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Then by-and-bye they will turn a little more,
then a little more, till they turn right round
just where they were before; and the last
state of that man is worse than the first.' ".
J. FOREMAN.

"When Jesus first came to me, he did not come with hat in hand, and say, 'If you please John, will you be convinced of your sins ? No! he never consulted me anything about it; but he made me willing in the day of his power."-J. FOREMAN.

"Whoever comes to Jesus Christ must come without money and without price. It is all in vain to come with your price in your handwhether it be the price of prayers, or the price of tears, or the price of repentance. All, all is nothing at all. All is nothing at all; a half a sinner and a half a Saviour will never do at all; for it is only feelingly great sinners that need a great Saviour.-J. PELLS."

My dear Sir, you know our spiritual young Timothy (whose name I have just written over here). He seems to handle matters wisely, and is blessedly acquainted with the good old subject-sovereign grace and free salvation; and he stands to it that God will never forsake his people, or lose one of them out of the fold of Jesus. The first time I heard him I shall never forget it. O, I was broken down! I was melted, like poor Mary, at the feet of Jesus. O, for more of this!

A LOVER OF ZION.
Belchamp Road, Tilbury, near Halstead.

MR. R. G. EDWARDS.

DEAR BROTHER BANKS.-It is some considerable time since I took up my pen to address a few lines to you; and I trust these will find you still in the realization of helping and supporting grace. If it is not the good pleasure of Him who dwelt in the bush, as yet to cause you to sing of delivering mercy, it is our privilege to know the Lord liveth," and that "the Lord reigneth;" that he is able to deliver us; that he has promised to deliver us; and that his promises are as certain to be fulfilled as if they were already accomplished. There is a set time to favour Zion; and when he has tried us, we shall come forth as gold. Some of the Lord's people, and especially his servants, know much more of the furnace work than others. But the deeper the sorrows the louder they'll sing. Painful indeed is the pathway; much tribulation to the flesh, and sometimes overwhelming to the spirit; yet it is sanctified to our souls' real profit and experience, as also to the welfare of others of the Lord's tried saints. During the past year I have been following the movement of the cloud, with no little fatigue of body, in various parts of England; and I certainly begin to feel, if it were consistent with his Divine will, I should be glad to find a resting-place in the wilderness, where the Lord would make my testimony a blessing to immortal souls. I cannot but feel thankful, however, to the Lord, that he has graciously condescended to own and bless my poor labors in no small degree; so that, during 1855, I have baptised twice in Suffolk, once at Sheerness, once at Ramsgate, and

once at Brighton. I am now fulfilling my engagement of last year, supplying the friends in Suffolk; and if the Lord spare, have promised them also the month of February. The month of March, and forward, I shall be vacant, and ready to supply any destitute church, that may be desirous of obtain. ing a settled pastor. The Mendlesham friends evidently possess the same eagerness after truth as ever, as the various places I labour in are crowded, although I preach eight times a-week. I feel a great affection and union for the friends here, and there is a great field for labour; and certainly think, should feel happy in accepting their hearty and unanimous desire to remain amongst them; but there are some obstacles in my path, that completely prevent my pitching my tent in Suffolk; and were it the mind of the Great Head of the Church, I believe he would level so that I should be joined with them in body, every mountain, and remove every obstacle, as I am truly in heart.

If you should have application from a Strict Baptist Church loving the glorious truths of the everlasting gospel, and will drop me a line to my residence, 9, Oxford Street, Stepney, London, or where I now am, till the end of February, at Mrs. Barker's, Winston Green, near Debenham, Suffolk, I should feel obliged. Praying that you and your's may enjoy every covenant blessing, I remain, my dear brother, your's affectionately, Jan. 17, 1856. R. G. EDWARDS.

ORIGINAL LETTERS FROM MR. ARTHUR TRIGGS, TO MR. WILLIAM WRIGHT.

[THE terrible exercises of a living soul under temptation, the good news of gospel grace, and the Lord's omnipotent power in delivering and saving, are so conspicuous in the following correspondence, that we have hope the Great Head of the church will make it a blessing to his living family.-Ed.]

