May 7th.-After a short illness, Mrs. Thornton, relict of Mr. Joseph Thornton, of Huddersfield. For many years her Christian profession was honourably maintained; and her holy life was crowned with a triumphant end. Her acquaintance with the things of God was deep and clear; her labours, in various spheres of pious and charitable exertion, were only restricted when the active mind was impeded by the growing infirmities of the body; and the members of her classes testify the blended affection and fidelity with which she watched over their spiritual interests. Among her last expressions were the following:-"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another." "I know, by faith I know, If this vile house of clay, This tabernacle, sink below, I have a house above Not made with mortal hands: W. L. T. May 11th.-At Tunstall, in the Burslem Circuit, Mr. Ralph Hall, aged sixty-eight years. He feared the Lord from his youth; and from the time of his conversion to the day of his death, his character was distinguished by Chris tian simplicity and inflexible integrity. In him the meekness and gentleness of Christ eminently appeared; and having learned to rule his spirit, and to bridle his tongue, his conduct was uniformly circumspect and exemplary: and of him it may be truly said, he was "without offence." His regularity in attending his classmeeting, and the public ordinances of religion, is worthy of imitation. Notwithstanding his numerous engagements, he was always in the house of God before the worship commenced. By industry and economy, he acquired considerable property; but, though old and rich, he was not covetous. He was liberal in his contributions towards the support of the Gospel, and the various institutions of the Connexion; and to "remember the poor" he "also was forward to do." At his house the Wesleyan Ministers were for many years hospitably entertained; and his attachment to the people with whom he was united in Christian fellowship was uniformly sincere and ardent. During his affliction he expressed unshaken confidence in God, and a firm reliance on the atonement of Christ, and was graciously sustained in the final hour. R. S. May 16th.-At Frome, Mr. James Ryall, aged thirty-seven years. He was brought to the knowledge of God under the ministry of the late Rev. John Smith, when he laboured in this Circuit; and continued steadfast in his faith in Christ, and his attachment to Methodism, to the last. His end was not only peaceful, but triumphant. J. W. POETRY. ADDRESS TO THE OCEAN. HAIL, mighty ocean! I rejoice Resounding from the rocky shore; came, My infant heart through thee received Impressions which I could not name. Unwearied strength and motion join'd, Succession and immensity, Grandeur and majesty combined, My youthful eye perceived in thee; Nor could I by my wit or will Thy constant movement once control; Unchangeable I saw thee still, One undivided mighty whole. I loved thee then, but knew not why The being, skill, and power of God, Whose mighty fiat bade thee be, And spread thy flowing skirts abroad. Great volume of divinity! Is on thy wild and mountain wave, And know his mighty power to save. Thy rich abundance fills the deep; Exhaustless are thy vast supplies; Into each nook thy waters creep, Or in thick sheets of vapour rise, Floating in clouds of varied hue, Spreading thy benefits abroad: In thy exuberance we view The boundless bounty of our God. Millions of living creatures rove, Upheld, yet unrestrain'd, in thee; And thus in Him we live and move, Sustain'd both rational and free: Nor can we by our strength or skill Shun this vast element of life, Though we should thwart his sovereign will, And with him wage eternal strife. Great is thy depth ! but deeper still Those attributes which in thee shine. Who can explore His boundless skill, Or sound the depths of love divine? Unfathom'd truth, with holiness, Embosom'd in his being lies; While mercy, peace, and righteousness In waves of life eternal rise. What can thy angry strength restrain, Deep, rolling, huge, circumfluous form, Swinging in gravitation's chain, Boiling and foaming in the storm? What but the same Almighty hand, Which drew thee from the womb of night, And swathed thee with a swaddling band, The first-born image of his might! Mirror of attributes divine! Type of his own immensity! Thy waters like a globule lie; Hail, splendid picture! molten print! Till time and motion cease to be; The God who made and governs thee. Who is this God? and what his name? Which was, and will be evermore. And who is he? Thou Red-Sea, tell, Standing like walls of polish'd brass; He did divide, sustain, repel, To let his chosen people pass. Who is this God? Thou deep blue main Yet left Jehovah's footstep there. 'Tis he who bled and died for me, That I his praise might now proclaim; Lord of the heaven, and earth, and sea, And JESUS is his glorious name! DANIEL M'AFEE. Cork, March 1st, 1838. THE AGED MINISTER. BY THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY., M.A. "WHEN thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not." John xxi. 18. WHEN young, and full of sanguine hope, And warm in my first love, My spirit's loins I girded up, Swift on the wings of active zeal In ministering his grace; I found no want of will, or power, As strong, and glorying in my might, The battles of the Lord: Rush'd on with full career, But now, enervated by age, I feel my fierceness gone, And nature's powers no more engage To prop the Saviour's throne." My total impotence I see, For help on Jesus call, And stretch my feeble hands to thee, Thy captive, Lord, myself I yield, Constraining mine to' obey: And move in God alone; But bear me safe through all to see LONDON:-Printed by James Nichols, 46, Hoxton-square. FOR SEPTEMBER, 1838. BIOGRAPHY. MEMOIR OF THE REV. DANIEL CAMPBELL: BY THE REV. WILLIAM TOASE. THE late Rev. Daniel Campbell was a native of North Britain, and had the advantage of a Christian education in his youth. He often expressed his gratitude, that, before his conversion to God, he had an utter abhorrence of all youthful excesses. Dancing, however, was his favourite amusement; and to the acquisition of this he generally devoted two evenings in the week. On one of those occasions (being a public night) he went full of glee, and in buoyant hopes of an evening of unmingled pleasure. When the youthful party were assembled, having taken their places, and being ready to proceed, the dancing-master, evidently much affected, made a sudden pause, and said he wished to make a few remarks on a most melancholy and afflicting circumstance which had that day taken place in Edinburgh : Mr. a young man of accomplished manners, and high connexions, had been led from the paths of rectitude by evil company, till by dissipation he became reduced in circumstances, and so devoid of all upright principle, that he broke into a gentleman's house, and took a considerable sum of money. He succeeded in making his escape; but was ultimately taken, tried, and suffered death. The dancing-master made some affecting and appropriate remarks on the occasion, which so touched the heart of young Campbell, that, when the dance was over, he turned to his partner, and asked what she thought of the sermon they had just heard. She replied that her spirits were quite gone for the evening; which feeling was so in unison with his own, that he offered to see her home, and told her he should give up dancing altogether. From this time he began to think seriously of leading a new life, his mind being powerfully wrought upon by the awakening influence of the Holy Spirit. He became a sincere penitent, sought the Lord with all his heart, and soon obtained a sense of his pardoning love. Some time after this Mr. Campbell removed to Nottingham, where he joined the Methodist society. His next removal, in the order of divine providence, was to London, where he lived some years, and became a Local Preacher in the same Connexion, and filled up his appointments with diligence and punctuality. Here, as a man and a Christian, he was beloved and respected VOL. XVII. Third Series. SEPTEMBER, 1838. 2 T |