sence of his glory with exceeding joy. "Oh! the transporting, rapturous joy, ISAAC COMFort. 4, Peter-street, Yeovil, 23rd Sept., 1856. rest, was the minister of the Welsh chapel there. He was an entire stranger to all the company, and silently attentive to the general conversation of his brethren. The subject in discussion was the different strains of public preaching. When several had given their opinion, and had mentioned some individuals as good preachers, Mr. L. turned to the Welsh stranger, and solicited his opinion. He said that he felt it a privilege to be silent when such men were speaking, but he also felt it his duty to comply with the request: "Although," continued he, "if I must give my opinion, I should think that you have no good preaching." "No!" exclaimed Mr. L. "No," said the stranger," that is, you have no such preachers as we have in the Principality." "I know," replied Mr. L.," that you are famous for jumping in Wales, but that is not owing, I suppose, so much to the matter of preaching, as to the enthusiasm of the character." "Indeed," said the stranger, you would jump, too, if you heard and understood such preaching." "Why," said Mr. L., "do you not think I could make them jump, if I were to preach to them?" "You make them jump!" exclaimed the Welshman, "you make them jump! a Welshman would set fire to the world, whilst you were lighting a match.". 66 The whole company became much inteWell, my brother, buckle on the harness, rested in this new turn of the subject, and fight the good fight of faith, knowing, in unanimously requested the good man to due season thou shalt reap, if thou faint give them a specimen of the style and not. May the sweet truth, "He that keep-manner of preaching in the Principality. eth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps," "Specimen," said he "I cannot give you. and that He keeps thee as the apple of If John Elias were here, he would give you his eye, be sweetly verified in your soul. a specimen. Oh, John Elias is a great Peace and joy be with you," and the very preacher." "Well," said the company, God of peace sanctify you wholly, so that "give us something that you have heard you may reflect his glory, who hath called from him." "Oh, no," said he, "I cannot you to be a watchman upon Zion's wall." do justice to it; besides you do not underYours in Jesus, stand the Welsh language." They answered, "No, not so as to follow a discourse." "Then," said he, "it is impossible for you to understand it, if I were to give you a specimen." But," said they, "cannot you put it into English?" "Oh no," said he, "your poor meagre language would spoil it; it is not capable of expressing those ideas which a Welshman can conceive." The interest of the company was now so increased, that nothing would satisfy but a specimen; while they promised to make every allowance for the language. "Well," said the Welshman, “if you must have a piece, I will try; but I do not know what to give you. I do not recollect a piece of John Elias; he is our THE GREAT PAYMENT. A SPECIMEN OF WELSH PREACHING. [THOMAS HALL, of Limehouse, sends the following, and says:-"Every Christian ought to read this blessed piece." We give thousands the opportunity; and, although it has frequently been issued be'fore, we believe it can never be read too often. ED.] At a meeting of the ministers in Bristol, the Rev. Mr. L. invited several of his brethren to sup with him, and, among the 66 best preacher. I must think a little. Calvary, without the gates of Jerusalem, Well, I recollect a piece of Christmas I will perform it in my own person." The Evan. Christmas Evan is a good preach- deed was prepared and signed in the preer, and I once heard him at an association sence of the angels of God. Justice was of ministers. He was preaching on the satisfied, and Mercy entered; preaching depravity of man by sin, and of his reco- salvation in the name of Jesus. The deed very by the death of Christ. And he said, was committed to the patriarchs-by them "Brethren, if I were to represent to you, in to the Kings of Israel and the prophetsa figure, the condition of man as a sinner, by them it was preserved till Daniel's and his recovery by the cross of Christ, I seventy weeks were accomplished. Then should do it somewhat in this way: Sup- at the appointed time, Justice appeared on pose a large graveyard, surrounded by a the Hill of Calvary, and Mercy presented high wall, with only one entrance, which is to him the important deed. "Where," by a large iron gate that is fast bolted and said Justice, "is the Son of God?" "Be barred. Within these walls are thousands hold him!" replied Mercy, "at the bottom and tens of thousands of human beings, of the hill, bearing his own cross." She of all ages, and of all classes, by one epi- then departed, and stood aloof. At the demie disease bending to the grave, which hour of trial Jesus ascended the hill; yearns to swallow them up. This is the while in his train followed his weeping condition of man as a sinner. And while Church. Justice immediately presented to man was in this deplorable condition, Him the deed, saying, "This is the day Mercy, the darling attribute of