fusion, suddenly there did shine, in the very twinkling of an eye, the bright and lightsome counte. nance of God, proclaiming peace, and confirming it with invinci. ble reasons. O what a change was there in a moment! The sil ly soul, that was even now at the brink of the pit, looking for nothing but to be swallowed up, was instantly raised up to heav. en to have fellowship with God in Christ Jesus; and from this day forward my soul was never troubled with such extremity of terrors. There found I the power of religion, the certainty of the word; there was I touched with such a lively sense of a Divinity, and power of a Godhead, in mercy reconciled with man, and with me, in Christ, as I trust my soul shall never forget. Glory, glory, glory be to the joyful Deliverer of my soul out of all adversities, for ever!' "In the midst of these wrestlings with God, he wanted not combats with wicked men also; but the greatness of his inward conflicts made him lightly regard all their outward contradictions. It was no marvel to see Satan stir up his wicked instruments to molest one, who professed himself a dis. quieter of him and his kingdom. Yet this much supported him, that he never had a controversy with any of them but for their sins; and, the Lord assisting him, the power of the word did so beat down their pride, that they were all of them at last brought to an acknowledgment of their evil ways. "But at length, by little and little, the zeal and love of most of that people did fall away; so that his last conflict was, not with the profane, but with the more religious part of his congregation. These men were stuffed with such pride, self-conceit, disdain, and intolerable contempt, that thereby they were carried further from their duty than any of the former; and they, which should have been his greatest comfort, were his great est cross. "Presently hereupon God called him to the government of the churches in Galloway, in the southwest parts of the kingdom, being chosen by the assembly, and presented by the king thereunto. This was done without his privity, or ambitious seeking after it: yea, he was so far from it, that eighteen weeks passed between the king's presentation and his acceptation of the bishopric. 6 In that place he was very careful to advance the gospel, and to adorn his ministry. Concerning the frame of his spirit, thus he writes: My soul is always in my hand, ready to be offered to my God. Where, or what kind of death God hath prepared for me, I know not; but sure I am, there can no evil. death befal him that lives in Christ, nor sudden death to a christian pilgrim, who, with Job, waits every hour for his change. Yea, many a day have I sought it with tears; not out of impatience, distrust, or perturbation, but because I am weary of sin, and fearful to fall into it.' "This faithful servant of God, who had always been faithful and painful in his ministry, when sickness grew daily upon him was no ways deficient in the duty of his ordinary preaching; taking great pains also to per fect his work upon the Revela tion, which he desired greatly to His in. finish before his death. firmity increasing, he was compelled to keep home; yet, as his weakness permitted, he applied himself to revise his writings, and to dispose of his worldly estate, that he might be ready for his passage, which every day he expected. And some ten days before his decease, he manifested to his friends what great contentment he had in his approaching death. "Many repaired to him in his sickness, whom he entertained with most holy and divine conferences, expressing a great willingness to exchange this life for a better; and at last, feeling his strength and spirits to decay, (after he had conceived a most heavenly prayer in the company of those that were by) he desired to go to bed; where, having devoutly commended himself unto Almighty God, he took some quiet rest. After which time he spake not many words, his speech failing, though his memory and understanding were still perfect. And so, about seven o'clock at night, he rendered his soul to God in a most quiet and peaceable manner, Anno Christi 1619." A few brief remarks will close this article. 1. On turning to the account given of Cowper the poet, in your work of 1805, p. 165, I was much struck with the resem. blance, in some particulars, between him and the subject of the present memoir. Not only are the letters, and other writings of the bishop superior to the age in which he lived, but we find him endued with the morbid sensibil. ity of his descendant, his proneness to mental depression, and his susceptibility of religious joy; at one time agitated by terrify. ing apprehensions respecting the future, at another rapturously exulting in the hopes and consolations of the gospel. This state of feeling, which affords some solution of the peculiarities in the religious experience both of the bard and of his pious progenitor, is certainly far less desirable than that sunshine of the soul, that even, tranquil, and serene temper of mind, that "peace of God which passeth all understanding," which may be considered as more properly characterizing the Christian. And yet how infinitely is such a state, with all its gloom, despondency, and terror, even supposing it to be illumined by no alternations of peace, and hope, and joy, to be preferred before a state of re. ligious indifference! The one indicates disease indeed, but the other the torpor of death. The sorrows of the one may be acute, but they terminate at the latest in the grave, and joy, everlasting joy, succeeds; the sorrows of the other commence at the same point, and run parallel with eternity. 