to "put on Christ by believer's baptism." | Since my removal from London, he has heard various ministers, feeling unsettled; but for some time past he and his dear partner have heard Mr. Wells, to the comfort of their hearts and the joy of their souls. He always performed an active part with us, when health would permit, at the Friday Evening Lecture, at the Ark, or Ebenezer Chapel, Newington Causeway, and his kind services were useful and acceptable. But now we have lost his aid, and his emancipated spirit is "crowned with glory." He has proved and learned what we have yet to prove and learn, that "to die is gain." For many years he had a weakly, trembling body; but a happy and cheerful mind. He had "a good hope through grace," a firm faith in the merit and mediation of the Lord Jesus, with a perpetual dependence on the Saviour's blood and righteousness for life and salvation. During his last illness he was very much favoured with sweet manifestations of the love and mercy of God to his soul; and sometimes he would relate the same to me, to his dear wife, and to others, with "joy unspeakable and full of glory." Christ to him was "all in all." Satan at times hurled his fiery darts at him, and cast gloomy thoughts into his mind; but was sooner or later defeated by some promise applied to his soul, or the presence of Christ enjoyed. He confessed he was a great sinner; but God's goodness and mercy was greater: of which he would sometimes talk (especially to his affectionate wife) for hours. I visited and prayed with him frequently during his last confinement to his room, and generally found him happy in mind, cheerful in spirit, and willing "to depart and be with Christ." Many sweet sentences and verses of hymns escaped his dying lips, to the comfort and pleasure of those about him. His sorrowful partner asked him if he was happy. "Yes," he replied, "in mind perfectly so. All is right. Christ is precious to me; but my poor weak frame is nearly exhausted. Do beg of the Lord to give me patience that I may not murmur and complain." Then he cheerfully repeated these lines: “Though painful at present, 'twill cease before long; And then, O how pleasant, the conqueror's song!" Seeing his dear wife in tears, he exclaimed, "Do not fret, my dear. All is well. It will be a glorious change for me; but not for you." (Knowing she would be left with the care of an extensive business and of a large family.) May God's grace prove sufficient for her under her trial. After many restless nights and wearisome days, with earnest longings to be gone, his happy, blood-washed soul quitted his mortal frame without a sigh or a groan, on Friday, April 25th, 1856. His end was peace. He has entered with perfect peace on high, beyond the reach of harm, where "Not a wave of trouble rolls Across his peaceful breast." May my last end be like his." His mortal remains were interred in his family grave, at A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE LORD'S MR. EDITOR.-I am requested to forward the enclosed for insertion in your June number. Many of the readers of the VESSEL will be glad to see this account of the grace of God, for who can count the dust of Jacob and number the fourth part of Israel, hid from human view as the work of Jehovah the Spirit is for a time? I knew Miss Bradby from 1847 to 1855; in and by all the converse I had with her I found her an amiable person. In 1848, I found in conversation something that left an impression upon my mind that in some future day it would be made manifest that she was a vessel of mercy afore prepared for eternal glory. Conscience may accuse, wrath revealed therein may make the poor soul tremble, but hell, with all its horror, will not produce in the soul a hatred of sin as it is manifest in Miss Bradby's experience. But oh! how sweet is the freeness of God's love to the poor sensibly unworthy sinner! how pleasing the news of electing favours to that poor man or woman who knows that it is not our choice but God's by which we ob tain salvation! The God of all grace be with you as the Editor of a good work, and in your ministerial labours, is the desire of my soul for you and all that love our Lord Jesus and his Gospel. Remaining yours and theirs to serve, BENJAMIN FLORY. 22, Tonbridge Street, New Road, St. Pancras. "My object in recording the following is with the hope of soothing any anguish of doubt that may arise in the minds of my dearly loved relatives, as to my interest in the blood of Christ; trusting the dear Lord will enable them to rejoice rather than mourn their loss, that another dear to them has attained her highest wishes. No more mourning an absent God-no more weeping over a sense of sin and unworthiness-no more fear ing lest she has neither part nor lot in the matter-but for ever freed from Satan's persuasive powers, and realising that truth 'complete in Him,' wearing a crown, bearing a palm, singing, Victory, Victory, through the blood of the Lamb.' "In looking back to some earlier days, even those of my childhood, I can trace the Lord's sovereign power over me; generally fearing to do that I knew to be displeasing in his sight, but little knowing the evil that was in my heart by nature, I was sometimes overcome by Satan's devices. The Lord, however, in mercy, sent the arrows of conviction deeply into my heart, so that I could have hid my face in confusion, and resolved not to sin against Him any more; was much terrified with a sight of hell, often fearing that Satan would tear me away in the night; notwithstanding all this, was not a praying child, save when my dearest mother was ill; I then, with tears and supplications, called upon Him who is ever ready to answer, and always came away with an assurance