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something which might benefit the living. For this purpose she wished her brothers and sisters to come into the room, that she might give them her dying counsel. They were called, and she addressed each of them separately, substantially, as follows. To her sister older than herself, she said, “ Maria, remember that you must die. While you are young, seek 'an interest in Christ, that you may be prepared to meet God.” To a younger sister she also said, “Olive, remember that you must die. Seek religion while you are young—if you wait till you are older, you may be cut off in the midst of your days, and cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. You are not too young to die-improve the time which you have, while God is waiting to be gracious.” She said to her eldest brother, “ You have been spared longer than the others ; it is important that you embrace religion while you have an opportunity; for should you be called to lie on a bed of death, and be brought to stand before God, you must then hear the dreadful sentence, Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.''

These are only a few of the things which she said to her unconverted brother and sisters; but they furnish a specimen of the manner in which she addressed them. When she uttered these things, her frame was weakened and emaciated, while her voice was broken and faltering. The very circumstance that she uttered these counsels with organs that were soon to be silent in death, gave an interest to what she uttered, which can never be communicated to those who were not witnesses. The Holy Ghost evidently assisted her, and accompanied what she said. She had another brother, who had embraced and professed religion about the same time with herself. To him she said, “ remember that we professed religion about the same time ;-but how have we lived ! Do not in future copy my example any farther than I lived to the glory of God. Continue to serve the Lord, that you may meet death with joy. If you do so, you will be found at the right hand of God, and hear him say to you, 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, enter into the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world.” To her parents she said such things as showed her affection for them, and interest in their welfare. She then wished her father to read the fourteenth chapter of John, and pray with her. It was done as she requested, and the season was deeply solemn and impressive. Afterwards to an intimate friend she said, “Although you have not professed religion, yet you indulge a hope in Christ ; examine yourself, and serve God, that you may, at last, have a crown of glory placed on your head, as I hope to have on mine.” As she had been employed in a factory, many of her female friends, with whom she had associated, came in to see her, and hear her last words. To most of them she said something appropriate; and when she could say no more, she pronounced a most significant and affectionate "Farewell.” When exhausted nature was worn out,'she fell asleep in Jesus. This death produced a mixture of sensations ;-joyful ones, that she had gained a triumph, and entered into rest ;—and painful ones, that she was to be enjoyed no longer on earth.

Her funeral was attended on Thanksgiving day. It was a day of great interest, and will not soon be forgotten. The pastor of the church delivered a discourse, founded on 1 Cor. i. 7. Waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The preacher was solemn, and much in earnest when he urged on all the importance of being ready for the coming of the Son of Man. A dread filled the place, which indicated that God was there. Every soul seemed to be aware that this was no ordinary occasion. In the evening a meeting was attended, which was impressive to all who were present. For the next ten days, there was in our moral atmosphere, such a state of things as, in the natural world, precedes an earthquake, or tremendous storm. It then appeared that the Holy Spirit was hovering over the place in infinite mercy. Every soul was excited, many eyes were made to weep, and many hearts melted before the fire of the Spirit. Since then we have experienced a refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The brother and the two sisters whom our dear departed friend so solemnly and affectionately exhorted to prepare to meet God, have been, with many more, converted to the gospel of Christ. Thus the death of this interesting youth was made, in the providence of God, greatly instrumental in producing the revival of religion which we have enjoyed.

I shall now conclude this brief notice, by suggesting a few thoughts to parents, and to the young. To parents I would say, your children are an important charge. Train them up for God and his cause. The example set before you teaches that we may hope for the conversion of our children sooner than we generally imagine, and that we ought to make early exertions for the attainment of an end so desirable. Let all parents, and especially mothers, discharge this most important duty in the fear of God, and with confidence in him; and in so doing, they may expect their children will be converted in the morning of life. And what parent, who knows the worth of the soul, will neglect any means within his

To the young I wish to offer something for their lasting good. You may, perhaps, think little of your souls; but if so, how unwise is your course! Your souls are worth more than worlds. Young as you may be, your sins are many. Soon you may be called to lie on a bed of death, then where must you go?—you will be lost. In this paper you have an example of one who found great pleasure in religion in childhood, and in health, as well as in death. Would you not prefer that which she enjoyed? You may die in the morning of life as she did I hope you will be ready Dear child, whoever you may be that shall read this, prepare to meet thy God.

