for it." Some one present, proposed to send for the clergyman to pray with her-"If you can pray," said she, "pray for yourselves; for me it is too late."

In a few minutes the parish clergyman arrived and attempted to console her. He mentioned the case of the penitent thief on the cross, and assured her it was never too late to turn to God. She replied, "his case and mine are different---he repented, I cannot. If I were well, I should not think of it; I would live here for ever." In a short time, she sunk into a state of insensibility, and thus expired.

For myself, I had retired to a corner of her apartment, to mourn before my God, my own backwardness, that I had not warned her the day before to prepare for eternity. I was awed by the commands of a wicked doctor, and dared not introduce the subject. I have never yet been able to reflect calmly on this scene. God enable me by future faithfulness, to atone for my error, so that in the great day of accounts, I may have none but my own soul to answer for.

The Death of Julia. From the same.

Julia possessed a mind of no common grade, and with a versatility of genius, she applied with equal diligence to the useful, the ornamental, and the abstruse, and with almost equal success. Yet though she read Virgil and Tully with tolerable facility, and could measure heights and distances with mathematical exactness, her manners were truly feminine. Her person was pleasing, and her countenance was a perfect index to a heart naturally gay, yet capable of the most tender emotions, and most durable attachments.

Her parents, though good moral people, were not pious; and Julia, like too many ladies of fashion, was

a stranger to religion. When religion was the topic, Julia was silent.

It was the will of Providence that I should encounter many serious afflictions. In the midst of these trying scenes, God was my support, and when consolation visited me, in the form of a letter from Julia, it gave new energy to a mind, too prone to sink under the pressure of afflic tion. I thought I discovered in my late bereavements, the chastising hand of heaven for my remissness in duty. I reverted to the years spent in cultivating a mind, I now suffered to sink into puerile inactivity, and I resolved by the grace of God, henceforth to devote my abilities, such as they were, to recommend and enforce the religion of Jesus Christ. With such views I commenced a series of letters to Julia. We wrote to each other frequently. The following extract is from one of her letters.

Many times of late, I have determined to commence a life of piety, bul some new amusement, or gay company, has banished my seriousness. Continue to pray for me, and believe me, I feel the importance of being what you would have me ;—how I shall act, I dare not promise."

Some time afterwards, she married, and I heard of her but once from the period of marriage. In this last communication, she expressed a hope, mixed with many fears, that God, for Christ's sake, had forgiven her sins. Persons who attended her during her illness, and witnessed her triumphant death, give these particulars of her :

Her piety after a time grew deep, uniform, and consistent, and she shone no more in the splendid galaxy of fashion. She manifested the sincerity of her faith by active and persevering exertions, to promote the cause of piety. The friends of Jesus were the chosen ones of her heart, and every institution calculated to promote the interests of piety,

or disseminate the knowledge of salvation, received her warm support.

Perhaps there is not a more interesting object, than an amiable young person, verging to the grave by the lingering steps of a protracted phthisis. Flattered by the illusive appearances of returning health, the subjects of this deceitful disease, frequently indulge chimerical hopes, and drop into the grave while their minds are pursuing plans of future life, and indulging in dreams of recovery. It was not so with Juliafrom the first serious attack, she gave up all hopes of complete recovery, and gave her heart wholly to an active preparation for the world to which she felt herself hastening.

At one time, when her pastor visited her, and asked what were her views in the prospect of recovery? She answered, "I submit the matter to God. My situation in life is agreeable. I have a kind husband, and tender parents and friends, who will mourn when I am no more. For their sakes, if it were the will of God, I might be willing to defer my happiness."

Being asked if she had no doubts respecting her final acceptance with God? she answered, "through grace, I have generally been enabled to rely with confidence on the mercy of God, in Jesus Christ; yet the enemy sometimes tempts me to fear. I cannot state the exact time when God converted my soul, but this I know, once I was attached to vain amusements, now I love prayer-once I loved the world, now I love God." Indeed, her conversion was so gradual, that for a long time after she exhibited the fruits of religion, she was doubtful whether she possessed it. Some time before her death, her doubts were all removed, and she rejoiced in the full assurance of eternal life. While her fond husband stood over her, wiping the cold drops from her face, she took his hand, and said with much difficulty," and

there shall be no more death—no more parting." After some time, she added, "Oh seek the Lord;" and lifting up her hands and eyes, I Lord, convert his soul." These were the last words she uttered. Her race was short, and her end triumphant.--Oh! glorious hope of immortality.-Oh transporting thought!Julia yet lives, and lives for ever. Surely if there be any one word that carries peculiar sweetness in its sound, it is this word-IMMORTALITY. It is this that dries the tear that falls upon the urn of those we love. It is this that reconciles the world to "all the sad variety of wo;" and it is this that will at last gild the horrors of the grave, and shed a glorious light on the dark valley of the shadow of death. We shall all wake to immortality, and live for ever. Oh solemn, interesting idea! Our future happiness or misery will ultimately depend on the use we make of the privileges now put into our hands. Heaven is. a prize worth life's purchase. Let us then be engaged in its pursuit. "Let us not sleep, as do others, but watch and be sober,"

For the Churchman's Magazine.

