with force to persons in the same sphere of occupation with himself. Hence this memoir, we may hope, will exert a benign influence upon those who contemplate entering the ministry, and upon those who are already engaged in the discharge of its sacred functions. Mr. McCheyne was a young minister of great promise. He was an eminent pattern of devotion to his calling and to God. His sermons were chiefly of an awakening and hortatory character, full of searching appeals to the understanding and the heart. His life was short. At the age of thirty years, the period when our Saviour commenced his ministry on earth, Mr. McCheyne finished his labors, and entered into the joy of his Lord. The first of these volumes embraces his life, letters, lectures, and a few poetical effusions, together with his journal of a tour of observation and inquiry among the Jews; the second contains ninety sermons, of which many seem to be written out in full, while others are a mere outline of suggestions, designed to be filled up in the pulpit.

Mr. McCheyne was born at Edinburgh, May 21, 1813. He was remarkable in his early childhood for a mild and affectionate temper, and for the readiness with which he acquired the rudiments of knowledge. Even in his school days, he began to give proof of a poetical spirit; still the pieces which have been preserved from his muse are not of a striking character. He might have excelled in this department, had he turned his attention to it. The elements were in him, but he devoted himself to holier purposes. After the usual preparatory discipline, he entered the University of Edinburgh in November, 1827. Here he distinguished himself as a scholar, and received a prize in many departments. In 1831, he commenced the study of divinity, under Dr. Chalmers. Previously to this, the death of an endeared brother was made the means of producing a profound solemnity on his mind. This was during his literary course, and when he was eighteen years of age. From this point he was gradually led by the Holy Spirit to a discovery of his own sinfulness, and to exercise unfeigned repentance and faith in Christ. Still, for a considerable time, he felt an occasional yearning for worldly amusements; this might be expected in a person naturally buoyant, and whose heart was but partially sanctified. Whenever he had indulged

himself, however, beyond the limits of Christian prudence, his indulgence was followed by keen regrets. His journal records expressions of the deepest sorrow on such occasions, and resolutions, often repeated, to abstain in future from all irregularities. The perusal of his entries at this period, in respect to his employments and his states of mind, is highly profitable. The biographer gives us several pages of extracts, which show him to have been familiar with his own heart and with God. Such strict watchfulness over himself, such faithfulness in calling himself to account, such earnest decision in the service of his heavenly Father, as these extracts indicate, furnish a pattern worthy of imitation. We find in this work what is true of all well-constructed religious biography, that, under the form of narrative, it is possible to teach a vast amount of genuine theology. In the series of extracts to which we have referred, the process of a sinner's conversion is distinctly, though incidentally, described. Any inquiring mind may here learn, not only in theory, but in a living example, how a sinner can be saved. It is peculiar to the excellent Scotch biographies, that in this way their very narratives are impregnated by Christian. doctrines, with which they are strengthened, sweetened and adorned.

Mr. McCheyne was a man of warm affections, ardently attached to his friends and kindred. This might be inferred from the impression made upon his mind by the death of his elder brother. It had been the custom of this brother to compose a carmen natale, annually, on their father's birth-day, as a token of filial love, and in celebration of the festival. The year after his death, the younger brother, the subject of our memoir, took up the harp in his stead, and wrote the following lines,—not an unfavorable specimen of his poetical ability.

"Ah, where is the harp that was strung to thy praise,
So oft and so sweetly in happier days?

When the tears that we shed were the tears of our joy,
And the pleasures of home were unmixed with alloy?
The harp is now mute-its last breathings are spoken-
And the cord, though 't was threefold, is now, alas, broken!
Yet why should we murmur, short-sighted and vain,
Since death to that loved one was undying gain?

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Ah, fools, shall we grieve that he left this poor scene,
To dwell in the realms that are ever serene?

Though he sparkled, the gem in our circle of love,
He is even more prized in the circles above;

And though sweetly he sung of his father on earth,
When this day would inspire him with tenderest mirth,
Yet a holier tone to his harp is now given,

As he sings to his unborn Father in heaven."

It

The early history of the subject of this memoir has an exceeding interest, when viewed in connection with his subsequent life. The secret history of the soul of such a man shows us through what process he attained, in so short a life, to such a spiritual stature. His journal was kept on right principles. It was not, as such compositions often are, filled up with the detail of trivial events. was not a record of crude opinions. It was not, like some diaries which we have seen, a perpetual account of his varying health-a mere note-book of a human carcass. It was a day-book of his religious state, a view of the accounts of his soul with God and heaven. And, though not designed for any eye but his own, the successive items indicate a self-knowledge rare in one of his years and cir

cumstances.

