BASKET OF FRAGMENTS. the mother's grief for the loss of such an only son; but to be so immoderate, was not well. Now I am sure it is time to dry up tears, and lay aside sorrows for the loss of him who hath been so long filled with joys in the heavenly mansions. I might speak of the carriage of the master in his sickness, under the apprehensions of death. When the spots did appear on his body, he sent for me, and desired me to pray with him; told me he was now going home, desired me to write to his friends, and let them know "that it did not repent him of his stay in the city, though they had been so importunate with him to come away; but he had found so much of God's presence in his abode here, that he had no reason to repent." He told me where he would be buried, and desired me to preach his funeral sermon on Psalm xvi. last: "In thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." But the Lord raised him again, beyond the expectation of himself, friends, or physicians. Let him not forget God's mercies, and suffer too much worldly business to crowd in upon him, and choke the remembrance and sense of God's goodness so singular; but let him show by his singularity in meekness, humility, self-denial and love, zeal and holy walking, that the Lord hath been singularly gracious unto him. But when I speak of homeconcernments, let me not forget to look abroad. The plague now increaseth exceedingly, and fears there are amongst us, that within a while there will not be enough alive to bury the dead, and that the city of London will now be quite depopulated by this plague. Now some ministers (formerly put out of their places, who did abide in the city, when most of ministers in place were fled, and gone from the people as well as from the disease, into the countries) seeing the people crowd so fast into the grave and eternity, who seemed to cry as they went, for spiritual physicians; and perceiving the churches to be open and pulpits to be open, and finding pamphlets flung about the streets of pulpits to be let; they judged that the law of God and nature did now dispense with, yea, command their preaching in public places, though the law of man (as it is to be supposed in ordinary cases) did forbid them to do it. That they were called by the Lord into public, I suppose that few of any seriousness will deny, when the Lord did so eminently owe them, in giving many seals of their ministry unto them. Now they are preaching, and every sermon was unto them as if they were preaching their last. Old Time seemed now to stand at the head of the pulpit, with its great scythe, saying, with a hoarse voice: "Work while it is called to-day; at night I will mow thee down." Grim Death seems to stand at the side of the pulpit, with its sharp arrows, saying: "Do thou shoot God's arrows, and I will shoot mine." Ministers now had awakening calls to seriousness and fervour in their ministerial work. To preach on the side and brink of the pit, into which thousands were tumbling-to pray under such near views of eternity, might be a means to stir up the spirits more than ordinary. Now there is such a vast concourse of people in the churches where these ministers are to be found, that they cannot many times come near the pulpit doors for the press, but are forced to climb over the pews to them; and such a face is now seen in the assemblies as seldom was seen before in Londonsuch eager looks, such open ears, such greedy attention, as if every word would be eaten which dropped from the mouths of the ministers. If you ever saw a drowning man catch at a rope, you may guess how eagerly many people did catch 131 at the Word, when they were ready to be overwhelmed by this overflowing scourge, which was passing through the city; when Death was knocking at so many doors, and God was crying aloud by his judgments; and ministers were now sent to knock, cry aloud, and lift up their voice like a trumpet; then, then the people began to open the ear and the heart, which were fast shut and barred before. How did they then hearken, as for their lives-as if every sermon were their last-as if Death stood at the door of the church, and would seize upon them so soon as they came forth-as if the arrows which flew so thick in the city would strike them, before they could get to their houses-as if they were immediately to appear before the bar of that God, who by his ministers was now speaking unto them! Great were the impressions which the Word then made upon many hearts-beyond the power of man to effect, and beyond what the people before ever felt, as some of them have declared. When sin is ripped up and reproved, O the tears that slide down from the eyes! When the judgments of God are denounced, O the tremblings which are upon the conscience! When the Lord Jesus Christ is made known and proffered, O the longing desires and openings of heart unto him! When the riches of the Gospel are displayed, and the promises of the covenant of grace are set forth and applied, O the inward burnings and sweet flames which were in the affections! Now the net is cast, and many fishes are taken; the pool is moved by the angel, and many leprous spirits and sin-sick souls are cured; many were brought to the birth, and I hope not a few were born again, and brought forth. A strange moving there was upon the hearts of multitudes in the city; and I am persuaded that many were brought over effectually unto a closure with Jesus Christ; whereof some died by the plague with willingness and peace; others remain stedfast in God's ways unto this day; but convictions (I believe) many hundreds had, if not thousands, which I wish that none have stifled, and with the dog returned to their vomit, and with the sow have wallowed again in the mire of their former sins. The work was the more great, because the instruments made use of were more obscure and unlikely, whom the Lord did make choice of the rather, that the glory by ministers and people might be ascribed in full unto himself. Basket of Fragments. SELF. The very heart and root of sin is an independent spirit. We erect the idol self; and not only wish others to worship, but worship it ourselves.