"THE memory of the just is blessed:" a truth strikingly exem plified in the subject of the following Memoir. Mr. JOSEPH PARRY, of Shrewsbury, was born in the year 1737, in the neighbourhood of Wem, Shropshire, of obscure, but respectable parents; and, from his his youth, seems to have been influenced by that "fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom;" whereby he was led to avoid the path of the wicked, to turn from it, and pass away. When quite a boy, he was, for some time, in the service of the late Rev. Job Orton, of Shrewsbury, which he often afterwards mentioned, in connexion with Dr. Doddridge's last visit to that gentleman, not long before his going to Lisbon.

Having quitted this situation, the youth was bound apprentice to a hatter in Wem, whose large family had but a very scanty supply for the cravings of nature, insomuch that, as our friend would of ten facetiously remark, the house was regularly cleared of its provisions at every meal. He, how ever, considered that even this had not been without advantage to him,

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as it led to the formation of the most temperate habits, and the avoidance of loss of time by sitting long at table. After his apprenticeship was completed, he visited the metropolis, with a view to further improvement in his trade; and, while there, he usually attended the truly evangelical ministra tions of the late Rev. W. Romaine, of whose sermons he was accustomed to speak with peculiar pleasure. Mr. Parry had learned not to make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof; and hence the surrounding allurements of his situa tion had no effect on his mind, excepting to make him the more circumspect. Returning into Shropshire, he laboured for some time in Shrewsbury as a journeyman; but at length, having obtained some small loans of money, he commenced business there on his own ac count, about the year 1765. In this new engagement he resolved, depending on the divine blessing, to make his way by the use of hard la bour and strict economy; wherein he was so remarkably successful, that at length he was enabled, not only to be generous to a large extent in

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his life, but also to leave behind him a considerable property: so ue are the wise man's words, "There is that seattereth, and yet increaseth." No sooner had our friend become possessed of clear profits to the amount of a guinea, than, as he afterwards mentioned, he craved the help of God that he might not fail to make a right use of it; and the same spirit seemed to pervade his future days.

It is believed that he never enjoyed the advantage of a day's schooling; yet he so well employed his naturally good understanding, as to be able to read aloud with considerable propriety, and to manage his concerns without the aid of any other accountant. This good man was for more than 57 years in full communion with the congregational church at SwanHill, Shrewsbury, of which also he filled the office of deacon for the greater part of that time. His wife, a very excellent woman, truly helpmeet for him, was called to her rest upwards of 33 years before him. His health was usually good, till about two years prior to his decease, when a complication of diseases seemed to threaten his immediate dissolution. Special prayer, however, was made by the church to God for him; and it was particularly observed, that, at the precise moment while the united supplication was pouring forth, the Father of Mercies interposed, and Mr. Parry immediately began to recover. But no sooner was he aware of this, than he appeared disappointed, and expressed his alarm at being again exposed to the shares of a sinful world.

His constitution had now sus tained irreparable injury, though he was able to return, in a great measure, to his former activity, in which he never relaxed till within a few weeks of his lamented death. At length, loss of appetite, accompanied with considerable pain and debility, compelled him to regard imself as an invalid. He would

not, however, discontinue his at tendance at the Lord's house while he was at all able to reach it; nor was he, to the last, absent from it more than one whole Sabbath. Tho', from great weakness and shortness of breath, he could say but little, he repeatedly expressed his full acquiescence in the methods of divine Providence; and looked forwerd to his approaching change with the holy composure of a Christian entered on the precincts of rest and glory. He fell asleep in Christ on the 26th of April, 1816, aged 79.

The deportment of this departed saint was admired, and his removal deplored by persons of all descriptions. Most respectful mention of him was made in sundry sermons preached in Shrewsbury, and the neighbourhood, for the express purpose of improving his death.

The writer cannot but concur in the opinion of those who knew the deceased, that, viewing him in every part of his amiable character, they never saw a man of whom it could be so confidently said, he was "an Israelite indeed, in whom there was no guile." Though he had learned to call no man Master, his religious tenets were those usually denominated Calvinistic; and, however fashionable it may be to appugn them as unfavourable to morality, they proved happily instrumental in rendering him the great man he was,

Deeply conscious of his own de generacy as a sinner, he could never endure to hear any thing which savoured of self-dependence or self-glorying; but, exalted views. of the Saviour's person and work, together with the almighty power and freeness of grace, spread thro his soul a holy confidence, gratitude, and cheerfulness; and he uniformly preferred those sermons which exhibited the doctrines of grace in their practical tendency, accompanied with close appeals to the conscience. Warm attachment to the writings of the late pious