that her very heart was penetrated by what she uttered. Amid her highest consolations, she seemed deeply sensible of her unworthiness. Being asked, a few weeks before she died, how death appeared, she replied: "It is a solemn thing to die: I wish to examine myself; but I cannot make the thought seem terrify. ing." At other times, she expressed great desires to die. She was once heard thus to express herself in prayer: "Why are thy chariot wheels so long in coming? hasten them in thy time:" still adding, “not my will, but thine be done." At another time, she told a friend that a few nights before, she viewed herself upon the Ferge of eternity, and it was de, lightful entering. Being asked, what made it most delightful, she replied, "the glory, and the holiness to be freed from a body of sin:" and added, "Christ is cious." She once declared, that the night preceding, her distress was very severe; but the glory, holiness and justice of God seemed so clear, that it was sweetly consoling to her mind; and it seemed a favour to be kept awake, and contemplate upon his justice; and the sharper her pains, the more faithful his character appeared, and the stronger was the evidence of his love, "I long," said she," to die; but feel willing to live and suffer." When death actually came on, her distress and weakness were such that she could say but little yet that little manifested her mind to be in the same humble, tranquil, cheerful frame as ever; till, with scarce a struggle or a groan, she yielded up her spirit into the hand of her God. pre The writer of the above-enjoyed the privilege of frequently witnessing the piety, the sufferings and consolations of this highly favoured young woman. He offers this imperfect sketch, in the hope that so animating a testimony to the truth and excellence of religion, may be instru mental in confirming the faith of the Christian, and producing some salutary impression on the mind of every reader, Z. 7 eclipse of the sun happened on the The rare phenomenon of a total 16th of June, 1806. A more awfully sublime, interesting and impressive phenomenon can hardly be conceived, It seems impossible that an atheist could have witnessed it without deep conviction of the existence of a Gon. A valued correspondent has favoured us with the following extract from a discourse delivered the Sabbath after this event, which we insert with pleasure. SERIOUS THOUGHTS EXCITED BY THE LATE ECLIPSE. A total eclipse of that luminary, which is not only the source of light and heat to the globe we inhabit, but the life and soul of our system, is an event of such rare occurrence, as well as so grand and sublime in itself, as naturally to command a serious and interested notice. It would be well, if the ideas and feelings,' which such events are calculated to excite, might oftener rest on the mind; and especially, if they might become subservient to our moral and religious improvement. Eclipses, particularly those of the sun, are among the most solemn and impressive specta cles, which the world of nature that they can be previously cal presents. In ages of ignorance and superstition, they have been regarded with surprise and horror. They have been converted into presages of wars and desolations, of public calamities and individual disasters. Nor does it appear strange, either that a gloomy imagination, or that conscious guilt, should have made this use of them. It is not a thing unknown, or unusual, even in our own enlightened age and country, that they have been productive of terror and consternation. Nor indeed, because they are perfectly agreeable to the regular course of nature, and can be demonstrated to result from established laws, does it follow that they claim no special and serious notice. All the works of the Lord, as they are great, so they are sought out of those, who have pleasure therein. Nor would it be difficult to shew that these, more particularly, are calculated to lead us into a field of profitable and pious contemplation. As this is my present design, it will not be expected that the subject be handled in a way of philosophical disquisition. Such speculations would, in every view, be unsuitable to the place and occasion. May it not, however, be properly remarked, in the first place, that the late phenomenon calls our admiring attention to the perfect regularity and harmony, which reign in the natural world? It is true, that many of the less informed consider appearances as preternatural and miraculous. But the fact is, that they take place. according to stated and invariable rules; as is evident from this circumstance, culated with the greatest certainty and precision. Instead of violating the arrangement established by Heaven, they strongly confirm and display it. They are constant monitors of an ever present, overruling Power, sustaining the world, and preserving unimpaired that perfect' order and harmony, which it originally established. Nor have we any reason to confine this sustaining and governing Providence to the system of which our globe makes a part. It cannot rationally be believed that those numberless stars, which occupy the vast expanse of heaven, were made only to dart a few feeble rays of light on our earth. It is much more natural to consider them as suns, surrounded by inhabited planets, and communicating to them the blessings of light and heat. "What an august, what an amazing conception," says one, "does this give us of the works of the Creator! Thousands of thousands of suns, at immense distances from each other, attended by ten thousand times ten thousand worlds, all in rapid motion, yet calm, regular, and harmonious, invariably keeping the paths prescribed them; and these worlds peopled with myriads of intelligent beings, formed for endless progression in perfection and felicity." Rapt into such contemplations, we may well add, in the words of the same writer; "If so much power, wisdom, goodness, and magnificence is displayed in the material creation, which is the least considerable part of the universe, how great, how wise, how good must He be, who made and governs the whole!" This leads us, 2. To a very mortifying and humbling thought. How deplorable is the inattention and insensibility of man! We are surrounded, on every side, and in every moment of our existence, with numberless demonstrations of the being, the perfections and beneficence of Deity; and yet overlook and neglect them. Such an extraordinary phenomenon as we saw the last week, rouses our attention for a moment, and, as it were, forces a God upon our thoughts. But must the sun be veiled in dark ness, to make us feel there is a God? Does not the same sun, rising in cloudless majesty, triumphing in meridian splendor, and setting with a softened efful gence, emphatically proclaim his Maker and ours, and call us to the liveliest sentiments of veneration and love? Is not the whole fabric of nature a stupendous and beautiful temple, in