— Cecil. THE POWER OF SIN.-That which first overcomes a man is the last thing he overcomes.-St Augustine. THE DESIGN OF LIFE.-Certainly God hath some further design in giving me my life, and preserving it by continual miracles, within and without, than that I should eat, drink, and die.-Adam. REPENTANCE.-With the same height of desire thou hast sinned, with the like depth of sorrow thou must repent. Thou that hast sinned to-day, defer He that hath not thy repentance till to-morrow. promised pardon to thy repentance hath not promised life till thou repent.-Quarles. PROVIDENCE. God hangs the greatest weights upon the smallest wires.-Bacon. PERSONAL RELIGION.-It was the observation of Mr Ward, upon his brother Daniel Rogers (who was a man of great gifts and eminent graces, yet of a very bad temper and constitution), that though his brother Rogers had grace enough for two men, yet he had not half enough for himself.-Flavel. "The cross of Christ."-1 COR. 1. 17. Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on thee; All my trust on thee is stayed, All my help from thee I bring; With the shadow of thy wing. Thou, O Lord, art all I want; Heal the sick, and lead the blind. Come and see the victories of the cross. Christ's wounds are thy healing, his agonies thy repose, his conflicts thy conquests, his groans thy songs, his pains thine ease, his shame thy glory, his death thy life, his sufferings thy salvation.-Henry. TUESDAY. "Darkness shall be made light unto thee."-Isa. xlii. 16. Light in thy light O may I see, Thy grace and mercy prove; Revived, and cheered, and bless'd by thee, Lift up thy countenance serene, Behold, without a cloud between, Even when a believer sees no light, he may feel some hope; when he cannot close with a promise, he may lay hold on an attribute, and say: Though both my flesh and my heart fail, yet divine faithfulness and divine compassions fail not. Though I can hardly discern at present either sun, moon, or stars, yet will I cast anchor in the dark, and ride it out, until the day break, and the shadows flee away.— Arrowsmith. WEDNESDAY. "Be not high-minded, but fear."-Rom. xi. 20. I want a principle within A pain to feel it near. I want the first approach to feel Of pride, or fond desire; To catch the wand'ring of my will, Never are men more unfit than when they think themselves most fit, and best prepared for their duty; never more fit, than when most humbled and ashamed under a sense of their own unfitness.-Luther. THURSDAY. "O how I love thy law."-Ps. cxix. 97. Father of mercies, in thy Word For these reviving lines! O may these heavenly pages be The Word is a land flowing with milk and honey, and we should spare no pains nor labour in order to gain it. God has given it eminent names, that he might draw our affections more towards it. It is called a lamp to guide our feet, and a light to our paths. It is a guide to conduct us; a medicine to heal us; a bridle to restrain and hold us in; a sword to defend us; water to wash us; a fire to make us warm; salt to season and purify us; milk to nourish us, wine to cheer us; a treasure to enrich us; and a key to unlock for us the gate of heaven. Thus the Word has every name given to it, that we may seek it instead of everything else.-Rowlands. A Stamped Edition, for circulation by Post, is also published, price 2d. each Number. Edinburgh: Printed by JonN JOHNSTONE, residing at 2, Windsor Street, and Published by him at 2, Hunter Square. London: R. GROOMBRIDGE & Sons. Glasgow: J. R. M'NAIR & Co.; and to be had of any Bookseller throughout the Kingdom. THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY. 133 MISSIONARY ADDRESS. BY THE REV. DR DRÄSEKE, MAGDEBURG. "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray I. The duty is founded on four facts-the worthiness of the cause, the misery of man, the greatness of the harvest, and the deficiency of labourers. 