about five o'clock in the evening, she sat up in bed, and calmly summoned us around her. She then put her arms round her beloved husband, and told us she must die. It was a most affecting scene. She looked around, and a bright ray from heaven seemed to beam on her countenance while she said that she had fondly hoped to go to England, but now she 'must go to Jesus, which was far better.' 'He calls me to Him,' she added; and, looking on Mr. Edman, said, 'Now, mind, my dear, you are not to murmur; you must have no will in this matter: His will be done.' She then lifted her hands and eyes, and said, 'Bless my father, bless my mother, bless my sisters,— Jesus, bless them. O, how I have loved them all! His will be done.' From that time she sank rapidly, and had evidently done with earth. She continued, however, to express her confidence in the Saviour, saying, 'How sweet! how precious! Jesus is here. My Jesus to know, and feel His blood flow, "Tis life everlasting, 'tis heaven below. His blood has cleansed me. He is precious.' Mr. Edman's prayers, and the promises which he repeated, caused her to praise God with a strength that astonished us. With almost her last breath came her last words, 'His will be done.' "Her mortal remains were conveyed to Kingston; and, after a solemn service in the Coke Chapel, conducted by the Rev. J. Edmondson, they were followed by more than a thousand persons, amidst much weeping, to the burial-ground of Ebenezer chapel, where they were committed to the dust by the Rev. J. Bowden.......... May the Lord Jesus comfort you during the short time you must sojourn on earth, and be separated from her who has gone before you to heaven!" The following testimony was furnished by one of the ministers stationed in Jamaica :-"Her sick room was a solemn but happy place. There were mourners there; her husband, and children, and friends wept, but she wept not. She saw earthly things now from the heavenward side. The cloud that over us hung black and heavy, appeared bright and' big with mercy 'as seen from that verge of heaven' on which she then stood. "The sum of her parting counsels to her friends was, that they should cherish the religion that made her so happy. She spoke in loving terms of her friends in Lincolnshire; and, then, as if her last daty were performed, sank upon the pillow. After eight years of missionary life in Jamaica, at the age of thirty-four, a Voice from heaven said to her, 'Thy warfare is accomplished,' 'Thy work on earth is done.' The heart ceased its throbbings, and she calmly slept in Jesus." THE CLASS-MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCRIPTURE AND REASON. (Concluded from page 22.) WE last month spoke of the example which David, and the godly in the days of Malachi have left us, in relation to social worship; and also pointed out the character of the persons for whom such means of grace-class-meetings in effect-are designed. It now remains that we consider III. THE THEME ON WHICH DAVID PROPOSED TO DWELL, "WHAT HE HATH DONE FOR MY SOUL;' AND THE PROBABLE TOPICS ON WHICH THE GOD-FEARERS, IN MALACHI'S DAY, SPAKE OFTEN ONE TO ANOTHER." : By referring to the contents of the Psalm, we learn that David, in declaring what God had done for his soul, included providential deliverances, answers to prayer, succour in distress, defence from enemies, national blessings, as well as the operations of grace on his heart and, judging from the circumstances in which the saints in Malachi's times were placed, they doubtless conversed about God's gracious promises and terrible threatenings to their nation, their personal duties and privileges, trials and temptations, hopes and fears, joys and sorrows. The whole economy of redemption, indeed, is a fit subject for Christian discourse, when the servants of God meet for mutual edification; because each believer is authorised to regard that as done and suffered for himself which has been done and suffered for the race; and that as promised to him, which has been promised to the entire company of the faithful. Hence Paul said of the world's Redeemer, He "loved me, and gave Himself for me; " and the Apostle Peter claimed for himself, and the saints of his day, the "exceeding great and precious promises" which are given by Christ Jesus to the Church in all ages. (Gal. ii. 20; 2 Peter i. 4.) Every church has an undoubted right to fix the order of its own worship, both public and social, provided it does not violate any plain Scripture teaching. We therefore find no fault with those who occupy the time devoted to private meetings in reading the Scriptures, and discussing the doctrinal truths therein contained. But the liberty we concede to others we claim for ourselves, and feel justified in recommending that the members of our Church confine themselves, in their social assemblies, to devotional exercises and conversation on practical and experimental subjects. The following reasons, among others, may be assigned for this preference : 1. Many of the children of God who can speck to edification on what God has done for them in His providence, and by His grace, are unable to define and defend the sublime doctrines of our holy religion. These will probably be regarded by some as only "babes," yet they belong to the family of God as truly as their more eloquent and erudite brethren. Each of them shares the Father's love; for each the Saviour died; and in each the Holy Spirit dwells. They feel it at once a duty and a privilege to declare what God hath wrought for them; and the Church is under obligation to afford them opportunities of doing so. In all ages God has been wont to reveal the secret of His love to them that fear Him, however poor and unpretending they may be; and He still perfects praise" out of the mouth of babes and sucklings." To shut out and proscribe their testimony, therefore, would be to suppress some of the deepest tones which piety utters, and some of the sweetest notes of praise which the Holy Spirit inspires. The work of the Lord often proceeds "from the least to the greatest; " and simpleminded and unlettered believers have been the means, not unfrequently, of imparting light and consolation to the souls of persons greatly their superiors in intellect and acquirements. Luther once said, "I am myself a Professor of Theology, and many have acknowledged that they have derived no inconsiderable benefit from my ministry; yet I have often felt myself most sensibly raised and helped by a single word spoken by a brother who thought himself very much my inferior. The word of a Christian brother pronounced from Holy Scripture, in a time of need, carries an inconceivable weight with it. The Hely Spirit accompanies it, and by it moves and animates the hearts of His servants as their circumstances require. Thus the brethren who met Paul from Rome, cheered his spirit, however much they might be his inferiors in learning and skili in the Word of God. The greatest saints have their times of weakness, when others are stronger than they." But while we plead the right of the youngest and humblest of God's children to sound forth their Saviour's praise, we repudiate the notion, that the young and the unlearned alone are under an obligation to testify to the work of grace in their hearts; or that the theme of Christian experience is too simple and commonplace for persons of cultivated tastes to touch upon. The example of David King of Israel, and of Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, demonstrate that it is equally the duty of the highest, the opulent, and the learned, to "show forth the praises of Him who hath called them out of darkness into His marvellous light." Nothing but consummate pride can make any man think he demeans himself when he sets forth the lovingkindness and tender mercies of the God in whom "he lives, and moves, and has his being," and on whose favour his salvation depends. 