duty-faith men dare not admit the new cove- | nant in its own order into their system; it would spoil the flesh-pleasing, eloquent, Pelagian, part of their oratory. But, my good Theophilus, be not thou like unto them.

Again: "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

ble, that it is, therefore, their duty to be in possession of what God alone can bestow? But does the Apostle allude to the infidel at all? Does he not allude to professors who pervert the truth, and so in reality deny the true record, or witness, or testimony (for any one of these words will answer to the original), which God hath given of his Son? And this is the record, or testimony, that God HATH GIVEN, not offered, but hath given to us eternal life, and this life is where it can never be lost, it is in his Son. Now he (as all freewillers do) that denieth the certainty of this life, maketh God a liar.

The wrath of God abideth on him! of course it does; it came upon all men by their fall in Adam, and he who is not born of God is still under that wrath. None can savingly believe but those ordained to eternal life; is it, or was it, their duty to make their Creator before the foundation of the world ordain Thus, my good Theophilus, you will underthem to eternal life? The lost have no vital stand the Scriptures much better without the relationship to the new covenant, and, there- doctrine of duty-faith than with it, as it is fore, it is neither their duty nor their privi- clear to you that if it be the duty of all men lege savingly to believe. Again; "If I say the savingly to believe in Christ, then the new truth, why do ye not believe me?" Well, my covenant loses its force and meaning. A tesgood Theophilus, we have a very plain answer tament is of force after men are dead, otherto this question-here it is, John x. 26: "Ye wise it is of no force at all while the testator believe not, because ye are not of my sheep," liveth; but Jesus is risen to carry out every but men infer that it was their duty savingly item of that testament which his death for to believe that is what men infer, but the ever confirmed. And you know this is all Saviour does not say so; his explanation is, our salvation and all our desire. But how ye believe not, because ye are not of my shall those professors escape who neglect this sheep." I am sure you, my good Theophilus, great salvation? A poor sensible sinner will will prefer the wheat to the chaff, the duty- never fatally neglect this salvation. His lanfaith doctrine is the chaff, the Saviour's ex-guage is, I am poor and sorrowful. Let thy planation is the wheat; and what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord.

'If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins;" but they believe not, because they were not of his sheep: nor does the Saviour tell them that they could believe, or that it was their duty to savingly believe.

"And when he is come, he will reprove (convince) the world of sin; of sin, because they believe not on me." Does this mean the sin of unbelief merely? no, certainly not. Take the words in their proper connection, you then get the sense of sin, because they believe not in me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. Now, then, no one can rightly, savingly believe in Christ unless he be convinced of his state as a sinner before God; and as no one does by nature, or can believe savingly in Christ, therefore, in order that they may believe in Him, the Holy Spirit convinces them of sin; of sin, because without this conviction they do not believe in me, and then being convinced of sin, they then become convinced of the perfection of the righteousness of Christ; of righteousness, because I go to my Father; and then they go on to be convinced of the final negative put upon the Prince of Darkness; but what has this beautiful order of the Holy Spirit's work to do with the soul-deceiving doctrine of dutyfaith?-Again: "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son."

The Scriptures bring home to every reasonable man's bosom a conviction of their truth; and it is the duty of every man to act according to the light thus brought to him; but if some be given up to a reprobate mind, and so deny the truth of the Scriptures, does it follow that, because they close their eyes to those convictions of which they are capa

salvation, O God, set me up on high!

And you know also that the Apostles were unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are lost, because they have told the truth concerning them; and in them that are saved, because they have told the truth concerning them also; and the truth they have told concerning each is, that the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded; that the Lord had mercy on whom he would, and whom he would he hardened; that all by nature were alike; that it was grace that made men to differ. Thus were the Apostles unto God a sweet savour of Christ by telling out that truth which wins the election of grace to Christ, and conquers and confounds the others, and puts it out of their power to overthrow the truth or the counsel of God. His enemies shall be clothed with shame ; but upon Himself shall his crown flourish.

"I gave her space to repent.' This is the repentance of reformation which was her duty; but giving space to repent is one thing, to give repentance itself is another-quite another thing.

"How much sorer punishment!" Yes, certainly, apostate, malicious, persecuting professors, no doubt, treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath. It was their duty to abstain from that wilful conduct which they knew to be wrong.

A LITTLE ONE.

Theophilus will perceive that I have here run through those Scriptures quoted in a piece on page 194 of last month's " VESSEL." The writer of that piece signs himself, "Let's have all the truth.' As I cannot, in my letters to you, take any more notice of him, I hope some one signing himself "Let's have nothing but the Truth" will teach him the way of God more perfectly.

OUR BRITISH BAPTIST CHURCHES.

THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST, that all them whose spirit God had raised

AND

THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.

