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pain?' He answered. "I am, and I am comfortable: I love God, and that is the effect of his loving me!"

About seven in the evening, he said, with great earnestness and delight, “Jesus is the Friend of sinners :" to which it was said, in the words of a well-known hymn, "None but Jesus can do helpless sinners good ;" and the whole being read, he exclaimed, “Wonderful! wonderful!"

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One of Mr. Wesley's people, a workman for his son, coming to his bed-side to sit up with him, he stretched out his hand to him, saying, "A good man, a good man!" and affectionately addressing those around his bed, said, “I hope to see you all in Heaven." He frequently mentioned, during the night, those passages which dwelt much on his mind, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," &c. observing that this was the foundation of his hope, and adding, "I find God's grace sufficient for me." On being asked how he was, he answered, "As to my body, I am easy; and as to soul, I am very comfortable." He was much delighted with various hymus which were read to him. He exhorted those around him to keep close to the Lord; then," said he, "all will be well. Be constant in attendance on the means of grace."

Monday forenoon he was very feeble, and took little notice of any person around; but seemed at intervals to sleep composedly. About one in the afternoon a cough came on, and his breathing became more difficult. During the afternoon he seemed evidently dying; but when Mr. Sibree prayed with him in the evening for the last time, he was sensibly roused, and held out his hand to him; but was incapable of conversing so as to be understood. He continued sinking til near twelve o'clock, when the phlegm had so collected as greatly to obstruct respiration; and for upwards of two hours the struggles of nature seemed severe; but he appeared to those around him to be insensible of them; and about three o'clock on Tuesday morning his spirit was released, and had, doubtless, an abundant entrance into the joy of the Lord.

Among other interesting papers found since his decease, are thirteen numbers; containing an account of the sermons he had delivered through the whole of his ministry. A paper was fastened upon them with the following inscription: John Kingdon's texts, where and when preached from. Begun at the FishPonds, in Gloucestershire, May 4, 1760; and perhaps closed at Frome, Sept. 28, 1806: 6252 sermons in all. In all my doings my sins do appear; but Christ hath done all things well. Oh that I may win tiim, and be found in Him!"

[Mr. Kingden's Funeral was mentioned in our Magazine for January. p. 55; and a Portraiture of his Character was included in our lust.]

1

THE HONOUR OF JEHOVAH

PLEDGED FOR

THE SUCCESS OF MISSIONARY UNDERTAKINGS.

All the ends of the world shall remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee: for the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the nations All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him; and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him: it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.-Psal. xxii. 27-31.

THE people of Gol, when engaged in plans for the promotion of his glory and the advancement of his kingdom, are often ready to put the question, Shall we succeed? This is a question very natural for those who are eager and zealous in the cause of God; and a question which will have a considerable influence either in exciting or in damping their exertions, according to the favourable or unfavourable answer which may in truth be given to it. It may not be wholly unimportant then to point out some of the grounds on which we expect success, and look upon it as sure and certain. The sufferings of the Son of God, the foundation of all our hopes of salvation, for ourselves or for others, and the grand mean of securing the success of a preached gospel, forms the principal subject treated of in this psalm. Having described these grievous sufferings in a most affecting manner, the psalmist proceeds to inform us what the success of his death shall be in the powerful spread of his gospel. This success shall be peculiarly animating to the people of God. Hence, he "The meek shall eat, and they shall be satisfied; they shall praise the Lord that seek him; your heart shall live for ever!"

says,

Success in spreading the gospel is certain, and shall be extensive. It is certain! - for the Lord has promised it; and the leath of his Son assures us of its accomplishment. His death seals the promises, and shall remove every obstacle that stands in the way of their fulfilment. Jehovah's promise will stand sure: his word cannot fail. "God is not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? Hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" Surely, then, his promise affords us sufficient encourage. ment to engage in the work of spreading his gospel; and to expect abundant success, if our zeal does not die away, and prevent us from persevering in the work. Let the promise of the Lord encourage us then to go on with encreasing ardour in his service: he will not disappoint our hopes of success.

But this success shall be extensive. All the ends of the workl shall remember and turn unto the Lord! The whole world, except where the gospel has changed the face of things, exhibits the same deplorable picture which was displayed among the antediluvian transgressors, when all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. In like manner the whole world hath departed from God; but what a pleasing change shall be produced by the gospel! "All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord." They have forgotten God that made them, and lightly esteemed the Rock of their salvation; they have gone astray, and forgotten their resting-place: but when the gospel comes to them with power, it leads them to remember God that divine word leads them to remember God's goodness to them, and his long-suffering towards them. The gospel brings them also to remember themselves and their grievous offences against God, and their forgetfulness of him; their sins are brought to remembrance, and they stand self-condemned before God. They turn to the Lord!-they find no other restingplace; and therefore embrace the Rock for want of a shelter. Being turned to the Lord, he has mercy upon them, and leads them in the way of life. The effect of their turning to the Lord is soon apparent, for they engage in his service with delight. No more standing and hesitating between the worship of idols and the service of Jehovah: they are decidedly on the Lord's side; for "all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee!" Yes, the fear of the Lord shall prevail! Men shall worship him in all lands; and instead of ridiculing Religion an I Wisdom's ways, they shall seek the Lord, and rejoice when it is said unto them," Let us go up to the house of the Lord: they shall love God and fear his name." This pleasing change is to be effected by the preaching of the gospel! Up then, ye friends of mankind, ye friends of perishing souls, and spread the good news of salvation as extensively as ye are able. "Be not afraid, for in due time ye shall reap, if ye faint not."

