tory only, without any regard to its divine original; and then endeavour to form an impartial judgment what course you ought to take, and what the event of your present conduct will be. To bring the matter to a short and easy issue, turn to the thirty-seventh psalm, read it seriously over half a dozen times, and consider well its contents. Do not be rash, foolish, headstrong, and reject this, and the other Sacred Records, without either rhyme or reason; but be cool, deliberate, sober, well-advised, and determine to chuse the side of prudence, discretion, and safety. Let the several historical characters recorded in the Old and New Testament be taken into your most careful consideration, and judge calmly of their comparative respectability, and with whom you should like best to die. Whether had you rather wish to die and have your portion in eternity with CAIN, BALAAM, and PHARAOH; with KORAH, DATHAN, and ABIRAM with SAUL, * ABSALOM, and AHITOPHEL; with HEROD, JUDAS, PILATE, and all such like characters; or you would chuse to die and have your portion in eternity with ABEL, NOAH, and Lor; with ABRAHAM, ISAAC, JACOB, and JOSEPH; with MOSES; AARON, JOSHUA, and SAMUEL; with DAVID, ASA, JEHO SHAPHAT, HEZEKIAH, and JOSIAH; with ISAIAH, JEREMIAH, EZEKIEL, and DANIEL; with JOHN the Baptist, JESUS CHRIST, the twelve Apostles, the seventy Disciples; and all the other excellent men, whose names are recorded with approbation in the Jewish and Christian code? Can you hesitate one moment which side you would wish to take? Consi der the matter well, and make your election. But, if you do already see reason to believe in the Son of GOD; or if at any future period you should find cause so to do, take heed that you do imbibe the true, noble, liberal, benevolent; spirit of the Gospel, in all its purity and ex tent. Be not ashamed either of its doctrines or precepts. Its doctrines are oracles, its precepts are sanctioned with penalties of a nature the most tremendous that can be conceived. Hold fast the former then, regardless of the obloquy of selfrighteous Moralists, in all their purity and extent. They form one grand, well-compacted system, far more glorious than the whole universe of visible created things. The heamens declare the glory of GoD, the wonderful variety of crea tures upon earth his wisdom, power, and goodness; but the scheme of saving a lost world, by the interposition of his SON, outshines all the other works of the DIVINE BEING that have ever come within the ken of mortal creatures. GOD, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things; by whom also he made the worlds; who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the MAJESTY on high. This is perfectly in the spirit of ancient prophecy: Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD; THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE. Of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of DAVID, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment, and with justice, from henceforth even for ever. The beloved Disciple of our LORD displays the original grandeur of this MIGHTY ONE more fully than the Prophet: In the beginning was the Word, and the WORD was with GOD, and the WORD was GOD. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. And the WORD was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the FATHER, full of grace and truth. This amazing idea of the creating power of the REDEEMER is still more expanded by the great Apostle of the Gentiles: By him were all things created, that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.-He being in the form of Gon, thought it not robbery to be equal with GOD; and though he was God's FELLOW, he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore Gop also hath highly exalted him, and given him name, which is above every name; that at the name of JESUS a every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that JESUS CHRIST is LORD to the glory of GOD the FATHER. So that, though all we have sinned and * It may be safely asserted, I apprehend, that all truly serious and religiously minded people are nearly of one opinion concerning the great doctrines of the Gospel. They live in the comfort and die in the faith of them. The Calvinist and Arminian here at least are of one mind. When the Rev. JOHN WESLEY came to die, his lan "There is no way into the holiest, but by the blood of JESUS." "I'll praise my MAKER while I've breath," &c. [*] The late Mr. TOPLADY also appears to have been greatly supported with divine consolations during his last sickness. A few days before his death he said to a friend: O, my dear Sir, it is impossible to describe how good GOD is to me. This afternoon I have enjoyed such a season, such sweet communion with GOD, and such delightful manifestations of his presence with, and love to my soul, that it is impossible for words, or any language to express them. I have had peace and joy unutterable." To another friend he said: "The comforts and manifestations of God's love are so abundant, as to render my state and condition the most desirable in the world. I would not exchange my condition with any one upon earth." The same friend calling upon himn a day or two before his death, he said, with hands clasped, and his eyes lifted up and starting with tears of the most evident joy: "O, my dear Sir, I cannot tell you the comforts I feel in my soul. They are past expression. The consolations of GOD to such an unworthy wretch are so abundant, that he leaves me nothing to pray for, but a continuance of them. I enjoy a heaven already in my soul. My prayers are all converted into praise." At another time he said: "O how this soul of mine longs to be gone! Like a bird imprisoned in a cage, it longs to take its flight. O that I had wings like a dove, then would I flee away to the realms of bliss, and be at rest for ever! O that some guardian angel might be commissioned; for I long to be absent from this body, and to be with my LORD for ever." At another time, and indeed for many days together he cried out, "O what a day of sun-shine has this been to me! I have not words to express it. It is unutterable. O, my friends, how good is GOD! Almost without interruption his presence has been with me." Near his end, waking from a slumber, he said: "O what delights! Who can fathom the joys of the third heaven?" And again, a little before his departure: "The sky is clear; there is no cloud ; come, LORD JESUS, come quickly." [] Mr. WESLEY held the same doctrine for 50 years preceding his death.---EDITOR. come short of the glory of GOD, we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS; whom The learned reader will not be sorry to compare here the dying scenes of two or three of the German Christians with the above of WESLEY and TOPLADY. MUSCULUS'S Soliloquy before death appears to me in the highest spirit of the Gospel of CHRIST. "Nil superest vitæ; frigus præcordia captat : Linque domum hanc miseram, nunc in sua fata ruentem, Horribils mors est? Fateor: Sed proxima vita est, Præsto est de Satanâ. peccato, in morte triumphans Translated by Merricke. My life decays, death's damps have seiz'd my heart; This wretched tenement dissolving, leave, Is death terrific? Yes; but life is near: To this the gracious words of Christ invite. To his dear presence take thy joyful flight. THEODORE ZUINGER, a famous German physician, when he lay upon his death-bed, took his leave of the world in the following fine copy of verses, which is a liberal paraphrase of the 122d psalm. "σ iux candida, lux mihi Lætus limina templi. Jam visam Solymæ edita Augustam populo urbem: Petunt Christiadæ, ut DEUM GOD hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of GOD-to declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in JESUS: CHRIST being the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. These things being laid together, and duly considered, may we not exclaim with the same devout and admiring Apostle? Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: GOD was manifest in the flesh, justified in the SPIRIT, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Such are the doctrines of CHRIST, of which the Apostle declares he was not ashamed, and of which no Christian ought or need to be ashamed; because they are the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth in his name. And we may say of them what St. PAUL says upon another occasion, Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. Harsh as these words may seem, they were written in all the plenitude of apostolical authority, and apply to every case where the essential doctrines of the Sacred Writings are concerned. What those doctrines are may not be expedient for me here to say; the Scriptures are in every one's hands, and no man need continue in ignorance of what the LORD GOD requires of him. Jussam cælitus oppidis Cuncta in sæcla beati. Cedunt omnia recte. Semper pax tua mœnia Larga munera fundit. Dulcis Christiadûm domus, Spesque Fidesque, valete." How different is the spirit of these dying scenes from those of our moderu Philosophers, who usually depart this life like unto the Eperor ADRIAN, or in a manner much inferior: "Animula vagula, blandula, Hospes, comesque corporis, |