MEMOIR OF WISNER. BY SAMUEL H. COX, D. D. THERE is something awful in the state even of the pious dead, that seems also ресиliar to them. Their career is finished. They are majestically seated with Christ in his throne. Even Christian faith that abhors the apotheosis of creatures, sees a divinity in their glorified condition. Jewels they were of the Redeemer, fine and polished, even when on earth; some of them, brilliant and of the first magnitude. But they are now placed in his diadem; and their lustres live for ever. Rust decay, change, danger, dimness, have no abode or entrance or memorial in the spheres of holiness and bliss. They need no canonizing at Rome, being sainted in reality and that in the metropolis of the universe. If any of the species are to be envied-pardon so mean an illustration-it is not those who remain still in the body. The dead are beatified. Theirs is the vision, the fruition, the perfection of God. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Our loss at the departure of such worthies as the cause of our Foreign Missions has been called to weep, in so many successive instances and from spheres of usefulness so eminent and promising, is too great, and too recent, not to need the solaces that are neither few nor small." We lift our eyes from earth and its ruins, from the church and its calamities, from human comforters and fading things; and fasten them on glory and on God. Here is rest and permanency. We see WHO reigns, not more excellent than prosperous; not more holy than happy; God over all, blessed for ever. We are refreshed, we are healed. He is unerring. What he does, whatever he does, all his agency as such is absolute perfection, doing what is incomparably best. He never forgets his church; never sacrifices the true interests of his kingdom; never in a single instance regrets, or could amend, his own everlasting ways. Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy for ALL NATIONS SHALL COME AND WORSHIP BEFORE THEE; for thy judgments are made manifest. Another great man is fallen in our Israel; and whatever the gain to him, not less is the loss to us. In virtue's eye the good alone are great; In an estimate the most sober and chastised; rejecting superfluity, and pageantry, and glare; viewing these high qualities in their proper nature and their purest elements; caring nothing for what is adventitious or imaginary; forming our conclusions too without the parsimony of the sordid or the humility of the envious; thinking of our WISNER as calmly as we can in his true character, now that his course is finished and his warfare fought, now that his fame is heavenly or has become the especial inheritance of the surviving church, we know of no reason why we should not glorify God in him as in a noble and gracious specimen of his own workmanship-a great and good man. By changing the first word, or substituting his, we might appropriate, as his epitaph, the following beautiful tribute of apostolic simplicity and commendation; Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself; yea, and we also bear record; know that our record is true. and ye It may well be questioned if any clergyman of his years and general standing, has died any where in this age, with a reputation more enviable, equitable, or pure, than that of Dr. Wisner. Its negative aspects, so far as we know, were perfectly excellent. Whatever his defects of character might have been in the sight of God, where no mortal is other than faulty and imperfect, they were scarcely palpable or discernible in the sight of men. At least they were much or totally unknown: while his positive excellencies were many and distinguishing. His business character was that of practical correctness and despatch, of tact and utility. It was methodical and accurate, executive and sober, industrious and effective in these qualities he truly excelled; there being few of the sacred profession any where, whose proficiency in heavenly learning became so sound and deep and clear, without manifestly impairing their competency for the performance of matters and duties |