"One great conqueror finds it in a slate, another finds it in a fly; one finds it in the kernel of a grape, another in the prick of a thorn; one in the taste of a herb, another in the smell of a flower; one in a bit of meat, and another in a mouthful of air. Our life is but a bubble, a shadow, a vapour, a thought *.'

""

And if so uncertain be the tenour of our life, so precarious the term of our existence here, that we are not the masters of a day; that we can hardly call a single moment of time our own; surely it behoves us to prepare quickly for our destined change-prepare to meet that Judge, who for the deeds done in the body will doom us to endless happiness or woe. If every day's experience did not testify to the fact, we could hardly believe it possible for man, reasoning man, to be so wrapt in the mantle of indifference, to be so ensnared with the deceitful blandishments of the world, as to glide unthinkingly down the stream of time, without casting his thoughts seriously forward to that eternity to which it carries him.

May we, my dear Sir, be opposed to the practice of the world; and live, during our short sojourn ing here, as becometh them who name the name of Christ; that when the hand of death is heavy upon us, and the world quickly closing on our view, we may be able, through faith, to say, with a pious Christian lately departed, "I am happy to think that I have nothing to do, but like Moses to go up into the Mount, leave the world behind me, gently close my eyes, and fall asleep in my Redeemer +." For this to be our case, we must be crucified to the world, and the world to us. Its pomps, its pleasures, its vanities, must lose their strong hold on us. Old things must pass away, all

In a

things must become new. word, we must be born again; born of the Spirit, before we experience the Christian's privileges here, or his joys hereafter.

How thankful should we be that we have the Bible-a lamp unto our feet, and a lanthern unto our paths. That in this blessed book we have directions for our spiritual guidance so plain, that a wayfaring man, though a fool in worldly wisdom, cannot err therein. That it clearly points to one who is both able and willing to save us-who invites us to come unto him for hope, for help, for mercy; that if in him we repose our cares, and put our constant trust, his everlasting arms will be underneath us, to bear us up amid the heart-rending trials of mortality. Let us, then, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Soon, very soon, all means of grace will cease: soon, very soon, and our portion will be fixed for ever; this night our souls may be required of us.

Are we prepared for death and judgment? Dare we meet our God? Have our lives been in accordance with the precepts of the Gospel? Are we walking in humble dependance upon Godlooking unto him for daily support

striving earnestly to gain the victory over sin, and to be devoted, body, soul, and spirit, to the Redeemer's service? Then, indeed, we may humbly hope, that, when the hour of death approaches, our God will be with us; and that when the last struggle is over, and the spirit freed, we shall be conducted to his abode, and join in that triumphant song, Worthy 'is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

Ever yours affectionately,

frenzied ardour, in which hope and fear were strongly depicted.

"Alas!" he exclaimed, " you have come too late; for I am lost, every way lost." I immediately perceived that life was ebbing fast; and being convinced that nothing short of divine interposition could retard his fate, I endeavoured to console him, by drawing his attention to the mercies of God, and the saving mediation of a gracious Redeemer. To which he replied, with asperity and violence," If you have any friendship left for a degraded, self-polluted wretch, torture not his last moments. My life has been spent in iniquity foolishly spent; because it never yielded one hour of solid happiness. I have lived without thinking of God; and why should he now think of me, unless it be to judge me-to condemn me? O God! I shall go distracted!" A fainting fit intervened, and fortunately broke this mournful chain of reflections; but, alas! sensibility too soon returned, and with it fresh trains of gloomy despondency. He stared wildly, and roared out, "I have broken from him, but he is coming again: there there-death! O save me! save me!" After nearly an hour passed in this dreadful state, he again became capable of reflecting; but every moment added to his defec

tion. "I have been so bad," he exclaimed," that God can never forgive me. I have blasphemed and dishonoured his holy name a hundred times, when my heart inwardly smote me. I have ridiculed and denied his existence, that my companions in error might think well of me: but I never was sincere in my wickedness." His mind became so agitated, that all reasoning was lost; he was unable to repent, and the thought of death rent his very soul. In this perturbed state he languished for about four hours, from the time of my first seeing him; till, at length, overwhelmed by despair, a paroxysm of fever closed the tragic scene. The last words he uttered, that I could distinctly hear, were, "God will not, cannot forgive

The remainder was lost in a murmuring groan. O my friends, could I convey to U you any idea of the awful feelings which the death of this wretched man produced upon my mind, it would, I think, deter the most thoughtless of you from those practices which ruin both soul and body. Would to God that you had been present! My description may not penetrate beyond the ear; but had you witnessed the dreadful original, it would have pierced your very hearts. ARCHIPPUS.

J. S***.

SIR,

Guardian.

