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earth, when a sinner, who served divers lusts and vanities, is so changed as to become the obedient servant of the Lord, will not ministers, pious relatives, and every good man exclaim concerning him, Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?— And it is equally certain, that every such convert, reviewing his former conduct, the danger of his soul, the abundance of God's mercy, and the sacred pleasures which he now enjoys, will take the question with admiration to himself, and exclaim, AM I NOT A BRAND PLUCKED FROM THE FIRE ?

Thus I have attempted to explain the text, in application to Joshua the high priest-that its figurative parts solemnly describe the anger of the Almighty, which burneth like firethe state of a sinner, as a brand lying in the midst of the burning the interposition of the Lord Christ in plucking him from his misery, quenching his guilty conscience, and granting him new life to live unto God, in cheerful hope of everlasting felicity. And it is my sincere wish and ardent prayer, that the Lord may abundantly bless these reflections to all that have heard them.

I presume you are now waiting with impatience to hear those solemn truths confirmed in the case of your late unfor tunate companion, GEORGE VANDERPOOL; whose narrative Į have composed from notes taken on my repeated visits to him when under confinement in the Bridewell and in this prison; and which I shall now read, purposely for your improvement, and to manifest the glory of God's unbounded grace to his soul.

THE NARRATIVE.

WHEN God confers his sovereign grace upon the souls of such men as have been criminal in their conduct, and whose lives were forfeited by the law of their country to shame and an ignominious death, and produces their repentance and salvation; it is an event which forms the joy of angels, and the rejoicing of every good man on earth. These facts have been verified in GEORGE VANDERPOOL, a young man of colour, who, with Ishmael Frazer, was, on December 4, 1815, condemned to be executed for the crime of ARSON; or the burning of an inhabited dwelling-house in Washington-street.

From a memorandum which I received from Vanderpool, in his own writing, it appears that he was born free in the year 1795. His father died when he was eight years of age, and he was kept at school by his mother until he was twelve. His mother was a pious professor of religion, and was in the habit of taking him also to church; which, of his own inclination, he continued until the fatal period when he was tempted to associate with that company which produced his ruin. As a servant, he had lived in several respectable families with much commendation; and, at the age of nineteen, he married, and was left pretty much to his own inclination. He left a good place, and hired himself to a boot-cleaner, where he learned the fatal practice of gambling, which, he confessed, introduced him to a gang of desperate men, who eventually committed the crime for which he was condemned to suffer an ignominious death.

The day after sentence was passed upon these two criminals, the Sheriff accompanied me to take the ministerial charge of them. The outer door of the prison, which leads to the condemned room, being opened, I heard the piercing cries of men imploring mercy from their God! On entering, I found them both chained to the floor, setting aside each other, and their faces extremely distorted by anguish. After the Sheriff

had informed them of the intention of my visit, they renewed their lamentations so violently, that it was difficult for me to address them. When I was leaving the room, George wrung his hands, and with tears gushing from his eyes exclaimed, "O that God would have mercy on my soul; then I would willingly die!" By soothing advices, in a few days the minds of these unfortunates were less agitated, and they listened to my admonitions with greater attention. I folded down two or three passages of Scripture, particularly Isaiah i. 18, requesting them to seck the Lord, by prayer, to give efficacy to his own word upon their depressed minds. I likewise gave them a small tract on THE WAY OF SALVATION; which was accepted with gratitude. After I had commended them, by prayer, to the mercy of my God, I informed them that I should solicit the public prayers of the different churches in their favour: this produced a serious effect upon their minds. -Early in the next week I found the mother of Vanderpool in the Bridewell, waiting to accompany me to visit her son, for the first time since his condemnation. The meeting between them was too affecting for my pen to describe. Pointed arrows of grief pierced the mother's heart; while, as a woman of piety, in broken accents she pointed her guilty son to the bloody cross of her Saviour. The wretched son, covered with shame and filled with remorse, had scarce power to embrace his mother with a trembling hand, and with heavy sobs said, "My mother, pray for my soul!" Ah! how distracting for a child, by his crimes, to pierce the bowels which gave him birth, and the very breast which gave him suck! Solemn lesson this for every prodigal son to learn. On this scene, it was with much difficulty I composed my spirits, and offered prayer for the prisoners and the unhappy female. On my next visit, Vanderpool was in a degree of composure, attentively reading his Bible. After taking a seat by his side, he asked me several questions; particularly on the best way-how to improve the short time he had to live-and to prepare to meet his awful end in peace with God? To these I re

