As I returned home the solemn thought that we had all to die was powerfully echoing in the chambers of my mind. I met the aged on his crutch, youth in his pastimes, and manhood in its prime, and I exclaimed, ye have all to die! Whatever other toil ye have to do, or however exempt ye may be from sorrow and distress, ye have still to die. From this there is no escape, no refuge in the windings of a pursuit which follows its victim to the very grave. Reader, you have to die. If be a Christian not only in the profession of its name, but in the possession of its principles, how welcome will the signal be! With what unspeakable joy and full of glory will you rejoice in beholding Him who hath borne your griefs and carried your sorrows, whose stripes you hath healed the wounds which sin to flee from the wrath to come, to die in your sins, where he is you lations. Think for a moment on what a narrow bed you will shortly slumber, for to please your taste and gratify you who now require so much your fancy;-a narrow slip of earth, dust for your dwelling place and darkness and say your companion, ing for-to glut the grave with your if this be all that you are now toiling for-to glut the grave with your pampered clay, or to decorate the quiver of death with the perishing garlands of frivolity and dissipation. I conjure you as immortals, labour only for immortality: give the deathless spirit which inhabits your best cares and attentions to hath made in your soul, and whose your fleeting dust; let all your death hath burst the barred gates the eternity to which you are rathoughts and considerations be for of Heaven for your admission. How will your soul rejoice in its pidly hastening, and you will asprison-house of clay in bright ansuredly find that the grave will ticipations of its glad release-lose its sting, and death with all its when you will mingle with the terrific horrors will be completely spirits of the just made perfect, up in victory. Summer Hill. and the myriads of happy immortals who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, and when you will behold the great and almighty God, and enjoy everlasting communion with him in those cloudless gions. re Reader, you have to die, and if you be not prepared, I entreat you swallowed R. S. P.S. The preceding reflections were suggested by the death of died Sept. 16, in sure and certain Mrs. T. Claridge of Cosely, who hope of immortality and endless life. MISSIONARY SOCIETIES. tion of the Scriptures; and fifthly, To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. for the support of schools in that DEAR SIR, quarter. I cannot bring myself to think that there are any Christians in respectable circumstances who would not contribute to each of those objects at least one guinea and much more to I FELT much interested in reading a letter which appeared in the Missionary Register of the last month, from a Subscriber to the annually, Wesleyan Missionary Society, di- those in which they felt more recting the attention of other sub-particularly interested. Why then scribers to the urgency of the call should we lessen our assistance for many more missionaries being because these several departments sent out, and containing an obser- are conducted by the same Comvation in accordance with that mittee? I am glad that with regard which our excellent friend Mr. to two of your Societies, the BapBlackburn made at our last annual tist Fund and the Baptist Building meeting, on the very inadequate Fund, the same uniformly small estimation in which Missionary subscription does not prevail. With Societies appear to be held by the respect to the first, we bear in religious public, judging from the mind the number of objects it emamount of annual subscriptions braces, and if we act conscienwhich are generally given to those tiously towards the latter, we Societies. And this appears, not contribute as many guineas as we only when we consider it with refe- were used to give to the cases. rence to the importance of the ob- Surely it needs only to remind our ject itself; but when we compare it friends of the important and gloriwith the amount of assistance given ous nature of the work, and to tell to other objects. For example: them of the urgent and pressing the ordinary subscription to a cha- calls for increased exertion, of varity school, or to any local society cant stations which cannot be for a benevolent object, is one supplied, and of openings in Proguinea, and certainly that is little vidence which the Committee feel enough; but when you come to it out of their power to attend to, look at the Report of the Mission-in order to prevail upon them to ary Society, you find commonly attached to each subscriber's name the same small sum of one guinea. Now, if we consider the operations If we have felt any thing of the of this Society with reference to their constraining power of the love of vast importance, their wide extent, Christ, we must have been deeply their multifarious nature, and their interested in the accouuts we have necessary expensiveness, I think received of the revivals in the we must acknowledge that it is not American churches, and we pray justly treated. Let me suppose that the Lord would bestow on our that the objects of the Society churches the same rich blessing. were separated, and that there I believe it will be found that the were distinct Societies-first, for feeling excited in America has been the support of missionaries in the connected with the contribution of West Indies; secondly, for the a larger proportion of the income support of schools there; thirdly, to these objects, and I feel no for the support of the East India doubt, that as the millennium apmission; fourthly, for the transla-proaches, there will be not only a afford to those objects pecuniary contributions more commensurate with their importance. I am, dear Sir, yours, &c. greater spirit of prayer, but Chris- no one applying for them may tians will devote a much larger disappointed. proportion of the property of which they are made trustees, for the promotion of that cause which be A LAY MEMBER OF THE ON ORDINATION. To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine. will become more and more inte- Nov. 12, 1828. AFTER twice reading, with some The only difficulty I find in saying something to my learned friend, who lays a particular stress on certain Greek words, the meaning of which I have never disputed with him, arises from my being unable clearly to ascertain what he admits in my former papers, and what he denies. Let us, however, endeavour to examine his letter. Our excellent Wesleyan friend, to whose letter I have adverted, though not satisfied with what has been done, states that he is a subscriber, that his children are collectors, and that he has a missionary box in a convenient situation. Now, in some of these particulars, it appears to me that there is a great deficiency among us. Our young people do not seem to be Your Correspondent, I certainly sufficiently interested; there is a understand, still charges my first much less proportion