THE CHEERFUL VOICE. inward, and listens chiefly to the echoes of past voices. We catch no THE Comfort and happiness of home more the merry laughter of children. and home intercourse, let me here We hear no more the note of the say, depend very much on the kindly morning bird. The brook, that used and affectionate training of the voice. to prattle so gaily to us rushes by Trouble, and care, and vexation will unheeded-we have forgotten to hear and must, of course, come; but let such things. But little children, them not creep into our voices. Let remember, sensibly hear them all. only our kindly and happier feelings Mark how, at every sound, the be vocal in our homes. Let them be young child starts, and turns, and so, if for no other reason, for the listens! And thus, with equal senlittle children's sake. These sensi- sitiveness, does it catch the tones of tive little beings are exceedingly sus-human voices. How were it possiceptible to the tones. Let us have ble that the sharp and hasty word, consideration for them. They hear the fretful and complaining tone, so much that we have forgotten to should not startle and pain, even hear. For as we advance in years depress, the sensitive little being our life becomes more interior. We whose harp of life is so newly and are abstracted from outward scenes delicately strung, vibrating even to and sounds. We think, we reflect, the gentle breeze, and thrilling senwe begin gradually to deal with the sitively ever to the tones of such past as we have formerly vividly voices as sweep across it? Let us lived in the present. Our ear grows be kind and cheerful spoken, then, dull to external sound; it is turned in our homes. General Correspondence. REMARKS ON THE "MINUTES" | supervision to the several. Nothing MR. EDITOR FOR 1865. 66 else can save them from gradual decay and final extinction. Dear Sir,-With great interest and But of the future-what? Well: I anxiety I looked over the statistical fear young men of talent will not columns of our Minutes" for the pre- accept the pastorate of these lesser sent year, and saw much to cheer churches, and think it their duty to and gratify. It was really delightful starve out their lives on a pittance far to see the large increase in some of below what decent mechanics reguthe churches, as Shore, Melbourne, larly earn. No: they will not do it, Praed-street, Lenton, Coventry, Burn- however much they may love their ley, &c. On the other hand, it was dis-own denomination; and hence, I fear, couraging to find nearly fifty churches that as of late, we shall witness the which had baptized none during the course of the whole year, and many more where so few had been avowedly brought out of the world into the church. flight of brethren to brighter spheres and richer pastures. Besides, it is really amusing to see that our respectable and larger churches are both able and willing to pay much larger salaries for Particular Baptist ministers' services than they ever dreamed of giving to their own bred and born General Baptist brethren. So that with us A faithful retrospect will unquestionably lead to earnest inquiry as to the cause of this low state of things, with fervent prayer that God would General Baptism on the monetary exbless His own appointed means and change is below par., while Particular revive His work. In looking over the Baptism ranges at a respectable prenames of ministers, it was curious to mium. And that our General Baptist see how our larger churches are im- brethren must cross the boundary porting pastors from other Christian before their labours will be adequately associations. Derby, Mansfield-road, remunerated. Nottingham, Ashby, and Castle Donington have exercised their ecclesiastical liberty in this way, and no doubt with the happiest prospects of success. On the other hand, our export movement seems to pretty fairly balance this, inasmuch as four of our own born and educated sons have drafted themselves off to churches outside the Connexion, and are filling honourable positions in Maze-pond, London, Scarborough, and Luton. In our list we have upwards of fifty churches without pastors. Many of these are small, it is true; so small that they are totally unable to give even a meagre salary to a minister. Surely the day will come when these feeble churches will try and unite and form a kind of group, or like the Methodist circuits, by which, with the aid they might secure, they would obtain a stated pastor, who should do some Sunday work to each, and pastoral brethren who come to us do demand a We rejoice that the fair and respectable support, but we trust the same regard will be paid to our own brethren, who should not be necessitated to go from us in order to live comfortably and honestly before the world. The writer of this complains not, for he has ever had as liberal support as his place of worship could yield, and constant et ceteras that have manifestly expressed the large-heartedness of his people. I trust some of the measures of last Association will, under God, develop agencies which will tend greatly to increase our Connexional efficiency, and be a blessing both to ministers and people. May our own God pour down on our churches the rich effusions of His grace, and multiply us greatly, for the honour of His name, and for the permanent prosperity of our Connexion. Paddington. J. BURNS. THE LAST