6

that I might not have the shadow of a doubt; and blessed be my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be exalted, He heard my prayer. Not that it increased the safety of my beloved husband, but I had more than I expected. He had been remarkably quiet in his mind all through his long illness, and quite resigned to life or death; but when I heard him ask, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?' I felt unusually solemn. On Thursday night he said, 'We have often sang that hymn, and we will sing it again;' he commenced, and we sang together that beautiful hymn of Dr. Watts's, There is a House not made with Hands,' &c., his voice being heard above mine. Another time, asking him how his mind was, he said, 'I feel it is all right; and when I leave this house, I have a better prepared for me. I feel it so.' Then, bursting into tears, said, 'Oh! I hope I have not been mocking Him! I hope I have not! I wish I had talked more about Him.' I said, 'My dear, it is not the talkers, but the hopers in His mercy are blessed, and your hope is built on nothing less.' He quickly replied, 'Than Jesu's Blood and Righteousness' That's it, that's it. In the course of the day, seeing him suffer, I said, 'My precious dear, I wish I could help you;' looking at me, he said, 'Say precious Grace-precious Blood.' He repeated:

"There is a fountain filled with blood

Drawn from Immanuel's veins ;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains.

"The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day,'

Then slightly pausing, and :

"O may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Yes! all my sins away!' At another time he burst out :—

"Jesus! I love Thy charming name

Fain would I sound it out so loud,

That earth and Heaven might hear.'

"To every one who came in the room he had a word of warning; which was so unlike his quiet way. On our saying he had better not fatigue himself, he said, 'Tis no matter, 'tis better to wear out than rust out; I have not worn out so much as I ought.' Seeing me fret, he said, 'Don't fret, my love; the same Almighty power that has preserved us both to the present will still take care of you till we meet again.' When very near his end he said, 'I wish I could sing.' I said, 'What would you sing?' he replied, Sing of His love to the last; then, dying, clasp Him in my arms, the antidote of death,' after a pause, adding :"But strip me of this house of clay,

And then I'll sing as loud as they.'

"On saying to him, 'I wish you could sleep a little,' he said, 'Oh! my love, I shall sleep in Jesus soon, and be for ever with the Lord.' I can never express the deep earnestness and emphasis with which every word was uttered. His happy spirit was released at 12 o'clock, 4th April, 1868; he would have been forty three years 25th of this month; truly, ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Father, I strive to say, Thy will be done.' I trust Mrs. Banks is better. I am sure it is a heavy trial. May the God of all grace strengthen you as he has done in time past.-Your's in Gospel bonds,

August 19.

M. A. FOULSER."

John Flavel's Resting-place.

SOME years since we re-issued Flavel's " Balm of the Covenant;" since that time, Mr. Nichols, of Edinburgh, has given the Christian Church an entire edition of the works of that good Puritan. Our Own Fireside for October contains the finish of a series of papers on Flavel's life, persecutions, and ministry. We have thought the description given of him, as written on his tomb, might create in the hearts of some young men a desire to be like him. We entirely despair of ever approaching such a perfect model of a good pastor. Let our young men read and pray that, so far as Flavel followed Christ and truth, they may follow the devout Puritan. The writer being in Dartmouth churchyard says of Flavel:- -"He preached his last sermon in Dartmouth about a week before his entrance into rest. He performed his last public duty on earth by acting as moderator in a meeting of ministers at Topsham; returned from that meeting to Exeter, and peacefully finished his course, saying, 'I know it will be well with me!' His dust lies at Dartmouth, near the chancel in St. Saviour's church. We went to see the spot, and to muse over his memorial; but, alas! there was none. There had been at first, we were told, a stone over his grave, with the simple inscription :

"JOHN FLAVEL, `

1691.'

