Mr. Satchell had a great abhor- here upon earth, that we may be rence of pride in every form. The instruments of much usefulness, least appearance of ostentation or that we may subserve the good, display was immediately detected the happiness, the comfort, and the by him, and always received his spiritual improvement of thy church, unqualified censure. In his inter- and may at length adore thy name course with the world, a strict in- in heaven for ever. tegrity, and a scrupulous regard to veracity, were distinguishing features in his character, and obtained for him the unhesitating confidence of all who knew him. In the first page of his diary is contained a resolution by which his conduct was ever regulated. It is expressed thus:

"I acknowledge myself to be a guilty and polluted sinner; but I come unto thee, O God, for pardon, in the name, through the mediation, and pleading the atonement and the righteousness of thy beloved Son. I accept him as my prophet, my priest, and my king. O merciful Father, I hereby pro"With the assistance of the mise, in the strength of Christ, to Most High, I will pay an invio- obey thy commands, and to walk lable regard to truth, by avoiding in the fear of the Lord continually. not only direct falsehoods, but ali Enable me, I humbly beseech thee, deception, and the most indirect from henceforth to walk before departure from truth. Upon the thee in tenderness of spirit, to altar of truth, or rather of the God avoid unbecoming levity, to mainof truth, I will always willingly tain the dignity of a Christian, and and joyfully offer my temporal to make it my continual study not interest and reputation. With be- to grieve the good Spirit of God. coming firmness I will disclose my And may I be constantly concernimperfections to men, if truth in ed to walk in wisdom towards the least degree require it; for God those who are without, that thy sees, and who are men? Any dis-name may not be dishonoured by advantage which I may sustain by my profession; but, on the consuch conduct is not worthy of con- trary, may be thereby magnified, sideration. Great is celestial wis- and made honourable, and may dom, and will finally prevail over extolled. the policy of this world."

An opinion may be formed, by the following self-dedication, which is taken from his diary for the year 1796, (eighteen years after his first profession of religion,) on his joining Mr. Fuller's church, as already mentioned:

:

be

In

"And now, O my God, I give myself up entirely to thee. deed, I was already thine by creation, by preservation, and by redemption. Let me be no longer mine own; I will be thy steward; living for thee, eating and drinking for thee, improving my mind for "On Friday next, Mr. D., Mr. thee, frequenting the house of God B., and myself, are, if God permit, and the assemblies of the saints for to be added to the Baptist church. thee, dispensing those blessings And now, O my God, I desire unto others for thee with which more humbly and earnestly to pray thou hast entrusted me; and, if I unto thee that thou wilt be with can think of any way whereby I each of us and bless us, and also can glorify thy name more than with my dear father, whose junc-I do, doing it with all my might. tion with us herein is delayed by Let me reserve no more of any absence; that we may glorify thee worldly good for myself than reli

word of God my

gious (not worldly) prudence re- | by making the quires. May I not act deceitfully principal study. And O, Father of herein, for the heart is deceitful; lights, illuminate my mind, and but let prudence direct me to keep grant that like a new-born infant I for myself only so much as the may desire the sincere milk of the glory of God actually requires me word, and that I may grow thereto retain. For in truth, all that I by. Bestow upon me thy favour, am, and all that I have, and all O Lord! and may thy spirit dwell that I expect, flows from sovereign in me, that the seed sown in my grace through Jesus Christ. I heart may bring forth fruit aboundmerit nothing at all. Gracious ing in my life, through Jesus Lord, I commit myself wholly to Christ." thee, beseeching thee to guide me through this sinful world by thy counsel, to preserve me from the wiles of Satan, and finally to re-fections. In the present state of ceive me into everlasting felicity, through Jesus Christ, my dear Redeemer. Amen."

Mr. Satchell's filial affection was very strong. He thus writes in his diary for 1797, on the death of his father:

"Thus have I lost a tender parent, a wise counsellor, a cheerful and instructive companion, and a faithful friend. But my heavenly Father remains, and I trust that I shall see my earthly father again, in that world of glory where sin and sorrow shall never enter. Perhaps his spirit (my guardian angel) may now be near me, and may be the first to welcome me into the abode of the blessed. May the Lord grant that I may set my affections increasingly on heaven, which is rendered dearer to me on account of its being the residence of my beloved father."

And during the remainder of his mother's life, his endeavours to render her declining years easy and comfortable, are discovered from several passages in his diary.

