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Of counter-proclamation, now are seen,
(Proud triumph is it for a sullen queen!)
Lifting them up, the worship to confound
Of the Most High. Again do they invoke
The creature, to the creature glory give;
Again with frankincense the altars smoke,
Like those the heathen served; and mass is sung;
And prayer, man's rational prerogative,
Runs through blind channels of an unknown tongue.
WORDSWORTH,

HYMN

For the Opening of a new Church.

ALMIGHTY Ruler of the world,

Whose throne is heaven, whose footstool earth, Whose word the night of chaos furled,

Who spake, and nature sprang to birth;

O from thy seat of glory bend,

And with a kind, all-gracious ear,
Our humble pray'rs and praise attend,
And manifest thy presence here.
Vast as is heaven's unknown embrace,
Thy glory wider bounds demands;
And canst thou condescend to grace

A temple reared by mortal hands?
Thou canst!-for thou didst stoop to take
A human form, the cross to bear,
That thou might'st fallen creatures make
With thee immortal life to share.
And thou hast said, where two or three
In thy blest name together meet,
There shall thy Holy Spirit be,

To hold with them communion sweet:
Spirit of Life, and Truth, and Love,

Thy promised blessing now impart, That all who seek thy face may prove How holy, just, and true thou art!

O, to thy service consecrate

This sacred temple,—make it rпINE,
Shine forth in thy most glorious state,
Here reign in majesty divine!
Here be thy holy name adored,

Here pray'rs be offered-vows sincere--
Let all confess, with one accord,
That thou, O Lord our God, art here!

Miscellaneous.

W. HOWORTH.

GIBBON.-Gibbon's great consolation seemed to be derived from the probable continuance of life, as he considered "the abbreviation of time, and the failure of hope, must always tinge with a browner shade the evening of life." So completely did he carry on a species of self-deception on this subject, that in his last illness, about twenty hours before his death, his biographer says, "he happened to fall into conversation, not uncommon with him, on the probable duration of his life. He said, that he thought himself a good life for ten, twelve, or perhaps twenty years." How would such a death-bed have been enlightened by "the hope full of immortality!" -Archdeacon Hoare.

ARCHBISHOP WHITGIFT.-This prelate was an eminent example of the Christian grace of humility. He

was made archbishop in the year 1583; and the ingenious Sir Henry Wotton, who knew him well, has left this character of him: "That he was a man of a reverend and sacred memory, and of the primitive temper; a man of such a temper as when the Church by lowliness of spirit did flourish in highest examples of virtue." The following is an instance in which he displayed this temper, and shewed the assimilation of his character to the example of Him who was "meek and lowly of heart." He built a large alms-house near his own palace at Croydon, in Surrey, and endowed it with maintenance for a master and twentyeight poor men and women: and this place he visited so often, that he became familiar with all their names and dispositions; and was so truly humble, says his biographer, "that he called them his brothers and sisWhen the queen dined with him at his palace at Lambeth, which was very frequently, he would usually the next day visit his poor brothers and sisters at Croydon, and dine with them at his hospital. "You may believe," adds his biographer, "there was joy at the table" for, after the example of his Divine Master, "he was not ashamed to call them brethren."

ters.'

THE ATHEIST'S CREED.-The atheist believes that there is no God, nor possibly can be; and consequently that the wise, as well as the unwise, of all ages, have been mistaken, except himself, and a few more. He believes either that all the world have been frightened with an apparition of their own fancy, or that they have most unnaturally conspired toge ther to cozen themselves; or that this notion of a God is a trick of policy, though the greatest princes and politicians do not, to this day, know so much, nor have done, time out of mind. He believes, either that the heavens and the earth, and all things in them, had no original cause of their being, or that they were made by chance, and happened, he knows not how, to be as they are; and that, in this last shuffling of matter, all things have, by great good fortune, fallen out as happily, and as regularly, as if the greatest wisdom had contrived them; but yet he is resolved to believe that there was no wisdom or contrivance in them. He believes that matter of itself is utterly devoid of all sense, understanding, and liberty; but for all that, he is of opinion, that the parts of matter may now and then happen to be so conveniently disposed as to have all these qualities, and most dexterously to per form all those fine and free operations which the ignorant attribute to spirits. Such is the atheist's creed, whence we learn that he must be weak, credulous, and absurd.—Abp. Tillotson.

