up earnestly to them, and said, "You distress me; I am happy there is no guilt on my conscienceI am in perfect peace!" He desired to be left to his own meditations, and was heard praying aloud, in most pathetic strains, for the beloved people of his charge.

On the Friday, he desired the friend referred to to assist him in drawing up his will. This document commences with the striking clause," I remit all that is owing to me from every quarter;" and closes with the delightful declaration, "I wish to add, my mind is composed." The whole of his property, with a few trifling exceptions, consisting chiefly of a sum of money lately raised by his friends, and placed in the funds for his benefit, he bequeathed to the Church Missionary Society. He had no poor relations, and he observed, God is dearer to me than the dearest of my earthly relations." It is not correct, as stated in some of the newspapers, that he bequeathed any sum for the purpose of returning Captain Gordon to the new parliament. He simply directed that a sum which he had collected among his friends for that purpose, and which happened to be in his hands at the time of his seizure, should be applied, by his executor, to the purpose for which it had been raised.

On the Saturday preceding his dissolution, he was all day struggling with the last enemy; but, even then, he more than once evinced the serenity and ardour of his mind. The physician, perceiving that the current of life was fast ebbing, endeavoured to produce a temporary re-action of the bodily frame, by bringing the mind into play; and, for this purpose, began to speak to the dying saint of that double life, the animal and spiritual, which God at first breathed into man. "Yes" exclaimed he,

recalling the mode of expression in the original, "He breathed into man the breaths of life." As the

mind was evidently roused, the physician went on to speak of man as a once beautiful mirror, which, though now broken in shivers, presents, in each broken fragment, some faint traces of the great original. The image did not, perhaps, exactly please him, and, summoning all his energies, he said, "You remind me of the story of a tiger which entered a house, and encountered a mirror, which, when he saw his own image reflected in it, he dashed in pieces, springing with the utmost fury on his supposed antagonist; but seeing still, in every broken fragment, a tiger reflected, he fled in terror. This," said he, was the parting blow given to the natural man; in every fragment of the mirror there is the figure of the sinner."

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"The mucus being removed, he expressed," observes Mr. Melvill, "a sense of comfort, but showed the bent of his thoughts by saying, The soul, too, has its air-tubes, but they are choked by sin.' The physician's purpose was answered by the general relief of the system. The conversation then turned on the 14th chapter of John. Mr. Howels took up the subject, and began at the text-

In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you, adding, with great emphasis, I go to prepare a place for you.' These were the last words he quoted from Scripture. He then commented on them: Yes-our Lord says, You have been an out-door servant long enough; I will now make you an in-door servant, and take you out of the wind and rain, and give you a glorified body, and better wages, and a better mansion.'

"It must have been shortly after this that he took leave of his executor. Between one and two on the morning of Sunday, this dear friend approached his bed-side. He expressed to the dying saint his conviction that he must feel himself dear to Christ, and safe in Christ. The reply was Fully-for eternity'-spoken with great emphasis. After a pause, and in a lower tone, he added, 'I should be travelling beyond the bounds of the promise if I sought more for time.' He inquired after the wife of his friend, and desired that his parting blessing might be carried to her. Being told she was in the house, longing to receive the

blessing from his own lips, he expressed im mediate compliance. The husband and wife entered together, and knelt down by the bedside. Their departing friend extended his arms, and, with a fervour and effect not to be described, exclaimed, The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, bless you both with all the blessings of the everlasting covenant!' He added expressions of gratitude for many kindnesses; and, receiving the last embraces of those whom he most tenderly loved, he dismissed them till they meet him again before the great white throne of the Lamb. He lived about three hours after this interview. To the very last he was singularly clear and collected. Shortly before his death he pronounced a farewell blessing on his surgeon and family. He then said, 'I desire to lie passive in the hands of the Lord;' and, taking the hand of the surgeon, he added, 'I can talk no more.' These were his last words; and, in all tranquillity, unruffled and undisturbed, between four and five on the morning of the Sabbath, he slept in Jesus."*

The funeral of this eminent servant of God took place on Saturday, the 24th of November, at Mr. Fell's church, Islington. The crowd assembled to witness the mournful solemnity was immense, and about three hundred of Mr. Howels's congregation joined the procession, at their own expense, to testify their

