often, I say and too much on Sunday, rather than on the week day evening. Of course, the head must not be lost sight of whilst searching for the heart; but the latter must be mainly aimed at in effective public teaching. I am convinced that, by engaging the congregation more, instead of looking so much to the preacher alone, in the conducting of the worship, an advance would be gained. All forms are liable to abuse, no doubt; but it may be worth considering whether the severely silent and passive form of our service answers so well to the present active, practical turn of the common mind. as would a medium, which should unite the audible and expressed worship, provided by the Church, with that more abstract and contemplative habit of thought which our primitive and more puritanical form is supposed to favour. If our ministers would not disdain the aid of the "Prayer Book," in compiling some general form of prayer, for all sorts and conditions of men and human experience, to be used as an early prayer, it would be acceptable to a vast many who would like to repeat it with the minister. The Lord's Prayer is already adopted in some places very acceptably. I hope these thoughts, suggested among the peaceful and profitable associations of a Country Church, may elicit friendly and candid comment from some of your contributors, with a view to the increased efficiency of your public worship. Yours very truly, A VOICE FROM THE PEWS. REVIVAL IN IRELAND. To the Editor of the General Baptist Magazine. DEAR SIR,-Is it a work of God? is a common inquiry relative to the events which are transpiring in Ireland. Like many others, I regarded it with suspicion and distrust, but having been permitted to visit Belfast and the neighbourhood, to see and hear for myself, I have been led to the conclusion that it is, most unquestionably, the work of God; that as on the day of Pentecost, so now it is, "the Holy Ghost who hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear." Perhaps a few notes and observations made during my visit may not be unacceptable to the readers of the General Baptist Magazine. Already, the whole church in Ireland has been raised to a higher and holier state of Christian life, and entered more ardently into its sacred pursuits and activities. The means of grace are crowded with eager souls hungering and thirsting after salvation. Thousands, and tens of thousands of all classes, conditions, and ages, have given proof of the power of converting grace; and on every side good people, astonished and delighted, have been led to exclaim, "What hath God wrought?" How has all this been brought about? The answer is to be found in one word-prayer. The work had its origin in prayer; it has been sustained by prayer; its great characteristic is prayer; earnest, believing prayer; prayer like to that of the patriarch, when in his wrestlings he resolved, "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me." The prayer meetings are amongst the most remarkable features of the work. I was privileged to be present at a "monster prayer meeting," held in the Botanic "All people that on earth do dwell, CORRESPONDENCE. Though the weather was not very favourable, the meeting continued nearly five hours, and the interest sooner increased than otherwise to the close. In addition to singing and prayer, sixteen short, pithy, pointed, addresses were delivered by ministers of various denominations (of whom there were nearly 300 present), the topics being the sinner's state, salvation only by Jesus, the necessity of the Holy Spirit in the work of conversion, the freeness of the offers of the gospel, the accepted time, &c. After the meeting was concluded, many hundreds remained on the grounds, divided into groups, engaged in earnest prayer with those who were under convictions of sin and desiring salvation. This meeting was but a sample of several others (on a much smaller scale) which I attended. There was no excitement or extravagance. All was quiet, solemn, earnest, devout, with but very little, if anything, to offend or annoy the most precise adherent to the usual forms of ecclesiastical propriety. 6 The prevalence and influence of the work is extraordinary. You meet with indications of it on every side. It is the common topic of conversation. Your attention is arrested to it by the sound of praise and prayer which you may continually hear in the place of the lewd song or profane oath, so common in the streets of our large towns. You see on the walls placards with such announcements as these:--"GOOD NEWS: This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,' &c. A WARNING: The Wages of Sin is Death.' A PROMISE: The gift of God is Eternal Life,' &c. AN INVITATION: Look unto me, and be ye saved,' &c." and others of a like kind. In the shop windows you see notices of prayer meetings, and it is manifest in the quiet thoughtfulness of the people. It has extended amongst all classes. The Mayor of Belfast has presided at a mid-day prayer meeting. Many of the outcasts of society have been brought to sit at the feet of Jesus, rejoicing to be made partakers of that grace which saved a Magdalene. A man of such desperate