"So calm, so composed, so peaceful, was his frame of mind during the whole of his illness, that those around him could not help saying, Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is

peace.' Such, indeed, was the end of this

man of God, it seemed, as some of them said, to invite them to come and die with him, and to pray that their last end might be peaceful and serene like his.

"Having, like the plous patriarchs of old, blessed his children, (and no doubt they will always esteem his dying petitions for them invaluable blessings), he fell into a kind of

stupor, which continued all the following night; and on Tuesday morning, October 25th, about nine o'clock, he peaceably departed to the presence of that glorious Redeemer, whose kingdom he had for half a century successfully laboured to advance."

It is unnecessary to add, that the death of this great man has produced a sensation throughout the churches, corresponding, in some happy degree, to the immense public loss it has occasioned. The feeling of bereavement, though most pungent in his own denomination, has not been confined to any one body of Christians. A general homage has been paid to weight of character, founded, as it has been, upon extended and diversified usefulness; and differences of opinion, firmly maintained on the part of the deceased, have been lost sight of, in the eagerness of all good men, to stamp with appropriate honors the memory of departed worth. His Family, his Church, the Friends of Religion at Brighton, (where he died) the Directors of the London Missionary Society, the Churches belonging to the Hampshire Association, and, we may add, all who could render their attentions in any way available, havə vied with each other in expressions of respect, alike ten

der and profound. A detailed account of the funeral, and its attendant solemnities will be found in the Missionary Chronicle of last month, to which we particularly beg the attention of our readers, as our limits will not permit a reprint of it.

We have heard, with satisfaction, that the Rev. Dr. Bennett, of Rotherham, has been requested by the family, to write a Memoir of the deceased. His intimate acquaintance with Dr. Bogue's mind and pursuits, peculiarly fits him for undertaking such a task, and we doubt not but his affection for his Tutor and Friend will induce him not to shrink from the meritorious service. The Christian Church will not consent to be without the Memoir of such a cham

pion, and Dr. Bennett will not consent that any other one should supply it but himself. We wish him great and happy success.

May we, in closing this brief notice, be permitted to express our sympathy for three distinct parties, the deceased's Family and Church, and the London Missionary Society? To his Family, may we not say, "ye are the seed of the godly, the children of many prayers, and the Lord God of your fathers will look upon you in this hour of bitterness, and will comfort you?" To his Church we would say, " look to the Chief Shepherd, and if he sends you not such another pastor, yet may he give you one according to his own heart. Wait on him, and the darkness of night shall ere long be as the brightness of the morning." But what shall we say to the Directors and Friends of the London Missionary Society? Where can they look for another Bogue, as the Tutor of their important Seminary? Shall they then sit down in despair? No: This be far from those who have seen so often the hand of the Lord. Let them be deliberate, and prudent; let them be full of faith and the Holy Ghost; let them be deeply grateful for the past,

and much in prayer for the future and the Lord of the harvest" will shew them " more kindness in the latter end, than at the beginning."

REFLECTIONS SUITED TO THE
OPENING YEAR.

How long have I to live ?-2 Sam. xix. 34.
To the Editor.

SIR,

IN order to excite new interest among the people of my charge, I mentioned to them, some time, since, that if there were any particular passages of scripture, or subjects, on which any of them were desirous that I should preach, I should be glad to be informed of it; but as I intended to exercise my own discretion as to the propriety of preaching from every text that might be suggested, I did not wish to know by whom they might be communicated.

After

having preached on many subjects thus given, I one day found in my pulpit a very small slip of paper, with this single passage, "How long have I to live?” I knew it was intended for a subject to be discussed; my mind was impressed with the import of the inquiry; I resolved to preach from it, and took it for the basis of a new-year's discourse. The following are some of the thoughts delivered on that occasion; and if you, Sir, think them calculated to be useful, and worthy of a place in your very useful and widely-circulated Miscellany, I shall feel gratified by their insertion. The passage occurs in 2 Sam. xix. 34. How long have I to live?

