were not aware, at a distance from his flock and his beloved home, the summons came. He met it without amazement, yea, with a serene and cheerful trust. Death had no terrors for one, whose life was a preparation for death. He declared with unfaltering lips, "that the faith he had preached sustained him”—such were his words; and devoutly commending his wife, his children, and his people-next only to his family in his affections-to the God of love, and his own spirit to him who breathed it, he departed in the 71st year of his age, and in the 47th of his ministry.*

The reputation of our lamented friend had preceded him, and his character was in honor with multitudes to whom personally he was unknown. The clergy with many other of the inhabitants of Rochester, where his last night was spent, testified their interest in the event by every possible token of sympathy and respect. And though our friend was so speedily removed beyond the need or the reach of human help, yet it seemed an appropriate tribute to one who had been courteous to all men, whose dwelling for half a century had been the seat of hospitality, and whose "words had comforted many,” that he should in his last hours find friends in strangers, and have returned into his own bosom the kindnesses he had through his whole life bestowed.

Few of the wishes of his heart remained unaccomplished. Yet among the purposes of a journey in which he was thus suddenly arrested, was a visit to Wilkesbarre, a beautiful village in the vale of Wyoming, in Pennsylvania, to which while yet a candidate for the

With one exception, Dr. Thayer was the oldest clergyman in the State having the sole charge of a parish.

The clergy of various denominations in the city of Rochester exhibited the utmost kindness on the occasion, which is gratefully remembered by the bereaved family. Rev. Mr. Whitehouse of the Episcopal Church offered to open his house for a public funeral service; but other arrangements having been made, the remains were conveyed to Lancaster, where on their arrival on Saturday, attended by friends, prayers were offered in front of the house, and under the shade of the same elms, whence so many years before the venerable Mr. Harrington had come forth, as has been mentioned, to welcome and bless his colleague. On the following Monday, June 29, the funeral services were attended in the meetinghouse by an immense concourse from Lancaster and its vicinity. Prayers were then offered by Rev. Messrs. Allen of Bolton, and Lincoln of Fitchburg, and an impressive sermon was delivered by Rev. Mr. Hill of Worcester.

ministry he was invited by the late Hon. Timothy Pickering, then residing there. This romantic spot left ineffaceable impressions on his memory, and he was desirous of renewing, after an interval of fifty years, associations which time had hallowed. But his purposes were broken off. He has gone to a better country, and the places that once knew him here shall know him no more.

Of his private and domestic virtues, which even beyond his professional, commanded the confidence and warm affection of all who were near to him, I need not speak. His family have lost a beloved and venerated head, who went before them in the ways of wisdom and "on whose tongue was the law of kindness." They can mingle gratitude with natural grief that such a husband, father, and friend was spared so long; that they were permitted to rejoice in his light, and to share in his devoted love. To the church of which he was the faithful pastor, "leading them as by the side of still waters," and to other churches not a few, who were favoured with his occasional ministrations, he has bequeathed the rich legacy of his instructions and prayers;-of instructions, not of men's wisdom, but of the truth of God; and of prayers, which were of the righteous man and avail much.

I have spoken only in the simplicity of truth in the imperfect tribute I have thus been offering to the memory of our friend. And should any apology be needed for departing thus far, or in this place, from the accustomed topics of the day, I shall find it, Christian Brethren of this church, in the respect you cherished for his character, in the share which you enjoyed of his ministrations, and in the interest he expressed for the prosperity of this society. He "naturally cared for your state ;" and on the day when he assisted in consecrating his son to your service he gave utterance to his desires for your welfare, and to the sentiments he cherished for the memory of your pastors. The names of Willard, Mc'Keen, and Abbott were the subjects of his

* Rev. Christopher T. Thayer, the second son of the subject of this notice, was ordained as Pastor of the First Church in Beverly, January 27, 1830. On this occasion his father preached the Sermon, and Dr. Bancroft delivered the Charge. These excellent services were published.

Rev. Joseph Willard, D. D. L L. D., President of Harvard University. He was ordained at Beverly November, 1772, and was removed to Cambridge December, 1781. He died in September, 1804.

just eulogium; and in charging his son to give himself wholly to his ministry, a charge well becoming his paternal lips, for it was enforced by his own bright example-he held up to view the virtues of his predecessors as worthy of his generous emulation. "The succes sor of such men," said he, "has not only an honourable, but a laborious scene of service and it is the desire of my soul that, like them, you may be a good and faithful minister; that in seasons of discouragement and perplexity the consolation which it is your privilege and honour to dispense, as a servant of the compassionate Redeemer, may be your portion." "It is especially my fervent prayer, that you and myself may so fulfil the ministry which we have received of the Lord Jesus, that we may be associated in the worship of the temple not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

