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of His soul-enlarging, heart-engaging presence within them, which renders the house so amiable to him.

Grace is an immortal seed, cast into an immortal soil, that brings forth immortal fruit.

Some are brought to Christ by fire, storms, and tempest; others by more easy and gentle gales of the Spirit. The Spirit is free in the work of conversion, and as the wind, it blows when, where, and how it pleases. Thrice happy are those souls that are brought to Christ, whether it be in a winter's night, or in a summer's day.

How widely different this world appears to the eye of a sinner, to what it does to the eye of a saint. The former loves it, desires it, grasps it, and seeks his all in it. Whereas the latter views it as a barren, thorny wilderness, a land of enemies, trials, temptations, and dangers, which yields nothing satisfying to an immortal mind. While one vanity here, and another there is presented to his view, he can at certain seasons sing:

There's nought beneath the lofty sky,
Is worth one anxious thought,
Jesus, my treasure, lives on high,
And He my heart has got.

EXTRAORDINARY ACCOUNT OF MRS. S. KNIGHTALL,

SUTTON, ISLE OF ELY.

MRS. SARAH KNIGHTALL was the wife of Thomas Knightall, a blacksmith in this village for the past nineteen years; could neither read nor write; and about six years ago was attacked with cancer in her tongue, which grew worse and worse under all medical treatment, till about two years and a half since, she was advised and went to London in the Bartholomew's Hospital, where she was pronounced incurable; an operation might be performed, her tongue cut out by the roots, but she might die under it; or, if so far successful, would only cause her to linger on for some years without a tongue in her head, and the cancer not destroyed, which to her was unbearable, to live in this world, never again be able to converse with a single creature. She therefore chose to leave herself in

the hands of the Lord, to do with her as it pleaseth Him, feeling thankful she could still talk to her friends so as to be understood; but about two years past her jaw became locked, and now the horrors of starvation appeared before her; she was forced to have all her teeth broken off two or three at a time, and then the stumps extracted, and for a little time could partake of a little solid food by putting it in her mouth where the teeth where gone; her tongue used to have applied caustic three times a day, but after a while her tongue dropt off by pieces, and her husband had to pull it out of her mouth time after time through the opening between her teeth till her tongue was wholly eaten away. For two whole years she has been deprived of all solid food, looking at it, and starving for it, but could not eat it, and no liquids she might take ever stayed that craving, that exquisitely painful desire after more solid and substantial food, but she was sustained in life with eggs, milk, wines and spirits. The lowest average that can be made is, that she has taken six eggs per day regularly for the last year and a half, sometimes eight or ten, or between three and four thousand eggs during the past eighteen months, with milk, rum, wine and brandy. And here I must observe the untiring kindness of her husband in his attention to his poor afflicted wife day and night; she desired none but himself for her nurse, and after a hard day's work, and many times not two hours rest in the night, God must have strengthened and help him amazingly, or he must long ere this have been crushed mentally and physically, even as I fear he must almost be circumstantially, by his seriously long heavy expenses; however, he has gained this, that in the heavy affliction of his wife, perhaps a few might be found to equal him in constant attention and kindness, but never any can possibly excel. The gracious Lord was pleased to bless my ministry to her conversion, and subsequently many times to her great consolation; I baptised her in the Hundred-feet river at Mepal, Lord's-day, August 31st, 1862, though we most frequently

never

have baptised at Sutton Gault,— but it was only five days before she died that it was told her we intended, God willing, to baptize at the same place on the 29th of this month, when her countenance brightened up and she made signs to her husband pointing to Mepal a village about a mile from Sutton, that she should like to go, also signifying for a conveyance to ride there; her husband said she should if it was a fine day, and he would place the easy chair she was then sitting on in the conveyance, and she could ride more comfortably in that. She then began looking at the chair, and feeling it as if she thought it would be injured. "O," her kind husband said, 66 mind injuring the chair, if you only wish to go, if it is a fine day I will take you there." She also made signs how she desired that God's grace might touch his heart, and that he might be one of them to be baptized. She had often expressed this before to him, desiring he might be as happy as she was when she was in the water, for she never felt being wet, and only knew she had been some time after by finding all her clothes were wet; however, she has not lived to see her answered in regard to her prayers husband, all we can say at the present is, one is taken and the other left, I hope not for ever. As she was called and so much blessed under my ministry, so she always bore a strong affection towards me; she used to say to her husband, first Jesus, then her husband, then her pastor above every other creature in the world. After she returned from London, having left the Hospital incurable, she came into the house of God the following Sabbath in sorrowful

spirits, when the minister was giving out his first hymn, as is his practice, 303rd hymn Denham's selection, first

