To Mr. Vigis's studious nature the office of Superintendent was not congenial; business was irksome to him, yet for conscience' sake he bore the cross, and was careful and diligent. One proof of the solid and endearing character of his ministry is found in his frequent stay in his Circuits for three years. An eminently successful period of his ministry was the twelve years of his itinerancy in Cornwall, where his name will be long remembered and venerated. Had he preserved his letters, they would have abounded in testimonies of good received through his labours. But his record is on high.

With reference to his character generally we must place foremost the self-denying interest he felt in his family. Often in the silence of the night has he been overheard praying to God for his children; and there were names among them that he never mentioned before God but with tears. He was a patient and enthusiastic student; in proof of which it may be stated that by his own efforts he gained a knowledge of the Greek language. He was no stranger to tender sympathy; at heart he felt deeply in another's suffering. Even those who were but little in his company could not fail to remark another feature of his character, all the more conspicuous because he seemed utterly unconscious of it, an artless humour which was irrepressible. This, however, he usually kept within proper bounds. While a lover of books, he had David's eye to delight in the beauties of God's universe, and often rose from the lilies to the contemplation of Him who clothed them. He was generally in his study every morning by six o'clock, pursuing his devotions and studies.

The latter portion of Mr. Vigis's course was greatly beclouded. At the Conference of 1866, he was appointed to the Blandford Circuit; but during the year his mental vigour abated, and his physical strength gave way. It pleased God, in His wisdom and goodness, to permit reason to totter on her throne,- to suffer a long and irrevocable eclipse: so far as this earthly state is concerned, at "eventime" it was not "light!" During the two years of this affliction the cloud opened

twice, when there was afforded a gleam of hope to his friends; but darkness again settled upon his spirit, only to be dissipated by his entrance into that kingdom where he now "shines as the sun," and "as the stars for ever and ever." He was admitted to his long-sought rest October 18th, 1869. Mr. Vigis was naturally of a desponding disposition. This was apparent through his whole life. Highly nervous and sensitive, he depreciated all his own performances. He would be quite distressed at the thought of having done no good by preaching, even when God was making him an eminent blessing, as he afterwards discovered. He strove to ge above this tendency by cheering all about him: when greatly depressed himself, be would try to lift others up. Many a mile has he travelled in his Circuits, singing, "Peace, doubting heart," etc.; but still a feeling of despondency was at his heart, as if part of his very being.

"The late Rev. E. Vigis," says the Rev. John Philp, was my first colleague in the colony of Demerara, West Indies, where I found him in the year 1831, sorrowing widower, having some months before buried his [first] wife in the chapelyard, within sight of the Mission-house. He was then very slender, and in delicate health, subject to the prevailing ague of the colony, and often suffering from great depression of spirits...... He was a laborious and useful missionary, and was greatly beloved by his brethren in the ministry and the people of his charge. He studied closely, prepared very carefully for his pulpit exercises, and preached with great acceptance and much power. Had his general tastes and habits been equal to his mental attainments and pulpit ability, he might have occupied a high stand in the Wesleyan Connexion. He was retiring, and often suffered from an exceedingly low appreciation of his abilities. I ever found him to be a Christian of blameless life; upright, honourable, and most conscientious; affectionate, kind, and faithful in his friendships. My early intercourse with him, as a youthful missionary, was a source of great pleasure and prost to me. and though severed from each other by

our itinerant life for many years, I held him in love and esteem to the last. My visit to him a few weeks before his death brought back to me very vividly the recollections of former days, but a dark and dismal cloud had, in the mysterious providence of his Heavenly Father, come over his intellect, depriving him of all joy. Yet his tears and self-reproaches

recalled to me that tenderness of conscience and deep humiliation of soul which characterized his early Christian history. In devotion I felt the sweetness and sacredness of the Divine presence, and I left the room of my early friend with the satisfying hope that we should meet in our Father's house above, where all the dark mystery of his latter days would be solved."

OCTOBER 18th, 1870.-At Brixton, in the twenty-seventh year of her age, Mrs. Mary Cory (Brown) Balch, granddaughter of the late Mr. J. Badcock, of Bideford. From early life she was a subject of gracious influences and impressions, and yielding to these gradually entered into a conscious possession of the peace and love of God. She soon commenced to work as a tract-distributor and Sabbath-school teacher, endearing herself to those for whom she laboured by her gentleness of manner, cheerfulness of spirit, and devotedness to their welfare. After her removal from Bideford to Brixton, she continued to engage in both these departments of labour; and her activities are greatly missed, and will be long remembered, by the Society at Mostyn-Road chapel, with which she was connected. In her last illness, which continued for about three weeks, she was only occasionally conscious, but during the intervals of consciousness she by word or sign declared her unshaken confidence in her Saviour. Of her we say with grateful confidence that she is

"Far from a world of grief and sin,
With God eternally shut in."

