ly on the stage, was to preach. When I went to fulfil the appointment, their little meetinghouse on the Common, near the Navy Yard, was surrounded by an immense crowd, while within, it was so full that I reached the pulpit steps with difficulty. This was the greatest trial I ever had as a preacher, in view of an audience. When I came in sight of the crowd, I was tempted to turn back, and when I rose up to commence public worship, Satan assured me that my mouth should be stopped if I attempted to preach; that the cause of my precious Saviour would be sadly wounded; that I had better say to the people, I was not prepared to address so large an assembly, and then go home. The suggestion was so plausible, I did not think at the moment that it came from the great deceiver, and I concluded to give out a hymn, read a chapter, pray, and sing again, and then determine how to act. While singing the second hymn which closed with these words, if saved at all; and the view I at that moment | It somehow leaked out that Mr. Cone, formerhad of God's method of saving sinners, I do still most heartily entertain, after thirty years' experience of his love. This was Saturday night, and that night I slept more sweetly than I had done for many weeks. Before day-light on Lord's-day morning I awoke, and went down stairs quietly, made a fire in the front parlour, and threw open the window-shutters, and as soon as I could see, commenced reading the New Testament. I opened to the 13th chapter of John, and came to where Peter said, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet; Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith to him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.' At that moment my heart seemed to melt. I felt as if plunged in a bath of love divine-I was cleansed from head to foot; guilt, and the apprehension of punishment were both put away; tears of gratitude gushed from my eyes in copious streams; the fire in the grate shone on the paper upon the wall, and the room was full of light; I fell upon the hearth-rug, on my face, at the feet of Jesus, and wept and gave thanks; my sins, which were many, were all forgiven me; and a peace of mind succeeded which passeth all understanding. Bless the Lord, O my soul; from that hour to the present, a doubt of my calling and election of God, has never crossed my path. With all my imperfections, shortcomings, and backslidings of heart, I have from that hour stedfastly believed that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus my Lord!'" 'Be thou my strength and righteousness the worth of souls was presented to my mind My Jesus, and my all!' with irresistible force; I never once thought of the want of words to tell the story of the cross, nor of the crowd of hearers, but directed workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto them to Ephesians ii. 10, For we are his good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them,' and spoke for an hour with fervour and rapidity. Wonderfully did the Lord help me that day; and I felt it to be so easy to preach Jesus, and I was ready to spend and be spent in his service, that I consented to an appointment for the next Lord's day. My third sermon was from Malachi iii. 16, Then they that feared the From that day Spencer H. Cone was "a Lord spake often one to another; and the new creature." His hopes, his principles, his Lord hearkened and heard it,' &c., and he purposes were new; and so were to be his em- gave me that day a soul for my hire, to enployments. True to the impulses of a heart, courage my heart and to strengthen my hands the freshness of whose enthusiasm survived-blessed be his holy name for ever! Oh, his "three-score years and ten," he went the very next day after his conversion, to the pastor of the first baptist church in Baltimore to ask for baptism; and on Saturday morning, February 4, 1834 the day after he had appeared before the church, was baptized in the Patapso river, though the ice at the time "was more than a foot thick." Not long after this event, he removed to the city of Washington, and was employed in the Treasury Department of the General Government. But that was not to be his calling. The little church at the Navy Yard had no pastor, and Mr. Cone was invited to lead their sabbath morning prayer-meeting. What that resulted in, will best appear from his own language: : "In reading 1 John ii. 1, I was forcibly impressed with the words, 'If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;' and I spoke from them without embarassment for nearly an hour, to my own utter surprise. This was my first attempt to preach Christ crucified to my fellow-men. "At their earnest request, I agreed to speak for them again the next Lord's day morning. what am I, or what my father's house, that to me this grace should be given, to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ?' "Brother O. B. Brown now asked me if I was licensed to preach. I said, no. He said, he had never heard me, but from the report of many of his people, and from what everybody said out of doors he had no doubt I was called to the work. At his suggestion, I wrote to Baltimore for my Letter of Dismission; received it the next Saturday, and preached for the first church on Lord's day morning. After service, brother Brown stopped the members and read my Letter, upon the credit of which I was immediately received. He then asked the members if they had any doubt of my being called of God to the work of the ministry. They said, no. And upon the motion of deacon Enoch