blical students queried whether, "last words," here mean dying words, a point on which, indeed, commentators themselves are by no means agreed.

2.

11. 1. Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, was a man of great humility, patience, faith and long-suffering.-G. E. M. Joseph, the husband of Mary the mother of Jesus, in him we see faith and obedience; he believed the word of God, he obeyed the word of God. Obedience is more to God than sacrifice.-P. B. 3. Joseph, of Arimathea, was an honorable counsellor, a good and just man; he became a disciple of Jesus, but secretly at first, though afterwards he was very faithful to his Lord; for when the other disciples had fled he performed the part which they should have performed. Thus he was honored to bury the Monarch of the Universe, the King of Kings, Immanuel.-G. E. M. and P. B. 4. Joseph, called Barsabas, surnamed Justus; he was not chosen to the

apostleship, although deemed worthy of it by the disciples. We see in him ready acquiescence in the will of God; for, although not chosen to the higher office, he was willing to abide and serve with those who were, as we find in Acts xv. 22 and 32.

12. Phillipians iv. 5.-"Be moderate in all things;" do not go to one extreme or the other, so that men do not speak evil of you on that account. Always do things remembering that the Lord is watching all your movements and that He knows your motives.-G. E. M. This comprises much of the meaning of the passage, although by no means all, to condense which into a few sentences would be a difficult matter.

Our young friends are congratulated on their measure of success attained in these answers. May the study of God's most precious Word be made the means in the hand of the Holy Spirit of making many of our young readers wise unto salvation

The Principles and Practices of the Baptists. A Book for Inquirers. By C. WILLIAMS. London: Baptist Tract Society.

A shilling edition of this exceedingly useful book has just been brought out, thus placing it within the reach of all. The book is described as one for enquirers, but it should be read by all, whether young or old, who range under the honoured name of Baptists. It does its author great credit, and is well deserving of all the encomiums that have been bestowed upon it.

The following quotation does honour to the writer, and the more so from the fact that he is an open communionist :

"Baptists who restrict communion at the Lord's Table to the baptized hold that the apostles and evangelists were charged to baptize converts before teaching them to observe the Lord's Supper as commanded by the Saviour. Candid opponents of their views admit that this was

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The order unquestionably was as is alleged. So far as the great commission goes, it prescribes (1) discipling all nations to Christ; (2) baptizing those made disciples; (3) teaching them obedience to the commands of Christ; and (4) as part

of this obedience, the partaking by the baptized and instructed disciples of the Lord's Supper. Those who restrict communion at the Lord's Table to the baptized further plead that the New Testa ment does not afford a solitary instance of the admission of a disciple who had not been baptized to the Lord's Supper. Again candour exacts concession from opponents. Is there a Scripture which justifies the conclusion that any disciples refused baptism, that even one convert sat down with believers at the Lord's Table without or before baptism, that the apostles practised communion in the Holy Supper with the unbaptized? All the evidence shows that there was no difference in the apostolic age respecting baptism, that every convert was baptized immediately after conversion-the Philippian jailor "the same night in which he believed"-and that the order uniformly was as set forth in the commission and described above. Thus much is matter of fact, which the reader can easily verify by searching the New Testament to discover "whether these things are so." All Baptists are agreed up to this point. But those who restrict communion at the Lord's Table to the baptized have other pleas by which they

urge assent to their principles and customs. They contend that what is not directly and expressly commanded or sanctioned in Holy Writ is, not merely not binding on Christians, but not lawful. Their position is, that they dare not go beyond the written Word to say or to do "either more or less of their own mind." And as they find no precept authorizing the admission of the unbaptized to the table of the Lord, nor the record of an instance in which the apostles admitted the unbaptized to such communion, they can do none other than restrict communion to the baptized. In this conclusion they are borne out by what are called the Catholic churches, the churches of Rome and England, and the Greek church; by the Lutheran and Presbyterian churches; by the various sections of the great Methodist community; and by Congregationalists. These churches, with more or less distinctness, insist on a person being baptized before his admission to the Lord's Table. They recognize infant sprinkling as baptism, which Baptists do not; and consequently they regard certain parties as baptised, who are regarded as unbaptized by Baptists. But in restricting communion at the Table of the Lord to the baptized, these Baptists follow the same rule as the rest of Christendom, and are as charitable in their principles, and as catholic in their practice as their brethren of other communities. Does the Lord require baptism of a believer before he partakes of the Lord's Supper? "Yes," reply nearly all Pædo-baptists, "and hence we allow only those who are baptized to commune with us at the Table of the Lord." The Baptists whose wiews are under consideration give the same answer, and therefore adopt the same rule."

