suffering, I said, 'Father, I hope you will soon be better:' he replied, 'I can leave my all with my God. He knows what is best; all is safe there; wife and children, I can leave them all with him.' Mr. England (late Missionary in India) called very frequently to see my father, and had, before our arrival, paid him all the attention which could have been expected from a member of his own family. On one of his visits he found him in a state of delirium; but as soon as he recovered, he exclaimed,

There is my house and portion fair,

My treasure and my heart are there,
And my abiding home;'

and immediately relapsed into his former state of insensibility.

"A few nights previous to his death, he inquired for his brother; and on his going up, he said, 'George, I only wanted to bid you good night; and to tell you, the best of all is, God is with us.' The nature of his disease prevented his saying much; but, when recollected, he was frequently heard engaged in prayer for the good of his family and the prosperity of the church. Very shortly before he died, my mother overheard him very earnestly invoking God's blessing on each member of the family, and especially on his two grandchildren. Soon afterwards he complained of his cough being very troublesome; but the other symptoms had become so favourable that great hopes were entertained of his recovery. About four on the following morning a very violent coughing-fit seized him. My mother became much alarmed, and sent for Mr. Wild; but almost immediately, the expectoration suffocated him; and his happy spirit entered into that rest which remains for the people of God. Thus died my endeared parent, on the 27th of August, 1835, in the sixty-first year of his age, and the thirty-seventh of his itinerant ministry. On the following Monday his corpse was interred in the Preachers' vault at Brunswick chapel, and followed thither by the Preachers, Stewards, Leaders, and Local Preachers in both Circuits. The President, (the Rev. Richard Reece,) and the Rev. John Rigg, and Thomas H. Walker, officiated at the funeral.

"In writing thus far, my dear Sir, my spirit is deeply affected, as I call to mind all the agonized feelings of that time of bitterness and bereavement. The subject of these lines was to us a father, and such a one as is not found in the common walks of life; and though we would bow with submission to the divine stroke, yet we still acutely feel the blow. O that God Almighty, in his infinite goodness, would pour out a portion of our father's spirit on us, enable us to copy his example, and to follow him as he followed Christ!"

To this brief and imperfect sketch of the character of my late esteemed friend, I subjoin a few extracts from the letters of his intimate friends, by whom his worth was well known, and highly appreciated.

Mr. Tuck, of Frome, writes: "Mr. Pinder's piety was unquestion

able: his uniformity of conduct, his spiritual-mindedness, his devotional spirit, his ardent zeal, all proclaimed him to be a man of God and those who knew him best, and the most intimately, were the persons who formed the highest opinion of his character and worth as a Christian. He could, with truth, address his hearers in the language of the venerable Apostle: That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life, that which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you.' There was a heartiness and sincerity in all his addresses, without the least appearance of affectation, which irresistibly proclaimed that he felt and enjoyed that religion himself which he recommended to others. Never did I hear his piety questioned by any; but many times have I heard even wicked and abandoned sinners say, 'Ah! Mr. Pinder is a good man; I wish every body was like him.' He was an epistle of Christ, read and seen of all men

"His labours in the Frome Circuit were greatly owned of God: the chapel was crowded, and many were the seals to his ministry; some of whom yet remain, and fill important offices in the church, while others are gone to glory. After the writer had been improving his lamented decease to one of our country congregations, a devoted and ⚫ useful Class-Leader came to him and said, Ah! I bless God, Mr. Pinder was the instrument of my conversion. I bless God that I ever saw or heard him.' On his second and last appointment we saw that he was not the man he had been; his strength was decayed, his sight and hearing impaired; but his zeal was as fervent as ever; he laboured even beyond his strength, while his personal piety was evidently on the increase. I remember the observation I made after one of my first interviews with him, to a friend who inquired for him: 'Mr. Pinder is not the man he has been; but he is near heaven, and fitter for it.' There was a richer unction in his prayers, and an increasing spirituality of mind. Nor was he without fruit of his labours in this appointment : several were convinced under his faithful ministry. One of them is now a highly respected Leader in one of our country societies. On his arrival he found the chapel deeply in debt: he went from house to house, begging for it; and raised in a few days the sum of one hundred pounds.

