166 RECOGNITION OF MR. T. WOODINGTON. Recognition of Mr. T. Woodington, AT CROYDON, SURREY. THE anniversary and public recognition of Mr. Woodington, as Pastor of the Baptist Church, meeting for worship at the old Baptist Chapel, erected in the year 1729, at Pump Pail, Croydon, Surrey, took place on Tuesday, June 5th, 1849. In the morning Mr. Newborn, of St. Luke's, gave an address on the nature and constitution of a gospel church; and Mr. Moyll, of Peckham, asked the usual questions. In answer to Mr. Moyll's first question, relative to the leadings of God's providence in bringing Mr. Woodington amongst them, one of the deacons rose and gave a short verbal statement; of which the following is a summary:— "It is now about nine years ago that Mr. Woodington was in the habit of serving us, in connection with other ministers, who have now gone the way of all flesh. From that time we lost sight of him, or at least heard nothing from him for several years; yet we often felt a desire to hear him again; and when we again found him, he was so much engaged elsewhere, that he could not then serve us. Time rolled on, and some few months ago, we heard that Mr. W. was at Sydenham; and the Lord put into the heart of my brother deacon and myself, (who had laboured by day and by night, and by prayer and supplication had looked out for a man who should go in and out amongst us;) to go and hear him; I said, 'If you are agreeable we will invite him to serve us for six months.' I mentioned this to Mr. Woodington. He said, he could not come then as he was engaged, but he would the first opportunity. Accordingly he came, and preached to us for several Sabbaths. To some he was much blessed. The church gave him a call for six months, and ultimately requested him to become their pastor. His ministry has been blessed to the conversion of some souls in this place. We, as a church, believe him to be a man of God; and we believe him to be sent of God to preach the gospel; and as such we believe God will bless his labours, and I can truly say, as one that has watched the hand of God for many years, I believe the beauty of the Lord has been upon us; and the work of our hands have been established. Mr. Moyll then called upon the members of the church, publicly to recognise the call, which they did. Mr. Moyll next asked Mr. Woodington to give a brief statement of how the good work of God was began upon his soul: the substance of which was as follows:"It is many years ago since the Lord opened mine eyes to see that I was a poor, helpless, ignorant sinner; though I cannot date a time when the Lord began it; all I can say is, 'Whereas I was blind, now I see.' But there never was a time, as far back as I can recollect, that I was without a conviction of sin, though I knew nothing about Christ, God, sin, or the devil. And whilst a youth, if I met a funeral the question instantly arose in my mind, is that man or woman saved?' To go through all the details of my earliest life would be detaining you too long. I therefore pass on to the time when the Lord in his providence removed me to London, much against my own will and mind, though I could afterwards see that it was for good. For it was there that the Lord met with me and shewed me that I was a sinner; and that not by any particular man or minister; for my mind was led constantly to study the Scriptures, more than the ministry I attended, which was not a gospel one; and I soon began to find out that I wanted a something, but what that something was I knew not until one day I was passing the church of St. Anne's, Blackfriars, where I saw a light; I entered, and saw a number of children sitting along one side, and a number of men and women on the other. The minister was in the desk speaking to them; and I there heard such things as I never heard before. They were just suited to my case, and I determined the first opportunity I had, to go and hear him. Accordingly, the next Lord's-day evening I went; the man preached the gospel, and then I found out what it was I wanted. His text was taken from John xvi. 13: 'And when he the Spirit of truth shall come, he will guide you into all truth.' And what he then said came with such light and power to my soul, that made me feel as I never felt before, and knew not how I got home whether upon my head or my heels, as the common saying is. From that time I knew the distinction between a living and a dead ministry. I used to go occasionally to hear this minister but there seemed no particular attachment to him, at which I have often times wondered; and many changes have I seen since that time. I thought at that time never to see any more trouble. And I remember saying, 'I shall never doubt the word of God any more,' when only three days afterwards I was tempted to deny the whole of it. I never experienced such a deep sense of law terrors, as some have done. Once in Bloomsbury Square I was suddenly seized by it; but as soon as the law made its demands, instantly I saw the Redeemer as the law fulfiller-and it vanished. But there came a period when I began to question all that had gone through, and was tempted to give it all up. In this place I continued for upwards of two years. I was filled with the horrible suggestions of satan, and thought I was one who had neither part nor lot in the matter; yet underneath all there was a secret persuasion that God would INFANT SALVATION. time I had got all the doctrines and the great plan of salvation in my head, and it was now that I was led to see the great difference between religion in the head and the heart." Mr. Moyll next asked Mr. Woodington for a brief statement of his call to the ministry. Mr. Woodington said : "It is now twenty