character as to be nicknamed "Billy Bludgeon," who kept a low spirit store, was converted; went to empty his stock of spirits into the gutter. When remonstrated with by his wife he said, "I can't sell spirits and keep Christ; all may go if I can but keep him." "But what shall we do for bread?" the wife asked. The reply was, "I'll leave that with Christ; he has saved my soul, and I can trust him to take care of my body." A woman, notorious amongst the vilest of characters, 483 known as "The Queen," was converted, and has gone forth to seek, by divine help, to reclaim some of her poor outcast sisters from the error of their ways. Mr. Henry, the pastor of the Baptist church, Belfast, told me that on one occasion, after he had preached in the open air, in one of the lowest parts of the town, nine prostitutes came to him, and with tears entreated him to assist them to obtain admission into a penitentiary, or in some other way enable them to forsake their miserable course of life. Such facts might easily be multiplied. Nothing like accurate statistics can possibly be obtained respecting the numbers converted, but the additions made to some churches will give an idea of the direct results of the work. All evangelical denominations have shared in the blessing. In Belfast, up to the time of my visit, one Presbyterian church had received more than 900 new members; the minister of which told me "that the Lord had made him instrumental in leading more souls to Christ in the preceding six weeks than in the whole of the previous twenty-seven years that he had been engaged in the ministry." Another Presbyterian church, I was informed, had at one communion service received into fellowship 250 persons, including seven who had been Roman Catholics. One of the Methodist societies had received more than 400 since the commencement of the quarter. And the Baptist church, though the very "least amongst the tribes of Israel," had increased from 40 to 109 members. There had been baptisms every Lord's-day during the preceding month; and the pastor informed me that the number of candidates continued to increase. The oldest and the very young-the patriarch of ninety, and the child of five years old-have testified to the power of saving grace. I conversed with a mere child, whose experience was so clear and scriptural as to her being "a new creature in Christ Jesus." that I was involuntarily reminded of the passage, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise." Surely the prophecy is being fulfilled. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, there shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age; and the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof." While the converts generally give every possible proof of their sincerity, I was repeatedly assured that cases of backsliding were comparatively rare; and that the number of such Several of the stricken cases came under my notice. Take one as a type of a great proportion. A young person had been brought under conviction. Her guilt and danger as a sinner weighed so heavily upon her mind, that for more than a fortnight she could not eat, sleep, or do anything. She went to a meeting; what she heard brought her state as a sinner still more vividly before her mind. She fell down in a state of insensibility; and no one will be surprised to learn that a season of great mental and physical prostration and suffering ensued, from which she only recovered by obtaining "peace and joy in believing." That there are cases of imposture in which persons simulate, under the influence of mesmerism, the state of the prostrated, in order to impose upon the credulous, cannot be disputed. One or two such cases came in my way; and a friend of mine, who made it his business to seek out the "stricken ones," had his feelings in one instance so wrought upon as to be led to part with all his spare cash. But we know that this is not, by any means, a new device of the enemy; and because we have proof that he has been busy "sowing tares," we are not justified from thus coming to the conclusion that all, or even the greater part of these cases, are to be attributed to his agency. The magicians of Egypt, to some extent, apparently imitated the works which Moses did with his rod of power; but still the presence of a Divine agency was so manifest as to compel them to acknowlege, "This is the finger of God." And so it is in relation to the physical aspects of this revival. We cannot do better than quote the words of one whose opinion is worthy of respect. The Rev. J. Morgan, D.D., of Belfast, in his pamphlet, "Thoughts on the Revival of 1859," says:-"It is a familiar and admitted truth, that the Spirit of God has been pleased to give outward signs of his presence and power amongst men. Keep ing his truth in mind, it should not astonish or stumble us to observe unusual tokens of His presence among ourselves. Why should it be thought an incredible thing that He should cause it to be seen or felt in remarkable affections of the body? There are facts before our eyes, which, however, they are to be explained, cannot be denied. In this and in other lands, hundreds and thousands