sion, notwithstanding his rapid progress in knowledge and in usefulness, and in the esteem of his brethren— continued almost to his dying day. There was, indeed, a remarkable similarity in the spirit he breathed at the commencement and at the close of his christian course. On some occasions, long after he had been engaged in the ministry, he was exercised with painful apprehensions of his unfitness for his work, and at times tempted to doubt whether he was truly converted to God. He not unfrequently recorded his views and feelings upon subjects which he deemed of high importance, either to himself or others :-thus he writes, April, 1813: Oh that my heart was directed to keep thy commandments. I long to be sincere in all my work, both in public and in private. It hath often been matter of doubt to me, whether I have ever experienced a real change of heart; if I have not, Oh my God, now work that important change in my soul. Thou knowest I desire, and I hope thou knowest I have long and sincerely desired it. If I know any thing of my own heart, I am sure I desire it above riches, or honours, or aught that earth can grant.' By what means, he then asks, can I obtain so valuable a blessing? and again humbly prays, and solemnly asks, 'Lord is not this thine own work, must it not come from thine own hand?. If I do not enjoy it, make it evident to me that I do not; if I do, give me a firm persuasion of it, that I may derive that comfort from it, this conviction, this assurance would impart.' He then adds, in immediate connection with the same subject, 'How awful must it be, to preach upon the nature of conversion, explain it, insist upon its necessity for others, yea, absolute necessity, and yet not enjoy it myself! How great under such circumstances must be my presumption. Upon this important subject, Lord, set my soul at Such at liberty, and that speedily.' that time were this good, and may I not say great, man's views of himself; and such were his pantings after that holiness without which no man can see the Lord. He was accustomed from early life to think and speak much of the justice, majesty, and holiness of the Most High, and to abase himself in the dust before him. The amazing contrast which seemed ever apparent to him, between the holiness of God and his own imperfections, kept him truly in the fear of the Lord all the day long. In 1791, when about twenty-three years of age, he entered into the marriage state with Mary Barton, daughter of John and Elizabeth Barton, pious and esteemed members of the same church with himself. Upon this state he manifestly entered with a feeling sense of his entire dependance upon the Author of his existence for all that could render him either comfortable in himself, or useful to others. He composed a wedding song for the occasion, which, if destitute of the fire and flowers of poetry, contains much of the power and spirit of piety. The union seems to have been highly satisfactory to the parties concerned. They lived together in the enjoyment of conjugal affection and christian love for twenty-five years and eight months, and had a family of nine children. The most honourable testimony is borne to the character of the departed wife in the handwriting of her disconsolate husband. 'Her death,' he remarks at the time it took place, was unexpected; but her end was peace. I buried her in sure and certain hope of a blessed resurrection. On the whole, we have been happy, though we have had many trials. She was a virtuous, pious, and faithful wife; and though I wish to be resigned to the will of my God, yet I feel parting to be hard work.' And truly his situation was at that time peculiarly dis tressing, as six out of his nine children were living, and his resources for those that were dependant upon him very limited. It may not be improper to observe here, that at the time the separation took place betwixt the churches at Barton and Hugglescote, Mr. Orton's residence was at Hugglescote, and with that branch of the church he became united. He had then been a preacher some years, and his labours began to be duly appreciated, as it appears from his own memoranda that the day Mr. Deacon, of Barton, resigned the pastorate at Hugglescote in 1798, Mr. Orton was chosen by the Hugglescote branch to become their pastor. On this occasion we find him, by his diary, again in his closet, pleading with his Heavenly Father as follows, Alas follows, Almighty God, grant unto thy dust that mind which was also in Christ Jesus; that zeal for God and for the salvation of precious souls; that deadness to the world and devotedness to thy will, which in his peculiar circumstances it becometh him to cherish. May he effectually learn that important lesson, "Not my will, but thine be done." O grant him that wisdom which is from above, which is first pure, peaceable,' &c. The prayer is much too long to be inserted here, but it is one that is full of feeling and strikingly appropriate. At their next church-meeting he delivered, or rather read, an interesting address he had carefully prepared for the occasion, containing a very clear and scriptural description of what a church of Christ should be; what are the duties and privileges, the dangers and supports of its true members. He also composed some lines to be sung on the same occasion, which at the time excited considerable interest; and perhaps, to some of his numerous friends, they may not appear altogether uninteresting here; they will, at least, afford a specimen of his early efforts at poetry. 