said, "stript him quite naked;" for, from I was favoured with the light of God's being a respectable farmer and a flourishing countenance; and I bless Him for sending manufacturer, "poor Mark" found himself his servant that day, to preach that serin a damp and deserted house, without mon.' slacken his efforts. Though the church rapidly declined, and became embarrased in its finances, he never lost heart. When it was proposed by some to give up the place, and dissolve the church, he exclaimed, money, goods, or friends. Not only had all It was most affecting indeed, to hear earthly helps failed him, but God seemed poor old Mark tell his story in his own to have left him to perish. His condition simple and characteristic style. He now was most wretched. He was, like Jonah, became a constant attendant with the Bapin the midst of the waters, whose awful tists, embraced their sentiments, and was depths enclosed him on every side; where ultimately baptized, and admitted into the the seaweeds of sin wrapped themselves church. He was baptized in 1839, and rearound his bewildered head; where he was mained with the church till it was divided, hurled and dashed against the rocky shores when he thought proper to join the church of tribulation; where he sunk into the worshipping in Princess-street. Here he was gulf of despair, and found the earth, like elected deacon, and held that onerous office, some huge interminable dungeon, about with singular fidelity and efficiency, until his him on every side. However, it was in the death. Here his humility was most strikdepth of his adversity that spiritual con- ing-he was truly like a little child. Here sciousness returned; then it was that he his piety was most ardent. He was wont remembered God; and turned his terror- to say:-Were God to ask, 'Mark, what blesstricken, despairing eyes to heaven. Often sing wilt thou have and it shall be given?' I has he related his painful experience to would say, 'Lord, send prosperity to our Christian friends, with a melting heart and Zion.' His punctuality was most remarkatearful eyes, in some such terms as these:- ble. "Old Mark," like the church's sen"I rose one morning, cold and hungry, and tinel, was always at his post. He displayed said to myself, What do I here? Have I unshaken fortitude and the most determined been asleep? Have I been in a dream or a resolution: nothing seemed to daunt or trance! O what an infatuated, despicable deject his spirit, to quench his zeal, or wretch I am! O what a horrid place is this! The land is polluted! I must leave it; I'll stay no longer here! Here goes Lot out of Sodom!' Then I saw how great a sinner I was,-how I had forgotten God, neglected prayer, and idolized the world,-how I "What, give it up? Faint in the cause of was now destitute, helpless, and forlorn. God? Desert our only home? Never! nevI know that all this was done for my good; er! never! If we cannot raise money to and I bless God for thus stripping me naked, pay our debts, I'll beg it. If we cannot get in order to bring me to my senses. But a preacher, we can pray, and God has then, God did not immediately restore me promised to hear prayer. He was, however, the joy of his salvation. My backslidings ultimately persuaded to submit to remove were not healed till I became weary with to Hillhouse, a most promising locality, my groaning. Meanwhile I could not for where a room was obtained at one third of shame appear amongst my Christian friends, the previous rent. Here he has been most as I knew they were acquainted with all useful, and has been the instrument of the my folly. Whither, thought I, shall I go, conversion and baptism of several. The or in whom shall I find that sympathy and last time he was at Hillhouse preaching affection I need and desire? Well, I hap- room (which was only about a fortnight pened one Sabbath to go down Thomas- before he died) he told his brethren that street, Huddersfield; and hearing some he felt the earthly house of his tabernacle people praising God, I inquired what sect was about to be dissolved; that such was they were; I was told, Baptists. Baptists- his weakness that he could only occasionally Baptists? said I; I'll come next Sabbath attend the services; and then most earnestly and hear for myself, if God shall spare my desired them to cleave one to another, and to life. Well, I went; and what do you think be especially observant of the means of was the the text? It was this:-'Return grace, and the ordinances of God's house. unto me, ye backsliding children, for I am Poor Mark began to be very unwell about married unto you.' What? thought I, a week before he died. He was first 'and is the Lord married unto me? Am I attacked with constipation of the bowels, still his child? Why, he even claims me, afterwards succeeded by a most violent owns me as such. Nay, he even urges my relaxation, which terminated in death. marriage relation as an inducement to re- His faith was unshaken to the last. turn to his ways.' The text was what I died most triumphantly; his last words wanted. It came home with power. I were, "Grace! grace!" and his spirit fled went home that night, light as a feather. to the bosom of its heavenly Father. He Mrs. Esther Douthwaite. DIED, Oct. 26, 1855, at Leeming-lane, W. Bury, Esq., (2nd moiety) Denmark 1 0 0 Mr. Anderson... Mr. Donald Fraser, Lockgilp- John Johnson, Esq., Liverpool 1 0 0 Collection OF THE BAPTIST HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Report of Special Missionary efforts at Buckingham and several of its adjacent villages, by the Rev. E. JOHNSON. readiness of the people to hear. In In compliance with your request, I here send you a brief account of our recent missionary operations. If you can bring it before the notice of the churches generally, I shall feel glad, for I am persuaded that if