days he lay apparently in the same state, or rather mending a little, until the Friday, when he could not obtain any sleep. On the following Saturday, about ten minutes after five o'clock, his spirit departed. of the church, but owing to his concerns | he would so far recover as to continue in business, was never very active. a considerable time longer, and my broIt was the lot of our friend to be ex-thers returned home. The following ercised with many severe trials in subsequent years, one of the heaviest of which he was called to sustain by the removal of his amiable and beloved wife, who died the 20th of November, 1798. But out of all these trials he was brought with an unblemished reputation. Adversity and prosperity have their attendant temptations, and each state may be considered as furnishing a test of character. Some can bear the one who cannot sustain the other. The individual of whose life this is a sketch was tried by both, and in both he "held fast his integrity." Circumstances hav-him on the state of his soul. He said but ing led to his removal from Reading to London, about the year 1799, he shortly after was dismissed to the church in Little Alie-street, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Shenston. In 1805, Mr. Collier entered into a second marriage, with Mrs. Mary Phillips, who still survives him. This connexion proved as happy as the first. May the God of the husband be the support of the widow! In 1816, for the sake of convenience, Mr. C. united with the church in Shouldham-street, over which Mr. Pritchard then presided. Of that church Mr. C. continued a member till the time of his death. In 1819 he removed to Cob ham in Surrey, at which place he died. An account of his last illness is briefly given by one of his sons in a letter to a friend, in the following terms:-"For some time before his death, my father appeared to be gradually sinking, though no immediate danger was apprehended until the 25th of January, when he became alarmingly ill. My mother wrote to me immediately, and on the Saturday I went. Almost the first words he uttered on seeing me were, 'Don't leave me.' Of course I obeyed the injunction. My brothers N. and C. came shortly after. We found him very weak, but happy and cheerful. On the Tuesday morning he appeared much worse. We thought he had breathed his last. But he revived again, and appeared so much better, that we were led to hope Respecting the state of my father's mind in his last hours, I cannot say much. The exhausted condition in which I found him, together with his great deafness, rendered it next to impossible to converse with him. Prior to my arrival, Mr. Cooper and another pious friend had held conversation with little-the substance of his replies was, that as a guilty sinner he trusted in Christ, his only refuge and hope; that he relied simply and solely on his merits for acceptance and salvation. 'Pray,' said he to his friend, that the Lord would lift up the light of his countenance upon me.' The friend did pray several times, but my father, owing to his extreme deafness, could not hear a word. And the mere effort to hear threw his whole system into such a state of discomposure, that it was a long time before he became calm. On this account alone it was, that he declined an interview with the Rev. Mr. Snell, the clergyman of the parish, who kindly called on him, and not from any feeling of disrespect. Tell him (said he) that my mind has been made up on the important subject of religion ever since my 19th year.' "When I first saw my father after his fatal attack, I asked him if he had any thing to say? He mentioned a few things, and then added, ‘that is all of a secular nature.' I asked him if he were happy in his mind? He replied, in his accustomed style of conciseness, and with marked emphasis, 'Yes, perfectly so. Truly his 'end was peace.' Before his death, he expressly desired that nothing might be said about him. If any thing could be said for the benefit of the living, he had no objec tion. Mr. C. preached from Hebrews xi. 13. "These all died in faith, not Such is the outline of the life and death of Mr. William Collier. Justly may it be said he was a good man, fearing God and hating evil. That he had imperfections we pretend not to deny. No man was more conscious of them, or more ready to confess and deplore them than himself. having received the promises, but hav- a day set apart for holy uses, he refused ing seen them afar off, and were per- to sell any article on that day, though suaded of them, and embraced them," requested to do so by his best customers. &c. which passage was often on his It was an established maxim with him, lips, both in sickness and in health; and by it he appears to have been goand we doubt not but that he added | verned through his whole religious caone more to the number of those who reer, that wealth acquired by a known have died in the faith." and wilful transgression of the divine command was nothing better than an accursed thing. It is but just, however, to observe, that had there been always as much softness in his spirit and manner, as purity and uprightness in his acts, the effect would have often been much greater, and the result more glorious to the interests of religion. He was confessedly too abrupt and unceremonious in his dealings with worldly men. His very virtues were severe. It has been said that the last step of a virtue and the first of a vice are near to each other. Mr. C. in his utter contempt of that accommodating puerile spirit which is now too fashionable, was in danger of transgressing those scriptural requisitions-" Be courteous, honour all men, giving none offence, to the Jew nor the Gentile, nor the church of God." "Let not your good be evil spoken of." In his religious sentiments he was a decided Calvinist. His views both of doctrine and discipline were somewhat rigid. Let it not, however, be understood that he in the least coincided with those who affirm that the sinner is under no obligation to repent and believe the gospel, and who deny that the law is a rule of life to a believer. He was also a strict Baptist. Though he tenaciously clung to his own opinions, he never once descended to calumniate or caricature those who differed from him. "I could wish," he would say, "that they thought otherwise, but let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.'. But the two excellences that stood in him most conspicuous, and shone with the greatest splendour, were decision of character, and integrity of heart. By these, "though he be dead he yet In reviewing the life of my departed friend, I perceive many things worthy of notice that must be passed over, hav-speaketh." Art thou, reader, halting ing perhaps already exceeded my proper limits. The following may be mentioned among other traits of his character-He was remarkable for the veracity of his word—a high sense of honour and equity--an undeviating concern that his conversation might be in all things as became the gospel." It behoves professors, (he would say,) to adorn their profession, and not bring a scandal on it. Not many men could with more propriety adopt the language of the apostle, 2 Cor. i. 12. “Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world." He was remarkable for his scrupulous observance of the Lord's day. Believing in its sanctity as between two opinions, wavering between God and the world? O learn from the subject of this memoir to make thy selection, and "seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness." Delay not, now is the accepted time. Be ye also ready. Art thou a professor? Be concerned to "depart from iniquity;" to "walk worthy of thy high vocation." Besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness and charity. If ye do these things, ye shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and SaviourJesus Christ. Haworth, Oct. 1828. M.S. GLEANINGS. Ministers of the Gospel in danger of noting of souls, must be preferred before these leading a Heavenly Life upon Earth in consequence of their Official Religious Employments. Extract from "Baxter's Saint's Rest." doing." PITY THE POOR BLIND! private contemplations.' As if thou hadst not time to care for thy own salvation, for looking after that of others; or thy charity to others was so great, that it obliges thee to neglect thy own eternal welfare; or as if "Contentment with the mere prepara- there were any better way to fit us to be tions to this heavenly life, while we are utter useful to others, than making this proof of strangers to the life itself, is also a dangerous our doctrine ourselves. Certainly heaven and secret hinderance. When we take up is the best fire to light our candle at, and with the mere study of heavenly things, and the best book for a preacher to study; and the notions of them, or the talking with one if we could be persuaded to study that more, another about them; as if this were enough the church would be provided with more to make us heavenly. None are more in dan-heavenly lights; and when our studies are ger of this snare, than those that are employed divine, and our spirits divine, our preaching in leading the devotions of others, especially will also be divine, and we may be called preachers of the gospel. O how easily may divines indeed. "Blessed is that servant, such be deceived! While they do nothing whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so so much as read and study of heaven; preach and pray, and talk of heaven; is not this the heavenly life? Alas! all this is but mere preparations: