own house, until he was utterly prostrated with weakness, and altogether unequal to labour any more.

In the month of March, 1848, his affliction had so taken hold of his frame, and shattered his constitution, that his friends began to fear his dissolution was not far distant. During the latter part of his life he had been the subject of much nervous excitement; but, at this time, that excitement had become really oppressive. He greatly feared that he should lose his reason, a calamity which he always contemplated with the greatest dread. He prayed most earnestly and continuously that God would spare him his reason, and enable him to bear his affliction with patience; and the Lord in mercy granted his request. His reason was spared to him up to the last.

On the Friday in Whitsun-week, he had his last interview with the Burystreet Sunday-school, and it was a scene truly affecting. He was a great admirer of Sunday-schools, and was ever ready to render them any assistance in his power. On this occasion the teachers and scholars walked in procession to his shop-door; and when order was obtained, they sung one of their Whitsuntide hymns. During the singing, he was sitting on a chair at the door, and his soul was melted unto tears. When the singing was over, he attempted to pray for God's blessing to rest upon them; but it was too much for him, he could not proceed. Many were deeply affected, and he had to turn into the shop to weep. That scene will not soon be forgotten.

His hopes of recovery from his affliction were so strong, that it was not until about a month before his death, that he thought he should not be restored. The way in which his mind was changed as to this particular was as follows:-The Rev. Henry Breeden having one day called to see him, and having prayed with him, proceeded kindly but seriously, to intimate to him that he thought the last messenger was come; to which Mr. Matthews replied, "I do not think so, sir." He, however, pondered over those words, again and again, and at length he thought, "Well, perhaps it may be true;" and at last he concluded that the last messenger was really come.

for

This change of opinion seems to have had a great effect upon him; from that time, he became increasingly prayerful, and was evidently preparing more particularly for his expected change. His nervous excitement, however, still continued; and as he began to look more closely into the state of his soul, he began to write bitter things against himself, and even to doubt of his acceptance. On one occasion he was rendered peculiarly dull, and with considerable emphasis exclaimed--

"Where is the indubitable zeal,

Which ascertains the kingdom mine."

The writer of this memoir then asked him, "Do you doubt your acceptance with God." To which he replied, "Yes, I do! When I view God in His majesty, spotless purity, and holiness, and then look upon my own defects and unfaithfulness, I tremble at the thought of appearing before Him." The writer then pointed out to him the sacrifice of the Redeemer, and his allsufficiency as a Saviour, and said to him, "Do you not believe in God, in His Word, His promises, and that what He has promised He will perform through Christ ?" "Ah," he said, "if you will talk to me in that way that will do. I do trust, and I can rely upon God through Christ, His dear Son, my Saviour." Then the cloud dispersed, joy sprang up in his heart, and he began to praise God, and said, "I have peace; all is well. When Í think of Jesus I see then I must be saved by grace alone through faith."

On the morning of his death, when the writer entered his room, his countenance exhibited marks of resignation and composure. On being

asked how he felt, he said, "I am more feeble, and almost at my journey's end." On being further asked the state of his mind, he replied, "My mind is calm and composed, and I have confidence in God, through Christ His Son." A few hours before his death, he prayed most earnestly for himself and for his surrounding friends. Soon after this he turned himself on the bed, and sharply exclaimed, "O pray, pray; pray for faith, mighty faith!" A friend then repeated the following words:

"Lamb of God, whose bleeding love,

We now recal to mind,
Send the answer from above,

And let us mercy find;

Think on us, who think on thee,

And every struggling soul release.
O, remember Calvary,

And bid us go in peace."

He several times, softly but audibly, responded, "Why not now, Lord? Why not now?" Then the glory of the Lord appeared to fill the room, and all seemed overwhelmed with the Divine presence. When asked if he felt Christ precious, he triumphantly replied, "O yes! Glory be to God!" One then said, "You feel Christ in you the hope of glory?" "O yes! O yes!" "Blessed be his holy name!' was the reply. He then prayed and said, "The Lord bless you! God bless you!" These were his last words. It was then between one and two o'clock p.m. His speech left him, his eyes became set; and, as the cold sweat of death was wiped from his brow, he was quite absent to all below. His breathing was loud, and sometimes accompanied with a sigh, which continued for some hours; and then his breathing became more and more distant and weak, until at twenty minutes past seven o'clock p.m., he quietly fell asleep in the arms of Jesus.

It must not be inferred from this memoir, that its subject was without faults. No he had his failings and infirmities. He was of a warm temperament and hasty in his judgment; hence he was frequently betrayed into irritability of spirit, which sometimes gave him cause for lamentation. Having lived with him for more than thirty years, the writer feels it due to him to state, that over his warmth of spirit he frequently mourned, and he frequently prayed for grace to overcome it.

