Are poverty, disease, disgrace, despair,
The ills, the anguish to which flesh is heir,
Thy household inmates?-Yea, even such as thee
Ile hailed as brothers of humanity;

And gave his hand and heart, and toiled, and pled,

Till nakedness was clothed, and hunger fed;
Till pain was soothed, and even the fiend Despair
Felt that a stronger arm than his was there.

And ye far habitants of heathen lands,

For you he raised his voice and stretched his hands;

And taught new.wakened sympathy to start
With generous throb through many a British
heart,-

Till wide o'er farthest oceans waved the sail
That bade in Jesus' name the nations hail,
And Afric's wastes and wildered Hindostan
Heard the glad tidings of Good will to man.'

Such was his public ministry. And they
Through life who loved him till his latest day,
Of many a noble, gentle trait can tell
That, as a man, friend, father, marked him well.
The frank simplicity; the cordial flow
Of kind affections; the enthusiast glow
That love of Nature or his native land
Would kindle in those eyes so bright and bland;
The unstudied eloquence, that from his tongue
Fell like the fresh dews by the breezes flung
From fragrant woodlands; the benignant look
That like a rainbow beamed through his rebuke-
Rebuke more dreaded than a despot's frown,
For sorrow more than anger called it down;
The winning way, the kindliness of speech,
With which he wont the little ones to teach,
As round his chair like clustering doves they
clung-

For, like his Master, much he loved the young, These, and unnumbered traits like these, my

verse

Could fondly dwell upon: but o'er his hearse
A passing wreath I may but stop to cast,
Of love and grateful reverence the last
Poor parting token, Weeping mourners here
Perchance may count such frail memorial dear,
Though vain and valueless it be to him
Who tunes his golden harp amidst the seraphim!

THERE'S NONE A FEELING HATH WITH ME.

By Henry Scott.

'Tis morn: the sun comes blithely on
And rouseth Nature's glee;
All earth is glad, but there is none
A feeling hath with me!

The very trees are not alone,

The breeze doth fan them, and the sun
Doth woo them fervently:

The birds are singing to the flowers,
And Spring is busy in the bowers.
'Tis sad to mark the joy and life
Around, above, below-
Earth, ocean, air, with joyance rife
In nature's vernal glow,-
Then turn and gaze into my breast,
And mark all there in darkness drest,
There weeds of sorrow grow;
And watch the spirit's strife within
And fear Despair the victory win!

But hush! thou impious heart of clay,

Thyself in ashes bow;

How dare a thing created say

12

High Heaven, what docst thou?"

I surely am not all alone-
There is a Friend-a Mighty One-
Whose blood for me did flow;
And hope doth whisper unto me
"There's One a feeling hath with thee!"
THE HEART'S CONFESSIONS.
By J. Fairbairn.
Heart! wrung with grief and bitter care,
Thy wounds unsalved and bleeding still,
Who pierced thee thus, poor heart, declare?
"'Twas my own will."

Thy will! What tempter full of guile
Could turn thee from thy hopes aside,
And life's young well with wrath defile?

LYNDEN DALE. By T. Pringle.

Our native land, our native vale,
A long and last adieu!
Farewell to bonny Lynden-dale,
And Cheviot mountains blue!
Farewell, ye hills of glorious deeds,
And streams renowned in song;
Farewell, ye blithesome braes and meads
Our hearts have loved so long.
Farewell, ye broomy elfin knowes,

Where thyme and harebelles grow ;
Farewell, ye hoary haunted howes,
O'erhung with birk and sloe.

The battle mound, the border-tower,
That Scotia's annals tell;

The martyr's grave, the lover's bower,
To each to all-farewell!

Home of our hearts! our fathers' home!
Land of the brave and free;
The keel is flashing through the foam,
That bears us far from thee.

We seek a wild and distant shore,
Beyond the Atlantic main;

We leave thee to return no more,
Nor view thy cliffs again.

But may dishonour blight our fame,
And quench our household fires,
When we, or ours, forget thy name,
Green Island of our sires!

Our native land-our native vale-
A long, a last adieu!

Farewell to bonny Lynden dale,

And Scotland's mountains blue!

EPISTLE TO THE EDITOR OF FRIENDSHIP'S

OFFERING.

By Bernard Barton.

