that I might be made the righteousness of God ih him. There is an infinite evil in fin, as it is against God; but there is in the blood of Chrift, as a Divine Perfon, a fufficiency of virtue and value to wash it all away. There is a perfection his righteoufnefs to juftify me in the fight of God, who am a poor tranfgreffor, and to give me an indubitable right to the kingdom of Heaven. There is in him also, blessed be his name! a fulness of grace to fanctify my heart, and to make me fit for glory. Yea, I have no doubt but that he is able and willing to cleanfe me from all unrighteoufnefs, impure as I am, in a moment. Why fhould I difpute his ability to perfect my fanctification at the very inftant when the foul leaves the body,-when he both can and will change the bodies of the faints in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the laft trump? Having this hope, therefore, I would use all the means which are appointed to promote purity of heart and life, as much as if my falvation depended on them, and yet depend as much on the Lord Jefus Chrift as if I had ufed no means at all. I rejoice that I have a right, founded on Divine Revelation, to apply as a guilty finner to the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is made unto me, wifdom and righteoufnefs, fanctification and redemption; and would now with my whole foul receive him in all the characters and offices in which he ftands related to the church, that, by virtue of my union to him, I may bring forth more and better fruit to the glory of God. And now, O thou Almighty and heart-fearching God, accept me as one of thy dear children, and give me much of the fpirit of adoption, that I may love thee not in word and tongue only, but in deed and in truth! May I know that I am of the truth, and affure my heart before thee, to whom in the most unfeigned manner I defire to devote myself at this time!"

In another part of his diary he fpeaks much in the fame way, like a devout man who kept his eye on the workings of his own mind. "I have been reading lately fome biogra phical sketches of good men, as they are publifhed in periodical tracts. My foul has been much benefitted by a perufal of the lives of eminent minifters, especially fuch as Prefident Edwards and Brainerd. I feel myself excited thereby to a greater degree of diligence and holy fervour in the way and work of God. But I find myself awfully fhort, not only of thefe great characters, but even of fuch as were much inferior to them. From the defcription of fome with whom I have been acquainted, I have been led to conclude that the biographer deals partially fometimes

fometimes with his deceafed friend. There is often a great mixture in the lives of eminent men, and the infpired writings generally take notice of it. Why then fhould it be omitted now in delineating the characters of good men, any more than in the earlier periods of the church? When I view myself in the faithful mirror of God's word, I find myself fadly defective. What unthank.fulness for favours received! What eftrangedness of mind from God! What backwardnefs to religious conversation! What an hafty peevish temper! And what want of compaffion for the fouls of men! These things fill my mind with confufion, and make me go mourning from day to day. I often think I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. But adored be the riches of divine grace, that I ftill breathe after greater measures of holiness, and am fometimes enabled to ufe great importunity with God, that I may be fanctified throughout in body, foul, and fpirit. O that my foul may be more refined, and that I may daily receive from Chrift fuch fupplies as will enable me to grow up into his lovely image in all things!"

These were the breathings of his gracious foul, while he continued in his ufual health and labours: - nor were they occafional only. His mind was habitually difpofed to communion with God; and although he complains so much of remaining depravity, yet the fuperior fervour of his heart, and the deep fenfe he had of the holiness, which fhould poffefs the temple of the Lord, made him fo fenfible of the evils he fo much deplores. The fpirituality of his mind, as is the cafe with all fixed habits, grew ftronger and ftronger in the decline of life. His was not that enthufiaftic piety which warms with occafions, and varies with temperament; but, being an ingrafted principle, and animated with kindly and natural warmth, it budded in fervent prayer, bloffomed in Chriftian affection, and brought forth fruit in every branch of holy conversation.

We now come to the concluding fcene. The prophets, where are they? Good men live not forever. ` Mr. G. laboured under many infirmities thro' his whole life, which increased upon him with advancing years. For fome time before he difcontinued preaching, it was with great difficulty he got into the pulpit; and he was frequently obliged to relieve himself by fitting down in the course of his fermon, About feven or eight months before his death, he

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he formally gave up his charge, and committed himself to the care of Providence for fupport. This was an act of great felf-denial, as well as truft in God; for he had no vifible means of fubfiftence: but that God whom he faithfully ferved in the Gospel of his Son, was pleafed to raise up friends, whofe generous minds relieved his wants, and who thought it an honour to contribute to the neceffities of this venerable man of God. He was not afflicted with fickness, nor had he much pain; but a gradual decay of nature debilitated his limbs, and leffened his bulk to little more than half its ufual fize. His life wafted away. The powers of nature were worn out, till at laft the feeble taper that had glimmered for fome time in fufpenfc, became extinct.

