part of the family now hastened to join the preacher in prayer when after a short struggle, the Lord raised up, even in this, till now dry and barren place, a witness that he has power on earth to forgive sins. While this scene was passing, John returned from the field, and was struck with astonishment. He had heard of such things, but had never witnessed personally any thing of the kind before. The favourable moment was not lost by the preacher, nor by the ever watchful father; and their exhortations, enforced by the change which he soon saw in his cousin, made an impression on his mind, of which he could not divest himself. He betook himself to private prayer, and to reading the scriptures; and soon became truly awakened to his lost and helpless condition, without an interest in the allatoning sacrifice; on which, however, he was soon enabled to rely, and thereby to receive a clear manifestation of the pardoning love of God.

This experience was, in his case, accompanied by a corresponding change in temper and natural disposition, to a degree which is not always the immediate fruits of such a work of grace. Love to God and man seemed so immediately to fill his heart, that the turbulence of his passions were at once subdued; and those who have known him only since his conversion, and observed his complying disposition and meek forbearing temper, would hardly be brought to believe that these were not natural to him-Yet most certainly they were entirely attributable to the renovating efficacy of divine grace.

From this time he continued to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith he was called, and to grow in favour both with God and man. Many of his former companions were soon brought to walk with him in the paths of pleasantness and peace, amongst whom was his elder, and only brother, then engaged in the study of physic. His only sister, who was many years older, had been in very early life made acquainted with the saving truths of religion.

Brother Bond now began to be useful in the prayer-meetings in the neighbourhood, and seemed to be earnestly concerned that others should participate with him the comforts which he found in religion; but whether he had thus early any intimations of his future call to the ministry, is uncertain. In the year 1805 he lost his father by an apoplectic stroke, which at once deprived him of speech, and produced a complete paralysis of the right side. Yet was this faithful servant of God permitted to finish his course with a clear and indubitable testimony of that consolation which religion affords the believer, even in the last struggles of mortality. As he retained his senses, some one desired him, if he was still happy in God, to give them assurance of it, by raising the only remaining arm of which he

had the controul. On the instant he raised it-tears of ineffable delight gushed from his eyes, and a smile so full of heaven irradiated his venerable countenance, that the weeping beholders, and his heretofore inconsolable family, were filled with joy inexpressible, and uttered aloud their thankfulness to God. Mr. Bond sustained the original shock about five days, and then was gathered to his brother patriarchs in heaven.

The death of his father left our brother John W. Bond, as to his worldly circumstances, in ease and comfort; his elder brother having renounced any claim to the estate, in favour of the other heirs. He was not left, and his father never intended to leave him, independent of his own exertions; this would have been contrary to his opinion of a Christian parent's duty-but a farm, with an adequate stock of cattle and implements of husbandry, insured to frugal industry a comfortable support, and these he left his son. With such inducements to sit down quietly at home, our brother soon began to be pressed in spirit to go into the hedges and highways and call sinners to repentance.He appeared to have suppressed his feelings on this subject for a considerable time, having the most humbling views of his want of the necessary qualifications. He occasionally exercised himself in the neighbourhood, and his services were found every where acceptable; though his beginnings did not forbode any great eminence as a preacher. A fervent zeal, an untiring industry, and above all, his steady piety, promised much future usefulness; but there was little of what the world calls genius, and religious people denominate "gifts," manifested in his preaching. Indeed, these qualifications are generally associated with a fertile fancy, and a dominant imagination; whereas a sound discriminating judgment was evidently the most prominent feature in the mind of our late brother.

After having long endured the most painful conflict of mind, vascillating between the monitions of duty and a sense of his unfitness, he ventured to open his mind to his brother-in-law, the late William H. Wood: who, after conferring with other friends, was clearly convinced of his call, and accordingly advised him to offer himself to the ensuing Conference. Indeed, it had long been obvious to his friends that matters of higher import than agriculture, had entirely possessed his mind, and rendered his success in any temporal pursuit utterly impossible; for notwithstanding he laboured on his farm with the most patient industry, yet he was so occupied by his religious engagements, that the seasons for sowing and for reaping always found him unprepared: because to prepare for them it was necessary to have anticipated their return, and to have devoted no small portion of his thoughts to the circumstances which their return would necessarily bring about. For forecasting

these events and balancing these contingencies he had neither time nor inclination-He would have been contented to work; but not to preach while he was working was utterly impossible. In short, his friends saw that the holy flame which burnt within. him must have vent; and that nothing short of an entire devotion to the work of the ministry could satisfy the ardour of his zeal; and accordingly he was strongly recommended to the Baltimore Conference, and having been received on trial he was appointed in the year 1810 to Calvert circuit, with Brother A. Griffith.

