In the few last years of his life he was exercised with trouble and distress of a domestic nature, which greatly oppressed his mind, and sometimes seemed to produce in him a degree of impatience. The loss of two married daughters and a son-in-law, who was cut off by an untimely stroke, appeared to prey upon his spirits, and, in some degree to eclipse those bright discoveries of the perfect love of God to his soul with which he had been so highly favoured. Bodily infirmities and family trials increasing upon him, he was induced to ask for a supernumerary station, and to confine his labours within a narrower sphere. He continued, however to fill his appointments as long as he could sit on his horse, nor did any weather prevent him from exercising his ministry, as long as he was able. The two last years of his life he was confined altogether at home, not having strength to go from his house five hundred yards for most of the time. The last time I saw him, hopes were entertained that he might get better, but old age, and a complication of disorders, under which he laboured, put a period to his mortal life about six months after. In his last illness he was visited by many of his friends, and by some of the preachers who were stationed near him; but such was the nature of his disorder, and such the stupor it threw him into, that he seldom spoke unless roused; but when enabled to speak he gave satisfactory evidence of his unshaken confidence in God. Mr. Alder, one of the missionaries stationed near him, frequently visited him, and he told me that he found him happy in God, when he was able to speak, and waiting in a confident hope of a glorious immortality. I cannot better describe his state of mind in that most momentous period, than by extracting part of a letter written to me immediately after his death, by his eldest son, who is a class-leader and an exhorter in our societies. "Dear Uncle,

"On Saturday last, we buried the body of our father, who died on the 26th day of February. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.' Thanks be to God we do not sorrow as those without hope. In all his afflictions he manifested a well-grounded hope and confidence in God; the gospel which he had preached to others was his support in death. I visited him often in his last illness, which was attended with great pain and weakness of body; but I never found his hope shaken, or that he entertained a doubt of eternal happiness. When he could speak, which was seldom the case, ho sometimes called us into the room to read, sing and pray, and I often heard him sing part of his favourite hymn:

VOL. II.

My suffering time shall soon be o'er,
Then shall I sigh and weep no more;
My ransom'd soul shall soar away,
To sing thy praise in endless day.'

3

Once after prayer he said to me, 'I have no fear of death, it is all taken away.' As his strength decreased he spoke very little, being most of the time in a kind of stupor. Two days before his death I went to visit him, and seeing him in that state I retired, and poured out my soul to God that he would give him liberty of speech before he departed; and my prayer was heard, for when I returned to his bed-side, and said, Father, is the Lord precious to your soul, he answered, 'Yes.' The next day, about eleven o'clock, he appeared very ill, and just dying; but he lay slumbering all night, and in the morning he made tokens that he understood what was spoken. I said, No doubt the spirits of the just, who have died in the Lord, when they see their brethren in Christ coming, are ready to welcome them to that happy shore. He immediately lifted up his hands in token of his firm belief of it, then placed them on each other, and laid them on his breast, with his eyes fixed upward, and without a struggle or a groan fell asleep in Jesus. May my last end be like his !"-Thus died our brother, in the 74th year of his age, leaving a widow and four children to lament the loss of an affectionate husband and tender parent. He had preached the gospel near 45 years. Though he was not eloquent, yet he possessed a sound judgment, and clear understanding. He was well acquainted with all the Methodist doctrines, and was a great lover and admirer of Mr. Wesley's writings. He knew his Bible well, and thoroughly understood the plan of salvation. In his sermons he generally confined himself to the plain doctrines, precepts, promises, and threatenings, recorded in the sacred volume. In him the church has lost an able supporter, and the community a valuable member.

Scripture Illustrated.

THOUGHTS ON ST. PAUL'S DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION.
ROMANS IV.

(Concluded from page 461. Vol. I.j

HAVING noticed the objections to the doctrine of the imputation of the personal obedience of Christ for the justification of a sinner, it is proper to consider the subject of man's acceptance with God more at large. St. Paul in treating this doctrine has laid it down as a fundamental principle that "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us. This is the ground of justification. For while the law retaine

its claim upon man, and held him under its curse, there was no way for his acceptance with God; the law requiring such conditions as were not within the power of a fallen creature to perform. And had not the mediation of Jesus Christ removed man from the relation in which he stood under the first covenant, the wrath of God must have continued to abide upon him. Here it should be particularly noticed that the atonement, or sacrifice of Christ upon the cross, effected a dissolution of that relation, and transfered man to another Covenant, the conditions of which were suited to a fallen and sinful creature. Under this cove.

a sinner is recognized as guilty, on a ground where the Adamic Law could not condemn him, and justified on principles which it never knew. This being the case, the notion of justification by works of law is nugatory and absurd.

