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comitant with great genius; that the most splendid talents can by no means ensure happiness to their possessors; and that on the other haud, when degraded by criminal indulgence they add to the weight of guilt and misery. It is with the greatest concern I contemplate his exit off the stage of life. With a mind that knew no bounds, that could call up images from every part of the creation, and give permanency to the most delicate sensations, he fell a prey to the most destructive of vices, a lamentable instance of human depravity.

"When we consider the native greatness of Burns's soul, the brilliancy of his wit, and the exuberance of his imagination; that awful deference which super-eminence never fails to excite, commands us to tread lightly on his ashes, and to throw the cloak of charity over those frailties which we ourselves with difficulty avoid. If we have but right views of ourselves, and of human nature, it will greatly weaken the malignancy of Our censures. The triumph of criticism. will give way to tears of humiliation, and before we exult over the weakness of a fellow-creature, we shall try and prove our own ways, that they be right in the presence of the Most High.. "W. T."

At the beginning of the year 1814, his attention was directed almost exclusively to an advancement in those branches of knowledge which would be of use to him in his occupation: amongst these studies, mensuration, algebra, and some other parts of the mathematics, appear to have occupied most of his time, when not engaged in teaching; and he wrote but few letters during this year.

The papers which he left behind him afford abundant proofs of his industry; he made copious extracts from many authors, and wrote much to facilitate his acquirement of several branches of knowledge. Besides French and Latin, the study of which he still continued, he paid some attention to the Greek and Hebrew. languages. Though possessing a taste for poetry, and able to appreciate its beauties, he made but few attempts at poetical composition, and these were chiefly confined to some stanzas on religious subjects, and a few acrostics on the names of some of his friends, which, though not devoid of ingenuity, possess nothing very remarkable.

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To J. A.

Penketh, 21st January, 1814.

"Amongst all my benefactors, there is none of whom the recollection excites more grateful emotions than thyself: there are, it is true, who have more largely contributed to my temporal necessities; but who has cared more for my spiritual wants than thou hast? It was under thy example and encouragement that my most permanent religious impressions were made. Thou wilt remember some of the conversations we had, when peace, heavenly peace, was our covering: Oh! what a foretaste of heaven did I enjoy in those blissful moments! It was then that I received those sublime views of christianity, and those deep convictions of my own innate depravity, which no words can express, except to those that have passed through the same.

"Since that time the allurements of sensual pleasures, the effects of novelty, or an unguarded

intercourse with the world, have often conspired to relax my diligence, and to obscure the brightness of the manifestation; yet it bursts forth again with meteoric biaze, and at intervals I have felt the full force of my first impressions. May I not hope that the same mercy will ever be extended, and that my last end, unlike the unrighteous man's, will be better than my first? I have lately been led to make more particular enquiry into my case, from the consideration of the state of a backslider, who was once a classleader. He is unhappy, and has lost much of the power to discriminate between good and evil. When we carry our disobedience so far, as to abuse even infinite mercy, God punishes us with the most dreadful of all punishments, viz. a want of moral perception. So long as we can discriminate between right and wrong, there is at least a probability of our choosing the right; but where this is extinguished, what darkness must pervade the mind; yea, a thick darkness which may be felt!' May we walk in the light,' while it is vouchsafed us, and so become children of the light!'

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February 4th, 1814. Religion still appears to me (as I hope it ever will) the most awful and important subject that can come under our investigation; it is often consolatory to my feelings to reflect, that as we are both in some measure impressed with this, our friendship rests on a permanent, unshaken basis, and is cemented together with an indissoluble bond. Oh! my dear friend, how ought

we to prize that light which God has graciously given us! I fear we too often forget, that we are favoured above many others; favoured with that, which the riches of the east cannot purchase, viz. a discovery of our own lost states, and the unspeakable riches and fulness in Christ Jesus. The calls on us for gratitude and obedience, are loud and piercing; if we do but get our deaf ears unstopped, every object in nature has a voice; every thing proclaims, that the fashion of this world passeth away, and that the time is swiftly approaching, when we must stand before angels and men, to be judged for the deeds done in the body. Under such circumstances as these, is it a small privilege that we are awakened to a sense of our state; are enabled to discern the nature and effects of sin in its various forms; and to see that all is vanity, but serving God in true humility of heart? We cannot be too thankful, too earnest, too obedient. Let us work while it is called to-day, remembering that the whole world lieth in wickedness:' let us o assimilate -ourselves to the corruptions thereof. I believe, were we to devote our whole selves to God, we should indeed be as shining lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. The odour of a righteous man's conversation will diffuse itself around, and will more or less influence the most profligate characters. There is one thing, which above all I think is the most detrimental to the interests of religion-1 mean inconsistency. With this I have often sorrowful cause to reproach myself. To appear at some times rigidly serious in our words and looks, and at others, to join in acts of folly, with wicked and worldly minded people, may disgrace, but can never adorn, the religion of the holy Jesus.

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"I have thought how little we avail ourselves of the gracious promise, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you." O my friend! what are we doing, that we do not get delivered from those evil passions and sinful propensities, which burthen our minds, and hinder us from lying down in peace, day by day? The blessed invitation is gone forth, and yet we neglect to ask for such things as we immediately stand in need of. Does our faith want renewing, our doubts removing, our hopes strengthening? Do we want an increase of the heavenly virtues, charity, patience, chastity, brotherly kindness? Behold the Great Master stands ready to confer all these blessings. In the days of his flesh, he went about seeking objects of mercy, and healing those who had no power to heal themselves; and it is yet his delight to shew forth his great power and loving kindness, by healing the spiritually diseased, and by bringing such as are enthralled in the bondage of sin, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Seeing then, that there is bread enough in our Father's house, let us no longer delay to return, and, with all humility, cast ourselves before a throne of grace. If we abhor ourselves as in dust and ashes, we shall find acceptance; for God is ever ready to receive, with open arms, the repentant sinner.

"Since the 14th year of my age, when it pleased infinite mercy to visit me with some divine visitations, I have often been favoured to see the exceeding beauty of holiness. Religion, as appearing in the person and character of Jesus Christ, has seemed to me, at times, a system full of the most resplendent beauties. Who can look on the sublime and unparalleled virtues, which

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