ASSOCIATION. MR. EDITOR,— Elizabeth Milton, is buried in the burial Dear Sir,-With your permission I I will briefly comment on the letter of W. Gray, in your August magazine. I cannot see the Association, as such, can in any wise deserve censure as to "The Denominational Literature" question. That matter was left in the hands of a Committee, and on the Committee must rest the responsibility of any delay. It is, however, gratify-historian. ing to know that the scheme, in its modified form, is likely to receive immediate attention. I furnished the Editor of the General Baptist Repository a me- MSS., now in Dr. William's Library, The Rev. Josiah Thompson, who wrote at the latter end of the last It is true, as brother Gray remarks, that the preachers were not chosen by ballot, as, according to rule, they ought to have been. Of course I knew of the rule, and mentioned it, but there was an evident and expressed unwillingness to delay the election at all, and hence it was proceeded with at once by show of hands. Certainly the rule must, for consistency's sake, another year, either be rescinded or acted upon. It is also true that the business is "hurried way" at the closing sittings of the Association. This evil may be lessened, if not altogether avoided, if, in the earlier sit-duct and management of some of the tings, the matters of business can be brought forward in their proper order, and attended to forthwith. Let all brethren who have anything to say on any subject, seek to be there and say it at the right time, that there may be no unnecessary delay. sometimes done in a I would suggest to brother Gray that he should call the Association to order when he sees it is violating its own rules. I am, Mr. Editor, Yours very truly, THOMAS BARRASS. Peterborough, August 16, 1865. THE EXECUTOR OF JOHN MR. EDITOR Dear Sir, I was pleased at the intelligence found in this month's number of your periodical, that the old General Baptist chapel is again opened at Nantwich. Mr. Samuel Acton is known in the literary world as the executor of the relic of our national poet, John Milton. His third wife, century, has made the following memorandum, "There was, some years ago, a respectable society of Baptists at Nantwich, but, through the odd con principal supports of the place, it is now dwindled and come to nothing, and Mr. Roger Maddock hath agreed with the Methodists to let them have the meeting-house for a term of years upon keeping it in repair." Upon further inquiry the following particuletter of the 5th of April, 1773. "That lars were sent to J. Thompson, in a wich was vested in the hands of several the Baptist meeting-house at Nanttrustees, some of whom are now living. That Roger Maddock has £100 in his hands belonging to the same; and that there is a small house or two belonging to the said chapel, held by some per son or persons that keep possession of the same, and never pay any rent to the trustees. Mr. Radcliffe, minister of Whillock, commonly preaches alternate Sabbaths there and at Leek in Staffordshire." During Mr. Kimber's ministry he preached a funeral sermon for Elizabeth Milton, the third wife, and relic of the great author of "Paradise Lost." This was on March 10, 1726. She had survived her husband more than fifty years, and was over eighty years of Preachers and Preaching. Yours respectfully, 31, Cornhill, Ipswich. 333 JAMES READ. age. A fac simile of the receipt given | conformity in Cheshire," that it is proby her for the last payment, in 1686, bable that a suitable monument will for the sale of the copyright of "Para- be erected to her memory by public dise Lost" is in the magnificent folio subscription. volume entitled, "Rambles in Search of the Autographs of Milton, by S. A. Sotheby, 1861;" it is as follows, "I do hereby acknowledge to have received of Mr. Samuel Symonds, citizen and stationer of London, the sum of eight pounds, which is in full payment for all my right, title, or interest, which I have, or ever had, in the coppy of a poem entitled Paradise Lost, in twelve books, in 8vo, by John Milton, Gent., my late husband. Witness my hand UNION will be held at Bradford in this 21st day of December, 1686. Elizabeth Milton." Inquiries respecting, and references to this lady, are spread over a wide space in English literature; and I find that at the British Archæological Association at Chester, in 1849, the Rev. Mr. Marsden, of Nantwich, read a paper containing particulars concerning the widow of Milton, who was buried in the General Baptist burial ground at Nantwich. "She was the daughter of Edward Minshall, Esq., of Stoke, about three miles from that town." "No monument marks the spot where her remains rest, but tradition points to a grave on the left hand of the entrance to a small enclosed court, near the old dilapidated meeting-house in Barker-street." I find it stated, in a volume published in 1864, "Historical Sketches of Non AUTUMNAL MEETING OF THE MR. Editor— Dear Sir,-Will you have the kindness to inform your readers that the Autumnal Meeting of the BAPTIST October next? The proceedings will Occupy two days, Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 11th and 12th. In addition to the ordinary business and the address of the Chairman, Rev. Dr. Angus, papers will be read by Rev. N. Haycroft, M.A. (Bristol), "Our Colleges;" Rev. J. Mursell (Kettering), "Our Associations;" and Rev. W. R. Stevenson, M.A. (Nottingham), “Religious Beneficence." In the evening of each day divine service will be held; preachers, Rev. C. Vince and Rev. C. H. Spurgeon. Communications respecting hospitalities are to be addressed to Mr. T. Stead, Belle Vue, Bradford. I am, my dear Sir, Preachers and Preaching. AN EFFECTIVE SERMON. "The men of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah."-Luke xii. 15. JONAH was but one man, and he preached but one sermon, and it was but a short sermon either, as touching the number of words, and yet he turned the whole city, great and small, rich and poor, king and all. We be many preachers here in England, and we preach many long sermons, and yet the people will not repent nor convert. This was the fruit, the effect, and the good that his sermon did, that the whole city, at his preaching, converted and amended their evil living, and did penance in sackcloth. And yet here, in this sermon of Jonah, is no great curiousness, no great clerkliness, no great affectation of words, nor of painted eloquence; it was none other but "Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed!" It was no more. This was no great curious sermon, but this was a nipping sermon, a pinching sermon, a biting sermon; it had a full bite; it was a rough sermon, and a sharp, biting sermon. Do you not here marvel that these Ninevites cast Jonah into prison. They did not revile nor rebuke him; but God gave them from becoming dry, and the voice from grace to hear him, and to convert and becoming hoarse. amend at his preaching. A strange matter, so noble a city to give place to one man's sermon!-Bishop Latimer. THE UNSTUDIOUS PASTOR. THE Complete pastor must be, even to his dying day, no less a Christian student than a Christian teacher. God honours human learning, if used in subordination to divine grace. It is truly said, "any branch of knowledge which a good man possesses he may apply to some good purpose. If he possessed the knowledge of an archangel, he might apply it all to the advantage of men and the glory of God." An unstudious minister has a paralyzing effect upon a parish. There is a sameness of preaching, which becomes first unprofitable, then intolerable. There is no suitableness of application, no progressive building up in the faith, no address to individual con science. The bow is drawn mechanically, and the arrow is shot at a venture, and naturally misses the mark. So, too, in respect of literature. If the preacher betray the barrenness of his intellectual stores, and his want of sympathy with the educated class of his congregation, what can be the consequence but failure of personal respect, absence of attractiveness, loss of in fluence for the good objects of his ministry. Archbishop Sumner. HOW TO SPEAK EFFECTIVELY. In order to obtain an effective elocution, the following rules should be observed: 1. That the speaker should stand erect, and the head not bent upon the chest, that the muscular movements of the abdomen, chest and throat may be free and unconstrained. 3. The pauses should be long enough for each sentence to reach its destination before it is followed by another; and, cæteris paribus, the slowness of the utterance should be in ratio of the size of the room and the number of the audience. "Learn to speak slow; all other graces Will follow in their proper places." 4. Every word, if not every syllable, and almost every letter, should be distinctly enunciated, that the attention of the auditory may not be diverted from the sense to catch the sound. By this twofold effort, the attention soon grows weary, and the hearer listless, and then instruction or amusement ceases. Among the faults of extemporary speakers, lecturers, and preachers, rapidity of utterance is one of the most common. Deliberation gives time for the choice of words, and in consequence, the speech, the lecture, or sermon is more effective, is less tedious to the hearers, and commands greater and longer attention. This rule requires self-possession, a perfect knowledge of the subject, and an earnest desire on the part of the speaker to enlighten and instruct his auditory. Rapidity of reference and quotation may excite astonishment, but it does not impart information, which should descend upon the mind as the dew from heaven. MR. NOTT'S SERMON. MR. NOTT, a missionary to one of the islands in the Pacific Ocean, preached a sermon one day on the words, "Let him that stole steal no more." In the sermon he said it was a duty to return things that had formerly been stolen. The next morning, when he opened his door, he saw a number of natives sitting on the ground around his house. He was surprised to see them there so early, and asked why they had come. 2. The chest should be fully expanded by each inspiration at the commencement of every sentence. The "We have not been able to sleep all disregard of this rule is a frequent night," they said. "We were at cause of stammering. To fill the chest chapel yesterday, and heard you say and to hold out the breath to complete from the Word of God that Jehovah each sentence, the inspiration should commanded us not to steal; whereas be made through the nose. By this we used to worship a god who we mode of inspiring through the nostrils, thought would protect thieves. the mouth and throat are prevented have stolen. All these things that we We |