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are specially noted in the word of God. A few " 'young men and maidens

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were the means in the hand of God ;for there can be no hesitation in ascribing so good a work, a work so completely in accord with the mind of Christ himself, to the effect of Divine influence, -a few young men and maidens were the means under God of the origin of this society. These met on August 12th, 1807, at No. 13, Peartree-street, Goswell-street, London, and instituted "for the relief of the aged and infirm Christian poor," the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society. No printed or written record of this interesting transaction having come down from their predecessors, the present secretaries of the society, in 1873, applied to the then only surviving founder of the institution, to furnish them with some particulars respecting its formation. This was done in the letter given below, which having never before appeared in print, may on that account, as well as on others of a more intrinsic nature, prove interesting to many readers :

MEMORANDUM.

"As the only surviving founder of the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society, 1807, I have been requested by the secretaries of that noble institution to favour the society with the particulars of its origin and establishment.

"I have therefore very great pleasure in furnishing the same from memory only, after the lapse of 66 years, during which eventful period I have been called to traverse every quarter of the globe, and to wade through the awful scenes of war, plague, pestilence, storms, &c.

"The foundation of the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society had its origin in the pious zeal of a few young men and maidens, members of the church of Christ connected with the Tabernacle, Moorfields. After attending the Wednesday evening lecture on the Book of Job, in August, 1807, they retired to the residence of Mr. Green, at

Peartree-street, Goswell-street, London, held a prayer-meeting for the

Divine blessing on their proceedings in the preparatory school-room for children kept by Miss Green, occupied the forms used by them, constituted themselves a provisional committee, and founded the "Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society," without any assistance or intervention on the part of either of the three stated ministers, Messrs. Joel Knight, Matthew Wilks, and John Hyatt, occuping the pulpits of those celebrated sanctuaries of the Rev. George Whitfield, the tabernacles of Moorfields and Tottenham-courtroad. So that its origin and establishment was truly humble and unostentatious.

"The object was to appeal to the Christian public for aid to carry out the benevolent intentions of the society by subscriptions, donations, &c., to enable the committee to afford relief to poor needy aged Christian pilgrims, and to take them on as pensioners of the society as the funds came in.

"The names of the provisional committee, as far as my memory serves me, were as follow:-Mr. and Miss Green, Mr. and Mrs. Heudeburk, Miss Daniel (the sister of Mrs. Heudeburk, who, I believe, became Mrs. Box) Mr. G. Yeoland, Mr. J. Searle, Mr. Box, Mr. Aldis, Mr. Selby, and another whose name I cannot recollect. I have no recollection whatever that Mr. Bissett* was present at this meeting.

"All these my colleagues have passed away, and left me the only surviving founder of the Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society; and when I contrast the magnificent bearing of the society with other great institutions of Distinguished England at this happy period, 1873, with its humble origin at Peartree-street, Goswellstreet in 1807, I feel constrained to exclaim, 'What hath God wrought!' Not unto us, not unto us, but to the Triune Jehovah be all the glory. Amen and Amen.

"Given under my hand, Isle of Wight, Campbell House,' Sandown,

* Mr. Bissett was the first secretary of the society.

this 12th day of November, in the year of our Lord 1873.

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GEORGE YEOLAND. "Asst. Commissary Genl. and Major, in his 90th year of grace."

The original letter written in a bold and beautiful hand without the slightest sign of tremor or feebleness in its aged writer, may be seen at the office of the society. It were worth the while of any lover of Christ's poor to go thither to make a special donation to the funds of the society with a view of being shown this beautiful piece of handwriting of an old English Christian gentleman in his 90th year. It may be here mentioned that Major Yeoland addressed the friends at the anniversary of the Hornsey-rise Asylum on July 4th, 1873, and at the annual meeting of the society at Exeter Hall in 1875, when his fine patriarchal figure and truly venerable appearance, with a countenance beaming with gratitude to God and Christian benevolence, together with his utterances on the occasion, betokening a deeply devotional and sanctified mind ripe for glory, made an impression on those present to be retained as agreeable reminiscence to the end of their days. Like his coadjutors named in his letter, and all the earlier friends of the society, the good man has left the shores of time, having fallen asleep in Jesus on Nov. 11th, 1876, in the 93rd year of his age.

