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REVIEWS.

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HAVING already offered our opinion at considerable length, upon the general and comparative literary merits of the encomiastical selection before us, and disposed of two or three other topics which fell directly under our supervision as Christian Spectators, we shall now invite the attention of our readers to some of the more vital principles of this splendid and popular volume. It is too late, we think, for any body to question, that in the common acceptation of the term, Adams and Jefferson were great men. They were endowed by nature, with uncommon intellectual strength, forecast, and penetration. They enjoyed the best advantages of education which the country sixty years ago could afford; and they appear to have done themselves great justice, in the early improvement of their talents and opportunities. Mr. Adams was deep thinker, an earnest, businesslike speaker, and a nervous, philosophic writer. Mr. Jefferson was not only a philosopher, but a polite scholar; and they both came forward into public life, at a crisis most favourable for the developement and exercise of their uncommon powers.

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Of the merits, or demerits, the policy or impolicy, of their respective administrations we have almost nothing to say. Neither was absolutely perfect; under both the country prospered. But of their patriotism and revolutionary services, we have no hesitation in speaking freely, though our limits will compel us to speak briefly. It admits not of a doubt with us, that they were both ardent lovers of their country;—and unwavering and incorruptible friends of her republic

an institutions. Stronger proofs of a high and almost chivalrous patriotism cannot be demanded, than they uniformly exhibited, as members of the old Congress, and in all their foreign diplomatic agencies, during the revolutionary struggle. To them, greatly, though not perhaps more than to some of their illustrious compeers, are these United States indebted, under Providence, for the undisputed enjoyment of the richest civil and political blessings.

That Adams and Jefferson were both entitled to a high rank as statesmen, might easily be proved by a reference to their revolutionary services, in the councils of the confederation, at home, and in the cabinets of foreign powers, without looking at the measures of either when subsequently placed at the head of the Federal Government. Both their official and less public writings abundantly prove, that they had studied the rights of man, and the principles of civil government deeply; and the experience of more than half a century has added its sanction to most of their early political speculations. In the shades of retirement, particularly during the last ten years of their lives, they were regarded with increasing veneration by the American people; and though the frosts of almost a century had whitened their locks, and chilled the current of life within them, it would seem that nothing could abate the ardour of their patriotism, or diminish the interest which they had so long cherished in the freedom and prosperity of their country.

When such men die, an enlightened and grateful people will speak of their services; and it would, we confess, exceedingly alarm us, to see them go down unheeded with

the common multitude to the grave. For should such an apathy ever pervade the public mind, it would be ominous of extreme danger to our republican institutions. Let those then, who have ably and faithfully served their country, receive their reward in the gratitude of many generations. Let their virtues and public usefulness be recorded, and even commemorated, to keep alive the spirit of independence, and transmit its invaluable blessings to posterity. But let every memorial and every celebration, be characterized by republican simplicity and Christian moderation. Let things be called by their right names; and let not principles and actions be confounded, which are widely different, both in their nature and tendencies.

When a man dies, who has been distinguished for any valuable trait of character, or extraordinary course of public usefulness, let his friends and admirers be satisfied with the meed of commendation which he has fairly earned, without boasting of services which he never rendered, or claiming for him virtues which there is no satisfactory evidence that he ever possessed. To identify piety with love of country, or to infer that any departed public benefactor was a good Christian, because he possessed great talents, or because he was an eminent statesman, or a warm and incorruptible patriot, is as unscriptural,and as contrary to experience, as it would be to argue, that a great statesman must necessarily abound in all the tender charities of private life, or that a distinguished mathematician must of course be a great general, or an ardent friend of republican institutions. These are points not to be assumed, but like every thing else, to be proved by the proper evidence. We have, to say the most, no better right to infer the coexistence of piety with extraordinary intellectual endow

ments, in the chair of state, than with common talents, in a private station. The talented advocate of his country's rights in a foreign court, or the brave defender of them in the "tented field," may be at the same time, either the friend or the enemy of God, may be "seeking for glory and honour and immortality" above, or be grovelling among the "beggarly elements" of this world-may be "fighting the good fight of faith," or marching onward to perdition. In regard to meetness for heaven, worldly estimation and applause prove nothing. That noble daring which breaks its fetters and hurls them in defiance at the oppressor, proves nothing. Even the longest life spent in the public service proves nothing, because there are so many worldly and selfish motives which are known to be sufficient of themselves to secure official integrity, especially in high and honourable stations to the very last hour,