This is manly, candid and brotherlike : very different from the ignorant vapourings referred to below.

One Hundred and Fifty Years of Baptist History at Waltham Abbey. Compiled by W. JACKSON, Pastor of the Church at Paradise Row. London: Elliot Stock.

Contains some very interesting items of Baptist history, and notices of some Baptist worthies of days gone by, compiled principally from the records of the church at Waltham Abbey, of which the writer of the pamphlet is pastor. It con

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tains also some references to another church in the same town, comprising statements so ill-natured and illiberal, that their writer as a man, a minister, and a neighbour should have been ashamed to utter them. A group of these, four in number, appear on page 14; others occur elsewhere. Two of the four seem to imply that the doctrine of the non-responsibility of all, and that of the unconditional reprobation of some are maintained and propagated," in the neighbouring church. Now as to the first of these-the nonresponsibility of all-as no believer in the Bible can possibly for a single moment entertain such a monstrous notion, what can this writer mean by charging his neighbours with it? As regards the doctrine of "unconditional reprobation," the assertion is here ventured that no existing church "maintains," no living preacher "propagates" any such an unrighteous principle on the part of the Most High.

Another of these statements refers in a roundabout censorious sort of way to the order of the church in question as being a close communion church, which although it was the order of the Apostolic churches, seems very offensive to this writer; and notwithstanding also that the church of which he is pastor followed the primitive pattern in this respect for many years. The remaining one of these four charges against a neighbouring church relates to the manner of preaching the Gospel to sinners. This is a matter about which Christians differ, according to their views of truth, and respecting which every one called to preach the Gospel is accountable to his Divine Master who appoints him to the work. But whatever our view as to the extent of the invitations of the Gospel, there is a rule of conduct which is universally binding on all who bear the Christian name, and which should be carefully observed in writing of those who differ from ourselves in religious opinions, and it is this-"Speak evil of no man." If our friend who wrote this pamphlet had borne these words in mind in writing it, his book had been free from the blemishes indicated, apart from which it is a creditable production.

Report of the Metropolitan Association of Strict Baptist Churches, 1880.

This interesting document is just to hand, and will (D.v.) receive special attention next month.

SUFFOLK AND NORFOLK ASSOCIATION OF PARTICULAR BAPTIST CHURCHES.

THE annual meetings of this association for the year 1880 were held at Stowmarket, on Tuesday and Wednesday, June 1st and 2nd. The weather was showery on both days, but the attendance was, notwithstanding, very good.

The proceedings commenced on Tuesday morning at 10.30, in the spacious tent of the association, when the representatives of the various churches, with other friends, assembled. Mr. W. Brown, of Friston, the moderator for the year, presiding.

After the meeting had been opened in the usual manner, Mr. Brown delivered his opening address. He remarked that he was the oldest member of the association, not in actual years, but in membership, having been connected with it ever since its birth, fifty years ago. He explained that the association arose at a time when there was some excitement and jealousy for the truths of the Gospel, and, as Paul and Barnabas once disagreed, a disagreement arose between the members of a former association. When the association was formed, he said, the cry of the country was-what will these feeble Jews do? For there were only six or seven ministers and churches who were connected with it. He looked back, however, with thankfulness to the formation of the association, and with gratitude to the good men who were instrumental in starting it. The association could look back over prosperous times, for it had not existed in vain; many hundreds of pounds had been gathered by it and devoted to the cause of Christ, while large numbers of souls had been prepared for their everlasting rest. Even from the little church of which he had been pastor, there were three men in England, one in America, and one in Australia, who had gone forth as ministers, preaching the same truths as we held, and their churches had ever proved nurseries for the servants of Christ. The moderator also referred to tnose who had been connected with the association as deacons and messengers from the various churches, and

