personal charities, and by exciting benevolence of others.

Nine alms-houses for widows were established under his influence, at the Tabernacle. A charity-school for clothing and educating one hundred children, founded and continued at the expense of that congregation, besides two or three Sunday and Catechetical schools.

The young people amongst the members he particularly delighted to encourage, and devoted much time to their intellectual, as well as spiritual, improvement.

On Sunday morning, in October, as his granddaughter sat with him, he begged her to read Psalms xlvi., lxxxvii., xcix., cxxii., cxxxii., cxlvii. and some others. He then said, "What do all these Psalms express?" She replied, "I would rather you, Sir, should tell me." "No-I ask you."- Well, I suppose, the blessedness and security of the Church of God." "Yes; and the interest and delight every Christian takes in its welfare. We should be glad to be at Tabernacle to-day; but it I will be well for us when we can go there no more! we shall have a better Church, better Sabbaths, and a mansion in Heaven. As my dear wife was well and dead in less than hour, it behoves me to be prepared to meet God, and so to arrange my little worldly concerns, as to give my successors as little trouble as possible. The salvation of my soul has been to me for many years a subject of primary concern, and I have no doubt that when Christ appears, I shall, through infinite grace, appear with Him in glory. My spiritual connexions I sincerely love, and do most ardently long after their souls. May God ever dwell in the midst of them in all His saving benefits."

The cause of Tottenham-court Chapel was written upon his heart; the expiration of the lease, and anxiety about a successor, prest him sorely. Once when very ill, his granddaughter inquired, "How are you, dear Sir?" He replied, "Weighed down, my dear, with the cares of the Church. I endeavour to

pray to God to tell Him He is my God, and to tell Him the relation He sustains to His Church, but I find it hard sometimes to trust Him, though I know He is a wonder-working God." Afterwards, he said, "I have more cares than I can well support; my sins, my infirmities, the cares of the churches, and for the cause of Christ. I only relieve one care by another, and throw off one anxiety because another comes in its place. My health is improving, but my heart is bowed down."

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"One of the last conversations I held with him," says Mr. Collison, was on this subject. I took the liberty of saying, in a very frank manner, If, my dear Sir, you and your friends should determine to purchase at a reasonable price, or to build on your trust, and then announce to the public that you I want to erect a monument to the memory of the great Whitfield, the religious public through the kingdom would delight to aid you; and if justice be done to the cause by yourselves, it is my deliberate opinion that, in six months, your object will be accomplished.' He burst into tears, the only time since the death of Mrs. Wilks that I had seen him do so; and taking hold of my hand, he said, 'I believe it, I believe they would.' In a note to Isaac Smith, Esq. (one of the trustees), he wrote, 'My dear Sir, I cannot live long, I may die soon. I enclose you £200 as my contribution towards the chapel.'"

On Christmas-day he conversed with his granddaughter about revivals in religion. He said, "No one desires them more than myself, but a miracle only can produce them in England. Professors are so thoroughly mixed up with the world in their habits, manners, and tone of conversation; there is none of the simplicity of godliness. They are so frivolous as well as so carnal, God only knows how I agonize over some of them." His granddaughter, adverting to American revivals, said, "they appear real, and such as you would approve." He replied, "Well, I hope so; the state

lovingkindness to my soul, and that I might be the better prepared for the labours and trials of the coming day by the manifestations of Thy presence and grace in my night's dreams.

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And has it not been thus with you, Christian reader, sometimes? Cannot you bear your personal testimony to this happy truth and say, God has "VISITED ME in the night?" Yes, He has done so. He has descended upon your spirit, so that wrapt in sleep you have held sweet fellowship with Him, as Jacob at Bethel; and which made the place to you as to him, none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven" (Gen. xxviii. 11-17.) Have you not woke up at some hour in the night with the smile of His peace upon your countenance, and with precious words of Scripture on your lips? And have you not arisen in the morning, like "the sun going forth in his strength, and as a strong man to run a race," because of the happy influence of God's gracious presence? and saying, “Thou hast visited me in the night."