* See Mr. Melvill's Funeral Discourse.

profound respect for the memory of their beloved Pastor. Scarcely has a scene more solemn been witnessed, except when his people, assembled in the place of worship, first learned that he was no more. Not an eye but was bathed in tears; and while devout men, as in the case of Stephen of old, carried him to his grave, all gave testimony, by their deep-toned grief, that a great man had fallen in our British Israel. O may the chief Shepherd raise up pastors according to his own heart-men of noble purpose -men of dauntless integrity-men willing to count all things but loss for Christ-men who have no inferior aims in performing the work of God and their generation-men willing to endure as seeing him who is invisible. men ready to "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus"-men like the deceased, simple-hearted, disinterested, full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and bearing a dying testimony to the grace and faithfulness of the ever-blessed Redeemer.

We have now entered upon another year, and I wish it may be a profitable one to us, by our seriously reviewing the one we have finished, that we may be humbled for the sins into which we have been betrayed, and rendered more simply dependent and watchful; and that we may be more thankful for the special mercies, personal, social, and public, with which we have been favoured.

We, indeed, have been spared to enter on another year, and have great cause, though little heart, for thankfulness. We have no assurance that we shall live to the close of it. Several who joined with us last year in the service of the day have now entered on an eternal state; and probably some of us will be called to join them before this year terminates;

and how terrible will this be to those who, by a perverse abuse of the Lord's abundant mercies, have increased their own condemnation! Still the Holy Ghost says, "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts;" "seek ye the Lord while he may be found; cali upon him while he is near ;" and we ought to be offering daily prayers and supplications for ourselves, that in the present year we may be turned "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." Perhaps some are blessing God that this has been their happy case during the preceding year, and are now saying within themselves, "Had I died before the year 1832 I should have perished in my sins, without Christ, and without hope." may the Lord, who spared us when of1

But

were cut off, and preserved us from numberless dangers, seen and unseen, when we habitually trampled on his commandments, and neglected his salvation, at length show himself to us, that we may truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that, taught by divine grace, we may walk in newness of life!

Let us

How memorable will it be for any of us, even to eternal ages, if this be the acceptable year of the Lord to us, which to many hath, doubtless, been the day of vengeance of our God! Oh! let us endeavour to show forth his praises, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to his service, and by walking before him in holiness and righteousness all our days! We ought to abide in Christ, keep close to the means of grace, watch against temptation, be not highminded, but fear; for our enemies are many, and our hearts are deceitful. Let us be sober, and hope unto the end; let us wait on the Lord continually, that he may renew our strength, and take heed lest an increase of knowledge and maturity of judgment should be attended by an abatement in the fervour of our affections. not be contented with the low attainments of professors in this lukewarm age, but follow those who have most closely followed Christ, and approach to his table to avow our acceptance of salvation, and surrender of ourselves to his service, that, as bought with a price, we may glorify God with our bodies and spirits, which are his. We should likewise remember that our time is short-that we may learn patience in tribulation, joyfulness in hope, indifference about things present, and diligence in our proper work. Let our loins be girded, our lamps burning, and let us be habitually expecting the coming of our Lord; persevere in every good work and Christian course on which we have entered, and aim to press forward, to grow in grace, and abound more and more in all the fruits, of righteousness. Then, should this be our last year, as it possibly may, we shall have reason to expect that death will be our gain.

Ages before we were brought into existence God foresaw our wants and miseries, as the descendants of fallen Adam, by whom sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and in infinite mercy he made all things ready for our salvation in the person and redemption of his beloved Son In due season he deigned to bless the land which was to be our residence with

the light of the gospel; and, by a variety of wonderful interpositions, he hath continued to it that light, while it hath been extinguished, or greatly obscured, in other

countries.

