self-exaggerating spirit. It reared, indeed, a vast and imposing structure, but disproportioned, disjointed, without strength, without foundations. One strong blast was enough to shake and shatter it, nor could his genius uphold it. Happy would it have been for his fame, had he been buried in its ruins. "One of the striking properties of Bonaparte's character was decision, and this, as we have already seen, was perverted, by the spirit of self-exaggeration, into an inflexible stubbornness, which counsel could not enlighten, nor circumstances bend. Having taken the first step, he pressed onward. His purpose he wished others to regard as a law, or a decree of destiny. It must be accomplished. Resistance but strengthened it; and so often had resistance been overborne, that he felt as if his unconquerable will, joined to his matchless intellect, could vanquish all things. On such a mind the warnings of human wisdom and of Providence were spent in vain; and the Man of Destiny lived to teach others, if not himself, the weakness and folly of that all-defying decision, which arrays the purposes of a mortal with the immutableness of the counsels of the Most High. 2 (To be Continued.) Memoir of the Life, Character, and Services of the late Rev. James Scott. "RELIGION had his heart, his cares, his voice: The church of Israel, and the house of prayer." Or the excellent man who is the subject of this Memoir, it may with truth be said, that he filled a station exactly adapted to his own taste, spirit, wishes, qualifications, and means of doing good. The circumstances of his life, were few and simple: but they will be found important, as they affected—and, indeed, formed-his character; as they determined his lot, cherished his graces and virtues, and were, in the most considerable degree, the occasion of his usefulness. The Rev. JAMES SCOTT, was born at Stourbridge, on the 4th of March, 1768; being the third surviving son of John and of Elizabeth Scott. His strong inclination towards the ministerial office, discovered itself at an early age; together with a mind peculiarly fitted for the undertaking, and earnestly desirous of the scene of his future labours being the district, if not the spot, where they were afterwards so beneficially exercised. For his education, be was placed first in a small private school, under the care of the Rev. Radcliffe Scholefield, at Birmingham. In the autumn of 1784, he removed to the academy at Daventry, where he diligently improved his high advantages for the acquisition of general, nor least of theological, knowledge. He settled at Cradley in 1789, and was ordained there in the following year. About this time, he was occupied in some arduous but finally very successful efforts, for the spiritual reformation of numbers of his poor and uninstructed neighbours. In 1807, he was associated with the Rev. Benjamin Carpenter, his justly revered friend and former minister, most of whose views of Christian doctrine he himself took, in conducting the services at Stourbridge and at Cradley, on alternate Lord's days, and in performing the other parts of pastoral duty. From that period, he continued to divide his labours in nearly the same manner and proportion; never leaving the people of his care, excepting annually for a short and regular season, in order that he might invigorate his health. Thus employed, constantly devising liberal things, and going about doing good, he pursued his noiseless and eminently useful and happy course; greatly esteemed, warmly loved and regarded, wherever he was knownand where he was best known, most regarded and most loved. Such was the path in which he moved, until it pleased Almighty God, at a time, and in circumstances most gracious to the much favoured pastor, but awfully impressive in respect of his hearers and survivors,* to call his servant to himself. A powerful spirit of devotion and brotherly love, combined with a temper naturally retiring and unobtrusive, and, on principle, and by cultivation, signally humble and modest, was the essence of Mr. Scott's character. This character, the chief incidents of his life particularly tended to create and strengthen. Under the domestic roof, he received lessons, and witnessed examples, which caused Christian piety and kindness to be the governing principles of his conduct. The excellent person to whose charge he was afterwards committed, delivered the same precepts, and held out the same pattern.t On entering upon an academical life, * Christian Reformer, vol. xiv. p. 39, 40. The Rev. RADCLIFFE SCHOLEFIELD, was, for many years, the much respected Minister of the Society of Protestant Dissenters assembling at Mr. Scott again experienced the happiness of being the member of a small family, at the head of which was a man remarkable for the gentleness, as for every other property, of heavenly wisdom:* and here he could prosecute his studies in the holy silence which he loved, and be exempted from the comparative agitations of a large and mixed society. Yet he cheerfully associated with his fellow-pupils, for every purpose which involved their common and dearest interests; and most with those, who, like himself, had the office of the Christian ministry in view. I cannot soon lose the pleasing impression, which my intercourse with him, upon occasions of that nature, made, from the first, on my mind. It is upwards of forty-three years since we so met: but the meeting appears to be as of yesterday. During those delightful and instructive hours, the superior piety, sweetness, and candour of his spirit were evident; while, in the progress of his academical course, other employments, in which he voluntarily engaged, together with his companions, cherished his desire and his habit of useful service-particularly as they gave him opportunities of statedly assisting in the religious instruction of the children of the poor.