2. The account which is given of the good bishop's pastoral labors, while at Perth, as well as of the painful disappointment he experienced with respect to their final effects, is calculated to sug. gest to ministers an useful caution. The cultivation of a devotional spirit is indispensably necessary to the progress, and and even to the preservation of the christian life: yet, whenever devotional exercises come to be made, as they too often are, not only by mere formalists, but by those who affect a superior degree of spirituality, the whole or nearly the whole, of religion, instead of being considered as - preparatory to farther services; when, losing sight of their end, they are used for the sake of the emotions and enjoyments with which they are themselves attend. ed, instead of being employed as the means of filling the heart with all holy and benevolent affections, of subjugating every selfish, worldly, and carnal propensity to the dominion of chrisIN tian principle, and of rousing the soul to active and persevering exertion in the service of God; there is great danger lest we should either contract a degree of susceptibility inconsistent with the ordinary occupations of life; or, as is much more commonly the case, become perfectly insensible to the impressions of religious fear or hope. Indeed, the occurrence of this last mentioned effect is so frequent, as to have led, in certain circles, to the adoption of a very significant phrase to express its nature: persons of this description are said to be "Gospel-hardened." I by no means take it upon me to affirm that this was precisely the case with the bishop's congregation at Perth. At the same time, the rapid succession of public meetings for religious worship (no less than eight occurring in the course of the week) must have interfered with other duties; and the extraordinary degree of excitement which ap. pears to have attended them, could hardly fail to be followed, in the long run, by injurious consequences. Accordingly we find, that at length, by little and little, the zeal and love of most of that people did fall away." 3. Undoubtedly it is the tendency of man to degenerate, even under the most favorable cir. cumstances. Offences come, divisions take place, christian charity languishes. Christian zeal decays, the power of religion evaporates, the form only remains. Still it is an inquiry of the highest moment, what course of proceeding is calculated to accelerate this degeneracy; and whether any measures can be pursued, which the Holy Spirit will be likely to bless, for retarding, perhaps preventing, its downward progress. On this important discussion, I feel myself unqualified to enter at large. There is, however, a passage in bishop Butler's admirable work on the Analogy of Religion, natural and revealed, to which I would direct the attention of your clerical readers, because it appears to me to have a direct bearing on this subject, and to contain most profound and accurate views of human nature. passage to which I allude is the 2d section of the 5th chapter of the first part. I will at present extract only a few sentences, which relate more immediately to the point I have been considering, or rather to one which is strictly analagous. "Habits of the mind," observes the hishop, "are produced by the exertion of inward practical principles, i. e. by carrying them into act, or The * A result something like this is thought to have been experienced in the place where Cowper the poet passed the greater part of his life: the causes which led to it were probably not very dissimi lar. See Christ. Obs. for 1805, p. 168. acting upon them. Nor can those habits be formed by any external course of action, other wise than as it proceeds from these principles," &c. "But going over the theory of virtue in one's thoughts, talking well, and drawing fine pictures of it; this is so far from necessarily or certainly conducing to form an habit of it in him who thus employs himself, that it may harden the mind to a contrary course, and render it gradually more insensible; i. e. form an habit of insensibility to all moral considerations. For, from our very faculty of habits, passive impressions, by being repeated, grow weaker; thoughts, by often passing through the mind, are felt less sensibly." which religious exercises and religious ordinances furnish to the mind, in cultivating habits of purity, self-government, submis. sion to God, zeal for his glory, dependence on his grace, holy exertion, and self-denying activ. ity. By a steady adherence to such a course, through