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nistration of divine ordinances, and for the comfort and convenience of those who come to them. It is no small benefit, but a great blessing, that there are places set apart for divine worship, and a settled ministry appointed to preach the Gospel; for without this institution many would never hear of a Saviour. Every place in which (as our church says, Article XIX.) 66 the pure word of God, is preached, and the sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordinance," may be compared to one of the porches at the pool of Bethesda and as the impotent persons who lay in those porches were waiting for the moving of the water," so those who feel their spiritual maladies come to the house of God, and "wait for his loving-kindness in the midst of his temple." They come to the means of grace as poor, guilty, miserable sinners, feeling their need of the Lord's healing power upon their souls, and earnestly seeking it in Christ Jesus. Many indeed come to divine ordinances without any such thoughts in their hearts, because they are whole, and need not the physician," as persons who might walk to the pool of Bethesda, and sit down for a time among the sick who lay there, without feeling their need or desiring the benefit of a cure; but those who really come to the house of God to receive benefit to their souls, feel in their hearts, as well as confess with their lips, that there is no health in them."

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4. The case of those infirm people at the pool of Bethesda was an emblem of our spiritual maladies, which can only be healed by Jesus Christ. The description given by St. John of the sick at the pool of Bethesda, shows that they were labouring under diseases which were incurable by human means. "In these (porches) lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water." No

physician can restore the impotent whose strength is gone, or give sight to the blind, or feet to the lame, or soundness of body to the withered; for such disorders are past cure by any human skill, and can only be healed by the immediate power of God. Just so is our own condition as sinners. We are by nature impotent, without strength or power to help ourselves. We are blind in our understanding, for "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor. ii. 14.) We are also blind to our real state as sinners, blind to our danger, as exposed to the wrath of God and the curse of his law, and blind to the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ. We are halt, not being able to stir one step in the ways of God, or the road to heaven. And we are withered, for all the faculties of our souls are with regard to spiritual things dried up, and Our hearts by nature barren of all that is good. In this situation we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves:" no human aid can do us any good, and none but Jesus can effectually help us. Our recovery must be the effect of divine power; and when we feel that this is indeed our condition, we come to the means of grace as the impotent came to the pool of Bethesda, waiting for that divine power which alone can restore us; we come as guilty for pardon, as helpless for grace; in short, as sinners for salvation, and as waiting for that salvation only in Christ Jesus.

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5. The means of cure at the pool of Bethesda were peculiar. An angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." The cure was effected by the immediate power of God, and according to his own

lasting condemnation, and who believes in his heart that there is salvation in Christ, and in no other, will come at once to partake of that salvation. No arguments were necessary to induce the sick at the pool of Bethesda to step at once into the water as soon as the angel had descended into it: each one would strive for himself to be the first who should step in, that he might obtain a cure; because they all felt their diseases, and earnestly desired a remedy. So when the burden of sin is felt in the heart, and the awakened sinner who labours under it hears those gracious words of the divine Saviour, "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," (Matt. iv. 28,) he is drawn at once to comply with the invitation; he comes without delay to the Saviour, that believing in him he may find rest to his soul.

7. There was no other pool endued with such powers of healing as the pool of Bethesda; and if diseased persons had tried any other they would have found no benefit. In like manner there is no other way of salvation but that which the Gospel points out in Jesus Christ: Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts, iv. 12.)

The convinced sinner may at first, from not having clear views of the salvation that is in Jesus Christ, try other remedies, as making atonement for sin by acts of repentance and mortification, and by keeping the law, and so looking only in part to Christ; but he will soon find that these remedies will not avail, and that he must look alone to Christ as the only way of salvation. He must come as the impotent persons came to the pool of Bethesda, expecting help from that ordinance alone, and not looking for it from any other quarter. Let the reader then inquire whether this be the state of his mind with regard to spiritual things; whether he feels his disease as a sinner, and desires to be made whole. If so, let him behold the remedy which God has provided in his dear Son. Let him look to Christ by faith, and come to him without delay, casting himself entirely on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus for eternal life. For the longer the sinner keeps back from coming to the Saviour, the worse his spiritual state will become; while, on the other hand, the sooner he comes to Christ, the sooner he will be restored to spiritual health, and find by happy experience that Jesus is an all-sufficient Saviour for all who come to him.

LITOREUS.

Ir all our hopes and all our fears
Were prisoned in life's narrow bound;
If, travellers through this vale of tears,
We saw no better world beyond;
O what would check the rising sigh?
What earthly thing could pleasure give?
O who would venture then to die?
O who could then endure to live?
Were life a dark and desert moor,
Where mists and clouds eternal spread
Their gloomy veil behind, before,
And tempests thunder overhead:

Where not a sunbeam breaks the gloom,
And not a floweret smiles beneath:
Who could exist in such a tomb?
Who dwell in darkness and in death?
And such were life, without the ray
From our divine religion given:
"Tis this that makes our darkness day;
'Tis this that makes our earth a heaven.
Bright is the golden sun above,
And beautiful the flowers that bloom;
And all is joy, and all is love,
Reflected from a world to come.

