he was necessitated to be satisfied with a plain, and often scanty, meal, not knowing how the next would be supplied. He mentioned once the remarkable interposition of the Lord on his behalf, when, after being favoured with much liberty of soul at the throne of grace, wrestling and pleading with the Lord-" Thou must do something for me now, Lord, as I have not the means of paying my taxes, and they are going to sell my furniture"-he had not gone out of his house long, before he met a Christian friend, who inquired after his welfare, temporal and spiritual, to whom he told his exercise of mind, and, before they parted, this friend gave him the means to pay his taxes. It was by the Lord's dealing with him thus, that he was taught to trace all things, even the sending of a customer, up to his God and Father, admiring his wonderful ways to the children of men. He believed in the election of a particular number of persons in Christ before the world was; regeneration by the Holy Ghost; redemption from sin, death, and hell, by the blood of the Lamb; justification of the elect in the imputed righteousness of Christ; predestination of all things, animate and inanimate, to a particular use and end; along with which, the eternal reprobation of the non-elect. That sin came to pass according to the fore-ordination or permission of God, and whereby he accomplished his purposes; that the law of God is spiritual, and cannot be fulfilled by man, but by nature all are under its curse, and the believer in Jesus delights in it after the inner or new man; that the Lord's people, generally, are the subjects of doubts and fears. He, generally, could, most feelingly and deploringly, join in the confession, "We have left undone the things which we ought to have done, and done the things which we ought not to have done," &c.; while he frequently could unite with the people of God in heart and soul, in singing the Te Deum, We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord," &c. He had not long been in possession of some property which was left him by an uncle, before the Lord was pleased to visit him with a severe illness, which terminated in his death. It was a season marked, for the most part, with great darkness of mind in regard to the intention of God respecting him; he was, however, kept in a state of peace, knowing that the salvation of his soul was safe, though not satisfied in being deprived of the enjoyment of the love of God, and of communion and fellowship with him. His pains of body were such, at times, that he felt a spirit of rebellion was ready to break out, but which was much restrained by the power of God. About a week before his death, a Christian friend told him she was not satisfied with his experience; he replied, he knew he had been a great sinner, but the Lord Jesus is a great and mighty Saviour. And the same individual said to him, "I would like to know, after your departure, what your dying testimony is.' On this subject, he afterwards remarked to a Christian brother, that "my bodily pains are so violent, it is not possible anything spiritual can arise from me, unless the powerful operation of the Holy Ghost raises me above it all;" but added, "If I should be taken suddenly and without one, there is a portion of James' epistle you may receive for it-viz. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (chap. i. 17). On it being remarked, how composed he was, he replied, "Ah! you don't know what I am enduring; and, as to the word of God, there is no making anything of it, unless the Lord is pleased to bear it home on my mind and understanding." It was thought necessary to have an old woman, a relative, near him, to * How often is this the case with the dear children of God! They are darkest and most fearful and discouraged when on the eve of a complete deliverance from a body of sin and death, and treading the very threshold of a glorious and blissful eternity.— ED. assist, at times, of whom he said, "I don't like her; oh! her looks are such; she is an ungodly woman. You may do with me what you like when I am gone, but I cannot endure to see that old woman." At one time he said to his son Thomas, "Come here, Thomas, I have something to say to you-the world, the flesh, and the Spirit, can never shake hands together; remember, I have told you." At another time, on being asked how he was getting on, he said, "Dragging on very slowlywaiting for the time when I shall hear the voice say, 'Come,' and I shall be enabled to say, Come, Lord Jesus; come quickly.' To a Christian friend he remarked, "There is a passage or two I have found, where it says, For of him, and through him, and to him are all things' (Rom. xi. 36); And by him all things consist' (Col. i. 17); and so I consist by him, just as I am, and as he has made me." One evening, after his minister had engaged in prayer, and asked him if Jesus were precious, he said, in heartfelt melting expressions, which touched the writer's heart, "Oh, yes! my Jesus knows me, and I know that he has graven me on the palms of his hands; if we could see within the veil, we should then know the needs-be for all this suffering." He had felt a desire, and requested the people of God who visited him, to pray that the Lord would grant him his request in relieving his breathing; "There are many ways," he said, "of taking us away, and it is my particular desire that this should be done previously to my departure." About the 17th of April, being in great darkness of mind respecting his apprehension of the Person of Christ, a Christian friend spoke to him about the unchangeableness of Jehovah in his nature, purposes, and love; he afterwards engaged in prayer, and was blessed with much liberty of soul before the Lord. Either before or after he had concluded, Mr. Moffitt broke out in exclaiming, "Glory! glory! glory! My precious Jesus! This is