he wrote it, hence the second line in the first verse,

а

"May an infant lisp Thy name," which is the original reading. There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of this anecdote. The hymn, as whole, is a most noble and truly loyal song of praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, celebrating His personal glory, His creative acts, His universal reign, His wondrous redemption, and his condescending love, in strains fitted to kindle into a flame of devotion every heart that possesses a spark of love to the dear Son of God.

The hymn,

"Come, Thou fount of every blessing," is frequently inscribed in the Selections as an 66 Ebenezer" hymn for the new year; it is, however, as well adapted for singing at any other period of life's history by the child of God. It is a hymn of grateful acknowledgments, earnest petitions, holy aspirations and lofty praise, which in every humble, contrite, Christ-loving heart find a real and gladsome response. The third and fourth lines of the second verse, which in the older books read,

"Praise the mount, O fix me on it,

Mount of God's unchanging love," are in some more recent books made to read thus:

"Fill my soul with sacred pleasure,

While I sing redeeming love;"

an unneeded and undesirable alteration, for why should we not sing of our Father's unchanging love as well as of our Saviour's redeeming love, which is celebrated in lines further down in the hymn. Other verses of the hymn are given much alike in the selections, in most of which it appears, showing that it is well appreciated by lovers of gospel grace of all religious denominations. Besides these two, Mr. Robinson wrote a few other hymns, which have not been considered of sufficient merit to become perpetuated in the hymn books.

In reference to the hymn,

In

"Come, Thou fount of every blessing," a dispute arose about twenty years ago as to whether Robinson were the author, it having been asserted by an eminent hymnologist that it was written by Lady Huntingdon. consequence of this her Ladyship's name appears fixed to it in Gadsby's, "Our Own Hymn Book" and in 'Songs of Grace and Glory." But that Robinson was really the author is fairly and satisfactorily proved in Miller's "Singers and Songs of the Church,' where a summary of the discussion that took place on the question is given. As this discussion did not arise until 100 years after the hymn was written, during which time Mr. Robinson's authorship of it was never challenged, it seems reasonable to conclude that had there been any real ground to claim it for anybody else it would have been made before, and especially so if the alleged claim of the Countess of Huntingdon had any foundation in fact, inasmuch as her Ladyship had a hymn book of her own of which many editions were published in her lifetime, which did not terminate until 33 years after the hymn is known to have been published. Had her Ladyship been the author, every reflecting person must be of opinion that amongst her very numerous friends and admirers some one would have taken care to let the world know that such was the case even if she were not disposed to do so herself. She is said to have written the hymn,

"When Thou, my righteous Judge, shalt come,"

and a few others; but it appears certain that this, Come, Thou fount," &c., was not among the number, it having been satisfactorily proved to be the production of Robert Robinson, as above stated. Robert Robinson was born at Swaffham, in Norfolk, September 27, 1735. His own account of his second birth is as follows:-"I was born again on Sabbath, May 24, 1752, by means of the powerful preaching of George Whitfield. Having experienced the pains of a new birth for two years and seven months, I found full and free forgiveness through the precious blood of Christ, on Tuesday, December 10, 1755. To Him be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen." He soon became a preacher, first among the Lethodists, having previously on conscientious grounds refused a tempting offer to enter the Establishment. Afterwards he became pastor of an Independent church at Norwich. Then having changed his views on baptism and become immersed, in 1761 he accepted the pastorate of a Baptist church in Cambridge, where he remained until his death. He was a learned and talented man, and the author of a number of able works, among which was "A Plea for the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ;" of this work several editions were published. He became somewhat unsettled in his religious opinions in the latter part of his life; lost very much of the savour of true godliness in his soul; and is said by some to have become a decided Unitarian; but it is stated to be on record that the following declaration was made by himself to a friend about a month before his death:-"I am no Socinian; I am no Arian. My soul rests its sole hope of salvation on the atonement of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my God." He died on Tuesday, June 8, 1790, being found dead in his bed at the house of Dr. Priestley, at Birmingham, at whose chapel he had preached twice, although in much

Viz, In "Allibone's History of English Literature," article Robinson.

weaknes of body and mind, on the preceding Lord's-day.

