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church whose manner of life was not holy. They who spoke of receiving comfort, and experiencing happy emotions, without exemplifying "the fruit of the Spirit," were addressed shortly, but pointedly, in expressions like the following: "Promises are made to character."- "There ought to be a great difference between saints and sinners.”—“It is a great thing to be a Christian.”—“We must be holy." To young and anxious inquirers he was as a tender shepherd. "How are they to resist the allurements of the world, and the temptations of the heart?" he would often ask, with the tear in his eye, on the ingathering of such into the church. The way to eternal life he knew to be narrow, and beset with snares; and those who had newly entered upon it he fervently commended to the Keeper of Israel day by day. His method of directing the "weary and heavy laden " to the promised rest in Christ Jesus was eminently scriptural, as a sentence or two, culled from a letter written to a young person in great perplexity, will show :-"I must in you discover the commencement of that wondrous change which the Divine Spirit can alone produce.......I have no idea that anyone will apply to the Saviour for pardon and acceptance, unless there has been such a measure of Divine discipline, that the soul discerns its ruined and helpless condition.......You cannot by any vows or amendment of life remove the curse of the law you have so constantly and entirely broken. Your repentance, however deep and sincere, can make no atonement for your sin. You are a guilty, helpless sinner; and on the ground of equity you must perish for ever. The mercy of the Divine Being, considered in itself, can afford you no hope of, deliverance. The law which you have violated demands punishment; and, without satisfaction for its broken precepts, you must endure its curse. This is your condition as unconverted; and, as long as you continue in this state, 'you cannot please God.'-A Saviour, a great and sufficient one, is presented to your attention, 'whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood.' You are directed-you are commanded to look to Him as the Lamb of God that beareth away the sin of the world.' However 'sin' has abounded,' 'grace' has 'much more abounded' through Christ. Look not at the nature or degree of your faith, but look to Christ. To Him you must direct your undivided attention. His voice you must hear; His sacrifice you must bring as your only ground of hope; His promises you must believe. May I believe in Him? is your inquiry. You are authorized to do it; yea, commanded. Your unbelief would be the most sinful act; it would be pouring contempt upon your Saviour; it would be saying, Thou hast died, the Just instead of the unjust; but Thou hast not paid sufficient price to redeem me.' He is all you need: believe in Him, and He will be all your salvation. Nay, do not look for peace this must be an effect of faith. It is with the sacrificial Offering you have to do. May the Divine Spirit lead you into all truth!"

To experienced Christians Mr. Thompson was as "a scribe instructed unto the kingdom of heaven," "a householder which

bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." To them he appealed as "fellow-helpers," addressing all under his care as called to service in the church of Christ, exhorting them to examine whether they apprehended their calling, and yielded obedience. He had the rare art of impressing oft-repeated truths in a manner interesting and varied, so that even the most intelligent found he had always something new to present. There was the absence of all set phrases, and peculiarities of expression, which might cause him to be designated by any other name than that of Christian. Joined to a deep-toned reverence, there was a warmth of heart that could not fail to inspire corresponding emotion.

The Sunday-morning meetings were always conducted by him when not appointed to preach in the Circuit. He was never so much at home, never so happy, as in these assemblies. He was here the Teacher, not the Preacher: standing behind a little table in the corner of a large kitchen crowded with interested listeners, the Bible open before him, he expounded the word of God. During a course of forty-four years, he delivered a series of addresses the most varied and delightful, without weariness to himself or to others. His style was conversational and illustrative, adapted to the capacity of the wayfaring man, and awakening hallowed and grateful emotion. The simple language of some of his hearers will be the best proof: "He never spoke but he did me good," said one; another, "He taught me all I know of religious truth;" and a third, "We knew everything when he was among us." As an expositor of truth, he was clear, reverent, and forcible. Devoted to the study of the Scriptures, he never perplexed the minds of his hearers, but came forth to speak with authority "the things which become sound doctrine." "Do we make void the law through faith? nay, we establish the law," was a text oft repeated and expatiated upon. His addresses on relative duties were distinctive and familiar. His great endeavour was to make better parents, better children, better masters, and better servants, of those who professed the Christian faith. Regularly to attend these meetings, and yet remain in ignorance of what the Great Master requires, was impossible. The second and third chapters of the Epistle to Titus, read verse by verse, will present to the mind the order, the variety, the completeness, of this class of lectures. The speaker was "very jealous for the Lord of hosts." One of his many sayings which have become proverbial, is quite in point: "The preaching that does not scrape the conscience is utterly vain." Yet he was rarely accused of personality: he had the happy art of representing himself as one with the people, whilst he addressed them with the dignity of a father in Christ.