which every rational creature should be found a prostrate worshipper, glowing with every ten der, grateful sensibility? Whither can we turn our eyes, and not behold the brightest evidences of the Creator's goodness, and our own numberless obligations? His is the air we breathe, the ground we tread, the food we eat, and the stream that slakes our thirst. In thee, O God, we live; and such is thine overflowing bounty, that -not content With every food of life to nourish man, Thou mak'st all nature beauty to Where then are the humble, grateful returns, which we owe? Where the love, the devotion, the obedience, which creatures should render to their Creator, and beneficiaries to their infin ite Benefactor? Alas! the very profusion of our blessings conceals from our inattentive, stupid minds, the Giver's hand. In the unvaried, uninterrupted ten or of our mercies, we basely find a pretext for thoughtlessness and ingratitude. A great portion of mankind, we have reason to apprehend, would sink into absolute atheism, were they not reminded, in methods awfully intelligible and impressive, that there is a God, who rules above, and who holds the universe in his hands. 3. Should not the late solemn appearance of the heavens call back our minds to contemplate the most solemn and interesting scene ever exhibited on this earth; I mean, the crucifixion of the SAVIOUR, with the darkness, which attended it? That darkness, it is true, was altogether supernatural. As it took place at the time of the Jewish passover, which was celebrated at full moon, it could not proceed from a proper eclipse of the sun. Beside, it is well ascertained, that in no solar eclipse, does the total obscurity continue beyond four minutes; whereas, at the crucifixion, the darkness lasted three hours. Whether this darkness were greater, or less, than that which we recently witnessed, cannot be easily determined. But doubtless, some of us were led by what we saw, to revert back to the amazing scene, and assisted to attain a livelier idea of it, than we ever had before. It is proper that we should all thus improve it. O my breth ren let us this day, in solemn contemplation, pay a visit to Calvary. Let us endeavour by faith to behold a scene, which yonder sun refused to witness, Ah, Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When God, the mighty Maker, dy'd For man, the creature's sin, Doubtless, the darkness, which overspread the sun, was emblematical of that horror, which filled the human soul of the immaculate Jesus. His heavenly Father stood aloof. Not only did earth refuse its pity, but hea, ven withheld its consolations. This was the bitterest ingredient in his bitter cup. What tongue can describe, or imagination conceive, the sensations of the divine Sufferer, when, during three hours of silent horror, he retired within himself, received in his spotless soul the awful impressions of that wrath, which was due to sin, and at the same time, maintained a conflict with all the principalities and powers of darkness? Oh, what a crisis was that, in human destiny! How pregnant with salvation and felicity to millions of humble believers, and with aggravate ed, intolerable perdition to every stout hearted, impenitent sinner! O Christians! meditate often with wonder, love and gratitude, on the suffering Saviour. He drank the cup of trembling, that he might put into your hands the cup of consolation. He vanquished the powers of darkness, that you too might everlastingly triumph over them. Amid the agonies of crucifixion, he endured the hidings of his Father's face, that you might enjoy the beatific smile of his countenance in death, and to all eternity. O ye, who reject the Saviour! can you hear these things unmoved? Are they nothing to you? Shall the Son of God expire in ag ony; shall the very heavens put on the attire of mourning ; shall yonder luminary avert his face from the awful scene; shall the earth tremble with amazement, and the solid rocks rend asunder; and can you still remain unmoved?O, at length relent! Flee from that dire, unheard of wrath, which you can. not sustain; and rejoice, by your repentance, the heart of that compassionate Saviour, whom you have so long pierced by your sins. (To be continued.) If we would well understand the Scriptures, we must bestow pains in comparing one part with another; for the Lord seems to have arranged them, as they are, purposely, to exercise our diligence, and to distinguish those, who value the knowledge of the truth from such as do not, (Prov. ii. 1-9.) Scott's Notes on the Bible, ANECDOTE. THE following communication is from a gentleman, on whose authority the reader may place the most unreserved reliance. It was my lot, some years ago, occasionally to meet a disciple of the late Dr. Darwin, who had drunk so deeply into the system and spirit of his master, that he considered him the very first poet and philosopher of the age. I have heard him expatiate with enthusiasm on the writings and character of that deist, and, in the same conversation revile the Holy Scriptures, with all the rant of vulgar blasphemy.. Of all the examples of a mind emancipated from religious and moral restraint I ever met with, this unhappy man was the most offensive. His conversation, though abundantly larded with the cant and slang of the new philosophy, was lewd, profane, and conceited; and when infuriated by zeal for his principles, (which happpened as often as they were opposed) every rule of decorum was trampled under foot; he appeared on such oc casions, neither to "fear God, nor to regard man." A few months after my last in. terview with him, I was informed that he was no more! Struck with the event, I was solicitous to know how such a man would die! The amount of my information was, that, as death approached the confidence he had before expressed in his deistical opinions forsook him, and in its place a deep horror seized his mind! A short time before his departure, supposing himself quite alone, he was overheard by an unobserved friend, giving vent to the agonies of a tortured conscience. With furious despair he expostu lated with the man, (Dr. D.) deceiver; and, after loading his whom he now reproached as his dare not put upon paper, he name with execrations, which I closed the horrid remonstrance in such terms as the following: «Monster! wretch! Is this the end of your boasted philosophy! Have you brought me to this?" Reader! though such examward, you are not hastily to inples are seldom brought forfer that they rarely happen, or infidelity do not lead to such that the principles of modern melancholy issues. The tenconceal the dismal story; and derness of survivors may often even when such men leave the remember there are such judg world with composure, we should ments denounced against obsti« seared conscience," and nate opposers of revelation, as a "reprobate mind!" How different the end of those, who "sleep in Jesus!" a M. Christian Mug. |