which I have taken in beauty, wit, music, and conversation; they are now, all past by me like a dream or shadow that returns not. They are become dead to me, and I to them. I see that as my father hath done before me, so I also shall now make my bed in the dark. But I praise God, I am prepared for it. 1 praise him that I am not to learn patience, now I stand in such need of it; and that I have practised mortification and endeavoured to die daily that I might not die eternally. My hope is, that I shall shortly leave this valley of tears, and be free from all fever and pain, and, which is more happy still, from sin and all the temptations and anxieties that attend it. This life being past, I shall dwell in the new Jerusalem, with men made perfect, where these eyes shall see my Master and Saviour Jesus. But I must die, or not come to that happy place. And this is my content, that I am daily going towards it."

The Sunday before his death he rose suddenly from his bed, call. ed for one of his musical instruments, and, having tuned it, he played and sung a hymn; and he continued to meditate and pray and rejoice till the day of his death. On that day, he said to Mr. Woodnot, "My dear friend, I am sorry I have nothing to present to my God. but sin and misery. But the first is pardoned, and a few hours will put a period to the latter: for I shall soon go hence and be no more seen." Mr. Woodnot taking occa, sion to remind him of his many acts of devotion and charity, he answered, "They be good works if they be sprinkled with the blood of Christ, and not otherwise." After this, he became more restless, and his soul seemed weary of its earthly tabernacle. His wife, as she stood at his bed, with Mr. Woodnot and his three nieces, observed him to breathe faintly and with much pain, and then to fall into a sudden agony. This greatly surprised her, and she inquired with great anxiety

what the matter was. He said, that he had past a conflict with his last enemy, and had overcome him by the merits of his Master, Jesus. Then looking up, and seeing his wife and nieces weeping around him, he begged them to withdraw into the next room, and pray every one alone for him, as nothing but their grief could render his death uncomfortable. They could not reply for their tears, but they complied with his request, leaving with him only Mr. Woodnot, and Mr. Bostock his curate. He then directed Mr. Woodnot where to find bis will, of which he had made him the executor; and having obtained from him a promise to take charge of the interests of his wife and nieces, he said, I am now ready to die." He then added, Lord, forsake me not, now that my strength faileth me, but grant me mercy for the merits of my Jesus: and now, Lord, now receive my soul." And with these words he breathed forth his soul, without any apparent struggle.

Thus lived and died this eminent saint, an example to every minister of Christ, and especially to those ministers who are called to labour in the Church of England. May they all emulate his faith, his purity, his humility, his labours of love, his deeds of charity, his cordial attachment to the orders as well as to the doctrines of the church, and his entire devotion to the service of his Master Jesus, and of the flock of which He had made him the overseer.

S.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer Ir you judge the following thoughts to be an illustration of Matt. xi. 12 and 13, you will perhaps allow them a place in the Christian Observer.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force." It appears that the preaching of the Baptist had, according to the pre

the world possesses of influence, and
exerts of authority.

may

1

TITUS.

obtain an answer to

.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer:
I SHALL Consider it as a favour, if,
through the channel of your pub-
lication, I
may
the following inquiry.
What be considered the pro-
bable import of Jacob's request to
Esau, (Gen. xxv. 31). "Sell me
this day thy birthright?" I mean,
what may be supposed to be the
idea which Jacob had of the advan-
tage he thus sought to obtain.

Some have thought the honour
of being progenitor of the Messiah
was included in the birthright. But
there was certainly no promise given
to warrant such an expectation, and
the fact proves it to be groundless;
for Isaac was not the first-born of
Abraham, neither did Jacob him-
self, when, upon Reuben's forfeiture,
he transferred the birth-right to
Joseph his first-born by Rachel,
(See 1 Chron. v. 1, 2.), understand
the blessing of the promised seed
to be connected with it, for that ho-
nour was given to Judah.

It appears, that the first-born re-
ceived some portion of his father's
substance beyond his brethren. But
we can hardly think this was the
object of Jacob's request; since,
not to mention other reasons, Esau's
compliance would then seem less
worthy of censure than his brother's
covetousness; and still less would
it have been charged by an inspired
writer as profane (Heb. xii. 16),
which evidently indicates that it had
some reference to a religious pri-
vilege.