+ So retiring was he, and so unobtrusive, that only the commanding sense of duty prevailed with him, to bring himself before his fellow-men. In all such instances, his reluctance disappeared; though still he would not willingly the Old Meeting-house in Birmingham; in which town he died, June 21, 1803. An engaging sketch of his life and character, will be found in the Monthly Magazine, vol. xvi. p. 379, &c. See, too, the Monthly Repository, &c. vol. ix. p. 565, 566. * Of the Rev. THOMAS ROBINS, "a brief" yet instructive "Memoir" was laid before the public, in the year 1810, together with "a sketch of the sermon preached on occasion of his death (May 20, 1810), by George Watson, and some biographical additions." During the years which Mr. Scott passed at Daventry, the academical buildings were not sufficiently capacious to accommodate all the pupils, no small proportion of whom lodged, as the consequence, in private houses; while a few were both lodged and boarded in the family of Mr. Robins, and joined their several classes at lectures, and the whole of their fellow-students at prayers and academical exercises. Mr. Scott's tutors were, the Rev. Thomas Belsham, the Rev. William Broadbent (who died Dec. 1, 1827), and the Rev. Eliezer Cogan [Mon. Rep. xvii. p. 285]: of these gentlemen, he uniformly spoke in terms of the most cordial respect and gratitude; and he was regarded by them with reciprocal complacency and affection. The institution of Sunday Schools, was, at that time, of recent origin. be prominent-not the first to gain the regard of others. Whether I think on him as a Christian, or a Christian minister, I am reminded of the disciple who leaned on the bosom of Jesus, and possessed the largest share of his spirit the disciple, who, uncalled, and with unconquerable affection, follows Jesus, yet follows him " with bumble hope and silent love"-with no anxiety for spectators, and no clamorous or assuming zeal. (To be Continued.) A New-Year's-Day Discourse. (Continued from page 266.) I WOULD make a further improvement of the subject before us, by urging you to a more attentive, frequent, and serious perusal of the Holy Scriptures, as being the only method by which, effectively, you may discern "both time and judgment." The Gospel communication not only carries the assurance, that a purer, and more exalted, and a more enduring state of being, awaits the termination of our pilgrimage on earth-our passage of the tomb-and our arrival on the threshold of eternity-together with the conditions, on the observance of which, an entrance will be afforded us into the mansions of the New Jerusalem, when the tabernacle of God shall be with men; but it also, with a merciful regard to our infirmities, in broad and discernible characters of information, instructs us, how that, by works, a man is justified saying, this do, and thou shalt live-curse God, and die! This, then, at once and for ever, sets the question at rest, as to the necessity-would we so discern time and judgment, that, having suffered with Christ, with him we may be glorified—of a habitual and earnest resort being had to the fountain that casteth out her waters, under which dead things are formed. All, then, that remains for us to observe upon, is the attitude of mind, with which we should approach the chambers of imagery of the Most High God. To go to the Scriptures, to satisfy a formal observance, is one thing to go to the Scriptures, with the sincere and fervent desire of spiritual manifestation, and of satisfying, not a famine of bread, but of hearing the word, is obviously another, and a very different thing. Now, though, in the one case, the Scrip your tures must ever remain the words of a book that is sealed -in the other and latter case, they become the power of God unto salvation. And we put it to you each, which of these cases may be borne, with a personal application, upon the history of your several lives? Do you go to the Bible, as to an undeviating test, to determine the extent of the progress you have made towards the attainment of the Christian temper and life-carrying along with you the resolve, of conforming yourself, in the every imagination of heart and the every tendency of your willand the every pursuit of your day, to the measure of its teachings? Do you go there, with the calm and steadfast determination, to kindle upon the altar of your affections, to the glory of God, a burning like the burning of a fire, and in its flame, to devour the briars and the thorns set against him in battle? Do you go there, with the meek and humble conviction, that the glorious beauty of holiness, springing from out the waters of bitterness, is a fading flower, and as the hasty fruit before the summer? Do you go there, with all the singleness of mind, and purity of heart, and simplicity and teachableness of disposition of a little child-ready to exclaim with Samuel, when the Lord calls, "Speak, for thy servant heareth?" Do you go there, to bring your unruly and sensual desires into subjection, lest that, by any means, you prove a castaway, and to learn of Christ, to deny yourself, and take up your cross and follow him? Do you go there as one dead in trespasses and sins, desirous of being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone? In one word, do you go there, with the earnest longing of being henceforth no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, but to come, in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man-unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ? Now, unless this has been the temper and habitude of mind, with which you have resorted to the Scriptures, there is much ground for apprehension, that the unsearchable riches of Christ hath been preached to you in vain; and that, although ye have read, yet have ye not understood the knowledge, in the mystery of Christ, according to the gift of the grace of God, given by the effectual working of his power; and that, when the book is delivered to you, with the injunction, "Read this, I |