God. He was a decided believer in the doctrine of angels of light, ⚫ and angels of darkness, of ministering spirits of light, and of demons stimulating to deeds of darkness. He looked forward to a judgment to come, when countless numbers, among the children of men, would rise to the resurrection of damnation, and, ignorant of the genuine character of the Redeemer, would call upon the rocks and mountains to fall upon them, and hide them from the WRATH OF THE LAMB; and, believing himself a humble instrument in the hand of God, ordained by Him to the ministry of reconcilation, he was never so completely happy, as when declaring the gospel to be believed; and calling upon men every where, to receive the glad tidings of salvation. He was persuaded that those, who lied down in sorrow, would continue unhappy wanderers, until the opening of that book, in which every human being, every member of Christ was written; yet he had no idea of any purgation for sin, save what was suffered by Christ Jesus, who, by Himself, purged our sins. Writing of Mr. Winchester to a friend, Mr. Murray thus expressed himself: 'Mr Winchester is full with Mr. Law, and of course preaches purgatorial satisfaction. According to these gentlemen, every man must finally be his own Saviour! If 1 must suffer as much, in my own person as will satisfy divine justice, how is, or can Christ Jesus be, my Saviour? If this purgatorial doctrine be true, the ministry of reconciliation, committed to the apostles, must be false; 'to wit, God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing unto them their trespasses. In fact, fact, I know no persons further from Christianity, genuine Christianity, than such Universalists.'*

Mr. Murray supposed the inquietude of unembodied, or departed spirits, a natural effect derived from a cause. As unbelievers, they cannot see the things which belong to their peace; but he greatly rejoiced, that, however, at present enveloped in darkness, there were, and are, things that did and do belong to their peace; that the day cometh, when whatsoever is hid shall be revealed; and, that at the period of the restitution of all things, the word, the oath of Jehovah was pledged, that every eye should see, and every tongue confess. The preacher was persuaded that a few even in the present dispensation, were elected out of the world, to embrace the truth, previcus to their passing out of time. These judging themselves, are, therefore, not to be judged: Saints of God, they shall surround the Redeemer at his second coming, or be caught up in the air to meet the GoD-MAN; after which, the whole world shall be summoned at the imperial bar of the Sire of angels and of men, the Creator of all worlds: That a separation will then take place; the Judge, the Redeemer will divide them, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats; will separate every individual from that body of sin and death, of which Paul complained, being burdened; from that fallen spirit, which attach

* See Appendix, Note D.

es to every individual in such sort as to the man among the tombs, rendering it a truth, that he who sleepeth, apparently alone upon his bed, is, nevertheless, still connected with his tormentor, and will so continue, until this glorious day of separation and of restitution; when these two shall be separated, one from another, the one taken, the other left. The fallen angels, figured by the. goats, shall be ranged on the left hand, while the harassed human nature, redeemed by the God who created it, shall be found on the right hand of the MOST HIGH. Thus, after the world is judged, out of the things written in the books; after they are found guilty before God, and every mouth is stopped, the BOOK OF LIFE SHALL BE OPENED, IN WHICH ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE REDEEMER, EVERY INDIVIDUAL OF THE HUMAN FAMILY, SHALL BE FOUND WRITTEN; and the ransomed of the Lord shall be declared denizens of that kingdom, where dwelleth felicity uninterrupted.

Such were the leading sentiments of OUR UNIVERSALIST; and he was firmly of opinion that the doctrines of the Gospel, rightly understood, would teach men everywhere to be careful of maintaining good works, to love one another, and in all things to regard the best interests of their BROTHER MAN.

Conversant with the preacher upwards of forty years, we never knew his testimony to vary in the smallest degree. In joy and in sorrow, in health, in sickness, and in death, not a single cloud appeared to gather upon the countenance of his God, or to obstruct, so far as it referred to his prospects beyond the grave, the clear sunshine of his soul.

If we except the Rev. John Tyler, Episcopalian minister in Norwich, Connecticut, and the Rev. Edward Mitchell, in the city of New York, we do not know that the sentiments of any preacher of Universalism now upon this continent are exactly in unison with the departed promulgator. But if they build upon the great foundation, we devoutly wish them God speed; well assured that those who build upon this foundation-gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble-every man's work shall be made manifest. For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire: and the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Mr. Murray's last marriage was the result of a strong and holy friendship, founded upon the Rock of Ages; and, originating in devout admiration of redeeming love, it is fervently hoped, and unwaveringly believed, that this union will be perfected in ANOTHER

AND A BETTER WORLD.