'Gird up your loins, ye men of God, Let not the number nor the power, For heavenly aid you'll find. Lo! yonder see your Jesus stands, Let but your hearts be firmly join'd, Then though the gates of hell unite, His labours continuing acceptable and useful, he was set apart in the following year, 1799, to the pastoral office, by prayer and imposition of hands. The charge to the pastor was delivered by the Rev. Benjamin Pollard, of Quorndon, from 1 Tim. iv. 16, and Mr. R. Smith, of Nottingham, preached to the people. The whole of the services were conducted with much solemnity, and produced a deep impression upon the audience. In answer to fervent prayer the blessing of God appears to have rested upon the labours of his young and devoted servant. Sep. 23, he writes, 'was the first day I baptized.' The number of candidates, it seems, was five: the day was a day of good things to both pastor and people. On this occasion Mr O. again tuned his poetic lyre, sung immediately after his coming and the verses he composed were out of the water; two of which read as follows: A MEMORIAL OF BARTHOLOMEW DAY. The substance of a discourse by the Rev. J. Jones of March. In the life of all persons some particular days are memorable as the date of circumstances that have influenced remote experience. So the return of particular days revives the recollection of events that have greatly affected the character of nations and societies. On many accounts it is proper to cherish the remembrance of some periods, while it is better to allow others to flow into oblivion. Events tending chiefly to perpetuate enmities cannot be forgotten too soon, if the causes of them are disavowed; but if the principle of them is still maintained they cannot be entirely forgotten; nor is it right that they should, if the recollection tends to encourage fortitude under injustice, and perseverance in the maintainance of liberty and of truth. Hence the Hebrew christians were exhorted by the word of inspiration to call to remembrance the former days in which after they were illuminated, they endured a great fight of afflictions.' Here the apostle commends the principle of recollecting former days of suffering, to encourage perseverance in opinions and practices endeared and strengthened by persecution. It is on this principle that your attention is requested to circumstances that render memorable the day on which we now assemble. Every Lord's-day is indeed memorable for events of highest interest to every christian mind. It becomes us never to forget that the christian Sabbath is especially commemorative of the Saviour's triumph over death and hell, in his glorious resurrection from the grave. But in addition to this, and other great events important in their bearing on the observance of the first day of the week for christian worship, this day in the present year is marked in the history of the dissenting churches of this nation by a circumstance which called some of them into existence. were The 24th of August, the festival of St. Bartholomew, is either by design or by accident, distinguished in modern history by feats of tyranny and cruelty against conscientious protestants. It was on this day, in the year 1572, that a horrid massacre began in France, in which cruelly and treacherously slain about 70,000 protestants against the errors of popery. On the same day, in the year 1724, a great number of protestants were put to death at Thorn, under a pretended legal sentence of the chancellor of Poland, for being concerned in a tumult occasioned by a popish procession. And on this day, in the year 1662, came into operation in this country the Act of Uniformity, which was the occasion of about 2,000 ministers and students at once leaving the church of England, as they could not in conscience comply with the requirements of the Act; and committing themselves and their families to the guidance and support of Divine Providence. It is to this event, by which Bartholomew day is signalized, that I wish, more especially, to direct your attention. In order to this, however, it will be desirable to give a very brief sketch of the state of religion for some time before. At the commencement of the sixteenth century, England, with the rest of Europe, was overspread with a thick cloud of ignorance of true religion. Generally uninformed respecting the contents of the inspired volume, the people were patiently led by ecclesiastics almost as ignorant as themselves, in blind veneration for the pope of Rome, in a course of ceremonial observances instead of rational piety; and were satisfied and pleased with rustic amusements in stead of the exercises of devotion. At this time the good providence of God raised up Wickliffe, a person far in advance of the age in which he lived, in secular and in religious knowledge. His genius and piety penetrated the mist of error that surrounded him; and, guided by the light of inspiration in the scriptures, he received, and, in his ministry and writings, propagated, opinions in religion which are now among those that are generally held as correct among all orthodox christians. A light so brilliant appearing on the verge of the dark cloud that had long overspread the moral horizon, is now justly denominated the morning star of the Reformation.' For his opinions, however, Wickliffe was cited to appear at Rome, there to answer for the serious misdemeanor of daring to differ from the received doctrines of the church. But from the anxiety and danger of this citation he was relieved by the death of the pope and the confusion which issued, from the contest of two rivals, each of whom claimed to be considered as the accredited successor of St. Peter. By this providential interposition, the light continued to spread in England, and Wickliffe died in peace. Frequently several concurrent circumstances may be observed to mark a Divine interposition for the benefit of the world or a nation. So it was at this time. Henry VIII. succeeded his father in the throne of England in 1509, when ignorance and papal superstition brooded over the country. The king, a devoted son of the church, vain of his school learning, thought it not beneath his royal diguity to write in opposition to the opinions