Messrs. H. and H. propose also to pubfish, by subscription, Dr. Lardner's Credibility of the Gospel History, Truth of Christianity, and Jewish and Heathen Testimonies. The Rev. Mr. Yates, of Fast Hartford, is to superintend the work as editor. It is to be published in 8 vols. at $2 each, in boards. OBITUARY. DIED, at Alexandria, (Louisiana,) on the 22nd of August last, JOHN C. M. WINSHIP, Esq. Counsellor at Law, aged 25. At West Cambridge, Mass. Mr. HENBY THOMSON, aged 20. He was gradu. ated at Harvard College in 1813. At Milford. Con. on the 21st ult. a French lady, a passenger in the stage, by suicide. She went into the kitchen, took mp a knife, and drew it across her throat; but not effecting her purpose, she instantly plunged it into her bosom, and soon expired. At Burlington, Vt. Major EBENEZER BEEBE, of the 6th regiment U. S. infan ry. At Gloucester, Mass. Mrs. NANCY C. OTOIEN, aged 36. The genuine piety, benevolence, and distinguished talent of this lady, made her extensively useful, endeared her to all who knew her, and render her death a subject of general lamentation in the circle of her acquaintance. She has left an aged mother, and two orphan children to linient her di parture. It is probable that a more extended account of this lady will appear in the Panoplist. At Salem, Mass. on the 1st inst. Rev. THOMAS BARNARD, D. D. pastor of the North Church, aged 66, in an apoplectic fit. At Townsend, Vt. the Hon. SAMUEL FLETCHER, Esq. aged 70. At Wiscasset, JAMES PERRINGTON, Esq. a representative of Gardiner in the General Court. In England, ANTHONY J. P. MOLLOY, Esq. captain in the royal navy. He was senior captain in Earl Howe's victory of June 1, 1794, and commanded the Cesar, 59 gun ship. At Philadelphia, the Hon. JoHN MILLEW, Esq. M. C. aged 56. At Springfield, Mass. a card of Mr. H. M. Chupin, by its clothes taking fire on the day preceding. At Brighton, Eng. on the 5th of August lost, his Excellency FRANCIS JAMESJACKSON, Esq. aged 41. He had been 527 Ambassador to Turkey, Spain, Prussia, On the 17th ult. at his father's house in At St. Louis, Missouri Territory, Brig. At Charleston, S. C. the Rev. JAMES D. At Attleborough, Mass. Rev. JAMES towu. At Charlestown, Mass. Sept. 13th, Mr. AMOS WARREN, merchant, agen 25, after a short and sudden illness. The death of this young man is deeply lamented by his friends and intimate acquaintances, as a painful event to thenselves and a real loss to the community. From early youth he had been thoughtful on subjects of religion; and about four years ago, after much deliberation and a diligent examination of his spiritual state, he made a public profession of his faith in Christ. His conduct was consistent with his profession; and, by a life of piety and virtue, he seemed preparing for more extensive usefulness in the church and the world. But the Great Disposer of events removed him suddenly, and with little warning to the world of spirits. His surviving friends have reason to believe, that death was a welcome messenger to him, and that he is numbered among those, whose sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ. Among his papers was found, after his decease, a letter to his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Morse, written for the purpose of enclosing a donation, in aid of the missionary cause, as from an unknown person, This donation is published in the present number of the Panoplist, as from a friend. The letter was written just before the writer was taken ill, and was one of the last actions of his life. it contains the following sentences, which indicate a pious and benevolent disposition. After alluding to the distinguishing privileges which we enjoy, and the uncertainty of life and the enjoyment of earthly pose sions, the writer adds: "These reflections, a conviction of past neglect, and the thoughts of the vast numbers, both in our own country and in Asia, destitute of the means of grace, have induced me to make this small contribution, to be appropriated for the advancement of the religious cause, in any way you think best: ho, ing, that in future I it may be enabled by the smiles of Provi est of the Redeemer's kingdom at heart may be excited to do likewise." The following elegy, written by a friend, has appeared in the public papers WHEN modest merit and intrinsic worth, Friendship would fain her last sad honors pay, And wake the plaintive dirge and chant the mournful lay. Friendship and Love this wasting world survive, While thoughtless myriads throng the road of life, Narrow, but leading to celestial day; Where fruits and flowers immortal fragrance shed, Though cold the sod, dear youth, that wraps thy clay, Thus lowly once the world's great Savior lay; Sweet be thy slumbers, and thy rest serene, Till the last trump shall wake the glorious scene; Till He whose voice bade Lazarus "arise," Shall rouse his slumbering saints, and call them to the skies. