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expect anything else; but if the Alliance, founded in the spirit of grace and supplication, the most heartfelt and unreserved confession of sin and negligence, the manifestation of the deepest humiliation and godly sorrow, and the most earnest

cries for more of the influence of the Holy Spirit, and a larger manifestation of the works of the Spirit; if a union so formed, progresses for the express purpose of allaying the dissensions and heart-burnings amongst differing Christians, of cultivating their mutual forbearance and tender consideration for each other, "Ephraim not envying Judah, and Judah not vexing Ephraim"; why, then, we are bold to maintain that the Evangelical Alliance invites to a cooperation and a union so mighty and so extensive in its expected results, that the whole husbandry of God in the vineyards of his own enclosing, and almost the whole success of Missionary efforts in the remote regions of the earth, depend upon it. For everything good in this world emanates from the Holy Spirit of Christ : and amid the din and contention of Christians he cannot stay; he is quenched and he is grieved in such an atmosphere; his gentle influences cannot light on it; he withdraws from it into the peacefulness of heaven.

Oh, let us do everything and anything to get the Holy Spirit more largely into the midst of us. Our own souls languish our Churches decay-our missionary enterprises effect little— all is cheerless and lifeless without the Holy Spirit. Anything and everything then to tempt him to come

down, and with his great might to succour us. We believe it to be a great point to try how far differing Christians can safely and beneficially come together. We may fail in some of our efforts and we cannot expect too little from man-nor, let us ever forget, too much from God. We may fail, but the immense importance of our object warrants the attempt. Judging, not from man's sufficiency, but God's omnipotent grace and mercy, and regarding, as a token for good, the Christian loving spirit which has characterized the meetings hitherto held, we are sanguine enough to expect a new era of spiritual blessings amongst the faithful in Christ Jesus. Delightful meetings of the Alliance were held in Liverpool on the 10th ult. The Royal Amphitheatre, capable of containing between 4000 and 5000 people, was found quite inadequate to accommodate the applicants. The Commercial Hall, accommodating 2000 or 3000, was opened in addition. About 7000 tickets were printed and circulated; but nearly twice that number were applied for. And this was only a preparatory meeting prior to that which is intended to be held in Liverpool on the 13th of this month. Never, upon any occasion, was a greater interest excited in Liverpool. We cannot help ardently hoping that a great accession of the clergy of the Church of England will come forward at the meeting on the 13th.

"Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will towards man." Amen and Amen.

ERRATUM IN Our last Number:-Page 561, for Sunday night, the 16th of January, read the 19th.

NOTICE.

It is requested that Advertisements intended for insertion on the wrapper of the Christian Guardian, may be sent to Messrs. Seeley, Burnside, and Seeley's, or to the Printer, not later than the 20th of the month preceding.

THE CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN,

AND

CHURCH OF ENGLAND MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY, 1846.

PERFECT PEACE.*

THE following extracts from a work which may not be within the reach of all, and which has been read by the writer with deep interest and edification, are sent forth with earnest prayer that they may be read by some fellow-traveller with the same spiritual benefit, and be the means of leading some wanderer from the error of his ways, to seek after the blessings of a religion which can give such solid peace and support both in life and death.

Mr. H. was born at Bath on the 21st of Dec., 1810. There he received his education, which, in after life, he acknowledges with regret to have been a defective one. At the age of fifteen he was articled to a medical practitioner in that city; and during the five years of his apprenticeship he was not only diligent in applying himself to the more immediate studies of his profession, but was anxious to acquire information on every subject. At the expiration of his apprenticeship he was received as a dresser into the Bath Casualty Hospital, where he passed twelve months, and then matriculated as medical student in Trinity College,

Dublin. As a student he gained considerable distinction: and, even at this period, he delivered a course of lectures on Medical Botany, in the Theatre of the King William Street School of Medicine, which was recognized by the Royal College of Surgeons, and by the Apothecaries' Company, London.

Having completed his medical education, he returned to England in 1833, bringing with him a large share of professional and general knowledge, and the highest testimonials of industry, ability, and character.

It is important to observe, that the mind of Mr. H. was of no common kind; it had been cast in a noble mould; he had been endued with high mental qualifications: and, in addition to all this, there was about him a moral loveliness that greatly elevated our conceptions of his general character. His conduct was very blameless in the sight of man. The refinement of his mind, too, and his extreme delicacy of feeling, made vice odious to him; and, by the united testimony of those who knew him best, he was a highly honourable, upright, and amiable man.

*Perfect Peace: Letters Memorial of the late John Warren Howell, Esq., of Bath, M. R. C. S. By the Rev. David Pitcairn, Minister of Evie and Rendell. With an Introduction by the Rev. John Stevenson, Perpetual Curate of Cwrg and Gunwalloe. London.

