judicious, gentle, and unremitting attentions of his Christian spouse, who in understanding, in chastened affection, and in mature, devoted, noiseless piety, was indeed a "help meet" to her husband. She has followed him to the world of spirits.

Not long after the publication of the Sermons on " True Godliness," the health of their author began to fail under the pressure of his multiplied labours, and although he had projected other works, he was unable to complete them. He however continued to labour on. "I do not expect to live long," he would sometimes say to his intimate friends, “and I must work while it is to-day." In the year 1824, he suffered from an attack of inflammation of the lungs, from which he did not recover for many months. This, as was supposed, set up a disease of the heart, which continued to make gradual progress until it accomplished its work of death. In 1829 and '30 he made a visit to Europe, from which he returned with some mitigation of disease, though no permanent advantage resulted. In Scotland, and Ireland, he was gratified by meeting with several very dear relatives, and in receiving the attentions of many distinguished individuals, and public bodies, and while there he continued to labour in the public service of the Church, to the full extent of his physical powers. On his return home, he resumed the discharge of his ordinary parochial duties, though they were evidently beyond his strength. And sometimes when his friends would remonstrate with him, on the injury he was doing to his health, he would reply, "I wish to die with the harness on." In the beginning of the year 1833, the congregation, whose attachments to him had remained firm and unabated through the revolutions of more than thirty years, called the writer of this sketch to his assistance in the ministry. This event, to a very great degree, removed his anxieties for the welfare of his flock, and soothed his heart, as his last moments were approaching. After its consummation, he seemed to withdraw himself almost entirely from the world, and to give his energies to the work of immediate preparation for death. Within three months of this event, he preached his last pulpit discourse from the text "to die is gain." It was a picture of his own mental exercises, and full of his ordinary power. Once only after this he addressed his congregation in public. It was at the Communion, and within two months of his death. Rising to serve a table, he took, as the theme of his remarks, the "Tree of life," and while the audience was listening with breathless attention to his words of faith and love, he concluded abruptly, with the declaration-" But I feel that my labours in the sanctuary below are about to close. I shall soon go away, to eat of the fruit of the Tree of life,' which is in the midst of the Paradise above!" After this period, Dr. M'Leod remained in retirement; and though he suffered much, he had intervals of calm enjoyment in his own meditations, and in edifying discourses with others. His conversation was in

heaven. He was literally delivered from the fear of death, and contemplated its approach with joy. From his knowledge of the usual operation of the disease under which he was labouring, he anticipated a sudden departure. To him who now records the fact, he said, after a lengthened conversation on the subject, "You need not be surprised at any time when you leave me, to find me gone when you return." But he added, with a look of heavenly serenity and joy never to be forgotten, "Be not unduly moved, by the grace of our God I am ready for the change. They speak of the grave as the gate of death, but I call it the gate of life-and I know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, I have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens !"

The closing scene at length arrived. It was the morning of the Sabbath. The writer was preparing for the pulpit in retirement. A request came from the dying father, that the household should be collected, and once more go to the throne of grace together. The writer led in the exercises; the twenty-third of the Psalms of inspiration was sung, and the departing saint joined in it with an audible voice. When the prayer was ended, he turned himself in the bed, fixed his eyes on each individual in the room, and then lifting up his hands, with distinct utterance, pronounced the apostolic benediction. The family having retired, he said to his wife beside him, "It is the Sabbath, and I am at peace." In less than two hours his spirit had calmly departed to the rest of heaven. He had gone to realize what he describes in the last of his sermons on "True Godliness." "Personal religion was perfect!"

While the writer was in the pulpit conducting the devotions of the sanctuary, as God was pleased to help him, the service was interrupted by the mournful announcement that the father and pastor was gone. The voice of weeping, not to be restrained, filled the house of prayer. The people were soon dismissed to their homes, and the voice of the dead, with far more power than that of the living pastor, continued to preach to many sorrowing hearts that Sabbath day.

Dr. M'Leod died on the 17th of February, 1833, in the fifty-eighth year of his age, and thirty-fourth of his ministry.

We had not intended, when we commenced this essay, to write a life of Dr. M'Leod, nor have we done so. An old and intimate friend of the deceased, entirely competent to the task, has already done that work, and it will be submitted to the public eye in due season. Our simple purpose has been to illustrate the principle of our introductory observations to show that Dr. Alexander M'Leod has stamped his own character upon his "Discourses on the Life and Power of True Godliness."

LUKE ii. 10.-I bring you good tidings of great joy.

