Ef been prosecuting the same cause | from nation to nation, in conse with increased energy and suc- quence of the universal distribucess; and many instances weretion of the Holy Scriptures. mentioned, in which their exer- forts so extended as these could tions have produced a very strik-not have proceeded from any ing moral and religious benefit. cause purely human, but from God The income of the society during himself, who must have disposed the past year exceeded that of the hearts of men to promote his any former year, and amounted glory and the happiness of his to the astonishing sum of upwards creatures. If history was a record of One hundred and three thou- of the crimes of mankind, it was sand pounds. The expenditure, reserved for modern times to form during the same period, in trans- new institutions, founded on evanlating, printing, and circulating gelical principles, for the preventhe Scriptures in a variety of Eu- tion of crimes, and for promoting ropean, Asiatic, and some African the good of mankind. He was and American languages, as also happy to find that the Bible Sociein assisting the benevolent labours ties comprehended, at this time, of kindred institutions, exceeded Christians of all denominations, £90,000. So great however are and that universality was given to the demands, and such the confi- all their operations, which were dence of the Committee on the directed, not to the subjugation of continued generosity of the empires, but to the subversion of Christian public, that the engage- ignorance, idolatry, and vice. ments of the society were calcu- They aimed at the moral and related at no less a sum than £50,000.ligious improvement of mankind; The reading of the Report occupied nearly an hour, and was received by the Meeting with the most cordial approbation. Excellent speeches were then delivered by the Earl of Harrowby, the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Teignmouth, the Rev. Mr. Monod, (Secretary of the Paris Protestant Bible Society,) the Rev. Mr. Dealtry, Lord Calthorpe, Mr. Stuart Wortley, M. P. His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, W. Wilberforce, Esq. M. P. the Rev. Theophilus Blumhardt, the Earl of Gosford, the Rev. Mr. Mori the Bible alone was the instrument by which it was to be effected; and he hoped this society would continue its operations until all the nations of the earth should be acquainted with that sacred work, which had already, by the vast extent of its circulation, greatly improved the moral condition of mankind, while it tended to conduct them to eternal salvation. William Wilberforce, Esq. M.P. congratulated the company on the happy progress which the efforts of the society had made; and he was delighted to see, even in Paris, the rapid progress of that blessed truth which would lead men to eternal salvation, and overturn the false philosophy which had too long prevailed in a capital that had long been renowned for learning, and the liberal arts. It was also delightful to see, that in almost every part of the 1 habitable globe, the Bible was now diffusing its blessings. It was now making its happy progress among the miserable natives of Labrador. The people of the United States of America were also labouring in the same cause with us; and showing to the world that all men were children of the same parents. There was, in fact, a masterly energy of heavenly force at work to accomplish the great objects they all had in view. The grand and eternal quarrel he had always had with the Roman Catholic religion arose from their refusing to circulate the Scriptures; and the moment they ceased to do so, his hostility against them would cease. He was now happy to inform the Meeting, that he very lately had a communication from the Secretary of General Bolivar, President of the Colombian Republic, which stated that Bibles had been brought into Venezuela; that they were eagerly bought up, and ra pidly circulated; and that there was every reason to hope that Bible Societies would soon be established among all the Catholic inhabitants of the extensive regions of South America. III. PRAYER BOOK AND HOMILY SOCIETY. not merely to the promotion of the doctrines of the church of England, but to the extension of the general truths of Christianity. The excellent Liturgy of the church was admirably calculated to fill the mind with a sober and chastised, though ardent, spirit of religious feeling; and the most blessed effects had already resulted from its circulation. It was a matter of unspeakable thankfulness, that notwithstanding the formularies of the church were composed when the state of society was widely different from what it now is, yet they were in no wise infected with the taint of the times-"I mean," said his Lordship, "Popery. Our forms of prayer, and the Homilies also, from their simplicity, were admirably suited to the capacity of every rank and class." His Lordship then expressed his warmest approbation of the society, in its having extended the field of action into other countries, by causing the Prayer Book and some of the Homilies to be translated into foreign languages; for although they were composed long ago, and for the immediate use of our own country, yet they possessed a general interest, and were admirably adapted to the human heart under all circumstances, and to every spiritual exigency of the believer in Jesus. The progress and labours of the Institution during the past year, would be best learned from the Report of the Committee. THE tenth General Annual Meeting of this Society was held on Thursday, May 2, at Stationers'-Hall, the Right Honourable The Report