pective duties. To fome whom he | by fetting up their own judgments believed pious, but who lived in the above his pofitive commands. neglect of profeffing Chrift open. The probability is, they are genely, he addreffed himself as follows: rally much deceived with themWhat ground you ftand upon felves, in regard to the grounds of come forward and help fupport the their caution in making a profefcaufe of Chrift-I do not fay what fion of religion. And knowing church you shall join to; but be this, the dying man, with his last eftablished in your own minds, that breath wifhed either to bring them you join to a true church of Chrift, to a full compliance with the comand be not afhamed of this glorious mands of Chrift, or give up their caufe." He was deeply fenfible hope. He therefore proceeded to how much fin is committed by urge them by faying, "It is of fome perfons hopefully pious, un- the utmost importance how we der the cloak of prudence and ten- conduct-We must read the fcripderness for the glory of God, and tures, and beg for divine affiftance their own edification. Out of ex- to know our duty-we must be entreme caution, they will often urge gaged. The fubject is not new-I as an excufe for neglecting to pro- have felt its importance these many fefs Chrift publicly, that they are years: But it is my last time with not abfolutely certain that they are you. I have but a little time; Chriftians, and fear if they fhould and I wish to ferve God, and do profefs Chrift before the world, all the good I can, to the souls of they fhould not be able to live up my friends." His defire for doto their profeffions. They will al- ing good was univerfal. The day fo urge the diforderly walk of before he died, he remembered a fome profeffors, and the ftate of black boy in the neighborhood, the church as too corrupt for them and had him called to his bedfide, to join, and the like. Although to give him his laft and dying coun there may be fome truth in all fel. He converfed with all his 'these excuses, yet the real fact too brethren and fifters, begging them often is, that if thofe who make and their children to make hafte them were in a lively ftate of grace, to get an intereft in Chrift. To they would fee, that pofitive cer- his aged parents he expreffed himtainty of one's difcipleship is not, felf in the moft kind and grateful nor ever was the gofpel ground of terms. "My heart is filled with a profeffion-that fears of living gratitude to you for the kind care fhort of a profeffion, imply depen- you took of me when young; for dance on one's felf, more than on your prayers, and the religious edChrift-and that perfect purity inucation you gave me." He feemchurches, is not to be looked for on this fide the grave, and is not neceffary to real edification in communion with Chrift. If the per'fons who make thefe excufes were really as tender of the glory of God as they pretend, it would feem as if their tenderness would lead them to obey him immediately; and not invent reasons for difobedience, and really difhonor him ed to realize that his parents had been the happy means of prepar ing his foul for the grace of God which he afterwards enjoyed, and felt unfpeakable gratitude for their exertion for his fpiritual good.→ In the fame connection of difcourfe, he obferved to his father, "Oh, how often have we took fweet counfel together, in walking to the house of God in company, have longed to be conformed to his will; and now he has enabled me to give up all worldly concerns--my wife, my dear children into his hands, and I am entirely at his difpofal. Oh, you do not know how good the prefence of God is -it is worth every thing elfe : and I am going to enjoy it more perfectly, and to be company for holy angels and glorified fpirits. Though unworthy, Lcannot think but I shall enjoy the prefence of my glorious Redeemer, and fee many of my acquaintance and friends, and praise God through, out an endlefs eternity." At times he feemed to anticipate the delights of heaven, and realize the expreffion of the Apostle, "to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full and enjoying the fabbath in religious worship!*-But now, thefe enjoyments are over. O my dear parents! we muft part-but I beg you would not mourn, for I fhall be but a step before you in the enjoyments of heaven. We fhall foon meet in heaven to part no more." In taking his leave of his wife and children, the fcene was too tender for utterance. After reverting to the conftant care and love he had exercised towards them, he closed by faying," But now I must leave you!.....But I leave you in the hands of a merciful God; a kind Parent, who will never leave you, nor forfake you. Oh, put your trust in him, that you may be prepared for death; for that unknown world to which I am hastening. If you are care-of glory." On a morning just be ful to get an intereft in Chrift, we fhall foon meet in heaven to part no more." He converfed with each of his children prefent, and gave them feverally fuch advice as fuited their ages and circumftances; and which flowed from a heart melted with parental tender-longs to fly away, and be at pernefs, and the importance of their falvation. His frames of mind towards the clofe of life, were often bright and animating, and fometimes tranfporting. To a Chriftian neighbor he obferved, "You fee my fituation, just going, and I am ready and willing. And although I have not lived as I ought, I trust that I have felt a defire for the glory of God! I * It may be remembered, for the encouragement of parental fidelity, that Col. Tracy early became pious, in anfwer to the prayers, inftructions, and examples of his parents. He was a comfort and joy to them in his life and death. He was received into the church in the parish of Newent, in Lisbon, and in procefs of time elected Deacon in the fame, and ferved in this office with his aged father till he died. VOL. IV. No. 12. fore his deccafe, he obferved to his wife, "O my friend, you do not know what I have enjoyed this morning.