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letter in the Bible, in reading it to her continually, as well as hymns during her long affliction. About last Michaelmas she bled fearfully from her mouth, from eleven o'clock at night till four in the morning, when it was thought she was dead; a friend in the room said she was dead; when she lifted up her finger as proof to the contrary, and that she was sensible; afterwards she was taken up stairs, and the next day she made known to her husband the state of her mind the previous night she felt so happy then she could gladly have died and gone to her Jesus whom she loved; she only wanted her minister there at that moment to have been praying with her, for she wished to enter heaven with prayer, whilst all the time that verse was on her mind most sweetly: "Fear not I am with thee, oh be not dismayed,

:

I, I am Thy God and will still give
thee aid,

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, [hand." Upheld by my righteous omnipotent Thus she continued in the most blessed state of mind till her end, patient and happy in Christ during such sharp pains and agonies. Many times she said she had no particular wish to die, but she did not fear death; but one night she said to her husband, "I should like to die now." "What," he said, "and leave me all alone?" (there being no family). She expressed her willingness to be absent from the body, present with the Lord." Many times during my visits latterly, she has expressed her love and confidence in the Lord. The last time I saw her alive, her husband had been reading to her the account of Daniel in the lions' den, and not. a fragment of tongue in her head, but she uttered so as to be understood, "I have no more fear that God is my God, than Daniel had in the lions' den." She used to tell her husband that if I was alive I was to bury her, and even if I had removed a hundred miles away he was to send for me, and she knew I would come. On Thursday morning, April 12th, her husband got up as usual at about half-past five o'clock to go to work, she was then out of bed look

the

ing in the glass wiping her poor neck. He gave her some drink, and she made him to understand not to fetch any milk that morning for breakfast, she would have eggs, and tea with some rum in it. She then as usual waved her hand, wishing him good bye till breakfast time. There was no cause for serious apprehension more than common; so no one was left with her just then, when he returned from his work to breakfast at eight o'clock, went up stairs, found her head just reclining outside the bed, none of the clothes disturbed, but her hand just leaning on the chair which she had rattled a little, but not sufficient to arouse persons next door, and her happy soul had fled into the bosom of her precious Saviour, where she wants not a tongue now to sing his praises in sweetest hallelujah songs. Her corpse was conveyed into the chapel Lord's-day afternoon 15th instant, when a discourse was preached from Rev. xiv. 13.-"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord;" the hymns sung by her own and our choice were 996, 724 and 385 Denhams, after which we buried her mortal remains (having tabernacled here only thirtynine years) in the chapel ground, in the sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection. R. G. EDWARDS.

April 18th, 1866.

LITERARY ISSUES.

WE have received the second volume of Mr. James Grant's Antimillennial work, The End of all Things. It is published by Darton and Co., of No. 42, Paternoster row, and contains twelve chapters principally on the Second Coming of Christ, in which Mr. Grant has quoted nearly all the words of our Lord and of His Apostles on this great event; and purposes next October to finish the series, and his thoughts on the errors or mistakes of the Millenarians in a third volume. Very handsome books are these of Mr. Grant's; very full of Scripture quotations, very powerful in literal and in natural argument; and very pleasing and satisfactory to all the opponents of a Millennium these productions of Mr.

Grant will be; but, by the side of Mr. Grant's volumes we have laid an ancient work, of over 500 closely printed pages, which, while it is also full of Scripture is, at the same time, beautifully spiritual, and as sweet and as simple, as comprehensive and as conclusive on the side of the personal reign of our most blessed Lord, as Mr. Grant is against it. It bears this title, "THE GLORY OF CHRIST'S VISIBLE KINGDOM." Had we the power this most precious, but very ancient work, should be issued as a companion volume to Mr. Grant's ;" but for it, and a further notice of "The End of all Things" we must wait.

