OF the great mass of humanity little more can be chronicled than that "Such a person was born on one day and died upon another." Of it very few of all the molds and types of mankind is either the life or the death a subject of much interest or concern, beyond the parish precincts in which they lived and died. Others, indeed, there are, whose lives are more or less an interest to their cotemporaries and posterity; but, besides these, there is in the great drama of humanity, a goodly number whose lives are public blessings, and whose characters and achievements constitute them, more or less, benefactors of the race. If a man only builds one house, plants one tree, and properly educates one child, he is to be enrolled, though in an humble niche, a benefactor of his race. Between him, however, and a Franklin, a Howard, a Washington, a Joseph, a Moses, a Peter, or a Paul, what an interval!

      The holy Scriptures themselves recognize these distinctions, these diversities of ranks, dignities, and honors: "They that be righteous shall shine as the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever." "Honor to whom honor is due" is a stereotyped precept of Paul to the Romans.

      The private Christian who, in this present world, honorably acknowledges the Lord Jesus, shall, by the Lord Jesus himself, be most honorably "acknowledged before his Father find before his holy angels."

      Thus, while the memory of the wicked shall rot," the memory of "the righteous is blessed." These oracles were to be handed from father to son, through all succeeding generations; and doubtless, too, for the purpose of stimulating the energies of our nature to high, and holy, and heavenly aspirations.

      They were not intended to create envy, a false ambition, or to stimulate pride or jealousy or any sinister end or motive. On the contrary, they inculcate that "before honor is humility;" and, [3] therefore, he who humbles himself shall be exalted." Like an army in descending a mountain, those who command are the lowest; but, on the other side of the valley, when ascending, they are the highest in position.

      The two most transcendently important and interesting studies in this present world, are Divinity and Humanity. These are the stereotyped topics of the whole Bible, Old Testament and New.

      In spanning the arch of time, the isthmus connecting an eternity past with an eternity to come, we are lost in wonder, in admiration, and in adoration of the eternities of Israel! A Hebrew Idiom, indeed, indicative of an indefinable conception. It is, however, canonical, and it gives us comfort to realize that minds of gigantic stature have so decided.

      Are we living for time, or are we living for eternity? This is a question which we should daily propound to ourselves, and to which we should always be prepared to give an unambiguous and satisfactory answer. How, think we, shall we hereafter retrospect the use we have made of ourselves, of our means and opportunities of knowing and of doing good, of being happy and of making others happy by our instrumentality? "Lord, teach us" to consider this, and "to so number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom." "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish the works of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." So prayed Moses, the man of God, as reported in the ninetieth psalm.

      Such were the teachings which I received in my early life from the subject of the following memoirs; and whatever good, little or much, I may have achieved under God, I owe it all, and those benefited by it owe it all, to his paternal care and instruction, and especially to his example.

      This memoir has been long called for. My apology is and has been, the multiplicity and the variety of public calls upon my time at home and abroad, in connection with the Bible Union, Bethany College, and my long tours in response to many calls and importunities. I have long been waiting for a more convenient season, but it still seemed to be in the future. And even now, at last, I have to regret that it had to be dispatched in too much haste to satisfy my own intention and desire. But, under all the circumstances that surround me, and all the duties incumbent upon me, I have done the best I could.

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL. [4]      

[METC 3-4]