interesting services of the day by prayer, The day was wet, but the presence of the Lord was enjoyed so that many could say it was good for them to be there. NEW CHURCH FORMED, AND ORDINATION. It may afford pleasure to some of our readers who call to mind the opening of a new place of worship at Haddenham, near Thame, Oxon, as related in our Number for January, 1810, that on Tuesday Nov. 13th, a calvinistic Baptist Church was formed and witnessed in that place, when Mr. Peter Tyler was called to be their Pastor, and ordained the following day. The Rev. J. Howlett, Crendon, Bucks, began with reading and prayer; Rev. Mr. Evans, Abingdan, Berks, delivered a short, fall, and very appropriate introductory address, on the nature of a new testament Church, and the blessings of religious liberty; asked the usual questions, and received the confession of faith. Rev. J. Clement, Tring, Herts, prayed the ordination prayer with great feeling, and earnestness, accompanied with the laying on of hands. Rev. J. Sutcliff, Olney, delivered a most prudent, encou raging, and affectionate charge from 2 Tin. ii, 3, Endure hard ness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Rev. J. Hinton, Oxford, addressed the Church from Zech. iv, 10. For who hath despised the day of small things? With great perspicuity, sweet counsel, and genuine love. Rev. Mr. West of Wantage preached a solid, instructive discourse in the evening from Col. v, 6. Messrs. Evans and Hinton engaged in prayer, and Rev. J. Paul, Chinor, gave out the Hymns. The whole was very instructive, affecting, and encouraging. May the little one become a thousand! Nov. 21, a new Meeting house in the particular Baptist connection was opened, called Glanrhyd, in Pembrokeshire, about four miles from the town of Narberth, on the borders of the Welsh and English. Met at 10 o'clock in the morning, when brother William Thomas of Narberth read the 84th Psalm in English, and the 4th chapter of St. John's gospel in welsh; he prayed likewise in english and welsh; then brother Titus Lewis preached in welsh from Matt. xvi, 18; brother John Reynolds followed in english, from Acts x, 33; brother Joshua Watkins followed again in welsh from Psa. xxvii, 4. Brother Reynolds concluded the meeting in english, by prayer. A Funeral Thought. The generations, how they fade! Still blows the ruthless, wind; That wafted to the deepest shade, The fathers of mankind. Yet still our lofty hopes inquire, Among the hallow'd dead, When saints from Isr'el's hosts retire, To nature's lowly bed. While these resign their vital breath, The dread magnificence of death; 'Tis then the splendor of his power, Breaks lovely through the gloom, Aud his great resurrection bour, Sheds morning o'er the tomb. S. Reflections on the opening Year. 'Mongst the pastures of sin, to the wilds of despair, My feet, O how oft they have stray'd. But the flowers of the sun that shone glittering there, They rapture the sight and the heart they seduce How faithful that Hand, and the Might how sublime, That forc'd me to speed with the strong wings of time Nor shall trifles impede; if Himself has engag'd, What tempest can gather-what conflict be wag'd, As the fierce billows rush on the adamant shore Let the long lapse suffice of those dark frowning years, And the gloomy memorial I'll moisten with tears, For if prospects should sadden and new fears arise, The birth-day of blood-purchas'd joys! In horror's long night, when the watery tomb But ineffably richer and purer those beams, But for whom is this rest so exhil' rate prepar'd? That in wisdom's sweet paths I may reap her reward. Printed at Smith's Printing-Office, Tiverton. סתר THE BAPTIST MAGAZINE. FEBRUARY, 1811. Memoir of the late Rev. Isaac Taylor. ISAAC TAYLOR was born at Fairford, in Gloucestershire, June 16th, 1755; where his father, Stephen Taylor, and his Grand-father, Thomas Taylor, (who came originally from Ashton Underwood in Worcestershire,) were both farmers, and members of the Baptist Church. His mother was Jane, Daughter of Samuel Hook, of Didmarton, a member of the Baptist Church, at Hilsley, in Gloucestershire; whose father farmed a little estate of his own near Fairford, and suffered much on the account of Religion in the reign of King Charles the second. His Mother, both his grandmothers, and his great-grandmother Hook were persons of eminent piety. With all these advantages, Mr. T. lamented, when he looked back on his childhood. and youth, the evidences of native depravity. More influenced by the jeering scoffs of his Father's servants, and the idle tales they told against the ministers of the gospel, than by the instructions of his pious parents, he resolved, when very young, that he would leave the meeting and religion when he grew up, and go to church and do as others did. He took up a ludicrous speech, slanderously charged upon Mr. Davis, the Baptist Minister of Fairford, and diverted his foolish companions by preaching from it as a text; but blessed be God, that his ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts; and so it evidently appeared in the future life of my honoured and dear Father. For about the 15th year of his age, the Lord began to work upon his mind by the advice of a young Minister named Ellis, and the ministry of the late excellent Mr. Beddome of Bourton on the Water, in Gloucestershire. After which, he began to be very fond of reading, especially