THE THIRD OF A SERIES OF LETTERS AD

DRESSED ΤΟ THE THIRD SON OF AN
ANXIOUS ISRAELITE, NOW RESIDING AT
BRIDGE, IN KENT.

went to the work. I wish to feel, and I hope some of my dear people feel, a warm.desire to see such beautiful words as those in Isaiah lxii. 4 fulfilled: "Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah (My delight is in her), and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married." Love to Christ in the hearts of his dear peo

THE RESTORATION OF ZION CONSIDERED:ple will indeed constrain them to labour for SEVEN PRINCIPAL THINGS ESSENTIAL Him. When we get more of this it will be well. The saints of God can sing very earnestly sometimes

THERETO.

Saturday Evening, July 26.

"Come Holy Spirit, heavenly dove,

With all thy quickening powers; Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love, And that shall kindle ours."

MY DEAR BROTHER ROBERT,-After working as hard as brains and bodily strength would admit through another week, I am now leaving Euston Square in an express train, hoping to reach Woodford, in Northamptonshire, this evening, where Sunday- Secondly. Prayer to God for his presence School Anniversary Sermons are to-morrow and blessing to restore the Church to usefulto be preached. This Northamptonshire jour-ness and honour, is essential. When the Lord ney has been a long time in contemplation. The friends there have had a deal of trouble, and I have been sorely opposed in going; but I must be there, if the good hand of God will hold me in safety. I hope there is a something to be done that none on earth beside can do, and that thereby the Lord will be glorified and the Church made to rejoice. This is the third consecutive Sabbath I have been from home. It is a trial to me and to some of my friends; but my work in the ministry in London has so long appeared declining, and the calls for me in the country have been so numerous and urgent, that I have very much left the former and cleaved to the latter, although fears, like floods, have threatened to drown my faith, and make a wreck of my feelings and all I possess. The Church in Unicorn Yard has long hung her harp on the willows. The cloud over my head has gathered thick, and that cloud has darkened my mind; the people could not see (in circumstances) where I was, so off they ran, lest in the darkness of the night they should lose their way. I could tell you of many things; but I hold back for the present, not being without a little hope that in some way, and at some time, the Lord may yet hift up my head and set my feet in a more even path.

As I left home this evening my heart was a little stirred within me with a desire to be the instrument, under God, of once more raising up the walls of our earthly Jerusalem; and while I thought on these things, a plan for effecting such a restoration appeared to fall into my mind. I will give you the outline, it may be useful to some.

First, then, there must be deep and holy desires in the hearts of the people toward such a restoration. The building of the altar, the making of the ark, and the rearing of the tabernacle, all were done by express command from heaven. When the second temple was to be built, it is said (in Ezra)

said to the people of old, "I will take away sickness from the midst of thee," it was in connection with their obedience to the voice of the angel which the Lord would send before them: "O hear his voice, said God, for my name is in him." Prayer is like that angel. True wrestling prayer is of the Lord's giving and working; it goes before our deliverances, it goes before our recoveries, it goes before our usefulness and happiness (if it is not always recognised in the experiences and exercises of the saints). I mean this: if a good man shall say to me, "I had mercies brought to me before I prayed for them—I had deliverances wrought for me before I called upon God for them,"-well, that may be; but still I will say, prayer went unto God before those mercies and deliverances came to you. In proof of this, hear what our Lord said to Peter, "Simon, Satan hath desired to have thee that he might sift thee like wheat; but I have-I have in the past tense-prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.' Oh, this is a mercy that our great High Priest ever liveth to make intercession for us. Still the principle holds good. If Zion is to be restored-if the Church is to prosper-if the ministry is to be successful, I will say, in the wholesome words of Joseph Hart, "the remedy is before thee-PRAY." When the Fall came in, with all its floods of sin, Satan thought he had cut off all intercourse with God, and that Adam's fallen family must for ever be driven to darkness and eternal death-the Black Sea of iniquity covered the land, and the waters of Jordan overflowed all the banks, so that no sinner could wade through, swim in, or climb over those awful floods; even Christ himself, when He came into the work of suretyship-when He came to stand in the sinner's stead-He cried out, "Save me, O God, for the waters are come into my soul!" Ah think! He not only had the water-floods of the Church's transgression beneath, but there were the vials of wrath poured out

13th. I believe that every true believer will earnestly desire, and constantly endeavour to maintain, a conduct and conversation becoming the Gospel, not working for salvation, but because he is saved.

