with the present." After expressing his gratitude to God for his goodness, he remarked, "It is more than forty years since I entered the school of Christ; I have been a poor scholar, and made but little improvement, considering the advantages I have enjoyed; and I might justly have expected, that when my Master should call me home, he would send a furious messenger and take me by a rough way; but it is not so, it is not so! At parting he bade him an affectionate farewell, and waving his hand said, "The next time I shall meet you will be on the other side."

On Friday before he died, he manifested occasional symptoms of delirium, but not so as to render him insensible of his situation, or of what was passing around him. Saturday, he enjoyed perfect serenity of mind, and at evening, called his family around him, gave to each the parting hand, with a few words of affectionate counsel; and, with a faltering tongue, pronounced his dying benediction. After this, he was able to converse but little intelligibly, and during the night following seemed to be speaking to himself almost continually; and, from the broken accents which were distinguished, it was ascertained that he was engaged in prayer and praise to God. When the morning dawned, he said, "I have lived to see another resurrection morning-and I shall see one more, when the last trumpet shall sound, and all the sleeping dead shall awake, and the assembling world shall appear before the Lamb. I hope there will be a great convocation this day; and may the word of God, and my Saviour Jesus Christ, be preached in demonstration of the spirit, and with power."

He lingered through the day, and sweetly fell asleep in Jesus at five o'clock, P. M. Sabbath, March 26, 1826, aged 62. The funeral services were attended at the Baptist Meeting house in Brandon, on Wednesday following; at the close of which, his farewell address to the church was read, making a deep impression on all, especially on those for whom it was designed.

His Farewell Addresses.

Through the abundant mercy of God, whose promises support my soul in my present weak and languishing condition of body; though confident that my departure is at hand, I feel very happy and resigned. I bid farewell to the sun, moon and stars, believing I shall soon have no need of those lights; I am bound to the city of my God, where the Lamb is the light thereof. I shall soon bid farewell to that sacred volume, which has been the unerring guide of my earthly pilgrimage, hoping soon to meet with its august Author. And with confidence I humbly rely on the enjoyment of the more open union prepared for all who love the appearing of our Lord. This sacred volume, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has taught me my wretchedness, and the glorious remedy. O the preciousness of Christ, who gave himself a ransom for many! Farewell, sacred book; I shall soon be with the inspired writers of thy blessed pages-with Moses, David, Elijah, and all the holy prophets and apostles-and with IIIM

in whom I have believed-the LAMB, by whose blood I am cleansed, and in whose righteousness I hope to appear clothed.

Farewell, my dear companion. You have been the faithful associate of my pilgrimage, and have borne with me the toils and the afflictions of life. Our cup of domestic blessings has been full and overflowing-Our joyful feet will no more in company visit the sanctuary, nor with melting, grateful hearts, shall we unite in prayer, while we kneel in the midst of our children around the family altar. We must part; but our separation will be short. Soon we shall meet on those blessed shores, where adieus and farewells are a sound unknown;' where pain, sickness, and death can never enter. Till then, I commend you to Him who is the widow's God, and a father to her fatherless children. Farewell-a short farewell.

Farewell, my children. I have a comfortable hope that most of you have fled to the Lamb of God, and have secured by faith, an interest in his blood. I shall never see you more with these mortal eyes. I bequeath to you a father's blessing; and I pray God I may meet you all at his right hand. I commend you to him, who has been my support-the delight and joy of my heart-and to the word of his grace, which is able to make you wise unto salvation. My work is done! and I am going home-where my Saviour has prepared mansions for them that love him.

Farewell, my relatives. Your friendship and your society have ever been sweet to me; on earth it is now closing; but may it be renewed with you all at the right hand of our blessed Saviour, where there is fulness of joy forever. I commend you to God; it is safe to trust in him. O'trust in the Lord forever; for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.'

Address to the Church.

There is one tie more which has long bound me to earth, the dear Church, with which I have enjoyed so many precious seasons -so many rich blessings, the purchase of my Saviour's blood. I have long walked with you, dear brethren, enjoying much of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; and while we have been striving together for the faith of the gospel, and endeavoring to learn and do the will of our heavenly Father, he has granted us many refreshing seasons, and many a foretaste of joys to come. Clusters from the heavenly vine have cheered our hearts. But recently I have enjoyed more satisfaction, more happiness, peace and consolation, and more sweetness in the presence of my Redeemer, than I ever enjoyed before. In all my eyes have seen, and that my heart has felt in all the glorious revivals of religion I have lived to witness, I have experienced nothing like the present joy. If all my past enjoyment could be brought within the compass of one hour, I think it would not be so high and so exalted as my present happiness. I have had more enlarged and impressive views of the great gospel scheme, since my sickness, than ever I had before. I have had such manifestations and such glorious views as with a mortal tongue I can never describe. I am going, dear brethren, to join the church triumphant. We are invited to mansions of rest. go to take my seat before you. My Saviour calls me home. O

I

how important to be fitted for that heavenly place. I never before saw so clearly as I now do, in the light of eternity, the importance of having the Christian spirit; and I want to commend it to you. O brethren, live as our Saviour lived, and imbibe his Spirit. This only will make you happy and useful here, and this only is the spirit of heaven. Gird on the whole armor of God, and march towards the heavenly Canaan.

I have done with all the emblems and symbols of dying love. I am going where I shall see the great Lawgiver, my dear Redeemer, as he is where faith will be swallowed up in vision. Farewell'my flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever.' And though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me; his rod and his staff, they comfort me.' 'How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts.'

'But there's a nobler house above.'

For this my soul longeth, yea, even fainteth;' 'when shall I come and appear before God?' This, in all probability, is my last Sabbath below; but there is an eternal Sabbath before me.

'Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, I love,

But there's a nobler rest above.'