that she would recover, which was the case. attend the means of grace, and would listen to her dear father's conversation with Christians, sometimes gaining therefrom a little refreshment. At length the set time to favour her was come, and it was one of those days she so highly prized-the Lord's-day-being then free from the cares of business, which she superintended for her parent. On that day all the family had gone to Chapel but herself; she retired to a favourite spot in the garden, where no human eye could behold, and took up her Bible, hoping to gather some little consolation; but it was as a sealed book; then tried to pray, but could not utter a word. In the midst of this darkness she felt deliverance to be nigh; an exceeding bright light shone around, and in vision she saw her dear crucified Saviour on the cross, bleeding for her sins; she was then carried to the portals of eternal bliss and beheld His glory; but she must go no further now. Her peace and joy in believing for some time after this wonderful display of the Lord's love, was, indeed, past all human understanding; she felt she could now endure any affliction or trouble her dear Lord might lay upon her; but her faith was to be tried. Some months after this she lost sight at times of the presence of Jesus, which caused much mourning. shortly after realised the truth, for a dear sister was taken ill, which rapidly terminated in consumption, and died, triumphing in Jesus. The Lord now saw fit to afflict her with a nervous affection, so that it was extremely painful to see any one, even her near friends, and every means resorted to for her recovery proved ineffectual; for some time, however, she could say it was all well, as it kept her very near the Lord, and seeking his guidance continually. She was much strengthened and refreshed by the ministry of Mr. Mote in particular, who frequently supplied at London Street Chapel, but being so very timid she never had an interview with him until a day or two before her departure from this vale of sorrow and affliction. "After this, years rolled over like a dream, having nothing particular to relate, till I come to the time when I showed a disposition for society, and (in opposition to my dear parents' wishes) visited the places where dancing and One day, whilst walking round the garden, singing songs were the entertainments, but in the words came from on high," Be very near no one instance was happy. The last time of to me, for trouble is at hand;" she wondered going, in particular, conscience smote me-again and again what it could mean, but my poor heart wept and if I could have stolen away, freely would have done so. Soon after this, the chilling hand of death took away one of my dearest brothers; shortly after my own loved mother; this was trial upon trial, indeed! Oh! how often I felt that I could not live under it. My dear correspondent, who would have been my partner in after years, had the Lord spared ine, endeavoured to infuse sweets into my cup of bitters, by directing me to Him, who is ever ready to strengthen the weak, comfort the tossed and tried, and assuage the mourner's grief. For awhile a great reluctance showed itself, feeling that I was not a child of God, and how could I go to Him or call upon his name? but the words rang in my ears, Go, tell the Lord!' then I did go, and began to rest in the satisfaction that I was walking in the favour of His sight; till one Sunday morning, when Mr. B. Flory, in London Street Chapel, was describing the characters of the sinner and saint, when speaking of the enjoyments of the latter, the sweet visitations of Jesus, &c., I exclaimed in the bitterness of my soul, then I am lost! I am lost! I am lost! and when repeating it the last time, surrounded as it were by the pangs of hell, the words came from on high, Thy life is hid with Christ in God!" Here her pen was laid aside; undoubtedly she was too weak to finish, but her deliverance from Egyptian bondage, as she related, is still fresh on my memory. She remained in great distress for several months, with only a glimmering of hope at intervals that deiiverance would some day dawn on account of the promise," Thy life is hid with Christ in God." She embraced every opportunity to When she appeared to be gaining a little strength, and had purposed being united to her correspondent, she caught a severe cold which settled on the lungs, and showed every predisposition to rapid consumption; in all this her Jesus gave her patience; not one murmuring word escaped her pale lips; she would often say "the Lord is very merciful, He lays no more on me than He gives me strength to bear." She was evidently fast ripening for that glory the Lord had in reserve for her. Her language on one occasion was, “I feel like a tired mariner, longing to get into port, into the blessed haven of eternal rest; the dear Lord is daily showing me that all here is labelled with vanity, and my wearisome heart, finding no home, no place of rest but in the bosom of a precious Christ, will rejoice when the few fleeting days have rolled, and I hear the voice, "Come in, thou blessed of my Father." On the 3rd of March, at her request, Mr. spirit had taken its flight to the blest man- "One gentle sigh, the fetters break, HAILSHAM. DEAR BROTHER BANKS.