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eyes, with a countenance expressive of his heavenly transport. The next morning, seeing his sisters by his bed-side, he said, "Through the goodness of God, we live to behold each other again!--this is a mercy! but, if it had pleased him, I should have been glad to have been taken the past night.' His sisters replied, That God would take him in his own time, which is the best. 'It is,' said he, "and in the mean time I hope to enjoy communications of his grace, by continual inter. course with Heaven; for, in proportion as we maintain habitual intercourse with God, we shall taste the consolations of his Spirit.' Late in the evening he called them to his bed-side, saying, 'My time is now come. He then took each of their hands, and committed them most affectionately to the care of their heavenly Father. On Tuesday afternoon, feeling the approaches of death, he broke out in these rapturous expressions: I find now it is no delusion! My hopes are well founded! I shall soon join the blissful company around the throne! Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the glory I shall shortly partake of! Read your Bible! I shall read mine no more!-no more need it!' When his brother said to him, "You seem to enjoy foretastes of heaven," "O!' replied he, this is no longer a foretaste!-this is heaven! I not only feel the climate, but I breathe the fine ambrosial air of Heaven, and soon shall enjoy the company! Can this be dying? This body seems no longer to belong to the soul! It appears only as a curtain that cov.

ers it; and soon I shall drop this curtain, and be set at liber. ty! Then, putting his hand to his breast, he exclaimed, 'I rejoice to feel these bones give way!'-repeating it, I rejoice to feel these bones give way, as it tells me I shall shortly be with my God in glory!'

Notwithstanding these supports and enjoyments, our young friend was not permitted to 'pass through the valley of the shadow of death' undisturbed. The powers of darkness molested him, and, for a short season, almost overwhelmed him with despair.

Let not the reader suppose that we ascribe all the distress which is felt on a deathbed, to the influence or sugges tions of Satan. It is sometimes to be imputed to the just reproofs proofs of an enlightened and guilty conscience, and frequently to imperfect views of religion, or to the mere effect of bodily in. firmity;-but let it not be imagin. ed, on the other hand, that we are to discard all ideas of the agency of evil spirits on these affecting occasions. If Satan was permitted to infest the Captain of our salvation in his dying agonies, can we wonder that his followers are exposed to his attacks in similar circumstances? If he practised his devices on the primitive Christians, we have no reason to expect an exemption from his malicious assaults.

In

consequence, therefore, we presume, of such temptations, our friend experienced a sudden transition from the highest joy to the very deepest distress. countenance suddenly changed, and he exclaimed, "What a cloud

has come over me! What can this be? I am lost! I am lost!'

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I was taken,' says he, to the portals of heaven, and was about to enter it, when the door was shut against me; and now I shall never, never see that glori. ous place! When he was re minded of his past enjoyments, "Yes,' said he, I have been favored with the manifestations of his love; but I have grieved his Spirit, and he is withdrawn from me for ever;' repeating these words, "If thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ev. er.' Then, turning to his friends, he said to them, in a most pathetic manner, Take warning by me! He then addressed him, self to God, lamenting the mise. ry of his absence, and dreading an eternal separation from him ; saying, 'O, my Father! shall Í never see thy face?-Shall I be banished for ever from thy smiles, from those smiles which make the bliss of Heaven? How can I bear the thought? Have I not, at times, experienced such joys in thy ways, as to make me esteem all things here as dung and dross, as unworthy my regard?—and shall I never realize those delightful anticipations?' His father then said to him, "But could you enjoy the company of the wicked in the regions of despair ?"—"O, no!' said he, their company here is my abhorrence! What is it then, which gives you so much distress?" Because I have tempted his Spirit, and he is withdrawn from me for ever.'"But are you not grieved for his departure? and do you not wish for his return?" I would give all the world, if I possessed it, to obtain one hope of it.' "Do you think then your past experience a delusion?" No,

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I know it was not a delusion; I have had such joys in the ways of God, as the wicked know not of;-such delightful anticipa tions of the bliss of Heaven, that I thought I should certain. ly arrive there.' He continued in this state for a considerable time; and neither the prayers nor conversation of his friends afforded him any relief. In these afflicting circumstances he addressed the Lord, with such an importunity and awful solem, nity as his attendants had never seen on any occasion. "Have I not,' says he, given myself up to thee? Have I not chosen thee for my portion? Hast thou not assured me of thy love? And wilt thou now cast me off for ever?"-After uttering these, and other expressions, to the same purpose, a divine light ir. radiated the gloom; and he was enabled to triumph over the delusions of the tempter.