was then read, by Lord Calthorpe in the Chair. His which it appeared, that the socieLordship having declared his high ty had issued considerably more sense of the great honour which Prayer Books and Homilies durhad been conferred upon him, ing the last year, than in the preproceeded to point out the pecu- ceding, (the increase in the issue liar claims which this society had of the latter amounting to 30,000,) upon persons of all ranks by its and that its cause was more warmgreat utility, and its subserviency,ly espoused, and its utility more nating of these instructive compositions over the greater part of the Continent, where they are thankfully received, and in some cases highly appreciated. generally acknowledged than here- | but enlarged funds for the dissemi tofore. The Book of Homilies previously to the formation of this society, was considered by far too many, as almost antiquated and obsolete; but through their exertions, these valuable compositions had become known to many thousands. Besides those already circulated, measures had been taken to translate more of the Homilies into the French and Italian languages, and nothing was wanting 13 The other Speakers were, the Rev. Daniel Wilson, Sir C. S. Hunter, Bart. the Rev. Basil Woodd, the Rev. Thomas Webster, J. F. Stratton, Esq. the Rev. Edward Burn, Mr. Poynder, the Honourable B. W. Noel, and Lord Gambier. General Meetings in London. To the Editors of the Baptist Magazine. WILL you permit one of your Correspondents, who is cordially attached to the Baptist Denomination, and who wishes its prosperity, and its further usefulness in promoting the cause of the Redeemer, to impart some of his feelings respecting the approaching Anniversary Meeting through the medium of the Magazine. in every month by all the associated churches:" and six years after this the Society was, by the same persons, formed at Kettering. and the success with which God has been graciously pleased to crown its exertions. It should never be forgotten, that these are the results of the Divine blessing in answer to united prayer. A meeting of the association of the ministers and messengers of the Baptist churches of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, &c. was held at Nottingham in the year 1784, when it was "resolved to establish a meeting of prayer for I have always considered these the general revival and spread of reliAnnual Meetings as promoting thegion, to be observed the first Monday welfare of our churches at home, while they are principally intended to further the good design of extending the gospel to the regions beyond us. The spirit of zeal, piety, The Annual Meetings in London and brotherly love, which has been afford to all our churches an opporexcited among the thousands who tunity for united prayer. It is well have attended them, has been dif- that one service is appropriated exfused through our churches, and clusively to that object. And it is been productive of many works of desirable that the petitions prefaith and labours of love, which sented on that occasion should all would not otherwise have been at- relate to the necessity of the intempted, much less carried into effluences of the Holy Spirit; to an acfect. The increase both of the number and size of our churches and congregations during the last thirty years, must be attributed principally to the establishment of the Baptist Missionary Society; to the union which it has produced, knowledgment, with deep humiliation before God, of whatever exists in our churches, at home or abroad, which seems to indicate the withdrawment of his presence, or the suspension of his energies;-to a pleading of the various prophecies and promises that encourage us to expect a more plentiful effusion of his sacred influence than has yet been known;-and to a pledging ourselves to each other, and to God, that we will not cease to pray for his assistance to mortify every thing that exists, either in ourselves, or in the communities to which we belong, that tends to grieve the Holy Spirit; and that we will anew consecrate ourselves to the work of God, by offering up our body and soul a living sacrifice, and thus glorify God with our body and spirit, which are HIS; who hath bought us with the invaluable price of his precious blood. Is it then too much to hope, that representatives from most of our churches will assemble in London for this purpose? And will it not be suitable, while they are thus employed unitedly in public, that all the members of our churches should in private, at the same hour of prayer, wrestle with God for the outpouring of the Spirit of God: whereon depend the welfare and happiness of the whole body of Christ, and the best interests of mankind? A spirit of general, family, and individual prayer for the spiritual prosperity and universal extension of the church, would furnish indubitable evidence that God had again" poured out" upon his people" the spirit of grace and supplication," and would furnish the best pledge that from this time he will increasingly bless us. | between distant members of the church of Christ; to promote public spirit, love to the church of God, and concern for the interests of Zion; as well as be an amiable exereise and manifestation of such a spirit. Union in religious duties, especially in the duty of prayer, in praying one with and for another, and jointly for their common welfare, above almost all other things tends to promote mutual affection and endearment. And if ministers and people should, by particular agreement and joint resolution, set themselves in a solemn and extraordinary manner, from time to time, to