SACRED POETRY. CHRISTIAN HOPE. BY THE REV. WILLIAM SCOTT MONCRIEFF, As a flower, when night o'er the landscape is closing, Yet, though drooping, it dies not, await but the morn, more, And again shower and sunshine its bloom will restore. Will arise to life's morn, all its promise fulfilling; 66 kind destroyed in succession the nerves that produce voluntary motion, leaving uninjured those which form the seat of sensation; the members affected thus became completely inert, and yet retained their sensibility. All the assistance of art, lavished upon him by men of the greatest skill, was ineffectual, and it soon became apparent that his end was drawing near. Every one knew with what courage and serenity he saw it approach. The unremitting care and attention which were bestowed on him affected him deeply, but did not diminish his courage. Even to the last he permitted those to approach who had been on terms of intimacy with him, and it was thus that I was a witness of his dying moments. Four hours before his death, I was in that memorable cabinet, where the happiest hours of his life had been spent, and where I had seen him surrounded with so much homage, enjoying his well merited success; he caused himself to be carried thither, and wished that his last breath should be drawn there. His countenance was in a state of perfect repose, and never did his noble head appear to me more beautiful or worthy of admiration. No alteration of a too sensible or painful kind had yet taken place; only a little The Death of Baron Cuvier, the celebrated Na- weakness and difficulty in supporting himself were obturalist. The best account of his death is found in servable. I held the hand which he had extended to Baron Pasquier's Eloge :—“ In the month of May 1832, me, while he said in a voice scarcely articulate,—' You he opened, in the College of France, the course which he see what a difference there is between the man of Tueshad continued for three years with so much success, on day (we had met on that day,) and the man of Sunday; the history of the natural sciences. Those who were yet so many things remain to be done!"" Affecting present at the last lecture of this great master, retain exclamation! So many things remain to be done! an impression which can never be imparted to such as And they were, of course, left undone. The stern have not experienced it, and of which I can convey messenger of heaven had received his commission to but a very feeble notion. Seldom had he risen to such arrest the philosopher, and was allowed no discretion an elevation; but his auditors were particularly struck in executing it; turning a deaf ear, therefore, to the with the last phrase which he used, to express his in- wishes of Cuvier for a respite, seconded though they tention of taking a view of the actual state of the study were by those of the whole scientific world, he carried of creation that sublime study which, while it en- off his illustrious victim to the tomb. O what a comlightens and strengthens the human mind, ought to ment upon the words of the wisest of men, Whatpreserve it from the deceptive habit of regarding things soever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might; apart from their relation to each other, and distorting for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor them, that they may be subjected to the laws of a'sys- wisdom in the grave, whither thou goest." Eccles. ix. tem; which ought, in short, to lead the thoughts in- 10. Reader, when death comes, may this not be your cessantly to that Supreme Intelligence who governs, exclamation in reference to the great work, the work enlightens, and vivifies all,-who reveals all things, of your salvation? Yet how common a case is this! and whom all things reveal. At this part of his lec- What multitudes are surprised by the last enemy, with ture, he displayed a calmness and justness of percep- not only many works of time unfinished, but the work tion, combined with a depth and seriousness of thought, for eternity not even begun! How many, when the which led his auditors to think of that book which hand of death has been suddenly laid upon them, have speaks of the creation to all mankind. This was the started with amazement and horror from their neglect result of his ideas rather than his expressions, for every of salvation, only to be convinced that it was too late thing, in the free exposition which he made, breathed then to attempt it, and that they had made a mistake the feeling of the omnipotence of a supreme cause, and "at once infinite and irreparable; and had been guilty of an infinite wisdom. He seemed, as it were, by the of an infatuation, which it will require eternity to deexamination of the visible world, to be led to the pre-plore, and eternity to comprehend."