years since the Lord caused me to open my mouth in his name; though I had not then any idea of ever entering a pulpit. A dear friend and myself used to go out together to visit the workhouses round the metropolis; where we used to read and expound the Scriptures to those who would listen to us-one in particular, St. George's, Southwark,-yet I have seen such scenes in these places as made me wonder how we could go at all. Another one was St. James's, Poland Street, Oxford Street; where I used to feel some liberty in speaking to the poor people. These were what we called our workhouse visits. The devil soon set his feet in here and caused the authorities to close the doors against us. But the Lord soon opened pulpit doors. Sydenham was the first place, I think, where I preached, and when I went there I had no idea of doing so; and ever since that time I have been called hither and thither, yet I have never put one finger towards it; except at the workhouses, where we went of our own accord." 167 perhaps, you have had also, namely, ITS ETERNAL STATE. Now I will briefly tell you: I was once tried at the death of my little Benjamin, (four years and six months old,) about his eternal state; and of some others I lost younger; and a thought would sometimes thrill through my soul, 'What, if such an one should be in hell?' Well; bless the Lord, I was delivered from that fear, not as the worldling is, on account of the child's natural innocency, for that is delusion, but it was from God's own word; from these words, the sentence of the great and just Judge against lost souls, 'Depart from me, all ye WORKERS OF INIQUITY.' Now, an infant is the subject of iniquity, but not a WORKER OF IT, as it is not conscious of its actions; and it is certain that the Lord well knew who would die in infancy, and who would not; and as the atonement of Jesus answers for all the original sins of his elect; and as salvation is wholly by and of grace to every vessel of mercy; could not the Lord give grace to an infant that cannot make it known, as well as to them that can? As to opposition, the older the person is, the more opposition there is; and I ask any thinking, exercised child of God this question, Does the salvation of a soul depend on that soul's manifestation of grace? or, on the love and grace in Christ Jesus eternally fixed on that soul? Surely the latter. Then, cheer up, ye troubled, bereaved parents, who feel tried on the ground of your children's state, dying in infancy, while I refer you to a few Scrip Mr. Woodington next gave a clear and distinct confession of his faith, and publicly ratified his assent to the church's call; and Mr. Newborn gave the right hand of fellow-tures that have been a support to my soul ship jointly to Mr. Woodington and a deacon as representative of the church; after which, Mr. Moyll concluded the morning's service by prayer. In the afternoon Mr. S. Milner, of Rehoboth, Ratcliff Highway, gave the charge to the minister from Consider what I say. In the evening Mr. John Foreman preached to to the church. The chapel was full on each occasion. Infant Salvation. under that trial. First, look at Rev. xx. 12, 13, and you will see the condemnation runs on a practical race; again, conscious characters only are alluded to, in Matt. xxv. 41, to the end; again, said Jesus, Suffer little children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven;' and again, when David's child was dead-here could be no works to gain salvation, nor no inherent moral virtue, for the child was baseborn;-but David was comforted by saying, 'The child could not come to him; but he should go to that.' He could not mean merely the grave, for that alone could be no MY DEAR FRIENDS AND DEAR CHILDREN comfort at all to him. The confession of at Sturry and Canterbury, and to all such as Abraham once hushed the storm to a sweet love the truth about your parts, I send greet-calm in my breast; 'The Judge of all the ing; and in the words of one of old feelingly earth will do right.' Therefore, think what say to you, 'Walk in love as dear children.' a mercy to have raised up a child for the As I sat alone in my room this evening, I seemed to hear a sort of whisper, saying, 'E- can't give her child up now.' Struck with it, I thought 'What does that mean? Who is it? Why, surely, that must be E. F., at Sturry.' Well, I was struck with a thought that if you belong to the family of God, (and I am constrained to believe you do,) I think there is another trial which I have had at the death of a child, which, Lord; saved from ten thousand troubles and snares. In heaven, (said Jesus,) their angels do always behold the face of my Father; and can you murmur to think your child is taken to be for ever with Jesus, in the sea of infinite and unbounded love to all the chosen race. As to the objects of Sovereign choice, what did the Lord see in you or I to induce him to love us any more overrule all this for my good. Before this than he did in your little infant? Oh, nothing; nothing; nothing; say you, let him have the souls he has so loved, and so dearly bought; and think yourself highly favoured of the Lord to be mother to a child, Jesus so soon called home to himself. May the Lord give you both, and friends Mr. and Mrs. B-ks, in Canterbury, and all others that have suffered such losses, a most feeling submission to his righteous will, so as to sing solemnly thus: "Good when he gives, supremely good, Nor less when he denies; My love to Mr. and Mrs. Fullforth and J. RAYNSFORD. Horsham, March 23, 1849. Comment on Romans ii. 12. THOUGH I be not a commentator in the strictest sense of the term, yet I may be excused if I offer a comment or two on the second chapter of Paul