we may have served. In that day it shall be "as with the servant, so with his master," as far as regards all external relations subsisting here. I remember being once struck with an inscription on a chimney piece of the ancient mansion at Enfield, in which Edward the Sixth was nursed, and which I have no doubt he had often read: "Sola salus servire Deo: sunt cætera fraudes."

For the Christian Advocate.

OBITUARY.

Departed this life, at Pittsgrove, New Jersey, on Sabbath morning, 24th March last, of pulmonary consumption, in the nineteenth year of his age, PHILIP HENRY JANVIER, eldest son of the Rev. George W. Janvier. The early removal of this youth is a dispensation loudly calling the affections and hopes of his parents and family to that world where "the mystery of God will be finished." From early childhood his character was strongly marked with gravity, dignity and truth; but alloyed with lofty self-confidence and inflexible self-will. These latter qualities were for some years the source of much anxious solicitude, but an early and constant attention to his moral and religious instruction, gave pleasing promise, by his sixteenth year, that parental toil and prayer might, through sovereign grace, always hope for a final blessing. About that time, it was strongly recommended to the church of Pittsgrove, that each member should select some one unconverted friend or relative as the subject of special, daily and secret prayer. The pastor, in fulfilment of his part of this recommendation, selected that son as the subject of such intercessions, and the Lord gave testimony to His gracious word, "If ye shall ask any thing in my name I will do it."

For the time was not long until all that was discouraging in Henry's disposition was softened down, and every trait of hope and of promise grew prominent and striking. During his absence at school, for the last three summers, his letters gave pleasing encouragement to those most solicitous for his salvation; the features of grace took a form less equivocal; and he seemed to be destined for some post where unbending integrity, prudence and self-sacrificing, uniform determination to "endure hardness," might render him signally useful. But before his preliminary studies had fitted him for the college class which he desired to enter, the disease was seated which closed his earthly prospects. On his return home, a few weeks decided the character of that disease; and it advanced against every effort to arrest its progress. As the danger became more imminent, the solicitude of his parents for his eternal welfare became extreme. His reserve rendered it hard to come to a satisfactory conclusion on his spiritual prospects. Repeated conversations still left their hopes uncertain, and his own deeply clouded. Not many weeks before his death, an opportunity was embraced, and the question urged-"What is the real state of your heart with regard to the great concern? We have long cherished fond hopes of you, but we want certainty. We cannot endure the thought that you may be called hence without an interest in the Saviour. Be earnest in prayer that God will give you the undoubted marks of grace, and the comfort of it." Shortly after this interview, he took an occasion to unbosom himself freely. "I have never had any great clearness in my views of divine things. I have prayed a great deal in secret, because I felt it to be my duty. But all along I have been in the dark, as if I could find nothing to take

hold of; nothing to rest upon. Unbelief, I think, has been the besetting sin of my whole life." He was here asked what he meant by unbelief; whether he meant the reluctance of the heart to yield to the grace of God, or skeptical doubts of the truth and reality of religion? He answered-" Skeptical doubts, as if there had been nothing that I could take hold of; nothing to rest upon." He added a feeling confession of what he bitterly regretted, that he had always avoided, as much as possible, the expression of his internal exercises; and declared it to be his conviction that this sinful reserve had been prompted by the adversary of souls. "And," said he, "my conduct toward my parents, and my example in the family, have been far from what they ought to have been.* I have totally lost my best days, and neglected precious opportunities." He dated his first permanent awakening in the summer of 1830, in the institution of E. under the faithful private instructions of Mr. B. On the question, what he thought of the probable issue of his disorder? he replied with calm composure, "From the time when I began to keep my room in November, I thought it very doubtful whether I should recover; and I then made it my frequent, fervent prayer to the Lord, that if my death might any way promote his glory and my salvation, He would make the disease fatal. I felt that I would rather die than lose my soul." He was then warmly exhorted to plead importunately with God for increasing light. Accordingly, two days from this interview he was enabled to say, "Christ is precious: I did pray long and earnestly that God would give me to know my true charac

*He was as obedient a child as most

ter; and though I was afraid to say that Jesus was my Saviour, I could after some time say He was precious in my sight." From that hour his comforts increased till the morning before that of his departure, when a change of symptoms clearly marked the approach of death. He was then askedDid he feel unwavering confidence in resting his soul on the blessed Jesus? He answered-"I do not; I have been under a dark cloud." But after prayer, in about two hours, he exclaimed, "I feel that Jesus is my precious Saviour.” Through all that day, though suf fering much from difficult respiration, his soul was calmly waiting the hour of release, and looking with steady eye to the Author and Finisher of her faith. When the words of Paul were repeated, "Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting! O grave where, is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ;" he responded with an emphasis that spoke what none but a dying Christian knows-" Amen."

Near the close of his conflicts he was desired to express the state of his feelings-he uttered, "O Jesus, thou didst bear the curse of the law! O Death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory?" Just before the parting hour he repeated from Watts, "Nor shall I feel death's cold embrace, if Christ be in my arms.' "Tell Mr. C. I am ready to dietell L. to seek the Saviour."

In such a state of mind, calm as the sun-set hour of summer, this beloved youth melted away into the light of eternity, so gently that his flight was perceived only by the faint and fixed smile that se

ral.

one year since, seemed destined for long continuance and for active usefulness. We add, that from his early childhood the Bible had been his companion, the Sabbath-school and Bible class his nursery. His doctrinal knowledge was accurate

and sound-and the whole case is a most encouraging enforcement of the divine injunction to parents and pastors. "In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand."

