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Contributions received by the Treasurer of the Baptist Missionary Society, from May 20, to June 20, 1823, not including Individual Subscriptions.

Kent, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Brindley, Treasurer

Church-street, Blackfriars, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Pontifex
Voluntary Contributions of the Children in the Baptist Free
School, Fetter-lane, by Mr. Kendrick

184

36

7 11

FOR THE MISSION.

£

Missionary Box, at Mrs. Key's, Wardrobe-place

Irvine, &c. Friends, by Rev. George Barclay....

3

4 19

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14 10 0

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2

10

Norwich, Auxiliary Society at Rev. J. Kinghorn's

......

Young Gentlemen at Mr. Brewer's School
Sheffield, Auxiliary Society, and Subscriptions
Bedfordshire, Baptist Association, voted at their Annual Meet-
ing, 1823

.......

Bromsgrove, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Scroxton and Miss
Carpenter

Royston, Subscriptions, &c. by Mr. John Pendered
Hackney, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. William Fox.
Fakenham, Collection, by Mr. Thompson

.......

Liverpool, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Rushton, on account
Sherborne, Subscriptions, by Benjamin Chandler, Esq.
Gloucestershire, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Drayton.
Eagle-street Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Bagster...
Woolwich, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. Gardner

........ • Donation

Goodman's-fields, Auxiliary Society, by George Morris, Esq...
Mrs. Macleod, by Henry Drummond, Esq.
Kingsbridge, Sundries, by Rev. J. Nicholson
North of England, Auxiliary Society, by Rev. R. Pengilly..
Wellington, Somerset, Penny-a-Week Society, by Rev. J. Baynes
Loughborough, Collection and Subscriptions, by Rev. G. Capes
Wallingford,
by Rev. J. Tyso.

096

6170

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Carter-lane, Auxiliary Society, one Moiety of Subscriptions, by
Miss Jane Burls

.....

20

Colchester, Auxiliary Society, by Mr. R. Patmore
Staffordshire, collected by Rev. J. Saffery

15 18

80

Sunday School Missionary Box, Henrietta-street, by Miss Keen
Dudley, Penny Society, by Rev. C. Hardcastle.

1

5

Ladies at Mrs. Hutchings's School

Little Alie-street, Female Auxiliary Society, by Rev. William
Shenston, one Moiety of their Funds

Anonymous, collected....

Dorman's Land, Collection, by Rev. Mr. Chapman
Trthlingborough, Northamptonshire, Free-Will Offering, col-
lected at Monthly Missionary Prayer Meeting, by Rev.
Thomas Allen

Bessels Green, Collection, by Mr. Fletcher

Teachers and Children, Sunday School,
by Mr. Ring

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Iion-street, Walworth, Female Auxiliary, by Rev. J. Chin

1280

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Isle of Ely, Half Collection at half yearly Meeting of the associated Ministers at Burwell......

Isleham, a few Friends, by Rev. John Reynolds.

Byfleet, Friends, by Mrs. Bowyer....

Crayford, Female Missionary Society, by Mrs. Smith-
William Manfield, Esq. Denmark Hill

Q in the Corner

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W. W. C. Wilson, Esq. M.P. Casterton, near Kirkby Lonsdale,

Westmoreland

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104 1 10

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Eagle-street Meeting..

Annual Meeting..

90 4 +2

8 0 0

103 13 10

305

20

175

Walworth, Female Baptist Missionary Society, at East-lane..
Edinburgh, Sundries, by Rev. C. Anderson.

Hants and Wilts, Assistant Society, by Rev. J. Saffery

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Edinburgh, by Rev. C. Anderson, Bible Society 300 0

Sundries....

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Ladies at Maze Poud, for Native School, by Mrs. Gouldsmith 20

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TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The thanks of the Committee are presented to Mr. C. N. Wawn, and Mr. John Fenwick, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; to the Rev. W. Anderson, Blair Logie, Perthshire; to Mr. Silas Barton, of Wallop, Hants; and to Mr. Harris, of Camberwell, for varions Books, intended for the Missionary College at Serampore.

Several other Contributions, not included in the above List, will be acknowledged next Month.

J. BARFIELD, Printer, 91, Wardour-Street, Sole.

Baptist Magazine.

AUGUST, 1823.

MEMOIR OF REV. JOSHUA SYMONDS.

two sons and three daughters, were like their parents eminent for piety, and even spoke with gratitude and affection of those who thus led them in early life to serve and fear the Lord.