What a

solemn interrogation is this! and how impossible is it for any created being to answer the inquiry. No man on earth, no angel in heaven, can tell how long I have to live, or how long you have to live. But were I endued with a spirit of prophecy, and could I tell how long a fellow mortal has to live, with what unspeakable anxiety would the question be proposed by such as are now living in a state of perfect indifference and insensibility. That young man who has spent another year in the service of Satan, and who knows, in his own conscience, that if called suddenly away, he must sink to eternal death, with what ardent solicitude would he inquire, "How long have I to live ?" That

parent, who looks with trembling anxiety upon a numerous offspring, and who is endeavouring to amass an abundance of earthly treasure for them in this world, forgetful of the next, with what emotion would he propose the same inquiry, "How long have I to live ?"" And even the old man, who has nearly" filled his days," who is covered with gray hairs, and has one foot in the gravé,-even he too, though he is conscious it cannot be long, would come forward with the same inquiry, "How long have I to live?" This is a suitable question with which to commence a new period of our mortal existence. It affords a suitable subject of meditation, whenever death enters our families, our sanctuaries, or the neighbourhood where we reside; and it is a subject of universal interest,--it comes home to every character and to every heart. Good old Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old, when he expressed the sentiment of the text, and he seems to have had no other desire than to return and die amongst his friends in his own city, and to be buried by the grave of his father and his mother. All this, some may say, is but natural, very natural, in a man who had so far exceeded the usual boundary of human life; but, calculating according to his age, we may yet live more than half a century in the world. This is indeed possible-the man of thirty may say so; but let it be remembered, nothing can be more unreasonable than not to distinguish between possibility and probability. Can you, in your own conscience, believe this is likely to be the case? Let us consult our own observation: how seldom are we called to follow to the grave, or to inter the mortal remains, of one who had reached the age of threescore years and ten! How has it been in the majority of cases which have been witnessed by us within the past year? Have not the ravages of death been more numerous and more alarming among the young than among those of any other class whatever? If, then, the youth inquires, "How long have I to live?" let him judge impartially, let him think on what he himself has witnessed, let him look over the graves in our burying-places, and read the tombstones there; after which, his own conscience may perhaps answer the inquiry, so as to shake his presumptive confi

dence. In this also, as in other cases, it is wise to consult the oracles of eternal truth. And is there any thing in the sacred volume which will encourage us to think that we have long to live? No; on the contrary, our days are said "to be swifter than a post, they are passed away as the swift ships; as the eagle that hasteth to the prey.' And again, what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away. "Yea, all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field." What a striking figure is this to describe the brevity of human life! It is compared, not to the trees of a forest, not to the sturdy oak, but, even the beauty and glory of it, to the flower of the field, which can endure but a few months, and may be destroyed in a few minutes. Such are the descriptions given us of the mortality of man; such the uncertain tenure on which we hold every earthly good, and such the danger of sinking to endless ruin, to which every impenitent sinner is every moment exposed. And yet, within the space of a few hours after hearing such admonitions as these, enforced as they are by the providence and the word of God, how commonly do we see men living, as if the present life would never have an end, or the next would never have a beginning.

Another idea connected with the brevity of human life, and suggested by this solemn inquiry, is, the wisdom of God in concealing from us the time of our death. That there is an "appointed time to man upon earth," and that the faithful servant of our Lord and Redeemer is immortal, till his work is done, are truths which cannot be reasonably controverted. But the precise moment when we shall pass into the invisible world, is known only to Him who has the keys of death and of hell, who openeth, and no man shutteth-and shutteth, and no man openeth. Some may be ready to say, did we but know how long we were to live, it would certainly excite in us more earnest desires to be prepared for another world, and would doubtless prove a blessing to us. But to this we may reply, nothing can be more arrogant and presumptuous, than to oppose our judgment to the wisdom of Jehovah, whose understanding is infinite. So the rich man in hell is described as expressing the greatest confidence, that if one arose from the

dead, and went to his brethren, they surely would repent; but he is answered, "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." And were a voice from heaven to sanction these admonitions, by calling to an impenitent sinner, and pronouncing the solemn sentence, "This year thou shalt die," it is more than probable, whatever temporary alarm might be produced, the impression would soon be obliterated from his mind; and without renewing and sanctifying grace, we are sure there would be no saving change.

