from a hymn to which he alludes in eclogue the first, shews the poet "from seeming evil still educing good;" and we see him, in every stanza, turning the affliction of his body to the profit of his soul.

"Sweet are the uses of adversity,

Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous,
Wears yet a precious jewel in its head." ↑

Wither saw the circumstances and things by which he was surrounded as types of spiritual truths, and sweetly has he illustrated them:

"First, think, my soul, if I have foes

That take a pleasure in my care,
And to procure these outward woes

Have thus enwrapt me unaware;
Thou should'st by much more careful be,
Since greater foes lay wait for thee.

By my late hopes, that now are crost,
Consider those that firmer be,
And make the freedom I have lost

A means that may remember thee;
Had Christ not thy Redeemer been,
What horrid state hadst thou been in!

Or when through me thou seest a man
Condemn'd unto a mortal death,
How sad he looks, how pale, how wan,
Drawing with fear his panting breath;
Think, if in that such grief you see,
How sad will Go, ye cursed,' be!
These iron chains, these bolts of steel,
Which often poor offenders grind,
The wants and cares which they do feel,
May bring some greater things to mind;
For by their grief thou shalt do well
To think upon the pains of hell.

Again, when he that fear'd to die,

(Past hope) doth see his pardon brought,

Read but the joy that's in his eye,

And then convey it to thy thought;

Then think, between thy heart and thee,
How glad will Come, ye blessed,' be!"

Wither had, in his time, wielded the lash of satire with an unsparing hand. Many a stout heart had quailed in secret before the power and vigour with which he delineated Vice and her votaries. In his "Motto," which I consider by far the most delightful of his poems, he leaves the contemplation of the "outer world," and in solemn and profitable meditation turns "that inward eye, which is the bliss of solitude," upon his own soul. He aims at self-knowledge, and endeavours to trace the workings of that heart, which is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."

I extract the following passage, hoping that it will induce some readers to turn to the poem itself:

"Yet I confess, in this my pilgrimage,

I like some infant am of tender age;

For, as the child, who from his father hath

Stray'd in some grove, through many a crooked path,
Is sometimes hopeful that he finds the way,
And sometimes doubtful he runs more astray;

So in this life, this grove of ignorance,
As to my homeward I myself advance,
Sometimes aright, and sometimes wrong I go,
Sometimes my pace is steady, sometimes slow;
One while my ways are pleasant unto me,
Another while as full of cares they be;

I doubt and hope, and doubt and hope again,
And many a change of passion I sustain
In this my journey, so that, now and then,

I lost, perhaps, may seem to other men; Yea, to myself awhile, when sins impure Do my Redeemer's love from me obscure: But whatsoe'er betide, I know full well, My Father, who above the clouds doth dwell, An eye upon his wandering child doth cast, And he will fetch me to my home at last." In the four last beautiful lines we see him leaning with humble, yet firm confidence, on those everlasting arms of love which our heavenly Father spreadeth out beneath all them who "hope in his mercy."

The "Preparation for the Psalter" is a specimen of a commentary on the Psalms, which was never completed. The following stanzas, termed by him a sonnet, are prefixed: they form a free, but spirited, paraphrase of the 148th Psalm.

66 Come, O come, with sacred lays
Let us sound the Almighty's praise,
Hither bring in true concent
Heart, and voice, and instrument;
Let the orpharion sweet

With the harp and viol meet,

To your voices tune the lute,
Let not tongue nor string be mute,
Nor a creature dumb be found,
That hath either voice or sound.

Let such things as do not live,
In still music praises give;
Lowly pipe, ye worms that creep
On the earth, or in the deep;
Loud aloft your voices strain,
Beasts and monsters of the main;
Birds, your warbling treble sing,
Clouds, your peals of thunder ring;
Sun and moon, exalted higher,
And you stars, augment the quire.

Come, ye sons of human race,
In this chorus take your place,
And amid this mortal throng,
Be you masters of the song;
Angels and celestial powers,
Be the noblest tenor yours;
Let, in praise of God, the sound
Run a never-ending round,
That our holy hymn may be
Everlasting, as is He.

From the earth's vast hollow womb,
Music's deepest base shall come,
Seas and floods, from shore to shore,
Shall the counter-tenor roar :
To this concert, when we sing,
Whistling winds your descant bring,
Which may bear the sound above,
Where the orb of fire doth move
And so climb from sphere to sphere,
Till our song the Almighty hear.

So shall He, from heaven's high tower,

On the earth his blessings shower;

All this huge wide orb we see,
Shall one quire, one temple be;

There our voices we will rear,

Till we fill it every where,

And enforce the fiends that dwell

In the air to sink to hell;

Then, O come with sacred lays,

Let us sound th' Almighty's praise."