AMONGST the articles of neg- the subject. In the case of Mr. lected Biography may be noticed Symonds, Sen. it had no such that of the late Rev. Joshua Sy-disgusting effect; his children, monds, many years pastor of the church assembling at the Old Meeting-house, Bedford: a remote successor of John Bunyan, and the intimate friend and correspondent of Newton, Scott, Howard, Ryland, Sutcliff, and Fuller, and an indefatigable labourer in the Lord's vineyard at Bedford twenty-one years.

Mr. Symonds was born at Kidderminster, (the nursery of piety at that day,) on January 23, 1739. His father was an apothecary, and a man eminent for godliness, as his ancestors had been for time immemorial. The late Mr. Joseph Williams speaks of him in his diary as one of the most eminent christians of his day. He was remarkably strict in the education of his children, training them up in the fear of the Lord; and he was especially careful that the whole of the Sabbath should be spent in the exercises of religion, either public, social, or private. He did not adopt the neutralizing opinion too prevalent amongst professors of the present day, that such a strict observance of the Sabbath only tends to disgust young people; an opinion it is to be feared too often adapted as an excuse for the parents own indifference on

VOL. XV.

Joshua, the subject of the present Memoir, commenced in his youthful days a record of his religious experience, which he continued till within a few weeks of his death, and many very heart-searching views of his own mind he has noted down; which no doubt from the commencement of this practice led to a serious and correspondent deportment,influencing his friends to a decision in concluding he was one who ought to qualify himself for the christian ministry. It was originally intended he should be a farmer, and for this purpose he resided from the age of fourteen to twenty-one with va rious agriculturists in Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire, in order to improve himself in farming. Whilst in the neighbourhood of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, he joined the church in that town, (under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Jenkins,) when about eighteen years of age. Whilst he was occupied in agricultural pursuits,

2 H

he experienced several remarkable deliverances when his life was in danger; all of which made a suitable and abiding impression on his mind.

The late Rev. Gervas Wilde, then an Independent Minister of Cunsham, Birmingham, appears to be the person who first particularly pressed upon Mr.Symonds the duty of turning his mind to serious views of the ministry. April 21, 1760, Mr. Symonds writes, "About a fortnight ago I was in company with that pious and valuable servant of Christ, the Rev. G. Wilde; after we had been conversing together some little time, he moved a matter to me, which for some time I had not the least thought of. I think (observed Mr. Wilde) you should go to London, there to prepare yourself by academical studies to enter upon the work of the ministry. Being somewhat surprised, I asked him how he could think of it, stating at the same time I was so conscious of my unfitness for it, I could not think of undertaking that great work. However, he still pressed the subject, and answered some objections I made to it, observing also how my way was shut up as to the employment of husbandry, my strength not being sufficient for the labour required; that as to my usefulness, I must look to God to prepare me for the work; that he should not urge me to it if I thought myself sufficient as of myself. I still paid little regard to what he said till the morrow morning, when the thing was deeply impressed on my mind, and as I was returning home to Kidderminster I burst into a flood of tears at the consideration of what had occurred; I was much enlarged that morning in begging Divine direction about

this matter, entreating of the Lord it might be prevented if not according to his will, or otherwise that he would powerfully incline and bend my heart tn it. I also applied to my pastor, the Rev. Mr. Jenkins, for advice, and had a great deal of talk with my dear and honoured father about it." All this brought on the good old way of doing things, for Mr. Symonds goes on to state; "At last we concluded. for some of my christian friends to meet at West Bromwich, and there unite together in beseeching the Lord to show his will concerning me. Accordingly, last Wednesday, the Rev. G. Wilde, Messrs. Walker and Horton of Bromwich, my father and myself, met at Mr. Walker's, to commend the affair to an all-wise and gracious God, and blessed be his name it was a time of love to my soul-my heart was exceedingly affected, (I hope by the Divine Spirit,) especially when I engaged in prayer. We thus left the matter to Divine direction, in a way of earnest supplication."-Two more special prayer - meetings were held on the occasion; one at Bromsgrove, and another at West Bromwich-whilst many an ardent supplication rose in secret from his own heart, accompanied with very humbling views of his insufficiency for the work. The result of all was the decided conviction of his friends that he should engage in the work of the ministry, and the preparatory steps taken to obtain his admission as a student in the academy at Mile End, under the superintendance at that time of Dr. Conder, &c.

Sept. 1, 1760, was the day appointed for his examination before the Committee of the King's-head Society; in reference to this he

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