-I had fuch a fenfe of the employment of the angels and glorified fpirits, that my foul was like a bird in a cage, which fect liberty. It is worth more than all this world. I fhall not ftay here long, for my foul is fo filled with heavenly joy, that this poor emaciated body cannot long contain it. Pray for me, that I may have patience until the breath leaves my body." Expreffions of a fimilar kind fell from him at different times till he was too weak to articulate any thing audibly.--And on the 19th of March, 1803, he died, and we truft was received to the full enjoyment of the inheritance of the faints in light. Perhaps it cannot be more truly faid of any one, than of this good man, that his general deportment was an happy prelude to fuch a death. In his temper he was naturally mild and pleasant, and difNnn fider the madnefs of living fo, as to arm confcience with eternal ftings. But if you have delightfully engaged in fuch a life, be an the moment when all things be- MESSRS. EDITORS OF THE E- THE inclofed numbers are fubmitted to your difpofal for publication, if you fee fit, in the Evangelical Magazine. pofed to promote the felicity of all around him. As a child, a father, a husband, a friend and citizen he acted with fingular propriety, and as a Chriftian was high-imated with the profpect that, at ly esteemed. Without the advantages of a public education he well deferved and he received many to kens of public confidence and refpect in the offices to which he was invited-both in a civil and military line. But in no character did he fo uniformly fhine as that of an humble Chriftian.-He felt the power of religion; and manifefted it, in his daily converfation and on the fabbath. He read the fcriptures daily, and delighted in drawing near to God in family The fabbath was a day prayer. with him, facredly devoted to the ordinances of the fanctuarymeditation, prayer, and praise; and the inftruction of his children and fervants. He was always wounded by that neglect of the duties of holy time, and loofe converfation about worldly business upon the fabbath, in which many profeffors indulge themselves and their families. He had a tendernefs of confcience about every thing in which the glory of God was concerned; and appeared really to make it an object to walk by the word of God. Such a life being the life of the righteous, naturally led to a happy death.And who would not wish to die a death like him? Who would not wifh to anticipate the joys of heaven fo ftrongly as to foar above the terrors of death? Reader, while you confefs the infinite fitnefs and happiness of fuch a life and death, what does confcience teftify concerning your practice? Be fo faithful as to bring the fubject home to your own heart, and fee whether you have chofen God for your portion; and, if not, con By a hearty Friend of the [NO. 1.] On Divine Light. "In thy light fhall we see light." A DAVID. MONG the many images and figures by which the bleffed God is pleafed in his word to reveal his character, and the communicable perfections of his nature, that found in the 84th Pfalm is not the leaft ftriking or fignificant-" God is a Sun." This reprefents the communicable goodness of the Divine nature, and that God is the original and infinite fountain of all being and bleffedness. All the rays of light and knowledge, of comfort and happinefs, diffused through the univerfal fyftem of intelligent creatures, point to God as their eternal, and inexhaustible fource; as the rays of natural light, direct our eyes to the fun in the firmament. We are hence taught, that God is to good men, what the fun by its influences is to the natural world. Who is ignorant of the high importance of the natural fun? This heavenly luminary forms our day, difperfes the gloomy horrors of the night, and sheds fertility, light and joy through every part of our system. Without it all nature would be one frozen mafs; neither life, nor vegetation, nor fruitfulness would ap pear. As the natural fun is the fountain of light-fheds joy and gladnefs through the animal and vege table kingdoms; and causes our earth to teem with all its rich variety of fruits; fo the Sun of Righteoufnefs, the true and eter. nal God is all this, and more than this, in his communications to his people. He imparts fpiritual light to their minds-infufes joy and gladness into their hearts, and renders them fruitful in every branch of goodness. This representation of the character of God, and the munificent and communicative goodnefs of his nature, we find illuftrated, explained and taught by other fimilar paffages of fcripture, which feem to have a direct allufion to this figurative expreffion, "God is a Sun." As in 1 John, i. 