Brown of the Church of England. These men did not deny Christ. They did not love father and mother more than Christ. They took up the cross and followed Christ. If you knew as well as I do, the conflicts which they were called to sustain in the East, you would see how fitly the words of our Lord might be applied to them: Behold I send you forth as sheep among wolves. But beware of men. If you kuew, again, the conjoined wisdom and innocence which they manifested in these conflicts, you would acknowledge that they studied to obey our Lord's admonition: Be ye wise as ser. pents, and harmless as doves. The character of both was marked by an extraordinary liberali ty of sentiment in regard to the differences in religious profession;-a liberality, which others, in a confined sphere, could not well understand. In a word, They endured unto the end; and both of them were enabled to glorify God in their deaths, by a manifestation of a joyful hope in the view of their dissolution. And, after death, God was pleas ed to honor their faithfulness. The East-India Company erected a Monument as a testimony of their reverence for the Apostolic Swartz, and engraved on it a record of his labors; and to their late Senior Chaplain, Mr. Brown, they have rendered a tribute of respect yet more munificent, by providing for his nu merous family."

Dr. Buchanan, adds, in a note, "The patronage of individuals in the Court of Directors to Mr. Brown's family, has not been less conspicuous than that of the public body. Mr. Grant has given

a writership in the service of the Honorable Company to James Brown, the eldest son; and Mr. Parry has bestowed a similar appointment on Charles Brown, the second son; and both youths have, in consequence, been nominated as students at Hertford College. Their father's premature death has frustrated the de sign of their entering the Church. But they may have it in their power to be of yet more extensive service to the cause of religion in India, in the respectable situations to which they will now be appointed, than if they had been merely individual laborers in the ministry. It will be grateful, I doubt not, to their own pious and ingenuous minds, ever to remember, that their revered father instructed them in the Oriental Languages for a high, a sacred purpose; and that he himself, though not a Missionary, defended and exalted the missionary name and character in India."

Mr. Brown being Senior Chaplain of the Honorable Company in Bengal, his proper church was that of the Presidency, call ed St. John's, or the New Church. But, desirous, so far as was in his power, of fulfilling the duties of a Missionary Preacher also, he instituted public worship, gratuitously, for the Native Christians and the lower orders of the people generally, at the Old, or Mission Church, which is private property. On a marble in the chancel of this church, is the following Inscription:

TO THE POOR The Gospel was preached in this Church, By the Rev. David Brown, During a period of 25 Years.

MEDITATIONS ON

1-11. NO. 2.

"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple; and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy fost against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Matt. iv, 5, 6, 7.

THE tempter, failing in his first attempt, through the confidence of Christ in the Father, now art fully grounds his ten.ptation on that very confidence; and since he had been foiled by Scripture, he would take that, too, to favor his purposes.

Being permitted to place our Lord on a pinnacle of the temple, he urges him, by an imperfect quotation from the xci Psalm, to cast himself down. Such an act would have been tempting God, by a vain and presumptuous reliance on his prom ise, in a case to which it did not extend. But our Savior prompt ly defeated this temptation, also, by an appropriate passage of scripture. (Deut. vi, 16.)

Here we may observe

1. That, through his subtlety, the tempter often endeavors to lead men, who have forsaken certain sins, into sins of an opposite kind. By such a course, he comes on a side where he is not expected, where there is no

The prodigal sometimes becomes a miser, the devotee to expensive gratifications a closehanded worshipper of mammon. Let the extravagant and indolent and voluptuous abandon their vices; let them not, howev er, become parsimoniously cov etous; but by industry, frugality, and temperance, support an hospitable, humane, and pious lib. erality.

The miser, on the oth er side, seldom turns prodigal; some rapacious and covetous men, however, at the close of life have given large donations, to procure fame, or to obtain the favor of Heaven. Let the unjust and penurious accummu. later repent, make reparation where he can, and dispose of his treasures in a wise and pious manner; but let him never think of purchasing a name with his wealth; nor deceive his soul, by supposing that any appropriation of it can atone for his sins. For pardon let him trust only in the Lamb of God.

How often do persons, who change their opinions on temporal subjects, especially if ardent and unprincipled, go from one extreme to the opposite. Some selfish motive gives a new turn to their views and preju dices, and induces them to exchange their party for another.

They now indiscriminately condemn, with great violence, the very men and measures, that they recently approved. When their change is not the result of conviction and conscience, they generally become the most contentious partizans. They endeavor to justify themselves, and to acquire the confidence and favor of their new associates, by uncommon zeal in their cause.

In religion, apostates have ever been the most inveterate opposers of true Christians. Proselytes to a sect, generally lay the most stress on their peculiar sentiments, and are most warm and bitter in opposing those, which they formerly held. When persons, bred in strict orthodoxy, become unsettled and skeptical, they very often proceed, from step to step, to the very confines of infidelity, if they pass not into its regions. Such persons, also, are generally more bold and vehement in opposition to the truth, and in exertions to maintain and propagate error, than those, who have never been orthodox.

Men sometimes, also, pass from loose opinions and latitudinarian principles into the opposite extreme, and become too rigid and intolerant. Desirous to get as far as possible from their former errors, they seem not to be aware, that they may err on the right side by carrying some points too far; that they may give some doctrines and duties, because newly embraced, a disproportionate attention; and that they may undervalue other doctrines and duties, from an apprehension, that they approach too near the errors, which they have relinquished.

VOL. XI.

When a man greatly changes his principles, it often happens also, that the men and books, which he once admired, sink into undue contempt in his estimation; and others rise from contempt into unqualified repute. How must a person's mind be warped by selfish prej. udice, when he can see nothing but strength and excellence in any, who favor his views; and nothing but weakness and error in any, who oppose them. We should learn to discriminate on all sides. Prove all things; kold fast that which is good.

