clergymen, forming a private society, met at his house, for the last time that he was to be among them. He took an active and animated part in their communications together, and bade them farewell in that discourse, preached in his church, of which the Rev, D. Wilson has given the outline and principal passages to the public, first in the Christian Observer, for May 1821, and subsequently annexed to the third edition of his funeral sermons preached the death of my father. A Bible Distribution Meeting was shortly after held in a barn at Aston, and attended by about four hundred country people, though it was in the midst of haytime, and on the market day of the neighbouring town. Here also my father, took his leave of such meetings by an address to the people, Joy

on the deal

But the principal communication which I shall have to ma make in this work, arose as follows. So many of the family being now collected, it was proposed that

པ༥༢འཇམསཇ

should spend some time together, in conversing over our respective histories since we had been sepa rated reviewing "all the way which the Lord had led us" and in receiving from our revered head such admonitions and instructions, particularly with regard to the training up of our children, as it should occur to him to address to us. There were present my father and mother, three of his own children, a son in law and a daughter in law, and two grandsons. My me, morandum of what passed is a letter to my absent brother,, who had previously been with us, but could not prolong his stay. The particulars will, I trust, answer the double purpose of displaying my father's character and principles, and instructing many readers:

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but a more suitable place for their insertion will be found hereafter. Here, therefore, I shall only further remark, that on this occasion my father uttered the memorable sentence, which has already been given to the public in his obituary: " On the whole, I cannot but feel and consider myself as a man that has been peculiarly prospered of God; and I desire to acknowledge this with humble and devout gratitude. Yes, goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. Whatever my feelings may at any time be,

and my situation and infirmities, and perhaps also my turn of mind, expose me, at times, to considerable gloom and depression-I have not all that enjoyment which I could earnestly desire-YET THIS IS MY DELIBERATE JUDGMENT. Yea and, on the whole, I can add with good confidence, not only they HAVE followed, but goodness and mercy SHALL follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."-At this time also was recalled to mind a sentence which had fallen from him a few days before," That, on the whole, there were few of his contemporaries, whose usefulness he could consent to exchange for that, with which it had pleased God to favour him." This sentence was the more striking, from the recollection of what I had often heard him remark, that that clause of the first Psalm, Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, had frequently given him much pain, when he compared with it the failure and disappointment of so many of his attempts to do good. In all such cases we must remember what is written: “Surely there is AN END, and thine expectation shall not be cut off." We must not pronounce on unfinished work. In waiting for the day which "shall declare"

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the result of things," here is the patience and the faith of the saints."

As an additional instance of probable usefulness, he had, about this time, the satisfaction of hearing, that his Force of Truth, translated into French, was widely circulating on the continent. It had been translated into Dutch many years before, and printed at Amsterdam in 1786.

I meet with nothing further that is memorable till November the third, of this year, (1818,) when he wrote the last letter, which I shall have to present, to his aged and afflicted sister, Mrs. Webster. It exhibits an interesting proof of his own "growth in grace," and of his zeal to strengthen the hands of a beloved fellow sufferer.

“I find,” he says, " in my own case, though in many respects surrounded with uncommon mercies, that I have great need of patience, amidst infirmities, and pains, and worse than all, temptations, and conflicts with the remainder (I hope only the remainder) of indwelling sin: so that I am often disposed to dejection, and consequently to impatience and unthankfulness, and sometimes peevishness. Yet, on the whole, I think my trials and conflicts quicken me in prayer; endear the Saviour and salvation to me; render me more tender and compassionate to others, when suffering and tempted; bring me more acquainted with the promises and engagements of the new covenant; and lead me to rely on them more simply and unreservedly, notwithstanding difficulties and discouragements. As Mr. Newton once said to an inquirer, I think I am somewhat poorer than I was.' And, while I encourage myself in this way in

the Lord my God, and hope, in opposition to my feelings, (as if all were against me,) that all is working together for my good; what can I say more appropriate to animate, counsel, and solace you? You have trials, indeed, which I have not: but the heart knoweth its own bitterness. However without, determining any thing in that respect, nay, supposing your's ten times the greater, the difference is nothing to the Almighty Saviour, whose strength is perfected in our weakness. Trust in him: submit: call upon him wait for him. Persevere in endeavouring to win over all around you, to say, We will go with you, for God is with you. I hope I do not forget you daily in my prayers, or any of your's. Pray for me and mine."

The accounts of his infirmities and of his labours, such labours as would be found too great for most men in sound health, go hand in hand together.

He writes, December 10, 1818: "Preparing copy, five sheets (forty quarto pages) a week, and correcting proofs, together with the desire of the partners to have the Concordance carried on, purposing ere very long to begin to print it, (as much approving the plan of a revised specimen which I sent,) makes me shrink unduly from letter-writing. I never studied each day more hours than I now do."

"February 18, 1819. Never was a manufactory more full of constant employment, than our house: five proofs a week to correct, and as many sheets of copy to prepare: and, alas! Mr. seems to stand his part, as to health, worse than I do. The first volume is nearly finished, and I hope much improved: yet I feel more and more dissatisfied, as discerning

more and more the defects. What I have lately been finishing off, as to the Concordance, is fully approved but I can do so little now, that I fear it will never be finished.... en a bus doop on 21 "So I have lived to enter on my seventy-third year, which I never expected; and am still able to study and preach. May it be to good purpose! My feelings are often very uneasy but I am free from great and sharp suffering. Pray for me, that I may be patient and ready."

April 23, 1819, to his youngest son:"Just when I was thinking to answer you, I was seized with a severe cold, which, after some variations, at length, on the first of this month, brought on a fever: and it proved a more sharp attack than I have had for some years. Nearly a week I was so far confined to my bed as to do nothing! Two Sundays I was disabled from preaching and last Sunday, with great diffi culty, I performed one service. I have also recovered hitherto very slowly, and am continually harassed by sickness; so that I neither have appetite for food, nor take any without fear of very uneasy consequences. Yet I have gradually been restored to my usual abi! lity of studying, and fill up my hours nearly as before but with increasing debility and weariness. This indeed, must be expected in my seventy-third year and I would not complain; for surely goodness and mercy have followed me all my days.... But, besides | sickness, my employments are a more full excuse for not writing letters, than most have. Four or five proof sheets every week: on an average, each costs one or other of us six hours revising: this be sides preparing an equal quantity of copy, and other