could not ascertain the precise moment when his happy spirit escaped to the world of light, and life, and peace. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth," from the very moment when they quit the earthly tabernacle: "Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." He died October 24th, 1839, in the sixtieth year of his age.

To these brief memorials it will be proper to subjoin a few testimonies to the excellency and consistency of his character, kindly supplied by friends who enjoyed a long and familiar acquaintance with him.

"Iaving intimately known the late lamented Sir William C. Ellis for the last nineteen years," says Dr. Bostock, of Wakefield, “I am constrained, by motives of affectionate regard for his memory, to bear my humble testimony to the superlative excellence of his character. As a public man, his conduct was uniformly upright and straightforward; and the unflinching integrity with which he discharged the important duties of the offices which he sustained, was such as to merit and demand my warmest commendations. Many persons who once, with myself, occupied subordinate situations at the establishments over which he presided, both here," (at Wakefield,) “and in Middlesex, concur in one unanimous sentiment, that few such men as Sir William Ellis are to be found. His humane and unwearied attention, in conjunction with his excellent and now bereaved Lady, not only to the temporal comforts, but to the spiritual interests, of the unfortunate inmates of those admirable institutions, clearly prove, that the law of kindness was deeply written on his heart. As a husband and a father, I can truly and conscientiously assert, that, during a life of considerably more than half a century, I have never yet seen his equal, for the strength of his conjugal and parental affection. Indeed, this fact is so well established, as to have become quite proverbial at each of the institutions already named. In this respect, I have no hesitation in saying, that Sir William Ellis's family circle was a pattern well worthy of universal imitation. As to his Christian character, few persons have had better opportunities than myself, of observing his consistent and upright walk. I have often been a silent witness of his excellencies in this respect. As a Class-Leader, he was much beloved. I always regarded his Christian attainments as of a superior order, and such as eminently qualified him for this office. He exercised a happy influence over those whose spiritual welfare he was appointed to watch; and many, I doubt not, will have cause to praise God to all eternity, for the benefits which they derived from his pious and affectionate exhortations. He also, for some time, filled the office of ChapelSteward with much credit to himself; and always husbanded his resources with the most exemplary economy and fidelity. He was a warmly-attached friend to the cause of the perishing Heathen; and

was often called to preside at our Missionary Anniversary Meetings, where he appeared to be quite in his element."

“During a period of three years, in which it was my privilege to enjoy an intimate acquaintance with my late highly-esteemed and invaluable friend," says Dr. Button, now of Forston-House, near Dorchester, "I had almost hourly opportunities of observing his walk and conversation. I saw him placed in circumstances the most perplexing, deceived by professed friends, and calumniated by enemies; but, under all, he undeviatingly maintained the dignity of the Christian profession. In addition to his high acquirements in the particular department of the medical profession to which he had devoted his life and talents, and in which he rose to so eminent a rank, he possessed the qualities of benevolence and forbearance in no ordinary measure. It may be truly said of him, that he was, in a signal degree, a ‘peacemaker,' living in peace, and striving to promote peace among others. He was always ready to pass by a transgression, and freely to forgive those who had offended, on their manifesting the least regret for their misconduct; and never did I hear him, in any circumstances, mention a delinquency once forgiven. In fact, his readiness to forgive forcibly reminded me of the command of our Saviour, which he almost literally fulfilled: 'I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.' It is a fact worthy of being recorded, that most of his servants remained with him for a course of years; and many were the tears which they shed on his taking his departure from Hanwell. He was always ready for every work of mercy, and for the promotion, by his liberal contributions, of any charitable object; but in this his left hand generally knew not what his right hand did. I had frequent opportunities of witnessing his devotional spirit; and many times in the class-meeting have I observed the tears trickle down his cheeks, while he mentioned the sweetness of his intercourse in private with God. It may indeed be said of him, 'Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.'”

"Having had the pleasure of an intimate acquaintance with the late Sir William C. Ellis," says Mr. Wood, "for the period of twenty or five-and-twenty years, I had many opportunities, during our social intercourse, of observing those parts of his character which made him so estimable as a friend, so agreeable as a companion, so disinterested, judicious, and energetic in that path of usefulness which Providence had especially marked out for him, so endearing in his domestic relations; and, above all, so exemplary as a Christian. To other and abler hands will be left the task of describing his progress through life, in his own particular sphere; the philanthropy which actuated him in selecting that open, but comparatively untrodden, path; the tenderness with which he administered to the alleviation of the sufferings of the most afflicted of his fellow-creatures; the ingenuity with which he devised means to divert their minds by employment, and thus to miti

6

gate their sorrows; and the firmness with which he resisted whatever appeared to him to be unkindness or maltreatment, together with the success which attended the adoption of his system. But there was a singular feature in his professional character,—and it is to be regretted that it must be so termed,-which I have frequently observed; and that is, the delight which it gave him when any of his patients, in addition to physical and mental, received also religious, benefit. The instances were not unfrequent in which he had cause to rejoice, that his patients were 'clothed, and in their right mind,' and that they sought to be arrayed in that righteousness which is of God by faith.' Connected, however, with his professional character, there was another thing which I had often an opportunity of remarking; and that was, the integrity with which he managed the public affairs entrusted to his care. The language of Job, frequently in his mouth, was evidently the rule of his official life: 'My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.' I have often been struck with his conscientious regard for the fundamental truths of the Gospel, and his unwavering adherence to them. He maintained these truths, not as theories to be embraced merely, but as sacred verities, which exerted a most powerful influence on the hearts and lives of all who held them in sincerity and truth. As the people of God approach their latter end, there is generally a gradual, but evident, preparation for it, discovered in their deadness to the world, their increasing spirituality of mind, their growing regard for the truths which they believe, and for the holy privileges in which they daily and hourly share. That this was eminently the case with my departed friend, was observed, not only by myself, but by others for whose superior knowlege and attainments in divine things I have the utmost respect."