After this, as much as his ill ness permitted, he was general, ly employed in devotion or in religious conversation, which indicated the happy state of his mind. At one time he said, ‘Į have always considered that re. ligion was not to be made a by. concern, but the supreme object of life.' On another occasion, he said to his father, I desire to be thankful for the restraints of a good education.' At anoth er time he said,This bed has been witness to many sweet seasons of communion with my God.'

On the Friday morning preced ing his death, being asked if Christ was precious to him, he replied, in an ecstacy of joy, "O yes, is precious indeed! very precious! I am very confident of this very

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thing, that he who hath begun the good work will perform it.' He spoke much more to the same purpose; but part of what he said, his friends could not fully understand.

On the Lord's Day morning, shortly before he died, having called his father and sisters to his bed-side, he addressed each of them for some time; and afterwards offered up a fervent prayer for them. But his voice failing, little could be under. stood. But after this he lay per fectly composed, with a heavenly serenity of countenance. His breath became gradually shorter, till at length, without a sigh or a struggle, he fell asleep in Jesus. The last words which he was heard to utter were, Glory, glory, glory! He died on the Lord's Day, April 17th, 1808, in the 24th year of his age.

The preceding memoir may probably be read by some young persons who have devoted much of their time to literary pursuits. It is possible, that in conseof their connexions, or quence the course of their reading and study, they have been accustomed to associate all that is ignorant and grovelling with their ideas of what is denominated Vital Religion. But let them here contemplate a youth of distinguished abilities, who gloried in the truths which they have learnt to despise. It deserves too their serious consideration, whether the principles which they have substituted for them, can inspire such a superiority to worldly attractions, or make them equal. ly willing to quit all that is dear and lovely in life, and enter on

the scene of an untried eternity.

We hope that this narrative may serve to obviate an objection, which the young often feel against serious religion. If they think that it is adapted to make them unhappy, let them consider its effect on the subject of this memoir. Possessing all the ardent feelings of youth, he made light of present pleasures, and the most flattering prospects of honor and interest; in consequence of the superior comfort which he derived from religion. It is surely then the want, not the possession of piety, which at any time renders men wretched or gloomy.

What an affecting proof has been here exhibited of the uncertainty of worldly hopes and enjoyments! The youthful eye, that may be now moving over this page, may also before the end of another short year, be mouldered to dust; and the immortal spirit by which it is animated, be fixed in a state of happiness or misery. How dreadful will the consequence be, time shall have been presumptuously trifled away, and a preparation for eternity have been entirely neglected !

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We hope that pious parents will be encouraged by this memoir, to attend to the most important concerns of their chil. dren. The best education indeed cannot produce real religion; and whether a Timothy or a Zaccheus be converted to God, the change must be ascribed to the operation of the Spirit. But prudent, pious, persevering endeavors have seldom failed of ultimately obtaining a blessing.

LIFE OF BERNARD GILPIN.

THIS excellent divine, who merited and obtained the glorious titles of the father of the poor, and the apostle of the north, was born at Kentmire, in the county of Westmoreland, in the year 1517. He was descended of an ancient and honorable family; but being a younger brother he was under the necessity of directing his attention to some profession: and he chose the church, for which his serious and contemplative habits, even from early life, seemed peculiar ly to qualify him. An instance of acute discernment, while he was yet an infant, is related of him by his biographer. A friar, pretending to be a zealous preacher, came, on a Saturday evening, to his father's house, where he was hospitably entertained; but was tempted, by the good cheer set before him, both to eat and drink to excess. The next morning he preached at church, and in his sermon inveighed with great vehemence against the licentiousness and sensuality of the times, and particularly against drunkenness. Upon this, young Gilpin, who sat on his mother's knee, and seemed much interested by the friar's discourse, cried out with indignation, "Oh mother, do you hear how this man dares to speak against drunkenness, and yet he was drunk himself last night?" But his mother stopt his mouth with her hand, it being in those days an unpardonable sin to find fault with the clergy.

