pressed in upon his attention with a vigour and an efficacy which divine influence alone could infuse. Here he first began to say, "in the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul." In the course of only a few months his progress was so great, that had the work been cut short there, all who had seen it would have confessed the Heavenly Workman. His friends testify of him at this period, that the bible was his chief delight: with this he occupied himself constantly, and over it he poured out his soul in fervent and frequent supplications for the teaching of that Holy Spirit who first indited the volume, to give him an understanding and application of its contents. And his prayer was not disappointed; Christ was often found of him there."

None can conceive, but those who witnessed, with what holy transport he would tell his friends of a precious Jesus, and of the many parts of scripture which were dear to him, and afforded comfort to his mind. Among, these, the following deserve to be mentioned: Heb. iv. 9, "There remaineth therefore a rest for the people of God," &c:-Heb. iv. 3,

We which have believed do enter into rest," &c.

His disorder, after fluctuating for nine or ten months, rapidly increased in malignity. When it was found that several of the vital organs were impaired, he calmly relinquished the prospect of life, and began to resign himself with that sweet submission to the will of his heavenly father, which would have been honourable to the most experienced Christian, and which excited wonder in all who saw him.Being much alone, he would

sometimes amuse himself by cou mitting his meditations to paper. The following is copied without. alteration from one of his papers, which was accidentally discovered by his mother, though he used the greatest precaution to conceal it:

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Certainly I have great cause to join the Psalmist in praising and blessing God for his wonderful mercy to me a rebellious creature; who,' I trust, "has redeemed my life from destruction, and hath crowned me with loving-kindness and tender mercy." O if he had dealt with me after my sins, and rewarded me according to my iniquities, where must I now have been!" Instead of writing of his mercies toward me, I should have been suffering in hell the just reward of my sins. O the inexpressible love of God; to look upon me an unworthy creature and pass by many thousands more worthy. Come thou Holy Spirit, inspire my heart with love and gratitude to the God of all my mercies, that, while I am thus contemplating, I may be able to pour out my soul in humility."

Lord's Day Morning, May 23.

From the time he penned this, his disorder became much more violent and painful. The effect on his mind, as might be expected from the strain of his meditations, was a deeper and more lively interest in divine things; an eager desire to seize every opportunity of conversation with pious friends, and an increasing removal of his thoughts and affections from all worldly objects.

But the closing scenes of his short and painful days were calculated to display still more fully the riches of the grace of God,

and to shew the stability grace had imparted to his mind under afflictions which equalled a martyrdom. For above three months before his death, his pains rapidly increased, and spreading through his whole frame, filled every part with excruciating agony. His legs contracted till his knees pressed into his chest, and rendered breathing difficult; his head became fixed, and the pain in every limb (he frequently declared) was as if his joints were being wrenched apart. Indeed, so constant were his agonies, that he could obtain, even by the use of the strongest opiates, but few and very interrupted intervals of repose. Yet in all this he sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."- "Not one pain too much," he has often said: "it is for my good and his glory, and soon I shall be released." "I would not now change my place with a prince. It is all well. I bless the Lord for bringing me to this bed of affliction. I don't wish to be raised up again."

Every day now gave fresh cause for astonishment. His body grew weaker, while his sufferings abated nothing of their pungency, but rather increased. His cries night and day became so piercing, that even the neighbours and passengers were afflicted at the sound. Yet in all those painful days and wearisome nights of anguish, which were appointed to him, no one ever witnessed a murmuring word. When some short interval of ease was afford ed, he would burst forth in an exclamation of gratitude, or request to join in prayer or religicus conversation with any friend present.

Every thing now pointed to speedy dissolution. He spoke of it, and anticipated it with the

While the tempest still is high," &c.

Every day now brought him rapidly down the steep descent of death. The intervals in which he could speak were rare, though he continued perfectly sensible. The day before his death, he felt himself near his end, and requested that his mother and all the family might gather once more around his bed. When they were met, he raised his head out of the position in which it had been fixed for many weeks, and repeating the following verse, desired the family to sing it :

"Hark! the voice of love and mercy Sounds aloud from Calvary," &c. With much difficulty and with many tears the family endeavoured to gratify him, when to their astonishment, he exerted his voice, which had been for several days scarcely audible, to such a pitch of sweetness and strength, as made them all feel that these were the rapturous boundings of a spirit on the verge of liberty and heaven. Overwhelmed, yet delighted, their eyes dimmed with tears, yet sparkling with the radiance of hope, they seemed ready to say, "Let us also die with him." He then requested another hymn to be read, to which he was much attached-

triumph of death; while the his countenance presented to the placid smile which spread over eye of his fond, but afflicted parents, the last happy impression of his conscious spirit--dear solace of that painful hour.

The event was improved on, the following Sabbath by a sermon from a text he had selected some days before his death, a passage from which he had derived much comfort early in his affliction. 1 John iv. 10. "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

The History of the Propagation of Christianity among the Heathen since the Reformation.-By the Rev. WILLIAM BROWN, M. D. 2 vols. 8vo. p. p. 1287. Price £1 5s. Brown, Edinburgh; Longman, &c. London. (Continued from page 28.) In the tenth chapter of this interesting work we have an account of the labours of the Edinburgh Missionary Society. It was instituted in 1796, and consists of members of the Esta blishment, and other denomina tions of christians. It first attempted, in conjunction with others, a Mission to the Susoo country, in Africa. This undertaking, by the mysterious providence of God, completely failed. Two of the associates from Glasgow died soon after their arrival in the country; Mr. Russel, from the London Society, shared the same fate; Mr. Greig, an ami

able christian, and an unwearied labourer in the cause of the gos pel, was barbarously murdered by some of the natives whom he had hospitably entertained; and Mr. Brunton, the other Missionary, after suffering much from ill health, left the country, but not before he had compiled and published several things in the Susoo language, in which nothing had ever before been printed.

