was powerfully argumentative in his addresses to the understanding, and often, as you have heard, irresistibly energetic in his appeals to the conscience. Knowing the terror of the LORD," he "persuaded men" to repentance; and could most instructively and delightfully dilate, for the comfort of Penitents and the edification of Believers, on the "glory of GoD" as seen "in the face of JESUS CHRIST," and the unsearchable riches of wisdom and goodness displayed in the scheme of the Gospel. Here he never failed to discover the powers of a Master in the sacred art; and, what was still better," the Unction of the HOLY ONE," which rested on him and on his auditories, was often overwhelmingly glorious, and the Word of GoD, dispensed by him, was as a fire, and as a hammer which breaketh the rock in pieces." In these characteristics of his preaching, MR. BENSON had no superior, and few equals. And the happy effect of such a ministry, has, I believe, been great, not only on the people, but also on the body of our younger Preachers; who, when they have sat with admiration and delight under his sermons at our Annual Conferences, have practically learned in what the real greatness of a Preacher of the Gospel consists,-have been led to imitate, though without servility, what God so signally owned in the man they honoured, and have thus been guarded against substituting, in their own ministry, the chaff for the wheat, the tinsel for the gold, the miserable trappings of an empty and artificial oratory for that scriptural truth, which is "when unadorned, adorned the most," and that genuine eloquence, which is inspired by pious feeling, and zeal for the salvation of perishing souls.* 3. In other duties, connected with the Ministerial and Pastoral Office, MR. BENSON was equally distinguished.-He greatly excelled in the richness, the fervency, and the variety of his Public Prayers. For the grace and gift of Intercession he was quite remarkable. He much admired that striking composition, the Litany of the Established Church, as an almost perfect model in this branch of Public Devotion. I have heard him say, that Christians in general are, in his opinion, very defective in the duty of intercession; and that he, excepting where he used the help of the Litany, always felt himself condemned for having omitted, in his General Intercessory Prayer in our sabbathmorning worship, some cases which ought to have been distinctly brought before the Throne of Grace by him, as the mouth of the * I have often thought, that to MR. BENSON his hearers might well apply what King CHARLES I. is reported to have said in reference to MR, (afterwards BISHOP) SANDERSON;"I carry my ears to hear other preachers; but I carry my conscience to hear MR. SANDERSON."-A friend, on whom I can depend, informs me, that an excellent and justly eminent Clergyman, the late REV. MR. CECIL, embraced every opportunity of hearing MR. BENSON, and was much struck with his mode of preaching. On one of these occasions, he made the following remark: “MR. BENSON seems like a Messenger sent from the other world, to call men to account.” : assembled congregation. His Prayers after Sermon were often most solemn, importunate, and successful. Then his powerful pleading with God seemed, as it were, to open heaven; and abundant grace descended on multitudes.—In the Quarterly Visitation of the Classes, which forms so interesting and important a part of the pastoral duty of a Methodist Preacher, he excelled all whom it has been my lot to know. When I was first stationed in London, in the year 1803, I had repeatedly the profit and pleasure of attending him on such occasions ; as it was then our custom for two Preachers to go together, on that business, to each class and I never reflect but with edification on the fidelity, minuteness, and wisdom, with which he inquired into the things most connected with the personal and family godliness of our members, and administered suitable advice and exhortation. In Social Visits, also, he maintained the character and spirit of a man of GOD. He could be cheerful without levity, and serious without melancholy. His conversation, at such seasons, was often in the highest degree instructive; and calculated permanently to improve the company in christian knowledge and piety. The latest opportunity of this sort which I enjoyed with him, was at the house of a common friend, about six weeks before his death. I believe it was his last visit to any but his own family. He was then in a most heavenly frame of mind ;-spoke to us, for a long time, on the glory which results to God from the person and work of JESUS CHRIST the MEDIATOR, and on the immunities and felicities of the celestial state;-and concluded by repeating, in a most delightful manner, the following stanzas of one of our hymns: "By death and hell pursued