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It was stated as an interesting fact at a recent anniversary of the society, that the spot where its founders met to pray, take counsel together, and as the result originate the institution, is now occupied by a place of worship where a zealous evangelical minister labours who is an advocate of the society.

As before mentioned no records of the early history of this society are known to exist; but there is at the office a copy of the first printed address to the Christian public, with the rules of the society, form of bequest, and the names of the first executive committee. These are comprised in a small pamphlet bearing the date of 1807 on its title page; the "Address to the religious public" commences

thus:-"Amidst the great number of charitable institutions with which this highly favoured land abounds, it is to be lamented that one numerous class of deserving persons is left deserted and forsaken-namely, the aged and infirm Christian poor." So that it would appear that the newly awakened zeal for sending the gospel to the heathen and disseminating the word of truth was accompanied by a neglecting of the bodily wants of the Christian poor at home. Something similar to this occurred, we find, in the days of the apostles, occasioning a state of things which required their special intervention to remedy; and that which took place then, that which gave rise to the lamentation of the founders of this society seventy-two years ago, is matter for consideration and correction now.

This society, we find, was formed to supply a deficiency that its originators felt to exist, notwithstanding that "a great number of charitable institutions" had been formed in the land, and now when hundreds more have since been formed, the special purpose for which this was originated still remains to be fulfilled, and that too with a constantly increasing need for the operations of such a method of carrying out the law of the kingdom of Christ in his church that good is to be done, especially to the household of faith." The address goes on to describe in moving terms the great needs and sufferings of those in whose behalf it pleads, urging especially that it is the Lord's poor whose claims are thus presented ending, with the words, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me."

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What

immediate result followed the issue of this address, for a reason given above cannot be stated; but it is evident from its date that the "provisional committee" set to work at once to put their intentions into a practical form. No doubt the presence of two or three Christian sisters amongst them stimulated their zeal and quickened their movements. For put together the cool practical head of an earnest

Christian man, and the warm loving heart of a devoted Christian woman in any work pertaining to the service of Christ their Lord, and it is a thing to be admired by the angels to see how prosperously matters will go on. The acorn thus planted by these pious "young men and maidens," has grown into a wide spread oak, whose branches now afford a measure of shelter in various degrees to over a thousand of the Lord's aged poor from the storms of life. It is matter for regret that so little is known of these planters of the tree now so abounding in the fruit of ministering to the needs of the members of the mystical body of our Lord. For a memorial of them the names are here given of the executive committee as appended to their address, in addition to those given by the good major in his letter, who, he says, constituted themselves a provisional" committee. And should the names herein given meet the eye of any person possessing information respecting those honoured pioneers in a good and noble work, the communication of the same to the printers of this magazine will greatly oblige the writer of this article, who hopes by such means to be furnished with material for a similar contribution for next month's Gospel Herald and Voice of Truth.

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The first executive committee of the "Aged Pilgrims' Friend Society" was constituted as follows, the names being given in the order in which they appear in the pamphlet of 1807 before referred to:

Mr. Samuel Britten, No. 5, Bainesrow, Cold-bath-fields.

Mr. Robert Bowen, No. 12, King's Arms-yard, White-street.

Mr. John Cartledge, Tenter-row, Cityroad.

Mr. Robert Edis, No. 7, Cherry-treecourt, White-cross-street. Mr. Thomas Green, No. 8, Peartreestreet, Goswell-street.

Mr. James Harrison, No. 18, Goswellplace, City-road.

Mr. William Lewis, No. 4, New-street, Old-street.

Mr. Joseph Newton, No. 7, Georgeyard, Old-street.

