not the least shadow of a doubt, that when I drop this body, my And, O my life of mercies crown She added, with peculiar emphasis, "He will." Whilst her husband was wetting her parched lips, he observed, "she would not be long an inhabitant of this world:" She exclaimed, "There is another and a better world!" He then reminded her of the following sayings of our Lord: "In my Father's house are many mansions; I go to prepare a place for you; where I am, there shall my servants be also. Father, I will that they may behold my glory." She said, "Oh precious words!" Here closed the religious conversations of two kindred souls, who had been affectionately united in the closest bonds for upwards of twenty-two years. The lamp of life became utterly extinct, a little after ten 'clock on the morning of the 25th of March, 1812. Thus, in the short space of ten months, one family has been deprived of three of its most useful and respected members, a mother, and two daughters-in-law. But their surviving relations have the happiness of knowing, that having fought the good fight of faith, they are crowned with victory, and that the fulness of their vast reward shall be an eternity of happiness. JOHN LEECH. MISCELLANEOUS. ON CATECHISING. To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine. Sir, I APPREHEND that one grand reason why so many thousands live and die under a gospel ministry, without ever becoming acquainted with the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, is, their having never been personally instructed in the peculiar doctrines of Christianity. "Train up a child in the way he should go," is a divine precept, to which many in the Christian world pay little or no attention. The good old duty of catechising youth, which, when judiciously attended to, never fails to be productive of the best effects, has been generally neglected in this country during the half, if not the whole of the last century; hence the myriads who make a profession of Christianity, without a thorough knowledge of one gospel doctrine. How little superior, in point of morals and scriptural information, are the great mass of the people among us, to the heathen, to whom we are anxious to convey the good tidings of great joy contained in the sacred Volume! But how, it may be inquired, are the evils complained of to be remedied? Surely not in general by preaching alone, however excellent; for without personal instruction, in some form, the generality of those who hear sermons, learn as little from them as the bulk of those do, who hear lectures on any human science, with the rudiments of which they are wholly unacquained. For instance: how much information would the best lectures on grammar convey, to such hearers as know nothing of the declension of nouns, the conjugation of verbs, or the rules of syntax ?" How many of such hearers would become grammarians? Perhaps one or two in a hundred would be led, by some plain and striking observations contained in such lectures, to study with care and diligence the first principles of the science in question; and so eventually become grammarians. But would any, acquainted with the nature of instruction, venture to say that this would be the case in general? Surely not. But it may be urged, "Christianity is a divine scienco, and therefore is not to be taught like any that are merely human." It certainly is a divine science, and one worthy of God; but it does not follow, that regular instruction, in order to an acquaintance with it, is ordinarily unnecessary. Nay, the very reverse follows; for God, who does nothing in vain, has commanded parents to instruct their children in it; and he gives his people pastors after his own heart, for the express purpose of feeding them with knowledge and understanding. Too many seem to imagine, that hearing sermons supersedes the necessity of personal instruction; but in this they are egregiously mistaken. How few, without being personally instructed, however able and evangelical the ministry may be under which they sit, ever learn the distinguishing doctrines of the gospel! How many thousands are there, who regularly attend the service of the Established Church, in the liturgy of which all the doctrines of Christianity are embodied in the purest and most appropriate language; and yet deny the doctrine of justification by faith, and reject, as fanatical, that of inspiration! With the most glaring inconsistency, they deny the doctrines in particular, for which, in general, they zealously contend. "The Book of Common Prayer, (say they,) contains a summary of scriptural divinity; and we subscribe ex animo to the whole of its contents." Far be it from me to suspect the sincerity of those who use this language. They mean what they say; but prove, at the same time, by their opposition to several doctrines contained in the volume to which they subscribe, that they do not understand its contents. Were not this the case, they would not oppose the doctrine of justification by faith, but on the contrary maintain, "that we are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings.' Nor would they scruple to say, "wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a wholesome doctrine. (Vide Article XI.) Did they understand the doctrines maintained in "The Book of Common Prayer," they would not oppose that of Inspiration; well knowing that it is maintained in the following, and numberless other petitions. "O God, make clean our hearts within us. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us." "Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name." Neither the Methodists, nor any body of Dissenters, maintain the doctrine of justification by faith, and that of the agency of the Holy Spirit, in the work of sanctification, in language more explicit, than that which I have quoted on those subjects. How, then, are we to account for the moral phenomenon, of thousands subscribing to those, together with other doctrines, in the gross, and opposing them in the detail? Such an alarming effect must have an adequate cause; and that cause is no other than the general disuse into which the catechising of children has fallen in the Established Church. Many pious and able clergymen, are exerting themselves to revive that very excellent and necessary mode of instruction; and I trust that God will crown their la bours with abundant success. From the regular discipline to which the Methodists are subject, it might be expected that all their children would be regularly catechised, and otherwise personally instructed. But