REFLECTIONS SUGGESTED ON OCCASION OF THE DEATH

OF A DEAR AND MUCH LAMENTED FRIEND.

Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace.—Luke ii. 29. A pilgrim fainting for the rest to come; its flight to the throne of God! I An exile, anxious for his native home.

long to fly away, come Lord Jesus, HANNAH MORE.

come quickly." Memory derives a "Tis sweet, 'tis soothing to the melancholy pleasure, when reflectmourner's mind, when called to ing on thy holy and devoted life, stand by the dying-bed of much- thy pious and chastened temper, loved friends, to witness such com- feeling assured that thy liberated posedness and tranquillity in the spirit, which was once incarcerated hour of death, yea more, such holy in clay, can never again taste this longings to depart and be with bitter cup of affliction : yes, my Jesus.

friend, thou art now doubtless What but the "glorious gospel uniting with an innumerable comof the blessed God,' can support pany, in “ ascribing glory and and animate the mind at those honour to him that sitteth on the solemn periods ? when the world throne, and to the Lamb for ever." with all its allurements is rapidly Thou didst in thy sojourn here, exreceding from our view, and the perience the deepness of affliction, attenuated thread, which binds us and thy Father's hand was laid to earth, is dissolving for ever :- heavily on thee; but thou art now while weeping friends are silently removed to an infinite distance from watching our last agonies, and with sorrow and disappointment, thy tender solicitude removing the clay- warfare is past, thy sufferings are cold damps which sit upon our ended; but far more, thy glorified forebead. In the midst of all the spirit is for ever released from sin ! sufferings of our now wasted fabric, It is that, which swells in more to feel a holy calm within, and to exalted strains the harps of angelic be enabled peacefully to contem- choirs. O to be emancipated from plate the silent sepulchre, which corruption, to join in singing the must soon open to receive us, evi- praises of the Lamb that was slain, dences a support more than human and to sit down at the marriage

The presence of a Covenant God supper of Jesus, our elder brother! can then alone administer consola. The seraphic Milton beautifully tion, and enable the expiring saint, sets forth the sinless enjoyment of to stretch the wing of faith beyond the beatified saints : the narrow boundaries of time, and to hasten with feelings of lively

Then shall thy saints unmix’d, and from

the impure anticipation that glorious period,

Far separate, circling thy holy mount, wben mortality shall be swallowed Unfeigned hallelujahs to thee sing, up of life, and the now “vile body Hymns of high praise,...... fashioned like unto the glorified body of Jesus.”

The mind is lost when the world Thus supported by the presence endeavours to pourtray the glories of the Saviour, my departed friend, of heaven : but is it not delightful exclaimed in the immediate pros. if we only contrast it with earth, pect of death, “my soul is in haste to reflect, that there we shall no to be gone, I cannot, I would not more be subject to care and vicissistay here. Oh, that the happy hour tude, weariness, fatigue, or dejection would more quickly arrive, when that our spiritual capacity shall my immortal spirit, now imprisoned no longer be clouded or weighed in a body of corruption, shall wing down by the pressure of these vile

at

bodies—that our spirits shall neither “ As those we love decay, we die in part ; tire nor faint in the service of Jesus String after string is severed from the

heart, - but with realizing views, of that Till loosen's life, at last, but breathing blessed land whose distant prospect clay, seems, now by faith, to delight our Without one pang is glad to fall away, eyes; we shall hymn with increas. Unhappy he who latest feels the blow, ing melody the praises of God!

Whose eyes have wept o'er every friend

laid low; Surely there will be degrees of Dragg’d, lingering on from partial death bliss even in heaven; for although to death, every vessel shall be full in the Till dying, all he can resign is breath.” presence of Jesus, yet is it not Like as the Egyptians drew heastated in God's holy word, that vily. their chariot-wheels being one star shall differ from another removed: so, through the pressure star in glory ? and is it not rea

of affliction, the Lord graciously sonable also to conclude, that the

leads his people to become weary child of God who has been privi- of the world, that they may cling leged to lean on the bosom of the

the bosom of the more closely to the cross of Jesus ; Saviour, and to enjoy the frequent,

oy the frequent, and though the wound which infiand the peculiar manifestations of

nite love sees needful to inflict, be his favour while on earth, would too deep for human sympathy to re-echo the praises of that loved heal: vet if it be sanctified to our name in the realms of bliss, with a

souls, and we are thereby led to voice more sweetly and powerfully

think more of that God whose unne who, (though erring wisdom appointed the blow; equally safe) had received the par

we may well adopt the language of don of his sins, like the dying thief, the pious Young, and with feelings but just previous to his admission like him exclaim, into Paradise ? Whether it be so or not, enough is recorded to prove

“ Amid my list of blessings infinite, that there will be a fulness of en

Stand this the foremost, “ that my heart

has bled."" joyment, and this assurance may well excite our warmest desires. And in reference to the departed,