"As a Preacher, though not great, he was striking, faithful, and impressive. Faithfulness was the distinguishing feature of his public ministry. Some of his sermons will never be forgotten by those who heard them; such as those on the wheat and tares;' 'time is short; ' ‹ the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved; ' the great white throne,' &c. Under these discourses many were convinced of sin, and converted to God. A sermon which he preached on Numbers xxxii. 23, Be sure your sin will find you out,' will never be effaced from the recollection of those who heard it. A most foul and atrocious murder was perpetrated on the 28th of December,

1812, by two vile assassins, on the persons of two individuals, Mr. Webb and his aged housekeeper, who resided at Roddenbury-hill, about there miles from Frome. The whole neighbourhood was dreadfully alarmed; and the murderers remained some time undiscovered. Mr. Pinder was deeply affected, prayed himself, and besought the prayers of the people, for the discovery of the murderers; and on the Sunday morning after the perpetration of this crime, he gave out that, in the evening, he should preach a sermon relative to the awful circumstance at the chapel at Frome. He did so from the above text. The place was crowded to excess. After narrating several instances in which murder had been almost miraculously discovered, even years after its commission, he, in the most impressive manner, entreated the prayers of all present for the discovery of the murderers; and then, addressing himself to the congregation, he besought them, if any of them had been guilty of the atrocious crime, to surrender themselves up to the hands of justice, confess their sin, and repent of it, as the only reparation they could make, and as the only way in which they could obtain mercy. The effect was electrical; all were astounded, and a few offended. 'What!' (said one to me, in retiring from the chapel,) 'does Mr. Pinder think that the murderers were here? I think he has insulted us.' The murderers, however, were there; and also at Conley, in the evening, when Mr. Pinder again preached the same sermon and such was the impetus given, that renewed exertions were made, and the sanguinary wretches were discovered and punished.

"As a Pastor, I never knew his superior. His amiable temper, frank and open demeanour, his friendly and feeling heart, all conspired to render him beloved, and eminently fitted him for the office of a Christian Pastor. He visited from house to house, not the rich only, but also the poorest of his flock. He entered most kindly into their circumstances, sympathized with them in their distresses, congratulated them on their enjoyments, directed and advised them in their difficulties, inquired for, and appeared to be affectionately concerned for the welfare of, every member of the family.

But in his duty prompt at every call,

He watch'd, and wept, and pray'd, and felt for all;
And as a bird each fond endearment tries
To tempt her new-fledged offspring to the skies,
He tried each art, reproved each dull delay,
Allured to brighter worlds, and led the way.'

"Indeed, having once known an individual, he seems never to have forgotten him. In his last letter to me, more than forty individuals are remembered by name, and not a society in the Circuit was forgotten."

His brother-in-law, Mr. Bourne, of Belper, thus speaks of him : "Mr. Pinder was appointed to the Belper Circuit at the Conference of

1805, and laboured hard in it for two years, during which period he was made a blessing to hundreds, and probably to thousands. Of him it might be truly said, he was ‘instant in season and out of season;' and God owned his zealous endeavours, both in the pulpit and in his pastoral visits. In many of these visits I have accompanied him, and witnessed with much pleasure, and profit too, the delightful effects of his instruction, which almost invariably had reference to their interest in regard to both worlds; as he was well capable of entering into the particulars of either, and of affording them such counsel as they required; and the attention which he always paid to their children had a winning effect in alluring the poor to come to hear him preach. Frequently on his way to or from preaching in the morning or afternoon, he would fix upon some public situation, and deliver a short sermon or address; and he seldom failed to collect a number of people about him. He ended with an invitation to hear him or his colleagues preach in the afternoon or evening. The result of a constant use of these and similar means was, that every chapel in the Circuit became too small; and several were taken down, or new ones built; amongst which was the present commodious chapel at Belper, and that at Ripley, with several others soon after he left the Circuit."

