BRITISH AND FOREIGN ANTI SLAVERY SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the British and Foreign Anti slavery Society took place on Friday, May 14th, at Exeter Hall. Long before the commencement of the meeting, boys were stationed at the doors of the building, who were busily engaged in distributing the speech of Dr. Lushington in the House of Commons on Friday, and other tracts. Mr. William Allen, in the chair. It appeared from the report, that the exertions of the Society in various quarters of the world had been attended with success. From the finanical statement it appeared that the receipts of the Society amounted to £4,673. 3s. Id., and its expenditure to £4, 626: 3s. ld. The speakers were, Samuel Gurney, Esq., Rev. John Carlisle, Rev. J. Burnett, Edward Buxton, Esq., Mr. H. Ashworth, Cap. tain Saumarez, Dr. Vaughan, Mr. O'Connel, Mr. Charles Rimond, W. Evans, Esq., M. P. and G. W. Alexandra, Esq. Resolution." That whilst this meeting deeply deplores the extensive prevalence and unutterable horror of slavery and the slave trade, as sanctioned, upheld, and countenanced by professedly Christian, and other powers, they especially regard their existence in British India, and call upon the people, the legislature, and the government, by their influence and authority, to accomplish the immediate abolition of these enormous evils, and declare henceforth every portion of the British empire shall be the asylum and the home of the free." for promoting Christianity amongst the The anniversary of the London Society Jews was held on Friday May the 7th in the Great Room, Exeter Hall, which was crowded in every part by a highly respectable assembly of ladies and gentlemen. The platform was occupied by persons of rank Ashley, M. P.; Lord Mountsandford; Sir and influence, amongst whom were Lord G. Rose; and the Bishop of Ripon. Sir T. Baring, the president of the society, took the chair. The annual meeting of the British and Foreign School Society, was held at Exeter Hall, on Monday May 10th, Lord John Russell in the chair. The attendance was very numerous. On the platform were several members of parliament, and a great number of dissenting ministers. The meeting was addressed by the chairman, Mr. Clay, M. P.; Dr. Lushington, M. P.; the Hon. C. Howard, M. P.; Mr. W. Evans, M. P.; Rev. Dr. Cox; Rev. Dr. Barth, from Germany; Rev. J. Burnet; Rev. W. Campbell, missionary to India; &c. BAZAAR AT ASSOCIATION. The committee will feel obliged by all friends sending their articles at least a fortnight beforehand, to Messrs. Wilkins and Son, Queen Street, Derby. To the Church, at the Ordination of Mr. Shore over the Baptist Church at Hinckley, October 13th, 1840. Inserted by request. (Continued from page 164.) III. Another duty you owe your pastor, is fervent prayer. "Strive together in your prayers for him." He needs your prayers. He needs them in every respect. He needs them as a man. He is not an angel, but a man, "a man of like passions with yourselves." He has no more indemnity than you against the power of evil, no less liable to error, and not less exposed to temptation than you. He also needs your prayers as a christian-as a fellow-disciple of Christ. His religious treasure is in an earthern vessel as well as yours; his inner man wants nourishing with the same celestial manna, the same heavenly food, as yours; his soul wants refreshing from the same life-giving fountain as yours; his soul needs sheltering beneath the same refuge within which you are secured; his feet need the lustre of the same lamp of life by which yourselves are guided. O pray, brethren, that he may not walk in darkness, while he professedly holds this lamp to you; that angry vengeance may not impend and threaten him, while his finger points and says, "Behold the Lamb of God." Pray, that while he breaks the bread of life to you, he may not starve himself; that while he directs the stream of that river which gladdens your sanctuary, refreshes your hearts, he may not go unwatered himself. O pray that your minister may not carry the torch of heaven to light himself to hell. Pray that God may not, when you and he shall appear at the great tribunal, after having prophesied to you, and in Christ's name expelled demons from your souls, may not hear thundered from that tribunal, "Depart from me, I never knew you." I believe, in my heart, that your pastor is a christian-that he fears God above many; but I know, at the same time, he is yet out of heaven, and yet exposed to danger; then pray for him, but pray for him especially as your minister and pastor. The great apostle himself said, "Brethren, pray for us." Pray that God would adorn his office by pious consistency. It is highly important that you, as private members, walk worthy of your holy vocation, but it is more important that he should. His feet this day have been set upon a hill, the gaze VOL. 3.