and resumed his pastoral visits amongst his people, and the candidates who were to be that evening received. At the church meeting he was particularly lively; with holy joy he welcomed the new members into the communion of the church, and as he gave to each the right hand of fellowship, he addressed a short but most affectionate and solemn exhortation, admirably adapted to their respective ages, stations, and feelings. Indeed, all the duties of the pastor's

its uprightness. He was a venerable saint. Few have felt the pressure of trials such as his, and few have displayed a spirit more uncomplaining and resigned. He walked with God. Repeatedly before his departure he assured his family that he was going to glory. And on the 25th of December, 1812, his happy spirit was dismissed to the enjoyment of its rest.

* At the church-meeting, with great emphasis, he gave out the following hymn, from Kelly's collection :

RECEIVING A MEMBER.

"COME in thou blessed of the Lord,
Enter in Jesus' precious name:
We welcome thee with one accord,
And trust the Saviour does the same.

Thy name, 'tis hop'd, already stands,
Mark'd in the book of life above;
And now to thine we join our hands,
In token of fraternal love.

Those joys which earth cannot afford,
We'll seek in fellowship to prove ;
Join'd in one spirit to our Lord,
Together bound by mutual love.

And while we pass this vale of tears,

We'll make our joys and sorrows known ;

office were conducted by him with a propriety and an ease, which years of experience are frequently unable to supply. With the unaffected simplicity of youth, he tempered the dignity of age-he seemed to be at once at home in the duties of his new and important station-never embarrassed or confused; he appeared to have an intuitive perception of what belonged to his character and office, in every case as it arose; and following the inward suggestion, he acquitted himself well, and discharged with undeviating consistency the high responsibilities he bore.

After the meeting, Mr. Spencer spent the evening in serious conversation with a few friends; leading with great fervour the devotions of the family, and closing a day of sacred duties, with uncommon calmness and placidity of mind.

The following morning, Saturday, he spent in his study, in preparations for the pulpit. In the course of the day he wrote to a young lady, one of the number received, the preceding evening, into his churchat the close of the note he said,

"I suppose you anticipate to-morrow with feelings of solemnity, you will appear in a new light to the church of Christ, and the spectators of our holy solemnities; we shall share to-morrow Zion's chief feast. May the blessing of the God of ordinances

.

We'll share each other's hopes and fears,

And count another's care our own.

Once more our welcome we repeat;

Receive assurance of our love;

Oh! may we all together meet

Around the throne of God above."

be upon us all. Wishing you the enjoyment of perfect health, and much communion with your best Friend,

"I remain, &c.

"THOMAS SPENCER."

After dinner on the Saturday, the conversation turned upon a passage in Ezekiel—“I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;" from which Mr. Spencer took occasion to speak much at large upon the nature and stability of the covenant of grace. In the evening he met the Rev. Messrs. Charrier, Lister, and Wray, the missionary, together with Mr. Laird, of Greenock, and others, at the house of a friend. It was a pleasant interview, and in reflection has afforded to the persons who composed that social party the sincerest pleasure. To his most intimate friends, it is a source of much satisfaction, that his pastoral engagements that week were such as every day to bring him into their society-so that they had constant intercourse with their departed friend-and passing with him from house to house can look back and say, 'Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us by the way, and opened unto us the scriptures.'-Like the companion of Elijah, they walked with him in close connexion from spot to spot, charmed and edified with the holy strain of his discourse, and the rising lustre of his character; but all unconscious, that whilst they were thus conversing with him upon earth, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof were preparing to conduct him triumphantly to heaven.

But the scene closes rapidly upon us. On the. last Sabbath of his life, August 4th, he rose with unusual health and spirits. The family with whom he resided always beheld him with peculiar interest on the morning of the Sabbath, such an air of angelic mildness and composure sat upon his countenance—and so deeply did he seem absorbed in the contemplation of the sacred duties of the day. That morning he preached from Jer. xxxi. 3- I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.' The way of

his discussing the subject was simple and interesting: I have drawn thee-to the cross-to the throne

to the church-were the leading ideas in the discourse. It was particularly adapted to the occasion, so many new members being that day added to the church. He afterwards administered the Lord's supper in a most solemn and affecting manner. Such as witnessed the scene-and the number of spectators was about three hundred-bear an unanimous testimony to the deep solemnity by which it was characterized. His appeals to the conscience were so close and overwhelming-his invitations to the faint and weary were so pressing and tender-his countenance--his voice-his whole manner were so expressive of holy fervour, that every eye was fixed--every heart seemed moved. How long the impression will remain I cannot tell; but the emotions enkindled by the transactions of that day are yet lively in the hearts of many-and numbers love to converse upon it, as one of those rare and highly favoured seasons, in which the distance between earth and heaven seems annihilated--and so

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transporting is the joy, that whether in the body or out of the body, the happy Christian can scarcely tell! To a friend, who afterwards hinted that he appeared to be very happy in prayer at the Lord's supper, he replied "O yes; I thought I could have prayed, and prayed, and mounted up to heaven!" At the close of that memorable serviceone, the ardour of whose feelings age had checked, observed, that "Mr. Spencer seemed that morning twenty years older in experience than he really was." At dinner he mentioned to the family, that he had received that morning a letter from a friend in London who had been formerly reluctant to his settlement in Liverpool, as though it were not the sphere designed by Providence for him. He then expressed the full conviction of his own mind, that he was precisely where he ought to be-under such an impression, he observed, that he was perfectly satisfied and happy; and added, "if it had not been the will of God, I should never have settled here."

In the evening, in the midst of a throng, such as is rarely witnessed, and from which hundreds departed unable to gain access, he preached from Luke x. 42, One thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her. His chief object in this sermon was to shew, that communion with the Saviour is the one thing needful. Throughout the whole discourse, it seemed as if all the powers of his mind, all the ardour of his soul were infused into his composition, and his delivery. In the application, he was uncommonly urgent with the young-earnestly exhorting them to an immediate decision on the side of Christ