The inquiry, therefore, is brought to this point: in what did this religious privilege consist, and was any temporal honour and dominion connected with it? Those are remark able words which are recorded in Gen. iv. 7, being spoken by God himself to Cain; and they seem to imply some kind of rule belonging to the first, as such; being the same

539

form of expression (which no where else recurs), in which the sentence was pronounced on woman, of subvious to his departure from Midian, jection to her husband after the trangression. When Moses, prereceived the message from God which he was to deliver to Pharaoh, it is thus introduced, (Exod. iv, 22.) "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-born," and in Psalm xxxix, when the peculiar promises made to David are pleaded, this is born, higher than the kings of the noted: "I will make him my firstearth." From these and other Scriptures, I am inclined to think the the senior family of a tribe was dedignity attached to the first-born of signed to mark them out as persons typical of the Messiah. Compare Heb. i. 2, and 5. From this honour, Cain by transgression fell; and Seth appears to have inherited it.

the first-born previous to the LeIf the priesthood was vested in tainly did not encroach on the rights vitical covenant, this investiture cerof the father of a family, but, whatercised in subordination to, and conever it implied, must have been exnection with them. (See Job. i. 5. xxii. 5. Jacob, chap. xxxiii. 20.) Noah, Gen. viii. 20. Abraham, chap. Upon the father's death, supposing several sous left who were each become the heads of distinct families, the first-born, if he had any pre-eminence, must have it in some public meetings for religious worship when all these families were sembled together; and if so, here sacerdotal functions being anciently we trace the origin of the royal and united, and why the kings mentionJoshua had such small domains*. ed in the books of Genesis and

as

* It may be queried, whether the appointment of the tribe of Levi to the exclusive

rights of the sacerdotal service, was not the occasion (being imitated) of the transfer of tions; and when empire was extended, the the ancient rights of the first-born in other na division of the two offices became politically necessary; but in Scripture, before the Mosaic ritual was, the title of priest and prince

diction of Malachi, chap. 4th, produced a great effect throughout the land of Israel; and a spirit of penitence and inquiry was very generally excited. But our Saviour's words seem to imply, that from the beginning of John's ministry to the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (which opened the era of the Christian law and prophets), the season was peculiar and full of peril, answering to what was intimated by Malachi, chap. iii. 2. "Who may abide the day of his coming?" Hence those who made their way through the obstacles which then presented themselves, might be compared to such as, earnestly desirous of obtaining their object, press through an intervening crowd. That this was a true representation, we may learn by considering what was then to be overcome:-the external appearance of the Messiah himself; the example of the leaders of the people; the opposition of those most regarded for the sanctity of their lives and their application to religious studies; the danger of supposing, without just grounds, that the authority of Moses, as a lawgiver, was about to be superseded; the suspense how the claims of Jesus would terminate with the Roman power; and the silence he himself preserved on many points of importance. We see John's disciples were perplexed, and it

of distinguished favour. When all these things are weighed, I think we may conclude, that this period, viz. of our Lord's humiliation, was a season of special difficulty, because of peculiar temptation: and hence the extenuation of guilt, mercifully admitted by our Saviour in the subsequent chapter (Matt. xii. 32), in which passage xa should be rendered at the beginning of the verse, not and, but nevertheless or yet, as it is in Matt, vi. 26, (and as, I think, it should also be in Matt. i. 19, x. 29, and Luke xvi. 17). It may be objected to this interpretation, that after the day of Pentecost great difficulties remained, and some were added which rendered the first age of the church equal in point of dif ficulty to the period of our Saviour's personal ministry. To which may be replied, that the external evidence resulting from the effusion of the Spirit, in his miraculous gifts, a the divine attestation to the resur rection of Jesus, added to his in ternal support, enabling the dis ciples" to take joyfully the spoiling of their goods," the loss of their good name, and even that of life itself, evidently carried them vic toriously above every obstacle: not to add, that the great numbers who openly embraced Christianity col stituted a distinguishing difference between the two periods. And it may not be unprofitable to us, con sidering the present state of religion on the continent of Europe, to reflect, that since both popish and protes tant establishments are, from the rapid and unexampled revolutions of their governments, crumbling fast to ruin, the day may arrive, sooner than we are aware, when Christianity, in its external form, no longer patronised by the secular powers, and recommended by the favour of popular opinion, will make a dif ferent impression on the minds of the secular and the careless, than it now does. Then, again may the kingdom of heaven, if entered, be m tered only by those who have strea to repel the opposition of all which

