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of having led so bad a life, and of having acted upon such wicked principles, and used means so detrimental. My present condition, and even my death, do not concern me so much as my base actions; and it is quite impossible to make any reparation for what I have done to the world."

His attitude was now completely changed into penitence and humility. He expressed in his countenance the shame, sorrow, and uneasiness that overwhelmed him. Frequently he would start, on a sudden, from the couch on which he used constantly to lie,-then sit for half-an-hour together, hanging down his head, buried in deep thought, sobbing and shedding many tears. His forlorn condition excited the sympathy and compassion of his assiduous visitor, who, though it was yet too early to soothe him into absolute repose, by encouraging any thing like presumptuous assurance, nevertheless gave him to hope that his repentance might not be too late; since, with regard to pardon and acceptance with God, there was no distinction between those who came early, and those who came late, if mercy was sought in faith and sincerity.

Of his unfeigned penitence, no doubt almost could now remain. The manner in which he spoke of his past life, the remorse with which he was touched, and the anguish he felt from the reproaches of conscience, all seemed to indicate that he was in earnest. But he was reminded that neither repentance alone, nor reparation of injuries, nor amendment of life, those means which natural reason recommended for obtaining pardon, were sufficient to expiate our sins before God, or satisfy divine justice: That were a judge to par

don every criminal upon his shewing signs of grief, or even serious repentance, it would augur weakness, or perhaps goodness, rather than wisdom and justice, or a due respect for the qualities that befit the judicial character.

He was told, that though he could not repair the damages he had done, because he was so near eternity, he nevertheless could still do something which resembled, in some respects, a reparation; which was, that he should endeavour to efface those bad impressions he had made on the minds of the people, by shewing himself now quite a different man in his conversation, and his whole behaviour. To this he remarked, that he had already thought that to be his duty; that he heartily wished he could only contribute something towards the reformation of those of his friends whose morals he had corrupted by his example and his conversation: that he had spoken to an officer about the moral doctrines of Christianity, and exhorted him to obey them strictly, though in several respects he was not yet himself fully convinced.

He had received in course of these conversations, one or two very affecting letters from his parents, reminding him of the paternal admonitions and good examples he had seen and heard in his youth-expressing their grief and concern about his present unhappy circumstances-and recommending him to humble himself before God for his crimes, and fly for refuge to the blood of the Redeemer. The gentle remonstrances and tender solicitations conveyed in these letters, affected him most deeply. He wept in reading them, and begged his friend to write-assuring them that he

was conscious of the afflictions his misconduct had occasioned them; but that he heartily repented, and would do his best to die like a Christian.

As he was now better prepared for being made acquainted with the arguments in favour of the truth of Christianity, having admitted its excellence, and desired its consolations, Dr Munter had no longer any hesitation in entering fully into the subject with him. He observed that there were two ways to become convinced of the truth of Christianity. The first was a constant practice of

Christ's

precepts; by which a man may be convinced by his own experience of the excellency of his religion. The other was a candid examination, whether Christ had proved himself to be a true messenger of God, by delivering a doctrine worthy of God, and by performing undoubted miracles. As to his doctrines, he had himself owned, that they were truly divine; and if his resurrection, the greatest of his miracles, could be proved, it followed of course that the rest of his miracles were true, or at least might be so. It was necessary, he told him, that he should himself examine the evidences in behalf of this miracle, and that for this purpose he should give him a book, (West's Observations on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ), written by a deist, who was induced to turn Christian after examining the history of the resurrection.

West's treatise, together with Burnet's philosophical examination of the arguments for Christianity, proved highly satisfactory, and tended to remove many of the ignorant and perverse scruples he had entertained. The following arguments of West made a deep impression on his understand

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effect upon his convert; and had only extorted from him, a concession that the hypothesis for the existence of the soul was better founded than the contrary; but that many good reasons remained for his adhering to his former sentiments. It is evident, in fact, that this discussion was introduced at too early a stage of their progress. It was not to be expected that dry metaphysical arguments could have much force on the mind of Struensee in his present situation. He was not composed enough for cool and dispassionate reflection, nor prepared to examine and weigh the subject with deliberation. His spiritual director, therefore, very judiciously abandoned this method of procedure, and adopted another and a more successful scheme, by working upon his good feelings, and trying to affect his heart, instead of labouring in vain to convince his understanding.

He had observed that the ruinous effects of his actions on others, had occasioned him more regret than his own misery, or the offence he had committed against God; and having discovered this uneasiness, this tender point, where the wounds of his conscience smarted most, he laid hold of the sensation, and made it the object of attack; hoping that this salutary regret might by degrees become more universal, and extend itself towards his other crimes; and that by bringing into action those feelings of sympathy and affection for his friends, a way might ultimately be opened up for the admission of religion. He represented to him how cruelly he had afflicted his parents, how dreadful the suspense they must be in about his present condition, and how humiliating to them the circumstances of his death. He

reminded him how much it was his duty to remove their anxiety about his future state, this being the greatest, and now in his fallen condition, the only comfort on earth he could procure them, that filial obedience, which as a son it became him to pay them, was a lesson which he might have learnt from the heathen philosophers, and from Confucius himself, whose moral system he had preferred to that of Christ.

He intreated him to reflect how many his voluptuousness had ruined! That his example, and the propagation of his principles had seduced young men into profligacy; many of whom had lost their characters, ruined their constitutions, and even met their death in the pursuit of illicit pleasures: That perhaps destitute widows and orphans, whose husbands and fathers had fallen victims to the profligate habits he had taught them, were then crying to the all-knowing God, against the author of their misfortunes: That youthful innocence had often been sacrificed to his lawless passions; the ties of matrimony violated, which, according to the unanimous opinion of all nations, should be held sacred; and children, the offspring of his irregularities, were left for want of education or parental care, to become a burden and a disgrace to society. He represented to him what confusions, enmities, and law-suits these would produce, even after his death, in families that might have remained happy, if he had left them unmolested; and that if every one were to follow his example, human society must necessarily be overturned.

With regard to his political life, he begged him to consider, that instead of being spent for the good of others, it had been rather the means to satisfy

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