THE COMING REVIVAL!

"There has been," said an intelligent pastor, the other day, "a spirit of fatalism in many of our churches for some years past." This spirit of fatalism signs its hand to the doctrine of predestination; takes a seat under some smooth talking contender for a few of the doctrines of the gospel; and there sitting down, falls into a delusive slumber;— its whole anti-practical and anti-spiritual character putting a negative upon every effort which CHRISTIAN ZEAL and a LIVELY FAITH may attempt to put forth, in accordance with that most holy injunction and consolatory Scripture, "Work out your own salvation, with fear and trembling; for it is GOD which worketh in you, both to will and to do, of his good pleasure."

God is our witness, we have for years sighed cried, longed, and laboured to see our own churches going forth "like an army with banners." We hope a Revival is coming. There is a little movement in the minds of some of the best of men. A sermon, headed, "The Coming Revival," is just published by Hatton and Co., 99, Chancery Lane; it was preached in New Court Chapel, Carey-street, by the minister, Mr. W. H. Draper. It is a seasonable discourse for the times now passing over us. All well disposed, spiritual Christians will sympathize with much here advanced, and to all such earnest believers we can most gladly recommend Dr. Thomas Guthrie's Gospel in Ezekiel"-inasmuch as in that volume, that most popular Scotch divine has thoroughly delineated the several parts, the different properties, the all-essential powers, and the never-failing advantages which all such God-like, and heaven-wrought Revivals are identified with. One specimen of Dr. Guthrie's practical arguments is here annexed. In his discourse "On the Necessity and Power of Prayer," he says:

"The decrees of God, say some, render prayer unnecessary, and useless. Are not all things, they ask, fixed by these decrees-irrevocably fixed? By prayer, I may, indeed, prevail on a man to do a thing which he has not previously resolved not to do, and even although he should have so resolved-man is changeable; and I may show him such good reasons for doing it, as to change his resolution. But if an immutable God has forseen everything, and, indeed, forsettled everything by an eternal and irreversible decree, what purpose can prayer serve? Who shall change the unchangeable, Him, who is "the same yesterday, to day, and for ever ?" Thus men have argued, saying, "What profit shall we have if we should pray unto him?”

It were not difficult to expose the fallacy of this reasoning. The objection admits of a conclusive answer. We might show that the decrees of God embrace the means as well as the end; and since prayer is a means of grace, being a means to an end, it must therefore be embraced within these very decrees,

and cannot be excluded by them. I content myself, however, with simply remarking, that this objection is not honestly, at least not intelligently, entertained by any man. For, if the objection is good against prayer, is it not good against many things else? If it stops actions in the direction of prayer-if it arrests the wheels of prayer-it ought also to stop the wheels of our daily business. If it is a valid argument against prayer, it is an equally good objection to ploughing, sowing, taking meat or medicine, and a thousand other things. Might not an unwilling or indolent husbandman in spring, with as much propriety ask, what is the use of sowing? Has not God ordained everything? If I am to have a harvest-if he has so decreed-then, although no plowshare turn up a furrow, nor sower walks these fields, they shall wave in Autumn with golden corn. Or might not the patient, who sickens at the sight of nauseous drugs, as well say, take these away, I'll drink no more of them? Has not God ordained everything? Can a sparrow fall to the ground without the Father? If he has decreed that I am to live, come cholera, fever, deadly pestilence, live I shall. If he has decreed otherwise, all the medicines of the apothecary and the skill of science cannot avail to save mecannot add one grain to the sands of my existence. Did any man in his sober senses ever reason so? With that simple question we dismiss this objection."

