is there verbal testimony to the support which faith affords in dying moments; but the ground of his confidence through life, and his labour to obtain an 66 abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord” were undeniably borne witness to in the manner of his passing from the world to the better dominions of our Saviour God.

Recent sermons discover the current of his latest thoughts, and show that his mind was maturing for the joys of immortality. He who translated him arrayed his spirit observably with humility, faith, and love, and many who attended on his last public instructions, were impressed with solemnity, as they listened, and now esteem them as proceeding plainly from a heart enriched with holy unction from on high.

From the text Zephaniah iii. 17, "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy : he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing," he discoursed with feeling, in his last public engagement with his flock, upon salvation, and the might of God, and dwelt on the Divine complacency in those whom mercy makes heirs of heaven. On the last Sunday of his life, he indulged in prolonged meditation on the peace that faith induces and will secure in the judgment day, entering deeply into the spirit of the words of 2 Peter iii. 14, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing ye look for such things, be diligent, that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless." At the sacramental service, which followed, he expressed his own satisfaction with the truth he had just expounded, and a wish that it might prove ennobling and consolatory to his charge, in a short address founded on the words in the narrative of Elijah's history, 1 Kings xix. 8, "He arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights, unto Horeb, the mount of God." Many were strengthened by the sermon of that day, and feel that it gave utterance to

ever-seasonable truth. The pastor's warfare is accomplished, but the recollection of him has a voice to commend the words of the Lord, "Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

He intended to address his congregation on the oneness of feeling between the saints in heaven and on earth, and to speak of the Redeemer, as their mutual bond of piety and love, from the passage, Ephesians iii. 15,"Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named;" but when they assembled, it was to learn he was no more. Had it been assigned him to preach on the day that first hailed him to the heavenly rest, he would have spoken fully of Him, through whom we become members of the family of God; for it was his practice, in every sermon, to hold forth the Saviour as "the way, the truth, and the life." His aim was to preach Christ, as well as to be found in him. His ministry was distinguished by evangelical simplicity, and it tended to show that He whom he preached is worthy of acceptation. The method of his preaching was expository, and its instructive character is extensively confessed. He considered that the mind must be informed, and endeavoured to enlighten it; and while he trusted for success to Divine influence alone, he looked for its vouchsafement in clear views of the gospel truth. It was in doctrinal preaching that he excelled, but his sermons were usually rich in experimental feeling, and there was a power of appeal which has many times proved irresistible. He was pathetic always in feeling, and not unfrequently in expression and tone; and was accustomed "to beseech" sinners to be "reconciled to God." His zeal was untiring, and though in latter years his public discourses assumed a different character from that which formerly more parti cularly characterised them, he felt intensely for the unconverted, and, as he often said, longed for souls. Five hundred persons were united to the church at Stockwell during his pastorate, of

whom the greater part were induced to profess the faith through his ministrations.

At Bristol he had preached annually for thirty-five years, where he was useful and valued to the end. The religious activity of that city delighted him, and it was his chief pleasure to visit its churches, and attend its yearly missionary services. It was there (at the Tabernacle) the name of Whitefield was remembered, and there he rekindled the flame that burned in his heart as an admirer of the doctrine and life of that laborious man.

At Whitefield's chapel in London (Tottenham-court) he first received serious impression, under the ministry of the Rev. Matthew Wilks. He was then but sixteen years of age, and the commencement of his religious history is illustrative rather of the general force of truth, than of any of its peculiar adaptations. It was, however, his lot to pass through much distress of mind on some points of doctrinal theology, and, in particular, on the subject of personal election. The ministry he attended was instructive, and through the Divine blessing on it, and that of some eminent men he frequently heard in the week, his mind was relieved of its burden. Satisfaction took place of difficulty, and his own subsequent preaching was distinguished by a lucid exhibition of the subjects which at first so much perplexed him.

He often spoke of the Rev. Richard Cecil as a minister whom he heard with inexpressible pleasure, and whose week-evening services he made some sacrifices to attend.

To his pastor he was devotedly attached, and Mr. Wilks took a deep and affectionate interest in his welfare. The zealous and quick-sighted minister soon discerned in him what he considered talent for preaching, and, to elicit it, requested him to engage in various services. The result of this was his pursuing a course of study for the ministry, and his settlement at Stockwell in the year 1800.

For some time before he was or

dained, he had preached to his future charge, and become persuaded of his duty to remain among them, though, in the first instance, he had resolved to stay no longer than the term of a short visit. His objection to the neighbourhood arose from the low state of morals at the time, and the prevalence of doctrinal sentiments among the professors of religion at variance with the spirit of the gospel; but this was overruled, and he succeeded in establishing juster views of evangelical truth, and was the means of a great moral reformation.

The congregation increased rapidly, and the chapel was twice enlarged. His ministry was powerful and awakening, and many were converted. At an early period of his residence at Stockwell, the interests of the Surrey mission engaged him, and he frequently went into the villages of the county, preaching with success. For twenty years he acted as secretary to the society; and though he resigned the office some years since, through a pressure of business he was no longer able to sustain, he remained a warm friend and supporter of the institution till the close of his life.

About the year 1806, he was appointed to act in the committee of the Hackney Theological Institution, and, in connexion with the Rev. Rowland Hill, the Rev. Matthew Wilks, and others now deceased, as well as many at present sustaining its important interests, he laboured steadily to the end with pleasure and satisfaction.

For upwards of thirty years he sat at the board of the London Missionary Society's direction, and few, if any, have had a higher sense of responsibility in its concerns than he. Deputations from these societies followed him to the grave.