of them act- paper with an "austere and dising as collectors, than among other couraging tone towards some who religious bodies; and as to mis- appear to be just commencing sionary boxes for the Baptist mis- their labours in their Master's sion, I rarely ever see them. I vineyard, and who ought rather to have obtained one from our Secre- be encouraged than browbeaten by tary, and I understand he has them their senior brethren." I confess, always ready; but anticipating Sir, that I feel sorry if what I that a large number may perhaps wrote will bear this interpretation; be called for, in consequence of for indebted as I have been to the these hints, I will recommend to kindness of some excellent brehim to increase his stock, so that thren in the ministry, for the en even without the voice of a church. couragement they afforded me in I was in a minister, and, according entering on its arduous duties, I to my opponent, in this latter case should feel ashamed could I imagine myself to be so destitute of all proper feeling towards those who may happen to be a few years my juniors. But while I feel the most ardent esteem for my brethren, it surely is not my duty to shew leniency to their improprieties. Truth is of more value than friendship, and Paul,* in dealing with Peter, though they were both inspired, on one occasion "withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed." Your Correspondent seems to wish to associate with this subject that of laying on of hands, and states his conviction, "the result of rather a diligent inquiry, is, that it was employed, not at ordinations, but in the bestowment of miraculous powers." Constitutionally averse to controversy, and decidedly unwilling as I am to engage in a lengthened discussion of this topic, I cannot forbear asking "A Country Minister," whether laying on of hands was not practised in the ordination of deacons, Acts, vi. and in the appointment of Saul and Barnabas to their mission, in Acts xiii? And whether, in each of these cases, it was not unattended with the communication of miraculous gifts, seeing the parties possessed them before? 66 The admissions of your Correspondent, at least if I understand the import of his paper, are very remarkable. I had said in your Number for June, that the choice of the pastor rested with the church, and his appointment or ordination with those previously in office; and "A Country Minister," after shewing, certainly very clearly, that the churches chose My opponent complains of my their own pastors, and that the speaking of Timothy and Titus as Apostles and Evangelists being uninspired men," and supposes present, and having directed their I infer this from their not writing choice, and taken the votes of the any portion of the Scriptures, church," thought it a suitable Certainly I never derived my opioccasion for solemn prayer." Very nion from any such circumstance well; they were inducted to office as this; but I yet call on him to by ministers previously ordained. prove his statement, that they were "inspired," and that they were able to communicate the spiritual gifts to others which they themselves possessed. Unless he can do this, all his arguments appear to me to fall to the ground. For admitting they were not pastors, they certainly were not apostles, but by an apostle they were appointed to the ministry. Again, your Correspondent tells us that Titus not only ordained elders in the churches in Crete, (by the term elders, I understand, with "A Country Minister," both pastors and deacons,) but "appointed ministers to various stations on the island, for the sake of evangelizing it more completely." Very good; still the appointment I doubt not but your readers Where, Mr. Editor, does our good will admire the ingenuity displayed friend, and some of your other Correspond-by "A Country Minister," in evadents, get their authority for sainting the ing my questions as to where he writers of the New Testament? If they obtains proof that, in the first ages have the title, I claim it also for Saint Moses, Saint David, Saint Isaiah, Saint of the church, pastors entered on Ezekiel, &c. &c. their office without being appoint ed thereto by other ministers; and as to the character of Christian bishops or pastors being given to ministers rather than to churches. I cannot but suspect that on these, as well as on some other parts of the subject, he feels some difficulty. characters, 1 Tim. v. 22. I have, therefore, been much concerned to see the practice of administering the Lord's Supper obtain prior to it; which tends to set it aside, and will, I am persuaded, be a source of many mischiefs in the churches. "I am told of a very respectable church, which has lately fallen a prey to a designing man, whom they have ordained. As none of the neighbouring ministers would attend, they determined to do without them. The consequence, I If, Sir, I lengthen my paper, by adding a passage or two from a letter by the late Mr. Fuller, who was no very great advocate for old customs, it is partly because I do not again intend to address you on this subject, unless my unknown friend on the other side should doubt not, will be mischiefs inbring forth some new arguments. calculable." I have no ambition to have the With due respect, Mr. Editor, last word in the controversy; but to yourself, and to "A Country I fear lest a spirit of innovation, Minister," to whom I wish all while it pulls up the tares which prosperity and success in his lạmay have grown in the garden of bours for the glory of Christ, God, may also go on to root up what is of divine origin. Writing to a young minister, who I am A PUBLICLY RECOGNIZED had consulted him on the adminis- Nov. 11, 1828. "Relative to your question, I must say, it appears to me very wrong to administer the Lord's Supper without ordination, as it goes to render void that ordinance. Ordination of elders in every church was the practice of the first churches, Acts, xiv. 23. and we should not make light of it. It is calculated to keep out unworthy characters from the churches. "There was a Mr. that would have settled at if we, as ministers, would have been at his ordination; but we knew the man to be of a bad character, and refused it. The consequence was, he stopped awhile, and then left, and went into where he made great havoc of some of their churches. "Ordination seems originally intended for guarding against bad PASTOR. A DISCOURSE ON THE IMPORTANCE OF Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.-Phil. iii.8. (Continued from p. 501.) BUT we regard the subject as important, thirdly, because proper ideas of the person and offices of Christ will most effectually secure the consistency of our obedience, and the stability of our hopes. In every sect and under every system, doubtless, there are men equally distinguished for the purity of their morals, the benevolence of their dispositions, and an exemplary discharge of duty, upon common principles, both in public and private life, But the Gospel requires its votaries to practise the same virtues with unimpeachable fidelity |