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In this portrait of Mr. H., we see how much natural loveliness of character there may be, which cannot fail to command our admiration and esteem of him as a member of society. But, as we are taught from this biography, this must not be mistaken for Scriptural or spiritual religion. For, notwithstanding all this fair show, the fear of God was not before his eyes; the love of God was not in his heart; the glory of God was not the object he had in view, nor the end at which he aimed; the Sabbath which God has set apart for his own peculiar service was desecrated by secular occupations; the public worship of God was seldom attended; the welfare of his immortal soul was overlooked; and the great concerns of an eternal world were neglected. This is no exaggeration. These are Mr. H.'s own tearful confessions on a dying bed.

The above extract has been made from the writer's sincere and painful conviction, that multitudes in the present day are trusting for their acceptance with God to their several, though diversified, qualifications and endowments-the "filthy rags of their own righteousness"-which will one day be found but as "refuges of lies" in the sight of that holy and heartsearching God, who has thus clearly put forth the terms of salvation in his own Word, "By grace are ye saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." May the testimony borne by Mr. H. lead such as are thus fatally building upon this false view of righteousness, to build upon that one only foundation, Jesus Christ, which could alone afford him peace in a dying hour.

And now we proceed to record the gracious dealings of God with this highly-gifted individual.

It not unfrequently happens that the loss of bodily health is made subservient to the acquisition of spiritual and eternal life. This appears to have been the case with Mr. H. His state of health obliged him to go to Torquay; but his disease had not then made rapid progress, and his wife and family did not accompany

him, as his stay was not intended to be for any length of time. It was in this first visit to Torquay that he met with Dr. Tetley, who soon became, not only his skilful physician, but his attached friend. He was likewise a daily visitor of the Rev. S. F. Statham. His friends and acquaintances likewise increased, and they were all led to take a peculiar interest in Mr. H.; and some of them, under the constraining influence of Christian love, yearned over him as a hopeful young man who was not far from the kingdom of heaven. Mr. H. improved in health and strength; and in July he left Torquay, under the impression that every unfavourable symptom had been subdued, and that he should be able to resume his usual occupations at Bath. But in this he was sadly mistaken. The warning he had had of consumptive tendencies was unhappily lost upon him. Misled by the delusive nature of the disease, and raised by the renovation of his health, he devoted himself with too much eagerness to his professional practice, and in a few weeks he became worse than ever; he was obliged, therefore, in a hurried manner to break up his establishment, and abandon his practice; and he resolved on returning to the place where he had formerly been benefited.

But he was thrown into a state of great alarm by the decidedly unfavourable view which had been taken of his case; and when he came the second time into Devonshire, in August, there was a mournful alteration in him, in respect both of body and mind. His strength was prostrated; his nervous system had sustained a dreadful shock; he was depressed in spirits, and greatly agitated. A lodging had been taken for him in the village of Torre; and although he had passed a night on the road, he suffered such extreme exhaustion, that the people of the house feared he might have died.

Mr. H.'s removal being so hurried, Mrs. H. remained behind for several days, to make the necessary arrangements; and when she arrived at Torre, she found her husband in a great state of uneasiness, from the

apprehension that his death was certain, and that it might be sudden.

Here we are led to observe how truly did this mental anxiety prove that conscience was awakened, and he felt all was not right within.

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That evening his wife read a portion of Scripture to comfort his troubled mind, and he then asked her to pray with him. This request took her by surprise. She was unaccustomed to pray aloud, and felt obliged to decline. Then I must do it myself," said Mr. H; and he did pray with her, which he had never done before. He now felt that prayer was more than a duty-it was a privilege; and thus family worship was established.

On Sunday morning Mrs. H. attended Torre Church, and she was startled at hearing the name of her husband read out as a sick person desiring the prayers of the Church. He had written a note to Mr. B., the officiating minister, requesting to be publicly prayed for; and hoped he would visit him. Here is a further proof that a work of grace had begun in Mr. H.; indeed, everything indicated he was in earnest. He read the Bible diligently. In his correspond ence with his friends, he spoke without disguise of the dangerous state he was in, and his desire to seek consolation in religion. He confessed the first chastisement laid on him by his Heavenly Father was not severe enough; he had not been sufficiently humbled, nor had he been brought to any real contrition. But now he was sorely chastened, and it was the correction of a loving Father who designed to bless and not to curse-to pardon and not to punish. God had indeed purposes of mercy towards this awakened penitent, and was softening his heart and opening his ear to the gracious invitation of the Gospel, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters."