of Luther; and obtained the title, still retained by the monarchs of Britain, of defender of the faith. Unstable, however, is dependance on princes: this favourite son of the pope, actuated by conscience or passion, irreconcilably differed with the pontiff, because he did not promptly allow him to divorce his queen, who had been the wife of his brother. This quarrel was greatly favourable to the diffusion of light, respecting the errors and abuses of popery, and to the progress of the scriptural opinions of Wickliffe, and the general reformation of religion and morals in the country. The art of printing, lately invented, was a most valuable aid to disperse enlightened opinions and extend and quicken the spirit of reform now excited in England and other nations of Europe. The people were eager to read the Bible, now translated into their own tongue, and to compare with this only infallible standard numerous tracts published by reformers. Religion became the subject of more general consideration, and the spirit of inquiry soon required a relaxation of the spiritual domination that had long been exercised over individual judgment and freedom of religious practice. As this state of the public mind accorded with the views of the king, who wished to humble the pope and his dependants, his majesty favoured Cranmer and others, who were intent on reform from the errors of popery, and the circulation of scriptural knowledge among the people. Thus the Lord overruled the licentious passions and the imperious selfwill of Henry, to weaken the influence of popery on the public mind, and to show the people that they might live and prosper even though the pope were against them, and they should exercise their own judgment on religion under the guidance of the scriptures. A spirit of liberty was thus excited, which was nurtured and strengthened by reviving literature until it attained masculine power and determination against all future attempts of tyranny and Rome. was no part of the intention of the king to induce this spirit, but it was the natural result of his measures. Perhaps in the latter part of his reign It he saw this, and became increasingly irritable partly on this account. He had, however, excited the idea that the people might be free from the domination of Rome, without sustaining any withering effect from the anathemas of its haughty pontiff, and that they deserved slavery if they did not now assert and maintain their liberty. This idea survived the death of the king, and became more vigorous and extended in the reign of his son and successor, the amiable Edward VI. Under the counsel of Cranmer, archbishop of Canterbury, and the earl of Hertford, Edward cordially espoused the views of the reformers, and procured the legal establishment of a new liturgy, which had been formed from the Romish service books, somewhat differing from each other, which had been in use in several dioceses. Out of these were formed the morning and evening service, almost in the same form in which they appear now. Both the clergy and the people, as might be reasonably expected, amidst changes so considerable in reference to religion, the proper concern of every person, were much divided in opinion. Many adhered in their hearts to the old forms, and many thought that the new modellers should have taken only the scriptures for their guide, and made the reformation from popery far more complete. Among other causes of dissatisfaction was especially that of their making no material change in the vestments in which the ministers officiated. The mass they had reformed into the communionservice, but the old vestments, which in the church of Rome were somewhat various, according to the taste of different religious orders, they in a great measure retained; only they insisted on an exact uniformity. If the thing implied in this ominous word was of so much importance as to be a term of ministerial service in the state church, reason would require that the habits should be characterized by simplicity, and not such as had long been connected with the idolatry of the mass. And, further, that as they related to religious service, any that could not in conscience comply with the requirements for ecclesiastical conformity, and state support and preferment, should be permitted, without molestation, to worship their Creator in a manner accordant with their own convictions. This, however, was not allowed. The doctrine of toleration was not understood. Then, and many years after, good men, as well as bad ones, supposed that to tolerate any that differed from their own views of religious faith and order, would be little less than to license the most grievous errors and enormities. Those that happened to be invested with power appeared to think that it was a part of their duty to tell their subjects what was right in religion, as well as in civil order, and to require of them an exact conformity with their dictates, as to the faith and manner of worship acceptable to the Most High. This was the exercise of a very dangerous responsibility, from which a prudent person would shrink, if he reflected that every one must give account of himself to God. But it was now insisted that there should be one manner of worship, and that they who ministered should be habited alike. As the manner chosen and enjoined, retained and embodied much that had been connected with the old forms, and had been greatly revered to the fostering of superstition, some of the reformers thought it was ill judged to retain them, and that they should be unfaithful to their position under Providence, if they conformed to this injunction. They therefore declined, and recommended a more entire departure from the old superstitions, and greater simplicity in worship. this opinion were bishops Hooper and Rogers, together with many learned and pious divines, who, on account of Of |