In 1802, the Edinburgh Society sent out Messrs. Brunton and Paterson, with a view to settle a Mission in Russian Tartary. Having obtained the approbation of the Government, they fixed on the village of Karass as the scene of their future operations. Here they were joined in 1803, by five more labourers, with their families; and in 1805 by four other associates. The most important event which has resulted from this Mission, is the H

translation of the New Testament into Turkish, or the Nogoy Tartar dialect of it, of which 2500 copies have been printed, and are now circulating. Mr. Brunton died in 1813, and since that time, on account of the unsettled state of the country, Karass has been abandoned, and the Mission is likely to be fixed in some other part of the Russian dominions. In the eleventh chapter is a brief narrative of the proceedings of the "Church Missionary Society," established in 1800, by some members of the Church of England Their attempts have been chiefly made in the Susoo country, to which they have sent out several companies of Missionaries; but as they are only yet breaking up the soil, no opportunity has been afforded of recording their success. Happy shall we be, if, by sending the gospel to Africa, Great Britain be enabled to repair, in some gree, the countless injuries inflicted on that degraded country.

In an appendix, Dr. Brown gives an account of some Missions of inferior note; of some persons distinguished by their zeal for the propagation of christianity; and a list of translations of the Holy Scriptures into the languages of Pagan and Moham

medan nations.

We have thus sketched a faint outline of this extensive and important publication. We are aware, that we have given a very inadequate idea to our readers of its interesting contents, but we hope not a few of them will buy and examine it for themselves, that the worthy author may not be a loser by his laudable endea vours to instruct and edify the religious public. Our opinion of the merits of the work on the whole, we have already express

ed, and again beg leave to re turn our hearty thanks to Dr. Brown for the gratification he has afforded us. The style of the work is considerably varied; this has arisen, we presume, from the author's having followed very closely and faithfully, the original documents from which it is compiled. While this may be considered by some as a blemish, we confess we view it as a recommendation; and many of the passages which Dr. Brown has inserted verbatim, are among the most interesting parts of the history. The chief objection to which we consider the performance liable, is its bulk. Two thick octavo volumes present a formidable aspect in this age of trifling and abridgment ;---in which amusement and light reading, instead of solid information, are so greedily pursued. We view the History of Missions," however, as a storehouse of facts

as a treasury of documents which were in danger of perishing, or being forgotten; and to which future generations will refer with confidence and pleasure, when the ephemeral productions of the present dissipated press shall have sunk in everlasting oblivion.

We cannot dismiss the work, which we have so warmly recommended, without laying before the public some reflections that have occurred to us from the facts which it details.

In the History of Missions, we have strong additional evidence of the divine nature of the gospel of Christ. Grotius believed, "if persons were now employed in the conversion of the heathen, in a manner agreeable to the will of our Lord, they would be endued with the power of working miracles."Grotius in Marc, xvi,

17. Events have fully proved the mistaken conjecture of the learned critic, and have shown, that miraculous powers are by no means so necessary to the success of the gospel as has been supposed. In the records of Missions, we have the most sa tisfactory proof that the same effects result from the simple preaching of the gospel, as followed its exhibition by the apostles, when it was accompanied by signs and wonders, and divers gifts of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the cause of conversion has remained the same from the beginning. It was not miracles which turned men from darkness to light at first, it was the word of truth commended to the conscience by the internal operations of the Divine Spirit, which produced such astonishing effects. This was the hand of the Lord' which was with the approved ministers of Christ; this was the mighty engine which silenced the prejudices of Jews, and the reasonings of Gentiles; which confounded the wisdom of the wise, and brought to nothing the understanding of the prudent. It was this instrument, and this influence, which shook the empire of darkness and superstition to its centre, and tumbled into shapeless ruin the fabrics which had been reared and supported by the accumulated wisdom of a thousand generations. By these the world was convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; the high thoughts of the proud and lofty were brought into captivity to Christ; and contemplating their mighty energies and unparalleled results, the apostles exclaimed in the language of holy exultation, "Now thanks be to God, who always causeth us to triumph !" The same gospel

preached by an Elliot, a Swartz, or a Vanderkemp, is found to the present hour, under the same influence, to be the power of God, and the wisdom of God, to pe rishing heathen.

Through the ministry of the apostles, we are told, "that fornicators, and idolaters, and effeminate, and thieves, and cove tous, and drunkards, and revilers, and extortioners, were washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit of our God." 1 Cor. vi. 9---11. The work be fore us records numerous instances of the same effects, produced by the preaching of modern Missionaries. Cupido, a Hottentot, previous to his conversion, was, perhaps, as notorious a sinner as ever was known. He was infamous for swearing, lying, and fighting, but especially for drunkenness, which often laid him on

sick-bed. On these occasions, he often resolved to lead a sober life; but no sooner did health return, than he was again led captive by it. Sometimes he was afraid that his wickedness would prove the ruin of his soul, and enquired of all he met, by what means he might be delivered from drunkenness.

Some advis

ed one thing, and some another, but all in vain. At last he heard the gospel, when he at once said,

That is what I want,---that is what I want.' Hearing more of it, he was obliged to exclaim, This is not of men, but of God." This man afterwards used to recommend Christ Jesus as the only saviour from sin, who could destroy it, both root and branch, as he could testify from his own experience."

6

We are now,' said the Namaqua converts, in a far happier condition than we were be