His was the humility of one who lived near to the fountain of purity, and who surveyed all his motives and actions in the light of God's holy word. To the poorest and meanest he was condescending; and to the highest and noblest he stood erect in the dignity of that truth and fidelity which belonged to his office as the servant of Christ. 2. He had much of that charity, which led him to give the right hand of fellowship to all who bore the image of Christ.-Much as he admired the platform of Episcopacy, and firmly as he believed in the lawfulness and utility of Establishments, he was grieved to the heart when he discovered in his own brethren, or indeed among Christians in general, a spirit of ecclesiastical bitterness and exclusion. I hold in my possession a letter in which he speaks freely on this topic, and refers to orthodox Nonconformists in a spirit of brotherly love, indicating both the moderation of his creed, and the comprehensive charity of his heart. On one occasion I applied to him on behalf of the distressed widow and family of a Dissenting minister in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. My letter was waiting him on his return from the country, where he had been seeking the recruital of health; and his reply is as follows: "I found your kind note among many others awaiting my arrival. It is a pleasure that the first note I write should give me an opportunity, for which I feel much indebted to you, of making a little thankoffering (57.) upon my return, as well as of aiding the family of a clerical brother, whom it has pleased God to prosper less in worldly things than myself." Here was the true spirit of love, divested of all that preposterous assumption which, in the case of many, would induce them to shrink from speaking of a Dissenting minister as clerical brother." Indeed, I can say that, while Mr. Blunt remained in Chelsea, some of my most pleasing intercourses consisted in communicating a freely with him upon all topics mutually interesting to us as ministers of the cross of Christ. I never heard him utter a single sentiment involving a breach of that "charity which thinketh no evil." His mind was as far removed from all bigotry as it was from that petty jealousy which cannot rejoice in the prosperity of others. But, 3. His character was distinguished by the spirit of devoted friendship.-Of him it might be said with truth, that he rarely made an enemy, or lost a sincere friend. There was a display of marked sincerity in his intercourses which led him to say precisely what he thought; but which preserved him from that pliancy of character which would either flatter a friend, or commit his feelings or interests. On one or two occasions I had an opportunity of proving, that when certain parties sought to lessen me in his esteem, he did not fail to speak of me in my absence as he was wont to speak of me when I had the happiness of meeting him. As might have been expected, the friends of such a man were ardently attached to him; though those who knew but little of him regarded him as distant and cold. In his pastoral visits, the frankness and fidelity of his nature shone forth with peculiar lustre ; and few who ever saw him by the bedside of the sick and the dying will forget the tone of earnestness with which he was wont to discourse upon the impending realities of an eternal world. But, 4. He was pre-eminent for the gift of an edifying conversation.-Neither the state of his health nor the pressure of parochial duty would allow him to visit much in the circle of his friends. But wherever you met him, or however brief your interview, it rarely happened that something did not fall from his lips which you would desire to remember. His "speech was always with grace, seasoned with salt." He could give the happiest turn to the most common incidents, and evidently knew what it was to be " spirituallyminded, which is life and peace." Naturally, he had an exuberance of wit and repartee; but grace had so far subdued these original tendencies of mind, that they were rarely exhibited except under the controlling influence of the best and holiest principles. I never spent ten minutes in his company without being conscious of the wise and hallowed bearing of his ordinary conversation. This marked feature in his history added much to the weight of his general character, and tended not a little to enhance and confirm the lessons of his public ministry. He had, I am informed by those who well knew the fact, an admirable gift in conversing with those who repaired to him for the purpose of obtaining guidance in spiritual matters. Tender, without being unfaithful, and familiar without being trifling, he never failed to interest the minds of inquirers, and never suffered any one to depart from him without receiving a favourable impression of his conversation as a servant of Christ. But, 5. He was seen to be "a good minister of Jesus Christ," by the happy influence of affliction on his character. -He was much and often in the school of affliction. For eight long years, to say nothing of his previous delicacy of constitution, he never knew what it was to feel the full current of health. But how nobly did he sustain, by Divine grace, the discipline of his heavenly Father! Brought down from a state of full activity to one of passive endurance, he was enabled to maintain not only a spirit of equanimity, but to rejoice "in tribulation, because tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope made him not ashamed, because the love of God was shed abroad in his heart by the Holy Ghost which was given unto him." After his first great illness overtook him, in 1835, he addressed a letter to an old friend and college companion,* in the following delightful terms : *The Rev. Francis Close, A.M, Incumbent of Cheltenham, to whose excellent discourse, "MY DEAR FRIEND,-I feel your very kind and affectionate letter much, I assure you. I did not need you to remind me of your valued promise, for it has been often, and more especially of late, upon my mind. "My state of health, however, is probably what would be called not one of immediate danger, that is, by God's blessing upon the mild climate of Devonshire, (we hope to go to Torquay next week,) I may creep through the winter, but the disease in the lungs is considered by the medical men too far established to allow them to speak confidently of any lengthened period; the symptoms having now, without a single day's intermission, lasted since this time twelvemonth. I merely mention this, because