ORDINATIONS. LEWES, SUSSEX. ON Wednesday, May 13, 1818, Mr. J. B. Pewtress was ordained pastor over the Baptist church, at Lewes, Sussex. The Rev. Mr. Packer commenced the solemn service of the day, by reading the 132d psalm, and praying. The Rev. Mr. Forster, of Uckfield, described the nature of the service, asked the usual questions, and received the confession of faith. The Rev. Mr. Edwards, of Little Wilde-street, offered up the ordination prayer, with the imposition of hands, and likewise gave the charge from Col. i. 27, 28. The Rev. Mr. Kirby concluded this part of the service by prayer. Met again in the evening, the Rev. Mr. Kirby began the service by reading and prayer; the Rev. Mr. Dicker, pastor of the Baptist church, at Hailsham, delivered a salutary address to the church, from 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. Mr. Pewtress concluded in prayer. A pleasing revival has taken place in this church within these last six months; several additions have been made to it, and the present prospect is very encouraging. N. B. The Rev. Mr. Cox, M. A. of Hackney, was to have delivered the charge, (having been the late pastor of Mr, and Mrs. Pewtress,) but owing to a ON Wednesday, June 3d, 1818, Mr. Joseph Gaunt was ordained as pastor over the Baptist church, at Sutton in Craven, Yorkshire. The crowd was so great that the services were conducted in a neighbouring field. Half-past 10, A. M.-Mr. Nathan Smith, of Barnoldswick, read 1 Tim. iii. and part of Ezek. iii. and prayed. Mr. Oddy, of Haworth, discoursed on the nature of a gospel church, from Psalm cxxxiii. 1; asked the usual questions of the church, and the minister. Dr. Steadman, (Mr. Gaunt's tutor,) offered up the ordination prayer, accompanied with laying on of hands. Mr. Trickett, of Bramley, (Mr. Gaunt's pastor,) gave a very serious and impressive charge, from 2 Chron. xxix. 11; and Mr. Jackson, of Ackrington, concluded with prayer. Three o'clock, P. M.-Mr. Allison, of Idle, prayed; Dr. Steadman preached to the church from 1 Cor. xvi. 10; and, Mr. Scott, a student at Bradford, concluded with prayer. Quarter before 7, in the evening. Mr. Mann, of Shipley, prayed, and preached from Gen. xvii. 1; and Mr. Winter, a student from Bradford, con cluded with prayer. Poetry. TO ANTINOMIANS. "And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." WHAT! say th' “unclean spirits" hous'd in clay, What! sin can do no harm?-What has it done? What made the couch of David flow with tears, What brought the harmless martyrs to the stake? What was it wrung a Spira's soul in death? "The sting of death is sin," if in thy heart O," worse for mending, wash'd to fouler stains!” Or the wash'd swine who wallow in the mire. London: Printed by J. BARFIELD, 91, Wardour-Street, Soho. THE Baptist Magazine. SEPTEMBER, 1818. MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOSEPH STENNETT.* JOSEPH STENNETT was the son of Edward Stennett, of whom a brief account was given in our Number for the last month. He was born in the year 1663, at Abingdon, in the county of Berks. At an early age he gave satisfactory proof of a serious regard to religion, and made great proficiency in literature. Being trained up in a family where there was so much genuine and undissembled piety, with the blessing of God upon his father's ministry, he became a happy instance of that early conversion, which, in some of his printed discourses, he has so well recommended to others. What an early and just "sense he had of the advantages of such an education, appears from the following passage, written when he was very young, and found among his papers since his death: "O God of my salvation, how abundant was thy goodness! O invaluable mercy! Thou didst season my tender years with a religious education; so that I sucked in the rudiments of Christianity, as it were, with my mother's milk, by the gracious admonitions and holy discipline of my godly parents. This was an antidote sent from heaven against the corroding poison of sin: this made conscience speak, while my childish tongue. could but stammer: this is a branch of thy Divine bounty and goodness, for which my soul shall for ever bless thee." Having finished his grammar learning at the public school in Wallingford, he soon mastered the French and Italian languages; became a critic in the Hebrew, and other oriental tongues; successfully studied the liberal sciences, and made a considerable proficiency in philosophy. And it was with an early view to usefulness in the character of a divine, that all his diligent application to his studies tended. As to divinity, though he carefully read the Fathers of the first ages, and impartially examined and considered the most celebrated schemes which later times have produced: though he paid a due deference to the works of those, who have learnedly and judiciously laboured to remove the difficulties objected to our holy religion: and though he was willing to receive light wherever it was to be found; being fond of no opinion, either for its novelty or antiquity, if it did not appear to be true; nor ashamed of any notion in religion, because it was grown out of fashion: yet * Printed from the Life of Mr. Stennett, prefixed to his Works. VOL. X. 2 T I have often heard him say with pleasure, that he was the better satisfied with his principles, because they were formed on a diligent and impartial study of the holy scriptures themselves. These, indeed, were his constant study from a child; and how he profited in them, sufficiently appears by his works. for the danger this compliance threatened to our constitution. On this occasion, therefore, he rallied the conduct of his honest, though beguiled friends, in a very keen and witty copy of verses; which he took care should be dropt amongst them, where they usually met, so as to come safe to their hands, and theirs only: He came to London in the year and it was not without its effect. 