Father's love, I was enabled to call this salvation mine, and to glory in the fulness of pardon manifested for guilty me. I cannot tell the joy, but reflect with pleasure how I have been delivered from Nature's darkness and distress óf sɔul; how the false hope of my own righteousness has been destroyed, after having remained on that dangerous rock as long as I could, I was now led to see the distinguishing love which had called me, and left others! My eyes overflowed with tears of joy and love to that God who had done such great things for me; and now I went on my way, rejoicing in Christ Jesus!' Having completed his engagements with his master, and being now about 21, he came to London for improvement, intending shortly to return, and settle iu his native place; but He, whose thoughts and ways are not as ours, led him to unite with the people of God then assembled in White Street, Moorfields, Mr.John Griffiths being then their pastor. He now commenced business; and had a severe trial of his faith, occasioned by the abominable practice of the trade, in serving on the Sabbath. This, however, he was determined upon, that the word should be his guide; well knowing that the hearts of all are at the Lord's disposal: nor had he any inducement to alter his practice, finding the Lord prospered him more than others, who disregarded his boly day. About the year 1780, he was chosen a deacon of the church; and with how much zeal and faithfulness he filled that office, those with whom he acted can readily testify. He seemed a stranger to lukewarm ness; and his prayers, both in the church and family, were filled with holy fervour; and such was his even temper, that we hardly ever knew him to be angry; and daring the trials of a family of nine children, six of whom died early, we never knew him to swerve from the path of duty, or slacken his exertions in religion. He was a ready visitor of the sick; and always considered the poor as his peculiar charge. Infamifies, he was always the peace maker; and being ready to do good In 1806 our dear mother was seized with a paralytic stroke; but in this sharp trial also he manifested that serenity of soul which brought much glory to his Redeemer. Nevertheless, that he was sorely tried by the enemy, frequently appears from his papers, found after his decease; in which his alternate seasons of joy and sorrow are manifested; but which we have not room to insert. - - A short time before his death, he writes thus: For what should I wish to live another day, but to praise my God, who hath done so much for me, seeing, if I wait longer, the grave is my house, and Satan and corrupt nature will harrass and perplex me still! O may the thoughts of this lead me while I live to seek his glory, and ever feel him as my refuge!' Thus we see how his mind was prepared for his approaching change! His last illness was but of a few days. Being in town the week before his death, he complained of a cold, and much obstruction in his breath; and having been subject to an asthma in the winter, he now felt the effects of his old complaint, which appears to have issued in an inflamation in the chest. The obstruction in his breath prevented him from saying much; and being corpulent, it was with considerable difficulty he was assisted to bed the last night after which, he requested one of us to pray with him and he closed with a hearty Amen! During the night, His remains are deposited near the worthy Bunyan's, in Bunhill Fields: the Rev. J. Gore, his pastor, gave a solemn address to a numerous attendance of friends and neighbours at the grave; and, on the following Sabbath, a funeraldiscourse was preached at Barbican, from his last words: My meditation of him shall be sweet.' The Rev. Mr. Wildbore, who had for many years highly respected him, improved the event to a crowded auditory, in Falmouth, the town of his nativity, on the same day, and from the same text. The Experience and Death of Mrs. ALICE GABRIEL, Widow of Mr. C. Gabriel, the first part of which was found in her own writing, after her decease. I was born June 24, 1743, at Soham, in Cambridgeshire, of respectable parents. My father's name was William Trowell: his father and family had been great supporters of the Independent interest at that place for many years. When I was about three years of age, God, in his providence, removed them to a large farm, wine miles distant; but they continued their attendance at Soham on the Lord's Day, tho' I was too young to attend until I was about 10 years of age. I went about that time, and heard a young man preach from Psalm xlviii. 14, For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our Guide even unto death. He spake of the privileges of those who had this God for their God, even Jehovah Jesus. thought, at the time, if I were possessed of all the world, I would 6 freely give it to be assured that Jesus was my God, and would be my Guide and Portion for ever. I had such a strong desire in my heart after a knowledge of Jesus, that I was continually praying that this God might be mine. I do not remember that I went again for some time; and, being of a volatile disposition, those serious impressions partly wore off, and I was very light and trifling, like other girls. About the age of 13, my parents sent me to a school at Ely, where all was carral, vain, and ungodly; but I was not without convictions; for I remember one night I had been at the card table, and had won some money, and, on retiring to bed, I knelt down to say my prayers, but my conscience was so burthened I could not pray; so I resolved the next day to buy a prayer-book; and my legal views led me to make some satisfaction to an offended God. I went on in this way until I left school, at the age of 17. At that time, I was deeply concerned about my salvation; and I often prayed God would make me what he would have me to be. I was very desirous to read God's word and pious bocks; and, if