your love. Part we must: my days are already numbered; the very moments of my stay with you are determined, and you are capable of ascertaining the very minute when I shall leave the world. But months before that period, you may be taken from me; and, strange as it may appear, the more unkindly you serve me, and the less you value me, the more reluctant you will be to part from me. You will then confess my worth, pray to stay with me, promise to behave better to me; but it will be all in vain: go you must, and never shall we meet again till the great day of judgment, when you will have to account for your conduct towards me, and I shall be a terrible witness against you. If, however, you make the best of me, use me to advantage, secure all the purposes of our acquaintance; should you depart before me, it will be a pleasant, peaceful, and affectionate parting, and we shall meet again, mutual friends; you to rejoice that you ever knew me, and I readily to witness in your favour, and then separate for ever. That we may thus kindly part, and gladly meet, allow me to BE your TRUE, though a NEW friend, 1848. Manchester.

N.

THOMPSON'S GRAVE.

ABOUT a mile from the town of Mansfield, on the Southwell-road, the eye of the traveller is arrested by a clump of larch-trees, standing upon the shoulder of a range of hills, and enclosed by a wall of stone. It is Thompson's grave. Charles, which was his baptismal name, was born in Mansfield, in 1714, and was an only child. His parentage is set forth in the following inscription, copied from a tomb enclosed by iron palisades :-"In memory of Richard Thompson, and Elizabeth, his wife, who were both interred here; the first of whom died the 21st of August, 1728, aged 60 years; the latter, Feb. 15th, 1737, aged 66." He obtained a good education for those times. On the decease of his mother he went to London in quest of employment. He had to travel by waggon, for that was not the age of swift coaches, or of rapid railway-trains; and he was a week on the road, although the distance is but one hundred and thirty-nine miles. For months he unsuccessfully applied to respectable establishments for a situation. He had nearly spent the small wreck of his father's property, when an opening presented itself to be an agent for the Russian Merchants' Company in Persia. Having obtained satisfactory securities, he sailed with a valuable cargo of cloths. On arriving at port, his merchandise was transferred to the backs of camels, and he proceeded to Ispahan. He traded there until the death of Nadir Shah, when the empire was torn by intestine divisions, which made it necessary that he should leave Persia; which he did with considerable difficulty. He arrived in London in 1750, after an absence of ten years; and, on settling his account, received £4,000, as commission on his sales. With this sum he embarked in trade with an English gentleman at Lisbon, whither he removed. During his residence there, the earthquake of 1755 occurred. He narrowly escaped; and, judging all his property lost, returned to England in a state next to destitution. A letter from his partner, however, recalled him to Lisbon; and on digging among the ruins of his house, he recovered his iron box, in which was contained the greater part of his property, amounting to £7,000. Satisfied with his fortune, he came and settled in his native town, where he continued till his death, employing himself in pious and charitable acts. His mode of life was as follows:-he rose early, spent a considerable time in private devotion, and then, until eight, exercised himself in his garden. After reading a portion

36

THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.

of Scripture, he went to church, when there was service; and, till dinner, his Bible was his principal companion. Then he walked to the spot where his remains now repose, from whence there is an extensive prospect. On his way home, he called upon poor people, and relieved their wants. At five was

his afternoon meal, and the remainder of the evening was devoted to acts of charity and private devotion. When disabled by age from pursuing his daily walk to his favourite spot, he rode a horse. He died on the 14th of December, 1784, in a house still called, "Thompson's cottage." His will is peculiar. It directs that his corpse shall be dressed in a flannel shirt, two yards long, a flannel cap, and a slip of flannel round his neck, and two yards of plain flannel thrown over; that the shroud shall not be snipt; that his coffin be of oak, and without ornament, having three iron hoops, with rings, for convenient lowering into the grave; that he be interred on the spot which he daily visited, in a grave six yards deep; that eight poor men be his bearers, to have five shillings each; that no bell be tolled; that the hearse proceed through the most secluded part of the town; that the funeral take place in the morning; that a mound of earth be heaped over the grave, planted with trees, and the whole enclosed by a strong square stone wall. Various sums of money are left to individuals and to public charities. So beloved was he for his virtues, that a vast concourse attended his funeral, some thousands. Immediately preceding the hearse, were the church-singers, who chanted at intervals, "Then shall the King say,' &c. (See Matt. xxv. 34-40.) A mourning-coach followed, in which were the executors of his will; and then the members of ten sick Societies to which he had been a liberal contributor.

JOHN RANDERSON.

THE MAINTENANCE OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. I CANNOT but observe, "that those who labour in word and doctrine, and therein are ambassadors for Christ," and stand in his stead to reveal the mysteries, and dispense the treasures, of his blood in the church, ought to have, by way of homage to Christ, and by way of recompence to themselves, a liberal maintenance, befitting the honour and dignity of that Person whom they represent, and of that service wherein they minister. The Apostle saith, "They are worthy of double honour;" an honour of reverence, and an honour of maintenance; and doubtless the very Heathen shall rise up in judgment against many who profess the truth; for the Heathens did show so much respect to their devilish Priests, that I remember one of the Roman Consuls seeing a Priest and some vestal virgins going on foot, and he riding in his chariot, descended, and would not go into it again, till those diabolical votaries were first placed there.

But to return to the point I am upon. Liberal maintenance is due to those who labour in the word, &c., out of justice, and not out of mercy. I will not press the examples of Heathens in this duty for the shame of Christians. But we will first look upon the example of God's own Priests, or what he did allow them. They had the tenth of the increase of seed and fruit. (Lev. xxvii. 30.) They had forty-eight cities, with suburbs. They had first-fruits of clean and unclean beasts, of the fruits of the earth, of the fleece of sheep, and of men to be redeemed. (Num. xviii. 13, &c.) The offerings were theirs : the meat-offering, heave-offering, &c. (Num. xviii. 9, &c.) They had all vows and voluntary offerings. Except the holocaust, they had something of every sacrifice. Unto them also did belong recompences of injury. Let us also look at what the Apostle saith. And God is not less mindful of

HAPPY INCIDENT IN THE CAREER OF A BIBLE-COLLECTOR.