The removal of those friends on who lived and died in the Lord; whose faithfulness, and untiring how should the consideration of affection we were wont to recline, their superior happiness check the is designed by our heavenly Father, mournful sigh! Those dying to teach us some important lessons; strains whose chords yet vibrate and among others, the withering on the survivor's ear, awakening nature of earthly happiness : for all those feelings, around which so prone are we to evil, that we memory still hovers with fond desometimes idolize the gifts of an light, are now exchanged for notes indulgent God, regardless of the unmingled with woe; nor would Almighty and bountiful dispenser, we wish (were it possible) for who thus in mercy casts a veil of one moment, “to constrain the sorrows over those enjoyments, liberated spirit into bonds again.” which had he allowed to remain Rather let the thought of meeting unclouded, would have weaned us our departed friends in glory, and from himself ; and bids the bitter the assurance that ere long, it tears of deeply-wounded feeling to will be our turn to endure the flow in much love to our souls, struggles of dissolving nature, that the disappointments we expe- stimulate us to increased watchrience below, may loosen our hold fulness and prayer in our Christon creature comforts, and beget a ian course : for as we are led to willingness to flee away and be at cultivate communion with Jesus rest,

on earth, and to live very near his

footstool, with a mind deadened to he not participated in the groans the world, and thoughts frequently of humanity, and experienced all exercised on eternal realities; in the agonies which our nature is that proportion will death be dis capable of sustaining (sin excepted), armed of its sting, and appear he would not, perhaps, have been ratber as an angel of light com- touched as he now is with a feeling missioned by the Father of spirits of his people's infirmities; it thereto convey our souls to glory.

fore“ became him, for whom are And in order to promote our all things, in bringing many sons advancement in holiness, let us and daughters to glory, to make constantly cherish all those feelings the captain of their salvation perfect which tend very highly to exalt through sufferings.” the Saviour, in the dignity of his If it be so sweet to think on the person, and in the preciousness love of Jesus below, what shall we of his offices, as Christ Mediator to feel when admitted to his presence his people. May we be led to in glory ? and if we delight to meditate much on his finished sound his praises on earth, how work; and by an appropriating shall we rejoice when our tremulous faith, be enabled to realize in our voice, now checked by frequent happy experience, that he has for sighs, shall be aided by celestial us completed the work wbich the harps; and the feeble accents of eternal Father gave him to do; that redeeming love, be strengthened by nothing shall be able to separate the chorus of the general assembly us from his love, and that although and church of the first-born, whose sin may be permitted to assault us pames are written in heaven. This even till we arrive in glory, it shall is indeed “a consummation denever finally prevail against us ; voutly to be wished.” yet a few more revolving suns, Holy Spirit, attune my heart to and if interested in Jesus, we shall sing the praises of a dear Redeemer, bid a final adieu to sorrow and while I sojourn in this vale of tears : temptation, and become inhabitants enkindle a flame of holy zeal and of those mansions which the dear love in my languid affections : may Redeemer promised to prepare for the fire of devotion burn more all his blood-bougbt family.

brigbtly on the altar of sweet and It is indeed sweet when the mind intimate communion with Jesus; is rightly attuned, to reflect on the that my service below may be love which induced the Saviour to but a prelude to that sublimer leave the realms of glory, and worship above, which admits of no dwell in this our wretched world; interruption; but which will be but more especially that he should perpetuated throughout the ages condescend to assume our nature, of a ceaseless eternity. and tabernacle in clay; Ah! had

Eliza,

A SABBATH HYMN.
From things below to things above, O may I to thy House repair
My God direct my mind!

With seriousness and zeal,
And let me in thy truth and love

And all that I shall utter there, Enduring favour find.

Or hear, apply and feel. And chiefly on this respite-day

And may my converse e'er be void Of toil, thy aid impart,

Of levity or guile, That I may truly praise, and pray And be each passing thought employ'd In singleness of heart:

On holy things the while.
That I may worldly ways forsake, So all I am this day renew,
And, pleased with thine alone,

So keep me in thy love,
Both learn thy gracious will, and make That I may triumph in the view
By grace that will my own.

Of Christ and heaven above! G.

TWELFTH ANNUAL ADDRESS TO THE PARISHIONERS

OF ST. MARY'S KILKENNY.

My dear Friends,-To minister a remarkable proof is afforded to the wants and contribute to the of the uncertainty which attaches instruction of those committed to to all earthly possessions. Raised his care, is both the duty and the to the lofty summit of his expectaprivilege of the Christian minister tions, and gifted with extraordinary

—and if I have in any degree talents about to be called into been instrumental in promoting extraordinary exercise, he was those objects during my long cut down by a sudden stroke, and connexion with you,“ to God bis ashes are now mingled with be all the glory, for from him those of other great men who come all holy desires, all good laboured to entwine their glory counsels, and all just works.” with that of their country....... Although unable from impaired health, to make the exertions The youth of our country have which you might possibly require sustained no common loss in the or expect, I can yet appeal in the death of the Rev. Legh Richmond, sincerity of my heart and say, author of the Dairyman's Daughter, “ Brethren, my heart's desire and the Young Cottager, and the Negro prayer to God for you is, that you Servant. Remembering the gramay be saved :” and “that you cious words of our Redeemer, are, in my heart, to die and live that “ to the poor the Gospel is with you,” as the All-wise Provi. preached,” he felt it a privilege to dence of God may appoint.

