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During the early part of Mr. Aldridge's | ministry at Jewry Street Chapel, he had the assistance of the Rev. Mr. Bryan. This gentleman was a native of Yorkshire, and pursued his studies in the Countess's College at Trevecca. It seems he did not itinerate long in that connexion. Erasmus, a Greek bishop, having visited London, in 1763, laid his hands upon several persons who could not procure ordination from the English bishops. Mr. Bryan, being desirous of episcopal ordination, applied to him for that purpose, and easily obtained it. After this he became minister of a congregation at Sheffield. Having contracted an acquaintance with Mr. Aldridge while at College, it was afterwards maintained by a mutual correspondence; and when Mr. Aldridge settled at Jewry Street, Mr. Bryan constantly spent three months of the year in London, preaching in the pulpit of his friend; who, during that period, supplied the chapel at Sheffield. Mr. Bryan was afflicted for many years, at intervals, with an unhappy dejection of spirits, which bordered on derangement. Nevertheless, his friends considered him to be a truly good man; and he was enabled eventually, to overcome the temptations of his adversary. He died many years ago, and was buried under his own pulpit at Sheffield.

As a preacher, Mr. Aldridge was extremely popular. He delivered his discourses with perspicuity and ardour; his ideas were generally arranged with propriety; and his subject mostly selected with judgment. His ministerial labours, especially in the younger part of his life, were very successful; and he had the singular felicity of introducing into the ministry no less than sixteen or seventeen young men from his own connexion. Mr. Aldridge's health began to decline visibly for a considerable time before his death. Early and continued exertions,

years to three persons, who fitted up the place for the late Rev. Henry Mead, who died a short time since at Reading. Mr. Mead, however, being in orders in the Church of England, did not think fit to take upon him the charge, and never preached there. After this Mr. Aldridge was appointed. Upon the expiration of the lease in 1796, it was renewed for another 21 years, by the present trustees. Jewry-street chapel carries the appearance of an ancient building, and does not seem materially altered from its former state. When it was opened upon the present plan, an organ was erected in the front gallery, and the Liturgy of the Church of England introduced,

Wilson's History and Antiquities of Dissenting Churches. Page 55 and 121, Vol. I.

joined to advanced years, at length made rapid depredations on his constitution, and hastened his final illness. This seems to have been a complication of disorders, which he endured with the same placid serenity which had distinguished him in health. His dying expressions discovered a steady peace, arising from a wellgrounded hope of a blessed immortality.* During his illness, the truth and power of religion were strikingly exemplified in his experience. He considered himself in the hand of his God, and expressed great satisfaction in his reliance on that precious promise in Heb. xiii. 5. "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." God was indeed with him, by his supporting presence, during the whole of his illness; and he was enabled to resign himself to the will of his Heavenly Father without so much as a single complaint. His will was perfectly resigned to the will of Jesus, and he experienced it

"Sweet to lie passive in his hands,
And know no will but his."

On Friday morning, February 28, 1797, in the 60th year of his age, he bade adieu to the painful scenes of this wilderness, and entered into the joy of his Lord. The Rev. G. Gold delivered the address at his interment in Bunhill Fields, on the 7th of March; and, on the following Lord's Day two funeral sermons were preached for him at Jewry Street Chapel: that in the morning by the late Rev. A. Crole, minister of Pinners' Hall (afterwards of Founders' Hall); and that in the evening by the late Rev. T. Bryson, of New Road, St. George's in the East. The three services were afterwards printed.

Thus lived and died this valuable servant of God. As a man, he was amiable; as a scholar respectable; as a Christian, he was eminent; as a divine, he was well "instructed into the kingdom of God," and faithful and indefatigable in the service of his Master. May not the words of the Psalmist be truly applied to him? 'Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace."

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Mr. Aldridge was a burning and a shining light, and was a living lecture to all around. He had a truly missionary spirit,- -an apostolic mind. The Lord put honour on his ministry, and made

Bryson's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Aldridge, p. 10.

him instrumental of great good to his fellow-sinners. His preaching was attended with a divine unction from above; and the word came with "power and demonstration of the Spirit of God." His sharp-pointed arrows, directed by a divine hand, entered the conscience, and fixed there: nor were they extracted till the Balm of Gilead was applied. His principles were Calvinistic. He declared the "whole counsel of God" with a degree of plainness which met the apprehensions of ordinary capacities, and at the same time, with such dignity as commanded the respect and secured the

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The station at Bompey stands near the junction of two rivers, and is favourably situated for visiting other towns, of which advantage our missionary has frequently availed himself. Leaving Bompey, on one occasion, he states: we proceeded up the Bandasumer river in our canoe until we arrived at Makir, when we

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travelled by land through a very rough country. At length we reached a small town almost concealed from view by the bush which surrounded it. Here we collected as many of the inhabitants together as we could, and I spoke to them in the name of the Lord, telling them of his great kindness to them, reminding them of his preserving care in protecting them from many dangers to which they were exposed, keeping them from the wild beasts which infest that part of the country, and especially in not having them cut down in their sinful condition. I also told them of the love of God in giving his own son to be the Saviour of sinners, to whom lost and ruined men are invited to come and receive salvation, without money and without price.

