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solitary situation he was attacked with a bilious fever, attended with an erysipelatous eruption, which brought him to the verge of the grave. He had already been given over by the physicians, and every one expected his hourly dissolution; "when (these are his own words) destitute of all human assistance, I turned in fervent prayer to the Lord, who is represented to us in the gos pel as the Physician both of body and soul." He heard his prayer, gave him quick relief, and, in a short time, restored him to health, to the astonishment of every one. This remarkable instance of God's hearing his prayer, which he ever considered as an extraordinary interposition, gave to his faith in Jesus Christ, and in his all-sufficiency, a new and impregnable support. Hence also, in his public discourses upon God's word, the tone of firm experimental conviction, in which he always spoke, penetrated the hearts of his hearers, and disposed them to receive the gospel.

After his recovery, however, it remained not long in his power to proclaim in Strasburg the word of God, the divine efficacy of which he had experienced in so many instances. The enemies of mankind had succeeded in procuring his church to be shut up, and depriving him of the only opportunity which he had left of being serviceable to his congregation. He, therefore, returned, taking his little boy with him, to his native city of Basle; where he officiated as curate at St. Peter's Church till the year 1794, when he was appointed minister of Reihen, a village near Baske. In this new sphere he gained the universal esteem and confidence of his parishioners, and laboured with manifest blessing. In the year 1795 he married his second wife, Ger trude, widow of Mr. Christopher Lindemeyer, merchant. In her he found a pious and affectionate help-mate, a faithful mother to his child, and an intelligent mistress of his house. God blessed this happy union with five sons and one daughter; the latter of whom went before him, in early infancy, into eternity.

But soon his domestic felicity was interrupted by a severe stroke which wounded his heart in its most sensible part. His little son James, the tenderly beloved representative of his departed wife, was snatched away from him, by a disorder unex pectedly rapid in its progress. His little favourite closed his eyes for ever to this world; but, about the same time, a new beam of light broke in upon the mind of the father, which he Iad never before beheld. The obscurities in the prophetic part of the Revelation of St. John, to which before he had always been debarred access, stood now unveiled and clear before the eye of his understanding; and, from henceforward, a modest enquiry into the prophecies of the Lord became an object of desire with him, which he endeavoured to gratify in his

hours of leisure.

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About this time he also commenced a very useful weekly publication, entitled, "The Christian Sunday's Paper, adapted to the exigencies of the times;" of which, three annual series have appeared, and are still read with profit. This work, which is entirely of a practical nature, contains the principal results of his scriptural enquiries, which were always directed to the religious edification of his fellow-Christians.

In the year 1800, he was appointed minister of the congregation at St. Elizabeth Church, in Basle. Here his lively zeal for the cause of Christ opened itself a new and wide sphere of activity, which he filled without ostentation, to the blessing of many hundreds; for it was a peculiar trait in his character to labour as much as possible in stillness, and without shew. His public discourses bore the features of the mild, modest, tranquil searcher of the Scriptures; who, by his impressive tone of calm conviction, penetrated deeply the hearts of his hearers. His mind and heart lived wholly in the truths which he preached; and the sum and substance of all his discourses was, "Jesus Christ who was crucified, and rose again."

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In his labours for souls, as a friend of the poor, and of children, and in all his social relations, wherever he was applied to for assistance, he was ever ready with unassuming aid and advice; and his participation might confidently be relied upon in every undertaking which had the good of mankind for its ob ject. Amidst the multiplicity of business in which he was engaged, he still found moments which he could devote to the composition of writings, intended for the religious edification of his fellow-Christians. His "Introduction to all the books of the Holy Scriptures," is a very useful work; as also is a small treatise published by him for the use of children, and entitled, "A Present for Christian Children;" which passed, within a short time, through three editions, amounting in all to 13,000 copies.

In the midst of his useful exertions he was seized with a return of an arthritic disorder, with which he had several times before been afflicted. No one thought, at first, that his end was so near at hand; and, for a time, he appeared to be getting better, for he resumed, upon his sick-bed, some of his former occupations. Among other things, he proceeded in a Commentary upon the Revelations, which had occupied him during the preeeding weeks; and, it is worthy to be noticed, that the last words written by his hands were those of the Revelation of St. John, chap. x. 4, "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not." Unexpectedly, his disorder took a new unfavourable turn, which excited the alarm of his friends; but he remained tranquilly resigned to the will of Him whose mercy he had experienced throughout his whole life. A malignant eruption which came on, indicated the near approach of death, and it seemed as if he himself expected his speedy 3 E

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dissolution. The few words which he uttered were expressive of his steadfast faith in his crucified Saviour, and of the cheerful resignation with which he awaited his end.

On the tenth day of his illness, which happened on Saturday, March the 8th, 1806, between three and four in the afternoon, his spirit took its flight into the heavenly mansions of that Lord to whom he had remained faithful unto the end,

MEMOIR

OF

THE LATE REV. JOHN SMITH,
LATE OF BURFORD, OXON.