While he was still occupied in his course of studies, he endeavored to make himself useful to persons around him. At the outset in his Christian career, he began to win souls to Christ. Not content with the anticipation that his life was to be spent in doing good in the work of the ministry, he desired to employ such opportunities as offered themselves in accomplishing the work of his heavenly Master;-rightly judging that the best proof that a man is called of the Holy Ghost to the work of an ambassador of Christ is found in his ardent desire, under any circumstances, to secure reconciliation between his fellow beings and God. Together with a number of the theological students, his associates, he took up the practice of devoting an hour or two every week, to visit the poorer districts of the city, and to instruct the inhabitants. in the way of life. These visits and instructions were not in vain.

Mr. McCheyne received license as a minister of the Presbyterian church, July 1st, 1835, being then only twenty-two years of age. Previous to his license and

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preparatory to it, he preached three probationary discourses, and sustained an examination in Hebrew. eral applications had been already made to him to labor in different portions of the spiritual vineyard. His earliest stated labors as a licentiate were at Larbert, though he often also preached at neighboring places. The beautiful Scottish custom of having a series of discourses, lasting for three days, at the time of the celebration of the Lord's supper, creates an occasion for ministers to preach in the neighboring parishes, and opens to them opportunities of doing extensive good. It gives them access to the minds of men in the most favorable circumstances. And nothing could have a more benign and precious influence on the piety of the people, than this practice of making the day of their sacraments a "high day," a day of great attention to religious things, preceded and followed by exercises designed to secure the spirit of consecration and eminent religiousness. Mr. McCheyne highly enjoyed the influence of such occasions; he duly appreciated them; he entered into their spirit, and labored extensively at the sacramental occasions occurring in his vicinity with such fervor, sweetness and power, that he greatly endeared himself to the people of God. We do not know that the Scottish practice of holding protracted sacramental exercises would suit the genius of the American people, or comport with our general habits of religious and secular living. But if such a system could be made to prevail. among us, we believe it would be infinitely advantageous to the piety of the region in which it should be adopted.

Mr. McCheyne was not ordained at Dundee, the place of his subsequent labors as a regular pastor, until Nov. 1836. But in the meantime, he abounded in labors for the spiritual welfare of his fellow men. He seems to have obeyed fully the apostolic injunction, "Preach the word; be instant, in season, out of season," etc. He continued to watch over himself with a godly jealousy, laboring to secure the fullest preparation for the great work which was before him. The entries in his journal during this period show how careful he was in his self-examinations, and how earnestly he strove after spiritual attainments. Besides his labors in the pulpit and from house to house, he also wrote letters occasionally to some in whom he felt peculiar interest. The following letter, written to a young

parishioner about leaving his father's house, is a beautiful specimen of his manner and spirit.

"My dear G. You will be surprised to hear from me. I have often wished to be better acquainted with you; but in these sad parishes we cannot manage to know and be intimate with every one we would desire. And now you have left your father's roof and our charge; still my desires go after you, as well as the kind thoughts of many others; and since I cannot now speak to you, I take this way of expressing my thoughts to you. I do not know in what light you look upon me, whether as a grave and morose minister, or as one who might be a companion and friend; but really, it is so short a while since I was just like you, when I enjoyed the games which you now enjoy, and read the books which you now read, that I can never think of myself as any thing more than a boy. This is one great reason why I write to you. The same youthful blood flows in my veins that flows in yours-the same fancies and buoyant passions dance in my bosom, as in yours;-so that when I would persuade you to come with me to the same Saviour, and to walk the rest of your life, led by the Spirit of God,' I am not persuading you to any thing beyond your years. 1 am not like a grey-headed grandfather-then you might answer all I say by telling me that you are a boy. No, I am almost as much a boy as you are; as fond of happiness and of life as you are; as fond of scampering over the hills, and seeing all that is to be seen as you are.

"Another thing that persuades me to write to you, my dear boy, is, that I have felt in my own experience the want of having a friend to direct and counsel me. I had a kind brother, as you have, who taught me many things; he gave me a Bible and persuaded me to read it; he tried to train me as a gardener trains the apple-tree upon the wall, but all in vain. I thought myself far wiser than he, and would always take my own way; and many a time, I well remember, I have seen him reading his Bible, or shutting his closet door to pray, when I have been dressing to go to some frolic, or some dance of folly. Well, this dear friend and brother died; and though his death made a greater impression upon me than even his life had done, still I found the misery of being friendless. I do not mean that I had no relations and worldly friends, for I had many; but I had no friend who cared for my soul. I had none to direct me to the Saviour-none to awaken my slumbering conscience-none to tell me about the blood of Jesus, washing away all sin-none to tell me of the Spirit, who is so willing to change the heart, and give the victory over passions. I had no minister to take me by the hand, and say, 'Come with me, and we will do thee good.' Yes, I had one friend and minister, but that was Jesus himself; and he led me in a way that makes me give him, and him only, all the praise. Now, though Jesus may do this again, yet the more common way with him is to use earthly guides. Now, if I could supply the place of such a guide to you, I should be happy. To be a finger-post is all that I want to be,-pointing out the way. This is what I so much wanted myself,—this is what you need not want, unless you wish.