ORIGINAL LETTER,

Written by the late aged and venerable ISAAC HANN, at the age of 94, when he was no longer able to attend the Association Meeting of his Brethren, and but a little before his death. "To the elders and messengers of the several Baptist Churches of Jesus Christ, (agreeing in the confession of faith put forth by the elders and brethren of several congregations of our denomination, met in the city of London, 1689) appointed to meet in association at Yeovil, in the county of Somerset, on the Tuesday and Wednesday in the Whitsun week, 1774.

"Isaac Hann, an unworthy servant of Jesus Christ, sendeth greeting.

"Beloved brethren.-As you are messengers of churches of Jesus Christ, and meet tegether for purposes approved of God, in which you have christian fellowship to your mutual comfort and refreshment of your souls, you need not doubt, but God will be according to His word and promise—that is, He will come to you, hear your prayers, and bless your endeavours, and grant unto you His soulcomforting presence, as in times past He hath been wont to do.

What a privilege it is, and how amazing the condescension, that we can have to do with a God hearing prayer, who never said to the seed of Jacob, seek ye me in vain ; and that He should grant unto His, that they may be able to say, "and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." A better enjoyment in kind we cannot have, but a fuller degree of it we may hope for in a state of immortality, when every vessel shall have as much poured into it as it shall be able to hold; for in that state (if we may use a figure) there will be pressing down and running over, and how it will then be we must wait to know. What can be more express than we read, "in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore?" And it will not be long ere thus it shall be. "Yet a little while, and He that shall come, will come, and will not tarry; and when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, all you under shepherds shall receive a crown of glory, that fadeth not away." I hope, therefore, brethren, you will labour to approve yourselves unto God, as faithful stewards of His manifold grace. We know

the work to which we ministers are called; let us therefore study to shew ourselves workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth-that is, you know, to give every one their portion out of it, in due season. How much to be lamented is the case, that there is so much preaching like the iron and clay in the feet and toes of Nebuchadnezzar's image! and what a happiness is it for people to have the gospel in its purity, the doctrines of grace well distinguished and aptly applied: the Lord help you to use care and diligence herein!

The scheme which some call rational or conditional salvation (or copartnership with Christ) is an impotent scheme all over, and no doubt but the devil finds his account herein himself, I believe, is sound in the faith, as to knowledge and understanding; he hath an orthodox head but a bad heart; he knows the truth, but loves it not; he holds the truth in unrighteousness. He is no atheist-that he cannot be; nor deist, though he would make us such if he could. He is neither socinian, arian, nor pelagian; if he be anything, he is a practical antinomian, for he likes not the law of God for a rule of life. I hope, brethren, we are established in the doctrine of God's everlasting purposes and decrees, and believe it to be the foundation on which God Himself raiseth His own superstructure. But this doctrine is neither the rule of our life, nor the ground of our hope; but the precept and the promise. No decree of heaven shall save a man that is ungodly, so living and dying; no decree of heaven will damn the man that has the truth of grace in his heart, and the fear of God in his life and before his eyes. Many are led aside by Satan's cunning to build for salvation on false rocks. But in matters of salvation, Christ will be an Alexander or a Nemo, as one expresseth it. He hath many companions, but no competitor; and he shall have all the glory. How many soever may be led aside to believe the devil's lies, we are assured it is not possible he should finally deceive God's elect but still there is occasion given to muster up our forces, for the defence of truth when openly attacked. We cannot be too zealous for the fundamental doctrines of the christian religion. Truth