But a few hours or days have passed since we heard the knell of the departed year. Let us learn from the history of the past;-for the past, though a stern, is a faithful, teacher. The future is a deceiver; but in the past there can be no illusion. Its lessons are written in the ample page of time gone by, where all may read, and learn, and improve. In order to know how to commence this year well, let us remember the history of those years that are gone, and inquire how we have employed them. To some they have been years which the world calls prosperous. Schemes have succeeded which the multitude count wise, and hopes have been realized which they deem delightful. To many, the past year is recorded in the melancholy characters of suffering, of disappointment, and sorrow-corporeal infirmities, mental anguish, repeated misfortunes, and departed friends. These events have thrown their sad and mournful colouring over the circling months of the departed year; but, in the spirit of that book which alone contains perfect wisdom, "behold, we count them happy which endure;" and if our afflictions (however painful) which come on an errand of mercy make us humble before God, and wise unto salvation, their memory will be bright on the pages of time, and their record glorious in the volume of eternity. I have been led to conclude one and to begin another year of life in a manner different from any former one-to take a final leave of one by self-examination, and to enter on the other by dedicating myself afresh to God, by resolving, through his grace, to live in future more devoted to him, to seek conformity to his image, more hatred to sin, more watchfulness against temptation, more reliance on him for strength to resist Satan, more sanctity in heart, speech, and behaviour, more blamelessness in life, and charity towards my fellow-creatures, more zeal for Christ's glory, and more meetness for heaven. This which I am commencing may, probably, be the last year I shall spend on earth. Oh! may it be the best!-may it be a year to be remembered with joy through eternity! I remain,

J. A.

DEAR SIR,-The resolution of the North Riding Association respecting the spiritual claims of the Continent on British Christians, which appeared in your September Bumber, afforded me sincere satisfaction. With the hope of augmenting the feelings which dictated it, and of exciting similar emotions in the minds of others, I entreat your insertion of the present letter. In it I have no intention of taking that comprehensive view of the moral statistics of Europe which may with facility be gained from the correspondence of the Bible, Tract, and Continental, Societies. My objects are to bear a simple and condensed testimony to the spiritual wretchedness of some maritime districts of Picardy and Normandy, which may serve as tolerable, though, I fear, inadequate, specimens of more distant and less enlightened portions of France, and to suggest such modes of exertion, for the benefit of that country, as may be practicable by many of your readers. I spent a few weeks, during the last summer, in the provinces to which I have referred, and my brief observation has deeply impressed en my mind the following truths May it please the Spirit of Christ to convey them, in all their practical obligation, to numerous hearts!

1. An awful destitution of scriptural information exists in France. The notorious fact, that the great majority of its population is divided into Roman Catholics and Deists, may be received as a sufficient proof of this statement.

And, when it is considered that, among the Protestants, who ought to be "the salt" of the land, Socinian sentiments are dreadfully prevalent, and that a large number of their ministers are worldly men, frequenting, as a pious lady assured me, "the chace, the dance, and the billiard-table," this want of scriptural knowledge assumes a more hopeless aspect. But, to specify a few facts in connexion with the sphere of my own observation. On the road to M-, on a market-day, I stopped about a dozen persons, some poor, others of the better classes, and, showing them the New Testament, begged them to inform me if they possessed it. With a single exception, they all replied in the

negative. In the town of M-, I entered, with the same inquiry, many of the most respectable shops. Only one individual among their occupiers was the owner of a New Testament. One gentleman, who, during a week, dined with me at my inn, and who avowed himself a deist and a materialist, said that he had not seen a Testament for many years. Indeed, I doubted whether he had ever read it; for, on my presenting one to him, he asked if it contained an account of the creation. A journeyman bookbinder, having expressed a wish to obtain this precious book, remarked, on receiving it, in perfect ignorance of its divine authority, that he dared to say it was "a very fine work." A student in a university, about twenty years of age, told me that, although he had seen the Vulgate (Latin) version of the Testament, he had never met with it in a French translation. A young woman, who professed to have a Bible, produced, instead of it, a Catholic Abridgment of the Scriptures, garbled in many important portions, and interlarded with the comments of the fathers.

As to the public worship of God, the case is equally deplorable. In two large towns, amid a population of 25,000, I found no Protestant sanctuary. In a third town, containing about 7000 inhabitants, there was an English episcopal chapel for the British residents, but no French Protestant service. At a fourth, in which there was a Protestant church, the minister, who supplied four other places, preached one Sabbath in five weeks.