But when the chancel was newly paved that was taken away, and a monumental record replaced it :—

Who was happy in his studies, acute in disputations,
Seraphic in the pulpit, and eloquent in his writings;
In all things truly skilful and illustrious.
Most accomplished in learning and manners;
A zealous promoter of faith, piety, and friendship;
A most implacable enemy of error and vice;
The glory of the Church and City;

Who after that he had exhausted his strength,

Both by praying and watching for the benefit of the Church,
Slept sweetly in the Lord, June 26, 1691;

Aged 61.

His accomplishments are his monument,
While his ashes lie here entombed.

Could grace or learning from the grave set free,
Flavel, thou hadst not seen mortality!
Though here thy dusty part death's victim lies,
Thou by thy works thyself dost eternize,
Which death nor rust of time shall overthrow;
While thou dost reign above, these live below.'

"In 1709 church restorations were in fashion again; and this memorial stone was cast among the rubbish, reprobate by order of the magistrates! Happily it was pulled out of the refuse, and taken to the old Presbyterian chapel; and there we went to look at it. Nothing was left in the church of St. Saviour to mark the grave of the man who once so graced the parish pulpit. The spot seemed to be purposely covered

by a queer little pew, something between a canonical stall and the box of a play-house money taker,

"While we lingered, wondering of what name and shape those magistrates of 1709 might be, a good woman whose hospitality we had shared, said,

"He

"When I was a girl, about fifty years ago, a gentleman and his wife came here from Cambridgeshire; their name was Evans. wished," he said, "if it were possible, to lie buried in the same grave with Flavel." Flavel's writings had done him so much good that he loved his very dust, and longed for his own to mingle with it. He went to the chapel where Flavel's monument is, and as he entered the pew he breathed his last; his soul was suddenly gone. His widow held his wish sacred, and applied for leave to bury him in Flavel's grave. The corporation granted permission. When the grave was opened, the good man's coffin had disappeared, but there were his bones. I went to see them, and really touched them. I felt as if at that touch I had received honour, if not sanctity; and have always thought of that moment with solemn joy. The remains were gathered and placed in a box upon the coffin of Mr. Evans.'

"How strikingly at times have the providence and the grace of God worked together to fulfil the desire of them that fear Him!' Evans and his beloved Flavel have met, and are communing above, while their mortal relics below are waiting for redemption in close and silent fellowship."

[As a family magazine Our Own Fireside is exceedingly pure— generally interesting-and in historical reminiscences instructive and useful. The editor of Our Own Fireside is the Rev. Charles Bullock, of Worcester, and in that city both himself and his family are known and beloved for their decision for Christ, and for their extensive charity. Without the slightest reserve we say if the pulpits of the Church of England were all filled with such men as is St. Nicholas, of Worcester, she would be a blessing to this great nation; around her the Lord would throw His shield, and, although of some things she might be purged, destroyed she never could be until the end of the Gospel dispensation shall come--ED.]

THE CROSS.

"BUT GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS. CHRIST."

My Saviour, Lord, I love thy cross,
And fain would count all else but dross;
It points to yonder perfect heaven,
And tells of scarlet crimes forgiven.
Nor can I e'er that cross forget,
That speaks aloud of cancell'd debt;
That shows the Father reconciled,
To me, a wild, rebellious child.
My grateful heart adores the love,
That brought thee from thy throne above;
And gave thee on that cross to die,
To place thy blood-bought church on high.

While I have breath that cross shall be,
Dearer than worlds on worlds to me;
And when I soar to realms unknown,
I'll glory in that cross alone.
Thou sweet, thou lovely Calvary!
All I can wish is found in thee.
Yea, sweeter far than all beside,
Is that dear mount where Jesus died.

On that lov'd spot I'll fix my heart,
Till called from earth and time to part;
Then sing in strains unknown before,
The cross, the cross, for evermore!

Manchester.

WILLIAM STOKES.

CHRIST OUR ALL IN ALL.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "JUST AS I AM."-[FROM THE Rock.]