"Sunday Morning in Leather Lane: Some Account of its Sunday Fair. Rivingtons.-The writer of this sixpenny tract has described some of the dark scenes of the vilest parts of this great metropolis on the Sunday morning; and we wish every good man would raise his voice against the wickedness of London on the Sunday, until the corporation, the Government, the churches, and the good people generally rose up, determined by God's help to put down such a cursed and crying evil as Sabbath-breaking in London has now become. We understand "The Gospel Guide" will have some articles entitled, "Sunday Morning in London; its awful desecration of the Sabbath without, and its glorious exaltation of Christ in the Gospel within." We hope they will com

mand attention.

Mr. Septimus Sears abounds in good works. We have his Little Gleaner, The Sower, and Clifton Sermons, all of them like so many little seed-baskets, scattering hither and thither the precious seeds of truth and mercy. Ah! Septimus, the Lord hath done great things for thee; and it is well that thou art devoting all thy strength to honour that friend whose loving-kindness toward thee is so great. Go on, and may the Lord thine everlasting portion be!

"The Loving Kindness of God," is a sermon, by Mr. John Corbitt, on

the cattle plague, wherein he steps out boldly against the indulgences which England has granted to Rome. It is a heavy blow levelled at those whose misgovernment has brought, and is bringing, upon Old England clouds of darkness and sorrow. What can be worse than for God to leave a nation to fill up its measure? Does not the negative put upon the truth, and the welcome given to Romish idolatry, prove this is our case? Mr. Corbett's address is 8, Oxford street, Plymouth.

The Truth, as it is in Jesus. Mr. C. Gordelier is publishing a series of sermons under the above title; and we understand they are read with much acceptance in many of our country congregations, where a living ministry cannot be obtained. Gordelier, like the Old Puritans, works out his subjects with much precision and patience. To elucidate the different branches of the New Covenant they are well adapted.

Mr.

Why Weepest Thou? Mr. Doudney has here provided a neat volume for the tried and tempted. The editor of the Gospel Magazine is a kind nursing father; and in order that he might speak comfortably unto Jerusalem, God has given him a tongue learned in all the mysteries of soulconflict, when the fight between faith and fear is sharp and long. This book can be had of Macintosh, and W. H. Collingridge.

A GRATEFUL TRIBUTE OF PRAISE
TO JESUS.

BY E. J. SILVERTON, MINISTER OF TRINITY
CHAPEL, BOROUGH.

JEHOVAH'S Word and promise stands
Sealed by blood and Jesus's hands;

Our curse on Jesus fell;

He bore the load, and paid the debt,
He showed his love in purple sweat,
And spoiled the powers of hell.
Had he not died our souls to save,
And to redeem us from the grave,

We still had been his foes;
But since our heart his grace has felt,
We have upon the mercy dwelt

Which saved us from our woes.
Our precious Shiloh took our place,
And stood with Justice face to face,
To clear our long account;
With groans and pains and fire of hell,
He did the law for ever quell,

So gave the full amount.
What can the saints to Jesus bring,
How shall they homage Zion's King,
For love so great and free?
The hammer, nails, and crown of thorns,
The cross, the soldiers, and the scorns,
My soul they speak to thee.

Praise, love, and crown the Prince of Light;
Extol him, laud him, day and night

Your adorations pay;
Make him your confidential friend;
Before his footstool often bend,

And on his kindness stay.
There's none with Christ can be compared,
Nor is there any should be fear'd,
As God the Three in One.
He well deserves our highest song;
Our praises to the Lord belong—

Then worship at his throne.
Let saints and angels shout his fame,
Make known the glories of his name
Of their Beloved tell;
How he, the Lamb, once bled for sin,
And how he rose his saints to win,

That they might with him dwell.

Our Churches, Our Pastors, and Our People.

GOOD FRIDAY AT THE SURREY TABERNACLE;

AND PRESENTATION OF TESTIMONIAL TO MR. JAMES WELLS.

