I THE QUEEN AND THE KING'S SON. JULY 4th 1665. SAW a sight to-day I never saw before. When I reached the Great Western railway station, (on my way to Knowl-hill,) I saw the men busy in putting down the scarlet cloth as Her Majesty, Queen Victoria, was to leave there for Windsor at halfpast eleven. My train could not go until the royal saloon had departed, so I took my stand behind the barrier, and saw the Queen walk from her waiting-room into her carriage, plainly drest in black, with a quick step, and kindly bowing to the people, Her Majesty entered her flying parlor, and soon was out of our sight. Ah! still she wears the mournful garb; And seems to walk alone, There's nothing that can compensate, For God into her soul to preach, E'en then her loving heart will sigh And as she lifts her soul on high, Fresh succour will she crave. Not the Queen only, but this country at large, and the Protestant cause especially, in good Prince Albert's death, an almost irreparable shock received. The Great Western soon carried me to Twyford, where I landed, and rode on that very rural and aristocratie highway, leading from Twyford to Knowl-hill. Here once more I found the chapel, the parsonage, and, in his bed, the venerable parson himself. Yes! there, almost prostrate, lay the large outer tabernacle of my long-loved brother in JESUS, "good old BENJAMIN MASON." I call him "good" because the grace, ah! the electing grace of GoD, and the redeeming grace of JESUS, hath made him so. There are three scriptures quite applicable in the case of this venerable sire. First, Nehemiah's prayer has been his prayer many times, "Think upon me, O my God, for good." And the Lord has thought upon him for good; for, there, in his cottage, in his bed, between his pulpit and his garden, (in both of which he has laboured hard for years,) and in the loving arms of a covenant God, he lies waiting, as Simeon did, not that he may literally take the child Jesus up in his arms, but that the LORD JESUS may send his chariot, and take his ransomed soul up into glory. Ofttimes, in that bed-room do the saints of God gather around the bed, and brother Benjamin preaches to them; although from the bed he cannot raise himself up. Another Scripture is well understood by this rural patriarchal sire; many, many times he has said, "We know all things work together for good to them that love God; and who are the called according to His purpose." This aged Benjamin Mason is a branch of an immense family in those parts of Buckinghamshire; he has lived to follow to the grave friends, children, and relatives out of number. The Lord has given to him, and taken from him, precious partners in life, and helpers of his joy. Nearly all are gone; and there, (nearing his ninety,) waiting for the King of kings and Lord of lords to call him home, lies this mysterious compound of flesh and spirit; "in a good old age" ere long he will depart. I was so glad to see him looking so rosy-cheeked, so smiling, so happy, and with books, and sermons, and hymns, scattered over his bed, he cheerfully told me, he sometimes slept, and sometimes read; and so his days and nights passed swiftly on; while now and then his faith doth pierce the clouds, and almost lost in wonder, love, and blessings never to be described, he sings A countless crowd of sinners saved, Tho' varying much in actual guilt Cleansed by the blood Jehovah spilt, Who can behold such sights and live? The captive eagle sees the day, Accept, blest Prince, my feeble praise From Thee they came, to Thee belong;— Cleaves to the dust beneath Thy feet. Yes, I am Thine, and Thou art mine, "Till death my joyous soul release,→ After a few words with my aged brother, I went once more into his chapel, and stood in his pulpit, and preached with much liberty to the friends gathered together; and then of this "King's son" I took my leave, perhaps never more to see him here below. I exceedingly regretted my time with him was so short; but should any Christian friend be travelling on the road between Maidenhead and Twyford, a visit to the cottage of the Knowlhill pastor will be recognized by the Great Head of the church, and will not fail to receive his blessing. Farewell, my ancient brother in JESUS! Benjamin's God is thine, thine for ever. Thou hast had many years of toil and conflict. Oftentimes cast down, but not destroyed. May thy last moments be peaceful; and thy closing scenes irradiated with the smiles of HIM who saved thee; and if I live beyond thee, command that this little Timothy be permitted over thy grave to shed a tear; and offer up a prayer that Zion, in those parts, may be again revived. Oh! sweet Knowl-hill: a sacred spot to many souls thou oft hast been. From thee, the songs and sighs of not a few have fled to heaven. Within thy walls, the Gospel has been preached, Nearly all the valiant in Israel have sounded out Immanuel's praises there. Around the quiet sanctuary sleeps the dust of many who through life's rough road have travelled; and soon, like them, the names of Mason, Webb, and many more, will be forgotten here; but that, another race of VILLAGE PREACHERS shall succed them is secured by His promise, whose word can never fail. THE IN'S AND OUT'S. HE “In's and out's," the "I will's," and "Beholds" of the Divine word, constitute some of the most precious and profitable themes for Christian contemplation. Last month I gave your readers a short paper, indicating vitally important subjects for serious thought, suggested by two alphabetical letters; and now, proceeding from ciphers to syllables, in the natural order of instruction, I humbly venture to submit for their reflection, some of the "In's and outs" of the sacred Scriptures, which by meditation and prayer, may be by them turned to abundant profit. In the vast field of Biblical truth, we are apt to act as cattle do when roaming over a spacious prairie, tread down as much as we masticate; it is necessary, therefore, occasionally to concentrate the mind on that limited number of doctrinal texts, which reveal the intimacy and oneness subsisting between Jesus and His people, in conjunction with those negative passages which teach the same glorious doctrine. Divine truth, in its operation on the heart, obeys a law similar to that apparent in nature; it matures Christian graces according to a divinely-constituted process-first, the blade, then the ear, &c. God is not less a God of order in grace than in nature: " All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." If we would make progress in the Divine life, we must begin at God's beginning; by overlooking the order of the Spirit's teaching, our spiritual perception becomes clouded, our faith weakened; and we can never hope fully to realize the object of all Christian instruction, which is, "Christ in you the hope of glory." If we substitute for the inward teaching of the Holy Spirit, the outward forms of man's device, moral growth will be stagnated, peace will be interrupted, and Christian usefulness frustrated. To know Christ is the great privilege to be sought; and to be "complete in Him," the great necessity for salvation. That your readers may "inwardly digest" the momentous doctrines involved in the following quotations, is the earnest prayer of, yours truly, ROBERT WILKINSON. IN'S. "If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature."2 Cor. v. 7. "Abide in me and I in you."-John xv. 4. "Created in Christ Jesus unto good works."-Eph. ii. 10. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit."-John xv. 5. "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in me."-John xvii. 23. "Saints in Christ Jesus."-Phil. i. 10. "Ye are all one in Christ Jesus."-Gal. iii. 28. "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ."-Eph. ii. 13. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."-Rev. xiv. 13. "God hath made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."-Eph. ii. 6. OUT'S. "I have chosen you out of the world."-John xv. 19. "That they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil."-2 Tim. ii. 26. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things."—Matt. xii. 35. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”— Matt. xii. 34. "Out of them all (persecutions, &c.) the Lord delivered me." -2 Tim. iii. 11. I "Bę instant in season, out of season."-2 Tim. iv. 2. VILLAGE PREACHING HARD BUT HAPPY WORK. HAVE had some hard brain and body work these few days; have taken my ticket in Exeter for London; hope to preach in my own pulpit this evening; and then, if spared, go on with my home-work as earnest as ever. In coming in an open cart |