His "Songs and Hymns of the Church" are mcre generally known than any other of his productions. Simple and affecting in themselves, they derive an additional interest from the circumstances under which they were composed. Alone and friendless in the solitary cell of a prison, he alleviated his sufferings by "rendering into lyric verse the hymns dispersed throughout the canonical Scriptures, to which he subsequently added spiritual songs, appropriated to the several times and occasions observable in the Church of England."

How often, when afterwards tossed in the troubled waters of political strife, must he have thought, with melancholy pleasure, on those profitable prison-labours, in the prosecution of which he had communed with his God in the silent watches of the night, and felt the holy dew of peace descend from on high to water and refresh his drooping soul.

Piety, simplicity, and pathos, are the prevailing characteristics of these prayers and praises: the Petition for Seasonable Weather is a fair example:

"Lord, should the sun, the clouds, the wind,
The air, and seasons be

To us so froward and unkind

As we are false to Thee,

All fruits would quite away be burn'd,
Or lie in water drown'd,
Or blasted be, or overturn'd,

Or chilled on the ground.

But from our duty though we swerve,
Thou still dost mercy shew,
And deign thy creatures to preserve,
That men might thankful grow;
Yet though from day to day we sin,
And thy displeasure gain,
No sooner we to cry begin,
But pity we obtain.

The weather now Thou changèd hast,
That put us late to fear,

And when our hopes were almost past,

Then comfort did appear:

The heaven the earth's complaint hath heard,

Let not this world bewitch them
With her besotting wine,
But let thy grace enrich them
With faith and love divine.

And whilst we live together,
Let us upon Thee call,
Help to prepare each other
For what may yet befall;
So just, so faithful-hearted,
So constant let us be,
That when we here are parted,

We may all meet in Thee."

"Halleluiah, or Britain's Second Remembrancer," is divided into three parts; the first containing hymns occasional, the second hymns temporary, the third hymns personal. The following piece for Anniversary Marriage-days presents a faithful transcript of his feelings towards her who had been the beloved partner of his joys and sorrows:

"Lord, living here are we,

As fast united yet,

As when our hands and hearts by Thee Together first were knit;

And in a thankful song

Now we will sing Thy praise,
Because Thou dost as well prolong
Our loving as our days.

The frowardness that springs
From our corrupted kind,

Or from those troublous outward things
Which may distract the mind,
Permit not thou, O Lord,

Our constant love to shake,
Or to disturb our true accord,

Or make our hearts to ache."

My quotations from the works of this interesting author have been rather long, but I would fain believe that every reader wishes they had been still longer. Of his version of the Psalms I cannot say so much as I could wish to have failed where the powers of a Milton were found inadequate, must not be considered a disgrace. His Emblems are interesting and instructive, no small praise for a work of that class. Of his poems generally it may be said, that, with little to astonish, they have much to please. In seasons when the sublime song of a Milton or Young falls unheeded on the ear, we find peace and joy in the simple strains of Wither: Mercy again appears arrayed in robes of compassion, and Hope relights her torch at his cheering lamp.

Garsden, 1839.

THE DUTY OF MAINTAINING CHURCH PRINCIPLES.*

BEFORE dismissing the subject of the uncompromising maintenance of principle in opposition to that which passes in the world for liberality, I must offer a very few observations relating to what are sometimes called the peculiarities of the established Church. I shall not occupy your time by an endeavour to refute the shallow and unscriptural notion, that Christian unity and charity consist in the establishment of a commodious sort of understanding among parties divided in religious communion, that they agree to differ. Certainly they ought to endeavour to live in peace, and in the interchange of all Christian good offices; and it is equally certain that each ought to rejoice in every From the Bp. of Montreal's Charge at his Primary Visitation, 1838.