remarks on" The Coming Revival in EngDeferring, for the present, any further land," we close this brief paper by simply calling attention to a pamphlet, entitled," The New York Christian Critic; a Review of the Revivals in America ;" from the powerful pen of BENJAMIN JAMES ROGERS, of New York city. This pamphlet contains a long epistle, addressed "To Charles Waters Banks, Editor of the EARTHEN VESSEL;" after very faithfully reproving the Editor for countenancing the reports of the American Revivals, Mr. Rogers gives a three-fold exposition; first, of American Religion generally; secondly, of Gospel Truth specially; and thirdly, of Vital Godliness in the heart spiwill be useful to many thousands who will ritually. We hope brother Rogers's epistle read it, on both sides of the Atlantic.

the

"GEORGE WHITFIELD'S THUNDERBOLT AGAINST UNCONVERTED MINISTERS Heaviest Calamity that can befall the Church of God; and Dr. Campbell's remarks On the Great Spiritual Deadness of the Present Time."" Such is the title of a pamphlet which we hope tens of thousands will help us to circulate through the bowels of this kingdom. Dr. Campbell, in his most searching articles, of late, in "The British Standard, (the best religious journal in existence) has

come out like a noble defender of the faith.

A SEVEN-FOLD STUDY OF
THE BIBLE.

A LETTER TO MR. J. B. McCURE.

CIRENCESTER JUNCTION, THURSDAY

JULY 8th, 1858.

the Church and in the world-in body and in soul-in family, and in gospel fellowshipsurely, with Watts you must say—

"We have double joy to sing,

The honors of our God."

Sovereign Ruler of the skies make you more and more fruitful in your mind, more and more faithful and fervent in your ministry, and ten thousand times more successful in turning many to righteousness,-in leading souls to the Saviour,-in reclaiming poor fallen wanderers, and in comforting and feeding those who have believed. My dear brother, do not let that beautiful boot-shop you have out there engross all your time; do give some time to the cause of Jesus. Read all you can, write as much as you can, pray always, and in all places; preach whenever your secular and domestic claims will allow. Never mind whether it be in-doors or out-doors; preach CHRIST WHEREVER AND WHENEVER YOU CAN; and, if possible, scatter little tracts and papers, pointing to the truth, in all directions. Many of our churches in England are now circulating large numbers of my little monthly, "CHEERING WORDS," Cannot you, or your fellow labourers, do the same? Send me some "Cheering Words" in MS.; please God, I will print them and send them you for distribution; and let me know if you have any good religious publications at all in Australia.

You must consider a great honour has been conferred upon you in making you an apostle of the Australian colonies, or a planter of DEAR BROTHER in Christ, and fellow heir gospel churches in those gold-finding and goldof life, John Bunyan McCure, of Geelong, worshipping regions. I fear the gold of AusAustralia. Grace, peace, and prosperity, be tralia has, in many cases, been of much greater with you and yours.-I have walked this concern than the golden grace of heaven; if morning, with my excellent brother Thomas so, the mercy appears all the greater that you Lamb, from Crudwell, to this station, intend- have been enabled, in some measure, to" seek ing to go on to London, by the first train; first the kingdom of God, and his righteousbut as we were disappointed of a ride, I have ness;" all other things having been promised lost the train; and must here wait for some and added unto you. The more I think of time. The weather is stormy-I am weary- your position, the more I am disposed to think and all here is quiet and retired; I sit down, it is one of immense importance indeed. No therefore, beside the railway, and commence mortal mind can measure the amazing amount this epistle to you. I am grieved to find that of good God may make you the instrument of some parties who, I think ought to have writ-effecting. Oh! my brother, may the great ten to you from this country, have never done so. This is exceedingly painful to me, because they profess to have a great zeal for the cause of Christ, but in testing times they manifest nothing of the Spirit of Christ. There are four things, however, that much reconcile me to the burden you and I have to bear from this class of professing people. In the first place, I rejoice in the fact, that you have met all just demands; this is a mercy for all parties. I do assure you, my brother, I am aiming, in prayer and persevering efforts to do the same; and if it were not for the red, yellow, and many coloured prejudices, secret persecutions, and awful animosities of many who profess and call themselves Christians, there would soon be freedom; but I am resolved, (the Lord giving me opportunity and power,) to do all the good I can-to publish all the truth I can-to be free from all temporal embarrassments as soon as I can -and if in the Land of Holy Liberty, and in the enjoyment of a share of gospel usefulness, uprightness and devotion, I am privileged to end my days, none will have greater cause to triumph in the boundless mercies of an allwise, all-glorious, and gracious JEHOVAH, FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT, than your deeply-tried companion in the pathway of tribulation, and in the ministry of the gospel. I am thankful to find, secondly, that you have been gradually led into a large field of gospel labour and acceptable usefulness. It must, surely, be a source of amazing thankfulness to God in your heart, to see that all things have worked together for good to you! Had you Before I pass on to my third point, will you remained in England, your heavy trials allow me to give you one hint? It is a scheme might have broken your heart, and brought for more advantageously reading the Bible. you to a premature grave; as I have many Of course, I know full well, that no method, times thought mine would have done; but nor any amount of Bible-reading, can really O, bless the Lord!-he had a work for you to profit us or our hearers, if we have not the do in Australia; and, therefore, you must life of God in our souls,-if we have not the go: you did go the Lord preserved you and unctuous power of the Holy Ghost attending yours in going; and there he has kept you in our ministrations. No man on earth, I think, his truth, in his name, in his fear; there he has can more feelingly and fully rely upon kept the fire burning in your soul, causing the mighty and mysterious teachings and you still to desire to glorify Him-to preach helpings of the Holy Spirit than my. him-and to be devoted to him:-there he self. For days together, I am travelling has propsered you in basket and in store-in hundreds of miles, and running from

