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William Harris having recently been down to Manchester, to supply for one month, in the late Mr. Gadsby's Chapel, preached on his return, at Brown's Lane and Crosby Row Chapel, in London; and where, we may add, his labours were peculiarly blessed to many souls. From these circumstances we have been constrained to refer to his work again; and to state that he has left some copies of it at our office, from whence any friend can be supplied. Reserving for another number the interesting account he has given of his Call to the Ministry, we, for the present, only make the following extract:

I am

even some good people, could not see into
this trial, but concluded I was insane. After
about twelve months had passed over, this
assailed again by my old foe in another
temptation became weaker, but I was
quarter, for he tempted me to blaspheme
Christ, and held him forth as the great im-
Kerchief to my mouth lest the words should
postor. Often have I walked with my hand-
break out openly from my lips.
part of the distress and anguish which I felt
totally unable to mention one hundredth
at that time; I can only say, that no trial
ever shook my faith like unto this, and I
this sieve again, but that I may at all times
pray that the Lord will never put me into
be obedient to his will, and preach that gos-
pel which he hath committed into my hands,
whether men will hear, or whether they will

forbear.

THE

'Cheer

But happy, happy morning was that, when the Lord broke in again upon my soul, and spake these words to me: Oh! would up, thy sins are all forgiven.' you believe it, it caused rejoicing in all my house. "One night the enemy was let in upon me confidence, and my faith very weak, I could Though I had sunk so low in my like a flood, (and not without cause), but such were his fiery darts, for two hours, as I membered the wormwood and the gall,' and not wholly cast my confidence away, 'I reshall never be able to describe, sometimes could say, that the Lord had made known against God, sometimes against Christ, and to me the forgiveness of my sin, nor did I sometimes against the Holy Ghost. And I may say, for two years and a half, I never ever come under that wrath, and guilt of sin, was wholly free from these temptations, and the law. I have often thought since, that nor into that despair again, as I did under I often thought that the reason was that I the Lord brought me into these severe trials, was too reluctant to engage in the ministry; that I might be enabled, through his teachbut I kept it concealed from every one. In a few weeks after this, the enemy finding from the word, why he deals so sharply with ing, to reach the lowest case, and to shew that he could get no ground here, began to alter his mode of attack, and surely such for the Lord does not willingly afflict nor some of his people. Truly 'there is a cause,' were his fiend-like suggestions, as drove me well nigh to destruction, for he tempted me grieve the children of men." to lay violent hands on a part of my family whom I wished to love with all tenderness, and so incessant was he in this temptation, that I think I may say a hundred times a day, for days together, did he keep hurling into my soul the horrid suggestion, do it! do it! in consequence of which, I could not work by day, nor sleep by night. I wandered about from place to place seeking rest for my poor, tried and tempted soul. I went to Brighton to try if the gaiety of that place would produce any good effect, but no rest could I find there; back again I came, and went to Hastings; but ah! my unwearied foe followed me, go where I would. I was uneasy out, and the same at home. And in addition to all this, my enemy kept referring me to that passage in Holy Writ: But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.' Isa. Îvii. 20, 21. Implying that I was that person, and that I had sinned against the Holy Ghost. Most people with whom I was in the habit of conversing, and

Importance of Choosing a Minister,

BY MR. JAMES WELLS.

THE following most wholesome advice to
christian churches upon the important mat-
ter of choosing a minister, is extracted from
a public meeting, held in Unicorn Yard
a speech, delivered by Mr. James Wells, at
Chapel, Tooley Street, February 2, 1847—
a full report of which meeting has recently
been published.* As we have, in previous
painful circumstances connected with the
numbers, inserted letters respecting the
late pastor of the church, at Unicorn Yard,
object of this meeting was
we need not say more than that the professed
of commemorating the Triumph of Truth.'
"for the purpose

Before we make the proposed quotation, dressed by Mr. Wyard, Mr. Felton, Mr. we would notice that the meeting was adLeader, Mr. Samuel Milner, Mr. Bonner, and Mr. Thomas Stringer.

