Be living faith my costly dress,

And my best robe thy righteousness."

"Send down thy likeness from above,
And let this my adorning be;
Clothe me with wisdom, patience, love,
With lowliness and purity;

Than gold and pearls more precious far,
And brighter than the morning star."

Hymn 433-"Give me the faith which can remove.' This hymn is admirably adapted to express the views, wishes and purposes of a faithful minister of Jesus Christ. Every one who is called to that sacred office, should labour to catch the spirit that breathes through this hymn, and to make the sentiments and the petitions his own. Ministers are here taught to pray for faith, for love, for zeal, that they may diligently and successfully prosecute their glorious work, devoting to it all their time and all their talents. They are encouraged to pray for such a measure of boundless charity divine, as shall inflame and fill their hearts, and shall lead them to emulate the love and the zeal of the great and the good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep.

Hymn 434-"Jesus, all-atoning Lamb!"

Here we have the language of one, who happily realizes the meaning and the truth of that declaration-he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him,

Hymn 436-" Jesu, my truth, my way."

This is an excellent hymn, addressed throughout to the Redeemer, and full of the most important petitions. In two of the verses, 6 and 7, we have instances of alliteration, or the frequent recurrence of the same letter, such as we do not often find in the Wesleyan poetry—

"Still stir me up to strive,

With thee in strength divine."

In these two short lines, we have four words beginning with st-still, stir, strive, strengthwhich gives to that couplet a peculiar character, indicative of effort, opposition, and difficulty. In that line also-"Persist to save my soul ". we have the s recurring thrice-in the second syllable of persist, in save and in soul-which has somewhat of a similar effect.

Hymn 437 is a beautiful and elegant paraphrase of Psalm lxiii., entering fully into the spirit, views and purposes of the royal penman.

Hymns 438, 439, 440 are very valuable and instructive compositions, which first appeared in the two volumes of Hymns and Sacred Poems, published by Mr. Charles Wesley in 1749. Hymns 439, 440 are part of one of unusual length, and of great beauty and sublimity, intended "For a person called forth, to bear his testimony." "In these noble and energetic lines (says Mr. Jackson) Mr. Charles Wesley

has strikingly depicted the mighty faith, the burning love to Christ, the yearning pity for the souls of men, the heavenly-mindedness, the animating hope of future glory, which characterized his public ministry, and which not only enabled him to deliver his Lord's message before scoffing multitudes, but also carried him through his wasting labours, and the riots of Bristol, of Cornwall, of Staffordshire, of Devizes, and of Ireland, without a murmur. As a witness for Christ, he freely sacrificed his reputation as a man of letters and of genius; and of life itself, comparatively speaking, he made no account." *

* Jackson's Life of the Rev. Charles Wesley; Vol. i. Page 545.

CHAPTER IX.

REMARKS ON VARIOUS HYMNS, CONTINUED.

THE hymns for believers interceding, 441 to 477,
are very comprehensive, embracing almost every
subject, which a Christian, in his intercessions,
would feel himself concerned to bring before the
throne of grace.
We are taught to pray for the
world at large, for the Mahometans, the Hea-
thens, the Jews-for the lukewarm and those
who have fallen into sin-for our country and
our sovereign. Parents are here taught how to
pray for their children; and masters, for their
servants and families.

In Hymns 442, 447, 448 we lament the ravages of war, and pray for the speedy and universal establishment of the Redeemer's peaceable kingdom.

In verses 2 and 3 of Hymn 443, we have a forcible and affecting prayer on behalf of Mahometans and Unitarians; who as agreeing in the rejection of the Holy Trinity, while they profess to acknowledge the unity of the Godhead, are classed together. The poet appears to apply that prophetic passage, Revelation ix. 2, &c.,

to the rise and progress of the Mahometan imposture and as the locusts are there represented as coming out of the smoke, and the smoke out of the bottomless pit, this probably led him to adopt that bold expression

"The unitarian fiend expel,

And chase his doctrine back to hell."

From hell it came, as a device of him, who is the angel of the bottomless pit, the father of lies, the great adversary of God and man. Well therefore may we pray, that this delusive and ruinous doctrine may return to hell, and there abide, that it may no longer trouble and injure the earth.

Hymns 444, 445, 446 are excellent compositions, and breathe the true Missionary spirit; that spirit, which within the last half-century has given birth to the noblest and most godlike enterprises, that ever engaged the attention of mankind; that spirit which has carried the light of the glorious gospel into distant regions, that had long been sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death. And here we are delightfully led forward to anticipate the period, when all flesh shall behold the salvation of God; when superstition and idolatry shall be finally overthrown, and every tribe of Adam's race shall bow to the sceptre of Jesus, our Emmanuel, and crown him, Lord of all.