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again he wept and sobbed.—I may here remark to you, that Bethlin had been complaining for some months. He did not, however, apprehend any thing serious. He had attended to his usual avocations, and had regularly visited the hills with his little flock. The intelligence, therefore, of his sudden seizure was rather unexpected. Yet, I felt that God doeth all things well.

"I had now put on my mountain shoes; my cloak was girded about me; and my cap, that old and faithful companion in sun or showers, wind or rain, was placed over these hoary locks, and fastened by my daughter with an additional strap, to prevent the possibility of losing it from the tempestuousness of the night. Thus prepared, and attended by Larpin, who carried a lantern, not indeed for me to see with, but that they might be able to direct my steps, we proceeded towards the abode of Bethlin.

"The air was extremely chill, and the wind blew loud and high. The rain at intervals descended in torrents, and again a cold sleet beat against us, which made our journey both tedious and difficult. At length, however, through the assistance and protection of a gracious Providence, we reached in safety the cottage in the wood."

Here Ivan paused a few minutes in his narrative. Deep emotion was visible in his countenance. It seemed as if recollection was dwelling on something pleasingly painful - something which had been a foretaste of delight hereafter to be experienced, yet breathing of joys which were to return no more. He resumed :

"We tapped gently at the sick man's door. It was opened by his wife. Good woman! She took my hand, and affectionately clasped it; but to my question, How is Bethlin?' she was unable to reply. Without speaking, she led

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me to his bed-side. He was breathing with difficulty; and I heard from time to time the convulsive gasp, the harbinger of dissolution. Life was ebbing rapidly away; yet all was peace. The sufferer had long walked with God; and though he did not expect like Enoch, that he should not see death, still was that rest which the patriarch had attained without traversing the dreary valley through which he had to pass, displayed before the vision of his faith, and he was enabled to realize the blessedness which awaited him in the paradise of his Redeemer that paradise, he wished no other, whither went his Saviour with the dying thief.

، ، How are you, Bethlin ? after a little while, I inquired. He pressed my hand, which his wife had placed in his; and as soon as the struggles of nature permitted him to speak, he replied, ، Ivan, Ivan! Now is the time of trial; now will my faith be tried. Pray, Ivan, pray. Flesh and spirit are failing before him. O pray, Ivan, pray! Pray that my Lord may sustain me; and that as my day is, so may my strength be.'

"His day, indeed, was closing, and strength was of a truth supplied. Sweet was it to me, and reviving to hear what I then heard. O, Sir, these are moments granted to the survivors by him who removes our brothers and sisters, to point our view with more confidence to that Rock which the storms of temptation may assail-but which they will assail in vain ! I knelt, and prayed: O Lord, maker of all things, judge of all men, with whom are the issues from death, and to whom it belongeth alone to chasten and to save, look, O look upon the sorrows of thy servant Bethlin, my brother! O let him behold the light of thy countenance, as revealed in the face of Jesus. Confirm him; and let his heart be strong. Enable him to

give glory to thee; and, if it be thy will, let him leave behind him a testimony of his hope. Lord Jesus, remember him in this hour. In the afflictions of thy people, art not thou afflicted? And wert thou tempted in all things like as we? Have mercy, then, dear Redeemer, and proclaim thy grace. To thee hath been committed all power in heaven and in earth; let then thy power be known, Rebuke the enemy; and say to death, Be

still that in the mortal strife our brother may tell us, that underneath him are thine everlasting arms.' "Our prayer was granted. Bethlin revived, his mouth was opened, and he showed forth his Redeemer's praise.

"Glory to thee, my blessed Lord,' he said; Glory, glory be to thee. Thou hast made known thy loving kindness, and hast had mercy even on a guilty and polluted wretch like me. Many, many have been my transgressions; and long, long didst thou bear with me, I was a rebel against thy will and law, meriting only to be shut up under chains of darkness, and reserved as a monument of thy righteous indignation to the judg ment of the great day. But thou didst break my bonds, and release me from the captivity of sin and death. Thy blood, O my Re deemer! thy precious, precious blood!'

"Nature seemed here exhaust ed," Ivan continued; " and Bethlin's lips were closed. But his eye, they told me, was brightened as if with a beam from heaven, while a celestial radiance shone upon his countenance. We waited about the bed in expectation that the spirit would soon take its flight. The efforts of the dying man to speak his Saviour's praise were manifest at intervals; and I heard such ejaculations as these Lord, receive me! I have a desire to depart!' O my Saviour, thou art mine, and I am thine!'-' Make

haste; make no long tarrying, O my God!' His partner and myself, and the two lads (for we alone were present) were now kneeling beside the dying saint. Mrs. Duplin was weeping; and who could have refrained? My eyes ran down with tears, and the poor boys sobbed aloud. Robin especially was O my master,' he would cry, my dear master, must I lose you? must I hear no more your kind counsel, nor your friendly advice? O master, master, what will poor Robin do when you are gone?'

