with the view of promoting the glory of God, and the spiritual edification of those who hear me. I would testify to the triumphs of the cross of Christ, by whom the world was crucified unto her, and she unto the world. I would tell what "the Spirit of grace, and supplication," and "of holiness," can effect, even here below, in a faithful and uncompromising soul. I would attempt to convey to your minds some faint conception of the supports and consolations with which "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort" can smooth the dying pillow, and swallow up death in victory. I would glorify God in her.

Such then, I would say, is the death of the righteous, so devout, so calm, so triumphant. And who is there that hears me, and who has even seriously considered the substantial evils of that last struggle which divorces flesh and spirit,-how many too, and how terrific, are the no less real sufferings of aroused conscience and excited imagination which that one short word, death, combines ;-who has read, or heard of, or witnessed, the awful spectacle of a dying bed over which no angels hovered, ready to carry the parted spirit into Abraham's bosom, but where Satan, secure of victory, already seized the victim in his ruthless grasp, and antedated the gnawings of that worm which dieth not, and the feverish burnings of that fire which never shall be quenched; who is there that has ever seriously considered this, and now hears of the peace, the hope, the joy, which supported and cheered our departed friend, and carried her more than conqueror through this fearful and final struggle, who will not be ready to join in the exclamation of the unhappy prophet, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." But I exhort you, my friends, to remember, that to wish this is not to obtain it that a worldly, covetous, uncompromising Balaam may fervently desire this blessed privilege, but, like him, shall perish among the enemies of God. I exhort you to remember that to die the death of the righteous, you must live his life.

God forbid that I should teach any doctrine which would militate against the freeness and sufficiency of divine grace. God forbid that

I should limit the efficacy of the atoning blood of Christ, and the extent of the tender mercies of our God. I know that free grace, which, like the wind, bloweth where it listeth, can snatch a brand from the burning, even at the eleventh hour. But I also know, that even free and sovereign grace does not, and cannot, save a soul, but through the medium of repentance; and that a late repentance usually strews with thorns the dying bed. The verdant hills and towering spires of the new Jerusalem, though gilded by the sun of righteousness, will be seen as afar off-a dark and gloomy valley, interposed between them and the dying penitent. The anthems of its blessed inhabitants will be wafted indeed across, but will mingle in no harmonious concert with the groanings of remorse, and the first sobs of penitence. If then you would die the calm, the triumphant death which yesterday I witnessed, and which I have now recorded, imitate her Christian life. Follow her as she also followed Christ. Imitate her meekness and humility, her faith and love, her single-eyed preference of spiritual and eternal things, above things present and temporal; and this, not only as it respected herself, but, where I have uniformly observed the temptations of the world

to be most trying, as it respected her children. In all these things," go and do thou likewise."

The spiritual world presents no tame and dull monotony of character. The spirits of the saints admit of as varied an expression as does the human countenance. Indeed, if modern science speaks truly, the human countenance, in all its infinite variety of lineament and expression, is but an exact counterpart, a faithful copy of the soul. Agreeably to this, we find, in the moral world that grace, in its development in the soul, acts as with a reference to some original and essential constitution of that particular soul, and always gives a prominency to some particular feature of the new man, as did nature to the old, which stamps upon him a character, and thus identifies the individual. It is true that an essential mark of genuine religion is the harmony of graces and consistency of character which it produces. True religion is without partiality as well as without hypocrisy, and has respect unto ALL God's commandments. Regeneration produces no monstrous or mutilated birth, but a perfect babe in Christ, possessed of all its fair proportions, and which, fed by the sincere milk of the word, and the influences of the Divine Spirit, may grow to a perfect man, and the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. But still, while the determination of the will and affections towards the whole mind of Christ is perfect and uncompromising; while the generic characters of the spiritual and Divine life are strongly developed; while the several graces which are the specific lineaments of the Christian, are all faithfully preserved in each; it no more forbids, than does the human countenance, a particular prominency in development, or a variety in combination, which may serve to diversify, as with new beauties of tint and foliage, the trees of God's planting in the paradise above. It elicits prominently, from a Moses meekness, an Abraham faith; from a Paul zeal, a Peter ardour; from a John gentleness, a Mary tenderness; and thus adds the charm of variety to the many rich enjoyments in the intercoure of the blessed inhabitants of the realms above, by stamping a distinguishing personality on character, and thus identifying the individual.

