fuch like thoughts fhould be familiar to us? That we should frequently meditate on the folemn fcene, and on what may be a fuit--but this gave her little or no able preparation for it? If this be important for all, then any thing we can do, to call up attention to the fubject, must be an act of benevolence.

petitions that we defired of him." | practice, by them we are all bound, and according to them we fhall be all judged, in the last great day.

-From this promife it appears the believer's petition is graciously accepted, tho it may be inconfiftent with the glory of God to grant the identical thing requested. A denial of the thing afked, if inconfiftent with the glory of God and the believer's real good, is virtually granting the petition. In all fuch cafes denial is mercy, tho it

ZEPHO.

Admonitions from the Death Bed. [Continued from Vol. II. p. 388.] NUMBER VII.

often may appear, to the Christian, DEATH will effect a change

in our circumftances, greatVer. 20. "For where two or er, no doubt, than we can now three are gathered together in my conceive. In the folemn hour name, there am I in the midst of when the foul fhall part with the them." This appears to be a body, with all earthly friends and general promife, having a primary earthly things, who can tell what reference to the apoftles as fuch, fcenes may open, what thoughts from what had been faid in the occur, what new objects prefent preceding verfe, but a general re-to the mind? Our prefent comference to believers as fuch, ex- panions cannot accompany us tending back to the rule, includ- then ;-all worldly things, to ing two or three, given for deal-which we now look for comfort ing with an offending brother. and fupport, will vanish in a moInferences. ft. Chrift has here ment; they cannot defcend after reminded us of the imperfection us. In the world of spirits, what of Chriftians, in providing a rule company fhall we meet ?-What of practice to reclaim fuch as kind of exiftence fhall we have ? backflide.--2d. Hence we learn, What objects of enjoyment fhall the indifpenfible duty of the we feek? Our confcioufnefs will church ftrictly to watch over all certainly remain ; yea, our menits members, according to the di- tal faculties will, no doubt, be rections here given, to fave them enlarged, when difencumbered of from difgrace and ruin.-3d. We the earthly part, and be capable further learn, that the 18th and of more exquifite fenfations of 19th verfes, in the xviii. chapter either happiness or woe. of Matthew, were spoken to the then will comfort us when partapoftles as fuch; and, therefore, ing with every earthly comfort? that no fuch power or faith are Where fhall we feek a friend to now to be found in the Chriftian accompany us in that dreary pafchurch. What precepts they fage, where no earthly friend can have bound upon us and what attend us-one who is able to dirites they have enjoined, we must rect our unfkilful feet in that unobey and practice; and whatever tried way; to protect and happrecepts or rites of the Mofaic pify us thro all the unknown religion they have declared to be fcenes which may prefent in the fuperceded, by them we are no eternal state? longer bound. What therefore the apostles have eftablifhed, as matters of faith, or as rules of

What

Are we all mortal, every day expofed to the arreft of death! Is it not then important, that

At the age of feventeen or eighteen years, fhe appeared to be bro't near to death by fickness;

fuch like thoughts fhould be familiar to us? That we should frequently meditate on the folemn fcene, and on what may be a fuit--but this gave her little or no able preparation for it? If this be important for all, then any thing we can do, to call up attention to the fubject, must be an act of benevolence.

alarm ;-fhe recovered and lived feveral years, as before, fecure in the tho't that fhe was not fo finful as many others. She was again feized with a difeafe, the threatening fymptoms of which foon excited apprehenfions that her days on earth must be few. Then it pleafed God to discover to her the profpect before her.-All her fond dreams of her own goodness vanifhed. She faw her fins to be

Nothing, it is conceived, confidered as means, has a greater tendency to this, than a view of the fentiments and feelings of those who confider themselves as juft entering the eternal world; who have alfo a fenfe of the important change before them :-Igreat indeed. She confidered fay who have a fenfe of this; for it is no proof that the change is not important, that many appear indifferent about it, and are feen to die as ftupidly as they live, wholly unconcerned, becaufe tho'tlefs, about the confequences.

Among many occafions I have had of attending the beds of the fick and dying, of various charac. ters, none has more affected me than the following.

MIRA, defcended of pious parents, who lived to fuperintend her education, grew up in habits of external morality; was conftant in her attendance on the public worship of God, where her behaviour was always fober and decent. She had early inftruction in the first great principles of Christianity, which, however, as is common, feemed only to float in an indiftinct, confused manner, in her head, without affecting her heart. But as her outward behaviour and refpect to religion were fo regular and unblameable, fhe tho❜t herself better than many others, and, like multitudes of a regular life and converfation, little apprehended the neceffity of any thing more to recommend her to divine acceptance.

