of Bathrabbim." Song vii. 4.
For the
light of Christ's body, mystical, is the eye:
like the fish-pools of Heshbon. Thus you
may swim in the light, life, and love of the
Lord; and these very clear fish-pools, the
eyes of the church, reflect the very image of
Jesus, 66 as face answereth to face in water."
Thus he sees his own image in the eyes of
the new man of every believer; and these
very people are said to be "the apple of
Christ's eye," or the little man of his eye, for
if you look into a person's eye it reflects a
little image, a little man. Thus the church
is said to be kept as the "apple," or "little
man " of his eye, for his church is always in
his eye, every moment; and when our eye
is single, and fixed on him, the body is full
of light. "Come, house of Israel, let us
walk in the light of the Lord."

It gives me pleasure to hear that you are walking in the light of the Lord's countenance. But remember that you will have some nights as well as days, and you must not be frightened like a child in the dark, if you have sometimes to go to bed without a candle; for the "Lord will light your candle" again when it is really needful, and "the watchman of the night saith the morning cometh;" and the Sun of Righteousness will arise again with warming, comforting, and healing influence, in his healing wings of light and love.

Farewell, and the God of peace be with My son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

you.

A WATCHMAN ON THE WALLS. Leicester, Dec. 9, 1846.

A Broken-hearted Sinner.

DEAR SIR,-I am very much exercised about writing to you lest I should write anything that would prove to you that I was a base hypocrite, which I am often tempted to believe I really am, and yet I cannot, I dare not, withhold my testimony at this time; for in reading your letters at the beginning of the first volume of the Earthen Vessel, I there had my heart with all its exercises opened up, and my character drawn in such colours that I could not proceed, for my heart was overwhelmed with love and gratitude to, my dear Lord that my eyes flowed with tears, and I could not restrain them-not that you were overtaken in sin, but because the dear Lord had brought you back again with weeping and with supplication. I was led to think that the time was at no great distance when the dear Lord would turn my captivity, and restore to my soul the joys of his salvation. I well remember the time when I thought that my mountain stood so strong that I should never fall into those things which some of the Lord's dear family have

fallen into, and have caused them to go hobbling along with broken bones all their journey through the wilderness; but, alas! alas! how have I lived to prove. to my sorrow and grief, that the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and I find, my dear sir, I have greater enemies to contend with than I once thought I should ever meet with, and these dwell in my own base heart-for I find everything there that is opposed to that holy principle which I desire to have, if it is not implanted in my heart. But here satan accused me with hypocrisy in this matter, telling me I have no desire to forsake sin as well as confess; if I had, I should be more freed from it: but here I can call God to witness, that only on yesterday my humble protestation at his dear feet was, that he knew my heart, and he knew that it was my earnest desire to be entirely freed from sin, both in thought, word, and deed; but, alas! I find it to be otherwise. O! how I have searched the word of God, and read the experience of good men, to see if I could happen to meet with any one so vile as myself, but I cannot find any description of character to resemble my own case; but, I did find, in reading your letters, a oneness of spirit, a kindred feeling, a flowing out of my soul in prayer to the dear Lord on your behalf. O what brokenness of spiritwhat a willingness to be anything or nothing so that Christ may be all in all. But, 0! my dear sir, how seldom do these seasons occur, and how short their duration-I soon return to my own place, filled with unbelief and rebellion, and my heart seems to get as hard as adamant. O! let me entreat of you to remember a poor sinner when it go well with you when at the feet of your dear Lord and Master-tell him a poor brokenhearted sinner desires to be with him where he is, and to behold the light of his lovely countenance. O! my dear sir, I beg you will pardon the great liberty I have taken in writing to you. I shall not disclose who I am, nor what I am, to you at this time. I have only just received the first and second volumes of the Earthen Vessel, but I could not refrain telling you what I have told you; and if the dear Lord should condescend to break in upon my soul, I may perhaps write to you again. For the present, I say, farewell: and may the Lord abundantly bless you, and lead you into all truth as it is in Christ Jesus, is the prayer of a poor

PARTICLE OF DUST.

Poor "Particle of Dust," "When we read thy letter we had these words dropped into the soul-"He will hear the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer;' then came Jer. xxx. 17; and Jer. xxx. 17. Read these Scriptures, poor "Particle of Dust,"Who can tell? But let us hear again. We have much to do in the Hospital, Many true soldiers have been wounded of late.