66 From my first interview with Sir William Ellis," says Mr. Rowe, of Margate," which took place about sixteen years since, I was struck with the noble frankness of his manners; and still more, on further acquaintance, with the uncompromising character of his Christian conduct, and his undaunted courage in following that which his conscience dictated to be right. With these qualities he possessed an exquisite tenderness of feeling towards his suffering fellow-creatures, and an earnest desire to promote their best interests for both worlds. To these great objects his whole energies were directed; and as he advanced in the divine life, his naturally generous soul appeared to enlarge in increased efforts to promote the glory of his Master in all that he was called to perform. He seemed to live for the good of others. They who witnessed his resignation and assurance in the prospect of approaching dissolution, may indeed bless God for the grace afforded him, and take courage to seek, by faith in the great atonement of our Saviour, a support like that which he so happily experienced, and which can be derived only from that source." To

this Mrs. Rowe adds, "I had the happiness and privilege of seeing much of Sir William at home, where the fine qualities of his mind, and his warm and affectionate heart, were fully developed. I have no hesitation in saying, that those who knew him best loved him most. He was a most devoted husband; and his wise counsels can never be forgotten by his dear son, whom he had the happiness to see brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, before his own removal to a better world. Sir William's character was without disguise. The maintenance of integrity was exemplified in his every-day walk through life. He manifested a holy indignation against anything like trimming in religion. As a Leader he was faithful and affectionate, and possessed great discrimination of character. He was enabled to direct the sorrowing sinner to the foot of the cross, and to build up believers in their most holy faith. In the latter part of his life, especially, he may truly be said to have followed the Lord fully; and his death was the death of the righteous.

'O may I triumph so,

When all my warfare's past;
And, dying, find my latest foe
Under my feet at last!'"

DIVINITY.

THE PROMISED ADVENT OF THE SPIRIT FOR THIE WORLD'S CONVERSION:

A SERMON:

BY RUFUS ANDERSON, D.D.,

ONE OF THE SECRETARIES OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF
COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS.

"AND it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days, will I pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass,

that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered."Joel ii. 28-32.

How evident it is, that more is wanting than we now have, to bring about the conversion of the world, both to multiply the means, and to give them success! Not that the churches of Christ are unable to publish the Gospel everywhere. Not that there is a lack of oppor

tunity. Not that the experiments already made have been without ample encouragement. Not, in short, that a sufficient motive is wanting to go "into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." But who does not know, that the churches are slow to engage in this work? that the work itself is regarded in the light of a charity, which one is 'at liberty to perform, or not, as he pleases, instead of being the great thing for which the church exists, and for which the Christian lives? and that it is hard to obtain the men to go as Missionaries to heathen nations, and still harder the means of supporting the few that go; while the results of Missionary labour, though equal, nay, superior, to those of pastoral labour at home, and greater than is generally supposed, are still such as would require ages upon ages to complete the earth's spiritual renovation?

Does it follow, that the conversion of the world, by means of human instrumentality, is a hopeless or even doubtful work? By no means. On the contrary, the enterprise is full of hope, full of certainty. And it is so for a reason which is gloriously set forth in the Scriptures. The piety of the professed people of God is not always to remain in its present low condition. The church is to have a transforming visitation from on high; and the world is to have a similar visitation. The Spirit is to be poured out upon all flesh. There is to be an advent of the Spirit,-so to speak,-a grand putting forth of his influence, a mighty effort of his power, that shall ensure both the publication and the triumph of the Gospel over all the world.

The delightful theme, then, on which we are to dwell, is this: That a time is coming when divine power is to be exerted, in connexion with the preached Gospel, at home and abroad, to an extent far greater than it ever has been, so as to render the Gospel every where triumphant beyond all former experience.

My first object, of course, will be to ESTABLISH this great truth.

As a first step in the argument, I assert the fact, that such an exercise of divine power is necessary, if the world is to be converted.

Look at the greatness of the work to be done. The field is the world, with scarcely less than a thousand millions of inhabitants. Three-fourths of these are beyond the pale of Christendom,-Mohammedans, or else Pagans. Estimating the population of China at three hundred and fifty millions, which is believed to be its true population, at least eight hundred millions are yet to be made acquainted with the Gospel. Whether we regard this part of the great field numerically, or geographically, its magnitude is truly overwhelming. And all the Missions, which we discover in our survey of it, seem only a few bright points on a boundless region of darkness. We may contemplate the magnitude of the work in a two-fold aspect: first, as so many hundred millions of minds, to be approached in all the extent of their wide dispersion, and then interested, enlightened, and won over to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, involving the overthrow of