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as I can-and to serve my Lord and Master as faithfully as I can, until he shall think proper to call me home." Mr. W. still urged for an explicit answer to his question, in case the time of death were left to his own choice. Mr. Tennent replied, "I have no choice about it; I am God's servant, and have engaged to do his business, as long as he pleases to continue me therein. But now, brother, let mé ask you a question. What do you think I would say, if I was to send my man Tom into the field to plough; and if at noon I should go to the field, and find him lounging under a tree, and complaining," Master, the sun is very hot, and the ploughing hard and difficult, I am tired and weary of the work you have appointed me, and am overdone with the heat and burden of the day: do master let me return home and be discharged from this hard service?" What would I say? Why, that he was an idle, lazy fellow; that it was his business to do the work that I had appointed him, until I, the proper judge, should think fit to call him home. Or, suppose you had hired a man to serve you faithfully for a given time in a particular service, and he should, without any reason on your part, and before he had performed half his service, become weary of it, and upon every occasion be expressing a wish to be discharged, or placed in other circumstances? Would you not call him a wicked and slothful servant, and unworthy of the privileges of your employ?" The mild, pleasant, and Christian like manner, in which this reproof was administered, rather

increased the social harmony and edifying conversation of the company; who became satisfied that it was very possible to err, even in desiring, with undue earnestness, "to depart and be with Christ," which in itself is "far better" than to remain in this imperfect state; and that it is the duty of the Christian in this respect to say," All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come."

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Among Mr. Tennent's qualifications, none were more spicuous than his activity both of body and nind. He hated and despised sloth. He was almost always in action-never wearied in well doing, nor in serving his friends. His integrity and independence of spirit were observable on the slightest acquaintance. He was so great a lover of truth, that he could not bear the least aberation from it, even in a joke. He was remarkable for his candour and liberality of sentiment, with regard to those, who differed from him in opinion. His hospitality and demestic enjoyments were even proverbial. His public spirit was always conspicuous, and his attachment to what he thought the best interests of his country, was ardent and inflexible. took an early and decided part with his country in the commencement of the late revolutionary war.` ********

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continued perfectly resigned to the divine will, until death was swallowed up in victory, on the 8th day of March, 1777. His body was buried in his own church, at Freehold, a numerous concourse of people, composed, not only of the members of his own congregation, but of the inhabitants of the whole adjacent country, attending his funeral.

called on his patient on his way, but could spend but a few minutes with him. He, however, examined carefully into Mr. T.'s complaints, and the symptoms attending the disorder. With great candour the physician informed his patient, that the attack appeared unusually violent; that the case required the best medical aid, and that it was out of his power to attend him. He Mr. Tennent was rather more feared that, at his advanced age, than six feet high; of a spare there was not strength of nature thin visage, and of an erect carsufficient to overcome so severe riage. He had bright, piercing a shock, and that his symptoms eyes, a long, sharp nose, and a scarcely admitted of a favourable long face. His general counteprognostic. The good old man nance was grave and solemn, but received this news with his at all times cheerful and pleasant usual submission to the divine with his friends. It may be said will; for, as he had always con- of him with peculiar propriety, sidered himself as bound for that he appeared, in an extraoreternity, he had endeavoured so to dinary manner, to live above the live, that when the summons world, and all its allurements. should come, he would have He seemed habitually to have nothing to do but to die. He such clear views of spiritual and calmly replied, "I am very sen- heavenly things, as afforded him sible of the violence of my disor- much of the foretaste and enjoyder, that it has racked my con- ment of them. His faith was stitution to an uncommon de- really and experimentally "the gree, and beyond what I have substance of things hoped for, ever before experienced, and and the evidence of things unthat it is accompanied with seen." Literally his daily walk symptoms of approaching disso- was with God, and he lived "as lution; but, blessed be God, I seeing him who is invisible." have no wish to live, if it should The divine presence with him, be his will and pleasure to call was frequently manifested in his me hence." After a moment's public ministrations, and in his pause, he seemed to recollect private conduct. His ardent soul himself, and varied the expres was seldom satisfied, unless he sion thus: "Blessed be God, I was exerting himself, in some have no wish to live, if it should way or other, in public or pribe his will and pleasure to call vate, in rendering kind offices me hence, unless it should be to and effectual services of friend. see a happy issue to the severe ship, both in spiritual and temand arduous controversy my poral things to his fellow men. country is engaged in; but, Take him in his whole demeaneven in this, the will of the our and conduct, there are few of Lord be done." whom it might more emphaticalDuring his whole sickness, he ly be said, that he lived the life,