This uncertainty as to the time of our death, is calculated and intended also to promote watchfulness. Our Lord himself has made this improvement of the same idea, as we see Matt. xxiv. 42. "Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Thus we are called to stand prepared every day, for that which may take place on any day. The pressing invitations of the gospel are enforced too, from the same consideration: "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." "Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.' "Now is the accepted time, this is the day of salvation; to-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Think, then, of what may be, what must be, the consequence of a little more procrastination.

99

"O fly! no tarrying make; death and despair

Hang on your lingering steps whilst you delay.

The heavens thick blackness gather, and the night

Comes surely on, that never turns to day."

Let

This solemn subject must be applied to different classes of character. the old man, who is the subject of numerous infirmities, and who is bending beneath the weight of years, ask himself, whether he can look upon death, and talk of death, with as much composure as did good old Barzillai? A good hope through grace, an interest in the merits of the Redeemer, and the earnest of the Spirit in the heart,—these will enable you also to say, "Let me return and die;" "I would not live always;" "For me to live is Christ,

but to die is gain." Let the Christian who is groaning under persecution, temptation, or affliction, remember, that if the duration of life be short, then is the duration of all his trials equally short. When he inquires, "How long have I to live?" we reply, 'tis but a little longer," and the days of thy mourning shall be ended."" A few more storms, and an everlasting calm; a few more conflicts, and then eternal victory. Let the presumptuous sinner recollect, that if the duration of life be short, then are all his hopes and all his enjoyments equally short. Does he inquire," How long have I to live ?" we reply, 'tis but a little longer; to squander away a few more sabbaths, or turn a deaf ear to a few more gospel sermons, and to fill up the measure of iniquity, and then he is gone-for ever gone, beyond the reach of mercy, and beyond the possibility of hope.

Let us all remember, that the value of time is exceedingly enhanced by its brevity and uncertainty. Are our days but as an handbreadth? What manner of persons then ought we to be, in all holy conversation and godliness? And let all those sympathies which are excited by the grand principles of Christianity, induce us to pray for others, that they may know the things which make for their peace, before they are hidden from their eyes; and for ourselves, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

G. B.

REMARKS ON THE LANGUAGE, HISTORY, RELIGIONS, AND GOVERNMENT OF CHINA.

LETTER VII.

Of Chinese Worship.

THE OBJECTS which the Chinese worship are, the visible heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, ursa major, &c.; spirits of mountains, hills, rivers, thunder, lightning, wind, rain, fire, &c.; the shades or manes, or departed spirits of parents, of virgins, of heroes, teachers, founders of benevolent establishments, inventors of useful arts, &e.; rude pieces of stone or rock, a tablet with a name of some worthy written on it. Those objects of worship between the first and the last

named in the preceding sentence, are generally represented by images on Idols, which are made of wood, of stone, of clay, or of metal, and generally gilded. The idol, before being dedicated, is a mere piece of goods in the idol-maker's shop; but after the rite of dedication, which consists chiefly in touching the idol's eye with blood, the image is considered sacred. Not only are the temples richly supplied with idols, but every street, and shop, and house, and boat is furnished with an idol. In shops, a niche in the wall is often the seat or shrine of the image, before which are placed candles and incense, and libations of wine, or cups of tea: at other times, in a conspicuous place, a box-like shrine, with an image of the god of wealth, meets the eye on entering a shop, or even in passing along the streets.