1. The worthiness of the cause of missions is shown from the statement in the previous verses, about Christ going around the cities and villages preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and diseases among the people. This is in reality the whole of the missionary work. Christians! your first duty is, the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom! Your sphere of labour is among the souls whom God has created; you are to strive that they may be prepared for his kingdom. It is not merely in Bethlehem, and Nazareth, and Jerusalem that you are to labour, but far and near-on this and the other side of Jordan-in the villages and market-places. Your labours are designed to exalt into heaven, and to take in the whole world. Does any one among you say that such activity is impracticable, as surpassing all human power? We are men, it is true; but it is as men that we, in Christ's name, call sinners to "the kingdom." This kingdom cannot come to us, unless we exert ourselves for its interests; and we are unable to press men into the kingdom, unless the spirit of the kingdom actuates all our doings. To be a true citizen of this kingdom, each of you must be the friend of missions. In this matter there can be no indifference. "He that is not with me is against me." Our activity in the missionary cause is inseparably connected with our true destiny as human agents-with the true nature of man's duty, as a responsible and immortal being. Remember who it is whom the verses referred to represent as thus engaged. It is Jesus-the Saviour promised to the nations-the Son of the living God. And how does he work in his Father's vineyard? Love and wisdom characterize all he says and does. He does not enter upon his labour until he has been duly qualified for it; nor does he cease till he has completed what he had undertaken. Can any pattern be held up more worthy our imitation? The missionary cause thus acquires its true dignity from Him who has gone before as the first great labourer in the field. No. 12. man. 2. But consider the misery and lost condition of The Scripture says, that when Christ saw the multitudes, he pitied them; for they were scattered like sheep without a shepherd. This is the great necessity of the case. There were shepherds in Israel enough-Scribes and Pharisees; but the Spirit of the great Shepherd dwelt not in them. Accordingly, when he came to gather the flock, he was not received or acknowledged by them. They wandered all astray. Is not this still true of those of them who still read the books of Moses, but do not understand, from the veil cast over their eyes? or of those who bend the knee to the idol, or to that great idol, the world, unto which their hearts have been sold? Their greatest want is the want of shepherds, and that is the reason that they go thus astray; but "Christ is come to seek and save that which is lost." His days and nights were devoted to the work of saving sinners. As the Master did, so should the disciples. The necessity is great, and we should acknowledge it. Where the Shepherd is wanting, everything is wanting; and this we should strive to realize. Those who have thus gone astray are our brethren; and we should ponder this. It is God's will that help be given to all the one assisting the other, from hand to hand, and place to place, and people to people, and generation to generation. It is thus we should set about establishing the kingdom of heaven upon earth. 3. Think of the greatness of the harvest. "The harvest," said the Saviour, "is great." This is his language to you to-day. It is great as the earth itself. Our heavenly husbandman has made a great beginning in occupying the field; and the servants whom he has sent have been faithful, even unto death, in their struggles with the uncultivated wastes. If you survey the map of the world for a moment, you will be convinced how truly great the harvest isgreat beyond all human reckoning. When such is the case, he who has ability for the work dare not deny his services. Who can think without solemnity of the fact, that on the harvest field of missionary labour the sun never sets? 4. Consider, next, the want of labourers. Jesus complained of this want while he was on earth. Though his was a life of unceasing activity, yet, amid all his labours, the spiritual necessities of mankind made him exclaim, that the labourers were indeed few. Twelve, we know, accompanied him as his immediate helpers; and yet one of these was the son of perdition. Christian friends! we too have to make the same complaint and lamentation. Are not the labourers few Few! if we consider their task May 16, 1845. of saving a fallen world. Few! if we consider the earnestness which the care of lost souls requires. Few! if we consider the field over which the kingdom of God behoves to extend. The societies may easily be counted who are connected with the work. The seminaries can be numbered where labourers are being trained. The stations can be named to which labourers have gone. Those who have gone can be counted-who have left house and home, friends and country, to oppose, in the distant parts of the earth, the kingdom of light to the kingdom of darkness. But, my friends, those tribes and communities who require such labourers, are not to be numbered; and much less the individuals who have had yet no means of knowing that life which comes from God. Will you, then, not increase this little, faithful band? Will you not devote your energies to a work which concerns your duties as men and Christians? Will you not enter, with heart and soul, on the Gospel warfare? Are you not ready to admit, that as it is a matter of the highest honour and the gravest necessity, so it is, too, a truly personal matter of the heart, and a most sacred matter of the conscience, for every individual Christian to be a fellowworker with his Lord? Such are the high obligations to take earnest part in the missionary work. To be continued. Biographical Sketch. REV. DANIEL ROWLANDS OF LLANGEITHO, THE WHITEFIELD OF WALES. PART III. THE particulars we have given regarding the preaching of Rowlands are sufficient to show that it must have been of a very striking and unusual kind. The descriptions of its characteristics