OBITUARY.

AT Bethany Cottage, Auchthermuchty (Fife) on the 6th September, in the 21st year of her age, Euphemia M. Dron, only child of her mother, relict of William Dron, who died in 1830. Beloved by all who knew her—and the circle of her acquaintance was by no means contracted-affable, affectionate, and frank, she soon gained the esteem of every one with whom she came in contact; while her good sense, far beyond her years, and unfeigned benevolent disposition, secured the confidence of every acquaintance she made. Naturally endowed with good intellectual and moral faculties, she made easy and rapid progress with her education. Thus furnished, and otherwise favorably circumstanced for moral training, she at an early period acquired a pretty extensive and accurate knowledge of Bible history and of the gospel of Jesus Christ, uncorrupted and unencumbered by any human system-which ever afterwards gave her are it advantage.

she would have attained it: and keenly did she feel for such as were laid down by affliction, and had not the knowledge of God and of his love in Christ Jesus. But as it was "her soul magnified the Lord, and her spirit rejoiced in God her Saviour."

Instead of those who attended her having to allay agitation and fear at the stealthy approaches of death, she had rather this office to perform toward them, overwhelmed in grief as they sometimes were at the thought of parting with her. On seeing her mother weeping she would say, Dry up your tears, my dear mother, and give me a smile, for Jesus our deliverer reigns: look at me, I grieve not, I shed no tears." And often in the course of the night season would she have been overheard pouring out her soul in prayer with such appropriateness of language, and chasteness of style, as to make the listener ashamed of his own attainments. The circumstances of her dearly-beloved mother and uncle were never forgotten in prayer. She would often turn to her mother, if she thought that she had heard her praying, and ask her to say amen, with special reference to her acquiescence in the will of God, if he should see meet to take her away, and would not be satisfied till she said it. She took especial delight in read

In the 11th year of her age she desired tobe joined to the Lord and the congregation of his people, and upon her own voluntary confession of the faith of Jesus, and immersion into his name, this was consummated-which might have been done at an earlier period, if her own wish had not been held in check, from a fearing the evangelical narrative of the resurrection that one so young might not be able to maintain the gravity and consistency of a Christian profession, deny herself the frivolities of juvenile life and so dishonor that holy calling. These fears, however, in her case had never the slightest cause given them during the course of nine years standing, of being excited; her behaviour has uniformly been such as to "adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour"-unblameable in holiness, righteousness, and sobriety-giving none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully; and her sun has gone down while it is yet early day, in the untarnished effulgence of its morning glory.

In the assembly on the first day of the week her place was never empty; and in the affairs of the kingdom of Christ, and the progress of the gospel, she took a lively interest, having an ardent desire that she herself might be useful. For amiability of disposition, and becoming behaviour as a disciple of Christ, whether as it respects the congregation, the world, or the domestic circle, Euphemia M. Dron may be pointed to as affording a fair exhibition of what uncorrupted Christianity can do for us and make us, when falling unreservedly under its sanctifying power.

of Jesus, and in Paul expatiating on the same in 1 Cor. xv. saying, “Would it not be delightful if we were all to be changed and glorified together in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, without knowing anything of the pangs of separation ?" About four months previous to her departure she had an attack of influenza, which greatly reduced her strength, and finally settled in a deep-seated pulmonary consumption.

For eleven weeks her place had been empty in the public meeting of the congregation, and during that period sometimes hope predominated, and sometimes fear, as the symptoms of her case seemed to indicate; but all along her strength was gradually giving way. Nevertheless neither her flesh nor her strength was so much reduced as to make it appear that her race was so nearly run: "but in such an hour as we think not, the end often comes." About one o'clock in the morning, and after an apparently sound sleep, a blood vessel gave way, of which she herself was immediately conscious, when in a moment, and in the act of commending her spirit to God who gave it, she expired.

Thus in the providence of an all-wise God, whose ways are far above our reach in the meantime to comprehend, have we been bereft The attainments she had made in pure and of as precious a jewel as we can reasonably undefiled religion in the days her health, shone expect to find in human society this side the no less conspicuously in the time of her sick- grave: affording us, however, a pleasing anticiness, and served in the day of trial as an inexpation of the society above, where all the excelhaustible because a divine source of consola-lent of the earth shall be gathered together, tion and ov to her to the last. Gently as she had leaving the dross of corruption behind, invested ben d'eat with by a merciful God and Father, afresh with glorious and incorruptible bodies to yet she ound that if religion had then to be die no more, death being swallowed up for ever. sought, how little likelihood there was that ever J. DRON.