of persons have been smitten by an unseen hand, which they could not resist They have fallen down under it, and been instantly prostrated in weakness. The bodily affection has been invariably accompanied by new and strong mental exercises. An agonizing sense of sin has seized upon the soul. No remedy has been found effectual to meet their case but the name of Jesus. That has been successful. By been healed. Balm has been found in its application, body and soul have both Gilead, and a Physician there, by which the health of the daughter of God's people has been healed. These are facts patent to the observation of all men. Whoever will, may see and examine them. We cannot ignore them. How, then, are they to be explained? There has been no solution offered, independent of the Spirit of God, which could satisfy any thoughtful and reasonable mind. Indifference, and scepticism, and mocking, are out of place-they are unworthy of rational and responsible beings. One thing is certain, that it is in harmony with the past dispensation of the Spirit to give outward signs of His power now. esides, may it not be that it is the gracious design of the Spirit to call attention to His work by outward manifestations? It may be so, both as respects those who are the subjects of it, and others. It may be, that in accommodation to our dulness and weakness, the Spirit is pleased thus to deal with us. He may see that it is the only way in which sinners can be awakened from their fatal sleep, and aroused to inquire after their eternal salvation. Such manifestations may be as much expressive of His love as of His power and sovereignty." (Pages 5 and 6.) On the whole, the work is such that making every deduction for what is strange and peculiar, there is such an overwhelming weight of evidence in favour of its genuineness, as the result of an unwonted manifestation of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, that it seems impossible to come to any other but the conclusion, "It is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in our eyes." While we rejoice in these "goings forth Godof our and King," it is for us to be INTELLIGENCE. among all nations." 485 stimulated to offer with increased fer- | known upon earth, and thy saving health MONUMENT TO LATE REV. J. G. PIKE. DEAR SIR,-The committee for the erection of a monument to the late Mr. Pike, have at length decided upon a design, and have placed it in the hands of a highly competent sculptor to execute it. J. C. will feel extremely obliged if the friends, who purpose contributing, will kindly forward their contributions without delay. The committee miss from the list of the contributors several names of friends who are always ready to aid in every noble and liberal work. They have, doubtless, forgotten the matter, and this hint will remind them of it. The design is very beautiful; worthy of the memory of an eminent servant of Christ, and will be public credit to the denomination. It will, however, prove rather more costly than the committee had expected; and as the sum at present received is inadequate to the cost, they Derby, November 22nd, 1859. Intelligence. ANNIVERSARIES. CLARENCE-STREET CHAPEL, Portsea.Two sermons in connection with the twentieth anniversary of the opening of this place of worship, were preached on Tuesday evening, November 8th, and on the following Sabbath morning, November 13th. The former by the Rev. Thos. Adkins, for more than fifty years minister of the large and important Congregational church, above-bar, Southampton; and who, for his advanced years, and unabated popularity and usefulness, may be considered to hold about the same position in Southampton, and the south of England, as was held by the late Angell James, in Birmingham and the midland counties; and the latter by the Rev. Thomas Cousins, for thirty years minister of King-street chapel.-formerly Mr. Griffin's. Both these ministers were engaged in the opening services twenty years ago, and each of them made allusion to that circumstance in a very touching and appropriate manner. The proceeds of these services, added to those of the ministers' anniversary, only three weeks before, amounted to about £37. LONDON, Praed-street-The first anniversary of the Rev. J. Clifford's pastorate was held on Sunday, Oct. 16th. The pastor preached in the morning, and the Rev. Dr. Hoppus, of London University, in the evening. A public tea meeting was held in the school-room on the Monday evening. The trays had been kindly given, and the room very tastefully de Ever, my dear sir, corated with mottoes, flowers, and evergreens. Upwards of two hundred sat down to tea. Mr. Harrison, student of the General Baptist College. Nottingham, opened the meeting with prayer, and addresses were delivered by the Revs. J. Clifford, A. Johnson, and Messrs. Clarke, Taylor, and Dexter. announced that upwards of seventy had been added to the church during the year, and that the prospects were highly encouraging. It was STALYBRIDGE.-The annual sermons, for the benefit of the Sunday-school, were preached by the Rev. O. Hargreaves, of Burnley, on Lord's-day, November 13th. The congregations were large, and the collections amounted to £31 3s. 4d. BROMPTON, Yorkshire.