duties and charities of life, were, notwithstanding, by GoD's decree, condemned to eternal torments. Such is the gloomy and frightful doctrine held out by some teachers of the present day. Every endeavour to draw the young and unwary to this sullen society was used; and it was asserted, that those who frequented the parish church, notwithstanding their faith and repentance, were still dead in trespasses and sin; that the Minister, if he had gifts, had not grace; and that the only road to salvation lay in forsaking the church, in whose communion the forefathers of the village had lived and died. This reasoning, though so contrary to the pure and mild spirit of the Gospel, had frequently great weight with the poor and ignorant; whilst novelty, and the love of change, led away the young and careless. Some were pleased with the new mode of singing; some struck with the confidence and vehemence of various preachers, their equals in station; whilst, in consequence of abuse, and libellous publications, widely dispersed, they began to despise the regular form of prayer observed in our church. To the inexpressible grief of the pious and affectionate father, his children were led away by this false reasoning, and vulgar revilings of the resident Minister, who never replied, because he had learnt, when "reviled, to revile not again." The daughters of the kind parent, who were just rising into womanhood, with their brothers, were no longer seen accompanying their father and mother to the parish church. The Clergyman had long observed this circumstance. One Sunday morning, after divine service, speaking of his steady attendance, he asked the father what was become of his family? Overcome by this simple question, the poor man burst into tears, and said, his children had all, in spite of remonstrances, left the place of worship which he himself would rather die than forsake; because he felt that there all the Bible was laid open, the great and consoling truths of the Gospel were taught, and his hope was never destroyed, that if he walked humbly with his God, ever remembering to pray for God's grace and heavenly aid, the road to salvation was open to him, as well as others. Some months after this change in his family, owing in great measure to anxiety, the health of this father of a numerous and once happy family began to decline; though his constitution had not been impaired by excesses, nor had the weight of years pressed upon him. As his strength decayed, his faith and religious hope strengthened; he no longer could walk to his parish church; but so unwilling was he to give up his attendance there, that latterly he rode, whilst the horse was led by one of his neighbours. His days, however, were fast passing away; he could not long bear the motion of riding, and became, a few weeks before his death, confined to his bed; here he was constantly attended by his friend, the Clergyman of the parish, who beheld, with delight and respect, the meek and quiet resignation of this departing Christian; nor was there, in this pious resignation, a spark of presumption. It was not the arrogant assurance of vain men, but the assurance, of which St. Paul speaks, the assurance "of faith, hope," and a good conscience. He indeed knew, and felt, that he was born in sin, had many and great offences against GOD to deplore, in whose sight "no man living can be justified." He felt, that only through the merits of a merciful Saviour, and " HIM CRUCIFIED," he could trust for pardon. The study of the Gospel had filled him with comfort, not despair; with humble cheerfulness, not with sullen gloom. Our Redeemer is there represented as a mild and merci ful judge, saying to the contrite sinner, "Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "TO CHRIST and Him crucified" he looked up at this trying moment, and was strengthened day by day, in contemplating the nearer approach of 66 death. He felt inexpressible grace in having the LORD's own prayer on his lips, and in his heart: he repeated with earnestness, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done." It was known that he was constantly attended by his Minister, who was indefatigable in comforting him, and offering all the spiritual consolation that could be derived from the word of GOD. The effects of this were apparent, on the inevitable approach of death: yet, notwithstanding this, there were some Antinomian Calvinists, who used every endeavour to obtrude their dreadful and unscriptural doctrines upon him in his last moments; declaring, with arrogance, that he was not in the road to salvation. To all their distracting arguments, while he had strength, he returned this simple, but firm answer: "He had been always taught to trust in the word of GOD, and that only; and was under the care of an affectionate and earnest Minister, and to. him only he should look up for religious instruction, not to those who rejected the first stone of the Gospel, humility." Upon a proposal made him to see and converse with one of the preachers of the chapel, he was deeply affected, and said, that nothing could persuade him to have any communication with him; again and again repeating, that he was perfectly satisfied with the prayers and conversation of his own esteemed Minister, at all events he was not disposed to place his reliance on these presumptuous men, whose religion, in opposition to CHRIST, consisted in regarding the mote in their brother's eye, not the "BEAM in their own." His Calvinistic neighbours he did not object to see; and though they beheld the firm faith, the calm resignation, and the humble piety, of this departing Christian, they could not refrain from making the most uncharitable reflections even to his weeping family, declaring him not converted to the true faith, but to such reflections his wife only answered, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged." You must "be born again," they cried, "you must be able to say, at what time, and under what minister, you first received conviction of being a lost sinner!" His calm answer was, "Being early instructed in religious faith, I never doubted, since the time I had reason, that I was a sinner, born in sin; and I have no hopes, in this my dying hour, no hopes but in the merits and mercies of a Saviour. I know, also, we must be born again; but as JESUS CHRIST has not thought fit to tell us exactly how, I am not inclined to learn it of you!" The last time he was visited by the clergyman, he feebly thanked him for his long-continued kindness, and heard his last words, "Endure in faith, and hope, to the end:" then took his hand, as with a resigned, but affectionate farewell, and turning his head on the pillow, said, "I shall now sleep!" The eyes of this blameless man were apparently closed in death; he had not spoken for many hours, and scarcely gave any signs of existence. The wife of one of the members of the chapel, at this awful moment, began a long and vague conversation about his errors, and obstinate adherence to the church, which, she was sure, would endanger his salvation. The dying man, who they had concluded was in a state of perfect insensibility, opened his eyes; and, as if endowed with supernatural strength, which no doubt was from GOD, said, with great energy, and firmness of speech, "I am going in peace to be judged by a great and merciful Saviour, and not by presumptuous and uncharitable men:" he then, to the wonder of all around him, spoke for some time, requesting his children never to forsake that church in which they had been brought up; and his last moments were calm and unmoved, as if to show more than any words can describe, this divine sentiment, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." After this effort, he fell upon his pillow, exhausted; and, in a few moments afterwards, expired without a groan. Thus closed in peace the life of this humble, steadfast, and sincere Christian. His piety, and unshaken faith, at this awful moment of death, had due weight with his children: they lamented that they had ever left that pure form of worship, in which they had been christened, and brought up; and resolved, when they looked for the last time upon the breathless corpse of their beloved parent, to return to that communion, in whose pure doctrines their father had lived and died. He was buried in a neighbouring town, where many of his ancestors rested. His minister, struck with his piety, firm faith, and unshaken fortitude, has commemorated his humble worth by the following epitaph : EPITAPH, of ON WILTS. Written by the Minister who attended him constantly in his last illness. of In remembrance of in this Parish, who, with FAITH which nothing could shake, with HOPE, full of immortality, and in perfect CHARITY with all men, closed his eyes on this world, AUGUST 8th, 1815, AGED 50 YEARS: leaving a widowed Wife and numerous Family, which he bred up, though in an humble station of life, to competence and comfort, and in the fear and love of God. How quiet is the bed of Death, Where the departing CHRISTIAN lies! A moment-and that conscious mind CHILDREN, who mark the grassy sod, |