Gleanings from the Vintage.-No. 2. Extract from a Sermon by Mr. JAMESWELLS, on Sunday Evening, March 30, 1844, at the Surrey Tabernacle, Borough Road, from Revelation viii. 5.

THIS book was given as much for the instruction of the Lord's people, as any other part of the Bible: it is both an external and an internal history of the church, from the beginning of the Gospel dispensation down to the end of time. Before the seventh trumpet has sounded, all public preaching in England and Wales must be put down. All desires which the Holy Spirit creates must be pure desires. Without the Lord Jesus Christ there would be no prayer at all; for He is the root of prayer as well as the power of prayer. I cannot agree with those great men who say that the prayers of the Lord's people are sinful: you might as well tell me that godly fear is sinful, and that faith is sinful. Neither am I an admirer of those words of Mr. Newton :

"Sin is mixed with all I do."

not be a greater judgment come upon a man than to be given over to his own heart-he feels that he might as well be given up to the devil himself. As far as outward appearance goes, it seems to the man that he is given up to a reprobate mind. Of all the afflictions of Lot, his being given up to the lusts of his own heart was the worst. Of all David's afflictions, his being given up to the lusts of his own heart was the worst. Of all the afflictions of Peter, his being given up to the deceits of his own heart was the worst. The Lord's people may, in many respects, be given up to their own hearts, but it is only to a certain extent-it is only for a limited time. But God will take care that they shall not be finally left in that state. No,

"Though thousand snares enclose their feet, Not one shall hold them fast."'

They may be given up to their own hearts, but not to the gross devices of their own hearts. Was Saul of Tarsus, previous to his conversion, given up to the gross devices and desires of his own heart? No. Touching the been given up to his own heart more than law he was blameless. Yet, who could have

We can pray for nothing by the Holy Spirit which Christ has not already prayed for. Jesus Christ pleads our cause by his most in which we may be given up to our own was Saul of Tarsus? But there is a sense precious blood; and his intercession and our desires run together. Prayer is nothing hearts fatally. The doctrines of grace may else but the souls of the people of God be, and they are too, held by thousands of groaning, and longing, and desiring, and professors. Moderate Calvinists, and even supplicating those blessings which God has many among the high Calvinists too, may designed to bestow; and he will do no more hold and believe in the great doctrines of than he has designed. There is no such grace, but do they hold them tremblingly-do thing as duty-prayer. The Lord brings all they hold them as matters of the most vital his people while in the world into a personal them tremblingly is to feel-did Christ die importance? No-they do not. To hold knowledge of his everlasting covenant, and he gives them a rooted disposition to receive for me? or did he not? Am I numbered with it before they go hence. When a man is the family of God, or am I not? Am I inmade sensible of what he is, he can find no terested in the great atonement of Christ, or rest but in the immutable oath of God. Real fixed, and cannot be altered. This is to hold am I not? My doom is fixed-irrevocably religion is a looking after God in his eternal covenant-real religion puts the people of would Eli's sons not hearken to the reproof the doctrines of grace tremblingly. Why God where the world would not think of look- of their father? Because the Lord intended ing for them. They would not think of looking for the people of God in the everlast- to destroy them, and had given them up to ing love of God; in the righteousness of have been damned a thousand times if such a their own hearts. The people of God would God; in his everlasting covenant. If you thing were possible, if they had been upheld can show your religion to the world, it is no by anything short of almighty power and religion at all. It is a great mercy to be enabled to distinguish from all the voices of mercy; and when the Lord holds his people the time, the voice of Christ. The Lord's up, it is then they can rejoice. people are awkward things to fight againstno weapon formed against them shall prosper. "Whosoever shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the sea." Extract from a sermon, by Mr. JAMES WELLS, on Friday Evening, April 24, 1846, at Red Cross-street Chapel, City, from Exodus

xix. 4, 5. Of all the judgments under heaven there can

"Tis heaven to rest in his embrace,
And nowhere else but there."

The Lord has put his people out of the reach
of destruction; they were destroyed in Adam,
but they were saved in Christ; the life which

they had in the first Adam will die; but the life which they have in Christ will never diein him they have an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not

away."

