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with others, he would never have acquired so large a portion of theological knowledge as he certainly did. If he had been shut up in seclusion, a mere solitary student, he would not have felt that powerful excitement, which brought all the energies of his mind into full exertion.

derated his desires and expectations as a scholar. He aimed at good rather than great things. Whenever he referred to the time when he hoped to be regularly engaged in preaching the gospel, he seldom spoke of his classical or mathematical studies, though he had a taste for these, and undoubtedly would have pursued them; but he often said, that, should his life be spared, he intended to spend much of his time in reading the scriptures in their original languages. The Bible was the book of books in his esteem.

"He was generally happy.His being preserved from backsliding, his regularity in his attendance on the means of grace, both public and private, greatly contributed to produce a very striking uniformity in his experience. His confidence toward God, arose from his reliance on the promises of the gospel; and he relied on those promises, not as detached from the precepts, but as forming part of a whole.

Mr. Jones, a fellow student with Mr. Vickers, who entered the academy with him, a member of the same church, and his bosom friend, writes of him thus:-"The excellency of his character did not consist so much in a striking display of any one quality, as in the combination of several good qualities. He entertained a deep sense of the depravity of his nature, and the absolute importance of personal religion, accompanied with the most ardent desire of doing good to his fellow creatures. He was also unremittingly attentive to those means, that were calculated to promote the life of religion in his own soul, as well as those that were calculated to prepare him for the due discharge of "His letters to the committee the ministerial duties. He pro- of the Baptist Academical Inceeded with such regularity, as stitution, abundantly proved, not to suffer his literary pursuits that he esteemed his tutors, to interfere with his devotional that he loved his fellow stuexercises. His taste for learn-dents, and that he was sensible ing preserved him from indolence and fickleness; and his conviction of the importance of the ministry, led him to the full determination of spending, (should his life be spared, and his health continued,) the whole of the time allotted for his stay at Stepney, in the pursuit of Not satisfied with what was useful knowledge. On the other merely negative, my friend so hand, his taste for devotion mo-attended to " things that were

of his obligations to the supporters of that Institution. I have often admired the fervour with which he used to pray in our weekly meetings of prayer; for all connected with it, as well as for the Redeemer's cause in general."

that Institution, who watch over its prosperity with parental tenderness and anxiety, should entertain a serious concern, that, in so many particulars, the pre

Without knowing, to this day, from whose pen it proceeded, I could not but be struck with the approximation, in some particulars, of our deceased friend, to the characters described by the committee, in their address to the public, as follows:

lovely, and of good report," as thereby to adorn his profession, and, by his example, to benefit others. From his journal it appears, that for this he both laboured and prayed. God an-sent and future students should swered his prayers, and crowned copy thy example! his labours with a success, which he did not expect. Seeking to approve himself to God, he so obtained the approbation, and excited the praises of men, as to be thought worthy of imitation by others, whose station in life is similar to what his was. His next concern was, to be useful in his ministerial profession. Far from thinking highly of himself, he laboured, perhaps with undue ardour, to improve the talents committed to him; and the result was, that he bid very fair to be an able and a useful preacher. The last discourse he gave us, at Devonshire-square, was upon heaven, as a nightless state, (Rev. xxii. 5.) and which, under four particulars, he discussed in a very edifying manner. His state of health, and appearance, were such, that some of the hearers then expected, it would be no long time before he would himself enter upon that state, and which has proved to be the

case.

"The committee request, not only your subscriptions and your influence, but also your prayers and your counsels.They earnestly invite your cooperation; and desire your jealous care, in selecting and recommending to the Institution, those in whom the Spirit of God is.' They are not so much concerned, that they should be prodigies in mental abilities, as that they should be persons animated with the love of Christ-filled with tender compassion for perishing sinnershungering and thirsting for the truth-men of superior selfdenial-dead to the honours, profits, and pleasures of the world-patient of disciplinemeek and lowly in heart-in a word, bearing the image of the divine Saviour. May a goodly number of such men be the pillars and ornaments of our denomination, when our heads are laid in the dust!"

Though "taken away in the midst of his days," he will still continue to be useful, if, " being dead, he should yet speak," by his example, to his surviving companions, and, by this little memorial of him, to those young Perhaps the majority of readmen who may hereafter succeed ers would have been more grato the station which he occu- tified, and considered this acpied at Stepney. Modest hum-count more edifying to others, ble man! little didst thou think, if, as life drew to a close, Mr. that the friends and patrons of Vickers had been so absorbed

does, sometimes, so manifest his glory to them, as makes them" long to languish into life:" yet, I have generally observed, that those who have ap

in heavenly objects, and his enjoyments so ravishing, as not only to raise him superior to the fear of death, but to inspire him with such ardent longings after heaven, as should oblite-peared to be most uniformly rate from his mind all thought spiritually-minded in the course and all concern about the pre- of their lives, when they have sent state. Now, I confess, I drawn near to death, have selam better pleased with that dom reached those ecstacies, state of mind, under which my with which some obituaries friend gradually descended to abound. I do not remember to the grave, or, rather, ascended have seen it printed, but have into heaven. To serve God, been informed, that when Mr. in the gospel of his dear Son, Booth was supposed to be dywas the object of his ambition, ing, and being inquired of, by a and that upon which his heart friend, as to the state of his had been set for some years. mind, his reply was to the folFor the ends he had in view, lowing effect:-" I have no and the motives by which he great joys, nor am I solicitous was influenced, he could so- for them; these are reserved lemnly appeal to the Searcher for a future state; but, of hearts. In the application to give his talents a right direction, and to "stir up the gift that was in him," he had laboured with diligence and perseverance. Contemplating the moral state of the world, he saw the "fields white for harvest," and, with his sickle in his hand, entered the service of his Lord and Master; which service he esteemed his honour and his happiness. Therefore, to be so soon called off from that, in which his heart was so engaged, must have been to

The gospel bears my spirits up;
A faithful and unchanging God
Lays the foundation for my hope,
In oaths, and promises, and blood!"

of God which passeth all un-
This is to enjoy "the peace
derstanding;" and this peace
Brother Vickers enjoyed!

"Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright! for the end of that man is peace!" Islington.

TIM. THOMAS.

THE
NECESSITY

OF

him that which he could not FARTHER ENDEAVOURS

himself have desired; yet, when he found it to be the will of his divine Master, he silently bowed submission, and retired.

Certain it is, that the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls is not only with his people, in passing through the valley of the shadow of death, to protect them from evil; but that he

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the expressions of respect and to have this impressed upon affection, it contains, to which your mind, in a situation where if I were insensible, I should such a variety of objects presubject myself to severe cen- sent themselves as are perpesure, but also as it affords me tually recurring in London. The an opportunity of opening my great veneration almost unaheart to you on those things voidably attached to wealth, to which relate to your present si- gentility, and to long-continued tuation, and on which you have and extensive influence in some condescended to ask my advice. of your hearers, or members, You are now situate in may, without any wish or apLondon. A London minister prehension on their part, tend is in a station of singular im-insensibly to lead you to forget portance; and if he fill up that the supreme regard you owe to station well, he is a character your divine Master, and to think truly respectable; if otherwise, you have acquitted yourself the importance of his situation well if you have given satisfacwill tend, in an equal degree, tion to your immediate religious to render him disreputable. I connexions. Respect such peram anxious you should support sons highly; give them no unthat character, and add dignity necessary cause of offence; to it, while it distinguishes you. imitate and cherish all that is I will not detain your atten- excellent in them; but do not tion by dwelling upon the re-regard their sentiments as the quisite qualifications for the mi- measure of your duty. If so, nisterial office in general. Of your views will soon become these you have often heard, contracted, you will be their have often considered, and have, dependent, and may soon exin a happy degree, already ex-perience the effects of a tyranny emplified. I will content my-you have tempted them to exself with insisting on such con-ercise. siderations relative to the peculiarity of your situation in the metropolis, as may occur to my thoughts, and which appear calculated, in my opinion, to subserve your real advantage, and more extensive usefulness. 1. You must consider yourself" Jesus' sake." the servant of Jesus Christ in London, as much as if you were in the meanest village in the kingdom. You are to pursue the objects he has set before you; to act by the directions he has given you; and to be influenced by the considerations and motives he has furnished. It is more especially requisite

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Take the measure of your duty from the command of your Lord, and be no farther the servant of the richest, wisest, and best of men, than is consistent with your supreme regard to Jesus Christ. In nothing be their servant but for

2. Seriously consider the vast importance of your situation.— London, with its environs, is, if I mistake not, said to contain a population of one million two hundred thousand souls! the largest population of any spot of equal extent, perhaps, on the surface of the globe. The thought, when properly

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realized, overwhelms the mina. | forward with their property What crowds are every day, with an unexampled generosity; yea, every hour, passing into and, what is to many of still the unseen world! What a more importance, they have glorious opportunity for a mi-employed a considerable pornister of Christ to signalize tion of their time and personal himself as the friend of immor-exertions in the cause of bene tal souls! What an awful re-volence and piety. Every part sponsibility attaches to him! of the United Kingdom, India, And what accumulated guilt Africa, and the most distant will fall upon him, if he be in- islands, have reaped the fruits deed chargeable with treachery of their pious zeal. The me or sloth! "If he fail to de- morial of their kindness is enliver such as are drawn forth graven on the hearts of thouunto death, and such as are sands, and will not be erased delivered to be slain," when he from the annals of heaven. But sees, or may see, the prodi- still the question recurs: "In gious multitudes on either hand what proportion, among this in this melancholy situation, immense mass of population, his guilt will be aggravated in may we suppose true religion a degree beyond the power of exists?" Now, in reference to language to express; he will be this inquiry, I suppose, it will accessary to the murder of be scarcely admitted, that it is souls by thousands. found among such as are habitually the neglectors of evangelical worship. Surely, such as either totally neglect the worship of God, or attend to what passes for his worship in a manner opposite to the direc tion and spirit of the gospel, cannot be supposed to be religious. But how prodigiously numerous are persons of this description! I am not in possession of documents sufficient to enable me to form any thing like an accurate estimate of the number of places of worship in London and its environs; but I can scarcely think, that, of all denominations, they would amount to one thousand. But supposing they were to exceed that number; yet, when it is recollected, that in at least half of these, the gospel is not, probably, preached; and, in a considerable portion of those in

3. Reflect upon the actual state of religion amongst this vast multitude. Are the majority, or any tolerable proportion of them, truly converted to God, and travelling towards heaven? I am free to acknowledge, that there is in the metropolis a large number of places, in which the gospel is faithfully and zealously preached, and a numerous body of persons who embrace and profess it. Of that number not a few, of every denomination, do very great honour to the Christian name. They have set on foot many excellent institutions for promoting the temporal and eternal welfare of men; and have also warmly encouraged and supported institutions of a similar nature, established by others in different parts of the kingdom. They have come

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