write for their peculiar edification, At a moment of deep distress Active and useful in life,.... his and gloomy apprehension, our faith triumphed over every doubt heavenly Father lately “ visited and fear, and he departed in peace, the earth and watered it-covered trusting in the righteousness of that our vallies with corn, crowned the Saviour whom he had so long and year with his goodness,” Psalm so faithfully preached. Ixv. and caused rejoicing on every . Within the circle of our own acside. The mercy was great and quaintance several might be mendemands the thanksgiving of every ' tioned whom we shall see and individual in our land ; but grati- converse with no more, but to tude to God is foreign from the one I wish to call your particular heart of fallen man, and therefore attention—the Rev. James Metge it is that each person should appro. -a man, who, with fidelity “lapriate to himself the prayer of boured among you” as Curate of David, “ Create in me a clean this parish, “and admonished you." heart, O God! and renew a right You“ fully knew his doctrine, spirit within me.”

manner of life, purpose, faith, long During the past year death has suffering, charity, and patience." been strikingly employed in bis 2 Tim. iii. 10.—and his removal work of destruction, the presump- to another sphere of usefulness tive heir to the throne has been gave you pain as well as myself, “ gathered to his fathers,” and in while it deprived you of a zealous the Duke of York the constitution Pastor who watched over you in has lost a firm supporter, the army love, and me of a disinterested, a tried friend, and the widows and faithful and affectionate friend. In orphans of our gallant defenders, á the prime of life-in the midst of kind and generous Protector. laborious christian exertion—at a - In the removal of Mr. Canning, period when the talents and labours

of so devoted a servant of God and may his “ saving health be appear to be more than ordinarily made known among all nations." valuable, he has been removed from At such a crisis the duty of every his wife and ten children, and in professing Christian is plain, to his removal has left a striking com. cleave to the Holy Scriptures-to ment upon the declaration, that read them diligently—to defend “the race is not always to the them against all gainsayersand swift, nor the battle to the strong." to circulate them to the utmost You are called upon to follow his extent of his ability and opportufaith, “considering the end of his nity, persuaded, that in them, and conversation, Jesus Christ, the in them only, can be found the resame yesterday, and to day, and cord of eternal life-that blessed for ever."

record which addresses fallen and The interesting discussion be guilty man, not in the language tween Mr. Pope and Mr. Maguire of terror, but of infinite, undeserved is an important event in the history love ; which tells him, that although of Ireland, and has already pro. he has destroyed himself yet in duced a very extensive inquiry into Jesus Christ is his help to be found; the articles of our most holy faith which presents to him a rich and free May that inquiry proceed until salvation, capable of supplying all every individual in our country shall; his necessities and removing all his from an intimate acquaintance with fears, displaying the “ grace which the Holy Scriptures, be able to reigns through righteousness unto “ give a reason of the hope that is eternal life," not depending upon in him, with meekness and fear.” any thing in man, but upon the

To a believer in divine revelation sure promise of Him, who knowing there is something in the present the perfection and infinite efficacy aspect of the world calculated to of the Saviour's “ obedience unto raise bis expectation of the near death,” twice proclaimed from heaapproach of that day, when “ from ven bis entire approbation of it, in the rising of the sun, even to the the memorable words, “ This is going down of the same, the name my beloved Son in whom I am of the Lord of Hosts shall be great well pleased." That God desires among the Heathen, and in every not the death of a sinner is a declaplace incense shall be offered unto ration made by himself, and conHim, and a pure offering,”—Mal. i. firined by his dealings towards the 11. The times and the seasons of sons of men. The Bible abounds unfulfilled prophecy, are doubtless with numerous and incontestible known only to the Lord, but cer- proofs of the fact, which speak tain it is that the standard of the home to the heart and conscience Cross will yet wave over every of every careless sinner, in lanland-Idolatry, with all its cruelties, guage such as this, “You are impurities, and superstitions, will spending money for that wbich is cease—the restoration of the Jews not bread-you are sporting upon to the long lost favour of the God the brink of an awful eternityof Abraham, will be effected and you are forgetful of your account. in the universal establishment of the ableness--you are standing upon Messiah's kingdom will be brought the grave's brink; and if you delay, to pass what is written, “ There if you hesitate longer, a fearful and shall be one fold and one Shepherd.” overwhelming judgment may come May the beart and the tongue of upon you, the fruit of your own every individual who possesses the unbelief: prepare, prepare to meet Gospel of the grace of God, unite a righteous God!”. O how slow are in offering up the comprehensive we to believe the truth revealed by petition, “ Thy kingdom come;"' infinite love—how slow to profit by MARCH 1828.