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Christ

to the sinner; beware, lest that which was | faith. Christ is the beloved of his spoken by the prophets and ministers of Father. He laid in the Father's bosom God, be disregarded by you, and in the end from all eternity; and of this wondrous have not godly sorrow, and die in your sins. Word, John says, We beheld his glory, The Lord in his infinite mercy grant unto the glory as of the only begotten of the you repentance, which the Son of God is Father, full of grace and truth.' exalted to give unto Israel, viz, the election is the Beloved of his Father, not only for of grace afore ordained unto life. (Acts that he was and is his only begotten vi. 31.) Amen. Son, but, because of the voluntary surrender he made of himself for the accomplishment of his Father's will; his magnifying his law; and the faithful performance of his covenant-Therefore doth my Father love me, because Ilay down my life, that I might take it again.'

The Sinner's Friend,

A FEW WORDS то SHEW

How it is a sinner is brought to see, and to say, that Christ is his, and that he

is Christ's.

MY BELOVED BROTHER IMESON-The words which you spoke to me at the foot of the pulpit stairs dropped into my soul, and have there worked so powerful, that I feel obliged to attempt to gather up a few scraps and send them to you; and I do it through this medium in the hope that other poor sinners who are saved by grace, may pick up a crumb of living bread.

To write out and print those two sermons, would be impossible. But I have endeavoured to send my memory back to see if she could find a few of the things then uttered ; and just what she has brought me, I send to you. May the

Lord bless it. Amen.

You remember the text; the words were very gently, but firmly fastened on my soul on the Lord's-day morning; "My Beloved is mine; and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies. Until the day dawn, and the shadows flee away, turn, my beloved; and be thou like a roe, or a young hart, upon the mountains of Bether."

Very much depends upon consulting and properly viewing the context with the text. It is thus my mind has been led to what I believe to be the mind of the Holy Ghost in this scripture. I will notice

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I. The object of faith-My Beloved. II. The confidence of faith My Beloved is mine, and I am his.' III. The evidences and benefits of a living faith-He feedeth among the lilies. And

Lastly. The quietness of soul, and desires for communion with the Lord, which a living faith will produce-Until the day break,' &c.

First-A word or two on the object of

Christ is the Beloved One of his church. The Holy Ghost delights to honour Christ-and this he does, by revealing the glories of his Person, the love of his heart, the freeness of his grace, and the richness of his mercy in poor sinner's hearts-so, that, like Peter, they sometimes muster up courage enough to speak out boldly and say-Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee.'

Now this glorious object of faith has been set before the eye of my soul, in two places in the Old Testament.

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I believe Gideon was a type of Christ. Read the sixth chapter of Judges. Gideon made two altars. The first he called JEHOVAH-SHALOM-that is The Lord will perfect it,' and 'The Lord will send peace.' This altar was a type of the Person of Christ; for when he, the Father, brought him forth, he said, By him I will perfect salvation' and' By him I will send peace.' Faith fastens upon this, and says, "By that one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified:' and when the virtue of that one offering is brought into the conscience, then the sinner is made nigh by the blood of Christ, and finds peace.

The other altar that Gideon built, was upon the top of the rock, in the ordered place;' and this is the setting up of Christ in the Gospel church, and in the hearts of elect sinners. The church of Christ 'is the

ORDERED PLACE, the ordained sanctuary.” Here, God in the Trinity of his Persons, dwells; and upon this rock the church is of faith, and the beloved one of the rebuilt. Christ thereby becomes the object

deemed soul.

