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ing, What a noble idea of God is this! What a truly Christian spirit and disposition are thus manifested! Surely she is ripening for a better world! As her physical strength declined it was evident her spiritual strength increased. As she passed into the valley and shadow of death, and approached the portals of the heavenly world, she gained a brighter and more cheering evidence of her adoption into the Divine family, and her views of the vital doctrines of justification, regeneration, and sanctification, as they were then expressed, were remarkably clear and scriptural.

She delighted much in reading and hearing read the holy Scriptures, our own Hymn Book, and those pious and delightful hymns recently published by the Rev. P. J. Wright. On one occasion, when a pious friend was with her, she tried to raise her feeble and faltering voice in singing those beautiful lines contained in the latter:

"I hear sweet music in the sky,

Sing glory, glory, glory;
Angelic hosts are passing by,
Sing glory, glory, glory."

The scene will not soon be forgotten by those who were present. It was as though they were already on the threshold of the celestial world, and in reality heard the glorious song of the redeemed before the throne; her soul was filled with rapture, joy beamed upon her countenance, and had the fatal blow then been given she felt that she should be raised to join that angelic band, and sing in still sweeter notes and louder numbers her great Redeemer's praise. When Mr. C. was about writing to one of our ministers whom she dearly loved, he said to her, "What shall I say to him respecting thy state?" to which she replied, "Tell him, if I am permitted, I will come some night and sing for him some of the sweet music of heaven." Such a reply, we think, clearly indicates the heavenly and happy state of mind in which she then was. Of her happiness no doubt can be entertained. She felt that heaven had begun upon earth. She spent much time, and that when she supposed she was unobserved by any mortal eye, in prayer and sweet communion with her God; and often when in severe pain gave expressions in delightful strains of her unabated confidence in the Redeemer. Being asked by myself on one occasion whether she would like to get better and be restored to health and strength again, she replied, "I sometimes think I should, but still I am afraid if I were to be restored I should prove unfaithful, as I have done before, and rather than grieve my Saviour by my unfaithfulness again, I would prefer instantly to depart and be at rest. I am ready for heaven; and when my Master shall call me, I shall go and meet him in the skies." Again she was asked, a very short time before her departure, when death was evidently doing its work, "If she could rejoice?" when she calmly replied, "No, I never could rejoice; there is no joy in my system. But I have a sweet peace with

God, and what more can I desire?"

On the Sabbath before her departure, believing it would be the last she should spend on earth, she requested all the members of her household to be brought to her, that she might take of them an affectionate farewell. It was an affecting scene; every heart was melted, and every eye suffused with tears, while in language the most tender and feeling she urged them to give their hearts to God in the days of their youth,

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assuring them that religion alone can constitute their happiness on earth and hereafter. To all it was evident her end was now near; survived until the following day, October 29th, and though the subject of intense pain, she gave repeated assurances to her friends and relatives of the happy state of her mind, and her prospect of soon being numbered with the blessed before the throne on high. In the evening, having fully arranged her affairs and taken of her friends her last adieu, she sweetly, without a sigh or a groan, closed her eyes, and resigned her happy spirit into the hands of her Father and God, in the thirty-eighth year of her age. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." We are constrained to mourn over the departure of one so excellent and useful, but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope. With the poet, then, we exclaim :

"And shall we mourn to see

Our fellow prisoner free?

Free from doubts, and griefs, and fears,

In the haven of the skies;

Can we weep to see the tears

Wiped for ever from her eyes?

"No, dear companion, no;

We gladly let thee go,

From a suffering church beneath

To a reigning church above;

Thou hast more than conquer'd death;

Thou art crown'd with life and love."

The death of our beloved sister was improved by the Rev. T. Cartwright, to one of the most crowded and deeply affected audiences we remember ever having the pleasure of addressing. We trust good was done by the service; and may both writer and reader so live on earth that, when we come to die, we may die triumphantly through the blood of the Lamb. Amen.

Stafford, Dec. 20th, 1849.

T. C.

MORAL STATISTICS OF THE WORLD.