I NEED no other plea

With which to approach my God,
Than His own mercy, boundless, free,
Through Christ on man bestowed.
A Father's love, a Father's care,
Receives and answers every prayer.
I need no other priest

Than One High Priest above;
His intercession ne'er has ceased
Since first I knew His love.

Through that my faith shall never fail,
E'en when I pass through death's dark vale.
I need no human ear

In which to pour my prayer;

My great High Priest is ever near,

On Him I cast my care :
To Him, Him only I confess,
Who can alone absolve and bless.

I need no works by me

Wrought with laborious care,

To form a meritorious plea

The bliss of heaven to share.
Christ's finished work, through boundless grace,
Has there secured my dwelling-place.

I need no prayers to saints,

Beads, relics, martyrs' shrines

Hardships 'neath which the spirit faints,

Yet still, sore-burdened, pines:

Christ's service yields my soul delight,
Easy His yoke, His burden light.
I need no other book

To guide my steps to heaven,
Than that on which I daily look,
By God's own Spirit given;
For this, when He illumes our eyes,
Unto salvation makes us wise.

I need no holy oil

To anoint my lips in death,

No priestly power my guilt to assail,

And bless my parting breath ;

Long since those words bade fear to cease,

'Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.'

I need no priestly mass,

No purgatorial fires

My soul to anneal, my guilt to efface,

When this brief life expires.

Christ died my eternal life to win,

His blood has cleansed me from all sin.

I need no other dress,

I urge no other claim

Than His imputed righteousness;

In Him complete I am.

Heaven's portals at that word fly wide,
No passport do I need beside!

BB

STORES OF WEALTH.

DEAR KIND FRIENDS,-May I say, my children in Christ? It is Sunday morning, October 4, 1868, before breakfast; I am thinking of that great text of Paul's, in Ephesians iii. 8, 9, "Unto me "To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery," &c.

There are three great truths in these words. 1. There are immense stores of spiritual wealth treasured up in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, called here, "Unsearchable Riches." 2. Unto some men special grace is given, that they might preach among the Gentiles these unsearchable riches. 3. The end of this preaching is, that men may see "What is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”

The immense treasures and riches in Jesus Christ may be called "unsearchable" because neither angels nor men can ever discover them until the Spirit of the Living God reveal them unto the souls of men. Perhaps Paul means they are inexhaustible—they never can be fully and entirely discovered.

BUT, WHAT ARE THEY?—I think they are not, exclusively, the original glories of the Person of God's Son, but they are those mediatorial mercies, those saving gracious blessings which the Father treasured up in Him, for the salvation of His people-which blessings are sometimes called fulness. "It pleased the Father that in Him should all fulness dwell."

These unsearchable riches may be spoken of under seven heads:1. Spiritual and eternal life.

2. Everlasting and holy love.

3. Infinite and perfect righteousness.

4. Pardon, forgiveness, blotting out all sin.

5. Peace with God.

6. The knowledge of God.

7. Meetness to dwell in the glory of God.

In Col. i. 28, Paul says these unsearchable riches are all comprised in one grand possession, "Christ in you the hope of glory." But every one of the seven things named are rich things for helpless sinners; to have life in Christ, to be loved of Christ, and to be enabled to love Christ; to know Christ, and to be known of Christ; to be justified by Christ; to have peace and pardon with Christ; to have the power of Christ to preserve us while we are in this world of danger; and, after all, to have THE GLORY OF CHRIST, in his Kingdom for " ever "these must be riches indeed. And all these are sometimes expressed by one thing:- "Your LIFE is hid with Christ in God; and when CHRIST who is our Life shall appear, then shall we also appear WITH HIM IN GLORY." There is everything-all these unsearchable riches in one sentence :— "CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE."

It appears to me that the Old Testament and New Testament too contain splendid illustrations of these unsearchable riches.

"LIFE IN CHRIST" is certainly illustrated in the valley of Vision. Read Ezekiel xxxvii., from verse 1 to 14. There is first nothing but a valley of bones, " very many," and "very dry.". Seven things the Lord says He will do :