should after having believed in the love of God in Jesus Christ! Endowed with great facility of speech, no sooner had he emerged from his prison than he felt the necessity of proclaiming the good tidings of reconciliation. Although the laws of his country imposed silence upon him, he said with Peter and John, “Judge ye, if it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather than God" (Acts iv. 19). He was no theologian, but a poor shoemaker; but neither were Peter and John theologians; but poor fishermen and unlettered men like Ruggeri. As they were with Jesus (Acts iv. 13), so he was with Jesus in prison.

All this occurred in 1853. On the morning of the 4th January, 1855, as Ruggeri was leaving his own town of San Piero, in Bagno, he was arrested a second time, and again flung into prison. Upon him were found a Bible and a few religious books. After about a year's confinement he was again tried. The lawyer Salvagnoli again undertook his defence. Most gladly would we present our readers with the details of this interesting trial; we must, however, confine ourselves to two circumstances. First, a truth expressed by Salvagnoli : "Is not our festival of the Corpus Domini," exclaimed he "a sheer profanation of the body of Christ? Secondly, the favourable testimony of a Roman Catholic woman who was a witness against Ruggeri. "I have known the young man," she said, "for many years, and deplore the blindness which has befallen him. One thing that I cannot understand is, that since he has lived in heresy his conduct has been irreproachable." "It appears from the trial," says the correspondent of the CHRISTIAN TIMES, "that Ruggeri never concealed himself— never lent himself to any timid compromise-but openly confessed his conversion, and acquired the name of a zealous Protestant.

This dear brother, this intrepid defender of the truth, who after NINE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT, was declared "NOT GUILTY," was again, the second time, after ELEVEN MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT, declared "NOT GUILTY.' It is said that a murmur of applause was heard in the court on the acquittal being announced; this shows the sympathy of the Florentines for the evangelical Christians and their doctrines. Giovan-Battista Ruggeri is now subject to the strict surveillance of the police. He, however, perseveres in his zeal and fidelity to the Lord, and sooner than disobey God, is ready, for the third time, to return to prison. Let us not, then, forget to pray for this beloved brother. S. F.

MR. WEST AND HIS PREACHING.

WE have, in another paper, noticed Mr. Philpot, who left the Church of England; we now give a few words spoken by a good man who still stands in the Church of England-we refer to Mr. West, Rector of Winchelsea, in Sussex. This good man often comes to London; and many hundreds run to hear him; and very highly they speak of him. He is a bold, determined, discriminating preacher of Salvation in the living soul; and his manner, his matter, and his position, render him an influential, and a useful man. It seems to matter but little, whether a man be in the Church, or out of it; if he preaches the gospel with light, life, and power, "the people" find him out; follow him; and their souls get fed. The gown, or no gown, is not the thing. The Prayer Book is not the test. It is a living testimony of CHRIST as GOD, as MAN, as MEDIATOR, as REDEEMER, as INTERCESSOR, as the HEAD, the HUSBAND, and the Helper in every sense, of poor sinners. This is the ministry hungry souls and spiritual minds must have. These the Lord has promised to give unto his Church, and that promise is verified in Mr. West.

James Paul, the Paternoster Row Pulpiteer, has found out that Master West's sermons will sell; therefore they are published. We have a few of them; and it may be, that we shall select a few Cheering Words therefrom. The following quotation is made rather to shew that Mr. West is an observer of the times; and that he makes the pulpit, what we think it should be, a kind of Watch Tower.-There the Watchman uses his eyes, and either sounds the alarm, or gives glad tidings, as the case may be. Here is a short sample of Mr. West's ministry. The following is from No. 2562 of the Penny Pulpit.

