"There has been," said an intelligent pastor, the other day, "a spirit of fatalism in many of our churches for some years past." This spirit of fatalism signs its hand to the doctrine of predestination; takes a seat under some smooth talking contender for a few of the doctrines of the gospel; and there sitting down, falls into a delusive slumber; its whole anti-practical and anti-spiritual character putting a negative upon every effort which CHRISTIAN ZEAL and a LIVELY FAITH may attempt to put forth, in accordance with that most holy injunction and consolatory Scripture, "Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling; for it is GoD which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure."

God is our witness, we have for years sighed cried, longed, and laboured to see our own churches going forth "like an army with banners." We hope a Revival is coming. There is a little movement in the minds of some of the best of men. A sermon, headed, "The Coming Revival," is just published by Hatton and Co., 99, Chancery Lane; it was preached in New Court Chapel, Carey-street, by the minister, Mr. W. H. Draper. It is a seasonable discourse for the times now passing over us. All well disposed, spiritual Christians will sympathize with much here advanced, and to all such earnest believers we can most gladly recommend Dr. Thomas Guthrie's Gospel in Ezekiel"-inasmuch as in that volume, that most popular Scotch divine has thoroughly delineated the several parts, the different properties, the all-essential powers, and the never-failing advantages which all such God-like, and heaven-wrought Revivals are identified with. One specimen of Dr. Guthrie's practical arguments is here annexed. In his discourse "On the Necessity and Power of Prayer," he says:

66

"The decrees of God, say some, render prayer unnecessary, and useless. Are not all things, they ask, fixed by these decrees-irrevocably fixed? By prayer, I may, indeed, prevail on a man to do a thing which he has not previously resolved not to do, and even although he should have so resolved-man is changeable; and I may show him such good reasons for doing it, as to change his resolution. But if an immutable God has forseen everything, and, indeed, forsettled everything by an eternal and irreversible decree, what purpose can prayer serve? Who shall change the unchangeable, Him, who is "the same yesterday, to day, and for ever ?" Thus men have argued, saying, "What profit shall we have if we should pray unto him?"

It were not difficult to expose the fallacy of this reasoning. The objection admits of a conclusive answer. We might show that the decrees of God embrace the means as well as the end; and since prayer is a means of grace, being a means to an end, it must therefore be embraced within these very decrees,

and cannot be excluded by them. I content myself, however, with simply remarking, that this objection is not honestly, at least not intelligently, entertained by any man. For, if the objection is good against prayer, is it not good against many things else? If it stops actions in the direction of prayer-if it arrests the wheels of prayer-it ought also to stop the wheels of our daily business. If it is a valid argument against prayer, it is an equally good objection to ploughing, sowing, taking meat or medicine, and a thousand other things. Might not an unwilling or indolent husbandman in spring, with as much propriety ask, what is the use of sowing? Has not God ordained everything? If I am to have a harvest-if he has so decreed-then, although no plowshare turn up a furrow, nor sower walks these fields, they shall wave in Autumn with golden corn. Or might not the patient, who sickens at the sight of nauseous drugs, as well say, take these away, I'll drink no more of them? Has not God ordained everything? Can a sparrow fall to the ground without the Father? If he has decreed that I am to live, come cholera, fever, deadly pestilence, live I shall. If he has decreed otherwise, all the medicines of the apothecary and the skill of science cannot avail to save mecannot add one grain to the sands of my existence. Did any man in his sober senses ever reason so? With that simple question we dismiss this objection.”

Deferring, for the present, any further remarks on "The Coming Revival in England," we close this brief paper by simply calling attention to a pamphlet, entitled," The New York Christian Critic; a Review of the Revivals in America ;" from the powerful pen of BENJAMIN JAMES ROGERS, of New York city. This pamphlet contains a long epistle, addressed "To Charles Waters Banks, Editor of the EARTHEN VESSEL;" after very faithfully reproving the Editor for countenancing the reports of the American Revivals, Mr. Rogers gives a three-fold exposition; first, of American Religion generally; secondly, of Gospel Truth specially; and thirdly, of Vital Godliness in the heart spiritually. We hope brother Rogers's epistle will be useful to many thousands who will read it, on both sides of the Atlantic.