to the Romans. Now to understand the twelfth verse aright, we must particularly observe the drift and aim of the apostle in the first and second chapters throughout, then we shall presently see that the two distinct sorts of sinners mentioned in this twelfth verse are Jews and Gentiles; that is, Jews unto whom God had committed his oracles, covenant promises, circumcision, and the like-and Gentiles who had received nothing of the kind, and were emphatically heathens. And though these favoured Jews had all these external privileges and advantages over the Gentiles or heathen, and moreover were in the constant habit of hear ing the law, yet doth the apostle class them upon a level with these Gentile heathens, and shews that in the grand matter of justification before God, these circumcised Jews-these strict observers of external ceremonies-were not a whit more to be commended than the Gentiles, who observed nothing of the kind; but as both were sinners-the Jew with the law, and the Gentile without it-they should both alike perish without a vital union to Christ; for saith Paul, 'not the hearers, but the doers of the law are just before God. Now my belief is that the apostle, when he speaks of the doers of the law, intends such as believe in Christ, the Law-fulfiller, and these wait in the kingdom and patience of Christ in well doing, and in this glorious person is honour, immortality, and eternal life, and nowhere else. And at the close of this second chapter how mightily doth observances, and magnify and exalt the the apostle demolish all their external proper spiritual Jew, and that circumcision made without hands; he tells these sticklers for circumcision, hearing the law, &c., that that which is outward in the flesh is not circumcision. Now look carefully among the different sects; and what is their contention about? Is it about vital godliness-or is it about externals? Alas, alas! we are very little before these Jews. Now suppose Paul had lived in these days of baptismal controversy, he would have only slightly varied his phraseology, and said, He is not a christian who is one outwardlyneither is that baptism which is outward on the flesh; but he is a christian who is one inwardly-and baptism is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; that is, being baptised by one Spirit, into one body, being buried with him by baptism into his death and sufferings, and all who are thus spiritually baptised into Christ have put on Christ as their righteousness, sanctification, redemption, holiness, justification, and salvation. How very far, infinitely so, doth this blessed work in the soul leave all externals; for be it observed, here lieth the only proper distinction between the hearer and the doer. Men may, and do, attend to the outward forms of what are termed gospel ordinances, &c., but they are not the true doers of anything spiritual; and are by the apostle classed with such as know or care nothing at all about these things, both of which are equally in the flesh, and therefore cannot please God. Doubtless you will have many commentators addressing you on the subject much more ably than anything I can produce. Nevertheless I have made bold to give you my opinion; and remain, sir, with the best of wishes for your success in the pure and sterling testimony of Christ's gospel, THINGS WHICH ZECHARIAH SAW AND HEARD. SOME OF THE THINGS WHICH The Prophet Zechariah Saw and Heard. (Continued from p. 117.) ZECHARIAH IV. 11, 12. THE first word in my soul this morning was, Having nothing, and yet possessing all things.' The first sentence I was quite confident of; but the second made me pause. The prophet Zechariah seemed something like this-He had all things revealed unto him, but he had no knowledge -no powers of conception to understand them until the same Spirit that revealed them, explained and confirmed them. So is it with living souls:-all things are theirs in the covenant, and in Christ; and glorious things are revealed unto the eye of their regenerate minds by the Spirit of God-but with many of them there is not much faith to lay hold of, nor knowledge to understand what these things can mean. I said a few things last month respecting the visions which Zechariah saw; and having been led a little this morning into the beautiful garden which this prophet planted, and left behind for our edification, I will just call your attention to one or two of the interesting scenes further laid in this part of divine inspiration. Let us look simply : 1. At the divine consolation which the angel administerered unto the prophet from verses 8 to 10 of the fourth chapter. came. Then, secondly, at the candlestick. Thirdly, the two olive trees. Fourthly, the two olive branches. Fifthly, the two golden pipes. Sixthly, the golden oil. And Lastly, the emptying out of this oil. First, at the consolation administered. The prophet says, The Word of the Lord This is generally the instrument by which consolation and correction, reproof and instruction do come; by the Word of the Lord; and this must come; for we cannot fetch it, nor command it; but with sovereign power it comes, or we perish: this is that open vision of which Solomon speaks. Prov. xxix. 18. Well, when the word of the Lord came, it spoke of seven things-1. Of Zerrubbabel. 2. Of his hands. 3. Of a house. 4. Of the foundation of the house. 5. It declared that the same hands which laid the foundation would also finish it. 6. Of the plummet in Zerubbabel's hands. 7. Of the eyes of the Lord. In these seven things lay the whole strength of Zion's beauty, safety, and glory. 