OUR YOUTHS' DEPARTMENT. REV. ALEXANDER KILHAM. ALEXANDER KILHAM was a pious, zealous, and devoted minister of the gospel, and one of the founders of the Methodist New Connexion. He has been very justly designated "The first Methodist Reformer," because he was the first Methodist who advocated those great principles of religious liberty which reason and Scripture unitedly proclaim as the inalienable rights of the members of the church of Christ, which principles were incorporated in the constitution of the Methodist New Connexion, at its origin, in the year 1797, and which have distinguished that body of people to the present day. Mr. Kilham was born in 1762; and it is a remarkable coincidence that the reformer of Methodism was born in the same town as the founder of Methodism. Mr. Kilham and Mr. Wesley both drew their first breath in the small country town of Epworth, in Lincolnshire. Mr. Kilham was soundly converted to God in early life, and, burning with zeal for God's glory and the salvation of perishing souls, he soon began to hold prayer meetings, exhort sinners, and preach the gospel in the surrounding villages. In the year 1785 he was employed by Mr. Wesley as a regular circuit preacher. Those were times of great persecution, and Mr. Kilham had often much to endure from the furious assaults of an ignorant and ungod rabble, who pelted the preacher with stones, rotten eggs, various missiles. But Mr. Kilham persevered, and God owned his labours in the salvation of precious souls. and earnest Soon after Mr. Wesley's death there was great excitement and agitation in Methodism. There is no wonder that this was the case, for though Mr. Wesley had been amazingly useful in the revival and diffusion of sound, experimental, Christianity, he had framed a system of church government which centred all the power in the preachers, and which in general prohibited the people from either holding public wor ship during church hours, or receiving the sacraments of bap tism and the Lord's Supper from the hands of their own preachers. These laws were felt to be very grievous, and loud and general were the demands for a change, but neither people nor preachers were united in their views. Some desired merely such a change in Methodism as would empower the preachers to administer the sacraments; but others opposed this, and contended that the people should have a just and scriptural share in matters of discipline and church government. At this time Mr. Kilham entered the arena; but, having clear and expansive views of church government, and inspired with a genuine love of liberty, he was for no half measures. While he saw it just that the preachers should exercise the right of administering the sacraments to the people, he saw it equally right that the people should enjoy New Testament liberty, and be admitted to a participation with the preachers in the government of the church. Hence he wrote several able pamphlets on the subject, earnestly advocating a thorough reform in Methodism, contending for the removal of all abuses, the abolition of all despotic laws, and the establishment of those great principles of religious liberty for which the Methodist reformers of the present day are contending. For advocating those principles Mr. Kilham was at first censured by the Conference, and in the year 1796 he was expelled. Without a stain on his character, or a single charge against his efficiency as a minister, he was dismissed from the Connexion. But though Mr. Kilham was expelled, his principles were not annihilated. They could not perish; they never will; they are immortal; they will live and prosper when all tyrants are dead, and when all despotic systems have crumbled into ruin. In the year 1797, Mr. Kilham, in conjunction with a few others, met together in Leeds, and formed a distinct community, embodying those noble and enlightened principles which he had advocated. Mr. Kilham's position as a leading spirit in the great cause of Methodist reform, and as the principal founder of a new denomination, involved him in great labour both of body and mind. Indeed he was now incessantly occupied in preaching, travelling, writing, and all sorts of labour; often sitting up whole nights, and getting through an amount of work sufficient to crush an iron constitution. In about 18 months his health failed, he sunk beneath his excessive labours, and expired. Thus early he fell a martyr to his devotion to the cause of Christ, and his zeal for the promotion of Christian liberty. During his illness, his mind was in a state of uninterrupted peace, and in death he was filled with rapturous joy. Neither the sainted Wesley nor the seraphic Fletcher expired in greater triumph than did Mr. Kilham. These were some of his dying expressions: "God is love." 66 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.' "I am going to my Redeemer. I shall mount up as with the wings of eagles."— "If I am dying now, tell all the world that Jesus is precious." "He is working gloriously in my heart."-" As the afflictions of Christ abound, his consolations abound in my soul." When just about to expire, he exclaimed, "What I have done in regard to the Methodist Connexion, so far from repenting, I rejoice in it at this moment."—" What I have done in opposing corruption in the church, I believed my duty. I bless God that he made me an instrument of doing it. 0, that I had done it more faithfully!" His last words were those of the martyr Stephen, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." When the pious and sainted Bramwell heard of Mr. Kilham's death, he said, with considerable emotion, that "in Christian piety he had few equals, and, as an honest, straightforward man, he had not left any superior behind him." His remains were interred in Hockley Chapel, Nottingham, and a marble tablet, bearing the following inscription, was erected to his honour: To the Memory of ALEXANDER KILHAM, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, A FAITHFUL SERVANT IN THE VINEYARD OF CHRIST, A PRIESTLY DOMINATION. DESERTED BY MANY OF HIS FRIENDS, IN PROMOTING THE GLORY OF GOD, EASE AND INDULGENCE WERE DESPISED BY HIM. HIS LAST HOURS WERE PEACEFUL AND TRIUMPHANT, FOR HAVING OPPOSED CORRUPTION IN THE CHURCH ; THAT HE HAD MADE HIM INSTRUMENTAL IN DOING IT, AND ONLY REGRETTED THAT HE HAD NOT DONE IT MORE FAITHFULLY. COMMITTING HIS SOUL TO HIS REDEEMER, In our next number we shall probably give a brief statement of the principles which Mr. Kilham advocated. 1 THE CRAB FISH. THE appended engraving is a representation of what is usually called the black clawed or eatable crab, the species usually sold in the market, and which is to be found on the rocky coasts of Europe and India. Some of you, I dare say, think it a very singular looking creature, and feel a desire to know something more about it. If you will give me your attention, I will tell you something concerning its peculiar structure and habits. The animals of the crab tribe have the body covered with a hard and strong shell; the head is united to the breast without any joint; in a hollow betwixt the legs is a short flat tail, bent close to the body. In some of the Crustacea,* (the lobster for example) the tail constitutes the principal part of the body. Most crabs have eight legs, as represented in the engraving; some, however, have only six, while others have ten, besides the two large claws, which serve the purpose of hands. And then you will perceive that there are two eyes projecting from the head a little, these are movable in any direction, and when carefully examined with a good microscope, they are found to be composed of a multitude of very small lenses, just as the eyes of insects are. For a sense of touch they are furnished with horns or antennæ. They have a heart, too, with arterial and venous vessels; gills for respiration; transverse jaws; and a stomach, furnished with internal teeth. Such is a general description of the external and internal structure of this very singular looking creature. * Creatures covered with a bony substance. |