Deity, came when the bond is to be executed." When down and stood at the gate, looked at the He received it, did He tear it in pieces, and scene, and weeping over it, exclaimed, give it to the winds of heaven? Oh, no; "Oh, that I might enter; I would bind up He nailed it to the cross, exclaiming, "It their wounds; I would relieve their sor- is finished!" Justice called down holy rows; I would save their souls." While fire to consume the sacrifice. Holy fire Mercy stood at the gate weeping, an em- descended-it swallowed up his humanity bassy of angels, commissioned from the-but when it touched his divinity, it excourt of heaven to some other world, pass-pired. And there was darkness over the ing over, paused at the sight (heaven for- whole heavens! But glory to God in the gave the pause), and seeing Mercy stand-highest; on earth, peace, good-will to ing there, they said, "Mercy, Mercy, canst thou not enter? Canst thou look on the scene and not pity? Canst thou pity and not relieve?" Mercy replied, "I can see," and in tears added, "I can pity-but I cannot relieve." "Why canst thou not WAS ZIPPORAH A GRACIOUS enter?" "Oh," said Mercy, "Justice has barred the gate against me, and I cannot OUR brother, R. Mower, the evangelist, -I must not, unbar it." At this moment, and pastor of some of the Baptist churches Justice himself appeared, as if to watch in Hampshire and Wilts, has, by his paper the gate. The angels inquired of him on marriage, raised a question respecting why he would not let Mercy enter. Jus- the spiritual condition of the daughter of tice replied, "My law is broken, and it must Reuel, the wife of Moses. The question is be honoured. Die, they or Justice must." not of vital import to us, upon whom the At this moment there appeared amongst ends of the earth are come. Still, any the angels a form like unto the Son of question that leads us to search the Scrip. God; who, addressing Himself to Justice, tures, and to inquire diligently after the said, "What are thy demands?" Justice evidences of the life of God in the soul, replied, "My terms are stern and rigid; I are of profitable tendency; therefore, we must have sickness for their health;. I give the following letter, and a few words must have ignominy for their honour; I on the subject, hoping it will be considered must have death for their life; without a satisfactory conclusion. shedding of blood there is no remission." "Justice," said the Son of God, "I accept thy terms; on me be this wrong. Let Mercy enter." "When," said Justice, "wilt thou perform this promise?" Four thousand years hence, upon the hill of men.' "This," said the Welshman, "is but a specimen of Christmas Evan." WOMAN? DEAR MR. BANKS, As your correspondent Mr. Bowles has written his optnion respecting the wife of Moses, and thinks I am wrong in representing her as an ungodly woman, will you publish my opinion in this matter more fully. Some speak against Moses?" and for this offence, say "Avoid controversy," but I say that there Secondly,-The Word makes no mention of her name anywhere in her favour as a vessel of mercy. Thirdly, The time and manner of this act of hers does not appear to be an act of faith in God. I think a pure and precious faith would be shown in a different manner, nor do I think she would have cared whether her son had ever been circumcised, but knowing by the letter of truth, that to neglect was death, and when she saw the hand of God on her husband, she was afraid; and so she (in haste) performed the rite herself. The Lord's anger for this neglect was turned away, and she considered her husband's life spared, or purchased by the blood of her son. Like thousands now-a-days, who wake up when death approaches near them, run to duty-faith (not to Christ) to be saved; but let death keep away, and all is easy. It is my firm belief that she was the cause of this neglect. Reader, beware! see the consequences of neglecting God's ordnances. My fourth reason is, she was a Midianitess: and how it was that so solemn a law should be overlooked I will not say. It was a breach against the law. We know that her being of Midian would be no proof against her interest in the grace of God, but on that side I want evidence, and on the other it was forbidden by God himself. Fifthly, If she had been such a faithful lover and helper to dear Moses, her husband -if she had such a faith in the blood of the everlasting covenant-as some think, would Aaron and Miriam taunt her husband with it? and after she had been married so many years? I think not. If they felt a jealousy that God was honouring their brother more than them, why throw off at the wife? Their envy against their brother was very wrong. It seems to me, that they thought their brother had too much favour shown him by his God, considering he was in possession of such a wife; so that was one stone to throw at their brother. Now this was very offensive in the sight of God, who said, "Were ye not afraid to warning his congregation against unlawful Israel. But good to be warrie, Lest we make shipwreck in the haven." There is a sublime mystery, however, couched, as we think, in the Targum, when, on that (Exodus iv. 25, 26), it