conducted to its proper destination, restored to its original dignity, and attain to the complete purpose of eternal love. It is he on whom I am daily more and more constrained to place an entire dependence. As a mortal man, as a helpless sinner, as a philosopher, I stand in need of him. The more I examine all the different systems of philosophy, the more I am led to adore Jesus Christ as my Lord and my God. Christ, or despair, is my only alternative. His incarnation,-his sufferings, death, and resurrection, his close affinity to mankind, serve to dis pel all my darkness, to supply all my defects." At the commencement of the French revolution, Mr. Lavater, in common with multitudes, rejoiced at the pleasing prospect that the numerous abuses prevalent under the former government, would have an end; that the rights of the people would be more respected, and genuine liberty established but no sooner did he observe Liberty degenerating into licentiousness; no sooner did an account of the revolutionary atrocities reach his ear, than he spoke most loudly and decidedly against it; and more especially, he denounced it as the grossest violation, both of divine and human laws, when the French put to death their late unhappy monarch. When, in 1795, the first revolutionary movements appeared in the canton of Zurich, Mr. Lavater employed all the talents of his mind, and exerted all the powers of his eloquence, to assuage the fury of an unruly passion, to advise the mildest and most conciliatory measures on the part of the government, and to exhort the people, in the most impressive language, to the strictest observance of due respect and obedience towards their lawful magis trates. When the total subversion of the Swiss constitution took place, in 1798; and soon afterwards that free and happy country, which, for centuries, had enjoyed the blessings of peace, was involved in all the dreadful calamities of war, Mr. Lavater's character shone forth with particular lustre. Without attaching himself to any party whatever, his constant aim appeared to be to lessen, as much as possible, the sum of human misery at this aweful period; to promote, by all the means in his power, mutual union, concord, and peace; to prevent still greater mischief; to instruct and comfort his VOL. III.-No. 59. E c people people from the word of God; to impress their minds with the necessity of genuine repentance, of a firm and unshaken belief in the gracious promises of the Gospel, of fervent and unremitting prayer, and of a due improvement of their present afflictions. Meek and gentle as Mr. Lavater's general disposition was, he opposed, with the boldness and fortitude of a lion, all the acts of injustice and cruelty which were comhitted, either by his revolutionary countrymen, or by the French invaders. Nobly disregarding all fear of man, and trusting in divine protection, he addressed a letter to M. Reubel, who was then President of the French Directory. remonstrating, in the most spirited manner, against the lawless violence and shameful robberies perpetrated amongst a free, independent, and harmless people; and it is remarkable, that Reubel dared not commit any personal violence against Mr. Lavater; but condescended to send him a long answer, full of sophistical argument. Soon afterwards, when he had the mortification to see that some of the inhabitants of Zurich were suddenly carried away from their families, by order of the new Swiss government, he thought it neccessary to enter his protest against such proceedings. This so enraged his enemies, that they resolved upon his deportation likewise. Mr. Lavater was so fully aware of this event, that sometime before it took place, he prepared the following letter to his family and friends: "I expect shortly to meet with the same treatment which others, more worthy than myself, have experienced. A system of terror once introduced, spreads like a flame driven by the wind. I expect every thing; and being prepared for the worst, fear nothing. That which is evil shall turn out for good; and the worst for the best. God will give me tranquillity and fortitude to bear every thing. I shall suffer innocently. Be fully assured, that whatever they bring against me, they will be able to prove nothing. I expect, that I shall soon be privately arrested. In this case, let me intreat you to remain as tranquil as myself. God will not suffer me to be destroyed. I shall not, at least on this occasion, become the victim of Despotism; yea, I fully trust, my deportation shall be rendered a blessing to myself, to you, and to my native country! Let me, therefore, request you to attempt nothing for me, how 3 ever natural or needful it may appear to you. God will soon help me, without any interference of yours. Only pray for me with composure, affection, and fearless confidence. Farewell. May the Lord be with us all !". (April 9, 1799.) What Mr. Lavater foresaw, soon came to pass. He was at Baden, for the benefit of his health, which had been much impaired. He had spent but a few days at that place before he was apprehended. On the morning of the 18th of May, he was torn from the arms of his afflicted wife, and carried, by an armed force, to Basil; where he was detained as a prisoner, in the house of the prefect. In this distressing situation he manifested the most manly and Christian character. His enemies accused him of having betrayed the interests of his country to the Russian government, for the sum of one hundred pounds; but, providentially, at the very time of his trial, a letter from Petersburgh arrived, which being opened by the prefect, demonstrated, in the clearest manner, that the sum in question was merely the price of some paintings, which the empress had purchased of Mr. Lavater: his enemies were thus constrained