of it, and that is better than thousands of worlds. Be thankful, my dear friend, that the Lord has been pleased to take your dear son to himself; and remember that many of God's people have had their children taken from them, for whom they had no room for hope. O may the Lord make you thankful; for you have much more cause to rejoice than to mourn; and what still adds to the blessing, he has given you a name better than of sons or daughters, even an everlasting name, which shall not be cut off.

My poor wife has been at the point of death, and there is little hope that she will ever recover, though, through mercy, she is much better than she was. I daily long and pant to live more in and upon Christ, for all things else are fleeting, yea, and dying too.

Excuse this little scribble, as I have both my hands, and head, and heart full of work. Yours in the Lord, with love to all friends. August 12, 1834.

W. G.

"YOUR HEART SHALL LIVE THAT SEEK GOD."

I am sorry to hear of my dearly-beloved friend's increasing weakness; but I am more than sure that the inward man will revive and be renewed, day by day. I am more than sure of this; for their "heart shall live that seek God." Their heart or conscience that is alarmed, awakened, and quickened, shall live; their convictions, their awakenings, their feelings, their sensations, their appetites, their cravings, longings, desires, and struggles shall never die away, as the alarms of Ahab and Judah did, who sought not to God, but to Satan. Their "heart shall live;" they shall never get into carnal ease so as to abide in it, nor into dead insensibility; nor shall they ever settle on their legal lees of self-righteousness; nor shall they rest in their own performances; nor shall the devil ever regain his palace and keep his goods in a false peace. Their "heart shall live that seek God." If faith be weak, and hope low; if joys abate, and love cools; if meekness fails, and patience gives up the ghost; if fears abound, and heart and flesh fail: yet life shall abide; their conscience shall live that seek God." The holy spouse who felt every power of the soul cold and indifferent, and every grace dormant and inactive, felt her heart, her conscience, alive and upon the watch: "I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh." She had life, and felt his reproofs, and knew where the voice came from; and she calls him her Beloved, though cold, and in a deep sleep." It is life, my beloved, that gives us our longing appetites, and nothing else; and you know that the Lord has pronounced those blessed "that hunger and thirst after righteousness," and promises that "they shall be filled." It is life that gives us all our spiritual relish to favour, taste, and approve of the death and satisfaction of Christ, and that animates us to crave and feast upon that savoury meat which all the heirs of promise are so doatingly fond of: "My flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed." Their "heart shall live that seek God;" and so shall my dearly beloved; and I shall live with him. Ever yours,

W. H., S. S.

OBITUARY.

John Bury was born near Accrington, Lancashire, in the year 1796, where he lived, and indulged in all the vanities of this wicked world as far as his station in life would afford, following the dictates of a depraved heart, and giving full proof that he was dead in trespasses and sins. He committed iniquity with greediness, often, in his younger days, secretly laughing at, slighting, and scorning the advice and warnings of a dear father and mother, who used to say unto him, "Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes, but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment;" the remembrance of which, in after life, made him often groan and say, "The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the gentiles."

In 1823 it pleased God, in the riches of his grace, to quicken his dead soul. He then felt himself to be a sinner, which was a strange feeling to him, and he attempted to smother it by running into his former delights. The justice and holiness of God in the law made him tremble and fear before him. He now purposed to reform and begin afresh. He sinned and repented until he became ashamed of his do-and-live covenant. He laboured and toiled to fulfil the law's demand, but his sins grew heavier upon him, and at length his hopes were dashed to the ground. Christ and salvation were by him seen only afar off, and he found no comfort, either in the word, or in the ministry, for it was a yea and nay ministry he sat under at that time. I have heard him tell of the sore distress of soul which he experienced one evening, when he resolved to lay his case before the Lord, and waiting till the family retired to rest, he went out of the house, scarcely knowing what he was doing. The evening was rough, and the storm of God's vengeance was rough and terrible in his conscience, and he thought that the clouds and storms were crying for vengeance upon his sinful head. On returning to the house, he fell upon his knees before God, and all he could say, amidst groans and tears, was, "Lord have mercy upon me, Lord have mercy upon me;" but the Lord seemed to take no notice of his prayer.