2. However Christians differ in their doctrinal views, they all harmonize when they engage in devotional exercises, or speak on practical and experimental subjects. Christian fellowship is the result of union with Jesus, the branches of * Scott's Continuation of Milner's Church History, vol. i., p. 333. the Vine intertwine, and the members of the body sympathise with each other. It assists devotion, promotes harmony, and matures love. By it Christians discover in how many things they are in unison, and in how few particulars they differ. Being one in affection, and agreed in essentials, they find no difficulty in allowing diversity of opinion in minors, without any compromise of principle, or abatement of brotherly love. Religious controversy, on the other hand, magnifies points of divergence, while it minifies, or overlooks, the cardinal doctrines on which believers see eye to eye. Everything, therefore, in the discipline of the Church which provokes controversy, is to be deprecated; and any arrangement which bars out its spirit is of the highest importance. Viewed in this light, the Methodist plan of confining conversation in social meetings to practical and experimental topics, is stamped with wisdom, and is, in the working of the system, of incalculable value. On such topics pious Calvinists and Arminians, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Independents, and Methodists are in perfect agreement; or, if there be rivalry among them, it is who shall love the Saviour most, and best prove their love by keeping His commandments. When the heart is right with God, "heretical pravity" is next to impossible; and, considering that theological opinions form no test of membership among us, it is amazing how uniformly evangelical the great mass of our people are in their religious belief. The late Dr. Henry Grey, of Edinburgh, when a minister of the Established Kirk of Scotland, was so satisfied of the advantages and unsectarian character of the Methodist class-meetings, that he encouraged certain godly women who were communicants in his church to attend them. And at the same period (1820 and 1821) a company of naval and military officers, members of different churches, met weekly in the same city, under the leadership of the late Dr. Gardiner, to pray, to read the Scriptures, and declare the dealings of God with their souls. 3. In the ministry of the Word a full provision is made for the instruction of the Church in doctrinal truth; whereas, if the relation of Christian experience and mutual exhortation be neglected in her social services, they must be omitted altogether. Each great outline of the truth is more precious than rubies. The knowledge and belief of Gospel doctrines is essential to the enjoyment of the Christian salvation, and the practice of scriptural holiness. The Christian ministry, by which these doctrines are explained and applied, is, therefore, of primary importance to the conversion of the world, and the edification of the Church. But while we cannot overestimate the value of public worship and faithful preaching, they must not be allowed to supersede, or stand in stead, of Christian communion. In the apostolic Epistles the references to public worship are few, compared with the directions given concerning the fellowship of saints. Under the preaching of the Word sinners are wounded, while believers have their minds enlightened, their joy increased, and their desires after a full salvation quickened; and in the social services of the Church, the wounded are led to the Good Physician, the sorrowful are soothed, and believers have an opportunity of edifying one another in love, by narrating the lessons they have learned, the strength, the consolation, and other blessings they have received, through the application of the truth by the Holy Spirit. The public and private means of grace have thus a mutual relation to, and dependence on, each other. God, in wisdom and love, has joined them together. Ministers who preach the truth, but are at no pains to gather the fruits of their ministry, by meetings for directing penitents to the Saviour, are like the woodman, who fells trees in the forest, but neglects appliances for bringing them home, or turning them to useful purposes. The Church is God's household; and in order that brotherly love may continue, and each member receive his portion of "meat in due season," it seems necessary that His children should meet often together in their family capacity, to magnify His grace, exchange fraternal greetings, sympathize with each other in their griefs and trials, and pray for the more abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Church is Christ's flock; and if the sheep are left to the perils of the common, are never folded, nor made to "lie down by the still waters" of social ordinances, we do not see how they can be said to feed in "green pastures," or how they can be safe from the murderous hate, and subtile devices of the "roaring lion," who "walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." That Church whose members never meet, except in the public congregation, where the world is more or less present; or at the Lord's table, where it assembles collectively; wants an essential element of the primitive discipline established under the eye, and by the authority, of the Apostles. Even live coals, when scattered on the hearth, soon lose their light and heat; but, piled up, and kept together, they propagate heat, and kindle into a bright flame. As "iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." (Prov. xxvii. 17.) Isolation from Christian brethren depresses the spirit, clouds the countenance, and renders ordinary duty irksome,-as is the task of cleaving wood with a blunt axe; but friendly intercourse with the wise and good cheers the heart, brightens the countenance, and makes even difficult services pleasant to ourselves, and profitable to others. "Woe to him whose spirits droop, To him who falls, alone! VOL. XIV.-FIFTH SERIES. |