with a mess of milk. In giving this information, one of his old hearers said, “You are none of you like him, for he would have gone any where, if they had only put up their finger for him.” The good man might have said more, for he often went where they did not even do that. He often went to destitute places, and stood up to preach when no invitation encouraged him, no friend received him, and no house opened its doors for his entertainment. But when he visited a place in those circumstances, he soon attracted friends, and enjoyed the hospitality of respectable families. Thus he went out into the highways and hedges, to villages, farmhouses, and cottages, to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation, and to rouse the attention of the people to their eternal interests. The gospel came to them not in word only, but in power, and they followed him to Kipping, and became his stated hearers, the members of his church, and the seals of his ministry.

To these exertions, must be added his labors in general study, and in the immediate preparation of sermons. Close application to books, and to the investigation of the most useful subjects, is more necessary to a minister in the first years of his settlement than at any other time; and if that time be not carefully redeemed, and sedulously improved, the man is not likely to maintain his influence over an intelligent congregation. He may preserve his credit by moving about, but when he becomes stationary he must sink. It is questionable whether Mr. Cockin read more, and studied harder, during any other period of his life, than when he was a young minister.

A few of the most useful works in general literature engaged his attention, but he was not acquainted with them to any great extent. The aim of his mind was preaching, and he valued every thing, so far as it related, or could be made subservient to that object.

He not only devoted himself to preaching, but he studied that style of preaching which is best adapted to the mass of mankind; which is clear to their understandings, congenial with their taste, and comes home to their feelings and circumstances. Whatever praise may be given to criticism, to philosophical discussion, to elaborate argument, or to elegant illustration, he valued nothing, and often spoke with the most unceremonious contempt of every thing which did not take the attention of a congregation, and was not adapted to do them good. Whoever came to hear him was sure to hear some part of the gospel of Jesus Christ treated so plainly, that he would have no difficulty in understanding it; and with so much spirit, vivacity, and feeling, that he was likely to hear it with interest and impression. He devoted himself to the people, and they repaid his regard with a crowded attendance, and a warm and steady adherence.

In his best moments when his heart was enlarged in his work, and his feelings were attuned to the exercise, he often soared to wonderful heights, and continued long on the wing. His preaching then was so truly striking, grand, and impressive, that he riveted the attention, and thrilled the souls of his audience. Those extraordinary sermons resulted from the state of his mind at the

time; of the most eloquent passages not a sentence was previously written; he might appear in the zenith of his glory before a crowd of rustics in a barn, and he might sink below himself on distinguished occasions, and before the most considerable assemblies.

He always insisted on the practical tendency of the gospel, and faithfully inculcated the duties of a religious profession. The virtue of integrity he zealously enforced, and he was rather noted for his blunt invectives against the vice of dishonesty. One time after a sermon of this kind, a man came to him with a sum of money, and confessed, with much grief and many tears, that he had been concerned in a riot at Bradford, and that he wished to make restitution for what he had taken. At his request Mr. Cockin carried the money to the magistrates, and told the story; but would not tell the man's name. They positively insisted that he should give up the name, but he firmly refused. He said, that the restitution was the effect of his ministerial reproof; that he should never have known the fact, is the man had not spontaneously come to him, and voluntarily given him the money ; that this was done in confidence; and that confidence no human power should compel him to betray. When they saw what sort of a man they had to deal with, they allowed him to depart in peace.

A person once applied to him for the loan of a sum of money. “No," said he, “I will not lend it you." Why? do you think that I am not worthy to be trusted, and that I shall not repay you?” “No, I do not; my real and only reason is, because you are one of my congregation." “ That is strange. Surely you do not like me any worse for attending your place, and sitting under your minis

“ No; but I sometimes urge the duty of paying debts, and when I do that, if any man in the congregation owe me money, he feels hurt, and resents what I say, because he supposes that I am dunning him, when I intend no such thing; and the wish not to hurt his mind, tempts me to suppress what I ought to advance. My resolution therefore is, to have no such transactions with my hearers, because I will not have my mouth stopped in preaching from any cause, or by any man.” He was always careful to avoid the fault of personality in preaching, but that is a fault of which every minister is liable to be accused who faithfully preaches that word which " is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” He was sometimes suspected of pointing at characters with whom he was unacquainted, and of alluding to facts of which he was absolutely ignorant.