He attached great value and importance to an acquaintance with the Scriptures, as is evident from the following passage taken from his diary :

"I propose henceforth to draw water from the wells of salvation,

It is not, however, to be supposed, that a man of so much excellence was free from all imper

existence, this cannot be expected. But his failings were far outweighed by the numerous virtues which adorned his character. In his friendships he was sincere and disinterested. His affection as a husband and a parent has embalmed his memory in the recollection of his family. Benevolence in him did not exist in name only, but was manifested by numerous acts of charity. He was a loyal subject, and a true lover of his country; and it is confidently believed that all who knew him will unite in saying-he was a good man.

His active and useful life was terminated on the 14th of February, 1829, in the 72d year of his age. As the way-worn traveller, after a long and tedious journey through an uncongenial clime, arrives at his home, which he views with feelings of greater pleasure and satisfaction, on account of the dangers and misfortunes that have attended his journey, so our departed friend, after a life protracted beyond the ordinary term of human existence, has now arrived at that eternal home to which he had been long looking forward; and his enjoy ment is doubtless enhanced, if that be possible, by his attainment of it at an unexpected moment, and by a retrospect of all those scenes of

cometh; go ye out to meet him." Mat. xxv. 1, 6.

trouble and disappointment through dom be comparable to ten virgins which he had previously passed. at the proclamation of the sumPerhaps on his arrival, his father mons, Behold the bridegroom was the first to welcome him into the abode of the blessed. How pleasing the interview with him, and with others of his relatives and friends who had preceded him, and subsequently with some who have followed him to that happy place! He is now able to realize the sentiment contained in one of his favourite hymns

IN the parable preceding that of the Ten Virgins we first behold the

By a retrospective contemplation, however, the parable of the ten virgins is so extended as to give us an affecting view of the visible church from the time when He who is King of kings began to collect a people for his kingdom, till he "shall send his messengers to gather out of his kingdom all noxious individuals and those who Thus our attention is directed to a practise iniquity." Mat. xiii. 41. countless multitude who, in different ages of the world, come out from the general mass of mankind and profess to be subjects of the heavenly king and, for this reason, the whole body of religious professors is introduced to our notice as "the kingdom of heaven," or "the people of the heavenly kingdom." Different, therefore, as the times of individual profession may be, our Lord has so associated his professed subjects in his description, that we view them as acting simultaneously: and, in this process of assimilation, the parable of the ten virgins presents to our contemplation

First, a diversity of procedure in a time of probation;

Secondly, a similarity of state

That true Christians and false

faithful servant in the regions of in a period of suspense; and the perfected just; and then the Thirdly, a development of real perfidious servant is presented to character, and an appropriate reour view in that place where de-tribution. parted spirits are experiencing the beginning of sorrows. Like Pha- professors should be associated in raoh's chief baker, that degraded the time of probation is no more servant is sent to the gloomy prison as a preparatory measure: and then," says the Saviour, will the candidates for the heavenly king

See the Baptist Magazine for June, 1828, page 247, &c.

than our Lord taught his disciples to expect when, for their instruction, he delivered and interpreted the parable of the wheat and noxious plants resembling wheat growing together till the time of harves For Christian societies havin

Such

power to search the heart, can | Christ is to be none of his, but to exercise church discipline no far-be solely actuated by motives atther than external evidence will tainable by carnal men. warrant them. Nor was the pa- inferior motives, however, are rable of the ten virgins ever in- sometimes so imposing that the tended to impair Christian love by fatal deficiency is only perceived making good men suspicious of one by Him from whom nothing can be another; but the salutary lesson hid. The true friends of Christ, furnished by the failure of the however, are not to be hermits; foolish virgins, is designed to make but are to be like a conspicuous us turn our eyes inward, and to city on a hill. "Let your light," say each one for himself, Lord, says Jesus, "so shine before men, is it I ?" that they seeing your good works, As it was no part of the Savi- may glorify your Father who is in our's object to teach what would heaven." Mat. v. 16. Still mogratify idle curiosity without doing tives are secret, and a Christian's any real good, he did not give us private life is secret: and, therea clue to the actual number either fore, if to honourable publicity of true Christians or of false pro- spirituality of mind is attached; fessors; but he secured all that is and if there is also a private walkimportant to us as individuals by ing with God, and a series of godly selecting mere specimens for illus- transactions in which a professor tration. Hence in comparing reli- does not let his left hand know gious professors to a party of vir- what his right hand doeth, then he gins, our Lord adopted such a has, in his expedition, something round number of that class of fe- secret to accord with that all-immales as would naturally be invited portant supply of oil which the to grace the ceremonies of a nup-wise virgins took timely care to tial day and then, as there was no reason for preponderance, he At the outset of a Christian protook one half of the virgins as a fession one striking feature is joy. specimen of his real friends who For till an individual is hardened wisely make their calling and elec- by a course of iniquity, he is, like tion sure; and the other half he fallen Adam, subject to fearful aptook as a specimen of his pretend-prehension: and whenever this ed friends who, however wise they apprehension is suddenly removed, may be in other respects, are fools with regard to those "better things that accompany salvation."