J. W. S.

November 17th.-Joseph Ward, who was born at Empingham, Rutland. Three months after his birth, his father was accidentally killed, and when he was eight years old he lost his mother. In less than two years afterwards an old aunt, who had kindly taken charge of the orphan, also died. And thus, when not eleven years of age, Joseph was cast friendless upon the world; and, with little sympathy or help from any one, commenced his struggle with life. Like most

of his class in those days, he received little or no education; and had it not been for his resolution to improve himself, the specially disadvantageous character of his early life must have prevented his rising above the level from which he started. But with indomitable spirit he fought his way through his difficulties. When about eighteen years of age, while in farm service at Great Dalby, he was converted, and joined the Wesleyan-Methodist Society. The clearness of his religious experience, and the talent for speaking which soon displayed itself, led to his speedy acceptance as a local preacher in the MeltonMowbray Circuit. Some time afterwards he removed to Nottingham, where he was induced to join what was called the "New Association," or "Derby Faithites," among whom he soon became a travelling preacher. After labouring with them in that capacity for about eight years, he returned to Melton-Mowbray, and rejoined the Wesleyan-Methodist Society; with which he ever after remained, sustaining with great credit and fidelity the offices of local preacher and class-leader for nearly fifty years. Gifted with a more than ordinary shrewdness, clear sighted, straightforward, uncompromising in his denunciations of sin and worldliness, and having at command a naturally forceful and racy style of address, Mr. Ward preached with great general acceptability; often offending sinners and half-hearted professors, but always profiting the godly. Never was he so much in his element as

when amongst weeping penitents and rejoicing believers. He took great delight in open-air services, for which his courage, ready speech, and powerful voice peculiarly fitted him. He was twice married. By his first wife he had a large family, and for many years their requirements

pressed him on to hard and constant toil; but he lived long enough to see most of his children well and happily settled in life, and three of his sons labouring with credit as Wesleyan local preachers in different parts of the country. A strict disciplinarian in his family, he nevertheless failed not to win the love and respect of his children. Upright in life, conscientious in business, he gained the confidence and esteem of the world. In September, 1867, he had his first serious illness, but in a few weeks recovered sufficiently to take an appointment at Long-Clawson, The excitement and exertion of this service proved too much for him; his health entirely broke down, and for three years he was confiued more or less to his house, enduring "a great fight of affliction," until God happily called him home. At the commencement of his long and painful affliction he was severely harassed by a peculiar temptation. It caused him at times unspeakable distress, though it could not shake his trust in God, nor damp the flame of his devotion. In the paroxysms of the enemy's assault, he was often compelled to send for his minister, or his son, that by their prayers in his behalf, and the answering grace of God, he might be saved from the power of his adversary. In a short time the temptation passed away: his ordinary experience was one of calm trust in God, and enjoyment of His love. Satan was suffered no more to perplex him, until within a few days of his death, when the foe put forth his last effort in the old form. But grace again triumphed; and when death came, as it did suddenly, it found him tranquil and prepared. He died in the seventieth year of his age. J. B.

January 8th, 1871.- Mary Jane, daughter of the Rev. James Aldis. She was born at Canterbury, December 24th, 1839. At the age of fifteen she made glad her father's heart by accepting the terms of Divine mercy offered to her through his own ministry. Her soul, strengthened to grow in grace by those inestimable opportunities of spiritual communion which distinguish Methodism, was carly led by the Good Shepherd into green pastures" beside "still waters." Her naturally warm and enthusiastic temperament was made the spring of an

earnest and active fulfilment of religious duties. The strong home attachments which she felt were during some years subordinated to a conviction of duty which took her into other family circles, in which her Christian life became a quickening influence. In the midst of any little flock of fellow-followers of the Lamb, she was ready for every good work. When compelled by failing health to return to her father's house, it was with reluctance that she left what had seemed to her a sphere of usefulness; and when, after hoping awhile to be permitted to return to active labour in the service of her Saviour, it became evident that such was not His will, she said, "Now I have only to suffer and be refined, that I may be made meet to go home." Many weary months of pain and increasing weakness exercised and developed her faith and patience. She would sometimes express her feeling by the following words :

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