In 1791, Mr. Cockin removed to Halifax, where he continued his able and useful labors until his death. He was always ready to work, and he had now work enough before him. The services in the chapel were two, and often three, on the Sabbath, and one on Thursday evening. In that population, Dissenters are numerous, and the spirit of hearing is very prevalent. Invitations came to him continually to preach, here in a house, or there in a school ; at one place on Monday, and at another on Tuesday or Wednesday. They were readily addressed to him because the people knew he was willing to comply, they were sure he would draw a numerous

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congregation, and they were equally sure that he would cost nothing. These exertions attracted many to the chapel on the Sabbath, and he had usually the gratification to see that spacious place crowded, especially in the afternoon of a fine day.

The idea of his own mortality was habitually present to his mind, and he had little other concern than to prepare for it. As his fesh and heart failed, his soul seemed to ripen for heaven ; things that might have ruffled him before, passed without notice ; his temper meekened, and his benevolence increased and expanded. He often spoke with much gratitude of the goodness of God to him in the land of the living, how he took him up when his father cast him off, and had multiplied mercies to him all his days.

He sometimes quoted, in an affecting manner, those lines of Dr. Watts,

“ And here my spirit waiting stands,

Till God shall bid it fly." When he became incapable of preaching the whole of a Sabbath he preached only once, and sometimes not at all. The text of his last sermon was, “I have finished my course;" and he exerted himself in the delivery with that ability and animation which might have done honor to his former days. His last public service was to offer the prayer at the ordination of his successor, the Rev. John Barling, and he did it with so much spirituality, humility, and feeling, as affected the whole assembly.

In the month of May, 1828, he altered so much that it became apparent that his latter end was approaching. Sometimes his mind wandered, and in his wanderings he seemed to be thinking of the friends of his early life. He was heard to mention Mr. Venn, and good old Mr.

He stopped; for his recollection could not supply the name. He frequently slept, and in the intervals of sleep was incessantly employed in ejaculatory prayer. "Lord, help me through ;" "God, be gracious to me at the last ;" “ Lord Jesus, receive my spirit;" and such like petitions he offered as long as he could speak. When Mr. Barling reminded him of the activity and success of his ministry, he waived the subject with a slight degree of impatience, and said, “God be praised ! God be praised !”

His last night was restless and wearisome, and in the morning, May 23, about half past seven o'clock, he breathed no more.

Having accompanied Mr. Cockin through the successive ages of life, and witnessed his departure into the world of spirits, we now turn from this scene of mortality, to take a general survey of his character.

It was never his disposition to support any cause lukewarmly, or to do anything by halves. Whatever he found to do, he did it with all his might, with all the energy of his powers, and all the servor of his feelings. Warmth of temper was indeed the most obvious trait in his cha racter, and was at once his principal fault, and his great excellence. It made him sometimes rash in speech, and violent in action ; and it also made him ardent and enterprising, resolute, and persevering in what he undertook, beyond most other men, and ready to abound in every good work. It affected

his credit, and injured his peace and comfort; and it made him put his whole soul into his sermons, and preach on the grand themes of Christianity in that impassioned style which excited the astonishment and captivated the hearts of men.

It ought also to be observed, that he kept a special watch over himself in his intercourse with his congregation, in consequence of a resolution which he had formed in early life, never to quarrel with any man who was a fellow-worshipper, because such a difference would prevent the pleasure of public duties, and affect the mind with unhallowed passions, at the time when they are most to be dreaded and avoided. By this habitual and vigilant self-control, he was on good terms with his people, and enjoyed much peace and satisfaction in his stated ministerial duties.

His talent lay in preaching. In that service he exerted the strength of his mind, and to that duty he devoted his life. He was Calvinistic in his judgment, but kept aloof from all extremes, and was more hostile to the Antinomian than to the Arminian deviation from that system.