SOUNDNESS OF MIND.-A perfectly sound and just mind is a rare and invaluable gift. It is given but to few; and a very small number of these few escape the bias of some predilection, perhaps occasionally operating, and none are at all times perfectly free. "1 once saw," says Mr. Cecil, this subject forcibly illustrated. A watch-maker told me, that a gentleman had put an exquisite watch into his hands that went irregularly. i was as perfect a piece of work as was ever made. He took it to pieces, and put together again twenty times. No defect was to be discovered, and yet the watch went intolerably. At last, it struck him, that possibly the balance-wheel might have been near a magnet. On applying a needle to it, he found his suspicion true. If the soundest mind be magnetised by any predilection, it must act irregularly."

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HARVEST THOUGHTS. GRATITUDE to God for his manifold unmerited mercies will ever be a predominant feeling in the bosom of a true Christian. He will delight to meditate on the eternal Jehovah as on a being infinite in goodness and in mercy. The whole scheme of human redemption will be viewed by him with astonishment and praise. The gift of God's wellbeloved Son will be the pledge of the ready communication of every minor benefit; and thus the believer is enabled to cast all his care upon his almighty Father, fully to trust, and earnestly to believe, that every temporal want will be satisfied. The God of grace is also the God of creation and providence. The gracious Being who opened a way of escape from the wrath to come, is the same who called the universe to spring into existby his almighty word, and who still causeth his sun to shine, and his rain to descend, and who exercises an unceasing watchfulness over the meanest of his creatures; and without his especial permission not even a sparrow falleth to the ground.

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The return of harvest cannot fail to give rise to feelings of devout gratitude in every pious mind, while it will almost insensibly lead from the contemplation of temporal blessings to subjects of a spiritual nature, and of eternal importance. The season is one of joyfulness. They joy before thee," says the prophet, foretelling the feelings with which Messiah's advent would be hailed, "according to the joy in harvest." The husbandman again experiences that the labour that he employed in seed-time has not been expended in vain. The faithfulness of Jehovah, no less

VOL. I.-NO. XII.

PRICE 1d.

than his power and goodness, is manifest; and the fulfilment of the gracious promise is once more realised, that seed-time and harvest shall not fail: and in a most morbid and unchristian state must that man's heart be, who can behold the valleys standing so thick with corn, " that they do laugh and sing," and not enter into the devotional feelings of the Psalmist, when he exclaimed, "Sing unto Jehovah with thanksgiving; sing praises upon the harp unto our God: who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upen the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry; and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat." In viewing the fruitfulness that every where presents itself around him, the Christian will be inclined to examine the progress of divine grace in his own soul, and to ask himself what evidence he has that, the heavenly seed of the word being sown in his heart, there has been a corresponding increase to that which presents itself in the natural world. All around him is teeming with plenty. The seed. cast into the ground has not lain dormant. It has germinated, sprung up-" first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear." The rain has descended, the sun has shone, and now the blessed effects of their genial influence are apparent. How stands it with the professed believer himself? There is no soil naturally so barren as the human heart. The spontaneous productions of that soil are the rank and noxious weeds which evidence man's fallen and ruined state. But when the Almighty Husbandman implants that which is good in the soul, and when, under the vivifying beams of the Sun of Righteous

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ness, and by the refreshing dews of the Divine Spirit, there is an increase in all those heavenly graces and virtues, which are the evidences of true religion having taken root in the heart; then does the Christian testify the power of Jehovah, by his faithfulness in good works, as much as that power is testified by the hundredfold increase of the seed which has been cast into the ground. There is in fact a striking resemblance between the two operations the natural increase of the material, the spiritual increase of the immaterial seed; both are carried on by the same Divine energy; and the believer will be anxious to discover that there has been an increase in spiritual attainments in himself. He will carefully examine whether he abounds in those fruits which are declared to be those of the Spirit, and whether there is a growing meetness for being gathered into the heavenly garner.

The season of harvest, with its fields of ripening corn, will remind the Christian of the beautiful and simply expressive language of his heavenly Master, when he likened the state of the world to that of fields "white unto the harvest." He will be thus led to the consideration of that solemn obligation which is laid upon every professed follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, to spread to the utmost the knowledge of his name, and not only to pray to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest, but to aid in the furtherance of this glorious object. If there be no anxiety about the spiritual and eternal welfare of our fellow men; if the reflection of countless myriads living without God, and dying without hope, cause no prayer to ascend to the throne of grace in their behalf, and call not forth the exercise of the most unbounded charity, and anxiety to bring them to the knowledge of the truth, then there is the most infallible evidence that our own souls are barren and unfruitful. The first fruit of the Spirit's influence mentioned by St. Paul is love-not merely love to God, but love to every brother of the human race; and when the heart is brought under the sanctifying influence of Divine grace, and the understand ing is enlightened to comprehend something of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, then there will be an immediate desire to bring others to the same state of religious knowledge. The world at the present moment presents peculiar facilities for the dissemination of Divine truth. The fields are white already to harvest. May the Lord of the harvest be graciously pleased to multiply the labourers sent forth, and to bless the means employed for the purpose of spreading abroad the knowledge of Messiah's name!