"Whilst there a very violent storm of thunder and lightning came on, which I endeavoured to improve to their spiritual benefit. They appeared quite ignorant of the subjects which I tried to impress upon their minds, but manifested no opposition to them. They treated us kindly, and before we left I commended them to God in prayer, and hoped our visit to them had not been altogether

in vain."

MA BINDEE.

There does not appear to have been ny opportunity of preaching to the

approbation of the more intelligent part of his audience. He adorned the gospel which he preached in all the relative situations of social and domestic life. His manner of life declared plainly, that he sought another and a better country; and few of the saints have attained to that degree of heavenly mindedness which was conspicuous in his conversation.

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow.” ADOLESCENS.

people of this town, but our sable brethren entered into conversation with such persons as they met, with the view of directing them to the concerns of their souls. Seeing a poor sickly woman with three children sitting under the scorching

heat of the sun, and digging ground nuts,

the African custom, and said: " the missionary complimented her after "Mother, do you know why we suffer here, and must work under the severe heat of the sun to earn our bread?" She looked at

him with astonishment, but made no He then said: "I am your reply. brother. One God made us all, and though your flesh may wrinkle with old age, yet we are both formed the same, with a body and soul. This body you soul will not die; it will live for ever, now see will die, because of sin, but the either with God in eternal happiness, or with devils in darkness, fire, and chains.” "Dear mother," continued the mission

ary, "When God first made man, he made him good, like himself. He also gave us a law which he commanded us the breaking of that law, God became to observe. But we kept it not, and by angry with us, and passed a sentence that we should die and become dust again. This death was both temporal and spiritual, for it is written, "The soul

that sinneth it shall die." God has a

son, and this son has pitied and loved us, and has given himself to die in our this world, having been born of a woman. He suffered much trouble, and at last died for us; so we are to take his name go to God the Father in earnest and Whether we are poor prayer.

stead. He has come from above into

and

constant

or rich, sick or well, or of whatever nation we may be, he will receive us, for he has called in this book you see in my hand (holding out his bible,) to every one to come unto him in the name of his

son, Jesus Christ." "I then," says the missionary," endeavoured to impress the subject of death upon her, and asked: Where is your father?-she answered, he is dead. Where is your mother?she is dead also. Are these all your children ?—No, she replied, two are laid in the grave. This shows you then,' said the missionary, "that your time to die will come too." She sighed and groaned in herself, and appeared much affected. May what was said to her prove to have been a word in season.

Chem that Sleep.

REV. JOHN DRYDEN.

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Died at Reading, June 9th, the Rev. John Dryden, for many years a minister in the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion.

THE CORONET AND THE CROSS.

We are happy to inform those of our readers who have been waiting for the appearance of the volume, that it will be ready in a few days; `and would advise them to order at once the number of copies they may require, as the sale of the numbers has been so extensive that it has left

but a small quantity of the first impression to be bound up in volumes. The price of the volume, handsomely bound, will be six shillings and sixpence, post free, through any of our ministers, or Mr. Willcocks, 98 Goswell-street, London.

CANKAMA.

A letter has just come to hand from King Canray Bah, dated Cankama, March 27th, 1857, in which he expresses his desire that the school established among his people at Bompey should receive the constant attention of the friends in England, and promising to do the best he can to promote its prosperity. It concludes with kind respects to all christian friends in this country, and is Signed, CANRAY BAH CAULKER. To be continued.

THE

COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON. Although, it has been remarked, there is no monument to this distinguished woman on the family vault at Ashby-dela-Zouch, yet there exists a beautiful bust of her ladyship, in mournful attitude, on the tomb of the Earl. The proprietors of "The Coronet and the Cross" have succeeded in obtaining a striking likeness of this marble sculpture to enhance the value of the above work, and have engaged Messrs. Hauhart & Co. to produce lithograph copies. A few first impressions will be taken on large size India paper for the gratification of those admirers of the Countess who may wish to frame a well-executed portrait of her ladyship in the thirty-ninth year of her The number of such impressions age. will necessarily be very limited.

All communications for The Harbinger, to be addressed to the Editor, at Messrs. Ward and Co., 27, Paternoster Row, London.

Contributions

In Aid of the Countess of Huntingdon's Missionary Society during the month.

