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RECENT DEATHS.

Died, at Hull, on Thursday, Jan. 21, 1830, at the age of 47 years, the Rev. WM. EASTMEAD, formerly a student at the Academy at Hackney, several years minister at Kirby-Moorside, Yorkshire, and for a short time subsequently at Hull He was interred on the following Tuesday, in Nile Street Chapel The pall was borne by the Rev. Messrs. Fox, Hicks, E Morley, M'Conkey, M'Pherson, and Daniels. The two last mentioned ministers engaged in prayer, and the Rev. John Morley read appropriate

portions of Scripture, and delivered an address. In the evening of the succeeding Sabbath, a sermon on the event was preached in the same place, by the Rev. Thomas Hicks, of Cottingham, to a crowded congregation.

REMOVAL.

The Rev. Ebenezer Morley having resigned his pastoral charge at Bridlington, commenced his services on the first Sabbath of the last month, (Feb. 7,) as the stated minister of the New Chapel in Nile Street, Hull.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND MINOR CORRESPONDENCE. COMMUNICATIONS have been received since our last, from the Reverend Messrs. Robert Philip-D. E. Ford-J. Bulmer-George Clayton-David Jones - John Sibree-J. P. Dobson -W. Moorhouse-E. Morley --George Redford-John Cockin-J. Matheson --B. Brook-- W. Pegg- John Clunie, LL. D.

Also from Messrs. Dr. J. B. Brown--J. D. Humphreys-W. A. Hankey-Wm. Ellerby -Henry Dunn-J. Gallyon-James Edmeston-Joshua Wilson-J. Storer Allan-Thos. Pringle--H. K.--R. C.

F. W. H. thanks Pacificus for his "very excellent article" on Peace Societies, and begs to inquire of him, or some other Correspondent, whether it be consistent that professed ministers of the Gospel of Peace, who have been in the army or navy, should continue to receive the wages of war?

The verses sent by a Constant Reader, "written by a mere boy," are too juvenile for our pages.

We cannot insert intelligence, which has already appeared in the same terms in other periodicals.

Some of our Readers will be amused with the following laconic correspondence :For the Editor of the Congregational Magazine.

SIR,

Hermes Street, Pentonville, Feb. 11, 1830. At page 92 of the last Number of the Congregational Magazine, I find the following assertion:

"Mr. Humphreys reprints the following letter, published by Stedman. "Dear Brother,

"Harborough, June 9, 1726.

"I make it a maxim with myself," &c. &c. Now, Sir, if you can, within the next four days, that is, before Tuesday next, the 16th of February, inform me where this letter is to be found as published by Mr. Stedman, it will prevent my taking that step, which will otherwise be unavoidable

SIR,

To John Doddridge Humphreys, Esq.

J. D. HUMPHREYS.

Pentonville, Feb. 12. Four days are not necessary to answer the threatening inquiry contained in your note of yesterday, as the article in question may be found in the first volume of "Letters from the Rev. Job Orton and the Rev. Sir James Stonehouse, Bart. M.D. to the Rev. Thomas Stedman," pages 160--163, and which was published at Shrewsbury, in 1805.

AN EDITOR OF THE CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE.

ERRATA IN OUR LAST NUMBER.

Page 106, line 24, for exalted read excellent.
line 38, for included read excluded.

Page 107, line 33, for engage read engraft.
Page 108, line 42, for courteous read cautious.
Page 110, line 14, for affusion read effusion.

By a strange oversight, the word "British" is introduced into the title of the second article in the present number, which we must request our readers to erase, as happily the Christian system has an equally favourable aspect to mothers all the world over.

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PUBLISHED, APRIL,1,1830, BY HOLDSWORTH & BALL, 18, S. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, LONDON.

THE

CONGREGATIONAL MAGAZINE.

APRIL, 1830.

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT

OF THE ANCIENT CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, ASSEMBLING AT CASTLE HILL MEETING HOUSE, NORTHAMPTON,

With original Documents illustrative of the Pastoral Character of Dr. Doddridge.

(Concluded from page 120.)

THE candour, piety, and zeal of Dr. Doddridge, led him to think favourably of all who warmly professed to love the Saviour, and the Moravian Brethren amongst others, thus found a ready approach to his esteem and confidence.

