relation from whom Mr. M. had considerable expectations), came to Walworth to see him before he died, and to do the needful offices of attention and sympathy to his afflicted family *.

It is matter of regret, that so minute a detail cannot be given, of the few days preceding his dissolution, as may be wished for. Though he delighted and excelled in religious conversation, his extreme weakness was such, that his most intimate friends thought it prudent to decline visiting him so frequently, as their own inclination prompted. His emaciated feeble frame allowed him to speak little; but the little that he said shewed that his entire dependence was on that divine Saviour, whom, with delight and faithfulness, he had preached to others. A sweet supporting hope filled his soul, the influence of which smoothed the wrinkled face of affliction, and brightened the dreary scene before him. I am in the Lord's band ;---I am not afraid to die; with similar expressions of resignation and confidence, were the words with which he consoled his friends in the prospect of a speedy departure from them.

On the morning of the 11th of Jan. 1796, he finished his course, and entered into his Master's joy. So slow, so silent, so imperceptible was his passage through the dark valley, that it may be literally said, he fell asleep in Jesus. He was interred in the burying-ground behind his meeting, on the zoth of January. The oration at his grave was delivered by the Rev. John Townsend, to a vast concourse of weeping spectators: And, on the Lord's-day following, a funeral sermon was preached to the widowed church, by the Rev. Mr. Steven, of Crown-court, from 1 Thes. iv. 13, 14. " But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that ye sorrow not as others who have no hope: For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Before worship began, the meeting was crowded to such a degree, that several of the members could hardly find their way to their seats. So many people of both sexes, clothed in mourning, and their eyes moistened with tears,

It is not a little remarkable, that the relation alluded to above, soon after Mr. Mills's decease, when she designed to return home to Dorchester, was taken ill, died in a few days after, and (by her own particular request) was interred in the same grave with him. It is fondly to be wished, that this unlooked-for event may be productive of some pecuniary advantage to his destitute widow and children.

made the scene truly impressive, and shewed the high respect which the people of Walworth paid to his memory.

Such are the leading circumstances connected with the life and death of this pious, able, respected young minister; who was cut off in the 33d year of his age, and in the 13th of his ministry. How mysterious is the conduct of Providence, in removing so early from the church, one, whose ministerial endowments promised such abundant usefulness! As a person, curious in the anatomy of vegetables, looks with plea-. sure even on a blossom folded up in the bud, and traces the rudiments of its future form; so with satisfaction may we contemplate this young minister, though cut off in his bloom, before he had diffused his full fragrancy, or appeared in allthose vivid colours, that were opening to the eye. In this view, his cannot be called an untimely death; for though to us he might seem green and unprepared, to Omniscience he was ripe, and ready for removal. The Lord would not have allowed the grave to be opened for him, if he had any further work for him here to perform...

By his removal, Providence speaks with a loud voice to the church over which he presided, and to which his memory will long be dear. But, with peculiar emphasis, it speaks to ministers; especially to his younger, brethren, who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. It teaches them "to work while it is called to-day---to make full proof of their ministry---to be faithful unto the death;" not knowing how soon their Master may say, "Give an account of your stewardship, for ye shall be no longer stewards.”.

Many leading traits in his history and character, not yet stated, are worthy of notice. His endowments, natural and acquired, were considerable for his years; his understanding was vigorous; his imagination lively; his memory retentive; his composition accurate; and his delivery in the pulpit peculiarly sweet, engaging, and impressive. His natural temper, though rather close and reserved, was mild and gentle. He was humane and charitable, perhaps to a fault: Such were his tender feelings towards the indigent, that, in relieving their difficulties, he seemed sometimes as if he had forgotten bis own. Conviction, not education, made him a dissenter from the church of England. Considerable inducements to join the establishment, were held out by some rich relations, who themselves were churchmen; but these could not prevail to make him swerve from what he conceived to be the path of truth and duty: And yet his mind was liberal---neither

warped

warped by prejudice, nor sowered by bigotry; but animated with kind Christian affections to all who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus, both their's and our's."" In fine, it will be well for the Christian church, if futurity produces a race of ministers such as Mr. Mills---men pious, zealous, humble, diligent, benevolent and useful---men who are instant in season and out of season," willing to spend and to be spent for Christ. "Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing!"'

ON THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.