The reaper enters the field and cuts down the ripe corn, and that corn is in due season removed to the barn, and the wheat is separated from the chaff. How forcible is our Lord's illustration of the proceedings of the day of judgment, when he declares the harvest to be the end of the world, and the reapers the angels. The wheat and the tares grow together, and it is difficult to separate them. Man is at best an uncertain discri minator as to the true character of his fellowmen. Were the separation to be made by him, how often would the noxious weed be gathered into the garner! But the discriminating eye of the heavenly Husbandman cannot be deceived. The Lord weigheth the spirits: he searcheth the hearts, and his scrutinising glance can at once discover man's real character. How important is it then that each one should bear in mind, that in the proceedings of this awful day, he himself shall bear a part; that he shall be at that day found meet to be gathered into the garner of the Lord, or to be cast into the burning! The alternative is most momentous: and the fearful blindness of man's natural understanding, and the insensibility of man's natural heart, are in nothing so fully mani fested, as in the careless indifference with which they view the all-important subject of their eternal destiny. But yet, in too many instances, the mind remains unimpressed by thoughts of judgment to come. Seasons pass on, bringing the sinner nearer and nearer to his fearful doom; and yet he reflects not on it. To him every call is made, every warn ing is vouchsafed in vain. Reader! is this your case? Are you preparing for the harvest, the end of the world; or are your thoughts directed solely to the perishing objects of a passing day? Perhaps you are peculiarly interested in the produce of the present harvest. Upon its abundance much of your worldly prosperity may depend. Live not, however, unmindful of that far more important harvest, the result of which will be unspeakably more momentous to you than that of the present, or of any other you can witness here below. Oh, be assured that there it can matter little how your worldly affairs may prosper, if your soul does not prosper; and that no mortal tongue can describe the intolerable agony of those who, for ever excluded from the presence of Jehovah, and consigned to the horrors of the lake that burneth, shall exclaim in loudest wailings of unceasing despair, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!"

T.

JERUSALEM-MIRACLE OF THE HOLY

FIRE.*

ENTERING the gate of the Holy Sepulchre church, the first object which attracted my attention was the stone of unction, venerated as the spot where the body of cur Lord was anointed for burial. Several large candles are kept standing at each end, and over it are suspended several silver lamps. The pilgrims all bow; and, after making the sign of the cross, kiss the sacred stone.

Leaving the stone of unction, we were conducted to the holy sepulchre. The monument erected over the tomb contains two apartments. In the first is the stone, where, it is said, the angel made his appearance to Mary; in the other is the holy tomb. I waited some time for the pilgrims to withdraw. While standing there, a pilgrim entered, and, at the sight of the tomb, wept and sobbed as over the grave of a parent.

Seventy-three feet from the holy sepulchre we came to the chapel of apparition, in which a few Catholics were engaged in evening service; the music, for softness and solemnity, exceeded any thing which I had heard in Asia. From this chapel we returned to the holy sepulchre; and, passing through the Greek church, ascended Mount Calvary. It is sixteen feet above the level of the tomb. I stooped down to look into the hole in which, it is supposed, stood the cross; below which is a fissure in the rock, made, it is believed, when Christ our Lord bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

On Easter eve, every apartment of the Church was crowded with Turks, Jews, Christians, and people from every nation under heaven: they were assembled to witness the supposed miraculous descent of the Holy Spirit, under the similitude of fire. It is estimated that at least 5000 people were present. The governor of the city, and the Turks of rank, were there. A very convenient place was allotted me to observe distinctly every ceremony.

About twelve o'clock we witnessed scenes of a very extraordinary nature, and highly derogatory to the Christian profession. A body of Arab Christians, natives of Palestine, were admitted to perform their part in the duties of the holy week: they began by running round the holy sepulchre with all the frantic airs of madmen; clapping their hands, throwing their caps into the air, cuffing one another's ears, walking half naked upon the shoulders of their companions, halloving, or rather shrieking, to the utmost extent of their voices. This was the exhibition to 5000 people, who were in expectation of soon witnessing the descent of the holy fire.