I could meet with any one that would converse with me on religion, I was all attention, as we had not the gospel preached in our village. A person came to my father's one day on business, and began to talk to him on religious subjects: he said he would call his daughter, as she liked any one to speak about religion. I found he was one of Mr. Wesley's people, and told me he had preaching at his house every other week, and invited me to come and hear. I got leave to go the next week, it was at a distance, of about four miles. The preacher's name was Paul Greenwood: his text was, Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven;' and the word verily sounded so solemnly, that it entered into my immortal soul, and I was led to cry out, What must I do to be saved?' I was fully convinced, that it was the word of God, and 6 must ever stand; so that, unless I experienced a new birth in my soul, I could never eater the kingdom of Heaven. I was in great distress for many months. About this time, it pleased God to remove my father by death. This increased my trouble. We left the farm, it being too large for us to manage. One Lord's Day, before I was going to church, I prayed the Lord would give me some comfortable hope in himself, lest the soul he had made should fail before him. It pleased the Lord to hear my prayer, and to apply those precious words to my soul, Thy sins are forgiven,' Luke vii. 48. Never did I feel such light, life, and love before. I saw Jesus bad shed his precious blood to atone for my sins, and that it was sufficient to cleanse me from all sins. Then did I go on my way rejoicing in his salvation, and often thought, if I had been a man, I would have preached the gospel to poor sinners. Indeed, from house to house in the village, I went, telling them what poor mi serable helpless sinners they were by nature and practice; and if they lived and died in that state, they, must be miserable to all eternity. I told them Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; and exhorted them to pray to him to give them repentance and remission of sins. It was my practice to take my Bible and Mr. Hart's Hymns, and go in the fields in the morning, and in some secret place to read and pour out my heart to God; and he has often met me, and blessed my soul with a view of his love. One morning, when I was returning home, I saw my dear mother sitting on a bank in the orchard, crying bitterly. I thought she was weeping on account of my father's death. I went to her; and asked why she wept se. Her answer was, I may well weep, to see my children taking the kingdom of Heaven by violence, and I myself shall be shut out!' I was glad to hear her tell her concern after salvation; and, as well as I was able, I pointed her to the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world; begging her to seek him by secret prayer; and I do believe, from that. time, the Lord carried on the work of grace in her soul. Soon after this we removed to Soham, my native place; and sat under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Adam, a sound judicious preacher of the Calvinistic doctrine. My mother was admitted a member of. the church; and, I have no doubt, lived and died a believer in Christ. When I was about 22, I came to Loadou, to see my relations; from some of whom I met with much persecution; for I went constantly to hear the gospel; but the enemy of souls set in with their discourse to tempt me to believe that my salvation was uncertain. This led me to a throne of grace to pray that the Lord, if the work was his own, would seal my pardon afresh upon my soul. One day, praying with great earnestness that the Lord would give me a word of promise to support my tottering faith, he was pleased to bring those words with a divine power to my soul: 'I have blotted out as a cloud your transgressions; and as a thick cloud your sins.' Then I was enabled to see myself justified in the sight of God, through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Various has been my experience in the last 40 years; but, glory be to God, he is faithful, and will never alter the thing that has gone out of his mouth! My everlasting all I do with confidence cast upon Jesus! I know in whom I have believed, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him!' "Thus far," say her sons, t. we have from her own pen'; and as the Obituary of Mr. C. Gabriel will shew how the Lord led them for the last 40 years, we have but to add our testimonies of her being a kind, tender, and affectionate parent, whose prayers were constant for her children at a throne of grace. For the last three years she was much afflicted by a paralytic stroke; and the last eight months was not down stairs. Her affliction, though long and painful, was borne with Christian patience. She had been a widow only four months, when she was called to naite with her beloved partner." REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS. The Judgement delivered, Dec. 11, 1809, by the Right Honourable Sir John Nicholl, Knt. LL: D. Official Principal of the Arches Court of Canterbury, upon the Admission of Articles, exhibited in a Cause of Office, promoted by KEMP against WICKES, Clerk, for refusing to bury an Infant Child of Two of his Parishioners, who had been baptized by a Dissenting Minister. Taken in Short-hand By Mr. Gurney. Price 1s. 6d. THIS suit was brought against the Rev. Mr. Wickes, Rector of Wardley cum Belton, near Stamford, Lincolashire, for refusing to bury the infant child of John Swingler, and Mary his wife, his parishioners; which child had been baptized by the Rev. G. Gill, a minister qualified according to law, of the denomination of Calvinistic Independents. The usual proceedings were had in the institution of the suit, and the articies were offered, de. tailing the circumstances of the charge. Mr.Wicks, it appears, was apprized of the fact of the baptism; but he ass gued the