A sober minded, Christian gentleman has just come over from Melbourne. He gives me a good account of your position, also, of Mr. Allen's, in Melbourne; and I am concerned, for your progression, in a permanent extension and establishment of pure gospel truth in all parts of those immense colonies where a kind Providence hath fixed your tent, and erected for you a gospel tabernacle.

your attention to his brother. Poor fellow! I suppose! beside working hard all the days of his life; beside enduring great per secutions and afflictions; beside rearing a very heavy family, beside all the trials and sorrows common to all poor men; and specially to poor Christians, I suppose he has walked thousands and tens of thousands of miles, preaching to those churches who say, they are so poor, they cannot keep a pastor and so they hire poor godly brethren for about five shillings per Sunday, to walk to them in the morning; preach three sermons to them in the day; and get home, at night, poor fellows, as best they can.

The poor brother, to whom I have referred, has been an exceedingly laborious supply for very many years. Very often going nearly all the week half-starved; and then when the poor man's resting-day came, this laborious ox had to walk many miles, and preach as hard and as well as he could.

rail cars, carts, and poney traps, right into the pulpit. If the Lord did not help me, break down, or die, I must; therefore I know that no amount of practice, no retirement, no close reading, no, nor practice, nor anything else, short of the special operations of the blessed Spirit can ever make us "able ministers of the New Testament." But, mark you, our dependance upon the Holy Spirit is to be no excuse for our not using all the means this world will afford us, for becoming thoroughly possessed of every kind of information, which, in the Lord's hands, may much tend to render your ministry a blessing in the fulfilment of the prediction, "I will give you pastors after mine own heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." Am I wrong, if I say there is a sevenfold reading of the Bible necessary to a proper, profitable, and a permanent dispensation of its glorious and immeasurable contents? I think not. Let every young man, who is anxious to be more useful than very One Saturday afternoon, quite worn out many of the elders at present are, see if he can with labor, he set off for a long journey: carry out this seven-fold study of the Bible. almost faint by the way, an enemy asked him 1st, its Historical; its dates and times: 2ndly, to refresh himself by taking a little to drink, its Local; its places: 3rdly, its Natural; he did so, for a little while it overcame him. containing its one great orgin, and manifold The enemy triumphed. The report was design; 4th, its Typical; embodying the spread, "Parson so-and-so was -several persons and numerous places which, Satan caught the report, hired some of his in some way or other, preached Christ and deeply depraved vassals to carry it round. the Covenant, unto the ancient fathers; It was received, and instead of the Churches 5thly, its Prophetical; which embraces so whom he had served, making all enquiries; many Biblical colonies fuller of soul-enriching and using all efforts to help, and honourably matter than ever California or Australia was, or to set up, an afflieted man of God; without will be of gold; 6th, its Evangelical, Paraboli. judge or jury, they condemned him; cast cal, and Apostolical, taking in the Mediatorial him away; and left him broken hearted; and Life and Labors of Christ; the character and in sorrow deeply sunk! Oh! my brother! is ministerial course of the evangelists; and the this the christianity of the gospel? will our Lord uprising, persecution, progression, and deve- Jesus Christ sanction such conduct? He will lopement of the New Testament Church in the not. But I am not judge. While I pity, Acts, Miracles, Movements, Epistles, and and pray for the afflicted brother, I say, achievements of the apostles; 7thly, and more "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do essential that all beside, is the Vital and Spirit-right?" This is but a sample of much in nal experience of the Bible. Perhaps more of this another day.

