aged and a very young Christian, as illustrative of the identity of true religion, and its tranquillizing power in death, under every age and condition of human existence. MRS. SYLVIA DRAKE. At the house of her son, at Peckham Rye, entered into her eternal rest, on the 23d of February, Mrs. SYLVIA DRAKE, widow of the late Thomas Drake, Esq. of Exmouth, aged 70 years-The subject of this brief notice was a Christian of no ordinary standing. Her life, which was one of much vicissitude, was a course of patient continuance in well doing, and the ground of her holiness was an unshaken faith in the atonement made by Christ Jesus. For more than fifty years she regularly communicated at the table of the Lord; from which, as from every divine ordinance, she returned refreshed and strengthened. In the most painful visitations, she discerned the hand of her heavenly Father; and was accustomed to reply, It is all right." Her song was indeed always of mercy and judgment: she knew in whom she believed, and to his disposal she was enabled cheerfully to commit herself. The promises of God were her support through a long life, in which she endured a great fight of afflictions, and to these promises she cleaved in sickness and in sorrow, and, at length, relying upon them, descended into the valley of the shadow of death, triumphant over the last enemy. "During the sickness which terminated her valuable life, her state of mind was most enviable. Words could not speak her consolations. She frequently used the language of the aged Simeon, and declared that her prayers had been answered to the uttermost. Though perfectly alive to the temporal concerns of those who were dear to her, her mind was tranquil, and her supreme regards were fixed on those heavenly treasures which God hath prepared for them that love and obey him. Nothing could exceed, (if the expression may be allowed,) her holy importunity to depart and to be with Christ. Several times, a few days preceding her death, she sent for her son to say how happy she was. On one occasion she remarked, "I am waiting at Mercy's gate, ready to be called up." On another, whilst her relatives were engaged in religious conversation in her room, she earnestly exclaimed, "O my dear son, you have a thou sand enemies to contend with, and if I were not to meet you in heaven-" but she quickly checked herself, and said, "My heavenly Father has abundantly answered my prayers." In auticipation of the glorious rest that remaineth for the people of God, she would frequently exclaim, "Why tarry the wheels of his chariot?" "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly." On the morning of her dissolution she inti mated to her son, that she was "struggling hard with death," who, though spiritually conquered, assailed her mortal part with such violence, that she inquired if some relief could not be administered to her sufferings. About twenty minutes after, she presented one hand to her son, and the other to her daughter, and appeared quite composed. In less than half an hour, the spirit was released from its imprisonment, without the moment of its departure being perceived even by those who hung over her couch sorrowing. Thus peacefully did this devoted servant of God fall asleep. Without a struggle she closed her eyes on mortality, and her purified spirit was borne by angels into His presence where there is fulness of joy, and where, to use her own words, she now "richly reaps the fruits of faith, at the feet of her glorified Redeemer;" leaving a testimony behind her that religion is a divine reality, that it triumphs over death, and removes its sting by reason of the glory that shall be revealed. G. B. MISS ANNIE FARISH. On Tuesday, July 31st, died at Cambridge, in the 15th year of her age, ANNIE, daughter of Professor Farish. Casting all her care upon her Saviour, she endured her illness with much patience and resignation, and finished her short course with a joy and holy triumph which could only result from the exercise of true Christian principles. Her complaint was a rapid consumption, which soon reduced her to a mere shadow, and produced an excessive degree of weakness; but that God, who knows our frame and pities those that fear Him, was a very present help to her in the last solemn and trying scene, and she expired without a struggle or a sigh. Her end was, indeed, truly cheering, and, through the mercy of God, has proved to her afflicted and bereaved parents a fruitful source of consolation. To the writer of this article, who had seen her, for the first time during her illness, only the day preceding her death, she observed, "that it would be far better to meet in heaven;" and on the morning of the day in which she died, in answer to an observation made by her aunt, that she would be happier in heaven, she said, "Fur happier, for happier." Several times during this day, her friends thought her dying; and it was evident to all, that her stay here could be but short. A little after ten in the evening, she expressed a desire to be removed into an easy chair, for she had been unable to lie down for several nights. Whilst her aunt and servant were preparing to consult her wishes, she said, in a hurried manner, as if conscious of the near approach of death, "Make haste, make haste: call papa." Her father instantly came, and prayed with her for a few moments. He then called her mother, who had just retired for a little rest; and after the