up in his own hand writing, a prayer to be read in the evangelical Court Church on the day of the consecration of this building, which was fixed for the 13th of September. In this and similar ways, he passed the time of his sickness, always contending with his complaint and endeavoring to get the victory over himself. Only two days before his death, he wrote a letter to a friend at Wittemberg, and corrected a proof sheet to the fifth part of his Moral. One of the last works he read through with attention, of which also he expressed his approbation, was Heeren's Ideen. At this time also he was constantly engaged in giving assistance and advice, either orally or in writing, to persons around him and at a distance, while to the close of life, he continued to take a lively interest in passing circumstances and events, which like his friend John Müller* he always believed to be under the divine control, in which respect he firmly adhered to those views and feelings expressed in his 17th sermon of 1811, Upon the Government of God over the world, addressed to those Christians who entertained doubts on this point.

Amidst the pain and weakness of body, however, to which, notwithstanding the strength of his mind, he was subjected during the last days of his life, he had notice of several events calculated to fill him with joy. From one of his relatives who had published his Sermons, Theology, and Confessions, who belonged to one of the most respectable booksellers in Germany, and had come all the way from Sulzbach to Dresden, for the sole purpose of once more seeing his benefactor and friend, he received information, that a work which had been sent to him during his sickness in 1811, and to which he wrote a short but powerful preface, had gone through two editions the very first year of its publication, and been the means of scattering many of the imperishable seeds of truth. The most joyful news that he heard, however, was, that the king had

*See Joh. v. Müller's Werke, VIII, 236, 260, 263; Priefe an seinen ältesten Freund in der Schweiz, (Zürch, Fuessly, 1812,) S 269.

Pyrrho und Philalethes, Sulzbach, Seidel, 1812. It was written by the venerable Crell, Councillor of the Mines, in Gött & c., at the close of his distinguished career, and exhibits his views of the truth, which, in respect to physicotheology and teleological proof, correspond with those of heinhard, Moral, IV. 491, V. 163. It was published at first without his name.

approved of the plan of a university at Leipsic which had been drawn up by a double number of royal commissioners who had been appointed for this purpose, to whom Reinhard belonged, and thus crowned a work for which he had ardently labored. Of the success of his labors, however, he was never inclined to say much, nor did he seem to derive pleasure from looking at the past. He felt as though it was unbecoming a sower, to feel proud of bis harvest, however great it might be, since God had brought it forth by means of rain and sunshine, from the germ which he himself had created. To wish like a hero, to enjoy the good of a work at the evening of life, he considered as bordering upon foolishness. Others might warm their hearts in this way, and delight themselves with such considerations, but he could not. The greatest and happiest efforts he made, fell far short of what he endeavored and felt himself obligated to perform, even in writing his sermons; and hence, he was often filled with the most unfeigned astonishment at the frequent and flattering proofs which he received from the remotest parts, of the good he had been the means of effecting.

Very touching and interesting were the remarks which be made, from time to time, to his friends, when they indulged themselves in expressing their good wishes, and sought to show, that his immediate usefulness could not then be about to close. They strikingly exhibited his humility, and entire dissatisfaction with himself, notwithstanding the internal purity of his moral character, the motives by which he had ever been actuated, and the strenuous efforts he had made to accomplish all the good in his power. "God is confined to no particular instrument," was his reply. "If he does not choose to employ me, he is able to find another. He is too perfect in wisdom, to suffer his plans and operations to depend upon imperfection."

On

For some days his hiccough had been increasing upon him, and gradually diminishing his strength, but yet he did not suppose his dissolution to be so near as it was. the afternoon preceding his death, in compliance with the wishes of his wife, he was removed from bis garden seat, to his official residence in the city. On this occasion he left all his papers behind him, except the manuscript to the

fifth part of his Moral, and, when carried by the evangelical Court Church in which, for the last 21 years, his beloved and affectionate people, under the influence of his preaching, had assembled in harmonious and heart-felt union, heard its well known clock strike for the last time. In the evening, he made no change from the usual course of his life, or the order of the day. He read with an unbroken voice, from the second part of Lichtenstein's travels, and retired to bed at his usual hour. His rest was quiet,

except that he once awoke, until after midnight, when he found himself unable to rise. "Farewell," said he, immediately, "farewell to you all." These were his last words, which he repeated several times, and, in a few moments, expired. They were heard from the Aar to the Dwina, and listened to with deep and heart-felt emotion by the absent, and often will they be repeated with grateful recollections. by the churches which he educated and established in the truth, and his brethren in the ministry, whom he tenderly loved, always bore on his heart before the throne of grace, and prayed for aloud every evening, until God successively calls them to take their silent repose.

