Now undistinguish'd, rages all around Coming again to the United States, and finding all tranquil, he felt the absence of the discord in which his spirit delighted. Strongly imbued with the infidelity of the French school, every day sinking deeper into the grossest habits, discarded from the society of the respectable, his restless spirit conceived the dreadful purpose of revolutionizing the public sentiment upon the subject of religion. Under these circumstances he betook himself to the diffusion of his infidel writings. They contain but little argument, save what is borrowed from other authors. Written when bad and long-continued habits had much enfeebled his faculties, they partake in no degree of the nervous character of his political writings. The style is weak; ribaldry is indulged in to a degree that can only be tolerated in the lowest brothel, and absurdities and misrepresentations are so abundant, as to justify the opinion, extensively entertained, that Paine, so far from being competent to discuss the merits of the Bible, had never read ten chapters through, only as he was induced to do it to cavil. This remark is made, not from the spirit of prejudice, but from a conviction that when he was himself, when engaged in a good cause, when appealing to common sense, and not against it, and when his spirit was sustained by common approval, and, what is infinitely better, by his own conscience, and with a spirit unbroken, he was a writer of much power. Even in his infidel writings, he argues against atheism, and professes to believe in God, and says, "I hope for happiness beyond the grave." It is singular that Jews should profess to admire Paine, when no writer treats with so much scurrility the Prophets, and books of the Old Testament, so sacredly esteemed by them. Though much of his effort was directed against these books, scarcely any Rabbi has ever vindicated their lawgiver or their law, merely because of Paine's hostility to Christianity. Nor is it less singular that men who profess atheism, denying the existence of a Supreme Being, and a state of immortality, should so much admire him, when he so explicitly asserts his own contrary belief and hope, as above quoted, and again thus expressed: "Since everything we see below us shows a progression of power, where is the difficulty in supposing that there is at the summit of all things a Being in whom infinity of power unites with infinity of the will? When this simple idea presents itself to our mind, we have the idea of a perfect Being that man calls God." Much has been said respecting Paine's last hours; some asserting that he died recanting his Deism, and others averring the contrary. My object being to state facts, I shall strive to present this subject with all possible caution. It has been represented, and I think with much apparent correctness, that to a female attendant, to whom he had given a copy of his "Age of Reason," he stated his wish that she would destroy the book. The evidence upon which this rests, it is true, is not so very strong; yet, I think nothing sufficient has occurred to place it in much doubt. His death occurring at New-Rochelle, some twenty miles from the city of New-York, and in great obscurity, and extreme wretchedness, has thrown much ambiguity round his last scene. His friends nearly all neglected him, excepting a few who subscribed a small amount each, per week, for his support during his long-continued illness. Dr. Manley, who attended him, and who was with him a little before his death, and who, I believe, is still living in New-York city, has ever maintained a high reputation as a Physician, a medical editor, and a pure-minded man. He states that a short time, perhaps a few hours, before death, Paine continued with his eyes closed, his lips moving, and his whole appearance indicating engagedness in prayer. Knowing Paine's hostility to religion, he cautiously approached his side, to hear, if possible, his expressions. All that he could hear was an occasional ejaculation, such as, “O Lord!" "Christ, have mercy!" These and similar expressions were repeated in such a manner as to induce the Doctor to suppose that he was praying; upon which he said, " Mr. Paine, are you now praying to Christ? Your opinions are so well known to the public, that there will be a general anxiety felt to know whether you retain your scepticism. Do you wish, from your praying to Christ, to have it understood that you recant, or do you wish it known that your opinions are as they have been?" He opened his eyes, looked a moment upon the Doctor, hesitated a few moments, and then said, "I wish to answer no questions on that subject." He again closed his eyes, and continued in the same exercise. Some of his friends have said that he was in the habit of making such ejaculations in the form of swearing, or the habit of profanity; and they were only repeated in his dying moments, when he felt the twinges of his disease. To this it may be replied, that the Doctor, who was present and heard them, and saw his whole action, supposed it was prayer; and certainly his not answering the Doctor, when questioned, avowing steadfastness in his infidelity, is greatly confirmatory of the supposition, when taken in connexion with the fact stated above by the female attendant. That not one of his friends has ever given his dying attestation, is also a confirmation. But it may, perhaps, be asked, "If he repented, why not divulge it to the Doctor?" True, this is a difficulty: still pride of opinion is hard to conquer, and that pride he may have felt. "Habitual evils change not on a sudden, But many days must pass, and many