Again-look at the object of faith, in the person and work of Solomon. Read the first six chapters of the second book of Chronicles, with an eye to Christ, and there you will see 1, The exaltation of Christ(2 Chron. i. 1.) 2. The fulness of grace

This is the first work of Christ in drawing the soul to him. She gets very blessed views of him; she comes and sits down under his precious word; she sits down in the company of his saints; she sits down in secret meditation and prayer; and his fruit is sweet unto her taste. Oh, how sweet were those days to me. After Jesus was revealed

given to Christ, and his being made Head over all things to the church, (2 Chron. i. 12, 13.) 3. Christ covenanting to build the church is beautifully prefigured in the second chapter, and verses 1-5: and so you may follow out this glorious object of faith in the person of Solomon, till you come to his making the brazen scaffold. This was a type of Christ's intercession on the ground in my soul, (as he was,) early one Lord'sof his finished work. This brazen altar he day-morning, when he awoke me out of my has set in the midst of the court. A full and sleep; and then again in the Countess of finished salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, Huntington's chapel, at Canterbury, I had is the glorious theme of the gospel still. such happy and solemn, such holy and saUpon this brazen scaffold Christ stands in cred communion with him, that I dreaded to heaven upon this, he stands in the church: go to my work; and seemed not to be fit for upon this, he stands in the faith of true be- the world; truly, he brought me to his banlievers; and so he becomes our best beloved. quetting house; and his banner over me was Secondly-The church says-'MY BE-love. And how clean did he then keep my LOVED IS MINE; AND I AM HIS." This conscience; how close did he keep my heart; is double confidence. He Is mine! AM and how firm were my affections set upon His. How is it the soul comes to this most him. In those days, the Word of God used blessed assurance? to be opened up so richly in my soul that at times I have been filled with heavenly joy; and in those days, I could spend hours in meditation upon sacred portions of Scripture, which became my meat and my drink; and frequently in those times, have I been compelled to leave my employ, and find a secret corner where to pour out my soul in prayer and praise. In these things, truly, my soul was brought into his banquetting house, and his banner over me was love.

By the help of the Lord, I will tell you. The first thing that leads to it, is a manifestation of Jesus in the soul. Paul calls him 'the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God. And, truly, Christ is a hidden mystery: But, though he be hidden from them that are lost,' yet, there is a time, when Christ is revealed in the heart of an elect sinner, as he was in Magdalene's; in Zaccheus's; in Peter's; in Paul's; and in thousands besides. And what does he say? How does he open and make known himself? He says, 'I am the Rose of Sharon.' He is the beauty, the life, the savour, the sweetness of his church. This beautiful and heavenly view of Christ fills the soul with glory, and fires the sinner with longing desires to embrace him. But the Saviour points the poor soul to its present condition; he seems to call her attention to the situation she is yet in-so to prepare her for much after experience' As the lilly among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.' What thorns are these? Oh, they are the corruptions of the human heart; they are the fiery darts of the devil; they are the wicked allurements of the world. And is the living soul among these thorns? Yes, it is; and therefore, Christ tells the poor sinner this; and bitterly do these thorns prick the poor soul in its struggles and desires to be near and to be like unto its beloved one.

In this chapter, then, there are three distinct degrees of Christian experience traced out. And it is after the soul has passed through these, that she comes to say My beloved is mine, and I am his.' The firstis descriptive of the gentle drawings of Christ. The sinner made alive, and favored with some sweet views of him, says,' As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow,' &c.

But, with all this, I was not brought to say, 'My beloved is mine: and I am his.' There is, then, a second stage of Christian experience very fully implied here: and it is that wintry dispensation, in which the soul is brought to mourn over its barrenness. All heavenly fruit in the soul seems to be withered; the voice of the Spirit seems to be silenced; temptations set in; corruptions arise, and this once happy soul begins to fear all its past mercies and enjoyments were delusions; sparks of its own kindling; and that ultimately it will lay down in darkness and eternal death. The eyes of the soul are taken off from Christ; the mind is nearly swallowed up in worldly things; prayer is formal; reading God's word is dry; hearing the gospel is without power: and all things seem against the soul's having hope in God.

