LOVE INFINITE. JESUS' love and Zion's sinning Turn'd the scale on Mercy's side. Jesus' love is infinite. -From, the Welsh of W. WILLIAMS, Author of "Guide me, O thou great Jehovah.” Obituary. GEORGE BROWN.-On Aug. 1st, 1878, aged 39, George Brown, of Braughing. Like the rest of Adam's fallen race, he was born in sin, and shapen in iniquity. But God, of his infinite mercy, quickened his soul when dead in trespasses and sin. No doubt he was the son of many prayers, his mother being a gracious woman. An account of her death appeared in the "Gospel Standard" wrapper for 1859. When a youth he was fond of bell-ringing, which led to rioting and drunkenness; and he became quite a profane character, the works of the flesh being manifest in him. What induced him to join the Primitive Methodists I know not. He was with them for some time. Afterwards he joined the Wesleyans, and was a zealous preacher amongst them for several years. He was not an idle worker, sometimes walking seven miles to preach, having to return home afterwards. Thus he went on, wearing himself out with such blind zeal; for he knew not then that the flesh profiteth nothing, and that by the deeds of the law no flesh living can be justified. He worked for life and salvation; holding the doctrine that all mankind may be saved if they like, and that it is their own fault if they are not. He knew not that man is as unable to perform spiritual acts as a corpse in the grave to perform the functions of natural life. About seven years ago, I first became acquainted with my dear friend; whom I loved in gospel bonds. We had blessed fellowship together; and as time went on our union became stronger. During the first part of our acquaintance ship, he held very strongly to his old views, and great was his enmity against the sovereignty of God and the freeness of his grace. How often afterwards he confessed his blindness and ignorance! The enmity of his mind was such that, after hearing men of truth preach, he would try and pick out some point in which he could not see with them. He was principally convinced of his errors by reading the Scriptures of truth. Huntington's "Justification of a Sinner" was very much blessed to him; also Mr. Hart's hymns, particularly the author's experience. He knew nothing of the life and power of the truth as it is in Jesus, until it was brought home to him after the Lord placed his afflicting hand upon him in the form of a lingering consumption. Mr. Vinall's ministry, which he attended for some time, was much prized by him. He was also blessed in hearing Mr. Covell's sermons read. The About two years ago, the dear Lord deepened the work in his soul. The personality of the Holy Ghost was made very plain to him by these words being applied to his heart: "And they shall not any more say every man to his brother, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me.' dear Lord brought him down, and made him see something of the evil of his heart and the corruptness of his nature. He stripped him of his false coverings, and tore from him his supposed righteousness, which he had gone about to establish; giving him to see that all his righteousnesses were as filthy rags. Then the free favour and mercy of God became his only theme. "O!" he said, "the long-suffering mercy of God to such a vile guilty wretch as I am and feel myself to be!" The enemy thrust sore at him, on various occasions, whilst suffering from a very trying cough, and fearing he should be choked. It seemed to him as if all was going wrong with him, that the enemy would spoil his soul and make a wreck of him. But again and again the dear Lord appeared to him, assuring him that the Lord Jesus had put all things under his feet, conquered Satan, and delivered the poor captive from him that was stronger than he. The enemy at one time seemed to gain great ground upon him, stirring up the carnality of his mind, so that he seemed to himself made up of everything which the devil could work upon. The devil came as an angel of light, acting upon what seemed to be his love to the souls of his fellow-men, and stirring him up to a high pitch of rebellion against God. But he was brought to see how he fought against God in thus replying against him. After some time, the Lord broke in again upon his poor soul, and humbled him in the dust before him. Thus the sovereignty of the Almighty, and God's free choice in election, were opened up to him. He saw that men were as clay in the hands of the Potter, and that God would have mercy on whom he would have mercy, and whom he would he hardened. He saw that it was Jehovah's right to give the thief a place in paradise; that in the mind of the Infinite Jehovah all was settled before all worlds in the eternal covenant engagements and transactions of the Eternal Three; and that the saints were predestinated unto the adoption of children, and chosen in Christ to be the partners of his throne. As it is written: "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." O! what a blessed bond,-bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord their God! "The dear Lord," he said, "is my wisdom, my righteousness, my sanctification, and my redemption." The Holy Ghost blessedly opened up Paul's words unto him, so that he was brought to see how all his unrighteousness was made to commend the righteousness of God. "O!" he said, "how merciful the dear Lord is to me! Here I am, tossed about, and wondering in my mind about the things of this life. The common supplies are almost run out; but then the Lord has moved the hearts of his people towards me." He often wept