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ber of many literary societies, and received the title of Doctor of Laws from Union College.

At the commencement of the vacation in August, 1824, he left Albany for Philadelphia. Being exposed to the inclemency of the weather, and not being apprehensive of any danger, he was seized with a violent cold. On Sabbath he was engaged to preach; on the morning of that day he rose, having spent a sleepless night. The cause of his restlessness was a soreness of the tongue, which, upon examination, was found to be much inflamed and excoriated. Though this was a symptom of the fever which succeeded, he was unwilling that the people who had invited his services should be disappointed, and therefore ventured, though attended with much pain, to preach the discourse which follows.

On Monday, the fever set in, and continued till Thursday, when it abated, and on Friday seemed to have left him. His physician and attendants had not the slightest suspicion that he was dangerous; towards morning, he was visibly worse-and before ten o'clock, the spirit had left its clay tenement. His death was attributed to inflammation in the stomach.

In his death, society lost a valuable member, the church an able defender, and that portion of it to which he was attached, a firm and undeviating friend; as he was sincerely and zealously attached to the principles of the Reformation, as maintained by the Associate Synod of North America.

Being naturally of a contemplative and taciturn disposition, his first impressions on a stranger were not prepossessing, it was only those who were in habits of intimacy with him that knew and duly prized his private worth. But, though he was naturally contemplative, he was not so to the breach of decorum. On the contrary, few men had a better knowledge of men and manners. His conversation generally led to subjects of a heavenly and divine nature, and few had a happier turn in directing it to subjects of this kind. His composition was dignified and smooth, and he evidently labored more for perspicuity than embellishment. He always gave due time for preparation for public duties, and never attempted to serve the Lord "with that which cost him nothing." His discourses were written in full, and delivered nearly as they were written. He was not backward in administering reproof, when he saw it to be necessary; and with prudence and discretion, peculiar to himself, he discountenanced that disposition which prevails with some, to levity, and to trifling with serious things. He was possessed of great equanimity of mind, which, sanctified by the Spirit of God, was of great advantage to him in the troubles and afflictions he was called to endure.

The sermon which follows, if not the best of his compositions, is at least good; it was selected as being his lastwhich will give it interest. It was not prepared for the press by the author, and it is probable he had not the most distant idea of giving it to the publie. It is given, however, just as he left it, and is a convincing proof of the care and diligence with which he prepared for public services.

His earthly sufferings terminated in the congregation in which he was first settled. His remains were deposited in front of the Associate Church, beside those of Mr. Marshall, his venerable predecessor.

The following inscription is on his tomb-stone:

En Memory of

THE REV. JOSEPH SHAW, L. L. D.,

A NATIVE OF SCOTLAND;

LATE PROFESSOR OF LANGUAGES IN THE ALBANY ACADEMY, NEW-YORK, AND FORMERLY PASTOR OF THIS CHURCH,

Who Died August 21st, 1824,

In the 46th year of his age, and Twenty-Third of his Ministry. His last sermon he preached to this congregation on the Sabbath immediately preceding his decease, from the words, Unto you, O men, I call, and j my voice is to the sons of man.' Prov. viii. 4.

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SERMON,

BY THE REV. JOSEPH SHAW, L. L. D.

"Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man." (Prov. viii. 4.)

We need not, my brethren, bring into contrast different nations and ages-we need not compare together the savage, the semi-barbarous and the civilized races of men-we need not visit even in imagination all the inhabitants of the globe existing under all the varieties of climate, from the polar regions of the north to the torrid zone-we need not oppose the rude and gloomy inhabitants of the cave, the forest, and snow-built hut, to the refined society of splendid courts and cities--we need not compare christian with heathen, or the untutored peasant with the well educated man, in order to discover that man is not the same every where, at all times and in all respects, in regard to the state of his mind, any more, than in regard to his bodily habits and external circumstances. No: take the case of but one man, compare that man with himself, and in the few years which constitute his natural life, you will see how in all its succeeding stages, he is constantly differing from his former self. The same individual in his boyhood, in the strength of manhood, and in the decrepitude of old age, differs not more in vigor and appearance from himself, than do his taste, opinions and emotions of mind in the different stages of his being. As an historical illustration of this point, we call you to observe-what must be obvious to every one, on the bare mention of itthat the author of the three sacred books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, must have been in three very different states of mind, when he penned them. The most striking diversities indeed are apparent in these three divine compositions. The Song is a sublime allegory, setting forth in all the glow and sprightliness of a youthful mind, the intimate connection between God and the church. The book of Proverbs, fraught with the choicest rules of conduct in all