and effects by those of his cotemporaries who heard him, are striking and full of interest. The well-known Charles says of him, in his diary : On January 20, 1773, I went to hear Mr Rowlands preach at New Chapel. His text was Heb. iv. 15. A day much to be remembered by me as long as I live. Ever since that happy day I have lived in a new heaven and a new earth. The change which a blind man who receives his sight experiences does not exceed the change which at that time I experienced in my own mind. The earth receded and disappeared; My ears with sounds scraphic rang. It was then that I was first convinced of the sin of unbelief, or of entertaining narrow, contracted, and hard thoughts of the Almighty. I had such a view of Christ as our high priest-of his love, compassion, power, and all-sufficiency-as filled my soul with astonishment, with joy unspeakable and full of glory. My mind was overwhelmed and overpowered with amazement. The truths exhibited to my view appeared for a time too wonderfully gracious to be believed. The glorious scenes then opened to my eyes, will abundantly satisfy my soul millions of years hence, in the contemplation of them. I had some idea of Gospel truths before floating in my head, penetrated my heart till now. but they never powerfully, and with divine energy, "The gifts And in another place he says:-" of Mr Rowlands, and the power that accompanied his ministry, were such, that no hearers in the present age can form any adequate idea of them. There is no one who has not heard him that can imagine anything equal to what they were. Oh, how wonderful the authority and light that accompanied his ministry! and how wonderful the effects on the hearers!" The Rev. Christmas Evans, a Welsh preacher, gives the following detailed account : His mode was his own-inimitable. I seem to see him now, dressed in his black gown, opening the little door that led from the outside to the pulpit, and making his appearance to the multitude. His whole countenance was clothed with a majesty that betokened sense, eloquence, and authority. His forehead was high; his eyes were keen and piercing; his nose was Roman or acquiline; his lips comely, and his chin projecting and rising a little; and his voice was sonorous and high-toned. Some preacher read and prayed, usually, according to what I have heard, before he rose up to preach. He then very frequently gave out to sing the follow ing stanza from Prys' Psalms :— Un arch a erchais ar Dduw Nav, One stanza only was given out at a time in those days, remarkable for powerful influences. After singing the stanza with great fervour, Rowlands stood up, and read his text clearly to the hearing of all. The whole assembly were all ears, as if they were going to hear some evangelic oracle, and the eyes of all were fixed on him. He had some stirring thought, as a small ointment-box, before opening the great one of the sermon, which he opened, and the odours of its ointment spread over the whole congregation, and prepared them to expect the opening of the other boxes, one after the other, throughout the sermon (which he did), until the whole house was filled with the heavenly odour, as at Bethany formerly, with the odour of Mary's alabaster-box of ointment. After thus rousing the congregation by some striking thought, he divided his text, and began with the first division, bending downwards his head a little, to glance at the notes he had on a slip of paper. Rowlands (soon) grew warm; his voice rising and becoming authoritative, and resounding through the whole chapel, so that you could see nothing but smiles, and the tears flowing down the faces of the people, accompanied with exclamations throughout the assembly. When this first flame of heavenly devotion, under the first head, had become tranquil, he began the second time to melt and render supple again into the same heavenly temper; and this he the minds of the people, until he brought them did, as some say, six or seven times in the same ser *Psalm xxvii. 4, former part. The Welsh version is nearly this:I've made to God this one request, To this I still adhere That I may in his house be blest, And have my dwelling there. There is a peculiarity in the very words, which no translation can convey. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH-REV. DANIEL ROWLANDS. mon. The face and voice of Rowlands underwent changes and emotions, until there was a sort of vehement flame transforming and driving away the earthly, dead, and careless spirit; and the people drew nigh, as it were in the cloud, to Christ, and to Moses and Elias; and eternity and its realities rushed into their minds. The well-known Jones of Creaton used to remark, that he had "never heard but one Rowlands"-meaning that, of all the many eminent preachers he had heard, there was none so eminent as he; and on one occasion he remarked: The peculiar excellences of Rowlands' preaching were depth and fervour. His knowledge of divine things was remarkably profound. He was, at times, like those birds which dive under water for their prey, and having caught it, suddenly emerge again. I often thought of such birds while hearing him; for he sometimes went, as it were, out of sight; so that we could not exactly see or know what he was aiming at; and then he brought suddenly to view what he had been diving for, and set it forth in a few concise and expressive words, to the great astonishment and delight