then went on to speak of their position as English citizens, a position which he believed the Strict Baptists of Suffolk held with credit and honour. All of them who had had a Christian spirit in their hearts had been wounded at the conduct of the English Government during the past three or four years, and they felt thankful to the Liberal press that during this time it had not ceased to hold up the duty of all Christians in these matters. As ministers of the Gospel, some of them had been put into a strait about praying for the Government; and he confessed that all he could say was, "Turn the hearts of men, as Thou dost the hearts of kings, as rivers of water, whithersoever Thou pleasest, and scatter the people that delight in war." They were all grieved at the spirit of boasting and war manifested by the late Premier; but, blessed be God, all these things are in our Father's hands. With all the boasting of the late Prime Minister, he was ashamed that the Government showed so much our weak side; for the calling out of a reserve before even a war commenced was a sign, not of strength, but of weakness. When, besides this, they reflected on the havoc, the sorrow, and the misery which had been caused in two continents, they were glad that a great political change had come. Who among them but was glad that a Liberal Government had been returned, and that they had done their share in returning it? (Hear, hear.) Their prospects were indeed brighter than they had been politically for the last six years. He was glad that there were a few Liberal clergymen and abundant Liberal churchmen who were willing to give them their political, national, and parochial rights. He hoped, though the Liberal clergymen were few, some of the fat livings which fell to the disposal of the Government might fall to them; for they were worthy men, who did not think the foot of a dissenting minister would defile a churchyard. They could rejoice that under the new Government their rights and privileges as citizens would be likely to meet with consideration and respect. Lastly, the Moderator spoke of their faith as the ground of their union. By many denominations they might be looked upon

as a set of 'Antinomians; but they held their doctrines in righteousness, as they were held by the Piedmontese of old, and by the great reformers, Luther, Calvin, Melancthon, and John Knox. These great men were Calvinists-holding the same principles as they did to-day. Some of the greatest divines of the Protestant Church had been Calvinists, but they could go further back still; for they held their doctrines as the doctrines of the New Testament. They received their laws not from Solon, or Socrates, or Lycurgus, the great legislators of ancient Greece, but from God, whose law was a perfect law, and whose gospel was a perfect gospel. Believing their views to be right, they would like to see all who professed themselves Christians admitting that their sentiments were the sentiments of the Gospel; but they did not hold their faith in hatred or malice against those who differed from them. Others had as much right to think for themselves as they, and while they were Calvinistic Christians, they loved all who loved their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But feeling that they were in the right road, holding the right faith, and trusting to the right leader, they hoped and were confident that their sentiments would last as long as the world stood, giving glory to God, and bringing happiness to men.

The articles of association were then read in the usual way, after which abstracts of the letters from the churches were read by various ministers.

Mr. S. K. Bland, of Ipswich, commenced the reading with the letter from Wattisham. Our aged and muchesteemed pastor, Mr. John Cooper, has resigned and retired from stated labour. A meeting to commemorate the fiftieth year of his ministry at Wattisham was held, October 1, 1879, when a testimonial of £212 was presented to him. He had been succeeded by Mr. Joseph Wilkins, late of Chatteris, who had set to work with much earnestness. The congregations were increasing, and at the village stations overflowing. Death had made great inroads, five members having been carried off. The pastor works in six villages and in the schools. Present membership 110, scholars in Sunday-school

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Beccles. The pastor had left. Sunday congregations moderate. Week evening prayer meetings thin, but Sunday meetings well attended. Death had been ac

tively engaged in their midst. Amongst those deceased being a worthy deacon, and another brother in his ninety-third year, who for fifty-nine years had set forth the word of life in his walk among them; also the widow of their late venerable pastor Mr.G.Wright), whose name is still fragrant among them. She was a true mother in Israel. The Sabbath school well attended, with good staff of teachers. Baptised 2, received 2, dismissed 2, joined churches of other orders 2, died 11; number of members 147, children in school 180.

Halesworth.-The pastor's proclamation of the glorious gospel of divine grace continued to be appreciated. The church continued in peace. The attendances had declined during the severe winter, but on the whole were rather better than in past years. We are often amazed that the Spirit's power is manifested in so small a measure in the calling and conversion of sinners, while the united confession of the godly is, that they are fed with the finest of the wheat. The Sabbath school still increasing. Five villages are occasionally preached in. The prayer meetings well attended. The small additions to the church were regretted. Baptized 1, received by letter 1, dismissed 1, died 1, separated 1, number of members 56, scholars 51.

Rattlesden.-No letter. Statistics: baptized 4, received 4, restored 1, separated for non-attendance 2, died 4; number of members 99, scholars 104, village stations, 3.