He was very kindly received on his circuit, and often afterwards spoke with much thankfulness of the indulgent tenderness with which the friends in Calvert treated him during this first year of his itinerant labours. In 1811 he was appointed to Fairfax, and in 1812 to the Great-Falls circuit. At the ensuing Conference in 1813 he located. The circumstances which demanded this painful sacrifice, were, after mature deliberation, considered of paramount obligation. A widowed sister with five small children in indigent circumstances, and too infirm in her health to superintend her own affairs, prefered claims to his attention, which he was not of a disposition to resist; and he cheerfully returned to his plough. This measure could not have been dictated by any prospect of personal advantage, for none could possibly grow out of it; and it was rendered imperiously necessary by the state of his brother's health, who, having been compelled by an afflicting indisposition to abandon his professional avocation, was not in a situation to keep the charge of his sister's family. He laboured during this year on a farm with the most sedulous assiduity, and with a cheerfulness which evidenced his firm conviction that he was in the line of duty: yet whatever was his secular occupation, it could be often scen, even by the motion of his lips, that he was preaching still. His sabbaths were always devoted to the work he had so much at heart, and the country around him afforded still a wide field of usefulness. Indeed he was so much esteemed and really loved by all sorts of people, that even those who made no profession of religion, often pressed him to preach in their houses. He was naturally fond of children, and they would hang about him wherever he went with the most endearing fondness; while he would talk with them about religion and let himself down to them with such a sweet complacency, as evinced that the babe of Bethlehem was fully formed within him.

Scripture Illustrated.

ON THE MIRACLES OF CHRIST.

By the Rev. Mr. Grimshaw.

"THE miracles of our Saviour are, as I think, intended to typify the truly gospel doctrine of the Faith of Assurance; denied, indeed, by the generality even of serious professors, though clearly, either expressly or implicitly, taught in almost every page in the New Testament, as also in the Psalms and Prophets. In many of them there is a lively representation not only of this truth, but of the whole work of conversion or regeneration.Our Lord, I am persuaded, (think other men as they please,) did not only intend the many miraculous cures, that he wrought upon men's bodies, to be the credentials of his Messiahship, but to be lively emblems also of the cures he works upon our souls. So that what we find in the one, the like corresponding therewith we shall discover in the other. I shall only instance in two miracles that of the woman with the "issue of blood," (Mark v. 25, &c.) and of the man sick of the palsy," (Mark ii. 3, &c.) designing to take little more notice of them than what concerns my present purpose.

The woman "had spent all that she had, and was nothing better, but rather grew worse." A lively representation this of an awakened sinner's using all self-endeavours to obtain pardon of his sins, and eternal life of God. "When she heard of Jesus," -a last shift! So sinners, or self-righteous men, never come to Jesus, neither will they hear of it, till they are brought to see that all their other means and attempts are ineffectual.--" Came behind him in the press saying, (within herself) if I may but touch his clothes (I have faith to believe) I shall be made whole." So sinners, convinced that all their righteousness will not secure them from eternal death, hearing of Jesus, and convinced that none but Jesus only can pardon and save them, by faith come and touch him." And having touched his garment, straightway (that very moment) the fountain of her blood was dried up." That very instant a sinner comes by faith and touches Jesus, he is pardoned; justification being an instantaneous work." And she felt in her body (mark the next words) that she was healed of her plague." She was sensible of a perfect cure. Sinners, in like manner, touching Jesus by faith, who is the true physician of the soul, also clearly experience the healing of their souls, the pardon of their sins; sin being the soul's

"bloody issue." What is true in one case, is equally and every way so in the other.

In like manner, the paralytic was so helpless, as to be borne on a bed by four (an argument of his exceeding weakness) and not only so, but sensible of his incurable condition, and confident that Jesus alone, and no other, could and would cure him, he was resolved at all hazards, as appears from the circumstances of the story to be set before him. Another plain indication of a convinced sinner's faith, that he must either come to Jesus alone for mercy and forgiveness, or perish for ever. "Jesus, seeing their faith, (O what a powerful thing is faith!) said, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee;" and afterwards, "Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house." Upon which words "he immediately arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all." His cure was instantaneous and sensible. "He immediately arose," who could scarcely, it is probable, stir hand or foot before; and as a further proof of it, bore back the bed to his house, which had borne him to Christ. Moreover, he had his sins forgiven him in express words. He had therefore the fullest assurance of his cure and pardon. As certain, sudden, and spiritually sensible, is the remission of sins, the cure of the sin-sick souls, who come by faith as this man did, to Jesus.

I know it is as great a paradox, and counted as gross blasphemy by the letter-learned wise men of this day, to hear men affirm that their sins are forgiven by that same Jesus who, they ought to consider, "hath still power on earth to forgive sins;" as it was to the Scribes in our Saviour's days to hear him viva voce, pronounce the same then. But where is the absurdity or unreasonableness of it? It is not only equally as easy a matter with our Saviour to pardon our souls, as to heal our bodies; or as possible with him to manifest the one as the other to us; but, methinks, the former is of infinitely greater consequence to be known than the latter; and that for the following most important reasons:-1st. Because it is impossible for a man to know himself to be a Christian, till he is assured that his sins are forgiven him; forgiveness of sins being but another name for a Christian. And, 2dly, Because upon this knowledge of remission indispensably depends the love of God, the praise of God, and the obedience and worship of God. This also we may clearly learn, from the miracles of our Lord, and particularly from this of the paralytic. When he was cured he arose, took up that whereon he lay, and departed, glorifying God." This glory that he gave to God proceeded from the clear sense that he had of this mercy. The want of this sense, which to him would have been the very same as no cure at all, would have prevented all praise of God. The man was not only cured, but knew he was cured; and therefore it was not only that mercy, but the knowledge of

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