On Saturday, 25th March, his remains were interred in the burial ground adjoining the place of his long and useful labour. The neighbourhood might be said to mourn, so general was the demonstration of respect and feeling. The funeral services were

conducted by the Rev. Thomas Lewis, of Islington; and the Rev. George Browne, of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

On the following day a sermon was preached by the Rev. George Collison, from 2 Pet. i. 12-16, which described ministerial duty, and faithfully illustrated it in its exercise, by affectionate reference to the departed.

In many senses, it may be said with truth, the public sustain a loss in his removal. The neighbourhood he lived in gratefully own that it is a man of consistent character and sincerity who is taken away.

The church is deprived of one who was the "father in Christ" of many among them. The rich found an adviser in him, and the poor a friend. Retreating and modest indigence was often sought out by him. The resources

of benevolence, which were largely intrusted to him, were applied by him with scrupulous care. The recipients of this well-directed bounty were many, and they who best know his worth know that it was his pleasure to do good.

Years of domestic affliction taught him sympathy with sorrow, and while they gave a, character to his ministry in an exhibition of the truth that sustains, they prepared him to look closely at calamity, and to penetrate beneath the surface of woe.

His character was simple and real. Pretence and artifice never degraded him; high principle directed him, and he was at all times faithful and affectionate. His preaching and living taught holiness through faith in the Saviour, and an habitual looking for the mercy of God.

THE present movement to effect a visible union among the ministers and members of the different Christian communions among us has our heartiest concurrence. We are willing not only to say "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth," but to give them all the right hand of fellowship; and we think we are warranted in this by that liberality of sentiment which Christians, by the very genius of their religion, are bound to cultivate, and the absence of which in so many churches has produced indifferentism or bigotry. The liberalism which recognises no essentials in religion, and that which is equally indifferent to its circumstantials, is not the spirit of the present timesthe current runs in the opposite direction,-narrow-minded persecution and intolerance is the distinguishing characteristic of a very large section of the Christian church, and therefore we shall view the liberality which we recom

mend and which we desire to cherish, as it is opposed to bigotry-to the exclusive and excluding spirit of the age; observing, however, before we proceed, that this liberality is in firm alliance with the honest and open maintenance of what it believes to be the faith once delivered to the saints. It enshrines truth and love in its "heart of hearts," and worships them with an equal devotion.

If this spirit governed influential Christians, members of the different fellowships into which the universal church is separated, great good would accrue to them all; the barriers that divide them would become less and less visible, and the acknowledgment would soon be made, that though the tribes have their respective encampments, they are so united as to constitute together the Host of God. The growing ascendency of an exclusive and intolerant spirit in the Anglican Church, by which it is assimilating itself

to the worst features of the Church of Rome, is the perfect contrast to genuine Christian liberality. The "idea of a church" has now become the religion of churchmen. It is their divinity. In their view all other churches are apostate, heretical, or schismatic. By renouncing for their Church the universality claimed by the Church of Rome, they have rendered it sectarian, and exposed themselves to the sarcasm of an acute Roman Catholic writer"Either this religion is false, or God became incarnate for the English ;"and we may add, in reference to the arrogant pretensions of modern churchmen, that the mercy which the incarnation bestowed upon a world, is by them confined within the limits of a comparatively small division of the British people.

That this dreadful perversion of Christianity should be encouraged by so many of the clergy, and especially the evangelical successors of the Newtons and the Cecils of the by-gone generation, is deeply to be deplored; a few, however, there are who are labouring to stop the plague; and we were glad that in the Commons House of Parliament there were men who denounced the moral pestilence, and that the premier, Sir Robert Peel, emphatically cheered one of the speakers, Mr. Plumptre, who, referring to the "Tractarians," observed that "he for his part scrupled not to affirm his belief, that the uncompromising and unqualified nature of the pretensions which they set up with respect to ecclesiastical power, were calculated to obstruct instead of furthering the progress of true religion; and that the expression of sentiments, for example, so uncharitable and unscriptural as those involved in sending all who differed from them to what they called the uncovenanted mercies of God,' tended to inflict deeper injury on the Church than any thing that could be imagined."*

There are, we regret to know, other

* Conversation in Committee on the question of the endowment of ministers in populous places, Friday, May 5.

churches besides that of England, which, from their very constitution, are narrow and exclusive; and, so far as anathemas go, as persecuting and intolerant. There are also multitudes in all churches who are fierce and implacable against those who cannot worship their Dagon or pronounce their Shibboleth.

It is, therefore, high time that charity should enter the field against bigotry; but none can be expected to join her standard, except those who cherish a generous and liberal spirit-a spirit which an evangelical clergyman of a former day has thus embodied: "The man I mean to commend, is the man of sentiment; he hath seriously and effectually investigated, both in his Bible and on his knees, in public assemblies and in private conversations, the important articles of religion. He hath laid down principles-he hath inferred consequences; in a word, he hath adopted sentiments of his own... What can a fierce believer reply to a modest Christian uttering such a soliloquy as this? You have a fine genius, but you persecute me! You are sound in the faith; but your faith, or your something, works hatred to me! You are an eloquent orator, but you slander me!* You sing with harmony, and pray with energy, but you increase your felicity by crucifying me! Think seriously; would the King of kings, your Lord and mine, the pattern of every good work-would he treat me thus? And would you wish he should conduct himself to you as you do to me? The man of liberal sentiments is supposed to be of the sentiments of Jesus Christ; and in Jesus Christ there are two admirable perfections-the one extensive power, the other the kindest and most gentle use of it." Again: "A generous believer of the Christian religion, in whole or in part, will never allow himself to try to propagate his sentiments by the commission of sin. Νο collusion, no bitterness, no wrath, no

*Sce a speech on the Factory Bill, by the Rev. Mr. Stowell, at a meeting held at Manchester,