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iron, that I might visit every one, and say, Escape for thy life!' Ah, sinners! you little know how I fear that you will lay the blame of your damnation at my door!" In regard to his devotions he seems to have obeyed the injunction-" pray without ceasing;" and to have understood the parable of Christ, spoken" to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Yet he had stated seasons for devotional exercises, in which much time was occupied each day. Besides, he used often to rise very early in the morning, especially on the Sabbath, that he might have long continued communion with God, as appears by the following extracts. "Awoke early by the kind providence of God, and had uncommon freedom and fervency in keeping the concert for prayer this morning before light.' "Must try to get early to bed on Saturday, that I may rise a great while before day." These early hours of prayer on the Sabbath he endeavored to have all his life, not for study, but for prayer. His piety was growing from the day he devoted himself to Christ till he died. This fact is proved by his whole recorded life, and by his writings. In the language of his friend:

"He was never satisfied with his own attainments in holiness; he was ever ready to learn, and quick to apply any suggestion that might tend to his greater usefulness. He used, near the close of his life, to sing a psalm or hymn every day after dinner. It was often, The Lord is my Shepherd; or, O may we stand before the Lamb.' Sometimes it was that hymn, O for a closer walk with God;' and sometimes the psalm, O that I like a dove had wings. A friend said of him, 'I have sometimes compared him to the silver and graceful ash, with its pensile branches and leaves of gentle green, reflecting gleams of happy sunshine The fall of its leaf, too, is like the fall of hisit is green to-night, and gone to-morrowit does not sear or wither.'"-p. 133.

As his life was a constant progress in holiness, so his death was answerable to such a life. In his

เ

last hours, whether retaining the control of his faculties, or wandering in delirium, the ruling purpose, the reigning affections of his soul, were equally manifest. He was so sanctified, his heart was a perpetual hymn. "He exclaimed with joy. ful voice, My soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken, and I am escaped.' His countenance as he said this, bespoke inward peace. Ever afterward he was observed to be happy; and at supper time that evening, when taking a little refreshment, he gave thanks, for strength in the time of weaknessfor light in the time of darknessfor joy in the time of sorrow-for comforting us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort those that are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."""He continued most generally engaged, while the delirium lasted, either in praying or preaching to his people, and always apparently in a happy frame, till the morning of his death. that morning he lifted up his hands as if in the attitude of pronouncing the blessing, and then sank down. Not a groan or sigh, but only a quiv. er of the lip, and his soul was at rest.

On

As we have already seen, McCheyne had peculiar qualifications for the ministry, in his natural talents and disposition, in his education, and from the teaching of the Holy Spirit. His success was answerable to his qualifications and his fidelity. During the early days of his ministry, he saw no fruits among his hearers, though he was improving rapidly, and getting ready for the harvest already preparing. As if to assure him that Dundee was to be the field of his stated labor, two persons were converted the first night he preached there. He was ordained the 24th of November, 1836, in his twenty-fourth year, and from that time to the day of his death there were probably very few weeks

when some persons were not uncommonly solicitous for the salvation of their souls. His preaching, so far as we can discover, was very plain in style and in the sense of faithfulness in declaring the whole counsel of God. He had a happy faculty for illustrating the truth, and for gaining the attention and the assent of his hearers. His sermons were instructive in religious experience. He soon learned to be methodical in arranging his discour ses, and clear in stating his points. His auditors perceived his sincerity; and the affection beaming from his eyes, and every feature of his speaking countenance, melted their hearts. Many loved him who hated his message; and no doubt many were led to Christ through their attachment to his servant. An awful so lemnity was produced by his preaching, the audience feeling as if in the presence of Jehovah. During the first two years of his ministry at Dundee, there was no season which we should denominate a revival, but sinners were frequently convicted of sin, and brought into the glorious liberty of the gospel. And in addition, "it was obvious to all that the love of Christians was raised as much by his holy walk as by his heavenly ministry. Yet," says his friend, "during these pleasant days, he had much reproach to bear. He was the object of supercilious contempt to formal, coldhearted ministers, and of bitter hatred to many of the ungodly; very deep was the enmity borne to him by some-all the deeper because the only cause of it was his likeness to his Master. But nothing turned him aside. He was full of ardor-ever gentle, and meek, and generous; full of zeal, yet never ruffled by his zeal; and not only his strength of first love,' but even its warm glow, seemed in him to suffer no decay."