Mr. Edward Rees, No. 6, Dobny's

court, Pentonville.

Mr. Thomas Sims, No. 9, Norfolkplace, Curtain-road.

Mr. Stephen Wilson, No. 19, Goswellplace, City-road.

Mr. Thomas Watkins (treasurer), 17, Spring-gardens.

Mr. James Bissett (secretary), No. 13, Peartree-street, Goswell-street.

The society is one in which all Christians holding the fundamental doctrines of our most holy faith, can cordially unite in one effort to do good without the slightest violation of any of their denominational preferences, its single object being to minister to the Lord's poor in their temporal needs. It therefore commends itself to the lively sympathy and hearty support of all lovers of Christ, and the brotherhood of faith.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MR.

PHILIP DICKERSON.

A brief account of my life, being a memorial of the forbearance and mercy of God to me, in a series of letters to a friend.

"This shall be known when we are dead,
And left on long record,
That ages yet unborn may read,

And fear and trust the Lord."

To write a memorial of the goodness and mercies of the Lord has not only been considered proper by wise men, but Jehovah himself commanded Moses to do the same, to perpetuate the signal deliverance which God had given Israel over Amalek. "Write this for a memorial in a book." (Exodus xvii. 14.) And although the writer is not conscious that anything of the marvellous will appear in the following pages (except the marvellous grace of God), yet to him the things recorded have been felt of importance; and his desire is, that when his children and others read them, they may "mark the finger of God," and be profited thereby. It pleased the Author of life to call the writer into existence on the 29th of January, 1795, in a very obscure village called Bucklesham, in the county of Suffolk, about

five miles from Ipswich, and the same distance from Woodbridge. His parents were poor, belonging to the farmlabouring class, and therefore could not afford to give him much education; indeed the means for instruction were very few; there was but one school in the parish; that was kept by a poor old woman who could not write, and when the writer went to her school, he found he could read better than his school-mistress, though how he acquired the art of reading he has not the slightest recollection. To this seminary he went for twenty weeks; for which his grandmother paid twopence per week, so that his education cost 3s. 4d. But this was all before he was seven years of age. At seven he was obliged to go out to work for his bread; and many were the hardships he endured, from cold, wet, weariness, oppressions, and frequently cruelties from employers and fellowservants, male and female, which often galled his temper, grieved his spirit, and made him wish to die. But then came the distressing thought of the hereafter; for about the early age of seven years, he became the subject of deep convictions of sin, which caused him at times deep distress; nor was he long at a time exempt from these painful exercises from seven to sixteen years of age.

The parish in which he lived, and for miles round, was entirely destitute of the gospel, nor can he recollect any who gave evidence that they feared the Lord; and many in that neighbourhood lived and died without ever hearing the glorious gospel, that they were sinners, or how a sinner could be saved. In such a place, at such a time, and in such darkness, it was the pleasure of the eternal God to cast the lot of the writer; and there, amidst ignorance, blended with poverty, he seemed destined to spend his days, the slave of sin, and the dupe of the devil, till he had filled up the measure of his iniquity; but "God who is rich in mercy "had designed otherwise. There was, however, this little bright lining in the dark cloud of circumstances under