66

Letters addressed to Mr. W. ALLEN,
Minister of the Gospel, Cave Adullam, Stepney.

No. I.

Dear friend and brother in the only one and true gospel of Jesus Christ.

verance, and then again the clouds would gather thicker and faster, and the spirit of unbelief, mistrustfulness, and impatiency, would muster up all their force to drown my little hope and faith. But some of these dark days outwardly were bright days inwardly, and the love of God was shed abroad abundantly in my heart to that degree, at times, that I was afraid that deliverance would come, and I then should be delivered from that sweet and strong communion that I often enjoyed with my God in secret. Indeed, I can truly say these days of adversity were some of the old weather-beaten sailor's golden days, and I knew in some measure

blessed rich poverty !-oh! blessed sweet bitter distress!-oh! blessed shining lights in darkness! Grace had made my heart so honest, that I dare not borrow of the people in the house, to whom I was deeply in debt for shelter, and I dare not go any more in trust at the chandler's shop, being six shillings already in debt: but there was one spot in the distress troubled me not a littleI could not get a candle to read the word of God at night; but necessity is the mother of invention, I therefore (having some tallow which I used at my work in sail-making), made a lamp of a little gallipot with a cotton wick; and this served to read by for several nights: and how I lived and was kept alive in this day of famine would be too tedious here to mention, and would more than fill this paper.

SEEING the Lord had made use of your mouth to speak to my heart, sermon after sermon, in so conspicuous a manner made me a little bold to declare unto you the same, but, now the storm being greatly abated and finer weather succeeded, we, sailors, can talk a little about past dangers, and tell how the ship behaved in the storm, &c.; and it is experience in these things that make mani-what it was to rejoice in tribulation. Oh! fest how we act in and weather every storm, every trial, every temptation; but, as I must not take up much of your time, I must cut things as short as possible. About four or five weeks ago, it pleased my God and Saviour, who is the God of all providence, to shut up every way of employment, and I had but eightpence to begin the world with; and being one of those sheep that is compelled through sheer necessity to live by faith, from day to day, upon the providence of God, I must say in the late storm I was often brought to my wits' end, day after day, and week after week; I wandered here, there, and everywhere, where I thought there was the least hope, till I wore my shoes out; but every week the cloud appeared to get darker and darker, and the darkest cloud that hung over my head was, the debt for shelter and a little daily food at the chandler's shop; and when it amounted to six shillings I had no more heart to increase it greater, therefore determined within myself to live upon bread and water: indeed, I was brought to that at last, and sometimes to nothing-not a bit of bread in the cupboard, and not a bit of coal to make a fire to warm my old frame in the late bitter cold weather-not a penny in the world, and nothing to make one of-and not having a soul upon the face of the earth to communicate with, either in the church of God. or in the synagogue of satan, or in the profane world; and being an outcast from the above three societies, I was compelled to go to God alone, who has so marvellously delivered me in time past, for many years, when under the same and like circumstances. the time of prayer indeed, night and day, with strong cries, groans and tears, and deep ejaculations of heart; indeed, no one but God alone has known my sufferings in the late trial, neither did I wish to let any man know but God alone, who I well knew, by many a lesson, that I had formerly learned in the same school of Christ, that he was able to deliver; and very frequently a gleam of hope would at times break through these I have but spoken a little of the trial, but dark clouds, and seemed to give me a little now to the better part-the day of deliverance hope that God would at length send deli--and I have found Jesus Christ still to be

Now was

During this interval the Lord constrained my heart to go to the Cave Adullam, and the Lord the Spirit led you to speak of every step of the road that my heart was then travelling in-and seeing very plainly that you had travelled in the same road, and knowing you (by what I have felt in my heart under the word), to be a servant sent to the church, to declare the truth by experience: I say, these things often lifted my drooping wings, for almost every discourse seemed to be directed to me in particular, and I often returned home (though deeply indebted there for rent), with a lifted-up countenance. There were two things in all this dark cloud that preserved me from murmuring, repining, rebellion, and discontent; one thing and the principal thing was, I often felt the love of God in my heart: and the other was, I knew the good and all-wise Physician was acting medicinally, for the good of my immortal soul by half starving the flesh, to cast those devils out that had so much annoyed my peace, ever since the day of my most wonderous and miraculous conversion, on March 10, 1812, as it is recorded in my narrative.