herself as going into the prefence of God the judge, who regards not the outward appearance fo much as the heart.-As her own confcience condemned her already, fhe could fee no prospect of any thing but condemnation from him; and tho her bodily pain was great, it feemed forgotten in the anguifh of her fpirit.-She expreffed a great fenfe of her folly and fin in neglecting the things of her peace till this, which fhe found to be a moft inconvenient feafon. She had a great defire to obtain religious inftruction, and feemed to hear, literally, as for her life. Tho too weak to con verfe much, the wifhed to hear no converfation but on religion, and to hear that conftantly; for fhe faid fhe had no time to lofe; every moment appeared precious, and if fhe attempted to meditate by herself, her tho'ts were fo confused and diffipated, fhe could fix them on nothing, nor recollect what fhe had heard; but when she was fpoken to, it ferved to fix her tho'ts and keep them collected. A lengthy difcourfe was accordingly entered into, on fuch fubjects as were judged applicable to her circumstances, to which the

listened with such attention that it feemed as if the had wholly forgotten her great bodily diftrefs. This was repeated for feveral days. She was fo earneft to have prayers for her and with her, that when prayer and conversation ceafed, fhe would defire prayers again, repeating that he knew not how to lose a moment; for fhe was juft going into eternity, with fin enough to fink her to endlefs ruin, and could find nothing on which to reft her foul. When Chrift's fufficiency was mentioned, and his readiness to receive and fave all repenting, believing finners, fhe would reply, "I know there is enough in him, but I cannot take hold of it, do pray for me," &c.

with joy and peace in believing. She had earnestly prayed for ftrength to speak audibly, which fhe had not been able to do for feveral days, that the might fhew forth the praises of God, and addrefs fome of her friends. A number being present that morning, by her defire, fhe was raised up in bed, and fpake so as to be diftinctly heard, by all in the room, for more than half an hour,fometimes in prayer and praise to God,-fometimes expreffing the views she had of his glory, and of the amiablenefs and fufficiency of Chrift-and fometimes preffing on her friends and companions the importance of attending to religion, without delay; befeeching them not to neglect it, as the had done, till they came to a death bed. She was unable to fpeak aloud any more, till Saturday, when, a number of people being prefent, fhe spake to them audibly, as the day before, and nearly as long. When I faw her, on both of thefe days, fhe was fo exhausted that I could only obtain fhort anfwers from her, in whifpers, to a few questions.-Her anfwers; however, appeared to be dictated by a feeling heart, a found judgment, a mind fully poffeffed of itself, free from confufion, derangement or enthufiafm.

Thus fhe continued, with an appearance of anxiety not to be defcribed, till fhe became fo weak that she could only speak in whifpers. Solemn and affecting was the fcene, while every day was looked on as her laft, and she had no hope. The diftrefs of parents, who had a fenfe of the worth of a foul, on feeing a child going into eternity, in fuch a condition, can be known only to thofe who have been called to the trial. Thus were they left on Thursday evening.-Entering the houfe on Friday, a new appearance was vifible in the countenances of the family. The parents difcov-ing, the fymptoms of approaching ered a placid, yet folemn fhew of joy, tho no hope appeared of their daughter's recovery.-Mira appeared calm and compofed, free from that perturbation and anxiety which had before been apparent, a gleam of hope feemed vifible in her looks. By information, it appeared, that it had pleafed God, the night before, to manifeft himself graciously to her foul, as the hoped, and to fill her

Vifiting her on Sabbath morn

diffolution were more apparent than ever; neither the nor any one elfe expected fhe would live out the day; yet she spake audibly and freely. A dark fcene now prefented to her mind. She complained that she had loft, in a great measure, thofe views of God and fpiritual things which fhe had enjoyed, and feared all her hope had been a delufion.This was to her a trying time,

will fee himself to be a child of deftruction, that the wrath of God abides on him. A multitude of fuch felf-deceivers are, doubtlefs, in the world.-May they be undeceived while they have a fpace to repent! 2. Let none, who fee their guilt and need of pardon, defpair of mercy while life lafts.-The fovereign Lord, who delighteth in mercy, may glorify the riches of his goodness by taking them into his fervice at the eleventh hour. Nor, 3. Let any be encouraged, from fuch an inftance, to delay their repentance to a dying bed. This is the height of folly and prefumption; for very few of those who defer the matter to that late hour, are ever hopefully brought to repentance, in comparison of those who die either in utter thoughtleffness and infenfibility, or in fear and defpair of mercy.--A death bed, inftead of being the beft time for beginning repentance, will need all the fupports of religion, of a tried, holy fubmiffion to God, a proved, confirmed faith in the Lord Jefus Chrift, producing an hope, which entering within the vail, may be as an anchor to the foul, fure and stedfast.

she was fenfibly dying, and God | Inftead of hoping for heaven, he had withdrawn himself, which made her lament in the language of Job, "Behold I go forward but he is not there, and backward but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot fee him-O that I knew where I might find him." Being asked if fhe did not think fhe deferved fuch a rebuke; if it were not just in God thus to deal with her? She replied to this effe&, “O yes, I deserve it; I deferve to receive no good from God; if he never fhews me favor he will be juft." When lying a few minutes, as if in deep contemplation and prayer, fhe fuddenly faid, with great emphafis, "OI fee him, I fee him again, Jefus my Lord. He comes, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills-all my fins don't hinder him ;-I fhall go and be with him, I long to be with him. Jefus can make a dying bed, Feel foft as downy pillows are; While on his breaft I lay my head, And breathe my life out fweetly there. Oh, this comes right, this day I fhall go and be with him; -my first day in heaven will be a fabbath." In fuch a frame fhe continued till fhe died.

In a view of this cafe, the following thoughts naturally occur. 1. The hopes of heaven, which are built only on a vifible morality, regular life and external obferv. ance of the forms of religion, cannot abide the trial; they ftand on fand, and will be swept away when the ftorm comes.- -They can laft no longer than the blindnefs of the heart continues. As foon as one, who has fuch an hope, fees his true character, in that very hour his hope will perish.

SERVUS.