sorrows; Ere virtue can resume the place she lost." My own opinion is, that Paine really prayed. Dr. Manley, with whom I had some personal acquaintance, was, especially, young as he was, a man of much reserve, and felt, as Physicians usually do, the delicacy of his position, and did not press his inquiry, never doubting, however, but Paine was actually engaged in prayer. Some sceptics have censured the seeming bigotry of those who refused him burial in ground owned by a religious society. This subject ought, however, to be understood. There were but one or two burial-places of that character within the compass of several miles: hence, whatever of censure is to rest, must be restricted to only one or two denominations, and perhaps entirely to the Friends. They did refuse him; and when the circumstances are known, perhaps they are not deserving of much blame even from those who respect the memory of the He requested interment in their ground, because of his affinity to their society. They could not acknowledge this; and their regulations were then, probably, more rigid than now. He claimed, in many things, to be in faith with them; and they supposed that to own him in would be to sanction such claims. Much has been said about his being buried in the lone corner of a field. At that time almost every farmer had, in some field, his own ground for family interment; and inan. this way VOL. III.-FOURTH SERIES. M almost every burial-place more public, within the compass of many miles, has had a subsequent existence. About the time that Sir Francis Burdett, orator Hunt, &c., were attempting a revolution in England, out of which grew Burdett's imprisonment, and the execution of Arthur Thistlewood, and others, Cobbett clandestinely exhumed the bones of Paine, and took them to England. They were carried in grand procession through London, and an effort was made to render them available to the Radical party. The effort was a sad failure, and proved at least the truth of one scripture, “A living dog is better than a dead lion." I make the quotation in disparagement only of Cobbett, who with all his sagacity made a blunder so egregious. Paine died in 1809, being seventy-two years of age.-New-York Christian Advocate and Journal. REMARKS ON THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION. (To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.) EVERYTHING Connected with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is at the present time deeply interesting as a means of encouraging effort and expectation. Revivals of religion have existed in the best and purest ages of the Christian church; and Methodism (which our Founder regarded as a work of God) was, in its commencement, but another revival of primitive Christianity, such as characterized the apostolic times. The events of the day of Pentecost have ever been acknowledged as among the most remarkable displays of divine power and mercy that the world has known. Yet, by many this effulgent period of grace and glory, even in its more ordinary and saving operations, is regarded as an event of former times not to be repeated. This is a depressing error, and calculated, wherever it is cherished, to discourage such efforts as God has been pleased to honour by the more abundant outpouring of his Holy Spirit. What was miraculous indeed in the event referred to was temporary, and designed to accomplish a temporary object; but what was moral, spiritual, and essential for the conversion of sinners, the maintenance of true religion, and the extension and establishment of the church and kingdom of Christ in the world, "abideth for ever; " and hence we have been taught to regard the day of Pentecost as the commencement of a series of stupendous movements to bring mankind from a death of sin to a life of righteousness. In the records of that day we have the true model of a revival, and a perpetual demonstration that several of such scenes as have characterized our own age and nation in times of great religious feeling, and which have issued in the conversion of multitudes to the faith of Christ, are strictly in accordance with the New Testament, and are in proof of the effects which may be confidently expected when the Gospel comes fairly in contact with the minds of men. The circumstances under which the disciples met, and the special exercises to which they devoted themselves, brought down the promised blessing from heaven,—a blessing which, in its effects, was felt after the lapse of many centuries, and which will continue till time shall be no more. And while we have for encouragement such facts as are related in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we have an infallible standard to which the church may always appeal, and by which an enlight ened Christianity may judge of the genuineness of the work itself, "whether it be of God, or whether it be of men ;" when many are disposed to confound the work of the Spirit with the mere results of man's efforts, which generally end in fanaticism, disorders, and tumult. If what are termed "revivals of religion," either amongst ourselves or others, are in accordance with the first triumphs of the Gospel, then are they genuine, and should be hailed as the harbingers of those more glorious days of the Son of Man which the church is warranted to expect, when the triumphs of the Gospel shall far exceed anything that has yet been achieved; when the anticipations of holy men shall be realized, and when hope shall find its full fruition in a day of millennial glory, such as the world has never witnessed. In the outpourings of the Holy Spirit which have been vouchsafed to our own churches