you desire to know exactly how I am, and yet after all it does not tell you; it says how the body is, but, thanks be to God, the body is not I. I can truly, and, I trust, gratefully say, that I never was better; that in the fullest enjoyment of Chelsea work, (and you know something of what that feeling means,) I never enjoyed such unbroken peace and uninterrupted comfort. I do not even want to be up and doing, which for me is wonderful; but I am content to be laid aside, and to be taught what I have been long teaching. "It was an often expressed desire of mine to die in the midst of my work; but now I feel glad that the choice was not left to me, and am truly thankful for the quiet season which, I hope, by God's mercy, lics before me. "I trust that both you and I, my dear friend, have long known something of the value and of the strength of the promises; but even you can, I think, hardly tell what adamant I find them now. I think of death, and for a moment tremble, and then of Him in whom we are made more than conquerors, and really I am almost surprised to find how ENTIRELY the sting of death is drawn. I am afraid of presumption, and, perhaps, when I come into close quarters with the great enemy, I shall find him more powerful than I feel him now; and yet I cannot think it! To be in Christ (oh, the blessed reality!) is, and must be, the strong tower; and seeking all in Him, I am perfectly satisfied that I shall find all in Him, all, both in time and eternity. "But I have written more than my medical. advisers allow me, and yet I could write sheets on my present feelings; however, they are only what you have witnessed in hundreds, as I have myself, and often in the weakest men, women, and children in our Redeemer's family; so cn tirely is it not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.' "Pray for me, that my present feelings may be maintained; more I do not ask on this side heaven. entitled, "The Departure of the Righteous, blessed to themselves, portentous to their survivors," &c., I am indebted for the letter, and also for the last utterances which fell from the lips of my honoured friend. "I have been so entirely interdicted from letter-writing, as too exciting, that few things but the affectionate and urgent kindness of the oldest of my friends could, I believe, have drawn forth a reply. "Believe me ever, my very dear friend, "26, Regency-square, Brighton, I What striking evidence is here supplied of the influence of sanctified affliction. Amidst all the weakness and languor of a bodily frame, broken down and emaciated by fatal disease, we see that patience had her perfect work, and that he who had so often urged upon his beloved flock the duty of cheerful submission to the will of God under trying dispensations, was now enabled to practise the lesson in his own experience, and thus to show that his spirit was under the sustaining influence of those promises which are fraught with consolation to all who, by the grace of God, are enabled to plead and appropriate them as their own. have only, once more, to observe, in the 6th and last place, that he was shown to be " a good minister of Jesus Christ," by the peaceful and triumphant manner in which he was enabled, by faith, to maintain the struggle with the last enemy. -He had long been the messenger of peace to many of his fellow-men; and the same blessed truths which he had delighted to proclaim to others, had sweetly sustained his own spirit through many a long year of feebleness and declining health, in which he was habitually waiting for the coming of his Lord. How delightful, in approaching the closing scene of such a life, to find it peace-undisturbed peace, "joy unspeakable, and full of glory!" But a day before Mr. Blunt was called into the joy of his Lord, so little was his decease looked for, that he was taking an airing in an easy carriage, with a view of recruiting his spirits. On Wednesday, July 19, he was seized with symptoms, which, in his exhausted state, left but little hope of his recovery. His bodily suffering was acute; but he proved, in an eminent degree, the truth of that promise, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." The whole scene was calm and tranquil as a summer's evening. Not a single disturbing thought was permitted to cross his mental horizon. The enemy of souls had no power over him. Death to him was divested of all its terrors. His gracious Shepherd was with him in passing through "the valley of the shadow of death;" and all was victory and praise. In the evening of the day he said, with a smile of heavenly serenity, "Great bodily suffering-sometimes agony; yet all is peace: remember that I am enjoying that, I am enjoying it now; I know I shall through eternity. There is no cloud-no doubt on my mind: God is all-sufficient." And then he added, with apparent triumph, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that CHRIST JESUS came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Yes," added he, "this is a faithful saying, or what should I do at this hour ?" 66 On the following day, July 20th, he was evidently fast approaching the very portals of the heavenly city; but he was so prostrated in bodily strength that he could not distinctly articulate, though his mental faculties were evidently still retained; and he gave many joyous signs, which his beloved family will long remember with thanksgiving to God. Feeble as he was, he expressed a wish that the chair in which, for the sake of easy respiration, he was wont to sit, might be wheeled to a window which commanded a view of the church in which he had so often dispensed the words of eternal truth to his beloved flock. As he looked at the sacred edifice associated with many of his tenderest pastoral recollections, his countenance indicated the calm and holy satisfaction which glowed within. He then waved his hand in token of farewell to his beloved family and friends, drew two heavy inspirations, and fell asleep in Jesus; leaving upon the minds of all who gazed upon the sublime scene the conviction that O what a blessing are such men to the church of Christ! What an impression is produced by their instructions, their spirit, their meek and holy example! They may rank, as did our departed friend, with some particular denomination of professed Christians; but they are, strictly speaking, the property of the universal church. And their removal by death, though full of glory and felicity to themselves, is an unspeakable loss to the now struggling church. When they are taken from us, we are ready to say, Where is the Lord God of Elijah ?" 