LETTERS TO PRESBYTERIANS, on the Present Crisis of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. By Samuel Miller, D. D., Professor of Ecclesiastical History and Church Government in the Theo

logical Seminary at Princeton. Philadelphia. Published by Anthony Finley. John C. Clark,

Printer. 12mo. pp. 314.

These Letters first appeared in the religious newspaper entitled The Presbyterian, and have probably been perused by the most of our readers. Agreeing fully with the writer, in by far the greater part of his statements and reasonings, and sensible that the name of the author rendered any recommendation of ours superfluous, we for some time hesitated as to the propriety of reviewing them in the Christian Advocate. The reader, however, perceives that we have at length decided on a review. We think that Dr. Miller has mistaken a few facts, which we doubt not he will be as willing to see corrected, as we shall be to make the correction; and from one or two of his opinions we dissent, and wish to state candidly the reasons of our dissent, that at this critical period of the Presbyterian Church, those who may be called to act may be furnished with every aid that may enable them to pursue a right course-We may also, perhaps, in the progress of our review, "travel out of the record," as is now the fashion of reviewers,

and submit to the consideration of our readers, some things to which these letters do not directly refer.

Professor Miller commences his series of letters with the expression of very solemn feelings, occasioned by his long and intimate connexion with the Presbyterian Church, and by the circumstances

of agitation and peril in which that

church manifestly exists at the present time. In these feelings the writer deeply participateshaving been a minister of the same church for even a longer space than the professor, and having, from his location more than from any other cause, been intimately connected with all its most important institutions and operations, during nearly the whole of this protracted period. Yet, for more than a year past, although editing a religious journal, he has observed almost an entire silencebecause he did not perceive that he could offer any counsel or sugges tions that promised to be useful, because he was truly fearful of advising to any measures that might be injurious to the church and cause of the Redeemer, and because he hoped, from some appearances in the General Assembly of 1832, that existing errors were tending to self-correction. But after the example of Professor M., he is now disposed "to show his opinion," feeling while he does it, a weighty responsibility both to God and man for what he shall say, praying earnestly for divine gui

Professor M., in order to exhibit his views to advantage, gives, in his first letter, a short and summary history of the origin and early proceedings of the judicatories of the Presbyterian Church. It is in this historical summary, and in the remarks connected with it, that we think he has inadvertently fallen into some errors, or been misled by previous inaccurate accounts. Fairness requires that his statement should be before the reader in his own language, that the justice or irrelevancy of our remarks may be duly appreciated-To effect this we must insert a pretty long extract -It is as follows:

"The pious founders of these churches were warmly attached to the Westminster Confession of Faith, and to the Presbyterian form of ecclesiastical government. To these they had been accustomed from their youth, and deemed them important to the edification of the body of Christ. On these principles they associated; and to sustain this scriptural system, they virtually pledged themselves to one another and to the church of God. They began to form congregations on this plan toward the close of the seventeenth century; and in the year 1704, they seem to have constituted the first judicatory, under the name of the Presbytery of Philadelphia.'

Very soon after these primary organizations, some who had been bred Congregationalists in South Britain, or in NewEngland, acceded to the new body, and

consented to bear the name and act under the order and discipline of Presbyterians. At this early period, the venerable men who founded the Presbyterian Church, though strongly attached, as before stated, to a particular system of faith and order, which it was well understood they wished faithfully to maintain;-had not formally

and publicly adopted any particular Confession of Faith, or ecclesiastical constituunderstood than officially ratified; but tion. They acted under a plan rather which, in the beginning, they seem to have carried into execution with much fraternal harmony. In a few years, however, a degree of discord began to appear. Those who had been bred Presbyterians, were desirous of carrying into effect the system to which they had been accustom. ed in all its extent and strictness; while those who had been educated in Congrewilling to bear the name of Presbyterians, gational principles and habits, though yet wished for many abatements and modifications of Presbyterianism, and were found frequently encroaching on the order of that form of ecclesiastical government. It is due to candour to say, that the Congregational part of the ministers, and those who sided with them, appear to have been more ardent in their piety than the strict Presbyterians. At any rate, it is undoubtedly a fact, that they urged in the judicatories of the Church, with peculiar zeal, their wishes that great care should be exercised respecting the personal piety of candidates for the holy ministry; and that gion should always make a part of trials a close examination on experimental relifor license and ordination. The strict Presbyterians, on the one hand, were zealous for the Westminster Confession of rial order, and Academical learning, in Faith, Catechisms, Directory, Presbytethe preachers of the Gospel; while they appear to have disliked the close examination contended for in regard to personal piety; or, at least, to have disapproved the method in which the examinations were conducted, as being different from any thing to which they had been accustomed in their native country. On the other hand, the brethren congregationally inclined, provided they were satisfied on the score of personal piety, did not set so high a value on human learning, or require so much of it as indispensable in candidates for the holy ministry, as their opponents contended for; but were too ready to make indulgent exceptions, and to give dispensations as to this point, and even in violation of rules to which they had virtually assented. And, in some instances, they proceeded, with indecent haste, and in defiance of order, to license and ordain candidates whose want of suitable qualifications gave great offence to the more regular part of their brethren.

"In 1716, the number of ministers had increased so far, chiefly by emigrations from Europe, that they distributed themselves into four Presbyteries, bearing the names of Philadelphia, New-Castle, Snow-Hill, and Long Island, and erected a Synod under the name of the "Synod of Philadelphia."