all the worlds he has ever made; since it is for him that he has made them all. God delights exceedingly to see Christ glorified; and if this be what your hearts are set upon, he will reward you openly and abundantly. You will have this reward among the rest—the Holy Spirit breathing powerfully in your ministry. The Spirit of truth will glorify me, saith the Saviour. The blessed Spirit will sadly withdraw from a ministry that has not a Christ animating it. He will own and honor that ministry in which Christ is truly and faithfully preached.

"And now, my children, what shall I more say to you? I hope that, as to many of you (O that it might be all!) I shall meet you with joy at the right hand of Christ, in the great day of his appearing and kingdom. But if any of you prove so miserable as to die in your sins, and in a Christless condition, I protest unto you this day, that I shall testify against you before the Lord Jesus Christ, that I have called upon you, both publicly and privately, to make sure of an interest in him. I am pure, therefore, from the blood of your souls. If any of you (which may infinite mercy prevent,) shall die in your sins, your blood will be upon your own heads."

Thus were the students of Harvard College

addressed, by their President, almost one hundred and fifty years ago. Where shall we look for words more fitly spoken? When shall the members of that venerable seminary be addressed in like manner again?

CHAPTER IX.

Life of Dr. Mather subsequent to his resigning the Presidency. His habits as a student. His liberality. His gentlemanly manners. His character as a preacher. His solemn testimony. His humility and penitence. His last sickness, death, funeral, &c.

DR. MATHER'S connection with the college ceased, as we have seen, A. D. 1701. After this he lived about twenty-two years, during the greater part of which time he performed his ministerial duties much as usual, and continued to take a watchful interest in every thing which concerned church and state. In this time also, and in addition to all his other labors, he issued from the press not far from fifty distinct publications, the most of them on important practical subjects.

I have said that, during this latter portion of his life, Dr. Mather exercised his ministry much as usual. When he had been settled forty-nine years, he preached a Jubilee sermon; and as the servants in Israel were released at the Jubilee, so he requested a release from any further public labors. But his people set too high a value on his services, to consent to such a proposition

At a later period, they kindly voted, that "the labors of the pulpit should be expected from him only when he found himself able and inclined to perform them." Still, he actually did preach frequently and powerfully, to the very last year of his life.

Dr. Mather was an indefatigable student, all his days. Indeed, prayer and study may be said to have constituted his principal business. His people sometimes complained that they saw so little of him in their families, and from the following account of the manner in which he ordinarily spent his time, we think their complaints were not without reason. "In the morning, repairing to his study, he deliberately read a chapter, and offered prayer, and then plied what of reading and writing he had before him. At nine o'clock he came down, read a chapter, and made a prayer with his family; after which he returned to the work of the study. Coming down to dinner, he quickly went up again, and commenced the afternoon with another prayer; when he went on with his studies till evening. The studies of the evening were commenced with another prayer, and went on till nine o'clock. Then he came down to his family sacrifices. From these, he again repaired to the study, where he continued, often, till after mid.

night. The studies of the day were always closed with prayer. Sixteen hours of the four and twenty were commonly spent after this manner in the study."

Not a few, on reading this account, will wonder how the subject of it lived to the long period of eighty-four years. Most ministers, with so little relaxation and exercise, would have died of dyspepsia or hypochondria, in one sixth part of the time. But if Dr. Mather could live and enjoy health, none need wonder at the interest which continued to be felt in his publications and pulpit performances. His intellectual machinery never grew rusty from disuse. He not only kept up with his age, but kept in advance of it. Younger men might study as hard, and preach as well as they could; he studied harder, and preached better. To all the advantages of intellectual progress and new discoveries and improvements, in respect to which he was on a par with them, he added the more important advantages of a long experience, which were beyond. their reach. In this way, Dr. Mather continued to bear fruit in old age; and his example is one of great importance to ministers and others, as they approach the evening of life. Most old men lay off their armor, and retire from the duties of active life too soon. They conclude pre