SIN LAMENTED. [From the New York Christian's Magazine.] WHY swells my full heart, with sad presage o'erflowing, The storm's howl without, and the winds loudly blowing, Ah, why busy Fancy, in haste to transport me O'er the wide peopled earth to find sources of grief? Why to War's sanguin'd plains thus incessantly court me, When thou, even thou, canst not picture relief? Why lead me to prisons, to dungeons, to gallies, I need not thy visions to swell the sad measure, Or point but the source of our paius and our woes: In each beating bosom les hid the dark treasure, Whence spring all the sorrows that break my repose. Sin! parent of evil of ev'ry description, From thy baneful influence our miseries flow; Though fools make a mock,' and pronounce it a fiction, To thee all our tears and our anguish we owe. In the childhood of Nature, in Eden's fair bowers, Pale Care was a stranger while thou wast unknown; How sad the reverse! Ah, how chang'd man's condition! Ye children of Folly's enchanting delusions, Do no secret terrors e'er break your repose, While ye hat hour the fiend, whose destructive intrusions But, oh! shall a soul that has tas ed of pardon, Has wept for the sorrows and sins of mankind, Shall a soul so enlighten'd, so favour'd of Heaven, Heart sickening picture! yet let me review it Till the veil shall be drawn from my own darken'd soul; Till, humbled in dust, sov'reign grace shall renew it, And the Spirit of Jesus enlighten the whole! Then hasten, dear Jesus, our nature befriending, To purge thine own children, and conquer thy foes; To Earth's utmost limits thy banner extending, LINES to the Memory of a much-lamented Friend. And seen the gathering clouds begint the sky, And draw a veil o'er Nature's laughing eye; Precedes the long resounding peal of Death, Avert the stroke, or stay the flutt'ring breath! Which we in vain have sought to open here; In scenes where unbelief read wrath and fear : That heart with pure philanthropy which glow'd, The vital current chilled, no more they move In works of sacred piety and love! Ah, fatal stroke! Ah! why in life's full pow'r, Enter his rest ere yet the evening hour? Who now shall watch, and waro, and guide our youth? Recall that question! God, that grace who gave, Sull lives, still reigns, omnipotent to save! Well may we weep, and such a loss deplore; But Faith's strong optics stretches to explore Bright realms of bliss, leyond the lapse of time; Decks to the fount of bliss for new supplies! My soul, the sad, the solemn stroke revolve, — His course to follow, while the day shall last; Catch the celestial fire, its influence fiod, Farewell to the World. FAREWELL poor world! with all thy toys, And all thy transitory joys; Farewell, poor world! for aye farewell! To all, poor world, thou canst impart. M. Y. Farewell, poor world, I want no more Farewell, poor world, farewell to all 6. AULD, Printer, Greville Street, London. A. A. EVANGELICAL MAGAZINE. OCTOBER, 1810. BRIEF MEMOIR OF THE LATE REV. RICHARD PEARSALL. RICHARD PEARSALL was born at Kidderminster, in Worcestershire, August 29, 1698: he received his academical education at Tewkesbury, in Gloucestershire. The first ten years of his stated ministry were spent at Bromyard, in Herefordshire; from whence he removed to Warminster, in Wiltshire, where he continued 16 years. His last abode in our world was at Taunton, in Somersetshire; at which place he was minister about 15 years, when he finished his course with peace and holy joy, Nov. 10, 1762. Where he was known he was respected as a man, beloved as a Christian, and revered as a minister. Few men have been more honoured with usefulness through life; and being dead, he yet speaketh in his valuable and highly-esteemed writings. As the design of this Memoir is not so much to eulogize the man as to glorify God in him, we will present our readers with a few extracts from his Diary. The following description of his views and feelings, in the prospect of engaging in the Christian ministry, we would earnestly recommend to the attention of students in similar cir cumstances: 'Dec. 18, 1718. As I am now setting out as a candidate for the sacred office of the ministry, I would set apart this day for prayer, that God would be pleased, out of his infinite goodness, to make me an instrument in his hand of promoting his honour and glory, and the good of souls! I am sensible of my own weakness and inability to perform this office aright: I am insufficient of myself to do any thing good or acceptable in the eyes of God, I can be the author of nothing but sin! How much of that pollution, guilt, and sin, that naturally cleaves to every one, do I experience in every religious duty! If then I am not able to perform any good work of myself, how much less to perform so great, a work as that 3E XVIII. |