefulness. who can believe him to be the Son of Perhaps nothing is more affecting to the God, if he is detained under the power human mind, nor more dark and unof the grave? And one reason why he accountable in providence, than when could not be any longer under the power good and useful men are removed, while of death, or the grave, was because he wicked, and apparently useless persons, was the Son of God, as well as the live to old age; there appears something surety for his people; and had paid every mysterious in such dispensations. But demand of law or justice, even the whole shall not the Judge of all the earth do debt. So the preaching of his incar-right? Nature recoils under such disnation, sufferings, or death, is of no use pensations, and is ready to put a negaor avail if he has not abolished death, tive upon God's proceedings. Had the and brought immortality to light, first, question been put to you a month ago for himself; then for his people. Your when looking round upon the congrefaith is also vain, and the Gospel in gation, 'Which of all these are you willwhich you profess to believe, is an emptying to part with?" You would have been theory; and the apostle and others false witnesses; and if Christ be not raised, ye are yet in your sins, in a state of nature and unregeneracy; under the power and dominion of sin. If Christ be not risen, ye are under the guilt of sin; yea saith Paul, 'If in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable.' If our hope was only in the life that Christ lived upon earth, without a view to the death and resurrection of Christ, our hope will prove to be fallacious, and our end miserable. But he was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification;' then 'exalted as a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sin.' The apostle's was not a deceptive miser ready to answer,' any one rather than Henry Head.' Yet that very person had God decreed to remove.. May we obey while we hear the voice, Be still, and know that I am God.' And consider also, that it is a great mercy to our brother, although to us it is a grief and loss. But Christ has said-'What I do thou knowest not now, but ye shall know hereafter.' Who can tell? God may have taken him away for our over fondness and indulgence, and too great opinion and expectation from him? Have we killed him by our kindness, by looking more to him than to his Lord and master? Have we provoked the Lord to jealousy by putting him in his place? Remember, the last verse of that portion of Scripture which I read respecting | formed, he became a member, and was John the baptist and his disciple-He chosen deacon: but I have not time, was a burning and a shining light, and nor is it necessary for me to repeat subye were willing for a season to rejoice insequent events which are well known to his light.' Mark! IN HIS LIGHT. Do you see any analogy here? Is it not evident that his disciples thought more of, and cleaved more to John than to Jesus? And the Lord suffered John to be cut off in the midst of his days. We come now to the second particular, Even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.' The saints that are dead, are not only represented as asleep, but as asleep in Jesus. And so the death of our brother was but a falling asleep in Jesus; and it might be truly said of him as of David, (Acts xiii. 36,)' And David after he had served his own generation, by the will of God, fell on sleep.' Yes; like David he was of a public spirit, and serviceable to others as well as himself; he did not live to himself, nor for himself; he was useful as a deacon, and as a brother, and member of the church in particular, and the neigbourhood in general; he was a blessing to the age or generation in which he lived the death of this good man, though to him a gain, is a public loss; the world loses a benefactor, and the church a kind and sympathising friend and brother. But all that he did, in serving his generation was by and according to the will of God; and by the influence of the grace of God. It appears that our départed brother was called by grace very early in life. When about sixteen years of age, he was led by his brother, Mr. R. J. Head, (instrumentally) to the Tabernacle, London, where a Mr. Parrot was then supplying. And the Lord sent the word home with divine power to his soul, so effectually that it could never be erased: it was fastened as a nail in a sure place. And he continued to attend at that place of worship, until his removal to his brother at Peterborough in the year 1820. Shortly after, a few friends being anxious to hear an unmixed gospel, obtained the occasional services of the late Mr. Hardy, of Leicester, and others; he attended, and by the blessed Spirit's teaching, he was led into, and brought to embrace the more distinguishing and glorious doctrines of the Gospel; and which continued till the day of his death, the joy and delight of his soul. And when this chapel was built in 1824, and a church my hearers in general. But now we, the church, the town, the neighbourhood, society in general, his wife, children, and relatives, have suffered a great loss, and myself in particular; I feel as though I had lost a right hand or a right eye. But the Lord reigneth; may we bow to his authority-remembering that for him to live was Christ and to dieeternal gain. And oh, that we may be enabled to take the apostle's advice in the verse before the text-For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that are asleep, that ye sorrow not as those which have no hope." We may say as Jesus said, (John xi. 11,) 'Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.' But Jesus will awake him up out of his sleep. Yes: says Jesus repeatedly in John vi., 'I will raise him up at the last day.' Jesus loved Lazarus, and he loved our brother; was it not said, 'he whom thou lovest is sick ?' and may we not say, 'Lord, he whom thou loved, and whom we loved is fallen by sickness into the sleep of death '? But the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, 'Lazarus come forth.' 