in the Scriptures; and having but little time in the day, he often spent great part of the night in that exercise. Before he was 18 years of age he was baptized by the aforenamed Mr. Davis of FairVol. III. G ford, and admitted a member of the Church under his care; after which he felt a sad declension of his affections towards divine things; but in the 19th year of his age his soul was revived and he became strongly inclined to the work of the Ministry, and was called out by the Church, after trial of his gifts, and sent to the Academy at Bristol; where he continued till June 1st, 1776, when he removed to supply the Church at Calne, who in the November following, gave him a call to become their pastor, which providence directed him to accept, and he was ordained July 2nd, 1777. Dr. Evans received his confession of faith, and gave the charge, Mr. Tommas of Bristol prayed the ordination prayer and preached to the people. Since that time the number of his members was increased fourfold, many of whom were converted under his ministry. One remarkable instance is recorded, viz. "June 30, 1777, I baptized Mary Hadril, whose husband was so enraged on that account as to declare that he would drown her, murder himself, and lay the death of both to me, and appear against me as a swift witness at the day of Judgment. But, lo! this man was baptized himself the 2nd of October following! What is man! and what an happy alteration in him does the grace of God make!" In 1796 Mr. T. received a call from the Church at Plymouth to assist their aged Pastor, the Rev. Philip Gibbs, and ́succeed him (in case of survival) in the pastoral office ; which call he thought it his duty to accept, and accordingly removed from Calne to Plymouth, in October, 1796. But after serving the Baptist Church at Plymouth 7 months, finding things not answer his expectations, he resigned his office, and afterwards for 7 months divided his labours between the People at the Old Tabernacle in Plymouth and the Baptist Church at Salt-ash, in Cornwall. The health of his yoke-fellow being greatly impaired, and the situation in many other respects not being agreeable, they proposed to remove again from Plymouth to Calne, and then follow the call of Providence, and either settle there or elsewhere; but his dear partner's increasing illness prevented her removal, so that she died at Plymouth Jan 30, 1798. She was an excellent and affectionate wife, mother and christian. He having made preparations for removing from Plymouth, left that place with his family on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 1798 for Calne. On the first sabbath after his arrival, he preached at Chippenham. On the same day two Messengers from the Church at Calne came to him at Chippenham, on behalf of the Church, to request that he would not engage himself elsewhere, but be with them on the following Lord's day, as the Church had something to say to him. Accordingly the next Sabbath he attended with the people, as requested; when the baptized members gave him a call to resettle with them as their Pastor, which call he accepted. Since which time the Church has enjoyed the greatest harmony, love, and peace. Here he continued to publish the glad tidings of Salvation with zeal and faithfulness, till very near the end of his course. Mr. T. seemed to possess a very healthy constitution, and I have often heard him say that he never was confined by illness to his bed or chamber one day, until a fortnight within his decease. Yet it is supposed that his death was owing to a cause which had long been forming, though he felt no inconvenience from it till since the April of 1810. From that time he suffered very acute pains, though he continued his public labours without intermission till the beginning of June; after which he preached but three times. The last sermon he preached was on Lord's day, June 24th, from 2 Chron. ii, 5. For great is our God above all Gods. When he delivered himself with remarkable seriousness and energy.. Very many and complicated had been his trials through almost the whole of his pilgrimage, but he was calm and resigned under them all; the Lord God of hosts was his support. His patience and resignation under his last affliction were very remarkable. Though his excruciating tortures constrained hin to groan and sometimes to ery aloud, yet he manifested great submission to the divine will. "I know not," said he, "what the Lord is about to do with me, but he has always supported me, and I doubt not but that he will do so still." When obliged to quit his bed and walk about the room, in agony of body, he has been overheard to pray most fervently, "Lord if it be thy will give me a little ease, but not as I will but as thou wilt.' Though confined to his chamber for the last fortnight, yet he got up every day except the last. During most of his time he was not aware his dissolution was so near; but when I came to see him, he said, "I am not without hope of life bere, and have a sure hope of a better, if the Lord sees fit to remove me hence. He had often been heard to say that he was willing to live as long as it pleased his heavenly father to continue him here, and was not afraid to die when the Lord should see fit to take him; and he exemplified the same disposition in the actual approach of death. In his last affliction he abundantly testified his entire dependance on Christ for |