Published by Mr. Jeffreys, 84, Cannon-street, City.

Mr. Wells entered more fully into a re- | I never knew such a minister to be of much futation of the errors that had been advanced. use to sinner or to saint. You want a But we only quote the closing part of his minister who can, from time to time, shew speech, which was as follows:up and follow out with savour and effects, the experience, the practice, sentiments, and prospects of those who are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. An enlarged quotation of scripture is good, but only when made with effect.

"More, much more may be said in proof of the wickedness of this doctrine of annihilation, but I ought to apologize for having already occupied so much of your time. When I first heard of the doctrine being among you, I felt more disposed to think than to talk about it; and it seems my comparative silence has, by some, been construed into consent, it having been reported among you that Mr. Wells was favourable to the doctrine. Will you say so now? (No-no! You have redeemed your character!) Well, I am glad of it.

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'Thirdly: you do not want a minister, who though he enter very well into both sides, as we say, of christian experience; yet, there is in his preaching, neither newness nor savour, and when you have heard him a few weeks, or a few months, you have heard him always, and his ministry becomes more like a stagnant pool than a flowing brook. There "I did wish to say a word to you as a is no refreshing, and if he should get a new church, relative to your present position; thought once in a few months, even this is especially, upon the important matter of most likely borrowed. Under such a choosing a minister. I will not suppose ministry as this, if at the end of seven years, there is any danger of your choosing an open one ask another, how matters are going on: and avowed freewiller, or Socinian, or Sabel- aye, going on, indeed, is the reply; I see lian, any glaringly erroneous ungodly man: no going on, there is plenty of standing still yet, there are five different kinds of ministers-a mere dead round of the old words and who may come to you under the colour of thoughts-as it was in the beginning, is now, truth, and prove nothing but a burden and a and I am afraid, ever will be.' Mind then, pest to you. that you do not choose a post instead of a living tree, or, stagnant water instead of a flowing brook.

"You want then, firstly: not the man whose preaching consists in almost nothing else but a repulsive, not to say indecorous detail of all the worst tendencies and filthiest passions of human nature, and these details interspersed with domestic anecdotes, carnal squabbles, and old wives' fables: so that the inan who knows anything beyond that which is beastly or demoniacal, is in the eyes of these funny tale preachers, a dead letter man. To hear these men talk, you would think them to be the most humble men in the world, and yet a little close dealing with them will prove them to have, in reality, much more gall than grace; and instead of the law of kindness being under their tongue, you will be much more likely to find the poison of asps. This I have proved.

"You do not want a minister who thus comes to you, with nothing but a collection of the blemishes and frailties of good men, without their grace and wisdom to counteract the fleshly tendency of such abominations; no, you want a minister who can enter into all the exercises and trials of a soul convinced of sin and taught of God; one, who lives in the personal exercises of these things, so that he knows what it is to weep with those that weep.

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Fourthly: : You do not want a minister to come with the wisdom of words-one who is a would-be orator, and labours to preach sympathetically, and to be very rhetorically, very sublime; and, while professing to exalt Christ, is all the time, seeking to gratify his own ignorant pride; and the more the people cry, the more this tragical deceiver is pleased; while, at the same time, the consciences, the understandings, and real state of the people before God remain untouched. Be content with nothing but the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

"Fifthly: You do not want a minister who makes one end of his sermon contradict the other end of his sermon. One, who seems not to know how the promise and precept harmonize-who knows not how to contend for the precept on gospel grounds, but sets the Holy Spirit's power aside, and exalts the creature into a mighty being, whose duty it is to help himself to that which God alone can give. Such a ministry is divided against itself; and, if you are a people (as I believe you are) taught to take good heed how you hear, you will see this to be a matter of great importance.