similar plans were adopted throughout our rural districts, very happy results might be achieved. We commenced about the middle of July, and since that time have held thirteen out-door services-five in the town, and eight in the villages around. In all, ten villages have been visited, and where preaching was not practicable, tracts have been freely distributed. In most cases the meetings have been numerously attended, and the most perfect order has prevailed. On one occasion, however, I happened to take my stand near an ale-house, in which were a number of gentlemen (?) drinking; they threw open the window, and sang or bellowed nearly all the time. I won attention, however, by making their conduct illustrate my topic of discourse. In the town we have had at least from three to five hundred people, and as many as four hundred in some of the villages. About a fortnight ago I visited, on the Sabbath afternoon, a village containing about seven hundred people, there were up-regular tract agency throughout the wards of three hundred present. These efforts have revealed two very important facts-the deplorable condition of these rural districts, and the town and villages around, to form libraries for the poor, and to establish cottage preaching. In these matters we get on but slowly at present, but с we mean to persevere. If we do not succeed in carrying out our own plaus, we are waking up those whose duty it it is to see to these things. If spared until another summer, I hope to get some of the clergy into the street and to obtain the help of some Christian brother, so that every village within a certain range shall hear the plain gospel. We must do this if we would be true to the great commission. It will not do to take your stand in the chapel and preach laboured sermons to the same fifty or one hundred people, whilst there are around you, in the highways, thousands who are perishing for lack of knowledge. We must compel them to come in. Any suggestions you may think it proper to make, I shall be glad to receive. Yours, most truly, E. JOHNSON. Report of a Missionary Tour in the County of Warwick, in the months of September and October, 1855. By Rev. Messrs. WEBB, of Dunchurch, and SMITH, of Braunston. AT the request of the committee we commenced our journey on the 12th of September for the purpose of visiting the most destitute places in the county, and of using our best efforts to communicate the knowledge of the way of life by preaching, circulation of tracts, and conversation. Our spirits were often depressed in witnessing the spiritual destitution of many of the villages, and at seeing the thousands who are living in total ignorance of salvation by Christ, in Sabbath breaking, and in the wilful neglect of all public worship. In numerous places we had never visited before, we found that the gospel is not preached; that evangelical tracts had rarely, if ever, been distributed among the people, and that they are altogether much needing missionary labour. We visited and presented the truths of the gospel in conversation and by tracts in the villages of Radford, Hampton-in-Arden, Shustoke, Maxtoke, Knowle, Solihull, Lower Whitacre, Over Whitacre, Fillonley, Cawley, Carsley Heath, Frankton, Princethorp, Wappingbury, Weston, Cubbington, Lillington, Leck, Wotton, Hill Wotton, Lapworth, Lonesome Ford, Ullenhall, Tanworth, Little Pack wood, Great Packwood, Beckerill, Preston, Bagot, Claverdon, Norton, Lindsey, Honingham, Eathorp, Ryton, Bubbenhall, Stoneleigh, Stichell, Allesley, Westhood Heath, East Wood Green, Berkswell, and the small towns Arden. About five thousand tracts, kindly of Coleshill, Kenilworth, and Henley-infurnished by the Religious Tract Society, were given, and in most cases thankfully accepted. Sixteen times we preached the gospel, chiefly in the open air, in most cases to considerable and attentive audiences, besides reading the Scriptures and prayer with the afflicted. The services in the open air appeared to produce, in several instances, a good impression. As the details of the journal are too numeinstance a few of the particulars. rous and too long for publication, I will only In the village of Tanworth, on the borders of Worcestershire, with a population of above a thousand, drunkenness and profligacy abound. Here we were invited by two respectable women to stay on the Tuesday evening, and preach in the open air, there being no place of worship but the parish church, which is but thinly attended. We went from house to house with the tracts and invited the people to the preaching. At six o'clock, brother Smith and myself went into the centre of the village and gave out a hymn, and read the Scriptures, and prayed. The people collected around to the number of fifty or sixty-nearly all adults-who listened to my discourse on the way of salvation with close attention. Several evidently felt the force of the truths delivered, and the greatest order prevailed, though the service did not end until it became quite dark. The clergyman was a hearer for a short period, the policeman and constable, with people in two conveyances. As we acknowledged their attention and bid them farewell, thanks came from nearly all sides of us. A man who was standing near the clergyman remarked, "Well, sir, we cannot say anything against this." "Very good, very good," was the clergyman's reply. At Kenilworth, with a population of three thousand one hundred and forty-where I am sorry to say a good Baptist chapel bad been for some time deserted-we held interesting services in the open air, and once in the chapel. Brother Nash, of Warwick, who was with us, preached on the Castle Green from the Prodigal Son. A large number of young men were present, nearly one hundred and fifty in all, and listened with evident interest to the truth, clearly stated and faithfully