"GEORGE WHITFIELD'S THUNDERBOLT AGAINST UNCONVERTED MINISTERS - the Heaviest Calamity that can befall the Church of God; and Dr. Campbell's remarks On the Great Spiritual Deadness of the Present Time.'" Such is the title of a pamphlet which we hope tens of thousands will help us to circulate through the bowels of this kingdom. Dr. Campbell, in his most searching articles, of late, in "The British Standard," (the best religious journal in existence) has come out like a noble defender of the faith.

A SEVEN-FOLD STUDY OF
THE BIBLE.
A LETTER TO MR. J. B. McCURE.

the Church and in the world-in body and in soul-in family, and in gospel fellowshipsurely, with Watts you must say—

"We have double joy to sing,
The honors of our God."

You must consider a great honour has been CIRENCESTER JUNCTION, THURSDAY conferred upon you in making you an aposJULY 8th, 1858. tle of the Australian colonies, or a planter of DEAR BROTHER in Christ, and fellow heir gospel churches in those gold-finding and goldof life, John Bunyan McCure, of Geelong, worshipping regions. I fear the gold of AusAustralia. Grace, peace, and prosperity, be tralia has, in many cases, been of much greater with you and yours.-I have walked this concern than the golden grace of heaven; if morning, with my excellent brother Thomas so, the mercy appears all the greater that you Lamb, from Crudwell, to this station, intend- have been enabled, in some measure, to" seek ing to go on to London, by the first train; first the kingdom of God, and his righteousbut as we were disappointed of a ride, I have ness;" all other things having been promised lost the train; and must here wait for some and added unto you. The more I think of time. The weather is stormy-I am weary- your position, the more I am disposed to think and all here is quiet and retired; I sit down, it is one of immense importance indeed. No therefore, beside the railway, and commence mortal mind can measure the amazing amount this epistle to you. I am grieved to find that of good God may make you the instrument of some parties who, I think ought to have writ-effecting. Oh! my brother, may the great ten to you from this country, have never done Sovereign Ruler of the skies make you more so. This is exceedingly painful to me, be- and more fruitful in your mind, more and more cause they profess to have a great zeal for faithful and fervent in your ministry, and ten the cause of Christ, but in testing times they thousand times more successful in turning manifest nothing of the Spirit of Christ. many to righteousness,-in leading souls to the There are four things, however, that much Saviour,-in reclaiming poor fallen wanderers, reconcile me to the burden you and I have to and in comforting and feeding those who bear from this class of professing people. In have believed. My dear brother, do not let the first place, I rejoice in the fact, that you that beautiful boot-shop you have out there have met all just demands; this is a mercy engross all your time; do give some time to for all parties. I do assure you, my brother, the cause of Jesus. Read all you can, write I am aiming, in prayer and persevering efforts as much as you can, pray always, and in all to do the same; and if it were not for the places; preach whenever your secular and red, yellow, and many coloured prejudices, domestic claims will allow. Never mind secret persecutions, and awful animosities whether it be in-doors or out-doors; preach of many who profess and call themselves CHRIST WHEREVER AND WHENEVER YOU Christians, there would soon be freedom; but CAN; and, if possible, scatter little tracts and I am resolved, (the Lord giving me opportun- papers, pointing to the truth, in all directions. ity and power,) to do all the good I can-to Many of our churches in England are now publish all the truth I can-to be free from circulating large numbers of my little monthly, all temporal embarrassments as soon as I can "CHEERING WORDS," Cannot you, or your -and if in the Land of Holy Liberty, and in the fellow labourers, do the same? Send me some enjoyment of a share of gospel usefulness, up-"Cheering Words" in MS.; please God, I rightness and devotion, I am privileged to will print them and send them you for distriend my days, none will have greater cause to bution; and let me know if you have any triumph in the boundless mercies of an all- good religious publications at all in Australia. wise, all-glorious, and gracious JEHOVAH, FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, than your deeply-tried companion in the pathway of tribulation, and in the ministry of the gospel. I am thankful to find, secondly, that you have been gradually led into a large field of gospel labour and acceptable usefulness. It must, surely, be a source of amazing thankfulness to God in your heart, to see that all things have worked together for good to you! Had you remained in England, your heavy trials might have broken your heart, and brought you to a premature grave; as I have many times thought mine would have done; but O, bless the Lord!-he had a work for you to do in Australia; and, therefore, you must go: you did go :-the Lord preserved you and yours in going; and there he has kept you in his truth, in his name, in his fear; there he has kept the fire burning in your soul, causing you still to desire to glorify Him-to preach him-and to be devoted to him:-there he

