that faith which is the substance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen, was the grand substratum that bore up all the beauty and power of his spiritual life and holy character. He had a heart-penetrating faith in the truths of the Christian revelation, and it had been cultivated by deep thoughtfulness and study, by long-repeated patient meditation, by musing again and oftentimes upon the same truth, till the shadows melted from it, and it came up before the mind a distinct and living thing. And in the intensity and vigour of his spiritual life, so nourished and sustained, was the secret of his efficiency in Christian labour. A negative, dark, cold, inert state of mind with regard to the Gospel-a state of mind, which, if not amounting to dis-belief, is of the nature of un-belief-sadly impairs the power of a man's ministrations, and makes him speak with a sort of paralytic muttering, instead of the bold, articulate tones in which souls enjoying a healthy manhood talk of Divine things. The minister in such a state, trying to do what Doddridge did, will fail because he is not what Doddridge was-even as the Egyptian magi cians failed when they tried, with their poor enchantments, to effect what Moses and Aaron achieved through the inward working of a Divine power. Doddridge spake with earnestness, out of the fulness of his heart, and hence the force of his ministrations. He was a living soul, and therefore God employed him, as he does such souls, not after the manner of a mere instrument, but after the manner of an honoured agent. He employed him, not as he used Sennacherib and Nebuchadnezzar, and men of that stamp-like implements of labour like such things as axes and saws, rods and staves, things which, when they are done with, are cast away and burnt,—but as he employed Paul and John, workmen honoured while in their office, and rewarded with costly distinctions when their toils were over. CHAPTER VI. HIS LAST DAYS. A COLD caught in December, 1750, as he was going to preach Dr. Clark's funeral sermon, laid the foundation of Doddridge's fatal illness. He recovered considerably and then relapsed; pulmonary disease appeared, and he was more and more indisposed. The end of his exemplary labours now rapidly approached. The last ordinance came, and the holy man, having preached about the general assembly and church of the First Born, talked very sweetly at the table of Him who holds the stars in his right hand and walks among the golden candlesticks, expressing confidence in his care and love, and dropping hints relative to his own dissolution, so that those who listened to his voice feared they should soon see his face no more. Then came the last sermon at Northampton, from that glorious text, "Whether we live, therefore, or die we are the Lord's," full of sanctified thought and elevated feeling, exactly such as might have been expected from one who seemed conscious he was just entering under death's dark archway, but saw that city, which is ever suffused with divine sunlight, lifting up its gates on the other side. And then came the last service of all, at the ordination of the Rev. Mr. Adams, at Bewdly. Next came the parting visit to the loved and faithful Orton, at Shrewsbury, when Doddridge received from Barker the wonderfully impassioned letter, which surely no one can read without mingling his tears with those in which Doddridge bathed it as he read the burning lines:-"Consent and chuse to stay with us a while longer, my dear friend, if it please God. This is not needful to Northampton and its adjacent towns and villages, but desirable to us all, and beneficial to our whole interest. Stay, Doddridge, oh stay, and strengthen our hands, whose shadows grow long. Fifty is but the height of vigour, usefulness, and honour. Don't take leave abruptly. Providence hath not directed thee yet on whom to drop thy mantle. Who shall instruct our youth, fill our vacant churches, animate our associations, and diffuse a spirit of piety, moderation, candour, and charity, through our villages and churches, and a spirit of prayer and supplication into our towns and cities when thou art removed from us? Especially who shall unfold the sacred oracles, teach us the meaning and use of our Bibles, rescue us from the bondage of systems, party opinions, empty, useless speculations and fashionable forms and phrases, and point out to us the simple, intelligible, consistent, uniform religion of our Lord and Saviour? Who shall-but I am silenced by the voice of Him who says, Shall I not do what I will with my own? Is it not my prerogative to take and leave as seemeth me good? I demand the liberty of disposing of my own servants at my own pleasure. He hath laboured more abundantly. His times are in my hand. He hath not slept as do others. He hath risen to nobler heights than things below. He hopes to inherit glory. He hath laboured for that which endureth to eternal life,-labour which, the more it abounds, the more it exalts and magnifies its objects, and the more effectually answers and secures its |