THE DEATH OF MRS. COATES, Of Aspel Stoneham, Suffolk. MR. EDITOR,-I shall feel greatly obliged if you can find room in your VESSEL for a brief account of the last end of my mother. I believe that many of the readers of the VESSEL will feel obliged also, and grateful to you for so doing. Yours faithfully, JOHN COATES. mark his wonder-working hand. Of these CHRISTIAN FRIENDS,-My mother departed this life on Friday, the 12th September, aged eighty years, and was buried on Wednesday, the 17th. I was very much surprised to meet so many kind friends and neighbours to wit-She gave us good advice, and though dead ness the last end of her who had lived to prove that Jesus she yet speaketh. She was the mother of much prayer for her children that they might do and go aright, and above all be plucked as brands from the burning; nor bas youngest son of a thousand prayers has, preher prayer fallen to the ground, for the vious to her death, testified of saving grace in his soul. I wrote to her a little time ago of the genuineness of the change in his soul. to satisfy her anxious mind upon this point Her reply was that she was satisfied, and that the letter had done her good in every way. After the funeral and tea was over I felt a little alone in my soul, and felt my loss very keenly in my spirit, and some sharp remorse but what was lacking in me my brother for not writing to her more often than I did; made up for her-I thank him for it. She has had to pass through deep waters both in providence and grace; but her saying was, not one thing has ever failed of all that God has saints pitched in the wilderness of old, she promised; and as this is the tune which his can now join them above, and, without a sigh or a tear, parade the golden streets and chant the sacred song of loud hallelujahs to the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne: and, as her name was Mary, we may conclude by saying "Hath done all things well." And I feel a want to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to all those who both in her lifetime and at her death and funeral manifested so much kind assistance and respect. All was judiciously managed, and, we may safely add, done decently and in order. A brother minister, Mr. Merret, spoke over the corpse, and threw out a few faithful and welcome hints respecting the last state of her soul. From a conversation he had with her a short time previous to her death, he found that the everlasting, immutable, and unchanging love, mercy, and grace of a covenant God was the foundation of her soul's hope, and that she had much of a feeling sense of these things in her soul's experience during her last days. Yea, so blessedly did the Lord reveal Himself to her that she could hardly bear up under it, and would often fall down at his feet, ascribing all her conquests to his all-glorious Name, praising and blessing Him for what He had done, telling Him that He had put away all her sins, and then singing her favourite hymn "9 "Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood Shall never lose its power, Till all the ransom'd church of God Be saved to sin no more.' And as her son I can faithfully testify to the truth of these things, for I paid her a visit about two years ago, when she told me the real state of her soul. I shall never forget the two hours I spent with her. She asked me in a faithful inquiry," John, how do you get on?" I said, "Mother, I have very little else left save one riddle and one wonder, and that the riddle was the same as Samson's. That one of those things which appeared to threaten my destruction proved to be but a carcase full of honey, and things for my good; and my wonder was, that God should communicate with me as one whose sins were pardoned, and whose iniquities were covered." At this she exclaimed, "They are mine as well as yours. Ten thousand praises to his name." I spoke to her about God's covenant with Abraham, that I found God had kept to his word and oath. "Yes," said she, "I have proved that for more than forty years." 1 felt that all was right with her soul for life, and in death. To other friends she often spoke of the Lord's marvellous dealings with her in providence from quarters she least expected. She loved to watch his kind providences, and "Let Mary sing and tell of grace, Brixton. "There are some churches, so called, who, for want of charity, monopolize a pure church state to themselves, as if Christ had no true gospel church in this day beside themselves; whose preachers and rulers are of soimpetuous a spirit, as drives them to the very precipice of anathematizing all but themselves; as if the doctrine of God's grace, and the form of a true gospel-church state, were to be found nowhere but among them. These are like violent storms and showers, which will not hold long; and, indeed, it is a pity they should. All I shall say further of such is, the Lord rebuke their furious and Bedlamlike spirit; and give them to see, and in time to be convinced, how far wide they are from what they fancy they attained to, namely, a Christ-like spirit, and a true conformity to the pattern of God's house; a thing so much boasted of and gloried in, and that without cause."