-The annual sermons, for the reduction of the debt on the Baptist chapel, were preached on Lord's-day, Nov. 6th, by Mr. J. Andrews, of Leeds; morning and evening, at Brompton, and in the afternoon, at Northallerton. On Nov. 7th, we held our annual tea meeting in the chapel, at Brompton. After tea, a large and interesting meeting was held. Addresses were delivered by the Revds. F. Foggin M. Dawson, T. Yeo, W. Stubbings, and Mr. Andrews. W.S., VALE CHAPEL, near Todmorden.-On Saturday, November 5th, the annual tea meeting, commemorative of the minister's settlement over the church, was held, Though the weather was very unfavour able the attendance was large, and the meeting interesting and profitable. A review of the last four years called forth emotions of joy and gratitude, and though during that time there have been seasons of sadness and disquietude, yet mercy has greatly preponderated; and we thanked God and took courage. The church has more than doubled its members. The chapel debt has been considerably reduced, and we are in the midst of a strenuous effort for its entire removal. Three of the deacons spoke in a very feeling, appropriate, and profitable manner, and great cordiality and unanimity prevailed. HALIFAX.-Two sermons, by the Rev. J. Burns, D.D., of London, were preached on the 16th of October, and one by the Rev. J. C. Gray, Independent minister, of Halifax. A tea meeting was held on the 17th. The meeting was addressed by John Whitworth, Esq., the chairman, Rev. J. Burns, D.D., H. O. Crofts, D.D., (New Connexion Wesleyan minister,) S. Whitewood. (Particular Baptist), R. Hardy, C. Springthorpe, and W. Mitchell (a coloured Baptist minister from Canada). The amount raised during the past year towards the reduction of the debt, instead of the required £300, was £247 2s. 4d. The church, however, in dependence on the Divine assistance and blessing, purpose raising, during the fifth and last year, the sum of £350, the amount required to free the chapel from debt. We are well aware of the impossibility of raising this sum without the liberal assistance of friends. We desire that our own exertions and liberality be put forth during the whole year to the utmost, and that churches and individuals, near and distant, assist us according to their ability, and the merits of the case. Messrs. Crossley, with their accustomed generosity, kindly paid the interest on £600 (namely, £30), notwithstanding the deficiency of £50 on our part, and expressed a friendly and hearty hope, that during the coming year we should accomplish our purpose. The proceeds of this anniversary have supplied the church with £60 towards the £350; and two friends, not connected with us as a denomination, have promised £10 each on condition that during the year the entire debt be cleared. We fervently desire that this may suitably stimulate very many. were CLARENCE-STREET, Portsea.-On Wednesday evening, Oct. 19, a public tea meeting was held in the spacious schoolrooms connected with this place of worship, the object of which was to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Mr. Burton's ministry in Portsea. The whole of the trays were kindly contributed by ladies of the congregation, and the proceeds of the social service, amounting to £20, were publicly presented to the minister by the respected chairman, W. Bilton, Esq. The whole of the Independent and Baptist ministers in the island of Portsea, of the same standing as the beloved pastor of Clarence-street, besides several others, were present on the occasion, without one exception, and very appropriate, and in some instances, highly congratulatory addresses delivered by the Revs. J. Harcourt, of London, T. Cousins, F. W. Meadows, G. Arnot, J. Davis, A Jones, R. W. Carpenter, and E. Thomason. Mr. Burton succeeded to the pastorate in Clarencestreet, on the 19th of October, 1834, having just completed the 21st year of his age. In 1839, the chapel was entirely re-built, and enlarged to double its former size, at a cost of about £2,000; since then, a large and very commodious schoolroom has been built at the back. The church at present consists of 258 members, and the congregation averages from 700 to 1,000 regular hearers. There are 450 children, and nearly 50 teachers in the Sabbath-school; and at no former period were the church, and the benevolent institutions connected with it, in a more active and prosperous condition.-Hants Telegraph. BAPTISMS, BAXTER-GATE, Loughborough.-Eight persons were baptized on Nov. 6th. CONINGSBY.-We baptized one believer on 18th of September. The chapel was crowded to excess. CROWLE, Lincolnshire.-The Rev. Thos. Lovekin, our minister, baptized two believers in Jesus, on the 23rd Oct., who were on the same day received into the church. WYMESWOLD.-We baptized seven persons, and added them to the church on Sunday, June 19th, 1859. LEAKE.-On Sunday, Nov. 6th, 1859, five were baptized, and received into the church the same day. WISBEACH.-On Wednesday, Nov. 2nd, six persons were baptized by our pastor, Mr. Watts, and were received into our tellowship on the following Sabbath. G. T. W. |