DEAR MR. EDITOR.-Believing you desire to freight the VESSEL with valuable cargo, I beg to forward you two excellent letters from that venerable servant of Christ, Arthur Triggs; and if the circumstances which induced him to write them, are worth insertion, you can do so.

In the summer of 1844 my soul was sorely tempted to the committal of the worst of sins. O how my soul trembled at the thought, that the time had at length arrived which Í had often dreaded, that I should be given up to a reprobate mind, and to follow all sin with greediness. "Yes," added Satan, "your profession has now come to an end, and you'll soon return as a dog to its vomit, or the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire. It is quite evident you have neither part nor lot in the salvation of the Lord's people; and as the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, your very prayers are only sin before him.

In such a dreary state of mind I went to Zion Chapel on the first Sabbath in August, when Mr. Triggs remarked, referring to Hosea xi. 4, ("I was to them as those wh

said one thing that you could lay hold on, to begin in the way of business you did, and yielded to the aid of satan to help you—that is, relative to time, place, and an exact des

take off the yoke from their jaws,") that the yoke there spoken of was the manifest pardon of sin. My soul sunk within me; a consciousness of such a mercy had never yet been fully revealed; and although I had been oft-cription of the same; and though I love to times indulged with many sweet love tokens, yet the whole of my past experience appeared as nothing. My former hope fled; my sins stared me in the face; and nothing but a dreary looking forward for future judgment seemed to await me. I at once wrote to Mr. Triggs, describing the state of my mind, which he promptly replied to as follows:"Dear Friend and Brother: Having received and perused your's, I think it right to say a few words to you in love relative to your statement; not that I intend to dispute you out of your determined belief, in unbelief of what the Lord hath done for you; as it is the alone prerogative of the Lord to persuade the mind relative to eternals. You certainly appear to be very inconsistent in inconsistencies. This you acknowledge in word in yours; and as you appear determined to abide by your acumen in such things, all I may say may not be of any service to you. Yet, as one said, so say I-I will shew you mine opinion.' The saying you mention, is as spoken; which I believe to be the truth; nor do all the suggestions you have received alter it, nor change an iota of the truth of it as regards you; and though there is a trio raising objection to it, -I mean self, unbelief and satan; yet, in due time you shall acknowledge the blessedness of it, and bless the Lord for the mercy. It would display a little wisdom to bring the aceuser to the Book of words and meanings, instead of citing him to this bar of decision. You please him well in passing judgment upon yourself, because you feel so-and-so. I had hoped that my brother had by this time done as Paul said, 'Put away childish things;' but I find he is still at his old play of battledoor and shuttlecock, and giving in the palm to satan to allow him to make the God of truth a liar; for by what power was it so blessed to you the truth you mention in the first part of your letter? Surely it was not produced by self, unbelief, nor satan; and as I believe it was of the Lord, I dare not attempt to foster you in your fanciful statement afterward; and if I mistake not, there was even then, when you were writing, something that contradicted it. This I leave with you to settle, and I desire to draw your attention to the portion I was alluding to (Hosea xi.) when I made the remark; and now plainly say to you, that had not the Lord taken the yoke from your jaws, you never could have experienced the things you have stated. Therefore, do ponder over these things calmly, and not so easily give place to satan. speak in love, as I have suffered much from his base insinuations. I want you, with me, to honor the Lord by believing the word spoken by him. And do not you recollect that at the time you say that you sank, that I had been briefly stating, in conjunction with the killing sentence about the yoke, that how aptly the Lord's children answered to the Lord's words? "Yet they knew not that I healed them. Nor can I bring to mind that I

hear such things, yet it is not for you and me to set or confine the Lord's hands by our uncertain time-piece. The Lord saith, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.'

