LORD that he would make us all wise, pious, and watchful, and that he would prosper the institution. It was frequently made a blessing to my soul. According to my abilities, I instructed all concerned in the nature and design of Sunday-Schools, and stated the good effects which they had had in many places, and that several had been converted by the blessing of GOD upon the institution. We had the Liturgy of the Church read in the School, for the most part of the first two years. Sometimes I read one of MR. WESLEY'S Sermons; and sometimes a chapter of the Bible, making some remarks upon it."

This holy man, however, felt that he was an unprofitable servant, notwithstanding his care to please GoD, and to be useful to men. "I can say," said he, "with the Psalmist, 'My heart is fixed; I will trust, and not be afraid.' But I often reflect on myself for my want of love and zeal. LORD, help me to be faithful and useful." He feared lest, in any instance, his affections should be set on things of the earth. "About the year 1808," he says, "I got entangled with the world. I was too much like the man mentioned in the Scriptures I had bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it. But, blessed be God, I did not wish to be excused from the privileges of the Gospel."

:

The following lines were written some time after the year 1814, and are the last, I understand, which he wrote relating to his religious experience :—

"I find the infirmities of old age come upon me. The LORD prepare me for a happy exit! I find an increase of grace. Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name."

In June, 1818, he removed from Collierly Dykes, in the Gateshead circuit, to Chatershaugh, in the Durham circuit; being no longer able to attend to his business, on account of a severe affliction which had been gaining upon him for some years. The following extract of a letter, written by one of his pious nephews, states some interesting particulars :

"Under his great affliction, my dear uncle was often harassed with the temptation that he should have sorer conflicts in his last moments than any which he had previously experienced. But in this, his spiritual enemy was disappointed; for he often said, 'The LORD does all things well,' and observed that his afflictions were the best means of fully preparing him for glory. As long as he was able to walk, he was very useful in visiting the sick. Whether they were in the Society or not, he saw it his duty to call upon them, and exhort them, and pray with them; even when he could not kneel, he would stand by their bed-side, and entreat them to be earnest in prayer for the salvation of their souls. If he could by any means, he would get into the company of backsliders, and endeavour to stir them up to seek their first love, and not to rest till they were restored to the divine favour. One day, as I was standing by him, he was exhorting me to strive to be useful in the Church of GOD, when he burst into tears, saying, 'O, if I had the use of my limbs, I would stir up poor backsliders to seek the LORD.' After my father's death, my uncle felt the deepest concern about the tem

poral and spiritual welfare of my mother and children; and as he had it in his power, he helped us when he thought we were in need. For some time he was confined to his chair or bed, only as he was led or carried about. In this weak state he thought much about, and prayed for, the cause of God. He highly esteemed the Preachers, and that Religious Connexion to which he had been united for so many years: he was a lover of the Methodist Discipline, and greatly valued every means of grace amongst us as a body of people. He often talked about those old Preachers who had been most useful to him. He was a faithful reprover of sinners wherever his lot was cast. I often thought he had a particular talent for that work; I know, indeed, that the LORD made him useful in it. He greatly loved the blessed word of GOD; and when, by affliction, he so failed that he could neither hold the book nor read it himself, he wished to have his finger put upon some particular passages of Scripture. As he drew nearer his end, he enjoyed more than ever the preciousness of that SAVIOUR who had done so much for him; often saying, with the Poet,

"And,

"O let me kiss thy bleeding feet,

And bathe and wash them with my tears

The story of thy love repeat

In every drooping sinner's cars;

That all may hear the quick'ning sound;
Since I, even I, have mercy found!'

O Love, thou bottomless abyss !
My sins are swallowed up in thee;

Cover'd is my unrighteousness,

Nor spot of guilt remains on me,

While JESU's blood, through earth and skies,

Mercy, free, boundless Mercy, cries!'"

With such gracious feelings, he continued till the 4th of April, 1821, when he died in peace, and in full and certain hope of a glorious immortality, aged sixty-eight years, about forty-four of which he had been a member of the Methodist Society.

To this short sketch of the religious history of our late Brother, it is not necessary to append a lengthened eulogy of his character. For the sake of the living, however, it may be useful to point out its leading features. He was, then, clearly justified; having seen and mourned his sinfulness and guilt, and having come to God for pardon through the alone merits of the SAVIOUR. He was truly converted from sin to holiness, having groaned under the depravity of his nature, and having sought with diligence the cleansing inspiration of the HOLY SPIRIT. He was enabled to resist the numerous temptations which would have led him to depart from the LORD; maintaining a sense of his danger and weakness, and carefully using the means of grace. He was solicitous to improve all his talents in promoting the REDEEMER'S kingdom, and the best interests of his fellowcreatures; retaining an awful sense of his responsibilities to GOD. He was jealous of his own heart while meeting his class, preaching the Gospel, teaching in the Sunday-School, visiting the sick, or

privately expostulating with sinners; knowing that actions which are pleasing and profitable to men, may be wanting in upright principles, and therefore be offensive to Him who sees the heart, and who estimates the conduct of men by their motives. He was deeply humble; wondering that others bore with the exercise of his talents, and seeing himself to be more vile and worthless than they could suppose him. He particularly noticed the Providence of GoD, and resigned himself to it; not only because he believed the divine government to be absolute and resistless, but because he believed it marked with infinite wisdom and love. He was not only ready for heaven, but longed to be gone. And, it must be added, that he had also the reputation of a Christian. Even persons who were destitute of religion, would say, " If there be only one good man in the world, it is JAMES STOKOE."-May the faithful be multiplied in the earth!

