bed of death, or at the day of judgment? Tell us, ye worldly, ye politic, ye self-indulgent, will your laws, your motives, your objects, your habits, endure the eye of your Judge? Will these appeal to Heaven, and plead in your behalf? Can these be interposed between you and the arrows of wrath? Away then with these miserable grounds of reliance; and, enlisting yourselves under the banner of the cross, let it become your language also, "to me to live is Christ." of God; because he acted on this principle, because to him to live was Christ. Millions shall therefore attest at that day, that the best Christian is also the best patriot; that the friend of God, and the servant of Christ, is also the greatest benefactor of mankind. 4. But not only is the character implied in the text the most becoming a man and a sinner, the most advantageous to the individual himself, and the most beneficial to others; it is also of all others the most truly great and sublime. The taste of the age has become so perverted as to associate with religion something of meanness. Religion is accounted by many the mark of a narrow mind and a vulgar taste. But surely there cannot be produced a stronger instance of elevation and grandeur, nor indeed can there be conceived a nobler spectacle than the text displays. It is not that of a man, however poets and historians may have joined in exalting such a character, 3. But this disposition is not only the most advantageous to the possessor; it is, of all others, the most beneficial to others.-Compare the rules, motives, and objects of the man of the world, with those of Christians, as they have been deduced from the text. Is patriotism his ruling sentiment? How often does the patriot beggar other countries to enrich his own? Is friendship his darling affection? He probably would not scruple to injure others, in order to benefit his friends? Is gain, or power, or pleasure, his object?" greatly falling with a falling These are all selfish pursuits, and in many instances are obtained by the miseries of others. But regard him, to whom "to live is Christ." He cannot serve his Master without serving mankind. He cannot indulge his ruling sentiment, his darling affection, without striving to make every man around him happier and better. Let the example of St. Paul shew the efficacy of his own principles. Consider the general happiness which a life dedicated to the service of Christ, governed by the laws of Christ, influenced by the love of Christ, produced in his case. Thousands of perishing sinners who heard the Gospel from his lips, had cause to bless God for the principle by which he was animated, which was no other than the principle of the text. Thousands yet unborn shall praise God on the same account. Millions shall meet him at the day of judgment, and hail him, as, under God, their spiritual father; as the ardent, affectionate, unwearied, devoted minister of the Church state;" but it is that of a man raised by the force of his princi ples, above all the trials, insults, injuries, temptations, and sufferings, which the hatred of men and devils could inflict upon him. "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Could any thing but religion, could any thing but the grace of God, operating through Christian principles, produce such a character as this? Does profane history, or can the world, present us with any thing resembling it? Will their proudest heroes admit of being compared with this poor old man in chains? Religion mean! Christianity the mark of a weak mind! Let us point those who think it so, to pictures such as this, and bid them be ashamed of their delusion. And if any of us are ever led to doubt the value, the efficacy, of Christian principles; if the doctrine of Christ crucified should ever, for a moment, appear foolishness to any of us, or ever be regarded, but as the subject of our delight and admiration s let us turn our eyes to the character displayed in the text, and in the passage connected with it. As a certain giant of old was feigned to have gathered fresh strength, whenever he touched his mother earth, so may we be strengthened by turning to the scenes and events recorded in the sacred volume for our edification and encouragement. Surrounded by enemies, insulted, de. ceived, deserted, in the darkness of a dungeon, and in the jaws of death, behold the Christian calm, mild, composed, devoted, willing to live, prepared to die. "To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." I conclude with two brief remarks. 1. How little does the ordinary notion of religion agree with that which is given in the text! The religion of the world is frequently little more than a sort of lean and scanty morality. Or if the worship of God be comprised in it, it is only, perhaps, the worship of God the Creator. A sort of practical socinianism prevails, which dethrones the Saviour, and denies him a seat in the heart of his creatures. The devout affections have no place in the world's religion. That song which shall employ the angels and saints of God for ever, "Worthy is the Lamb which was slain," rarely employs the lips, or warms the hearts of numbers, who, nevertheless, dream of heaven. Now let us compare such a religion as this with that of the text. In the one, Christ has no place: in the other, he holds the first. In the one, he is nothing: in the other, he is all in all. In the one, life would be described by a long detail of duties, employments, and amusements, into which the name of Christ would scarcely enter in the other, that single name includes and embraces all for which life is prized. "To me to live is Christ." If any of us has unhappily adopted the world's notion of religion, let him recast his creed in the mould of Scripture; let him restore the Saviour to his rightful honours; let him regard Him as the first and the last, the Alpha and Omega, as the author and finisher of salvation, and therefore as the great object of faith, reverence, confidence, love, and worship, for ever and ever. It is much 2. On the other hand, and in conclusion, let those who profess, in the spirit of the text, to value the name