'He fell asleep,' is a metaphor often used in Scripture to signify the happy death and state of good men or the saints of God, and I think it is never applied to them but in this sense. It is so applied to David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat and Heze. kiah, in the Old Testament; and to Lazarus and Stephen in the New; and also to saints in the words of our text, and in 1 Cor. xv. 20. Death is not terrible to a good man with life in his soul, with faith in exercise; it is like shutting our eyes and going to sleep; the putting off the body is like putting off our clothes or being unclothed; and lying down in the grave is like stripping and going to bed, (Job xiv. 12.) So man lieth down, and riseth not till the heavens be no more; they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep.' With respect to the last illness of our brother, I need not go through the particulars. But with regard to the state of his mind he was perfectly tranquil and composed, at peace with God and man, through Christ who was his peace. He appeared to have done with the world, and could leave all his concerns, temporal and spiritual: yes, his wife and children; for when asked by the nurse exalting the Saviour, Oh, then he is a how he felt on this head? He replied, very ungracious man. But, notwith'Has not God promised to be a husband standing this, I know that grace shines to the widow, and a father to the father- most conspicuous, when communicated less?' And I know he is the performing to those who (so to speak,) were constiGod, and will fulfill his word. The nature tutionally formed with a mild and amiof his disease was attended with such a vi- able disposition. Such was our brother; olent hemorrhage, that the physician de- his talent laid in sympathizing, and consired he should not speak or be spoken too. doling or comforting them that were in But upon the different occasions that I any trouble with the comfort wherewith saw him he appeared to be firmly fixed he himself was comforted of God. It is upon the Rock, and Christ very pre- in vain that we set up any standard cious; and upon several occasions when to judge by altogether from outward he spoke to those around him, Christ appearance. One person might be of a was his theme; and he frequently re- sanguine, and another of a phlegmatic capitulated the many appearances, and temperament. And here in the first it interferences of the Lord during his pil- would require much grace to counteract grimage. And the many Ebenezers set and in the other to excite and stimulate. up by the way, in the Lord's delivering, But of this we are certain-that the foundirecting, and supplying mercy in provi- dation standeth sure, having this seal, dence and grace. I shall not repeat, the Lord knoweth them that are his; and what I said, as is usual on such occasions, he will have them, whatever may apsuffice it to say, satan was not, I believe, pear to stand in the way. permitted to harass him but once; and The religion of our brother was what then the standard of the cross was lifted was wrought in his soul, and wrought up against him so that he could not pre-out by the Spirit of God. His friendvail. I was with him, for the last time ship was like that of his blessed Master, in prayer, at ten o'clock the Thursday- abiding through evil report and good renight. He knew, and could just say, port. His friendship shone most brilthat all was right; this was twelve hours before his departure. And his last effort to give utterance with his human voice was respecting the finished work upon the cross. Finished, all finished; Cal-Cal-Cal-vary.' And he breathed out his soul without a sigh or a groan. And thus fell asleep in Jesus. 6 liant when the children of God were in the night of affliction, darknesss, or distress. And by the grace of God he was as a city set on a hill, which could not be hid. And when the bridegroom came, he having oil in the vessel, trimmed his lamp, and went out to meet him. His soul has entered into the marriage supper of the Lamb; and his body which sleeps in Jesus, will God bring with him on the resurrection morn. It is usual upon these occasions to address the relatives in particular; but I shall not harrow up their feelings, nor my own by thus speaking. You, my Some of you may say that I have been friends, are satisfied that all is right. As praising the dead too much; but it is a church, we have lost a most valuable not the creature, but the grace of God officer and member, one to whom we comunicated to that creature, and it was could