and the difficulty of bearing it, and urges | dence and grace, pass through such trials a little delay at all events. and meet with such deliverances that the hand of the Lord becomes known towards his servants; many openly talk against them, who secretly wish to die their death. They are chastened in a manner no other people are chastened; an independent spirit often seems to prosper in the world, but in them it is smitten and maimed, they find that God is a jealous God who will not give his honour to another. He calls upon them to trust in him with all their heart and makes them feel that all other trust proves a broken reed. He is their rock their strong tower - their dwelling When the child of God is first brought into the consciousness of being reconciled to God, he can see the state he was in, but is now delivered from, in a light which affects him beyond all he felt when in it. He can scarce believe for joy that all his enormous sins are forgiven him, and yet he cannot feel them as he did, there is no longer wrath upon his conscience when he looks at the blackest of them; they are his sins, and yet not his; they looked fearful before when he was under their weight, but they look more base and hateful now they are laid upon another. Mercy place in all generations. If he shuts through the blood of Christ, has differ- them out from his presence, they get no ent effects to those generally supposed. rest till restored; rebellion or sullenness A light frothy joy such as stony ground only add to their pain. This people are hearers delight in, is altogether different a peculiar people, travelling a narrow to the joy and grief of a pardoned sinner way and proving the word of God from While under these feelings of mercy, in year to year, they go from strength to what a pitiable condition do those ap- strength. Their trials are used to pear, who are in the state of ignorance strengthen them for trials; their afflicand death we have so lately left; they tions are means of preparing them to were our companions, we are deeply in- glorify God in hotter furnaces and to be terested in them still, we would gladly patient under severer trials; their vicawaken them if we could, but as no one tories are to encourage them to attempt could quicken my soul but the Lord, so greater conquests; they go on conquerI cannot quicken the soul of another. ing and to conquer till at last they are more than conquerors through him that loved them. What miracles of grace are those who were for years hurrying on in the crowd, as ignorant as the rest, but who have been stopped from going into the pit by the Almighty grace of God, quickening their souls, shewing them the road they were in, bringing them to cry for mercy, and at the appointed time blotting out their crimes in the blood of the Lamb. 'Blessed is the man whose sin is covered.' These people whom Ged has chosen for himself, and whom he has formed to shew forth his praise, are brought into the nearness of actual relationship to God, they are sons and daughters of Almighty God. He that sanctifies them and they who are sanctified are all of one, so that Jesus Christ is not ashamed to call them Brethren. He was made flesh of their flesh and bone of their bone, and he gives them his spirit. If any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his.' Now, all things are to have a special bearing upon their welfare. They are the salt of the earth-the light of the world-the witnesses for God. And in order to bring this about more and more clearly, they are so dealt with in provi [The above extracts are made from Mr. Tryon's last work, entitled "A Special Providence for the Children of God; or the Principle of General Clubs and Insurances considered." And these extracts we have found valuable, and feel a desire that our spiritual readers may profit by them also. If the Lord permit, we will notice the other parts of this work, but as we are now confined to our bed, we cannot.] HEB. vi. 19, 20.-'Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the vail; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus.'-Hope is the anchor of the soul, but this anchor must not be cast as the mariner casts his, who, that his anchor downwards to take hold in the ship may be stayed in a storm, casts his earth. We must cast the anchor of hope upwards, and fasten it in heaven. Our hope must enter into heaven, and fix there. The best of the earth is not ground good enough, nor sure enough for our anchor hold. Whatsoever we make our hope, we earth good enough to be our God?—Caryl's make our God; and is there any thing on Bible Thoughts. one. A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE LAST ILLNESS AND Happy and Triumphant Death of Mr. ROBERT CREASEY. Minister of the Gospel, March, Cambridgeshire. Mr. James Creasey, of Sleaford, has just published a neat shilling work, under the above title, from which we make a few extracts. We are constrained to premise, and express our gratitude to the God of all our mercies for this blessed testimony which his dear servant has left behind: it is encouraging to us poor sinners who are yet in the wilderness; but, who, through grace, are looking for a better city, that is a heavenly There are two things that we have often been tempted to fear; first, that death would be very dreadful, and that eternity would be eternally awful. But in our late illness, we certainly did realise that blessed