"When I had thought these things over, a thought for the first time struck me, that I should like, if it were the Lord's will, to alter my condition before I left Plymouth, that I might have a home, and a friend, and share our joys and sorrows together. I had serious thoughts on the subject, and well considered the matter; which, I fear, is not always done, even by God's people.

what he ever was and ever will be, a God- | BROKEN HEARTS. They sat in the judgmenthearing and a God-answering prayer. Every chair on many much better taught than method had failed that I had put my hand to themselves. These things made their confor deliverance; but, as I was returning versation and company irksome to me, and I home from the city last Monday week, the wished to leave them altogether. I also Lord put it into my heart to call at the thought that if I went to London there Trinity-house, upon Tower-hill, (I had been might be a better prospect, both for my calling at the Trinity-house in heaven, for business, and to preach the gospel, if the three weeks), saying within my heart, surely Lord had designed me for the work; for it I have some claim, upon them; and that night was still a question with me, except when wrote a petitioning letter to the secretary: the Lord comforted my heart in delivering on Tuesday morning it was presented. The his truth. Lord had gone before me, and softened the hearts of those great men. I was presented before the board; several questions, &c. were put to me, which I answered to give them every satisfaction. The Lord enabled them to see my distress; moved their hearts to sympathy; I was taken into their consideration that day as the chief petitioner of respect; and after they had done with me in the committee-room, I had to wait in the hall about two hours for an answer; and almost every five minutes of the two hours my heart was going up to the Trinity-house, in heaven. In due time I was called and presented with two pounds in gold. What effect this immediate answer from God had upon my heart and weeping eyes, I must leave you to judge, having been brought into the same spot: and in ecstacy of joy I left the Trinity-house upon Tower-hill with the Trinity-house in heaven in my heart; flew home immediately, paid all my debts, and well furnished the cupboard with bread, butter, tea, sugar, soap, candles, wood, coals, &c. and have been enabled to act like the widow of old, whom the Lord set up as an oil-merchant, out of a pint of oil, and lived since upon the rest. I am now out of debt and have four shillings in the bank, (in the till of my chest)-and besides all these things, a little faith in the Great Bank of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. I therefore humbly desire that you and your companions will assist the old sailor to praise the Great Deliverer of all his poor out of all their distresses. God be with you. Amen.

GEORGE THOMAS WOOD.

Life of the late Henry Fowler.

(Continued from p. 284, Vol. II.) "ABOUT the close of 1802, it struck me that I would leave Plymouth, and settle in London, and that for three reasons. First, my labour began to fall off; and to be destitute of sufficient labour is distressing to an honest, poor man. Second, I had as far as I could see, very little success in preaching, after labouring some time, in different places occasionally. Third, I perceived a vast deal of wildfire, and frivolity, in many who ranked high among the people with whom I was acquainted-they had gospel heads but not

"The words, 'In all thy ways acknowledge him,' at this time, as well as on many former occasions, were much impressed on my mind; for if a believer be not guided by the Lord, he will make a wrong choice and that to his sorrow. The desired object was cast in my way without my seeking; and March 14th, 1803, I entered the honourable state of marriage, with an intention to go forthwith to London: but man's goings are of the Lord, how, then, can he understand his way?' With a wife the Lord sent me plenty of labour week after week, so that I could not leave without resisting the dictates of conscience, and the manifest interpositions of providence. I still, month after month, entertained some hopes that my way would be made clear to go to London, but all in vain at that time. Some circumstance or other continually thwarted my intentions, so that I came to a conclusion that it was the will of God for me to remain at Plymouth. My mind thus settled in regard to the leadings of divine providence, I looked more to the thing in hand, and pursued my business with better spirits; and the Lord prospered our labours so as to enable us to 'provide things honest in the sight of all men.' But these temporal blessings, which are from the Lord, were followed on my part with too much anxious thought about the things of this world, which perish with the using; and by degrees I grew lukewarm or rather cold in the things of God. I had now a wife to provide for, and a family in prospect, and little or nothing of this world's goods. As I thought that it was the Lord's will for me to abide in and live by my labor at my civil calling, I became indifferent about preaching, and thought if the Lord had designed me for the ministry, he would have made it appear before that time; besides, I thought that if I attempted to attend to preaching, I should be neglecting my