of Christ above all, and to regard him as their only Saviour, and as the great object of devout affection; let such consider all that their profession involves. It is not a bare acknowledgment of these truths. It is not the merely calling Christ Lord, Lord. It is not even merely a disposition to welcome Christ as a Saviour. more than all this. "To me to live is Christ." To such an one death, indeed, would be happiness; but life is duty. "I am prepared to die," will he say; "but I am also willing to live. Does Christ require my ser vices? Joyfully shall my life be consecrated to him." In fine, the profession of the text involves in it the imitation of the character of Christ, and the display of his temper; the unreserved acquiescense in the will of God, the active em ployment of life, the calm antici pation of death by which Christ was distinguished. May we all be followers of the apostle, even as he was of Christ! Amen. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. CALLING, the other day, on a very young married woman, to condole with her on the loss she had lately sustained by the death of an infant about a twelvemonth old, which was the second she had been deprived of within the space of two years; I found on her table the following prayer which she had composed on the occasion: and as I was much struck with the sentiments of true Christian piety and resignation contained in it, I requested a copy of it. Should it appear to you in the same light it did to me, and you think it worthy to be inserted in your excellent miscellany, to be useful to others in similar circumstances with this Hear me, O merciful Father, for: Jesus Christ's sake, my only Me diator and Advocate. Amen. excellent young person, it is much To the Editor of the Christian Observer. at your service. PRAYER. F. P. O most just and merciful God! as thou hast been pleased to take from me another of my precious babes, in its tender infancy, enable me, I beseech thee, to support this second severe loss, with all due submission and resignation to thy Divine will. I know, O God! that thou dost not "willingly grieve the children of men, but in all thy dispensations rememberest mercy;" and am informed by thy holy word, that "whom thou lovest thou chastenest." Blessed be thy holy name for thus thinking on thy distressed servant in this thy fatherly visitation to me; and may my present affliction answer thy gracious purpose, by producing in me a true and godly sorrow for all my past sins, and a firm resolution of future amendment! O gracious Father, the spirits of my dear departed children, purified by the atoning blood of our blessed Saviour, have been received, I trust, into thy heavenly mansions: grant unto me the divine assistance of thy Holy Spirit, so to prepare me for thy coming, that, through the merits of my dear Redeemer, I may be admitted into the same glorious habitations, where no further separation shall ever take place, where all tears shall be wiped from all faces, and sorrow and sighing flee away. I SHALL esteem it a favour if you will admit the following interesting inquiry to be made through the channel of your valuable publication. In using the expression, "a title to heaven" as distinguished from a meetness for the blessed state, is not the proper idea that of a claim fourded on the free promise of God to such who possess the meetness? And will not this simple view of the subject equally avoid the an tinomian error of a perfect title dis tinct and separable from an inherent imperfect holiness, and the pharisaic error of a title formed by external acts, or internal dispositions, which fall short of the Scripture-standard, by being void of the spirit and nature of that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord?" It must ever be remembered, that the most innocent and holy creature could have no claim whatever on the blessed God, but in virtue of his own free and gracious promise whereby he condescends to impli cate the honour of his own faithfulness in its fulfilment. To be the recipient of divine communication, and thereby the capable possessor of moral excellence, must render the creature deeply a debtor, but cannot, on that account, make him a claimant. I am, &c. A SERIOUS INQUIRER. MISCELLANEOUS, To the Editor of the Christian Observer. So long since as March 1809, your correspondents were invited, to ex amine the following inquiry; "What is the reason that, notwithstanding the enmity of the carnal heart of man to God and holiness, and to the humbling doctrines of the cross, the greatest numbers should flock to those places of worship where these doctrines are most faithfully preached, and where the minister does not shun to declare the whole counsel of God?"-The proposer of this question will permit me, I conceive, to condense it thus ; "What are the causes of the popularity of evangelical preaching?" In this shape, I will attempt its investigation. The fact assumed by the inquirer, is substantially this, the nearer the public instructions of a clergyman resemble those of Jesus Christ, the more will the world admire him. Such an assumption, to me appears to be inadmissible. By way of ascertaining what is numerically meant by the term popularity, when applied to an evangelical preacher, let us suppose a practical case. A minister of the class in question leaves London with a view to visit the four largest towns in the kingdom. Of these, according to the census in 1801, Manchester contains 84,000 inhabitants; Liverpool, 77,000; Birmingham 73,000; Bristol, 63,000. He arrives at the first of these places; and his appearance in the pulpit is announced by the usual means of publicity. Of the 84,000 inhabitants of Manchester, we will allow the inability of one half to leave home. From From the remaining 42,000 (numbers of whom are children, &c.) deduct 22,000; and thus suppose 20,000* physically capable of attending pub lic worship; and farther capable of being attracted by objects of popularity as such; and if so, capable, of course, of being influenced by the name, and public appearance, of a popular preacher. A farther operation is now necessary. Of these 20,000, it must be determined whether they are all sincere. If they are; then the * The deductions in the text, I am perfectly aware, are liberal; but the concession may render the general conclusion less disputable. The writer has not seen the population returns for the present year. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 116, preacher's popularity means nothing more than that religious persons are glad to receive instruction from an eminent instructor, and accordingly throng to hear him, particularly, if their opportunities of doing so occur very seldom. All this is in the natural course of things, and cannot be blamed. On the other hand, if these 20,000 are not sincere; or, if one half be sincere, and the other hypocritical; then, in the one case, there are 20,000 following a minister, whom, as far as he resembles Jesus Christ, they must necessarily despise and hate; in the other, 10,000 are doing this, but they mingled with a similar number who venerate this minister in proportion as their fellow-followers dislike him. Either this inference is just, or human nature loves religion. The general result will now stand thus; among 84,000 inhabitants in a given town, 20,000, or about one-fourth, are supposed to go after a popular preacher, as, observe, a populár object; and so far they are eager for a sight of him just as the same mass of persons would crowd about an inn, to see Colonel Wardle, Mrs. Clarke, Lucien Bonaparte, Louis XVIII., Count Gottorp, Lord Wellington, or any other worthy or unworthy incitement to public curiosity. Now I suppose, that the most sanguine calculator on the evangelical side will never plead either that every fourth person in Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, and Bristol, is really a practical Christian; or, that every fourth person in those towns would cross a street to hear the most fascinating preacher in the empire. What then becomes of the assumed popularity of evangelical preaching? Is even every eighth individual in these towns sincere? or would every eighth person sacrifice a sight of Lucien Bonaparte, or any of the other spectacles for the sake of hearing even a Lewconomus Redivivus? It appears to me, that whatever be the popularity of evangelical preachers, it can only be called com 3 S parative. An instructor of this stamp is not popular, in the received sense of the term; but only as opposed to ministers in general, who attract no attention beyond the limits of their regular congregations. Let us, however, consider another case. A congregation gathered and superintended by an evangelical preacher ; consists of 1500 persons. These are the congregation; and professedly serious Christians. There are, however, 500 other persons who attend the assembly with tolerable regularity; and whatever be their characters, they give, to the doctrinal system they hear, the support, at least, of their personal attendance. Here also a process is requisite. You have first to analyze the 1500; and then the other 500. I wish to be informed, how many of the 1500 are to be looked upon as uncertain characters. Then arises the inquiry, what draws the other 500 to the feet of an evangelical instructor? Now, on the assumption, that even a complete half of the whole 2000 are sincere, it is superfluous to reply, that they are anxious to know what they must do to be saved, and naturally adhere to the man who can best tell them. They have some meaning, when, to his prayer, "Endue thy ministers with righteousness," they add, " And make thy chosen people joyful." Leaving this moiety in better hands, the rest remains for farther investigation. * 1. It may then, I think, be answered, that the modified popularity of evangelical preaching, arises, first, from the general feeling of interest, or sympathy, which diffuses itself throughout an assembly formed under such instruction, and which sensation, to a certain degree, communicates itself to a casual attendant, who is conscious of there being a something that appears to influence and animate the whole mass with a passion common to all, give ing the whole external system of worship an impulsive character, and a kind of action and re-action, not observable in the generality of reli $ gious assemblies. The adversaries of the evangelical scheme will assert the sensation, so communicated, t be mischievous. This does not alter the fact and with that alone am I at present concerned-that in the circumstances described, an acci dental attendant observes a certain religious sensibility not discernible elsewhere. However, be it devout or fanciful, the thing itself is at tractive. Wherever men discover an evident interest in a matter which is confessedly capable of awakening it, they will first respect, and then sympathize with the parties excited. A retired man, whe speculatively detests war,will readily! own the influence of martial feelings, on hearing a Highlander tell the tales of Corunna and Talavera; and, for the moment, wish that be too were a soldier. Agrippa himself began to yield to the Gospel, when he exclaimed to St. Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian!" 2. Another cause is, the great attention bestowed by such congre gations upon music. Where the words and melodies are skilfully se lected, and every individual is taught that acts of praise, like those of supplication, are properly acts of devotion; and when, in these religious exercises, the natural passions are distinctly excited by the most attractive of all sciences,-the result of this combination of causes is a most potent stimulant. Even libertines have acknowledged the fascination of church-music. I have read of an unbeliever, who, when the voice of praise from a religious assembly swelled upon his ear, owned the effect to be something like a conviction of his error; and declared that the worshippers appear. ed to be enjoying what he had forfeited. The Romanists, the Moravians, and many of the separatists from the establishment, know the full value of good singing; and we the mischiefs of bad. Even our cathedral music is either so refined, or so monopolized by the choristers |