DIVINITY.

EXTRACTS FROM ARMINIUS'S FIRST ORATION ON
THEOLOGY.

(Concluded from page 295.)

On the NECESSITY of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

"Not only is the intervention of CHRIST necessary to obtain salvation from GOD, and to impart it unto men, but the faith of CHRIST is also necessary to qualify men for receiving this salvation at his hands-not that faith in CHRIST by which he may be apprehended under the general notion of the wisdom, power, goodness, and mercy of GOD, but that faith which was announced by the Apostles, and recorded in their writings, and in such a SAVIOUR as was preached by those primitive heralds of salvation.

"I am not in the least influenced by the arguments by which some persons profess themselves induced to adopt the opinion, that a faith in CHRIST thus particular and restricted, which is required from all that become the subjects of salvation, agrees neither with the amplitude of God's mercy, nor with the conditions of his justice, since many thousands of men depart out of this life, before even the sound of the Gospel of CHRIST has reached their ears.' For the reasons and terms of Divine Justice and Mercy are not to be determined by the limited and shallow measure of our capacities or feelings; but we must leave with GOD the free administration and just defence of these his own attributes. The result, however, will invariably prove to be the same, in what manner soever he may be

pleased to administer those divine properties,-for he will always overcome when he is judged.' (Rom. iii. 4.) Out of his word we must acquire our wisdom and information. At the head of those things which are most indispensable, and of those which rank next to them in importance, this divine word describes the NECESSITY of faith in CHRIST, according to the appointment of the just mercy and the merciful justice of God. He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.' (John iii. 36.) This is not an account of the first kindling of the wrath of GoD against this wilful unbeliever; for he had then deserved the most severe expressions of that wrath by the sins which he had previously committed against the law; and this wrath abides upon him' on account of his continued unbelief, because he had been favoured with the opportunity as well as the power of being delivered from it, through faith in the Son of GOD. Again: If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.' (John viii. 24.) And, in another passage, CHRIST declares, 'This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and JESUS CHRIST whom thou hast sent.' (John xvii. 3.) The Apostle says, 'It pleased Gon by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.' That preaching thus described is the doctrine of the cross, to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness: but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, CHRIST the power of God and the wisdom of God.' (1 Cor. i. 21, 23, 24.) This wisdom and this power are not those attributes which God employed when he formed the world, for CHRIST is here plainly distinguished from them; but they are the wisdom and the power revealed in that Gospel which is eminently the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.' (Rom. i. 16.) Not only, therefore, is the cross of CHRIST necessary to solicit and procure redemption, but the faith of the cross is also necessary in order to obtain possession of it.

"The necessity of faith in the cross does not arise from the circumstance of the doctrine of the cross being preached and propounded to men; but, since faith in CHRIST is necessary according to the decree of God, the doctrine of the cross is preached, that those who believe in it may be saved. Not only on account of the decree of God is faith in CHRIST necessary, but it is also necessary on account of the promise made unto CHRIST by the FATHER, and according to the covenant which was ratified between both of them. This is the word of that promise: 'Ask of me, and I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance.' (Psalm ii. 8.) But the inheritance of CHRIST is the multitude of the faithful; the willing people that in the day of his power shall be spontaneously present with him in the beauties of holiness.' (Psalm cx. 3.) 'In Thee shall all nations be blessed; so then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful

ABRAHAM. (Gal. iii. 8, 9.) In Isaiah it is likewise declared, When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied by the knowledge of himself [which is faith in him] shall my righteous Servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.' (Isa. liii. 10, 11.) CHRIST adduces the covenant which has been concluded with the FATHER, and founds a plea upon it when he says, 'FATHER, glorify thy Son; that thy Sox also may glorify thee: as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life, eternal,' &c. &c. (John xvii. 1—4.)

"CHRIST threfore by the decree, the promise, and the covenant of the FATHER, has been constituted the SAVIOUR of all that believe on him, according to the declaration of the Apostle: And being made perfect, he became the Author of eternal salvation, to all them that obey him.' (Heb. v. 9.) This is the reason why the Gentiles without CHRIST are said to be aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.' Yet through faith those who some time were thus afar off and in darkness' are said to be made nigh, and ' are now light in the LORD.' (Eph. ii. 12, 13, and v. 8.) It is requisite, therefore, earnestly to contend for the NECESSITY of the CHRISTIAN RELIGION, as for the altar and the anchor of our salvation, lest, after we have suffered the Son to be taken away from us and from our faith, we should also be deprived of the FATHER :-'For whosoever denieth the Sox, the same hath not the FATHER.' (1 John ii. 23.) But if we in the slightest degree connive at the diminution or limitation of this NECESSITY, CHRIST himself will be brought into contempt among Christians, his own professing people; and will at length be totally denied and universally renounced. For it is not an affair of difficulty to take away the merit of salvation, and the efficacy of saving, from HIM to whom we are not compelled by any necessity to offer our oaths of allegiance. Who believes, that it is not necessary to return thanks to him who has conferred a benefit? Nay, who will not openly and confidently profess, that he is not the Author of salvation whom it is not necessary to acknowledge in that capacity? The union, therefore, of both the objects, GOD and CHRIST, must be strongly urged and enforced in our Christian Theology; nor is it to be endured that under any pretext they be totally detached and removed from each other, unless we wish Christ himself to be separated and withdrawn from us, and that we should be deprived at once of him and of our own salvation."

VOL, I. Third Series. JUNE, 1822.

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