THE pleasure which a great and good mind always takes in the contemplation of what is extensively beneficial, will account for the interest which the holy angels feel in the work of redemption. Those mighty agents, guided by vast intelligence in all their acts, are indeed commanded by the Lord to serve him in his government; but, so far from feeling duty a burden are they in ministering to elect men, that they take care to demonstrate their own joy, in every step of the progress of the sinner's salvation. The loss of members, which the celestial society snstained by the fall of rebel angels, is made up by the introduction of redeemed men into their high fellowship; and in this they rejoice: But, the superior developement, which is made in the covenant of grace, of the Persons and the perfections of the Godhead; and the superior felicity which is consequently diffused through the intelligent creation, principally account for the angelic ecstasy which accompanied the delivery of the evangelical message announced in my text.

On the night of Christ's nativity, a messenger, probably Gabriel, is sent from heaven to inform the shepherds of Bethlehem of the event which had just come to pass in the city of David. These men had succeeded to the occupation of the son of Jesse, and, after many ages had passed away, occu

pied the same fields of the wood, which oft had echoed the tones of his harp, before he was called from private life to superintend the concerns of an empire. If they partook of his spirit, they thought, like him, of the promise made unto the fathers. That promise is now accomplished; and fear came upon them when the ethereal messenger stands before them. A circle of light of undescribable splendour surrounded the humble pastors, while the Angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.

He proceeded to deliver his message. He assured them, that the Messiah of the prophets, the Saviour of sinners, the Anointed of the Lord, was actually born of a woman in Bethlehem-Judah; and he minutely described the condition in which the shepherds should find him. Upon communicating these tidings, he was suddenly joined with a multitude of the heavenly host; and the astonished shepherds beheld them, in the light of the glory of the Lord which shone around them, and distinctly heard them singing, with inimitable melody, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men.

Glory to God in heaven, and peace to men on the earth, are two distinct objects of consideration. They did appear irreconcileable; but they are made to unite harmoniously in one principle, now clearly exhibited in the incarnation of the Son of God-Good will towards men. In this union, every good mind will rejoice.

May we, brethren, following the example of the shepherds, after the angels were gone away from them into heaven, say one to another, "Let us now go and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." We too shall find, that the gospel of Christ is, what the text affirms it to be, glad tidings of great joy.

The mere fact, of the humble birth of the Son of man in Bethlehem, irrespective of the design of his appearance, would not, it is true, prove an occasion of such joy to all people: it is the appearance of Messiah according to the purpose and the promise of God, and the certainty of his accomplishing the work given to him to do, that laid the foundation of the hope of man and the joy of angels. It is on this account, the celestial minister called his message to men, "good tidings;" and it is on this account, that we still call the Christian religion, by its familiar name, the Gospel. Admitting then as truth, without any additional proof, what the angel said to the shepherds, That Christianity is indeed good

news, let us illustrate the assertion by a review of its peculiar advantages. We who now preach this gospel have particular facilities for such illustration. Not only do we know that Christ came into the world; but, we also know, that he lived to obey and magnify the law in our room; that he suffered unto death to satisfy divine justice for our sins; that he arose from the dead, and ascended to the right hand of God to administer the blessings of redemption to his covenant seed and that he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him.

I proceed, then, to lay before you, with all the distinctness of which I am capable,

THE PECULIAR EXCELLENCES OF THE GOSPEL.

In announcing my design, I feel myself compelled, in order to prevent undue expectation on the part of my audience, to explain the sense in which I use the terms employed in the proposition.

*

Gospel, from the German Got-spell, signifies a good word, and corresponds precisely with the original expression in the New Testament, literally rendered, as in the text, good tidings. It is the word of Christ in the revelation of his grace: It is Christianity itself, very justly, as well as emphatically, called Evangelical Religion.

The peculiar excellences of evangelical religion are those good things, which belong exclusively to Christianity; and which also are superior in value to any thing which appertains to any other system of religion whatsoever. Every religion, however mischievous in its tendency, and false in its principal doctrines, holds up to view some good things in common with divine revelation. The Jew, the Pagan, the Mahometan, the Deist, and the Heretic who bears the Christian name, may each consistently preach and write many sound sentiments, recommend general morality, and urge the necessity of preparation for a world to come. Any of these. may, consistently with his own religion, descant with fervour and with eloquence, though not evangelically, yet in terms resembling sermons from the Christian pulpit, upon the importance of devotion, of penitence, of self-denial, and of benevolence, and so display distinguished talents and erudition. True religion has, nevertheless, its own characteristics.

Evayyedov, in old English, Evangel, or Evangely. The verb evayysdigopal employed by the angel to the shepherds, I evangelize, is very correctly rendered, I bring you good tidings-I preach the gospel.