One son and one daughter were the offspring of this marriage. The son surrendered his innocent life in the birth; the daughter still survives, the prop and consolation of her WIDOWED MOTHER.

T

APPENDIX.

NOTE A.

The following is the entire instrument which was drawn up as the uniting compact of the society in Gloucester. Every one who peruses it, must be highly pleased with the truly Christian spirit that it breathes.

'New England: State of Massachusetts, January 1st, 1779. 'Inasmuch as it hath pleased God, of his great mercy, in every age of the world to choose a people for himself, giving them his fear and revealing to them his secret; and as this Great Lord of Heaven and Earth, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, hath been pleased to reveal unto babes, what he has hid from the wise and prudent; We, the subscribers, greatly affected with a sense of the Divine Goodness in thus distinguishing us, who had nothing in us to merit his notice, think it our interest and bounden duty to 'let our light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven.' As therefore it hath pleased God to make us acquainted with the voice of the good Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, we cannot from henceforth follow the voice of a stranger; nor ever give attention to such as are unacquainted with the Saviour of the world. But though we cannot have fellowship with them whose fellowship is not with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ, yet we are determined, by the grace of God, never to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but as a church of Christ, meet together in his name, being persuaded wherever or whenever two or three are thus met together, the invisible God will be present with them.

'As Christians, we acknowledge no Master but Christ Jesus, and as disciples of this Divine Master we profess to follow no guide in spiritual matters, but his word and his spirit. As dwellers in the world, though not of it, we hold ourselves bound to yield obedience to every ordinance of men, for God's sake; and we will be peaceable and obedient subjects to the powers that are ordained of God in all civil cases; but as subjects of that King whose kingdom is not of this world, we cannot acknowledge the right of any human authority to make laws for the regulating of our consciences in any spiritual matter.

Thus as a true Independent Church of Christ, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, we mutually agree to walk together in Christian Fellowship, building up each other in our most Holy Faith, rejoicing in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and determining by his grace no more to be entangled by any yoke of bondage. As disciples of the meek and lowly Jesus, we resolve, as far as in us lieth, to live peaceably with all men; yet as believers living godly in Christ Jesus, we expect to suffer as much persecution as the laws of the country we live in will admit of. But we resolve, by the grace of God, none of these things shall move us to act inconsistent with our characters as Christians. We will, as much as possible, avoid vain jangling and unnecessary disputation; and should we be reviled, endeavor in patience to possess our souls.

'As an Independent Church of Christ, thus bound together with the cords of love, and meeting together in his name,-We mutually agree to receive as our minister, that is, our servant sent to labor amongst us in the work of the Gospel, by the great Lord of the vineyard, our friend and christian brother, John Murray: This we do from a full conviction, that the same God that sent the first preachers of Christ Jesus, sent him; and that the same gospel they preached, we have from time to time received from him; thus believing him a minister of the New Testament, constantly declaring the whole counsel of God, proclaiming the same divine truth that all God's holy prophets from the beginning of the world hath declared, we cordially receive him as a messenger from God; and as it hath pleased God to open a great and effectual door for the preaching his gospel, by this his servant, in some parts of this great continent, whenever it shall please his and our Divine Master to call him to preach the everlasting gospel elsewhere, we wish him God speed, and pray that the good will of Him who was seen in the. bush, may accompany him and make his way clear unto him. But should he at any time preach any other gospel than that which the Apostles proclaimed, we will not wish him God speed, but consider him as a false teacher; and whereas, the great Lord of the harvest has taught us to pray that he would be pleased to send forth laborers into his harvest, and as he never taught us to pray doubting, but has assured us that every one that asketh receiveth, and whosoever seeketh findeth; and as the promise of the divine presence is, to any two or three that meet together in the Saviour's name, we are resolved, by God's grace, whether we are blessed with the public preaching of the word or not, as often as we find convenient to meet together, to supplicate the Divine favor; to praise our redeeming God; to hear his most holy word, and freely to communicate whatever God shall please to manifest unto us, for our mutual edification. And that we may more effectually show forth his praises, who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light, we resolve to pay a serious regard to his expostulations, admonitions and instructions given to us by the spirit of God, in the Epistles dictated to our Holy Apostles. We will, as far as in us lieth, do good to all men, but especially unto them of the house