It must be observed, again, that these were lectures rather than sermons; and great variety was required to sustain the interest for so great a number of years. Perhaps his most pleasing addresses were on the general state of affairs in the church and in the world, considered in their connection with the providential and moral government of God. These might be said to constitute an intelligent review

of books read during the week, and of periodicals issued from many quarters. He used no vain repetitions," no waste words," to use his own expression; and he associated telling facts with so much high and holy sentiment, that a day's reading could hardly supply more information than he presented in an hour. Hearers the most thoughtful, and visiters from city-congregations, even yet express their grateful remembrance of these village morning meetings.

"In the prosperity of the work of God," says one of the class whom he sought especially to elevate and counsel,— -a valued servant in a neighbouring family thirty years ago,-" Mr. Thompson's efforts were untiring. We used in those days to have revivals of religion constantly. People used to say, 'We do not wonder when there is a revival of religion at Armin; our wonder is when there is not.' to my own benefit, it will last through time. I was thoroughly awakened by means of a sermon of Mr. Thompson's, on Isai. xliii. 20. For two years he was my Class-Leader, and his godly sayings were as the dew. There has scarcely been a day, during my sojourn in different situations, but his counsel has been of service to me."

As

A Sabbath at Armin was truly " delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable;" eminently illustrative of the power of religion to satisfy the mind and meet the wants of the soul. With the dawn of day, (and in winter, long before dawn,) young men arose for Christian fellowship and worship; and young and old met together for prayer at six o'clock. As the hour of nine approached, they flocked to the morning lecture; and thence, with quick step and kindling eye, they passed on to tract-distribution or sick-visiting, or continued in prayer and thanksgiving for another hour in a cottage, a barn, or a shed. Attendance at church, or a long walk to preaching in a neighbouring town, engaged the hours between morning and evening service. The evening meeting was held in the school-room, a Local Preacher usually occupying the pulpit. The instructer of the morning was the devout and interested listener of the evening. It was a source of high gratification to him to mark the power of the Christian religion to brighten the faculties, and to enlist talents that would have lain dormant, or been debased to unholy purposes. His eye was always on those of humble rank in whom he discerned piety and originality; and by wise counsels, and the gift or loan of books, he sought to encourage such persons, and bring them into the service of the church.

As to Ministers in general, he did not so much esteem the skilful player on the well-tuned instrument, as the man who could invest oft-repeated truths with significant illustration and demonstrative power. He more esteemed freshness and force, than ease or elegance of address. He was a critical hearer, but deeply imbued with "the meekness of wisdom." In social intercourse with Ministers, he never suffered his own pleasure to exclude consideration for the people. Conversations of highest interest were often so abruptly concluded as to excite a general smile, and attention was directed to the circumstances of those requiring oversight or consolation. A list of names was produced, and visiting from house to house engaged the afternoon

hours. The effects were marked in an awakening among the people of love and respect, of a very rare order, both for individual Ministers and for ministerial character in general.

The mind of Mr. Thompson was always on the alert to devise means of introducing an atmosphere of freshness into religious assemblies, that weariness and indifference might not creep in. Series of cottage-meetings were held occasionally during the winter months, for reading the Scriptures, and prayer: these were conducted by himself and the Prayer-Leaders, in the houses of those who volunteered to open their doors, and invite their friends and neighbours. He spared no pains or expense to bring into the village Ministers and lecturers. The family-visiter of even one or two days, if possessed of speaking powers, was at once enlisted to address the people; who, on their part, were so well accustomed to these hasty gatherings, that a kitchen could be well filled on the shortest notice. If Mr. Thompson marked the power of another, however inferior to himself, in awakening inquiry or exciting pleasure, he at once directed his attention to that individual; offering him a general and long-continued welcome to his dwelling, that he might go in and out among the people. The visit of days ended in weeks, and of weeks in months. "Enviest thou for my sake? would that all the Lord's people were Prophets!" was the habitual spirit of his mind.