37

Ministers under the Gospel, than of those under the law. (Gal. vi. 6; 1 Tim. v. 17, 18; 1 Cor. ix. 7-13.) "Say I these things as a man?" (that is, Am I partial? do I speak merely out of affection, and human favour to my own calling?) "or saith not the law?" &c. "Doth God take care for oxen? or saith he it altogether for our sakes?" That is, doth God provide laws for rewarding and encouraging the labour of brute beasts, and doth he leave the maintenance and honour of his own immediate officers to the arbitrary and pinching allowances of covetous and cruel men? "They which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar; even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live by the Gospel." And what is to live? First, They must live as men; they must have for necessity and for delight. Secondly, They must live as believers. (1 Tim. v. 8.) They must therefore have by the Gospel sufficient to lay up for those whom the law of common humanity, much more of faith, commands them to provide for. Thirdly, They must live as Ministers. They must have wherewith to maintain the duties of their calling, a good example of piety, and charity, and hospitality; that they may confirm by practice, what in doctrine they teach. (1 Tim. iii. 2.) It is the great ingratitude of the world, and withal, the malice and policy of Satan, by the poverty of the Ministers, to bring the Gospel into contempt. There was never any man lost by paying God his dues; there was never any man thrived by grudging or pittancing the Almighty.-Bishop Reynolds.

HAPPY INCIDENT IN THE CAREER OF A BIBLE-COLLECTOR.

A LADY, in re-canvassing her district a short time ago, called at a very humble cottage, and found a poor woman surrounded by her little family. She inquired if she possessed any copy of God's will revealed to man, or if she would like to subscribe a small sum weekly for a Bible, either for herself, or for the children. The young woman replied modestly, that she had one or two small Bibles, but her sight was not good, and she found it very difficult to read in them; therefore she should like to have one with larger print exceedingly; but she could not just now afford even a penny a week, for penury pressed hardly on the little group, and she was expecting an increase to the number. From further conversation, finding her mind inquiring after God, her visiter prayed with her simply and fervently; her heart was softened before the Lord, and rising from her knees, she said in an earnest tone, while tears streamed down her cheeks, "O! Ma'am, I must have the Bible: and I will try to get some needle-work, and set apart those earnings sacredly, to help me to pay for it."

A friend who was present then gave her a trifle to begin with; and by energetic effort, perseverance, and self-denial on her own part, and a little occasional assistance from others, the much-desired Bible became her own. Incipient consumption developed itself during her confinement, and that book, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, revealed to her unlettered mind the plan of salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. From time to time as the messenger of peace visited the poor sufferer on her bed of death, she found this treasured volume her constant companion; its sacred truths were her support in the time "when her heart and her flesh failed;" and, finally, just as the battle was won, enabled her to shout, "Victory, victory, through the blood of the Lamb!" M.

SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS ENCOURAGED.

In a sermon of pre-eminent excellence preached by the Rev. Richard Watson, before the teachers of the Sunday-school Union, October, 1818, we have the following remarks :

"To the character of Sunday-school teachers it is impossible, on such an occasion as this, not to pay a tribute of respect; and their character adds another proof of the efficiency of the institutions themselves. In the great number who have thus devoted themselves to the gratuitous instruction of poor children, some will of course be found without the requisite qualities of sobriety, affection, piety, and patience; the only elements from which the moral part of the character of a useful teacher can be formed. The greater the number of the human agents employed in any work, the greater display will there be of that infirmity which is common to our nature. But it is an animating consideration, that the great body of the Sunday-school teachers are taken from among those of our youth, who from childhood have known the holy Scriptures,' and by them have been made wise unto salvation.' If a large school of the children of the poor, assembled on a Sunday, singing the praises of the great Lord of the Sabbath and the Lover of little children, reading his word, or marching in procession to his house, be a sight on which the eye cannot fall without transmitting a thrill of delighted sensibility through the benevolent affections; it is scarcely less interesting and welcome, to behold young people in different classes of society devoting themselves to communicate the instruction, and to accomplish the religious objects, of the institutions which have adopted them. Their self-denial is at least presumptive of their piety. They withhold their feet from the walks of pleasure on the day of the Lord; they sacrifice the enjoyments of the family circle in the intervals of public worship; and many of them give their constant attendance at schools, whose occupations through the week require a severe confinement: thus to make the day of rest from worldly labour a day of laborious occupation in the duties of charity, argues no small degree of active benevolence towards man, and of interest in the honour of the cause of God. From teachers of such a character, from more than sixty-five thousand agents under the influence of such sentiments, engaged every Sabbath in implanting the first principles of religious doctrine in the minds of children in every part of the country; teaching them the sanctity and obligation of the Sabbath; forming them to the habit of attending the public worship of Almighty God; furnishing their memories with moral maxims, applicable to the various duties of civil and social life; and watching over their improvement with a solicitude cherished by affection and Christian zeal; from the efforts of such teachers the best moral effects are to be expected. No other institutions, in so great an extent, can exhibit an agency so qualified and so efficient to counteract the tendencies of corrupted human nature; to form habits of industry, probity, and morals; and diffuse them through the neglected part of the community."

The perusal of the whole of this eloquent and admirable discourse, is strongly recommended to the present race of Sunday-school teachers. Indeed, the cheap edition of Watson's Works, now publishing, would be a treasure for Sunday-school libraries.

B. C.

THEOLOGY.