instance in which another may promote the cause of Christ, and be ready to put the most liberal construction (I do not avoid the use of the word, for true liberality is a beautiful feature of the Gospel) upon all the proceedings of separate bodies, or individuals belonging to them. We ought to honour and to imitate all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, although they walk not with us. And it would be as difficult to deny, as it would be criminal to wish to deny, that the blessing and grace of God is often with those whose ministry we regard as irregularly constituted. But with all this, I conceive that we place ourselves in a very false position, and fail to act, in one point, the part which God has assigned to us in the world, if ever we adopt that language, or lend ourselves to those proceedings in which the Church is regarded as a sect among sects. It is quite foreign to my purpose to argue here the question of episcopacy: but if we believe that the apostles founded and framed an episcopal Church; if we trace the plan of such a Church in the Scriptures; if, following up our inquiries, to throw light on the question by comparison of Scripture with early ecclesiastical records, we arrive at that conclusion which enables us, with the incomparable Hooker, to challenge the opponents of our system, that they shew but one Church upon the face of the whole earth, from the apostolic times to the Reformation, that was not episcopal; if all the remnants of ancient Churches now existing in the east have preserved this constitution from their beginning, and our own Church has opened interesting communications with them which may be designed to lead the way to their renovation in holy communion with ourselves; if the real strength of Rome consists only in the multiplied divisions and unseemly disarray of the Protestant Churches; if this can never be cured so long as the vicious principle is admitted that Christians may lawfully form new societies, and create new ministries, at will; if it was the singular blessing of our own, among other Churches, at the Reformation, to preserve the ancient order and the uninterrupted succession of her hierarchy; if, lastly, these principles are so pointedly recognised, so fully received and acted upon in her practice, that we accept the orders as valid of a Romish priest who recants, although we re-ordain all Protestant ministers who pass over to us from non-episcopal Churches;-then, with this chain of facts before our eyes, I do conceive that we are wanting alike in our consistency as churchmen, and our duty in the Church universal, if, swayed by the stream of prevailing opinion, studying an ill-understood popularity, or even prompted by an amiable spirit of conciliation, we consent to prejudice the exclusive character of our ministry, and voluntarily descend from the ground which we occupy with our people, and other Protestant episcopalians, as a distinct and peculiar body among the Churches.

And is this to exalt ourselves, and to preach ourselves instead of Christ Jesus our Lord? Far otherwise than this; if rightly considered, our claims to apostolic order and succession-as is well pointed out by a late excellent colonial prelate — should humble us in the dust, under a sense of the greatness of our calling so far above our worthiness and strength. Whatever affords a heightened view of the office which we hold, and the part which we have to sustain in the Church of God, can only, or should only, prompt us to deeper earnestness in seeking that sufficiency which is of him alone.

I bless God that there is not wanting good evidence among us of our having recourse to that sufficiency; but what a field is before us! how ought we each to labour that we may gather with our Lord, and how importunately to pray that more labourers may be sent forth into the ripening harvest which spreads itself around us!-that larger blessing may descend • Heber.

upon those institutions at home (foremost amongst which we must mention the venerable and munificent Societies for the Propagation of the Gospel and Promoting Christian Knowledge), and those endeavours upon the spot, of which it is the object to supply our destitute settlements! I am disposed also to think, and I shall take occasion, from our meeting, to follow up the suggestion, that we might, with much advantage, establish in this diocese a Church society, similar to that which has been framed under the auspices of an able and zealous bishop in the neighbouring diocese of Nova Scotia.

In seeking to recommend the Church, according to our bounden duty, in the eyes of our own people or of others, and to give the fullest effect to the beautiful offices of her liturgy, there is a principle to be observed, of which I have taken notice upon former occasions in addressing my brethren in a different capacity, but which I am prompted briefly to touch upon, because it is in danger, from local circumstances, of partially falling into disregard,-I mean the principle of rendering the services of the Church more impressive by the manner of performing them, and by the exterior reverence and decorum with which they are clothed. The preface to the Common Prayer-book, the canons and the rubrics, more particularly in the communionoffice, afford sufficient evidence of the care which was wisely taken by our holy reformers, while they purged away from our worship the cumbrous pageantry of superstition, to preserve the utmost gravity, solemnity, and order in the public ministrations of the Church, and to shed over them a venerable air, fitted to remind men of the awe with which they should approach the things of God. The forms and ceremonies of the Church, the prescribed postures of worship, the habits of those who officiate, the vessels of the sanctuary, the several appendages and distinctions of our national Churches, are all designed to aid in this effect; and as servants of the Church, we ought to act in the spirit, and, wherever we can, according to the letter of her regulations. The disuse, upon the ordinary occasions of life, of a distinguishing ecclesiastical dress, is a departure from wise and venerable rules, from which our clergy ought never to take license to depart farther than, according to the now received usage, they are obliged to do. They should never betray a disposition to secularise the character and office which they hold. And in the actual performance of any ecclesiastical function, no deviation can be justified for which the plea of necessity cannot be advanced. No needless irregularity should be suffered to creep into our performance of official duty, which may settle by degrees into a precedent.

To pass, however, to considerations of a higher nature, I would observe, that among very many disadvantages attaching to our situation as a colonial branch of the Church, we have our advantages too; and it is not the least of these, that, in many parts of the diocese, we are less trammelled by circumstances in making an approach to that holy discipline, the restoration of which, according to the language of the Church herself, is "much to be wished." The existence of any such advantage ought to be turned to the utmost account. Instances have not been wanting in this diocese, in which communicants who have given scandal by some irregularity have made public reparation to the assembled company of worshippers; and I cannot but commend the endeavour, which has been used with success by some of our clergy, to revive the practice enjoined in the Prayer-book, that persons desirous of presenting themselves at the Lord's Supper, at least unless they are accepted and constant communicants, should intimate their purpose beforehand to their pastor.

