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ties are more and more important and pressing.
Conversations upon religious experience with candi-
dates for admission into our church, the baptism of
children, and the calls of the sick and dying must
necessarily engage much of my attention. But I
can sincerely bless God, that amidst all the depres-
sion of mind I have suffered, my work has been my
delight. The duties of the ministry have often re-
freshed, instead of oppressing me. The pleasure of
the Lord has prospered in my hands. I love the
service of the Head of the Church better than ever I
did: when I am watering others, I find that Jehovah
the Spirit waters my own soul too! Oh! is not this
an encouraging token for good?-
"In great haste,

"I am ever your affectionate friend,

"THOMAS SPENCER."

In the mean time, Mr. Spencer was not confined to his own pulpit. He gave his brethren in the ministry tokens of his affectionate regard, by officiating for them in their respective places: and he also made several excursions into the country. Mr. Spencer did not encourage the idea, that as he had become by voluntary consecration the minister of a particular church, the church in general had now lost every claim upon his kind attention. Nor wers the people amongst whom he laboured of a disposition so selfish and narrow, as to wish to confine his exertions exclusively to the spot they occupied. That the first and constant regards of a pastor are due to the people of his charge, none can dispute; but with the work of the pastor, to a certain extent, may

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with the greatest propriety be added that of an evangelist. There are surrounding districts that will often ery to him for help, which he is bound to render-there are destitute societies to whom he must minister consolation and instruction, in token of his brotherly love-and there are interchanges of friendship, which promote union, which relieve the mind, and which will ever be found beneficial to the churches by whom they are encouraged. course with society informs the judgment-corrects the views, and expands the mind. Long labour in one appointed sphere, however important and delightful the duties it involves, and especially where all the powers of the mind are ever on the stretch, must produce at length weariness, sameness, monotony. A visit to another scene-intercourse with other connexions-refreshes and revives the wasted spirits and the weary frame. And the church, however they may value their pastor's ministry and regret his absence, will not eventually be losers by the temporary privation they may suffer.

But we must, however reluctant, pass on to the closing scenes of Mr. Spencer's life. As his death was sudden, I have none of those sayings or sentiments to record which occupy the last pages of most biographical sketches of departed saints; and yet his friends remember, with peculiar pleasure, in what a holy frame of mind he appeared to be during the whole of the week previous to his removal. If I should be more minute than may be deemed absolutely necessary in what remains of these imperfect memoirs of this lovely youth, I trust that I shall be forgiven. I write for friendship; and to his friends

it must afford peculiar gratification to follow him through all the scenes he visited, and mark the slightest movements of his mind during the last week of his residence on this earth.

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On Sabbath day, July 23, being the day appointed for a collection for the new chapel, Mr. Spencer preached a most excellent sermon in the morning from Ezra ix. 8. And now for a little space grace has been shewed from the Lord our God to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.' In the evening his text was Acts xiii. 26, To you is the word of this salvation sent.' On that day he exerted himself greatly, and complained much of a pain at his heart, but did not seem at night particularly fatigued. The following day he spent chiefly in conversation with his friends respecting the state of the church, and some candidates for communion who were to be visited and received during that week-he dined at the house of a friend-in the afternoon visited the sick room of one of his members-and in the evening attended the prayer meeting at the chapel, when he recapitulated the outline of a sermon which had been preached on the Wednesday evening preceding, by the Rev. Mr. Davies, of London. His memory

was remarkably retentive, and he gave in that exercise a proof of its powers, which astonished all that heard him. That evening he slept in Liverpool, and early on Tuesday morning he went with a friend to Prescot and laid the foundation stone of a new chapel there, and delivered an address adapted to the occasion, in the presence of a large assembly.

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From the ground he retired to the house of a gentleman in Prescot, whose child he then baptized, and so proceeded immediately to St. Helen's, a town about four miles distant, where he preached in the evening. On Wednesday afternoon he returned much fatigued to Liverpool, but preached in the evening with great animation, from a text selected for him, by one of the young persons of his church Rev. xi. 2, Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.' The Rev. Mr. Wray, the missionary at Demerara, was then in Liverpool, and was at the chapel. A friend who saw Mr. Spencer in the vestry after service, observed him to be much exhausted, and heard him say, for the first time, "Oh! I did not feel comfortable in seeing a brother minister in the congregation this evening." Usually he did not fear the face of man. On Thursday, about noon, one of his deacons called upon him at his residence, and he was occupied the whole day with him in visiting those who were to be received into the church; his conversations, with the respective candidates, were truly admirable and appropriate, and such as will remain in the grateful memory of those who had the happiness to enjoy them. On Friday he was occupied until the afternoon in writing letters to his friends. I am able to present the reader with extracts from two of them.

August 2, 1811.

"I find growing pleasure in my ministerial employment; this evening I have to admit eight new members to church communion; indeed when I ac

cepted this situation, I never conceived that I should have half the engagements or duties to attend to, which I now find must be accomplished, if I would merit the character of an active, useful minister of religion. I think my recent afflictions, and the solemn duties which now devolve upon me, have in a considerable degree chastened my character, and imparted, perhaps, a seriousness to my general deportment, which may prove highly advantageous to me in future life. How long this will last I cannot tell, but I think affliction adds a weight to a character nothing else does, and especially to young people and young ministers. I have lately been preaching in the villages round Liverpool.Oh! let us aim to glorify God, and then trust all our concerns in his hands, that so at the last we may be accepted of him."

In another, to his father, he says:

"I was much hurt at the account of my mother's* illness; I hope no distressing circumstances have arisen, and by this time, perhaps, I may indulge the idea that you are better yourself. Oh! how necessary that we should all seek a better country, since here there is so much change, affliction, and wo. May every trial be sanctified to us all, and we be meetened for the inheritance of the saints in light.”

Having concluded his earthly correspondence with his distant friends, forever,† he left his residence

* His step-mother.

His correspondence with his beloved and honoured parent has been recently renewed. Spencer's father sleeps the sleep of death; his body rests in his bed, but his spirit walks in

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