-N. S. 2 C of thousands will be fixed upon him, they will watch him, and if he falls, how sad; he will not fall alone. No: it will resemble in its consequences the removal of a main pillar from a temple, or a key stone from an arch. And then, brethren, reflect on your pastor's responsibility. Responsibility belongs to all, to every member of the Church; and every one must give account of himself to God. But his responsibility is heavier than yours, and his account will, in some respects, differ from yours; this account will be that of a man put in trust with the Gospel. He is a steward, and he will have to give an account of that stewardship; he is a shepherd, and is accountable to the Great Shepherd; he is a physician, and is accountable for the way in which he has applied the balm of Gilead to diseased and dying souls; he is a public counsellor and guide, appointed to give light to them that sit in darkness-to guide the steps of the wanderer into the way of life; he is a watchman on the walls of Zion, to sound the alarm at the approach of the enemy; and if any perish through his neglect, or by giving the trumpet an uncertain sound, the blood of that soul will be required at his hands. Now considering the vast responsibility of his office--that your pastor will have to give an account of the whole of his official conduct, of the manner in which he has conducted himself towards you and the souls of his fellow-men during the whole course of his ministry-does he not need your constant, your most fervent prayers. If arguments, brethren, were wanting to urge this duty upon you, none could be more forcible than those employed by the apostle. He says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together in your prayers to God for me, that I come unto you by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed." "" For the Lord Jesus Christ's sake." You see the honour of Christ is closely connected with the success of the Gospel ministry. Where the ministry succeeds, the honour and glory of Christ is promoted. Every sinner converted to God, is another gem that sparkles in the Redeemer's crown. Not only is there joy among the angels of God, but the gladness, the satisfaction of Christ is increased-the smile of his countenance is brightened. Now what christian does not feel the force of this argument. For Christ's sake; for his sake-for his sake, who for yours though rich became poor, that you through his poverty might be made rich; who died that you might live; who wore a crown of thorns, that your head might wear the crown of glory; whose soul was bathed in a sea of sorrow, that you might bathe in a sea of bliss; who felt the pains of hell, that you might taste the joys of heaven-for his sake, brethren, for the sake of his cross and passion, for the sake of the love wherewith he hath loved you, for the sake of his honour and his joy when sinners are converted, pray for your pastor, that the word as preached by him may have free course, run, and be glorified. And then your own improvement is closely connected with the divine blessing attending the ministry of your pastor. "That I," says the apostle, "with you may be refreshed." You sometimes come to the house of God, and while the minister is preaching you say, "That is just what I wanted; the promise I wanted, the view I wanted, the encouragement I wanted now this is in answer to prayer." You had been praying for your minister, and God makes him a blessing. O happy is that people whose minister, in answer to their fervent supplications, is enabled to give to each one their portion of meat in due season. Pray then for your minister: for : his sake, for Christ's sake, for the sake of your own improvement, for the sake of perishing sinners, and the prosperity of Zion, pray for your pastor. IV. Another duty you owe your pastor, is the defence of his character against unjust aspersions and calumnies. And here we would remark, you must not expect your pastor to be perfect. You have a right to expect consistency, and a freedom from gross immoralities; but to expect a complete freedom from human infirmities, would be foolish and absurd. Even prophets and apostles were men of like passions with yourselves. Your pastor will have his failings, but do not magnify them; let them rather excite your pity than your frown. It is much to be lamented that, even among christians themselves, a species of conversation is indulged, highly fitted to beget in the mind a low estimate of the ministerial character. Its influence is greatly to be lamented upon persons of mature age, but especially upon the rising generation. Now are you not looking upon ministerial influence as one grand means, under God, for securing the morals, and inducing the piety, of the rising race. How important, then, that they should have a high regard for the ministerial character. And here we may further observe, that a minister's character is the horn of his strength; whether they lose it hy their own immorality, or the cruelty of others, while their character lies in ruins their usefulness is in ruins. How great then the sin of maliciously injuring the character of a minister. It is an act of the greatest cruelty committed against ministers