preach twice, and this evening had a door opened to me, besides the house open every morning to about fifty or sixty, whose ears and hearts appear to welcome the truth as I am enabled to dispense it. Oh, for a grateful heart for all these tender mercies of my most gracious Lord, and may His effectual blessing accompany His Word to the hearts of sinners and of saints. Next week I purpose leaving this place for the neighbourhood of our dear brother C- whom I have seen twice. His heart is full of love to you all for your kind testimony of Christian affection. He feels deeply thankful, and consents to your request of his taking my place for two Lord's days. Many prayers have we offered up together for that Church, so dear to both our hearts. Tuesday, Aug. 25.-I feel as if I had almost committed a breach of love in not concluding my letter before this evening; and yet the Lord knows my heart to be tenderly towards you, and how greatly I long after you in Him. The truth is, the longer I am here the more work is continually opening to me; and although some might say, you came for rest and not for work, I confess to you I dare not turn away, where I feel persuaded my blessed Master bids me go forward. Once I went to Ramsgate and did nothing, and returned home unstrengthened and unrefreshed; now, though I am engaged every day, my health is better, my spirits better, my soul happier; so much to the praise of the Divine goodness, the tender mercies of my most loving Father, the gentle loving service of Him who condescends to make use of such poor base materials by whom to accomplish His own purposes; who gives the desire, the power; perfumes that which is in itself so unworthy with His own fragrancy; accepts it with all its spots as if it were spotless; takes the will for the deed; and makes our poor attempts to do His will a means of happiness to ourselves and others. Ah, who is there like our Beloved? Is He not the chiefest among ten thousand, the altogether lovely? How infinitely precious is He to a poor conscious sinner! how unutterably needful to His poor, tempted, tried, but happy people! I say happy people, for so it is their privilege to be, yea, to be a rejoicing people, rejoicing in the Lord evermore, as their portion for ever. And so they would. be, were they living by faith, and walking in the loving obedience of the Gospel. Alas! my dear and beloved friends, how low is our walk here; how much live we below our high and exalted privileges, our election, our redemption, our high and holy calling! How low are even the expectations, the very desires of our souls! Surely an Incarnate God saying to us, Behold me, behold me, a Saviour so complete, so full, so free, so tender, so patient, so holy, may well encourage, animate, draw us to Himself. May every blessing rest upon you, may sin be increasingly sinful in your eyes, and Jesus increasingly precious, prays, Your affectionate pastor and brother, J. H. EVANS. Taplow, September, 1835. MY VERY DEAR AND BELOVED IN THE LORD,-It is pleasant to me to think that the time is so near when, through the Divine blessing, we shall once more meet, when I shall once again be with those whom, as God's solemn charge intrusted to me, I esteem and love so well, while I wonder at the grace and goodness of Him who has thus condescended to make any use of such an one as I am, in such a work as is that to which He has called me among you. There are times, my dear friends, when my thoughts on this subject are almost too much for me. But at the present moment I look forward to my return to you with somewhat of a joyous anticipation. Trials, temptations, perhaps sorrows and distresses await me, but this I feel assured of, God calls us to nothing for which He is not enough, and for which the grace of Christ is not abundantly sufficient. I have the oath and the promise of a faithful God for my confidence, and the bosom of a tender Father for my place of repose. As my years pass on, I feel increasingly my natural infirmities, which place the strongest barriers in my way; but "My grace is sufficient for thee," yields, by the power of that Spirit who brings it from time to time to my remembrance, sweet solace under the humiliating experience; and " my strength is made perfect in weakness" is a peaceful refuge in the midst of the storm. There is, be assured, my beloved friends, not only an unutterable blessedness in the work of the ministry, but there is also an unutterable awfulness. To be faithful to the souls of men, faithful to God, whose souls they are, to preach the truth, lovingly, honestly, fearlessly, the truth not according to the systems of men, but according to the mode as well as matter in which the God of truth has set it forth; to make no compromise with error, by whomsoever it may be maintained; above all, to exhibit the very temper and spirit, the integrity, and meekness, and sanctity of that truth in conduct, and behaviour, and principle, and practice. To be indeed a pastor of a Church of Christ, a real, however dim and little, reflection of Christ Himself in that Church, in being the servant of Him who took a napkin and a basin and washed His very servants' feet; thus to be the willing, loving servant of all, and afraid of none; to turn the right cheek when smitten on the left, yea, to be willing to sacrifice all for Christ at His bidding, even life itself,—who, who is sufficient for these things? No one, Lord, but Thyself, and Thy grace is sufficient for me. This day brings me a letter from dear brother E——, informing me of the dangerous illness of our beloved brother CWhat a lesson as to the uncertainty of all things here below is here afforded us ! It was but a little that I felt a need of the caution, lest I should glory in his strength, so strong did he seem as to bodily strength. And now, it may be, as a flower of grass, which a breath of wind scattereth, so may he fade. This will be received (D. v.) on your Church-meeting; need I suggest that it be especially set apart for him and the dear people committed to his charge? Absent from each other in body, yet present with each other in spirit, between seven and eight to-morrow evening we may meet at a throne of grace together, and beseech the Father of all our mercies, and our support in all our troubles, on his behalf, with a simple, childlike confidence that if for the Divine glory, he may be restored to health and prolonged usefulness in the service of Him whom he loves. To the praise and honour of God's most free grace would I say it, and with a deep remembrance that but for the atonement of the Son of God, he could have nothing before him but the blackness of darkness for ever, yet must I acknowledge that among those whom it has been my mercy to have known upon earth, I have seen few indeed like him; a child so loving, a servant so ready, poor in spirit above the most, and withal bold as a lion and gentle as a nurse. What he was, I know the grace of God made him, and I trust in my Heavenly Father's love, it will be our mercy to see him yet abounding more and more to the praise of that grace for ever. My dear, my beloved friends, ours is a tender tie. Whatever we, His ministering servants, are, with all our weaknesses and infirmities, we are the Lord's gift to His people. And this, not to mention other considerations, makes it a very tender tie. But oh, how soon, how very soon, as it regards our union together as pastor and people, may it be severed for ever. It must be soon; it may be very, very soon. What a stirring motive should this give us to make the most of every opportunity, while we have it, for deriving from each other, and communicating to each other, as the Lord Himself shall bless us, spiritual good. Bear with the word of exhortation; in the spirit of tender love I send it, God knoweth. In our Church-meetings be punctual, regular in attendance, as unto the Lord. Forgive me, when I say that by absence, without conscientious, upright excuse, you despise not man, but the Lord. May I not add, that on Tuesdays your presence is that which the Master of the assembly requires, unless absolute impediment prevent, as before God. By your absence your pastor not only loses the cheering influence of your personal presence, but he misses the benefit of your prayers, as he preaches. This is a double loss. It is but little compensation that strangers come and fill your places. You are dearer than all strangers. Sincerely do I trust, nor am I without a cheerful confidence in God's tender mercy that it will be so, that as a Church we may be more than ever united in mind and in affection. For my own part, as God shall enable me, I desire more than ever to give myself up to the Church, and to the Lord, The bodily myself your willing servant for Christ's sake. strength, and herein for God's blessing on the remedies administered I would be very thankful,—and whatever He may have bestowed upon me in the way of gift and of grace; though it be but one talent, I would yield them back to Him who gave them, and especially for the service of that dear Church and people. And now, dear brethren and sisters, farewell. To the love of a precious Christ I commend you. May His love constrain us, His blood cleanse us, His righteousness give us peace, His Spirit sanctify, His sympathy comfort us, His example animate us, and the thought of soon being with Him be as a live coal on our hearts. It is sweet to live on Him by faith; but Oh, how much more to be with Him for ever! Ever pray for me, and consider me in the tenderest bonds, Your affectionate pastor, J. H. EVANS. Taplow, Sept. 23, 1836. WHEN I was at Lymington I began a letter to you, my dear and beloved friends, and brethren, and sisters in a crucified Immanuel, which I was not then permitted to finish. My heart was toward you then, as ever, but with the many engagements arising from having much to do, and a great number to see, and that in a short space of time, I was really prevented from writing, as I had fully intended. Truly can I say I bear you continually upon my thoughts and in my affection before God; and that the very desire of my soul is, that you may be blessed with all spiritual blessings, in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus— -that, as a Church and people, you may live under the shadow of His cross continually-that whenever guilt comes in, and a sense of unworthiness on your parts leads to suspicions of love on His part-His blood may be sprinkled on your hearts and consciences, that you may draw from His Incarnation, work, offices, and character, and inexhaustible fulness, as from an everspringing well, all supplies of most precious grace, and thus be -- |