"Have I any hearer before me here intensely exercised about his interest, who says 'What I want to know is whether I am a child of God in Christ Jesus?' Now let me say to you that I

hold this to be a sure test of your sonship. No mere carnal professor ever felt such exercise as that. The Christian must be exercised in some way or another. Oh! what harrassings I have had to-day in anticipation of preaching here this evening. The wretchedness I have experienced about a text, and the earnestness of soul I have all day long felt, that it might please God to bless me to the living church to-night-the desire I had to be enabled to speak a word in season to the weary ones-to be an instrument to sooth the broken in heart-to be a helper, (instrumentally) to those brought low.".

ezer

the

"You remember those two words, Jehovah-Jireh' and 'Ebenand you who are doubting, trembling, fearing, longing to know your adoption in Christ, who say, 'O! if I could only know that Christ did die for me'. to all such poor ones-brought down ones, I say, mark those two words, Ebenezer! Jehovah-Jireh! You know their meaning! ' Ebenezer,'' the stone of help'— 'hitherto hath the Lord helped us;' and 'Jehovah-Jireh' Lord will provide.' Now when the soul is dwelling in darkness, deadness, wretchedness, it is well to meditate on these words. To pace as it were to and fro between the two stones, on one of which it is written, Ebenezer, on the other, Jehovah-Jireh; and when the soul sinks down, and faith seems gone, when we cannot trust the Lord, then to look at Ebenezer, and remember how God has helped us; then to take courage, and know the full meaning of Jehovah-Jireh, that he will still help, that he will still provide!

"His love in time past forbids me to think,

He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink,
Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review,

Confirms his good pleasure to help me quite through."

How many times has he helped you? How many times has he plucked your feet out of the net? How many times has he delivered you from temptation? How many times has he spoken peace to your wounded aching heart? No other voice could have done it. O! how often, when you have been sinning against him, when your own sin, and your own iniquity has brought you low, ("I was brought low," said David,) how often has he spoken peace and helped you. David knew much of this. Remember the 130th Psalm. 'Out of the depths have I cried unto thee (), Lord.'

VOL. VI.

OCTOBER, 1856.

No. 66.

MR. SPURGEON IN EXETER HALL.

(To the Editor of Cheering Words.)

EAR SIR, I have not had much time, of late, to review the preaching, or to select the precious pieces from, my dear friend Spurgeon's sermons. You must know we have all been running about by the sea-side, in the cornfields, and through the hop-gardens of late, that really we have not been able to watch things so closely as we used to do; but, on returning to London I was pleased to learn that, in consequence of the crowds who still attend Mr. Spurgeon's ministry, he and his friends had removed again to Exeter Hall, where every Sunday evening, he preaches to crowds of people. This is not to be wondered at, seeing that the daily, weekly, and monthly journals, are all criticising and writing him up, which of course, excites an interest, and maintains a consecutive and comprehensive thirst to hear this great preacher in Exeter Hall,

Price One-Halfpenny: or 10 Copies for 4d.

Mr.

But, upon this point, Mr. CHEERING WORDS, you must allow me to say one word; and neither yourself, Mr. Spurgeon himself, nor any of his friends, must be offended. Last Lord's-day, a sister of mine, and her husband—(a minister,) being in town, were anxious to visit Exeter Hall; and so off to the Hall we went; and rare work had we to get in; there was such screaming and pushing, really, it was dreadful; but when we were in, and seated, the sight was grand indeed. Oh! it was an opportunity to preach the Gospel indeed; and I must confess that Mr. Spurgeon's privilege in this respect is immense, beyond thousands of good men who now, on the face of this globe, unfurl the banner of the Cross. Spurgeon preached from Isaiah's commission-"Comfort ye-Comfort ye my people," &c. But there were three things, which acted like little flies in this (otherwise) nice little pot of ointment. In the first place, the preacher said much about angels comforting, and ministers consoling, the Lord's people; but the Holy Ghost-THE COMFORTER the essential and only real administrator of comfort was not insisted upon, and set forth, as many of us would rejoice to hear. Oh, you little CHEERING WORDS - I know you speak to, and dwell in the houses and hearts of, many of Mr. Spurgeon's dearest friends; and I do pray that if they discover, (as some think,) anything like a negation, or slighting, or compromising, of the distinct Personality, Office, and Work of our adorable and Divine Comforter-"The Spirit of Truth"-and the only Quickener and Sanctifier, of the elect and redeemed people of God-that they will kindly point it out to him -for if Satan cannot do him hurt one way, he will try