at all times, look unto for sympathy by the aid, and under the influence of and advice. It has been said by some, the Spirit of God that grace was so that grace always shines the most bril- exemplified in his life and death. liant when communicated to a man of But had he no faults? Yes; he was great learning and natural abilities. Be no fleshly perfectionist. But of those it so. But how few know what grace is. faults it is not for me to speak. God For the mere professor supposes that if had covered them with a mantle of a man speaks in what is called a graci- love, and there I leave them. ous manner with elegance and eloquence, of course he must be a gracious man. But all this may be when there is not a spark of grace in the soul. If a man does but exalt and exhort the creature, why then he is a very gracious man. But on the contrary, if a minister is faithful in debasing the creature, and There was nothing about our brother of that pharisaical, puritanical, hypocritical cant of affection put on for the occasion, but always the same freeness oneness, and candour. He was clothed with humility, and blessed with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit; But, finally, thy dead men shall live, says God the Father; yes, says Christ, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead.' Amen.. JOHN CARTER. MR. JAMES OSBOURN. A SECOND English edition of "The Lawful Captive Delivered;" being the Life and Experience of James Osbourn, of Baltimore, America, has just issued from the press. The work is neatly printed-contains nearly 400 duodecimo pages-and is certainly written in a very pleasing style, richly studded with the most soul-comforting testimonies of the vitality of the Author's religion; of the use the Lord has been pleased to make of him; and of the faithfulness and kindness of a covenant God towards him. We feel justified in saying that we know of no christian's published life and ex: perience that contains more savoury and demonstrative proofs of vital godliness, than does this Lawful Captive.' The Lord has blessed its perusal to many living souls; and it is a work that will live, and be useful to Zion's afflicted children when James Osbourn's remains are mouldering in the dust. We shall make a few extracts from this new edition of 'The Lawful Captive, as we are anxious to promote its cir culation. We commence by giving the following most merciful deliverances and protecting mercies vouchsafed unto our brother Osbourn, by Almighty God, in seasons of extreme danger. He says 66 Being at one time riding through the eastern part of the state of Virginia, and finding that it was not possible for me to reach the place of my destination without riding some hours in the night, my conclusion was to tarry for the night, (as the manner is in my country) at a house near by the road-side. And as I rode towards the mansion, for it was a very large dwelling, I alighted from my horse to open a gate which led into an expanded yard; and while thus engaged, a mastiff-dog of the bull breed bounced down the yard towards me in great fury, and reared himself on my breast, open-mouthed, and as if ready to take my life in a moment. I, with the gate in one hand and the bridle in the other, stood motionless and confounded; and never shall I forget the visage which the enraged animal assumed on that occasion. The people of the house, servants and all, knowing as they did, the strength and voracity of the creature, were all but frantic at the fearful sight before them, and expected instantly to see me drop dead on the ground. But God was there, with the dog wholly under his control, and hence the dumb creature, with his nose in my face, was as mild and harmless as a lamb, and I received no injury, though in appearance at the point of death. Dogs, and lions, and a fiery furnace heated seven times more than usual, can do no hurt without divine permission. No! 'Not a single shaft can hit, Until the God of love sees fit.' "But in view of my escape from a beast so furious, I can but exclaim with the royal Psalmist, 'O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." "About seven or eight months after the circumstances last stated, I was on a journey in the State of Tennessee, and in the course of the day I came to a water-course, which was then under a to ford; and not taking the proper very high freshet, and through it I had fording-place, it being hid by the high water, occasioned by the freshet, my horse in crossing came in contact with water; he flounced about for a while, a huge pile of rocks concealed under and by so doing he became yet more entangled among the rocks, and my situation was getting to be perilous, and no way appeared whereby it could be improved by any effort of mine. The distance across was about a hundred and fifty yards, and the water was up to the skirts of the saddle, and the current running very rapidly, and my horse refractory. Thus was I placed for the space of five or seven minutes, and with a multitude of thoughts within me; and although my wife and children were a thousand miles from me, or rather I from them, yet in this painful crisis they were plain before the eyes of my understanding, and the warm remembrance of them greatly increased my gloom. I thought if I could keep on my horse it might be well with me; |