to set him at liberty. When he returned to Zurich, after a banishment of three months, he was received, as it were, in triumph, not only by his friends, but by his fellow citizens in general. Soon afterwards, however, a far greater calamity befel him, which ultimately proved fatal: On Sept. 26, 1799, after a most bloody battle with the combined forces of Austria and Russia, the victorious French army retook the city of Zurich. At this crisis, Mr. Lavater was humanely relieving some poor neighbouring widows from the importunities of the French soldiery, whom he accommodated in his own house with meat and drink, when one of these ungrateful wretches discharged his gun at his be nefactor. The ball entered his body a little below his heart, and went out on the right side. The blood rushed out from each aperture. His wife, children, friends, and neighbours surrounded him, tetrified, lamenting, weeping, and loudly exclaiming against the perpetrator of this abominable deed; but he was resigned; freely forgave his cruel enemy; and, in the midst of excruciating pains, adored the chastening band of his Heavenly Father, whose unchangeable love he acknowledged even in this painful Ee 2 dispen. dispensation. His wound seemed to heal sooner than was at first expected; and some months afterwards, he had the satisfaction to appear once more before his congregation, to whom he was attached in the most affectionate manner. He chose for his text, Psalm lxxi. 7, 8, “I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise, and with thy honour, all the day." Mr. Lavater continued to preach about two months longer; but was then obliged entirely to desist. His active spirit, however, could not be unemployed; but, in the midst of the greatest bodily pains, he continued to write and prepare works for the press; particularly, "the History of his Deportation," in two octavo volumes; a most excellent " Prayer Book ;" and a small volume of "Letters, supposed to have been written by the Apostle St. Paul before and after his Conversion." At the same time he wrote several thousand "Farewell Lines," to be distributed among his friends after his death. He also took the most active part in establishing a benevolent society for the relief of his numerous countrymen who had lost their all by the calamities of war. No words can express how greatly Mr. Lavater suffered during the last six months of his life. Not only his wounds left a very painful sensation, but a most violent cough, a swimming in his head, and a soreness of his body, occasioned by long confinement to his bed, proved so many additional afflictions. Here religion alone supported him; and here it was that his Christian patience, resignation, fortitude, and hope of a blessed immortality, shone forth in the brightest lustre. Even in the darkest moments he was not seen desponding, nor casting away his confidence: but his secret sighs ascended to a throne of grace; his Bible was the sweet companion of his restless nights, when he often broke out in loud hallelujahs, and by his cheerfulness revived the drooping spirits of his distressed family. He was very thankful for the least comfort administered to him, and never ceased most fervently to pray for his murderer. He once said to a friend, "I do not wish to know him who wounded me with the fatal ball; but this I wish to let him know, that I forgive him with all my heart; for, believe me, I owe very much to these wounds, ard to my present severe pains." He tenderly sympathized with all fellow sufferers upon a bed of sickness; and hear • Since translated into English. ing of a pious woman, who, for sixteen years, continued under the afflicting hand of God, he addressed some lines of consolation to her. Only a week before his dissolution, when informed that his sister-in-law was at the point of death, his love was so fervent, that nothing could restrain him from seeing her. Being brought in a chair to her house, he sat down at her bed-side, and thus addressed her: "Here we sit together, both dying; but love never dies, nor the gratitude which I owe to you, my dear sister. May God reward you for all the kindness you have shewn me!" After fainting away for some moments, he continued, "O! what joy must there be in heaven, when they see another weary traveller approaching the shore! Rejoicing, they exclaim, Another is coming, who has safely escaped the storms of yonder mortal life-he is just here. He exclaims, The land! the land!" Exhausted, and in agony, he then suffered himself to be removed, addressing his sister thus: "May Jesus Christ, whose consolations are inexhaustible, be with thee and with thy spirit to redeem it!" On Christmas eve he said to his wife and daughter, "My dears, do you know what burdens me most at present? My inability to meditate upon the greatest of all the wonders of grace,-the incarnation of Christ." Yet even whilst slumbering, this great mystery of godliness so enraptured his soul, that he composed a verse in this state, with which he awoke, but could only recollect a part of it: "Jesu from Heav'n descends, and brings Unmingled grace his right hand bears; And ev'ry trace of mis'ry disappears." Only two days before his death he dictated a thanksgiving hymn, to be read to his congregation. It became now exceedingly difficult for him to speak; but his last expressions were prayers and blessings pronounced upon his family; and after a most severe struggle, in which he nevertheless remained sensible, and steadily looking up to the Lord, he was delivered from the body of sin, and triumphantly entered the realms of endless bliss! His mortal remains were committed to the grave amidst a vast concourse of people of all ranks and descriptions, and amidst the tears and lamentations not only of his family and fellow |