-Barry. THE EARTHEN VESSEL, REVIEWS. The Friend of "Little Faith." We have be- We wish here to call attention to a threepenny pamphlet just published by William Pamplin, of Frith-street, Soho, entitled "The Cry of Little Faith heard and answered, and his Innocent Cause undertaken and pleaded. In a Letter by the late William Huntington." With a good conscience, and with much confidence, we not only recommend, but we would entreat all such persons as are sorely and severely troubled as regards the genuine nature of their faith to read this work; with the Lord's blessing it must be a help unto them. The following " Prefatory Notes" will furnish our readers with the circumstances which led Mr. Huntington to pen and to publish this most comfortable and powerful essay on the true character and conflicts of a living faith. Of the "Cry of Little Faith" itself, we shall have more to say another time. The editor says:-"In the twelfth volume of the works of the late Rev. W. Huntington, there is some account of a person named Butler, a very remarkable character, with whom he became acquainted during his residence at Ditton. "Mr. Huntington says, 'This man was the most puzzling character in his profession that ever staggered or confounded me. and knowledge of the Scripture were such as His gifts I had never seen before. He would run over the Scriptures by the hour when I have not had a word of truth in my lips. Before this man I appeared for many years a poor dejected drone, or a mere idiot, burdened with a daily cross, and the hourly buffetings of Satan, while this wonderful man appeared as if he was in the third heaven. He was very conscientious and esteemed for honesty whereever he worked. He stood thus in a flaming profession near, or quite, ten years. I saw him on a sick bed, near unto death, and his joys were still the same." 1 "Soon after Mr. Huntington left Ditton for London, Mr. Butler began to circulate some heresy about the Trinity, but after continuing at this work for a time, he fell into black despair, without God, and without hope in the world. "Mr. Huntington observes,' The things in which this man's fall established me are these:"That those who run unsent of God may convert men unto themselves, but not unto God. 666 'That whatever speculative knowledge [NOVEMBER 1, 1856. a man may have, if he have not an experigifts will only puff him up with pride, until he ence of the power of God on the heart, his fall into the condemnation of the Devil. blackest character in this world, and the That a seducer of the Saints is the deepest sufferer in the next. 666 "That to stumble and take offence at an ful fall. essential truth is a certain prelude to a fear some have cast up, which is termed a being "That there is no such way to heaven, as drawn by love, and having the heart opened like the heart of Lydia.' Mr. Huntington enforce a sense of sin, and a "This Mr. Butler would say when he heard own dunghill again, he thinks to bring them spirit wounded under it,' He is got upon his all his own way, but he never will.' ever,' Mr. Huntington remarks, 'I know that my way is the path of the just, and they that Howdie out of it will be damned, die when they may, for none but the sick need the physician, none are called to repentance but sinners, and those that never were lost were never none are sons but those that are chastened, saved. back, nor the least appearance of an humble "Mr. Butler had no daily cross upon his mind, a broken heart, or of that godly sorrow that worketh repentance. He had not the least appearance of that repentance that needeth not to be repented of, without which applied, and without which, the higher the there is no Christ in the heart, no salvation hypocrite flies the deeper he falls.' ington at Sunbury and afterwards at Ditton "A Mr. Vessey, who first heard Mr. Huntand Richmond, became acquainted with this Mr. Butler, and imbibed his heresy. Mr. Vessey afterwards became a preacher and reports zeal, boldness, and success in making consoon spread of his wonderful gifts, knowledge, verts, and of his preaching in-doors and outof-doors. At this time his heretical tenets