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Complaint of the Non-Donors is ingeniously drawn up by our correspondeat D. Perhaps sarcasms may provoke this class of persons to more decided hostility. The metrical version of Habakkuk iii, was duly received from our correspondent A. D. We thank him sincerely for his communication; but he must permit us to say, that an attempt to exhibit this incomparably sublime passage, in the form of a regular stanza, or indeed in any metrical form, is an extremely hazardous experiment. Scarcely one poet in an age could hope to succeed, in such a manner as to satisfy either himself, or his readers. The smaller pieces, forwarded by the same correspondent, have the faults common to most of the rhymes, which are sent to us, on religious subjects. They appear to have been hastily written; and the thoughts are most obvious in themselves, and expressed in too careless a manner. The private experience of A SINCERE FRIEND TO THE HEATHEN Contains many excellent things, and appears to be the history of a pious mind. There are passages, however, which appear so liable to misconstruction, or objection, that we think it best to decline publishing the picce. With the communication was enclosed a ten dollar bill for the support of foreign missions, which was mentioned in the Panoplist for June last, p. 287. The paper of F. containing MOTIVES FOR MAGISTRATES AND RULERS, is the production of a sensible, reflecting, mind; but the subject is discussed in too abstruse manner to be perused with interest by the mass of readers. LXVI. REVIEWS. Christian Mourning: A Sermon occasioned by the death of Mrs. Isabella Graham: and preached on the evening of Sabbath, the 14th Aug. 1814. By J. M. MASON, D.D. New York; Whiting and Wat son. pp. 50. are THERE are but a printed from local or personal considerations, or from mere civility to the orator or preacher. It is not expected that they should ever sell. But there are pamphlets, (the sermon before us is one of them.) which deserve to be generally known and read; and of which, instead of a few hundred copies, many thousand ought to be importunately called for. We could enumerate half a dozen pamphlets, printed in this country within a few years, concerning which it may be confidently asserted, that hundreds of thousands of each would be greedily purchased, if as many persons were desirous of promoting their best interests, as are willing to inflame the passions and corrupt the heart by patronizing and perusing calumny, misrepresentation, and faisehood, in a large proportion of our newspapers. No one will be surprised, that, in the present state of the world, the friends of virtue should be considered as the minority; but it may very justly excite astonishment, that in this minority there should be so much apathy, so much timidity, so much pusillanimity, and so little active, courageous, persevering exertion. The only plausible excuse, 67 which we have ever heard assigned for not purchasing valua ble pamphlets, is that they are sold at too high a price. With out stopping to consider whether they are thus sold or not, and without denying that this alleged excuse may have had some influence, we are perfectly sure that it has never had the influence ascribed to it. The follow ing are our reasons: First, men are not apt to forego a great enjoyment, merely because it costs rather more than they imagine it ought to cost. The truth of this assertion is observable in ten thousand instances, and must be obvious to every considerate man. Secondly, the expense of procuring the pamphlets, which are fitted for all classes of readers, and deserve a universal circulation, would be extremely small. Probably one dollar a year, would purchase all the pamphlets of this character, which have been published in this country for ten years past. The clergyman would need to expend two or three dollars, perhaps, in this way, annually, and the politician eight or ten. In this estimate, we reckon occasional pamphlets only, and not magazines. Thirdly, whenever pamphlets have been printed for charitable distribution; and sold at cost, or for less than cost,-for so small a price, indeed, that nobody thought of complaining in that respect-they have not been purchased with any more avidity than in other cases. The fact is, however we may attempt to conceal it, that we are not a reading people. Newspapers are read to be sure; but the mass of the community read nothing else. Many good men many real Christians, keep themselves in a state of shameful ignorance, and mental imbecility, because they do not read and reflect, and act, in reference to the great duties of their profession; especially the duties to which the present state of