touch

our land. God help us, all to trust in Him, Abruptly I close until next month. I have a variety of information for you good colonists in store.

Ever in the Truth, your's,

OUR

YOUNG

C. W. B.

MEN

IN THE MINISTRY.
No. I.

In the 3rd place, I desire thankfully to assure you that I have found many in the home churches here in England who are greatly interested in your welfare; and gladly receive tidings of your good success in your new Colony. Let this encourage your heart. There is one thing more ing the trials you have been subjected to. It is clearly evident to me, that there is a large body of people in our chuches who never can sympathize with the Lord's people NOT to puff up any man with pride, but when temporary trials encompass them. for the information of our friends, that no Some good may result from my giving you man's candle shall be hid under a bushelthe following narrative. In a retired corner and that widowed churches may know where of one of our western counties, there once lived to look for occasional help, we purpose to two rude, unpolished, uneducated young men. furnish a brief account of those young Our God called them by his grace; and after Samuels, and Timothies, whom, we hope, the that he called them into the ministry; and I Lord is raising up in these days-whom he have known them as useful ministers for the is preparing for Zion's future comfort: even last ten or twelve years. One of them made such a race of men, who, for devotion, zeal, use of me to remove him higher up; and ability, and genuine usefulness, will fulfil when, by stepping on my back, he as- that delightful prophecy" instead of thy cended up among the higher orders, he fathers shall be thy children, whom thou kicked me aside. Very kind. But all works mayest make princes in all the earth." well in the end. Leaving him, let me call, Having been into nearly all parts of the king

upon them.

dom, this spring and summer, we have MR. BRUNT, AT HUNGARY HILL. had opportunities of hearing, and of witness- FOR native talent, and true devotion, we ing the good hand of God upon many, whose have many young men rising in the ministry, ministrations stand in some power and ac- equal to Mr. Spurgeon; but they have not ceptableness in the different spheres where they move. The brethren Baxter, of Not- boldness without; nor quite so much expanthe external attractions: they have not the tingham; and Wilcockson, of Ramsgate; are both young men of considerable promise; and siveness within; otherwise their ministry is although they belong not to us as baptists, most excellent. The following is one of the still, as they are valiant for truth, and well many testimonies we have received, descriptaught in the vitals of a holy religion-we tive of the valuable services of one we are rejoice in the honour the Lord is conferring proud to call, our esteemed brother Brunt, now of Colnbrook, in Beds. One writer says: The brethren Coughtry, of Eaton Bray; Wale, of Reading; Davies, of Greenwich; Butterfield, of Rotherhithe; Pells, of Soho; Pascoe, of Rotherfield; Cracknell, of Plaistow; and some others, we trust, are among the young pastors, who, like "the young cedars fresh and green," will long live in the midst of Zion, to publish the tidings of mercy to the millions of the sinsick family. We are invited to this task by the reports and letters which have been forwarded, testifying of the good the Lord is doing by them. We only select the following now: MR. CRACKNELL'S FIRST BAPTISING, AT

