life, and was enabled to give instruction more confidently, administer reproof, or suggest such considerations as were calculated to incite aspirations after a more elevated piety. His addresses, when thus engaged, were marked by a nice discrimination of character and by an unwavering Christian fidelity; yet breathed, at the same time, in his loving solicitude for the best interests of his charge, a spirit such as could only arise from the enjoyment of intimate communion "with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." These lessons were listened to with the deepest attention, and with the most profound respect; and the seed sown not only fructified and sprang up, but bore richly the fruit of righteousness and peace.

Mr. Johnson did not limit his labours however to the two classes of which he had the oversight. Feeling a deep interest in the religious training of the young, he connected himself with the Downend Sunday-school. Here, his ability for the efficient conduct of such institutions was soon discovered; and, in compliance with the united and earnest wish of the managers, he accepted the office of superintendent. This position he sustained many years, discharging its various obligations with entire satisfaction to the teachers and friends, and with signal advantage to the scholars. Indeed, if regularity in appearing at the post of duty, punctuality in commencing the work, and the prosecution of the whole in the spirit of self-sacrifice and ardent love, secure the order and efficiency of a school, then the one over which Mr. Johnson presided could not fail to be a success. Although the distance between the school and his residence was considerable, he was in all these respects exemplary.

Being free from the necessity of attending to secular business, his time was at his own disposal. This he was conscientiously careful not to while away, but to use in actively promoting the interests of society, and especially of his immediate neighbours. Feeling assured that, among other appliances, a careful study of the Scriptures could not fail to elevate the mind, regulate the affections, and improve the morals of the masses of the people, he not only associated himself with the Bible Society, but, anxious that every family should possess a copy of the sacred treasure, instituted a careful inquiry, particularly among the cottages of the poor, as to the supply of this invaluable boon. When the resources of any of the humbler classes were in reality, or even in their own estimation, so scanty as to preclude the necessary expenditure for this Book, he was careful to supply the lack.

Next to preaching the Gospel and the circulation of the sacred Word as means for the diffusion of light and peace in a locality, Mr. Johnson regarded a well-organized Religious Tract Society the most effective. To the establishment and support of one

such institution he gladly contributed; and with a zeal by which most of his movements were distinguished, devoted to the prosecution of its objects his untiring attention, himself going from house to house, in common with the humblest distributor. In him, too, the poor found a heart which sympathized with them in distress, and a hand which did not fail to minister to their temporal relief: while the sick, the aged, and the infirm, looked to him for counsel, encouragement, and support. The diligence with which these were visited by him, the tender tones in which he conversed with them, read to them, and prayed for them, tended much to calm the fears and smooth the passage of many a timid disciple of Christ when called from earth to heaven. In not a few instances, these domiciliary visits led those who had been estranged from God, and were without hope, to yield afresh to the claims of their loving Saviour, devote themselves again to God's service, and thenceforth pursue a consistent Christian course. In short, his social position, his leisure, and his readiness to co-operate in every good work, rendered him a great acquisition to the people among whom he dwelt.

In the quarter of a century during which he resided in the Downend Circuit, many of the offices open to lay members of the Church were at different times held by him; and the respective obligations which thus devolved on him were discharged in a manner which reflected credit upon himself, and was of no ordinary advantage to those around him. This was especially the case with his tenure of the post of Circuit-Steward, the duties of which he fulfilled for very many years. The secret of his eminent usefulness lay not so much in the possession of extraordinary gifts, as in his deep and sincere piety, combined with a rich catholicity of spirit and uniform integrity of character.

There are close analogies between the physical and moral parts of the human constitution, the outer and the inner man. If we desire a healthy development of the former, we must exercise the muscles and other organs of the body; and if we wish to secure the robustness of the latter, we are under the necessity of employing certain means, by which alone the vigour of mature Christian manhood can be attained. Mr. Johnson's godly character was neither formed nor sustained by a course of conduct in which indolence or neglect constituted a feature. He was an earnest believer in the use of proper measures for the attainment of desired ends; and, by happy experience, he knew full well that "they who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." With this settled conviction, he set apart a suitable portion of each day for private devotion, including a diligent and prayerful perusal of the Divine Records. To increase his knowledge and

feed his piety, he sought to avail himself of such light upon the Sacred Text as his carefully-selected library afforded; and the diligence and advantage with which he prosecuted his researches are shown by numerous pertinent notes which he made on such passages as more particularly arrested his attention, the greater portion of which bore upon experimental and practical religion.

