gentle, if it be but one touch of thine eternal favour. O for one true genuine touch of thine eternal favour in Christ Jesus!'

April 16. I say, Lord, to whom dost thou give it? To the worst? Then give it me! But there is no answer. I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.'

April 26. O Lord Jesus Christ have mercy upon me, and strengthen me. Look down upon my calamitous position, and enable me to fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life, for thy sake. Amen.

I have had joy and peace in believing, but it is all gone now.' It was rejoined in the words of Christ, But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice.' 'Oh, that it were HIS voice speaking to me; then I could rejoice! "O praise the Lord, ye people;" but I cannot praise him, wretch that I am! Once I said, Lord I will trust thee without a token; now I want a token. Lord, give me faith full of tokens. I believe it will be well; but oh, for one more sight of the Lord Jesus, one more sense of his love, and the resurrection from the dead, the forgiveness of sins, and life everlasting! O Lord, have mercy; turn me not away, but let me cleave to thee. Let me die cleaving to thy cross, thy love, thy blood, nothing else!'

May 2. 'He searches me, he proves me, he makes me feel like a lump of clay in his hand. He shows me that false faith is no faith at all. Then I say, Lord, give me the true faith, and he seems to turn his back upon me.' One said to him, 'Is not that the true faith of God's own gift that endures in the very place you describe, looking and waiting for his appearing?' He replied, 'I hope so; if he appear, all will be right. To Christ's righteousness alone I cleave. Christ, the sin-bearer, let me cleave to thee. The faith of thine operation is the faith I have loved, desired, and longed for, but now all is darkness, yet the scripture says, "Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." Even let it be so, Lord, until I drop into eternity. "Be not dismayed, I am thy God." He will not forsake those that trust in him. Lord, grant I may never give up praying, Thy will be done; and under these trying circumstances, Lord, enable me to continue to say it to the end. Lord, whatever thou dost enable me to do is thine, and to thee be the glory of it.'

May 18.One day he looked upon me and pardoned my sin in a moment of time; but, now, what judgment in the midst of mercy! I look to the Lord. I do look; and there is a little brightness. He does not look angry, but as if he saw something his grace had wrought in me,-grace only. I would have all know that it is not faith, but the Lord of faith, that saves. He can stretch forth his hand and do it in a moment.'

About this time he dreamt that he saw a poor miserable sheep cast upon a heap of rubbish in a corner of a field, its feet bound together, and itself unable to move except that it stretched out its

neck to the utmost, bleating after the shepherd, who was at a distance, and out of sight. In his sleep he thought he said, 'Bleat on, you'll be sure to find him. He has said, he will cast out none that come to him.' Those who heard him relate this dream, and beheld the effect of it in strengthening faith and hope, can hardly forget the feeling with which he told it; often saying, I have seen myself a lost sheep, bleating after the Shepherd, and he has told me he will not cast me off."

For about ten weeks during the summer there was much suffering, both bodily and mental; and often Satan seemed permitted to take advantage of the afflicted state of this dear servant of God to aggravate his distress, but the life, love, and power manifest in his spirit were maintained and renewed; and notwithstanding the confusion of the natural mind consequent on the softening of the brain which had taken place, it was never otherwise than apparent that the Lord was chastening his servant for his profit, to make him partaker of his holiness. His heart was brought to increased submission, and his spirit mellowed by the trial; and all was in accordance with a word he had felt in a marked manner applied to him, Jacob, Jacob, fear not to go down into Egypt. I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again, and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes. To these words he often recurred, finding them food for faith unto the strengthening of his soul in the prospect of deeper affliction (for more than once after their application, in the month of June, he bid us not be surprised if yet deeper trouble should come); that he should not go into it alone, but that the God of Jacob would go down with him, and surely bring him up again. And he several times particularly spoke of the last passage, as intimating the holy anointing of the eyes to discern the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Oct. 25. 'I have felt a gentle touch from the Lord, "The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me." I could just believe that he would.' A part of Phil. iii being repeated to him, 'Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect,' &c., he said, I have no thought that I am anything, nor am I thinking that I shall receive a reward for my truth that the Lord enabled me to preach. I have no desire that any one should say anything of me. All I do is to cast myself upon Jesus for all; and my whole desire is that he may be glorified by my ministry, and by his work of grace in me.'

Nov. 20. He suddenly exclaimed, 'What sweet words!—Christ's peace. The peace that passeth all understanding?' he was asked. Yes, yes!' and he continued praying. This one petition was heard, Put me in the arms of Jesus.' He was reminded of the words, Underneath are the everlasting arins.' He replied, 'I

believe they are.'

After a time he cried out, He's come, and he's gone! He's gone away! Oh, he's gone!' and in this sorrowful state he con

tinued for some hours, and then spoke: He says he will come again, and do it-wait-wait.'

Nov. 21. 'I have had a blessed time; I never was so happy! The burden of this clay is gone! The burden is gone!'