Why he should have become so intimate with men of Dr. Priestley's sentiments in religion is not clear. But Robinson was passionately fond of liberty, as well as being a very learned man, and it is not improbable that it was on grounds connected with the advocacy of civil and religious freedom, and with love of the society of learned men, that the intimacy arose. Such associations, however, would be sure to bring darkness and barrenness into his soul, but his declaration above given shows that he had not drunk the deadly poison that some attribute to him. He neglected to observe the apostolic caution that “evil communications corrupt good manners, and having thus broken through the hedge that God's precepts set around His people, the serpent was permitted to bite, but let us fervently hope not to destroy him. It is difficult to think otherwise than that the writer of such hymns as the two above described, must have been a real child of God. R. H.

دو

Barnsbury.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MR.

PHILIP DICKERSON.
Continuation of my Narrative.

DEAR BROTHER,-After the death of Mr. Shenston, several of the friends expressed a desire for me to be publicly recognised as sole pastor of the church; I saw no occasion for it myself, but consented to their wish, and the solemn service took place September 3rd, 1833. When the late Mr. Pritchard, of Keppel-street, stated the nature of a Gospel church very nicely, and asked the usual questions, the aged Mr. Upton, of Blackfriars, addressed the minister from the words,

then worshipping in Eldon-street, and Mr. John Shenston (brother of our predecessor), who was a Seventh-day Baptist; and last, though not the least (in our esteem), my brother, Mr. John Cooper, who read the hymns and led the service of song.

Most blessedly did our gracious God own the word preached for several years. On looking over a private record, we perceive that by the end of the second year, thirty-eight had been added to the church by baptism, and seventeen by dismissions from other churches; while a good measure of peace and love blessedly reigned in our midst. And we might truly say, the "Word of the Lord did run and was glorified." Another blessing was granted to us: the writer was favoured with a good measure of health and strength, so that for many years he was not laid by from his pulpit labours for one whole Lord's-day, preaching three times for upwards of thirty years. And here he would just add, that he has good reason to believe his afternoon services were as much blessed to the conversion of souls as any of the others, if not more. Some now living, who have long been useful in and an honour to the cause of God, were the blessed fruits of his afternoon labours.

But though the writer himself was favoured with such general good health, affliction frequently found its way to his habitation. The health of his beloved wife was very delicate, and in the latter part of the year 1836 we were visited by smallpox. One of our children we had forgotten to have vaccinated; she, by some means, caught the disease, and had it terribly bad, but happily recovered; two of the others had it very slightly, the rest of us escaped. Scarcely had that disease subsided, but we were visited with scarlet fever; this was a more distressing case than the other. Just as this broke out, my dear wife was confined to her bed with a very serious attack of jaundice, and required constant attention. We had a nurse, she soon took the fever; we procured

another, the fever soon attacked her; our servant, who had been our right hand, had the disorder worse than any of them; friends were afraid to come near us, and I was thus left almost alone with wife, servant, and four or five children all very ill. Oh that was a time of trouble indeed. But our merciful God always interposes. Just at that time a young female friend had come to stay with us for a few days while waiting for a situation; she said, "I will not leave you." She stopped, and God preserved her and me amidst the contagion from being affected by it. She lives still, is a lovely Christian friend; but I am grieved while I write it, she is painfully afflicted: God be gracious to her and comfort her heart. The labour we went through for two or three weeks, night and day, pen cannot describe. On the other hand, the merciful support afforded us, both physical and spiritual, are equally inexpressible. My dear friend, though not the most robust, was never better in her life. Our appetites were so good, we could eat anything we could get; and for myself, I never recollect enjoying so much of Divine things as during that affliction.

I have always looked upon it as a singular incident in my history, that about three months before the fever broke out I was preaching from home; when the good man who conducted the psalmody gave out the hymn commencing

"What cheering words are these!

Their sweetness who can tell ?"

It was so blessed to my soul that I was indeed in a heavenly rapture. I borrowed the book, took it home, and read it to my wife. She smiled and said, "It is a very sweet hymn, but we have it, and I am surprised you have not noticed it," taking down Kent's hymn book and pointing it out. I then thought there is something more in this; this is to prepare me for something. Well, the trial under that affliction befell us, and the

66

My soul was regaled with heavenly fare
With fruits and manna from above;
Divinely sweet my comforts were,
For my Immanuel was there;
And o'er my head the conqueror spread

The banner of His love.'

