as call for much greater confidence than I have yet learned to have in the author's ability for judging of the probability of future events. I must own I do sincerely wish that the spirit which but too evidently pervades almost every part of it, had been more conciliating, and had savoured in general more of that true Christian charity, which hopeth all things. That holy book, my Lord, the dissemination of which is the glorious object of this meeting, is itself the real cure of all dissent and all contention that are not innocent; and it is my firm belief, that if Dissenters of all denominations, by no. means excluding Roman Catholics, or the members of our own communion, did but read and study their Bibles more constantly, and with more devout care and application, and with more of a direct view to improve the heart and correct the practice, Christians of every denomination, without exception, would approach much nearer to one another than they now do, would actually coincide, or nearly so, in most essentials; and in regard to subordinate matters, they would exercise so much mutual kindness and forbearance fowards each other, as would almost annihilate the evil of any remaining difference of sentiment.”

BEDFORDSHIRE AUXILIARY BIBLE

SOCIETY.

We are happy in being enabled to lay before the public some particulars of the meeting held at Bedford, on Thursday the 28th of November, for the purpose of forming an Auxiliary Bible Society in that county and its vicinity. His Grace the Duke of Bedford opened the business of the day in a manner equally dignified and impressive; and began by stating, that on receiving an application to accept the office of patron to the institution, he had thought it his duty, before he engaged in a step of so much importance, maturely to investigate the nature, plan, and general principles of the institution which he was call ed upon to support; and that after the fullest deliberation which he was able to give to the subject, his mind was strongly impressed with the importance of the object, and the obligation on his part to give it his most cordial and unqualified approbation and support. His Grace stated his opinion, that it was to the dissemination of the Scriptures we were to look, in order to reclaim the vicious, instruct the ignorant, and administer consolation to the afflicted; and declared his firm conviction that sound policy and the support of religion were invariably the same: that what His Majesty had once expressed on this subject was deeply.engraven on his mind,

viz. "That he hoped to see the day when every poor man's child in his dominions should be able to read his Bible:" that most willingly did he concur in this sentiment; and with this view he had thought it incumbent upon him to countenance the measures taken for extending the blessing of religious education among the lower classes of society. His Grace concluded an address which repeatedly called forth the most general testimonies of approbation and applause, by declaring his fixed determination to support and countenance the institution in question.

The Rev. Robert Porter Beachcroft, the Rector of Blynham, then followed, and in a speech alike characterized by modesty, piety, and good sense, entered into an explanation of the design and object of the institution: that it was simple in its design, for it professed only to disseminate the word of God; and though in this attempt it incorporated sects varying, per haps, widely in the interpretation of that word, yet was this effected without the compromise of principle on the part of any, and a great object attained without the intervention of evil. He enumerated the benefits likely to result from the extended circulation of the Holy Scriptures. Give mankind, he said, the blessing of the word of God, and you give them every thing.-Grant me this, and, like Archi medes, I have a point to stand on, from which I can move the world. There were others, however, he observed, amply possessed of the means of vindicating its merits, whose communications the meeting would have the gratification of hear ing that day, and from which he would no longer withhold them. He would conclude with a string of resolutions, expressive of the determination of this meeting to promote, by all the means in their power, the welfare of the institution, leaving the fuller explanation of it to the Secretaries of the British and Foreign Bible Society, viz. his much-respected friend Mr. Owen, and his coadjutors, the Rev. Mr. Hughes, and the Rev. Mr. Steinkopff. [To be continued.]

HUNTINGDON AUXILIARY BIBLE

SOCIETY.

ON the 31st of Dec. at the Town-hall in Huntingdon, a numerous and highly respectable company being assembled, the President, the Duke of Manchester, being unavoidably absent, Viscount Hinchin brook was called to the chair, and opened the business, by declaring his conviction of the excellency of the object of the Bible Society. We hope, in our next Number, to give some of the speeches made on this occasion.

SOME

ACCOUNT OF THE REV. SIMEON ASH, AND THE REV. JAMES NALTON.

SIR,

HAVING in the course of my reading met with the following passages in Baxter's Life and Times,' which exhibit so striking an illustration of the diversities of the operations of that Spirit "who divideth to every man severally as he will," I thought it deserving of transmission to you for insertion in your Work, as a likely channel through which the divine blessing might be conveyed to the comfort and establishment of some one of your readers in a dark hour, who may be but too well acquainted with the nature of Mr. Nalton's exercises.