Dr. Tetley again visited Mr. H., and found the disease had made rapid progress; but he rejoiced to see, likewise, there was an earnestness for instruction in divine things, and for the experience of their power on his heart, which had not been manifested on former occasions. He saw him

daily, and was encouraged to hope, by his teachable spirit, that a time of blessing was at hand. Mr. Blackmore likewise visited him with much pleasure. The subjects on which they chiefly conversed, were, the amazing love of God to sinners displayed in the gift of his Son for our salvation, and the atonement for sin which was effected by the Saviour's humiliation and death on our account. These were the grand truths that now occupied his thoughts, aud tended to tranquillize his agitated mind; though he had not yet embraced them so as to give him a satisfying hope of his own acceptance "in the Beloved."

In a few weeks he considerably recovered his health and spirits, and was able to get out in a bath-chair, and even to walk a little distance; and he rejoiced in being able to go to Torre Church, where he gave public thanks to God for what he had experienced of his goodness. As the season advanced, he again sank; and after his removal to Torquay for the winter he declined rapidly, and was entirely confined to his bed towards the end of November.

At this important crisis, the loss of strength he had regained, and the appearance of fresh symptoms which marked the progress his disease was making, again disappointed his hopes of recovery. His inward distress became great, and so did his anxiety for relief. All human refuges were unavailing. But he was looking to God, and crying for mercy; and he neither looked nor cried in vain, but experienced the truth of that gracious promise, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

At this time the Rev. David Pitcairn, (the author of this Memoir,) was asked to visit Mr. H.; and in his first conversation with him, he found there was something so unusually interesting in his case, that he resolved to keep some record of it: and, in a series of letters to a friend, he gives the following account of his spiritual state.

"I had called at the door both on Friday and Saturday, but was not admitted till Sunday, after the morning service. Mr. H. was in bed, and

the first impression made on me will not be easily effaced. There was the stamp of superior intelligence on his countenance; there was dignity of character combined with great benignity, and his whole appearance gave me the idea of what is designated genius.

"We entered at once into important conversation, and I spent an interesting hour at his bed-side. Mr. H. spoke with great kindness of the Christian friends who had visited him. He confessed his understanding went along with them, but his heart remained untouched. I felt it lay with the Holy Spirit to effect this, and as the Spirit works by the revealed word, I found the duty that devolved on me was simply to unfold to him the truth as it is in Jesus,' secretly praying that the Spirit of truth' might convey it with power to the heart of this earnest enquirer.

"First of all, I deemed it advisable fully to explain to him the doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God. It was gratifying to observe how completely the subject arrested his attention, and with what quickness he seized on the humanity of our Lord, as connecting him with us, and qualifying him to act as our surety. The 53rd chapter of Isaiah assured him that Jehovah had laid the iniquity of us all on His righteous servant, and on that account He was wounded and bruised, and poured out His soul unto death. And now Mr. H. saw, in a light he had never done before, how the wonderful punishment of sin in the person of Christ depended on his taking upon him our nature, and that our deliverance from the punishment to which, as sinners, we are exposed, depends upon what the Incarnate Son of God has done in our stead. It was truly delightful to see the earnestness with which he drank in the truth. There was no disposition to start objections, nor any of that captiousness we too often have to encounter with men of talent; he rather rejoiced at God's word, as one that findeth great spoil.'

"Our conversation had ranged over a variety of topics, and all of them aimed at pointing out in what the Gospel plan of salvation consisted.

But the one centre from whence all emanates, and into which all converged, was 'God manifest in the flesh.'

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"I was unable to call the next day, but about nine o'clock in the evening Mrs. H. was ushered in. She had come at the solicitation of her husband, who had been labouring for some hours under great distress of mind, but wished particularly to see me. I was soon at his bed-side, when he flung out his arm across the bed, and grasped my hand in a way that spoke more powerfully than words, how glad he was to see me. But he could not speak, and his fine countenance was expressive of inward agony; it was an appalling spectacle. I gazed on him, and said, God is our refuge in every time of distress and trouble. Before we attempt to converse, we had best cast ourselves upon God. We will pray for his presence with us for his guidance, deliverance, and blessing.' During the prayer, which had especial reference to his case, it was very affecting to be continually interrupted with his whispered "Yes, yes,' Amen, amen,' joined with the sobs and responses of his wife. We were very earnest, and it happened to us, as to Daniel of old, that God heard and answered. Indeed I was never so sensible of an immediate answer to prayer. On rising from my knees, and opening my eyes, I found Mr. H. greatly soothed; his countenance had regained its placidity, and from a low voice with which he begun, he gained strength and animation. He spoke of the spiritual enjoyment and comfort he had had after my visit on Sunday. He acknowledged he had never enjoyed such pure happiness; it was like an anticipation of the joys of Heaven. This state continued through the forenoon of Monday; but this great and joyful change had borne hard on his debilitated frame. As the day advanced he sank into great exhaustion, and, amidst this weakness, what he described as a 'cloud of horrible darkness,' came over him. He could not believe a thing. The truths which had been 'the joy and rejoicing of his heart' vanished like unsubstantial shadows. All his hopes and consolations had

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