Ir appears from official statistics recently issued, that there are hardly more than from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 Jews in the whole world; whereas Buddhism numbers 400,000,000 adepts; Brahminism, 200,000,000; Christianity, 230,000,000 to 250,000,000; Mahometanism, from 130,000,000 to 150,000,000; and Fetishism (or pure idolatry) from 80,000,000 to 100,000,000. The 5,000,000 Jews are thus distributed: viz., there are about 500,000 in Syria and Asiatic Turkey; 250,000 in European Turkey; 600,000 in Morocco and North Africa; 50,000 to 80,000 in Eastern Asia; 100,000 in America; and about 2,200,000 in Europe: namely, 13,000 in England, 1594 in Belgium, 850 in Sweden and Norway, 6,000 in Denmark, 70,000 in France, 52,000 in the Low Countries, 1,120,000 in Russia, (more than one fifth of the entire race,) 631,000 in Austria and its dependencies, 214,431 in Prussia, 175,000 in the German States, and 4,000 in Italy.

DISCOURSES, ESSAYS, &c.

THE RIGHT STANDARD AND THE WRONG STANDARD; OR, THE SIN AND FOLLY OF CHRISTIANS MEASURING THEMSELVES BY THEMSELVES.

BY THE REV. R. WALLER.

"But they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."-2 Cor. x. 12.

In the sacred Scriptures we have a perfect rule of faith, experience, and practice; and in the example of Jesus Christ we see that rule fully carried out, and exhibited before us in a living form. According to this rule we ought to regulate our lives; and according to this example should we form our characters. There is no other rule that is perfect. There is no other character that is spotless and complete. All other rules are defective. All other characters are marked with imperfections. Many others may be pious and good, distinguished for some excellences; but still they have their defects, and to imitate them in every thing would be to injure ourselves, and by the influence of our example to injure others. Even Moses, though the meekest man in the camp of Israel, at one time spoke unadvisedly with his lips; and Job stained his patience by complaining against God. But we may imitate the Saviour without any fear of getting wrong. In fact, you can never follow him too closely. The more you copy his example, and the more you will please God, and the nearer you will approach to perfection.

But Christian professors frequently erect other standards, and imitate other patterns. Instead of studying the requirements of the Divine law, the nature of true piety, and the extent of Christian holiness in the records of Divine truth; instead of studying the example of Jesus Christ to see how they ought to form their characters, they look at the conduct and practice of their fellow Christians, and make their experience and deportment the rule and measure of their own, and flatter themselves, if they come up to this rule, it is all that can be expected from them at all events, they think they may safely trust for the rest; and thus by taking a human rule of conduct instead of the Divine law, by imitating an imperfect copy and not the Divine original, they go on imposing on themselves and multiplying their own imperfections, and increasing the deformities of the church.

I know this may have been done in some instances innocently, especially by young converts. When such persons first entered the church, they thought all the members were just what they should have been-patient, loving, self-denying, cross-bearing, diligent, faithful followers of the Lamb. They expected to see a constant dying to the world, a constant growing in grace, a constant preparing for heaven. They fancied that in such society they could not but be happy, and hoped to make great improvement in religious knowledge and experience, and rapid advances towards perfection. To certain individuals they especially directed their attention, viz., to those who had spoken to them more frequently on religious subjects, or who had been the chief instruments in their conversion, or who sustained some official

station in the church, and fancied they could not be wrong in following such holy men. But how were they surprised and disappointed to find even those persons whom they looked on as specimens of perfect excellence, selfish, worldly minded, passionate, intent on this world's good, and anxiously labouring after wealth; light and trifling in their conversation, and almost anything but what they ought to have been! How pained and grieved were they to observe this! Yet having begun to walk in a wrong path, we are not much surprised to find them continue therein. Hence after the first feeling of astonishment and pain has passed away, they have settled down into the same state, and "measuring themselves by (frail mortals like) themselves," have concluded that it was right to do so, and rocked to sleep their consciences.

But this error, I am sorry to say, is not confined to young converts; it prevails extensively among those who have more experience, who have been long connected with the church, and who ought to know better. When for the time they ought to be teachers, they have need that some one should teach them the first principles of the doctrine of Christ. So far have they run into this error, that they scarcely ever think of seeing how far their lives are in accordance with the requirements of God's word, or how far they were following Christ. The inquiry with them is, whether they are as religious as their neighbours; whether they are performing as many acts of devotion, attending as many religious services as their fellow members. The Bible might not be given to teach them their duty; the example of Christ might not be intended for their pattern. If they come up to the standard of others they think they do well. They are more concerned to avoid censure than to acquire holiness; more anxious to maintain a good name than to be what the Gospel requires; to stand fair in the eyes of others, than to have their hearts right in the sight of God.