MR. SMITH was born at Birmingham, A. D. 1752. His parents were natives of Warwick, and members of the Baptist Church, Cannon Street, Birmingham. So early were religious impressions made upon his mind, that he could not recollect the period of his being first awakened. At his father's house, the people of God frequently met for conversation and prayer; and Mr. Smith dated his first serious thoughts of religion from being present on those occasions. At the early age of fourteen, he joined the church which was then under the pastoral care of Mr. J. Turner. At seventeen years of age, he was encouraged to exercise his gifts among them; and he continued occasional engagements in different places for several years with good acceptance. Sometime afterwards, he removed to London; and, in the year 1779, became a member of Mr. Clarke's church. in Red Cross Street. From them he received a regular call to the ministry, January 25, 1780; when Mr. Clarke solemnly addressed him from Colos. iv, 17. On the 30th of the same month he preached his first sermons in William Street, Adelphi, from 1 Cor. ii. 12. and Sol. Song v. 16. For several succeeding years he preached in a variety of places; but was never settled over any people till about the year 1790, when Providence called him to Pershore, Worcestershire. He was ordained over the Second Baptist Church in that place, Sept. 28, 1791. The service was conducted by Mr. Samuel Dunscombe, who gaye the charge from Col. i. 28; and by Mr. Wilkins, who addressed the church from 2 Thess. i. 11, 12. With that people he remained till 1801; during which time, he met with a great number of trials, both in his external circumstances and amongst his religious connections; all of which, however, he bore with much patience and meekness, preserving composure and equani mity on the most trying occasions. While at Pershore, his labours were not altogether without success; but Burford and

its vicinity was the destined spot where they were to be most eminently blessed; and where, alas! they were speedily, to terminate.

God

He took the charge of the church at Burford Oct, 4, 1801.3 In what manner he conducted himself while in that place, a mourning church and congregation, and mourning villages all around, bear a most decisive and pleasing testimony. wonderfully succeeded his ministry in the town and neighbourhood. The cause of Christ at Burford had been for several years on the decline, but it soon bore a very different aspect. The Meeting-house had been long in a shattered condition; - on this account, fears were excited in many of the hearers for their own safety, and some were hereby altogether prevented from attending. It was, therefore, deemed highly expedient and necessary to erect another Meeting-house, which was done in 1804, when the readiness of all Christian friends, to whom application was male, strongly evinced their attachment to Mr. Smith, as well as their concern for the prosperity of the interest at Burford. The new Meeting was opened in the Autumn of 1804. The subsequent increase of the congregation soon proved that it was by far too small. Many were called under Mr. Smith's ministry at Burford, and the adjacent villages.

Little had been previously done in village-preaching, but he soon entered fully upon the work, and the Lord soon shewed his approbation by the conversion of many souls. Most pleasing and affecting instances of this blessed work speedily appeared among the villagers, in whom the native ignorance and enmity of the human heart had been heightened and confirmed by long habits of negligence, formality, self-righteous dependences, and the most inveterate prejudices. Yet the doctrines of the gospel overcame all opposition, and made even these characters willing in the day of divine power, to deny themselves, to take up their cross and follow Christ, although in doing this they had to meet reproach, contempt, and persecution. Thus, for the last few years of his ministry, Mr Smith had constant reason to "thank God, who always made him to triumph in Christ, by making manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place" to which he could obtain access; and the church at Burford, as well as the congregation, was thus very considerably enlarged.

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He

It had been much feared, for some time, by many of his friends, that his exertions were beyond his strength; and that his constitution, naturally weak, could not long sustain them. But often, when desired to give up part of his work, he replied, Perhaps, I shall not be here long: I must not be idle." generally preached every week at four villages: to these he always walked, though they lay at considerable distances from each other; and this labour, added to his usual exercises at Burford on the Lord's Day, increased an asthmatic complaint, to

which he had been a long time subject, and which, at length, rapidly proved fatal. Some extraordinary exertions which he made in attending two meetings of ministers at a distance, greatly fatigued him, and seemed to occasion a violent return of the disorder.. On his way home he called at Bourton, and preached from 1 Cor. xv. 58; after which he presented a most affectionate and fervent prayer for all his friends; —in both, he could not have been more appropriate had he known that he was taking his farewell, and that they would see bis face no more. He reached home with difficulty at the close of the week. On Lord's Day, April 5, 1807, he preached twice, and administered the Lord's Supper, notwithstanding his great weakness, and the affectionate dissuasion of his friends. His subjects were Isa. xii. 3. and Psa. cxxxviii. 7, 8. When requested to omit the afternoonservice, and suffer a sermon to be read, he replied, with his usual cheerfulness, "No: I hope I shall be able to get through it." After this, he became gradually worse; his breathing was very difficult, but his mind was serene and happy. On Tuesday he gave an intimate friend a special charge not to neglect the dear people at Milton (one of the villages where his labours had been peculiarly blessed) and to visit them the next preaching night, as there were some persons desirous of coming forward to join the church. The same friend said to him, "I hope, dear Sir, you now enjoy the sweetness of those blessed truths which you preached to us?" He said he did; but from great weakness and difficulty of breathing, his mind was not so much fixed as he could wish. He said, he wanted to experience more of the peace and joy of God's salvation. His mind through the week con tinued tranquil; and even at those seasons when he was evidently delirious, his language discovered what was the object nearest his heart, and had been the grand business of his life, publish. ing salvation by Jesus Christ. Upon parting with the above friend on Wednesday evening, he said, taking him very affection. ately by his hand, "I hope we may yet meet in more comfortable circumstances on earth; but if that should not be the case, "we shall meet in infinitely better circumstances in Heaven. I hope I feel this affliction will issue well, well to all eternity;" and closed with singing a verse, the words of which, from his weakness, could not be understood. On Friday there was evi ́dently a change, which indicated the approach of death; but, living and dying, he was the same; wishing to have no will of his own, knowing that God's will was best, and being enabled to welcome it. On Saturday his mind appeared fixed on -heavenly things. He enquired very earnestly whether a supply had been obtained for the Lord's Day; and being answered in the affirmative, expressed his satisfaction at it. A neighbouring minister visited him in the evening, whom he at once recognized; and, upon inquiry being made as to the state of his mind, with

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