in other words, that repentance was at once an indispensible condition, and a certain means of obtaining forgiveness at the hands of God.

It has been frequently alleged that such a belief is not competent either to produce active lively devotion, persevering goodness of conduct, or exemplary and composed firmness and resignation at the approach of dissolution; but the life and character of our author annul and invalidate all such allegations. Though an Unitarian Christian, in the strictest sense of the expression, he was yet eminently pious and devout, indefatigably intent upon doing good to mankind, and promoting the honour of God and the cause of true religion in the world. The unlookedfor changes of his life, together with increasing age diminished indeed in some measure his practical activity, and made him more anxious to court the shade of retirement; yet, to those who were well acquainted with him, there was visibly conspicuous the same zealous wish for the

success of true religion and rational liberty amongst all mankind. He sought out persons of real goodness in his neighbourhood, embraced with pleasure an opportunity of being introduced to such as he thought merited that character, and was delighted with carrying on a free and friendly correspondence upon all subjects relating to the highest concerns and noblest interests of mankind. He made a practice of purchasing well-written religious tracts, and giving them away for the benefit of individuals, congregations, or Sunday schools; to the latter of which he occasionally contributed handsomely, and rejoiced to hear of their being under good management and flourishing. To applications made to him of an eleemosynary nature, or with a view to enable his Christian Brethren to carry on the worship of their Maker in spirit and in truth, he was always ready to attend; and seldom, if ever, dismissed a modest petitioner without some vincing proof of his liberal and generous disposition.

con

The writer of this can bear ample testimony, from his own experience, to the noble and truly Christian temper of his friend. Almost the whole interval between his return from abroad to his death, he had communications with him by letter or conversation the most frank and unrestrained; and, were it necessary to produce vouchers from his correspondence in attestation of what is now said in his praise, nothing would be so easy.

Not that it is to be understood from any thing here said that this amiable and worthy man was without failings, or exempt from what might be called defects, inconsistent with the general excellence of his character. The native activity of his mind some times assumed an air of restlessness and impatience. Hurt with the flagrant misconduct of those especially, whose situation in life promised better things, he sometimes spoke of them with a warmth of abhorrence bordering upon acrimony, and his mind ap peared to be immoderately discomposed at witnessing an inferior degree of zeal and

earnestness in the cause of truth, where more was reasonably to be expected, without making due allowance for that diversity of constitution and temperament by which the most worthy characters are seen to be distinguished. Opinions which he had taken up for want of a right understanding of the circumstances upon which they were founded, he betrayed somewhat too great reluctance to relinquish when his mistake was pointed out. His great infirmity of difficult hearing appeared occasionally to affect his spirits, and to impress him with a mortifying suspicion that his presence was of little value in company, though, generally speaking, he was pleasingly affable and agreeably cheerful. Though he displayed considerable quickness in taking the meaning of a' speaker, either by the gesture of his person or the peculiar motion of his lips, yet there were times, when, confiding too much to his discernment, he quite mistook the import of what was said; and, when it was intimated that he was wrong, he would try again, and guess amiss a second and perhaps a third or fourth time,

which seemed somewhat to ruffle the usual serenity of his mind, and render him uneasy and disturbed.

That great humility and diffidence which he possessed, and which were most honourable to him, were thought by his best friends to lead him to extremes, insomuch that he was dissatisfied with his companions or correspondents, applying to him the epithets of worthy or excellent; and those who felt their obligations to him to be considerable, as the Editor can truly affirm that he did, were forbidden to speak in merited terms of his benevolence; even to be denominated a patron, though he was, in many cases, most justly entitled to the appellation, was more than he thought himself deserving of. If these were weaknesses, they almost merit to be called amiable ones, as they arose from those traits of character which reflect the highest honour upon any human being. The same observation may be made in reference to the great urbanity of his manners, which seemed sometimes almost