guilt of the wicked are very unequal, President Appleton proceeds in the following very solcinn strain: We are, by no means, however, hence to conclude, that there will be but a small difference between the lowest saint, and the least guilty sinner. This difference is represented by a gulph, wide and impassable. The reasons are obvious; 1st, there is an essential difference of character. The righteous man has that, though in a very imperfect degree, which the wicked man has not. He has a real afectio for the divine moral character. Holiness is the predominating principle in his heart. Of this nothing is possessed by the wicked. But, 2ndly, the one is treated with mercy, according to the liberal constitution of the Gospel, the other, having rejected the terms of mercy, receives no award but that of justice. "We are now to consider more particularly what is asserted in the text; i, e. the difference between the end of the right eous and that of the wicked. The wicked as driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous hath hope in his death. "The reason, why the subject has the strongest claims on our attention, is, not ouly that we must all die: but must die in one of the characters, here mentioned. "1. The wicked is driven away in his pickedness. The last words, in his wickedness, inform us, that the sinner's guilt is uncancelled. The whole account stands without abatement. There are the sins of his youth, and of his riper years; the sins, which originated in strong passion or sidden temptation, and those, which were committed with presumptuous deliberation; sins, which, on retrospection, gave alarm to his conscience, and those, which he thought so trifling, as to give his Creator no offence;-some, which are now fresh in his recollection, and many, which through distance of time, or other cireumstances, have long since escaped his memory. In the long account, may be enumerated the iniquities of the tongue, slander, rash speaking, profaneness, or violation of truth;--the iniquities of the heart, such as impious discontent, and insubordination to the righteous dispensations of God; emotions of envy, prie, eruelty and revenge, towards his fellow men, whose happiness he was bound to consult. "The whole series reaches from the first dawning of reason, the commencement of moral agency, to the day of his death, The amount has been enlargag through every successive period of VOL. IX. life. Under the guilt of all these sins, and in possession of that temper, in the exercise of which they were committed, he is called to his final reckoning. "This leads us very clearly to perceive the appos iteness and force of another term used in the text; "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness." He dies with reluctance; perhaps with terror and agony. Unwilling to abandon a world, which has been the scene of his activity, and of all his enjoyments, he is terrified at the righteous character of his Judge, and at the purity of that law, by which he must be tried. To what part of the universe can the impenitent, in the hour of death, look for consolation? On the earth he is forbid to renain. The powers of medicine, the influence of friends, their passionate lamentations, and even the ardent intercession of Christians, cannot avail to retard death for a single hour. Clothed in terror, it is seen to advance with steady, unbroken steps. The plaints of the victim produce neither delay nor commisseration. "Now, if the sinner is driven away in his iniquity,if his hold on earth is forcibly broken,-if all his enjoyments vanish,-if all his plans of business, of pleasure, of clevation, are disconcerted, if he is no more to have any portion in the things, which are done under the sun, from what part of God's vast dominion can he expect relief? On what object can be fix his thoughts with complacency? Shall he direct his eyes to heaven, and behold Jesus sitting at the right hand of God? Shall he contemplate angels swift to execute the commands of the divine Sovereign; or the spirits of just men made perfect, who are redeemed from the earth out of all nations and kindreds and tongues? These splendid and sublime objects he may indeed contemplate; but the view, far from alleviating, augments his anxiety. These objects he never viewed with affection or desire;-they are objects, to which the pleasures of sin, however unsatisfactory and evanescent, were cordially preferred. That solemn view, which he now has of them, serves only to convince him how utterly unqualified he is for their enjoyment. As he did not choose them in health, so neither does he choose them in the view of death. To his taste, impure and unrenewed, there is, in the Christian paradise, nothing, which can afford pleasure. A man, overtaken by a tempest, might be glad to take refuge for an hour in a sordid cottage, though his heart would sink within him, at the thought of its becoming his permanent abode. So the sinner may, on his dying bed, consider heaven, with an aversion, somewhat less than the 53 have been pious and enlightened Christians, is justly considered an important mark of its truth. To deny the doctrine is to charge the great body of the pious and learned in the Christian Church, with teaching a gross error con cerning the nature of Jehovah himself for a fundamental truth; it is to charge them with con LI. tinual idolatry; and consequent ly it is to consign them to perdition. It also implies, that God has left the great body of Christ's followers, from age to age, not only to err, on an important point, but also to exclude from their communion all who adhered to the truth respecting it. H. S. REVIEWS. The Art of Writing, reduced to a plain and easy system, on a plan entirely new; in seven books. By JOHN JENKINS, Writing Master. Revised, enlarged, and improved Book I. Containing a plain, easy, and familiar Introduction, which may be considered as a Gram mar to the Art. Cambridge, printed for the Author. 