unhappily the case with the church at Hinckley, at the time he became a candidate for the pastorate. This church had been for several years without a stated minister, owing chiefly to their being unable to unite in the choice of any one of the numerous candidates by whom the pulpit had been occupied, and to the very bad spirit they had shown in the discussion of their respective claims, which had rendered the church-meetings, and even their meetings for public worship, scenes of confusion and unseemly strife. Such a state of things rendered the church at Hinckley most unattractive, and would have operated to prevent most men from accepting even an unanimous invitation from such a people. But this was the very circumstance which induced Mr. Gill to take the oversight of them. Although they had been divided in respect to every other candidate, they all united in wishing him to come amongst them; and, such being the case, he saw an opportunity of restoring peace and comfort to a distracted and unhappy church, and immediately declined an invitation which he had received from a peaceful and prosperous church at Shelley, in Yorkshire, and cast in his lot with the people at Hinckley. He was ordained as pastor of the church at Hinckley, in 1806, and remained with them in peace and love for ten years; at the expiration of which time he saw it his duty to leave them, very much to the regret of the church and congregation, and inhabitants generally. During his ministry at Hinckley, he was honoured of God to fill the chapel with attentive hearers, and to gather many souls to Christ. He also established a small interest at Burbage, a village about three miles distant, where he raised funds to build, and eventually to pay the entire cost of erection of a commodious schoolroom, in which the worship of God was periodically conducted.

On leaving Hinckley, he received an invitation to Middlewich, in Cheshire; but on his way to supply the vacant pulpit in this place, he called upon his old friend,

Mr. Roby, who directed his attention to Walmsley Chapel, Egerton, near Bolton. "There is a small interest there," said Mr. Roby, "where I think you will be able to do much good. The people are so poor, they cannot support a minister, and are going to close the chapel. If that chapel is shut up, the only place of worship then open will be the Socinian chapel. You have some property, and that, with what the poor people will give, will perhaps keep your family;— go, and trust Providence for the rest." He went, and received a cordial invitation from the people there, which he accepted, and remained with them until within two years of the present time-a period of twenty-eight years.

During his pastorate at Egerton, he was honoured as the instrument of accomplishing much good, in the conversion of many souls to Christ, and the building up of the church, and other works of usefulness. When he came to the scene of his last labours as a Christian minister, he found only a small chapel, and that in an unfinished state, without vestry, schools, and other conveniences, and encumbered with a debt of 500l. In a few years, as the result of great exertion, he succeeded in building a vestry, with a small school-room over it, in which to conduct the week evening services, and a small cottage adjoining, the rent of which might go to pay the interest of the debt upon the chapel. His next work was to build a commodious dwelling-house for the minister for the time being, which being completed, he next made an effort to remove the debt upon the chapel, which he was enabled ultimately entirely to liquidate. About fifteen years ago he directed his attention to the establishment of a new interest at Belmont, a village about three miles from his own place, the inhabitants of which were in a most benighted and deplorable condition. Having obtained the use of a small dwelling-house in this place, he regularly conducted the worship of God here, in addition to his labours at Egerton, for many years, got together a few

pious and active persons, built a large room, which was used both as a chapel and school-room, and eventually formed a church, and continued to minister amongst them, until the people were enabled to build a neat chapel, and obtain supplies for the pulpit from the Blackburn Academy.

About ten years ago he commenced an effort to build a large sabbath and day school, in connection with the chapel at Egerton, to accommodate 400 scholars. This was accomplished by great exertion, and is now an ornament to the neighbourhood, and free from debt. In the accomplishment of these objects Mr. Gill had to make repeated appeals to the sympathy and assistance of the Christian public, which were generously responded to, and his own contributions were added to those of the church and congregation over which he presided. About two years ago, after having lived and laboured for twenty-eight years among a poor but peaceful, united, and affectionate people, he was induced, in consequence of declining strength, to resign his pastoral charge, and, in connection with his beloved and now bereaved partner, to take up his abode in Pendleton, Manchester, amongst the members of his own family, the providence of God having supplied him with the means of a comfortable subsistence.