Still there are seasons in this stage of experience when the soul waits, watches, and earnestly cries for a return of those happy moments it once enjoyed. Oh, how many times in this state of soul, have I secretly cried out- REMEMBER ME, O, LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people; O, VISIT ME WITH THY SALVATION. That I may SEE the good of thy chosen; that I may REJOICE in the gladness of thy nation; that I may glory with thine inheritance.' And I will say, that never could I cease from hearing his precious Word, and watching for his return; though, sometimes it was in much hardness, and darkness of soul.

clefts of the rock, under some of the secret
places of the stairs. Here,' he says, 'I
will hide myself; for I am undone for ever.
Oh, how ashamed is this poor soul! How
guilty and condemned he feels! And hides
his head in sorrow, shame, and woe.
Christ's love to him is the same!
"His heart is made of tenderness,
His bowels melt with love."
Down after this poor soul, the Good Shep-
herd comes. There is something deep and
solemn in his voice-He says, ' O, my dove!
O, my dove! that art in the clefts of the
rock; in the secret places of the stairs.'
Ah! it is true, what David says, 'He re-
storeth my soul.' Christ by his Spirit, and
by the ministry of the Word, keeps calling
to this poor fallen soul. Oh, how the word
sometimes rings through him. 'O, my dove,
hidden in the clefts; and secret places!"
And then the words of Jonah are true in this
poor sinner's case-' Out of the belly of hell
have I cried unto thee.' But what does the
Saviour say? Does he say 'Go down to
the gates of death, ye dreadful sinner?' No!
bless his holy name, He says 'Let me
see thy countenance; let me hear thy voice;
for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance
comely.'

Presently Jesus speaks. He says-Rise | bleed, and sigh. He creeps into some of the up, my love, my fair one, and come away: for, lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.' The soul knows his voice; and says 'The voice of my Beloved! Behold! he cometh.' But this coming is more gradual; the soul's views of him are less animating, and not so distinct as before. She says 'He standeth behind our wall; he looketh forth at the windows.' For six or seven years I walked in this state. I had no guilt on my conscience: no particular temptation in my soul; no heavy darkness in my spirit. From time to time, I heard his voice, saw his face, enjoyed his presence, and sweetly felt the drawings of his love, moving my soul, as the prophet says, 'with my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me, will I seek thee early.' And it was under such a state of soul, that I was thrust forth into the ministry; and though I was well received, and much blessed in the work: and although at that time, my whole soul was set upon the best things; and I prayed much, I read much, I thought much, I desired much; yet, was I frequently kept in what appeared to me a low prison-house state of soul; if I got a little lifting up, and flew sweetly upon the wings of faith and love, as I would whenever I could, then down came a heavy cloud again, and made prayer and preaching a labour to my soul. These things kept me in much inward fear, in much inward jealousy about my eternal state; so that I could not say- My beloved Is MINE, and I am his.'

But I must come at once, and hastily, to the third branch of Christian experience, which leads up to the happy conclusion.

The figures employed to set forth this branch of experience, are borrowed from the position of the Temple. The Temple was built on Mount Moriah. Now Nehemiah tells us there were stairs that went up, and that went down from the city of David, and from the temple: that is, there were clefts in the sides of the rock or mountain on which the temple was built; and there were steps cut in the rock, which led up and down, to and from the temple.

From this, the soul is led to look up. So I found it. One minister after another spoke with almighty power into my soul. Many solemn meltings of soul did I have in Zoar Chapel, and in Gower Street, under Mr. Gadsby, Mr. Smart, Mr. Kershaw, and others: sometimes under Mr. Abrahams in Regent Street Chapel, I used to be so cut down, I hardly knew how to walk home. Once, in particular, under Mr. Wells, the Lord searched out and described every sorrowful feeling of my soul. But at length, the time of deliverance came. Mr. Abrahams being sent especially from God to my soul; he came in the power of the Holy Ghost; and with a glorious revelation of Christ in the words, Thou art more excellent and glorious than all the mountains of prey.' This raised my soul into the highest state of bliss and peace. Pardoning love and blood flowed in: and then, I knew what it was to say-MY BELOVED IS MINE, AND I AM HIS.'

