his life. Both Johnson himself and his most partial biographer intimate that his character was not perfectly free even from gross sins; but omitting these unpleasant recollections, we are at least certain that his general habits and companions during a considerable part of his life were not such as a strictly consistent Christian would have chosen, because they were not such as could in any way conduce to his spiritual comfort or improvement. Dr. J. was indeed called, in the usual course of Providence, to live in the world,' but it was his duty so to have lived in it 'as not of it; and with the high sense which he uniformly entertained of religion, and the vast influence which he had justly acquired in society, his conduct and example would have been of the greatest service in persuading men to a holy as well as a virtuous life, to a cordial and complete self-dedication to God, as well as to a general decorum and purity of conduct.

It is certain that in reflecting upon his past life he did not view it as having been truly and decidedly Christian. He even prays in his dying hours that God would pardon his late conversion; thus evidencing not simply the usual humility and contrition of every genuine Christian, but, in addition to this, a secret consciousness that his heart had never before been entirely right with God.'

sibly have become its Saint Paul; and would doubtless in future have embodied his moral injunctions, not in the cold form of ethical philosophy, or even in the generalities of the Christian religion, but in an ardent love to God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Christ; in a union to the Redeemer, and a dependance upon that holy Spirit who is the Enlightener and Sanctifier. That such a supposition is not visionary may be proved even from the meagre accounts afforded by a spectator who would of course be inclined rather to soften down than to give prominence to any thing which might be construed into fanaticism. We learn then from this witness that in point of fact there was already a marked alteration in Dr. Johnson's language upon religion, as instead of spending his time upon barren generalities, he talked often about the necessity of faith in Jesus.'

6

It will of course be readily allowed, that the constitutional melancholy of this great man might have had much influence in causing this religious depression; but whatever may have been the proximate cause, the affliction itself may still be viewed as performing the office of parental correction to reclaim his relapses, and teach him the hatefulness and folly of sin. But without speculating upon either the final or the efficient cause, the medium through which that cause operated was evidently an indistinctness in his views respecting the na ture of the Redeemer's atonement; an indistinctness common to Dr. Johnson with no small class of moraHe believed

Had Johnson survived this period
of his decisive conversion' we might
have expected to have seen through-
out his conduct that he had indeed
become a new creature in Christ lists and learned men.
6
Jesus.' His respect for religion, and
his general excellence of character,
could not perhaps have admitted of
much visible change for the better;
but in heavenly-mindedness, in love
and zeal for the souls of men, in dead-
ness to the world and to fame, in the
choice of books and companions, and
in the exhibition of all those spiritual
graces which belong peculiarly to the
Christain nature, we might and must
have beheld a marked improvement.
Instead of being merely the Seneca
of the English nation, he might pos-

generally in the sacrifice of Christ,
but he knew little of its fulness and
its freeness, and he was unable to ap-
propriate it to his own case.
He was
perhaps little in the habit of contem-
plating the Son of God as a great
High-Priest, who can be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities,'
and who is graciously interceding on
our behalf. The character of the
Almighty as a reconciled Father and
Friend, with whom he was to have
daily communion and fellowships,
was less prominent in his thoughts

the sins of mankind, and purchase eternal salvation in heaven for us, grant that I may never forfeit that inestimable blessing, by leading a vicious and ungodly life; but may daily endeavour, by the assistance of thy holy spirit, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and thus to secure thy favour to me, so long as thou shalt continue me in this mortal state; that so when thou shalt please, in thy wise and good providence, to put an end to my being here, I may be prepared for that happy, glorious, and immortal one, which is above, with thee in heaven; where I may, with thy holy angels and saints, sing thy praises to all eternity. Grant this, O heavenly Father, I most humbly beseech thee, for thine own infinite compassion's sake, and the infinite merits of my dear Saviour, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

DIOCESS OF NEW-YORK.
ADDRESS of the Right Rev. Bishop Ho-
BART, to the Convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the State of New-
York, October 22, 1817.
My Brethren of the Clergy and Laity,

THE Congregations of this Diocess hav. ing been frequently and generally visited, there has not been a necessity, in this respect, for as extensive a course of duty as usual, through the past year. In the month of November last I visited and held Confirmations in the churches at Hudson and Cattskill. In the month of December I paid a visit to the distant congregation of Canandaigua, and consecrated a remarkably beautiful and commodious building to the service of Almighty God according to the rites of our Church, and administered the ordinance of Confirmation. This congregation is much indebted for its flourishing condition, to the labours of the Missionary who principally officiates there, the Rev. Henry U. Onderdonk. In March last I visited the Church at Newtown, which, by the laudable exertions of the Clergyman and congregation, had been recently repaired, and rendered very neat and commodious; and admitted

the Rev. Evan Malbone Johnson, elected Rector of that Church, and the Rev. William Creighton, elected Rector of St. Mark's Church, New-York, to the Holy Order of Priests. In April I visited the Church at Eastchester, and admitted to the same order, the Rev. Ravaud Kearney, who had lately commenced his labours in that congregation; the Rev. Petrus S.