says:— "Then Zipporah gave praise, and said, How amiable is the blood of circumcision, which hath delivered my husband from the hand of the destroying angel." Some have ventured to view Moses as a type of Christ, and Zipporah as a type of the Gentile Church; we know no reason why such a view may not be taken. And thus viewing the mystery of grace in the history, how exactly doth Zipporah (according to the Targum) express the inward delight of a living soul, when, by faith, it sees Christ under the curse of the Law for his people; but delivered by the shedding of his own most precious blood. "How amiable the blood of circumcision which delivers not only Moses, not only the Mediator, not only Jesus, but every quickened, elect, and true believing soul, from the hand of the destroying angel." Then can we joyfully sing "Glory to God on high, Our peace is made with heaven; THE MARRIAGE IN CANA, WRITTEN on the occasion of two of the members being united in marriage by the author, at the Baptist Chapel, Hailsham, Sussex; and respectfully dedicated to Brother Mower, of Shipton, whose well-timed writing on the "Ordinance of Marriage" in the VESSEL for October, page 221 (notwithstanding the little oversight of Moses' Wife), it is prayerfully hoped may be a word in season to many in our churches: In Cana once a godly pair Invited many a guest To keep the marriage banquet there, His followers and his friends: Though all their stock of wine is gone, And his first miracle shall turn The water into wine. The vessels fill'd (at his command) Now charged with gen'rous wine they stand, Where kindred hearts, in holy fear, And they have fill'd their days, To shout thine endless praise. Hailsham, Sussex. CORNELIUS SLIM. GOOD WORDS FROM GREAT MEN. THE STUMBLING - BLOCKS REMOVED.There are three grand obstacles to the admission of any son or daughter of Adam into eternal life. There is, first, the sentence of exclusion; man, the transgressor, is under sentence of banishment from eternal life. And then, the second, his want of title. And the third, his want of meetness. Now all these have been removed by Jesus Christ.Wilkinson. FLESH SUBDUED.-I have never yet found that the grace of God maketh my old corrupt nature better than it was before I possessed grace; but I have found, and do yet find, that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ keepeth it under so that it reigneth not; it is a conquered foe, but not a dead one.Osborne. THE ATONEMENT SUFFICIENT FOR ALL.— The fallacy of the atonement being sufficient for all mankind, but intended only, or efficacious only, for the elect, will appear if we attend to one simple truth, namely, that the Scriptures always ascribe the salvation of a sinner, not to any abstract sufficiency, but to the vicarious nature of the death of Christ. The atonement therefore is in no sense sufficient for a man, unless Jesus died for that man. Justice requires that the sacrifice be vicarious. So that the sufficiency of the atonement arises from this very thing, that Christ died in our stead.-Rushton. SOUL CONFLICT.-We must die daily; and the unwearied struggles of rebellious nature are a sad death to our short-livedcomforts. Were I once free from this inbred enemy, and could but always resign and submit to the best of Fathers, who does all things well, tranquillity and peace would be my daily sweet repast; but this enemy is one of my own house; and when mortified through the Spirit in one branch of his operations, he breaks out in another, and is never so busy as when I am going to engage in some religious exercise. "When I would do good evil is present with me."-Hunting ton. Fear not, O Bride, nor despair: think not thyself contemned if thy bridegroom withdraw his face a while. All things co-operate for the best: both from his absence and his presence thou gainest light. He cometh to thee, and goeth from thee: He cometh to make thee consolate; He goeth to make thee cautious, lest thy abundant consolation puff thee up: He cometh that thy languishing soul may be comforted; He goeth lest his familiarity should be contemned, and being absent to be more desired, and being desired to be more earnestly sought, and being long sought to be more acceptably found.-Author Scala Parad. Lord, though I have done that for which Thou mightest justly damn me, yet Thou canst not lose that whereby Thou mayest save me. Thou wilt not, sweet Jesus, so much remember thy justice against the sinner, as thy benignity towards thy creature. Thou canst forget the insolence of the provoker, and wilt in mercy behold the misery of the invoker; for what is Jesus but a Saviour?