Friston.-Two deacons had died in one month. The aged pastor, however, had been able to preach with renewed vigour, and his services had been appreciated. Congregations not quite so large. Sabbath school a source of encouragement; the singers also added much to the comfort of the congregation. Separated 1, died 3; number of members 46, scholars 74. Grundisburgh. Congregations had varied considerably, but afternoon attendances and the average attendance at the Lord's Supper were very good. Cottage meetings at Hasketon and Bealings held successfully, and about 400 tracts had been distributed weekly and fortnightly in five parishes. Sunday school numbered 220, including senior classes. Died 6, separated 2, dismissed 2, received by letter 1, baptized 6; present membership 161.

Mr. Dexter, Grundisburgh, then took up the reading:

Norton. The report was a moderately cheerful one. The Sunday school was not so prosperous as was desired, but the congregations were about the same as last year, and cottage meetings profitable seasons. Baptized 1, received 3, dismissed 1, separated 4, present members 48, scholars 25.

Laxfield.-Mr. George Webb has resigned the pastorate. There seemed a desire to hear the word preached, and the congregations are on the increase, but the prayer meetings are not so well attended as could be wished. Sabbath school in a healthy condition. Dismissed 1, died 1, number of members 204, scholars 177. (The Sabbath school jubilee was to be held this week; commenced by that honoured servant of God, Mr. George Spratt, more than fifty years ago.)

Waldringfield.-Attendance not so good during the winter, but had improved lately. The absence of some brethren from prayer meetings was lamented. The Sabbath school was healthy. Baptized 1, received 2, died 2; present number 87, scholars 78.

Somersham.-Peace and harmony prevailed, but the spirit of indifference and neglect on the part of some members was regretted. Some useful members had left the neighbourhood. The prayer meetings well attended; congregations encouraging. The pastor preaches in two other villages. Sabbath school about the same as last year, but the supply of teachers short.

Cransford.-The preaching proves acceptable, especially at the stations in six villages. The week night prayer meetings are discontinued, the friends being more scattered than formerly. Morning congregations thin, but afternoon more encouraging. Sunday school has increased. Sickness and death have been busy, and there was much worldly-mindedness and fleshly indulgence, which gave some of them pain to see. Received 2, separated 1, died 2, present number 45, scholars 26, village stations 6.

Occold.-Sunday morning congregations thin, but afternoon better. Sunday evening prayer meetings well attended. Congregations had rather decreased. Baptized 1, dismissed 1, separated 2, villages preached in 2, children in school 40, number of members 45.

Mr. J. Wilkins, Wattisham, then took up the reading of the letters.

Pulham St. Mary.-Much sickness and many deaths caused fluctuating congrega

tions. Peace and brotherly love continue, and the prayer meetings have been much enjoyed. Our pastor, in a general way, has been very poorly, but has kept in harness. Died 2, present number 70, scholars 45.

Stoke Ash.-"Out of the fulness of Jesus our souls are richly fed under the able ministry of our beloved pastor, and the bedewing influence of the Spirit is not suspended. We enjoy a spiritual secret communication between God and our souls; our ways, cases, and wants are not hid from the Lord; they are pourtrayed through the ministry of His word. Our Sabbaths are sacred seasons-gem days of the week." Prayer meetings have been established in the villages. Congregations good and attentive; church meetings and ordinances well attended. Baptized 4, died 4; present number 191, scholars 100, village stations 8.

Sutton.-Though our prayer meetings are often thinly attended, they have been refreshing seasons, and not without proof that it is to a prayer-hearing and answering God we come. Besides those who have united with us, there are others we should welcome. Sunday morning congregations and prayer meetings thin. Baptized 5, withdrawn from 2, died 1; present number 52, Sunday scholars 39, one village station.

Rishangles. Our esteemed pastor has been restored from sharp personal illness and upheld through long family affliction. His beloved wife now "lies on the brink ready to depart, but fearing no evil." Their valued superintendent is removing, and parted with most regretfully. Great attention paid to the Word; the minds of some evidently wrought on by the Holy Ghost. Three are proposed for baptism. Through removals and deaths the congregations are not so large. Sabbath school well sustained; prayer meetings not well attended. Dismissed 1, withdrawn from 4, died 2; present number 117, Sunday scholars 73.

Bungay. The pastor feels the infirmities of age. Congregations about the same as usual, but a good deal of sickness in some measure explained a decline in attendance at week evening meetings. More zeal and earnestness were desired. Sabbath school well conducted and encouraging. Baptized 1, received 1, died 2; present number 74, Sunday scholars 44.

Charsfield.-Tribulation had resulted in more prayerfulness and unity. Mr. Titus