ing any visible effect upon his spirits. These continued invariably good: he was ever fit for business or conversation. His mind seemed, indeed, to be in a great measure indepen dent of all bolily infirmities and connections. Firm in its own native ad acquired vigour, supported by the steady principles and joyful hopes of the Gospel, and perpetually animated by some worthy purpose, it stood in no need of the amusements to which weaker minds are obliged to have recourse in order to support or reconcile their exhausted spirits. For these, Dr. Leechman at no time of life had any inclination. The only amusemen in which he seemed to take pleasure, was the improvement of his farm near Glas gow: rural business perfectly suited the sumplicity of his taste. During the last years of his life, he considered reading as a mere amusement, and passed away in it many hours of the day and of the night very agreably; but conver sation was still more agreeable to him. Some of his happiest hours seemed to be those which he spent with a literary friend or two of the same inquisitive turn with himself, in hearing their sentiments, and communicating his own, on books and men, with a perfect freedom. Theological subjects were his favourite topics of conversation, especially scriptural knowledge and inquiry. He listened with unusual attention and pleasure to any thing new struck out by his ingenious friends in the course of their biblical studies; any thing that tended to throw light on the dark and difficult passages of the Sacred Writings, to remove objections, and to place the grand discoveries of Divine revelation in a clear and connected point of view. The time at last came when this valuable man, beloved and revered by his friends, and by the society over which he presided, was to be removed from them, and introduced into a superior society. It had been his constant aim to employ faith fully and usefully the talents entrusted by Heaven to his management: a sense of God had habitually and thoroughly possessed his mind. The stream of his religious principles and feelings bad ever intermingled with the current of his ordinary thoughts; had run calm, evenly, and deep in his soul; and given a new force to every exertion he made for the good of mankind through the course of a long and laborious life. It was therefore to be expected, if his faculties remained, that he would enjoy the testimony of a good conscience, and feel the support of the faith and hope of the Gospel in his last moments. But few good men in this, or indeed in any, age, have felt it to the degree in which he did, or exhibited at the close of life a spirit and a behaviour that came so very near to that of the primitive followers of Christ. When Dr. Leechman was at his country-house, about the middle of September 1785, being in the 80th year of his age, his strength exhausted by the want of sleep, and his body worn to a shadow, he had a sudden and violent paralytic shock, in consequence of which he lay insensible for an hour. He came out of this, however, perfectly well, as if nothing had happened. But, about a month after, he had a second shock of the same kind, that lasted only five minutes, and deprived him of the power of his left side, which he never recovered; after this, he lay for six weeks in bed, in a state of extreme weakness, till death relieved him from all his sufferings. He was for the most part free from violent pain; yet often, for days together, restless and distressed in every posture that could be contrived for him; which he bore with great patience. During this last scene of his life, he exhibited to his friends a spectacle worthy of admiration; a great soul in a manner without a body: for his bodily powers were all gone, except the power of speech, and this, at times, scarcely audible. But his mind re tained its wonted vigour; continued mercies of God which he had ex in full possession of its faculties; perienced during his past life, and often as intelligent, judicious, and quite transported with the unboundeven acute, as ever; always firm, ed and endless prospects of Divine serene, and happy to a degree which goodness that were before him. The he was unable to express. This vi. reader will be pleased with a speci sible contrast between the weakness men of his conversation and devoof his body and the strength of his tions. One of the Professors brought mind struck every person who was to his bed-side a young Oxford stuwitness to it, especially his uncom- dent, designed for the Church of mon fortitude, and even joy in the England, the son of a worthy noprospect of his approaching disso- bleman, who had sent him to Glaslution. His generous and kind af- gow College for the early part of fections continued to flow, on his his education, very much under the death-bed, with their usual vigour. eye of Dr. Leechman. He took the He entered with spirit into any young gentleman by the hand, and thing connected with the cause of with a venerable, placid aspect, an religion and learning. He con- animated eye, a distinct though feeversed with his friends when he was ble articulation, he spoke to him able; interested himself in all their nearly in the following words: "I am concerns as much as ever; admini- always happy to see you; partistered consolation to such of them cularly so at present. You see the as needed it, affectionate exhorta- situation I am in; I have not many tion and advice to others. He pour- days to live; and I am glad you have ed out warm wishes and prayers for had an opportunity of witnessing the their happiness, especially for the tranquillity of my last moments. prosperity of the University. When But it is not tranquillity and comunable to speak himself, he was posure alone; it is joy and triumph; happy in