what I want! This is what I have been longing for! Liberty! liberty! liberty! My soul's at sweet liberty! Glory be to the Father! Glory be to the Son! Glory be to the eternal Spirit! Three Persons in one covenant God!" A few days after this he wrote on a slate for a Christian friend who was deaf, "My soul is triumphing in the Lord Jesus Christ, and my poor body cannot bear any more. This morning, about four o'clock, I was favoured with one of my old visits, and poured out my soul to the Lord." The Lord was pleased to grant him some sweet visits of his grace and presence a few days before his dissolution, after having endured some seasons of temptation from the adversary, and while passing through much tribulation of body. To a friend near him he said, "William, I feel I am in the flesh still, for Satan has been permitted to harass and perplex me much." William replied, "It is a blessing there is a bound to him, for he can go no farther than our heavenly Father permits him." He replied, "Thus far shalt thou go, but no farther. William, will you go to prayer, and ask for a blessing, that the Lord would be pleased to manifest himself to my soul, and that I may have strength given me to withstand the adversary.' William engaged in prayer, and the Lord again visited his soul, so that he broke out in exclaiming, "Oh! precious Christ! Thou art precious! Thou art precious to my soul! Thou art all my salvation! Thou art all my desire! Come, Lord Jesus, come! I long to be with thee, that I may see thee as thou art!" He called his wife, to whom he said, "This is refreshing to my poor body as well as to my soul." Some time after this, it was evident he was fast hastening to his eternal home in the heavens; his sun appeared now to be setting, and the agony of body which he was enduring appeared to say that his frail tabernacle must soon be taken down. On the evening preceding his death, his minister was sent for, to whom he said, "I sent for you to tell you that I have had a glimpse of the waters, and I have seen God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, and they have testified with my soul. Hallelujah! hallelujah! hallelujah! Amen." When it was intimated that he might still recover, he expressed horror at the idea, saying, “I know it would only be to commit more sin against my God." The minister engaged in prayer, and when about to leave the room, he called him back, and requested that he would pray to God that his wife might be supported for another day. Very late this same evening, his friend William was sent for, who helped him out of bed, as he had become very restless; he placed him near a table to lean his head, when he thus began to speak, "The precious blood of Christ! the precious blood of Christ! the precious blood of Christ! The cleansing blood of Christ! the cleansing blood of Christ! the cleansing blood of Christ! The peace-speaking blood of Christ! Christ, my All in all! my Lord and my God! Why are thy chariot-wheels so long in coming? I long to be with thee; I am waiting to behold thy face in glory.' He then became quite exhausted. After waking out of a doze, he said, “I have been hearing my passing bell;" and awhile after he said, “The angels are round about my bed, waiting for me; but the time is not yet come." On the morning of his decease, he said to his daughter, in dreadful agony, "This is the finger of death;" and, with his arms lifted up, exclaimed, Eternal, eternal, eternal Lord God, my Father!" He paused a little, and, in a very loud voice, cried out, “Get out of the room! get out of the room! and let me die in peace!" He paused again for awhile, and then said, "Thou art not doing wrong, Lord; thou art not doing wrong, Lord. Amen, amen!" Again he paused, and then cried out, "William, another struggle, another struggle, and all will be well!" He again lifted up his hands, and exclaimed, “Glory, glory, glory!" Again he paused, and, afterwards, in great agony, said, "Cursed, cursed, cursed man! cursed flesh!" William perceived he became weaker and weaker, and was saying something in a very low tone, and on listening attentively, heard him saying, “A precious, precious, precious Christ! I am going to my Jesus!" He again became very restless, and began repeating, "Awake, my soul, in joyful lays, And sing thy great Redeemer's praise. He then asked William, "Is not life gone yet? Hard fighting; one more struggle, and all will be over." After another severe attack of pain, he repeated, "He saw me ruined in the fall, In attempting to say more, nature failed; but, in a few minutes afterwards, asked if the minister were there; "If he be," he added, 66 we will conclude the conflict with praise." The last words he was heard to repeat were, Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe;" and then soon fell asleep in Jesus, on the 30th day of April, 1839. "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Rev. xiv. 13). LETTER TO A "PROFESSED" MINISTER, ON THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENDEAVOURING TO ESTABLISH A CREATURE-RIGHTEOUSNESS. DEAR SIR, Having had the opportunity of attending your ministration on the evening of the last Lord's day, and finding many things in your discourse that call for the serious attention of all those to whom the Gospel of Christ is precious, I trust you will pardon the liberty I have now taken to address you in much affection, and I would hope with that sincerity which the subject demands. St. Paul's admonition is, "Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines ;" and his exhortations on these points are numerous, and cannot be needed more than in the present Christ-despising day. But, without enlarging with any preliminary remarks, my object, at this time, is to prove that the doctrine you then set forth to your congregation was and is "strange doctrine;" inasmuch as it is not recognised by