As may be supposed by any one who has read the 9th letter of his Confessions, he adhered to the doctrine of free grace, through the atoning blood of Christ, and, however foolish it may appear to the Rationalist, or be made a subject of controversy, derived his chief support from it in the hour of death; and though some may shrug up their shoulders, on reading this, and affect to drop a tear of compassion over him, and others attempt to ridicule him, and pronounce him a hypocrite, as they did when his Reformation Sermon made its appearance, breathed forth his departing spirit into the hands of his Redeemer.* His death adds another testimony, if another were needed, to the reality of the consolation to be derived, in exchanging worlds, from a hope of free pardon through Christ. No sparks of enthusiasm or flights of a diseased imagination kindled up false fires in his breast, or illuded the eye of reason, nor was his mind cbscured with the darkness of ignorance. The flame of devotion glowed steadily within,

Many incorrect accounts have been published respecting Reinhard's death. The above was drawn from the testimony of his widow.

and reason kept watch at her post. With an enlightened eye, he gazed into the opening gulf before him, without trembling or dismay, and, having labored on its brink until his summons arrived, he calmly leaped into it, and was seen no more. How different this, from the blind-folded exit of the scoffing sinner! We cannot dwell, however, upon the death of this good man, but must ask the reader's pardon for hurrying him back to take a more particular survey of his life, writings, aud character.

II. HIS YOUTH AND EDUCATION.

Of the youth of Reinhard, it will be unnecessary to add much to what he has already told us. He was born at Vohenstrauss, in the Dukedom of Sulzbach, March the 12th, 1753. He early evinced an ardent thirst for knowledge, an insatiable desire to improve himself, and seemed to derive his greatest pleasure from mental occupations. While the other children were spending their time in vari ous sports and plays, the little Francis, eager to learn, was seen, especially in the evening, bending over his book or his writing table, engaged in reading, or in composing short fables, hymns, and essays, some of which, the remainder of his relatives, in the Upper Palatinate, may still possess. In these youthful productions, we are told, he evinced vivacity, and a stirring and active imagination, which, though laid under powerful restraints by the serious and laborious nature of his employments in after life, could never be entirely subdued.* Until 15 years of age, he found an excellent and faithful teacher in his father, a pious and worthy clergyman of the place where he was born, by whom he was early made thoroughly acquainted with the ancient classics, especially Virgil and Cicero, and thus enabled to lay that foundation, upon which alone, in modern times, the fame of authorship, a few choice and

* Though Reinhard frequently disclaimed all pretensions to the poetic art, and wished, in his works, to be considered merely as a plain writer of prose, it was from his utter opposition to every thing like prose run mad, a kind of style quite popular with some preachers, but against which he used to express himself in Socratic irony. He early wrote some metrical translations of the Greek Anthology, by way of amusement, which were published in the N. T. Merkur. That he had a very susceptible imagination when a lad, is evident from what he himself says, Õpusc. Acad. II. 273.

original works of the imagination excepted, has always been raised. Reinhard's father presents us with a worthy example in this respect, for he delighted in teaching his children and devoted all his leisure to this business. He seems to have felt a great attachment for Francis, and to have cherished fond hopes of being able to make something out of him, as he used often to express himself; and having but little relaxation from the duties of his profession, in 1768 he made arrangements for sending him to the Gymnasium Poeticum, at Regensburg, where he himself had been educated, soon after which, he expired.

While

Reinhard speaks of his residence at this place, which commenced in the autumn of the above-named year, with considerable particularity. He appears to have devoted the most of his time to the study of the classics. here, he derived much benefit from Mr. Augustus Töpfer, the conrector, into whose class he first entered, and whom he mentions in very grateful terms. This man never came forward as an author, but he attended most conscientiously to his business as instructor, and, by endeavoring to raise those pupils worthy of it, above the common level, attached them firmly to himself, thus exhibiting his own talents and integrity as a teacher; for nothing distinguishes the miserable hireling from the faithful instructor more readily, than that the former planes all wood equally bad, while the latter cuts a Mercury only out of the best. By pursuing such a course and bringing forward the powers of this one youth, (whom afterwards when ascending to the highest dignity, he had the exalted satisfaction of pressing to his heart,) and thus qualifying him for usefulness, Töpfer did more good to the world than he would have done by publishing a hundred programs and other such things. To this man, Reinhard was in a great measure indebted for the attachment he felt for Cicero during life, that fulness. of thought for which he is so conspicuous, and the chasteness and skill he acquired in writing the Latin language, being scarcely equalled in this respect by any two theologians among all his contemporaries in Germany.*

This is perfectly evident from his university programs, by the collecting together and publishing of which, Pölitz has done great service to the public, as it was a work which Reinhard would never have undertaken himself, though he has since made some rich additions to these programs.