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Are you afraid to engage in the work, ye children of the Most High, because of your weakness and insufficiency? Lord's work: the cause is the cause of God,

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it cannot therefore fall to the ground, it must prevail! Dismiss your fears then and go forward, leaning on the Lord; he will uphold you, and cause you to prosper! Be not afraid of obstacles, Lord is on your side! "The kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the Governor among the nations." God has all things under his controul. He has the hearts of all men in his hands, and turns them as the rivers of water. God" is the Governor among the - nations ;" and, therefore, he can make kings nursing-fathers, and queens nursing-mothers to you, in his service. Be not cast down because you may meet with opposition, God can either bring the opposition to an end, or render it subservient to the advance ment of his cause, by drawing the attention of some to it that

FOR THE SUCCESS OF MISSIONARY UNDERTAKINGS.

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might not have heard of it at all, or had any curiosity to enquire into it, if it had not been for the opposition made to it. Thus it was with the apostle Paul: the things that happened to him turned out to the furtherance of the gospel.

Be not afraid of the number or the power of your opposers; there are more with you than all that are against you: they will be brought to God by your perseverance and behaviour, or they will perish in their opposition. "All they that be fat upon earth shall bow before him; and none can keep alive his own soul." "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth: they that dwell in the wilder ness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust." You must succeed then, if God be your trust and confidence.

Perhaps you may be discouraged if you behold no immediate success; but your work is to plough in hope and to sow in hope, watering it with your tears, following it with fervent prayer, and waiting for the fruit. Seek to obtain a plenteous rain of the Spirit's influence: this will produce a rich and abundant crop. It is not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit, that you can prevail. Generations unborn may reap the benefits of your disinterested and persevering exertions. "A seed shall serve him," saith David; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come and shall declare his righte ousness unto a people that shall be born, and that he hath done this." Yet they shall declare that the Lord hath done this! It will be manifested in the success of the gospel in every age, that it is the Lord's doing; - he hath done it! You shall have success in his cause! The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this! URIEL.

THE COMPASSION OF CHRIST

CONNECTED WITH HIS POWER.

THE Compassion and forbearance of our Lord Jesus Christ was remarkably displayed in his conduct towards his disciples. Notwithstanding their many errors in judgment, their fond partiality for the customs of their forefathers, and their unfaithfulness in deserting him in the time of his greatest extremity (for they all forsook him, and fled) yet he most earnestly remembered them still. He placed all their infirmities to the account of their want of more knowledge of himself, and the nature of that kingdom which he came to establish. O what an animating thought to a truly serious mind! This same Jesus, though now exalted far above all Heavens, that he may fill all things, has still the same compassion towards his wavering, wandering, weak dis

ciples. "He carries the lambs in his bosom, and gently leads those that are with young."

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I don't know of any part of the history of our dear Lord which more expresses his compassion and power, than that which we find in the 24th chapter of St. Luke. There we read that Simon and Cleophas, having formed a resolution of returning to their own village, Emmaus, and leaving the eleven apostles in Jerusalem, had actually set out on their journey, and, it is very probable, with a determination to turn their backs on the Christian cause, and resume again their former occupations. The enemy of souls, no doubt, suggested to them, that all their for mer expectations were a delusive dream; and that the Master whom they had followed was an impostor, and bad deceived them; for they trusted that it had been he who was to have redeemed Israel." But, however the people of God may fall under the power of temptation, they shall never be cast off; and however far they may be permitted to backslide, they shall never apostatize. It may be observed, that if the sorrow which a believer may at times feel, is a consequence which is connected with either the commission of sin or the neglect of duty, such an one is not to expect a comfortable visit from Christ till his sin has become the means of his punishment, and sanctifying grace restores him again to repentance; but, on the other hand, if the sorrows of a believer arise simply from want of a more enlarged experience and knowledge of the person and work of Christ, it will not be long before our Lord will overtake' such a one, however low in the valley. See this in the case before us : "And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them."-Mark, O my soul, his compassion! "What manner of communications are these that ye have one with another as ye walk together, and are sad ?" Observe his reply to their simple narrative: O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!"

Now, during this interesting conversation, they_insensibly "drew near to the village whither they went, and our Lord made as though he would have gone further; but they constrained him, saying, Abide with us.' O yes; though they were weak children, they were God's children!

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Our Lord's conversation with them, though he was in disguise, had the effect of uniting him to their affections. Now, observe the powerful influence of divine teaching. This, in connection with the miracles he wrought, had the effect both of enlightening their minds and warming their hearts: "And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the Scriptures ?” Their minds were enlightened to see the wonders of redeeming love; and their hearts interest in it. Look at the effects which followed. These warm-hearted Chris

were warmed by a happy persuasion of the their hearts

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