Reynolds, I was unanimously licensed, June 24th, 1815, to preach the Gospel of the blessed God. In the afternoon, brother Brown informed the church that he should set out the next day to visit his aged parents in New Jersey, to be absent six weeks, and should leave brother Cone to supply the pulpit. He had not spoken a word to me upon the subject, and I told him it would be impossible: for I had preached all I knew. He said I could preach, or shut up the house, as I pleased-and so left me. For six hours each day I was crowded with business at the Treasury, so that I had but a small portion of time to devote to reading. I had no one to consult with, as to the subjects for the pulpit, or the proper manner of treating them. My mind was graciously led to preach Christ in his offices-Prophet, Priest, King, Advocate, Shepherd, Friend, &c., to dwell on the work of the Spirit, and the evidences of Christian character, and compare these things with my own experience, and above all, I was led in preaching the way of life, to say what I knew, and no more; and then read, and think, and pray, till I acquired additional knowledge, and then give it to the people. In this way with many struggles, and tears, and misgivings and sleepless hours at night, I was enabled to preach every Lord's-day for six weeks, to unusually large and attentive assemblies. Preachers and lawyers, and clerks, and heads of departments, and infidels, came from every part of the district to hear what the actor had to say about religion; and when I look back upon those scenes, I am constrained to exclaim, What hath God wrought ?' When I reflect that the fear of man never troubled me in the pulpit for a moment; that even in the commencement of my ministry, whatever were my internal struggles, I was strengthened to go through the services of the day with a large share of liberty and comfort; and that the plan of salvation through the vicarious sufferings of the Son of God, as revealed to me in my conversion, is the only plan I have ever preached, I must ascribe it all to the guidance and protection of that good Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep, and to his name be all the glory!" relative, who held a commission in the army, was called to the Crimea, and shared all the toil and danger with the allied forces, both in the long siege and the terrible onslaught with the foe in several pitched battles; thousands fell by his side and ten thousands at his right hand, yet he came out unscathed from the carnage-an invisible hand kept him alive with death so near. Would to God he had been conscious of such preserving mercy, and had been brought to acknowledge the Divine Providence which shielded his head in the day of battle! but 'A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool consider this.' It is but too evident he knew not God, nor regarded him in whose hands his breath was, but his soul was lifted up with pride and vain glory; yet, from the united testimony of persons at home and abroad, he was an excellent officer and most efficient in the command of his regiment, and as a proof of his meritorious conduct was recently promoted to occupy an important position in the army. On account of declining health he obtained leave of absence to return to England. At Malta he joined his beloved wife, who accompanied him on board a government ship; the voyage was prosperous; his health rapidly improved; so that he fondly cherished the thought of spending some months in the circle of his beloved home. But as the vessel neared the English shores, and when within sight of his fatherland, a tremendous storm arose, tearing away the ship's anchors, shivered her masts, and did irreparable damage. She had sprung a leak, and was going down rapidly; numbers escaped to shore by various means; but several perished on that fearful night. During the awful struggle and suspence my uncle was seen to rush from his cabin and run from one end of the wreck to the other with two bags filled with gold, offering them to any one who would rescue his beloved wife! Alas! no one heeded the useless treasure, but were too anxious to secure their own safety. Shortly after the vessel went down, amidst CONVERSATIONS BY THE WAY. the shrieks of those on board, and was buried DIALOGUE THE SECOND BETWEEN MENTOR MENTOR.-"Well, my young friend, I am TYRO."O, Sir, I seem overwhelmed with grief. My soul is cast down because of trouble. I have a great fight of afflictions without and within-am filled with gloomy doubts and fears; so that I have serious apprehensions. All these things are against me. beneath the waters of the Channel. The next morning presented an appalling sight; several were picked up who had floated near shore, and, at some distance off, the bodies of the gallant officer and his wife were discovered firmly locked in each others arms!" M.-"My dear brother, I deeply sympathise with you in your distress. The recital of such a heart-rending calamity is enough to make one Weep with those that weep.' How mysterious are the ways of our God! whose Providence is a vast abyss, dark, unfathomable, impenetratable to mental eye. 'The clouds are the dust of his feet:' he rides upon the whirlwind and directs the storm, but his footsteps are not known." M.