-JAMES. (Flower cincts of that which is invisible, and the examination of the creature evoked the Creator. At last these words fell from him, in which it is easy to see a presentiment Such, gentlemen, will be the object of our investigation, if time, my own strength, and the state of my health, permit me to continue and finish them.' The closing scene of M. Cuvier's life as a public teacher appears to me to have been impressed with peculiar beauty. Who could fail to be deeply affected at the last accents of so pure an intelligence, disengaged from the vanities and the interests of systems? Who could remain cold and insensible before the last look thrown on creation by him who had revealed so many of its mysteries? Who could resist the feeling excited by the view of science revealing eternal wisdom? How noble, how affecting, and how prophetic! After this lecture, the first symptoms appeared of the disorder, which, in less than eight days, brought him to the grave. He presided, notwithstanding, on the following day at the Committee of the Interior. Soon, however, paralysis of a peculiar 6 Faded.) CONTENTS.-Things Secret and Things Revealed. Part II. Rev. W. Scott Moncrieff.-Miscellaneous. Now ready, VOLUME II., being that for 1837, containing 832 pages, handsomely bound in cloth, price 88. Also may still be had, Vol. I., (for 1836,) 704 pages, uniform with the above, price 7s. Separate Numbers from the commencement may at all times be supplied to complete sets. Published by JOHN JOHNSTONE, 2, Hunter Square, Edinburgh; J. R. MACNAIR, & Co., 19, Glassford Street, Glasgow; JAMES NISBET & Co., HAMILTON, ADAMS, & Co., and R. GROOMBRIDGE, London; W. CURRY, Junior, & Co., Dublin; and W. M'COMB, Belfast; and sold by the Booksellers and Local Agents in all the Towns and Parishes of Scotland; and in the principal Towns in England and Ireland. Subscribers in Town, will have their copies delivered at their own residences regularly, by leaving their addresses with the Publisher. 1s. Gd., and the other periods in proportion, Subscription (payable in advance) per quarter, of twelve weeks, ILLUSTRATIONS OF FAITH. FAILURE OF FAITH IN GOD'S PEOPLE-CAUSES AND PRICE 1d. then, for the subject has been already considered at some length, and with some particularity,that only one thing, one object, one scene, one picture, one passion, can occupy the mind at one time; and that, if that one thing, so occupying the mind and shutting out every thing else for the time, be not something presented to it by pure and purifying Christian faith, but something opposite, or alien, in its nature, then its agency must be evil. Let it never be forgotten, that in the believer's soul there are two great antagonist principles continually striving for the mastery; these are the "old" and the "new man." Many auxiliaries range themselves on either side, and so the battle joins, and the spiritual warfare, thus commenced, continues, and with seemingly varied success, till the conflict closes at the believer's removal from the battle-field on earth to the regions of glory, where the spiritual hero, now IN our last paper, we endeavoured to illustrate and bring home to the reader's mind, the necessity, to our spiritual welfare and growth in grace, of the uninterrupted agency of faith. The object then in view may be farther promoted, by adverting to the temporary suspension, failure, or interruption of this heavenly principle, on which depends the very existence in the soul of the divine and spiritual life. We do not at present speak of the infidel, or unbeliever, in whom that vital principle never existed; but of him, who, with all his defects, is still a believer, and through" more than conqueror, through Him that loved the tender mercy of our God, is sanctified and sealed to the day of redemption. To the superficial reader of the divine promises, and the slenderly instructed in the economy of grace, the existence of such a case at all may, at first, be felt to be startling; but that such cases should occur frequently, and in the most eminent saints, whose history is recorded in the sacred oracles,-nay, who are specially celebrated as distinguished examples of true faith and its mighty achievements, all this may appear utterly astounding. To the experienced Christian, however, who has been long travelling Zion-ward, it will appear in a very different light. To him it enforces the lesson of his continual dependence on divine grace. He feels that the lesson is often dearly bought; but that yet, if it be brought home experimentally and practically, and issue in true Christian humility, and firm and established faith, no price can be too high while these are the glorious results. Before giving some examples of the failure of faith in some of the most eminent saints, and adverting to the purposes subserved by it in the divine economy, we must advert to what may be called the physical as well as Christian philosophy of the subject; or, in other words, the mental process, of which failing faith and its bitter fruits are the lamentable issue. Let it be remembered, VOL. III. him," having been "faithful unto death, receives the crown of life." But we must not indulge, at present, by dwelling on the ultimate and glorious triumph, but turn our attention, for a little, to the toils, and the struggles, and the often seeming defeats, all which, under the Captain of salvation and the agency of his Spirit, contribute to, and secure in their various ways, the crowning of the victor with glory, and honour, and immortality. Flesh and blood are formidable foes to the good soldier of Christ; but he is called to wrestle not against these only, but "against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places." And "who is sufficient for these things?" None, but he who hath given himself over to the guidance of Him who hath said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; my