His mode of preparing a sermon deserves particular mention. When I consulted him on this subject, he advised me to try all modes, because, he said, each mode is sometimes the best, and it is a great advantage for a man to be able to do any way. Occasionally he wrote a sermon as if it were to be printed, but when he did that, he always read it. To deliver it from memory was what he could not do, and what he certainly never did do. His usual method was, when a text occurred to him, to think upon it attentively, and when he had excogitated all he could, he consulted the expositors, and collected from them whatever would suit his purpose, or accord with his plan. Then he formed a skeleton, in which he arranged in order the general and minor divisions, the leading sentiments and scriptural proofs, expressed in as few words as would enable him to understand the meaning afterwards; but he wrote no complete sentences. Such a plan he would ordinarily make in about three hours, and then he had done all he could at preparation.

During the hour immediately before preaching, he looked attentively at his skeleton, and familiarized it to his thoughts by talking it over to himself: for he knew very well that the man who would be a good extempore preacher, must always go into the pulpit with his subject fresh on his mind. He placed his notes before him in the Bible, and delivered his sermon in such language as presented itself at the time, and with such feelings as arose from the state of his soul; and therefore when he preached from that skeleton in any other place, or at any future season, the style and the illustrations would vary so much, that it would be almost another sermon. At the beginning of a sermon, the tone of his voice was low, and his manner was monotonous and unimpressive. In fact, he was nothing until he felt the inspiration of his subject, and then the soul of the man burst forth : his action becamo vehement; and his elocution was loud, impetuous and more rapid than that of any other old man I ever heard. He did not however run on at any one height, but after an explosion of extraordinary vehemence, was wont to relieve

himself by an interval of free and familiar address. The effect of what he said was much increased by a good voice, which had many inflections, and was harmonious at any elevation.

Never did he seem to do the work of the Lord slightly or negligently; but, on the contrary, it appeared to enliven his best feelings and to invigorate his strongest powers. The wonders of redeeming love, and the riches of divine grace, he displayed with a copiousness of sentiment, and a variety of illustrations; with a fervency of spirit, an energy of language, and a vehemence of manner, which were sure to be attentively heard, and were likely to be deeply felt. The vigor of his natural temperament shone with lustre, when he was expatiating on those glorious themes, in which his highest flights were sure to fall short : in which he might speak largely without the fear of saying too much, and express bimself strongly without the hazard of exaggeration. Some of these sermons made a great and a lasting impression, and will be recollected by many who heard them, as long as they retain the faculty of memory.

“ They who ride fastest at the beginning of a journey, are usually the first who talk of halting on the road.” This shrewd and sarcastic remark, however just it may be in general, is not at all applicable to Mr. Cockin. He began well, and he never halted on the road. The zeal and activity which distinguished the commencement of his course, were conspicuous in every stage of his progress, and made him abound in the work of the Lord, as much at the age of sixty, as he did at that of thirty. Readiness to work was his great excellence; ability in working was in him a distinguishing talent; perseverance in working was the honor of his life; and his ardor in working never abated until he was worn out in the service of his Master.

Mr. Cockin admitted more than five hundred members to church communion in the course of his public life, and sent out more young men into the ministry than can be enumerated. To his services and success at home, must be added the various districts into which he penetrated, and led the way for others; the old interests which he recovered, when they had been ruined by the fatal influence of Socinianism ; and the new interests which were formed chiefly by his instrumentality.

Such were the life and labors of Joseph Cockin. In tracing the several steps of his progress we have seen how constantly he adhered to the grand doctrines of the gospel ; what zeal, and energy, and exertion animated his ministry for half a century; how much his services were honored with public favor ; and how eminently they were sanctioned with the blessing of God. His warfare is now ended, his course is finished, and he rests from his labors. His judgment is with the Lord, and his work is with his God. Happy will it be if this account of the man should induce others to follow him so far as he followed Christ. Before the judgment-seat of Christ we must all appear; and may the Lord grant unto the author, and his readers, that they may find mercy of the Lord in that day.