In your review of Mr. Irving's Orations, it appeared to me, that one point of considerable importance was rather cursorily passed over. I can easily believe, that the extent of the subject, and your confined limits, might render brevity absolutely necessary; but I am still inclined to hope, that you will not refuse insertion to a few remarks, in which I shall merely endeavour to follow out your own observations.

The point to which I allude, is no less than the principle on which Mr. Irving's 66 new method" is founded, which constitutes the great distinction between that gentleman and the general body of the evangelical clergy;-and on which he rests his claim for distinction and superiority. This leading principle has not, as far as I am aware, been yet "grappled with;" although, until it is thoroughly understood, we can have no correct idea of the real value of Mr. Irving's projected improvements.

The volume in question contains, first, a charge against the whole Christian ministry of this country, of error, and of deficiency in their mode of preaching the Gospel. It next proceeds to state the corrective necessary for the removal of this extensive evil, in the adoption of a 66 66 new method," new vehicles," &c. &c. by which the truth is to be " conveyed into the minds of the people." And, lastly, it furnishes an elaborate specimen of this remedy, in the shape of thirteen sermons, written after a new fashion, and called by new names. Now let us consider this matter closely, following the author step by step, and endeavouring to discover, as we proceed, what is the real principle upon which his sys

tem is founded, and by which it is distinguished.

Mr. Irving begins, then, by stating the simple fact, that in this Christian country the great mass of the people are ignorant of religion. On this point, unfortunately, all will be agreed.

He next goes on to state the cause to which this lamentable condition of things is justly attributable. And here he at once dissents from the judgment of the best and most scriptural divines, both of former ages and the present day. They all unite in ascribing the slow progress of religion to the weakness of faith, and the feebleness of prayer for the effusion of the Holy Spirit, on the part of both ministers and people. They have constantly said, "Were our clergy more active, more laborious, more self-denying, more humble, more entirely dependent on their Lord and Master, and our people more holy, more watchful, and less worldly, the church of Christ would flourish; but in order to our progress in these things, the powerful influences of the Comforter, whose it is to impress and to convince, and who alone can revive the dying graces of his church, is absolutely essential; and therefore constant, urgent prayer for a larger measure of his gracious influence, is to be especially resorted to."

But Mr. Irving holds a different kind of language. He asserts, that "the chief obstacle to the progress of divine truth over the minds of men, is the want of its being properly presented to them;" that the real want is, that of " sedulous and skilful ministry."

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Consequently his proposed "new methods" of preaching are calculated to supply this particular deficiency. The remedy is adapted to the disease. He would have the ministers of the Gospel "make

themselves adept in "all the various studies and pursuits" of men; so that they might be able, "stealthily and skilfully" to admonish them. He would have them " discover new vehicles for conveying the truth" into the mind-"poetical, historical, scientific, political, and sentimental vehicles." He urges them to " fight and overthrow" their rivals, the sentimentalists and politicians, "with their own weapons, by addressing their disciples on that side on which their ear is open;" that thus religion may be" established before the world in the highest and most honourable place."

Now to all this it is advisable, nay it is necessary towards a right judgment, to compare the language of St. Paul, the most divinely taught, and the most eminently successful preacher that ever proclaimed the Gospel; and who, as Cecil remarks, appears to have been raised up peculiarly to be an example of the (really) wisest way of exhibiting the Gospel.

Now the language of St. Paul is universally, and not merely in the passage you have already quoted, of a different cast to that of the Caledonian divine. He declares, that Christ sent him to preach the Gospel, "not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect." He says, "It is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. The Jews," he continues, " require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we" (not addressing them on the side on which their ears were open) "preach Christ crucified; to the Jews a stumbling block; and to the Greeks, foolishness. And then he assigns the reason: "But God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the

The language of the inspired preacher is that of one thoroughly aware of the obduracy of the hu man heart, and perfectly free from the least expectation of effecting a change by any skill, or talent, or eloquence of his own. He feels the whole work to be of God, to depend upon him alone, and to be far beyond the reach of human power or human persuasion. And he not only ascribes the whole agency and the whole glory to God; but he plainly asserts, as we have just seen, that the Almighty has purposely chosen such means for bringing about his gracious purposes, as will tend to show forth his own glory the more clearly, by the impossibility of their assuming any part of the honour of man's salvation to themselves. "God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, to confound the wise, and the weak things to confound the mighty-that no flesh should glory in his presence." We know this plan to be the most admirable, because God has chosen it; and we can understand in some measure its fitness for the condition of mankind, by observing the constant tendency of men, and even of Christian men, to pride, self-applause, and self-reliance, and the perpetual advantage taken of this propensity by the enemy of souls. "You have preached admirably today," said a hearer to a late excellent minister. "So Satan has