2. My departed friend not only acquired a deep and extensive knowledge of the truth, but excelled in the faculty and practice of retaining it.-He continued his theological and scriptural studies almost to the utmost verge of life. Hence his attainments were always progressive, and his profiting appeared unto all men. This was much promoted by his habits of private thinking and meditation. He had always on his mind some subject of interesting investigation, to which he at every interval of mental leisure directed his thoughts; and street-meditation, even in his walks through this busy metropolis, was an art which he had successfully cultivated. For the same purpose of retaining and perfecting his knowledge, he almost invariably turned to like account his conversations with friends, when private meditations were interrupted, and thus at once elicited the views of

information on many points connected with the subject, "The Works of Arminius," translated by my excellent friend Mr. James Nichols, "to which are added, Brandt's Life of the Author, with considerable augmentations, numerous extracts from his private Letters," &c. &c. ;-and another work, by Mr. Nichols, entitled, "Calvinism and Arminianism compared." Both these publications, including an immense mass of highly entertaining and valuable materials, biographical, historical, and theological, arrayed in the various forms of Prolegomena, Reprints of scarce and curious documents, elaborate Notes, and extensive Appendices, display uncommon learning and research; and justify the encomium of Dr. Wordsworth on the author, as "better acquainted" with the history and the writings of the age on which he writes "than almost any other person of our time." I may add that the Quarterly Review also designates Mr. Nichols as "intimately conversant with the history of that age, and better acquainted than any other person with what were then the bearings and effects of religious opinions ;" and states, that his last-mentioned work "ought to have a place in every historical and in every ecclesiastical library." Without pretending to concur in every statement which Mr. Nichols has introduced into volumes of such multifarious character, I have taken the liberty of thus respectfully calling the reader's attention to them, not only as affording information respecting genuine and degenerate Arminianism (so called) which is not elsewhere collected; but also as suggesting to serious readers, who are willing to receive instruction from the history of the past, and to learn wisdom by what others have suffered, some admonitory lessons peculiarly seasonable in the present day. Many portions of them are well calculated to shew to the various sects of English Christians the mischief of extreme opinions on certain subjects, the danger of needlessly mixing up themselves, in their religious character, with merely civil strifes, or with fierce political parties, the duty of continuing to pray, "Give peace in our time, O Lord!"-and the universal truth, confirmed by all experience, of that inspired assertion, "The wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God."-It is much to be desired that Mr. Nichols should be enabled speedily to complete each of the works specified above, by the additional volumes so long promised, and by copious Indices to the whole.

others, and made his own more fixed and clear by recitation of his former thinkings on the subjects introduced.

3. But "what avails superior light, without superior love?" It is of great importance that I should remind you, in further illustration of the text, as applicable to Mr. WATSON, that he received the truth in the love of it, so as by it to be saved. To him the gospel "came in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance,”-in the assurance not of firm intellectual persuasion only, but also of heart-felt, and comforting, and sanctifying experience. Minute or ample details of his early Conversion to God I have not been able to obtain; but there is no doubt of the interesting fact. He repeatedly referred to it with lively gratitude on his dying bed. "God seized on me," he said, "just at the right time. I should have been very wicked, if I had not been converted while young. I should have become very hardened." When yet a child, indeed, he was for a time profitably impressed under the preaching of the late Rev. GEORGE LAMBERT, of Hull, which he then occasionally attended, in company with his father, who was an Independent Dissenter. This circumstance, Mr. GALLAND informs me, he thankfully acknowledged many years afterwards, when, being stationed at Hull, he preached a funeralsermon in Waltham-street Chapel, occasioned by the death of that venerable minister. The good feeling, thus excited, does not appear, however, to have been deep or permanent. One who knew him, while a boy, at Lincoln, remembers him as a careless and irreligious youth, addicted to acts of petty mischief. In that city he was led to attend the preaching of the Methodists; not, however, in the first instance, in order to obtain spiritual instruction, but rather to unite with many others in disturbing the congregations, by throwing horse-beans against the front of the gallery, during worship, and by other similar methods of frolick some annoyance. Detected in this thoughtless but criminal proceeding, he was reported to his father, who administered suitable correction, which his lofty spirit so resented, that