and died the death of the right

eous.

He was well read in divinity, and was of sound orthodox principle. He professed himself a moderate Calvinist. The doctrines of man's depravity; the atonement of the Saviour; the absolute necessity of the allpowerful influence of the Spirit of God, to renew the heart and subdue the will; all in perfect consistence with the free agency of the sinner, were among the leading articles of his faith. These doctrines, indeed, were generally interwoven in his public discourses, whatever might be the particular subject discuss ed. His success was often answerable to his exertions. His people loved him as a father; revered him as the pastor and bishop of their souls; obeyed him as their instructor; and delighted in his company and private conversation as a friend and brother. He carefully avoided making a difference between his doctrines publicly taught and his private practice. Attending a synod, a few years before his death, a strange clergyman, whom he never had before seen, was introduced to the synod, and asked to preach in the evening. Mr. Tennent attended, and was much displeased with the sermon. As the congregation were going out of the church, Mr. Tennent in the crowd, coming up to

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the preacher, touched him on the shoulder, and said, "My brother, when I preach, I take care to save myself, whatever I do with my congregation." The clergyman looked behind him with surprise, and seeing a very grave man, said, "What do you mean

Sir?" Mr. Tennent answered, "You have been sending your whole congregation, synod and all, to perdition, and you have not even saved yourself. Whenever I preach, I make it a rule to save myself," and then abruptly left him, without his knowing, who spoke to him.

He was

At Mr. Tennent's death, the poor mourned for him, as their patron, their comforter and support; and the rich lamented over him as their departed pastor and friend. The public, at large, lost in him a firm assertor of the civil and religious interests of his country. truly a patriot, not in words and pretences, not in condemning all who differed from him to proscription and death, but in acting in such a manner, as would have rendered his country most happy, if all had followed his example. He insisted on his own rights and freedom of sentiment, but he was willing to let others enjoy the same privilege; and he thought it of as much importance to live and act well, as to think and speak justly.

May all, who read the memoirs of this amiable and useful man, fervently and constantly beseech that God, with whom is the residue of the Spirit, that their life may be that of the righteous, so that their latter end may be like his and that the Great Head of the church, while he removes faithful and distinguished labourers from the gospel vineyard, may raise up others, who shall possess, even a double portion of their spirit, and, who shall be even more successful in winning souls unto Jesus Christ, the great Bishop of souls.

LIFE OF LUTHER.

(Continued from page 9.)

ABOUT this period, that spirit of fanaticism which afterwards raged with such violence, and was productive of so much disorder and bloodshed in Germany, first began to appear. Stork, a clothier at Zwickaw, a town of Upper Saxony, as the leader of a sect, chose, from among his fellow-tradesmen twelve apostles and seventy-two disciples, who all enthusiastically imagined that they had received clear and commanding intimations from God, with whom they had familiar communications, of their being called to preach the gospel. Their pretended revelations, their fantastic dreams, and celestial visions, of which they talked with great solemnity and appear ance of veracity, not only imposed on the ignorant and superstitious, but startled Carlostadt and Melancthon, who knew not what to think of them. In this perplexity, they wrote an account of all the circumstances to the Elector, and requested an interview with Luther, in whose discernment they had full confidence. The Elector, though prejudiced against these impostors, listened to Melancthon's letter, and though he refused to set Luther at liberty, he recommended caution towards the fanatics, to prevent the spread of their opinions at Wittemberg. Luther, however, being consulted by letter, advised Melancthon to distrust the high pretensions of the fanatics, and to require the same proof of their divine mission which the apostles gave, by working miracles. Notwith

