and read 1 Tim. iii. Rev. W. Hartly prayed the ordination prayer, with laying on of hands. Rev C. Whitfield gave the charge from Rom. xii. 6, 7, and concluded by prayer. church, in the year 1815. They were principally supplied by the students from the Bristol Academy, till November 10, 1816, when they obtained a minister, who has since been ordained over them. From the commencement, they have been necessitated to worship in a small Met again at 6 o'clock in the evening. Rev. Mr. Fisher prayed, and preached from 2 Cor. vii. 9; and Rev. R. Pen-room, till the month of July last, when a gilly concluded by prayer. Wednesday morning, met at 7 o'clock. Mr. Jopling, messenger, from Hamsterly; Mr Hallowell, messenger, from Shields; and Rev. C. Whitfield prayed. freehold house and garden were purchas ed at a public sale, by one of their mem bers, which is now converted into a very neat place of worship, capable of containing nearly 400 persons; and having studied the most rigid economy, the whole expense of purchase and alteration amounts to about 4501. More than a fifth part of this sum has been already collected in Wells, and its immediate vicinity; for the remainder it will be necessary to appeal to the well-known Met again, at 10 o'clock-Rev. W. Hartly prayed; Rev Mr.. Pengilly preached, trom Luke, xi. 2; and Rev. W. Hartly, from Heb. xiii. 14. Rev. J. Williamson delivered a short address to the ministers and messengers present, and concluded by prayer. The Divine presence was manifest in all these meet-benevolence of the religious, public, ings, which, we trust, will leave a lasting impression on all our hearts. NORFOLK. WALSHAM-LE-WILLOWS. ON Tuesday, May 5, 1818, a new ON Wednesday, the 13th of May, Meeting was opened at Walsham-le-` 1818, the ministers of the Baptist Willows, in the county of Suffolk, for shurches in the central part of the county the Baptist denomination. On this ocof Norfolk, held their annual meeting at casion, Mr. Cowell, of Ipswich, preached. East Dereham. The Rev. Jonathan from Acts, xx. 24; Mr. Paine, of IpsCarver, of Necton, preached in the wich, from Psalm 1xxxix. 15; Mr. Cole, morning; the Rev. Charles Hatcher, of of Otley, from Zech. xiv. 8, 9; Mr. Great Ellingham, in the afternoon. The Ward, of Diss; Mr. Garthwaite, (IndeRev. Middleditch, of Rattlesdon, pendent,) of Wattisfield; Mr. MiddleSuffolk, being on a visit in the neighbour-ditch, of Rattlesden; Mr. Catton, of hood, very kindly complied with an invitation to preach in the evening. The next annual meeting to be held at Wymondham, on Wednesday in Whitsun-week. Put up at the White Hart. NEW MEETINGS OPENED. WELLS. ON Wednesday, December 3, 1817, a new Baptist Meeting was opened in the city of Wells. The Rev. S. Saunders, of Frome, preached in the morning, from Deut. xxxiii. S; the Rev. J. Holloway, of Bristol, in the afternoon, from Exod. xx. 24;' and the Rev. T. Gough, of Westbury Leigh, in the evening, from Hebrews, ii. 3. The devotional exercises were conducted by Messrs. Burnett, Chandler, Williams, Seabrook, and Cantle. For several years past, there have been a few Baptists in this city, and their number increasing, it was considered advisable to form themselves into a Bury St. Edmunds; and Mr. Cooper, of Stoke Ash, assisted in the devotional services. There is a pleasing prospect for raising a cause to the Redeemer's honour in this place. SOUTHAMPTON. ON Wednesday, the 27th of May, 1818, at Southampton, was opened, in East-street, a neat and commodious place of worship, belonging to the Baptist denomination; when appropriate sermons were delivered on the occasion: that in the morning, by the Rev. John Ryland, D.D. of Bristol, from 2 Cor. xiii. 14; and that in the evening, by the Rev. T. Griffin, of London, from Phil. ii. 16. The devotional services were conducted by Messrs. Saffery, of Salisbury; Atkins, (Independent,) Southampton; Miall, of Portsea; and Yarnold, of Romsey. The hymns were given out by Messrs. Clare, Clarke, Shoveller, and R. Owers, the pastor of the church. The blessing of him, whose favour is better than life, was largely felt. The Rev. J. Saffery, of Salisbury, preached the last sermon in the old place, the preceding evening, from Exod. xxxiii. 