he determined, at the moment, never again to enter a Methodist Chapel. That determination, happily, he was induced to alter; and after some time, began to feel the power of truth, attended in consequence the meetings held for purposes of prayer, and entered into the Methodist Society. Soon he was deeply and painfully convinced of sin; and earnestly sought a personal salvation from its guilt and power. Nor did he seek in vain. About the age of fourteen, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, he found "rest unto his soul;" obtained a comforting sense of pardoning mercy; and was made "a new creature in Christ Jesus." He was now filled with peace and joy through believing; and was remarkable, among his new associates, for his activity and zeal. Thus the gospel was made unto him, "the power of God unto salvation;" and the love of Christ, and of his saying, became the great master-principle of his heart.-Of his private christian experience in later life, I am not furnished with any such particulars, as could be properly or profitably introduced into this brief statement. He was habitually and perhaps constitutionally reserved, (though not without some exception,) on these points of his personal history and feelings, til near the period of his final sickness; when he became, even on such subjects, exceedingly frank, and evinced to those about him the simplicity of "a little child,” in beautiful connexion with the manliness and wisdom of an established and highly intellectual Christian. It is more than probable that his religious state and enjoyments varied very considerably, in the interval which elapsed between his first early (I think too early) engagement in the duties of the ministry, and his subsequent voluntary secession from those duties, at the age of twenty, for a period of about two years, which he chiefly spent in secular avocations. A large portion of that period of secession was marked by sore and bitter mental exercise; for he longed, as it was natural that he should, on due consideration, for restoration to his former sacred occupation as "a fisher of men," and could not be happy or at home in any other calling. So extremely painful were his

convictions of the duty of relinquishing once more "the affairs of this life" for the service of the sanctuary, and of the souls of men, that, travelling on one occasion from Birmingham to Redditch, on business, his reflections quite overpowered him; and he said, in afterwards describing them, “I think it was impossible for a fiend of hell, or a lost spirit, to feel more truly wretched than I did in that hour." The inward rebukes of the Holy Spirit were soon followed by a providential visitation of severe bodily affliction, which further taught him what was his duty to God and the church, and fully disposed him to its performance, when opportunity should serve. Regaining, at length, his proper station in the holy ministry, he recovered the spiritual strength and enjoyment which untoward circumstances had impaired; and he soon proved that, in returning to his original vocation, his soul had "returned to her rest." The genuine fruits of righteousness were very visible to those who had the happiness to be best acquainted with him, and could not but command their esteem and love, notwithstanding any infirmity of temper, or manifestation of defect and frailty, which they might occasionally discover. Ever since I knew him, I have had reason to observe that his piety was progressive like his knowledge; and latterly its increasing vigour and maturity have been exceedingly conspicuous and edifying. This "growth in grace" was not merely co-temporaneous with his growth in divine knowledge, but, I believe in a high degree, the direct result of his increasingly clear and comprehensive views of the great scheme and system of the gospel, attended as they were, in his case, by the "demonstration of the Spirit and of power." An intimate relation always exists in good men between truth and holinesss;-truth being, according to a correct allusion of Lord BACON, the seal, and holiness the impression, while the Holy Ghost himself is ever to be worshipped and adored as the great agent. But in Mr. WATSON this relation was peculiarly marked and striking. His religious feelings were almost exclusively the effect of principles; and were less influenced, probably, than in some minds

of different construction, by external impulses or circumstances. "Beholding" therefore "with open face," and with a gaze more simple, steadfast, and distinct, "the glory of the Lord," he was, as he advanced in years and in theological attainments, "changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

4. This will more fully appear, if we advert to the practical excellencies which adorned the private and public life of my deceased friend. These were great and manifold; and we thankfully "glorify God in him."

As a Christian, he was, habitually and decidedly, a man of truly spiritual mind. He lived under a strong impression of eternal realities, and was elevated far above the sphere of merely earthly and grovelling delights. "His thoughts," says the near observer and inmate, whose testimony I have before quoted, "were much in heaven. were much in heaven. He had acquired very endearing and exalted views of the happiness into which the righteous enter, immediately after their deliverance from the burden of the flesh. He highly estimated the recompenses, as well as the repose, of their final state; and under these impressions and hopes kept an habitual watch over his motives and affections, labouring that, whether present or absent, he might be accepted of the Lord."-His spirituality, however, was always connected, in its outward manifestations, with discretion and good sense. He never affected it; never disgraced it by quaint and ludicrous associations; never practised those unfelt and trifling common-places of religious loquacity, which some mistake for pious discourse. Truth and purity,―useful and improving sentiment, expressed in reverent and serious language, and recommended by becoming dignity and gravity of demeanour,-distinguished his communication with others on divine things. His general conversation in society was various and discursive; often highly talented and fascinating; always, as to its prevailing spirit and tendency, in perfect keeping with the character and profession of a christian man. "It was scarcely possible," says his young friend already cited, "to hear him preach, or converse regu