pray for the revival of religion in the world, it would naturally tend more to awaken in them a concern about things of this nature, and more of a desire after such a mercy; it would engage them to greater attention to such an affair, make them more inquisitive about it, more ready to use endeavours to promote that which they, with so many others, spend so much time in pray. ing for, and more ready to rejoice and praise God when they see or hear of any thing of that nature and tendency; and in a particular manner it would naturally tend to engage ministers, (the business of whose lives it is to seek the welfare of the church of Christ, and the advancement of his kingdom,) to greater diligence and earnestness in their work: and it would have a tendency to the spiritual profit and advantage of each particular person. To be thus engaged in extraordinary prayer for the reviving and flourish ing of religion in the world, will naturally lead each one to reflect on himself, and to consider how religion flourishes in his own heart, and how far his example contributes to the thing he is praying for." In the year 1747, President Edwards published in America a little work, "to promote the explicit Agreement and visible Union of God's People, in extraordinary Prayer, for the Revival of Religion, and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom upon Earth." In 1789, the late excellent John Sutcliff of If these suggestions should preOlney re-printed it, with the avowed vail upon the ministers of our design of promoting a similar agree-churches to recommend, at their ment and practice. From this edi- Monthly Prayer Meetings, the first tion, page 73, I quote a paragraph, Monday in June, that, if practicahoping it may again tend to pro- ble, some one from each church mote the same holy union. would meet the assembly in London, and that those who stay at home would make a point of praying at the same time for the same great blessing, it will rejoice the 66 Such a union in prayer for the general out-pouring of the Spirit of God, would not only be beautiful but profitable. It would tend very much to promote union and charity | heart of VOL. XIV. Z EPAPHRAS. 238 Obituary and Recent Deaths. MRS. RUTH HARVEY. look to but Jesus Christ. At times I hope I look to and trust in him. MRS. Ruth Harvey, late wife of I have found great pleasure in our Mr. Thomas Harvey of Hammel- monthly prayer-meetings. Generally court, near Sandwich, (a deacon of speaking I have neither raptures not despair. Our late friend Rogers the Baptist church at Eythorne,) departed this life January 7, 1822, the wicked on earth, and he trusted said he did not like the company of aged thirty-eight years, leaving an affectionate husband and three chil-hell to be with them for ever. I trust I the Lord would not let him go to dren to lament their loss. Mrs. Harvey was daughter of the late Mr. John Lade of Great Mongeham, who died Aug. 7, 1816, aged seventy-eight years, an old disciple, and a deacon of the above-named can say so also." I replied, that I child was dying, who said she needhad just left a young sister, whose ed some such trial to bring her back to God, for that she feared she had been a backslider in heart from him. "I fear," said Mrs. Harvey, "that that is also my case." church. (See his Obituary in this Magazine, Oct. 1816). Mrs. Harvey, when at boarding-school at Canterbury, heard a sermon on the Speaking of her long affliction, wise and foolish virgins. She thought, and the exercise of her mind on “What if I should be a foolish vir- Lord's-days, she said, “I can say, gin?" This impression never wholly 'Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, I love, left her, but would frequently occur But there's a nobler rest above: to her mind, and excite in her an To that my labouring soul aspires, earnest desire to know if her sins With ardent pangs of strong desires." could be forgiven. Having been Her mother, aged eighty-one years, brought to a reliance on Jesus unexpectedly entered the room. Christ for salvation, she gave herself The interview was truly affecting, first to the Lord, and then to his In prayer, I referred to Mrs. Harpeople, according to his word, and vey, as saying, "Jesus, I throw my was baptized and added to the arms around, and hang upon thy church, with nine other persons, in breast,”—which very much afflicted 1800, her late father testifying with her, as being the language of her joy to the goodness of her moral cha-heart. She paused, and then said, racter. Passing by the whole of her experience from that time till she was very far advanced in the three years of her protracted affliction, which she sustained with much patience and resignation to her heavenly Father's will, experiencing a mixture of distress and doubt, desire, devotion, and sacred delight,- -on the 30th of December, 1821, she sent for the writer of this paper. As soon as he took her by the hand she said, "Ah Sir, you will see me another day; and I am sometimes ready to fear you will say, There stands a hypocrite. I am a poor helpless sinner. I have no one to My evidences are not as I would wish." Her mother-in-law said, "My dear, your safety does not depend on them." She replied, "I know it, mother; but it is desirable. However, I can say, 'Other refuge I have none; Hangs my helpless soul on thee." If I arrive in heaven, I shall be a sinner saved by sovereign grace." I said I was going home to prayer-meeting, and asked what I should say. "Give my love to our friends," answered she," and pray to God for resignation to his will. I wish Mrs. G. to pray for me." More than twenty-three hymus bad |