About one o'clock the Turks entered the small apartment of the holy tomb, extinguished the lamps, closed the door, and set a watch. I was determined to enter myself the holy sepulchre, with the Russian consul, to see from what direction the fire proceeded; but they replied, "The Turks will not give permission to strangers to enter." Shortly after, the principal Greek priest entered the holy sepulchre, attended by the Armenian patriarch, and also by the Syrian patriarch. The Greek priest, however, entered the second apartment unattended. Every eye was fixed as the time approached. As we stood waiting, suddenly there darted from the sepulchre a flaming torch, which was carried almost instantaneously to a distant part of the assembly. I stood among the first to receive the fire; and to prove that, as to its power of burning, it contained no extraordinary qualities. The zeal of the pilgrims to get a part of the fire before the superior qualities departed (as, they say, it burns like other fire in a few minutes), endangered the lives of many several were well nigh crushed to death. Some lighted candles, others tow, with a view to preserve a

• From Parson's Journal of a Visit to the East.

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part of its influence. Some held their faces in the blaze, saying, It does not burn." Others said, "Now, Lord, I believe! forgive my former unbelief." After this the pilgrims retired, abundantly satisfied with what they had seen and heard. The number of pilgrims present at this Passover may be thus stated :— 1200 Greeks, 1400 Armenians, 70 Copts, 20 Syrians, 15 Catholics, 1 Abyssinian: total 2706.

Passing the north-east corner of the city, we descended to the brook Kedron. The bed of the stream was perfectly dry, notwithstanding the great rains. On our left, I saw the church erected over the grave of the Virgin Mary; on our right, the garden of Gethsemane. St. John has marked the site of the garden very particularly: "He went forth with his disciples over the brook Kedron." There is but one spot over the brook Kedron convenient for a garden. This garden has been consecrated by the many prayers, and by the blood, of our divine Saviour: "for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples." It is still occupied as a garden, and contains several large olive-trees.

In fifteen or twenty minutes I reached the summit of the mount of Olives. Here we had a delightful view of the city, and also of the Dead Sea. Perhaps no place in the world commands a finer prospect, or is associated with events more sacred and sublime. "David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot." On the east side of it, our blessed Saviour raised Lazarus from the grave; and on the west he endured the agony of Gethsemane. Here he beheld the city, and wept over it. From this mount he was at one time conducted to Jerusalem with shoutings of "Hosanna to the Son of David ;" and at another, with the cry of, " Crucify him; crucify him!" From this spot he gave his last commission, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel;" and thence ascended, and "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."

Bethany is about two miles east of Jerusalem, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, on the east side. We came to the grave of Lazarus. "It was a cave," saith

We

St. John," and a stone lay upon it." A Turk, who seemed to have charge of the sepulchre, for a few paras gave us lighted tapers, and permission to enter. descended twenty-eight stone steps, where we found a small room, about eight feet square. On the east and west sides are tombs cut in the solid rock. Probably Jesus our Lord stood here, and cried, with a loud voice," Lazarus, come forth."

After a residence of about three months in this sacred city, I can say that, in one respect, it differs from any other place that I ever visited: there is no such thing as being satiated by viewing objects every where presented to the eye. The sight of Smyrna, of Pergamos, of Patmos, awakened the tenderest sensibilities; but the feelings were in a measure momentary. It is not so with Jerusalem.

I now go to Mount Calvary-walk in the garden of Gethsemane-stand upon the heights of Zion-ascend the Mount of Olives-drink of the waters of Siloamwith greater pleasure than I did on the first day of my arrival. Indeed, there are so many subjects presented to the mind-such as the devout anthems of David; the dedicatory prayer of Solomon, when he knecled, and spread out his hands to God, and consecrated a temple, which became the glory of the Church, the wonder of the world; the exalted strains of Isaiah, when he saw the day of Christ and rejoiced; the zeal, patriotism, and piety of Ezra and Nehemiah, when they reared the tabernacle of David amid the opposition of the world; and, what is infinitely more, the sufferings, death, resurrection, and ascension of our divine Redeemer,-that the pleasure must be increased upon every examination.

But, what is rather remarkable, this view of the

subject destroys all curiosity to see particular objects, | venerated by the ignorant multitude. You are here shewn the pillar to which our Saviour was bound to be scourged; the arch upon which Pilate cried, "Behold the man!" the very door at which Peter knocked, when the angel led him from the prison; and a thousand other places of great veneration. All this is folly, and calculated to disgust enlightened travellers, and give strength to infidelity.

But, that this city was for many ages the great capital of the Church of the living God; that it has been honoured by the presence of David, of the prophets, of Gabriel, and of God himself in human flesh; that the Gospel has been preached here with power and with wonderful success; and a multitude from this city conducted to the heavenly world,—is truth, upon which the mind may rest without the possibility of deception. And this is enough to satisfy the most enlarged and benevolent minds.

