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ON SUICIDE.

to promote his cause among men; our hearts will glow with grateful affection towards him; and our

As I was passing lately through a town in the West of England, my attention was arrested by a concourse of persons in the streets, and by a considerable number of shops and houses being shut up. The occasion I soon discovered to be, that funeral rites were about to be performed for one of the most respectable inhabitants of the place, who, a few days before, had taken away his own life. The verdict of the Jury was

tongues will repeat his praise. To the Editors of the Baptist Magazine. Gratitude to God will not only discover itself towards his cause, but also towards his people :— My goodness extendeth not unto thee, but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight." The Saviour has encouraged us to this, by saying, "Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily, he shall not lose his reward." It is also a present happiness; for "it is more bless-Insanity. ed to give than to receive."

On seeing and hearing these things, my thoughts flowed in the following channel:-" Marks of esteem for departed worth are certainly proper; and had the death of this individual been a natural one, they would have been so in the present instance. But whatever may have been his previous respectability, the closing scene appears to me to have drawn a veil over it, and to have required that the corpse should

We live in a day highly favourable for the display of this principle. Never was there a period in which Christian benevolence could flow in so many channels, or to greater and nobler purposes. The various institutions that have recently been formed for the good of mankind, and the glory of God, all claim the assistance of Christians; and while they render them their support, they may gratefully say, "Now there-be interred in the most private fore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who are we, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." Among these institutions, the missions to India and the East, with the translations of the sacred writings rapidly advancing there, must be consider-jesty of heaven! A fellow-mored as very important. May the love of Christ constrain us to support his cause in every direction, and may our grateful efforts be crowned with increasing success!

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manner. These marks of re-
spect, in a country professing the
meek, the holy, and the self-
denying religion of the Bible,
seem to be somewhat like sanc-
tioning the horrid crime,-a
crime of the greatest infamy,
which was the last, the finishing
act of the deceased; and a most
daring insult offered to the Ma-

tal, from some base and selfish
principle, dares to rush into the
presence of his Maker, with his
hands reeking with his own
blood!" My heart was oppressed.
"These marks of respect," con-
tinued I, seem to say,
• It is no
great crime which thou hast com-

mitted. We well know that the Bible prohibits it under the most awful penalty: but we will now do THEE honour, whatever becomes of the honour of God! Are not the laws of God hereby treated with contempt, and his honour trampled under foot, in a country called Christian? What must be the impression made upon the minds of those who witness these marks of respect, as to the crime itself, of self-murder?

Surely, they must be led to imagine, that it is not very wicked; and that, though it is forbidden in the Bible, yet it is not very criminal for a man, when his pride is somewhat mortified, to take the opportunity of stepping out of life by his own hands. Nay, may not some person be hereby emboldened, when he is called to encounter the evils of life, to commit the same diabolical deed?

"If death were nothing, and nought after death-
If when men died, at once they ceas'd to be,
Returning to the barren womb of nothing,
Whence first they sprung-then might the debauchee
Untrembling mouth the heavens; then might the drunkarď
Reel over his full bowl, and when 'tis drain'd

Might fill another to the brim, and laugh

At the poor bugbear death: then might the wretch
That's weary of the world, and tir'd of life,

At once give each inquietude the slip,

By stealing out of being when he pleas'd,

And by what way,-whether by hemp or steel:

Death's thousand doors stand open. Who could force
The ill-pleas'd guest to sit out his full time,
Or blame him if he goes? Sure he does well
That helps himself as timely as he can,

When in his power. But IF there's an hereafter,
And that there is, conscience unbiassed
And suffered to speak out, tells every man;
Then must it be an awful thing to die:
More horrid yet, to die by one's own hand.
Self-murder! NAME it not, our island's shame,
That makes her the reproach of neighb'ring states.
Dreadful attempt!
Just reeking from self-slaughter, in a rage
To rush into the presence of our Judge!
As if we challeng'd him to do his worst,
And matter'd not his wrath.

To run away

Is but a coward's trick: to run away

From this world's ills, that at the very worst
Will soon blow o'er, thinking to mend ourselves
By boldly vent'ring on a world unknown,
And plunging headlong in the dark ;-'tis mad:
No frenzy half so desperate as this."

BLAIR.