standing this judicious counsel, Melancthon began to countenance them, attended their meetings, and even procured scholars for them. Carlostadt also favoured their schemes; and is said to have gone so far as to burn every classical author which he possessed, declaring that human learning was unnecessary, and the Holy Spirit the only instructor who ought to be attended to. Luther determined to leave his retreat, to correct, if possible, these fatal mistakes of his friends and fellow-citizens, and wrote the Elector that this was his determination. Accordingly, though the Elector dissuaded him in the most urgent terms, by stating the probable effect which this step might have on the reformation in general, he was firm to his resolution, trusting in the protection of the God of heaven.*. "God," said he, " calls and im pels me; I will not resist the call:-the consideration either. of your displeasure or of your favour, nay, the hatred and fury of the whole world are to be disregarded, when the state of relig ion requires it." With confidence, he added, "I am firmly persuaded that my word, or the beginning of the gospel preached by me, is not of myself, but of God. Nor shall any form of persecution, or death, make me think otherwise, if God stand by me. And I think, I more than conjecture when I say, that neither terror nor cruelty shall be able to extinguish this light of life." In pursuance of his pur pose he left his retreat, which he

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used to call his Patmos, on the 4th of March, 1522; having been concealed in it exactly ten months." To justify, in some measure, this conduct, at Frederic's request, who trembled for the consequences of his enlargement, he wrote a letter to him, in which he stated, that he had left his confinement for three reasons: because he was under the strongest obligation to carry on the reformation which he had begun; because the people over whom he was appointed to labour entreated his presence; and because he was anxious to check the rising spirit of sedition, which had appeared among these fanatics.t

He arrived at Wittemberg the 6th of March, and was received with great joy by the people. He immediately declared his dissatisfaction with Carlostadt's precipitation in new modelling the form of religious service, and abolishing images, as well as in countenancing the seditious and fanatical disciples of Stork. Whether Luther adopted this measure from a wish to preserve moderation, and to please the Elector, who had advised caution and deliberation, or from jealousy of the honour which Carlostadt would derive from executing a plan which had been pointed out to him, is now difficult to be determined; both may, perhaps, have been combined in giving this direction to his conduct. He, however, gave audience to the fanatics in presence of Melancthon and after hearing, in silence, their narrative, instead of condescending to refute

.....

Seck. 119. Add. + Ib. § 120.

it, he only earnestly exhorted them to renounce their opinions as the illusions of frenzied minds, or the suggestions of a lying spirit. Their indignation was raised almost to madness; they accused him of blasphemy, and left him with the most outrageous threatenings, and confidence in their own miraculous powers. To prevent the effects of Carlostadt's rashness, he also published a small treatise, On Communion under both kinds, with animadversions on the changes which had been introduced, in which he recommended, that, in the ordinary worship, the bread only, should continue to be used, but that the cup also should be given to those who wished it; that confession should precede communicating, but that none should be compelled to confess; that images should be allowed to remain, and priests have the liberty of marrying.§ With whatever moderation he wrote concerning the mode of communion, he shewed none to the Pope and Bishops, who did not cease, in the spirit of their furious bull, to do all in their power to persecute him, but published a small vol、 ume, entitled, Against the Misnamed Spiritual Order of the Pope and Bishops, in which he compressed every argument which he could think of, to prove, that they were any thing but messengers of Christ, in a state of condemnation, and the cause of ruining the souls of the people. This treatise, though agreeable to the people, who saw, with pleasure, the vices and authority of those powerful prelates, whose

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