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sketch is true, will sit lower than he, in the kingdom of glory to come. Harmless and inoffensive he might have been, so to speak, as a natural character ; but, as a branch grafted into the living vine, he drank in from that root, the quickening Spirit of grace, which stamped his childlike, humble simplicity, with the marks of a heavenly origin. He filled the office of beadle in Episcopal Chapel. He had before occupied some situation of the kind in another part of the metropolis ; till the death of the minister occasioned his removal, and there he left the same testimony to his character for simplicity and faithfulness.

In his last office, he was kindly appreciated by all who knew him. Physically, he seemed very little fitted for its active duties. A tall awkward figure, with a heavy slouching gait, and an apparent slowness of mental apprehension, promised little to the casual observer. But if the casket were dull and leaden, the jewel within was bright. His simple, cheerful, Christian fidelity, supplied the lack of physical activity. He was always, early and late, at his post; punctual and persevering, cheerful and diligent.

Personally, he had many trials : but he had learned to walk by faith, and not by sight. The district visitor who was privileged to hold frequent simple communion with him in his room, found him always the same. Under the most gloomy and vexatious aspect of cir. cumstances, the smile into which his lips were habitually settled, never disappeared. All was well. All was right. He was little disposed to

complain of the thorns which hedged up his onward walk with God, · He loved the sovereignty of God in providence as well as in grace.

" Looking unto Jesus,” and at peace with a reconciled Father through Him, he never wished anything otherwise than his heavenly Father saw fit it should be. He inherited the fulness of that promise, " the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts through Jesus Christ.” He lived upon God's promises, and his covenant God was his all-sufficient portion.

What amount of earthly riches can convey peace to the soul, such as this ? What coronet, what crowu, contains it? Not a whole world of wealth, of honour, of pleasure, can give one moment of such peace, as does the present possession of a portion in God through Christ Jesus. You who have known deliverance from the pit in which you were held prisoners, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, will bear witness that the application of that precious blood to your consciences by the gracious Spirit of God, has brought peace to you which the world could never give, and, blessed be God, can never take away. And would you have the crooks and crosses of this temporal life straitened and arranged after your own plan ? Learn from the example of one, who enjoyed settled peace amidst them all, waiting like a little child," on the best arrangements of his heavenly Father's will.

And one word on the usefulness of this humble servant of his lowly Lord. I have said, that as a natural character, he might have been harmless and inoffensive; as a spiritual character, he was more. The fruits of the Spirit are positive, not negative, in their nature. His Saviour went about doing good, and in his humble way, he went and did likewise. He was the salt of his little sphere, -or if the beautiful scriptural imagery applied by a living minister may be borrowed, he was, “ a branch of the fruitful vine of Joseph, running over the wall, so that all might gather its rich and precious clusters." The word of heavenly wisdom was always ready on his tongue. In bis own peculiar, quiet, simple way, he dropped his spiritual remarks on every occasion ; encouraged one, or strengthened another ; while he secured the esteem of all.

Such was the humble but gracious tenor of Joseph S- 's course as a pilgrim and stranger through an evil world, to a city of habitation. His gentle death was all in character with his gentle peaceful life.

He was at his post in the evening worship of Thursday as usual. On the Friday, he went into the Chapel, and arranged what he had to do. As he passed through the passage to the door which opened from the school-house into the chapel, he stopped at the door of the class-room where the writer was engaged with some of the elder children, and gave his usual kindly and respectful salutation. The next moment his tall lank figure was seen shuffling on, a sort of gait he seemed to adopt as an apology for alacrity of movement, in its usual pace towards the further aisle. While engaged there, he made some observations to one of the pew-openers, on a sermon which had been preached by their minister a Sunday or two previous. He said it had led him to think solemnly on the signs of the times.

He went to rest that evening as well as usual. In the morning, not being down at his accustomed hour, the boy of the little shop below the room where S- lodged, ran up to call him. He was lying in the composed attitude of slumber, but the immortal spirit, during the silent hours of the night, had gently forsaken its earthly tenement.