We feel it to be our duty as Christian Spectators, to insist the more earnestly on this point, because, if we mistake not, it is becoming more and more fashionable in certain quarters, entirely to overlook all the scriptural qualifications for a happy immortality, and to send our distinguished revolutionary patriots one after another to heaven, almost as a matter of course. The recollection of our readers will doubtless furnish them with many examples, in fourth-ofJuly orations, which they have heard, and the obituary notices which have fallen under their observation. We object to these public and uncalled for effusions of charity, on several accounts. In the first place, most of them are entirely gratuitous. Not a syllable of proof is even offered to justify them, aside from what military, civil, and political services can furnish. How inadequate these are,

we have already briefly shown. In the second place, no human persuasion, however confidently expressed, that all is well with departed patriots and sages, can make the least difference in their eternal condition. If they are in heaven it will not make them more happy, and if they are not in heaven, it will never place them there. In the third place, while that unmeasured eulogy which never rests till it has glorified its favourites, can do no possible good to the dead, it is calculated to do much harm to the living and it is on this account, chiefly, that we enter our solemn protest against it. So long as it is tolerated and applauded by listening thousands, our young men who are hereafter to sustain the most important offices in the gift of a free people, will be apt to overlook, if they do not despise, those moral qualifications which alone are of any avail in the sight of God; and to expect a double immortality, as the reward of their political integrity and public services. If their predecessors have on these grounds been accept ed and taken up to their high and eternal reward, why should they not confidently look for the same heavenly distinction, without giving themselves the trouble of passing through the valley of humiliation? Thus many will reason, and thus will they fatally mistake the way to future happiness, so long as the learned, the honourable, and the eloquent, conspire to perpetuate the fond and sweet delusion.

But while, in a Christian land, it has become so fashionable for orators and journalists to send their favourites to heaven, especially from the high places of society, on the same grounds, exactly, as the Romans were wont to place their heroes and conscript fathers in the Elysian fields, or to exalt them still higher; and while there is too much reason to fear, that most of the dis

tinguished subjects of eulogy and statuary, are no better prepared for the presence and service of a holy God in the one case than they were in the other, it is delightful to think, how many bright exceptions the history of our own country furnishes to this remark. Some of our greatest and wisest and most useful men, have been among the best, among the humblest and most devoted servants of God. And though we cannot prove that the soul of one man is more valuable than that of another, we dwell with peculiar interest upon the evidence which a great public benefactor leaves behind him, that having served God and his generation, he has entered into the eternal joys of a good and faithful servant in the heavens.'

Such, in the judgment of their present eulogists, is the happy condition of the two venerable "Patriarchs of the Revolution," who left the world together, on the great day of their country's Jubilee. This favourable and even confident opinion of their having gone into the heavens, together with the grounds of it, so far as the writers before us have stated the reasons of their belief, we shall now submit to our readers in one connected view. "Scarcely had the funeral knell of Jefferson been sounded in our ears, when we were startled by the death of another patriot-of Adams the compeer of his early fame-the opposing orb of his meridian day-the friend of his old age and his companion to the realms of bliss." Tyler. p. 57. "And when the sun of that happy day was past his meridian, the acclamations of rejoicing, aroused them for a moment from the lethargy of approaching dissolution, to hail once more the great and glorious occasion; and their enfranchised souls instantly winged their flight to the realms of bliss.” Cushing. p. 23. "You are gone! you have fought the good fight and have winged your flight from the

field of your fame, to the regions of eternal bliss, to receive your reward in heaven." Cambreleng. p. 72. "Their pure spirits have been permitted to take their exit, on the brightest day the sun has ever lighted, and be wafted back to the great fountain of life." S. Smith. p. 91. "Whenever the fourth of July arrives, mankind will see in his rising beams the rays of liberty; and in his meridian path, the names of the two patriots, who consecrated the day to freedom, and ascended to its rewards on its Jubilee." J. E. Sprague. p. 259. "The blessings of emancipated millions have followed their spirits to those regions, where life is without end and where sorrow never enters." Thornton. p. 330. Hope celestial, resignation and prayers for their country accompanied their tranquil passage to immortality." Wilkins. p. 347.

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Of the whole brave and animated band who signed the declaration of independence, with the exception of a single survivor, it is said, "They have bequeathed to us the immortal record of their virtue and patriotism, and have ascended to a brighter reward than men can confer.' Wirt. p. 406. And again,The wonder is, that two such men should on this fiftieth anniversary of the day on which they had ushered the cause of liberty into light, be caught up to heaven together in the midst of their raptures. May we not, with reverence, interpret the voice of heaven in this wonderful dispensation, 'These are my beloved servants in whom I am well pleased. They have finished the work for which I sent them into the world, and are now called to their reward."