grace is sufficient, my strength is perfected in weakness." How instructive regarding the spiritual combat and the means of victory, is the scene exhibited in the following words: "Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to-morrow I will stand on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur, went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy, and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the Lord said unto Moses, write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua." Exod. xvii. 8–14. | Whether we do, or do not, adopt Milton's notion, that tenderness for Eve, with a knowledge of the fearful consequence, and a resolution to share in her ruin rather than desert her, or something analogous, led to the awful catastrophe, does not materially affect our present argument. One thing only can at one time be present to the mind and rule its movements; and whatever that thing was, it was obviously something that expelled, subdued, or kept in abeyance all the holy affections of Adam as he came from the hand of his Maker, who pronounced him and all the works he had made "very good." In this first instance,. as well as in all others of failing faith, we see the marked characters of practical atheism. The divinity is disrobed of his attributes, and the creature of his hand, in the dark and infidel movements of his wicked heart, attempts to deceive and impose upon the omniscient and omnipresent Jehovah. "Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden." For the tissue of falsehood and prevarication that followed, we refer to the sacred record. (Gen. iii.) The instruction contained in this singularly simple and beautiful passage of Scripture, is so plain and obvious, that to add any thing by way of explanation, would seem an insult to the weakest understanding. From the ideas of struggle, conflict, and battle, in which, while on earth, the good soldier of Christ must engage, we may now take another Scriptural illustration, and view the believer, in the morning of the Christian life, setting sail from the region of spiritual darkness and death for the haven of light and eternal life. The sails are filled with a gentle and favouring breeze, We may next advert to Abraham, "the father the Sun of Righteousness sheds his sweet and cheer- of the faithful," and "the friend of God." O how ing beams, and faith steadily guides the helm, unworthy of such epithets does he appear in steering for the haven of rest. Above and around Egypt, denying Sarah to be his wife, and thereby there is no threatening aspect, and in the bark exposing himself and her to the most fearful evils! itself there is no hostile movement. Every spi- In the midst of a world sunk in idolatry and wickritual foe seems to lie dead and motionless; the edness, he had been recently selected and called old man, with the lusts of the flesh, and all their as the favourite of Heaven, and had been cheered allies crucified and slain, while the devil, having by the most gracious promises. "I will make of been resisted, has fled. In this state of things, thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and what need of anxiety and watching? The very make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blesstide and favouring breeze guide the vessel smooth-ing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and ly and swiftly along, and without the rudder's impulse, bears her directly onward to the destined haven. Now, however, is the moment of peril; for it is the moment of coming carnal security. Sloth and slumber come, and creep over the soul, and the helm slips from the hand of faith. But behold now the activity of the enemies so lately supposed to be slain or fled. As the head and leader of them all, "Abaddon, the angel of the bottomless pit," seizes the helm, turns round the vessel, directs to the regions of darkness, points her head to the rocks and breakers, from which it was never distant, and unless a mightier power interpose, there "makes shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience." From the allegory and its allusions, let us turn at once to exemplifications, and they must be few and brief. We may merely allude to the first sin, -the origin of death and all our woe. In another work,* I have entered with particularity into all that concerns this most interesting and affecting event, and must be satisfied with observing at present, that the holy and heavenly principles, which had hitherto regulated the father of mankind, had been extruded from their rightful place, and the rule and management of the mind taken possession of by agencies of an opposite and hostile nature. An Inquiry into the Doctrine of Original Sin, 8vo., Whyte & Co., Edinburgh, 1824. curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." Gen. xii. 2, 3. He goes into Egypt, and forgetful of all these promises, impressed by most striking and peculiar circumstances upon his mind, he forms a concerted plan of carnal policy, and directs his wife to act conformably to it. And the reason assigned for the adoption of the scheme was, lest they should kill him on account of his wife. (See Gen. xii. passim.) If he were under the impression of the faith that God would make him a great nation, could he have so acted? But he was under another