He continued to bear the iniquities of his youth, seeing his sins set in the light of God's countenance, with the curse of God feelingly drinking up his spirits, and no prospect for his poor soul but eternal death. But in 1824 it pleased God to send a man to Accrington that preached a free-grace salvation. He had for his text, "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost." Friend Bury heard him preach, and in the course of the sermon God the Holy Ghost brought together a hid gospel and a lost sinner. The blood of Christ was applied to his broken spirit, and his poor guilty conscience felt a washing in the fountain opened for sin and uncleanThe righteousness of the Son of God was brought near, and that faith, by which he before could see nothing but the justice of God going forth in the condemnation of his guilty soul, was now directed

ness.

to the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.

He now received" the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise far the spirit of heaviness." Here he found that when the Spirit was poured out from on high, the work and effect of righteousness was peace. His soul now dwelt in a quiet resting place. The atonement of a dear dying Christ was so especially applied to his soul that the doctrine thereof became rooted in his heart, so that from that time even to the day of his death, all the universalists in the north of Lancashire (and they are not few) were unable to make him believe, for one moment, that a precious Jesus died without knowing for whom. Passage after passage was now opened up to his heart, and many were the times of refreshing he had from the presence of the Lord.

He now began to declare the everlasting love of God to the Church, manifested in the person of the Son by the teaching of the Spirit, earnestly contending for the Spirit's work in regeneration, and God's discriminating sovereignty in saving the heirs of glory. The justifying righteousness of the Lord Jesus was a glorious shield against the law, sin, death, and hell to his own poor soul, now rich in faith, and feelingly an heir of the kingdom. In those days there were no streams of sanctuary waters at Accrington except such as were polluted with blind men's feet, (Mat. xv. 14,) at which he could not drink. He was therefore compelled to turn his back upon some whom he loved, who told him he had got too high in sentiment, and that he would soon be an Antinomian. At B-, however, he thought he found a people who drank of the streams of that river which maketh glad the people of God, and he expressed a desire to join them. They were glad to hear what the Lord had done for his soul, and he was baptized on the 6th of February, 1825.

As he was a man of sound judgment and strong mind, his usefulness was soon manifested, and some of the friends thought that the Lord had designed him for the ministry. He once attempted to speak before the church, after which he begged earnestly they would not ask him any more. It would be well if some self-sent preachers in the true church of God had the same good sense now. Shortly after this he was called to the office of Deacon, wherein he laboured with almost unwearied exertions. So anxious was he to make peace and keep the flock of God in gospel order, that he visited many at a distance in the country, if he thought they were faulty. Having a disease in the chest, his health at length began to decline. Though he was a man at times highly favoured in spiritual things, at other times he was much tried, and subject to darkness and soul trouble.

I cannot help remarking here my own feelings respecting his prayers at our prayer meetings. I had (as I hope) only been lately brought into the Redeemer's banqueting house, and I have no doubt I had more zeal than faith, for when friend Bury was telling the Lord of his fears, darkness, and indwelling sin, and complaining of the power of Satan, and his want of the Lord's presence, asking the Lord if his mercy was clean gone for ever, and pleading that it might be with him as in months that were past, my vain and silly heart

was saying, "I wish that old hobbling, grovelling creature would give over, for he has nothing but fears and darkness to talk about; if he would let some one pray that can pray, we should get on better." I sometimes said to myself, "Surely the Lord has never converted him." But I know now much better where my dear old friend was than I did then.