-"Indeed! According to your version your story must be a very dismal one certainly; but how came you to read the de- T." Ah, Sir, I have thought a thousand clarations of eternal truth backwards? We times of that wheel Ezekiel saw, so high and know that all things work together for good' dreadful to behold; it was full of eyes round however dark and distressing. But tell me about, and the spirit of the living creatures what is that which so distresses you, 'speak-was in the wheel, or rather wheels, for the ing may relieve thee. Have you experienced any domestic calamity of late, or is it soul trouble that so depresses your spirit?" T.-"It is both, my dear friend. A near appearance was, as it were, a wheel within a wheel. Does not this indicate the mysterious and vast designs of Providence?" M.-"No doubt of it. But your mention of the wheels being full of eyes may teach us the wisdom and arrangement of all events and circumstances, however mysterious, being regulated by principle and order. We must not judge the dark, unfathomable ways of Jehovah by our carnal reasoning; it is in this way 'He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sovereign will.' of walking, even by the aid of crutches, but it could not be said of such an one, he had no hands or feet. Thus you may groan under the burden of unbelief, and feel the pressure of natural corruption; but that does not argue you are dead in sin, or destitute of faith -it is rather an evidence of its existence when the soul truly mourns under the burden of sin, and the blighting effects of unbe And shall not the Judge of all the earth do lief. Have you never felt what these lines right?'" T.-"Yes, verily! but I am so dark and distressed that everything appears confused. My past experience-when the candle of the Lord shined round about me, and when happy in the ways of religion and truth-seems an illusion. By this solemn event I am deprived of a large property, and my prospects in life are blighted. Surely, me thinks, if I were indeed the Lord's, I could trust him and feel no uneasiness about the future. But I can no more rely on his word of promise than I could create a world; this is proof enough I can have no faith." M.-"Take heed, poor soul, of cherishing that viper, old unbelief, in thy bosom; like a rank weed, it will grow and take such root in the mind as the experience of years may not eradicate, until the soul is brought into fearful despondency. I remember an old divine relates of a choice saint, that being under darkness of soul, and for years a prey to the withering influence of unbelief, refused and put off all comfort, and seemed to despair of grace and mercy. A minister being one day with her reasoned against her desperate conclusions, when she took a glass vase from the table and said, 'Sir, I am as sure to be damned as this glass is to be broken!' and threw it forcibly to the ground. But, to the astonishment of both, the glass remained whole and sound! which the minister taking up with admiration, rebuked her presumption, and shewed her what a wonder Providence wrought for her satisfaction. This circumstance soon altered the temper of her mind, and the Lord greatly blessed her afterwards. T.-"Sir, I desire to be thankful my mind is not exactly like the good woman's just mentioned; nor are my feelings quite so desperate as her's in reference to the love, grace and mercy of God. Nevertheless, if I had faith, surely I could believe and trust the Lord, even though I could not trace him." M.-"Let not the principle of faith be confounded with its exercises. Faith is a divine and vital, inextinguishable grace, wrought in the soul in regeneration. It is the gift of God, who is its Author and Object. The good work begun-wrought by his own hands and his hands will also finish it. Now believing is the exercise and function of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God; because there can be no believing in Christ without it. Faith may be sometimes slumbering, deaf and dumb, halting and inactive; but who would say a man has no eyes, ears, or mouth, just because they are closed and silent in sleep? The hands might be rendered useless for a time by some disorder, and the feet so lame as to be incapable express 'O, could I but believe! Then all would easy be! I would, but cannot. Lord, relieve; My help must come from thee ?' T."I have, many times. But do you not think circumstances so calamitous may arise, and darkness so impenetrable possess the mind, as to extinguish faith altogether?" M.-"No, indeed, Tyro; I do not think any such thing; and God forbid that either of us should. I know that its operations may be impeded, its functions cease for a time, like one asleep, and in its exercises may be brought even to a dead stand. Yet there's the divine principle of precious faith within, unhurt, unmoved, amidst the fury of the storm, the overwhelming wave, and the darkest events of providence. She sees God is her Refuge and Strength, and very present Help in trouble. Not that the religion of Christ makes men callous to feeling, or insensible to sorrow and trouble; I have no sympathy for such stoicism. Your heavenly Father sees and knows why such a heavy stroke as this should be laid upon you. He intended you should feel it, or it would argue the greatest insensibility and stupidity on your part. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. Some hardened, sullentempered boys, when well-whipped, have even laughed, to shew their contempt of punishment. But faith sees the rod in her father's hand, and hears him saying, 'As many as I love I rebuke and chasten; be zealous, therefore, and repent.' This will bear up the foot-worn pilgrim in the deepest straits and difficulties, yea, even in the swellings of Jordan, when flesh and heart fail, 'Faith has an overcoming power; And "The life of faith is evidenced by groanings under the pressure of unbelief which cramps its exercise. The walk of faith is manifest when one like Abram is called to go forth, not knowing whither, but comes up from the wilderness leaning on the arm of Omnipotence; and the triumph of faith is developed when the man of Uz says, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.' in the sublime strains of Habakkuk,—' Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in Jehovah; I will joy in the God of my salvation.' 'Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees, And says, It shall be done!'" T-"My dear Sir, I have reason to bless God for this interview with you this morning. Already I feel some secret springs of consolation flowing into my soul. Surely, These light afflictions are but for a moment, and are working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.' I seem somewhat like the poor man when he said, 'Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief.""" M.-"Well, let us give to our God all the glory. Only remember, that the trial of your faith is much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire; and should we be permitted to meet here again, I hope you may bear a good testimony to the loving-kindness and care of our covenant God. To his grace I commend you. Farewell." CORNELIUS SLIM. Hailsham, Sussex. DIVINE SOVEREIGNTY DEAR MR. EDITOR.-Solomon's advice is Again-"Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." First, then, did Luther, &c., experience that baptism which is unto repentance, which none but the Holy Spirit could teach them in the spiritual sense? Or, in other words, were they not made to feel that they were sinners, and such as Isaiah describes "From the head to the sole of the foot ;" and like the leper that was pronounced clean under the law-that is, that they were in themselves altogether corrupt. This, then, I say, included their whole persons. On the other hand, did they not receive and rejoice in the perfection of a Saviour's work and imputed righteousness and was not this their only, and entire hope for justification before God? So that, while they felt they had nothing but sin in themselves, in Jesus Christ they had no sin; and while in their whole (natural) persons they were nothing but corruption, in Jesus Christ (in their whole persons) they had no corruption. Then I say, if the Holy Spirit did not convince them of Baptism by Immersion emblematically, they certainly received and rejoiced in the truths it substantially embraces; and if they passed by the shadow, they realised the substance. Again. Were they not made new creatures -new creatures in Christ Jesus? and does not this also include their whole person? And what is this but the baptism of regeneration-a complete sinner, and a complete Saviour? What can represent it but immersion? But why all are not led to observe the outward sign by the same Spirit, is not for creatures to fathom-much more to explain. But this we know, from Scripture and experience; that the Holy Spirit leadeth and teacheth all severally as he will; and while there are diversities of operations, it is the same Spirit. Should I ask, why it is so many (and the elect too) are left to spend so many of their days in sin, and why one is called earlier in years than another, must it not be said it is because the Lord is pleased (or willeth) to have it so, and not because the Holy Spirit could not quicken them before? And if the Holy Spirit is made to testify more blessedly of Jesus to one than another, and more at one time than another, is it not as the Lord is pleased to afford and command it? and to ask why the Holy Spirit does not convince all of "Baptism by Immersion," is as foolish as asking why the Lord does not quicken all and teach all alike, and lead all alike. If it is a good thing to be led to see the doctrine of baptism, it is also good to be called by grace in early years; and also very good" to experience much of the glory and liberty of the gospel. But we know, in all these matters the Lord doeth as say unto him, "What doest thou?" "T. T. he willeth; and none can stay his hand, or A., Spa Road," certainly has asked a "foolish question," the Lord will not, and man cannot, give account of these matters. 66 Chester, Dec. F. G. DR. HAWKER'S LETTER TO MR. HITCHENS, ON HIS CONVERSION. MR. EDITOR.-Sir, I shall be obliged if you will kindly insert the enclosed letter, on Mr. Hitchens's conversion, in your next number of the EARTHEN VESSEL? Some of your subscribers and myself, read the epistle, and tasted its sweetness, and been refreshed in spirit by its perusal. are desirous of its being further published, having The Lord made Mr. Hitchens's ministry a great blessing and comfort to my soul, whilst I sat under the sound of the everlasting Gospel, fully and clearly preached by him at Falmouth, and it was by his mouth, that I was first enabled, by the power by hearing the truth as it is in Jesus, proclaimed of the Holy Ghost, to believe in God the Father's everlasting love to his church, in his dear Son, independent of any works or merits in the creature. The text Dr. Hawker preached from, in Mr. Hitchens's Church at Falmouth, when he was converted, is in the sixth verse of the first chapter of the Song of Solomon; "mine own vineyard have I not kept." Which I will thank you to have printed at the bottom of the letter, and this note, should it meet your approbation, as I desire to have my testimony published regarding the excellency of the discourses of that