II.-Night is the emblem of SOLITUDE. We speak of the "Cheerful Day," but "the Silent Night." Of the former, because, during day the world wears its more attractive appearances; its hours are enlivened with society; and everywhere we behold individuals busily engaged in the prosecution of their several duties, and the occupations necessary to the maintenance of life. But at night the noise of the world is hushed; the streets that were thronged are deserted; and, in the quiet of his home, and seclusion of his own chamber, each retires from observation, and seeks repose and rest in sleep.

Solitude has its benefits, and at times is peculiarly advantageous to the Christian. It is well sometimes to be alone, to enter into the closet and to shut the doors about us; and there, in private meditation, to hold converse with our own hearts, to seek to have fellowship with the throne of grace, the word of God, with the Holy Spirit, and "with Him who seeth in secret," and has pro

mised to come unto His people, and manifest Himself to them as He does not unto the world (John xiv. 21—23.)

Oh! how sweet-how precious--how sacred and sanctified are such solemn, special, spiritual seasons of retired solitude! to have the mind abstracted from all sublunary things, and engrossed with the unseen realities of the heavenly world, even as Jesus himself, of whom it is said, "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark i. 35.) Thus the spiritually minded believer will value opportunities of retirement for these purposes, because he can truthfully say, "I am never LESS alone than when alone." How often in his ordinary secular duties, and busy hours of labour or business, his soul reverts to those favoured seasons; longs for the time again, and leaps up in joy in the remembrance of the gracious words of promise, "I will come unto you, and I will bless you" where the world cannot intrude itself, and "the stranger intermeddleth not with the joy;" like to Nathaniel under the fig-tree, unintruded upon, and unobserved by any, excepting Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire, going to and fro through the earth, whose omniscience beholds the workings of every bosom, and who subsequently announced the thrilling tidings to the wondering "Israelite ""When thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee" (John i. 48.)

So Christian, it has been your own happy experience sometimes to have retreat from all temporal matters and earthly cares. You can say, I was privileged to withdraw for a little season from the bustle of the world, and to get into the atmosphere of a sacred solitude congenial with my spirit, and there to meet my Saviour, realize His presence, enjoy His fellowship, and to feel somewhat as he who once in the rapture of his soul said, "Lord, it is good to be here" (Matt. xvii. 4.)

Oh, for such visits oft repeated as the Saviour in His love accords unto His

humble people sometimes to enjoy, as our sainted poet has said :

"Be earth with all its scenes withdrawn; Let noise and vanity begone;

In secret silence of the mind,

My God, and there my heaven I find."

III.-Night is the season of DARKNESS. Necessary as the night is for the good of the world, and comfort of its creatures, it has its inconveniences and disadvantages. Whilst its hours bestow needful rest to the weary, and repose unto nature, the darkness favours the acts of men of evil designs, who wait for its cover and seize on its coming, for the perpetration of deeds which the day would prevent, and the light would disclose. The darkness in which the earth is shrouded connects dangers, for protection from which we are indebted unto the gracious care and merciful Providence of the Almighty, which every pious mind will humbly acknowledge, committing himself into the hands of God at night, as the Psalmist in 3rd Psalm 6: I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about."

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I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety" (Psalm iv. 8.) And in the morning, grateful for the mercies having extended over him throughout the dark watches, testifying his obligations- -"Thou hast visited me in the Night.” “I laid me down and slept: I awaked, for the Lord sustained me (Psalm iii. 5.)

Darkness is also figurative. it is emblematical of the moral condition of the world: "Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people" (Isa. Ix. 2.)

It was the darkness which God at the creation denominated "night" (Gen. i. 5.) "And God called the light day, and the darkness he called NIGHT;" a fitting metaphor also of the spiritual night, occasioned through man's sin, whereby the light of God's favour was withdrawn from the world, and which can only be restored through Christ Jesus, and by His Holy Spirit shedding

forth His illuminating influence upon our hearts, of which the Apostle speaks (2 Cor. iv. 6) "For God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ." Oh! what a VISIT, "in the night," of our creature darkness and alienation from heaven, was manifested in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ," through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath VISITED us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke i. 78, 79.) 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath VISITED and redeemed His people" (verse 68.)