"Secondly you do not want a minister "I am aware of the diversities of gifts bewhose preaching consists of little but a dis- stowed upon men, but the Holy Spirit is play of memory-his sermon made up of always consistent with himself; nor do I little else but quotations of scriptures; and judge a man so much, by whether he has few that, without the path of life being clearly or many, but by the simple and homely rule marked out, or any mystery of the kingdom-whether he be useful, according to the being opened up. There is a want of the sphere in which he is placed. nether springs, and no taking forth, clearly, and searchingly, the precious from the vile.

"You may, perhaps, form thus, some judgment of the sort of minister you want."

Christian Reviewer.

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"The Brand plucked out of the fire: being a brief outline of the Life and Experience of John Turner, of Brighton, and of the Lord's gracious dealings with him before and after conversion; and of his Call to the Ministry. JOHN TURNER's path has been a chequered one: but we hope, from the testimony he has given, that it is the right path which leadeth to a city of habitation.' We think he has been too brief in stating both his coming under the law, and his liberty by the gospel. When a good man publishes his experience, he should remember there are two classes of persons who will very closely examine it. The first is, the poor broken-hearted, sin and self-condemned sinner: he will read with much eagerness, to find out, if possible whether there is any thing in his soul like that which is recorded; and, he therefore, requires every step to be clearly and plainly pointed out. The second is the old established veteran in the school of Christ. See with what jealous eyes he takes up the published life of a young man! "Who is this John Turner?' says he. And what does he know savingly of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he come by his religion? And what is his motive for sending out this book?'

Well; he puts on his spectacles; and to work he goes; examining, and weighing up this testimony. Now, then, if such solemn things as being brought in guilty before a holy God; and afterwards being pardoned and set at liberty, be only briefly glanced at, the work may do mischief in three ways. First, it may tend to confuse the poor seeking soul: he will say 'I cannot trace out the steps which this man's soul has travelled.' Secondly, it may prejudice the minds of some against the author: and lastly, it may tend to prop up some professors who have neither been killed nor made alive. In John Turner's narrative there are many striking and positive features of the work of God in his soul: but we should have advised him more fully to have worked them out. Perhaps he will do this in a second edition.

We here make such extracts from the work, as appear to us to be genuine spots of belonging to that chosen generation for whom the dear Redeemer shed his, precious blood.

After a brief recital of his mean originhis early deep convictions of sin, and his subsequent profession of religion, he makes the following statements:

"I had not yet been killed to the law, but found a cleaving to it, and a supposition still remained that I could bring something in my hand. But he who is too wise to err, knew how to bring me into a widowed state

and to strip me of all my fancied goodness, and taught me to say,

'Nothing in my hands I bring,
Simply to thy cross I cling.
Black, I to the fountain fly,
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.'

"I went on for some time after this, entreating that Christ would give me an assurance that my sins, though many and Now and then great, were all forgiven me. doubts and fears would lay hold of me resa little confidence would spring up, and then pecting the way in which I worshipped God. So little was my knowledge that

I to the Father first did pray,

Then to the Son my prayers would say,
Then to the Holy Ghost,
The triune God I did not know,
But felt condemned for doing so,

My faith was small at most.
So much perplexed was I in mind,
The way to God I could not find,

To pour out my complaint. "I used to address each person in the Trinity with the same words separately, thinking that I should displease the Father if I paid more respect to the Son than to him. In fact, these thoughts pervaded my mind respecting each person in the Trinity; thinking that God was affected by passions like unto men. And it was a long time before I was brought to see that the glory of Jehovah in his trinity of persons shines in the face of Jesus Christ; and that Father, Word, and Spirit, the Three-one God, is worshipped through the glorious medium of access, Christ Jesus, the God-man Mediator."

"Sometime after, I was removed to Northampton; here we wandered about from place to place, but could find nothing like sound truth till we were directed to a little chapel where George Arnsby preached. As soon as I heard him, I felt a union to him, and went and shook hands with him as soon as he descended the pulpit. This union I still do feel, and believe I ever shall, while in this time state. Whilst I remained in this town, which was only a few months, I endured such darkness and barrenness of soul, that I shall not easily forget; and being tried in providence, I was full of murmuring and complaining. Prayer became a real task, the Bible a dry uninteresting confused mass of words, and as for the means of grace I would rather have gone almost anywhere than to the house of God. I was now sunk into a miserable, desponding, dejected state of mind. Amidst it all, the Lord directed my steps to Brighton where I have remained up to the present time The despondency which I felt at N., not only came with me, but I really thought it increased tenfold.