5. "This then is the meffage which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Here God is fpoken of, not only as that being who communicates light, but that, light is his very effence, "God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.' "And what follows, fhews us that the fincerity of our religion, and our having communion with God, are eviden. ced, and to be known only by our being affimilated to that character of God, which is here expreffed, and walking in that light, which he gives. "If we fay that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowfhip one with another, and the blood of Jefus Chrift his fon cleanfeth us from all fin." And hence it is that because the children of God are made the fubjects of fpiritual light, by the fpecial communications of divine grace, thence becoming partakers of the divine nature, and transformed into the divine image, that they are so frequently diftinguished by the title of the children of light; it being an expreffion fynonimous with that of, children of God. As in Luke xvi. 8. "The children of this world are in their generation, wifer than the children of light."John xii. 36. "While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be children of light." Ephef. v. 8. "For ye were fometimes darknefs, but now ye are light in the Lord, walk as children of light." And in 1 Thef. v. 4. 5. "But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day-we are not of the night, nor of darkness." With refpect to the divine bounty, or the communicative goodness of God, this is a declaration of the apoftle James, 66 Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither fhadow of turning." God is unwearied in his acts of benevolence. He is unchangeable in the communication of his goodness; as it is the effential property, and unchanging nature of the fun to emit rays, and communicate light and heat. Saith the Pfalmift, "The Lord is my light and my falvation whom fhall I fear With thee is the fountain of life, in thy light fhall In the laft words of David, (2. Sam. xxiii. 3. 4.) we find a re we fee light." As it is by the light of the fun that we fee the fun, as well as discern natural ob-markable prophecy of Chrift, in jects around us, and obtain an idea which the fame glorious character of light itfelf; fo it is by the ma- is afcribed to him. It is a moft elenifeftations God maketh of him- gant defcription of the bleffed effelf by his word and works, and fects of his mediatorial reign and efpecially by the teachings of his government, in applying the faving Spirit, that we difcover the infi- benefits of his redemption to the nite perfections of his glorious children of men." The Spirit of character. It is in God's light the Lord fpake by me, and his we fee his glory, and learn the word was in my tongue. The methods of his grace. It is by God of Ifrael faid, the Rock of the light of his truth, we fee our Ifrael fpake to me. He that rulown characters, and difcern fpirit- eth over men must be juft, rul ual objects. "He that is fpirit- ing in the fear of God. And he aal judgeth all things." And, fur- fhall be as the light of the mornthermore, as the rays emitted from ing, when the fun rifeth, even a the fun, which frike our eyes, morning without clouds as the and difcover to us the fplendid tender grafs fpringing out of the fource from whence they take earth by clear fhining after rain." their flight, are called light; fo we find, in a figurative allufion to this, all the emanations of Deity, all the means by which God difplays the glory of his character, and makes himfelf known in the beauty of his moral perfections, are alfo called light. Jefus Chrift, who is the image of the invifible God-God manifeft in the flesh, the brightnefs of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon-who reveals the Fa ther to men, and is the grand medium of all divine communications of knowledge and grace to our guilty world, is dignified with the fame title, and honored with this appropriate character of the Supreme God. He is exprefsly flyled, "the Sun of Righteoufnefs." In the clofing prophecy of the Old Teftament fcriptures, we read, "Unto you that hear my name, fhall the Sun of Righteoufnefs arife with healing in his wings." This particularly refpects the coming of the great Meffiah, and is defcriptive of his character and offices. The firft words may be render ed fo as to give the true fenfe more clearly. "He who is to rule over men, that is, the Meffiah, is juft, ruling in the fear of God." The words, muft be, in our tranflation, are fupplied by the translators, and are not in the original; and the verb, is, understood in the Hebrew, fhould have been suppliedThus: "He that ruleth, or is to rule, over men is juft. This is evidently a prophecy concerning Chrift, his church and kingdom; and though perhaps it hath a special and ultimate reference to the millennial ftate of the church, in which Chrift is to rule, king of nations, as he is now king of faints, yet what is here afferted concerning the glory of his kingdom, is in a fenfe juft refpecting every preceding period of the Church's profperity; and as it refpects every particular foul, who is, or may be born of God, and made a fubject of his grace, in this and every age of the Church. And what lively and flriking figures compofe this representation of Chrift, and |