when commercial views of the death of Christ shall be rejected both by christian divines and christian churches."--Page 193. "Sometimes the necessity of the sufferings of Christ as an atonement is made to arise from the inexorableness of vindictive justice; and then vindictive justice is represented as impossible to be satisfied and appeased, except by the awful intensity of the sufferings of the Mediator. Nothing less would propitiate it. Our ears and hearts have been pained a thousand. times, by representation of the blessed God, as if revelling in the agonies of the cross, and in the blood of his own Son. When "it pleased the Lord to bruise him," it was not for the undivine gratification of inflicting pangs and tortures of intense pain; but "it pleased the Lord" to deliver him up a sacrifice for our offences, to substitute his sufferings instead of ours, an expedient for honouring the law and saving man."-Page 186. "As the conversion of sinners is a pleasure and joy to the angels, the inference is fair, that the unconverted state of sinners is a matter that is displeasing and grievous to them, as much as anything can be displeasing and grievous to glorious and happy minds."-Page 153. "It must be left to the advocates of a limited atonement to account for this supposed grief of angels upon any other principle than that of their regarding the sinner as acting a perverse, undutiful, and wicked part, in rejecting the clear and open overtures of the atonement."--Page 154. "The measure of atonement, like every other measure in a moral administration, designed and adapted for the use of free agents in a state of probation, must be supposed to be susceptible of failure. The measure in Eden failed to keep our first parents in innocency. The measure on Sinai failed to preserve the Israelites from idolatry. And the atonement may fail to prevent some from neglecting so great a salvation, and from denying the Lord that bought them."-Page 85. "God acted upon the same general principle towards the antideluvians, in the provision of an ark for their safety. The aspect of this expedient was of an universal character. All were invited to come into the ark, and the rejectors are blamed for not seeking safety in it. The apostle in his epistle to the Hebrews, says that Noah's ministry concerning the ark, "condemned the world." It is impossible to shew how any could be condemned for not being saved in the ark, if the ark was verily never intended for them, and if they were never sincerely invited and pressed to come into it."Page 257. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. RUSHDEN, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE-MARRIAGE AND DESIGNATION OF A MISSIONARY.-On Tuesday, the 29th ult. brother W. K. Roycroft, late of Ringstead, and one of our esteemed correspondents, was publicly designated a Missionary to the Bahamas, West Indies, in connexion with the Baptist Missionary Society, at the old Baptist Meeting, Rushden, Northamptonshire. The designation service was preceded by the solemnization of marriage, between brother R. and Miss Deborah Bates, daughter of Mr. John Bates, of Upper Dean. The interesting ceremony was performed in the presence of a numerous assembly, by Mr. J. Whittemore, Mrs. R's. pastor, and the minister of the place. The more general services of the day commenced by Mr. Thos. Phillips, of Earl's Barton, by reading the scripture and prayer. Mr. J. Burton, formerly missionary at the Bahamas, described the sphere and nature of brother Roycroft's contemplated engagements. Mr. Hall of Carlton, proposed the usual questions, and received from brother R. a concise and satisfactory statement of his religious experience-exercises of mind in reference to missionary work, &. and his confession of faith. Mr. J. L. Allam, deacon of the baptist church, Chatteris, Isle of Ely, bore most decided and honourable testimony to the christian character and ministerial zeal and fidelity of our esteemed brother R. Mr. Young of Thrapston, offered the designation prayer; Mr. Robinson of Kettering, delivered the valedictory charge; and Mr. Walcot of Stanwick, concluded the service by prayer. At its conclusion, and without removing from the meeting, a large number of the persons present partook of refreshment; after which, and previous to the commencement of the evening service, Mrs. Roycroft was in the name, and in behalf of the church assembling in the place, publicly presented with a copy of that most valuable work, "Cobbin's Condensed Commentary," by Mrs. Whittemore, who, at the request of the church, addressed Mrs. R. on her new and interesting position and engagements. This address of our sister W. was delivered with deep feeling and felicity of expression, and produced a powerful impression on all present. Some very appropriate verses, composed by Mrs. W. (and which accompany this account) were sung on the presentation of the bible. At five o'clock, the evening service was commenced, by the newly designated Missionary, who read the scriptures and prayed. Mr. J. Simmons, A. M. of Olney, preached from Psalm lxxii. 19, 20. After prayer by Mr. Brooks of Aldwincle, Mr. Whittemore concluded these very interesting and solemn services, by specially commending to God, the family and the church of which Mrs. R. is a loved and valued member. Brethren Williams of Shambrook; White of Northampton; Wells of Thurleigh; Mays of Burton Latimer, and Lord of Wollaston; assisted in the devotional exercises of the day. HYMN BY MRS. WHITTEMORE, And sung on the presentation of "Cobbin's Condensed Commentary” to Mrs. Roycroft, on the day of her marriage, and of her own and husband's designation to missionary engagements in the Bahamas, Nov. 29th, 1842. Go in thy Saviour's name and might, The mysteries of the cross unfold, No joy like this can earth afford, Severely as you feel the pang, Yet, firmly must ye put away These feelings from your bursting heart. Yes, freely at thy Saviour's call, Go then; and when thy work is done, NEW BAPTIST CHURCH FORMED.