however, that Mr. Vessey preached up that were not openly maintained. It appearing, nothing was faith but full assurance, Mr. Huntington wrote the Cry of Little Faith, the present reprint. The destructive heresy of Mr. Vessey was some time after this made public. Mr. Huntington says of Mr. Vessey, if he made a joyful and triumphant end (as some said), he died as he lived. I never once saw him in any other frame. wards of ten years, but the real ballast of a vessel of mercy, which is the forgiveness I knew him upof sins, access to God, union with Christ, a 6 "Luther in a letter to Melancthon says, those spiritual torments, that death and hell 'Ask these prophets whether they have felt which accompany a real regeneration. And if they speak to you only of agreeable things, as they say, do not believe them, altho' they should pretend to have been transported to of tranquil impressions, of devotion and piety, his glory, He was compelled to suffer death; the third heaven. Before Christ could attain and in like manner, the believer must obtain peace.'” through the bitterness of sin before he can go THE CHURCHES IN DEVON- | done great things for the salvation of his soul. PORT AND PLYMOUTH. Mr. Cousins in his younger days preached J. G. SEVERAL letters from these western districts have reached us lately. There is but little permanence in the present condition of the churches; and more changes will transpire ere many years have passed over. Trinity Chapel needs a Boanerges -a man of masculine mind and of great natural strength, deep in Divine know. ledge, and decided in the maintenance of all the laws the Master has laid down for the government of his own house. At Howe-street," Mr. Bull (says a correspondent) is legally settled as pastor; and it is expected that Mr. John Foreman will soon ordain him. His pathway is comparatively an easy one; and it is A CHURCH, according to Gospel principles, has been formed, and meet statedly for the hoped his pastorate there may be a suc-performance of the ordinances of God's house, HAMPSTEAD ROAD. cessful one. at 63, Stanhope Street, Hampstead Road, church was formed consisting of forty-eight "A Review of the Evangelical Churches in the West of England" is too long for this month; and although in some points rather critically severe, it will afford much material for future articles. This month we can only give (from another kind correspondent) the following: : GOOD NEWS FROM DEVONPORT. W. Overbury having left the Baptist cause in Morris-square, Devonport, they are destitute of a pastor, and seem to be making a stand for vital experimental preaching; and in seeking for supplies, they have found a young man, deeply and experimentally taught of God, and sent to preach the truth, and both old and young of the quickened family of God feel the word drop into their hearts with savoury power. We feel he has Jeremiah's commissionTo root out, and to pull down; to destroy, and to throw down; to build, and to plant." He is a native of Devonport; his name is James Cousins, about thirty-three years of age. He is a man of no ordinary talent, and a good powerful voice. The Holy Ghost has led him through fiery trials, and taught him the mind and will of God towards "the flock of slaughter." We feel humbled under God's almighty hand, in seeing his goodness passing before us in thus raising up such a man of God, whose words drop as the rain, and distil as the dew in our hearts. The people of Devonport are calling upon God to incline the friends at the Square Chapel to give him a call for a month on trial. The people flock to hear him. A poor soldier, called "Herman," went into the chapel, and heard Mr. Cousins preach, and the Lord brought him out of trouble into blessed liberty of the Gospel-one of the 54th Regiment. I believe he has a brother, a member of Mr. Milner's church in London. Mr. Cousins has since baptized him. He has joined the church, worshipping in the Morris-square Chapel. Herman is become a very dear friend of mine, feeling the Lord has MR. GADSBY'S LECTURES ON AT Liverpool, Mr. Gadsby delivered the three Lectures as announced in your last impression, on the 13th, 14th, and 15th October, on the "Manners and Customs of the Eastern Nations." He being better acquainted with the life and habits of the Egyptians, confined himself more especially to them. There were twenty-one (not 100) persons each evening "arrayed" in the vari ous costumes which he explained one by one. To Bible readers it was exceedingly interesting and instructive, made more so by its THE EARTHEN VESSEL, [NOVEMBER 1, 1856. being his main object to unravel those pas-, that she was 'what your correspondent