If I were asked to identify the spirit which has just departed, I should do it by that moral feature in which I have just exhorted you to imitate her I mean her simple and unfaltering preference, not only for herself, but for her family, of things spiritual to things temporal. She had been taught by Divine grace that in those bodies of her children, about the comfortable accommodation of whose brief existence our worldly interests are conversant, were lodged, for a short and uncertain period, never dying souls: that their character and destiny through eternal ages, would be determined by the moral training which they received in the plastic state of youth; by the impressions then made upon them; by the mould into which they were then cast; and by the form and character which in the brief space of this mortal life they finally assumed. Having once seen this absorbing truth, she fixed the single eye of a realizing faith upon the souls of her children; and that with a steadiness of view, and a simplicity of intention, which I have scarcely ever seen equalled; and which no adverse providences, no favourable opportunities, none even of the necessary arrangements relating to their worldly settlement, seemed ever to obscure. She levied contribu

tions from every circumstance and every conversation to promote their spiritual welfare. And I have repeatedly perceived that some casual observation, which contemplated nothing beyond present things, has been unexpectedly spiritualized by her, and made the turning point and text of a pious conversation, which aimed at the correction of some fault, or the improvement of some grace, in the persons present. She has often said to me, and on her death-bed she repeated it, "God knows that I do not covet for my children wealth or station. The first wish of my heart is that they may grow up in the fear and love of God, and obtain a heavenly inheritance." And in the absence of our respected pastor, I may, indeed ought to add, that in speaking of the value which she set upon those spiritual blessings which she had received through his ministry, she has frequently declared to me, that no prospect of worldly advantage (which at one time there was), that no earthly treasures would tempt her to leave this parish.

St. Augustine says, Happy is he who loves God-and his friend in God and his enemy for God:" and assuredly this blessedness was hers. That the love of God was the profoundest sentiment of her soul has been often remarked, and indeed was undeniably evident. That she loved her family and her friends in God, the many instances which I have adduced of her unceasing efforts for their spiritual welfare and improvement, and her uncompromising preference for them of spiritual above worldly advantages, furnishes decided proof. And if I cannot bring facts to prove that she loved her enemies for God, it is because, in truth, she had no enemy. A meek, unearthly, unselfish spirit, presented no jarring asperities, no points of just collision, to the prejudices and selfish interests of those with whom she had intercourse, and disarmed all causeless and petulant hostility. A peculiar simplicity of spirit opened, as it were, a window into her bosom, through which all with whom she conversed could trace the workings of a pure and humble, a devout and benevolent mind. And the anxious interest which her illness excited throughout this neighhourhood, and the deep and unaffected sorrow of her domestic and more intimate friends, prove how universal was the esteem and love which she had conciliated.

Still, the friendship of the world is but a dark and dubious sign of genuine and uncompromising religion. And I confess that for a time I felt perplexed in attempting to unravel the mystery in the instance before us. But our Lord's declaration, "the meek shall inherit the earth," furnishes, I think, the clue. And I beg your most serious attention to the fact, which, as I conceive, serves to account for the moral paradox, and to reconcile her religion and her popularity. It is this; that I have been intimately acquainted with her for six years, and have now in vain taxed memory for a solitary instance; and, on the contrary, am convinced that during that period I never heard her speak a harsh word, or insinuate evil of a single individual. And if I wanted to prove to any one acquainted with human nature, that her's was no ordinary spirit, I should select from the mass of her character that one feature. The clergy, particularly, she honoured for their work's sake and I have uniformly observed, that whenever any unfavourable report of a clergyman has been made in her hearing, she has endeavoured to extricate his character from the fangs of calumny--or to extenuate,

as far as God's truth and God's honour would permit it, his fault. Charity thinketh no evil - knoweth all things believeth all things" and let me add, from another context, " speaketh evil of no

man.

May this manifestation, in the midst of us, of the power of Divine grace, in extracting the sting of death, and triumphing over the last enemy, be duly recognized and blest among us. May it elicit from each of us a due tribute of praise and adoration to Him "from whom cometh every good and perfect gift:" who is "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort." May it communicate to us corresponding spiritual influences. May it awaken the careless; fix the wavering; stimulate the slothful; encourage the timid; and be abundant in thanksgivings among all those whom love to God and man animates, and who have been taught by Divine grace to seek and to find their richest enjoyments in watching the progress of the Divine spirit of grace and peace in the souls of men. Let such, in an especial manner, glorify God in her.