passion, and that was "the fear of man which bringeth a snare." It was intended to say something of David's crime, and the self-indulgence and forgetfulness of God, and failure of faith, which were the origin of all the evil. But we must leave it to the reader's reflections, and let him mark the havoc produced by the absence of this divine principle in the "man according to God's own heart." Moses, and Job, and Jonah, and Peter, and others, might be adduced in illustration of the subject; but we forbear, and must now earnestly entreat the reader's especial attention to some of the causes and consequences of that spiritual chaos, which failing without any logical order, is all that our space faith produces. A mere glance at the subject, will allow. Let it not be forgotten, that our pre- | suggestions, then, for the evil thoughts that follow, sent object is to show the necessity of the unin- and the evil deeds that result from them, we are terrupted agency of faith. When it is absent, accountable to Him, who gave us minds to govern, something else is present, occupying its place as and promised grace to help us in the time of need. an acting principle. The occupying and acting If we resist, then comes the "trial;" but the trial is principle may not always be in its special nature not sin, and never will be sin, unless, instead of reand object the same; but it will always be some- sisting, we, in a dastardly manner, succumb to the thing the opposite of faith. Faith views the Di- assailant. Evil words, the result of idle thoughts, vine Being as ever doing that which is right, and and both of them the parents of evil deeds, all preincapable of doing any thing else; as faithful and sent themselves to us in the same moral aspect. true to all his promises, and as holy and just in We must now hastily conclude this paper by a all his ways. Now, whatever it is that displaces slight reference to the purposes, subserved in the this principle from its rightful sway over the soul, divine economy, by permitting any of God's childis in every thing the opposite of this. It repre- ren so far to fail in faith and its fruits, as to bring sents God as not doing right, or as possibly dishonour upon themselves, and the worthy name not doing right; and if faithful, as not always by which they are called. And to be enabled at and certainly so. Now, let this be the state all to view the subject aright, we must remember of the mind even for a little time, and how the nature and whole character of the Christian desolating and fearful must be the effect! It life. It is a "fight"-"the good fight"-"the explains at once all the cases referred to. Did fight of faith." Opposed to the Christian are the Adam believe God to be faithful, when he old man with his deeds which are corrupt, the believed the opposite testimony of the devil? powers of darkness, the world and its vanities, as "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt sure- addressed to the "flesh," or corrupt human naly die," said the Almighty; "Ye shall be as ture; and these enemies combined with various gods," said the devil, "knowing good and evil." auxiliary forces, guide their movements in the When Abraham put himself and his wife in the most skilful manner against frail humanity sanctiperilous circumstances, already alluded to, what fied but in part, and, for most important moral was the principle that had dislodged his faith from purposes, left to feel that it is sanctified but in its supremacy? Do we not see the fear of man part. Hence the sustained and unremitted attempt which bringeth a snare, dislodging the fear of to drive faith out of its fortress of the mind, or God? Do we not see carnal policy, setting aside to defeat or weaken its efforts. It is the strong all trust in the divine faithfulness, and going forth man armed attempting to get possession of the with confidence in its own well concerted scheme? house, and then and there to work his proper There is even here a faith or belief. But what is work. Again, I say, remember that the Chrisit? But what does it say? It says, if God be tian life, taken all together, is a discipline of mind trusted all will go wrong; but Abraham has and of the moral powers-an unintermitted conformed a beautiful scheme; its wisdom is com- flict and fight of faith. The work of God in the plete, and its failure impossible! soul, by which alone we can gain the victory, is not perceptible, or a matter of sense, or conscious feeling. Every Christian acknowledges himself indebted to divine grace for every thing good; but notwithstanding the real belief of this, in many an unwatchful moment, we are most ready to take to ourselves the whole credit of success. Hence ensue spiritual pride, self-complacency and self-confidence, presumption, forgetfulness of God and our dependence on him. We go forth in self-sufficiency. We think we stand, and there is no apprehension of a fall. This fearful state of things renders manifold trials and temptations indispensable, and hence the melancholy stains on the characters of some of the most distinguished of God's people. And yet the object of the Most High in all this is to treat and train us as intellectual and moral beings, that we may gather strength from weakness itself, and triumph from defeat. How melancholy the spectacle here presented to us by the "father of the faithful," and repeated in innumerable instances among those who will be acknowledged to be his children by faith! Why this is at all permitted may be afterwards noticed, but it is of importance, in the mean time, to remind the reader of the necessity of at all times guarding every access to the mind. This is suggested by what is said of evil thoughts and idle words, and our responsibility for them. When these are permitted, there is a want of mental and moral government; and this government is, in fact, the only thing for which, as moral beings, we are accountable. Outward acts are not always in our power. David was not permitted the honour of building the temple in Jerusalem; but it may comfort the heart of many a child of God, when disappointed in the execution of his benevolent purposes, to remember the divine testimony to David's intentions:-"It was well that it was in thine heart." As to evil thoughts, they may obtrude and force themselves upon us, as a thief may force our house and seize our person. But how do we treat the attempt? Do we welcome, or do we resist him? If we open the heart to wicked BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH., BY THE REV. JOHN MORRISON WHITELAW. 66 66 A and to others; and there can be no doubt that in the | In eight weeks from the period of his release, the After residing for some time at Gruenbach with a friend called Scharl, who showed him the greatest hospitality, and who was converted during his stay, the blood-hounds of the Inquisition were again let loose, and directed to search in all directions for the fugitive. When Boos heard of it, wasted with anxiety of mind no less than fatigue of body, he voluntarily presented himself before the judges at Augsburg on December 9, 1798; and, in a letter, he describes his state of mind: "Weary of doing nothing, and of concealment under the name of Zobo," writes he, "I cast myself again into the hands of my enemies at Augsburg; saying, Here I am, tear me to pieces! They were astonished at my presenting myself, received and treated me more mildly than I had hoped for, scourged me a few times, and sent me towards the east. As soon as he reached Augsburg, he procured a room, which was surrounded with iron gratings; and during his abode here, he frequently was summoned before the Fiscal, who crossexamined him about the friends who had received him into their houses. The Vicar-General, who was a person of considerable urbanity of manner, and who often put a ducat or a louis d'or into the hand of Boos as he passed him, at last advised him to leave that part of the country; and, after obtaining liberty to enter into the diocese of Lintz, in Upper Austria, where Joseph A. Gall was bishop, Boos "sailed down the Lech accompanied by the tears and blessings of his friends." On reaching Lintz, Boos was gladly received by the bishop, who said that "he wished he could only obtain twenty such ecclesiastics." He soon received an appointment as assistant to Mr Pechler at Leonding, near Lintz, and, for some time, matters went on with great harmony, and he was universally respected by the clergy and people. After labouring at Waldneukirchen, he went to the populous parish of Peyerbach, where for five years he "ceased not to warn every man day and night with tears." The parish of Gallneukirchen was, in 1806, offered to Boos, and as it presented a large field of usefulness, he accepted it. For four years and a-half no visible effect was produced by his preaching; and when he saw that few conversions took place, he began to inquire into the cause of so much deadness, and being convinced that, without special prayer, there cannot be special success, he set himself to pray with greater earnestness, and soon found that the hearts of his people were softened and impressed. The heart of Boos himself was kindled by a "live coal from the altar," and soon after he preached a sermon on the recurrence of a Popish festival, which was followed by results similar to those which attended his discourses at Wiggensbach. In describing the state (what he calls the status morbi) of his congregation, he mentions that some were Jewish Christians, others heathenish Christians, and almost none Christian Christians. The great mass knew nothing of the peace of God, nothing of joy in the Holy Ghost, were always afraid of death, judgment, and hell, and others continued quietly and securely in their sins. The great lever which Boos employed to lift his people from this state of coldness and lethargy to a position where they would enjoy confidence in God, was the doctrine of justification by faith; and as the heart must everywhere be moved by the same agency, we may state briefly the truths he was in the habit of illustrating and enforcing. He never wasted his time on obsolete and unprofitable dogmas, but frequently exhibited the doctrines of the total depravity of man, the offices and agency of the Holy Spirit; and while he insisted on the necessity of justification, he as frequently pressed upon the attention of his hearers the necessity of holiness in heart and in life," that we are justified by faith alone, but not by faith which is alone." If ever there was a vagueness about his views while handling these subjects, it was rather in the language he employed than in the ideas which it veiled; |