hands clasped in the attitude of prayer, he said, "When this great conflict shall be over"-meaning, then he should be happy.

About three hours before his death, Dr. Stonhouse paid his last visit; the doctor, seeing the difficulty and pain with which he spoke, and finding his end very near, begged him to spare himself. "No (said he), doctor, no! You tell me I "have but a few moments to live; oh, let me "spend them in adoring our great Redeemer! "Though my flesh and my heart fail me, yet God is "the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." He then beautifully expatiated upon those words of St. Paul, 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. "All things are yours; "life and death: for ye are Christ's." Here," (said he, referring to Doddridge's beautiful paraphrase) "here is the treasure of a christian. Death "is reckoned amongst this inventory-and a noble "treasure it is. How thankful am I for death, as "it is the passage through which I pass to the "Lord and Giver of eternal Life, and as it frees

me from all the misery you now see me endure, "and which I am willing to endure as long as "God thinks fit: for I know he will by and by, " in his own good time, dismiss me from the body. "These light afflictions are but for a moment; and "then comes an eternal weight of glory. Oh! wel"come, welcome death! thou mayst well be rec"koned among the treasures of the christian: To " live is Christ, but to die is gain." Thus, as his life had illustrated the former part of this text, so his death was a beautiful exemplification of the latter.

At the doctor's final leave, Mr. Hervey paused a little, and then, with great serenity in his countenance, though in the pangs of death, repeated and elucidated the last words of good old Simeon: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, "according to thy most holy and comfortable word: for mine eyes have seen thy precious salvation.➡ "Here, doctor, is my cordial; what are all the

'cordials given to support the dying, in compa"rison of that which arises from the promises of 'salvation by Christ? This supports me." About three o'clock he said, " The great conflict is over "-Now all is done." After this he uttered scarce any thing intelligibly, except now and then to himself "Precious salvation!"

During the last hour he said nothing, but leaned his head against the side of an easy chair, and, without a sigh, groan, or the least emotion, between four and five o'clock in the evening, Dec. 25, 1758,

"He clos'd his eyes, and saw his God." Watts.

On Friday, the 28th, his body was conveyed to Weston-Favell church, covered, by his express desire, with the poor's pall, and was buried under the communion-table, in the presence of a numerous congregation, full of grief and tears. Mr. Maddock himself, who performed the funeral service, wept. The poor, who indeed had reason, were peculiarly affected; and, as they stood weeping and looking into his grave, seemed to say, in his own pathetic language, "There lies the man, "whose unwearied kindness was the constant relief of my various distresses, who tenderly visited my languishing bed, and readily supplied my indigent circumstances." Others, once ignorant and profane, seemed to say by their expressive sighs-" Here are the last remains of that sincere friend, who watched for my soul.-I trem"ble to think into what irretrievable ruin I might quickly have been plunged, had not his faithful admonitions and repeated exhortations arrested 'me in the wild career. I was then unacquainted with the gospel of peace: but now, enlightened" by his instructions, I see the all-sufficiency of my Saviour. His discourses are still warm on my heart, and I trust will be more and more " operative on my life."

"

Nothing now remains, but to sketch with bre vity, the great outlines of our author's character; which will be attempted with diffidence, and reliance upon the reader's candour. We will con. sider him chiefly as a Christian-a Minister-and an Author.

As a Christian, we are to consder, first, his experience; and, secondly, his virtues. It is an observation of one of the ancients (I think Tertullian), that "men are not born christians, but made "so by the grace of God." Such was, Mr. Her yey. Notwithstanding the amiableness of, his natural disposition, and a liberal education, it was some time after he went to college before he was suitably impressed with the importance of eternal things, though professedly in a course of prepa ration for the christian ministry. And even after be became truly serious, it was a considerable time before he acquired clear and consistent notions of the gospel method of salvation. It does pot appear, that in the first nineteen or twenty years of his life, he. ever heard or read a truly evangelical discourse. When his eyes were first opened, he saw indeed; but, like the man in the gospels, whose sight was half restored, he saw "men as trees walking." His first religion was a course of "bodily worship," a sort of mechanical devotion, which consisted in stated prayers, fastings, sacraments, and religious vows. The Rev. Mr. Jenks's treatise on "Submission to the Righteousness of God," was the first means of leading him into the gospel method of justification, in the year 1741. Mr. Hervey himself confessed to Mr. Ryland, that at one time he even hated it. "I "hated (says he) the righteousness of Christ; and "I wondered at a good old man, a member of Dr. "Doddridge's church, who, when I was applauding "the excellency of self-denial, replied," Mr. Hervey, 46 you have forgot the greatest act of that grace, " which is to deny ourselves of a proud confidence

"in our own obedience for justification.' I looked 'at the man with astonishment and disdain, and "thought him an old fool. But I have seen clear"ly since, who was the fool; not the wise old "christian, but the proud James Hervey."

After Mr. Jenks's works, his next favourite author was Marshall on Sanctification, in whom he discovered the true source of gospel holiness. From this writer he learned to convert all the moral virtues into christian graces. But the divine from whom he received most satisfaction, as to the whole scheme of revelation, was Dr. Witsius, whose "Economy of the Covenants" he greatly regretted that he had not sooner been acquainted with.

! Having traced Mr. Hervey's principles from their source, we are now to consider how these principles operated on his conduct; which is the more proper, since they have been repeatedly charged as unfriendly to practical religion.

But he found, says Mr. Romaine, "that the be"lief of Christ's righteousness being imputed to "him for his justification, was so far from being "a licentious doctrine, that it inspired him with "the noblest motives to a grateful obedience: his "holy life was an excellent recommendation of his "principles." The leading traits of his character were modesty, humility, tenderness, benevolence, and generosity. Of the former we have sufficient proof in his language toward his enemies and calumniators (for even Hervey had some such), of whom he would say: "Our enemies are some"times our best friends, and tell us truths; and "then we should amend our faults, and be thank"ful for such information. And if what they say "be not true, and only spoken through malice, "then such persons are to be considered as dis "eased in their minds, and that he would pray "for them. They are to be pitied (said he), and

"I might as justly he angry with a man who is "diseased in his body."

When Mr. Hervey first commenced an author, he solemnly devoted the produce of his literary labours to the services of humanity, and, by a rigid œconomy in his own affairs, was enabled punctually to keep his vow. When his Meditations had gone through several editions, he sold the copy-right for a sum, which, added to the profits he had already received, made 7007. The whole of this, as well as his subsequent gains, he shared out in charities of the most useful nature; such as providing food, clothing, and medical advice, for the poor; which last article he endeavoured to procure from the most able professors, himself paying for the medicines. He also distributed a great number of bibles, and useful religious tracts, accompanying them with his own affectionate instructions, and frequently marking some pertinent text or sentiment for particular attention.

These methods he thought better, in general, than giving money to the lower classes, who have not always the economy to improve it. "I am "(he would say) God's steward for the poor, and "I must husband the little pittance I have to be"stow upon them, and make it go as far as pos"sible." But when he thought four or five guineas, or even more, would be of service to a distressed family, or a prudent housekeeper, it was not withheld. The money he reckoned Christ's; his, only the care of properly expending it. In most of his charities, therefore, he was careful to conceal his own name, and give all the glory to his Master.

There was also a delicacy in his charities which does him much honour. The following extract from one of his own letters forms a fine encomium upon his character, in this respect. I suppose it to have been directed to Dr. Stonhouse, his physician.