The PLACES in which the people wor ship are the open air, whither they bring out a table to serve the purpose of an altar, on which they place candles (which are painted, and made on purpose, and called, from their use, divine candles) and incense, and sometimes offerings and sacrifices. Before these altars they kneel down and worship. Heaven and earth are commonly worshipped in this way. They worship also at graves, which are generally on the side of a hill; they worship in halls or domestic chapels, dedicated to the spirits of their ancestors, whose names are written on tablets; they worship in chapels dedicated to worthies of local interest, a sort of Westminster Abbey, where eminent men, who have deserved well of their country, and of whom the township is proud, have tablets dedicated to them. This is a high honorary dignity, for which the imperial sanction is necessary, and to attain which, by unfair means, is a high crime. In Canton, a few years ago, a poor shopman, who made locks, rose to be an affluent merchant, and his ambitious sons (some of whom were in the army, and by money had obtained a place in the imperial guards) endeavoured to have their deceased father's tablet entered among the village worthies; but the educated gentry raised such a violent opposition, that his Majesty withdrew his consent, and threatened death to the military son, for having imposed on his sovereign. The trembling culprit, who shed tears on his knees in the

prospect of death, having submitted to an immense expense, to soften down the local governor and magistrates, escaped with his life, and the ignominy of having his father driven from the society of the deified worthies.

The Chinese worship idols in private rooms, where the idol god or goddess is encased in glass to keep it clean. They worship in temples, not as a congregation, but every individual or family apart, and they worship at the doors of their shops or houses, and in the corners of the streets; also in boats and ships, when they pass some temple, or a dangerous part of the naviga

tion.

The TIMES of worship are usually morning and evening, the new and the full moon, at the summer and winter solstices, and at the new year; beginning at the moment of the moon's change, even if that should occur in the middle of the night. These are the stated times, but they have a sort of worship at marriages and funerals, and whenever individuals please. They observe no seventh day, no Sabbath, or Sunday.

The MANNER, as will appear from the places, is either public or private. The worship consists of fasting, of mental prayer, but mostly of the burning of incense, in the form of fragrant matches, from nine to twelve inches long. They sacrifice cows and sheep, and swine, and fowls, and fish; and they present as offerings fruits and shew-bread, and libations of spirituous liquors.

They worship standing, and making three motions with the hands joined and uplifted before the breast. They kneel, and bow down the head till the brow strikes the ground softly, or forcibly till the blood flows, according to the zeal of the worshipper, and they knock the forehead on the earth either three, or six, or nine times, according to the dignity of the object of worship; or keep the brow touching the ground whilst they mutter prayers, longer or shorter, according to the intenseness of feeling or devotion.

The PERSONS who worship are the chief magistrates, his imperial Majesty, or his uncles, or brothers, or sons, for him, by a sort of proxy; governors and judges and district officers, who are called "Father and Mother," or parental officers; next the heads of fami

lies-generally by themselves, unaccompanied by their wives or children; sometimes in public temples the men take their sons, and the women their daughters, with them to worship the idols; but children are not generally taught to pray or worship. They have no family social worship; but somebody, a servant boy, or a son, or any body, old or young, the most useless person in the family, ignites the morning and evening incense-matches, and makes his three bows standing.

When grand processions are given tọ the idols, the gentry of the whole neighbourhood assemble to do honour to the gods, and then take a sort of social part in reciting alternately prayers and praises.

In China the Roman Catholics make the image of St. Francis go in solemn procession through the streets of Macao to visit the image of St. Anthony, accompanied by drums and fifes, and soldiers and priests; and in the same streets the pagan Chinese carry in proud procession the goddess Kwanyin, and a long train of attendant, deified warriors and champions, and sylvan nymphs and virgins, with banners and streamers, and flutes and trumpets, and drums and gongs, and gunpowdercrackers and rockets, &c.

A large portion of Chinese religious worship consists in prayers and in masses for the dead, whether recently or long since departed; whether nearly related or only fellow-countrymen, who may have died without any posterity to sacrifice at their tombs or pray for them.

Throughout the whole of the Chinese worship there does not appear to be the least allusion to substitution, atonement, or mediation. The saviours, or benevolent gods, have a certain power, and exercise it; but they do not atone for the offender, nor mediate and plead with a superior or su preme god, The ministers of government, in the empire of the universe, do indeed consult (as has been shown in former letters,) and propose certain measures to the sanction of the highest authority, after the fashion of the Chinese monarchy; but such interference has little resemblance to the doctrine of mediation as entertained in the west. The whole onus rests on man himself; he is self-righteous, self-saved, selfdeified.

R. MORRISON,