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Well; this is the case. A poor Israelite, who had been in the temple, is tempted to go outside then comes the adversary with some poisonous breath, with some alluring bait; the poor Israelite goes down one or two of the steps: and then says satan unto him, 'You had no right in the temple at all: you are a damned soul; you are an apostate spirit; at best you was never more than a formalist, or an hypocrite; therefore come along down the steps, and take your fill of sin.' Headlong, the poor soul is cast into some wicked thing he falls. And but for a preserving hand, into hell itself he would sink. But something makes him cry, and 6, Pagoda Terrace, Bermondsey New Road,

Months and years have rolled away since that: But, thanks be to God, my soul is led increasingly to feel the work was his; grace reigns; my soul rejoices in hope; and only desires to love and serve him more. I must conclude for the present. The Lord bless you, prays,

Your's to love, and serve in the Gospel,
CHARLES WATERS BANKS.

SOME PARTICULARS CONNECTED WITH

THE LAST ILLNESS AND DEATH OF THE LATE EDWARD CROWHURST, Twenty-four years Minister of the Gospel, at Hadlow, in Kent.

OUR dear departed brother for twenty- Lord! How unspeakably and eternally four years was pastor of the Baptist good is he in himself, though the inde church, at Hadlow, Kent; during that pendent and self-existent Jehovah! His time he faithfully preached Christ Jesus goodness is great, as the God of proviin his blood and righteousness, as the dence; but above all, as my covenant great antidote against the fall, against God. Look at me! and you see the sin, the curse of a broken law, the de- effects of his goodness; he has loved me pravity of our poor fallen nature, unbelief, with an everlasting love; saved me from and all the powers and craft of hell; and death, and hell, and called me by his as every way suited to the poor and grace. My affliction is the effect of his needy, the hungry and thirsty soul. He goodness; this is what my Father has was favoured with a rich experience of done! But all in love; he has sent me the most glorious truths of the gospel, this affliction as a kind of a vehicle to and preached those things he had take me home it is pulling down my handled, tasted, and felt. He not only tabernacle: I long to see it fall; that I preached, but lived the gospel; and in may take my willing flight to him who is his life, walk, and conversation, practi- my all. I shall soon be there; and cally testified to all around, that Christ dwell for ever in the world of wonders. was in his heart, and for him to live was O, what a wonderful place heaven is! Christ, and to die eternal gain. Wonderful angels! Wonderful sinners made saints! Wonderful mansions for the saints: yes; and there is my wonderful Brother, Head, Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ!'

For many years he was the subject of heavy afflictions of body; his features were much disfigured by the disease, so much so, that he was an object of the deepest sympathy. No one could look upon him without peculiar feelings of gratitude to the God of our mercies for preserving perfect the precious members of our body. On the other hand, no one could visit him without wishing to be like him, while listening to the blessed testimonies he continually bore to the faithfulness of his covenant God.

He was perfectly resigned to all the dispensations of God; he would say, 'it is all for the best; it is for my good; my dear Lord knows what he is doing; and works all things after the counsel of his own will; and when he has tried me, and perfected all that concerneth me, then he will take me home for ever to be with him.' And often when I have been with him, and felt pained to look at him, he would rejoice, and say, 'Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? O yes, he cannot do wrong: I am quite satisfied, and will bless his dear name for he hath done all things well.'

he was.

One Lord's-day, after morning service, I went to see him, and asked him how He replied, 'Well, you see I have a few inconveniences, (referring to his affliction) but, O, the goodness of the VOL III, PART XXIX.-June.

