and Bagicet, where he had promised to lend his powerful aid in some temperance meetings. The day upon which he left Liverpool was cold and damp, and riding, as he did, for thirty miles, in wet clothes, he took a cold, from which he never recovered; for as soon as he returned home he became an invalid, and was confined to his bed. This, added to the loss of his dear wife, threw his already weakened constitution into a decline. All the efforts of his medical attendants proved abortive, except for a short season. About this time his eldest daughter was taken ill, and it became but too visible that she also was consumptive. The medical men attendant upon Mr. and Miss Williams thought it advisable that they should leave Liverpool for the country, and, strangely enough, Mr. Williams again became the pastor of Wern and Rhos churches, and it may most truly be said, his latter end was more blessed than his beginning, for very many sought the Lord under his ministry, and the number of those who are called by Christ's name in these places greatly increased. Contrary to the hopes of friends and relatives, the change proved unavailing. Miss W.'s strength rapidly decreased, and both she and her endeared parent were con scious that the time of their departure was at hand. A few mornings before her death, her father, as was his custom, entering her room to inquire how she had passed the night, the following interesting conversation took place between them :

“Well, Eliza, how do you feel yourself this morning ?" "But weak indeed, my dear father," was the reply. “Ah, my child! we are both running the race-which, think you, will be the first to finish our course ?" asked Mr. W. "Oh! I shall," answered she, “for I believe you have work yet to do." "No! no! Eliza," remarked Mr. W., 'my task is nearly done."

"It may be so, dear father," said this pious young lady, "but I still think I shall be the first to depart." "Perhaps," was his reply, it is better so, for I may be

more able to bear the shock; but," continued he, "are you anxious to see the end of your journey?" "Oh yes,” she replied, "for I shall see many old friends-my dear mother also; but, above all, I shall see Jesus." "Ah! well then," said he, "tell them I shall shortly follow."

This amiable and pious young lady died on the 21st of February, 1840, aged 22. Her last words were, "Peace! peace!" The event, as may be supposed, deeply affected her dying father. He became weaker day by day, and on the morning of the 17th of March, 1840, in the 59th year of his age, he also departed in peace, to the mansions of bliss,

"Where he shall bathe his weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll

Across his peaceful breast."

On the 25th, his remains were interred in the chapel which had been the scene of his pastoral labours for so many years. Previous to interment, prayers were offered, and addresses delivered, by the Revds. Dr. Raffles, Liverpool; A. Jones, Bangor; S. Roberts, Llanbrynmair; J. Pearce, Wrexham; M. Jones, Llannwehlyn; C. Jones, Dolgelly; W. Rees, Denbigh; and Robt. Roberts, Janyclawdd, (Calvinistic Methodist.) Several other ministers and a numerous concourse of friends were present on the melancholy occasion. The following Sabbath evening his funeral sermon was preached, to a large and sorrowing congregation, by Mr. Rees, Denbigh, from the words, “The beauty of Israel is slain upon the high places; how are the mighty fallen!" 2 Sam. i. 19.

On the closing scenes of the life of the dear departed Williams, some interesting passages have been furnished, in an excellent Welsh memoir of the deceased, published by Mr. Rees, Denbigh, and of which I take the liberty of availing myself.

One day, the Rev. J. Pearce, of Wrexham, visited him, and after a pleasing, though melancholy interview, just at parting, Mr. W. remarked"Well, dear brother, I have done with

all earthly affairs; nothing now awaits me but heavenly pleasures." To the Rev. B. W. Chidlaw, of America, he remarked, "Here I am much the same as a disabled huntsman; I hear the sound of my fellow-labourers and brethren, but cannot follow them. My soul, however, is in the work; and though my body fails, I can only pray that God, even our Father, will bless them, and cause his face to shine upon them. Had the spirit which now animates our brethren animated us twenty years ago, we should long since have sung the songs of triumph." The Rev. Mr. Rees and several other friends visited him shortly afterwards. this time just departing. beheld them, he exclaimed, with tears in his eyes, "Ah! my brethren, how glad I am to see you once more ere I depart hence." He then inquired, in a most anxious manner, how they had succeeded in some revival meetings they had attended; and when Mr. Rees told him that several poor sin

He was at When he

ners had fled to Christ for refuge, he again burst into tears, and said, "Well, to Him, not unto us, but unto Him be the praise. You have returned more than conquerors, through Him that loved you." Mr. Rees remarks"There was something so affecting in this hallowed scene, that we could not withstand our emotions; and we all found relief in a flood of tears, and wept together." When the friends arose to depart, Mr. Williams said"Well, well, I suppose we shall not meet on earth again; and now we are parting for the last time, let us vow, in this place, and at this moment, that we will meet one another at the right hand of our blessed Redeemer." "In truth," remarks Mr. Rees, "this was a glorious and solemn parting."