the blessing and grace of his Redeemer, if his emotions should become less lively, or his feelings more obtuse, the graces of the christian character will nevertheless become more strongly marked and more firmly rooted in his soul, and "the fruits of right. eousness" will be more abun dant in his life. MEMOIR OF MR. STEPHEN HAL 4. The drift of these remarks, I hope, will not be misconceived. My object is not to repress de- Ir appears very desirable, that votional feelings, or to restrain a larger portion of religious biodevotional exercises, but, to reg-graphy should be occupied by ulate them; not to damp the sacred fire of religion, but to prevent its unprofitable dissipation. The soul which feels not powerfully the workings of religious affection, has great cause to suspect its safety. But then, let it be remembered, that religious emotion which leads to no prac tical effect; which, though it stirs the affections, does not produce either the anxious correction of what is wrong, nor the earnest pursuit of what is right; is a perilous misapplication of the grace of God. To such a case may be applied that awful saying of our Lord, "From him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath." The Christian's coustant aim and endeavor ought to be, to employ the motives and excitements the lives of pious and exemplary laymen. Though an account of excellent ministers is very instructive, yet several circumstances conduce to render it less generally useful. As they move in a sphere peculiar to themselves, the nature of many of their du ties precludes universal imitation; and their superior attainments and zealous exertions, like the skill of a physician, or the bravery of a soldier, are rather admired and appluad. ed than followed. Even their piety is too frequently regard. ed with a kind of professional reverence only; as the sanctity of a hermit was formerly venerated by the neighboring multitude, who imagined themselves to be under no obligation to conform to his self-denying example. We are therefore particularly pleased when we have an opportunity of exhibiting the lives of those excellent persons who have appeared in the midst of secular engagements: Short indeed was the career of the amiable subject of the following memoir; but he has left behind him a testimony to the power of religion, which will long, and we hope with advantage, be remembered. Mr. S. H. Golding was born of respectable parents, at Bridport, in the year 1784. Almost from his childhood he discovered an ardent thirst after knowledge; and he possessed, in a greater degree than many, the means of gratifying this laudable desire. He enjoyed the advantage of a classical education, and made some proficiency in mathematical studies. After quitting school he devoted himself to the law; but still embraced every opportunity which his professional engagements allowed for acquir. ing general knowledge. Hefrequently rose several hours before day in winter, and pursued his studies with an ardor and perseverance, which enabled him, with a remarkable facility of execution, to accomplish more than most other young persons. Many proofs of his indus try and application remain in his various analyses of works, and several manuscripts, which his relatives possess. But it is not our intention to fill this memoir with an account of the vigor of his understandting, his singular diligence, the extent of his knowledge, or the refinement of his mind and amiableness of his manners. could," to use the words of one of his friends," adduce numer. ،، We ous proofs of the warm affection, tender sensibility, and extreme delicacy of his disposition, and of the integrity, and disinterestedness which distinguished his character. He discovered a conscientious regard to duty in all his transactions, and exemplary and consistent conduct in every relation." But we wish to fix the reader's attention on his unfeigned piety; which, as his life drew nearer to a close, shone forth with increasing and singular lustre. We know not the date of his first serious impressions. A letter which he wrote, in his fourteenth year, on the death of an elder brother, evinces a mind in some degree affected with eternal concerns. But though nothing decisive appeared in his character at this time, or for some following years, yet during this period he exhibited many favorable symptoms of a mind well disposed. He discovered a reverence for sacred things; and he not only attended upon the public means of grace and the secret duties of religion, but frequented those social meetings of prayer which the learned and polite, unless renewed by divine grace, generally regard with disgust and contempt. But though it is impossible to say when that change, without which 66 we cannot see thekingdom of God, " took place in his character, yet it will evidently appear from the subsequent part of this memoir, that he had been drawn by divine influence from a love to worldly, to a superior delight in spiritual objects. He who sees no difference in his past and present experience, has reason to call his religion in question. Yet the al |