nearness to heaven, and solid assurance of interest in heavenly things, that makes us to rejoice, and join in with two sentences uttered by this dying saint. He said " It is nothing for a saint to die! There is nothing terrible in death to a believer." These things we believe; and record them for the comfort of Zion's travellers as they onward pass to glory. But we come now to the account of Mr. Creasy's death, which is given as follows: "The subject of the following account, was well known in different parts of the country as a faithful servant of the Lord; and where known was highly esteemed. His health had been on the decline for the last twelve months of his life. The change in his state of health was painfully noticed by several of his friends after his return; but they did not apprehend that his end was so near as the event proved it to be. He was in a sweet spiritual frame of mind; very spiritual in his conversation; had much deadness to the world, and the things of the world. He was never laid aside from his beloved work of preaching the Gospel; but preached three times the Lord's-day before his death, and administered the ordinance of the Supper. When preaching he was so much helped as to appear as if nothing ailed him, but was so weak that he was obliged to lie down on the bed between each service. His last text was, 'We are the clay, and thou our potter.' It was a solemn and weighty discourse. On the Tuesday evening following he attended a prayer meeting at the chapel, and engaged in prayer at considerable length. He was out of doors on the Wednesday and Thursday, and came down stairs on the Friday morning, but was taken so much worse, that he was obliged to go to bed again, from whence he never came down. During the last week of his life, his conversation was truly heavenly. He said he was firmly fixed on the Rock of Ages; and would often "How can I sink with such a prop, "He said the Lord had given him that promise in the beginning of his illness, that he would strengthen him on the bed of languishing, and truly it was verified, as will appear in the sequel. He was almost conhis wife, Don't be afraid when you see me stantly in fervent prayer, and would say to thus engaged; I am perfectly sensible; I know what 1 am about.' He would often mention the following words, Mighty to save; and, His own arm brought salvation.' 'I want to see his blessed face; I want to see his blessed face.' 'Leave me not, dear Lord, to self and sin, but have And under a sense of his mercy on me.' own sinfulness, he would say, 'I will bear like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifteth up | passage, (Rom. viii. 1,) and shortly after a standard against him.' He answered, Yes, that other passage in Timothy, 'Now unto yes, mighty to save, mighty to save.' He the king eternal,' &c.; and said he wished then told his wife she might finish reading to be alone; he was not afraid to die; but the chapter, and afterwards he would try to said, Though I pass through the valley of go to sleep. He wished to be alone, he said, the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for but as he got rapidly weaker, his few minutes thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they of sleep were broken and wrestless. He tried comfort me.' Being asked how he felt, he to raise himself up in bed, and repeated the said, 'I am a dying man,' and shortly after following hymn :repeated part of that well known hymn of Cowper's, beginning, 'Weary of earth, myself, and sin, Dear Jesus, set me free, Let a poor labourer here below, For there I long to be.' "He again repeated the following passage, There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit.' He would often say, 'The sting of death is taken away; It is nothing for a saint to die; There is nothing terrible in death to a believer in Christ;' and many times in the course of the day would repeat that blessed portion of Scripture, 'Now unto the king eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be glory and honour, for ever and ever.' "His wife, on going to his bed-side to hear what he said, for his speech was much altered, heard him say, 'No, satan, no.' On asking him if satan was permitted to harass him, he replied, he would if he could, but that he was the father of lies, and had no power over him; for he could truly say, The most high God was his refuge, and although he was base and vile in himself, the weakest and most unworthy of all saints, yet he had a firm reliance on Christ, and a blessed trust and assurance at that moment, that the Lord was his God; and that he would be the most ungrateful being if he did not say, I know these things for myself:-I know them experimentally-I know them to my soul's satisfaction. He then said, I should like a little sleep if the Lord will: he said, 'I should like to fall asleep and sleep till I die, or rather till I live.' He then repeated that 'God moves in a mysterious way, "He was again restless for some time, "How very similar was his death to the death of good old Jacob. It is said, "After he had done blessing his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and gave up the ghost.' The Holy Spirit has left upon record | months had been thirteen months of great the manner of Jacob's death; and why not record the happy deaths of other of his servants to his praise and glory." Beside this brief record of Mr. Creasy's death the work contains a