secure.

joy is the result, whether it proceeds from the influences of the divine spirit in concurrence with The diversity of character pre- correct views of gospel truths, or sented to our contemplation by whether it proceeds from delusive the procedure of the ten virgins, is impressions aided by a misconcepillustrative of a profession that is tion of the sacred oracles. Much, accompanied by the sanctifying therefore, must depend upon subinfluences of the divine Spirit con- sequent tests. If joy only protrasted with a profession that be- duces what persecution can degins, proceeds, and ends with na-stroy, it either comes from the tural principles. "To be led by earth, or is fostered by him who the Spirit of God" is "to have an transforms himself into an angel of unction from the Holy One," and an earnest of eternal salvation: whereas not to have the spirit of

light. Or should it be apparent that the world retains its hold on our affections, and that heaven is

chosen merely as the better of two | ble charms, and enables the Chrisplaces when, contrary to our wishes, tian "to pursue that holiness we must cease to enjoy the fame without which no man shall see the world awards to literature, to the Lord." wealth, to what is genteel, or to Holiness indeed is not the cause what is even vulgar and degrad- of future blessedness, though it is ing; then our joy is no more than its harbinger. So the morning what Judas might have possessed. twilight is not the cause of day, If, however, our joy is inseparable and yet no day ever arrives withfrom Christian love, and is accom-out it. The fact is, the same sun is panied by all those ramifications of the cause of both. So sovereign holiness which accord with the grace, in perfect consistency with circumstances in which we are itself, never performs the latter placed; then we know by the fruit part of its grand object without that the tree is good. It is a great the former part being first realized. mercy therefore for a true Christian He, therefore, that would hail the to be put to the proof. "If," effulgent day, must welcome the says the apostle, "ye are without increasing twilight, "growing in chastisement whereof all are par- grace and in the knowledge of our takers, then are ye illegitimate Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." children and not sons." Heb. xii. 8. 2 Pet. iii. 18. But count it all joy," says James, Thus the ramifications of holi"when ye have to pass through ness when viewed as a means condivers trials." Trials, indeed, inducing to an end, evince that wellthemselves are no evidence of true directed forecast which is called godliness: but if by the furnace of wisdom. Yea, even the ant, thought tribulation dross is separated, and guided by instinct only, is extolled gold more and more pure is found for her wisdom, because "she to remain; then there is the best provideth her meat in the summer, of all attainable evidence that a and gathereth her food in the harprofession is comparable to that of vest." Such then is the forecast the wise virgins. On this ground, of five of the virgins, and such is Paul hailed trials. "We glory," the reason why they are called says he, "in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience; and experience, hope." Rom. v. 3, 4. Thus instead of dishonourably evading the trial like the false professor, the faithful friend of Christ endures as seeing Him who is invisible; and this endurance furnishes experimental evidence, and such evidence conduces to a strong and well-grounded hope. Such is the happy effect of divine influence on an auspicious profession. For the Divine Spirit by imparting the evidence of things not seen in connection with a supreme love to those things, clothes invisible realities with inexpressi

wise.

On the other hand, if we substitute the reveries of a vain mind for a scriptural fleeing to Christ, and for living by faith on him from day to day, we are awfully deluded. Whilst the Gospel too that would set us right is at any moment accessible, to refuse to avail ourselves of such a criterion, or to make void its dictates by grossly fallacious principles of interpretation, is to display that kind of procedure for which five of the virgins are charged with folly.

Nor should it be forgotten that he who attempted to mislead the Saviour by quotations of Scripture, may still attempt to make truth