12th. I believe that the work of regenera- | chapel, and they both went down into the water tion, conversion, sanctification and faith, is together; and Mr. Gooding baptized him in not an act of man's own will or power, but of the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. the mighty, efficacious, and irresistible grace After which he walked three miles to get to of God, and is the alone work of the Holy his home in his wet clothes, feeling that Spirit of God without any aid from man, in keeping God's commandments there is although man is sometimes used as an in- great reward. While this was going on there strument by the Lord in the conversion of was a female making preparations to do likeothers. wise, when several friends, actuated by that noble principle, viz. "Let everything be done decently, and in order," said, "You had better wait; propose yourself to the Church; then you will come prepared to change your wet things, for she had not previously thought of walking through the ordinance then, although her mind had been seriously exercised on the subject of Baptism. After duly considering the consistency of the advice, she thought it would be more proper to wait, propose her15th. I believe that there will be a resur- self to the Church, and follow her Lord in rection of the dead, both of the just and the due order, which she has done; and very unjust; that the just will rise to the resurrec-shortly we expect she, with some others, will tion of life, and the unjust to the resurrection of damnation.

14th. I believe that all those who are chosen by the Father and redeemed by the Son, shall be sanctified by the Spirit, and finally persevere, so that not one of them shall ever perish, but have everlasting life.

16th. I believe that baptism by immersion, is an ordinance of God's appointment, to be administered to all truly-regenerated persons not to regenerate them, but as a sign that the Holy Spirit has already done it.

be baptized. This, I am happy to say, is the way the Lord is blessing the ministry under our esteemed pastor. The house of God is filled morning and afternoon; and during the summer months he goes to the adjoining villages and preaches in the open air. These opportunities are wonderfully made a bless17th. I believe that it is the duty and privi-ing to the poor needy countrymen and wolege of all regenerated persons to be baptized, and after baptism to commemorate the death of Jesus, as often as convenient, by partaking of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper.

18th. I believe that we have no authority or precedent in the word of God for partaking of the ordinance of the Lord's Supper before baptism, and that none but baptized believers have a scriptural right to the privilege of church fellowship.

HALESWORTH.

23rd July, 1856. DEAR MR. EDITOR,-Will you be pleased to insert the following interesting circumstance which took place in the Baptist chapel, on the morning of July 6th ultimo.

men. To use their own language, "They love to hear a finished salvation and in through the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work of the Spirit insisted upon;" without this they cannot receive any comfort, only as He is pleased to take of the things of Christ, and to reveal them unto them, proving their adoption and interest.

There is one remark I wish to make respecting the good man, which may prove a blessing to some of your numerous readers that are placed in the like position as he was before he burst asunder the bars of sophistry, and yielded to the dictates of his own conscience and to the revealed will of God.

He has been a consistent member of the Independents for some time past; and feelMr. William Gooding had been baptizing a ing it to be a duty to go and acquaint his mifemale sister, and when he ascended the bap-nister of his feelings on Baptism, went, but tistry, a man who had been witnessing the alas! he came away more perplexed in solemn ceremony broke silence and said, mind. His spiritual adviser told him that Mr. Gooding, here is water, and what doth Baptism was only a form, and no good could hinder me from being baptized?" which was result from forms; but he felt it to be a comresponded to by Mr. Gooding: "If thou be- mand, and every time he perused the word of lievest, thou mayest." The good man then God on this point, the more deeply was he said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son concerned: from this motive he went to of God, and that He is the Saviour of poor hear and witness the ordinance; and so perFinners, which I can testify through his good-suaded was he of the duty, that it became ness and mercy in raising me from the depths of sin and woe, and has implanted grace in my heart, that where sin abounded grace does much more abound. This change took place about five years ago, during which time my mind has been deeply exercised on the ordinance of Baptism; and I am fully persuaded that it is God's instituted ordinance." Upon this public profession, Mr. Gooding said, "When would you like to be baptized?" said, "Now." Then he withdrew into the adjoining vestry, took off his coat, waistcoat, neckcloth, and shoes, came into the

He

imperative upon him to walk in the ways and
commandments of God blameless. That thou-
sands who are thus halting between two
opinions may go and do likewise, is the desire
and prayer of
Halesworth.

CHESHAM.

J. Poock.

Chesham, June 13. THIS town is snugly laid in one of the Buckinghamshire valleys. The worthy Baptist pastor, John Parsons, who laboured with me yesterday at Lee Common Anniversary,

salvation; for we are saved by grace. Not because we consider it meritorious, or ever merit anything through attending to it. Not that it cleanses persons from sin; for the blood of the covenant alone is sufficient to do this, and every believer is fully and freely forgiven all sins.

