ceding her death, they had been converfing together, like two weary pilgrims, juft at the end of their journey, when he left her with thefe words: "The Lord Jefus be with thy fpirit." Her reply was, "Amen! amen! Oh that I could bid the world adieu! I want to be before the throne." On the following morning, the was found dead by the fide of the good old man; who, till informed of the circumftance, was ignorant of what had taken place. So eafy and happy was the tranflation of this godly woman to that world for which fhe was ardently longing. It might have been fuppofed, that this event, under fuch circumstances, would have been more than the feeling heart of the aged husband could have fupported; but it was far otherwite. To God he looked up, and God was his helper. He retired to his ftudy immediately, and as foon as the family were ready to join with him, he bent his knees before the throne, expreffing his perfect acquief cence in the divine difpenfation, thanking God for the many years of conjugal happinefs with which he had been bleffed; and praying, that he and all his dear children might be prepared to follow the departed faint to the realms of everlasting joy. This was but agreeable to Mr. Toms's ufual practice; who, when any afflictive event came to his knowledge, in which his family could be fuppofed to feel an intereft, always called them together, and joined with them in prayer to God, that it might be fanctified to them all. The good man now confidered the time of his own departure as near at hand, his fight and his ftrength decaying very faft; but he rejoiced in hope of the glory of God. Till about this time, he had preached one part of the Lord's day, though ninety years of age. Still he continued his. attendance at the houfe of God, whither he was carried in a fedan chair; and when he could do no more, he used to pronounce the bleffing on the people. His weakness, however, increafing, he bid adieu to the tabernacle of God among men, and in a few days after, he became a prifoner in his chamber. His daughters now (if poffible) redoubled their attentions to him, and difcovering their reluctance to part with him, he faid, "Sure you would not keep your father always with you." One of the family writing to a young friend who had lately married, afked if he had any meffage to her. "Yes, (faid he) tell her that, if near ninety years experience is of any value, I have found the ways of God, ways of pleafantnefs, and his paths, paths of peace." On being asked how he felt himself, his reply was, "I know not how God is about to difpofe of me, but I would fay, as good Mr. Baxter did, "What thou wilt, when tho wilt, and how thou wilt." He flept much during the laft week, but when he awoke, his converfation was always fpiritual. The day before he died, he exclaimed, "God be merciful and pardon my fins !" When one of his daughters repeated thofe words, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, flow to anger, plenteous in loving kindness, he eagerly replied, "Good! the Lord blefs you, and both your fifters, and your brother, and give you increase of grace, and perfeverance to the end." In his confinement, he was often exhorting to the duty of prayer, and being fupported by his daughters, when he could not ftand, conti nued the exercises of family worship till confined to his bed; and then was much in prayer and praife. When for fome hours unable to fpeak, he remained with hands and eyes uplifted to heaven, till he expired without a ftruggle, on the 2d of January, 1801. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace. His interment took place on the 15th of the fame month at the parish church, after which, his funeral fermon was preached by Mr. Ray, of Sudbury, from Acts xxi. 16. An old difciple. This difcourfe, which is now published, concludes with a biographical account of the deceased, and will be found to contain many interefting particulars not introduced into this narrative. It is hoped that the son of this venerable man, minifter at Framlingham, will publish a fuller account of a life fo holy and inftructive, for which he has ample materials. Mr. Toms is fucceeded in the paftoral office by Mr. Gunn, lately a ftudent at Hoxton, on whom, may it please God to pour a double portion of the fpirit of the departed prophet! Amen. Mr. Toms publifhed feveral pious and ufeful pieces, fome of which were adopted by the Society for promoting Religi ous Knowledge among the poor, of which he was one of the first members, in connexion with the excellent Mr. Benjamin Forfit, one of its earliest and most zealous patrons. While Mr. Ray, was drawing up this memoir, he received a letter from the Rev. Mr. Toms, of Framlingham, only fon of the deceased, informing him of the death of his only daughter, of about nineteen years of age. This amiable and pious young lady had retired for private prayer, and was found dead upon her knees, before the throne of grace. ON TH ON SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES. has HE invention of writing and printing, though it has been much abufed, is an invaluable bleffing to mankind. Hereby an hiftory of the remotest times and events is faithfully conveyed to pofterity; and the present age the opportunity of improving by the recorded difcoveries of the paft. But the principal advantage arifing from the arts juft mentioned is, that the revelations which God formerly made to the prophets, are hereby tranfmitted to fucceeding generations. The art of writing, feems to have been taught immediately by God himself, for this particular purpose. He gave unto Mofes two tables of teftimony, written with the finger of God."