4 And God has a right to correct us by what rodit Three months afterwards he says again: I hope to form a multifarious and useful pamphlet on the Synod of Dorto I mean to make it a vehicle of myu sentiments on a variety of subjects, on which I should never otherwise have spoken out." The proposed work? was completed in the spring of 1818, and published in a small octavo volume.. → The month of November, 1817, will be long remembered, as having inflicted upon the heart of the whole nation a deeper pang of disappointment and resi gret, by the death of that illustrious princess in whom all our hopes had centered, than was perhaps ever felt on any like occasion. This event claims to be noticed here, not only as having drawn forth another publication from my father's pen, a funeral sermon entitled, "The Voice of God to Britain," but for the fresh discovery which is made of the tenderness of his heart, and his lively interest in the public welfare. I shall transcribe two short extracts of letters on this subject. Dee, 1, 1817. Your father preached on the Sunday a very affecting sermon from 1 Pet.i. 22-25; and shed more tears in the pulpit, than ever I saw him do before ...On the Wednesday (the day of the funeral) we had a very crowded congregation, and he preached again, from Micah vi. 9, a sermon which is now in the press."}} December 12, from my sister:"I never saw my dear father so overwhelmed by any calamity, nor so ready to anticipate evil. His spirits are however now revived in some measure, and he seems gratified by the manner in which the nation at large has received the chastisement.... His sermons on the Sunday after he received the news were the most affecting," (more so than the printed one, preached on the day of the funeral,)" distressingly so indeed. He was so over powered by his feelings, that it was with the utmost diffi4. culty he proceeded. They say age chills the affections, but this is not the case with him. He is all tender ness and sympathy; daily, indeed, becoming more like Christ. I sometimes feel alarmed at seeing him ripen so fast for glory. Oh that we might catch some pors tion of his spirit before he is taken from us The commencement of the year 1818 introduces us to what furnished the principal employment of his remaining days, the preparation of a new edition of his Bible, to be printed in stereotype, and therefore to receive his last corrections and improve ments. He thus writes, March 3: "I have gone through the winter months (which have been remarkably mild,) better than I could have expected. I have had but little fever: one Sunday I was laid by; but I was better in a short time. I am however very infirm, and in almost constant pain, though not acute, in my teeth and elsewhere: yet I am still as fully employed in my study as ever; and am able to preach at my church, I hope not quite in vain. I wish to explain to you what has been done, and is doing, about reprinting the exposition of the Bible. As I was not employed about the last edition, I had no expectation that I should have any more to do with another, and only hoped that my rather corrected copy would be taken to print from. Nor was I aware that a new edition was in present contemplation." He then states that another was proposed, to be brought but in the course of two years and a half; that a young man, long an inmate with him, had been applied to to conduct it through the press; and that he himself, judging that," for an edition which should be the standard of the work as long as it may exist, it was highly desirable that he should, as far as life and mental powers were spared, superintend the revisal," he had been induced to undertake this service. "Since this was settled," he proceeds, partners have come to a determination to stereotype the work; which certainly is gratifying to me."Still this new, and, as it proved, very laborious em "the ployment, was not, in his intention, to supersede, nor did it t, for some time, in fact, supersede his preparation of the proposed Concordance and Index. It will not be long," he says, he says, "ere they are finished: within the course of the summer, if I am preserved," of rotoredt Smoln In July, he says on the same subject," I have now come to a determination to devote every evening to revision of the new edition of the Bible; and more of my time, if required, and as I am able. I have brought my revision so far, as to have nearly settled all the points for consideration, in what I had preyiously looked over.... It is evident that I have fallen into some inaccuracies in what o I before ventured on critical points, and most of what is now attempted will be new, but well weighed if I live." In October, he adds, "I am so engaged in preSam paring copy, correcting proofs, &c. for the new edition of the Bible, that I can do little towards completing my Concordance." ron tart bogor ving has o On the last day of May, this year, he wrote the following deeply Christian and affecting letter to his Northumbrian correspondent, who was mourning the loss of a son.ed a bus exsey owed to s ons ni to, May 31, 1818. I received your very sorrowful letter, and can truly say that I sympathize with you in your sorrow, and do pray that the Lord may comfort you under it; and not only so, but greatly sanctify it to your soul. In order to this, I shall make to viral a few remarks on the subject, the result of much reflection on the state of this suffering dying world, and on the instructions of scripture in this particular.All our affections and passions ought to be subordinated to the love of God, and obedience to his will; Vantros donwlow odd 2 H so woftedafi wow hovory to as bas won sift lise and regulated accordingly: so that the indulgence of sorrow is as contrary to our duty, as the indulgence of anger, though more plausible, and deemed more amiable; and therefore less generally and strenuously resisted. We are no more warranted to say, I do well to be sorrowful,' (that is, to indulge sorrow,) than I do well to be angry. God appoints the event: he is wise, righteous, faithful, and merciful; and we deserve far worse from him. His appointment is far different from our inclination, or affection; but then we are foolish, partial, wayward, selfish. Whether then is right, his appointment or our inclination? The former, doubtless: and, if so, indulged sorrow is in fact rebellion against that appointment; and as such should be watched, and striven, and prayed against, with all earnestness.-The Lord hath taken away from us a beloved object; the desire of our eyes with a stroke: but, is He not all-sufficient? does He not yet live? is He not an unchangeable good? Surely we should not say, what have I more? He, that made the beloved object a comfort to us, is able to comfort us without it, immediately, or through other channels.But, I must love my child, and mourn his loss. Yes, yet with submission: you must not love your child more than Christ; nor will you, if you be, as I trust, his disciple. Here your love and natural affection must be subordinated; else it will appear, that, in taking away the beloved object, he hath in fact taken away an idol. But I am not fully satisfied as to his soul.' Well then, there were hopeful tokens, on which to stay your mind. But, if it had not been so; think of Eli's two sons, and how, when their doom was denounced, he said, It is the |