Yet another change. The season of struggle passes away. Some mastery has been obtained over outward sin. Paul performs with scrupulous minuteness the ceremonial precepts of the law, and thinks himself thereby fairly to have earned the favour of God. "Being ignorant of God's righteousness, he goes about to establish his own righteousness, and does not submit himself to the righteousness of God;" till at last he thus developes into a thorough self-righteous, superficially-conscientious pharisee.

This appears to have been his condition when he first came into contact with the Gospel.

(To be continued.)

FAREWELL TO THE YEAR 1836.

Written in an Album at Maidenhead.

Farewell, thou closing year; for twice six months
I've travell'd hand in hand with thee and mercy,
My path oft smooth'd, and sometimes graced with flowers;
And though perhaps a few complaints might lie,
At least as nature judgeth, yet farewell.
Yet thanks eternal be to Him who reigns
Unchanged by years! He gave thee for my use;
He crown'd thee with his goodness and his love;
Yet thou hast pilfer'd from me many a friend,
And Owen, too, amongst them; and my strength,
Not erst robust, thou hast still more reduc'd;
And oft through others has thou pained, and much
Through that small part of Zion which I love.
And yet my dearest friend remains, and He
Who sticketh closer than a brother doth;
And if to-day has seen me sick and pain'd,
To-morrow has reviv'd me, Hebe-like, again;
And Zion, whom God loveth, still survives,
And waketh in her glory; and my voice,

Oft heard amongst her watchmen, has been bless'd
With strength to reach the heart with pain and comfort;
And some have wept, and left the path of sin

To seek the footsteps of the flock, and bless
The Master Shepherd. I forgive thee, year!
Nor let this last day's sun go down in wrath,
That sinks beneath the horizon of cold snow.
O thou Eternal God! forgive thy sinful worm,
Whose crimes are many-blot them out for ever.
O let the time, or long or short remaining,
Be given to thy praise; and when the voice
Which tells my days are number'd shall be heard,
My ears well tun'd, may it be musical

As Angels playing on the Trump of Jubilee.

December 31, 1836.

J. K. FOSTER.

MEMOIR OF REV. J. K. FOSTER.

By whatever name called-presentiments, premonitions, or coincidences-there are such unaccountable phenomena in human experience as cannot fail to excite wonder, and create a sense of mysteries not to be disclosed. Perhaps, we are all auditors of angels' whispers; perhaps, we do all feel, at times, the gentle touch of some seraph's wing. Our sudden promptings at the strong passages of life are marvellous. The incredulous smile, and sneer, and say, "There's nothing in it-'tis a chance that happens!" But even credulity more befits men than unintermittent doubt.

"Myriads of spiritual creatures walk our earth

Unseen, both when we walk and when we sleep."

We are weak enough, as some men count weakness, to rejoice and be glad that a man of God so deservedly-beloved and revered as Jacob Kirkman Foster, should have taken his leave of his brethren in the Connexion to which he belonged, and was so attached, by pronouncing over them, when last in their midst, the soothing words of benediction: "The peace of God which passeth all understanding," &c.; and that their last request of him was a portrait of his comely, and venerable, and illuminated countenance. The respect was only such as he was entitled to have received. And many, as they gaze on his memorable features, will exclaim with Cowper

"Blest be the art that can immortalize."

In last month's HARBINGER appears the portrait of the beloved Tutor of Cheshunt College. In this we furnish his memoir.

One

The Rev. J. K. Foster was born at Walworth, January 15th, 1787. When five years old he was taken by his father to Southend, where he first went to school. After two years his parents removed to Swarkeston, in Derbyshire, his father's native place. Here he regularly attended the Church of England, and had a great prejudice against the Methodists," as all earnest seckers after God were then called. day, when young Jacob was about thirteen years old, he overheard some of these good people, at a private devotional meeting, conversing with each other about their souls and salvation, and pouring out their hearts before the Lord. From that moment he felt, to use his own words, "that true religion was something more than cold church-going.”

When fourteen years old he removed to London, and was under the care of a brother much older than himself, to whom he was ever most warmly attached. Whilst under his care, a portion of his time was devoted to the acquisition of general information; and, whilst thus engaged, his mind was opened to the reception of religious truth. At this critical stage of his life, Divine Providence led him to attend the ministry of the Rev. Alphonsus Gunn, an eminently useful minister of the Church of England. A sermon which that good man preached from the words, "Is thine heart right ?" led our deceased friend to much self-examination and prayer. He entered into his closet, and

prayed in secret: "Lord, create in me a clean heart; then it will be right." He continued to attend on the ministry of the Rev. A. Gunn, Curate to Mr. Newton, and the Rev. J. Newton, of St. Mary, Woolnoth; frequently repairing also to the Tabernacle, Moorfields, and hearing the glorious old Gospel from the seraph lips of the Rev. Edward Parsons, sen., the Rev. Mr. Moody, the Rev. Matthew Wilks, and the Rev. Joel Abraham Knight; as well as occasionally hearing some of the best clergymen of the Church of England. All these "streams from Lebanon" refreshed his thirsty soul.

For more than a year his convictions of sin waxed stronger and ronger. Daily he cried out in his pangs, "God be merciful to me, a sir ner He says: "I felt my need of mercy, and yet I did not half believe that I should ever obtain it. My fears were, however, in some measure removed by hearing a sermon by the Rev. J. A. Knight. His text was: So will I go in unto the king, which is not according to law; and if I perish, I perish.' same resolution. Prostrate at the feet of mercy, I determined, if I must perish, I will perish here."

He adds: "I believe I made the

About the same period of his religious career he was much benefited by the reading of Priestly's "Christian Looking-Glass," and the excellent works of Flavel, Hervey, and Henry. To use his own words, "The reading of them was a feast of mercy to my soul."

As he advanced in the knowledge of Divine truth, and in the consciousness of his own acceptance with God, he became earnestly desirous to proclaim to others that grace which he had found himself." For a long season this desire was only "uttered before the Lord." It was a prayer in secret, when "only his lips moved." But while he mused the fire burned; and, like Jeremiah, in vain was it to say, "I will not make mention of him, or speak in his name; for his word was in his heart, as a burning fire shut up in his bones, so that he became weary with forbearing, and could not refrain."

a

It was, however, momentous to know for himself that he was new creature," before standing forth as a reprover in the gate of such as were dead in sins; he must himself be at peace with God before cherishing the ambition of becoming an ambassador of Christ. strmon to the young, by the Rev. A. Gunn, in which he exhorted his hearers to look more at the habitual fruits of the Spirit, than at mo

mentary impressions,

A

was a great means of bringing our beloved friend "I was sure I felt willing to be

into a state of assurance.

He says,

saved in that way by which Christ would have all the glory. I could say, 'Lord, thou knowest all things! Thou knowest that I love thee." " He therefore concluded that God had translated him from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His dear Son; and enjoyed a more intimate and confiding fellowship with the Father, and with His Son,

Jesus Christ."

Still, for three years he was sorely exercised with regard to the work of the ministry. Was he fitted for it ?-was he called to it? In his had nothing from him. Mr. Gunn gave him encouragement and counsel, his father in Christ," the Rev. A. Gunn, and told him every whit, and anxiety he repaired to the minister to whom he then looked up as to as the fruit of which he became at length satisfied that it was his duty