J. Finch, Esq

A. Taylor, Esq (the late)

1 0 0 1 0 0

....

6 7 10

WORCESTER.

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Miss Thorne

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2 6

Mrs Sawyer

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Rev. T. Dodd, annual subscription

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Mrs Smith

026

10 13 6

Misses Turner, per Rev. T.
Dodd
Anonymous, per Rev. T, Dodd
Annual Sermons

IN AID OF THE ENGLISH MISSION TO TURKEY. Subscriptions already advertised...

£213 12 5

Further Donations and Subscriptions in aid of the Turkish or African Mission will be thankfully received by Mr. F. W. Willcocks, 98, Goswell-street, London,

or by any Minister of the Connexion.

AUGUST, 1857.

SPECIAL APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON'S AFRICAN MISSION.

Though it pleased God to visit many parts of Northern and Eastern Africa with the gospel at an early period of the christian era, the whole of that continent has long been in a state of awful darkness and misery. Satan has ruled it with a rod of gross superstition and abominable idolatry, and the lust for gold has cursed it with slavery: both humanity and religion have from the shores of the Atlantic cried aloud-" Come over and help us." It is indeed at once the sin and reproach of Christendom that so little has even yet been done to mitigate the curse of Ham. Long centuries, like frightful clouds, have darkened the air, since the lights enkindled by the converts of St. Peter, and fed and multiplied by Cyprian, Augustin, and host of godly men, have gone out, on the banks of the Mediterranean and the Nile. Much and growing attention has indeed been recently directed towards this people sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. Happily the missionary societies are actively attempting to realize the desires and hopes of Vanderkemp, Campbell, and Philip, and our distinguished traveller Dr. Livingston. Long have we rejoiced in their partial triumphs, and many of our friends have proved their sincerity by adding to hymns and prayers their contributions-the most practical AMEN to the petition-" Thy kingdom come."

And shall we as a Connexion abandon or even neglect Africa? A mission so remarkably committed into our hands as a religious body. Let any christian read attentively the history of our African friends during the last seventy years, and trace them from Georgia to Canada, Nova Scotia and Free Town, and he will hear the voice that speaketh from heaven-"Take this mission and nurse it for me, and I will pay thee thy wages."

Abandon Free Town! The mart of Africans speaking various languages; where having heard the gospel with effect, these strangers, as in

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SPECIAL APPEAL ON BEHALF OF THE AFRICAN MISSION.

the Pentecostal age, carry it with them to their respective homes. Here is the centre of communication-here a native agency long experienced in their work, an agency received by the people without the suspicion of treachery too naturally thrown on Europeans. Abandon the Colony when the surrounding chiefs stretch out their hands both to implore and to contribute help to our schools and places of worship!

Canray Bah, the King of Bompey, writing recently by his Secretary, to the Rev. J. K. Foster, after thanking him for the affectionate interest both he and the Executive Committee take in the education and welfare of his son, a youth twelve years of age, thus expresses himself: "May God of his infinite mercy assist him, that he may improve in his education, that whenever he return, he may be a teacher to his brethren and countrymen, and that he may be able to assist in spreading the gospel to bring them from darkness to light."

We can scarcely feel too deeply the importance of European training and guidance of native agency. The loss of missionaries and of colonial bishops, painful as it is, should stimulate us to renewed efforts. The hundred million of souls are to be taken, and if one soldier falls in this crusade, another must fill up the gap. It is also encouraging to know, that sanitary improvements follow the progress of the gospel: health of body is in the salvation of the soul. Trying as is the climate of this colony, it is nothing compared with what it was when want of drainage and cultivation rendered it more terrible than the feverish vapours and the lion's roar witnessed in its almost impenetrable forests.

We ought, dear readers, to be thankful that God has disposed one of our own ministers, the Rev. John Trotter and his esteemed wife, to make every sacrifice and to brave every danger, in order to train native preachers and school-masters and mistresses, and to superintend the general mission. All these objects are of the first importance, and our zealous and disinterested friends are well qualified to do much good in promoting them; and though the greatest economy is studied, the extra expense to the Society for the first year will exceed £300: future years we believe will be less costly. Shall not this sum, or even more if necessary, be raised by especial acts of liberality? Shall not the comfort and success of our devoted friends be promoted to the utmost of our power? If they descend the precipice out of love to African souls, shall not we "hold the rope?"

The Executive Committee therefore trust that they shall be liberally aided in support of an effort which doubtless has the strongest claims on all who love Christ and souls for which he bled and died.

Contributions towards the special fund for Africa will be thankfully received by the Treasurer, Mr. F. W. Willcocks, 98, Goswell Street, London; or any ministers in the Connexion.-J. K. F.

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