our relations to God and man, is evidently, the production of one who had arrived at the full ripeness of his faculties, lived much among men, and was aclose observer of human life and manners. The book of Ecclesiastes is evidently the writing of a man, who with much dear-bought experience of the insufficiency of all earthly good for happiness, has gone down into the vale of years, and weary of the bustle and business of the world, pronounces the result of all his researches in these affecting words, "vanity of vanities: all is vanity." From internal evidence, therefore, i. e. from the subject matter, the language, the style and the manner of writing, we concur with those Jewish writers who affirm, that Solomon wrote the Canticles in his youth, the Proverbs in his riper years, and Ecclesiastes in his old age.

Solomon, the penman of these three books, was eminently favored with the illuminating inspirations of the Holy Spirit, and even twice witnessed the Divine presence. Under the guidance of the Divine Spirit his pen has recorded, for the benefit of all future generations, this noble passage in the beginning of the eighth chapter of the book of Proverbs, in which Jehovah-Jesus, the personal wisdom of God, loudly and importunately calls all within hearing of the gospel to seek the true knowledge of the divine will and the fear of the Lord, which is the height and perfection of true wisdom. I am aware that some consider this passage as one of those beautiful descriptions and personifications which abound in, and embellish the sacred writings. But the church of God has in all ages considered the terms, word and WISDOM, as proper names of the second person of the Trinity. Besides, if we look into the passage itself, we will find much of it that, even with violent pushing beyond all sober interpretation, will hardly admit of any good sense or of any sense at all, if wisdom here mean only the attribute or quality of wisdom. But if we interpret wisdom here of a real person, as I think upon the principles of fair interpretation we must, every part will with great truth and beauty apply to the Lord Jesus Christ; in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and to whom the church from the beginning till now is indebted for all gracious manifestations. After all, if any should consider the passage as a very lively personification in the manner of the orientals, it is still the voice of the Almighty Father of the universe, calling us to listen to the revelations of eternal wisdom and mercy; to "Him who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption;" it is still an authentic gospel offer of Christ

to all to accept him, made by God to us: according to the apostle John, "my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven."

You see then what is to be the subject matter of our discourse, namely, what, in the language of orthodox divines, is termed the gospel call. But as the call of Wisdom in our text is expressed in universal terms, and no kind or degree of limitation; we may warrantably extend it to every method whereby Jehovah communicates the knowledge of his being, perfections and will to men.

1. And in the first place he speaks to us by all his worksabove and around us, all nature cries aloud. The ninteenth Psalm, besides a beautiful eulogy on the law of God, is a psalm of praise to the Creator; founded on the consideration of his glory which is so conspicuous in the creationi-n the heavens and in the stars. The Great Being preaches day and night to man by all the things which his hands have made, His works are obvious to every eye, and his voice in them audible to every ear, in all parts of his dominions. Day transmits to night and night again to day, the task of shewing the knowledge of God and uttering his praises. And as they have hitherto done, so they will never cease to do, as long as the sun and moon endure and the vicissitudes of day and night return. Above all, the glorious sun, issuing forth morning after morning, like the sovereign of the skies; diffusing light and warmth, and brilliant coloring over every object beneath; naturally leads our eye upward to himself, and still higherto that Being by whom the sun, the most magnificent object in all nature, was made. The sweet singer of Israel, the man after God's own heart, turned to good spiritual account, the magnificent nocturnal spectacle of the shining stars and the moon walking in brightness. How beyond all expression wonderful, that the maker of all these things should be " mindful of man!" Ever since the creation there has been a clear continued manifestation of the invisible essence and perfections of Jehovah in the works of nature. The spoken and written languages of men are numerous, and intelligible but to few except the inhabitants of particular countries; but the works of God deliver in a language common to all, instructions audible, visible and intelligible to men every tongue under heaven. Nature's preaching is the most ancient and universal, her voice is really God's voice; as really so as the written or preached gospel is. Not, that nature's silent voice reveals the only hope of guilty man-but she preaches the true God clearly and intelligibly, so far as to leave all the Gentile

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