should even seem that their master himself betrayed signs that things did not turn out according to his expectation. He was left in prison, whilst men, evidently his inferiors, were chosen to be preachers of the new dispensation, and endowed with miraculous powers to qualify them for an office for which they other wise appeared extremely unfit. To be laid aside as useless at such a season, might probably be no small trial of the faith of this holy man, who had the authority of personal revelation to apply to himself the ancient prophecies concerning the precursor of the Messiah; and probably expected to attend him during the whole of his progress with marks

the world possesses of influence, and
exerts of authority.

TITUS.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

I SHALL Consider it as a favour, if, through the channel of your publication, I may obtain an answer to the following inquiry.

What may be considered the probable import of Jacob's request to Esau, (Gen. xxv. 31). " Sell me this day thy birthright?" I mean, what may be supposed to be the idea which Jacob had of the advantage he thus sought to obtain. Some have thought the honour of being progenitor of the Messiah was included in the birthright. But there was certainly no promise given to warrant such an expectation, and the fact proves it to be groundless; for Isaac was not the first-born of Abraham, neither did Jacob himelf, when, upon Reuben's forfeiture, he transferred the birth-right to Joseph his first-born by Rachel, See 1 Chron. v. 1, 2.), understand The blessing of the promised seed be connected with it, for that hoour was given to Judah.

It appears, that the first-born reised some portion of his father's stance beyond his brethren. But can hardly think this was the ject of Jacob's request; since, t to mention other reasons, Esau's Compliance would then seem less worthy of censure than his brother's vetousness; and still less would have been charged by an inspired iter as profane (Heb. xii. 16), ich evidently indicates that it had e reference to a religious pri

The inquiry, therefore, is brought is point: in what did this reliprivilege consist, and was any poral honour and dominion conetted with it? Those are remark

words which are recorded in

Gen. iv, 7, being spoken by God self to Cain; and they seem to aply some kind of rule belonging

the first, as such; being the same

form of expression (which no where else recurs), in which the sentence was pronounced on woman, of subjection to her husband after the trangression. When Moses, previous to his departure from Midian, received the message from God which he was to deliver to Pharaoh, it is thus introduced, (Exod. iv, 22.) "Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my first-born," and in Psalm 1xxxix, when the peculiar promises made to David are pleaded, this is noted: "I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth." From these and other Scriptures, I am inclined to think the dignity attached to the first-born of the senior family of a tribe was designed to mark them out as persons typical of the Messiah. Compare Heb. i. 2, and 5. From this honour, Cain by transgression fell; and Seth appears to have inherited it.

If the priesthood was vested in the first-born previous to the Levitical covenant, this investiture certainly did not encroach on the rights of the father of a family, but, whatever it implied, must have been exercised in subordination to, and connection with them. (See Job. i. 5. Noah, Gen. viii. 20. Abraham, chap. xxii. 5. Jacob, chap. xxxiii. 20.) Upon the father's death, supposing several sous left who were each become the heads of distinct families, the first-born, if he had any pre-eminence, must have it in some public meetings for religious worship when all these families were sembled together; and if so, here we trace the origin of the royal and sacerdotal functions being anciently united, and why the kings mentioned in the books of Genesis and Joshua had such small domains *.

as

* It may be queried, whether the appoint-
ment of the tribe of Levi to the exclusive
rights of the sacerdotal service, was not the

occasion (being imitated) of the transfer of
the ancient rights of the first-born in other na❤

tions; and when empire was extended, the
division of the two offices became politically
necessary; but in Scripture, before the Mo-
saic ritual was, the title of priest and prince