must not be parted with, nor departed from on any consideration whatever,-"buy the truth, aad sell it not." And notwithstanding we are to exercise charity, and make allowances for differences in circumstantial religion, yet we must abate nothing of what is substantial. If our Lord be taken away, we must know where they have laid him; and if they deny the doctrine of divine satisfaction, how came it to pass that the just suffered for the unjust, was raised from the dead, and received into glory? And who that loves the Lord Jesus Christ, but would spend his blood in such a quarrel? If peace among professors of religion cannot be maintained, but at the expense of substantial truth, then let peace go; peace must give place to truth, but truth gives place to nothing. And it is better that heaven and earth were blended together in confusion, than that one fundamental gospel truth should perish. I hope my brethren in the ministry will be faithful and diligent in the vindication and propagation of truth and holiness; holding faith and a good conscience. Faith and a good conscience are worth our holding fast, cost what they will. But they that hold them fast must expect opposition from the devil, and the socinians, and the pelagians; but that will be their glory. Perhaps the two latter will account them enthusiasts, being out of their rational scheme, and will look upon them with a squint eye, as setters forth of strange things. You know that when Paul preached at Ephesus, the city was in an uproar, and the shrine makers for Diana cried out, 66 our craft is in danger, for by this means we get our wealth; and not only so, but the temple of the great goddess Diana will be despised." The arians' inferior deity, and the pelagians' dependant God, will be set at nought. And how then? Why, then away with such fellows from the earth, for it is not fit such should live. But, brethren, Paul's God is your God, and He will be with you fear none of those things which you may suffer; but be you faithful unto death, and you shall have a crown of life. Be not weary in well-doing, for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not. And after the foundation is well laid, equal regard must be had to the superstructure.

What are doctrines without practice? Truth and holiness must unite in the constitution of the religion which God approves. There may be notions in the head and prate in the tongue, but without holiness no man shall see the Lord. I am glad to hear that the Lord hath been pleased to open the womb of conversion in some places, to the bringing home of such as went astray in the first Adam, and when He will work, who shall let it? It is pride, and nothing else, in such as labour for words, and seek only to adorn their discourses with flourishes of rhetoric and oratory, to captivate such as have itching ears. The plain simplicity of the gospel is better than enticing words of man's wisdom. We use great plainness of speech, and it is God's usual method to bless means that shall prevent glorying in man, and in His time and way He will accomplish all that He hath purposed concerning His church; and the top stone of His spiritual building shall be brought forth with shouting, crying, grace, grace unto it." Then preaching work will be at an end, no more digging for stones out of the quarry, nor hewing of timber in Lebanon; and when the Lord shall have built up Zion, He will appear in His glory, and for this we are to pray, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."

66

66

And now, brethren, what can you think of me, but that I have taken upon me to preach to you, which I would not be thought to do. Suffer me, therefore, to make this short apology for myself, viz.: I have been so much used to a spin-text pen, that I know not how to contract, and a skim-text pen I like not; a multum in parvo would be the best, but such I have not. If you will be so good, for this once, to overlook my weakness, you will never have a letter of my pen more. I hope the Lord will direct you in all you meet about, and bless your pious endeavours; begging a share in your prayers to God for me, that I may have a safe and comfortable passage over Jordan into the land that floweth with milk and honey; who am, I trust, through the rich grace and mercy of God, though the most unworthy, your brother in dear Jesus, ISAAC HANN.

May 18th, 1774.

THE ATONEMENT.

A CERTAIN man, on the Malabar coast, had enquired of various devotees and priests, how he might make atonement for his sins; and at last he was directed to drive iron spikes, sufficiently blunted, through his sandals, and on these spikes he was directed to place his naked feet, and to walk, if I mistake not, 250 coss, that is, about 480 miles. If through loss of blood or weakness of body he was obliged to halt, he might wait for healing and strength. He undertook the journey, and while he halted under a large shady tree, where the gospel was sometimes preached, one of the missionaries came, and preached in his hearing from these words "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." While he was preaching, the man rose up, threw off his torturing sandals, and cried out aloud, "this is what I want!" and he became a lively witness that the blood of Jesus Christ does cleanse from all sins indeed. A Danish Missionary.

WHAT IS OUR LIFE? "So TEACH us to number our days!" What is the total amount of human life? What is the sum of this accompt of days of nothingness and days of reality; of days of prosperity and days of affliction; of days of languor and days of delight; of days devoted to the world and days devoted to religion? My brethren, it is God, it is God alone who holds our "times in His hand:" He alone can make an accurate calculation of them. It is not impossible, however, to ascertain what shall be, in respect of time, the temporal destination of those that hear me this day. Let me suppose that the present solemnity has drawn together an assembly of 1800 persons. I divide them into six classes:

1. from 10 to 20 years old 530

440

2.