On taking up his abode at Pendleton with his youngest son, whom he established in business there, he and his beloved partner attended the ministry, and in a little while joined the church at Pendleton, under the pastoral care of the Rev, A. E. Pearce. Our departed friend was desirous of making himself useful in connection with this infant church, and greatly assisted the pastor by visiting the sick, by presiding over one of the "sectional meetings of the church," and by occasionally occupying the pulpit; and, had his health and strength permitted, would have rendered important service to the cause of the Redeemer in this place; but, after little more than twelve months, he was almost laid aside

from active labour, and it was apparent to all his friends that his constitution was gradually breaking up. In the month of March last he sustained a severe attack of illness, but from which he recovered, and enjoyed comparative health till the approach of winter On Lord's-day, October 17th, he attended Divine worship in Pendleton Chapel for the last time, and on the following Tuesday, being much worse, took to his bed, from which be never rose again, All that medical skill, and the care and affectionate attention of his family, could do, to arrest the progress of the disease, which was fast pressing him to the grave, was resorted to, but in vain. There is an appointed time to man upon the earth, and our departed friend seemed to know that the time of his departure was at hand; and in the prospect of death, his calmness and resignation to the will of God were truly gratifying to his family and friends.

His frame of mind, during the last seven weeks of his illness, was one of calm and settled peace, which nothing was permitted for a single moment to disturb; he evinced a peculiarly grateful spirit, delighted to contemplate the dealings of God with him and his family, both in providence and in grace, and spoke frequently and feelingly of the kindness and compassion of his heavenly Benefactor, to one who had been so unworthy of "the least of all his mercies."

He had no desire to live, unless he might be restored to strength, to enable him to be useful in the church. He was visited by many ministers and friends, whose conversation and prayers he highly valued. Although his extreme debility prevented him from talking much towards the close of his life, and almost rendered him inaudible, yet a few expressions have been gathered from his dying lips, which are deemed worthy of being put on record. Frequently, when reminded of the blessedness of being prepared for sickness and death, by a life of faith and holiness, he would exclaim, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me!" or, "Bless the Lord,

&c. &c. A few days before his death a friend, who was standing at his bedside, said, “You are still waiting, Mr. Gill?" "Yes," he said, "looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ." The same friend, at another time, after a severe fit of coughing, which had much distressed him, said, "I wish I could help you, sir;" to which he replied, in the words of the poet,—

"One there is, above all others,

Well deserves the name of Friend;
His is love beyond a brother's-
Costly, free, and knows no end.
They who here his kindness prove,
Find it everlasting love." "

Several times, during his illness, and after enduring severe pain, he said, "What are my sufferings compared with my Saviour's!" and

"A few more rolling suns at most

Will land me safe on Canaan's coast.'"

The night before he died he said, in reply to a friend, who asked him if his mind was composed, and fixed upon the "Rock of ages," "Yes; I can say with the dying patriarch, 'I am waiting for thy salvation, O Lord!" and immediately added, "If Mr. Pearce should improve my death, I should like him to preach from those words, but to say nothing about myself." A few hours before he died, he desired all the members of his family, including all his grandchildren, to be summoned to his bed-side, as he felt, he said, that his end was approaching, and should like to take his leave of them. When they had surrounded his bed, he addressed them in a strain of animation and affection, besought them to live together in harmony and peace, and to devote themselves more unreservedly to the service of God. Shortly after this he suffered severe pain of body, during the paroxysms of which he exclaimed, clasping his hands, "O my Father!" "My heavenly Father !" "My kind Benefactor!" The pain having abated, he exclaimed with great animation, "Oh, my blessed

home!" These were the last words he was heard to utter; and, very soon after, he "fell asleep in Christ," on the 30th day of November, 1847, in the seventyfirst year of his age.

The mortal remains of our departed friend were interred in the burial-ground at Egerton, at the back of the pulpit in which he so long and so faithfully proclaimed the gospel. The Rev. A. E. Pearce officiated at the interment, and addressed a crowded congregation of the hearers of the deceased pastor; and on the following Lord's-day improved his death, in his own place of worship, from the words which had been chosen for that purpose. It was peculiarly gratifying to hear the high testimony borne to the many excellences of this tried and faithful servant of Christ, by those who have known him intimately for a long course of years. His holy life and peaceful death most impressively illustrate the reality and importance of religion. He was for nearly half a century a preacher of righteousness; and, during the whole of that time, exemplified the principles of the religion he professed and taught, by a most consistent and devoted life. His religion was a practical, operative principle-a principle of power. It was religion that formed his character —a character distinguished by a rare combination of excellences. It excited him to holy and beneficent action, on behalf of sinful and perishing men; and thus, by arraying itself in a living form of love, and moving to and fro among men, it demonstrated at once its divinity and its power, by a life of holy and selfdenying beneficence. It supported and cheered him amid the toils and the duties of life, and sustained and comforted him under its trials and its sorrows; and not only enabled him to meet them with calmness, but administered to him a triumph over them all. And the religion which thus manifested its power in his life, evinced a noble power in his death. The religion he lived by was a religion he dared to die by. His countenance