the world calls their attention. The text of the sermon now under consideration, is Thess. iv, 13, 14. I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. After remarking, that the cardinal doctrine of Christianity is the justification of a sinner, through faith in a Savior, who himself fell a victim to his enemies,' and that the cardinal fact of Christianity is the resur rection from the dead of the crucified Savior,' the preacher observes, same "Against this great fact the children of salem down to the scoffers of New York, disobedience, from the Pharisees of Jeruhave levelled their batteries. One assails its proof; another, its reasonableness; all, its truth. When Paul asserted it before an audience of Athenian philosophers, "some mocked"-a short method of refuting the Gospel; and likely, from its convenience, to continue in favor and in fashion." P. 6. Dr. M. then gives a rapid glance at the progress of Christianity, and the state of the early converts from Paganism. The first part of the discourse is occupied in urging this general topic, that we ought "so to cher ish the knowledge of the Gospel, as that our hearts shall not be depressed, by the death of be lievers, but that there shall be an immeasurable distance between our grief and the grief of unbelievers." The following description of death is not less just than forcible. "Death is, in itself, a most serious and distressful event. It is nature's supreme vil, the abhorrence of God's creation-a monster from whose touch and sight every living thing recoils. So that to shrink from its ravages upon ourselves or upon those whom we love, is not an argument of weakness, but an act of obedience to the first law of being a tribute to the value of that life which is our Maker's gift. "The disregard which some of old afected to whatever goes by the name of evil; the insensibility of others who yield up their souls to the power of fatalism; and the artificial gayety which has, occasionally, played the comedian about the dying bed of philosophy, falsely so called, are outrages upon decency and nature. Death destroys both action and enjoy ment-mocks at wisdom, strength, and beauty-disarranges our plans-robs us of our treasures-desolates our bosomsbreaks our heart-strings-blasts our hope. Death extinguishes the glow of kindnessabolishes the most tender relations of man -severs him from all that he knows and loves-subjects him to an ordeal which thousands of millions have passed, but none can explain; and which will be as new to the last who gives up the ghost, as it was to murdered Abel-flings him, in fine, without any avail from the experience of others, into a state of untried being. No wonder that nature trembles before it. Reason justifies the fear. Religion never makes light of it: and be who does, instead of ranking with heroes, ean hardly deserve to rank with a brute.' pp. 10, ti. Scarcely any trait in the human character more strikingly exhibits the depravity and stupidity of man, than the prevalent disposition to treat death with levity. This subject, so interesting to all, and so solemn in all the circumstances which relate to it, is still a standing topic of sport and jesting with multitudes of thoughtless men. But it is chiefly in reference to the field of battle, that a stupid,senseless, profane disregard of death and its consequences, is honored with the appellation of heroism. A man may prove by the irresistible evidence of his habitual conduct, that he is destitute of all good principles; he may be a tyrannical and unfaithful husband, an improvident and unkind parent, a disorderly and quarrelsome member of society, a profane and dissolute wretch, abhorred by all his acquaintance, a nuisance and a burden to the community; with these qualities he may enlist in an army, with out the ability or the inclination to judge of the merits of the the cause may have no merits, cause; very probably, indeed, but infinite demerits; he may there lead a life of intoxication, idleness, and profaneness, till called out to battle; at that solemn period, when exposed to instant death, he may make a jest of death, of heaven and hell, of Christ and salvation, and may engage in the work of slaughter with hatred, revenge, and a desire of glory, (three passions lect the worst,) all striving for from which it is difficult to sethe mastery; and, after performing the actions of a fiend with a fiend-like disposition, for a while, he may be snatched from the world, in a moment, with malice in his heart and blasphemy on his lips, and summoned to give his final account to a God of holiness and peace. Yet, with all this evidence of worthlessness and depravity, his character may be blazoned forth to the world as that of a patriot, a hero, a martyr, and his fellow worms may most impudently and presumptuously undertake |