In 1862 Mr. Johnson removed from Frenchhay to Redland, in the Clifton Circuit. Here his character and his zeal were so well known, and so highly appreciated, that he was not allowed to remain long out of office in the Church. A class was soon committed to his care, and he was induced to hold other posts of honour and usefulness. To the work assigned him he gave himself heartily, seeking especially, though he cultivated a catholic spirit, to promote the interests of Methodism. Yet neither in the public ordinances of the sanctuary, the social means of grace, nor the exercise of the functions of his official position, did he feel himself so completely at home as he had done at Downend and Frenchhay. He was a man of unobtrusive manners, great simplicity of mind, and of a warm and affectionate heart; and while he considered the organization of Wesleyan-Methodism more adapted to the spread of godliness than any other form of Christianity, he seems to have felt that its action in some rural districts was more in unison with his views and sympathies than that which generally obtains in populous towns and cities. The reminiscences of his association with the humbler but earnest followers of Christ in the Downend Circuit, and the delightful intercourse which he and they had enjoyed for so many years, tended to foster a desire to be freed from the conventional restraints which in large communities are sometimes imposed upon individual Christians. When, therefore, his health began to fail, and a change of abode was suggested as likely to contribute towards its restoration, his mind at once fell in with the proposal, and he made search for a suitable residence in the country. He entertained a confident hope that this return to former habits of life would tend to the re-establishment of his strength, afford him opportunities of mingling his devotions with those of the more simple of Christ's flock, and open to him a sphere of usefulness adapted to his modes of thought, as well as to his early practice. Having spent some time in efforts for the attainment of these ends, he finally fixed his home at Keynsham, a village about five miles east of Bristol. Here he was welcomed with the kindest sympathy, which was expressed by different friends in delicate attentions that could not fail to gratify him. Indeed, so highly did he appreciate these tokens of Christian love, that he felt assured the God of providence had directed his foot

steps to a people amongst whom he should be happy to live and to die.

At first, the change which had been effected appeared to have a beneficial influence both upon his health and his spirits; so that his friends were cheered with the hope that he would soon regain his former vigour, and render good service to the Church. These anticipations, however, proved delusive. A few weeks only elapsed before it was deemed necessary for him to seek the benefit of the sea air. This also failed either to give tone to his appetite or strength to his frame. All was done which medical skill could dictate, but it became daily more apparent to those around him, that disease was insidiously, but surely, preying upon some vital organs, and that his constitution had received a shock which it could not long survive. In these circumstances it was thought desirable to remove him to his own residence with as little delay as possible; and this was accomplished, though not without causing extreme exhaustion. Shortly afterwards, the painful issue having become imminent, it was gently intimated to him that his sojourn on earth would probably not be of much longer continuance. To this he calmly replied, that, "so far was such intelligence from disturbing him, he was prepared for whatever Providence might have in store for From this time to the close of his stay on earth, whether he referred to his present state or spoke of the future, his language indicated a cheerful resignation to the Divine will and a buoyant Christian hope. When asked if Christ was still precious to him, he begged his friends to indulge in no fears on that subject, stating that he had a "good hope through grace;" and adding, "For this end I have been living for five and thirty years." At a subsequent period, in answer to a similar inquiry, he replied, "I have joy unspeakable." When one who was praying in his behalf besought that "an entrance" might "be ministered unto him abundantly into the everlasting kingdom," he responded, "Amen," with a heartiness which indicated the intensity of his desires heavenward. On another occasion, with a full consciousness of his being on the brink of the eternal world, after prayer had been offered by a member of his family, he in a most solemn and impressive manner pronounced the Benediction. Life was now fast ebbing out. When almost incapable of articulation he whispered, "Heaven is my home; Heaven is my home!" His intellect was to the end clear; his peace and joy uninterrupted; and shortly before he breathed his last he was heard to exclaim, "Victory! Victory!" He "fell on sleep," December 11th, 1868, in the fifty-fourth year of his age.

The career which has just been briefly sketched was that of an affectionate husband, a tender and indulgent parent, and a firm and unchanging friend. Sincere and truthful himself, Mr. Johnson.

was unsuspicious of others. Such, indeed, was the charity which he cherished, that until he had had distinct proof of the contrary, he believed in the sincerity and uprightness of all with whom he had to do. By his removal Methodism lost a cheerful and liberal supporter, the poor a thoroughly practical friend, society a distinguished ornament, and the world a pattern worthy of universal imitation.

HODGE'S "SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY." *

I.

SCIENCE is a necessity to man. In all ages, when the human intellect has been actuated by a spirit of inquiry and acquisition, there has been a corresponding attempt to harmonize the knowledge which it has acquired. The sources whence facts have been derived may have been widely different, but the mind has always asserted its disposition to adjust the relation of those facts to one another, and to form for itself what it has regarded as a system of truth in the particular departments to which its inves tigations have been directed. In the study of the phenomena presented in the external world, or of those which are the objects of human consciousness, there has always been the ulterior purpose to develop a science. The fervour of inquiry has never been allowed to divert the mind from this work of construction; the truths ascertained have not been sufficient in themselves to induce satisfaction with their mere acquisition. The philosopher has treated them as materials only, by the analysis and adjustment of which he seeks to rear a symmetrical structure. The question as to what is truth may be difficult to solve; and it may be much more difficult to ascertain the relation which isolated truths bear to each other; but those difficulties have never deterred the philosophic inquirer from the pursuit of his object. They have rather given increasing intensity and determination to the spirit of research.

It is not to be supposed that it would be otherwise in the domain of religion than in those spheres of thought to which we have referred. The quarter from which we shall derive our facts, or materials, is in this case always a point of primary importance. If an attempt be made to construct a system of religious truth from the intuitions of the mind, or from the inner experiences of the soul, it will necessarily fail. In neither instance are the

"Systematic Theology. By Charles Hodge, D.D., Professor in the Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey." London and Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and Sons. 1872.