Honoured and gifted friend,

Why ask of me, a votary of the Nine,

My bootless aid to lend,

E'en to one page of such a tome as thine?

Hast thou not heard the news

That bards and poesy are "out of date?" And that the only Mews,

Now cared for, is of quadrupedal state? "Cui bono?" is the cry;

Mechanics' institutes, Steam engines, shares In some new company,

Omnium and scrip the talk of bulls and bears. Some new and vulgar wonder,

Far more than poetry may hope to please; Thames and its Tunnel under,

Or else Don Miguel and the Portuguese! Or Wright and his champagne,

So much per dozen, counting in the packing; The price of hides and grain,

Or peerless qualities of Warren's blacking! Such are the themes and things

Which now are popular; but who for such Could tune the lyre's sweet strings,

Nor feel that he profaned them by his touch?

Then be the harp unstrung

Till simple Nature re-assert her reign; And hearts once more grown young,

Respond with feeling to its gentlest strain.

Till then, alas! I fear,

Whoe'er may sing, the world will heed them

not;

But just as soon would hear

Sir William Curtis as Sir Walter Scott!

A FATHER'S LAMENT.
By W. Howitt.

Two creatures of a pleasant life were mine;

My house they filled with a perpetual joy; Twin lamps that chased all darkness did they shine,

My fairy girl and merry hearted boy.

I never dreamt death would their mirth destroy; For they were dwelling 'mid life's freshest springs;

And I was busied with a fond employ,
Ranging the future on hope's fearless wings,
And gathering for them thence how many plea
sant things!

But a dark dream has swept across my brain,
A wild, a dismal dream that will not break;
A rush of fear, an agony of pain-

Pangs and suspense that inly make me quake.
My boy! my boy! I saw thy sweet eyes take
A strange unearthly lustre, and then fade;
And oh! I deemed my heart must surely break
As, stooping, I thy pleasant locks surveyed,
And felt that thou must die, and they in dust be
laid.

Spring like a spirit is upon the earth

Forth gush the flowers and fresh leaves of the

tree,

And I had planned, with wonder and with mirth,
The bird, the nest, the blossom, and the bee,
To fill thy boyish bosom, till its glee

O'erflowed my own with transport! In far years

I felt thy hand in mine, by stream and lea Wandering in gladness. But these blinding

tears,

Why will they thus gush forth, though richer hope appears?

Far other land thy happy feet have trod;

Far other scenes thy tender soul has known; The golden city of the Eternal God;

The rainbow splendours of the Eternal Throne. Through the pearl-gate how lightly hast thou flown!

The streets of lucid gold-the chrysolite Foundations have received thee. Dearest one!

That thought alone can break affliction's mightFeeling that thou art blest, my heart again is light.

Thanks to the Framer of life's mystery!

Thanks to the Illuminator of the grave! Vainly on Time's obscure and tossing sea,

Hope did I seek, and comfort did I crave; But He who made neglected not to save.My child-Thou bast allied me to the blest; I cannot fear what thou didst meekly brave; I cannot cease to long with thee to restBut heaven is doubly heaven with thee, with thee possessed!

1. Horæ Catecheticæ, or an Exposition of the Duty and Advantages of Public Catechising in the Church. By W. S. GILLY, M. A.

5s. 6d. London. 1828. 2. The State of the Curates of the Church of England, in reference to the Rev. W. S. Gilly's Hora Catecheticæ. By A PARISH PRIEST. London. 1828. 3. A Translation of the Heidelberg Catechism, with Scripture Proofs at length. By A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD. 3s. Oxford. 1828..

4. The Geneva Catechism, Translated from the French. Second Edition. 5s. London. 5. Catechism, No. Three, being the

Church Catechism enlarged, explained, and proved from Scripture. By the Right Reverend BISHOP HOBART. New York. 1827.