His physical and mental powers were tasked to their utmost strength,

in preaching, in visiting from house to house in a parish containing four thousand souls, in superintending Sabbath schools and holding evening meetings in various sections of his large parish, in conversing with the anxious, in correspondence, and in excursions as an evangelist. “In his brief diary he records, on a certain day, that twenty anxious souls had that night been conversing with him; many of them very deeply interested.' He occasionally fixed an evening for the purpose of meeting with those who were awakened; and in one of his note-books there are at least four hundred visits recorded, made to him by inquiring souls, in the course of that and the following years." He was entirely devoted to his work, desiring no earthly honors. Believing that his Master had called him to Dundee, he had no desire to leave, till he had an intimation from the same source. In a letter to a friend, he says: "I have been asked to leave this place again and again, but have never seen my way clear to do so. I feel quite at the disposal of my divine Master. I gave myself away to him when I began my ministry, and he has guided me as by the pillar-cloud from the first day until now. I think I would leave this place to-morrow, if he were to bid me; but as to seeking removal, I dare not and could not. If my min istry were unsuccessful-if God frowned upon the place and made my message void then I would willingly go; for I would rather beg my bread than preach without success." An anecdote may be men. tioned, as bearing on this point. Conversing with a ministerial friend, as to what might be their duty in case of the disruption of the church, and where they might be scattered, -the friend said he could preach Gaelic, and might go to the Highlanders in Canada. Mr. McCheyne said "I think of going to the many thousand convicts that are trans

ported beyond seas, for no man careth for their souls." He loved to preach, and thousands hung upon his lips with delight. He could scarcely ever refuse an invitation to preach. And this did not arise from the natural excitement there is in commanding the attention of thousands; for he was equally ready to proclaim Christ to small country flocks. He remarked, "I observe how often Jesus went a long way for one soul, as for example the maniac, and the woman of Canaan." In the early part of 1843, he went on a preaching excursion, by appointment of the Convocation.

"He set out as unclouded and happy as the sky that was above his head that bright morning. During the space of three weeks, he preached or spoke at meetings in four-and-twenty places, sometimes more than once in the same place. Great impression was made upon the people. One who tracked his footsteps a month after his death, states, that sympa. thy with the principles of our suffering church was awakened in many places; but above all, a thirst was excited for the pure word of life. The people loved to speak of him. In one place, where a meeting had been intimated, the people assembled, resolving to cast stones at him as soon as he should begin to speak; but no sooner had he begun, than his manner, his look, his words, riveted them all, and they listened with intense earnestness; and before he left the place, the people gathered round him, entreating him to stay and preach to them. One man, who had cast mud at him, was afterwards moved to tears on hearing of his death."-p. 143.

When setting out on his journey to the East, he took pains to secure for his flock a faithful shepherd, as will appear from the following note to Rev. William C. Burns.-"You are given in answer to prayer, and these gifts are, I believe, always without exception, blessed. I hope you may be a thousand times more blessed among them than ever I was. Perhaps there are many souls that would never have been saved under my ministry, who may be touched under yours; and God has taken this method of bringing you into my place. His name is Wonderful.""