And thus the believer refers joyfully, gratefully, and with adoring praise, to the beaming of God's light of grace into his soul in the hour of his conversion, and which made him "light in the Lord." Oh! it is his daily thanksgiving, the constant matter of his wondering rejoicing heart in every approach unto the throne of grace, "Thou hast visited me in the night." I was a poor dark soul, in error, in unbelief and misery, exposed unto everlasting death, till Thou, Lord, sheddest Thy heavenly light into my mind, showedst me the way of salvation, and didst make me exceeding glad with Thy countenance. Yes, in every instance, it is God's own graciously visiting the sinner. His coming to us first, not our first having gone to Him, which has made this great and wondrous change. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John iv. 10.) Salvation is wholly of God's grace: "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. ii. 8, 9.) Every converted sinner-every regenerated believer—will thus accord all the glory and praise of his salvation unto the free grace of God in Christ. Like as the rays of the sun come down from above on the earth,

changing the darkness into the morning, and bringing daylight and day to the world, so it is spiritually; all is darkness in the soul till the light of heaven pours into it, and then, the rejoicing heart, wondering over itself, and the displays of God's love to him, says, "Thou hast visited me in the night" -visited me in thy mercy with purposes of recovery from ruin, and redemption from hell! "Thou hast visited ME," even the chief of sinners," to make me the subject of Thy great salvation, and inheritor of Thine everlasting glory! Oh, happy one, whose experience can thus testify of God's visitations of grace, "Thou hast visited ME in the night!" It is the homage of gratitude, and the offering of praise from a loving spirit, "Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent: O Lord, my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever" (Psalm xxx. 11, 12.)

IV.-Night is the symbol of ADVERSITY and AFFLICTION. The fairest morn and brightest day yield to decline, and close in darkness. Life, too, may commence with happy prospects, and promise of multiplying comforts, to be soon blighted by adversity, and cut down, as the flower of the grass. Oh! there is nothing of abiding certainty in this world of change. We can count on the hours of the day; we can tell with precision how long ere the shades of night will steal over the earth; but our own little life's day-we cannot say how rapidly it may close! How suddenly it may sink below the horizon of time! Of many a fair child of hope has been uttered the prophet's lamentation: "Her sun is gone down while it was yet day" (Jer. xv. 9.) "The day of prosperity" is a common phrase, as well as scriptural, and is suitable in more senses than one. Prosperity may be likened unto sunshine gilding a man's path in the world. But it is literally true, too, that prosperity has only its DAY-may be as brief as the day-and, at its longest period,

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will be short as life's little day is. Re versely, it is equally appropriate to liken adversity and affliction to the NIGHT when the sunshine is gone, and the lovely day is eclipsed by the darkness. 'The night season the Psalmist sometimes alludes to, may have more than the literal signification, as in the 77th 2: In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran IN THE NIGHT, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted." And as Elihu, referring to the insensibility of the unsanctified, reminds Job: “But none saith, Where is God my Maker? who giveth songs in the night" (xxxv. 10.) It is when the creature is lost sight of in the darkness of those hours of affliction and adversity, that "God giveth SONGS in the night."

And how often adversity and affliction have, instrumentally, done more in blessing and good for a man than his prosperity could effect. Trials have been blest; griefs have been sanctified; and losses more than compensated. God has drawn near in love to the poor weeping one-the stricken-the bereaved. He has come as it were saying, "Am not I better to thee than many sons?" 'Thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is His name "" (Isa. liv. 5.) "Fear thou not, for I am with thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isa. xli. 10.)

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Oh, what mercies do such troubles prove, when they, through grace. prepare the heart for God's comforting visits! Even human sympathy is sweet in the season of trial. The fainting heart wants something to lean upon; some reviving cordial to taste of in its distress. But no comforts are equal to those of the Best of Friends; no support like the support which His tenderness gives. Whilst all others-precious as they are-are but human and earthly, His are heavenly, superabundant and omnipotent. In his visits he acquaints us, how that He himself has drunk of our cup, and been "tempted," like to