In compliance with the Request of H. G. S. who desires an Elucidation of Heb. vi. 4, 5, 6. and an Explanation of the Sin against the Holy Ghost.1

THE forgiveness of sin, is doubtless one of the most in

teresting subjects to a sinful creature; and if there be one sin upon which the divine Being has thought fit to set a mark of peculiar displeasure, by declaring it unpardonable, it is worthy of the most serious inquiry, to determine what it is. Perhaps the most likely method of coming at the truth, will be by first taking a view of those passages of Scripture where it is explicitly or implicitly conveyed, and then making a few remarks upon them.

There is no express mention of the sin against the Holy Ghost under the former dispensation; it seems to me, however, that there was a period in the lives of Cain and Saul, and perhaps of some others, when they were given up of God to inevitable destruction. The first, or rather the only express mention that we have of it, is in the evangelists, where it is applied to the Pharisees, on occasion of their blasphemously asserting, "This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils." Matt. xii. 31, 32. Mark, iii. 28---30. and Luke, xii. ro. Dr. Whitby thinks these passages were only designed to warn them of the sin, but that it was not possible to be actually committed till the pouring out of the Holy Ghost in the day of Pentecost; and assigns this as a reason, that Christ afterwards prayed for those very persons. Luke, xxiii. 34. But those for whom Christ prayed" knew not what they did :" They were in the same situation with Saul while a persecutor; they did it ignorantly, and in unbelief. But this was not true of all his murderers, Those who made answer to Judas, who confessed

fessed that he had betrayed innocent blood, «See thou to that," could not, I am afraid, have this plea alledged on their behalf. It is true, the multitude did it ignorantly, and many of their rulers, as St. Peter candidly acknowledged; but this, I should think, is more than could be said of them all. It is pretty evident that some of them acted upon the principle suggested by our Lord, "This is the heir, let us kill him." It is no objection to this, that it is said, "If they had known him, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory;" for knowledge is not here put for a mere conviction that he was the Messiah, but for that spiritual discernment, which is possessed only by believers, being "revealed to them by the spirit, who searcheth the deep things of God." 1. Cor. ii. 7, 10. It appears to me that some of the Pharisees were guilty of the unpardonable sin See John ix. 41. and xii. 42, 43.

Perhaps the next intimation that is given of this sin, is in Peter's address to Simon Magus: Repent of this thy wickedness, and pray God, IF PERHAPS the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." Acts viii. 22. It does not appear that the apostle considered the sorcerer as having certainly committed the unpardonable sin; but it seems he considered it as a matter of doubt, and therefore, with a view to impress upon his mind the greatness of his wickedness, and the danger he was in, expressed himself in that doubtful manner, which he was not used to do in ordinary

cases.

The apostle Paul seems to have had an eye to this sin, when speaking of himself; he says, "I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly, and in unbelief." None will suppose that Saul's ignorance, much less his unbelief, had any thing in it meritorious, which could induce the divine Being to shew him mercy; on the contrary, it was sinful, and that for which he reckoned himself the chief of sinners: But it was not accompanied with such circumstances of aggravation, as to exclude him from an interest in divine mercy: It was not the unpardonable sin.

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, there are several intimations of it; particularly in the following passages: "It is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open

shame."

shame." Ch. vi. 4, 5, 6. « For if we sin wilfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses's law died without mercy, under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace ?" Ch. x. 26, 27, 28, 29.

"Peter also describes the same characters: "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." 2. Peter ii. 20---22. Lastly, it must be with reference to this sin that John writes in his first Epistle, ." If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life.---There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he shall pray for it.--- We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not." 1. John v. 16. 18.

The above are the principal, if not the only passages, in which reference is made to the unpardonable sin. From these, taken altogether, I shall offer the following remarks:

I. When the Scripture speaks of any sin as unpardonable, or of the impossibility of those who have committed it being renewed again unto repentance, we are not to understand it as expressing any natural limitation of either the power, or the mercy of God, nor yet of the efficacy of the Saviour's blood; but merely of a limitation, dictated by sovereign .wisdom and righteousness.

II. It is not any one particular act of sin that denominates it unpardonable, but the circumstances under which it is committed. The act, in the case of the Pharisees, was uttering blasphemous language againgst the miracles of Christ; in the supposed case of Saul, it was blaspherously persecuting, and otherwise injuriously treating, the church of Christ; in the

case