His strength now began to fail fast, and though only one mile from the place where he attended he had to rest often by the way. Last winter he had two severe attacks of his illness, after which it pleased the Lord to shut him up in great darkness of soul, such as he had never experienced before. I saw him when in this state, and he said to me. "I never will deceive the people, for I cannot profess to be one of the Lord's family, and live in such darkness as this. O, it is terrible! I am shut up in it, and cannot get out. What must I do in this darkness?" I said, "Such darkness must be very distressing, but you know the reason why the sons of Jacob are not consumed.' He said, "Yes, the sons of Jacob, the sons of Jacob;" and then exclaimed, "O that it were with me as in months past. O that the Lord would lift upon me the light of his countenance." My poor soul was driven to the Lord to pray for one of the best friends I ever had in the world, and I never prayed more earnestly than I did at that time, that the Lord would restore unto his soul the joy of his salvation, and bring his righteousness near, so that he might be enabled to "trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God." It pleased the Lord in his own time to break in upon his soul with light, power, and love, and to give him soulcomforting views of his interest in covenant mercy. Darkness was now made light before him, and crooked things straight. The glory of the Lord was again revealed to his poor soul, and he was enabled to bless the Lord who giveth power to the faint, and strength to him that had no might. Shortly after this, one asked him if his old creed of particular redemption was as good as ever. He got up on his feet, and with an earnestness peculiar to himself said, "The longer I live the firmer I grow in that truth, and all connected with it. I never doubt that truth, no never; and when the Lord reveals to me my interest in particular redemption,

"I tread the world beneath my feet,

And all that earth calls good or great."

On Lord's day, March 13th, being unable to walk to the house of God, he rode, and was very lively during the service, as far as his strength would allow. On Tuesday morning, about one o'clock, he was again attacked with his old complaint, which was followed by inflammation in the bowels, which medical aid could not subdue. I saw him the same day at noon. He was in great distress, and almost distracted with pain, being unable to utter many words at a time. I said, You are very poorly." He said, "O yes; this is terrible; never anything like this before." I said, "May the Lord give you patience; you have need of patience." He then said, Whether this be death that we have so often talked about I know not." I said, "Well, John, if it is, the Lord liveth." "O yes," he replied, "the Lord

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liveth, and blessed-' He was here prevented, by the violence of his pain, from further expression, but his lips continued to move as if adoring the God of his salvation. After a short time I said, "The apostle Paul says, Which hope we have.'" He answered, Yes, we have," and in a little exclaimed,

"Jesus, and shall it ever be,

A mortal man ashamed of thee?"

I visited him again a short time before he died, and found him much weaker, though the extreme violence of the disorder was a little abated. I said, "You remember him that was wounded in the house of his friends." He replied, "O yes, and of his enemies too. Bless his holy name for one thing." This he repeated three times, and upon asking him what it was, he said, "O bless his name, he has not suffered the devil to have one knock at me all this day." I said, “What a mercy! His mercy endureth for ever." He answered, "Blessed be the name of the Lord for ever; for his mercy doth endure for evermore. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath delivered out of the hand of the enemy." This took him a considerable time, as he could only speak as the pain allowed him. Very suddenly he became weaker, and I heard him say in a whispering tone, "Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, and where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon." He went on, but the remainder I could not hear. Several other broken expressions fell from his lips, which could not well be put together. He continued till five o'clock on Wednesday morning, when he turned his head over on the pillow, and in calm silence breathed his soul into the hands of him who hath the keys of death.

Thus ended the pilgrimage of one who, we believe, was kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Accrington, July 4th, 1842.

A BROTHER TRAVELLER.

EDITORS' REVIEW.

The Truth as it is in Jesus; in Essays and Letters on the Doctrines of the Gospel and Christian Experience. By Job Hupton.-London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. 1843.

If "the truth as it is in Jesus" from any lips is weighty, it must be from his who has had a long experience of its power; and if any one can say with some claim to be heard, "Listen to me," it should be he who has walked for half a century in the way of righteousness. And if to a long experience of the truth there be added the exercise of the work of the ministry for an almost equal duration of time, a life of unblemished consistency, great amiability of temper, and considerable faculties of mind-these additional qualifications form such a claim upon our respect and attention, that we must read with great interest and pleasure whatever proceeds from such a pen. Mr. Job Hupton, the author of the above little work, unites, we believe, in himself the qualifications we have named; and we, therefore, need