-We held our usual service at the Baptist Chapel, Hailsham, on Good Friday last, and were much favoured by the glorious testimony borne to eternal truth by our good brethren Wall, of Rye, and Saxby, of Crowborough; the former preached in the afternoon a very animated discourse from Isa. lii. 18 to the end. spoke first of the glorious object; second of is humiliation; third, is exaltation; and fourth of the blessed consequences thereof. It was both savoury and seasonable to many present. He Mote visited her, and although she had not spoken aloud for some time through weakness, yet the Lord gave her strength to converse freely and distinctly to him for more than an hour. On the Tuesday she asked if any change was evident in her countenance, saying she hoped it would have been her coronation day, as she was taken worse that day a week previous. On Wednesday, about noon, she felt the chilling hand of death seize her, and requested that her father might be called; as soon as he entered the room, she exclaimed, with joy beaming in her countenance, "Oh! father, the glorious change is now come, it will soon be all Jesus, Jesus for ever-Jesus for ever;" seeing her sisters weeping, “don't weep, my dears, don't weep; rather rejoice and praise the Lord that He is about to take me home." She then asked her father to read one of Watts's hymns to her," How condescending and how kind," &c., then one of Rippon's, If God is mine," &c.; many other hymns, as also portions of Scripture, applicable to her situation, were repeated, to all of which she responded, and raised con- After tea refreshment had been served out tinually her withered hand in token of satis- by the Phoebes and Marthas of the family to faction. Her agony in gasping for breath at a goodly number of friends, Brother Saxby times during her remaining hours was dis- preached the words of sound doctrine from tressing to witness, and would have made the John xix. 30, "It is finished." The preachers stoutest heart to tremble, yet withal a hea-and their sermons were like Moses' silver venly smile beamed on her countenance, and when a little easier she said, "Oh! how precious Christ is to me; when my agonies are greatest-and they are, indeed, far beyond description-then He is most dear to me; I seem hanging upon Him; He gives me just strength sufficient, not one atom to spare;" at another time, "Ah! here is dying grace for a dying hour,- On Christ, the solid rock, I stand, Much more was said, equally indicative of a the enemy had harassed her at times throughout her illness that her dissolution would be very painful-she begged her father to entreat the Lord's blessing on a drop of cold water, saying that it might allay her saderings more than all the medicine in the world with His blessing, and grant her a little sleep, if it was His will; one teaspoonful of water afterwards taken had the desired effect. She frequently asked the time; at length, finding midnight had arrived, and still in the body, she said, "I thought I should have supped with my Lord to-night, but am disappointed." The reply was, "You ll breakfast with Him." She then said, "Lord hasten thy chariotwheels, for ever to be with my Jesus;" she soon after closed her eyes to sleep, and awoke saying, "Sleep in Jesus, sleeping in Jesus," and in a quarter of an hour her ransomed trumpets-all of a piece, and they blew them with a certain sound, and we were sweetly led into the enjoyment David speaks of :"Blessed are the people that hear (and know) the joyful sound." The following lines, written by your correspondent during BrotherWall's serinon, were sung at the close, and are sent by the pressing request of many friends who would be glad to possess a copy of them in their next VESSEL. WRITTEN WHILE HEARING A SERMON FROM Behold, my soul, the Man-- The Servant of the Lord; 2. Behold the wondrous Man The God incarnate see! What wounds, what sufferings He bore 3. Behold, behold the Man Extolled and very high; Ile lives no more to die. 4. Behold the Man, ye saints; He reigns o'er great and small- CORNELIUS SLIM. BETHESDA, IPSWICH. ON Lord's-day, the 4th of May, 1856, seven persons were baptized in Bethesda Chapel, Ipswich, by T. Poock. His address was founded on the 12th of Luke, 47th verse. The congregation was large and attentive, and the candidates enjoyed no small share of the Divine presence, calling on all to assist to bless and praise his name for having plucked such brands out of the fire, and honouring them with will and power to follow Him in that blessed ordinance. Who once was slain, and by his blood re Since this is all your theme, With you my every power shall join and sing, For ever worthy, worthy is the Lamb; To lift his sacred praise, till time shall die, Of everlasting love, thy love, my God! Everything, in and from such seasons, my dear brother Banks, is truly refreshing. To see our Lord glorified in his own order and orders; to behold the grace-subdued sinner coming so cheerfully willing, surrounded by eight or nine hundred witnesses, many weeping for joy, others weeping for sorrow because they were not among the number, how en- THE CHURCH AT SAFFRON WALDEN. couraging it is to the servants of God-it is enough to enable them to bless their great Master, to preach Him to sinners, and even to speak to the To the Editor of the Earthen Vessel. DEAR BROTHER,-The past year has been much affliction, and many deaths in the We have had one of great trial with us. Church and congregation. But our loss is their eternal gain. Amongst the number is brother James Bacon, who was an active deacon; his end was triumphant. It was truly pleasing to be with him. His remarks on Christ and his glorious work were deeply profitable, so that which he dwelt. How his heart warmed and Dear brother, we have also had some dewdrops from Jesus. Blessed be God, we enjoy that invaluable blessing, union, with peace among ourselves. I have also had the pleasure of baptizing five of the Lord's beloved ones. O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity. Amen and Amen. Yours truly, Saffron Walden, May 14th, 1856. AN INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF THE