kindly took me for the night, and gave me MENDLESHAM GREEN CHAPEL. bed and board. He is one of the few country DEAR BROTHER BANKS,-I beg a corner pastors who for some years has stood, and in your "VESSEL." Four of the Lord's dear continues to stand, in usefulness and much children, three females and one male, after acceptance among his people. At Lee Com- they had stated the nature of the work of mon, yesterday, he gave us a rich discourse God in their souls before the Church of Jeon Stephen and his Martyrdom: "He, being sus assembling in the above-named_ place, full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into were, on the Lord's Day morning, July 7, heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus baptized upon a profession of their faith in standing on the right hand of God." A the Lord Jesus. The subject chosen on the powerful testimony in proof of a Divine reve- occasion was, "Why baptizest thou?" (John lation. Stephen saw the heavens opened-i. 25.) We do not believe it essential to Stephen saw the glory of God-Stephen saw the glorified Person of the dear Redeemer. Facts of this kind are exceedingly cheering to weary pilgrims whose hope is in the Lord alone. The Church at Lee Common dwells" Under the palm-tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in mount Ephraim; the children of Israel come up to her for judgment;" and she hath called one Joseph Cartwright to be her pastor-her spiritual Barak; but she plainly declares that if he runs from her council-chamber so much as he of late hath done, the journey shall not be for his honour. I was glad to learn that the Lord has raised up a young Epaphroditus from the midst of the Chesham church, whose occasional labours on the Common have made the children glad. At Berkhampstead, an adjoining town, a shut-up Wesleyan chapel has recently been re-opened by Mr. James Wells, of the Surrey Tabernacle, on behalf of a few friends in the Particular Baptist interest; but whether it will prosper remains to be found out in days yet to come. We hope to have a happy day at Berkhampstead on Tuesday, September 16, when the ordination of brother Moores is to take place, if the Lord will. C. W. B.

PRESTWOOD COMMON.

Prestwood Common, near High Wycombe, July 31, 1856. On this Common there is a small Baptist chapel. Two-and-twenty years since it was enlarged and re-opened by Mr. James Wells; and in it the Truth has been and is preached in simplicity and to some good effect. At the present time the pulpit is supplied by two aged men by the name of Wheeler. They

Therefore, my reasons for baptizing are as follows:

Because Christ commanded it. (Matt.xxviii. 19, 20; Mark xvi. 15, 16.) Because the Lord Jesus left us the example that we should walk in his steps. (Matt. iii. 13-17; Mark i. 9, 10; Luke iii. 21.) Because it is a part of heaven's counsel. (Luke vii. 29.) Because it was attended to in the Lord's presence and by his sanction. (John iii. 22, iv. 2.) Because believers formerly considered it a privilege to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts viii. 36-39, x. 46.) Because it answers to a good conscience toward God. (1 Pet. iii. 21.) Because glorifies God in obeying his positive command. (Rom. xix. 11.) It is a holy ordinance. (Jas. iv. 17.) It is a part of Christ's preceptive will. (Luke xvii. 4-7.) By attending to it we acknowledge Christ's kingly office and authority. (Rom. xiv. 22-25.) Therefore infants possess no right unto it, because it is only those that are capable to confess sin and forsake it that have any right to attend, hold(Rom. vi. 3, 4; Luke xii. 50.) ing fellowship with Jesus in his sufferings.

sembled together at the Lord's table to reIn the afternoon of the same day, we asceive into the Church those four baptized beters dismissed to us from a sister church. lievers in the Lord Jesus, with two other sisThe subject chosen to speak from at the time was, Whom he loved," John xix. 26. The are brethren in the flesh and in the Spirit, leading outlines were the love of God, it and labourers together in the same glorious God is of a constraining nature (1 Cor. v. 6). was everlasting. (Jer. iii. 13;) also the love of Gospel. On this day we had anniversary It is also a great love displayed in the gift of sermons, and collections for the good minis-Jesus-"God so loved the world" (John iii. ters. Mr. Parsons, of Chesham and the “EARTHEN VESSEL," preached. I know it was a good time with many.

IPSWICH.

On Lord's Day, August 3, seven persons were baptized at Bethesda Chapel, Ipswich, by Mr. T. Poock, on which occasion he preached from Psalm cxix. 72nd verse. The gracious Lord fulfilled his sweet promise, his name was poured forth, and the candidates found that in keeping of his commandments there is great reward. May the Lord bring away his dear children from human creeds, to the same obedience of faith and joy of love. ZUAR.

16). It is inconceivable; for the Apostle prays that the Church of Christ may know the love of God in power and sweetness. (Eph. iii. 19.) It is also immutable: "Whom Jesus loves, He loves to the end." (John xiii. 1.) Amidst all our changes and sorrows, He appears to relieve, comfort, and bless us at such times as these, when our souls are melted down-when contemplating his personal agonies and sorrow in the garden and upon the cross. Here is friendship without a flaw, love without dissimulation.

Throughout the day the attendance was good; the chapel and the vestry was filled to overflowing, and a great number of persons standing outside, listening with great atten