1685, and, for the first five years, He is said, likewise, to have been employed himself in the instruc- the author of some of the Poems tion and education of youth. on state affairs, which had been And being now sensible that it printed privately, and were colwas time to study men as well as lected together just after the Rebooks, he endeavoured to culti-volution, but which they were is vate an acquaintance with several uncertain. persons eminent for their piety, good sense, and learning: and nature had so well furnished him with a capacity of pleasing in conversation, that he seldom failed of recommending himself to men of that character. In the year 1688, he was married to Mrs. Susanna Gill, daughter of George Gill, Esq. an eminent French merchant, who, at the time of the revoca tion of the edict of Nantz, had left his native country, and a very considerable estate there, for the sake of religion. Mr. Gill's elder daughter was married to the Rev. Mr. Daniel Williams, afterwards Dr. Williams, who proved a ge He was bred up with a true sense of the value of English liberty, and had very early felt the smart of persecution; having, in the reign of King Charles II. attended his father a consider-nerous friend to Mr. Stennett. able time in prison for the cause of conscience and religion. About this time, therefore, he wrote several witty pieces, especially in poetry, which were published, and tended to encourage the spirit of liberty in the people. They were much taken notice of, but never wore his name. It is well known, that by the artful management of the court, several | well-meaning persons among the Baptists, as well as of the other denominations of dissenters, were prevailed on to compliment King James, on his declaration for liberty of conscience. Mr. Sten-conscience. This people soon nett, young as he was, understood the lure; and was greatly concerned for those who were led into the snare, but most of all By the earnest solicitations of his friends, being about this time prevailed on to appear in the pulpit, he was soon taken notice of, especially at an evening-lecture which he preached in Devon, shire-square, The congregation, which observed the seventh-day, meeting then at that place, and afterwards at Pinner's-hall, had been for some time deprived of their worthy pastor, the pious and learned Mr. Francis Bampfield; who, after various sufferings, and many years' confinement, died a prisoner for the sake of a good fixed their eyes upon Mr. Stennett, as a proper successor to so excellent a person. Another situation might have been more to his temporal advantage, and there were not wanting offers of that kind; yet he preferred the invitation of this small people, by reason of his agreement with them in principles; accordingly he was ordained their pastor, the 4th of March, 1690; and though they were able to do but little towards the support of his family, which proved numerous, yet no temptation could ever prevail on him to leave them, but he continued their faithful and most affectionate pastor to his dying day. His public labours amongst them were, as has been said, on the seventh day; but he preached to divers other congregations constantly on the first day. guage. His voice was low, but sweet and musical; and as he spoke the true sense of his own heart and experience, so the suitable air of his countenance, and the agreeableness of his address, seldom failed of recommending what he said to the attention of judicious hearers. If he entered into a description of the felicity of the heavenly state, such a sweet smile would dwell upon his face, while his melodious tongue gave the beautiful representation, as charmed and captivated the hearts of his audience. And when, at the close of a discourse, he came to reason with sinners about their unhappy condition, and to set before them the generous proposals of the gospel, together with the fatal consequences of their impenitency, he would so mix his tears with his expostulations, as the affections of but few in the assembly could remain unmoved. His judgment in casuistical divinity, and his large acquaint The manner in which his ministry was conducted, sufficiently discovered that he pursued the true ends of it; to convince men of sin, and lead them to Christ for life and salvation; to make them truly wise, and good, and happy. He laboured industriously to answer these great and good ends, by the diligent pre-ance with experimental' religion, parations of his study: and yet were attended with such a sweetthose who were nearest him ness and tenderness of spirit, as knew how humbly he would ex- invited many persons of afflicted press his sense of the necessity minds and doubting consciences of the Divine assistance; and to apply to him for advice; who with what holy warmth he would always met with a hearty welplead with God for the help of come, and seldom went away his Spirit. The subjects of his without relief. discourses were well chosen ; and the skill he shewed in handling them will best appear from those which are published. He used to bring nothing with him into the pulpit, except some short hints of the heads of his discourse, and references to texts of scripture; so that he committed things only, and not words, to memory: but though his diction was extemporary, yet it was very easy and natural, for he had a great command of the English lan His endeavours to restore any of his flock, who wandered out of the ways of religion, were indefatigable: and those labours were managed with such a zeal for God's glory, and so apparent a view to their truest interest, the dignity of his office being always maintained with a most affectionate tenderness, to the souls of men, that it must be a hardened mind indeed which could continue insensible under his reproofs. |