-St. Aug. OUR BRITISH BAPTIST CHURCHES. A MODERATE CALVINIST IN CAM-, but he agreed to preach the Word, and did an BRIDGESHIRE; OR, THE TRIUMPHS OF TRUTH. so on the following Thursday evening to many persons. Thus, instead of preaching one sermon, he preached four; so manifest was the sovereign power of God, who will work and the ministry more than thirty years, and had therefore mentioned it as a remarkable incinever before preached in the open air. He fervour, simplicity, and heavenly-mindedness, dent. He then offered prayer with peculiar though somewhat brief, when we sang from none shall hinder. He said he had been in Dr. Watts: "Praise waits in Zion, Lord, for thee." Mr. Wells then rose in his usual way, firm and collected, and gave out his text the Ixiii. chapter of Isaiah, 1st verse. "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this, that is glorious in his apparel, that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." He said that Edom signifies earth, Bozrah the battle field, and those words were more to be regarded as the words of the heavenly beings than of the Church, for it was the angels that demanded "Who is the King of Glory" (24th Psalm, 8th verse)? to which the great announcement is responded from without: "The Lord of Hosts, he is the King of Glory." It was the angels that had witnessed the whole of the great transaction of our redemption. They beheld his agony and bloody sweat in the garden of Gethsemane, with his garment stained with blood. They witnessed Him standing in the Judgment Hall, before his unjust accusers: and they beheld Him in agony on the cross, and heard Him declare, "It is finished.” [A CHRISTIAN lady, who was much favoured under the ministry of the late lamented William Henry Wells, has kindly permitted us to insert the following interesting paper, which was written chiefly for her own private use. William Henry Wells was not what either the church or the world would call "a great man," but he was a good man. He long carried a heavy cross-it was sanctified, and much of his Master's spirit was found in him.—ED.] RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LAST SERVICE IN WHICH MR. W. H. WELLS, OF HEPHZIBAH CHAPEL, Engaged, at DARLING PLACE, CAMBRIDGE-KOAD. Having given out the first hymn, Mr. Wells read the 65th Psalm; at its close, he said: During the past week he had seen the literal fulfil-travelling in the greatness of his strength? I ment of the last verse. Having been in the country, in Cambridgeshire, the pastures were clothed with flocks, and the valleys were covered over with corn; and promised well for abundant harvest; but one incident took place which he could not refrain from relating, as it showed the sovereign power of God. Having been invited to the family of one of the deacons of the chapel in that place, the minister offered to lend Mr. Wells his pulpit; but when Mr. Wells arrived there the minister said he had made inquiries, and had discovered that Mr. Wells preached such doctrine as he (being a moderate Calvinist) did not approve of; he, therefore, should decline lending him his pulpit. At this the deacon before named felt much hurt, and, being a brewer and maltster, he caused a large malt-house to be fitted up, which would hold four hundred persons, with seats; and put up a notice, that three sermons would be preached there on the Lord's day. Mr. Wells preached to a good congregation in the morning. Friends telling one another, very many more came in the afternoon, bringing their chairs with them. This attendance was so good, and the desire to hear the Word so great, that very many stood about the door and outside the windows to hear the Word. Two friends from the Wesleyan chapel came and led the singing. In the evening, the minister of the Wesleyan chapel, hard by, gave consent for his chapel to be closed, that his congregation might be able to hear the London minister. The friends, finding the malt-house not large enough for such a great congregation, asked Mr. Wells if he would preach in the open air; to which he agreed. They then brought the pulpit out, and set it against the malt-house door; and placed the seats in order, all of which were quickly occupied: while a very great number stood through the whole evening service, with evident satisfaction and much interest; and so great was the impression made on the people that they begged Mr. Wells would preach once in the week. Some said it could not be done, being harvest time; A good old divine used to say, "We may come to the house of God in a crowd, and go away in a crowd, but we cannot die in a crowd." Religion is a personal matter. In this way, Mr. Wells continued to advance very solemn and wholesome truths, exalting in a most spirited manner his gracious Lord and Master, with much humility and heavenly-mindedness, until five minutes past twelve o'clock, when his voice became feeble as a child's, and he repeated the same words which then occurred in his sermon, over and over again; he then raised his left hand to his head and said, "Something is the matter with me : I think I had better leave of preaching." Á momentary pause ensued; he then said, "Happy-Happy;" a short pause, and he again said, "Happy-Happy," and bowed his head; being fully ready to sleep on his dear Redeemer's bosom. He spoke no more, was assisted from the pulpit by the friends, who sent for a conveyance to take him home, when he was found quite powerless, having no use whatever, in his hands or feet. When he got home, he tried to tell his daughter, but could not; speech having entirely failed him. At two o'clock he became unconscious, and so remained, until a quarter to three o'clock on Tuesday morning; when his labouring spirit |