Soon after passing the gate, we arrived at the house of Procopius, to whom I had letters of introduction. The servant informed us that he was in the church for evening prayers. I hastened thither to unite with the professed followers of Christ upon Mount Calvary, and to render thanks to God for the happy termination of my voyage to the holy city. The church is but a few steps from the place where, it is supposed, stood the cross. It is called the Church of St. Constantine, and is the place to which all the Greek bishops, five in number, with their numerous attendants, resort for morning and evening service. Every thing was conducted with a pleasing stillness and regularity becoming so holy a place. After a service of thirty minutes, I returned, and presented my letters to Procopius. Conversation was directed to the exertions which the Protestants are making to promote the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures. They replied, "We believe the Protestants to be our friends."

Within 100 feet of my room reside five bishops, namely, those of Petrea, of Nazareth, of Gaza, of Lydda, and of Philadelphia. Persons come to my room to read the Scriptures. The priests encourage me in this employment. If, then, a missionary can reside here with no other employment than to read the Scriptures with pilgrims, not uttering a word respecting Catholics, Greeks, or Turks, a great work might be accomplished-a work which would impart infinite joy to the friends of this mission, and guide many souls to eternal life.

Biography.

THE LIFE OF SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE,
LORD COBHAM.*

IN the vanguard of that noble army of martyrs, who have in this country sealed with their blood the faith of Jesus, stands conspicuously Sir John Oldcastle, Lord Cobham. It is generally true, that "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called;" for the honours of the world act with fearful force in inclining the heart to forget God: but here was one who laid down the coronet to take up the cross, and bravely loved not his life unto the death. His history ought to be universally known amongst us.

Of the early years of this distinguished person little is recorded. It may be enough to say, that, having married the niece and heiress of the last Lord Cobham, he assumed, in right of his wife, that title, and that he had served with honour abroad in the

See Fox's Acts and Monuments, vol. i.; and Southey's Book of the Church, vol. i.

reign of King Henry IV. A few years before, Wickliffe, the morning-star of the reformation, had exposed the enormous corruptions of the Church of Rome; and Lord Cobham, having embraced his doctrine, became one of the chief patrons of the Lollards, as the new sect were generally called. On the accession of King Henry V. in the year 1413, the bishops, relying on that monarch's devotion to them, held a synod in St. Paul's Church to repress the growth of the Gospel. Twelve inquisitors of heresy had been appointed at Oxford the year before; and they had found, they said, 246 erroneous doctrines in Wickliffe's books. These books were ordered to be burnt; but it was now represented that little good would result, unless certain great men, the supporters of heresy, were removed. Among them was particularly mentioned Lord Cobham; and the king was informed that he held dangerous opinions respecting the sacrament, penance, pilgrimage, image-worship, and the ecclesiastical power of Rome. It was further said, that he had supported and maintained, even by force of arms, suspected preachers in the dioceses of London, Rochester, and Hereford. The bishops would gladly have proceeded against Lord Cobham at once; but it was judged expedient not to attack a man of such credit and power till the king's consent was fully had. Henry received the prelates—Arundel, archbishop of Canterbury, being at their head-too graciously; but requested them to deal with the accused as gently as they could; and promised, that if they would delay their censures, he would himself seriously reason with him.

The king very soon sent for Lord Cobham; and, having first questioned him respecting a book belonging to him, said to contain most pestilent heresy, admonished him to submit himself to his mother, holy church, and, as an obedient child, to acknowledge that he was culpable. "You, most worthy prince," was the magnanimous reply, "I am always prompt and willing to obey; forsomuch as I know you a Christian king, and the appointed minister of God, bearing the sword to the punishment of evil-doers, and for safe-guard of them that be virtuous. Unto you, next my eternal God, owe I my whole obedience, and submit thereunto, as I have done ever, all that I have, either of fortune or nature, ready at all times to fulfil whatsoever he shall in the Lord command me. But, as touching the pope and his spirituality, I owe them neither suit nor service; forsomuch as I know him, by the Scriptures, to be the great antichrist, the son of perdition, the open adversary of God, and the abomination standing in the holy place." Enraged at his boldness, the king would talk no further with him, and left him to the tender mercies of the prelates.

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Lord Cobham now retired to his castle of Cowling, in Kent, whither the archbishop soon despatched an officer to cite him before the ecclesiastical authorities. This officer at first was afraid to enter with such a message the gates of a powerful baron; was afterwards introduced under the protection of a person in the king's service. This man, untruly, informed Cobham that he was commissioned to charge him in the king's name to obey the summons. But, knowing that his life was aimed at, he flatly refused.

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