sary to preserve the continued attention of his readers, but conducted himself with modesty and candour towards his opponents, as men, who though they might be in the wrong, were yethonest and deserving of esteem. His mind was of too liberal a cast to be enslaved by prejudice, or to think that all honesty, truth and good sense were confined to one party, and shut up in the narrow enclosure of any single denomination of christians whatever.-Just views of human nature led him to reflect on all the variety of circumstances, which might prevail on honest minds, to receive opinions widely different from those which he himself had espoused, and consequently. inclined him to make the most liberal allowances for the infirmities of mankind, and to judge charitably of the honesty and sincerity of those, whose opinions, on some subjects, he thought it his duty to examine and expose. Though he thought his own opinions supported by strong scripture evidence, and of great importance, he knew how to esteem and praise those who did not embrace the same sentiments, and even those who condemned them."

Mr. Manning then gives some extracts from Mr. Towgood's letters, in which speaking of Messrs Wesley, Whitfield, and Doctor Priestley, he, whilst expressing his dissent from several of their peculiar opinions, does justice to the varied distinguished excellencies of their characters: the biographer then adds:---" Such was the candid and liberal spirit of this truly excellent man. His life was distinguished by a remarkable sweetness of disposition, and every amiable virtue which adorns the domestic and social character. These dispositions and virtues were united to great elegance of mind. Seldom has the world seen the characters of the gentle

man, the scholar and the christian so happily blended."*

Although the above extracts are fully sufficient for the vindication of Mr.Towgood, I doubt not but his readerswill be pleased with some farther acquaintance with a man of such a character. I therefore make no apology for presenting them with what follows.

"He had an exalted idea of friendship, and an heart formed for relishing its noblest pleasures. By his character and conduct in life, he acquired several valuable friends, whose esteem and affection gave him a delightful foretaste of the happiness of the heavenly world; and no one could be happier in expressing the kind sentiments with which his heart overflowed wherever he professed attachment. To a friend with whom he had corresponded nearly 30 years, without ever having seen him, he thus wrote in the year 1767.

"The effusions of warm friendship which your letter contains, are received into an heart as warm with affection, and big with esteem, and perhaps a little tinctured with pride of having acquired so cordial, though so distant a friend. If the beggarly and low elements of paper and ink can open a delightful intercourse between souls, tuned to unison, however distant on earth, with what pleasure will they meet in the realms of perfect bliss, which our friend is gone before to prepare for their reception, where all virtuous and good spirits will be gathered together in one.

"These happy realms are peopling fast, we see, from this colony of our earth. The Doc tors Chandler and Mayhew are gone up since my last, to receive the recompence of their faithful labours; both men of great abilities and importance in their respective stations. But though their leaves drop, the tree remains and will flourish with unfading vigour, till it spread its immortalizing fruit through every region under heaven.

"That peace which passeth all understanding, which was our Lord's last legacy to his faithful disciples, be ever the portion and inheritance of my dear friend, and of his affectionate М. Т.

In the year 1774, he thus writes to the same correspondent.

"Let there be no compliments between Mr. W. and his distant friend; distant, indeed in body, not in mind. If the mind be the person, I am no stranger to your person; I know it, I have seen it, I have frequently conversed with you, and embraced you with great warmth and cordiality; and when this body shall be shortly dropt, congenial spirits, by a law of spiritual gravitation, will (as we have reason to believe) be drawn, not only to their Creator, but to minds of the same temper and complexion with themselves; and go to their own company, as well as to their own place; and be made happy in this union, or be " made perfect in one." Let us wait for this salvation; and thank God we are but sojourners in this world, of which Satan is still so much the prince, and in the best of whose governments, falsehood, and fraud, and violence, and tyranny, havestill so great a sway."

Writing to the same highly valued friend, the late Rev. Mr. WORTHINGTON of Leicester, he thus expresses himself.

"When I look back and seriously review the succeeding periods of my past life, I bow down with grateful wonder, and join in the song of my dear Mr. Worthington, and say,

"how

"

many, O Lord our God have been the won"derful works thou hast done for us! How

precious have been thy thoughts to us ward, "how great has been the sum of them!" But when we look forward and contemplate the infinitely better things, the unsearchable riches which divine goodness has laid up for us in that other world, upon which we are soon to enter what language can express the grateful tribute we owe! We are lost-we are swallowed up in the height and depth and immensity of this grace; and can feel, as well as say, that verily God is love; and that as high as the heavens transcend the earth, so great is his mercy and compassion to us."

Writing to the same friend, in his 82d year, he says:

"As to my own retrospective view of the long succession of years, and of services through which an invisible, almighty hand has most graciously upheld, conducted and helped me, I bow with deep humiliation, under a sense of the innumerable weaknesses and defects which have attended my best services, and am ready almost to call them splendida peccata: but can never enough adore the goodness and mercy which have followed me through every past scene of this pilgrimage; and in which, I humbly hope, as to all tuture scenes of my existence, that they will endure for ever. You little know, my dear Sir, the real weakness and imperfections of your distant friend and correspondent, whom you have honoured with so high a rank in your affection and esteem. But sovereign, almighty grace works by whom it will work; chuses weak things to confound the strong, and out of the mouth of babes perfecteth its own praise."

" In his 87th year, addressing himself to the

same person, he draws a most pleasing picture of the decline of life.

"I bless God that I can look forward to an approaching state of light and peace where neither strife nor debate can ever have place. Through the great favour of heaven, I feel the earthly part of my frame sinking gently, and with little pain, to its original dust; but far greater is the favour that the self, the mind that inhabits this sinking frame, ean, through the grace of the christian covenant, look for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Full of hope that the doctrine of the soul's sleeping 'till the resurrection at the last day, is as unscriptural as it is unjoyous, I, with humble confidence, commit my spirit to that Almighty Father that gave it, and to that compassionate Saviour who died to redeem it; hoping to meet you, my dear friend and brother, in those mansions which our Lord is gone before to prepare for our reception."

"On the 26th of Feb. 1791, Mr. Towgood hada paralytic seizure, and for several days his friends hourly expected his dissolution: though to the surprize of the medical gentleman whoattended him, he gradually recovered, the oppression of his distemper was so great, that it became dif ficult for him to articulate. His understanding did not appear to be in the least debilitated, but preserved all its energy; the activity of his mind concealed from him much of his real weakness, and his soul continued serene, calm, and resigned to the will of God. From the time of this seizure, he was seldom able to go out of his chamber. He was still, however, glad to receive his friends, and his behaviour in this closing scene of trial was so truly exemplary, that none of them could leave his room without admiration and improvement.