On Friday, March 30th, three services were held in the New Surrey Tabernacle. The pastor, Mr. Wells, occupied the pulpit morning and afternoon, and two excellent discourses were delivered to large congregations. Between the morning and afternoon services, a dinner was served in the large vestry, the walls of which were decorated with various texts of Scriptures evidently chosen to lead the mind back to the circumstances through which the church had passed; and also to draw forth grateful acknowledgments for the

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large blessings that had been poured down in abundance upon this people. The dinner was provided gratuitously by the deacons, and some friends of the church, so that the whole proceeds might be appropriated to the Building Fund. number of friends dined together very pleasantly; some profitable Christian conversation was enjoyed; and every one appeared happy and in a right spirit. After the afternoon service, tea was provided; and considering the large number present, it was really highly creditable to

all parties, the excellent manner in which the friends were supplied:

At half-past 6 o'clock, the handsome building was crowded in every part, and an interesting public meeting was commenced by the congregation singing with much warmth, the hymn,

"Begone, unbelief, my Saviour is near,

And for my relief will surely appear." Seldom has that excellent and experimental poem been more appropriate, neither have we often heard it sung with more harmony and heartiness of soul than on this occasion. Every stanza appeared to increase the feeling of the happy songsters, and when they came to the last verse, we could but notice with what emotion such men as Elijah Packer, Thomas Jones, and especially James Wells, (all standing) sang,

Since all that I meet shall work for my good,
The bitter is sweet, the medicine is food:
Tho' painful at present, 'twill cease before long,
And then O how pleasant the conqueror's song!

Mr. Isaac Comfort, (of Forest hill,) in appropriate language, asked the Divine blessing on the proceedings; and offered thanksgiving that no rent had appeared in the foundation, neither leprosy in the walls.

Mr. Thomas Pocock, sen., was then unanimously voted to the chair; and after referring to a recent illness, said he believed the Lord had strengthened him so that he could appear amongst them that evening; and he was exceedingly pleased to be with them, as this was not an ordinary occasion on which they met. The chairman then took a review of the position of the church at the old place in the Borough road, and in very precise terms, showed how highly impracticable it would have been to have attempted to remodel and render convenient that building. It appeared from the chairman's statement, that he had spent considerable time in investigating the probable expenses of rendering the old building suitable to the wants of such a church and congregation, which would have involved an outlay of £5,000 or £6,000. It was suggested to build a new place; and he was quite certain that in so doing, they had adopted the right course; and what they had done as a church was truly wonderful. In rather more than two years they had raised amongst themselves £8,000 for this building, besides providing for, with their usual liberality, the various expenses and benevolent objects connected with the church. The chairman was aware that large buildings, at three times the cost, had been erected, but where did the money come from? why, from all parts of the world; but here it was very

different. They had done the work themselves. It was suggested at the outset that Mr. Wells should go out preaching and making collections for the object. This in a few cases was tried; but after travelling and other expenses were paid, little was left for the building. The idea was then abandoned; "for," said Mr. Pocock, "I thought there was sufficient vitality in the church at the Surrey Tabernacle to build their own chapel; and the result has proved my thoughts were correct. There is nothing in the metropolis that will bear comparison with it. God has blessed many of you in providence, and has given you the desire and the ability to help his cause. The chairman then referred to the balance that was remaining due on the building, about £2,000, and threw out some suggestions as to the way it could be cleared off in a twelvemonth. Upwards of £150 was subscribed towards the amount immediately. The chairman then made some allusion to his own position in life; and in a most interesting way, showed how the Lord for upwards of threescore years had been his faithful friend. Mr. Pocock came into the borough of Southwark, a lad at the age of twelve, to a situation at three shillings per week. He is now beyond the limit of the lease of man. He has been wonderfully blessed in providence, having established an immense wholesale business, which is now flourishing under the able management of his sons. Early in life the Lord called him by grace. He was blessed with a loving and Christian lady for a wife, whom the Lord some years since took to himself. Few men perhaps have been more blessed in basket, store, and family; and in the district of Southwark the name or Thomas Pocock is known and respected. Near the close of the chairman's address, we had an intimation that some interesting proceedings would take place towards the close of the meeting.

The secretary, Mr. Butt, followed with a financial statement of the building, the contract, and extras, £8,581; then there was gas, sun lights, fittings, cushions for the whole of the building, and other expenses, which brought the total cost to about £10,200; out of that £8,000 had already been gathered.

Mr. Thomas Jones said he was thankful to be there that evening; he was thankful for what he saw; and he was thankful for what he had heard. When

he saw the meeting announced, he determined if possible to be present. It had not been his custom to run after Mr. Wells, or any other man; but he had always felt a pleasure in meeting him;

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