"magnanimity" which is perceived by Dr. S. Thousands, who had no pretensions to philosophical pre-eminence, have been Mr. H.'s equals on this ground. If he had succeeded in persuading himself, as his writings tend to persuade others, that the spirit of man, like the spirit of a beast, "goeth downwards;" that when the breath should leave his body, there would be an end of Mr. Hume; that the only change would be to "turn a few ounces of blood into a different channel "-to vary the form of a cluster of corpuscles, or to scatter a bundle of perceptions up and down through that huge collection of impressions and ideas, that stupendous mass of nothings of which his philosophy had sagaciously discovered the whole material and intellectual world to be composed-if this were all, we cannot discern in what his magnanimity consisted. It is chiefly as a moral event that death is interesting—as an event, which, instead of putting an end to our existence, only introduces us to a mode of existence as much more interesting than the present as eternity is more interesting than time.

It is this view that chiefly engaged the attention of Dr. Finley. In common with others he was to undergo the pains of dissolution. But he rested not in these. He fixed his eye upon that new form which all his relations to God, to holiness, to sin, and the inhabitants of the future world, were shortly to assume. The

reader, we doubt not, perceives the immense disparity between these cases. Mr. H. looks at death as it affects the affairs of this world. Dr. F. as it involves eternal issues. Mr. H., according to his own notions, had nothing to encounter but the struggles of nature, and nothing to lose but a few temporal enjoyments. Before Dr. F. was the tribunal of God, and the stake at hazard was an immortal soul. An error here is irretrievable; the very thought of its possibility is enough to shake every fibre of the frame; and proportionably precious and certain must be that religion which can assure the believer of his safety, and convey him with peacefulness and pleasure to his Father's house.

This being the case, let us weigh the consolations of the philosopher against those of the Christian.

Dr. Smith has made the most of them in behalf of the former, but a very little scrutiny will show that they are light and meagre indeed. "I am dying," they are the words of Mr. H.,

as easily and cheerfully as my best friends could desire." "When he became very weak," says Dr. Black, "it cost him an effort to speak; and he died in such a happy composure of mind, that nothing could exceed it."

We are not without suspicion, that on the part of Mr. H. there is some affectation here; and on the part of his friends, some pretty high color

ing. In the mouth of a Christian, " composure," cheerfulness," complacency," resignation," "happiness," in death, have an exquisite meaning. But what meaning can they have in the mouth of one, the very best of whose expectations is the extinction of his being? Is there any "complacency" in the thought of perishing? any "happiness" in the dreary and dismal anticipation of being blotted out of life? It is a farce; it is a mockery of every human feeling; and every throbbing of the heart convicts it of a lie. But Mr. Hume expected a better state of existence-nay, talk not of that. There is not, either in his own expressions or those of his friends, the faintest allusion to futurity. That glorious light, which shines through the grave upon the redeemed of the Lord, was the object of his derision. No comfort from this quarter. The accomplishment of his earthly wishes and the prosperity of his near relatives are the only reasons assigned for his cheerfulness. But these are insufficient. In thousands and ten thousands they have not availed to preclude the most alarming forebodings; and why should they do more for Mr. Hume?

In the next place, how shall we interpret his "resignation?" Resignation to what? To the Divine Will? O no! God was not in all his thoughts. But death was at hand, and he could not escape; he submitted to a stroke which it

was impossible to avoid. And all that is said of his "composure," and "cheerfulness," and "resignation," and "complacency," when measured by the scale of truth, amounts to no more than a sottish unconcern set off with a fictitious gayety. It is easy to work up a fine description, and it is often most fine when most remote from the fact. Let any infidel between the poles produce, if he can, a reason that shall satisfy a child why one, who has lived without God, should find "complacency" in death. Nothing but that "hope which maketh not ashamed" is a cause equal to such an effect. But "hope beyond the grave is a word which had no place in Mr. Hume's vocabulary, because the thing had no place in his soul. It is plain, however, that he

Felt his ruling passion strong in death.

Whatever his decay had weakened, his desire to "the downfall of some of the prevailing systems of superstition," which with Mr. Hume meant neither more nor less than the destruction of Christianity, in every modification retained its whole vigor. And thus, while venting his spite at the only "system" which ever could render death comfortable, he goes to Lucian's dialogues, and edifies his friends with chattering nonsense about Charon and his boat! 0 cacas hominum mentes! Nothing can be more blind

and infatuated than the fanaticism of philosophy "falsely so called." With this puerile levity before our eyes, and this contemptible babbling sounding in our ears, we must listen to tales of Mr. Hume's magnanimity, complacency, and resignation!

From a barren exhibition of atheism, let us repair once more to the servant of God. In Dr. Finley we see a man dying, not only with cheerfulness, but with ecstasy. Of his friends, his wife, his children, he takes a joyful leave; committing all that he held most dear in this world, not to the uncertainties of earthly fortune, but to the "promises of his God." Although his temporal circumstances were very moderate; although he had sons and daughters to provide for, and slender means of doing it, he felt not a moment's uneasiness-Leave thy fatherless children with me ; I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in me, was, in his estimation, a better security for their support than any inheritance in lands or lucre. And as to death itself who but one "filled with hopes full of immortality" could use such language as this"A Christian's death is the best part of his existence"-" Blessed be God! eternal rest is at hand." "O I shall triumph over every foe,” (he meant sin, Satan, death, the grave,) "the Lord hath given me the victory-I exult; I triumph! Now I know that it is impossible that faith should