* It has been conjectured by fome, and not without ftrong probability, that this was the firft fpecimen of literal writing; and it certainly expreffes the great defign for which it was intended. So long as divine revelation was confined to the Jewish nation, and for a confiderable space of time under the chriftian difpenfation, this was the only medium of preferving and communicating the oracles of God from one age to another. This was attended with much trouble and expence. Brandt, in his Hiftory of the Reformation of the Low Countries, tells us, that, for one copy of the Bible tolerably written on vellum, it was usual to pay four or five hundred crowns. How thankful then should we be to the providence of God, for the ftill more valuable art of printing. Hereby God has provided for that extenfive circulation of the facred records which would have been impracticable without it: by this means, the volume of inspiration is placed within the reach of the pooreft chriftian; and he enjoys the pri vilege of making it his pocket-companion. A multitude of books have been ufhered into the world, through the medium of the pen, and of the prefs; and many of these are valuable; but the beft of them, when fet in competition with thofe which were written by Mofes, by the prophets, and by the apoftles of our Lord, are comparatively worthlefs. They are, therefore, emphatically and defervedly ftiled, by way of eminence, the fcriptures. Various are the arts by which Satan and his emiffaries have endeavoured to prevent a general and due attention to thefe facred pages! The hellish policy of the Roman church, has laboured to keep them in an unknown tongue; and by her * Exodus, xxxi. 18. facrilegious facrilegious authority, has profcribed the use of them to the common people. The advocates for infidelity, have at tempted to turn the facred writings into ridicule; whilst an hoft of authors, with inceffant toil, endeavour to divert the attention of mankind, by productions more fuited to their vitiated tafte. Chriftians themselves, even thofe of whom we justly entertain an high opinion, are frequently, I fear, too inattentive to the duty of fearching the fcriptures. May the Spirit of God imprefs deeply upon the churches, and upon the minds of christians individually, the vast importance of this duty, and accompany the arguments enforcing it with his own divine energy and influence! A confideration of the divine origin of the fcriptures, fhould prompt us to fearch them. They are all given by infpiration of God. They came not by the will of man; but holy men of God fpake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft." This is their claim, and it is well fupported, Who can feriously confider the miracles which accompa nied them, the prophecies abounding in them, their holy tendency, and their happy effects, without being constrained to acknowledge their divine authority? Reafon blushes at those who, under the pretence of its patronage, affect to queftion fuch decifive teftimonies. If we admit that the fcriptures are of God, furely reafon requires us to fearch them; yea, it loudly reproaches us, if we neglect to do fo. Their incomparable excellence, urges us to the duty. They contain the beft principles of knowledge; the pureft rules of conduct; and the richest fource of confolation. Herein doctrines of the utmost importance are taught, respecting God, ourselves, and the way to happiness. Science effentially connected with our eternal interefts, and which could not have been attained but by divine revelation, is hereby diffused from the fource of infallible truth, unmixt with error. Herein the path of duty is clearly described, and the most exalted maxims of morality are enforced by arguments the moft effectual. The facred fcriptures accommodate themselves to every circumstance of distress, and contain a fovereign balm for every wound. Are we labouring under bodily affliction? Are we oppreffed with a fense of guilt? Are we groaning under a body of fin? Are we haraffed by temptations? Do we feem to be deferted of God? Are we in bondage through fear of death? Are we finking into the depths of defpair?-Let us search the fcriptures. In the doctrines, the invitations, the promises of the VOL. IX. Dd Bible, Bible, there is matter of relief fuited to every cafe. Let but God the fpirit apply this fovereign remedy, and then relief is administered, and the cure is immediately effected, be the malady what it may. However correct and extenfive our knowledge of the fcriptures may be, ftill we fhould fearch them, for their excellencies can never be fully explored. A renewed underftanding finds that they improve upon trial. They ever continue to exhibit new beauties, and to unfold fresh stores of wisdom to thofe who ftudy them under the illuminating influences of the Holy Spirit. "They have fhallows in which the lamb may wade, and depths in which the elephant may fwim." 1 By neglecting to fearch the fcriptures, we are not only guilty of the baseft ingratitude to the kindness of God, but offend againft his authority for he frequently and exprefsly commands us to fearch them. With what earneftnefs did God charge the Ifraelitish church, in the wildernefs, to attend to this duty. "Thefe words which I com'mand thee, fhall be in thine heart; and thou fhall teach them diligently unto thy children, and fhall talk of them when thou fitteft in thine houfe, and when thou walkeft by the way, and when thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up. And thou fhalt bind them for a fign upon thine hand, and they fhall be as frontlets between thine eyes; and thou shall write them upon the pofts of thine houfe, and on thy gates."* Our Lord's charge to the Jews to "fearch the fcriptures," extends to us. We are commanded to let the word of Chrift dwell in us richly in all wif dom."+ The duty is recommended to us by the example of God's faints in every age. If we read the 119th pfalm, we fee how much David was employed in reading and meditating on God's word. Herein Daniel exercifed himself in the time of the Babylonith captivity. Thus the treasurer of Queen Candace was engaged upon his journey. Does not his example make many perfons blufh?"How," fays bishop Horne, "How will the Ethiopian eunuch rife up in the judgment against all thofe chriftains, who, in the hours of domeftic eafe and tranquillity, never open a Bible, when he would not even travel without one in the chariot with him! Sitting in his chariot, he read Efaias the prophet." || * Deut. vi. 6-9. Dan. ix. 2.. + Col. iii. 16. The |