in vain, To thee the ransom'd seed shall come; The pain of life shall there be o'er, The anguish and distracting care : There sighing grief shall weep no more, And sin shall never enter there. Where pure, essential joy is found, The LORD's redeem'd their heads shall raisc, With everlasting gladness crown'd, And fill'd with love, and lost in praise.” He was then much exhausted; and requested me to pray, as his voice and strength were nearly gone. 4. As a Writer, MR. BENSON was instructive, orthodox, and useful. He appeared at various times in the arena of controversy; believing himself called to defend the Truth.of the Gospel against the Materialism and Socinianism of DR. PRIESTLEY, the Morality of the Bible against the follies of MADAN,-and the People, Cause, and Work of GOD, against the high-church intolerance of TATHAM, RUSSELL, and others. But the works of most permanent and general value, by which "being dead he yet speaketh," are his Life of MR. FLETCHER, and his Commentary on the Holy Scriptures. The latter is a work of great labour, and justly characterized by the CONFERENCE, in their Vote of Thanks to him for its compilation, as marked by "solid learning, soundness of theological opinion, and an edifying attention to experimental and practical Religion." * 5. I shall only add a few sentences on the importance of MR. BENSON'S example and services to our Connexion, as one of the Fathers, Counsellors, and Guardians of our Body. Here he was truly valuable; and his principles and practice, in many interesting particulars, will, by many, be gratefully treasured up, and long quoted as among the most respected and sacred of those human authorities, to which, in subordination to the Divine Word, we look up with filial reverence. For the young Preachers of our Itinerancy, and for that respected and very useful Body of Auxiliaries to our regular ministry, the Local-Preachers, he felt a fatherly concern; and was very anxious that they should be wise, and holy, and faithful in their important work.-Instructed, perhaps, by his own painful experience in a time of great agitation and difficulty, soon after the death of MR. WESLEY, he was subsequently an earnest and decided opponent of all measures tending to division in the Church of CHRIST; and used his great influence to counteract strife and schism, wherever they made their appearance, and to promote peace and union.-As a Public Man, next to the truth and glory of God, the welfare and comfort of our people were, with him, the grand objects of pursuit. For their peace and profit, he would make any sacrifices consistent with duty. A judicious friend, indeed, has suggested, that "he did not possess much natural courage, and perhaps sometimes sacrificed too much to his love of peace. But where the interests of religion were at stake, he rose above himself, and manifested great boldness and firmness."— In so long and active a life as his, and connected as he was with some of the most disputable and difficult affairs of our Body, it could not but happen that, in a few cases, he should differ in opinion and practice with some of his brethren. If any temporary warmth of feeling was excited on such occasions, it had long ago subsided. Our plans being settled and regular, the Connexion has, for many years, enjoyed a general freedom from those subjects of dispute and irritation, which, on the removal of our Founder, disturbed, for a short season, our happy unanimity. And MR. BENSON did himself honour by requesting, not long before his death, that care might * I learn that the Edition of this Commentary, printed in quarto, is now nearly sold; but copics of the Edition in 3 Volumes, folio, may still be had of MR. BLANSHARD. This valuable Work is about to be re-printed in America. be taken not to suffer any of his Papers to be made public, which would unnecessarily revive one painful feeling in any persons, either in or out of our Connexion, with whom he had ever differed in his views. I shall conclude my Sketch of his public character, by merely mentioning his ardent desire, often expressed, and practically exhibited, to avoid, for himself, and that our Connexion at large, (according to its primitive calling and profession,) should always avoid, a narrow and sectarian spirit. He strongly felt that we ought steadily to aim, not merely or principally at the increase of our own denomination, as a distinct religious sect and party, but at the promotion of vital and experimental godliness among all Sects and Parties, by every means in our power.