I remain,
Yours in the common faith,

N. S.

"Good old Mr. Simeon Ash was buried the very even of Bartholomew-day, and went seasonably to heaven at the very time he was to be cast out of the Church. He was one of our very oldest NonCHRIST. GUARD. VOL. IV.

conformists (of the old strain; for now [1662] conforming is quite another thing than before the wars): he was a Christian of the primitive simplicity; not made for controversy, nor inclined to disputes, but of a holy life and a cheerful mind, and of a fluent elegancy in prayer, full of matter and excellent words: his ordinary speech was holy and edifying: being confined much to his house by the gout, and having a good estate, and a very good wife, inclined to entertainments and liberality, his house was very much frequented by Ministers: he was always cheerful, without profuse laughter or liberty, or vain words: never troubled with doubtings of his interest in Christ; but tasting the continual love of God, was much disposed to the communicating of it to others, and comforting dejected souls: his eminent sincerity made him exceedingly loved and honoured; insomuch as Mr. Gataker, Mr. Whittaker, and others of the most excellent divines of London, when they went to God, desired him to preach their funeralsermons. He was zealous for bringing in the king; having been

M

chaplain to the Earl of Manchester in the wars, he fell under the obloquy of the Cromwellians for crossing their designs: he wrote to Colonel Sanders, Colonel Barton, and others in the army, when General Monk came in, to engage them for the king. Having preached his lecture in Cornhill, being heated, he took cold in the vestry, and thinking it would have proved but one of his old fits of the gout, he went to Highgate; but it turned to a fever. He died as he lived, in great consolation and cheerful exercise of faith, molested with no doubts or fears, discernible: exceeding glad of the company of his friends, and greatly encouraging all about him with his joyful expressions in respect of death and his approaching change; so that no man could seem to be more fearless of it. When he had at last lain speechless for some time, as soon as I came to him, gladness so excited his spirits that he spake joyfully and freely of his going to God to those about him. I stayed with him his last evening, till we had long expected his change (being speechless all that day), and in the night he departed."

"On the 1st of January following, was buried good Mr. James Nalton, another Minister of the primitive sincerity; a good linguist; a zealous, excellent preacher, commonly called the Weeping Prophet, because his seriousness oft expressed itself by tears; of a most holy, blameless life: though learned, yet greatly averse to controversy and disputes: in almost all things like Mr. Ash, except his natural temper, and the influence it had upon his soul. Both of them so composed of humility, piety, and innocence, that no enemy of godliness that knew them, had a word (of sense) to say against them! They were scorned as Puritans, as their brethren, but escaped all the particular exceptions and obloquy which many

others underwent: but as one was cheerful, and the other was from his youth surprised with violent fits of melancholy once in a few years, which, though it distracted him not, yet kept him, till it was over, in a most despondent case, and next unto despair: and in his health he was over-humble, and had too mean thoughts of himself and all that was his own, and never put out himself among his brethren into any employment which had the least show of ostentation. Less than a year before he died, he fell into a grievous fit of melancholy, in which he was so confident of his gracelessness, that he usually cried out, O! not one spark of grace, not one good desire or thought! I can no more pray than a post! If an angel from heaven would tell me that I have true grace, I would not believe him. And yet at that time did he pray very well; and I could demonstrate his sincerity so much to him in his desires and life, that he had not a word to say against it, but yet was harping still on the same string, and would hardly be persuaded that he was melancholy. It pleased God to recover him from this fit, and shortly after he told me, that now he confessed that what I said was true, and his despair was all but the effect of melancholy, and rejoiced much in God's deliverance: but shortly after came out the Bartholomew Act, which cast him out of his place and ministry; and his heart being troubled with the sad case of the Church, and the multitude of Ministers cast out and silenced, and at his own unserviceableness, it revived his melancholy (which began to work also with some fears of want, and his family's distress); and this cast him so low, that the violence of it wore him like away a true marasmus; so that without any other disease but mere melancholy, he consumed to death, continuing still his sad despondency and self-condemning means.

MESSIAH.

ESSAY XIX.-PART II.

Psalm lxxxix. 30-36.

Ver. 30. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; 31. If they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments;

32, Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

33. Nevertheless, my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.

34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

35. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David.

36. His seed shall endure for ever; and his throne as the sun before me.

they should feel his afflicting hand, they were assured that they should not be finally abandoned, or the solemn engagements on God's part ever be superseded. This was a source of consolation and confi

dence, when that family and kingdom were reduced to the very lowest state. The history of the trates the observation. kings of Judah confirms and illusTheir various and frequent offences plunged them into many miseries; and yet after a season they were ntarvellously rescued by the gracious interposition of Him, who remembered his holy promise. No other reason can be assigned for their recovery and continuance, than this, that the Lord had a favour unto them and would not "cast them off. "The Lord would not destroy Judah, for David his servant's sake, as he promised him to give him alway a light, and to his children *" This is the literal

interpretation of the Psalm.

But it has a further reference, and its application to One greater than David, and to a nobler kingdom than that of Judah, has been already suggested and vindicated. The person of the Redeemer is here

* 2 Kings, viii. 13. See also z Chren.