ful and striking figures. by her, as your correspondent says, to one moment that the words were uttered ings?" Verily, no! see Exodus iv. 24-26, express (6 reproachful and perverse railalready quoted. We find that by the com Egypt (v. 20); that Moses took his wife mand of God, Moses is to return into and sons, and set them upon an ass to him by the way, and by some dangerous return into Egypt (v. 24); the Lord met disease, or in some fearful form, threatened to take away his life, for neglecting to circumcise his son. took a sharp stone (flints and other hard "Then Zipporah the ancients), and with it circumcised her stones formed the cutting instruments of son, and cast it at his feet, saying (twice), "Surely a bloody husband art thou unto me;" or, "An husband by blood;" or, in other words, "Surely I have redeemed thy life, and, as it were, wedded thee anew to me, in the bloody circumcision of my son." Now, does not this set forth her faith in the circumcision, and by blood, her son's initiation into the covenant; also her husband's covenant relationship by blood, "Surely an husband by blood art thou unto me"? And so may the Church say of our all-glorious Christ, "This man is near of kin unto us, even an husband by blood, the blood of the everlasting covenant." In addition to his having the real costumes "a hands and feet." Wm. Brown, Esq., M.P., Wm. Rathbone, Esq., an extensive merchant in this town, and Lawrence Heyworth, Esq., M.P., presided on the respective evenings; there were between 800 to 1000 persons present each night. On the last evening, after the usual vote of thanks being given to the chairman and lecturer, the audience joined in singing the "National Anthem," which terminated in so appropriate a manner the proceedings of the evening. Mr. Gadsby will most likely visit Liverpool at some future period, having been waited upon by a deputation from the "Sunday School Institute," requesting that he would re-deliver his lectures for the benefit of the Sunday scholars. JOSEP PLAW. Liverpool. MOSES AND HIS WIFE. DEAR MR. EDITOR,-I have read in the October VESSEL, a piece entitled "A Biblical View of the Ordinance of Marriage," by R. Mower, of Shipton. The article is an excellent one. I read it with pleasure and profit. I believe thousands have, and will do, the same; but allow me to show "Mine opinion." Although I am but "A Little One," the question I wish to put, is simply this, "What authority, or scripture proof, has R. Mower, for putting the wife of Moses among the ungodly women?" If I am right he has none; if wrong, I am willing to be put right by "the law and the testimony." We find that "Zipporah is the daughter of Jethro, the priest of Midian. without doubt, was a good man, and he Jethro, gave her to Moses to wife. Now as the "Word" neither expresses nor implies "Then why, my soul, shouldst thou despair, And doubt thy Saviour's constant care? Torn from Himself thou canst not be, His blood 's a peaceful sign to thee." writing was to set that right which to me I must not enlarge; my only object in appeared to be contrary to truth, and to place "Zipporah" among the honourable Yours in the Gospel, Poplar, Oct. 13, 1856. women. R. BOWLES. stranger to the power thereof in his own soul, is an hypocritical formalist. He who boasts "He that brags of the word of God, and is a of the power of the Spirit within and holds not the form of sound words, indited by the faith and holy life, is a deluded enthusiast. inspiration of the Holy Ghost, to be a rule of fulness of the great Shepherd will keep all who are given Him by the Father."-Barry. From both these extremes the care and faith broken heart, a daily cross, never appeared in | hin, nor the least sign of them. Without this ballast, popular applause and pride are sure to fill the sails and make shipwreck of the highest profession, either in this world or in the next.' subject is a large and a serious one. Our ministers and our churches are divided: they are awfully dwindling and declining (with few exceptions), but we do not think sermons of this character will remedy the evil. For one minister to get into a pulpit and rail against other ministers, is not good; but in the present unhappy state of things it is difficult to know how to keep clear from countenancing evil, and at the same time to avoid smiting or afflicting the children of Zion. To warn the churches against dead, deluded, and presumptuous preachers, is certainly one part of a faithful watchman's work; but when this is done in the flesh, and not in the spirit The Irish boys at the Bonmahon Schools have printed, and Mr. Collingridge is publishing, Hart's Hymns, and the New Testament, in