IF, instead of transcribing the above few titles from publications which happen to be now lying before us, we had endeavoured to collect a complete catalogue of recent cate

chetical works, both at home and abroad, the very copiousness of the list would have shewn the great importance which we trust is beginning at length to be again attached to this long-neglected part of Christian instruction. Before reading and books became common, catechising was one of the chief instruments for initiating children in the knowledge of the doctrines and duties of their holy faith. The practice had, how ever, during the last century, declined so generally, especially in our own church, that its importance seemed to be in danger of being altogether forgotten; but happily, by means of our Infant-schools, Sundayschools, and daily schools, particularly those on the plan of the National Society, it has been revived, and the attention of our clergy is becoming increasingly alive to its value; several of our prelates, and in particular the present Archbishop of Canterbury, having invited their special attention to the subject. Still, even school catechising is not generally conducted on the best and most efficient plans; and pastoral catechising in the church is almost unknown. The question for consideration is, how can these defects be best remedied?

First, then, are materials for catechetical instruction wanting? This surely will not be for a moment urged; for we have scores upon scores of catechisms, drawn up according to the taste, ability, and religious opinions of the several compilers. The three which happen quite casually to lie before us, form a characteristic specimen of these productions. First, we have an English translation of the modern Geneva Catechism, which the translators are pleased to inform us " contains an exposition of that mild and evangelical system of Christianity which prevails in the Genevan and some of the French Protestant churches;" and which they strongly recommend as "a valuable manual for young persons, and as a text-book for Sunday in

struction." Then, to set against this "mild system," we have a translation of the Heidelberg Catechism, sanctioned by the celebrated Synod of Dort, in 1618, about half a century after its original publication. And then, as neither of these is Episcopalian, there lies opportunely by their side a recent catechism by Bishop Hobart, of New York, graduated to a somewhat elevated scale of high-church doctrine; and we fear virtually, if not professedly, leaving all classes of Christians, except Episcopalians, to the uncovenanted mercies of God. If in this inference we are mistaken, we will readily correct it at the instance of the Right Reverend and respected author.

These three publications, taken up almost at hazard from among scores extant, and without as yet noticing a single book of home growth, shew that there is no deficiency of materials for catechetical instruction. But, in truth, we would not go to Geneva, to Heidelberg, or even to our high-church friends in America, for our materials.

First, the Geneva Catechism is a work of more than two hundred pages, and certainly contains a vast mass of valuable and scriptural matter; but its "mild" system is by no means, as the translators maintain, truly "evangelical," though its discrepancies are rather those of defect than excess. Its alleged mildness is not "milk for babes," but an insipid watery dilution, into which, however, some deleterious ingredients occasionally find admission. Suppose, for example, that the catechumen wished to have an answer to these three important questions: Who is Jesus Christ? How does he save sinners? And have good works any connexion with salvation? We find scattered in different parts of this catechism the following answers, which we translate from the French, now lying before us. (Geneva, 1819. Second edition.) First, the cate

66

chumen wishes to know who is Jesus Christ? It is answered, "He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the only Saviour." This is true, and so far it is well; but what mean these expressions? Is Christ a created being, or are we to attribute to him the prerogative of Divinity? Here our Genevese instructors, though we will do them the justice to own that they quote Scripture, not excepting texts the most decisive of our Lord's Divinity, yet dilute and sophisticate the whole by such inadequate comments as the following. Why is Christ called the only Son of God? On account of his miraculous birth, the excellency of his nature, and his intimate union with God." We then next ask, What is the way of salvation through Christ; or, as this catechism equivocally expresses it, "How has Christ saved us from our sins?" And we find the following answer: "First, by announcing, and confirming by his death, the pardon of our sins upon condition of repentance; and secondly, by offering to us in his doctrine, in his example, and in the aid of the Holy Spirit, the means by which we may be sanctified and merit salvation." This might surely be enough as an illustration of unscriptural doctrine; but we turn over fifty pages to the head of good works, the meritorious sanctification just mentioned, and there we find the unscriptural leading question, "Why does the Gospel promise salvation to those who practise good works?" to which we have the unscriptural answer: "Because God in his mercy is pleased to be satisfied with our intentions and efforts, and to recompense them with eternal life.” Such is the "mild system," of modern Genevese catechetical instruction; such the food upon which, alas! the youth of a once pure and flourishing Protestant church are now nourished. We could tolerate by the side of such a catechism, the catechisms of the Church of Rome itself especially as in them the false doc.

trines are plainly to be discerned and reprobated; while those of Geneva are so speciously disguised, so artfully inculcated by negatives rather than by startling propositions, that they are the more insidious and dangerous.

