several books, well adapted to these ends; among which may be named Watson's Serious Address to Young Persons, and Mr. Colman's very valuable Cateehisms for Children and Young Persons.

It was evident to all, who saw him during the last few months of his life, that his interest in his people was becoming stronger every day. He spared no pains to excite and cherish in them the Christian temper, and lead them to make religion a personal concern. And his exertions, we believe, were duly appreciated, and attended with rather uncommon success.

But he was taken from the midst of his labours and hopes, by a sudden and mysterious Providence. On Sabbath day, September 21st, not quite six months from the time of his ordination, he preached for the last time. On the following day, he was seized somewhat violently with a typhus fever, which soon prostrated his strength, and deprived him of the use of his reason. At times, however, he had lucid intervals, and was perfectly sensible of his situation. He seemed from the commencement of his disease, to have a strong pre-sentiment that he should never recover. To a friend, who visited him on the third day of his illness, and before he thought to be in danger, he communicated his views on this point. He was then able to speak with ease, and spent the whole evening in conversing on religious topics, and the concerns of his people. On the following morning, the symp

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toms of his disease were more alarming, and on Sunday threatened a fatal termination. He now desired that his mother might be sent for, whom he was unwilling to alarm, till he was satisfied that his danger was imminent. From this time his physicians saw but little chance for his recovery; although there were short seasons when his friends were encouraged to hope that the violence of his disease was abating. At every return of reason, he was anxious to converse upon bis situation and prospects, and offered up many devout prayers to heaven for himself and his flock. He was willing to die; but he felt that death would be the dissolution of the strongest and tenderest ties. He wished to live, if it were the will of God, for the sake of others, but not for his own. He was supported in the last trying hour, by strong, and we trust, well grounded hopes; and, in the imperfect glimmerings of reason, with which he was indulged a short season before he expired, he poured out his soul in a most devout and impressive, though somewhat confused and incoherent, prayer, full of confidence, resignation, and hope. He died on the morning of Lord's day, October 5th.

Thus lived and died this amiable and interesting young man, He is gone; and we shall see his face no more. The infant church mourns its youthful pas tor. The voices of an united people lament the shepherd, who so faithfully and tenderly guided his flock. He was not permitted to see the close of a year on which he entered with

such flattering hopes! He was removed from the office he loved, and from the people to whom his soul was bound, at a time, when his exertions were the greatest, and his life, to human view, most important, and desirable, and useful. But, it was God who removed him; and God's will be done. He was removed from a sphere of great and increasing usefulness. But it was God who issued his commands; and God is perfectly wise and good. He was taken away in the midst of his days. But it was God, who appointed the bounds, which he might not

pass; and his friends are calm and resigned. They believe, that he is gone to the bosom of his Father; and why should they lament, that he is made happy so soon? They hope to meet him again in a better world, where there is fulness of joy, and where the pains of separation are unknown. With this expectation they are able to support themselves under one of the severest trials which human nature is called to bear; and they would not exchange their hopes, for the richest treasures which earth can bestow.

Ir was the constant endeavour of our Saviour in all his instructions to give such views of the character and such assurances of the providence of God, as should excite our best affections and produce unreserved trust and confidence.

We are not oppressed by the chilling apprehension that we live in a fatherless and unprotected world; that the author of our being is indifferent or unconcerned for our happiness. Neither are we oppressed by the fear that we serve a merciless and unrelenting master who imposes burdens on his creatures which he knows they are unable to bear, and requires serviees which he intentionally made them incapable of performing.

We are taught to consider our relation to God the same as

children to parents. The image which perpetually occurs throughout the Gospels, and under which our Saviour seems to have peculiarly delighted to represent the Supreme Being, is that of our Father, our Father in heaven, tender and compassionate, who created the human family for their happiness, who is merciful even to those who repay his kindness with ingratitude, on whose arm universal nature leans for support; and without whose notice or permission no event takes place throughout this boundless universe; whose providential care extends to the most minute of his works, even to the numbering of the hairs of our heads and the support of a falling sparrow,-whose power enables him to satisfy the desires of

every living creature and whose goodness interposes no limits to his power but what his wisdom suggests-who is ever more ready to relieve our wants than we to express them, who commands us to ask with the assurance that it will be given us, to seek for we shall find, and to knock and it will be opened

unto us.

By adverting to the habits and feelings which influence the conduct of men in respect to their own offspring, our Saviour teaches us that the kindness and benevolence of God towards mankind is a stronger principle than even natural affection.

If, says he, a son oppressed by poverty, asks a father for bread to relieve his hunger, will he insult his distresses by giving him a stone; or if he ask a fish will he give him a serpent. If then, ye who are evil, ye who are liable to the infirmities, the perverse dispositions, the prejudices and the irritations of human nature, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him!

But who knoweth what is good for a man all his vain and chequered life which he spendeth as a shadow on earth? So ignorant are we of our own tempers and dispositions, so limited in our prospects, so dark and confused are our views respecting the influence which an external condition may have on our characters and feelings, that we know not what condition in life is best for us we know not what course of external events is best adapted to promote our ultimate good.

The mercy of God is often more strikingly displayed in refusing, than it would be in granting our requests. We may ask, but not receive, because the things we request are such as it would be improper for God to bestow, or injurious for us to obtain.