MEMORY AND CONSCIENCE. But are we to believe that our thoughts and words, as well as our actions, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand whether good or bad, are all treabefore God and the books were opened, and sured up in the memory and conthe dead were judged out of those things written in the books, according to their works" science, to be hereafter reviewed as (Rev. xx. 13.) "Thou compasseth my path specified in the word of God the and my lying down, and art acquainted with one answering to the other, both in all my ways for there is not a word in my saint and sinner, when we stand betongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowest it alto-fore the judgment seat of Christ? gether" (Psalm cxxxix.) "But I say unto you,

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that every idle word which men shall speak, For a man then to read, at a glance, they shall give an account in the day of judge- his own history in the light of his rement" (Mat. xii. 36.) Thy own people, Je-sponsibilities, capabilities, and future hovah, they oppress; and thine heritage, they afflict. The widow and the stranger they slay, prospects, will indeed be overwhelmand they murder the fatherless: yet they say, ing, especially to those who have not Jehovah will not see, the God of Jacob will not given themselves to Christ, and to the regard. Be instructed, ye most stupid of peo- attainment of his great salvation. ples! Ah! ye fools, when will ye be wise? Who can say that trifles, or small Shall not He who planted the car, hear? Shall not He who formed the eye, see? Shall not events, have no place in the memory, He who chastiseth nations, correct? Hath while matters of wisdom and importnot He who teacheth man, knowledge? Jeho- ance are written there? The books vah knoweth the designs of men, that they are are to be opened, and another book, altogether vanity" (Psalm xciv. 5-10.)-BOOTH- which is the book of life - all being judged according to what is presented in these books. Some entertain the opinion that the book of memory, conscience, and the Bible, with their true import, will be seen at once, either in accusation or exculpation, "in the day when God shall judge the hidden things of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel" (Paul, Rom. ii. 15-16.) These thoughts originated with James Buchanan, in a letter which he lately addressed to Brother Campbell, and which elicited the following interesting article on MEMORY and CONSCIENCE :—

THE faculty of memory is one of the most wonderful with which man is endowed. When we reflect upon its powers, its compass, and its records, we feel overwhelmed. When we realize the conviction that there is not an act of our lives, nor a word we have uttered, nor a thought we have conceived, that is not treasured up in its records, and for which we shall not have to render an account, we are lost in astonishment, and in the language of Scripture give utterance to our feelings, "We are fearfully and wonderfully made."

Conscience, which is an associate of memory, often withdraws its remonstrance when we are under the influence of improper and sinful passions and actions, and, as some say, falls asleep, whereby the guilt is lost sight of, or forgotten, until events tending to exposure and punishment awaken its energies, and call forth its reprobation. We are not prepared to give any reasons why conscience and memory alike fall asleep in relation to our bad actions, yet are ever wakeful and vigilant concerning those we deem good, or worthy of praise.

the productions coming to us under cover of more promising and holy names.