20 to 30

only 70

Thus you see, my brethren, in what a perpetual flux the human race is. The world is a vast theatre, of which every one appears his moment upon the stage, aɛd in a moment disappears. Every successive instant presents different scenery, a new decoration. I represent these vicissitudes to myself under the emblem of what is felt by a man who is employed in turning over the pages of history. He pores over his book-he beholds on this leaf one people, one king; he turns it, and lo! other laws, other maxims, other actors, which have no relation to what preceded. SAURIN.

TREASURES HID IN THE SAND. AFFLICTIONS teach us the worth of our bibles. The bible is but an insipid book before afflictions bring us to feel the want of it, and then how many comfortable passages do we find, which lay neglected and unknown before! I recollect an instance in the history of some who fled from this country, to that then wild desert, America. Among many other hardships, they were sometimes in such straits for bread, that the very crusts of their former tables in England would have been a dainty to them. Necessity drove the women and children to the sea side, to look for a ship expected to bring them provision; but no ship for many weeks appeared. However, they saw in the sand vast quantities of shell fish, since called clams, a kind of muscle. Hunger compelled them to taste, and at length they almost fed wholly on them, and, to their own astonishment, were as cheerful, fat, and lusty as they had been in England, with their fill of the best provisions. A worthy man, one day, after they had all dined on clams without bread, returned thanks to God for causing them to" suck of the abundance of the seas, and of treasures hid in the sand," a passage in Deuteronomy till then unobserved by the company, but which ever after endeared the writings of Moses to them. R. ROBINSON.

THE POWER OF THE PAPACY. None but those who have intermixed a great deal with Roman Catholics, and in countries, where the imposing services of the Roman Church are performed with theatrical attention to effect, can have any idea of the influence, which the Popish priesthood holds over weak understandings. Whatever can affect a lively imagination, a romantic turn of mind, a warm temperament, a nervous constitution, or a sensitive heart, is employed in the public rites, and in the secret practices of the clergy. There is nothing of simplicity in the character of the Romish religion: it is all mysticism, symbol, and delusion. The avowal has been made by one of its most eloquent advocates. "In the regions of the south, where the sky is bright, and nature bountiful, where the heart is warm, and the imagination active, external demonstrations have ever been employed to express feelings too big for utterance, and external shews introduced to convey impressions, and excite sentiments, grand and sublime beyond the reach of ordinary language."

But such external shews and external demonstrations only serve to heat the fancy, and substitute a dangerous enthusiasm, in the place of that genuine and rational adoration, which, springing from the mind, can only perish with the mind. Confessions, breathed into the ear of an indulgent confessor, and secret inclinations confided to one, who is expected to whisper assurances of absolution, but seldom produce amendment. It happens to me, at this moment, to know a young Roman Catholic female, whose mind is agonized by a sentiment of more than spiritual affection, which she entertains for her confessor. What she calls his graceful performance of the sacerdotal functions, and his majestic appearance before the altar, clad in the splendid robes of his sacred office, compared with his mild and persuasive gentleness, when he assists her private devotions, have inspired this fatal passion; not because she is more susceptible than the rest of her sex, or that he takes undue advantage of her sensibility, but because the pomp and ceremonies of the Roman church, and the relation between the priest and the youthful members of a family, where

he is venerated as a being of superior intelligence, are calculated to produce such impressions.-Dr. Gilly's "Excursion to Piedmont," p.p. 155, 156, 157.

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

WHAT day shall be like it! "when the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together." Then the parent shall, with the child, wake up from the sleep of death; the murderer with the murdered, the master with the slave, shall come forth from the sepulchres of their seclusion and stand on their feet; the countless slain also, of the battle field,-their blood shall be gathered up, and their bones put together; and the mighty army of the long forgotten dead shall all to a man, arise at the day of "the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Reason says, is this possible? and the unenlightened understanding of man says, -how can these things be? but to the saints in Christ Jesus, it is not a thing incredible that God should raise the dead. The voice of the seasons is the annual witness to the truth of that great coming day, when "the trumpet shall sound," and living sap reach the dead of every generation; it is the confessor of a power whose Almighty sound is not heard, though the breath of His nostrils salutes every tree in the earth's garden, and gives birth to the general green, the unfolding blossom, and the perfect fruit. The voice of the farmer's acres as they wave with golden grain is of the fact that, that which he sowed having died is quickened, and now bears fruit a hundred fold. The testimony of the butterfly, which from a sluggish crawler on the earth has taken to itself wings to fly away, and now flutters joyously from flower to flower, is a happy illustration of that day when the feet of men shall be like hind's feet, when the weary step of this mortal life shall be parted with, and exchanged for the swift winged spirit of delightful obedience,-doing his pleasure without fainting, and hearkening to the voice of His inspiring word with supreme delight, and joy unspeakable. The voice of the water, the theatre of moving millions, speaks of a day when from the Imperial throne, pure water shall flow, and cleanse the polluted

