THE INFANT.

I saw an infant; health, and joy, and light Bloomed on its cheek, and sparkled in its eye,

And its fond mother stood delighted by,
To see its morn of being dawn so bright.
Again I saw it, when the withering blight

Of pale disease had fallen, moaning lie
On that sad mother's breast-stern death
was nigh,

And life's young wings were fluttering for their flight.

Last, I beheld it stretched upon the bier, Like a fair flower untimely snatched away,

Calm and unconscious of its mother's tear, Which on its placid cheek unceded lay; But on its lip the unearthly smile expressed,

"Oh! happy child, untried, and early bless'd!"

}

May God, who gave thee being, plant within
Thy breast His grace,---an antidote to sin;
So shalt thou, then, in truth a blessing prove,
Secure of godly and parental love.
Lord of my life! with gratitude replete
Prostrate I fall before thy mercy seat,
Whence issues every comfort, every sweet.
What shall I render to my God, I cry
For all his mercy. Lord do thou draw nigh;
Accept a thankful tribute for this gift,
And bless the infant, while to thee I lift
My heart in prayerful rapture, praise sincere,
And smile upon us while we're waiting here.

M. B.

THE REV. E. MORRIS was born in the parish of Lledrod, in the county of Cardigan. His father, the Rev. David Morris, was a preacher of considerable celebrity among the Welsh Calvinistic Methodists; an honoured instrument of bringing many to the knowledge of the truth. Ebenezer was the eldest of four children. No thing particularly worthy of mention is related of his early youth. When about seventeen years of age, he removed from his father's house in Cardiganshire, to Trecastle, in Breconshire, and kept a school there for some time. To this period, he remained ignorant of the things that pertained to his peace, and unimpressed respecting his spiritual state; but a sermon of a pious and useful itinerant, D. W. Rees, was now exceedingly blessed to him, and he very shortly became a member of the Calvinistic Methodist Society at the abovementioned place. Having given satisfactory evidences of piety and suitable ability, he was permitted and encouraged, when about nineteen years of age, to commence preaching; and it appears, accompanied the Rev. D. Parry, of Breconshire,

VOL. IV.

to North Wales not long after, and preached with that eminent and much beloved minister throughout his journey in that part of the principality. Upon the death of his father, two years subsequently, he finally left Trecastle, and became the occupant of the paternal house and farm in the parish of Troedyraur, in Cardiganshire.

Integrity, firmness, and unfearing promptitude to act, when his judg ment was satisfied of the necessity and expediency of any measure, were always prominent traits of his character; and they were early manifested in exertions to procure and support the exercise of due church discipline, when prejudice and corruption, with the utmost pertinacity, opposed all such efforts. In his more public province also, his talents were gradually developing, and his sermons were attended with frequent evidences of divine influence on many in the multitudes who flocked to hear them. From the commencement of his ministry, his popularity was unusually great; and continued unabated in every part of Wales to its close.

Those natural advantages and qualifications, which serve to render a public speaker popular, Mr. Morris enjoyed in extraordinary variety and amplitude. His voice was remarkable for its power, capability of modulation, and melody. His style of speaking never failed to rivet the attention by its diversity, eloquence, and energy, His retentiveness of memory and his readiness and copiousness of expression often appeared to astonishment, in carrying him through sentences of great length, comprehension, and vehemence, with perfect perspicuity and precision. His ardency was common, but seemed fully justified, and, indeed, demanded by the obvious importance of that which he inculcated. His action was considerable, but at all times dignified and becoming; and his countenance generally wore a striking expression appertaining to the nature of the topic he might be treating.

un

Mr. M. was no pulpit trifler. From the beginning of his discourse to its conclusion, he strove with all his ardour to awaken the conscience, and to affect the heart. He discovered much skill in accommodating his ideas to every capacity; placing them in various aspects before the mind with admirable readiness. Few sermons could be listened to, equally intelligible as were his to the obtuse and vulgar, that were at once so theological, so replete with sentiment, so free from truisms, and so accordant in imagery and diction with good taste. He was happy in familiarly illustrating the passages of Scripture he quoted to bear on his point, with out perversion or sophistry. mode of paraphrasing was clear, apposite, and highly interesting. If he could be esteemed more excellent in treating one subject than another, it was when expatiating upon the person of Christ; and when he proceeded with closeness and pathos,

His

"To prove, that without Christ all gain is loss,

All hope despair, that stands not on his cross!"

The predominant, and most striking feature of his preaching was force. The elevation of his thoughts -the grandeur and nervousness of his language-subdued and filled the minds, and solemnized the feelings of his audience. In addressing the careless and irreligious, constituting a majority of his numerous hearers, his abilities appeared particularly to adapt him; and the bursts of his oratory had an indescribably petrifying and overpowering effect. To adopt a scriptural phrase" His heart was moved, and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind!"

Mr. M. was of middle stature, but very corpulent. His address was frank and familiar. At the first, it might be occasionally deemed wanting in friendliness and warmth; but upon further intimacy it was found peculiarly calculated to inspire confidence; and he would promptly prove that he deserved the confidence he had inspired, by discovering himself a much interested friend and a valuable adviser. He was

shrewd and humorous in familiar intercourse. Although he had much ready wit, yet he never lowered the minister by indulging in sarcasm or levity. In conversation of a religious nature, he would present an important truth-urge a serious consideration, with address and irresistible effect. No sentiment dropped from his lips unheeded. The deepest solemnity, the most intense fervour, were his constant powerful auxiliaries, to shew what he uttered to be in no common degree worthy of regard, and to impress it on the mind strongly and permanently.

The pulmonary disorder, which brought the life of this valuable man to a close, attacked him shortly after his return, last spring, from the me