applied. A good feeling was evident. A church lady came out and shook us cordially by the hand, and received our tract. I pray God that something may yet be done to raise a Baptist interest in this important village. At Bubbenhall, a much neglected vil lage, the people stood out on the wet ground to the number of sixty or seventy, and listened attentively to the gospel. As we were passing through the village, a respectable young man addressed me and said, "I hope, sir, it will not be long before you come again, for I felt much what I heard this morning." The people are, to all appearance, prepared to receive the gospel in this neglected place. At the village of Stoneleigh also, where a powerful church influence, sustained by a resident nobleman, has hitherto resisted every effort made by Baptist friends and others, to introduce statedly the gospel in connexion with nonconformity among its numerous inhabitants, we held an open air service. A wheelwright, near whose premises we stood, urged us to desist from our attempt of collecting the people together. Amongst other things, he said, "That our preaching would only engender strife; that the poor people who came to hear us would be marked; and that it would make it worse for them." We replied "That we came to preach the gospel in a peaceable manner for the good of immortal souls; and as we were two accredited ministers, we could not comply with his wish." After giving out a hymn and reading the Scriptures and prayer, brother Smith earnestly addressed the people on the danger of neglecting Christ's salvation. The address was listened to with deep attention; a good feeling was manifested, and there were more hearers than we expected, as it was not a convenient season. At the village of Weston, the people were so anxious to hear our open air service, that we had more than twice the number on this occasion that we had last year; from eighty to a hundred, chiefly adults, stood out to listen to a discourse on the Prodigal Son. Considerable attention was manifest. A resident farmer, who attends church, showed us much kindness and hospitality, followed us to two other villages where we preached, and at one of the services he seemed much affected under a discourse on the rich man and Lazarus. At Wappingbury, a neighbouring village, an interesting service was held. Brother Smith delivered a faithful address, and several young men evidently felt considerably. At the large village of Ryton, the people were anxious to hear. When we entered the village, late on the Sabbath afternoon, they were in great numbers in the street, expecting us to preach there, agreeably to a previous intimation; but, owing to the night coming on so suddenly, we were obliged to retire into a building fitted up as a a chapel. The place was thronged, and brother S. and myself delivered two discourses. Both were listened to with close attention; and the spirit of God appeared to be in our midst. We cannot but believe that so much precious seed sown publicly and privately will produce fruit to the glory of God. In the course of our visitations with tracts, &c., we were often painfully affected to discover so many cases of deplorable ignorance of gospel truths. Prother Smith conversed about the love of Christ with an elderly woman who appeared to be in circumstances above the labouring class. The woman exclaimed, "Oh, I do love Jesus Christ, I love him, with all my heart!" And on brother Smith's inquiring, "What is your reason for loving Christ ?" "Why, sir," she answered, "he gives us a good living if we strive for it." Brother Smith endeavoured to reach her conscience by his appeals, but, alas! he retired with the conviction that her mind was dark as midnight. We accosted a poor man walking on the road in the neighbourhood of Henley-in-Arden. I inquired if he could read. He said "No," and as he was taking his meal, I read with his consent the tract," The Brazen Serpent," making some remarks on it by the way. He seemed to listen intently. At the conclusion, brother Smith inquired if he knew what sin was-he could give no answer. He was then asked if he had ever committed sin. His reply was, "No, he did not know what the law of God is," and seemed wholly ignorant of the plan of salvation. We inquired if he ever heard these things before. "Never," was his reply. What place of worship do you attend? "The church." Do you understand what you hear? "Not much." Does not your minister visit you and explain these things to you? No, sir." We felt truly grieved to discover such fearful ignorance of gospel truth in this highly favoured country. this is only one case among thousands that are to be found amongst our rural population. We fervently pray that our simple statements of gospel truth to this poor man, and many others, may result in their salvation. But, alas! We had opportunities of declaring the truth to Roman Catholics and to Mormons. An intelligent catholic endeavoured to persuade us that we had no right to preach or to teach, as we were not successors of the Apostles. Our bishops and priests are the successors of the Apostles, she added. We explained that those who possessed the spirit of faith, love, zeal, &c., and who preached the same truths the apostles felt and preached, were their true successors. She respectfully listened to us, and though at first she refused our tract, she accepted it at the close of our visit. As we were travelling in the villages midway between Coventry and Birmingham, we entered, wearied and exhausted for want of refreshment, into a poor woman's house who sold articles of grocery, and inquired if she would sell us a few eatables. She consented. During the time of their preparation, she discovered what was the object of our visit to the village; and we found that the woman was an enthusiastic Mormon. She |