For him this prayer is answered. He has finished his course, and has entered upon his reward. He has joined the great company of good and faithful men who have rested from their labours, and whose works do follow them. But their ministry, even their carthly ministry, has not ceased. It remains in the memory of their instructions, in the savour of their virtues, in the blessed efficacy of their prayers. May it please God to add the blessing that comes with the imitation of such examples. If, like our departed friend and father, ministers will love their profession and "give themselves" to its labours, they shall rejoice, as did he, in the prosperity of the people. They will at the least be contributing their faithful endeavours to check injurious divisions or unprofitable change; to unite the flock in the bond of peace, and, though they should not be permitted the same protracted term of service, they will have done much to extend through the church and in the world the influences of undefiled religion.*

Rev. Joseph Mc'Keen D. D., was ordained at Beverly, as successor to President Willard, May, 1785, and was chosen President of Bowdoin College in 1802. He died in 1867.

Rev. Abiel Abbot D. D., having first been pastor of the church in Haverhill, was installed in Beverly December, 1803; and died June, 1828.

* Among Dr. Thayer's publications are a Sermon before the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company, in 1798; at the General Election, in 1823; at the Installation of Rev. William Emerson, Boston, 1799; at the Ordination of Rev. Samuel Willard, Deerfield, 1807; at the Installation of Rev. Winthrop Bailey, Greenfield, 1825; and, as already mentioned, at the Ordination of his son at Beverly, 1830.

EXPOSITION OF JOHN VI. 51–56.

I AM the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Had Jesus simply said, "I am the bread of life," there would have been no difficulty in the discourse from which this passage is taken. The idea of spiritual food is natural and obvious. When truth is announced, suited to expand, elevate and purify the soul; when a precept is promulgated, which commands the assent of reason and conscience, and embodies a higher view of duty than was before entertained; when a living model of goodness is presented, kindling love and admiration, and at the same time inspiring desire, purpose and power of imitation; the effect upon the soul is analogous to that of food upon the body. We feel that our spiritual part has been refreshed, strengthened and made to grow. So universally is our language about spiritual things borrowed from outward things, that we are scarcely conscious of using a figure, when we say on such occasions that our souls have been fed and nourished.

Neither is there any difficulty in the fact that he says, “I am the bread of life," rather than, my word, truth, doctrine, is the bread of life; for Jesus is himself the living Gospel. His life and character are the most important of the Gospel means of grace.

These remarks explain the discourse, so far as the use of this figure is concerned, till we come to the 51st verse; where a difficulty arises from an amplification of the idea into the particulars of eating the flesh and drinking the blood of the Son of man. If the remainder of the passage were merely an amplification of the figure first used, it would seem to be an unnecessary violation of good taste. But a new idea is here introduced. An allusion commences to the death of Jesus. This is indicated by the words, "The bread that I will give him is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." He who becomes my true follower, our Lord may be understood to say, must not only,

as I have implied, take into his inmost soul, digest and be nourished by my word, character and life, but most especially must he thus use the circumstances of my sufferings and death. He must rise above the common worldly views of the shame and agony of the cross, and see in them true spiritual glory and triumph. He must understand, sympathise with, and partake of the spirit of love, self-sacrifice and obedience, which will be exemplified in the last scenes of my life. When he does so, a new and powerful element of spiritual life and growth enters into his soul.

It may be asked, could our Lord expect that the meaning which has now been given to his words would be conveyed by them into the minds of his hearers? If not, why did he not speak more directly? Why veil his meaning in obscure figures calculated to confound their understandings? I answer, that probably his general assertions that he was the bread of life were understood by a few only of his gross and sensual hearers, and that the figures under which he alluded to his death were understood by none. The idea of a crucified Messiah could not be forced upon the Jewish mind by the most plain and repeated assertions, much less by dark and remote hints. I suppose our Lord to have spoken on this occasion as the peculiar circum. stances of his position often compelled him to speak. He had truth to utter for which his hearers were wholly unprepared, and which could not by any mode of inculcation be instantaneously introduced into their minds. He therefore did the only thing the case admitted of. He wrapped up his meaning in a short, startling, perhaps paradoxical expression, which by reason of its very strangeness could be remembered without being understood, and the significance of which might long afterwards dawn upon the mind.

Moreover, the immediate effect of the use of such language on this occasion was, to separate the true disciples of Jesus from his selfish and worldly followers, whose zeal it was necessary to repress lest it should produce a popular tumult. This class, offended by the hard sayings from which all that they could gather was, that they were not to expect a continuance of such a supply of bodily food as they had already received, "went back and walked no more with him;" whilst others, equally unable to comprehend his meaning, had yet understood enough of his instructions, and had sufficient faith in him, to believe that the meaning they could not fathom was a good one, and still entertained the sentiment expressed by Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life."

C. P.