For the encouragement he afforded them, he was subsequently called to suffer; for during his absence from Northampton, in the summer of 1748, a Moravian teacher, to use his own words, "crept in," and made a sad breach in the church, which terminated in the formation of the Moravian congregation in the town.*

"

new accession of church members, and there is such a spirit of prayer amongst us, that I still believe God will be with us on God let our hopes be fixed, and to him let our labours and hearts be devoted. I desire his church may be built up by my means, if that may seem good in his sight, but much more that it may be built up one way or another, by such instruments as he shall appoint."*

Thus was the mind of Dr. Doddridge evidently prepared for the event which in two years deprived the church and the world of his effective labours and bright example.

The fatal malady under which Six members separated from the he suffered, was nourished by his Doctor, though some were aged prodigal disregard of health; and and experienced Christians, and to such a crisis had it come, that others undoubtedly amongst the his people were appalled, and the souls that God had given him." issue of it became doubtful even Writing, however, to his friend, to his own sanguine mind. the Rev. R. Frost, of Yarmouth, He administered the Lord's Supin June 1749, he says, "Not-per for the last time to his church, withstanding the breaches God has made upon us, by which more than 500 (including infants) have been removed from amongst us since the year 1741, the auditory is still in a flourishing state, and the desolation is repaired by a

* Letters to and from Dr. Doddridge, p. 288.

VOL. XII. N. S. No. 64.

on the 2d of June, 1751, visited London, and thence he went to Sudbury to assist at the settlement of Mr. Hextal by which labours his cough was much aggravated. On his return to Northampton he preached his last sermon to his

*Dr. Doddridge to Rev. R. Frost, Congregational Magazine, Vol. V. p. 184. Ꮓ

beloved people, on July 11, from Rom. xiv. 8. and then left Northampton on that journey in search of health, which at length carried him to Lisbon, where he died, October 26, 1751.

The people of Northampton deeply felt their loss, and by their generous conduct to the widow of their beloved Pastor proved the sincerity of their affection to his memory. A large, expensive, and, what at that period was probably regarded as an elegant monument, was erected by the people on the right side of the pulpit, in the Meeting House, Northampton, on which the following epitaph is inscribed, drawn up by Gilbert West, Esq. and LL.D. the much esteemed friend of Doddridge.

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That adorned his more private character;
By which, though dead, he yet speaketh,
And, still present in remembrance,
Forcibly, though silently, admonisheth
His once beloved and ever grateful flock.
He was born June 26, 1702.
And died October 26, 1751,
Aged 50.

The Church Records do not furnish us with any particulars of the measures which were taken to supply the vacant pulpit; but it appears that in 1753, Mr. ROBERT GILBERT, who was stationed at Oakham, Rutlandshire, was called

to preside over the church at Northampton. It seems that this gentleman was unequal to the discharge of all the duties of the pastoral office, as Mr. William Warburton was his assistant until his death, that gentleman officiating on the Lord's-day morning at Northampton, and in the afternoon at Creaton, a village about eight miles from that town, to which, after Mr. Gilbert's decease, Mr. Warburton confined his services. Against Mr. Gilbert's name, in the Church Book, it is written, "This worthy man died Dec. 28, 1760.”

Mr. WILLIAM HEXTAL, Succeeded him. This gentleman was educated by Dr. Doddridge, and first settled at Creaton. On the death of Mr. Ford, of Sudbury, Suffolk, 1750, he was invited to remove to that town to undertake the pastoral charge of the respectable dissenting congregation there. On that occasion Dr. Doddridge wrote to Dr. Wood, of Norwich, he is a most pious, humble, zealous, and very able man, only of a weak constitution, who would, perhaps, be as fit to succeed Mr. Ford as any man that can be named. It would be a great grief for me to lose him from these parts, but I would not wrong the public so far as to wish to retain him in so small a place all his life."

66

The invitation to Sudbury was accepted by Mr. H. and on the 20th of June, 1751, he was publicly recognized, at which service Dr. Doddridge was engaged, contrary to the affectionate advice of his best friends, and which was nearly the last public service in which he officiated. Mr. Hextal appears to have continued there about ten years, when on account of some unhappy dissentions, occasioned by a party spirit in elect

* Letters to and from Dr. Doddridge, p. 303.

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