in this country, the number of the disciples has been multiplied exceedingly; and are not such revivals to be expected now? It is cheering to know that Methodism in the present day is not without its tokens for good. We have not to say, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" His presence is experienced in our assemblies, and the blessings already vouchsafed afford encouragement for united, believing, and persevering prayer. During the last twelve months the Methodist societies in Birmingham have participated, in a great degree, in one of those gracious visitations of divine influence; and while we have as churches nothing wherein to glory, we would, nevertheless, do honour to the grace of God, and declare his doings among the people, and make mention that his name is exalted, and sing unto the Lord, for He hath done excellent things. Shortly after the Conference of 1845, various special religious services were held in both Circuits in this town; and the hope was cherished that God would revive his work amongst us. These services were accompanied with permanent benefit to several persons, who were brought to a saving knowledge of the truth. But it was not before the beginning of the new year that the work became abundant and glorious. From its very commencement, not only were the members of our churches in general revived and cheered with renewed tokens of God's goodness to their souls, when they became as a well-watered garden, and backsliders restored to the joys of his salvation, but multitudes of sinners, from various parts of the town, were brought under the ministry of the word. Prayer was made without ceasing of the church" for its success, that it might spread and prevail; nor was prayer offered in vain. Under the preaching of the Gospel many were pricked in their hearts," and constrained to exclaim, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" when, in not a few instances, 66 "Those who came to mock, remain'd to pray;" and found mercy of the Lord, and have since, with but a few exceptions, given undeniable evidence that "the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation unto every one that believeth." The great majority of these "have given themselves first to God, and then unto us by the will of God," and are now walking in the fear of God, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. The result of this revival, so far as the Birmingham East Circuit is concerned, (which has but partially shared in these "times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,) has been an accession of upwards of three hundred members. The finances of the Circuit have also been proportionally increased, and additional facilities have been afforded for the further extension of the work of God amongst us; and though the fruit of this revival has not been equal to that which has followed other outpourings of the Holy Ghost, we are constrained to say, "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad." And our prayer to God is, in the enjoyment of his presence, and in devotedness to his service, "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children; and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." ALEXANDER BELL. Birmingham East Circuit. ON ROMANTICISM, AND ON THE PRESENT STATE OF BY GUSTAVE MASSON, B.A., UNIVErs. gallic. PART II. (To the Editor of the Wesleyan-Methodist Magazine.) We are now about to oppose light to darkness, truth to error, day to night. Christianity, in extending throughout the world its mild and reviving influence, brought men together, destroyed the barriers which the spirit of caste had raised between the various ranks of society, and fixed for ever the rights and obligations of humanity. Away with fate; away with that stern power which crushes the responsible and moral agent into a mere automaton! The "new commandment " is published: the slave, the gladiator, the woman hear with astonishment, and hail with gratitude, the Gospel-law of love. Christianity is the first element of modern literature, as well as of modern civilization: the second is what Madame de Staël calls "the Germanic spirit." The northern barbarians, in overrunning Europe, and settling upon the ruins of pagan society, introduced into poetry and the fine arts that melancholy, deep, imaginative turn of mind which speaks so eloquently to the soul. Their influence, of course, was not every where the same; nor did the lively, sensual inhabitants of the South receive it in all its power. Italy, for instance, never acted but as a nurse towards literature. The orators and the poets, lyric, epic, and dramatic, of ancient Rome, had been the disciples and copyists of the conquered Greeks: so early as the thirteenth century, after Dante Alighieri had disappeared, we find no traces of nationality in Italian Belles-Lettres. The discovery of the ancient classics; the pride which the descendants of the Ausonians felt in those bright specimens of the wisdom of their ancestors; the influence of theocratic Rome, whose language was Latin; the want of a capital, of a common centre, for Italian learning; the arrival of the Greek refugees flying before the Ottoman conqueror;-all these gave a general impulse towards the attainment of classic lore.* But any diligent inquirer who will study the annals of modern society, must see the influence of the Bible as pre-eminent and all-pervading. The Bible has been the starting-point of the American United States; and the real strength of this still new republic resides, not in its democratic institutions, but in the power of the holy Scriptures. Modern literature owes * Foreign Quarterly Review. |