I cannot point to the next of us who shall enter upon that journey from which no traveller returns: whose place the next in this congregation shall know him no more: and of whom the next it shall be said, He was, and is not! But God knows it. And when, as at this moment, I look back upon the state of this parish as it was six years ago, when first I became acquainted with it, and when I mark the rapid strides with which the waves of death have encroached upon the land of the living, I feel that I may well address you, "Be ye also ready!"

So many and so various are the ways by which death advances on his desolating march, and levies to that standard which he plants in every district the army of his unwilling conscripts. To which of us all will his summons first arrive? How long will be the warning of preparation? What shall be the mode of our removal? I know not. These are interesting, it may be important, questions. But who can answer them?

And yet a question may and ought to be asked often, by each of us, of his own conscience, still more interesting and important than that which relates to the mere circumstances of the change which is to place each of us before the judgment seat of Christ. Each should seek to anticipate by a comparison of his own heart and life with the revealed will of God, the evidence and the verdict of that infallible tribunal, before which the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, and from whose righteous judgment there is no appeal. Could we but read that universal history of the moral and spiritual world, of which each soul forms a page, as the eye of God now continually reads it at a single glance, and as we all shall yet read it in the day of final judgment: could we then read those deeds of deceit and treachery, of towering ambition, of pollution, of darkness, and of blood, whose memorial the lapse of centuries may have long since blotted from off the face of the earth, but which are registered in the memory of an avenging God,-how impressive, and how operative would be our view of the solemnities of that awful day! How unfeigned would be our self-abasement! How earnest our application to the one Mediator and Redeemer! How deep would be our horror of sin! how fervent our aspirations after holiness!

May each of us so realize the certainty and the nearness of this

important event that, through divine grace, we may secure an entrance into the one fold, the church of God, through the only door Christ Jesus. Let it be our study to walk through this world in the path of God's commandments-that narrow path which alone leadeth unto life, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Let us daily exchange, at the foot of the cross, that great altar of God's temple on earth, our manifold sins and infirmities, for the superabounding grace and spotless righteousness of Christ. Let us thus tread in the steps of those "who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Let us live the life-then die the death of the righteous: and let our last end be like his.

J. M. H.

SHAKSPEARE'S ALLUSION TO THE VIATICUM AND EXTREME UNCTION, IN HAMLET.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer.

A WRITER in one of your late Numbers referred to that passage in Shakspeare, in which the ghost of Hamlet's father says that he was murdered in his sleep, without mortuary rites :

"Unhouseled, disappointed, unanealed;"

"No reckoning made; but sent to my account,
"With all my imperfections on my head."

This is one of the many instances in which Shakspeare exhibits his minute acquaintance with the ritual and theology of Rome ;-I say theology as well as ritual; for while the first line above quoted, refers to the administration of the Lord's supper (robbed, however, of the cup to the laity) as a viaticum for heaven, and to the ceremonial of extreme unction, the succeeding remarks shew the superstitious reliance placed by Romanists upon the mere opus operatum of sacred rites in a dying hour, as a preparative for heaven. The absence of the eucharist and unction in the hour of death was considered to deprive the parting soul of its meetness for heaven; no reckoning was made, so that it went to its account under the weight of its "imperfections." I suspect that this very word "imperfections,” indicates Shakespeare's intimate knowledge of the Romanist system; and that he employs it as synonimous with "venial sins;" the priest's absolution and ministrations cleansing from these, which are supposed to be all that attach to the dying penitent. The blood of the Saviour, as " cleansing from all sin," is not set forth in the Romish doctrine, except as connected with baptism; there being no certain way opened for the pardon of "mortal sin" after the reception of baptismal grace. So also the "sinfulness of sin," of a sinful nature, seems little thought of; the scrutiny having reference only, or chiefly, to particular acts. Perhaps, also, the expression no reckoning made" is used by Shakspeare, not in the general sense of what is strangely called "making our peace with God," but with peculiar reference to the practice of confession, in which the penitent reckons up minutely his offences, without which numerical relation his absolution is incomplete. It is not felt that it is the state of the heart, out of which are the issues of life, that gives character to the conduct.