Ten Broeck,elected Rector of the churches at Fishkill, Phillipstown, and Peekskill; and the Rev. George Weller, Missionary in Westchester county.

I recently repeated my visit to the congregation at Eastchester, and received, in common with the Clergyman who accompanied me, unusual gratification in the view of above 70 persons, principally young, coming forward to Confirmation, with more than ordinary evidences of the devout sensibility excited by this offering of themselves to God. Each one of these had been visited and instructed in reference to this holy solemnity, by their Pas tor, who, within a short time previous, had administered baptism to 36 adult persons. His assiduous labours have collected, through the Divine blessing, a numerous congregation, and inspired among them a zeal which has led them, at very considerable expense, to repair and beautify their Church; in defraying which, individuals, who earn their support by their daily labour, have contributed several hundred dollars. The increase of the numbers and the piety of this congregation, has been effected by assiduity in parochial labours, and by the frequent per formance of the service of the Church without a departure from her prescriptions, or the introduction of modes of exciting the feelings which her sober institutions do not warrant.

The example of this congregation, and of the congregations at Hampton and Granville, under the care of one of the Missionaries in Washington county, in addition to that in the city of Troy, to which, in a former address, I called your attention, and to others which might be mentioned, proves that the advancement of piety in our Church does not demand a recourse to any means than those which she has prescribed, and which the wisdom

of ages has sanctioned. Let the minister, as frequently as circumstances will admit, assemble his congregation for divine worship; let him be faithful in proclaiming to the people committed to his charge the whole counsel of God, and the distinguish ing truths of the dispensation of mercy and grace through a Redeemer; let him diligently attend to parochial visitation and catechetical instruction; let him publicly and privately call his people not only to a devout attendance on those public ordinances, by which, in the exercise of penitence and faith, their union with their Redeemer is maintained, but to private and constant intercourse with Heaven, in pi ́ous reading, meditation, and prayer; let him thus be instant "in season, out of season," and his labours will be blessed, generally in the increase of the numbers of his congregation, but always in their establishment in substantial piety agreeably to the principles of the Church. This should be the great object, and this is the best reward of the services of her ministers.

No opinion is more unfounded than that there is a deficiency as to the means of pious instruction and devotion in the forms of our Church. She has provided Daily Morning and Evening Prayer; and hence her ministers, when circumstances admit and require, can assemble their flocks for any purposes of Christian edification, not only daily, but twice in the day, and lead their devotions to Heaven in prayers, to the use of which he hath bound himself by the most solemn obligations, and than which surely no one of her ministers will presume to think that he can make better. But to suppose that our Church, while she thus furnishes public edifices for the celebration of the social devotion of her members, warrants their meeting elsewhere, except where peculiar circumstances, in the want of a public building, or in the size of a parish, render it necessary; or to suppose that while she thus fully provides in her institutions for the Christian edification of her members, she thinks it can be necessary, for this purpose, to have recourse to private meetings, the devotions of which tend to disparage the Liturgy, and eventually to lesson the relish for its fervent but well-ordered services, would be to im

pute to her the strange policy of introducing into her own bosom, the principles of disorder and schism, and, perhaps, of he resy and enthusiasm,

My brethren of the Clergy-suffer me seriously and affectionately, with a view to guard, not against present, but possible evils, to fortify these sentiments by an authority to which an appeal ought never to be made in vain. It is the authority of one whose piety was as humble and fervent as his judgment was penetrating and discriminating, and his learning extensive and profound. It is the authority of one, too, who lived in those times when the private associations commenced, the effects of which he deprecated, but which were finally awfully realized in the utter subversion of the goodly fabric of the Church whose ministry he adorned, and in the triumph, on her ruins, of the innumerable forms of heresy and schism. The judicious Hooker thus speaks, in that work on Ecclesiastical Polity, in which he delivers so many lessons of profound wisdom: "To him who considers the grievous and scandalous inconveniences whereunto they make themselves daily subject, with whom any blind and secret corner is judged a fit house of common prayer; the manifold confusion which they fall into, where every man's private spirit and gift, as they term it, is the only Bishop that ordaineth him to this ministry; the irksome deformities whereby, through endless and senseless effusions of indigested prayers, they who are subject to no certain order, but pray both what and how they list, often disgrace, in most insufferable manner, the worthiest part of Christian duty towards God; to him, I say, who weigheth duly all things, the reasons cannot be obscure, why God doth in public prayer so much regard the solemnity of places where, the authority and calling of persons by whom, and the precise appointment, even with what words and sentences, his name shall be called on, amongst his people."

Confirmation has also been administered in the churches at Jamaica, Hempstead, and North Hempstead; and, on Sunday last, I confirmed above 60 persons in the Church at Brooklyn; to the charge of which the Rev. Hugh Smith, Deacon, has