The misused proverb, "Charity begins at home," had a consistent interpretation in the life of one who was so truly the lover of his own people. That class of feelings brought into daily exercise by the exhibition, near home, of the grace that "never faileth," could find full scope only in the ascending Saviour's last command. The cause of Foreign Missions had in him, for fifty years, an enlightened advocate and a liberal contributor. It is not easy to estimate the extent of his influence at a time far back, when Missionary ardour was less readily excited, and great ignorance prevailed in the rural districts; but his spirit-stirring appeals are yet fresh in the memories of many. His aim was, first, to impart correct information on the state of the Heathen world, associated with glances at God's prophetic purposes; and then to inculcate a spirit of steady, high-principled benevolence. His own benefactions were of this character. The claims of Cæsar and the claims of God were adjusted; and, having pondered familycalls, and those of home-operations, he gave with a willing heart, "as God had prospered" him. The guinea-a-year subscription, which so long prevailed, was early a subject of regret to him. He adopted the plan of adding a guinea a year until it reached the sum of twenty guineas, at which it continued to the time of his death.

Armin became proverbial for its Missionary zeal and liberality, and rose gradually in the scale of giving, until the year of his removal to Scarborough, when, to his great satisfaction, one hundred pounds were contributed, inclusive of juvenile offerings. The office of a Missionary Collector was there one of ever-fresh enjoyment, the spirit of giving being more than the gift to the Christian heart. Small sums were invested with double value from the heartiness which

prompted them, and the prayers of saints in believing and fervent accompaniment. A noble page in the annals of this work lies registered in heaven, where the heart of the giver, rather than the outward appearance, is regarded. The Missionary prayer-meetings owed much of their fervour to the life-like manner in which intelligence was communicated, and the vivid representation of the lights and shadows in the picture of a world awaking from its long sleep. A Missionary-basket was in active operation, sustained by the willing exertions of the women-for they were many-" whose hearts stirred them up in wisdom" to offer the work of their hands. For several years the sum of eighteen or twenty pounds was gathered, as the fruit of small profits on articles sold by this means, in the village and neighbourhood. These friendly meetings were held once a month, and were conducive to a kindly Christian feeling. The evil that might have resulted from miscellaneous converse was prevented by reading aloud. The unfailing friend was usually present at tea, and at the conclusion of the evening. The influence of his kind congratulations, and sacred reminders to consider Him in whose service they were employed, followed by concluding prayer, was such as to inspire a state of high and holy feeling.

If there was one antipathy stronger than another in Mr. Thompson's mind, it was that against fairs and feasts. His public addresses on the Sundays of the feast-week will never be forgotten, till the present generation shall sleep with their fathers: the effects, it is hoped, will abide for ever. In private, also, he ceased not to admonish and beseech families professing religion to give no countenance by inviting friends and relatives. His efforts were crowned with complete success. The institution of a Missionary festival was attended by a call to make this the season for family-gatherings and social enjoyment. With nearly one consent the people responded, and the village-feast became almost a nominal thing. The beloved Dr. Newton, who rejoiced in the title (accorded by his friend) of " Apostle of Armin," at once acceded to the request to attend the Missionary Anniversaries. Year by year, he who had "planted," and he who had "watered," stood side by side to survey, with emotions deep and grateful, the beauty, freshness, and fragrance of "plants grown up in their youth," and spreading their branches over the land of which it might be emphatically said, "The Lord thy God careth for it: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year." It was a sight beauteous to the eye, and refreshing to the heart, when the tribes came up to this village. The day was given to rejoicing, and "hospitality without grudging" was the watchword. Dr. Newton, who knew the comparative resources of the place, was used to say, he knew no such village in the United Kingdom. Two large barns were appropriated and adorned; the one for the meeting and sermon, the other for the social hour that intervened. They were crowded to excess with well-dressed assemblies, such as would disgrace no city-chapel. The sum raised was from £20 to £30.