During the whole time of his decline, which, from first to laft, was several years, his mind was fweetly composed, and his confidence in God continued unfhaken. He felt the foundation on which he refted, firm and folid; knowing on whom he believed, he was firmly perfuaded of his care to carry him through life, and to bring him fafe to his eternal kingdom. He spoke to his friends as one who felt the power of the Gofpel, and had realized the fubftantial glories of the heavenly ftate. The fimplicity of his manner, the fervour of his fpirit, and the holy and feeling way in which he spoke of the excellency of Chrift; the importance of being right with God, and the peculiar happinefs of a well-grounded hope of future glory,—were truly interefting to all who heard him, and could not fail to produce powerful impreffions on the fouls of gracious men. If the writer of this paper may judge of others from what he felt himself in his laft interview, he is certain this must have been the cafe with many who heard the feeble accents from his dying lips, and waited for the falling mantle of the prophet. May God Almighty, with whom is the refidue of the Spirit, raife up many others of equal knowledge, piety, and holiness, to direct the bewildered fteps of benighted men! to draw down the bleffings of Heaven on a guilty world! and to exemplify in living characters what a Chriftian and a Minifter ought to be!

A fhort character of the deceafed feems all that is neceffary to be added to this account.-As a minifter, he had formed himself on the model of thofe worthy divines who lived in the former part of the laft century, and that preceding. Drs. Owen, Goodwin, Ridgely, and Pres. Edwards, had employed a confiderable fhare of his attention in the more

early

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early part of life. He was well read in the different controverfies about Theology, and able, above many others, to defend those parts of the Gospel which are usually encountered by Socinian fophiftry. His fermons were plain and familiar, formed commonly on the phrafeology of his text, which was thrown into eafy natural parts, and illuftrated by correfponding and pertinent paffages of Scripture, which were generally elucidated, more or lefs, as he went along. He feldom indulged in fpeculation, or drew the attention of his hearers from the more important and neceffary truths of the Gospel, which are so interefting to man's eternal happiness; fuch as repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jefus Chrift; the bleffings of Chriftianity, and the devotional and moral duties of religion. These were his most usual subjects, as they certainly will be of every minifter who wishes to prefent his hearers perfect in Chrift Jefus. His manner was very fimple. He had nothing artificial; and never made the moft diftant attempt to fhine. There was plain good fenfe, fterling evangelical truth, joined with Chriftian affection, and an unction from heaven in all he faid. Thefe excellencies recommended his discourses to ferious intelligent people. There was as much in him of that fimplicity and godly fincerity which commends itself to every man's confcience in the fight of God, as in moft Chriftian preachers. He did not, indeed, poffefs much of the brilliant and captivating; nor was his preaching greatly adapted to ftrike the paffions or attract the ignorant; but he poffeffed talents more fubftantial and more agreeable to the church, though they were not of that fort which could gain any great popularity. But with all thefe excellencies he had fome defects. His difcourfes might fometimes have been improved by fewer divifions and a little more difcuffion, connected with greater fulness of expreffion. He dealt too much in obfolete words, and did not pay fufficient attention to modern pronunciation.

If we confider him as a man of counfel, he had very few fuperiors. His abilities were admirably fitted for bringing into effect any plan which it was neceffary to agitate in company. His ideas were clear, and he found no difficulty in ftating them with precifion. Hints fuitable to the occafion would frequently occur to his mind; and he could foften down objections with great eafe, and calm the fpirits of an opponent. If any thing was wanting in a pecuniary way to accomplish what was thought right to be done, he knew where the fprings of motion lay, and he could move

them

them with great delicacy, in fuch a manner that they feldom refifted his touch.

In respect to moral character, Mr. Galland was pattern. During more than twenty years, in which he lived in this part, nothing ever tranfpired prejudicial to his reputation. The tongue of flander never once defamed his name. The moft profane were conftrained to say, "Surely this is a righteous man." The weight of his character had great effect on the external decency of the village. Soon after he came to Holmfirth, his foul was grieved at the profane cuftom of buying and felling on the Lord's Day: he fet about reforming it; and his endeavours had fome fuccefs. The method he took was that of going round the town, and obtaining a promife from every individual to discontinue the practice if all the reft would. After he had fucceeded fo far, he called them together, and obtained a joint agreement to give it up. This fhews how much prudence and application might do towards the reformation of the world.

Halifax, March 6, 1801.

J. C.

THE

ON APPARITIONS.

HE credulity of mankind, and the abuses of the interested, have made wife men very cautious refpecting all preternatural appearances; and whilft infidels have dif carded from their fyftem both angels and fpirits, even believers have been ready to fuggeft that, though there may formerly have been apparitions, no fuch things are now to be admitted. Extremes are alike dangerous. To deny the poffibility of thefe, would be to impeach the Scripture teftimony; but to give credit to every whimfy of the imagination, would be to bring truth itself into fufpicion.

That unembodied fpirits, good and bad, of angels and men, exift, can admit of no doubt among those who receive the Divine Revelation. That their powers are not diminished by being divefted of corporeal bodies, may with the ftrongest probability of reafoning be concluded; and that on special occafions they may be permitted to affume vifible forms, cannot I.think be reafonably denied. Nor chiefly, would I utterly exclude communications from fpirit to fpirit, though the mode come not within the sphere of our prefent intellect. In a fubject fo curious, I wish

to