Oh the blessedness of Divine consolations in the time of trouble. Yes, we did indeed feel that beautiful verse verified: "Thy shoes shall be iron and brass, and as thy days so shall thy strength be." One Lord's-day morning in particular we were exceedingly tried by our poor patients, so that I had but just time to wash and then run off to chapel, but was enabled to preach three times that day with much ease and liberty, and the Word was blessed to the people. O for grace to trust our faithful God at all times! Mercifully, all the patients. recovered, and my dear wife recovered; but all the time the fever lasted she was confined to her bedroom, and never saw one of them till they, one by one, were able to come down stairs to visit her. There is another item in this affliction which we can never forget: our children being attacked by the fever one after another, we had one dear little boy, eighteen months' old, whom we were under the necessity of sending out to nurse, as we had no one to look after him. Him we kept from the house till the doctor pronounced them all convalescent, and advised change of air. We followed the instructions of

our medical man in using warm baths, washing clothes, fumigating, &c., &c., procured lodgings at Kingsland, and, on our way, took our dear little boy, who was delighted to see his dear mother, and again mix with the family; little did we think he would he would be injured thereby; but judge our surprise and grief, the poor little beautiful boy took the fever and died. We saw in his death the sovereign hand of our God, and were still, though our hearts were deeply affected. We had named him Isaiah Birt, after our much loved old minister, who, at that time, frequently spent part of the Lord's-day with us, especially the first Sunday in the month. Our covenant God, however, interposed just about this time, and mercifully delivered my dear wife, and gave us a sweet little girl; thus,

"Though our cup was mix'd with gall, Something secret sweetened all;" And we were again enabled to pursue our course, "leaning upon our beloved." Blessed be our God, our pathway was not always rugged, nor our skies always clouded; and when roughest and darkest, hope pierced through the gloom, and whispered,

Never both manifest anger at once. Never speak loud to one another, unless the house is on fire.

Never reflect on a past action, which was done with a good motive and with the best judgment at the time.

Let each one strive to yield oftenest to the wishes of the other.

Let self-abnegation be the daily aim and effort of each.

The very nearest approach to domestic felicity on earth is in the mutual cultivation of an absolute unselfishness.

Never find fault, unless it is per

fectly certain that a fault has been committed; and even then prelude it with a kiss, and lovingly.

Never taunt with a past mistake. Neglect the whole world beside, rather than one another.

Never allow a request to be repeated. 'I forgot' is never an acceptable

excuse.

Never make a remark at the expense of the other; it is a meanness.

Never part for a day without loving words to think of during absence; besides, it may be that you will not meet again in life.

MR. WILLIAM RUSSELL

Was born in April, in the last year of the last century, at Harrold, in Bedfordshire, but, when quite a child, removed with his father to Milton Earnest. Here he received a scanty education at a "dame's" school, and at times attended both church and the Methodist chapel. The place of his spiritual birth is, however, believed to have been Sharnbrook Chapel, where he was baptized, and of which he became an attached member, and finally accepted the post of superintendent of the Sunday-school. He joined heartily in the great political struggles which took place in his early manhood, and was an intelligent and indefatigable opponent of the union of the professing church with the state. He was at this time also an advocate of the principles of total abstinence, and an occasional preacher at village stations and small chapels. In this way he assisted in the formation of the Baptist chapel at Riseley, in the year 1839.

In 1842 he was led to make London his residence, and accepted a post under government, the duties of which he efficiently discharged till laid aside by age and debility. He joined the church at Eagle-street Chapel, of which he

continued a member until a change was introduced by Mr. Wills, and the Lord's table thrown open to the unbaptized, when his membership was transferred to the church at Keppelstreet, of which he was a deacon till his demise. When at Eagle-street he started a ragged-school, by which much good was effected.

He died Nov. 1st, 1880, and was interred at Highgate.

It may suffice to say, that he was universally regarded as a worthy man, a safe friend, a reliable church officer, and a sound, sincere, and humble Christian. He said little that was not worth saying, and professed less than we are assured he knew of experimental godliness. He quietly lived out his religion, and his end was peace.

A FOLDED LAMB.

THE records here given of departed saints generally refer to those of advanced years, in whom the grace of God has been seen, as supporting and guiding them through a lengthened pilgrimage. But some are called out of this world at a very early age to be with Christ, haying given sufficient