of his hearers. And as to his fervour, it far exceeded everything that I have ever observed in any other. And Whitefield himself says, on returning from a visit to Wales, Last year I visited several places in South Wales, but now I went to more, and in every place found that not one-half had been told me. The power of God at the sacrament under the ministry of Mr Rowlands was enough to make a person's heart to burn within him. At seven of the morning have I seen perhaps ten thousand from different parts, in the midst of sermon, crying, Gogoniant-Bendigedig (Hosanna-Hallelujah), ready to leap for joy. 135 tions, but also in private, while preparing his sermons." The following remarkable incident will illustrate this : One Saturday evening, while Rowlands was walking before his house, he appeared very distressed and depressed in mind. When he met his pious servant, whom he treated as a brother in the Lord, he addressed him by his Christian name, and said, that he could not preach the following morning, because he had nothing to say to the people. "Oh, dear Mr Rowlands," said the servant, "do not say so; for who else can we get?" He still continued to say the same thing that he could not preach; and said, besides, that the Lord had not given him anything to say to them. In this distressed state of mind he continued until he retired for the night. The following morning, when the servant went into his room, he was awake, but in bed; and there was a book on a chair close to his bed-side. The servant told him that it was time to rise, it being then about seven o'clock. After waiting some time, he went in again and found him still in bed. He then reminded him that the time for going to chapel was drawing nigh. But his answer was the same as the preceding evening-that he could not preach, and that some one else must be sent for. But the servant used every reason he could think of to induce him to rise and dress himself; and then he went out, hoping that he had succeeded. It was now drawing towards ten o'clock, when the service at Llangeitho chapel was to begin, and the people were flocking there in After a short great numbers from every direction. interval, the servant entered into his bed-room again, and found him, as before, in bed, and still saying that he could not preach that morning. However the servant somehow or other prevailed on him at this time to rise, and assisted him to dress, which was not usual; for he seemed to have lost all strength, and almost the use of his limbs. But after he was dressed, he was still unwilling to go to chapel; and would not have gone, had not the servant brought him there very much against his own will. And not only had his preaching so powerful an effect upon his hearers; it had a powerful When they reached the chapel, that part of the effect upon himself. Such were at times his service previous to the sermon was nearly gone through. The prayers and the singing before sermon realizing perceptions of divine things, that nawas nearly over. The servant was under the neces ture was hardly able to bear up under them. sity of helping him into the pulpit, as he seemed As he was on one occasion going through the extremely weak and feeble. But the pious old man, service at Llancwnlle, while praying before as he related this, could not but make this remark: sermon, his mind was led to the contemplation "I knew," said he, with great emphasis, "that if we of our Saviour's great sufferings; and so much once got him into the pulpit, everything would be well." And neither he nor the congregation were was he overpowered, that crying out in the disappointed. When he began his sermon, he apmost affecting manner: Oh, empty veins !peared very feeble, the voice low, the limbs relaxed, Oh, pale countenance !" he fainted away in the pulpit. After some time he recovered, and preached with astonishing power and energy. The real secret of Rowlands' wonderful power and success as a preacher is doubtless to be found in the fact that, deeply convinced of his own weakness, he was enabled to take a firm hold of the Lord's strength. When preparing for the pulpit he looked to the Lord for guidance; and when in it, relied on him for the blessing. He cast off "self." He had a strong and ever-abiding sense of the necessity of the Spirit's power both to teach himself, and to render his teaching effectual to the people. "His mind was often much depressed with the thought of his weakness; and the withholding of divine light and influence he vividly felt, not only in his public ministra and his whole frame trembling. By degrees he revived and gathered strength; and in less than ten minutes he was preaching with unusual vigour, and uncommon power and dignity. His words were like flashes of lightning, spreading over the whole assembly, both within and without; for there were nearly as many without as within. The effect on the whole congregation was very remarkable. Hundreds of them could not repress their emotions, but burst forth into loud praises, before he had gone half through his sermon, and continued singing, praising, and rejoicing for hours. And, as illustrating his conviction of the necessity of the Spirit's power in order to render the preaching of the Word effectual, we may give another incident, which occurred during a preaching week in Pembrokeshire :— There had been preaching the night before, but evidently with no unction from above. Rowlands |