gradation. He hopes to see "the face of God in righteousness, and to be satisfied, when he awakes in his likeness." In short, he hopes to be unspeakably happy through an endless duration.

What a glorious hope is this! This has made many a soul welcome death with open arms. This has made them "desirous of being with Christ, which is far better." And this has sweetly swal lowed up the sensations of bodily pain. Indeed, without this, immortality would be an object of terror, and not of hope; the prospect would be insupportably dreadful. For who can bear the thought of an immortal duration spent in an eternal banishment from God, and all happiness, and in the sufferance of the most exquisite pain! But a happy immortality, what can charm us more.

DAVIES.

A PIOUS YOUTH CLOSING LIFE.

A SERVANT, who had lived fifteen years in the family, a pious man, occasionally slept in his chamber. In religious conversation with this humble Christian, he often beguiled a part of the night; and, about the middle of the night, he usually requested him to pray. He now appeared to possess great consolation, from experiencing the faithfulness of God. His hope and trust in the great sacrifice of the Christian covenant, and the consequent peace and serenity of his mind, seemed daily to increase. He said, "I am surrounded with nothing but mercies; but the greatest of all mercies is Jesus Christ. I want no other refuge; none besides will suit me." A friend asking if he had any doubts of the divinity of the Saviour? he

replied. "No, Sir; I must have a whole Saviour; a half Saviour won't do for me." "One night I felt such a sweet calm resignation to the will of God, that I could have left all immediately; not absolutely a longing to be gone, but entire resignation to the whole will of God." In this delightful frame of mind he continued till he expired.

O ye, who have partaken with him in the studies and amusements of younger life, come hither, and contemplate his last hour! Do you not envy such a death as this? Do ye not remember enough of his character, to know that insincerity was never among his faults? That his feelings and consolations must have been real? Do you not perceive, that his example calls on you, to pay an early and an immediate attention to the state of your souls towards God? Was he not as healthy, was he not as active, was he not as lively, as any of you ? And yet did he continue to presume on length of days? Did he not early turn to God? Had he not also good sense and talents, beyond the greater number of you? And did he deem it weak, or vain, or foolish, to give up his heart to God, to search the Scriptures with earnest diligence, to devote his morning and evening leisure to the duties of secret religion? Did he dare to presume on early religious advantages? Did he fancy, that correct religious notions, without religious feeling, or Christian practice, would save his soul? Did he not bow down in penitent self-abasement before God? Did he not lift up his head in humble hope through Jesus alone? Did not the power of godliness produce in him beneficial, impressive, and abiding results, to the praise of the glory of divine mercy? Are you hesitating and halting before you can make up your minds? O hear his dying

testimony,-"What a mercy is it, that I have not now a Saviour to seek!"

BULLAR'S MEM. OF P. WHITTY.

RESIGNATION TO THE WILL OF GOD.

GOD wills two things, that we should be virtuous and that we should be happy; the first in order to the second. We should consider whose will it is that requireth our compliance.

It is the will of Him, who founded the earth, and reared the heaven, whose will sustaineth all things in their existence and operation.

It is the will of our Maker, who did create and confer on us the very power of willing; and shall we turn the work of his hands, the gift of his bounty, against him?

It is the will of our Preserver, who, together with all that we are, or have, continually doth uphold our very will itself; so that, without em. ploying any positive force, merely by letting us fall out of his hand, he can send us and it back to nothing.

It is the will of our sovereign Lord, who, upon various indisputable accounts, hath a just right to govern us, and an absolute power to dispose of us; ought we not, therefore, to say with Eli, "It is the Lord; let him do as seemeth him good!"

It is the will of our Judge, from whose mouth our doom must proceed, awarding life or death.

It is the will of our Redeemer, who has bought us with an inestimable price, and has, with infinite pains, rescued us from miserable captivity, that we might enjoy perfect freedom,

It is the will of our best Friend, who loveth us much better than we love ourselves; who is concerned for our welfare, as his own dearest interest, and greatly delighted therein; who by innumerable experiments hath demonstrated an excess of kindness to us; who, in all his dealings with us, doth aim purely at our good; who never doth afflict or grieve us more against our will, than against his own desire; never, indeed, but when goodness itself calleth for it, and even mercy doth urge thereto.

It is the will of him, who is most holy, whose will is essential rectitude; who is infinitely wise; who, therefore, doth infallibly know what is best for us. It is his will, who is uncontrollably powerful, and who must prevail.

BARROW.

ON RESIGNATION TO THE WILL OF PROVI

DENCE.

Ir is too common for persons who are perfectly convinced of the duty of patience and cheerful resignation under great and severe trials, in which the hand of Providence is plainly seen, to let themselves grow fretful and plaintive under little vexations and slight disappointments, as if their submission in one case gave them a right to rebel in another; as if there was something meritorious in the greater sufferings, that gave them a claim to full indulgence in every trifling wish of their heart; and, accordingly, they will set their hearts most violently upon little reliefs and amusements, and complain and pity themselves grievously if they are at any time denied.

All this is building on a false foundation the same gracious Providence, that sends real afflic tions only for our good, will, we may be absolutely sure, afford us such supports and reliefs under them as are needful and fit; but it will not accommodate itself to our idle humour.

To be happy, we must depend for our happiness on him alone who is able to give it: we must not lean on human props of any kind; though when granted us, we may thankfully accept and make use of them; but always with caution, not to lay so much weight upon them, as that the reed, broken under our hand, may go into it and pierce it.

On the loss of a friend, we must not say, This and that person, this and that amusement shall be my relief and support; but-To Providence I must submit-Providence will support me in what way it sees proper.-The means on which I must depend, under that, are a careful and cheerful performance of, and an acquiescence in whatever is my duty: I must accommodate myself to all its appointments; and be they health or langour; a dull or an active and gay life; a society agreeable to my fancy, or one that is not, or none at all-if I do but endeavour to keep up this right disposition, and behave accordingly, nothing ought to make me melancholy or unhappy, nothing can, nothing shall. Forward beyond this life, in this case, I not only may, but ought to look with joy and hope, with cheerfulness and alacrity of spirit: forward in this life, it is not only painful, but faulty, to look either with anxiety, or with selfflattering schemes. Yet on this present scene, from day to day, and forward, so far as is necessary to the duty of prudence, I may look with a