I could enlarge upon this topic, and there are others which I could wish to notice, particularly the

Commination-office.

encouragement and the direction of Sunday-schools, were it not time that (if I may borrow the allusion) should draw in my sails and make for the shore.* will only say, then, in conclusion, that if, as I have intimated in the course of these observations, we stand as a distinct and peculiar body, in virtue of our being a branch of the episcopal Church, this is not the highest or the most important peculiarity by which we should be marked. Our distinction as episcopalians will very little avail us, unless we take heed that we are not behind others in the genuine characteristics of the people of God; "a peculiar people," in the language of one apostle, " zealous of good works"— "a chosen generation;" according to the description of another," a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, who shew forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvellous light." This is the mark which we should set before our followers, and to the attainment of which we should seek to lead them on. We should keep clear and conspicuously bright the lamp of holy truth, which, as the priests of the temple, we are appointed to watch; holding forth constantly to view (for this is the life and light of the Church, and in exact proportion as it is obscured, our ministry fails of its purpose) the salvation of sinners through the free grace of God in Christ Jesus. We should magnify the love which was displayed in the rescue of a guilty race, and in the gift of the spirit of holiness; we should press these things home to the bosoms of our hearers, and teach men to make them their own; we should labour night and day to awaken those who are plunged in the sleep of sin, and to dissipate the dreams of those who smoothe over the doctrines of the cross, and are satisfied in conscience, because they satisfy the nominally Christian world. We should regard it as the business of our lives to be instrumental in "turning men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." And even if it were to please God that we could turn but one, shall we not think the labour of our lives to have been better spent than in the pursuit, however successful, of any worldly object, when we remember, for our encouragement, the value of one immortal soul, as set forth in the declaration of Him who paid its ransom, that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth?"

EXHORTATION TO THE DILIGENT AND
DEVOUT STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE:
A Sermon

For the Second Sunday in Advent,

BY THE REV. T. F. JENNINGS, M.A. Minister of the District Church of Holy Trinity, St. Philip's, Bristol.

JOHN, v. 39.

"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me." THE intention of Advent season, it is well known, is both to prepare our minds for the suitable observance of the approaching great festival of Christmas, and also to stir us up to a more wakeful, watchful, and prepared state to meet the Lord when he cometh.

The order which our Church adopts in her services at this season, is worthy of particular note. She first rouses us from our spiritual sleep, and sets us to pray for

grace to

extremo ni jam sub fine laborum

cast

Vela traham, et terris festinem advertere proram."-Virg.

away

the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light," admonishing us that "it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." This language is evidently borrowed from the idea of rousing a man from the bed of sloth; as if one should say to him-"What meanest thou, O sleeper? how canst thou waste thy precious hours in unprofitable and inglorious slumber, whilst the sun is shining in upon thee? dost thou not perceive that it is high day? shake thyself from thy sloth-up and be doing: clothe thyself with fair raiment, and gird thee for the journey thou hast to take, for the business thou hast to transact." Well, suppose the man to be roused from spiritual sloth, and to be girded with new energy for the prosecution of the great work of his soul's salvation, what shall he first apply himself to? to his Rible thither the Church sends us. She comes to us with an awakening call-" It is high time to awake out of sleep." She bids us rise and gird up the loins of our minds, and clothe us with the armour of light: and what next? Go, and seek instruction from the source of all truthgo to our Bibles. Can we then select a more seasonable subject than this-the importance of the study of the word of God? or can we have a more appropriate text by which to enforce it than this exhortation which our Lord Jesus Christ addressed to the Jews: "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me." As this exhortation is equally applicable to men of our day as it was to those to whom it was first addressed, I shall not expend our time by making any reference to the particular circumstances under which our Lord gave this exhortation to the Jews, or the particular connexion in which it stands; but shall view it as addressed to us: for all Scripture is written for our learning, and this amongst the rest. We will consider, then,

I. The exhortation here given us," Search the Scriptures."

II. The object we are to propose to ourselves in this search-" for in them ye think ye have eternal life." And

III. The clew which is here supplied for our guidance in this search; "and they (saith Christ) are they that testify of me."

We note

I. The exhortation, "Search the Scriptures." How thankful should we be that we have the Scriptures in our hands-millions of our fellow-beings never saw a Bible, yea, never heard of the Bible! It is our high privilege to possess this inestimable treasure; and it is open to us all, and within the power of all to obtain it. Before the invention of printing, a copy even of the New Testament cost