creation: then shall the earth weep no more under the depressing load of its sin-curse, for the waters of Divine purification shall come in like a flood, the skies pour down righteouness, and the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

To the wicked, the day of the revela tion of Jesus Christ shall be terrible indeed: truly awful to those who have not died in faith,-who have not sought the blood of Jesus Christ, which fully cleanses from all sin; these shall witness this day, which none may abide without the shelter of the rock-CHRIST: these, the wicked, shall see Him, but not near, for they are far off from Him by wicked works, and on earth God did not know them; they stood afar off from Mount Calvary, and would have none of its precious blood; they desired none of the divine ways, and were not careful to seek the Lord and His strength. And what shall be done for these wicked ones? Nothing can be done for them. There is no purgatorial island to which they may be sent to do penance, and thus expiate their criminality. The book of life to them is closed, and their fate is irrevocably fixed. To them is left the prey of great anguish, with the door of hope everlastingly barred. All, all is closed! The prison inevitably holds its prisoners, encased by the offended powers almighty; and who shall prevail to unlock the prison door? None! The Lord has locked it, and has put the seal of His justice upon the great stone before the cave's mouth. Angels have no charge to roll that stone away. It is great; the wrath of God and the Lamb has rolled it there. O terrible day! the revelation of Jesus Christ. Then the men who have frightened the earth with their blood-shedding, whose iron sceptres have made slaves of the people, shall come to judgment; then shall Nero's face turn ghastly pale, and Herod stand infamously naked before God; then shall the kings of the earth, who have taken counsel against the Lord, come to the fearful tribunal of a just judgment; and the literary infidels of modern days stand together in one condemned cell: the men whose hands have handled silver like dust, and have turned away their faces from the poor of the

earth, these shall have the face of the Lord turned away from them; and they whose pens have been active in the service of Satan, shall have no more that they can do; their writings shall be their judge, and their wretched attempt to multiply those fools who say in their heart that there is no God, receive their just reward.

The day of the revelation of Jesus Christ shall put all things in order. Now we see not all things passing for their due value. We see righteousness often trampled upon by iniquity, and the cause of the poor often violated by the present power of the rich. God at pre

sent appears on the earth by ten thousand infallible proofs, yet He is not ever seen to be executing judgment, for He has reserved it unto Himself for the great session of the day of the revelation of Jesus Christ. Then shall every man's work be tried, of what sort it is, when its quality will be conspicuous in a light that will rightly dissect all things, and add no false colour to anything. Then how miserable will appear the parsimony that has been afraid of laying out 1/ for the Lord, in the relief of His people, or in the propagation of His truth, by tracts or otherwise. Then shall all the fine gold of earth become dim in the shades of eternal night, and they who have enwrapped themselves in the world's comforts, and cared only for themselves and their own fleshly gratification, be left without a consolation,-to dwell in the frightful nakedness of filthy rags, in a home where the darkness is thick, and no sunlight shall ever arrive to dispel the tormenting fog. Then shall those who have deceived men, by the cunning of hypocritical manners be subject to an investigation by Him whose judgment shall effectually scrutinize the character, and before whom, every mask shall be torn off to the everlasting shame and contempt of the foolish wearer; and what is more terrible than all, the irrevocable verdict of the judicial Majesty will be pronounced in a tone of thunder, never to be forgotten by the lost soul,a sound destined to vibrate for ever in the courts of the dark prison. SALVATION! what is thy value? JUDAH. May 21st, 1853.