With increased affection for you all, I am, in the best of bonds, yours, "JAMES B. TAYLOR." "Dec. 7.-Another week has gone, and gone for ever. While passing, the inscriptions goodness and mercy have been legible on every day. My enjoyment has not been so great as during the two weeks preceding. And the reason is obvious-I wandered from the Lord; and bitterness of soul took the place of sweet love but the Lord heard my prayer, and again visited me with his grace. His mercy endureth for ever. Last night also witnessed my yielding to the same temptation, which brought leanness and sadness unto my soul. With what depression did I arise this Sabbath morning! The Sabbath's Lord was absent—the Spirit, grieved, had left me, until I went into the cha pel; I prayed, and read, and sung, but my heart was gone. Still I had faith and a fixed purpose to wait on the Lord. I was solemn. I felt that the glory had de parted. While the chapter was reading, my heart began to melt into penitential grief; I felt myself deserving the lowest hell. I also felt that if I were sent to hell, I could but praise God for what he had done for me. At this juncture peace and consolation flowed into my soul, and I could praise the Lord. Blessed be his name for ever." On the same date he thus writes to his friend Miss W : "He who hath said, 'If I go away, I will come again unto you,' visits my soul with his love, and makes me happy here; and does he not add, 'to re ceive you unto myself?" I have had a heaven upon earth, even in this college; and you do not think it strange, for you know that where the Prince of peace reigns there is peace. "But what think you of those professors of religion who, when you tell them of all this, and assure them, apon the authority of God's word, that they may have the desire of their hearts, reply, that they wish they could enjoy more of God's presence, but they are subject to so many temptations, and have to encounter so many difficulties, they hardly know what they are? Is not their state dangerous? And does not all their hungering and thirsting after righteousness end in a mere wish? What saith the Psalmist ? 'Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart.' Who that delights in a conformity to an ungodly world, its fashions, its vain show-who of all that follow the devices and desires of an unrenewed heart, can look for such favors from the Lord? They, and they alone, who make God their only portion, and delight themselves in the Lord as their chief joy, can live in peace-can hope to die in triumph, and reign with the Lamb for ever. "Let us give to those dead in trespasses and sins, all their sinful enjoyments; let formal professors plead their excuses; but let them know at the same time, that they will have to settle them at the bar of their just Judge. Let others glory in what they will; but be it ours to glory only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be praise for ever." Diary, Dec. 23.-"Fasted this day, and had a thankful remembrance of that season of divine communi cation so often referred to, which I enjoyed twenty months ago. I believe the work of grace has been deepened since that joyful hour; the experience of today assures me that I have sunk low in my own esteem, and that it is by grace that I am in the way to glory. At evening devotion could not find words to express the fullness of my heart; but I could say, 'Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.' What precious hours I have spent thus far since I have been in college! The good Shepherd has fed me in his richest pastures, and here, my Lord, I give my little all to thee: still enlarge the vessel, and bless me abundantly." Of this date we have another precious letter fron Mr. Taylor to his aged clerical friend H-, of S—.. "Nassau-Hall, Dec. 23, 1823, Saturday evening. "Reverend and beloved Sir, "Another week is gone, and I rejoice, inasmuch as I have one week less to remain this side of heaven Yes! I give praise to our God that I was born to dieto die? to live for ever. The thought is sweet. 'O the pain-stay, for where is the pain to the dying saint? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But for the believer Christ hath magnified the law and made it honorable; and thus hath purchased pardon, reconciliation, and sanctification, which being possessed, sets the soul at liberty and makes it free indeed. To me it seems that for a child of God to die is but going from one room to another. His body, it is true, may be exercised with exquisite pain, but the spirit will rest, and calmly commit all into the hands of God, and there lie at his disposal. And when the important crisis arrives, how sweetly does the soul lean upon the breast of its beloved and repose in his kind arms, while it breathes itself away from the clay tenement to become a fixed resident in glory. 'O the bliss of dying.' 'This moment for heaven I'd leave all below.' "The reason why so many who live in the enjoyment of lively hope, fearfully apprehend the approach of death, I think is to be found in the notions they have formed of his appearance. But what is death? Is it to be supposed that he is a frightful form, hideous, and terrible? Is it not rather the gracious appearance of Emmanuel-God with us? What does he say? 'If I go away, I will come again unto you and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.' When we die, we do not expect to see death set forth as in hieroglyphical form-no-but as Stephen beheld, to the joy of his soul. We expect to see Jesus, who no doubt presents his kind hand, and firs. welcomes his ransomed ones to his own kingdom. What then should we do-what could we do without Jesus? Take him from our pilgrimage below, and our manna would fail; take him from the Jordan of death, its waves would overwhelm us, and our frightened souls would sink in endless despair; take him from heaven, and heaven would be annihilated for ever. Truly, he is all, and in all- the desire of all nations.' "This evening my mind has been led to look to Jesus, as the apostle says, 'Looking unto Jesus.' I was thus led, more particularly, because to-morrow is to be our communion season. "Looking unto Jesus.' Before the world was, he dwelt with the Father. And, O what glory and delig he must have had from all eternity! We may loo unto him as God, by whom the worlds were made. But had he need of worlds? What do they add to his infinite, underived, eternal glory? For whom, but for man, was this fair fabric formed, and lighted up, ana adorned so richly? Upon God's equal we may gaze with wonder, and adore his condescension. O what pity touched his sympathizing soul! What the might of that love which brought him down! Well might the plains of Bethlehem resound with glory to God in the highest; peace on earth, and good will to men. And well may we join the heavenly host in praising God; for unto us a Savior was born, who is Chri the Lord. 'O for this love, let rocks and hills "Let us look to Jesus during his state of humiliation, for from the manger to the cross he was preparing the way to bring many sons unto glory. O the contradictions he met from sinners! What temptations in the wilderness! What agony in the garden! But the wonders of the cross! It is here our hopes centre. For the hope which the cross inspired, the primitive Chris tians were ready to suffer; nay, did suffer and die. However opposed, they preached its doctrines, and said, God forbid that we should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Extending our view beyond the cross, we may profitably look upon him whom we have pierced, as arising from the dead. 'He rose again for our justification.' What joy his disciples felt when their eyes |