themselves, compared with which, the conduct of theives and robbers is mercy and gentleness itself. It inflicts also the greatest injury on the souls of men. To prevent a diseased man from waiting upon a physician who might restore his health, by villifying that physician's character, is cruel to the suffering patient. But when wicked men, by reproaches heaped upon ministers, either withdraw people from their ministry, or prevent them from attending these may be justly charged at the day of judgment with the perdition of souls. If then, brethren, you love your pastor, if you wish either his comfort or success, defend his character, sustain his honour, whether openly or correctly attacked. Let the members of this Church adopt the golden rule of the eminent bishop Beveridge in reference to men generally, but especially towards your pastor, "Never to speak of a man's virtues before his face, nor of his faults behind his back." But it is time we drew our address to a close. Several other duties might be mentioned; I will notice but one more. V. Give your minister suitable support. 1. This is required by the law of God, and the ordination of Christ. "Do ye not know," says the apostle, "that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple, and that they which wait at the altar are partakers at the altar; even so hath the Lord ordained, that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel." This is the ground on which christian ministers found their claim to temporal remuneration for their services. 2. Suitable provision and support is required by the law of equity. There are some who view the support they give to ministers as a sort of charity. Such a view is unjust; it is dishonourable to the character of the Gospel, and the dignity of the Church; it is an under-valuing of the Gospel, and a culpable degradation of the most important office that was ever instituted for the benefit of the world. The Churches call their pastors their servants; if then they be servants, let them have suitable wages. "Who," asks the apostle, "goeth a warfare at his own charges?" What nation under heaven is there, that would expect a man to hazard his life on the plains of conflict, to relinquish his calling for the defence of his country -what nation would be so dishonourable and unjust as to expect all this at "his own cost." And shall the soldier of the cross, who endures hardness as a good soldier of Christ, fighting the battles of the Lord and the Church, who has relinquished all profession but that of the Gospel, who has bound himself to unending warfare, bearing the sword of the Spirit in the one hand, and the cross of self-denial in the other, while the banner that floats over him is stained with the blood of a crucified Redeemer, shall they be despised in this arduous, spiritual conflict, and their trying services be thought unworthy of recompence by those for whose eternal interests they contend. No! Justice says the soldier is worthy of his wages-the labourer of his hire. 3. This support is claimed by the law of gratitude. "If," says the apostle, we have sown unto your spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things." Here, you perceive, the apostle appeals to the feeling of gratitude, and he asks for some token of acknowledgement at the hands of his brethren for the spiritual good they had received-their spiritual things; things which the wealth of the universe could not buy: things which required the wisdom of God to contrive, and the blood of his Son to procure; things of which death cannot rob us, nor eternity deprive us; things "Beyond what earth can grant, But I must conclude. We believe, brethren, you will contribute to your pastor's temporal wants according to your power; that the man who has this day solemnly dedicated himself on the altar of your service, will not want that support and succour which you are able to afford. We doubt not he will have your high esteem, your attendance on his ministry, your prayers, that you will sustain his reputation, and provide for his comfort. And may the Great Head of the Church smile on the union formed to-day, and favour you with continued and increased prosperity, and to him shall be the praise. Amen. JONAH. No. 3. THE CRISIS. It is impossible not to admire the ingenuousness of Jonah's conduct at the critical juncture to which we are about to refer. Charged with an awful crime in the sight of heaven, he makes no attempt to dissemble, no effort to palliate his guilt. He felt the alarming nature of his situation; saw himself an object of divine displeasure, pursued by the just vengeance of a holy God; powerfully experienced the salutary influence of penitential sorrow; and under the impression of these feelings he hesitated not to make a full disclosure of his crime. It is too often the case, that men are so actuated by pride, that a confession of guilt never proceeds from their lips. When their follies are even brought to the light of day, every effort is made which artifice can suggest, to extenuate them by plausible excuses. |