Nov. 23. To his wife, 'You have seen much trouble; now come and see a man who believes he is in the favour of God.'

During several succeeding days little was gathered; but from time to time he spoke as follows: I feel all this trouble is of little consequence, for I have a hope beyond it-a hope above it. I can trust him, and believe that he will come again, as he said, "It is finished!" Remember that.'

On the 14th of Dec. he unexpectedly said, I was happy in the night; I had a testimony from the Lord, but I cannot bring it to mind. It was his memory of me.' Some hours after he said, Look for the text which has mountains in it.' This was repeated, 'The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee' (Isa. liv. 10). When asked if that was it, he said, 'Yes,' and remained silent.

Dec. 18. He spoke these words distinctly (in the third person, which was not unfrequent), 'He's happy! Don't be afraid-he's in heaven.' His eyes were closed, but the smile upon his countenance expressed a peace beyond anything this world can give.

Dec. 25. He said to his wife, I am in blessed peace;' and spoke not again audibly during the whole week, though one might perceive there was a breathing of prayer sometimes.

Jan. 1, 1871. He said, I am happy.' In the afternoon this word was repeated, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.' Though he had been silent, and apparently asleep since he spoke in the early morning, he immediately took up the words, 'My soul doth magnify the Lord.' It was said, 'You have loved those words?' He again repeated, My soul doth magnify,' but was too weak to proceed. Not another word was heard. He continued in a quiet sleep, which gradually deepened till five o'clock on Tuesday evening, Jan. 10, when he opened his eyes with a sweet and peaceful expression, and in a moment breathed his spirit into the arms of Jesus.

'Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of. that man is peace.' Psalm xxxvii. 37.

Thus died Bernard Gilpin, having nearly completed his 68th year. He was buried within the family enclosure in the churchyard of Pulverbach. A marble tablet to his memory is erected in his own chapel in Port Vale. It bears the following inscription:

THIS TABLET IS ERECTED

BY THE CONGREGATION ASSEMBLING IN THIS CHAPEL

IN AFFECTIONATE REMEMBRANCE OF

BERNARD CILPIN,

FOR 34 YEARS THEIR FAITHFUL AND BELOVED PASTOR,

AND IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO THE GOD OF ALL GRACE

FOR THE BLESSINGS BESTOWED THROUGH HIS MINISTRY.

HIGHLY ESTEEMED FOR HIS WORK'S SAKE,

AND ENDEARED TO THEIR HEARTS

BY HIS CONSTANT KINDNESS AND GENTLENESS,

AND SINCERE HUMILITY AND LOVE,

HE LIVED IN THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL WHICH HE PREACHED,

AND DEPARTED IN PEACE, A SINNER SAVED BY GRACE,

10th JANUARY 1871, AGED 67.

'I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT, I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE, I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH; HENCEFORTH THERE IS LAID UP FOR ME A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, WHICH THE LORD, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE, SHALL GIVE ME AT THAT DAY: AND NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.'

CHAPTER XXI.

Narrative of Mrs. Gilpin.

My mother having died in India while I was an infant, and my father being much engrossed in human learning, and not till many years afterwards impressed with the importance of religion, I do not recollect receiving any early religious instruction beyond hearing a chapter in the Bible and one of Spinks' prayers read duly morning and night in the family. I was also required to take my stand among my brothers and sisters while we repeated the Church Catechism with perfect correctness to my father every Sunday evening, and this was followed by the reading of a sermon. I used to pay little attention to these forms, which constituted at that time the extent of our family religion; on the contrary, I often found them most irksome, my spirit being wholly set on this world. Still I felt sometimes convictions of sin when very young, but they were transient. The first I remember occurred when I was between five and six years old. I was unaccountably urged, out of mere curiosity, to try a foolish experiment which, though really harmless, I childishly supposed might prove dangerous. I pursued my purpose, however, in a reckless spirit, till suddenly a cutting conviction of sin struck into me; I thought I was hardened, daring, and presumptuous above other children; and I felt a measure of terror, with a vague expectation of judgment to come, that I long remembered with fear.

When I was about seven or eight I used to hear more about the importance of the soul from my elder sisters, and then I would frequently make resolutions of being very religious, and set about the business most earnestly; but my natural disposition being very inconstant, I never could persevere long together. This was a great distress to me, but I would try again and again, and sometimes kept up for a good while, very constant in private prayer, and laboriously striving against sin. I was often warned by my friends of the necessity of continuance in well-doing and was taught to believe that converted people might turn back to the ways of sin again, and be eventually lost, which I always pondered with distress, believing it would be my own case. I thought it a most grievous pity that those who had at any time been in a state of salvation should outlive that and become heirs of hell again. This used to make me consider death, even in its most violent form, as the greatest blessing that could possibly befal a person as soon as ever he was once religious. Accordingly, as soon as I had kept on long enough in private prayer &c., I began to long to die as my best chance of getting to heaven. Once on a walk I found I had got into a field with a bull, and though