We shall inquire what are those good things which our Saviour assures us will be yielded to our serious and earnest solicitations by our heavenly Father.

As our condition and enjoyments in this life are of subordinate importance in comparison with our condition in the life to come, that only can be considered on the whole as absolutely good which has a tendency to improve our moral characters, to secure the favour of God and render us capable of higher degrees of happiness in the future world. Whatever has the greatest tendency to produce these effects is unquestionably the greatest good of

man.

So far as any thing is in opposition to these, so far is it evil and to be deprecated by every being that is capable of distinguishing between time and eternity-between the pains and enjoyments of a life beyond the grave.

As there is no obvious connexion between personal ease and moral improvement, between the possessions of this world and the favour of God, and as it is often found that prosperity, instead of forming and strengthening those affeetions and habits without which no man can see the Lord, renders us the slaves of passion *and produces a criminal,

thoughtlessness and moral insensibility-it is obvious in the first place,

That we should be neither par ticular nor importunate in our prayers for temporal favours. We cannot be two cautious in placing proper restrictions to our petitions for objects of this nature. For such is the condition of every temporal enjoy ment, that it has no fixed, permanent character, but becomes the occasion either of good or evil according to the peculiar character or circumstances of the receiver.

As the same influence of the sun, which at one season fertil izes the fields and covers the face of the vegetable world with plenty and joy, might under other circumstances, produce barrenness, want and despair; as the same remedies which in sickness restore to health and vigour, if administered in any other state of the system, would bring on disease and death, so also the same temporal possessions, which in one state of the feelings would be the means and instruments of virtue, would, under other circumstances, corrupt the passions and become the greatest of evils.

Perhaps you are earnest in your desires that affluence may be the fruit of your industry and enterprise. But may not wealth produce in you a degree of arrogance and pride that will induce you to look down with contempt on those unassuming souls who are content to walk in the humble paths of life, whom God made your equals, and who have rendered themselves your superiors in every thing that constitutes the

real worth and dignity of man ?

Will riches expose you to no danger from a selfishness of spirit, from hardness of heart, or from that diseased and morbid sensibility, that recoils from scenes of distress ?

Is there no danger that, when you are relieved from the neces sity of active and personal exertions, you will be rendered indolent and lose all vigour of body or of mind? Or, on the other hand, that the pleasure of acquiring may perpetually sharpen that avaricious spirit which pressing towards its favourite object, too often spurns the control of prudence, integrity and religion?

Is a state of uninterrupted ease and prosperity, of all others, the most fitted to produce and strengthen the feelings of piety? God is often forgotten because he is concealed by the multitude of his gifts; and we are frequently rendered thoughtless and unthankful by the very abundance of those things which should excite our gratitude.

Possibly you may justify your desire to obtain riches on the ground that they may enable you to become more useful and benevolent. It were much wiser, my friend. to be content to do all the good which God hath now put in your power, because in gaining the means you may probably lose the disposition to become extensively useful.

Do you hope to rejoice the hearts of those who shall inherit your possessions? And do you believe, that their gratitude will make them always rise up and call your memory

blessed. Forget not that those for whom you intend to provide may murmur at your distribution. Instead of preserving the deep reverence and tender solicitude for your character which you now anticipate, they may rush to a public tribunal, to establish the proofs of your mental imbecility; and thus proclaim to the world that although you had sufficient prudence to accumulate wealth, you had not that ordinary share of intellect which entitled you to be trusted with the distribution of it.

Again we may desire to be invested with power and authority. But exalted stations are not exempt from mortification and sorrow; and they have also their appropriate dangers. The pride of authority may call into action the most corrupt passions and the most detestable vices. The love of office may more than counterbalance the love of virtue. It may tempt us to sacrifice our integrity and patriotism on the alter of party, as a propitiatory offering to a dominant and unprincipled faction.

We pray that God would remove us from the shade of obscurity; but in the shades of obscurity perhaps the virtues of patience and humanity might flourish, which in the sunshine of greatness might wither and die.

We ask to be relieved from the pressure of poverty; but perhaps poverty has been our security against temptations, has subdued our passions,, has produced in us all the ornaments of a meek, resigned and quiet spirit; and to be deprived of its discipline, might be the occasion of our ruin. Vol. VI.-No. 1.

We offer our prayers to be delivered from affliction; but affliction is the only school in which we can learn and practice the passive virtues, which are of all virtues the most sublime and probably the most acceptable to God. How hopeless would be our condition, if adversity did not sometimes bring home to us the conviction of our dependence and renew the impressions of Deity. Even the Psalmist could say, it is good for me that I have been afflicted, for before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I have kept thy law.

Is it certain, that we ask what is good for us, when we pray God to establish us in the full enjoyment of health? Will not high and unbroken health strengthen and inflame the passions? Is there no danger that a full and perpetual flow of animal spirits may produce a levity of mind and lead on to habits of dissipation and excess? And should we not have occasion to praise God, if he interpose sickness to prevent or check a guilty career? If sick. ness excite in us a train of sober reflection, if it bring home to us the conviction of what we are and what we should be, if the conciousness of our uncertain hold on life make us more solicitous to perform those great duties which life impose, if it tend to direct our thoughts to

God and detach our affections

from the earth, and gradually prepare us to resign our spirit with composure into the hands of him who gave it, may we not say, it is good to be sick?

The love of life, for wise purposes, God hath deeply im

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