"I trust these hints will be acceptable; and in real friendship I say unto you, that if you believe yourself to be what you try to make me believe, (but without effect) why do not you give it all up, and go back from following the Lord, reading your Bible, and praying to the Lord? I say again, why don't you give this all up, that others may see and believe that you are the man that you want me to believe-that is, that you have neither part nor lot in Christ and salvation? My desire is, that you will think soberly on these things, and say with Paul, Let God be true, and every man a liar.' I may appear now to you rather too trite; but I assure you I cannot turn nurse to unbelief, having found it such a noisy, troublesome, and disturbing, motley, monstrous brat. I have sighed after its death, and tried to deprive it of its existence; but in this I rejoice that unbelief cannot make the truth of God a lie, nor without effect. I suppose the composed state of the mind of your dear wife is a trouble to you; and that because she believeth the record God hath given of his Son; and you try hard to get her into the zigzag way of proceeding you are in. But it is to be seen in the dear old Book that the female hath often been the strongest in the matters of believing the Word of the Lord. I hope to hear soon that you are completely broken down in this your old trade, and going on looking unto another, and finding in him what you will never find in yourself.

I

"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghost, and Jesus and salvation be growingly precious unto you. Amen. My Christian love to your spouse; and I remain, yours in our precious Lord Jesus, A. TRIGGS.

"20, Laurie Terrace, Aug. 5, 1844.”

On the receipt of the above, instead of finding my hope revived, I felt more determined in unbelief than ever. I replied to him, even charging him with unkindness in encouraging, even to the slightest degree, one who felt himself so completely lost as I then apprehended myself to be, when, to my surprise, I received the following:

"All hail! my Brother. Good news and glad tidings have been received from

Bless the Lord, O my soul! The old man is sinking apace. He no longer enshrouds the Head from view; and soon he will gladly be put off, and the new man put on. Unbelief begins to falter in its speech, and speaks with a stammering tongue. Satan is losing ground though he may try to act desperately; and the captive exile is hastening, that he may be loosed, that he should not die in the pit, nor

that his bread should fail; and soon you shall
come out, though it will be as Job, with the
skin of your teeth, and your strength and
armour all gone; so that you will say with
David, I opened my mouth, and panted.'
Jesus hath his sword on his thigh. He is
riding prosperously, and soon it will be de-
clared, that he is gone to be a guest with a
man that is a sinner. The mandate is now". Now free from sin, I walk at large;
signed, and soon it will be proclaimed,
Lazarus, come forth!' The stone is rolled
away; the grave-clothes and napkin will be
taken off, and the proclamation will be heard,
and felt, Loose him, and let him go.' And
the dear Redeemer will soon be found
in the house, saying, Come and dine.
And Lazarus will sit at the table, and
his old companions may try to come to the
house also to see him that is arisen from the
dead; but their visiting will be unheeded by
you; for heart, mind, soul, thought, desire
and affection will be taken up with Jesus and
salvation; and your ravished soul will say,
'Stay me with flagons, comfort me with
apples; for I am sick of love.' And his lan-
guage will be, Eat, O friends! drink, yea,
drink abundantly, O beloved!' Then my en-
raptured heart will be filled with love, blood
and salvation. Mercy and truth will meet
together; righteousness and peace will kiss
each other; and the poor captive taken from
the mighty will exult in the mercy that Christ
is All and in all. Then he will begin to sing,
in strains most noble Salvation to God and
the Lamb." Sin will be sunk into a nonen-
tity, being drowned in blood; guilt quite gone
from the conscience; death will be completely
abolished, and your old taskmaster the devil
bound and turned out of doors, and all his
goods, and the King of glory will come in,
and take his rightful possession, and say,-
This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell, for
I have a delight therein.'

ments. And the angel of the Lord stood by.'
And methinks that I hear you even now say-
ing, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my
soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath
clothed me with the garments of salvation;
he hath covered me with the robe of righteous-
ness.' And I will willingly join with you to
sing,

This Breaker's blood's my soul's discharge;
At his dear feet content I'll lay,

A sinner saved, and homage pay."

"And the following words of truth will increase your joy in the Lord-" Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem! ery unto her that her warfare is accomplished, her iniquity is par doned; for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sin." Amen.

