sincere sentiments of your dying father; who, in his last moments, can testify to the faithfulness of his God. You have heard, that he will faithfully reward, with the joys of heaven and eternal life, all those who love him, and diligently seek him. Remember, also, that he has threatened eternal death and everlasting misery, to all those who know not God, and desire not the knowledge of his ways. Let me assure you, his faithfulness is equally pledged for the execution of his awful threatenings and righteous judgments, as for his promises of everlasting happiness to those who love him. True, he is a God of mercy; but remember, he is also a God of justice: and whilst he rewards the righteous, will also punish the wicked. Accept the pardon which he tenders you in the gospel of his Son; embrace the Lord Jesus, who suffered and died on the cross, that you might be ransomed from your sins; no longer slight the offers of salvation; delay not the concerns of your precious souls to a dying hour; presume not too much on the forbearance of God: his mercy, though infinite, cannot extend to the impenitent."-After closing his admonition, he requested a hear and dear friend, who had been much with him, to pray with him. This being done, he raised his hands, and with uplifted countenance, and voice much interrupted by hiccup, addressed the throne of grace in a most ardent and affectionate prayer. First he commended his fellow creatures generally to God; next his dear congregation; then his wife and children; and last, his own soul. The following are a part of his closing words: "O blessed Jesus! wholly and confidently relying on thine atoning blood, I come to thee, dear Jesus; I have nothing to bring; no merits to plead, but thine! I come, presenting thee my naked, naked soul; take it, O my God! take it to thyself, for Jesus' sake!" A short time after this, he asked one of his physicians if he thought it likely he would continue through the night? the doctor replied, I think it not improbable. He then said, ""Tis my desire, if consistent with God's will, to depart on the Lord's day." On the sabbath before his death, he requested his daughter to turn to Watts' 189th Hymn, B. 1. entitled, Hope in the Covenant. As she read, he repeated with much emphasis, and especially the last verse. He frequently, through his illness, desired to have passages of Scripture read, sometimes selected by himself, sometimes by others, and always expressed much comfort in them. Being asked if he feared to meet death, he replied, "I fear only its pangs, which have been a dread to me through life." He frequently charged his physicians to conceal nothing from him, and when they discovered his last change approaching, not to fail announcing it to him. He often inquired of them, "have you no good news to communicate to me?"" Do you see any prospect of my speedy release ?” Frequently he observed, "I desire I may have patience to wait the time appointed for me; yet I cannot but long to depart, that I may be with Christ." The evening previous to his departure, when his pulse began to falter, one of his physicians asked him, " Would it afford you comfort, if you could consider this as the last night of your sufferings here?" He eagerly caught the import of the question, and apparently almost transported, exclaimed,-" Oh, I should rejoice in the prospect! Come, Lord Jesus, O come quickly!"-Early the next morning his room was thronged with his friends and parishioners of both sexes, most of them in tears; he readily recognized each individual, and when he could no longer speak, he tenderly embraced several of them in his dying arms, and kissing each, bade them adieu. He evidently retained his recollection and reason, until within a few moments of his last gasp, and while his hands or lips could move, he appeared to be in prayer. He expired at 12 in the morning, of Tuesday, 13th March, 1810. His congregation at all times were affectionate and kind to him; were deeply impressed with his last sickness, and peculiarly attentive to him during the whole course of it. After his death, they requested the family to permit them to pay their last solemn respects to his memory, by interring his remains at their own charge. A sermon was delivered at his interment, by Dr. Milledoler, from Matthew, 24th chapter, 45, 46, and 47th verses, to a very crouded audience. A Dissertation, in which the evidence for the Authenticity and Divine Inspiration of the Apocalypse is stated, and vindicated from the Objections of the late Professor J. D. Michaelis; by JOHN CHAPPEL WOODHOUSE, M. A. CHAP. III. THE TESTIMONY OF IRENEUS, AND OF OTHER FATHERS IN THE CHURCH BEFORE HIM, OF IGNATIUS, OF POLYCARP, OF THE WRITER OF THE EPISTLE DESCRIBING POLYCARP'S MARTYRDOM, AND OF PAPIAS. (Continued from p. 430.) HAVING ascertained the time in which the Apo calypse was written, we may proceed to review the external evidence, which affects its authority. For we shall now be enabled to appreciate such testimony, by considering its approximation to the time when the book was published. In the examination of this evidence, Michaelis has chosen to begin with that of Eusebius. But Eusebius wrote at an interval of more than two hundred Vol. III.-No. X. 4 A ap years from the time when the Apocalypse first peared. In his days, doubts had arisen concerning the authenticity of the book-doubts which had no foundation on any external evidence, but which had been suggested by some writers from a consideration of its internal marks and character. The subject appears to have been in debate among the Christian critics in these times. Eusebius hesitated where to place the Apocalypse; whether among the undoubted books of the inspired Canon, or among those which were accounted spurious. He promises further information when the debate should be concluded; but we do not appear to have received it from him*. I will begin, then, where we have more decided and authentic information; from Irenæus, whose competency to decide on this question we have considered. There are other testimonies, which, in point of time, are antecedent to this of Irenæus, but none so comprehensive, so positive, and direct. We shall review these with more advantage, after the consideration of this important evidence. Irenæus, the auditor of Polycarp, and of other apostolical men, who had conversed with St. John, had the best means of information concerning the authenticity of the Apocalypse; and from the zeal which he shows, to discover the true reading of the passage in the Apocalypse, (by appeal to ancient and authentic copies, and to the testimony of apostolical men,) we may justly conclude that he took equal pains, and the same judicious methods, to assure himself concerning the writer of the bookt. But Irenæus, in many passages, ascribes this book to "John the Evangelist, the disciple of the Lord, *Euseb. H. E. lib. iii. c. 24, 25. † Irenæus, lib. v. c. 30. Euseb. H. E. lib. iii. c. 18. "that John who leaned on his Lord's breast at the "last supper*." There are twenty-two chapters in the book of Revelation, and Irenæus quotes from thirteen of them, producing more than twenty-four passages, some of considerable length. The candid and judicious Lardner, after an examination of this evidence, says, "His, (Irenæus',) testimony for this "book is so strong and full, that, considering the 66 age of Irenæus, he seems to put it beyond all question, that it is the work of John the Apostle "and Evangelistt." The testimony of Irenæus may be supposed to extend from about thirty or forty years after the date of the Apocalypse, to about eighty years after the same period, viz. the year of our Lord 178, when he is said to have published the books which contain this testimony‡. But during this period of eighty years, other writers appear to have quoted, and acknowledged the Apocalypse. We will now, therefore, take a retrospect of their quotations and allusions, which will give additional weight to the testimony of Irenæus; while, from a recollection of his evidence, theirs also will derive support. Ignatius is mentioned by Michaelis as the most ancient evidence that can be produced, respecting the authenticity of the Apocalypse. He lived in the apostolical times, and died by a glorious martyrdom in the year 107, as some writers state, though others have placed this event a few years later. He is commonly supposed to have made no mention of the Apocalypse; and this his silence, amounts, in the opinion of Michaelis, to a rejection of the book. "If Ignatius," says he, " had seen and acknow *Irenæus, lib. iv. 37. 50. 27. + Cred. Gosp. Hist. art. Irenæus. |