Church of England to join the Baptists. | Tabernacle conducted the services. Mr. Brown has accepted the unanimous call of the newly-formed church to become its pastor. By the end of this month it is expected that the number of the church members will be more than double. The Sunday-school is in a very flourishing condition. Though only commenced in January, nearly 300 children now attend. As there is no school-room, the classes have to meet in the chapel. Help is needed, sought, and expected to clear off the chapel debt and build school-rooms. He also stated the several circumstances by which his attention was drawn to the Christian ministry, and he was led to prefer Paisley to other spheres of labour which had been offered him. The ordination prayer was presented by the Rev. G. Rogers, of the Tabernacle College; by whom also, after a suitable hymn had been sung, the charge was given. The Rev. T. W. Medhurst, of Glasgow, then addressed the church. Mr. T. W. Macalpine concluded the service with prayer. A dinner was provided at the Globe Hotel for the ministers and other friends. In the evening a soirée was held in a very spacious hall. Tea and fruit were provided. Andrew D. Gibb, Esq., the senior deacon, presided. The chairman gave a lengthened and exceedingly appropriate address. The Rev. F. Johnstone, of Edinburgh, next spoke; then Mr. Crouch; then Mr. Rogers; then the Rev. John Martin, of the Scotch Church; then the Rev. S. G. Green, of Roydon College; then the Rev. A. McDougall, of Rothesay; the Rev. A. Pollock, of the Free Church; and the Rev. A. Dunlop, Independent. Mr. Macalpine offered prayer. Thus terminated proceedings which, it is hoped, will be long remembered in Paisley, and will form a new era in the history of the Baptists in that town. A full account of the meetings, in five whole columns, was given in "The Paisley and Renfrewshire Gazette." A new Chapel in Drummond Road, Bermondsey, was opened by Mr. Spurgeon in January last. It was erected at a cost of £1,750. Through the liberality and efforts of Mr. Spurgeon and friends £1,250 were raised, leaving a debt of £500 without interest to be cleared off by the church and congregation. Mr. J. Alex. Brown from the Metropolitan Tabernacle College has been supplying the pulpit, and the Divine blessing has accompanied the word to the conversion of souls. The congregations are very good, and have been steadily increasing. On Lord's day, 15th July, twenty-nine believers were formally constituted into a church of the same faith and order as the parent church at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. Messrs. W. Olney, and T. Cook, and several of the elders from the On Thursday evening, August 2nd, a social tea-meeting was held in the Baptist Chapel at Brabourne in Kent, to congratulate and welcome the pastor, Mr. G. Wright and his bride, on their return from a wedding trip, when numerous friends assembled to give expression to their kind feeling and hearty good wishes. After tea a public meeting was held. Mr. C. J. Nickols of Sellinge was called to the chair. Mr. W. Wall, one of the deacons, after some kind and appropriate remarks, presented Mr. Wright (in behalf of the friends) with a valuable time-piece and a purse containing £9. The time-piece bears the following inscription: :-"Presented to the Rev. G. Wright by the church, congregation and friends of Bethel Chapel, Brabourne, as an acknowledgment of his faithful ministry." Mr. Wright acknowledged the kindness of his friends in giving him such proof of their affection. The chairman stated that their attachment to Mr. Wright was on account of his clear and faithful manner of preaching to them the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the great amount of good that has been effected during his ministry. Mr. T. Marchant, another of the deacons, expressed great pleasure in being present at such a meeting, and said that, although he had been connected with the church over twenty-five years, he never knew a better state of things than at the present time. He expressed an earnest wish that their pastor might long be spared to minister to them in holy things, which was responded to by the whole of the congregation in an audible manner. Mr. G. B. File spoke to the same effect, and called upon the people to aid Mr. Wright by their efforts and their prayers. On Wednesday, July 18th, the Rev. | in the