I now commend you to God, and the Word of His grace, who is able to build you up, and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified in him. These things I have predicted concerning you; and I do not think you will prove me a liar, and my speech nothing worth; believing the Lord would not have shewn you such things as he hath, had he intended to destroy you; and I trust you soon will hear the Master is come, and calleth for thee. Till then, I remain your willing servant in the gospel of peace; not to make swaddling bands for unbelief, neither to nurse the old man, or give place to the devil; but to preach Jesus and salvation. Your's in our precious Lord Jesus,

A. TRIGGS.

"Laurie Terrace, Aug. 6, 1844." "I could not refrain from writing you, though I have not begun to study a sermon for this night. Love in the Lord to you and Mrs. W. W. [Rom. xi. 26; 1 John i. 7—10.”]

Upon reading it I felt still that no less a power than that which called Lazarus from the grave, could ever satisfy my mind. To be thought a child of God by others, afforded me "These hints I send you in love, believing the no satisfaction. Nay, had an angel of light truth of them; and though you may a little told me so, it would not suffice. I must hear longer dispute the point, and say in your the voice of the Son of God himself, speaking haste, 'All men are liars;' yet, I speak the peace to my troubled heart, or no peace could truth; I lie not; my conscience bearing me I obtain. I fell down before him in prayer, witness in the Holy Ghost; and I further de- when I was enabled to plead his own word, elare, that did you not belong to Christ, and Lord, thou hast said, "Cast thy burden on he had taken the yoke from your jaws, you the Lord-he will sustain thee." Take it, never could have felt, experienced, and en- Lord! I can bear it no longer. When, to my joyed what you have of him, nor would he utter astonishment, he whispered in accents of ever have been so precious unto you; nor will love-" Thy sins are all forgiven thee." I you ever go back, and walk no more with started in amazement, and said, "Is it possihim; and as I have been made manifest in ble, dear Jesus? Is it not a delusion ?" your conscience, as one that speaks the truth, When the same sweet voice of Him whose so I shall yet have joy of thee when thou wilt mouth is most sweet, again condescended to be as Naphtali,-a hind let loose, satisfied reiterate the same blessed words. Never can with favour, and full of the blessing of the I forget the joy of that happy day. My sins, Lord.' Then you will understand, in a heart-which had threatened to consign me to remefelt experience, what you are now longing for -that is, the Divine properties of the fulness of the Word of the Lord. Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? The filthy garments will be taken away, and the proclamation will be heard and received, felt and understood Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head: so they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with gar

diless and endless woe; my sins, which had ofttimes in feeling made me worse than the beasts of the field; my sins, past, present, and to come, all forgiven-washed away in a Saviour's blood; my guilty soul, cleansed from all its guilt and filth. O, what news! what bliss! And not only so favored, but the amazing condescension of a precious Redeemer to tell me so! Jesus, the mighty God, stooping so low as to whisper to the heart of a poor unworthy worm, such words of grace and mercy.

But when we gaze by precious faith on the crucified One, the great Sacrifice for sin, we need not wonder at any condescension of his blessed Majesty for "He that spared not his own life, but poured out his soul unto death, even the death of the cross," will never suffer the objects of such amazing love, of such unmerited and matchless grace, to pass out of time without the fulfilment of his own promise, "I will manifest myself unto you otherwise than I do unto the world." Yea, he has promised to dwell with them, to be in them a well of water, springing up into everlasting life.

That you the Editor, with the readers of the EARTHEN VESSEL, and the unworthy writer, may daily have the sweet communications of his grace and favor, is the sincere desire of your's in gospel bonds, W. W.

A LETTER FROM MR. H. DOWLING.

(To the Editor of the Earthen Vessel.) DEAR BROTHER.-Since I have known of the existence of your publication, I have ordered a few copies out, rejoicing that it, with the Herald, and Trumpet, are streams flowing to fertilize the garden of our God. Each, in their own line of things, are spreading the unctuous name of Jesus, in whom centres the life of the church, and the glory and bliss of heaven. There is room for you all, with all the graces and gifts the Holy Spirit imparts, to hold up to the eye of faith and penitence, the glorious transaction of our Triune God.