family were assembled around her, the following striking and consoling scene took place:-"Thank God," she exclaimed, "he hath, given me the victory: my Saviour hung on the cross six hours :" he died partly for me; and not for me only, but"--with an energy and look, of which it is impossible to give any idea, and which can never be forgotten by those who were present—“ for the whole world." Clasping her hands together, and lifting her eyes to heaven, she exclaimed, “All people shall see His glory, and all the heathen shall see His glory. Thank God-and my. God-and my Christ," interruptedly. "Into thy hands I commit my spirit; for Thou hast redeemed me, thou God, thou God of truth." Then with a sweet simplicity, which was a bright part of her character, she said, "Good bye," instantly bowed her head, and died-without a sigh. Thus slept in Jesus this dear child: she has entered into the joy of her Lord, and is safely landed in that place, where" there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." "Mark the perfect man, and behold -, the upright, for the end of that man is peace." ECCLESIASTICAL PREFERMENTS. Rev. Wm Evans, M. A. Wigmore V. Herefordshire. Rev. J. S. Clarke, LL. D. (Domestic Chaplain to the King), to a Prebend of the Chapel of St. George, Windsor. Rev. Robert Williams, to the Living of Llandyfrdog, Anglesey. Rev. J. Smyth, Keyingham Perpetual Curacy, Yorkshire. Rev. E. M. Willan, Oving R. Bucks. Rev. T. Lawes, Halberton V. Devon. Rev. Wm. Proctor Thomas, LL.B. Holcombe Prebend, Cathedral of Wells. Rev. Mark Aitkins, to the Church of the united parishes of Dyke and Moy, A. in the Presbytery of Forres and county of Moray. Rev. William Prondfoot, Minister of Shotts, to the Church and Parish of Avendale, Presbytery of Hamilton. Rev. J. J. Drewe, Alstonefield V. Staffordshire. Rev. J. Roberts, Quainford Perpetual Curacy, Staffordshire. Rev. John Jones, Llanvyrnach and Penrith RR. Pembrokeshire. Rev. R. Chester, M.A. Elstead R. Sus sex. Rev. Wm. Wyvill, B. A. Spenithorne R. York. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. C. C.; I. A.; J. A.; CLERICUS EBORACENSIS; have been received, and are under consideration. The work mentioned by A CONSTANT READER, is already under review. THE CHRISTIAN OBSERVER. No. 238.] OCTOBER, 1821. [No. 9. Vol. XX. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. HAT the Bible is the great charter of our privileges as Christians-that it is amply sufficient to make us wise unto salvation that it is a record of unalterable and eternal truth that it is an inexhaustible treasury of heavenly doctrines, of the purest precepts, and of the most consoling promises, is admitted by all who acknowledge its Divine inspiration. Yet multitudes derive from it no saving benefit, either because they altogether neglect to peruse it, or because they do not peruse it in a right spirit; and even among those who are really anxious to profit by its sacred contents, few reap all the benefit which they are calculated to afford. I purpose, therefore, to point out a few practical suggestions for studying the Scriptures with advantage. 1. In the first place, Whenever we open the sacred Volume, we should endeavour to realize the infinite Majesty of its Divine Author. In consequence of the fall of man, a haughty spirit of independence is so inseparably allied to our moral constitution, that we are too apt, even while reading the Scriptures, to lean unconsciously to our own understanding; we are more inclined to bring the truth of God to the level of our finite reason, than to receive it with that humility which our blessed Lord inculcated, when he said, "Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven;" a temper of mind to which his Apostle also alludes, when he speaks of our becoming CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 238. fools in order that we may be wise. From this bitter root has proceeded much of that hostility with which a simple declaration of the doctrines of Christianity has in every age been met, as well as those various ramifications of false doctrine which so frequently harass the seemingly penetrating, but really perplexed and vacillating, mind. Much also of the theological warfare which has been maintained among those who are agreed in the fundamental tenets of vital godliness, and into the lists of which the best of men have sometimes entered, has bad its origin in the same cause. How common is it to see even persons professing piety, so fondly attached to particular systems of doctrine, as to make no scruple of bending, by a laboured explanation, any text. which does not seem to favour their preconceived opinions, and thus refusing to embrace "the whole counsel of God." But surely if such persons were deeply af fected with right conceptions of the inconceivable greatness of that Being by whose inspiration the Scriptures were given, they would not easily fall into snares such as these. They would be sensible that the perfect understanding of manyof the subjects revealed in the sacred writings, especially whatever relates to their great Author, is far beyond the province of human intellect, Every attempt to fathom, by our limited reason, the deep things of the Most High, or to reconcile with systematic nicety particular points which, though clearly revealed, may not appear to our contracted view perfectly accordant with each 4 K other, or with our idea of what is gers me, what affrights me, is to see a diminutive creature, a contemptible man, a little ray of light glimmering through a few feeble organs, argue a point with the Supreme Being; oppose that Intelligence who sitteth at the helm of the world; question what He affirms, dispute what He determines, appeal from his decisions, and, even after God has given him evidence, reject all doctrines that are above his capacity. Enter into thy nothingness, mortal creature! What madness fills thee! How dost thou dare, thou who art but a point— thou whose essence is but an atom to measure thyself with the Supreme Being; with him who fills heaven and earth; with him whom the heaven-the heaven of heavens cannot contain! "Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection *?" 