same as the ground of his refusal, and that he was not bound to bury a person baptized by a dissenting teacher. The articles pleaded, That the minister was required to bury this infant in the form prescribed by the Book of Common Prayer and by the Canon. The Rubric, which contains directions for the performance of the burial office, makes two exceptions: 'It is to be noted, that the office ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, or excommunicated, or have laid violent hands on themselves.' The question is, Whether this infant, baptized with water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, by a dissenting minister (qualified according to the Toleration Act) did die unbaptized within the true meaning of the Rubric. If not, he has violatod the Canon by his refusal. To ascertain the true meaning of the law, the ordinary rules of construction must be resorted to; first, by considering the words in their plaia meaning and in their general sense, unconnected with the law; and, in the next place, by examining whether auy special meaning can be affixed to the words, when Connected with the law, either in its context or in its history. ; The plain simple import of the wordunbaptized,' in its general sense, and unconnected with the Rubric, is, obviously, a person not baptized at all; not initiated into the Christian Church. In common parlance, as it is sometimes expressed, that is, in the ordinary mode of speech and in the common use of language, it may be said that this person, A. was baptized according to the form of the Romish Church that anather person, B. was baptized according to the form of the Greek Church that another person, C. was baptized according to the form of the Presbyterian Church; that another person was baptized according to the form used among the Calvinistie Independents; and that another person was baptized according to the form used by the Church of England: but it could not be said of any of those persons that they were unbaptized; each had been admitted into the Christian Church in a particular form; but the ceremony of baptism would not have remained unadministered, provided the essence of baptism, according to what has generally been received among Christians as the essence of baptism, had taken place.' Sir John then enquires, Whether there be any thing in the law itself, in its context, that varies or limits its meaning? and comments on the meaning of the terms unbaptized, or excommunicate, or suicides. proceeds to say, The question is hot, Is there any law expressly enjoining the Clergy to bury Dissenters ? but Does any law exclude He Dissenters from burial? It is the duty of the parish-minister to bury Ff ་ The use of tial to baptism were, waler, and the form of the words, 'I baptize thee,' &c. The Rubric, as published by King James, directs, That if private baptism (in a house) had been performed, the minister should make inquiry, when the child is brought to church, in the following order: If the child were baptized by any other lawful minister than the minister of the parish where the child was born or christen who all persons dying within his parish, all Christians. The Canon was made to enforce the performance of that duty, and to punish the refusal of burial:-nothing can be more large than the Canon is in this respect. It does not limit the duty to the burial of persons are of the Church of Engiand; he is to bury all persons that are brought to the Church, upon coavenient warning being given to him. The Canon has the single excep-ed, he shall examine and try whether tion, expressly, of excommunicated The Rubric adds the persons. other express exceptions, of persons Excepunbaptized and suicides. tions, then, being to be construed strictly (for it is always to be presumed that if the lawgiver meant that his exception should be more extensive, he would have expressed his intention in clear and distinct words); and exceptions not being to be extended by mere implication so as to limit the general law, it would be necessary, in order to give to the exception the meaning which has been contended for in argument (namely, that of excepting all persons who have not been baptized by a lawful Minister of the Church of England, according to the form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer) that it should have expressedit, not only by the term 'persons unbaptized, but by the terins 6 persons who have not been baptized according to the form prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer.' It has not done so, at least in express terms. the child be lawfully baptized or no. After the Restoration, the Rubric was revised, and worded as it now appears in the Common PrayerBook. From all which it appears, that the Church did at all times hold baptism by water in the came of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, to be valid baptism, though not performed by a priest who had been episcopally ordained; or rather, though admi person. If that be so,' says Sir He then proceeds to consider the validity of lay-baptism; and examines the law of the Church of England on this head, in a very full and learned manner; from which it appears, that a person was not a low-nistered by a layman, or any other ed to be re-baptized, even though bis baptism had been very irregutarly performed by a layman, or even by a pagan. He considers how the law stood at the time of the Reformation, in the days of Queen Elizabeth and James I. The latter said, I utterly dislike all re-baptization of those whom women, or laics, have baptized.' The two things deemed by the old law essen John, if that is the construction of baptism by the Church of England, then the refusal of burial to a person 'unbaptized,' cannot mean that it should be refused to persons who have not been baptized by a lawful minister, in the form of the book of Common Prayer.' P.31. During the Usurpation, it was most highly probable that there |