We are not to suppose that the nature of the law is changed, its glory eclipsed, or its ends destroyed by the economy of salvation through grace. The great purposes of law and moral government, are fully secured by that mediation through which pardon is extended to the guilty,

There is no circumstance connected with the pardon of a sinner, but what is calculated to show the enormity of his offence. Even the faith through which pardon is received, must apprehend Christ in the office of a Mediator, suffering the just for the unjust -dying for sin-bearing sin in his own body on the tree-making his soul an offering for sin. It will be impossible to fix any rational meaning to these passages, and many more of a similar kind, unless we consider the death of Christ as a price paid down for the salvation of man. The following examples are strong and expressive; "Ye are bought with a price, 1 Cor. vi. 20. and vii. 23. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold-but with the precious blood of Christ, 1 Pet. i. 18, 19. Christ hath redeemed us, (bought us off) from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, Gal. iii. 13.

From these passages it is observable, 1st, that in consequence of the original offence, all men, Jews and Gentiles, were brought under the curse of the law: Not the law of Moses, but the more ancient law given to Adam in a state of innocence. 2d, that the death of Christ was a ransom price, with special reference to that law, by which man was not only delivered from its curse or condemnation, but also from its righteousness as a condition of justification. 3d, that all men belong to Christ as his purchased possession, and must be justified or condemned according to the laws of his kingdom. This being the plain sense of the Apostle, we readily perceive that justification is the remission of sin, or a true and proper pardon.

So St. Paul in his quotation from the Psalms, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sius are covered,”

It would greatly eclipse the glory of the divine mercy, as displayed in the New Covenant, were we to suppose that, in the justification of a sinner, there must be an actual righteousness, either personal or imputed, answering to the requirements of the original law broken by Adam. In this case pardon would be an unmeaning sound: for to him that worketh (either by person or proxy on the principle of the law) is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But (according to the economy of mercy) to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

But even that faith which is reckoned for righteousness unto justification, cannot be supposed to contain a righteousness answering to the demands of the law; for faith is the act of a fallen, depraved and guilty creature. The chief reason, therefore, why so great stress is laid upon faith is, because it "lays hold on, and takes up the sacrifice of Christ as a ransom price for the redemption of the soul." In short, all that the gospel requires in order to justification, as confession of sin, repentance, faith, &c. must be considered, not as possessing any meritorious righteousness; but rather as a suitable preparation of the soul to receive the gift of pardon. As a concise statement of this doctrine, we subjoin the following observations.

1st. In consequence of the original offence, judgment came upon all men to condemnation. 2d. By virtue of the death of Christ, as a ransom price, the free gift came upon all men unto justification; so that by the one offering made upon the cross, the guilt of the first transgression is fully and forever removed from every human soul. 3d. The mediation of the adorable Redeemer bought man off from the first Covenant, and placed him under a gracious dispensation. 4th. Under this dispensation he is condemned only for actual offences, and that because he does not believe on the name of the only begotten Son of God. 5th. The justification of a sinner is the free and gratuitous act of God, in which, for the sake of Christ, he pardons sin, and receives the person of the transgressor into his favour. 6th. Confession, repentance, and faith are required by the gospel, as the only necessary preparatives for the forgiveness of sin. 7th. The terms of the gospel are every way suited to the condition of fallen and guilty creatures. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.

ILLUSTRATION OF 1 CORINTHIANS, III. 10-15.

To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine.

DEAR BRETHREN,

The following illustration of a portion of sacred scripture, is presented with a view to be inserted in the Methodist Magazine, the extensive circulation of which is joyfully witnessed, and doubtless, affords no small satisfaction to its numerous readers.

In this celebrated and much controverted passage, there are three prominent features to which the attention of the reader should be directed. 1. The foundation. 2. The builder. 3. The materials, or the building itself.

The foundation is mentioned verse 11, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." There can, therefore, be no dispute in respect to the foundation: and, it is equally manifest from verse 10, that the builders are the ministers of the Lord Jesus ;-" According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon; but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." The materials with which the minister builds, are mentioned in the 12th verse ;-" Now if any man build upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble." This building is the visible Church, as is fully manifest from the 9th, and 16th verses, "Ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building."-" Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you."

I consider the gold, silver and precious stones, are designed to represent true Christians, who are frequently in scripture compared to these things. "When he hath tried me, I shall come forth as GOLD." Job xxiii. 10. "And I will bring a third part of them through the fire, and will refine them as SILVER is refined, and will try them as GOLD is tried, Zech. xiii. 9. "He will purge them as GOLD." Mal. iii. 3. "As an ear-ring of GOLD, and an ornament of fine GOLD, SO is a wise reprover to an obedient ear." Prov. xxv. "The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine GOLD," Lam. iv. 2. "And they shall be mine, saith the Lord, in that day when I shall make up my JEWELS." Mal. iii. 16. also as lively STONES, are built up a spiritual house." 1 Pet. ii.

3.

5.

"Ye

These texts are amply sufficient to prove that the saints are compared to gold, silver, and precious stones.. Now if any man, that is, any minister, build up the Church with such solid materials, namely, persons whose hearts have been purified by the fire of the Holy Spirit, he shall receive a reward from the righteous Judge of all the earth.