I cannot better close these few remarks, than in the words he chose as the funeral text for his friend, the late beloved and Rev. David Jones, of Holywell-" He being dead, yet speaketh," Heb. xi. 4.

E. G. S.

DEAR SIR, Comparatively few persons in this country are acquainted, it is imagined, with the state of the different religious denominations in Scotland, yet that country is now in a most interesting position, and problems, in reference to the connexion between church and state, the value and efficacy of confessions of faith, &c., &c., are about to be practically solved there, which have long agitated the church of God.

Everybody has heard of the antipatronage and non-intrusion war, by which the very existence of the national church is threatened. This controversy, though the conflicting parties are for the most part evangelical on the one side, and non-evangelical on the other, does not relate to any of the great principles of the evangelical system. In another denomination,

however, a controversy in reference to more than one of these principles has sprung up, of the nature and importance of which it is the object of this Letter to give the reader some ac

count.

The denomination alluded to is the United Secession church, a large, a very respectable, and influential body of orthodox Presbyterian dissenters. Every minister of this body signs, before his introduction to any pastoral charge, the Westminster Confession of Faith; and, whatever reason-if any -there may be to apprehend that the form of sound words generally held by the Secession ministers may have partially resulted from attaching more authority to the Confession than any human production ought to have, there is no doubt that the strain of doctrine taught by them has been, till recently,

in harmony with that standard, strictly and literally understood.

Of late, however, as if to show how impossible it is for any human standard of doctrine to shackle the understanding and conscience, diversity of opinion, and of teaching, has begun to appear. One of the first, if not the first, points on which this diversity displayed itself, was the vital doctrine of the atonement. The Westminster Confession seems at least to confine the atonement to the elect,-to teach, that in no sense did Christ die for the nonelect, so that there can be no more sufficiency in his sacrifice to save nonelect men than fallen angels. Now, if this were true, what foundation would there be for any man, who did not know that he was an elect man, to venture his salvation upon Christ? Feeling the pressure of this difficulty in all its force, certain ministers of that denomination began to suspect, a few years ago, the correctness of their former views in regard to the extent of the atonement. They saw, that if Christ died for all men,-not in the sense of intending to save all men, (for this they have never affirmed,) but in the sense of intentionally removing all legal obstacles which lay in the way of the salvation of all men,-then all practical difficulty is removed; that, in that case, the way is opened, (as they very expressively say in some of their communications,) for the sinner to get into Christ. Every one knows, that when many persons, who have been accustomed to hear the doctrine of a limited atonement preached, become conscious of guilt, they are greatly perplexed with doubts whether Christ so died for them, as to warrant them to place their hopes upon him. died," is their language," for the elect, but did He die for me?-am I one of the elect?" How, indeed, can it be otherwise? If the death of Christ removed legal obstacles to salvation in the case of the elect merely, it follows logically that I must know that I belong to that number, before I can know that such obstacles have been

"He

removed in my case; and as there are no means of ascertaining this, every way (to adopt the language formerly referred to) of getting into Christ seems closed up against the whole of the human family. If pressed by the danger behind, the sinner goes to Christ; the doctrine he has been taught the doctrine of a limited atonement-can only carry him forwards with a peradventure that he may be saved, because it is possible that he may be one of the elect; it cannot give him the certainty of acceptance. If, on the other hand, the death of Christ removed legal obstacles-all obstacles on the part of God-to the salvation of all men, then I need only to know that I am a man to inspire the fullest confidence that, if I am willing to be saved, and go to Christ for salvation, I shall not be rejected.

The ministers referred to in this letter have taken this practical view of the atonement, and it is probable that the freedom and energy in preaching the gospel to sinners, which the doctrine of universal atonement (i. e.-for let not the language be misunderstood,—that the death of Christ intentionally removed all obstacles on the part of God to the salvation of all men,) cannot well fail to give to a minister, prepared them to surrender their former faith in the limited extent of Christ's death. At all events they have surrendered it; and are now preaching, boldly, that, as Christ died for all men, and for all men in the same sense, the question, “ Am I elected?" needs not be raised at all; that it is, indeed, impertinent and improper to raise it as impertinent and improper as to inquire, as a necessary preliminary to going to Christ, “Am I learned, or poor, or rich ?" Since Christ died for all men, that all men believing may be saved, no one needs to know more than that he is a man to know that Christ died for him, and that, if he believe in Him, he shall be saved.