1813. WE consider it as a point established beyond all contradiction and all doubt, that the method of teaching the art of writing, invented, and now published, by Mr. Jenkins, is incomparably superior to any other known in this country, and, probably, in any country, and promises to be of incalculable utility to the public. It might be deemed a satisfacto. ry proof of this position, and a sufficient recommendation of this system of penmanship, for us to say,in general, that it is published "under the patronage of the Legislature of Massachusetts, of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of many gentlemen of distinguished literary talents." But on a subject of such deep interest to the literaey, mercantile, and religious community, and to men in all situations, we would not content ourselves with this general observation. In addition to our own examination of the system, which has resulted in the fullest persuasion, that it deserves and will ultimately receive the universal and grateful attention of this nation, we can, with pleasure, adduce the testimony of others; not of men, whose ignorance and weakness would inval. idate their testimony; nor of men, by their learning and sagacity qualified to judge, yet undertaking to judge without inquiry. The testimony we adduce is the testimony of men, whose talents and erudition will not be called in question,-men, who hold the highest offices in Church and State, and who have given the system, here recommended, a serious, long, and careful examination, and have seen it in more or less instances reduced to practice. The testimony in favor of Jenkins's Art of Writing is as completely satisfactory, as it could be, if all the legislators, and magistrates, and clergy in our country, and all the presidents and professors of our colleges, and all the precep tors of academies and teachers of schools, and all other men of any consideration, should, after faithful examination, unite in declaring, that it is clearly and ultogether superior to every other system, and is calculated to be useful, beyond all computation, to the present and succeeding gener ations. Our limits will only permit us to exhibit a specimen or two of the testimonics above alluded to. We begin with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, whose Committee report, "that having examined the principles upon which Mr. Jenkins has established his system of writing, and the method he proposes to make use of in teaching this useful art, they find, that he was the first, who, in this country, published a regular and systematic treatise upon it, and that in whatever view they consider the subject, his plan is the most eligible that has yet come within their observation, and that it is important to the interest of school education, that Mr. Jenkins's plan should be universally adopted, as the best system extant." The late Dr. Rush of Philadelphia, Drs. Danforth and Warren of Boston, and other distinguished physicians, recommend Jenkins's Art of Writing as preferable to any other with respect to its influence upon health. It is also recommended, as an improvement in penmanship, preferable to any thing of the kind, and as worthy the attention of heads of families, and all who are concerned in the education of children and the management of schools, by Governor Hancock, President Willard, Drs. Stillman, Morse, Austin, Porter, and Parish-Drs Stiles and Dwight, Presidents of Yale College-and others, too many to be enumer ated, equally deserving of public regard. The advantage of this work, in point of expense, has not been overlooked. According to a calculation made by the Rev. Bishop Moore, the Hon. William S. Johnson, L. L. D and many other very respectable gentlemen, there is a saving of expense, to each scholar, in acquiring the art of writing according to Jenkins's system, of at least $100, making probably an aggregate saving to the inhabitants of this Commonwealth, of $4,000,000 in three years. The Rev. Perez Fobes, L. L. D., the Hon. Joseph Moffett, and the Rev. Charles Stearns, D. D. state, as their opinion, that a complete set of Jenkins's books on penmanship would be of more real use to a family of half a dozen chilaren, than $300 would be, expended on teaching them to write in the usual way. A large number of literary gentlemen, who deserve high respect, have pointed out the particular advantages which will result to the public from Jenkins's Art of Writing. 1. It will be a great saving of precious time, 2. It will be a great saving of expense, where the common advantages of learning to write are enjoyed. 3. Many poor people who have not the means of schooling their children, may furnish them with part of their education with only the trifling expense of these books. 4. Thousands in New Settlements, who have not the advan terror, with which he views the place of لا The discussion of the latter clause of the text is scriptural and impressive; but we have room only for the character of Mi. South gate, and the close of the sermon. "Mr. Frederick Southgate, lately a Tutor in Bowdoin College, and son of the Honorable Robert Southgate, Esq. of Scarborough, was born August 9, 1791. He became a student in this seminary, in the year 1806; and, during his connexion with it, maintained what is usually denominated a fair moral reputation. Sensible of the value of good character, and by no means indifferent to literary distinction,possessing a good portion of discernment, a quick apprehension, together with a fancy at once vivid aud luxuriant, he pas sed through the usual course of collegial studies, in a manner, highly satisfactory to his instructors, and flattering to his numerous connexions. "In that state of society, which prevails in our country, few young men go into the world, with prospects more alluring. With a high degree of sensibility to the joys of youth,-with that vivacity and courtliness of manners, which ensure to young men a ready reception into the gayer scenes of life,-with talents and acquirements highly reputable,—with friends able and disposed to smooth the ath to honor, preferment and usefulness, he viewed the world presenting her fairest visage. Under these circumstances, he entered on the study of law, which he prosecuted for nearly two years. During this time, he found himself inclined to contemplate religion with a degree of interest previously unknown. The impres sion, made on his mind, as he informed me, was not peculiarly strong, nor was it such, as to excite any high degree of terror. But it was such, as to produce an obvious change of character and pursuit. I speak this with entire confidence; and for the correctness of the remark, appeal to all, who intimately