:

"There I shall see his face,
And never, never, sin,

There from the rivers of his grace

Drink endless pleasures in." A friend wrote to him, saying, I am sorry to find you are so grievously afflicted: this preyed much on his mind for some time: he said to his dear wife, 'Did ever I say I was grievously afflicted? My precious Lord Jesus was grievously afflicted; but what are my afflictions compared to his ? Light, light afflictions, which are but for a moment, working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. 1 will not mourn my miseries and affliction ; for, at most, I do but taste the cup, Jesus alone has drank it up.'

When I saw him again, he asked me what text I had been preaching from? I told him,' Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and a good hope through grace;' he directly run over some of the precious things in this sweet text; saying, Yes; he is my Lord Jesus; and 1 am his! He laid down his life for me; shed his blood for me; rose from the dead for

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course with the dear Lord; and the holy triumphs of faith in the person, work, blood and righteousness of a precious Lord Jesus; it was wonderful to behold! Never, never, can I forget it, he appeared to me to have been where Paul was when he was taken up into the third heavens; he had seen the glories of the heavenly world; and his ransomed soul was over

me; and now lives in heaven at the right hand of the throne of the most high, making intercession for me; he is my Husband, my Brother, my Shepherd, my Refuge, my Rock, and Christ is all and in all; and I know he is my Father; I hold communion and intercourse with him every day; and I have the Spirit of Christ and am led by his Spirit; so I know I am a child. I know he has chosenjoyed with the thoughts of soon being me in Christ; for he has said, ' Blessed is the man whom I have chosen whom I cause to approach unto me.' He has caused me to approach unto him as my Father with all my troubles; and he helps me, comforts me, and delivers me." He said to one of the deacons, 'I have been a guilty sinner, but I have no guilt now my precious Christ has taken it all away by his precious blood; and I am free! While in this happy state of mind, he repeated the following

verses:

"O I shall soon be dying,

Time swiftly flies away;
But on my Lord relying,

I hail the happy day."
"The day that I must enter

Upon a world unknown,
My helpless soul I venture

On Jesus Christ alone."

there; he was contemplating the happy
change, the delightful employ, the holy
company, the joy, the satisfaction, and
the possession of all the blessings of the
covenant of mercy; and a beholding of
the unveiled glories, matchless beauties,
and perfections of his most blessed Lord
and King. When I approached his bed,
I asked him how he felt? Well, (said
he) I am going home, I cannot eat nor
drink any thing here; when I get home,
O how I will eat then, and how I will
drink to the full! I will plunge into the
river; I will swim in it; I will go over
head and ears into the river; I will live
in it;

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"There will I bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest;
And not a wave of trouble roll,
Across my peaceful breast.".

The whole of this day he continued in

This last verse he did not very well like; this happy state, continually talking for said he,

"The day that I must enter"Why it seems as if there was a reluct. ance; well, there I must enter; I will alter it,

"The day that I shall enter." And the second line,

"Upon a world unknown :" No, that will not do; what, heaven a place unknown? What, unknown to me? What am I going where I do not know? This cannot be; for I know something of heaven. I know the blessed inhabitants; they are my brothers and sisters; and my Lord Jesus is there, and I know him.

"My helpless soul I venture:" No; but

"My helpless soul I'll render." The last time I saw him, he was in a very low, weak state of body; but as happy as he could be out of heaven; strong in faith; blest with a solid peace; uninterrupted communion and inter

about the river to every one who came to see him; saying, he could not find words to express the feelings of his soul: and this state of mind lasted till he was taken home; the last words he said was 'My God! My God!' And then the great time-piece of the throne struck twelve; the morning now began; the door was opened wide, he entered in for ever and for ever, to live, and reign, and dwell with Christ his glorious head in spotless white, a Saviour's righteousness; in uncreated light, in holiness, apart from sin, from sorrow, pain, and woe.

time; we hope soon to be with you; and Farewell, dear brother, for a short the whole church of God, in saying 'Amen. Salvation to our God, which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God; Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever, Amen.'

He was buried in the ground belonging to the chapel, by Mr. Pope; and a funeral sermon was preached by Mr.

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