66 In times He like these, their loss is peculiarly felt. 66 ON THE PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. AMIDST the varieties and discrepancies of opinion which have obtained among the students and interpreters of the prophetic scriptures, there has been a remarkable agreement as to the meaning of the Vision recorded in the second chapter of Daniel. The Holy Ghost himself, the inspirer of the prophets, having given the clue to its interpretation by authoritatively declaring that Nebuchadnezzar (representing the empire over which he ruled) was the head of gold, the wise and the learned have almost universally allowed that the Image which the King of Babylon beheld, symbolized four great monarchies which were to hold dominion over the earth and these they have distinguished as the Babylonian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman empires. Now, whether this interpretation be in all respects correct or not, it is supported by such a host of pious and accomplished writers, that it becomes those who would object to the truth of this system, to do so in a spirit of diffidence and humility. I question, therefore, whether the summary manner in which your correspondent treats this theory of interpretation, sanctioned as it is by so many venerable names, is altogether becoming: nor can I admit that the theory which he proposes is at all satisfactory, for although it may obviate some of the objections which belong to the common interpretation, it involves difficulties of a far more extensive and fatal character. I would not altogether deny the correctness of the principle with which he sets out, namely: "That the prophets of the Old Testament enter not into the events which occur between the coming of Christ, to set up his kingdom, and its final triumph." I believe that in many of the discursive prophecies, no notice is taken of the interval which was to occur between the first and second comings of Christ: the dispensation which was to intervene being a mystery which was hidden from ages and generations. At the same time it does not follow that this principle will apply to all the prophecies, and especially to the chronological ones of Daniel, which seem to set forth the fortunes of the Jewish people, and the history of the world, as far, at least, as the same is connected with their interests, from the days of the prophet, even to the time of the end; and the brief and inconclusive assertions of your correspondent cannot be considered as satisfactorily refuting that system of interpretation, which would go to prove that the concluding chapters of Daniel do shadow forth the events which were to transpire through the ages of the existing dispensation, even to the full and complete establishment and triumph of Christ's kingdom upon earth. My principal object, however, in this communication, is to state a few of the objections which appear to me to militate against the theory advanced by your correspondent, in reference to the meaning of the image which Nebuchadnezzar saw. The head of gold, undoubtedly, symbolizes the Babylonian empire: but that the silver breast and arms sig. nify the Median empire, is very unlikely. To dignify the temporary and short-lived sovereignty of Darius the Mede, and to give to a single reign the prominence thus afforded to it, is entirely out of keeping with the whole character and scope of the prophecy. In point of fact, the Median and Persian nations (whatever they may have been before) were, at the period at which they are brought on the stage of prophecy, so intimately connected and blended together that it is impossible to divide them into separate empires. Cyrus, at the head of the united army of Persians and Medes, took the city of Babylon, wrested the sceptre from the hands of Belshazzar and the sovereignty of the empire was transferred first to Darius, the uncle of Cyrus; and, on his death, to Cyrus himself. That the empire of the Medes and Persians was but one, is clearly specified in the eighth chapter, where it is declared that the two horns springing from the one body of the ram, signify the kings of Media and Persia. This emblem is most conclusive, especially when we consider what is stated in the third verse, that one horn was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. The Median dynasty was first; but it was inferior in duration and splendour to the Persian which succeeded it. In applying to the Græco Macedonian empire the iron legs and toes of the image and the fourth beast, as described in the seventh chapter of Daniel, your correspondent seems to take for granted several important particulars, which require something more than mere assertion, for proof. Supposing, for argument's sake, that the fourth beast symbolizes the same thing as the fourth empire represented by the legs and toes of the image, it is clear that it cannot mean the Grecian empire; for even if the judgment spoken of took place at the first coming of Christ, (which it evidently did not for he came not then to judge the world) this empire did not exist. It had passed away, and had been succeeded by another-the Roman. Again, it was only for a few short years, during the life time of Alexander, the founder of the Grecian empire, that one prince ruled over it. Immediately on his death, his dominions were parted among four of his Captains; but were ultimately divided between the Ptolemies and the Seleucida, the kings of the South and the North. Perhaps, also, your correspondent would favour your readers with a list of the ten kingdoms into which the Grecian empire became divided; although if he should be able to furnish as good an account of them as was ever given of the ten kingdoms of the Roman empire, it might not, after all, bring out the truth of the mystery, as it is just possible that both accounts may be erroneous. The last objection to the scheme of your correspondent which I shall notice, but which seems to me to be fatal to his hypothesis, is this: It leaves entirely out of view the Roman empire, the most powerful and extensive of all the ancient monarchies; and the only one in existence at all answering to the characteristics contained in the prophecy, at the time of our Saviour's advent. As I have before remarked, the Grecian empire had then passed away, and just before the birth of Christ, Augustus Cæsar issued his decree "that all the world should be taxed;" which plainly shows that the empire of which he was the undisputed |