His remains were interred in the Ardwick Cemetry, Manchester, on the 28th of July, 1848. On Sunday evening, September the 3rd, the Rev. H. Breeden preached his funeral sermon in Bury-street chapel, Salford, to a large and attentive congregation, from Psalm xxxix. 13, "O spare me that I may recover strength before I go hence, and be no more."

JOHN EDWARDS.

MR. THOMAS WILSON, OF HYLTON.

OUR departed brother was born in South Hylton, near Sunderland, in the county of Durham, on the 17th of June 1806. He was brought up under the fostering care of one whom he called, "My good old grandmother." She was a Methodist, and early led his feet to the house of prayer, and manifested great solicitude for his conversion to God. To use his own words, "So earnest was she about this important matter, that I believe she offered up thousands of prayers, and shed thousands of tears, in secret before God on my account." These prayers and tears were not in vain. In connexion with the pious endeavours of his good grandmother, he

also had the advantage of early Sabbath-school instruction; and by the blessing of God, resting on those united efforts, his mind became susceptible of religious impressions. The truth of God was now brought home with power to his heart, so that he was often ready to drop from his seat, and cry to the Lord to have mercy upon him. He thus, in some notes written by him, refers to the early effects produced upon his mind, under the preaching of the word. He has recorded as follows:-"The first impression that was made upon my mind was from the following passage, 1 Cor. xv. 52, For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.' I remember, after I had left the chapel, I asked a number of questions respecting the trumpet, and the resurrection of the dead at the last day: and from that time I became very attentive to the preaching of God's word, and sometimes, when the minister spoke of the primitive Christians and martyrs sealing the truth with their blood, I thought I could die like them, if I could only gain heaven at last."

When he was about eight years of age, he was sent to work in the Pottery; here his tender mind was exposed to the corrupting influence of ungodly example; and the sad effects are thus referred to by himself."I got connected with some boys who had no fear of God before their eyes, and I fell into sin; and on one occasion swore at a boy who had a little time before swore at me." He was thus brought into condemnation, neglected to pray, and, but for the fear of chastisement at home, would have neglected the means of grace. In this state of mind he continued for some years, a stranger to the comforts of religion, but not a stranger to the strivings of the Holy Spirit. The instructions which he had received, and the religious impressions of which he had been the subject, prevented him from committing any gross act of wickedness. When he was in his nineteenth year, the Primitive Methodists commenced preaching in Hylton. He thus records the circumstance, which was the means of leading him again to seek the Lord :-"I went to hear them, like many more, out of curiosity more than anything else. I did not attend very long before the Word came home to my heart in great power, in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. One evening, after preaching, the minister, Mr. T. Taylor, asked if there were any disposed then and there to give in their names to meet with them, and go to heaven. I gave mine, and after I had done so, I went home and thought much upon what I had done. After I had thought very seriously for some time upon this matter, I retired into a dark room to pray. While thus engaged with God, in the dark, my grandmother, happening to come in, almost fell over my feet; but, perceiving what I was about, she cried out, "Pray on, lad, pray on."

He now commenced a life of active piety, became a member of the Wesleyan Society, and engaged in the work of Sabbath-school teaching in the Wesleyan school. One, who was then a scholar, thus writes concerning him "It is between eighteen and nineteen years since I first knew him; I have a distinct recollection of the trouble and pains he took to instil into our young minds the principles of the Word of God; and often have I seen the tears roll down his cheeks when exhorting his scholars to give their hearts to God." He thus manifested the spirit which should ever actuate the Sunday-school teacher; he was alive to the importance of his work, and earnestly aimed at the present salvation of his youthful charge. He was also called to sustain the office of class-leader; for which office he was well qualified; in his addresses to the members he avoided tediousness, and so adapted his brief exhortations to their varied states of mind, that he ever spoke to the mutual edification of his charge. He continued his office as leader till within a short time previous to the secession, which led to the formation of a society that was afterwards connected with the

Wesleyan Methodist Association. When this society was formed, brother Wilson was chosen to be a leader, which office he continued to sustain until his death. As a leader, he took deep interest in the spiritual prosperity of the members of his class, and was highly esteemed by them for his works' sake.

Having entered upon the married state, he endeavoured to discharge his relative obligations to the honour of God. Amidst the endearments of domestic life, he had to partake largely of personal affliction; and of those anxieties, connected with an increasing family, and decreasing health; yet in the midst of his domestic trials he was enabled to possess his soul in patience.

In 1845, he entered upon an enlarged sphere of usefulness, by engaging in the work of a local preacher. As a preacher, he was plain and instructive; his aim was to edify his hearers; his sermons cost him much prayer, meditation, and tears; and his labours proved acceptable to those to whom he ministered the Word of life. His health soon began to fail, and he was obliged to relinquish his pulpit labours.

