1 this day;-'Lord, the 5th of November brings to our remembrance a past deliverance from Popish enemies. Lord deliver still. Thou didst deliver in 1605, and, many a time since; now, Lord, deliver in 1683, and henceforward. This is a very good argument; you find the Psalmist often using it in the Psalms: thou hast, wilt not thou? It is a big-bellied argument. Personal mercies, a good plea for personal mercies; so as to family, public mercies, thou hast defeated old plots, Lord defeat new ones! Among men, this is a bad argument, it is rather against than for. But it is not so with God. Let us consider, for our encouragement, 1. There is the same motive now to move God to do for us, that there was to move him to do for our forefathers; viz his own free love and mercy, which is the same, unchangeably the same! He had mercy because he would have mercy, and that reason holds still. This answers the objection which will first fly in your face; viz. our own unworthiness and badness. Are we wicked and provoking? So were they. Are we backsliders? So were they. 2. His wisdom and power are the same still; his eye is now as piercing to discover, and his arm as strong to defeat, Popish designs as ever. This answers another objection, viz. the low condition of the people of God-none to help them, or appear for them. What, though it is all one to God, to save by many or by few. God never is at a loss for instruments. It is true, this time 78 years, there was a warm and zealous spirit upon the king and the nobles, and the great ones of the land; and though now it be otherwise, yet God can put such a spirit into our rulers as he did four or five years ago. 3. His promise remains the same -his word is not yea and nay; he is as fast bound by his own promises now, as ever he was. Could they plead promises! So may we. Not a promise in the word of God which we may not as comfortably plead at the throne of grace, as they could. 4. His covenant-relation to us is the same. Were the saints formerly the children of God? So are they now, as truly as they were then. Was God their Father and Friend, and Head and Husband? So he is ours. 5. The cause is the very same still, now, as it was 78 years ago: the old quarrel remains still between Christ and Anti-christ, who shall King-it in the Church-Christ saith he will: Anti-christ saith he will. Plead this. 6. The adversaries are the same, no better; look how much worse -idolatrous and superstitious then; false and treacherous, cruel and bloody then, and so still.-Nay, now they are more hardened in their wickedness, and more enraged than they were then. Plead this also. 7. The same glory is concerned. Was the honour of God at stake then? And is it not so now!Might the people of God say to him then, What wilt thou do for thy great name, and may not we say so now? Will not the adversaries reproach God, will they not say, he could deliver them in 1605, and could not in 1683; and will not this reflect dishonour upon the name and glory of God? What will the Egyptians say? And is not God now as much as ever concerned for his own glory? 8. They promise to rejoice in God if he would deliver them, v. 6, that thy people may rejoice in thee; they promise to be very thankful; in thee, not in instruments and second causes, but to give God alone all the glory, as it was very fit they should. To conclude. If the Lord would but give to us and to all his people at this day to be thus thankful in In the world ye shall have tribulation. -John xvi. 33. We must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God.-Acts xiv. 22. II. If Christians were not an afflicted people, they would have been destitute of one great branch of resemblance to their divine Master.'-Anonymous. A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.-Isa. liii. 3. Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.-Matt. xx. 23. If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.-Matt. xvi. 24. III. Affliction is a furnace, by the light of which, under the divine blessing, we discover the hidden idols of the heart; and the heat of which consumes the remaining dross.' Anonymous. I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and try them as gold is tried.Zech. xiii. 9. I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.-Isa. xlviii. 10. IV. Affliction, through grace, both tries and strengthens faith; and though it excites pain, it issues in profit.'-Anonymous. If need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise, and honour, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ.-1 Pet. i. 6, 7. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.-Heb. xii. 11. V. Many groan under afflictions who never weep over their sins, and shew more anxiety to have their afflictions removed than to have their sins pardoned.'-Anony And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, and the hail, and the thunders, were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.Exod. ix. 34. VI. If our afflictions do not humble our pride, awaken us from our insensibility, and mortify our corrupt passions, we need not wonder if they continue, or if they even grow heavier.'-Anonymous, hand is stretched out still.-Isa. v. 25. His anger is not turned away, but his At first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her. -Isa. ix. 1. VII. Sufferings confined to the body, ought to be considered as blessings, being salutary to the soul.'