14, 15. The whole of the services were numerously attended. ROWBOROUGH, SOMERSET. NEW CHURCH FORMED. WAKEFIELD. ABOUT the month of November, 1816, the itinerant preachers entployed by tlie Baptist Itinerant Society, for the coun ties of York and Lancaster, visited Wakefield. They found a Baptist or two in the town ready to encourage them in their work. In January, 1817, they engaged a school, in which divine wor On Wednesday, July 15, 1818, a Beat and commodious Baptist Meeting was opened, at Rowborough, Somerset. Three sermons were preached on the occasion. In the morning, by Dr. Ry-ship has been regularly carried on; but, land, from Luke, i. 17; in the aftemoon, by Mr. Williams, of Huntspill, from Psalm cii. 16; and, in the evening, by Mr. Seabrooks, of Glastonbury, from Luke, xv. 10. Several other ministers assisted in the devotional exercises. The services, throughout the day, were very interesting, and the attendance and spirit, for hearing, highly encouraging. PERRITON. as the situation was inconvenient, and too small, a place of worship, occupied previously by the Methodists, in connection with the late Mr. Kilham, who had then abandoned it, was rented. In this place, on October 22, 1817, public worship was attended to. Mr. Scarlet, of Gildersome, prayed; Dr. Steadman, of Bradford, preached, from John, i. 25, and concluded in prayer: after which, three persons were baptized in the river below the town, by Dr. Steadman, at On April 4, 1817, a new Meeting-tended by 5,000 spectaturs. In the house, for the use of the Baptists, was opened at Perriton, near Minehead, So afternoon, Mr. Trickett, of Bramley, prayed: Mr. Aston, of Lockwood, preached, from Ephes. v. 2; in the evening, Mr. Hughes, a student from Bradford, prayed; and Mr. Hargreaves, of Ogden, preached, from Mark, xii. 37. Since then, preaching has been regularly continued. On April 21, in the evening, Mr. Bottomley, a student from Bradford, prayed; Mr. Mann, from Shipley, preached, from Acts, xi. 25, and concluded. April 27, 10 4. Mr. Sample prayed; Mr. Mann preached, from Rom. vi. 4, and after the sermon baptized two persons. In the afternoon, Mr. Sample preached, from Psalm cxxxiii. 1, and concluded. Immediately, five persons were formed into a church of the Particular Baptist denomination, and the Lord's Supper administered, in which service Mr. Mann presided: two* or three more are expected very soon to unite with this small band. Seven in the evening-Mr. Sample prayed; Mr. Scarlett preached, from Psalm xvi. 11, and concluded. The services excited considerable interest. A little one is formed in this large town, which, we hope, by the blessing of God, will soon become a thousand. Two persons, previously baptized, and members elsewhere, have applied for a dismission, to unite with them. ORDINATIONS. LEWES, SUSSEX. On Wednesday, May 13, 1818, Mr. J. B. Pewtress was ordained pastor over the Baptist church, at Lewes, Sussex. The Rev. Mr. Packer commenced the solemn service of the day, by reading the 132d psalm, and praying. The Rev. Mr. Forster, of Uckfield, described the nature of the service, asked the usual questions, and received the confession of faith. The Rev. Mr. Edwards, of Little Wilde-street, offered up the ordination prayer, with the imposition of hands, and likewise gave the charge from Coli. 27, 28. The Rev. Mr. Kirby concluded this part of the service by prayer. Met again in the evening, the Rev. Mr. Kirby began the service by reading and prayer; the Rev. Mr. Dicker, pastor of the Baptist church, at Hailsham, delivered a salutary address to the church, from 1 Thess. v. 12, 13. Mr. Pewtress concluded in prayer. A pleasing revival has taken place in this church within these last six months; several additions have been made to it, and the present prospect is very encouraging. N. B. The Rev. Mr. Cox, M. A of Hackney, was to have delivered the charge, (having been the late pastor of Mr. and Mrs. Pewtress,) but owing to a ON Wednesday, June 3d, 1818, Mr. Joseph Gaunt was ordained as pastor over the Baptist church, at Sutton in Craven, Yorkshire. The crowd was so great that the services were conducted in a neighbouring field. Half-past 10, A. M.