the devout exclamation, "What is your life? It is even as a vapour which appeareth for a little while and then vanisheth away." Oh, how much have we all to do in a short period! and what need to imitate His example, who said, "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day, for the night cometh wherein no man can work." The parentage of Mr. Douglas, it is believed, was obscure, yet from the religious character of the family generally, the habits of his life tended to promote and to advance his intellectual and moral improvement. His father dying while he was young, he was transferred to the care of his grandfather, an excellent man, by whom he was treated with great tenderness, and for whom he entertained till his death a truly filial affection. Mr. Douglas's grandfather belonged to that class of presbyterians called "covenanters," whose extreme sufferings and heroic patience and courage, in resisting the attempts of the Stuarts to restore prelacy have often been emulated but never excelled. Their wish to obtain a covenanted king, together with their use of carnal weapons, though in support of the noblest of causes, may not, indeed, be in accordance with the spirituality of Christ's kingdom, yet must they ever command the admiration of all lovers of genuine integrity and conscientiousness; nor is it an unwarrantable stretch of the imagination to picture to ourselves the youthful Douglas listening with delight to the well known facts of the history of this very remarkable people as dropping from the lips of his grandsire, one so warmly attached to the same great cause. But whether this was so or not, young Douglas's settlement in the family of his grandfather produced an effect of a somewhat remarkable kind, as bearing on the best interests of one destined to be an expositor of the word of God. The extra meetings of the brethren to which he was kindly conducted, were sometimes protracted to an undue length, as some boys would think; but young David, instead of exhibiting either a restless impatience on the one hand, or a stolid vacuity on the other, opening his bible read with deep interest on such occasions the prophetic and historic narratives of bygone days; and thus, little suspected perhaps, he was gradually acquiring a knowledge of those very same scriptures which Paul told Timothy were "able to make him wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." In after life he often referred to this singular and, after all, exceptionable method of employing even a fraction of the hours of public worship, yet it certainly gave so much facility in adverting to and quoting texts of scripture, as constituted him a kind of "walking concordance" of ready application and beneficial use. Another spiritual privilege may here be mentioned as probably about this time falling to the lot of this youthful student of the word of God, the writer refers to those excellent institutions designated sabbath evening schools, originally conducted by parochial officials, but subsequently taken up gratuitously by those who loved and desired to improve the rising generation. Amongst such persons was one, since celebrated as a missionary traveller in Africa, a writer of useful little books and a lover of all good men, we mean the Rev. John Campbell late of Kingsland, who in his early days was better known as John Campbell, or in sabbath scholars' parlance as (( wee Johnny Cambbell." This gentleman kindly allowing the boy Douglas to mingle with his pupils, was doubtless the instrument of conveying to his mind much important good. But whatever the advantages, either of a domestic or scholastic nature, the youth enjoyed, they did not 66 part remain unto this present, though some, like Mr. Douglas, have fallen asleep) have given themselves to the Lord and to his people, and are, it is believed, patiently labouring in different parts of the kingdom of the Redeemer. In pursuance of the design last adverted to, Mr. Douglas was sent in Sep make him a Christian. No. He was by nature a child of wrath even as others," and he grew up like hundreds of his kind, estranged from God and things divine; nay worse, he was even sceptical as to the most important truths, and had not the grace of God interposed he might have had "his portion with hypocrites and unbeliev-tember, 1816, to the Northern Education ers." But the time to favour him, yea, the set time, now approached, and under the able and evangelical labours of Mr. C. Anderson, pastor of the church in Richmond Court, whose people he afterwards joined, he was led to the exercise of those principles of repentance towards God, faith in the Lord | Jesus, and grateful obedience to his will, which comprise the essence of all experimental and practical religion. At the crisis referred to, or not far from it, another crisis took place in the religious affairs of Scotland. Men of wealth left the Establishment and began themselves to preach the gospel. Clergymen broke off from their charges, regardless of the frowns and storming of the moderate party; and, what was best of all, God was with them, giving abundant testimony to the word of his grace. Oh! how must the heart of the youthful member of Richmond Court have glowed at such doings as these! and how well was he prepared when the question came home to himself Whom shall we send, and who will go for us to reply with energy, "Here am I, send me.” This wish, known to have been then indulged, was not long in being gratified. The church under Mr. Anderson's care, was constructed on the two-fold principle of not only receiving but diffusing the gospel, so that whoever was himself possessed of a knowledge of divine truth was expected in some manner to make it known to those about him. Hence about fifteen or sixteen young men (of whom the greater Society's Academy at Bradford, then under the able