BOWRING

mer.

MR. WM.K. was born at Beech Hill, in the county of Berks, in July 1736. His father was a farHis mother was left a widow while her only child was of tender years. When William was of sufficient age to enter upon an apprenticeship, the widow and her son went into the neighbourhood of the metropolis. His fidelity as an apprentice was testified by his master leaving him one of his executors, and from the esteem always shown him by his surviving relatives. During his residence in this family, he heard a funeral sermon preached from those striking words of the apostle, "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." This discourse so arrested his attention, and made such an indelible impression upon his mind, as became, it is presumed, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the foundation of whatsoever was lovely and of good report in after-life. He was accustomed to make frequent allusion to these words with peculiar animation.

Shortly after he was twenty-one, Mr. K. engaged in business in the parish of St. John's, Southwark; where finding from the exertions of a few months that there was a fair prospect of success, he married. By persevering industry, in the course of years he acquired a competency; but his generosity, liberality, and benevolence were too great to admit of his amassing the enormous fortune acquired by many in modern times, who commence with inferior prospects and exert less industry.

Mr. and Mrs. K. had eleven children, while only a son and daughter are their survivors. They were the subjects of many personal and family trials; but their posterity.

rejoice in the hope, that they are not without scriptural evidence, that it was good for each of them to be chastened of the Lord.

When about forty years of age, Mr. K. was the subject of a severe fever on the brain. At this time his life was despaired of; and it is conceived, that this afflictive dispensation may most naturally account for those mental aberrations, of which he was ever after occasionally the subject.

Becoming acquainted about the year 1781 with that very excellent clergyman, the Rev. W. T. Abdy, who, at the commencement of the following year, entered upon the cure of that parish in which he died a most deservedly lamented rector; a friendship commenced between them, which has doubtless now attained to that maturity, known only by those who are admitted to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb.

The writer of this Memoir cannot allude to this pastoral connexion without the most gratifying sensations; as he unequivocally regards it as that providential occurrence which fostered religion in his father's house, and which will be remembered with delight to all eternity by those who among his near and dear relatives have departed this life in "the faith of God's elect;" and of others still in the wilderness, whom he hopes will in due time attain unto that rest which can alone be enjoyed in heaven. Would to God that every family thus privileged, with the endeared connexion of a devoted pastor, might derive like benefits.

If the incorruptible seed of divine truth had been long before deposited in this household, it now put forth such vigorous shoots, that the most satisfactory improvement was witnessed.

Family religion was regularly

established, which the bustle of active business, early in the morning and late in the evening, was not allowed to prevent.

At this period a most important change took place in Mr. K.'s eldest daughter. Her attractions had been acknowledged in circles of gaiety; but now her devout deportment and exemplary piety cheered the mind of the pastor, and nourished the cause of vital godliness in the family. The strongest testimony was borne to her Christian character after her death, by the venerable clergyman already mentioned.

About the year 1790, Mr. K, retired from the labours of commerce, and resided wholly at C. Thus voluntarily separated from old connexions, and the most active occupations of life; and oppressed by some painful circumstances which occurred in a family in whose welfare he had taken a lively interest; his mind became depressed, and he was for years the subject of great mental irritation. After the trial of various means, there was a gradual return towards sanity; and as it was considered that employment might perfect the recovery, he returned again to the very premises which he had before occupied for many years. The experiment, under the divine blessing, proved altogether successful, and he continued engaged in mercantile pursuits until 1801, when he retired to occupy a small private house in the same parish, where he was bereaved of his most affectionate and amiable wife.

In little more than two years afterwards, his eldest daughter having fallen asleep in Jesus, and his son having entered into holy orders, he gave up his house at C. and resided with his only surviving daughter in the parish where he had spent most of his days, and in which he died; occupying his time very usefully in benevolent

and public institutions both in and out of a district where he felt himself altogether at home.

Within two or three years of his decease, he had partial and occasional attacks of mental disquietude, which, at the close of last year, assumed a permanent form. At his advanced period of life, this was to be expected, in connexion with the diseases to which he had long been subject. After remaining about two months in this state, he fell asleep on the 28th of February 1824, in his 88th year.

At the period of his death, Mr. K. was a member of more than THIRTY charitable or religious institutions, or different branches of the same benevolent societies. But his kindness was not confined to public charities; many were the individuals who excited his compassion, and he largely contributed to the relief of different applicants at his own door.

The leading object in thus entering into the details of Mr. K.'s temporal circumstances has been, to point out how much benevolence and liberality may be exercised with an income that at no time could be considered more than comfortable.

How much might the miseries of human life be mitigated, and how much more would the law of kindness, that law of loving our neighbour as ourselves, be exemplified, if all were, after his example, to proportion their charities to their respective incomes. They would thus leave a blessing behind them more valuable to their children than thousands of silver and gold.

In Mr. K.'s final excursion, which was to visit his son, accompanied by his daughter, he was very composed, with the exception of an occasional anxiety. His last celebration of the dying love of the Lord Jesus, was at his own parish church, on Christmas day; where his place had not been vacant for many years, except