neat editions small enough to put in the waistcoat pocket. We scarcely ever open upon Hart's Hymns, but something meets us either of a spirit-calming, a heart-searching, or a prayer-exciting nature. As, for instance, when these volumes were laid before us we opened on the following simple, but most excellent, Gospel lines:"Whoe'er believes aright "Hart's Hymns," and "The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." We have often wished we could have an edition of Hart's Hymns, and a copy of the Scriptures, small enough to carry in the pocket. Christian men, thrown about in the business and bustle of this life (if they had these volumes in their pocket) might often-in-when it is done under the influence of mere their leisure moments-open upon something party feeling-it too frequently engenders that would serve as a spiritual stimulant to strife, and increases, instead of lessening the their weary and oppressed minds. evil. Mr. Warburton's sermon is by no means wanting in weight and value. It is a discourse that may be more useful in print than it was when preached at Biggleswade; but there are so many difficulties, so many branches, so many evils, connected with the subject Mr. Warburton has taken up, that we must more fully consider it as soon as time and a gracious Providence will permit. We are thankful the sermon has reached us for review;-it will open a channel for noticing a variety of phases now developed in the professing churches of our land. In Christ's atoning blood, Corruptions rise up thick, But all this will not do, Our hope's in Jesus cast, Let all be liars-Him be true, We shall be well at last." We trust these little books will be circulated and read to profit by tens of thousands. They are safe companions, and faithful guides, for heaven-bound travellers. John Warburton's "Word of Exhortation." -A sermon was preached at Biggleswade, on the 15th of last June, by John Warburton, Jun., which is now in print, and can be had at John Gadsby's office, in Bouverie-street. The preface says: "This sermon raised a tumult in the camp." The preacher was advised to publish it; he has done so, and a copy is before us. The text is exceedingly appropriate to the present condition of most of our churches: "Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain." The main drift of the discourse is, first, to set forth the true character and spiritual work of a living, God-sent ministry; and secondly, to enter a protest against what the preacher terms a dead-letter ministry. We candidly confess we fear there has been great occasion given, by some ministers, for such warnings as this:-and although the subject in this discourse may be a little overwrought in some parts, still we believe it would be a real blessing to Zion if our ministers generally answered more than they do to the description given in this sermon of "the ministers of Jesus Christ." The "An Exposition of all the Books of the Old and New Testaments," &c., &c. By Matthew Henry. Published by Partridge and Co. There is at the present time a mighty effort putting forth to circulate commentaries, expositions, and illustrated editions of the Bible, of every size, and of almost every sort. To recommend, and to aid in the circulation of, any of these commentaries, is, therefore, a work to be done with the greatest care, and only under the influence of a watchful, prayerful, intelligent, and well-balanced spirit. With a mind, in some measure, thus prepared, we hope we have gone closely to investigate and to examine the true character of the commentary now before us. As practical printers, we hesitate not to call this a beautifully-executed work-it forms three handsome quarto volumes, and is illustrated by 740 wood engravings, besides maps, and engraved titles; as theologians, we purpose to let the work speak for itself, and to present our readers with faithful extracts from those portions of this exposition, which will do more to convince our readers of the pure, the truthful, and the comprehensive character of the work, than all that we can possibly do by criticism or comment. Passing for the present, "The Life of Matthew Henry" (in which there are striking features of true discipleship), leaving also unnoticed here "the preface," which is a valuable record, illustrative of the divinity and heavenly authenticity of the Bible, we have pitched upon two portions, in order to make a fair beginning. Let us make man in our own image," is the first: the offerings brought by Cain and Abel, is the second: and we must confess we were pleased, even to much edification, to find Matthew Henry so distinct, so discriminating, and so decided, |