A sober minded, Christian gentleman has just come over from Melbourne. He gives me a good account of your position, also, of Mr. Allen's, in Melbourne; and I am concerned, for your progression, in a permanent extension and establishment of pure gospel truth in all parts of those immense colonies where a kind Providence hath fixed your tent, and erected for you a gospel tabernacle.

Before I pass on to my third point, will you allow me to give you one hint? It is a scheme for more advantageously reading the Bible. Of course, I know full well, that no method, nor any amount of Bible-reading, can really profit us or our hearers, if we have not the life of God in our souls,-if we have not the unctuous power of the Holy Ghost attending our ministrations. No man on earth, I think, can more feelingly and fully rely upon the mighty and mysterious teachings and helpings of the Holy Spirit than my. self. For days together, I am travelling

has propsered you in basket and in store-in hundreds of miles, and running from

upon them.

dom, this spring and summer, we have had opportunities of hearing, and of witnessing the good hand of God upon many, whose ministrations stand in some power and acceptableness in the different spheres where they move. The brethren Baxter, of Nottingham; and Wilcockson, of Ramsgate; are both young men of considerable promise; and although they belong not to us as baptists, still, as they are valiant for truth, and well taught in the vitals of a holy religion-we rejoice in the honour the Lord is conferring The brethren Coughtry, of Eaton Bray; Wale, of Reading; Davies, of Greenwich; Butterfield, of Rotherhithe; Pells, of Soho; Pascoe, of Rotherfield; Cracknell, of Plaistow; and some others, we trust, are among the young pastors, who, like "the young cedars fresh and green," will long live in the midst of Zion, to publish the tidings of mercy to the millions of the sinsick family. We are invited to this task by the reports and letters which have been for warded, testifying of the good the Lord is doing by them. We only select the following now: MR. CRACKNELL'S FIRST BAPTISING, AT

REHOBOTH CHAPEL, SHADWELL.
One of our reporters, who was present,

writes as follows:-"Mr. Cracknell will be a name new to most of our readers; but, we are very much mistaken, if, ere long, his name is not as extensively known as those of some other ministers who now take a front seat on the platform of the religious world. If the "Great King," of whom he spake on Wednesday evening, July 13th, deigns to bless his young servant, as he has blessed some others, he will be a useful man in the gospel kingdom. From the sermon preached by Mr. Cracknell on the evening referred to, in Mr. Field's chapel, we give a sentence. The text was-"Behold your King."-John xix. 14. Mr. Cracknell said-It might have been expected that I should, this evening, make an attempt to prove from Scripture, Baptism by immersion. But, beloved, I have found that there are but few persons who come forward to deny the ordinance; some see it right, yet themselves unimpressed with the claim of that ordinance to them, disregard it. I, therefore then, shall just look at Christ as the great King. As a King, he wears the crown of glory! as a King he has a chariot -a gospel chariot, and he goes forth therein with power and the sinner is brought to know him; as a King he rules in his church, rules in the hearts of his people. We must look to him for all our rules; for if we do not found them upon his Word, we are wrong; let us then search the Scripture: as a King he possesses great and blessed power, and some can bless and praise that power. What think ye of this power? As a King, he possesses infinite wisdom. Some puny men defy this wisdom; they alter some of his ordinances, and turn them to please men; but his laws are wise laws: unto his disciples he said "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." I say, then, follow him in baptism; thereby testify and give an outward profession of your faith in him.