number of letters from which may be gathered some idea of his character as a minister and a christian. We subjoin a few sentences, and in doing so, would observe the profits of the sale will be devoted to the widow and family. The following striking description of his character is found in a letter written by Mr. Morgan of Leicester: "I believe many can testify, I think I may justly say, that he has, at the age of fortyfour, fallen as a martyr to the cause of closely and conscientiously adhering to his Master's revealed will in his Word; in addition to Satan's fiery darts, &c., aiming to know no man after the flesh; and not flinching to declare the whole Word of God; not excepting that part now so much neglected, the precepts; which has raised up carnal, graceless professors to oppose and withstand him, so that bonds and afflictions have attended him in all places at different times; some even of the real family of God, through prevalent carnality at times could not endure this part of sound doctrine. The great adversary has been permitted to try him with fiery darts and cruel temptations to an amazing extent; and no wonder Satan should have been so violent an adversary, seeing he was raised up to destroy, as a means, his works of darkness." Recognition of Mr. W. H. Bonner, AT UNICORN YARD, TOOLEY ST., LONDON. NEVER since the Farewell Services of Mr. Denham, has Unicorn-yard Chapel assumed so interesting an appearance as on the occasion of which we write. Tuesday evening, November 7th, was the time appointed for the public recognition of Mr. W.H. Bonner, as pastor of the church assembling at Unicorn-yard Chapel. At five o'clock a very large body of persons sat down to tea in the chapel; and before the tea could be cleared away, the chapel doors were beseiged by persons anxious to obtain admission. The gas burners in the pulpit and body of the chapel were decorated with evergreens and flowers; and on the front gallery was hung a long strip of holland, on which was worked with evergreens in large letters the words "Jehovah Shallom." Shortly after six o'clock, the services of the evening commenced by singing and prayer; after which Mr. Foreman, (who presided) rose to state the purposes of the meeting. Mr. Foreman said there was a deal to be done in a little time, and therefore they must say a great deal in a few words. He then remarked, that the last thirteen anxiety to him; for within that short space of time he had attended the funerals of four aged servants of God; and the recognition of six. He would call this meeting a sort of testimonial meeting-a thank offering meeting, and a prayer meeting, that after this night they might live in peace. Mr. Bonner then rose to give an account of his call by grace, &c. [The outline of what Mr. Bonner delivered as descriptive of his experience and call to the ministry was put in type, and a proof of the same presented to him; but, since that, we have received a note from Mr. B. strongly protesting against its insertion in the Earthen Vessel; therefore we have withdrawn it; we have done so, simply because we have no desire to do violence to any man's feelings in cases like this; at the same time it is due to ourselves to state, that a Minister's experience, when thus publicly declared, is public property, and no man has any right to attempt to wrap it up in a napkin, or keep it back from the church at large after he has openly and publicly declared it. Mr. B. indirectly charges us with acting under the influence of self-interest; this is cruel; no minister or christian friend who is acquainted with the heavy outlay and insufficient returns connected with this publication (and many such there be) would throw such an unjust accusation in our face. The one leading desire of our heart is, to serve to edify-and to be useful to the churches of Christ. This desire we most solemnly believe was implanted in our breast by the Lord himself: in the working out of this desire, we have freely sacrificed time, ease, and money: many are witnesses, however, that while we have hitherto been great losers on the one hand, we have been richly rewarded in the use the Lord has made of us on the other. We should not have deigned to notice this petty affair, but we find in many parts of the country, Ministers (professing to be christians) are doing their utmost to injure the character of the Earthen Vessel. In the strength of the Lord we shall persevere; and sincerely do we pray that his blessing may still accompany our labours.] The church publicly acknowledged Mr. B. as their pastor in the usual way, and he assented to the call. Mr. Jones offered up the Recognition Prayer. : Addresses were then delivered in the following order :Mr. Milner, on "The Duties and Rights of the Christian Pastor." 