to release him from all his sufferings: and a friend who was admitted into the most familiar. intimacy with the state of his mind, says

"Respecting our dear friend, many will be disappointed as to his dying experience; so little being known of the feelings of his mind. While he was able to converse, the substance of what he said, was, he had no raptures, no despondency. His feelings were not so much in exercise as his judgment. A short time before, he was so ill that he could not see, or converse with any one : he said to one of his deacons,' I am a great sinner; and if I am saved, it can only be by great and sovereign grace:' repeating the words very emphatically, by great and sovereign grace!'

In the early part of the morning of the day on which he died, he said to one of the family, just loud enough to be heard, I wish I had strength to worship with you.' By this he knew it was the Lord's day. He added,' My eyes are dim:' and he appeared to be nearly blind. For nearly half an hour before he expired he was thought to be in fervent prayer. Nothing could be made out of what he said, except two words, which were supposed to be, help me!' He then struggled, sighed three times, fell back, and in five minutes expired. I have thought that the peculiar trait of his character was manifest in death. You know, that when he had an important object be

his

fore him, he steadily pursued it, looking neither on this side nor on the other; but steady to that one object, he pursued it with all his might. It was so with him, even in death. He had to grapple with the king of terrors: he could think of nothing else: he felt he had nothing to do but to die; and, in his case, it was hard indeed sufferings were inexpressibly great: added to this the lowering nature of the disorder, and that he suffered the more because of his great remaining natural strength to struggle with the fatal complaint. He was heard to say, putting his hand on his breast, 'Oh, this deadly wound!' At another time, All misery centres here!' son said, "Bodily misery, father?"O yes,' said he, I can think of nothing else!'-Well, my brother, it is over, all is over with him. The conflict is done. His rest and his reward were to be entered upon together. Of him it may be said,

"The labours of this mortal life

End in a large reward!"

His

The late excellent Mr. Toller, a cotemporary preacher with him in the same town, though of another denomination, says in a funeral sermon which he delivered on the occasion of his death. "In nothing can I so fully join issue with him, as

in the manner of his dying. Had he gone off full of rapture and transport, I might have said, Oh let me die the triumphant death of the righteous. But it would have been far more than I could have realized or expected in my own case, but the state of his mind towards the last, appears to have been, if I may so express it, after my own heart; He died as a penitent sinner at the foot of the cross."

THE REV. BENJAMIN DAVIES, D. D.

Dr. Davies, was born at Canerw, in the county of Carmarthen, in the year 1740; and having when very young been brought to feel the experimental influence of the truth upon his heart, he devoted himself to the service of the Redeemer, and during a long and laborious life, he was distinguished no less by the uniform consistency of his conduct, than the fervour of his devotional spirit. From the proficiency which he had made in learning he was chosen, when only twenty-six years of age, tutor of the Independent Academy at Abergavenny, presiding at the same time, as pastor over the church of Christ, which was formed in the same town; and for fourteen years, continued to discharge the varied, and numerous duties of his offices with so much punctuality, and assiduity, and acceptance, that his removal was deeply regretted by all who knew him.

In 1781, he was chosen resident and classical tutor, of the Independent Academy at Homerton; and in 1783, he united with the duties of

this office, those of the pastoral charge, over the Church of Christ, in Fetter Lane London. He filled the professor's chair in this institution about six years, when owing to the depression of his spirits, he resigned it; and though he continued to preside over his pastoral charge till the year 1795, yet in the month of July he was compelled by his frequent indispositions, to dissolve his connection with the church.

He now withdrew from public life, residing first at Reading-then at Wells-and afterwards at Bath; and though he sometimes preached for the respective ministers on whose labours he attended, yet his infirmities prevented him from engaging in any stated labours.

The excellent Mr Jay, whose evangelical ministry, he had enjoyed during the latter years of his life, in a funeral sermon which he delivered, gives the following description of his character.

"A Christian is the highest style of man ;" and how well he deserved the name, all who knew him, in every place where he lived, will judge. He was never backwards to speak of his experience. His religion was not only real but eminent; he feared God above many. His character was uniform and consistent; he was the same in his domestic life and in his official capacity-an Israelite indeed. I consider him as having been one of the most devout men I was ever acquainted with; he was uncommonly