And what is the result of this "famine of the words of the Lord?" Let the truth be admitted, that the religion and the morality of a people bear a close propor tion to their observance or neglect of the Sabbath; and then, let the aspect of a French Sunday furnish a reply. Oh! could every pious reader of this letter be awakened, on the morning of that sacred day, as I have been, by the clang of the anvil, and, on his entrance into the streets and markets, observe business prosecuted or suspended according to the tastes of the tradesmen ;-could he mark the workmen, on seasons of religious festival, erecting the triumphal arch on the Sabbath morn

ing, and removing it on the Sabbath evening;-and notice the labourers, at their option, toiling all day on the public works; could he see the card-party in the hotel, and the nine-pins before every publichouse, and the promenaders swarming in all the suburbs;-could he be compelled to witness, on one Sunday, a grand review of a garrison, and, on another, be disturbed by the music of a company of strolling players;-and, could he find, amidst all this profanation, as I have found, no temple to which to retreat, save the barren cliff, or the ocean cave,-surely he would feel and proclaim the truth, This 66 people is destroyed for lack of knowledge." But, glance at the brighter side of the picture.

2. Numerous facilities exist, in this unhappy land, for the circulation of correct sentiments. The revolution that has recently occurred in France has effected a decided removal of the obstructions which, during the reign of the exiled family, cramped the progress of religious truth.

The

ascendancy of the priests appears annihilated. They are not now the springs of the movements of the police, but, as concealed Carlists, the objects of its suspicion. And, as to the fear that the civic authorities will interfere to prevent the circulation of religious sentiments, my own experience will furnish a sufficient antidote. I was passing, one day, through the streets of G-, leaving tracts at every house. Here I was accosted by the Commissary of Police with the inquiry, "What books are these?" I said they were religious tracts, and offered him a few to inspect. He looked at them, and, observing that he would give them away, politely touched his hat, and left me to pursue my course without molestation. In short, considering the present state of public sentiment in France, I am convinced that, as soon as the authorities perceive that no political object is sought by the distribution of scriptural publications, issuing from the Paris press, he will experience no opposition to his most comprehensive efforts.

From these circumstances, although springing from perfect indifference towards real piety, results the facility with which Protestant preaching, the sale and distribution of the Scriptures, and the general diffusion of truth, may now be prosecuted in France-a facility of which the Protestant Bible Society, the British and Foreign Bible Society (under the agency of Professor Kieffer), the Paris

Tract Society, and kindred institutions, are availing themselves. Individuals, too, who wish personally to disseminate scriptural knowledge, will find an abundant supply of tracts, admirably adapted to the mixed condition of superstitious and infidel France, at the depository of the Paris Society, No. 6, Rue de l'Oratoire. There also they may furnish themselves with French translations of works which have often instructed and charmed them in their English garb. Among them are Bogue's Essay, Keith on the Prophecies, Bunyan's Pilgrim, Doddridge's Rise and Progress, Burder's Village Sermons, Father Clement, and similar publications. And, if any are disposed to inquire, whether such books will be accepted by the population generally, I offer them my unhesitating testimony, that, while a few will reject them, and a few others will threaten to burn them, nineteen-twentieths of the inhabitants of France will receive them with acquiescence, with gratitude, or with eagerness. Hence it is evident, that,

3. Private individuals may be efficiently employed, in that country, in the dissemination of evangelical principles. The reign of monopolies, I trust, Mr. Editor, is passing away; nor is there any monopoly the destruction of which will more effectually advance the cause of religion than that which private Christians have been too willing to confer on the professional heralds of salvation. This abandonment of direct efforts for the diffusion of truth to public religious characters is so common, that I anticipate the objection, "We are not ministers; we cannot go to France and preach the Gospel." Be it so; but forget not that the Scriptures presume, even under the old economy, that individual believers were “teaching every man his neighbour," and that the New Testament does not exempt even the weaker sex from the toils of evangelization:-"those women," says Paul, "who laboured with me in the Gospel." Be it so; but, if you cannot preach in French, go and talk in French, and let those youthful days which you consumed in gaining the rudiments of that language answer some nobler purpose than the display of a fashionable accomplishment. And, if you still object, “ Our knowledge of French would not permit us to converse with freedom on religious topics," recollect that you may distribute tracts although you could not converse, and that a dozen phrases would be sufficient to introduce