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"The dying man heard him; and, calling the boy, he embraced him, and said, 'The Lord will be thy guide. Fear not, my child: he will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I am going to thy Lord, and my Lord; to thy Father, and to mine. And thither, Robin, thou wilt follow me in his appointed time. Forget not, my child, all I have told thee. Remember thy Creator, remember thy Redeemer. Eternity, my child, is at hand; prepare, then, O prepare to meet thy God!'-and he again embraced him.

"The lamp of life was now burning dimly. Every word our dear departed brother uttered appeared to come from the borders of the grave. Faint and more faint his accents reached us-now of praise, and again in prayer. The glories of that country whither he was going were already unfolding to his view; and the spirit, disengaging herself from fleshly ties, was on the wing of everlasting flight.

His wife had now placed herself behind him, and was supporting his head on her knee, moistening his lips from time to time with some fluid which she had procured for the purpose. The final moment had at length arrived. The dying man caught my handindeed I believe it had not been withdrawn from his-and clasping

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it with an energy that surprised me, exclaimed, Ivan, He is coming! my Lord, my Lord is coming! In the clouds of heaven, I see him, with power and great glory! He calls me-I must attend him-and now, vain world, farewell-farewell for ever! Weep not, my friends; ere long you will join me -but, for a little while, farewell.' These were the last words we could collect, though he seemed to be endeavouring for a few minutes longer to utter something; but what he said was to us only an indistinct murmur. He raised his hand, however, as they told me, and waved it over his head as in triumph, until his soul was with her God.

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"He's at rest!' I heard his wife faintly whisper: Ivan, he's at rest.' In few words, I then returned thanks to that God who had sustained him, and given him the victory. We were all, as you may suppose, much affected; but our sorrow was alleviated by the sweetest hope. We wept, indeed; but while the tears fell we were comforted. Our own time was approaching; and we had a calm and delightful confidence, that not many suns would rise and set on the repose of our departed brother, before we also should be partakers of his joy."

Here the venerable narrator stopped to wipe away some tears that had started, as if in remembrance of the friend of whom for a season he had been bereft. He again continued: "But I may here conclude the story. His wife, borne down with infirmities and years, soon after began sensibly to decline; and not many weeks had elapsed ere she was conscious, that she was going to be reunited to him with whom she had passed many peaceful years. I went to visit her. She was in a sweet and expecting frame of mind; suffering

considerably in body, but rejoicing in full assurance. A few days after, it was told me that she was no more: She had expired with the name of her Saviour on her lips. I followed her to the grave; and as I withdrew from the spot where she and her partner lay side by side, I thought of the blessedness of dying in the Lord."

As Ivan closed his affecting narrative, the shades of evening beginning to descend, warned us that we had yet some distance to return to the roof that was to give us shelter for the night. We accordingly knelt in prayer. Our hearts were alike attuned to the hope that was.before us; and we parted from our venerable friend, believing that he would soon remove from earthly intercourse, and that we ourselves should, perhaps at no distant period, join him in his rest. He wept aloud while he embraced my friend; and many and warm were the blessings he prayed might be showered upon his head."Farewell," he said, "my good kind pastor, farewell. I

am old, and sinking beneath the weight of years. O, then, remember Ivan at the throne of grace." We left him. Long he stood on the threshold to which he had accompanied us, with his eyes fixed as if he had been gazing after us. We stopped for an instant as we reached the summit of the hill, which was to shut his little mansion from our view. We beheld his venerable form. His head was uncovered, and the breeze of evening was waving his long white locks. But the curtains of the night were falling. "Farewell, my brother!" exclaimed my companion in a tone that betrayed his emotion: Farewell, Ivan, till I meet thee with thy God;". A moment longer we looked on himthen turned-and saw his face no more!

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R. T.

REVIEW OF BOOKS.

Morning Thoughts, in Prose and Verse, on single Verses in the successive Chapters in the Gospel of St. Matthew. By J. W. Cunningham, M. A. Vicar of Harrow, &c.-Pp. viii. and 114. Hatchard. 1824. Morning Meditations. By the Author of the Retrospect.-Nisbett. Pp. viii. and 200. Morning Communings with God. By C. C. Sturm. Two Vols. Translated by W. Johnstone, A. M.-Pp. viii. 364. and 378. -Baldwin. Daily Bread, or Meditations for every Day in the Year. Edited by T. Williams. Pp. xii. and 564.-Simpkin. The Bible Preacher, or Closet Companion for every Day in the Year. By the late Rev. Henry Foster, A. M. Collected by the Rev. S. Piggott, A. M.-Pp. xxxvi. and 676. The Daily Words and Doctrinal Texts of the Brethren's Congregations for the Year 1825.