-Mr. Nathan Smith, of Barnoldswick, read 1 Tim. iii. and part of Ezek. iii. and prayed. Mr. Oddy, of Haworth, discoursed on the nature of a gospel church, from Psalm cxxxiii. 1; asked the usual questions of the church and the minister. Dr. Steadman, (Mr. Gaunt's tutor,) offered up the ordination prayer, accompanied with laying on of hands. Mr. Trickett, of Bramley, (Mr. Gaunt's pastor,) gave a very serious and impressive charge, from 2 Chron. xxix. 11; and Mr. Jackson, of Ackrington, concluded with prayer. Three o'clock, P. M.-Mr. Allison, of Idle, prayed; Dr. Steadinan preached to the church from 1 Cor. xvi. 10; and, Mr. Scott, a student at Bradford, concluded with prayer. Quarter before 7, in the evening.Mr. Mann, of Shipley, prayed, and preached from Gen. xvii. 13 and Mr. Winter, a student from Bradford, concluded with prayer. Poetry. TO ANTINOMIANS. "And he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." WHAT! say th" unclean spirits" hous'd in clay, That they may wander, "sound in faith," astray? What! sin can do no harm?-What has it done? What made the couch of David flow with tears, What brought the harmless martyrs to the stake? What was it wrung a Spira's soul in death? "The sting of death is sin," if in thy heart O," worse for mending, wash'd to fouler stains!" Or the wash'd swine' who wallow in the mire. London: Printed by J. BARFIELD, 91, Wardour-Street, Soho. THE Baptist Magazine. SEPTEMBER, 1818. MEMOIR OF THE REV. JOSEPH STENNETT. made conscience speak, while my childish tongue could but stammer: this is a branch of thy Divine bounty and goodness, for which my soul shall for ever bless thee." JOSEPH STENNETT was the son of Edward Stennett, of whom a brief account was given in our Number for the last month. He was born in the year 1663, at Abingdon, in the county of Berks. At an early age he gave satisfac- Having finished his grammar tory proof of a serious regard to learning at the public school in religion, and made great profi- Wallingford, he soon mastered ciency in literature Being the French and Italian languages; trained up in a family where became a critic in the Hebrew, there was so much genuine and and other oriental tongues; sucundissembled piety, with the cessfully studied the liberal blessing of God upon his father's sciences, and made a considerministry, he became a happy able proficiency in philosophy. instance of that early conversion, And it was with an early view which, in some of his printed to usefulness in the character of discourses, he has so well recom- a divine, that all his diligent apmended to others. Aplication to his studies tended. As to divinity, though he carefully read the Fathers of the first ages, and impartially examined and considered the most celebrated schemes which later times have produced: though he paid a due deference to the works of those, who have learnedly and judiciously laboured to remove the difficulties objected to our holy religion: and though he was willing to receive light wherever it was to be found; being fond of no opinion, either for its novelty or antiquity, if it did not appear to be true; nor ashamed of any notion in religion, because it was grown out of fashion: yet What an early and just sense he had of the advantages of such an education, appears from the following passage, written when he was very young, and found among his papers since his death: "O God of my salvation, how abundant was thy goodness! O invaluable mercy! Thou didst season my tender years with a religious education; so that I sucked in the rudiments of Christianity, as it were, with my mother's milk, by the gracious admonitions and holy discipline of my godly parents. This was an antidote sent from heaven against the corroding poison of sin: this * Printed from the Life of Mr. Stennett, prefixed to his Works. VOL. X. 2 T |