-On Lord's day afternoon, November 20th, a baptized church of Christ, on strict communion principles, according to the word of God, was formed in Giffin Street, DEPTFORD, Kent. Twelve persons, sound in the faith, and of good report, were dismissed from the respective baptist churches to which they belonged, for this specific purpose. Mr. J. A. Jones and Mr. S. Milner, jointly conducted the solemn and most Mr. This infant cause is favoured with the ministry of our brother William Felton, late of Boston; who is labouring among them with acceptance. May the Lord abundantly bless the preaching of the gospel word, so that the little one may become a thousand. The unploughed ground around this little cause is of large dimensions. POETRY. The author of the following lines was an unlettered cottager, who was in his day a useful village preacher, and highly esteemed as an humble disciple of Christ. He has long slept with his fathers." The verses are sent as found amongst his papers after his decease. It is believed, they have not appeared in print before. Bilston. ON THE NEW YEAR, Great author of the circling year, Through time's incessant round; And I in Jesus found. Adorn'd in his pure righteousness, MINIMO MINOR. And there his precious merits plead, As fleeting days, weeks, months, and years To drop this cumbrous clay, JOSEPH WILSON. GOSPEL THE HERALD; OR, POOR CHRISTIAN'S MAGAZINE. "One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism,” Eph. iv. 5. "Holding the mystery of the Faith in a pure conscience,” 1 Tim. iii. 9. TO THE EDITOR OF THE GOSPEL HERALD. DEAR BROTHER,-In your December No. for 1842, I am requested by your correspondent, W. T. of Greenwich, to state my thoughts regarding the Sonship of our adorable Saviour. I will presume that the enquiry is made in the fear of the Lord, and with a view to his glory, whose we are by adoption, purchase and possession; and, therefore, with your permission, I request the insertion of the following lines. OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHARACTER OF THE LORD JESUS AS A SON, A scriptural knowledge of the Most High God is unquestionably at the foundation of all true religion. A mistake here is of a fatal character.. This is a point but little regarded by a great portion of the christian church; and it is much to be regretted, that many of the followers of the Lamb seem inclined to rest in a superficial understanding of so great a question. Whether this apathy, in relation to so important a theme, arises from a fear of meddling with high things, or from a sinful indifference to the subject, is is not easy to say. We may, however, very safely conclude, that a heaven-born sinner, humbly and prayerfully meditating upon this Godexalting testimony, will be sure to attain both pleasure and profit. To the observant mind it is a source of lamentation that the disciples of Jesus should so readily embrace things merely upon human evidence. Hence we see some persons so impli citly following their priestly guides, as if infallibility was written upon their brow. It is only for a favourite preacher to denounce a statement erroneous, and then woe be to the man who dares to question such authority, he is regarded as a dangerous person; and every injunction peculiar to such a little FEBRUARY, 1843. VOL. 11. B popedom is employed to warn the faithful, that they come not within the sound of his voice. One cannot but pity persons so infatuated. In the common affairs of human life, personality is strictly regarded. We eat, drink and sleep, think, judge and determine, for ourselves; and we should look upon the person as only fit for bedlam, who should question our right to do so. Is, therefore, the natural economy the only exclusive department in which such actions are needful? Is not the immortal mind capable of acting within itself? In a word, is not the question of my standing before God, of a personal nature? And shall I not exercise my thoughts upon those great questions which relate to the present profit and eternal happiness of an immortal soul? We grant, with due reverence, that all right and saving knowledge of Jehovah, is a matter of special revelation from above; God alone can make himself known. This is the work of the eternal Spirit, "Who searcheth the deep things of God." Valuable as is the bible, and however its holy dictates may tend to renovate the moral condition of mankind; most true it is, that no less than a supernatural manifestation of grace can quicken the dead, open blind eyes, and bring a lost and distant sinner nigh, by the blood of Christ. By this rule let all the potential schemes of mistaken men be tried, and condemned as unscriptural. From the lips of the Prince of Life we hear the following delightful testimony: "This is life eternal, to know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent." In these words the knowledge of the true God is distinguished from, though not divided from a knowledge of Jesus Christ. Jehovah is partly known in his works of creation and providence. These have their moral tendency, but they are not saving to the soul. The naturalist may be ravished in his flower garden, and the man of science may be charmed with his mathematical demonstrations, and yet both be ignorant of the road to heaven. It is in the God-man alone that the eternal Trinity in Unity are seen, so as to be loved, worshipped, and adored. But the present subject of our enquiry relates to the character of our complex Lord and Saviour; and amongst the more than two hundred names which are revealed of him in the word, that of Son ranks the foremost; because, by this designation, he is distinguished from the person of the Father, and that of the Spirit, whilst possessing an essential sameness of nature in |