at the great goodness of God towards him, saying, "Look, how good the dear Lord is to me! Bless his holy Name. He has put it into the hearts of these people so many miles off; and thus provided for me at this time of my necessity." I was favoured to convey to him, at times, tokens of kindness from several friends who felt a union to him. "Why," said he, "you are something like the prophet's ravens." We have often wept together at the Lord's goodness and mercy to such poor sinful worms. About a month before his death, he became very weak, and wasted in body. His cough was very distressing, and breathing difficult. He was weary of earth, himself, and sin, and longing to be free from this cum brous clay, and to enter into that rest which the Lord assured him of, even that blessed rest which remaineth for the people of God. Being very much wasted in body, he said, "I am like the poor man at the gate, whose sores the dogs licked. I am very sore; but there is an appointed time for men upon the earth. They cannot die one moment before the time; all events are in his blessed hands. This world is nothing to me. Now the dear Lord is my everything. O that I had the wings of a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest." His wife having said to him, "Your sufferings are great," he replied, "O! nothing to be compared with that which my blessed Jesus suffered for me. No tongue can tell what he endured." On Tuesday morning, about four o'clock, he became faint and low; and his wife said to him, "Are you going to die?" He replied, "I hope so; I long to be gone." On Wednesday morning, a friend called upon him. He desired him to read part of Ps. xxxvii., which he much enjoyed. The Word of God was very precious to him. Towards evening, not being so well, he lifted up his hands towards heaven, saying, "Is this death? Is this death? Dear Jesus!" This he repeated twice. He continued most of the night in prayer for the dear Lord to take him to himself, from this suffering body. On Thursday afternoon, about four, he looked earnestly at his wife, with fixed eyes, a mortal paleness being on his cheek, and glory in his soul; and seeing her cry, his countenance brightened up; and being perfectly sensible, he said, "Do not cry. I am going to Jesus." Thus he breathed his last, without a sigh or a groan. Braughing. J. CHALKLEY. ANN BUDDEN.-On July 20th, aged 60, Ann Budden. She was one who, early in life, was the subject of conviction; but being brought up a regular attendant at the Church of England, and taught to regard all other sects as heretics, her early years were marked by that bitter hatred of dissent and dissenters which has been, and still is, a characteristic feature of many adherents of that system. She was born at Loders, near Bridport. Nothing remarkable took place in her experience until, in the year 1836, she was brought to visit Chard. There it was that, according to the purposes of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, the means were employed, and the work begun, which was to issue in her deliverance from the bondage of sin, and being brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God. In a letter dated Aug. 6th, 1876, she writes: "I have indeed been led this morning to look back to the first Sunday in Aug., 1836, which was my first in Chard. I can truly say that goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. My first visit to Chard in God's providence brought about my marriage with my dear husband; and I have reason to bless the Lord for giving me such a dear partner till Dec. 26th, 1874, a time never to be forgotten by me. O! If the dear Lord had not been my helper, I should have sunk under what I passed through. 666 'Here I raise my Ebenezer; Hither by thy help I'm come; At Chard, she was brought into contact with a member of the Independent church, and was by her induced to attend the chapel; Mr. W. H. Griffiths being the pastor, under whose ministry she was convinced of her state as a sinner. She now began to withdraw herself from the Established Church, and regularly attended the chapel, having, at times, to secretly slip away to the week-night services. Her soul was now longing for spiritual food, and an application of the precious balm of Gilead, as set forth in the gospel of the grace of God. She was not long satisfied with the preaching at the Independent chapel. Being made to feel and know the plague of her own heart, and the incurableness of the wound, and her own helpless and totally ruined condition, she was made to experience her need of a complete salvation, such as could meet her case. She was now removed in the providence of God to Leicester. Whilst there, a portion of an old "Gospel Standard" was, in a most remarkable manner, placed in her hands; which she read, and was so delighted with it that an intense desire was awakened thereby to obtain the work; for she found in it something which met the cravings of her soul, and food such as she had long been earnestly seeking. This led to her discovery of a place where she might hear for herself the same precious truths preached. Under this preaching her soul was greatly blessed, and built up on the precious and confirming truths of the everlasting gospel. It was not her lot long to remain in Leicester; and with her family she returned again to Chard. As she was no longer able to sit under the sound of a Yea and Nay gospel, she attended the little chapel at Broadlake. At length, another removal from Chard was made, and thus the hopes and expectations which she had formerly cherished, that on becoming married she should