Where revivals of religion take place, there is sometimes more than a due proportion of attention paid to social worship, conferences, relation of experi ences, exhortation, and duties of this kind. This is not so often the case, as enemies to revivals would represent; but is it not sometimes the case? These du. ties appear so useful, and are so agreeable, that some would gladly spend their whole time in them. Are there not instances therefore, when such directions, as the following, may probably be useful, especially to young converts?

In your social meetings, be swift to hear, slow to speak. Avoid all intemperate zeal and irregularity, crude and extravagant speeches; and let all things be done in a solemn and decent manner. Let not your meetings be too frequent, nor be continued to an unseasonable Spend more time in secret prayer, in the perusal of the scriptures, in self-examination and meditation, and in domestic duties. Endeavor to understand all your duties, and so to adjust

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the time and order of attending to them, that none may have an undue prominence; that none may be neglected; that your life may be consistent and beautiful in all its parts. Guard against spiritual pride, precipitancy, and false dependences. Avoid scrupulously the appear ance of evil, and be exceedingly Cautious and circumspect, that the adversary may get no advan tage, to prejudice the good cause, which you have at heart; that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Satan is undoubtedly well pleased, when professors of religion take pride in favorite doctrines, and exalt them to the disparagement of other important doctrines; when they set faith and good works at variance, stigmatizing the one, as antinomianism, or the other, as legality and self-righteousness; when they decry some important virtues, through a mistaken fear of their tendency,-zeal, lest it should be censorious and fanatical,--candor, lest it should open the mind to the insinuation of error; when they follow dreams and impulses, or some other false guidance; when they are eccentric and extravagant; or when they settle down into formality and lukewarmness. It is a malignant gratification to him, whenever they exhibit a dull or distorted portraiture of religion, calculated to obscure or dishonor it in the view of its enemies.

Some persons are always too ardent or too cold, too precipitant or too dilatory. Both individuals and communities are prone to run into extremes in many respects. We should endeavour to avoid them, as always more or

We should

less prejudicial. seek the proper medium. which is the straight and narrow path of duty. Our Christian charac ter ought to be a well proportioned whole, undeformed by redundancies or defects, embracing all the duties of piety and morality in their proper place. Our religion should be a patient contin uance in well doing. resemble a perennial stream, uniformly affording refreshment and fertility; and not a mountain torrent, pouring down with great noise and impetuosity, but shortly evaporating. We should shine like the regular lights of heaven; and not resemble a wandering comet.

It should

2. Satan often endeavours to persuade men to do things, which would be tempting God, that is, "putting his power, truth, and love to an unnecessary trial.” This may be done in several ways.

F

To appropriate to ourselves the promises, made to true Christians, without repentance, faith, and obedience, is tempting God. It involves a resolution of trying his truth and mercy upon unauthorized grounds. It is a pre

sumptuous expectation of the salvation and blessings of his people, while we refuse to live as his people. Let us beware of such fatal presumption, though tempted to indulge it by plausible quotations from Scripture. We deceive ourselves, as well as tempt God, when we thus expect his promised favors.

To run into dangers unnecessarily, expecting divine interpositions to preserve us from sin and injury, is tempting God. So it is also, to engage in improper works and enterprises, expect.

ing his assistance and blessing. In such cases, persons never truly trust in God For, true dependence implies some warrant or authority for its foundation. But they presume, to try his protection and favor, without folJowing his directions. We should implicitly confide in the promises of God in every case, to which they fairly extend; but to rely on them in cases, in which we have no authority for their application, is tempting, unwarrantably, the protection of God. We should equally avoid all distrust and suspicion, where we have the warrant of God's word, and all groundless expectations, where we have not. It is therefore of the highest importance, that we accurately understand, when and how far we are authorized to appropriate the promises of God to ourselves.

To be dissatisfied with the assurances, which God has given, of his truth, power, goodness, and mercy, and out of distrust and unbelief to demand farther proot of them, is also tempting him. Thus the Israelites tempt ed him in the wilderness, when in every extremity they manifested their unbelief in murmuring complaints and clamorous demands. Would we avoid tempting God in any way, we must with an honest heart seek his guidance, believe his word, obey his commands, and confide in his providence and mercy, Let us do all these, and we shall be safe,

3. The Holy Scriptures may be employed to seduce men into error and sin. Texts merely suggested, are no guide. We must see, that they are not mutilated, that they are understood,

and that they are clearly applicable, before we draw any conclu sion from them. Satan can use Scripture freely; and so can wicked men of every description. It may therefore be profitable, briefly to state some of the methods, in which many wrest the Scriptures.

Passages of Scripture are often incorrectly quoted, by leav ing out or altering some important words, so that the meaning is essentially changed. Heed. less and unprincipled men not unfrequently make such quotations. Hence it is highly necessary to examine the texts, which they produce in support of their opinions. This is adviseable, as it will not only prevent us from being misled, but also render our acquaintance with the Scriptures more accurate and extensive,

Passages, by being used in connexions different from what they are in the Bible, are often made to convey erroneous sentiments. Many in support of their opinions quote passages, where the sound or phraseology seems favorable, without any regard to their connexion and application, as they stand in the Bible. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind, is a passage for instance, often quoted, as if it meant, that a person, who is sincere in the belief of error, the practice of sin, or the neglect of duties, is innocent and safe; that if he is fully persuaded he is right, it is right for him to do as he does, whatever his conduct may be. The Scriptures incul cate no such doctrine; but declare that there is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of