REHOBOTH CHAPEL, SHADWELL. One of our reporters, who was present, writes as follows:-"Mr. Cracknell will be a name new to most of our readers; but, we are very much mistaken, if, ere long, his name is not as extensively known as those of some other ministers who now take a front seat on the platform of the religious world. If the "Great King," of whom he spake on Wednesday evening, July 13th, deigns to bless his young servant, as he has blessed some others, he will be a useful man in the gospel kingdom. From the sermon preached by Mr. Cracknell on the evening referred to, in Mr. Field's chapel, we give a sentence.

:

The text was-"Behold your King."-John xix. 14. Mr. Cracknell said-It might have been expected that I should, this evening, make an attempt to prove from Scripture, Baptism by immersion. But, beloved, I have found that there are but few persons who come forward to deny the ordinance; some see it right, yet themselves unimpressed with the claim of that ordinance to them, disregard it. I, therefore then, shall just look at Christ as the great King. As a King, he wears the crown of glory! as a King he has a chariot -a gospel chariot, and he goes forth therein with power and the sinner is brought to know him; as a King he rules in his church, rules in the hearts of his people. We must look to him for all our rules; for if we do not found them upon his Word, we are wrong; let us then search the Scripture: as a King he possesses great and blessed power, and some can bless and praise that power. What think ye of this power? As a King, he possesses infinite wisdom. Some puny men defy this wisdom; they alter some of his ordinances, and turn them to please men; but his laws are wise laws: unto his disciples he said "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." I say, then, follow him in baptism; thereby testify and give an outward profession of your faith in him.

DEAR BROTHER-We held the aniversary ham, Surrey, when Mr. Brunt, of Colnbrook, of Bethel Baptist Chapel, Hungary Hill, Farn

was chief orator. Brother Harding, of Hazel-
After
mere, opened the services of the day.
singing, brother Brunt took for his text, "yet
once in the end of the world, he has appeared
to put away sins by the sacrifice of himself."
The Lord powerfully descended, and made the
place of his feet glorious, leading our brother
workman which needed not to be ashamed. The
to handle the points which he deduced, like a
place was crowded to excess. In the evening,
brother Rush, of Hammondsworth, commen-
Iced the service. Then brother Brunt assu-

med his place, and preached from the follow-
ing words, a most blessed and masterly dis-
course, "In the world ye shall have tribulation,
but in me ye shall have peace." Truly I can
say amidst the affliction, censure, and reproach
through which I have had to wade, the Lord
was in our midst as the God of peace. Like
words: like the pen of a ready writer, so was
a living coal from off the altar, so were his
his tongue; as a comforter, so was he as a
teacher; likewise, from the bottom of the lad-
der to the top, so he ascended and descended,
feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and
helping those who are without help; and
after nearly one hour and three quarters, he
wound up the subject in a very consoling
manner, and much to the satisfaction of his
audience. Mr. Brunt is a master in Israel;

his language is good; full of argument
decided in the fundamental doctrines; a good
elocutionist; sweet in description; encouraging
to the weak; and where there is the least
spark of life, in him is encouragement.
not eulogize the creature, but only as by grace
A MOURNER IN ZION.

he stands.

HOW

I do

TO PREPARE FOR AN ANNIVERSARY.

seasons

Times of trial to nations, are wherein God often works upon the hearts of the children of men; and their slumbering thoughts are aroused to consciousness, while the spiritual are instructed in the vast lessonbook of Jehovah's "judgment and mercy."

The pleasant little village of ELLINGTON, near Huntingdon, has been visited of God in mercy for many years; and the Gospel has made the hearts of many of the villagers to forget their troubles and rejoice in their God. It was verily so with them on Wednesday, July 21. Much concern had been felt because of a general affliction in the village; and it had been proposed that the anniversary, and the visit of brother Banks, be postponed; but