-Miss Hamilton. By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit to take away his sin,-Isa. xxvii. 9. Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living. Job xxxiii. 30. 3 VIII. Impatience under affliction, eats out the life and comfort of all our mercies.'-Anonymous. Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not; and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me.-Gen. xlii. 36. Jonah said, I do well to be angry, even unto death.-Jonah iv. 8. IX. Despair of relief is as high a reflection God's upon power and grace, as impatience is on his goodness and wisdom,'-Rev. J. Brown. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel! My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God.-Isa. xl. 27. Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.—Isa. xlix. 14. X. When afflicted, we should enquire if there be not some accursed thing in the tent; and fervently beseech God to detect and destroy it.'-Anonymous. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me: shew me wherefore thou contendest with me!-Job x. 2. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any way of evil in me; and lead me in the way everlasting. Psa. cxxxix. 23, 24. XI. The more we are affected by, and humbled for, our sins, the less we shall murmur under our afflictions.'-Rev. John Brown. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. Micah vii. 9. Wherefore doth a living man complain to man for the punishment of his sin?. Lam. iii. 39. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy word. Psa. cxix. 67, 71. cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I Lest I should be exalted above mea- XIII. When troubles are not removed but increased, it becomes us to look, and examine if we have not provoked God under them.'—Rev. John Brown. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wonderful works. Psa, lxxviii. 32. I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.—Isa. lvii. 17. There remaineth, therefore, a rest for the people of God.'-Heb. iv. 9. XVII. The glory and felicity of heaven very far exceeds, and counterbalances all the persecutions and sorrows of the present age.'—Anon. XII. We may lawfully wish to In thy presence there is fulness of be delivered from trouble, to enjoy joy; and at thy right hand there are composure and cheerfulness of mind; pleasures for evermore.---Ps. xvi. 11. These are they who came out of much but we must ask with submission, tribulation, and have washed their robes leaving it entirely to God to give and made them white in the blood of or to withhold them, as seemeth the Lamb. The Lamb, which is in the good to himself.'— Mrs. Hannah midst of the Throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them to fountains of living Moore. water and God shall wipe away all tears O my Father, if it be possible, let this from their eyes.—Rev. vii. 13---17. OBITUARY. MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. THE memory of the just is bless ed,' the recollection of which is not unfrequently the occasion of many comforts and blessings to surviving Christians. To familiarize the worthy actions, holy lives, and happy deaths of good men, cannot fail of securing exquisite interest and substantial advantage to every pious mind. To excite this interest, and promote this advantage, are the important objects of most of our Biographical delineations. Mr. Francis Greasley, the subject of this brief memoir, was born December 18th, 1735, at Wingerworth, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire. His parents maintained a reputable character, in the situation allotted them by Providence, though it does not appear that they made any particular profession of religion. Nor were they in wealthy circumstances; yet they afforded their children a good education, to qualify them for mechanical employment. Their son Francis, upon leaving school, was apprenticed to a mill-wright at Derby, and after serving his time, entered into partnership with his master. In this sphere he continued to move for many years, working with his own hands; and having a constitution remarkably healthy and robust, he had few equals at enduring long and laborious exercise. The period at length arrived for changing both his situation and employment. Having, by industry and economy, saved a little property, he embarked in the corn-trade, and removed to a corn-mill at Tutbury, in Staffordshire. Placed among new connexions, engaged in fresh pursuits, the providence of God greatly smiled upon him; and, having entered into other commercial engagements, and accumulated a pretty comfortable fortune, he at length retired from busi ness. About the time of his retiring from business he adventured upon the mar riage state, at the advanced age of sixty-two years! This was to him one of the most important events of his life, shewing, in the strongest light, the all-wise and gracious providence of God, who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.' He had hitherto lived a total stranger to the Gospel and the grace of God, without concern for the salvation of his soul: but the set time was now approaching, when God intended to visit him in great mercy. He had, indeed, been constant in his attendance at the parish church, and for many years was in the office of church-warden; but the mere moral preaching on which he attended, made no favourable impressions on his mind. He lived without hope and without God in the world. Being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish his own righteousness, he submitted not himself to the righteousness of God.' In the year 1797, he married Miss Ann Davenport, daughter of the late Rev. Jon. Davenport, vicar of Willington, and curate of Sutton on the Hill, in Derbyshire. This lady becoming eminently pious, about this time felt deeply concerned for the best interests of her husband, and of the benighted inhabitants of the place. Tutbury, it is well known, had for a long period been ill furnished with religious instruction; and the people, in general, were notorious for ignorance and profaneness. Mrs. G. having favourable influence over her husband, directed his attention, in connexion with one or two others, to the introduction of the stated ministry of the Gospel; and, principally by her munificent exertions, a neat little chapel was fitted up, which was opened for divine worship, in the year 1799. This was a peculiarly gratifying event, and by the blessing of God, was followed by results the most grateful and joyful to her pious heart Recollecting Mr. Greasley's worldly connexions, his strong attachment to the Established Church, the general stigma then cast upon Dissenters, and his self-righteous spirit, it could not be anticipated as an event at all probable that he would attend much, if at all, upon the ministry of the Gospel, and the worship of God, in a Dissenting chapel. It was, however, a very favourable circumstance for him, that his mind was not inflamed with enmity against any denomination of Christians, which, alas! is not unfrequently the degrading character of country gentlemen: it was no part of his religion to oppose or interrupt the religion of others. He, therefore, commenced his attendance at the chapel, on the day that it was opened: he cordially espoused the cause; and he never forsook it to the day of his death. From this favourable commencement, his mind was gradually enlightened by the Gospel; his prejudices yielded to the force of divine truth; his own righteousness was rejected as insufficient; his dependence was placed on the atonement of Jesus Christ; and, being born again when upwards of sixty years old, he became humble as a little child. From this important period, the change in his principles and intentions, his spirit and the whole tenor of his behaviour became strikingly manifest to all who knew him. With unshaken firmness, he relinquished the vain and vitiating associations of a fashionable world, and openly avowed himself a disciple of Jesus Christ. He carefully embraced every opportunity of resorting to the house of God, and was scarcely ever known to enter after the commencement of divine worship.'As a new-born babe, he desired the sincere milk of the word, that he might grow thereby;' and he shared an abundant recompence of reward. He could adopt the language of the Psalmist, and say 'Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.' Though he was plucked from the fire at so advanced an age, he obtained clear and comprehensive views of the great doctrines of the Gospel; and, which was far better, he felt their holy and happy influence on his mind, enjoying those blessings and consolations which they invariably administer when received by faith. On the formation of a Christian church, by those of the Independent denomination at Tutbury, Mr. G. was one of its first members, and was afterwards chosen one of its deacons; in which office he continued to his death. At the time of his entering into this Christian Society, he presented a written account of the state of his mind, from which the following sentiments are extracted : 'I desire, with thankfulness, to acknowledge the goodness of the Lord, in bringing me at the age of SIXTY-FOUR years to the knowledge of myself as a guilty sinner, both by nature and practice: and also to reveal unto me, by the teaching of his Holy Spirit, the way of salvation through a precious Redeemer, on whose atonement I place all my hopes for the pardon of my sins; and in whose righteousness alone I earnestly desire to be justified in the sight of God. The means by which the Lord has been pleased, of his distinguishing mercy and goodness, to effect this important change, was the public ministration of his holy word; by which I have been gradually led to a satisfactory view of, and, I trust, an experimental acquaintance with, the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ.' In this Christian communion, Mr. G. found himself comfortable and happy. From this period, he considered the care of his soul as the one thing needful; and accordingly made it the principal business of his life. His wise calculation was favourable to mental enjoyment! his soul was richly replenished with the comforts and blessings of divine mercy. The Sun of Righteousness shone upon his path. The period, however, at length arrived, when trials and afflictions were awaiting him. He endured great suffering, occasioned by a continued pain in his head, which he experienced for upupwards of twenty years; but the source of his most exquisite suffering was the protracted affliction and death of his beloved partner. Mrs. G. languished, for a long period, under extreme nervous debility, requiring his affectionate and unceasing attention, which he withheld not to the last. Her disorder at length overpowered her feeble constitution-and, sinking under the weight of her debilitated frame, her happy spirit departed in triumph, December 2d, 1814. Mrs. G. was a person of superior |