He possessed, in a good degree, the talent for reproving sin. This important but delicate task he performed with so much prudence and kindness that he rarely gave offence; and the reproved themselves have been constrained to acknowledge, "If there was a good man in Hylton, Thomas Wilson was one." This trait in our brother's character manifested itself in early life, as will appear from the following incident. He thus refers to it::-"When I was about eight years of age, a circumstance occurred which I shall never forget; the individual was a very old man, who, for a trifling circumstance, cursed and swore, and threatened to do me some injury. On his using such awful and threatening language, I said to him, 'You are an old man, you should not swear, for if you continue to do so the devil will get you.' The old man went away weeping." Mr. Wilson was a man of prayer; his family, the church, and the ungodly, were borne by him in the arms of prayer and faith before the throne of grace. He was also a diligent visitor of the sick; the members of the church of which he was a member shared his kind attention, nor were his ungodly neighbours forgotten. In this work of love, God was pleased to own him as a messenger of mercy and comfort to the sick and dying. His own afflictions taught him to sympathize with others; and his experience of the saving power of Divine grace, and of the faithfulness of God, enabled him to speak a word in season to saint and sinner. The latter part of his life was marked by much of personal affliction; an asthmatic cough gave him much trouble; and there also appeared symptoms of consumption, which threatened to bring him to the grave. The state of his mind amidst his afflictions is thus recorded by himself.

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Sept. 17, 1848. I think this is a day never to be forgotten; many weeks', yea months', mercies have been lost sight of through much bodily affliction; and during this time I have had many family trials, many conflicts with the powers of darkness; through many doubts and fears, as well as storms of sorrow, and floods of tears, the Lord has brought me. Yet, O how unmindful have I been of all these things! To-day, I am compelled, as it were, to look back upon my past life, as well as on my present trying circumstances. Another child, brought into this state of trial, to care and provide for, and I am unable to work through affliction. Yet my God is all-sufficient. O may he help me through life's tempestuous sea; may his promise, 'I will never leave thee, I will never forsake thee,' console my mind in every time of trial and difficulty. Amen, and Amen."

He entertained humbling views of himself before God. and built his hope of acceptance with God, "not upon works of righteousness which he had done," but upon the atonement and intercession of the Lord Jesus Christ.

During the last twelve months of his life, he was never well, yet he continued, ofttimes, amidst much weakness and suffering, to work at the Pottery, that he might provide for his own household. He also attended his class, and ofttimes when the state of his health would have warranted him in staying at home, he found his way to the house of prayer to meet his class. About five weeks before his decease, he was obliged to give up his employment, owing to the contraction of the right arm. His increasing illness led him to desire that the class would meet in his own house; this desire was complied with; and on Tuesday evening, December 19, 1848, the class was led, at his request, by an aged friend, brother Collins. After the members had each spoken and received a word of advice, brother Wilson was requested to state his experience. He did so, as near as can be remembered, as follows:-"I am thankful to Almighty God for this privilege of speaking good of his name. I have much affliction of body, but I have much peace of mind. I have hitherto wanted no good thing. I feel my God to be a covenant-keeping God; he hath been true to his promises; and I feel they are yea and amen to my soul. I remember when I was a young man, I used sometimes to wonder how it was that the people of God had so much trouble and affliction to contend with, and I have often thought I had no religion, because I had not these things to grapple with. But since that time I have had my cup well nigh full of them, and I have found the worth of religion in those trying times; and I can say, that I thank God from my heart, for the way in which he hath led me so far. I can likewise say that I have a hope blooming with immortality and eternal life. May the Lord still keep and preserve me for Christ's sake." Thus did he testify to the faithfulness and loving-kindness of his God. Little did those who then listened to him think that they would hear his voice no more; neither did he appear apprehensive that his hope of immortality would be so soon realized. Yet, so it was. This proved the last opportunity of meeting his class on earth. The next day he arose apparently no worse in health; he took his dinner with the family, retired from the table to his usual rest by the fire side, sat a few minutes, gave a slight cough, a blood-vessel gave way, and in a few minutes he expired. Thus, suddenly, his spirit was emancipated from its suffering tenement of clay to mingle its song of praise with the spirits of the just made perfect. Thus died Thomas Wilson, respected and regretted by his Christian friends and neighbours. He rests from his labours. and his works will follow him.

In his death his wife and family have sustained the loss of a faithful and affectionate husband and father. The Church of Christ has lost a valuable officer; the sick, a sympathising friend; and the ungodly, a faithful reprover. The mournful event was improved, to an attentive congregation, by Mr. T. B. Young. "The memory of the just is blessed."