It seemned more like transition than death. The writer in the evening visited the humble chamber, and taking the light from the boy, bent over the lowly pallet, to mark the mysterious change. Every feature was settled in the calm repose of a peaceful slumber. It was evident that the eyelid had never been lifted from its weight of sleep. The lips were settled into the same characteristic smile which always served as an exact index to the placid contentment of the good man's mind. The very hands gently folded over the sheet, wore an expression of undisturbed peace.

Yet death reigned there. But it was stingless death. The solemn stillness of the frame which life had so lately animated, shed its awe around, but the beholder felt that the glorified inhabitant of that now deserted tenement, was "o comein full realization, as he had long “ come by precious faith, “ to the Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaketh better things than that of Abel.”

Blessed exchange. The eternal world is no unknown state to the believer in Jesus. He has long had his citizenship in heaven. And what has been taught him of eternal things by the gracious Spirit, while he inhabited the burdensome house of this tabernacle, when he quits it, no longer glimmers upon his apprehension as through a glass darkly, but dawns upon him in the brightness of eternal day, face to face, in communion with his God.

And how does the blessed prospect of the resurrection of the body, also yield its refreshing joy, in the contemplation of such a scene as I have described. Dissolution and decay soon wrought their defacing work with the body of Joseph S . It became necessary to commit it to the ground before four days were well over. But the reflections with which this brief sketch was commenced, may well be gathered up to conclude it. Christ, as the everlasting life of His people, has their sleeping dust in His own keeping, and seals the grave of every saint with this promise—“I will raise him up at the last day.”

The Church of the living God fearlessly trusts the fulfilment of this promise in the hands of the mighty Head of its salvation, knowing that His resurrection is the glorious pledge and first-fruits of its own. The body sown now in corruption is raised then in incorruption ; sown now in dishonour, is raised then in glory; sown now in weakness, is raised then in power : sown now a natural body, is raised then a spiritual body.

It was a heartfelt prayer which was breathed into the dim grey evening sky, over the grave of Joseph Sc ; " that it may please Thee of Thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Thine elect, and to hasten Thy kingdom ; that we, with all those that are departed in the true faith of thy holy name, may have perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul, in Thy eternal and everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

But, thanks be to God, which,” by faith now, “ giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“ Therefore, my beloved brethren," in days of Church peril and Church trial, “ be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Dec. 20.

LOUISIANA SLAVERY v. THE BIBLE.

FROM THE NEW ORLEANS PICUYANE, AUG. 12.

It is with unfeigned concern we give insertion to the following communication from an American Newspaper, manifesting as it does such heartless and sinful ignorance. Oh, when will those who profess to believe the Bible, and to revere its author, admit in all their force these fundamental truths, that “ God has made of one blood all nations of the earth," and by one blood they are redeemed.

“ Chauncey B. Black. The charge made on Monday last against this individual by William H. Avery, was yesterday investigated before Recorder Baldwin. The accused, it will be recollected, was charged with tampering with the slaves of the complainant; a course of conduct which was calculated to lead to insubordination among them.

“ Mr. Avery was sworn, and related the circumstances which led him to make the affidavit on which the prisoner was arrested. About four o'clock on the afternoon of Sunday last, he was attracted by the conduct of the prisoner, who stopped and chatted familiarly with six or eight slaves in the neighbourhood of his dwelling; and among others with some of his own servants. This excited his suspicion, and it was still further increased by a remark he heard from one of his own slaves, who said, "What can that man mean (alluding to the accused) by asking if I can read or write, or if I would take a Bible ?' He followed after the accused, told him his conduct excited his suspicion, and asked why it was that he had been, as he saw him, tampering with his slaves and those of other citizens ? The accused, first asking who he was and what was his number, replied, that he was appointed by Mr. Lowndes, who was agent for a Bible Society, already organized, or about to be organized in this city, for the distribution of the Bible. He was then engaged, he said, in taking down a list of the names of persons who stood in need of the book, and would accept it from the Society. He entered indiscriminately on his list the names of white and black, slaves and free persons.