2. The necessity of an entire de"Ipendence upon the enlightening and teaching influences of the Holy Spirit ought always to be kept in view in perusing the word of God. He who originally dictated the sacred Scriptures is alone able to convey to our understandings their true meaning; and unless his Holy Spirit shall cast a ray of heavenly illumination upon our minds, no powers of genius, no erudition, however great, will be able to conduct us to a saving knowledge of their contents. Not, indeed, that there is any deficiency in the revelation itself: to suppose so, would be as absurd, as for a blind man to maintain that the sun did not shine, because he was unable to discern its splendour. No: the defect is in ourselves: we are by nature, in a spiritual sense, born blind, "having the understanding darkened, and being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in us because of the blindness of our hearts." "The natural man understandeth not the things of the Spirit of God; neither * Saurin's Sermons, Vol. i. pp. 78, 79. can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." But this declaration does not stand alone; it is accompanied with an assurance, that he which is spiritual" (that is, a partaker of the Holy Spirit) discerneth all things." St. Paul declares in the same chapter, with respect to himself and the Corinthian converts, that they had already" received of this Spirit;" and, in other places, we find the same heavenly boon promised freely and without exception to all who seek it. Two passages in particular deserve to be noted. "If ye, being evil," says our blessed Lord, "know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" "If any man lack wisdom," says his Apostle St. James," let him ask it of God, who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." While men entertain so high a conceit of themselves, as to imagine that Divine wisdom is attainable by the aid of their own unassisted reason whilst admitting the inspiration of the Scriptures, they neglect the chief means which God has appointed for understanding them, and remain destitute of any other compass to direct them in the perilous voyage of life than their own veering fancy-it is not at all surprising that they should be constantly in danger of making "shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience." They may read, and dispute, and put their ingenuity to the rack, but they will still remain ignorant of the very rudiments of the Gospel. But the prayer of faith, offered from the humble and contrite heart of one who has learned to sit meekly at the feet of Jesus Christ, can never fail to unlock the sacred treasury of leaven, and to enrich the happy supplicant with that inestimable pearl which is " more precious than rubies, and with which all things in the world are not to be com pared." It is the peculiar office of the Holy Spirit, according to the testimony of our Lord in the last instructions which he gave his disciples, to "lead men into all truth." Most justly, therefore, did that eminent Reformer, Martin Luther, in commencing his career of triumph over the ignorance and superstitions of Popery, thus express his conceptions upon this subject as early as the year 1520: "The sacred writings are not to be understood but by that Spirit by whom they were written; which Spirit is never more powerful and energetic that when He accompanies the serious perusal of those writings which He himself has dictated. Setting aside an implicit dependence upon human writings, let us strenuously adhere to the Scriptures alone." And this heavenly teaching is requisite, not merely in the first stages of our inquiries after religious truth, but in every subsequent period of life. Our knowledge is at best but finite, whilst the objects offered in Scrip. ture to our meditation are infinite; and the more we know, the more we shall perceive that there is much which yet remains to be known. 3. But there is a third particular, to which it is of importance to direct the attention of the biblical reader; namely, The advantages of a regular and methodical study of the holy Scriptures.--This is a point in which many Christians are lamentably remiss. Though regular in their attendance upon public worship, they do not allot any thing like a due proportion of their time to the duty of private reading and meditation, without which public instruction must lose much of its effect. I am very far from depreciating the ordinances of divine worship, and earnestly wish that we could all habitually experience more of the feelings of the devout Psalmist respecting them, when he said, " My soul thirsteth for the living God. O when shall I come and appear before God!" But daily |