On hearing Sermons. ONE of our old writers remarks it as among the errors of his times, to mistake conversation upon religious matters, or what he sarcastically calls. "religious gossip," for the actually being religious. If the remark was true in his day, it is probably not less so at the present. It is natural, indeed, that a man should be ready to talk upon what he has much at heart. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." But religion is a subject so serious in itself; it is so much a matter between a man and his Maker, that he who is deeply impressed with its spirit, will not be apt to bring it forward as

a topic for mere chit-chat. It is associated with so much meekness and humility, that no one who is imbued with its characteristic temper, will bring it forward as a matter of conversation, for the mere purpose of impressing his hearers with a higher sense of his own religious character, or to make an ostentatious display of his religious knowledge and attainments. It is not every conversation upon religion, that is a religious conversation. I hear too much of this conversation that I can characterize by no better appellation than " religious gossip." And I see too many persons, who imagine themselves to be very religious, and yet carry their ideas of holiness but little beyond this;-who seem to think religion rather as a matter to be talked about than to be practised.*

There is another common error, near of kin to this ;-I mean the mistaking of attendance on public worship for devotion itself, and the hearing of sermons for attainments in piety. The mere hearing of prayers is not devotion, nor is the hearing of sermons piety itself. He who would worship God in his sanctuary, must join with his heart in the offices of devotion; and he who would not be an unfruitful hearer of the word preached, must listen to it with an honest heart, in order to practice it. St. Paul foretold the times when people, having itching ears," should "heap to themselves teachers:" and he calls these perilous times. They are perilous times indeed, when people shall content themselves with talking upon religion and hearing ser

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*Talkative. I perceive then that our talk must be about the power of things, Well, it is a very good question, and I shall be willing to answer

you. And take my answer in brief, thus:first,

where the grace of God is in the heart, it causeth there a great outery against sin. Secondly

Faithful. Nay, hold, let us consider of one at once; I think you should rather say, it shows it self by inclining the soul to abhor sin.

Talk. Why, what difference is there between crying out against, and abhorring sin ?" John Bunyan.

mons, instead of cultivating holiness of heart, and practising the duties which religion enjoins.

There is a short Collect at the close of our communion service, which is often, and with great propriety, introduced by the clergyman at the close of his sermon. It should be joined in by every hearer, with sincerity of heart, and remembered with a corresponding practice after he leaves the house of worship."Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that the words which we have heard this day with outward ears, may through thy grace be so inwardly grafted in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

On this subject I beg leave to quote a passage from a sermon of the venerable Bishop Andrews, "against unfruitful hearing." It is much more forcible and pointed than any thing I could say, and will be likely to attract attention from the singularity of the style, as well as the pungency of the matter. Bishop Andrews was a learned and pious divine; and a popular preacher, according to the taste of his day. His sermons are rich in matter, but according to the pedantry and conceit of the times, interlarded with scraps of Latin, loaded with a redundancy of metaphors, and deformed with quibbles, puns, and witticisms. But like an old Gothic cathedral, though the ornaments are profuse and quaint, the building is rich and substantial.The sermon from which the extract is taken, was preached before King James and his court, on Ash-Wednesday, A. D. 1683. His subject is taken from the parable of the sower, and its solution; and he dwells especially upon the part, where the seed sown on good ground is likened to those, who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word,

keep it and bring forth fruit with patience."

"Bring forth," says he. "All now is in carrying in: little in bringing forth. For, to take our age at the best, and our ordinary professours in the prime of their profession, this is our virtue; we carry well in: we are still carrying in; but nothing, or as good as nothing, comes from us, nor bring ever forth. So, this word comes very apposite to our times. All our time is spent in hearing; in carrying in repentance-seeds, and other good seeds many. All, in hearing, in a manner; none, in bringing forth repentance, or any other good fruit.”. "At Athens, they said to Paul, Nova quaedam infers auribus nostris (tell us some new thing)-It is our case right, Infers auribus: but it is an infers without a profers; any profers at all. In at our eares, there goes, I know not how many sermons: and every day more and more, if we might have our wills. Infers auribus; into the eares they goe; the care and all filled, and even farced (stuffed) with them but there the eare is all.

"It puts me in mind of the great absurdity, as St. Paul reckons it :What; is all hearing? (saith he) all hearing? Yes: all is hearing with

us.