And when we see to what an awful extent this evil of measuring ourselves by ourselves prevails in the church, we need not be surprised that the standard of piety is so low. But these persons are not troubled that it is so; they are quite content with it, and by comparing themselves only among themselves are satisfied that all is right. Nay, they do not like to be disturbed in their quietude; and when the faithful servants of God speak out plainly, and show them their transgressions and their sins, when they try to raise the standard of Christian piety, of inward and outward holiness, they frequently regard them as censorious, and begin loudly to complain: "Why, he is doing more harm than good: he is exposing the church to the ridicule and scorn of the world. He is making us all a set of hypocrites. What must others think of us after such a tirade as this? He talks as if he were the only good man in the world, and as if the church were all wrong;" and then in a spirit of sarcasm they ask what will become of the world when he dies? Nor is this to be wondered at, for so said they of Jesus Christ and of all the ancient worthies. In whatever garb true holiness appears, it will not meet the approbation of those who measure themselves by themselves.

In this way the church proves a hindrance to itself, and its members a stumbling block to one another. By looking at themselves they are prevented from looking at the word of God; and by comparing themselves among themselves they are prevented from comparing themselves with the example of Christ; and so they cannot make those advances

in spiritual knowledge, in heavenly mindedness, in fellowship with God, in purity of heart and holiness of life, which they otherwise would do, and which they must make, if they must ever exercise that seasoning influence on an ungodly world, which God designed they should. By thus following a wrong standard, by measuring themselves by themselves, so far from making progress, they gradually become more degenerate, imperfect, and blinded also in their imperfections; so that when the declension of their piety has become evident to all, they see it not themselves. No; though their lives may be almost as different from that of the Saviour as light is from darkness, they congratulate themselves that they are supporting Sabbath schools, Christian missions, Bible societies, tract societies, &c., and attending public ordinances, and wonder what complainers would have.

It is true, this may not be universal. There are a few, though I am sorry to know they are so few, who have sufficient independence of mind to disregard the example and practice of others, sufficient boldness and courage to act for themselves-to read their Bibles, to learn what God would have them to be and to do; to study the character of the Saviour, and endeavour to tread in his steps. But many of these, whose example has condemned those who have overlooked the true standard and stimulated others to follow it, after they have maintained for a time their zeal, diligence, and love, have fallen into the same error themselves, though not into the same mode of it. They have become pharisaic and censorious; looking at others, they were first astonished at beholding their inconsistencies and imperfections; then grieved; then they began to reprove and condemn, to be censorious; then to compare themselves with them, to fancy themselves greatly superior; then, giving way to spiritual pride, they began to boast of their zeal and purity, and by their conduct to say, "Stand thou there; for I am holier than thou." By comparing themselves with themselves, they no sooner feel their superiority than they become lifted up with pride, and so fall into the condemnation of the devil. This is frequently the case with those who make loud pretensions to sanctity. Such importance do they attach to their own views and experience, that they can scarcely look with charity on those who do not say as they say, adopt the same phrases, and follow in the same course of experience and profession. In fact, their pride is almost insufferable. But if, instead of looking at others, and comparing themselves among themselves, they had continued to study the word of God as their rule, and the life and character of the Son of God as their pattern and example, they would not have fallen into this error; they would not have paused in their progress of holiness, or have been flattered with their own superior sanctity. No, no; they would have discovered such lengths and breadths, such depths and heights of the love of God to which they had not attained; they would have seen such a disparity between themselves and the example of the blessed Saviour; they would have seen such a breadth and a purity in the Divine law, such holiness in God, such spotlessness and perfection necessary as a qualification for the kingdom of heaven, that they would have trembled at the idea of the error into which they have fallen. Then in all their advances in spiritual knowledge and holiness they would have manifested increasing humility. With increasing zeal there would have been increasing modesty; with increasing labours

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