I shall see one more resurrection morning, when the last trumpet shall sound, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality, and death shall be swallowed up in victory.

REMARKS

ON THE DOINGS OF THE BAPTIST CONVENTION, FOR MASSACHUSETTS, HELD IN WORCESTER, THE LAST WEEK IN

OCTOBER.

FROM the details which have formerly been given of the operations of this recent institution, I was led to infer more, perhaps, than was true on the unfavorable side; but at the session now under consideration, I was pleased to witness a delegation from nearly all the Associations in the State, comprising a number of their leading and active men; and I was also highly gratified to observe the kind and harmonious disposition which pervaded the delegation, and the benevolent and enterprising spirit which they so clearly exhibited.

Among their judicious resolutions was one to the following effect, viz. "That they would continue to push on their inquiries until they ascertained the number and circumstances of all the destitute and feeble churches of their denomination in the commonwealth, and as soon and far as possible, procure them the aid which they need to maintain the stated ministrations of the word and ordinances among them."

While ruminating upon this measure, so wide in its scope, and so merciful in its designs, I was led to the following train of reflec tions.

1. This mode of doing missionary business of a domestic nature, is suitable and proper in itself considered; and, although at first sight, it may seem to savor of bigotry and religious monopoly, yet, upon a nearer inspection, all ideas of this kind disappear. All denominations have a right to pursue the same course, and would, no doubt, find it much for their interest to do it, and then the whole community would be looked after and supplied.

2. If every State had its Convention, which would enter upon similar measures with a determination worthy of the object to be obtained, what a pleasing prospect would be exhibited before us, and how soon should we be able to speak with certainty of the actual state of our denomination throughout our country.

3. By this method of applying missionary aid, many of the evils of the old mode are avoided, and a number of important advantages are secured. Formerly ministers were drawn from their stated rounds of pastoral labors, for missionary employments, leaving, for a time at least, a melancholy waste behind, and for the most part, all if not more than all the benefits of their itinerant excursions were lost by their absence from their destitute flocks at home. But the scantiness of their support, and the certainty of some additional aid for their missionary services, led them almost from necessity to accept of appointments of this kind. I would not altogether proscribe the itinerant system, for it is evident that, under certain circumstances, it is the best which can be adopted; but in an old, settled country, where a regular train of operations is adopted by all other communities, for the reasons already stated, the policy we are recommending has decidedly the preference. Again, judicious and timely appropriations to feeble churches towards the support of their ministers, serve to relieve them from the necessity of those secular avocations which have hung as the heaviest weight upon the Baptist ministry in this country. And, finally, this fraternal and extensive inquiry as to the temporal wants and capacities of both the ministers and churches, will have a natural tendency to detect that spirit of indolence, parsimony, and inattention, which, from age to age, like an accursed, blasting inheritance, has been entailed upon by far too many of our churches. I would not carry the matter so far as to infringe upon the liberty of churches or individuals; and indeed, with our peculiar ecclesiastical government, but little danger on this head is to be apprehended. But it is certainly time that the friends of domestic missions should know when they are performing acts of real christian charity by their pecuniary appropriations, and when they are only perpetuating the evils they would remedy by sending missionary aid to those whose destitution arises from that criminal indifference, and that withering covetousness of which we have already complained.

4. The measures pursued by this convention will be likely to call into actual service a considerable number of ministers, who, for the want of sufficient encouragement, have devoted their main attention to worldly pursuits, and have, of course, made the business of preaching altogether a secondary concern. The public statements, if I mistake not, report ten or twelve hundred churches

of our denomination as destitute of pastors. This account may be literally true; and yet, to my certain knowledge, many of these churches thus reported, have ministers within their bounds capable of assuming the pastoral functions, if a little friendly aid of the nature of that we are now recommending were interposed on their behalf. So far as agencies for this object have been undertaken, their effects have proved salutary and helpful, and the list of destitute churches is rapidly diminishing. Striking proof of this position is afforded in the late movements of our denomination in the neighboring State of Connecticut.

How pleasing would be the sight, could we witness the whole range of our churches in one unbroken continuity throughout this extensive country, supplied with stated, active pastors, whose every power of body and mind was devoted to the welfare of their churches, and the advancement of the Redeemer's cause. To this most desirable end we ought to aspire; and I am fully persuaded that our duty and our interest consist more in nursing up and providing for the churches already established, than in hurrying forward a multitude of feeble, pastorless, houseless communities, which swell indeed our numerical lists, but certainly do not add to our comfort or reputation.

And here I would observe, that when I see houses of worship, which have been built, for the most part, by the aid of public charity, standing desolate and forsaken, or falling into the hands of others, I am more and more convinced of the badness of that policy with reference to this matter, which too many of our people have too long pursued. I cannot consider it much gain to the cause of religion, or to the denomination implicated in the measure, to have a church without a pastor, or a house of worship without a stated preacher. There may be exceptions to this rule of judging, but in most cases I am satisfied that it will be found to be correct.

VIATOR.

EDITORIAL REMARKS.

WITH the writer of the preceding article we very heartily concur in most of the sentiments which he has expressed. They are sentiments which we hope our brethren generally, and those especially who conduct our domestic missionary operations, will not only admit, but act upon with all possible vigor and promptitude. Let the feeble churches be encouraged; and let the lukewarm and covetous be admonished. Alas! here is treachery in the very camp of the Lord. Here is a grievous wounding of him in the house of his friends-if friends they are! Let such churches as are willing to do according to their ability, be helped according to their need. And let those ministers of the word who are now obliged to consume their time and strength in secular employments, be enabled to give themselves wholly to the work of the ministry. What an immense accession would there then be to the amount of ministerial labor actually performed, and brought to bear upon the vital interests of the churches, and the welfare of perishing souls.