But that all should be hearing, is as much as if one's body should be nothing but an eare, and that were a strange body. But, that absurdity are we fallen into. The corps, the whole body of some men's profession; all godlinesse with some, what is it, but hearing of sermons? The eare is all; the eare doth all that is done; and but by our EAREMARKE, no man should know us to be Christians!--They were wonte to talk much of auricular confession: I cannot tell, but now, all is turned to an auricular profession. And (to keep us to proferte) our profession is an inning profession. In

it goes, but brings nothing out ;nothing comes from it again.

"But, proferte, bring forth (saith Saint John;) be not always loading in. And there is reason for it. As there is a time for, Exiit qui seminat seminare semen suum (in the Parable, wherein the sower goeth forth and carrieth with him good seed, and casts it in. So there is a time too, (saith the Psalme ;) for Rediil înessor, ferens manipulos secum, that the Reaper comes back; and brings his sheaves with him; the sheaves, which the seed (he carried in) brought forth. But with us, it is otherwise. For, a wonderful thing it is, how many sermons, and sermons upon sermons, (as it were so many measures of seed) are throwen in daily; and what becomes of them, no man can tell. Turne they all to wind? Or run they all to thorow? For, fruit there comes none. Omnia le aversum; all in: Nulla retrorsum ; none out."

C.

Brief Reflections on the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

No II

THE Sacrament of the Lord's Supper presents itself to the mind of the Christian, as the most interesting and solemn ordinance of religion. It is interesting and solemn, as an act of communion with our fellow Christians, whom we acknowledge in this ordinance to be members with us of the same family, disciples of the same Master, and heirs of the same glori ous inheritance. It is interesting, as an act of grateful commemoration of the sufferings and death of our dear Redeemer, by which we confses and own him to be our Master and Saviour, before the congregation of his people. It is interesting, as a means of participation in the body and blood of our blessed Lord, of con

firming our title to the favour of God, of conveying to us the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and of nourishing and strengthening our souls unto everlasting life. "This subject is of very great weight in itself, and of near concern to every Christian ;" and therefore, says Bishop Burnet, in his exposition of the thirty-first article, "ought to be studied with a care proportioned to the importance of it; that so we may govern ourselves aright in a matter of so much consequence; avoiding with great caution the extremes on both hands, both of excessive superstition on the one hand, and of profane neglect on the other." The observation which this author makes on the conduct of Christians in his own times, will apply with great justice to a majority of those, who profess Christianity at the present day. "We are now visibly under the extreme of neglect; and therefore we ought to study by all means possible, to inspire our people with just respect for this holy institution, and to animate them to desire earnestly to partake often of it; and in order to that, to prepare them seriously to set about it with reverence and devotion, and with holy purposes, and the solemn vows that ought to accompany it."

"It is prudent," says Dr. Waterland, to err, rather on that side which ascribes too much to this Sacrament, than on that which ascribes too little." But should we ascribe too much to this Sacrament, " since we attempt not, and desire not to carry the respect due to it, higher than the ancient Churches, and the primitive saints and martyrs have carried the same before, it will be erring on the humble, modest, pious side, if we should happen to run into an extreme."-"But suppose that we are deceived (as we certainly are Rot) in our high conceptions of the efficacy and use of this Sacrament; all that follows, is, that we may be thereby led to frequent the SacraVol. I. No. V.

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ment so much the oftener, to come to it with the greater reverence, and to repeat our solemn vows for the leading a good life, by the assistance of divine grace, with the more serious and devout affections. Our Church never teaches that the outward Sacrament is of any avail,without inward faith and repentance, or entire obedience. All Protestant Churches have abundantly guarded against any one's trusting in the bare outward work; the danger therefore on this head is very slight in comparison. For what if a man should erroneously suppose that on his worthy receiving, he obtains pardon for his past offences, and grace to prevent future, will not this be an encouragement to true repentance, without which he can be no worthy receiver, and to watchfulness also for the time to come, without which the divine grace can never have its perfect work ?"-" Corrupt nature generally leads to the diminishing side, and is more apt to detract from the burden of religion, than to increase its weight. Men are too apt of themselves to take up with low and grovelling sentiments of divine things. Strict notions of the Sacraments require as strict observance of the same Sacraments, which demands the more intense care and greater abstraction of thought; all which is irksome and painful to flesh and blood. There lie the temptations to low and diminishing conceptions of the Sacraments." Every extreme on religious subjects is wrong, and it often requires great care and discernment to fix upon the golden mean. But there may be greater sin and danger in one extreme than another; and there is less danger of our sentiments of the Lord's Supper being too high, than too mean and low, and of our receiving it with frequency and reverence, than treating it with indifference and neglect.

The Sacraments are indeed positive duties, but to consider them