Those who are anxious to progress in the divine life, will not neglect the more private exercises of piety, without which those of the sanctuary will be in a great measure ineffectual. Prayer is the believer's vital breath; the Scriptures are his spiritual food; and it is only as the study of their sacred truths is combined with fervent supplication for every promised grace - that his course will correspond with the beautiful representation, in which the path of the just is compared to the shining light - which shines more and more unto the perfect day. To aid the Christian in his secret...

In fulfilling the various covenant engagements into which the Redeemer entered when he undertook the arduous and responsible work of redemption - he has laid us under unbounded obligations; and, for the wonders he has wrought - to be lost in silence and never called to mind, would betray the basest ingratitude towards him for all he has done for us men, and for our salvation. The following exercises are intended to furnish some feeble aid to those who are anxious that "thoughts of Christ and things divine" may have a prominent place in their meditations, and a beneficial influence upon their...

If the following pages contained a mere roll and record of death-bed scenes, they would form a gloomy volume. Such, however, is not their purpose. While the author has occasionally dwelt (as in the two opening chapters) on the closing hours of Scripture worthies--whenever incidents of note in connection with these are recorded--he has, in general, rather sought to make their "last days" the standpoint for a retrospective view of character and history. It has been his endeavor, mainly to inculcate, not so much lessons from death, as lessons from life viewed from this, its solemn termination....