“Mr. Maybin, 'Mr. Lowndes, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Gooderich, the Rev. Mr. Wheaton, and several other prominent members of the Society in question, were called. From their testimony it appeared that they and many other respectable citizens of different Protestant denominations, met in February last, and formed a Society for the distribution of the Bible among the more destitute members of this community. They raised a fund of about a thousand dollars, and sent an order to New York for a lot of Bibles equal in value to that amount, di. recting that some of them be printed in English, some in French, in Spanish, and some in the German language. They received them in June, and appointed agents from among their members to have them placed in proper hands; but it never for a moment entered into the minds of the Society to present a single Bible to a slave. The agents so appointed portioned out the city into several districts, and their duty was to ascertain who, within the limits of their respective districts, stood in need of the Bible, and would accept one, and to see that all such persons were supplied with the divine book. Each agent was at liberty to appoint an assistant, though not connected with the Society. That part of second municipality bounded by the river and St. Charles-street, Delord and Poydras-streets, was made the district of Mr. Lowndes ; he appointed the accused, Mr. Black, as his sub-agent, and he was discharging his duty as such, when seen and interrogated by Mr. Avery.

“Mr. Lowndes impressed it strongly on the mind of the court, that before any Bibles were distributed to the parties whose names might be taken by the accused, the list was to be first submitted to him, and as it was opposed to his own feeling, and contrary to the intention of the Society, he would certainly furnish no slaves with a Bible.

“ The strongest and most satisfactory proof was given that the accused bore an excellent character, and that, in speaking to the slaves

at all, he acted from a misconception of Mr. Lowndes' instructions, and an ignorance of his duty as a sub-agent of the Bible Society.

“ After the testimony was heard, the counsel for the accused, Mr. Micon said, he trusted the Recorder, having heard the evidence, would see the propriety of at once discharging his client, and would not send him before the criminal court. It was evident he was actuated by no evil intention, and that the most of which he was guilty was indiscretion, for which he had already suffered enough by his arrest, and by being brought before the public as he had been in the newspapers. He believed that the true policy of every one friendly to southern institutions to pursue, was to get up no unnecessary excitement, nor create any unnecessary alarm, but to punish at the same time promptly and severely in every instance where there was any evidence of guilt. He then argued that the fact of asking a slave, “ Can you read or write? Will you take a Bible ? of which his client was unwittingly guilty, does not come within the purview of the statute, which makes it punishable to do any act which would lead to insubordination among the slaves.

“ The Recorder addressed the prisoner, and told him that he highly approved the laudable work of distributing the Bible, in which he was engaged; but while executing the duty, he must be cautious that he did not infringe on other rights which are as dear to this community as religion itself. Believing that in speaking to the slaves, he was actuated by no evil intention, he would discharge him, bidding him God speed in his religious career, and cautioning him against ever bringing himself in contact with our institutions."

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A Charge to the Clergy of Ohio, delivered before the seventeenth · Annual Convocation of the Diocese at Chillicothe, September 5,

1834. By Charles P. MʻIlvaine, D. D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the state of Ohio.

BRETHREN IN THE MINISTRY OF CHRIST,- It has pleased God to allow us the pleasure of assembling ourselves together, and consulting with one another for the promotion of the blessed gospel committed to our trust. I would embrace the opportunity thus presented, of addressing you, in obedience to an enactment of our church, which requires her Bishops occasionally, and not unfrequently, to deliver a charge to the clergy of their respective dioceses. My object will be, the promotion of an increase of faithfulness and of fruit in the discharge of your work as ambassadors for Christ; humbly beseeching Him, without whom we can do nothing in wisdom, nothing in holiness, nothing to edification, to give me grace, that in all things I may speak “ as the oracles of God” in “ the mind of Christ.”

* This excellent Charge has already been most extensively circulated amongst the clergy in this kingdom, but it is of so much importance that we have given it a place in our pages for the general edification of our readers, who may not otherwise have had their attention directed to it.

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