which he lived. My grandfather and grandmother were moral, and anxious to preserve me from vice. I was taken to church on Sunday, and often read the scriptures to them; by these means, before I was ten years of age, I had acquired a considerable knowledge of the word of God, which has in subsequent years been of great use to me. Perhaps those readings of the sacred word might have been the means of the convictions of sin before mentioned; and there were times, even amidst the darkness, when the writer remembers something like hope seemed to whisper brighter days would come. About this time he accompanied his grandfather to hear Mr. Thompson, of Grundisburgh, preach. He was an extraordinary man and a very useful preacher. It was on a baptizing occasion; the service was in a meadow, at six o'clock in the morning. The scene, the singing, and the solemn manner of the preacher's address, deeply affected the writer; the scriptures quoted, and the remarks made upon them on the subject of baptism, led him to consult the New Testament; so that from that time he became in theory a Baptist; and many times has he pleaded for the Baptists amidst his boyish companions, not unfrequently exposing himself to ridicule by such means. One thing he cannot forget, that amidst all his labour and ignorant associates, he had a constant thirst for information. True, his library was small, the Bible, Prayer-book, and the Universal Spelling-book; but these he read as much as his leisure time would permit, and anything else he could find; and as but few of his fellow-servants could read, they greatly admired his advantages above theirs; and if they heard of anything extraordinary, they would request him to read it to them. Thus he was unconsciously acquiring knowledge for after life; yet, alas! amidst all, he was a leper, a sinner, with just light enough to perceive the darkness, and just knowledge enough to enough to make him

miserable.

Going occasionally amongst the

Baptists, he became acquainted with
Watts' and Rippon's hymns, and
learned a few tunes which added to
his pleasure, and having a retentive
memory, he sometimes repeated them
to his neighbours who thought and
talked of him as a wonder. When
between eleven and twelve years of
age, he lost his grandmother by death,
which was a sore trial, and which
took such hold of his spirits, that he
believes for the space of two whole
years, he never for one day ceased to
shed tears. He felt there was nothing
on earth worth living for; yet he was
afraid to die. Many times has he
sung when alone in deep distress :-
"Who can resolve the doubt,

Which tears this anxious breast;
Shall I be with the damn'd cast out.

Or numbered with the blest ?"

Oh, how hard is the way of transgressors! Satan is a hard and cruel master,-prompts to sin, then accuses for it, and threatens condemnation for it, as if judgment were his. But although fears may awfully alarm, yet

"Law and terrors do but harden,

All the while they work alone." Being now removed altogether from parental restraint, and situated with ungodly men, he became careless and

more loose in morals than before, and tried to cast off what little he had of the fear of God; but could not wholly stifle his convictions; and though he was at times tempted to embrace sceptical notions, the word of God was so forcibly brought to his mind, that he felt compelled to listen to the heavenly voice.

Again removed from his ungodly associates, and his convictions continuing, he became more moral, and, indeed, somewhat pharisaical; went to neighbouring parish churches to hear those clergymen who were reputed gospel preachers, and, like Herod," heard them gladly, and did many things." His terrors of conscience in great measure subsided, and he began to think himself considerably improved. What a poor

foolish creature is man till God takes him in hand and teaches him by the Holy Ghost! and then he must have line upon line. lesson upon lesson, or he will be sue to err. But, O blessed be the God of salvation

"The appointed time rolled on apace,
Not to propose, but call by grace;
To change the heart, renew the will,
And turn the feet to Zion's hill."

To be continued (D.v.) by yours sincerely, PHILIP DICKERSON.

Favourite Hymns and their Authors.

"My hope is built on nothing less

No. 1.

Than Jesus' blood and righteousness." WHEN a committee of brethren from the churches using Stevens' selection met in 1857 to consider what additions should be made to the book, a question arose as to the authorship of this hymn. In Denham's selection the name of Rees was found to be appended to it; in Mote's it appeared as an original, that is, one written by the compiler of the book. To settle the matter Mr. Mote was applied to for information, and his reply was perfectly conclusive as to the fact of the hymn being his own. A composition so truly evangelical ought not to have a wrong statement put at the end of it, and

in all selections in which the hymn appears, where the slightest effort has been made to ascertain the truth, the name of Mote is given as its author.

The hymn is most certainly entitled to be termed a favourite one, inasmuch as more recent hymn book compilers of all evangelical denominations have concurred in claiming it as a family hymn belonging to the household of faith in general, by inserting it in their various selections. And no wonder; for in fulness of expression of entire dependence on our most precious Christ, it may rank with dear Toplady's blessed hymn, "Rock of Ages, cleft for me." Mr. Mote's experience too of Divine things was very similar to that

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