66 Mr. Felton, on The Duties of the Christian Members towards their Pastors." Mr. Dickerson, on "The Dangers, Difficulties, and Discouragements of the Pastorate." Mr. Curtis, on "The Scriptural Distinction between Pastors and Deacons ;" and Mr. Wyard, on "The Means of preserving the Peace and Purity of the Church, and promoting Prosperity." The Work of God's Grace stood erect; and I trembled at the awful state of those who could thus tamper with the immortal souls of their fellow creatures; mock God, and deceive man. This one circumstance spoiled all my churchgoing religion, and I never went to church IN DELIVERING JOHN CORBITT FROM ERROR AND LEADING HIM INTO TRUTH. WE make the following extract from the Second Part of "A Memorial of the Good-after; for I was fully assured that there ness of God towards John Corbitt." This is, indeed, an original and interesting portion of the work: 'Thus I went on with my piety a little while, but the Lord soon brought me to observe that there was much more form than reality. I could not learn when to kneel, or when to bow to the East; when to set down, or when to stand; and as for the lessons, prayers or collects, I could never find them; thus I became the gazing stock of the company, and the ridicule of the discipline, for I could not keep rank. I did not know when to halt; or retreat right or left: indeed, I was almost ashamed of myself, for I seemed like a hog in armour; not but I could soon have learned my discipline if that had been all, but I wanted to learn how God could be gracious to so great a sinner; and while I was listening after that, the people would be up and down, right and left, until I was quite lost; but the dear Lord soon put a stop to this, in the following manner :One day, a farmer in the town had a child to be christened, and I having never seen this trick played off before, was all attention, hoping that surely I should learn something now and so I did; for the first thing that particularly struck me was the minister's request to the Godfathers. Dost thou renounce the devil and all his works: the vain pomps and glories of the world: with all covetous desires of the same; and the carnal desires of the flesh; so that thou wilt not follow, nor be led by them?' Answer. I renounce them all.' This declaration of the sponsors run me through and through, and my heart trembled at the consequence: for I knew the person that had made the vow, to be a wanton, drunken, swearing sabbath breaker; and I really pitied the minister, for I thought him a good man, and secretly wished I could get at him, to tell him what sort of a man this was, that made this vow. I thought the minister was deceived: for he appeared very grave, and solemn on the matter, but when the official part of the business was over, I learned to my astonishment and sorrow, that like priest like people. At the conclusion, the minister kneeling down, said, 'we yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to Regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit; to receive him for thine own child by Adoption, and to Incorporate him into thy holy church; and humbly we beseech thee to grant that he being dead unto sin, and living unto righteousness, and being buried with Christ in his death, may crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the whole body of sin.' My heart cried within me,' Mockery! Lies Deceit and Fraud!' my hair felt as if it was no more real love to God manifested in these abominable deceptions, than in the regions of darkness itself. I knew that this was the blind leading the blind, and if they lived and died in this state of deception, they must all fall into the ditch of eternal perdition. 'I now became much more than ever concerned about which was the right way, and commenced a strict search through all the bodies of professors, to see where was the most perfection; or who approached the nearest it; and finding some in every society, whose conduct would not bear the strictest investigation, I became very jealous of them all, and I wondered whether there was any true religion in the world or not; (for indeed I had no notion of perfection at this time, but in the flesh;) and as I could find none in others, nor none in myself, I was ready to conclude there was none; and indeed if I could have got rid of my inward desires after holiness, I could well enough have believed that there was no such thing as vital godliness. Now I was driven to my wit's end; and could say nothing, but God be merciful to me: Lead me in a plain path, and make me know thy salvation. In this distress, the dear Lord was pleased to lead me in a plain path, by giving me to see that JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; and the complete Saviour of all the chosen of the Father. Under this consideration, I was led to consider that as Christ is the Saviour, so hath he left proper directions for his children to walk by. At this time my mind was turned to the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; believing that if I read them carefully, I surely should find the right way of Salvation; this resolution to search the word was no sooner formed, than put in practice, and to my satisfaction, I found it to be the word of God, and the word of Life; and truly with one of old I could say, I found thy word, and did eat it; and it was sweeter to my taste, than the honey or the honeycomb. Here I found the everlasting love of the Father, in choosing to salvation, a number which no man could number; the gift of them to Christ to redeem, and their eternal security in his hands; the quickening influence and power of the Holy Ghost, assuredly and effectually coming upon and dwelling in them; indeed I was so entirely enveloped in these truths, that they not only filled my soul with love, but they clothed me with the garments of salvation; they removed the cares of the world, and many a time I have set from dinner-time to tea-time, reading and talking of these blessed things, and have not known that the time was gone, until my dear old mother has announced |