be settled for life, were blighted. She was made largely to share in the trials, sorrows, and tribulations which are the appointed heritage of all the Lord's people; but found that they endeared to her soul the precious Word of God, and kindled in her heart a tender affection and regard for his dear children, whenever and whereever she met with them. She had, from the time of her marriage, known what it was to pass through troubles and changes of a painful character, both in providence and in grace. A weakly frame, and a large family added greatly to her burdens; but she had been taught through grace, and blessed with a praying heart. Many times has she been heard by her children pouring out her prayers and petitions to him who is the Burden-bearer of his people. She was one who spent much time in secret with God, and spake the true language of Canaan. After many and various changes, her husband took a confectionery and baking business at Banwell. Here it pleased the Lord to smile upon and bless them providentially, so that they soon became.comfortably settled. Her soul, however, had to mourn over the isolation she experienced as regards spiritual things. She found nothing but Wesleyans and Church people; and amongst all the professors by whom she was surrounded, she met with none with whom she could feel a spiritual union, or converse on the things of God. She had been taught in the school of Christ, and made a sincere lover of the distinguishing truths of the gospel, and was enabled to be very bold in contending for the same; so that, whilst winning the affections of most by her candour and kindness in other matters, she was marked as a woman holding dangerous doctrines. Whilst speaking thus of her, it is not the aim of the writer simply, or in the least degree, to exalt the creature, for she, most of all, would have subscribed to the humbling truth that, in and of herself, she was nothing but a mass of uncleanness, and that what she was as a Christian she was by the grace of God. Being thus deprived of the privilege of sitting under the preached word endeared to her the Bible, "Gospel Standard," and Gadsby's Hymns; and her sabbaths were mostly spent at home, reading these, and the sermons of Philpot, Warburton, and other men of truth. The following is her own account of a special visit from the Lord in July, 1869: "July 6th. Not having been able to rest after retiring to bed, about two o'clock in the morning those precious words came with such sweetness: 'Rest in God'; and my heart, ere I was aware, responded: 666 'For ever here my rest shall be, Close to thy bleeding side; This all my hope and all my plea,— I did indeed feel he died for worthless me. My daughter came up, and I was so over-filled with joy. She saw I had been weeping, and asked what was the matter. O!' I said, 'they are tears of joy; the Lord puts them all in his bottle.' 6 7th.-I awoke this morning, desiring the Lord would be pleased to give poor unworthy me some precious word to comfort and strengthen my soul in him; when this was given me: I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands' May the dear Lord still draw my soul out after him. 8th.-I again asked the Lord to give my hungering soul a morning blessing; and this was the portion: 'I have redeemed thee. Tea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." On April 30th, 1871, a room was opened at Weston-super-Mare as a place of truth, by eight persons, Mrs. Budden being one of the number. She attended as regularly as circumstances would permit, as she lived about six miles distant. She was a warm supporter of the little cause until the death of her husband in 1874, when trouble arose in the church, and the members became scattered. This was a grievous trial to her, for she loved everything connected with the cause of God, and was greatly attached to ministers of the gospel. On several occasions the late Mr. Gorton preached in the above room, and was exceedingly well heard by her, and, indeed, all besides; for the word came in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power. She became of late years afflicted in her eyes, and this made her anxious to study whilst able, and retain in her memory the precious truth; as she used to say that, if ever wholly deprived of sight, she could then meditate upon what she knew of the word. She was one of those who, through fear of death, are all their lifetime subject to bondage; and often spoke in a solemn manner of death, an event which, at times, she apprehended to be near at hand. Although often laid aside, she continued to carry on her business until, in July last, it was considered necessary for her to have a change. Accordingly, she went to spend a short time with her daughter, Mrs. Hatch, at Chapel Allerton. Whilst there, she had an interview with her son, whom she had not seen for some time; and before they separated she wished them all to join in singing the hymn commencing: And also this one: "When on my Beloved I gaze." "Jehovah God, Eternal Lord Most High, &c." A portion of the July "Gospel Standard" was specially blessed to her soul; and on the Friday before she died, she told her daughter that this text had been applied to her: "Set thine house in order," &c. The same night she was led to speak freely of death, and mentioned several things which it was her desire should be attended to after her departure; but her daughter tried to divert her mind, not liking to dwell upon the thought of a separation, especially as her mother seemed improved in health. They all retired to rest about ten o'clock. About two in the |