AT ALCONBURY WESTON, HUNTS; SPISED. Å DEMONSTRATIVE proof of this truth was given at Alconbury Weston, Hunts, on Tuesday, the 15th of April, when a neat little building, capable of holding from 150 to 200 persons, was opened for divine worship. Mr. John Foreman, of London, preached in the morning and evening, and Mr. Defrane, from Lutterworth, in the afternoon. Some few things connected with the rising and progress of this interesting cause will fully bear out the truth of that statement which the prophet was commissioned to declare to his Church, viz. that God despiseth not the day of small things. sion of every avenue to the soul. He found himself upon a path he had not travelled be fore, quite alone, and in a strange road, en compassed in a darkness that might be felt; he went about seeking some one to whom he might communicate a portion of his sorrows, and relate his very singular fears; for he could scarce believe that any one ever had such fears before him. At this juncture he came in contact with poor old Mr. Sprowston; and as kindred spirits commingle together, and musical sounds sweetly harmonise, so their souls became imperceptibly and indissolubly united, while they spake often one to another of the things of God; and by his comforting conversation, by his counsels, and his prayers, he encouraged this young disciple to press forward toward the mark for the prize of his high calling. The Scriptures were diligently searched to see if his spot was the spot of God's children; he found his character depicted by "the poor" and "the needy,"" the hungering" and "the thirsting;" and he has been heard to say, that that couplet of Dr. Watts was once made very precious to his soul "A feeble saint shall win the day, Toward the latter end of the last century, there lived in this village an obscure individual named Sprowston, who was isolated from the rest of the villagers by his walk, by his expectations, and by his pursuits. His religion was strange to them, and his habits Though death and hell obstruct the way." were strange to them; for instead of followOur old friend Sprowston about this time ing the sound of the bells by the side of the died; but God had still preserved a seed in brook to the steeplehouse, he used to wend that village; the light of truth, though shinhis way on a Lord's-day morning to Spalding never so dimly, was not to be extinwick, a village four or five miles off, to hear guished-the work of grace was destined to the Word of God as delivered in a meeting-go on and prosper; it was a plant of the FaLouse there, where the late Mr. Manning for ther's right-hand planting, which should many years ministered, and who, some years never be rooted up-it was the small musafter Mr. Sprowston was dead, baptized two tard-seed which should become a tree, under of his daughters. To his neighbours it ap- whose branches the villagers around should peared a strange anomaly, that he should pre- gather to harken to the tidings of salvafer going so far on a Sunday, instead of going tion: thus this man resembled Abraham of to that venerable pile where the villagers wor- old, in whose loins was the future Church in shipped, and where all good Christians are embryo. An altar was reared to the Lord bound to meet; and, instead of hearing a gen- God of Israel, at which he and his family tleman decked in surplice and gown, to pre-worshipped; and sometimes at these hallowed fer hearing an unlettered and ignorant man, was a choice certainly that no other person in the place could be induced to make-a position which none other had any inclination to aspire to. About this time, one John Favell came and took up his residence here; he was a good-hearted and comfortable church-going man, and very forward among those who conducted the singing there; and he has been heard to say, that the first thing that made him feel at all uncomfortable about his religion, was a remark that fell from the lips of one of the women singers; they had met to practise in the church after the congregation left, and one of the company asked, "What shall we sing?" "Oh," said the woman, "we don't care what; let's have something funny." This answer startled Mr. Favell exceedingly. He thought of the sacredness of the place, of the sacredness of the day, of the sacredness of their profession as singers, as he had never thought before; this made him most uneasy and restless-the mustard-seed was sown-the leaven had been put into the meal-spiritual life had entered -a principle of grace was implanted in the heart-and Mr. Godfearing had taken posses moments, on a Lord's-day evening, he would invite a few of his neighbours to attend, when a portion of the Word of God was read, his praises sung, and supplications to his throne humbly offered. But after a while something more was felt to be wanted; these benighted villagers had never heard the sound of a gospel ministry, and as a preacher of righteousness sometimes passed by that way, Mr. Favell could not enjoy his morsel alone, but had his house licensed that his neighbours around might have the way of salvation more perfectly expounded unto them. In this good work the late Mr. Freeman, of Godmanchester, of blessed and revered memory, was first. He took his text from the 8th chapter of Acts and 5th verse: "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them;" and he told the attentive villagers that this would be the burden of his subject to them. This was soon after the beginning of the present century; and from that time to the present, the Word of Life has been dispensed here occasionally, although the place was so obscure that the Home Missionary Society never found its way thither by its assistants or agents. The house being |