Are we not privileged, my brother,

truth, and journeying, under like hopes, to the same land of promise and bliss! A fellow-pilgrim, walking as though seeing things invisible, and conversing, amidst the din and to remonstrate against such abuses of hum of busy, eager, grasping worldli- | the religious press, and to tell those ness, about things which are above, who write for us, that such a spirit where Christ sitteth. I could not and such a style are not only unconbut feel the contrast between the genial to a cultivated and refined warm mutual greetings of this "father Christian taste, but derogatory to in Israel" and yourself, and the angry our cause, and a reproach upon our and self-conceited irreverence and people? Some of my most esteemed impertinence of some young striplings brethren and friends deplore with among us, who seem to fancy that me the want in our journals of a they alone have the sling and the more elevated style, a more sanctified pebble for Goliah, and that good spirit, a more scriptural languagesense and good breeding were not yet they say it is a delicate matter to only born, but must die with them? speak about these things publicly, and Alas, for the times upon which we rather fear lest it may give offence. are fallen! I subscribe to a number But what is to be done? We feel it of periodicals because they are ours, to be our duty to censure every other and when the mail brings them to species of injurious influence, and me, I look into them for the refresh- why not this? Shall our scribes be ing thought of a refined spiritual self-constituted, and responsible not heart-the breathings of holy natures even to Christian criticism? Are -the lofty and ennobling ideas of we to stand by and see conceit stalkminds imbued with the grandeur and ing it in stilts over modesty and good sublimity of things heavenly and di- breeding, reviling good men, and not vine, but instead of finding what my only nurturing and cherishing a desoul thirsteth for, in too many in- praved taste, but by a narrow and stances I meet with little else than contracted view of some of the great abortive efforts to be smart, and topics of the Christian system, actually blotched reproductions of pictures teaching errors dangerous and pernidrawn by greater masters, and already cious, and yet answer not a word, long familiar, in their true colors and lest we should hurt somebody's feelnative beauty. A kind of backwoods ings, or cross a devoted Editor in the rudeness is mistaken for the well object of his devotions? And when behaved virtue of independence, and we do venture to speak, shall we be put the Bowie knife of a carnalized strife under the ban of personal hostility, brandished about our heads under and have the edge taken off all that the pretence, and perhaps the honest we say, no matter how much truth conceit, that it is the veritable sword and good sense there may be in it, of the Spirit. Through all the fus- merely by the imputation of an untian and froth of sophistry and rant, friendly motive, or a disposition to the one sole motive can be seen peer-injure? If an Editor is criticised, ing out through the all pervading "I," why can he not stand or fall upon the and the heart of the reader, intent merits of the criticsm, just as any only for the good and the beautiful, other writer? There is no more both in nature and grace, grows sick propriety in his crying out malice, of the dose, and turns away in sorrow personal hostility, envy, jealousy, than or disgust, to purer or sweeter foun- there would be in Macaulay's objectains. So at least we have felt, at ing to the criticism of his great hisreading, not all, indeed, but some of tory upon the same ground. But no

with difficulty we succeed.

We re

It only requires that the mind and the body—the thinking, willing, self-peat the effort again and again, and conscious and immaterial self, and the the difficulty yields more and more nerve-matter through which it is readily, uutil we find it easy to recall brought into relation with external any event we please. This we call things, shall be placed again in the strengthening the memory. Now, as same relation with one another, which this is effected in a great measure they had at the time any impression through the will, does it afford us a was made, in order to have that im- reason "why," as your venerable pression revived and felt, as a part of correspondent asks, “conscience and our past experience. This relation memory alike fall asleep as to our can be, and is, in many cases, restored bad actions, yet are ever wakeful by an effort of the will. We exert and alive as to those we deem good the controlling power of the mind to or worthy of praise ?" In regard to bring back the impressions of the the latter case, the will is fully conpast, and by a continual application senting, and the mind is not only of the power of our wills, often suc- inclined, but delighted to recall the ceed in restoring those states of past circumstances which so much gratify experience so fully, as to recall most its self-esteem and love of approbavivid pictures of the transactions tion; but in the former case every connected with them. In some cases, principle of selfishness is pained by the same result is obtained by the the contemplation, and the recollecinfluence of association, and in other tion is only entertained when forced cases by an influence too recondite to uopn us against our will, and by cirbe traced, and which we in vain cumstances which we cannot control. attempt to reconcile to the laws of Thus the story of memory and the suggestion. The mind seems at times voice of conscience alike may be to display independent springs of hushed, but the story is still written, action, whence it mounts back to the and the voice, though unheeded, is fountains of experience, and bound- still speaking, and will continue to ing, without any intermediate steps of utter its reproaches, till the silence, association or suggestion, over the the solemn silence of the great judglong track of almost a century, sits ment, shall allow it to be heard. down to the contemplation of its schoolboy dreams, as though they were the transactions of yesterday. How it is that these mental states are thus so fully restored, we cannot tell-but of the facts we are fully assured.

In our present condition of being, the great difficulty in remembering is simply the difficulty of re-producing those relations of mind and matter, which existed at the time the impression, which we wish to remember, was made. This difficulty, like every other one, arising from the sluggishness of our material bodies, is greatly overcome by habit. When we first attempt to restore a past relation of the mind and body, so as to remember the experiences we then felt, it is

We are able, in our present imperfect state, to form little or no apprehension of infinity. We are indeed able to lose ourselves in wonder at our own powers, but still we do not comprehend them. They display capabilities, at times, which we could not have predicted, and which are so much a marvel to us, as to be almost incredible. In the department of memory and of imagination, we find the most impressive evidences of the mind's wondrous powers. Until we can trace the connection between mind and matter, and fathom the depths of infinity, we can neither account for nor limit the powers of memory. The air is doubtless a medium of intercommunication between minds, and by its