MR. BRUNT, AT HUNGARY HILL.

FOR native talent, and true devotion, we
have many young men rising in the ministry,
equal to Mr. Spurgeon; but they have not
boldness without; nor quite so much expan-
the external attractions: they have not the
siveness within; otherwise their ministry is
most excellent. The following is one of the
tive of the valuable services of one we are
many testimonies we have received, descrip-
proud to call, our esteemed brother Brunt,
now of Colnbrook, in Beds. One writer says:
DEAR BROTHER-We held the aniversary
of Bethel Baptist Chapel, Hungary Hill, Farn-
ham, Surrey, when Mr. Brunt, of Colnbrook,
was chief orator. Brother Harding, of Hazel-
After
mere, opened the services of the day.
singing, brother Brunt took for his text, "yet
once in the end of the world, he has appeared
to put away sins by the sacrifice of himself."
The Lord powerfully descended, and made the
place of his feet glorious, leading our brother
workman which needed not to be ashamed. The
to handle the points which he deduced, like
place was crowded to excess. In the evening,
brother Rush, of Hammondsworth, commen-
ced the service. Then brother Brunt assu-

med his place, and preached from the follow-
ing words, a most blessed and masterly dis-
course, “ In the world ye shall have tribulation,
but in me ye shall have peace." Truly I can
say amidst the affliction, censure, and reproach
through which I have had to wade, the Lord
was in our midst as the God of peace. Like
words: like the pen of a ready writer, so was
a living coal from off the altar, so were his
his tongue; as a comforter, so was he as a
der to the top, so he ascended and descended,
teacher; likewise, from the bottom of the lad-
feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and
helping those who are without help; and
after nearly one hour and three quarters, he
wound up the subject in a very consoling
manner, and much to the satisfaction of his
his language is good; full of argument;
decided in the fundamental doctrines; a good
elocutionist; sweet in description; encouraging
to the weak; and where there is the least
spark of life, in him is encouragement.
not eulogize the creature, but only as by grace
A MOURNER IN ZION.

audience. Mr. Brunt is a master in Israel ;

I do

he stands.

THE EARTHEN VESSEL.

DORSET SQUARE.-Mount Zion Chapel, Hill St. On June 27th, brother Foreman administered the ordinance of believer's baptism to four males and five females. Our pastor preached a weighty and very argumentative sermon on the occasion, before a numerous and very attentive congregation, from Acts iv. 19. W. H.

Our Australian Mails.

We have this month, three distinct packets.
The first is from Mr. Allen, the devoted and
useful Baptist Minister in Melbourne, who
has just erected a new and commodious Cha-
pel in Melbourne; and is both from the pul-
pit, and the press contending, in good ear-
nest, and with some success, for the purity of
Will not the
Christ's Gospel in every sense.
thousands of our readers rejoice; and bid him
"God speed?" The second is, from our long-
loved brother, John Bunyan McCure, of Gee-
long-containing the substance of a useful,
evangelical discourse, which the Lord helped
him to preach; and which is to be published
in England under the title-"COME UNTO

ME." His letter is of a cheerful character:
the Lord is smiling on him; for this we
The third
would praise his holy name.
packet is from Zion's long-tried friend, Mr.
Henry Dowling, of Tasmania, with a bundle
of experimental letters written at the ends of
the earth, which we hope to give in the
VESSEL.

THOS Row.