this is but collecting the materials, not erecting the building itself: it is but gathering the manna for others, and not eating it and digesting it ourselves. As he that sits at home may draw exact maps of countries, and yet never see them, nor travel towards them; so may we describe to others the joys of heaven, and yet never come near it in our own hearts. What heavenly passages had Balaam in his prophecies, yet how little of heaven in bis spirit? Nay, we are under a more subtle temptation than any other men to draw us from this heavenly life. Studying and preaching of heaven more resemble a heavenly life, than thinking and talking of the world does; and the resemblance is apt to deceive us. This is to die the most miserable death, even to famish ourselves because we have bread on our tables; and to die for thirst, while we draw water for others, thinking it enough that we have daily to do with it, though we never drink for the refreshment of our own souls."-" Thy wandering heart will tell thee concerning heavenly contemplation,' this is the duty of the people, it is enough for thee to meditate for their instruction, and let them meditate on what they have heard.' As if it was thy duty only to cook their meat, and serve it up, and they alone must eat it, digest it, and live upon it. Or it may tell thee, other duties are greater, and, therefore, this must give place to them, because thou hast no time for both. Public business is more important; to study and preach for the sav "On Mr. Dease questioning some of the elderly men as to their knowledge of a Supreme Being, they replied: "We believe that there is a Great Spirit, who created every thing, both us and the world for our use." We suppose that he dwells in the lands from whence the white people come, that be is kind to the inhabitants of those lands, and that there are people there who never die the winds that blow from that quarter (south) are always warm, He does not know of the wretched state of our island, nor the pitiful condition in which we are." To the question, "Whom do your medicine men address when they conjure?" they answered-"We do not think that they speak to the Master of Life, for if they did, we should fare better than we do, and should not die." "He does not inhabit our lands" Captain Franklin's narrative of a second expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the years 1825, 1826, and 1827. In the Eclectic Review for November, 1818, p. 395. ANECDOTE OF THE REV. ROWLAND HILL. THE following fact (of which the writer was a witness) may afford a necessary caution against placing an implicit dependance upon dreams. A candidate for admission to church membership under the Rev. Row land Hill, being required to give some account of his first impressions as to the evil of sin, and the need of the gospel, related a dream, by which he had been affected and led to serious inquiry, to the hearing of sermons, &c. When he had ended, Mr. Hill said, "We do not wish to despise a good man's dreams by any means; but we will tell you what we think of the dream, after we have seen how you go on when you are awake."-See an interesting tract, entitled · My own History,' by J. Lincolu. p. 55. INTELLIGENCE. DOMESTIC. Recent Death. On Lord's day evening, December the 7th, 1828, departed, in the fifty-second year of his age, and in the delightful hope of a blessed immortality, Mr. R. L. Storks, of Camberwell Grove; having been sixteen years a valuable member of the church of Christ meeting in Keppel Street, London; and three years a highly esteemed and usefal deacon. He was interred on Monday, the 15th, in the family vault, at Tottenham, Middlesex; and, on Lord's day afternoon, the 21st, his pastor (Mr. Pritchard) delivered the funeral discourse, founded on Heb. x. 37. to a numerous and attentive congregation, at Keppel Street. OXFORD BUILDING FUND. At a meeting held in the vestry of the disseuting chapel, Oxford, Nov. 27, 1828, after public notice from the pulpit on the preceding Lord's day, Mr. Collingwood, in the chair, It was unanimously resolved, least four neighbouring ministers, in order to be laid before a committee for their consideration. 3.That it is desirable to raise a fund, by individual subscriptions, and an annual collection, to be appropriated in aid of proper cases, in such proportion as in the judgment of the committee their several circumstances demand; and that the number of cases to be admitted shall not, for the present, exceed six in the year. 4. That the committee shall consist of all annual subscribers of one guinea and upwards, and that they shall meet quarterly. 5. That the subscriptions be collected quarterly in advance, to commence on the first day of January, 1829.