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THE Christian world have long been familiarly acquainted with Bogatsky's Golden, and Mason's Spiritual, Treasury, and other similar publications, consisting of a text of Scripture, a meditation on that text, and an appropriate verse of a hymn; and many pious persons have been accustomed to read one of these portions daily in the exercises of the family or the closet. Those who have continued this practice so long as to have become familiar with the contents of the books alluded to, will be happy to find, that they may be gratified with somewhat of novelty without separating very far from their general practice by adopting the volumes of Sturm, of Williams, or of Piggott, whose titles are prefixed to the present article; where, with some variation, they will find a text or a subject proposed to their considerations for each day of the

NOV. 1824.

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year. Those who are not desirous of being thus provided with daily meditations, may find in the productions of Mr. Cunningham and the Author of "The Retrospect,' Morning Thoughts and Meditations of a less restricted nature; while those who desire to maintain a communion with the amiable Society of the United Brethren, will find in their "Daily Words and Doctrinal Texts," two passages of Scripture, accompanied with references to appropriate hymns, which form the subjects of the Moravian meditations in all their various stations throughout the world on each succeeding day of the year; and are designedly prepared and printed so long before-hand as to allow of their being transmitted, prior to the commencement of the year, to their most distant and widely extended settle

ments.

If, however, the question is asked, how far we recommend the adoption of any or of all of these publications, and how far we are admirers of the system thus supported by a series of highly respectable names, we must pause before we can give a specific and a general answer.

We would inquire, how are these different publications used? If the Christian takes any one of these volumes, and after he has perused his daily portion of the word of God either in the closet or the family, reads in addition to that daily portion one or more of these meditations, he may, we

should conceive, generally speaking, derive great benefit from the volumes before us. If, again, the Christian engaged in active life, with little time for reading large and expensive works, gathers up the fragments of his time, and in the intervals of his labour peruses some of these thoughts, meditations, &c. and thus lays up

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While, therefore, we are com

in his mind a subject of contempla- and presumption, as of dejection tion on which he may dwell while and despondency. his hands are engaged in his worldly calling, he will at once derive compelled to speak favourably of the -fort and advantage. But if these general sentiments contained in the communings, thoughts, meditations, books immediately under review, &c. are substituted in the room of we would earnestly protest against -the word of God-if, instead of the their ever being substituted for the good old custom of reading the word of God. That ought to ocBible and engaging in family wor-cupy the first place in the studies ship, the head of each family con- of every Christian; and the less tents himself with reading a medi- time he has to employ in reading, tation of Bogatsky, or Sturm, or the more ought he to confine himCunningham, &c. we are com- self exclusively to this, which is pelled to feel that this is preferring emphatically the 'poor man's book.' human wisdom to Divine, and al- The perusal of a chapter of the lowing the creature to occupy the Bible will occupy very little more place more peculiarly appropriated time than the perusal of one of to the great Creator. these daily portions; but how much more conducive will it be found to general edification! how much more certainly will it produce peace and joy in believing! They sin against their own peace who seek to human teachers, and neglect the Fountain of living waters.

And this we conceive to be a danger with which these publications are necessarily accompanied. They are liable to be used as substitutes for the word of God, rather than as additional subjects of contemplation; and whenever used as substitutes, they will produce an effect widely different from that which their pious authors contemplated; an effect most unfavourable to solid peace and abiding consolation.

Almost the whole class of daily books exhibit a great disproportion between the promises and the warnings, the exhortations and precepts of Scripture; and the compilers of them seem in general to have as little hesitation in separating a promise from its context, and explaining it according to their own peculiar taste, as if such context had no existence. They dwell far too exclusively on consolatory and encouraging passages, and their comments often tend to banish every species of fear and doubt from the mind; their authors seeming to forget that these publications must necessarily fall into the hands of many who may well fear lest a promise being left them of entering into rest, they should at least seem to come short of it, and that in these days of lax and general religious profession, there is quite as much danger of over-confidence

We have often been surprised, that men professing themselves members of the Church of England should entirely lose sight of one of the distinguishing features of that church-the daily and public reading of the word of God. The effect produced by this daily perusal of the Scriptures in the service of the Church at the morning and evening prayers, at which the bulk of the population in former times attended, was incalculable; and however circumstances may have altered, no doubt can be entertained that the regular and serious perusal, in their own closets or families, of the four chapters appointed to be read by all its members would have a powerful tendency to promote pure and undefiled religion in the Establishment,

In this respect the practice of the American Episcopal Church deserves serious attention. The pious and amiable Bishop Chase, on his visit to this country, stated, that the ministers of that church

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