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plied, by explaining the nature and importance of repentance and prayer; likewise by reciting to him the unsearchable riches of God's abundant grace in Christ Jesus to penitent sinners. These I exemplified in the case of the wretched malefactor dying on the cross, who received the astonishing compassion of the blessed Saviour. George, with languid eyes, then said, "Sir, do you think there may be hope of mercy for such a poor wretch as I am?" For his encouragement I explained to him Micah vii. 18, 19, and concluded my visit with prayer. A few days after, some indiscreet persons were incautiously permitted to visit these criminals, and gave their opinion that the sentence of the law would not be executed upon them. Perceiving that this communication had produced an unfavourable impression upon their minds, I assured them of the fallacy of such an opinion, and that no such expectation should be indulged. Vanderpool wished to be informed, "If the sentence of the law was the same for an accomplice as for the actual transgressor?" I assured him that I had not only read the law in that case, but had heard the opinion of able lawyers on the subject; that the same sentence was denounced against both. They were now more submissive to their melancholy fate, and expressed their anxiety for the pardon of their God. A circumstance of this kind, however, should dictate great caution to keepers, whom they permit to visit criminals under sentence of death, as it may involve the most serious consequences.--The next visit I made them, I was exceedingly gratified to find them in the exercise of penitence, and in reading their Bible. George, in particular, said, "I have tried to be earnest with the Lord in prayer almost the whole of last night, and slept but very little; my time is growing very short; and I shall be miserable, in a miserable death, if the Lord should not show me mercy and pity." From his conversation, it appeared that he had been reviewing the errors of his life; and I could not but indulge a hope, that God had showed him the iniquity of his heart. "Whether," said he, "I deserve this shameful

death or not, as a just punishment, I feel sins enough to condemn me in the sight of a just God." I assured him that he could not know himself too much; and the heart, as well as sin, were exceedingly sinful. I therefore entreated him to beg the Lord to enable him more deeply to search his soul, and, if possible, know the very worst of himself; for these were necessary to repentance, and to his receiving the knowledge of pardon through the invaluable blood of the Lord Jesus. The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. He replied, "I do not wish to deceive myself; my heart has always deceived me, and therefore I have gone astray, and brought all my misery upon myself; I cannot blame God. I thank the Lord that I am stopped in my ways; for if I had gone on, my sins and transgressions might have been much greater." Wishing that these impressions of his mind might be sincere and lasting, I took up the Bible; read and explained to him the conduct of David, in taking his heart to his God for examination; Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24; concluding by saying, if David could plead with his God to search and try his heart, it certainly was of great importance for him to do the same. Just as I was leaving the condemned room, Vanderpool, with great earnestness, said, "Sir, I wish that young man who was my accuser, and who turned evidence against me, may have pardon from God before he dies. I pray for him, day and night, that God would save his soul from misery." This I could not but receive as an expression of his sincere feeling of penitence, and one cheering hope that God would visit him with his great salvation.-On another visit Vanderpool handed me his Bible, and directed my attention to these words, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matt. xi. 28. "This," said he, "very much suits my case." I therefore explained to him this encouraging and inviting promise to those whom it describes; its unlimited extent to all who were heavy laden with the burden of sin, without exception; and also the ability of Jesus Christ to remove the heavy burden of guilt from the

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