Shall we then revert from Geneva to Heidelberg; from Calvinism uncalvinized in Calvin's own city, to Calvinism as recognized in the Calvinian councils of Dort? Now we are quite willing to admit that the latter is a far more Scriptural specimen of divinity, and far more like our own articles than the former; for, however the name of Dort may startle many readers,the Heidelberg Catechism is by no means a violent polemical production; there is comparatively little in it that is exolusively, much less superlatively, Calvinistic; it reduces all its matter to three well-arranged heads; the greatness of our sin and misery, the means whereby we may be delivered from our sin and misery, and the gratitude due to God for our deliverance; and these points it unfolds and discusses with a clearness and a constant application of Scripture proofs, that render it a very valuable and useful document, and we are thankful to the "Graduate of the University of Oxford," who has given it to the English reader in a vernacular dress. Still it is not adapted for a Church-ofEngland catechism; not only because it states some theological points differently to us, but because it does not recognize that episcopal discipline which churchmen consider both scriptural and meet for edification.

Well then, still keeping clear of our own shores, we will sail from the old to the new world, and take up Bishop Hobart's catechism. This at least is churchman-like and episcopal; and it contains in a small compass a large mass of closely condensed, yet perspicuous theological information. We scarcely know where we would find so much matter in few words, and so much ar

gument in so simple a form. Still we should decline adopting it as our standard of catechetical instruction. If, for example, we would not follow the Synod of Dort's view of election, neither would we follow that which Bishop Hobart pre sents to us when he writes:

"You say the Holy Ghost sanctifies you, and all the people of God.' Whom do you mean by the people of God? The people of God, or as they are also styled in Scripture the elect, are those who are chosen out of the world, and admitted into covenant with God in baptism. In what sense then are they styled elect? They are styled elect, because conditionally entitled to the privileges of the Christian Co

venant.

Whatever may be the scriptural definition of election, we should hesitate to define it being "conditionally entitled to the privileges of the Christian covenant." We should also think it defective, churchmen though we are, to say no more of continuing in the Apostles' fellow. ship," than that it is "submitting to an episcopal "ministry." Nor do we think it quite unambiguous to teach a child to say, that "being made in baptism an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven," means that "in baptism I received a title to everlasting happiness hereafter;" though guarded in the next question, by asking, "On what condition?" to which it is replied, "On the condition that I am God's dutiful child in this life." Nor would we so limit the phrase, the Holy Catholic Church, as to exclude all Christian communities not strictly episcopal. Nor, even if we thought it well to define the divinely appointed institutions of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, not only as "pledges" by which to those who repent and believe "the forgiveness of sins is assured," but also as "means by which the forgiveness of sins is conveyed;" should we also be willing to allow the same of the ecclesiastical rite of absolution. "The authoritative declaration of absolution by Christ's ministers, is another mean and pledge of the forgiveness of sins."

We

au

might mention some other particulars in which the Right Reverend thor's ultra "high-church" views (we do not use the word reproachfully, but in reference to his recent publications, entitled, "The Highchurchmanvindicated,") soar beyond what we should think it our duty to inculcate upon the rising generation. We lament indeed that the claims and characteristics of our church are not so generally maintained and inculcated as they ought to be in the instruction of children; and we fear, that as among the Papists "the word" was nearly excluded for "the sacraments," so among too many Dissenters, and some Churchmen, "the sacraments are almost forgotten in "the word;" but both are to be insisted on, and catechetical instruction especially should combine both, in the due measures and proportions in which they lie in Scripture.

But it is not from written cate, chisms merely, or chiefly, that we would look for the great benefits which, by the blessing of God, would attend an efficient system of Scriptural catechetical instruction. What is most to be desired, is the conversational questioning of the affectionate and judicious teacher, and more especially of the Christian minister. The pious efforts of the tens of thousands of our Sundayschool gratuitous instructors, are invaluable; but Mr. Gilly, in the interesting and useful publication now before us, has shewn that the benefit might be greatly extended by means of the parochial clergy. The importance of catechetical instruction is acknowledged by all; but Mr. Gilly's work places it in a new light, and his collection of apposite facts, authorities, and illustrations, is calculated to impress it most powerfully upon every seri ous mind. We shall give our readers an outline of his argument, in the words of the Parish Priest, who has written a pamphlet in reference to it, chiefly with a view to shew that, in the present condition of the