Hast thou no one to pity thee? "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." Psalm ciii. 13. Hast thou no one to attend on thee, and to comfort thee? "Are not the angels ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," by Him who "saith to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh?" Heb. Hast thou

But it is worthy of inquiry, how it is that in almost every instance where the suicide has filled a respectable situation in life, the verdict of the Jury is, Insanity; whilst, where this does not happen to have been the case, the law is suffered to take its Whatever others may do, let Christians study to act consistently with their character, and endeavour to impress upon all around them the awful import-i. 14. Matt. viii. 9. ance of death, and of the judg-lost a beloved husband, or a bement to come!

course.

" in the nurture

loved wife? Be a Christian; and I cannot conclude without ob- then thou mayest say, "The Lord serving, what a striking testimony liveth; and blessed be my Rock." this crime bears to the excel- Psalm xviii. 46. And thou wilt lency of the Christian religion. also enjoy the unspeakable conWe can scarcely wonder at its solation of exercising, in addition having been committed by Bru- to thy own, the paternal or ma tus, by Cassius, by Cato, by De-ternal duties, of the dear deceased mosthenes, and by many others, who were without the knowledge of the dreadful criminalty of this desperate act, and of those glorious supports, consolations, and prospects, which our holy religion exhibits. But this crime, in countries where his name is known, who "delivers the needy when he crieth, the poor also, and him that hath no helper," (Psalm lxxii. 5,) is surely inexcusable. The Christian religion contains grounds of support and consolation under every trouble which can possibly arise. My fellow-sinner, art thou without hope, and without God in the world? "There is balm in Gilead; there is a Physician there." Jer. viii. 22. Do thy sins appear to thee unpardonable? "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts xvi. 31. Art thou poor? Be a Christian, and thou wilt have no occasion to despond.

parent, towards thy beloved offspring, training them up with double diligence and admonition of the Lord," and by protecting and piloting their frail and feeble bark amidst the dangers to which it is exposed on the dangerous sea of human life. Art thou a child? hast thou lost a father? did that father forfeit his life to the laws of his country? and hast thou also no mother to comfort thee under the severe stroke? My dear child, be a Christian; and then "thou wilt see all thy father's sins which he hath done, and wilt consider, and wilt not do the like; and thou shalt not die for the iniquity of thy father, but shalt surely live.” Ezek. xviii. 14, 17; and thou wilt also enjoy the blessing and protection of Him who is a Father of the fatherless, and a Judge of the widows, in his holy habitation," Psalm lxviii. 5. Art thou a poor destitute creature, on a dying bed? Soon, and "thy Frowns on the proud, & scorns the great; soul shall be carried by angels into Abraham's bosom." Luke

"The God of heaven maintains his state,

But from his throne descends to see

The sons of humble poverty."

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xvi. 22. In a word, my fellowsinner, be a Christian, and then,

"Si fractus illabatur orbis,

Impavidum ferient ruinæ;" Though the world, being dashed to pieces, fall into destruction, the ruins of it shall indeed strike thy head, but thou wilt have reason after all to be fearless and undaunted.

AN OBSERVER.

HISTORY

OF THE

BAPTIST CHURCH

AT

They speak afterwards of being baptized upon a profession of their faith, and thereupon added to a people of the same principles and practice in Lancashire, then under the pastoral care of the Rev. Richard Ashworth. "There being none nearer," say "" we then knew of, with they, whom we could conscientiously hold communion; and there not being, as we then thought, a competent number of us to form a church of ourselves. But the Lord, having still more work to do in this neighbourhood, by his good providence directed the above-named William Mitchell to

RAWDEN,* IN YORKSHIRE. make his abode and residence

.

among us, where he exercised his THE Baptist church at Raw-ministerial labours till his last den is one of the oldest Baptist churches in Yorkshire. Perhaps there were not above two or three others in the county which existed previously to it. Of its rise and formation those who then composed that church thus write: "It pleased our gracious Lord, in the dispensation of gospel light and grace, to visit us, (residing at and about Rawden and Heaton, and assembling at the meeting-houses there,) with the same, by the ministry of several of his servants, whom he providentially raised amongst us some years ago; particularly the late Rev. William Mitchell, whose labours were blessed with such success, that we hope many amongst us were turned from darkness to light, having our understandings opened, whereby we saw our lost state through the fall, and perceived that we were under the covenant of works, and admired and adored the rich and free grace of God through Christ, in the salvation of perishing sinners."