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AN ADDRESS DELIVERED MARCH 31, 1830, BEFORE THE SOCIETY

OF INQUIRY RESPECTING MISSIONS IN THE NEW TON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION, AND PUBLISHED AT THEIR REQUEST.

Man, from the cradle to the tomb, is the sport of motive. The child awakes to action at the promise of a bauble; the debauchee by promised scenes of revelry; and the ambitious by the promise of " a name, when the original is dust." But to produce action there must be a congruity between the motive and the character of the mind before which the motive is placed. The scholar cannot be moved by the offer of baubles, nor the child by the promise of fame. In endeavoring, then, to excite lively enotions in the breasts of an audience, the speaker must offer motives to effort, suited to the character of his hearers. And what inducements can be brought before the members of this society, to awaken lively emotions in their breasts? What is the society's object ? Inquiry concerning Missions. Adapted, then, to the object before us, is the following query:

Are there not undiscovered plans yet to be brought into successful operation, to promote the cause of Christ in general, and to excite a more powerful Missionary spirit in particular ?

When we look on the world, almost wholly given up to wickedness; when we contemplate the millions and millions of our fellow creatures, sunk in the debasement of idolatry, worshipping the personifications of their vices; when we consider that the followers of the false prophet rival in numbers, even the nominal disciples of Jesus, that of these nominal disciples, more than half are in the semi-paganism of popery: and then, of the few that charity admits to be disciples in iruth, so large a portion seem to be following, in a great measure, “the course of this world;" when, contemplating these facts, we look on the world, it requires faith, to believe that “all kings shall fall down before the Messiah, Ethiopia stretch out her hands to him—the isles wait for his law," and is all nations call him blessed." And it becomes an interesting inquiry with the Christian, How shall these things be accomplished ? Shall they be accomplished by miracles? The absence of miracles for seventeen centuries, gives us no encouragement to look for any thing from this source. When we turn to the word of God, to gather from it the means by which the church is to be extended, we find these two, and these two only-prayer and preaching. But are we to suppose that nothing more is intended to be done than following the regular routine of our stated prayers, and weekly lectures from the pulpit? Let us look back half a century, and see if the success which has attended the gospel in modern times, has been owing to the pursuit of this monotonous course.

All will readily admit that it has not. If Christians had persisted in the pursuit of the same course for the last fifty years, that they pursued for the fifty years previous, we have every reason to believe that no new results would have followed. And it would yet be doubted, whether the Hottentot wrapped within his kaross the

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germ of an immortal being, or whether his kraal were capable of containing those nameless sensibilities which are felt around the Christian's fireside. The teeming myriads of the valley of the Ganges would still be moving on to endless destruction, in total darkness, without one page of God's word to cast a ray across the gloom, or one watchman to lift the warning voice, and point the expiring sinner to "the Lamb of God.” While the gods of the Pacific, instead of being playthings for our children, would be receiving their oblations of blood ; and the public prints, instead of telling us that the islanders had induced an ungodly sailor to become their religious instructer, might have told us of his being cruelly sacrificed to devils, and then literally devoured by their worshippers.