zealous and holy man of God. Allow me to remain, Sir, your's with respect and love in Christ Jesus, RICHARD BLUETT. Lifton, Devon, Dec. 13th, 1855. "MY VERY DEAR SIR: If I were to attempt the description of the effect which the perusal of your letter produced in my mind, I should fall miserably short and defective in the account, and leave you still uninformed of what hath been the real state of the case. I do assure you, my dear Sir, that before I had read five lines in that part of it which speaks of the change wrought in your soul, it occasioned a sensation which thrilled through all my frame; and while I uttered an involuntary exclamation, in which gratitude, holy joy, and, I trust, an humbleness of devout feeling, accompanied with tears, were all blended, I could not but look round the place where I was, with an awakened imagination, as if to realise in a more immediate manner the presence of that wonder-working God, who doth all things according to the purposes of his own Divine will. O, my dear Sir, and is it really so that He who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into your heart, to give you the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ? What an endless subject of gratitude have we both to pay! and how may we exclaim, in the language of Scripture,What hath God wrought? You know but in part as yet, the infinite goodness and condescension of God in the appointment, and accomplishment of so much mercy. You are looking only, I know, to yourself in the event, and naturally enough are lost in the contemplation of such undeserved favour. But I am compelled to take in another consideration, to me much more astonishing, and sufficient to fill any heart but mine with never-ceasing gratitude. That God should call his people to his love, and by instruments of feebleness to whom he gives strength, is indeed a subject of holy admiration and joy, and only ascribable to the effect of his distinguishing grace. But when he condescends to go lower even than this, and instead of faithful servants in his ministry, to make use of the vilest, and most unworthy, and single them out, to accomplish the purposes of his will-what a contemplation opens here, to call up the most animated thanksgiving! May the bountiful Giver of such blessings still impart this grace, that neither you nor I may ever cease to improve them! I am now doubly interested, more than ever, in your furtherance in the gospel, and cannot but feel an awakened concern for your highest attainments in it. You have afforded me more real happiness in the communication of this gracious event, than though you had the power, and were disposed to exercise it, of conferring upon me an empire. It will, I trust in God, be my encouragement in the darkest hour, and animate me in the glorious service of Jesus, when the season seems to be most unpromising. Let it have the same effect, I pray, on you. Consider who it is that sends; who gives the power; and who hath promised that his strength is perfected in weakness. The difference of human talent is therefore wholly lost in this charming consideration. For it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who sheweth mercy.' "You request information what books I would recommend you to use. In answer I would say, the Book of books is the Word of God; and if (as I am persuaded you now will, my dear brother,) you look up to Him, who is the Spirit of Truth, and hath promised to guide into all truth, and implore his graco to guide and instruct you-he alone will be sufficient to make you wise unto salvation, and to make you, that you will be neither barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, as collateral helps have been sometimes blessed to the promotion of godliness, I would subjoin all tracts which are perfectly orthodox, and treat of vital, experimental piety. I have found the writings of Dr. Watts, Doddridge, and Gill, to be eminently useful. I confess they are all Dissenters; but I bless God I have long learned not to be prejudiced against them. It has been a maxim with me, which I see no reason to alter, never to refuse instruction wherever I can conscientiously obtain it. A pearl is a pearl still, though found in an Ethisp's ear. We "I hope frequently to hear from you, my dear Sir, and more frequently to meet you in prayer at the throne of grace. need, I'm sure, each other's prayers; and let us see which can be most bountiful in this invaluable friendship. Remember, we have both the same Almighty Saviour and Intercessor to look up to, whom the Father heareth alway; and since we need the aid of his grace so continually, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. My mind will be very frequently with you, particularly on the Lord's-day. I already begin to frame to myself seals to your ministry. Oh, what a joy will it be to my heart, (should the Lord permit me once more to see you at Falmouth), to find many souls begotten to God through your instrumentality. That the Lord may bless you abundantly in the service of his dear Son, is the very earnest prayer of your affectionate, but most unworthy brother in Christ, ROBERT HAWKER. "P.S. I write this letter from Looe, where I am at present superintending the cure of St. Martin's, for my son. If you see my dearest Jacob and Ann, tell them John is now quite well, and keeping house here. To my dear friends Mr. and Mrs. P., and Lady P., and Mr. Trevisso, give my best regards. Adieu. "Looe, Sept. 9, 1795. "To Rev. Mr. Hitchins, Falmouth." DRAW ME. Draw me, dear Father, by thy love |