* WILLIAM COPLEY, Pastor. } Deacons. All applications must be forwarded free of expence, to the Rev. W. Copley, St. Aldates, Oxford. St. Aldates, Oxford, Dec. 10, 1828. ADDRESS OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE ABO- 1. That we esteem it our duty, according to our ability, to promote the cause of the Redeemer, by affording occasional pecuniary The existence of human sacrifices in the assistance to those congregations among nineteenth century of the Christian era, and Protestant dissenters who may themselves in a part of the British dominions, is a fact be unable to defray the whole expence of equally interesting to the politician, the phibuilding, enlarging, or repairing their meet-losopher, and the philanthropist. The naing-houses. ture and extent of these sacrifices in British India, present a tale whose lightest word might harrow up the soul.' 2. That, convinced of the many evils attending the present mode of soliciting contributions for this object, it is our determination not to give any further assistance to cases of this description, excepting to such as are sent by letter, recommended by at as being only of local and temporary interest. The 6th and 7th resolutions are omitted D Sick persons, whose death is bas- 500 10,500" (Vol. ii. p. 323.) By official documents laid before Parliament, from 1821 to 1828, it appears that the average number of Suttees is about 700 annually, but this does not include those that take place in the tributary, allied, and inde These sacrifices are perpetrated by the Suttee (the burning or burying alive of Hindoo widows); Infanticide, Cruelties to the Sick on the banks of the river Ganges, and Pilgrimages to various holy places. By the practice of the Suttee, hundreds of disconsolate widows (some of them mere children) are hurried to the funeral pile, and burnt with the remains of their husbands, a few hours after their decease. Infanticide chiefly prevails in Guzerat, under the Bombay Pre-pendent States, which are not subject to sidency, and dooms numbers of infants to death at the very dawn of life. The cruelties to the sick are exercised on the banks of the Ganges, which is considered a goddess, and numberless victims of superstition are annually sacrificed. At the temple of Jaggernaut in Orissa, Gya, and Allababad, a tax is levied on the pilgrims, and multitudes are allured to these shrines of idolatry, (made more celebrated by British connexion with them), many of whom never survive the miseries of pilgrimage. How are "their sorrows multiplied that hasten after another god." The extent of these evils is very appalling. The number of Suttees in the Bengal Presidency, from 1815 to 1824, was as follows: Total, in ten years, 5,997 widows burned or buried alive! In the Madras and Bombay Presidencies the official statements for nearly the same period, 635; grand total, 6,632. (See Suttees' Cry to Britain, second edition, p. 13.) Two Hon. East India Proprietors, urging the abolition of this murderous custom, declare:-"Probably no day passes on which some victims are not sacrificed to this horrid practice in India, and more especially in the Bengal Provinces.”—(Parliamentary Papers on Hindoo Immolations, vol. v. p. 32.) No correct idea can be formed of the number of murders occasioned by Suttees, Infanticide, Cruelties to the Sick, &c. The late Rev. W. Ward, in his valuable work, "View of the History, Literature, and Mythology of the Hindoos," conjectures "the number of victims annually sacrificed on the altars of the Indian gods" as follows:"Widows burnt alive in all Hindostan 5,000 Pilgrims perishing on the roads and at holy places Persons drowning themselves in the Ganges, or buried or burnt alive.. Children immolated, including those of the Rajpoots ... 4,000 500 500 British regulations. When Row Lacka, That the British Government in India is Infanticide at Saugur was prohibited by the Marquis Wellesley, in 1802; the Brahmun has been made amenable to the inviolable rights of justice; various beneficial alterations have been made in the judicial proceedings of the Govt, &c. and why should Britain wait for the slow process of education and civilization to remove these evils, when one mild effort of the conquering hand might free the earth from these detested blots? The importance of the expression of public opinion to accomplish the abolition of Suttees, (and consequently of other sanguinary practices in Hindostan), is thus stated by a respectable East India Proprie tor, in a letter to the Secretary, dated Oct 11, 1828 :-With regard to the Suttee question, I believe that I expressed to you, some time back, my despair of any material alteration in that horrid practice for many years to come, unless the religious part of the public shall come forward in a manner so decided as to induce attention from His 1 |