And how many are hurried, by sudden accident, into the presence of an angry God! And then, the thought should never be forgotten, that, though at the eleventh hour you may become fitted to shine as a glorified spirit in heaven, yet the evil you must inevitably have done, by continuing, till nearly the end of life, in a state of impenitence, is as active and as everlasting as your praises! Never forget, that every one who acts a part in the great drama of life, leaves, at his departure, an impression and an influence more or less extensive and lasting. The grave of the peasant and the mausoleum of the prince are alike vocal. On each may be inscribed,―

Be watchful, then, my dear young friends, from day to day, and strive

that your example may be such that generations to come, over which your life may exert an important and evergrowing influence, may have abundant occasion to bless GOD that you ever lived upon the earth, and that you transmitted to them a fame pure as the dew-drop, and imperishable as the throne of God.

And now, if the SPIRIT OF GOD shall condescend to make these pages instrumental in awakening the attention of a single youth to the great concerns of eternity, and leading him, as a humble penitent, to the cross of Christ, my humble labors will be richly rewarded.

MEMOIR

OF

TIMOTHY S. CUMMINGS.

DEATH is at all times a solemn thing; and the command, “Prepare to meet thy God,” must fill every mind with solemn awe. But to one who has made his peace with God, through the blood of JESUS CHRIST, and has, by true repentance of sin and a cordial belief in the Savior, cast himself on the Divine mercy, death is usually met with holy composure, -frequently with joy and triumph. And why should it not be so? It is the gate through which we enter our Father's house on high; the messenger which conveys us to a Savior's arms, which places us beside the still waters, and in the green pastures of the heavenly Canaan.

These remarks have been suggested by the recent death of TIMOTHY S. CUMMINGS, who was, for about twelve years, a member of this school, and for several of the latter years, connected with our Bible class. He had attained the age of twenty; and by his domestic habits, his filial respect and affection, his industry and faithful attention to the concerns of one of our most respectable mercantile establishments, had secured the friendship and warm attachment of a wide circle of friends.

Thanks be to GoD, the last end of our young friend was peace,-emphatically peace! He had felt the bitterness of sin, and loathed and hated it. The provisions of the Gospel were exactly adapted to his necessities, and he embraced them; the compassion of his heavenly Father he saw and admired, the condescension and kindness of the Savior he felt and rejoiced in. And how did he arrive at this state of mind? By admitting the claims. of GOD,-by perceiving the value of Christ's atonement for the sins of a guilty world,—by giving his affections to the Savior, and by using the little residue of life in speaking well

of Him who has bought us with his blood, and urging those about him to "flee," as he had done, "to the hope set before them in the Gospel."

I had heard nothing of the sickness of Cummings, till Sabbath, the 14th of August last, one of his young companions in the Bible class informed me of it. He had been absent in the country for about three months, and had just returned; but it seems without any improvement of health. His complaint was on the lungs. I called to see him on the afternoon of Monday, the 15th of August. He had been, for several years, in my Bible class, before I took the superintendence of this school. He appeared pleased to see me, though he conversed but little. He said he had been more comfortable that day,—that he was improving,-and that his disease was not seated. When I first saw him, I thought I perceived that death had marked him for an early victim, and I wished to have him take a right view of his situation, as soon as possible. I knew it was the wish of his mother; and, accordingly, in the gentlest and most prudent