The success which has attended the gospel of late years, has clearly been connected with an increase of zeal in the prosecution of the ordinary means of grace, and in the devising and executing of new plans to bring men to a knowledge of the truth. God has given in his word general directions in respect to the means he will bless, in the propagation of the gospel ; but concerning the particular means which may be embraced in those general dire:tions, he has left much to be done by way of discovery. God intends that those high capacious powers he has “ folded up in man" should be brought into exercise. He sent forth Adam to till the ground; but, for aught that appears to the contrary, he gave him no particular directions relative to the mode he should pursue. of the present facilities for agriculture, he told hiin nothing; these were left to be the fruit of man's invention. So Christ told his disciples to go into all the world, and preach the gospel; but he told them nothing of tracts, Sabbath schools, Bible classes, and various other means, exceedingly useful in the present age; these he left Christians to devise themselves. But when we view what still remains to be done before the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth, we must be convinced, reasoning from the analogy of past ages, there yet remain new plans of usefulness to be discovered. When we look abroad on the earth and see it lying in wickedness, and turning to the word of God behold it by the eye of faith, “a mountain of holiness ;" and when we consider the inefficiency of the means now in operation to produce this great change ; and remember that the change is to be produced by means, the conclusion is irresistibly urged upon us, that there is a large, unexplored field before the enlightened and enterprising Christian, rich in means to renovate the world.

But this conclusion naturally suggests the inquiry, What course is best adapted to lead to a discovery of these means ?

Let the mind be well persuaded that such undiscovered means exist. Such reflections will naturally arouse the inventive powers of the mind. Columbus was enabled to overcome the numerous difficulties he met with, by his strong confidence that unknown lands existed. Kepler, from observing the analogies that exist in the works of nature, concluded that there must be analogies existing in the planetary motions. This conclusion led him to make those cal

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culations and comparisons, which resulted in the discovery of his famous laws. When Newton observed the motion of falling bodies, he concluded, that because there was motion, there must be a force to produce that motion. And his strong persuasion of the existence of this force, led him to those mental efforts which resulted in the discovery of gravitation. It is surprising how indefatigable men are in their exertions, when fully persuaded that a valuable object is before them. The pearl fisher, though he dive' fifty

. times without bringing up a single pearl, will continue to dive, not from any encouragement he has received in his work, but animated by the belief that there are pearls in the ocean. So, brethren, though we should be continually frustrated in our plans to extend the Redeemer's kingdom, let us not cease to devise others, couraging ourselves by the belief there are successful plans to be brought into operation—that there are pearls in the ocean.

Again, the way to discover new means of usefulness is always found in the vigorous use of the old. Discoveries in religion differ from discoveries in science. When scientific discoveries are made, old views are exploded, and the old methods of pursuing things abandoned. But when useful plans to extend the truth are brought into operation, they ever continue to be useful ; new plans are auxiliaries, and not supplanters of the old. And observation shows, that those who are most energetic in the use of the old, are most successful in devising new. Every minister, then, should be zealously engaged in the cause of tracts, Sabbath schools, education, Missions, &c. if he would aspire after originating new plans to extend the church. And in following successful plans, it is profita

. ble to examine into the principles which made them successful. Such an examination may result in our ascertaining that these successful plans were but particular applications of a more general principle, which we may thus learn to apply. It is too frequently the case, that we follow in the successful steps of others, without ever looking for the principles which gave them success; as the merchant follows on in the use of his Rule of Three, that has led so many to wealth, without a single thought through life, of the principles on which the correctness of that rule depends. Such a course may often lead to prosperity, but never to philosophy.

Of every object we wish to accomplish, it is necessary, if not to “command success," at least to “ deserve it,” that we have definite ideas of the nature of the object we wish to accomplish—of the nature of the material on which we would operate-and of the nature of the instrument best adapted to accomplish our object. Thus, in exciting a Missionary spirit, the great object of this Society, our design is, to induce Christians to aid a benevolent object; the material on which we would operate is the Christian's heart-a heart variably benevolent; and the instrument best fitted to accomplish this object has been found by experiment, to be an individual deeply imbued with the missionary spirit himself. All our plans, then, should have one, or other, or all of these objects in view; either clearly to exhibit the cause of Missions as one in which benevolent persons ought to engage, or to excite benevolent feelings

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