knew him both before and after this period. Those scenes, and that society, which are highly intere ting to most persons of his age and prospects, were from that time, divested of their charms. He had, before, to use his own expression, been living without God in the world; regarding much more, the present. than a fiture world,-more anxious for the cometh from God only. Henceforward br esteem of men, than for that honor which pursued a different object, and enjoyed different pleasures. He became, in a very high degree, crucified to the world, and the world to him by the cross of Christ. Hie entertained exalted views of Chris tian morals and Christian charatter; and strove with uncommon ardor, and permit me to say, with une mmon ste cess for that exalted virtue, which it is the object of Chrisuanity to promote. "Ithe encountered neglect or contemp tuous frowns on account of piety, far from resenting it, he did not indulge, what I fear, is not uncommon even among good men, Humility was prominent in his religion. I mean the pride of making it known. And, if charity consists in warm desires for the best interests of men, and active beneficence for the promotion of this object, he was clothed with it as with a gar ment. "The duties of an instructor in literature and science, he excented with ease to himself, with fidelity and good success. But, while he was attentive to the more obvious duties of his employment, he was much more concerned for the moral im provement of those, who were under his care. He watched, with unceasing solicitude, any appearance of ra gious sensibility. higher estimation. Had he known him. "Few persons have ever held time in self to be as near eternity, as the event has proved, that hewas, I know not, that he could have lived differently, or have used his time with more rigid economy. His residence in this place evinced the possibility of preserving a habit of exalted piety, in the midst of an employment, highly responsible, and requiring unwearied attention; for it is not easy to conceive, that any person could, with more propriety, than he, have adopted the language of the Christians, We have our conversation in apostle, when he said in the name of Leuven. He thought and spake, and acted as seeing Him who is invisible. term, he began to be affected with a cough "During the latter part of the last winter attended with general debility; neither of which was removed by that medical and parental attention, which he received in the vacation. These complaints, a few weeks after his return to college, became so alarming, as to render it necessary for him to relinquish the office, which he sustained. "His deportment in sickness, both before and after his removal from this place, well corresponded with his previous character. His approaching end was contemplated with solemn interest, but with deep submission. As death advanc ed, his mind settled into a state of increasing calmness and joy. To have spent an hour with him a few days before his final departure, I shall always consider, as an high privilege. It was, at that time, most evident, that the righteous hath hope in his death. He said hitle; but never did I witness such serenity and pleasure beaming from mortal countenance. Nor was I ever so impressed with the words of the sacred writer in relation to Stephen, They beheld his face as it had been the face of an angel. There was a kind of celestial radiance, indicating that peace of God, which passeth all understanding; a joy unspeakable, and full of glory. He survived but a few days, and died in the enjoyment, of a hope, full of immortality." pp. 18-21. The following paragraphs are the close of an address to the students, and of the sermon. "You know how piously, how justly, and unbia.nably he lived among you. You witnessed his appearance at the commencement of his sickness; and you have been acquainted with the manner in which he died. In him we have seen, that the hope of the righteons is gladness. "Was his piety a chimera? Was it either fanaticism or superstition? This, I am confident, is not suspected by an individual Could that change be unimportant, the consequences of which were so salutary and undenable? Is it rational to deny the excellence of that, which produces a set. tled course of distinguished and increasing virtue, and prepares men for eternal and sublime enjoyments? And can you be ser cue without commencing a life of piety, while death seems to be levying pus an annual contribution? If religion is essential to salvation, the want of it must be dangerous. It is the righteous only, who have reason to hope in their death. The wicked, we have seen, are driven away in their wickedness. Yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. The hypocrite's hope shall perish; it shall be cut off, and his trust shall be as the spider's web. The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him. "The offers of life are now made to you, with divine sincerity. Your repentance would produce joy in the presence of the angels of God. It would give joy, if made known to the spirits of just men made perfect. Especially would it give joy to his spirit, who, afew months since, with affectionate importunity warned and besought you to flee from the wrath to come." pp. 23, 24. The style, in which this sermon is written, is neat, chaste, pleasing, and worthy of a person at the head of a literary institution. The great truths inculcated are such, as it becomes a sound, orthodox, evangelical divine to press upon the conscience and the heart. RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE. BIBLE SOCIETI ES, The following speech, though contain ing here and there a little Scottish haishness, is on the whole admirable. The harsh expressions are easily explained by the general tenor of the speech. The orator established these two points beyond debate; first, that it is better that those, who are willing and able, should pur chase the Bible for themselves, than that they should receive it as a gift; aud secondly, that Christian nations ought to make sacrifices to a vast and indefinite extent to send the Bible to all the nations on earth. The reader should recollect, that Scotland is better supplied with Bibles, than any other country in the world, unless we except some small portions of New England. ` ED. PAN. |