Our readers will perceive, that the above extracts are taken from every part of this volume, and that they express not a strong belief, merely, but full assurance; and that not of one, but of many, that Adams and Jefferson are now in

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the realms of eternal bliss.' Other passages equally unequivocal might be quoted from the present Selection," and indeed, the whole spirit of it is in accordance with the sentiment which these extracts so confidently express. Any strictures that we think it our duty to offer, would be quite premature, till the grounds of this high and celestial award are fully and fairly stated from the eulogists themselves; but we shall take this opportunity to make a few general remarks upon that more sacred species of eulogy, which we so often see in obituary notices, and so often hear on funeral occasions.

Such expressions as the following will be recognized by our serious readers as extremely common. "Our departed friend was a Christian"-"he evidenced his faith by his works"-" love to God and man were predominant traits in his character"-" he bore a long and distressing sickness with singular Christian fortitude and resignation"-"in all his sufferings he never uttered a murmuring word"

"he died as he had lived, a sincere Christian"- -"he departed in the full hope of a glorious immortality"-" he has, as we confidently believe, entered into the joy of his Lord"-" his toils have ceased, his warfare is ended, and he has gone to his eternal rest."- -"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord."

Such things as these are every day said, not only of those who have been eminently distinguished for their piety, but of many, who while living, exhibited no remarkable proofs of love to God and the Saviour; and of some, who were never known to give any other evidence of piety than a cold profession of religion, and perhaps not even that, till it appeared in the newspapers. Far from us be the wish to prevent any bright Christian example from being held up to public view, or to condemn indis

criminately the practice of expressing hope and even confidence in regard to the eternal state of the pious dead. There are some examples of "holy living" and "holy dying" which seem to leave no room for doubt that all is well after death; and to justify the highest degree of confidence which partiality itself can wish to express. But they are few in number, compared with the multitudes who go down to the grave; and even where the evidences of piety shine out in their holiest lustre, might it not in most cases be better to follow the example of Paul, and say, "a faithful brother, as I suppose," than to speak without any such qualificaion? The sacred writers are very sparing of their encomiums upon departed saints, and indeed rarely say more of them than that they were gathered to their fathers. How much less do the scriptures authorize such hopes and assurance as we often hear expressed respecting the dead, who, so far as man can judge, neither lived the life nor died the death of the righteous.

It is certainly a very interesting inquiry, how far ministers of the gospel have countenanced, and are still in the habit of countenancing this unauthorized liberality of speech by their own example. That many go to the utmost verge of what is lawful, in their holy vocation, will not we presume be denied; but then it must be remembered that the circumstances in which they are placed are often peculiarly delicate and trying.

The death of a respectable parishioner, is always deeply afflictive to his family and friends; and they naturally look to their pastor for the strongest sympathy in their sorrows. In the mournful discharge of his official duties, he is expected to forget every blemish and doubtful trait in the character of the deceased, and with pious solicitude to recall every word and act and circumstance

which will bear a favourable construction. At the same time there seems to be a kind of tacit agreement throughout the parish, or town, to remember only the virtues of the dead; and even his enemies, if he had any, are more than half reconciled to his being sent to heaven, especially as they anticipate that they may one day need the same kind office themselves.

Thus while the grave and the fountains of grief and sympathy are all open at once, the minister is sent for to comfort the mourners and attend the funeral. He repairs to the house of weeping, and sits down with the widow and her fatherless children. Thus circumstanced, and earnestly wishing to console them to the full extent of his ability, how difficult is it to refrain from expressing a cheering hope that it is well with the husband and father, though he may have left no evidence of piety behind him. So when the pastor rises to speak in prayer; or in exhortation, it is commonly under an equal, if not an increased excitement. Nor is this all. Full well does he know, that every word from which his own views of the religious character of the deceased can be gathered, will be eagerly caught up and weighed by the audience. If he says nothing on the subject, friends will be dissatisfied and put the most unfavourable construction upon his silence. If on the other hand, to save their feelings, he expresses a hope in general and guarded terms, it is still worse. And to increase the embarrassment, it will sometimes happen, that the deceased has been a firm and liberal supporter of his minister; that he has left many wealthy and influential relations and friends in the parish; and that to increase their displeasure, would be extremely hazardous. A conscientious pastor will not, indeed, knowingly, suffer himself to be swayed by such motives; but

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