For fresh discoveries now I saw
Of Sinai's burning fiery law,

My heart felt more, obscene.
Such depths at length appeared to view,
Of sin and foul corruption too,
Ere this I had not secu.

"I appeared to myself like a walking mass of corruption and abominations; and having to pursue my course through this black and stormy sea, where neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and months too, I staggered to and fro like a drunken

man.

"I thought all professors pointed at me and detested me, and as for the world I knew I could not mix with them, and I often thought, surely no one could be like me, and that I was the vilest wretch out of hell; for the law was now being opened up to me as to its requirements, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,' and then these words would follow me, 'I will by no means clear the guilty,' and my wounds stinking, and fresh ones breaking out, I was often tempted to lay violent hands upon my self; for,

I found in heart I cursed and swore,
And oft I fear'd the world would hear
Me bring it forth in words.
"After having been weighed in the bal-
lances of God's holy law, and finding that I
was wanting in every respect, and that I
could not move hand or foot to help myself,
and that all my tears, cries, and groans,
availed nothing as respects justification or
acceptance with God,

I then was brought my Lord to see,
Groaning from wrath to set me free,
And sweating in Gethsemane,

Great drops of precious blood.
"Salvation now became truly a personal
thing with me, and being thus brought to
see the curse of the law due to me laid upon
Christ, I was enabled to say,

Though painful, yet these thoughts were sweet
To wash my precious Jesu's feet

By faith, and wipe them too,

Thus was I brought to Christ so near;
And oh the sweet repentant tear,
Which love did not withhold,
Ere this I did but little know,
Of Jesu's agonizing woe.
So deep before I ne'er did go ;
Or was I ever brought so low,
To feel that I so much did owe
To him who bore for me that blow,

Which must have crushed my soul.
"That the Lord intended me for the
work of the ministry appeared now clearer
than ever it did. Truth was now opened up
to my mind with that fulness, freshness,
and blessedness that was unusual to me.
Christ also became growingly precious to
ine, and I often thought I could give up
every thing and go forth to tell of the
beauties, the wonders and glories, I beheld
in my dear Lord. But then I had to find
out that' every man's work shall be tried
of what sort it is.' Sometimes I had such
dread of the work of the ministry, that I
thought I would rather be anything than
a minister of the gospel. The responsi-
bility, the trials attending the same, and the
constant exercises of mind which appeared
to me forced out many times, Lord, send by
whom thou wilt send, but not by me.'

"I many times called myself a presumptuous fool for entertaining such thoughts; and formed resolutions over and over again to entertain such thoughts on such a solemn matter no longer. And I believe I can truly say, that the exercises of mind respecting the ministry exceeded by far those heavy exercises I had respecting my own salvation. I wrestled, I cried, I groaned thousands of times before the Lord in secret respecting it. And all that I appeared to get was the How great the weight he must have borne, impression that it was to be so, with these

The sins he bore were not his own,
But sins of mine with shame I own,
Did pierce the spotless Lamb;

His guiltless soul was racked and torn;
He suffered scoffs, and jeers and scorn,
And then was left alone forlorn,

Forsaken by his God.'

"I was sweetly led into fellowship with Christ in his sufferings, to which I had been comparatively, a stranger before. And I felt what Hart says, pride cannot enter here.' No! that genuine humility which covers and absorbs the soul while favoured to know what is the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, brings that divine softness, which I believe never is entirely forgotten and never can be feigned; and I could truly and feelingly say,

The sun its wonted light withdrew,
Such sufferings ne'er appeared to view,
As were by Jesus borne.

The soldier pierced his side,

But oh my sins his spirit tried,

While on the ground he laid and cried

Father, thy will be done.'