superintendence of Dr. Steadman, subsequently aided by Mr. J. E. Ryland and others; and it was here and in October, 1816, that the acquaintance of the writer with this his beloved friend commenced, and has been continued without interruption for nearly forty years, during which long season correspondence almost weekly was conducted, and persevered in even to the very last. Introduced himself to this seat of learning by the church of which he was a member, and keenly feeling the pangs of a recent separation from Christian brethren, the individual alluded to sought and readily found in Mr. Douglas the solace of sympathy and the appropriateness of Christian advice, nor was he long in discovering that the heart of his new acquaintance laboured under the impression of having taken a wrong step in entering the ministry of the gospel, and that he could only regard himself as an intruder into the fold. Under these painful impressions he shrunk from public appearance, preached with anything but comfort, and in the anguish of his spirit once told the writer he feared his days would be ended in the cell of the lunatic. All this ultimately vanished, and was probably the effect of some unseen physical cause or causes; but it should teach young ministers not to think it strange when the fiery trial comes upon them, as though some strange thing had happened to them, but along with the use of means of a simple and natural kind Entered upon his studies at Bradford, Mr. Douglas's application was diligent and his progress consequently respectable. In ecclesiastical history and general information he greatly excelled. His mind was a storehouse of knowledge, contributing of its contents to the youthful and the humble, nor has the writer any reason to think that in sacred learning he was at all deficient. In classics he passed, it is believed, with credit the usual examinations, whilst in theology his profiting appeared to all. As a companion in college his manners were affable, his conversation improving, and his spirit devout. None could lay aught to his charge of a churlish nature, or say unto him with a sense even of intended insult, What doest thou? Thus amongst his brethren he lived in peace, and thus at the expiration of his residence he bade them farewell. The term of study at Bradford is four years, and at the close of this period Mr. Douglas became a supply at a small village near Bishop Auckland, called Hamsterley, about seven miles from the former town, and more than twice that distance from the cathedral city of Durham. Here, however, he stayed but a short period, deeming it rather his first duty to offer his services for Scotland, and under the encouraging smile of Mr. Anderson and other friends, planted his standard and unfurled his banner at Falkirk, a town well known as at that time but little imbued with evangelical or even voluntary Christianity. Finding his labours at Falkirk unsuccessful, he turned his face once more to England, and in the month of July, 1822, was ordained at Hamsterley. Oh, how wonderful are the ways of God, especially in the diffusion of his gospel! Let us never forget the precept, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct thy paths." Arrived again at Hamsterley, Mr. Douglas commenced his labours with zeal, perseverance, and prayer, nor was he without some measure of success. The chapel was well attended. His ordination was conducted under the eye of his tutor Dr. Steadman and his pastor Mr. Anderson, was interesting, and was succeeded by the customary tokens of the blessing of God and the smile of man. But many years had not elapsed ere the sky began to lower and the clouds betokened a storm. Independently of local difficulties, changes which Mr. Douglas could neither foresee nor prevent, exhibited an aspect of a most discouraging kind. Hamsterley, once a gathering place of the tribes of the Lord's people, became like a cottage in a vineyard. Population, forsaking the higher grounds, sought and obtained employment in the vallies. The simple pursuits of agriculture yielded to those of mining and of iron working. Family after family either removed to some "well watered plain," or emigrated to some foreign land; and though now and then, particularly in certain years, symptoms of revival appeared, the cause exhibited a retrograde appearance. All this coming gradually on the pastor, and coming on one who yielded not suddenly to discouragement, he almost failed to perceive. Steadily and firmly he went on with his work, and though not without his enemies, obtained a good report of those that are without. At length his powers seemed to give way. A sudden seizure in the pulpit shook his whole frame and enfeebled his energies; and though from that shock he partially recovered, it left him not entirely till it prostrated him in the dust of death. The attack of illness we have referred to operated most un favourably on the congregation, and at length compelled the pastor, though with a reluctance easily accounted for, to consent to give up the pastoral office, and it was whilst arrangements to secure his support were being made, that he was suddenly called to respond to the call of death. For this call he was far from being unprepared, though in the shape in which it came, viz., that of a fit of apoplexy, it unfitted him for a cheerful response. Yet his witness is in heaven, his record on high. He had long laboured for Christ, and to him his Master has said, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." He was taken ill on the 3rd of July, and next morning expired in the arms of one of the deacons. On the 5th he was interred in the chapel yard, and on the 15th his funeral sermon was delivered to a crowded auditory by Mr. Lewis of Wolsingham, founded on Rev. i. 18, "I am he that liveth and was dead; and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death." Mr. Douglas