the members of our churches; and even more than that; a want of unity, and a division founded on trifles. My old and valued brother, now departed, John Stevens, once said, "It rarely occurs, that the church of Christ is favored to contend about great things." Satan seems permitted to work destruction in our ranks, while unity and co-operation marks the movements of others, whose views we cannot sympathise with. You have put me in possession of an interesting fact, that the ministerial agency God has raised up for the testimony of his Word, has greatly exceeded the veterans called into rest; and that by public meetings held in different parts of your kingdom, they come into closer contact, and knowing each other better, they love more abundantly. May, the Great Head of the church still multiply and bless the messengers and their message. We have had to prove that God alone can furnish a ministry for his church, and a people to receive the message to whom I would give unceasing praise. Our Christ has indeed received gifts for men; and Paul tells us that his sent servants are gifts, gifted in succession for the work of the ministry. While the supply is generally equal to the demand, let not it be forgotten that Zion's petitions are to be put at the mercy-seat, "that more labourers are to be sent out." Surely God favours the prayer, which cannot compel his action.

Some years past, on my arrival in this colony, I wrote to England to arouse the churches to an aggressive movement against the power of darkness in distant colonies. To be happy and useful in extending the The appeal was affectionately received, the truth as it is in Christ, ministers and editors desirability of it admitted, and some meetings must be practical predestinarians, believing held, but there was wanted unity of action. in Jehovah in working out all his purposes It failed. God, however, has been mindful by instruments of his own providing. At an of us. Some have come from England to the early day it was given me to see that no one neighbouring colonies; and we have had one man can do the work of another. The belief whose first impressions of Sion's demerits, of that fact, I have found a blessed rest, un- and the provision of mercy opened to the der ministerial fears, trials and prospects. view of faith, as contained in a full Christ, Jealousies, heart-burnings, and undervalu- was drawn forth in our worshipping assemings will be soon rooted up, if we study to be bly, under the preaching of the Word by my quiet, and mind our own business. It is not mouth. God has placed him as a witness the limit of our gifts, with its discourage- and testifier at Melbourne, and from whom I ments, that we are to look at, but the majesty have just received the inclosed, which I of the grace of our God, that throws our ex-transmit for the edification of the saints. cellency into the "foolishness of preaching," by which God saves them that believe.

At present the province of our body seems to be employed in disseminating the glorious It seems that your mind hath been directed gospel of the blessed God in the towns and to strike out into a new path, collecting in-villages in Great Britain ; but your usefulness formation relative to the local position and would be extended even there in the home apparent state of some of the Baptist circle, by a proper organization. God is with Churches of Great Britain. Certainly, my us in these lands; but the attendance, as dear brother Banks, we should hope that such well as the population, is small; no great matters should not shut out the more inter- visible display of converting power, but a esting essays on the all-important truths of gradual opening to view of Divine Sovethe gospel; yet such information has a stir-reignty in in-gathering a few, as I hope, like ring influence on the mind, as it opens to the gleanings of the vintage-a church with view portions of the family of God, organized a blessing in it; the earnest of greater for his glory, hitherto unknown, especially to persons situated as we are, at your antipodes. In my day, when at Colchester, there was a general complaint of the distance which the ministers of distinguishing views in the gospel of God our Saviour maintained -a distance and reserve that veiled the glory of a gracious, brotherly relation. So with

things yet to come. Our town has, perhaps, 6,000 men, women and children. We have two Independent, two Scotch, two Episcopalian, two Wesleyan places of worship, and one Particular Baptist, of which God was pleased to make me the humble instrument of planting and watering. We have a chapel and dwelling out of debt, with a church of