1. Of Zerubbabel. You read of this Zerubbabel in Ezra iii. 2. First Joshua (a Saviour) stood up-then Zerubbabel (a stranger in Babylon) stood up: and what did they do? They builded the altar of the God of Israel; and established the true worship. This doth represent Christ in his divinity and humanity. As Joshua, he is God, and stood up in the ancient settlements, and councils of eternity; as Zerubbabel he is man, (a stranger in this 169 world,) and stood up in the days of his 170 A HASTY GLANCE AT SOME PARTS OF OUR BRITISH ZION. A HASTY GLANCE AT Some Parts of our British Zion. No. I. 'What do you consider to be the state of the Churches? is a question that is not unfrequently put to us, by those who are concerned for the prosperity of Zion. During the last four or five years we have travelled thousands of miles; and have had opportunities of witnessing much that is going on among the Churches that profess to hold the Truth as it is in Christ; and we hesitate not to say that the aspects and conditions of the Churches are as various, as are the different agricultural districts through which we have passed. Some spots are dry, unfruitful, and dismal in appearance; others are fresh, green, lively, and flourishing. Upon the whole, there is evidently an increase of Gospel ministers; Gospel professors; and Gospel Churches; but, generally speaking, among the ministers life and power is wanting; among the professors of divine truth, love and unity is wanting; among the Churches, peace and prosperity is wanting. We do not say this is the case with all. No. Blessed be God, some ministers appear to be standing in acceptance and in usefulness; some believers are walking in union and brotherly love; and some few Churches are lengthening their cords, and blessedly employed in gathering in sinners to the fold of Christ, such (we hope) as shall be saved. With this brief introduction, we shall furnish our readers with a few particulars descriptive of the present position, prospects, and appearances of usefulness among the Churches of Christ in Great Britain. The first spot we shall look at, is MANCHESTER.-This is one of the largest cities in the North of England: its population is immense and from the multitude of churches and chapels in every part of it, it is very certain that professors of the Gospel swarm here in great abundance; how many precious redeemed living souls are found among them, the Lord only knows. There are two churches (at least,) where vital, experimental, Gospel truth is maintained: the first is, St. George's Road-(the late Wm. Gadsby's-where Mr. Taylor is now settled ;) the second is Bethesda Chapel, Oldham Street; where Mr. John Corbitt is the stated pastor from this part of the vineyard our brother Corbitt writes as follows: "I am happy to inform you, the glory of the Lord is risen upon us; his power is felt in our midst; there is a shaking among the dry bones; and the congregation is reviving from the shock it received, and is increasing very fast; my weakness and satan's temptations tease me all the week; but the Lord appears for me in a most wonderful manner." This : is, we believe, one of the choicest spots that the North of England has. God himself has made John Corbitt a bold, honest, spiritual, and laborious minister of the Gospel of Christ; and although the elder brethren may frown, the devil may roar, and professed friends may be turned into open foes; still, the Lord will honour him, and crown his labours with increased success. TROWBRIDGE (in Wiltshire,) is another little green spot. This town (supposed to contain nearly 15,000 souls,) is proverbial for an extensive profession of religion; but, for many years' Parson Warburton' has been almost the only man of truth in the town. There have been others preaching the Gospel for a time; but their abidance has not been for any length of time. Parson Warburton' (as they call him,) still stands at Zion surrounded by a numerous body of people; and Joseph Rudman's ministry in the Baptist Chapel, on the Courts, is exceedingly prosperous: the chapel is crowded to overflowing; and it is in contemplation to enlarge it, which, we trust, the Lord will enable them to accomplish. The Lord has certainly given our brother Rudman a mind for deep research, study, and ministerial labour; this being accompanied by a divine experience powerfully burnt in his own soul, makes his ministry both useful and edifying. Without guile, we can say, it is our fervent prayer that the Great Head of the Church will build up his afflicted body; maintain his soul in holy peace; and make him a burning and shining light in the Gospel kingdom. GUILDFORD (in Surrey,) also contains a little garden wall'd around, where the pure and simple truth is administered. The Lord having been pleased to bless the labours of our esteemed brother ISAAC SPENCER, & new chapel has, this year, been erected. It was opened on Wednesday, June the 6th, 1849; and a very neat and substantial Baptist Chapel it is: situated in a retired part of the Old Barrack Field. Mr. William Bidder preached the Opening Discourse in the morning from Psalm iii. 8- Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; thy blessing is upon thy people.' The chapel was filled; and a spirit of christian love and kindness seemed strongly to exist among the friends. In the afternoon, the Ripley Pastor (Henry Allnutt,) read, expounded, and prayed; and C. W. Banks preached; a very large party sat down to tea; and in the evening our brother Raynsford read part of the 2nd chapter of Zechariah, and expounded in a very solemn and profitable manner; and after prayer, the afternoon preacher spoke again. Of this Opening day, a correspondent says:-"As regards the Opening day, I believe it was in reality a opening day with many of the Lord's dear children; their |