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breath, when it pleased the Lord
to order this faithful labourer to
his upper house; which, though
it was gain to him, was a severe
stroke to us; for in him we lost a
minister, orthodox in principles,
pious in his life, and indefatigable
in his labours." Mr. Mitchell
died about the year 1706: Mr.
John Wilson succeeded Mr.
Mitchell. Of him we are inform-
ed, that he was a member of the
church at Furness, in Lancashire,
and that he was ordained at
Rawden, August 31, 1715. On
this occasion, they, among whom
Mr. Mitchell had laboured, were
first formed into a church. The
members of the church in Rosen-
dale, who lived about Rawden,
now assembled at Rawden Cliff.
The church in Rosendale, of which
they were members, and which
had previously met at Baccup,
gave them a letter of dismission
to form a separate church;
which, together with Mr. Wil-
son's dismission from the church
at Tottlebank, in Furness, was
read. In the formation of the
church, and ordination of the

tions were made to different ministers to settle amongst them, without success; till Providence directed them to the Rev. Peter M'Farlan, then a student under Dr. Steadman. Mr. M'Farlan accepted the invitation, and was ordained at Rawden, April 17, 1811; the Rev. Messrs. Trickett, Lister, Ody, Steadman, and Langdon, assisting. After some

pastor, the Rev. Richard Ash- | of the church in Dale-street, Liworth, pastor, and Thos. Green- verpool, from which church the wood, George Hargreaves, and son was dismissed, and ordained Richard Moulden, elders, from at Rawden, August 14, 1755. the church in Rosendale; and The Rev. Messrs. Piccop of Bacthe Rev. Thomas Richardson, cup, Hartley of Haworth, and pastor, and John Swaneson, elder, Oulton, senior, of Liverpool, from the church at Tottlebank, assisting. After a long and holy in Furness, assisted. The num- life at Rawden, Mr. Oulton died, ber of members was 22. In 1742, May 15, 1804. The church rethis church had three branches: mained long destitute after Mr. Heaton, Gildersome, and Hart-Oulton's death. Many applicawith.* In a paper signed by the branch at Hartwith, May 28, 1742, it appears that that branch consisted of 13 members. Mr. Wilson died in November, 1746: his funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. Alvery Jackson, of Barnoldswick, from 2 Samuel xxiii. 5. After some time, Mr. Jonathan Brown, (whose brother, the Rev. Mr. John Brown, was, for nearly twenty years, pas-time, the appearance of things tor of the Baptist church at Kettering, in Northamptonshire,) came and resided here as the pastor of the church, and was ordained May 24, 1750. Mr. Sedgefield preached from 1Thess. v. 12, 13; and Mr. Palmer from Coloss. i. 28. Here Mr. Brown continued till the latter end of July, 1752; and it is believed, removed to Hull, and from Hull to Battersea, where he died. In 1753, and part of 1754, the Rev. Thomas Wilbraham preached here with great acceptance; but he being blind, and the members of the church living at great distances from each other, it was out of his power to visit them: his settling amongst them as a pastor was therefore objected to, and he removed. In March, 1754, application was made to the Rev. John Oulton, M. A. who had been Jacob Hutton, late of Brougha student at Bristol, under the ton, Cumberland; but who now Rev. Bernard Foskett. Mr. Oul-resides in America. ton's father was then the pastor

* Hartwith is near Ripley.

was so gloomy, as to induce Mr. M'Farlan to think of removing; and on November 26, 1815, he resigned his charge, and removed to Trowbridge, in Wiltshire.

The church at Rawden is again looking forward to the settlement of a pastor. Mr. Hughes, from the academy at Bradford, is expected soon to be ordained over them.

The following ministers have been sent out by this church:

Alvery Jackson, who was a member of that branch of Rawden church which met at Heaton, He began to preach September 7, 1716, and died at Barnoldswick, December 31, 1763.

John Mitchell, 1747; who died soon after.

Joseph Gawkrodger, 1752; who died at Bridlington.

Shipley.

J. M.

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