orchard adjoining the chapel, of Thos. G. Hughes, late of Woodstock, which a large company partook. Oxon, and formerly of Metropolitan Mr. Chambers, of Romsey, is removing Tabernacle College, was publicly recog- to Aberdeen. There will then be seven nised as pastor of the united churches of the Metropolitan Tabernacle students of Culmstock and Uffculme, Devon.labouring in Scotland. Addresses were delivered in the afternoon and evening by Revds. Thos. G. Hughes, pastor; G. W. Humphreys, B.A., Wellington; E. Webb, Tiverton; U. Foot, Collumpton; J. S. Spilsbury (Independent), Uffculme; J. Field, Exeter; J. Wood, Melksham; F. Wagstaff (Independent), Hartland; G. Binnie, St. Hill, and J. Adams, of West Leigh. Between the afternoon and evening meeting tea was provided | A new Baptist interest has been commenced in St. Neot's. Mr. Wyard, late assistant to the venerable Mr. Murrell, having embraced clearer opinions upon the gospel of the grace of God, has with a band of faithful friends set up the banner of the Lord Jesus. Mr. Spurgeon visited the town, preached twice, and in the name of many friends presented Mr. Wyard with a valuable Bible. We wish the new cause all success. Pastor's College, Metropolitan Tabernacle. PRESIDENT-C. H. SPURGEON.-NUMBER OF STUDENTS, 93. Amount required for Students during the year, about £5,000; the rest will be devoted to Mr. John Marsh building Places of Worship. Statement of Receipts from July 19th, to August 19th, 1866. Mrs. Bickmore 0 A Friend, by Mr. Pope 5 5 0 Mr. C. Brown 0 3 0 Mr. J. Rossiter, Starcross 300 A. B. L. John xvii. 20, 21 20 0 0 Mr. Croker 0 12 0 1 0 0 20 0 0 Mr. T. H. Aston 0 10 0 Part of Collection at St. Neot's, after Ser mon, by C. H. Spurgeon Messrs. Passmore and Alabaster. A Friend at Brighton, by Rev. G. Rogers Weekly Offerings at Tabernacle, July 22 36 9 0 500 200 550 050 100 100 200 2 0 0 5 0 0 1 0 0 29 24 8 6 Aug. 5 26 4 1 0 10 0 .. 0 10 0 " 100 £371 15 4 In last month's statements, for Mr. Hanks' Class, £10 10s., read Mr. Dransfield's Class. Subscriptions will be thankfully received by C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. Should any sums be unacknowledged in this list, friends are requested to write at once to Mr. Spurgeon. "And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed." "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side." [See page 479-] THE SWORD AND THE TROWEL. OCTOBER, 1866. Peter and his Spiritual Children. * BY THE REV. ROBERT MURRAY M'CHEYNE, LATE MINISTER OF "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.”—1 Peter i. 1, 2. ROM these words, dear friends, I would have you to notice: I. WHO WRITES THIS EPISTLE. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ." 1st. It is Peter. The same Peter whom Andrew brought to Christ. Andrew "first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, and he brought him to Jesus." The same Peter whom Jesus called by the Sea of Galilee, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men;" and they left all and followed him. This teaches you that ministers should be converted men, men brought to Christ, men who have left all to follow him. God wishes to feed his church by the hands of such men. Oh! it is a sad thing to preach to others, if we ourselves are to be cast away. 2nd. This is Peter that denied his Lord. Peter that said with oaths and curses, "I know not the man.” This teaches you that ministers are sinful men; not only sinners before conversion, but sinners after conversion; men, who like Peter, have denied their Lord times and ways without number. Why is this? (1.) That we may speak with tenderness, that we may say, "fellow sinners.' (2.) That we may speak with earnestness. A man that has been nearly shipwrecked upon the treacherous seas can speak most feelingly of their danger; so those that have nearly made shipwreck of their faith can speak most feelingly, and say, "Little children, abide in him." (3.) It is "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ." He holds his commission from the Saviour. "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron." Peter took not this honour upon himself, but he that said unto him, "From henceforth thou shalt catch men,' "Follow me." Learn from this that ministers are sent of God. We do not run unsent. We are not apostles, it is * Copied from the Author's own Unpublished Manuscript. Preached Dec. 24th, 1837 |