And while these thoughts my soul did view,

I felt the Holy Spirit's dew,

And sweet humility,

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words, (Hab. ii. 3.) For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.' Well, this seemed but poor consolation very often; and the number of fears, doubts, and hard trials it brought, no one knows, but he who has been led in a similar way."

culiar trials respecting the ministry, but After this John Turner relates some peconcludes by assuring us that many doors have been opened for him, many seals have been given to him, and much consolation enjoyed by him in the ministration of the everlasting gospel. That the Lord may encourage and honour him, is our fervent

prayer.

The little work is published by James Paul, at sixpence.

[Other works for review in our next.]

SOME ACCOUNT OF

THE BLESSED LIFE AND HAPPY DEATH OF Mr. HENRY HEAD,

Late of Peterborough: to which is added, the substance of

HIS FUNERAL SERMON,

PREACHED BY MR. JOHN CARTER, BAPTIST MINISTER, OF PETERBOROUGH.

DEAR BROTHER BANKS-In attempting to give some account of the blessed life and happy death of Mr. Henry Head, late of this city, and evidently a Citizen of Zion, I feel happy to be enabled to give a proof that the great, glorious, and distinguishing doctrines of grace firmly held, and experimentally believed, and enjoyed, do not, (as the professing world affirm) either lead to, or encourage a loose, licentious way of living; nor yet to a careless unconcern either in prayer or practice.

The following account is taken from a local paper; which will shew the universal esteem in which the deceased was held in the neighbourhood:

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continued to worship there for four years; till, in the course of providence, he was removed to Peterborough in 1820. But during his stay in London he frequently heard that man of God, the late Mr. Wilkinson, who was the means, under God, of breaking his bonds and bringing him into the liberty of the gospel-first, from legal bondage; and again, after satan had been permitted to environ him around with that alarming chain of temptation that he had committed the unpardonable sin, Mr. W. was led to speak of that very subject when he was thus harassed. Mr. W. said he believed that the devil never tempted any in a particular manner about that sin but those who could not commit it, namely, the real children of God; and this gave so much ease of conscience and release to his burdened soul, that he felt compelled to go into the vestry to tell that man of God: who replied-Give God the glory; give God the glory!' I must pass over some years wherein the Lord frequently manifested his sovereignty, both in providence and grace: and during which that passage was often sweetly verified (Deut. xxxiii. 3.) ' Yea he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand; and they sat down at thy feet, every one shall receive of thy words.' pleased the Lord to bless his word, lately spoken by such an unworthy instrument, but applied by the Holy Ghost, at our little hill of Zion, more than in any previous year out of twenty-two, which I have been permitted to speak at Peterborough; and the word was so forcibly and experimentally applied the last six months to the soul of our dear brother that he had a continual feast-as well as many others, both old and young : that it was remarked the Lord is ripening It appears that he was convinced of some for glory. But little did we think sin, and called by grace at the age of six-it was our deacon, Henry Head. When teen, under the ministry of Mr. Parrot, at the Tabernacle, London; and that he VOL. III.-PART XXVIII.-May.

"Died at Peterborough, on the 26th ult., Mr. Henry Head, draper, of the firm of Head and Co,, aged 45. The universal respect in which the deceased was held by all classes in Peterborough and the neighbourhood was never exceeded; as a tradesman, husband, father, master, and sincere friend, he was the very character that each of these should be; and never was, or could be, manifested a more general regret than his death has occasioned. He was for many years, deacon of the dissenting church united for worship at Zion Chapel, under the ministry of Mr. Carter, and although he was what is called a hyper: yet he was no antinomian; for by the grace of God he lived and acted the gospel which he for so many years professed, loved and died in the faith of it."

Some of the particulars of the life and death of our late friend was mentioned in a funeral sermon preached by his pastor on Easter Sunday Evening, and it being much requested that it should be printed, I shall here give a brief statement of the same.

It has

leaving the chapel, weeping for joy, he would relate how he had heard and felt,

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