seeing his friends sitting it is complete exultation." His feaby his bed-side, and in hearing their tures kindled, his voice rose, as he conversation. His disorder took va- spoke. "And whence," continued he, rious turns, and once or twice flat-does this exultation spring? From tered even his medical friends with some slight hope of a recovery. His own hopes, however, were very different from theirs. He knew that the time of his departure was at hand, he saw death full before him. But the frightful spectre was disarmed of all its terrors. He beheld it, not only without pain and fear; not merely with a well-founded hope; but with the most perfect assurance that can be conceived of enjoying a glorious immortality-an assurance founded, as he frequently declared, not upon the consciousness of any merit, or of any thing he had done to entitle him to it, but upon the goodness and grace of God, put beyond all doubt by Jesus Christ. To the few very intimate friends who had the happiness to converse with him on his death-bed, bis mind appeared much delighted with the grateful recollection of all the undeserved that Book," (pointing to a Bible that lay on a little table by his bed-side), "from that book, too much neglected indeed, but which contains invalu able treasures! treasures of joy and rejoicing: for it makes us certain that this mortal shall put on immortality.-You have chosen the church for your profession. I can assure you, that if you enter with a just and proper spirit into the discharge of your duty, you will find it a source of the highest enjoyment in all periods of your life, and especially in the close of it. If happiness be connected with the contempla tion of the grandest and most elevating objects, what can be grander or more sublime than the views exhibited by the Gospel. I have al ways been interested in your wel fare, and I am happy, on my deathbed, to give you an old man's bless ing." In this spirit he conversed. with several of his friends, and the pleasing serenity and elevation of his mind communicated a degree of elevation to theirs which they had seldom experienced, especially to Mrs. Leechman's, to whom he behaved with distinguished sympathy and tenderness. She continued at his bed-side night and day. It was indeed surprising how her delicate frame was able to bear the anxiety and fatigue of such an attendance. But her mind was calm, resigned, often very thankful. She had sometimes dreaded that her husband might be left behind ner, and had figured this situation as peculiarly uncomfortable to him. She had wished for health and spirits sufficient to enable her to do her last duty to him, and, having obtained her wish, she was satisfied. On a Sunday morning, during the time of divine service, not many days before his death, he looked remarkably ill; his pulse sunk lower than usual; upon which Mrs. Leechman said to him, "You seem, my dear, to be drawing near your journey's end."-" So much the better," he replied, "so much the better. Come, Lord Jesus! come quickly." Then, after a short pause, "Into thy hands, O heavenly Father! I commit my spirit; thou canst make me happy in ten thousand ways which I cannot now conceive." Then he added, in a firmer and more elevated tone, "O Death! where is thy sting? O Grave! where is thy victory? Thanks be unto God, who giveth me the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord!" And his animation and triumph still increasing, he subjoined, "This mortal shall put on immortality; this corruptible shall put on incorruption, and be fashioned like unto the glorious body of Jesus Christ." Finding himself revive a little, and thinking, probably, that he should not have another opportunity, he desired his servants might be called in. He shook hands with them all, thanked them for the attention and CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 132. 1 concern they had shewn, and the toil they had lately had about him; gave his advice and blessing to each of them, and to every other person in the room: after this he prayed, and part of it was a most pathetic prayer for the University, both masters and scholars. The next day he sent for the Professor of Divinity, and regretted that he was now so weak as to be unable to take leave of the rest of his colleagues: he desired the Professor to convey to them his blessing, and his best advice; which was, to continue to do their duty, and to exert themselves in their several departments as they had hitherto done; after which he offered another fervent prayer for the University. He lived several days after this; spoke very little, by reason of increasing sickness and distress; but the calm, humble, and heavenly state of his mind continued unvaried. On the first of December he recovered so much as to surprise every body, and conversed" again with his friends in the most easy and cheerful manner imaginable. But this ray of hope was soon extinguished; for the next day he had a third attack of his disorder, not only on his extremities, like the former, but over his whole body, so that it was thought impossible he could recover from it. He did, however, recover in an hour or two, and though he spoke nothing that evening but yes or no, when a question was put to him, he seemed free from pain, his countenance resumed its wonted sensibility and placid serenity. His eyes, however, where for the most part shut, or opened only to lift them up to heaven, regardless of every thing around him, except Mrs. Leechman, who repeated to him some passages of Scripture, and the following lines from a hymn that he was fond of: The hour of my departure's come, The race appointed I have run, The combat's o'er-the prize is won. Thus he continued till very early in the morning, December the third, when he fell