Comparatively few, I believe, have ventured to avow their belief (all honour be to the men who have had the

moral courage to do it) in the universal extent of the atonement, because the church courts, in the spirit of their ancestors, who would have crammed the Solemn League and Covenant down the throats of the whole country, have already deposed, and seem prepared to depose, all who deviate from the standards of the church, these standards being, not directly at least, the Bible, but the Confession of Faith, and other writings of their own conformed to it, and explanatory of it. Yet there can

The

The

be little doubt that others agree with the few who have avowed themselves, that more are beginning to doubt the limited extent of the atonement, yea, that the faith of the church in that doctrine is beginning to falter. Scotch Congregational Magazine, which announces the important fact that the whole of the Congregational body in that country are one in their belief in the universal extent of the atonement, declares, "That the Secession church is divided, cannot be doubted. present healthful agitation-for such we deem it has broken the bulwarks of uniformity." "The progress of the truth is already far greater than its recipients are willing to allow. The theology of the present race of Seceding ministers is not the theology of their predecessors. Truth has undermined and overthrown the standards." Confirmatory of this statement is the language of Dr. Balmer, one of the excellent professors of that church— "Twelve years ago, the supreme court of the United Secession church passed an act, condemning the doctrine of a universal atonement. But how great the change effected within the last two years. The doctrine of a general reference in the death of Christ has been officially recognized, such a reference as necessarily implies a universal atonement; for surely nothing but a universal atonement could have opened the door of mercy for all, unless God can pardon sin without an atonement. And though the expression is not yet stamped with the seal of judicial approbation, the chief lets to the use of it

are taken out of the way; and already it is sanctioned by such authority as will speedily ensure its all but universal adoption."

I am bound to apprize the reader that difference of opinion on other subjects besides the extent of the atonement exists between the excluding and the excluded parties in the Secession church. Your space, Mr. Editor, will not allow me to specify them. The deposed ministers seem to regard the opinions they have formed on the whole of the disputed points as forming a system of truth, the parts of which are logically connected with one another. I do not see with them here. I can perceive no necessary connexion between a universal atonement and the opinion, strongly maintained by them, that assurance of personal acceptance with God is essential to faith. is belief in the Divine testimony. It has regard, as an eminent writer has said, to what is written. Now, it is not written that I am accepted of God; consequently, the belief that I am personally accepted cannot constitute a part of the faith of the gospel, It may invariably accompany it, but it is not in it, or of it. It is not the thing or fact believed. The faith of the gospel arises out of the evidence we have, that what God says to us is true; assurance out of the evidence we have that we believe what God says

to us.

Faith

You intimated, Mr. Editor, in your review of "Strictures on Dr. Marshall's late work on the Atonement," that "the persons in opposition to whose views" that work was written, may not "have acted throughout in the most judicious manner." The fact may be so; I do not, however, affirm it. It may be further true that, in the rebound from errors on one side of the line of truth, they may go to errors on the other. It may be well to guard them against the danger of doing this. Some of them are ardent men; one of them is a young man of superior attainments, original, highly-gifted, capa ble of intense feeling. Let us pray for

MY DEAR SIR,-Notwithstanding the changes we sometimes experience in our local circumstances and connexions, there are past events which are never to be forgotten; and, as

66

Friend after friend departs," our friends in Christ, and especially those of tried character and long standing, are worthy of being "had in everlasting remembrance." The recent removal of such a friend has just occasioned the receipt of letters from surviving friends, one of them requesting me to prepare an obituary of the deceased; but the particulars and circumstances of the case are such as, in my judgment, to render a narrative, that may be inserted in your "Home Chronicle," more proper, as it may serve to encourage the preaching of the gospel in cottages and farm-houses, wherever such labours of love appear to be required.

Soon after my ordination at Haverfordwest, as minister of the old dissenting congregation in that town, I became intimately acquainted with the Rev. Arnold Davies, of Rosemarket, who was then in a declining state of health, and for whom I preached occasionally on Sunday evenings, my congregation having then only service in the morning and afternoon. On one of those occasions, when I did not return to Haverfordwest until the following morning, I informed him that I had been urged, by a member of the church under my care, to preach in his

cottage at Freystrup Cross; and suggested that, as the place was nearer to his residence than to mine, it would be well, should his health improve, if he would unite with me in holding stated meetings in that village. To this he readily assented, and proposed to accompany me to the place, that we might see the good man's cottage, and determine on the plan of our future proceedings. On reaching Freystrup Cross, the cottage in which we designed to preach was found to be too small, and in other respects inconvenient, so that we were desirous of obtaining better accommodation. Observing a farm-house at a little distance, which seemed the largest and most eligible place for our purpose, I said to my esteemed brother, "Who knows but those who occupy that house would be glad if we would preach under their roof. Let us just call in a friendly way, and tell them the object of our visit, in connexion with our disappointment as to the cottage we have been to see." This was accordingly done; and the house was found to be occupied by a widow, who had formerly been connected with the Wesleyan Methodists, but who, in consequence of domestic trials and afflictions, had almost totally neglected the means of grace, and suffered her religious impressions and feelings to decline. This she lamented with tears, and expressed her wish, for the future, to live near to God. At the same time