the word of God, but rather repugnant thereto. The main object and design of a preached Gospel, are to exalt Christ and debase the sinner; to magnify the grace of God in opposition to the pharisaical pride of human nature. Now, I ask, was your sermon, on this occasion, tending to such a result as this? Far from it. On the contrary, the name of Christ Jesus, in whom are treasured up all wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; for "there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved;" this adorable Person, I say, who his Head and Husband of his body, the church-who is the Alpha and Omega-who is the sum and substance of the whole Gospel-who is All in all, God blessed for ever—was entirely disregarded and kept in the back ground; while creature-holiness was exalted, and the "filthy rags" of man's supposed righteousness formed the prominent feature of your discourse. I need scarcely advert to the text and subject-matter of your preaching at that time; as, from the observations I have already made, it will, doubtless, be brought to your recollection, that the words you then chose to speak from were, "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him" (Gen. v. 24). Before I proceed any farther, I would solemnly inquire, to what purpose was this Scripture recorded? Was it for the purpose of eulogising, as you then did, the piety of Enoch, or, in short, of any created being of the posterity of Adam? or, is it not rather made mention of for the exaltation of the grace of God manifested on that individual, and the whole church of God as they stand in union with the Redeemer ? Enoch walked with God, yet God caused him to walk; he had no strength in himself to walk well-pleasing with God; his piety did not originate in nature's garden (as you yourself confessed), but was the fruit of God's grace implanted in his heart. Then let God alone be exalted, not Enoch, or Lot, or other pious characters, as you termed them. Let his almighty grace have the pre-eminence, not the creature's piety, which is the result of that grace; let him that glorieth, therefore, glory only in the Lord. Before I dismiss these few brief observations, let me turn your attention to the oracles of God's word, which, in a moment, throw to the ground all supposed holiness in the creature. Does David, for instance, extol creaturepiety? No: he says, when speaking of the praises of God, "I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only" (Psalm lxxi. 16). Does the Prophet Isaiah extol creature-piety? He declares, "All our righteousness are as filthy rags (Isaiah, Ixiv. 6). Does Job extol creature-piety? His language is, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes" (Job, xlii. 6). Does St. Paul extol creature-piety? Quite the reverse, he says, "I count all things but dung and dross, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness (Phil. iii. 9). These quotations, and others with which the Scriptures abound, plainly demonstrate that your system of preaching and setting up of the piety of man, however bright his Christian character may be, is not only contrary to the whole tenor of God's word, but is also derogatory to the glory and honour of Christ. His name alone should be exalted; His righteousness alone should be made mention of; His full, free, and finished salvation should form the sum and substance of every sermon you deliver, as a minister of his Gospel. My addressing you with these remarks is a bounden duty; the Gospel of Christ demands it; it says, "Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.""Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." It is a melancholy thing to find the righteousness of poor fallen man substituted for the perfect righteousness of Christ. "In the Lord (says Jeremiah) have I righteousness and strength;" he had none in himself, nor have you or I, but as we stand related to Christ. May his almighty Spirit direct you into all truth, and may you be enabled to preach the Gospel, not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and in power; and may his grace rest upon you abundantly. Wareham, Dorset. So prays, Yours affectionately, for the truth's sake, ONE OF THE LEAST. SIR, CORRESPONDENCE. To the Editor of the Gospel Magazine. In this day of open derision and blasphemy against the vital and fundamental doctrines of the blessed Bible, when false prophets, in and out of the Established Church, are striving to make men believe that the precious truths of our eternal election in Christ and predestination to eternal life, were not held by our martyrs and reformers, but are the doctrines of a later, and, they would say, a corrupt, age; and that those who are looking for salvation through the alone merits and blood of a crucified Redeemer; holding the electing love of God the Father, particular redemption, and indefectible grace, as essential to the true preaching of the everlasting Gospel, are persons not to be trusted; as they say falsely that these truths lead to immorality and dishonesty, in fact, they are universally called Antinomians-outcasts in the world. As these grand truths are sweet to my soul, and which I clasp to my heart with tenacious grasp, and love all who hold the same, of whatever denomination, I trust you will not take this as an impertinent request, if you could spare a corner in your useful Magazine for the following extract from the writings of James Pilkington, the first Protestant Bishop of Durham. And oh that the Lord would be pleased, in this our day of Arminianism, to give to his elect people such pastors and teachers as he then raised up as monuments of his grace and sovereignty. The extract is taken from the bishop's Commentary on Haggai, ii. 10—14, pages 167 and 168, in his works recently published by the Parker Society. "If we will do any good deed, we must be good men and trees before in |