about fifty members. Our baptisms are far between; but I judge altogether I have had the happiness of going down into the emblematic grave of a buried Christ, and followed him with them into the resurrection life of Jesus, on whom we look for present help and future glory. We have adopted the voluntary principle for ministerial support; and if it be a Christian voluntariness I recommend it to the adoption of your churches. People must feel the sacredness of their obligations, and put it to their consciences, as the Lord has blessed them. Then we find them seats, but let none, and take in return, to be paid down in advance, what they can give; and for the accommodation of those who prefer it, an open box is at the door, as also for causual hearers, for their contributions. Pay or no pay, all have seats. If God pour out a spirit of liberality, it is often surprising to see how a small congregation like ours, say of 150 in worship, can accomplish by dealing with such matters with faith and love. If we have to mourn over one sin more than another, it is that deadly monster-Intemperance, arising from the abuse of intoxicating drinks. view it as the plague-spot of the church. I I saw its inroads in England, and here I am surrounded by its extensive influence. We preach against it, pray against it, and, for the sake of example, put it away as a deadly thing. I have renounced the bitter cup for full fifteen years, and have no doubt I am mentally, physically, and circumstantially the better for it. O may our ministers and people do what they can to stem the desolating torrent 1

Wishing you, dear brother, the help of God in your arduous post, and grace from our living Head, Jesus, to rest upon his elect family in every place, believe me, yours affectionately, H. DOWLING. Launceston.

ENCOURAGING WORDS FROM BROTHER POOCK, AND OUR IPSWICH FRIENDS.

BELOVED BROTHER,-I congratulate you at the beginning of another year; may it be to you the best you ever had, in spiritual enjoy: ments, in temporal supplies, and in ministerial and editorial usefulness and success.

Truly your VESSEL has come forth in this year, I think, with a richer cargo than ever I saw before; may she take in the same in kind as long as years endure, for I feel persuaded if she does, the hungry, longing, living poor, will increase their store, be enlarged by your means, and bless the great Lord for his grace by it.

my soul, for I believe the time is coming when it behoves the servants of God to maintain decidedly the nature and operations of the Holy Ghost in his divine influence upon the heart, as the only source of communion with, and the only evidence of union to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in covenant relationship; and what is real religion, and who is, or can be in the way to holiness or happiness without it? I well know gifts are good when sanctified by grace, but it is only where the Lord is there is liberty.

Through mercy we baptised four persons last Lord's-day at Bethesda. We were truly favored with unusual solemn seasons throughout the day; the candidates' minds were led, I trust, to enter into the end and design of this important ordinance, and by faith to please the Lord and profit by his promised presence, so graciously vouchsafed to them; the congregation was large, very attentive, and many of them affected to tears, for the scene was calcu lated to produce this, as the praying parents of one was near the baptising, witnessing the Lord's mercy in hearing prayer for, and betheir family. Another was a grandaughter holding the faith and obedience of one of of one of our deacons, who died in March, 1854, and for whom many petitions, no doubt, were presented. One other was a daughter of brother Warren, of Bramtree, who was directed to live in Ipswich some three years ago, came to hear the word, and it proved the Lord's time to call her by his grace; she and two others, through mercy, were called within that period. Surely godly parents are by children. such things encouraged to pray for their dear

church the same day. May the Lord bring in Three others joined us from a distant his people to love and obey, and sing with a good brother

"Sprinkled in infancy was I,

But now that's done, I lay it by;
I put on Christ, and him I wear,
And be baptis'd as Christians are."
ТНОМАѕ Рооск.

Ipswich, 10th January, 1856.

A FATHER'S COUNSEL.

Copy of a Letter sent by Brother Warren, of Braintree, to his Daughter, previous to her being Baptised.

DEAR SARAH,-I am not uninterested in your movements, nor indeed can be, but there is One above all others to which I would refer you-a Father indeed, a Friend divine-who can give you a sober mind, a fruitful heart, and willing feet to run in his way with delight, whose presence you need, whose attracWe are glad to find you so well employed in tive glances are sufficient to swallow up all the Zodiac, the Lord direct your contempla- thy fears, sins and sorrows, and make the tions, clear your views in Mazzaroth, keep path of thy obedience delightsome and proyou from the torrid and frigid zones, and pre-fitable to thyself and to others, and as pleaserve you always in the temperate.

The epistles of "A Little One" are epistles of essential value in the present day, the distinctions maintained are rich, savory, and to the living soul beneficial; I find them so to

sureable as it is profitable. My earnest prayer is that you and brother Poock may see Jesus and all, to whom the Lord has given spiritua eyes, may see Jesus; and, if it is the Lord's will, that the dead may hear his voice and live.

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