His parents, perceiving him. to be a boy of quick parts, were anxious to afford him every advantage of education; and after

he had passed the requisite time at a grammar school, where he is said to have distinguished himself, he was removed, in the year 1533, to Oxford, and was there admitted on the foundation of Queen's college. His application to the various branches of learning then taught in the university was great. He was very conversant with the writings of E. rasmus; and to these he was probably indebted for his early emancipation from the shackles of prejudice, the freedom with which he pursued his theological inquiries, and the diligence with which he was induced to study the Scriptures. To a knowledge of the logic and philosophy of the day, he added a thorough acquaintance with the Greek and Hebrew languages. And such was the esteem in which he was held as a scholar, that he was one of the first who was nominated a member of Christ church college, by Cardinal Wolsey, who founded and endowed that noble institution.

At this period, as well as for some time afterwards, Gilpin, though much less bigoted than most of his contemporaries, was nevertheless adverse to the principles of the reformation. He was even induced, by the impor. tunity of his friends, to dispute publicly against Hooper, and afterwards against Peter Martyr, who had been appointed by King Edward the sixth to the divinity chair at Oxford. On this last occasion, that he might be better able to defend his cause, he carefully perused the Scriptures and the ancient fathers; but the more he read, the less confidence did he entertain in the truth of the tenets he was

engaged to support.

But what perhaps more than any thing else determined him to withdraw from the popish communion, was the declaration of the council of Trent, which had been called together for the express purpose of reforming ecclesiastical abuses, that the traditions of the church were to be esteemed of equal authority with Scrip

ture.

These and other things, particularly the opposition made by the priests to the reformation of even what they acknowledged to be amiss, much "grieved me," as he observes in a letter of his which is yet extant, "and made me seek for quietness in God's word; for no where else could I find any stay." "My nature," he proceeds to remark, "hath evermore fled controversy so much as I could. My delight and desire hath been to preach Christ, and our salvation by him, in simplicity and truth; and tó comfort myself with the sweet promises of the gospel and in prayer."

This state of mind greatly indisposed him to enter the lists with Peter Mar. tyr; but he resolved, that at least, he would use the disputation as a means of bringing his old opinions to the test of reason and Scripture; and that, laying aside the temper of a caviller, he would make truth the sole object of his pursuit. His candor and ingenuousness were so strik. ing, particularly when compared with the perverseness and bigotry of many of the other impugners of the new doctrines, that Peter Martyr used to say, "For my other hot-headed adversaries, I am not much concerned for them: but I am troubled for Gil. pin; for he speaks and acts with a singular uprightness of heart.” And he would often pray that God would be pleased at last to convert to the truth this honest and pious papist. And he pray. ed not in vain; for, from this time Gilpin determined, both by study and prayer, to search out the truth. And it pleased God at length to enlighten his mind to perceive the errors of popery, and the necessity of separating from the apostate church of Rome. To this result, an acquaintance with the early history of the church greatly contributed. A diligent examination of the subject convinced him that the doctrines of transubstantiation, indulgences, and works of supererogation, the worship of images, the denial of the cup to the laity, and the prohibition of the common use of the Scriptures, were inventions of later times, wholly unknown to the purer ages of the church; and his attachment to them was prove offensive at court. greatly shaken by this discovery. even recommended him to the VOL. II. New Series.

Mr. Gilpin continued at Oxford till his thirty-fifth year, when he was presented, by king Edward the sixth, to the vicarage of Norton, in the county of Durham. But he was first appointed to preach before the king, that conscientious mon. arch being unwilling to grant preferment to any clergyman of whose attachment to the princi ples of the reformation he had not reason to be satisfied. this occasion he took for his subject the gross venality and corruption of the age, against which he inveighed with great boldness. His freedom did not It

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