* The Author cannot deny himself the pleasure of quoting, in this place, a paragraph from the Minutes of the CONFERENCE held at Liverpool, in 1820, which shows that the Methodist Ministers in general are increasingly sensible of the importance of what is above stated. That, in the present state of our extended and diversified Connexion, some deviations from original plans and forms should have been found useful and necessary, no man of unprejudiced mind will at all wonder. Such seasonable and judicious adaptations of our economy to new circumstances, new openings of Providence, and new calls of duty, are quite in the character of Wesleyan-Methodism, as it has been conducted from the beginning. But wisdom dictates that these alterations should never anticipate or out-run the evident necessity and utility of the case; and that, even when adopted, they should be so regulated as not to destroy our original spirit and principles. The late Minute of the Conference, on this point, is thus expressed : "Let us ourselves remember, and endeavour to impress on our people, that we, as a Body, do not exist for the purposes of party; and that we are especially bound, by the example of our Founder, by the original principle on which our Societies are formed, and by our constant professions before the world, to avoid a narrow, bigoted, and sectarian spirit, to abstain from needless and unprofitable disputes on minor subjects of theological controversy, and, as far as we innocently can, to please all men for their good unto edification.' Let us, therefore, maintain towards all denominations of Christians, who hold the head,' the kind and catholic spirit of primitive Methodism; and, according to the noble maxim of our Fathers in the Gospel, be the friends of all, the enemies of none.' (To be concluded in our next Number.) MEMOIR OF THE LATE MR. R. BEALEY, of radcliffe, NEAR BURY, LANCASHIRE. To the Editor. I SEND you a brief Memoir of my late revered and beloved Brotherin-law, MR. RICHARD Bealey, of Radcliffe. To those who were unacquainted with the subject of it, the character will certainly appear strongly drawn; but to others, who had the opportunity of intimately observing him, all that is said will appear to be below the fact, and such persons will not hesitate to assure every inquirer, that the "half has not been told." Of all whom I have ever known, he was one of those most worthy of imitation in every domestic, relative, religious, and commercial relation. May we "follow him, as he followed CHRIST!" Salford, Manchester, JAMES TOWNLEY. MR. RICHARD BEALEY was born in 1755. His parents were highly respectable and pious dissenters, who carefully educated him in the principles of religion and morality; and whose sedulous endeavours to impress his mind with the importance of eternal things proved greatly successful in restraining him from many sinful and injurious practices. At an early period MR. BEALEY began to attend the ministry of the late REV. DR. BARNES, then pastor of the Presbyterian Chapel at Cockey-Moor; under whose animated discourses he was frequently and powerfully affected. These impressions led him to request his father, and the rest of the family, to accompany him to hear his favourite preacher. His father heard, was pleased, and profited; and opened his house for the occasional preaching of that popular and benevolent divine. On these occasions every part of the house, where the voice of the preacher could be heard, was crowded,—the parlour, the lobby, and even the stairs. At one of these meetings, DR. B. delivered a discourse, principally ex tempore, from John iii. 16 : "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Under this sermon, MR. BEALEY experienced so sacred and overwhelming an influence from the SPIRIT of GOD, and such a consciousness of the divine presence, that for some moments he lost all recollection of place and time, realizing only the immensity of divine love and mercy. Having afterwards obtained a transcript of the sermon, he prized it to the close of his life; and frequently have his friends heard him read portions of it, with tears in his eyes, and his heart overflowing with gratitude and praise. A few sentences from the discourse will show the style and manner of its author:— "GOD is my witness," said the Preacher, whilst introducing his subject, "that my soul earnestly longs for your souls' welfare. I have not a wish in my breast more strong, more fervent, more constant than this. I would fain approve myself to God as a successful preacher of the Gospel of CHRIST. If at some seasons I have been willing to hope my labours have not been entirely in vain, at others I have been discouraged and affected, and ready almost to imagine myself a useless cypher in a cause, in which, if I know my own heart, my whole soul is sincerely, though, alas! too imperfectly, too negligently engaged. Alas! my friends, forgive my fears; I should be glad to find them false; but I have been afraid, that the work of conversion is much at a stand among us. The thought of this sometimes pierces my very soul; I have asked, What shall I do, what |