will it not be found, upon examination, that this is far from being the case at present? So large is the Methodist body, and of course their children so numerous, that the preachers are no more capable of meeting them all weekly, than they are of meeting so often the numerous classes of adults in their connexion. Once a quarter they regularly meet the latter, and speak particularly to every individual. This quarterly visitation of the classes, in addition to the ordinary duties of their office, which many would think sufficient for any ministers, generally occupies about one third of their time. But though regular, personal instruction cannot possibly be given by the preachers to all the children of the Methodists, yet others may be found fit for, and willing to undertake the office of instructing them. Let but some regular and practicable plan be struck out, for the personal, religious instruction of all the children of the Methodists, and persons sufficiently qualified, will doubtless be found to put it in execution. The Conference, I know, is anxious to promote family religion, in all its branches; an essential part of which is, the bringing up of children in the discipline and admonition of the Lord. In the Minutes for 1811, in answer to question 14, excellent directions are given upon the subject. Refering your readers to the answer at large, I shall just observe, that masters of families are directed by it, "to catechise their children once at least every week, and to converse with them individually on the business of religion." Among the short Catechisms which I have lately seen, none appear to me superior to that lately published by Mr. Thomas Wood. It is strictly orthodox, and written in such a plain, easy, and pure style, as to be well suited to families and Sunday Schools. Short as it is, it contains an epitome of the leading doctrines of Christianity. Being sold at three-pence a copy, it is within the reach of the poor in general. From the second edition, I shall transcribe, as a specimen, the fifth section. "ON THE COVENANT OF GRACE. "Q. Has God entered into a new covenant with mankind? "A. Yes; he, of his mere good pleasure, has entered into a covenant of grace with us, Gen. iii. 15. 2 Tim. i. 9. "Q. Why is it called a covenant of grace? "A. Because all the blessings promised in it are God's free gifts to men, Rom. xi. 6. John iii, 16. "Q. By what name was the first covenant called? "A. A covenant of works. "Q. Why is it called a covenant of works? "A. Because works or obedience was the condition of it. Do, and live; sin, and die, Gen. ii. 17. Luke x. 28. "Q. What sort of obedience did it require? "A. Perfect obedience, both in principle and action. "Q. What kind of life was promised on keeping it? "A. The life of the body, and the felicity of the soul for ever. "Q. What was the penalty threatened on breaking it? "A. The death of the body, the separation of the soul from God, and the infliction of eternal misery. "Q. Is the covenant of grace more excellent than the covenant of works? "A. Yes; the first covenant did not allow of a Mediator, admit of repentance, promise forgiveness of sin, give the least encouragement to sincere, though imperfect obedience-all of which the second covenant does. "Q. What are the chief conditions of the covenant of grace? "A. Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ,' Mark i. 15. Acts xx. 21. "Q. What are the benefits we shall receive on repenting and believing? “A. Pardon, holiness, happiness, and heaven." While I highly approve of this section, and, indeed, of the Catechism at large, I shall take the liberty of observing, that the phrase. "give the least encouragement to sincere, though imperfect obedience," does not, I apprehend, convey the idea intended by the author. Had imperfect been put in the place of sincere, and sincere in that of imperfect, the phrase would be proper; but as it now stands, it is not: for though sincerity is a recom mendation of imperfect obedience, yet imperfect obedience does not recommend sincerity.. This trivial alteration, with a few others of no greater consequence, the author will be disposed to make in preparing his useful work, which does him credit, for a third edition. March 6, 1813. AN ACCOUNT OF A NEGRO SALE. Dear Sir, To the Editor of the Methodist Magazine. L. M. As the following very interesting Narrative, giving a description of a Negro sale at Demarara, is very affecting, and may have a tendency to stir up the people of God to pray for the universal abolition of that diabolical traffic, the Slave-trade, I have taken the liberty of transmitting it to you. It appears in a late Magazine, and seems to have been taken from Dr. Pinckard's publication, entitled, "Notes on the West-Indies." If you think it deserving a place in your Miscellany, an early insertion will oblige, Your's respectfully, W. SMITH "A FEW days ago I had the opportunity of being present at a more regular sale or market of slaves than I had seen before; and here I witnessed all the heart-rending distress attendant upon such a scene. I saw numbers of our fellow-beings regularly bartered for gold, and transferred like cattle, or any common merchandise, from one possessor to another. It was a sight which European curiosity had rendered me desirous to behold, although I had anticipated from it only a painful gratification. I may now say, I have seen it! and while nature animates my breast with even the feeblest spark of humanity, I can never forget it! "The poor Africans who were to be sold, were exposed naked, in a large, empty building, like an open barn. Those who came with intention to purchase, minutely inspected them, handled them, made them jump and stamp with their feet, and throw out their arms and their legs; turned them about, looked into their mouths, and according to the usual rules of traffic with respect to cattle, examined them, and made them shew themselves in a variety of ways, to try if they were sound and healthy. All this was as distressful as humiliating, and tended to excite strong aversion and disgust; but a wound still more severe was inflicted on the feelings, by some of the purchasers selecting only such as their judgment led them to prefer, regardless of the bonds of nature and affection. The urgent appeals of friendship and attachment were unheeded-sighs and tears made no impressionand all the imploring looks, and penetrating expressions of grief, were unavailing! Hungry commerce corroded even the golden chains of affection, and sordid interest burst every tie of nature |