occasionally employed his pen as a writer, though he made no pretensions to tread far from the beaten paths. Beside two or three "Association Letters" on plain practical subjects, there were two themes deemed by him deserving of more particular noticethe first of these relates to the office of the "Christian Evangelist," which, contrary to generally received opinions he considered to have been perpetual; the second to certain annals or notices developing the "History of the Baptist Churches in the North of England." On each of these topics Mr. Douglas produced a respectable volume. ADDRESS DELIVERED BY THE HON. AND REV. B. W. NOEL, M.A., AT HIS BAPTISM, AUGUST 9, 1849. Having been asked, my brethren, to address you on this occasion, I gladly avail myself of the opportunity of speaking a few words on this particular point-why a person who is unbaptized should be baptized, after having made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ in other ways, and perhaps for many years? I have not come to the resolution to obey what I believe to be Christ's command, without having fully considered the grounds upon which that step is to be taken; without having read anything whatever in favour of the exclusive right of believers to Christian baptism. I have read all the strongest arguments that I could meet with upon the other side I believe I have weighed well every considerable argument that has ever been adduced in the maintenance of infant baptism, as an addition to, and which evidently becomes a substitution for, the baptism of believers in Christian churches; and I have come distinctly to two conclusions, which appear to me, at least, to be certain. I will not speak of the convictions of others, but I speak of the conviction of my own mind, after very much examination. It appears to me to be distinctly proved, first, that baptism, as ordained by Christ, is an immersion in water, a being buried in the water; and, secondly, that the immersion is meant to be a profession of faith in Christ. If those two conclusions are correct, and I believe they will completely prevail with the Chri tian world eventually, then it foll that a person who, like myself, has only not only those which are called baptist churches, but all the churches, who refuse to admit to the Lord's supper, or into church membership, any whom they consider to be unbaptized. If a man- for instance, one of the Society of Friends has been a consistent Christian for years, has followed the Lord diligently and zealously, has done good by his pen and by his preaching, and is welcomed by all persons who rejoice in seeing the work of the Spirit as a thorough Christian,-if that person should come to recognize that the sacraments are still obligatory, and that he should come to the table of the Lord, there is no church that would receive him unbaptized. Neither the Roman Catholic, nor the Anglican, nor the presbyterian, nor the independent churches, would receive such a one unbaptized. And, therefore, the fact of his having made a profession of faith in other ways has not appeared to any of the churches of Christ as a reason why an unbaptized person should not, at any point in his heavenward course, be baptized, when he comes to recognize his error. Our blessed Saviour has set us an example in this matter. At the age of thirty, when he was known by all who knew him to be devoted to God-when his whole life was a profession of devotedness, not in the least requiring baptism, as an expression either of repentance or of faith been sprinkled in infancy, is unbaptized; because such a person has neither been immersed, nor has he made a baptismal profession of faith; and these two things constitute Christian baptism. So that, if these conclusions are correct, then I and others who have been only sprinkled in infancy, are in neither sense baptized. Should we, then, after having professed our faith in Christ at the Lord's table many times come to this, which is the initiatory right of Christianity, and begin again a profession of faith in him? There are these reasons which have led me to conclude so for myself, and which have led, I believe, some of my brethren and sisters, who are about to be baptized, to the same conclusion. In the first place, there is no instance in the New Testa ment of any person unbaptized, after the institution of Christian baptism by our Lord, coming to the Lord's table; and, therefore, if we should continue to attend the Lord's table without being baptized, knowing that pædo-baptism is not the baptism appointed by Christ, we should be doing contrary to all the precedents of the New Testament. In the next place, Christ has required a baptismal profession of faith. It does not appear to me to be sufficient to say that we have confessed Christ in other ways. That may be true; but there is no reason why one confession of Christ, appointed by him, should be taken as the substitute of another confession, appointed likewise by him; and, therefore, as he has said to us, as well as to others, "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost;" "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;" therefore, he requires from us a baptismal profession of faith, as well as a profession of faith in other ways. This has been so clearly seen by the churches of Christ in general, that it is when John was baptizing converts, because the kingdom of heaven was at hand, summoning men to believe in Christ as the Saviour about to appear then it was that Jesus, not certainly needing to be baptized unto faith in himself, and needing no repentance, was yet at that age baptized, after long years of piety. This he did, because he would honour the ordinance of God, not needing it himself, but with a view to the welfare of others and the honour of God. He was therefore baptized. Is |