The following extracts are from the letters of three of his colleagues :

The Rev. T. Harris writes: "The late Rev. Thomas Pinder was

distinguished by his great simplicity, energy, and fidelity. He could not do any thing by halves: in whatever he engaged he did it with his might. Happy in the constant enjoyment of the divine favour, he wished all mankind to be sharers of his joy: hence he ever kept in view the great end of the Christian ministry,-the winning of souls to Christ, and building them up in their most holy faith. To this work he devoted all his energies, and was instant in season and out of season.' In the important work of pastoral visitation he was constant and laborious. On entering a fresh Circuit he soon became acquainted with the persons and habitations of the poorer members. In these visits of mercy he paid particular attention to the children of our people, and instructed them in the way of the Lord. He faithfully instructed, admonished, encouraged, and comforted those whom he visited, as their spiritual state required. In the house of mourning and sorrow he was often found, where he always was a son of consolation. If in the pulpit his talents were not of the popular order, yet his sermons were well studied and arranged, and went directly to the heart. He preached in demonstration of the Spirit, and with power; and his hearers were soon convinced that he was deeply concerned for their spiritual welfare, and that he watched for their souls as one that must give an account. As he was a Wesleyan Methodist from principle, and a hearty approver of our doctrine and discipline, he entered with fidelity and zeal into every part of his ministerial work. Diligent and

constant in every department of his duty, he went early to his country appointments, visited the poor and the afflicted, met the societies after preaching; and when the weather and other circumstances permitted, took every opportunity of preaching in the open air. To his colleagues and brethren in the ministry he was very affectionate and sincere. In his disposition there was nothing mean or sordid, no envy of superior ability or popularity, no murmuring when he saw others preferred before him; but a perfect willingness to honour all those whom the Lord honoured. In his domestic circle he gained the full confidence, and commanded the highest filial regard, of his children. While they venerated his authority, in his example they also beheld the excellence of those precepts which he constantly inculcated, and urged upon their attention as necessary to salvation. When experience had given maturity to his judgment, and he began to rank among the seniors in our Connexion, there was no abatement of his activity and energy; and perhaps there was not any former period in his ministerial career in which he was so devoted and assiduous in his Master's service as that in which he was suddenly called to his reward. He was removed from the field while forming plans for increased usefulness in the church of Christ; and contemplating years of useful toil, when his sun went down. But his Master had evidently been preparing him for his removal to the world of spirits, and he was gathered to the heavenly garner like the shock of corn fully ripe. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints, and the memory of the just is blessed.""

The Rev. Joseph Cusworth says: "As a Methodist Preacher, your late dear father threw his whole soul and body into his work: to promote the interests of the Circuit to which he was appointed, no labour, of which he was capable, was spared. One of his first inquiries was, 'What can be done to revive the work of God?' and whatever might be the plans he adopted, he was always the first to execute them. Preaching in the open air he was very partial to, and he was well adapted to it. Whatever difficulties presented themselves, he went first to battle, and then expected his colleagues to follow him: this observation will apply to all his plans. In visiting the people, I well recollect he greatly excelled in making his visits profitable. For instance: suppose he and his colleagues were going into a family where some of its members had long been seeking the Lord, and had not found peace with God. He would begin a conversation with one of us, by asking what were the impediments to the blessing of pardon, &c. This led to a free conversation on the subject, followed by prayer, which I have known especially useful. His concern for the rising generation led him often to preach to young persons; to take great interest in Sunday-schools; and to pay particular attention to the younger branches of the families of our friends, which gave him a lasting place in their affection and esteem.

"He had also an especial talent for improving any occurrence in the