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During his absence, the Holy Spirit was poured out in a wonderful man"The whole town was movMany believers doubted; the ungodly raged; but the word of God grew mightily and prevailed." McCheyne heard the joyful tidings on his homeward journey, and his heart overflowed with joy and grat itude. There was no jealousy and repining because God had wrought by another, but sincere rejoicing in the work. He returned while his flock were in the midst of the revi val, and he was ready to enter into its spirit. God continued to send down his renewing and sanctifying influences, till great multitudes of the old and young, the rich and poor, the vulgar and the fashionable, believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. After some weeks, the work in a measure subsided. We are told, "the work of the Spirit went on, the stream flowing gently; for the heavy showers had fallen, and the overflowing of the waters had passed by." And the stream continued to flow gently, but purely, during the remaining three years of his life. Several hundred were gath ered into the church of Christ, and for the most part, gave evidence of being members of the invisible church, whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life..

The secret of his success was his holiness as a Christian, and his fidel. ity as a minister. He used to speak of discouragement, when God for a few months or weeks seemed to be withholding his hand from saving souls. The following passage deserves to be deeply pondered.

"If he was not right in thus hastily forgetting the past for a little, still this feature of his ministry is to be well considered. He entertained so full a persuasion that a faithful minister has every reason to expect to see souls converted under him, that when this was withheld, he began to fear that some hidden evil was provoking the Lord and grieving the Spirit. And ought it not to be so with all of us? Ought we not to suspect, either that we are not living near to God,

or that our message is not a true transcript of the glad tidings, in both matter and manner, when we see no souls brought to Jesus? God may certainly hide from our knowledge much of what he accomplish es by our means, but as certainly will he bring to our view some seals of our ministry, in order that our persuasion of being thus sent by him may solemnize and overawe us, as well as lead us on to unwearied labor. Ought it not to be the inscription over the doors of our Assembly

and College-halls-Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.' 2 Cor. 2: 14."

What valid reason is there for doubting the truth of this view? When we doubt that God crowns faithful exertions with success, do we not excuse ourselves quite as much as we honor divine sovereignty? The ministry of Christ was short, but more than five hundred brethren-all his disciples-saw him at one time. (1 Cor. 15: 6.) The labors of the Apostles were wonderfully successful. Edwards, Brainerd, Wesley, Tennent, Whitefield, and other holy men, are witnesses that God blesses the faithful and holy. This was the belief of McCheyne. "In the case of a faithful ministry, success is the rule; want of it the exception. For it is written, In doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.' He expected it, and the Lord exceeded his hopes." At one time he writes, "I feel persuaded that if I could follow the Lord more fully myself, my ministry would be used to make a deeper impression than it has yet done."

We know not what he might have done, for he was about to be summoned to another sphere of labor. Nor was he unprepared. In the January preceding his death, "he was breathing after glory." In his letters, written a short time before his death, but while he was in usual health, there are such expressions as these: "I often pray, Lord, make me as holy as a pardoned sinner can be made." "Often, often, I

would like to depart and be with Christ-to mount the Pisgah-top, and take a farewell look of the church below, and leave my body and be present with the Lord. Ah, it is far better!" Again: "I do not expect to live long. I expect a sudden call some day-perhaps soonand therefore I speak very plainly." According to his full persuasion, he died early, but he has left us the record of a godly and useful ministry for our admonition and encouragement. Nor can we wonder that the death of such a man made a deep sensation in Dundee. On the evening after his death, his people were met together in the church, "and such a scene of sorrow has not often been witnessed in Scotland. It was like the weeping for king Josiah. Hundreds were there; the lower part of the church was full; and none among them seemed able to contain their sorrow. Every heart seemed bursting with grief, so that the weeping and the cries could be heard afar off. On the day of his burial, business was quite suspended in his parish. The streets, and every window, from the house to the grave, were crowded with those who felt that a prince in Israel had fallen; and many a careless man felt a secret awe creep over his hardened soul, as he cast his eye on the solemn spectacle."

A word about the "Life and Remains." The author of the one and the editor of the other, is the Rev. Andrew Bonar, of Callace, Scotland, a friend of McCheyne, and a congenial spirit. We earnestly recommend the work to private Christians and young ministers, as filling

place in the library which no other can. Feeling grateful to the friend who called our attention to the contemplation of a character so holy and so lovely as that of McCheyne, we are sure of receiving the thanks of all who may be induced by us to read his life and writings.