asleep, and this in so easy a manner, that nobody about him knew the exact time when it happened. Such was the life, and such the death of this good man. They afford a pleasing and striking proof that Christianity has not grown old by length of time, hut continues to exert, even at this day, its primitive happy influence on some of the most liberal and best cultivated minds. Of this cast was Dr. Leechman's. His increasing knowledge did not weaken but strengthen his increasing faith: he had within him a fund of everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, which became more and more lively the nearer he approached to the consummation of his hope, and rendered the last scene, amidst the most humiliating bodily weakness, by far the highest and happiest scene of his life. May we die the death of the righteous, and may our last end be like his! you may think it worthy of insertion*, A. A. FAMILY SERMONS. No. XLVIIL Cor. iii. 21.-All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. Or all persons in the world, genuine Christians have least reason to murmur, or to feel weary under the general circumstances of their present state, because "all things are theirs; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are theirs." In endea vouring to illustrate the Apostle's assertion, I observe, 1. That the ministers of the church of Christ may be regarded as the spiritual possession of all sound believers. They are separated from the rest of mankind, furnished with the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, appointed to their several places of pastoral trust, and fitted for their general work, purely for the sake of the servants and sons of God. Whoever the minister may be, whether an apostle, like the earlier instructors of the church; or whether he be as ministers now are, with no ability to work miracles, and with no immediate inspiration; yet, he is altogether ours. He is at our souls' service. His talents are to be called into full action for, our salvation. His learning, his prayers, his best exertions, all he does, are in the highest sense ours. St. Paul elsewhere declares, we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." The more the teachers of the church have to impart, the greater are our claims. The word minister signifies a servant; and Christ himself most impressively * See, for a full elucidation of this subject, our volume for 1809, p. 6. EDITOR authorised this interpretation, when he said to his first followers, "who soever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." And, “I am among you as he that serveth." 2. The world also is ours, if we are true Christians. How contradictory does this seem to the general tenor of the Scriptures! But the interest in the world, spoken of in the text, is very different from those things which make the world valuable to the bulk of mankind. The world is ours, because what ever is profitable in it may belong to us whenever God thinks it will be to our advantage. Suppose, however, that we have but a beggar's portion of this world's goods, yet the little we possess, if we are true Christians, is sanctified. And how much more do we enjoy such po verty than the children of this world their wealth! We know who He was who said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." Persons of this character will say, What we have is freely and undeservedly bestowed, therefore far be it from us to murmur. So true is it that "a small thing that the righteous bath, is better than great riches of the ungodly."-The world is ours, because we are content with what we have. Here, indeed, we are gainers, since "godliness, with contentment, is great gain."-This world is ours, inasmuch as every thing in it, but sin, is more pleasant to us than to its own chosen friends. We may eat and drink, and put on our raiment, without feeling, as the world feels, the perplexity and guilt brought on by the indulgence of unlawful appetites. Even our pleasures will prove the world to be our own. We shall so select them as to experience no secret misgiving that we are wandering on forbidden ground; and when we retire from them to the sober duties of our station, they will leave no thorn in our conscience. It is what the Scriptures term the use of the world which blesses us with all these advantages. Its abuse causes the mass of mankind to be wearied with it. Let us keep in mind the serious warning once given to the Corinthian church; "the time is short: it remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away. I would have you without carefulness." 3. Life is also ours, if we belong to the family of God. Our continuance in this present state, whatever be its duration, is all for our everlasting advantage. We do not regard life, as others do; that is, as a treasure to be wasted upon trifles, as a burden to hang heavy upon our hands. Life to us is a golden opportunity; "an accepted time; a day of salvation;" the season for securing eternal peace; a period on which is suspended every hope and anxiety connected with a future state. It is ours, because we live in the expectation of something beyond it. It is our seed time, in which we prepare for a harvest of unspeakable joy and triumph. We are, in humble tranquillity, "waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;"-sometimes, indeed, looking out with eager hope for the hour when all the faithful shall "have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." This is the use we make of life. We find it not a mere passage through this world to some other world of uncertain existence and of no promise; but it is our threshold of immortal glory. No wonder one who has long since passed into immortality should say, "To me to live is Christ;" that is, the end of |