"Star-song," and "The White Island, or Place of the Blest."* Thomas Heywood was a prolific dramatic writer, in the reign of Charles the First. The "Hierarchie of the blessed Angels" entitles him to a place among sacred poets. This poem was published in 1635, and is very interesting, as presenting a characteristic specimen of the rugged sublimity which marked the poetry of that period. Though rude in metre, and harsh and unpolished in manner, it contains passages of striking grandeur. The reader who ventures upon the perusal of this ponderous tome will find much to repay his labour. The following extract abounds with the material of poetry; but the labor lima is wanting. "Searching after God. I sought thee round about, O thou, my God, In thine abode. I said unto the earth, Speake! art thou he?" She answer'd me, 'I am not.' I enquir'd of creatures all, In generall, Contain'd therein; they with one voice proclaime, I askt the seas, and all the deepes below, I askt the reptiles, and whatever is In the abysse; Even from the shrimp to the leviathan Enquiry ran; But in those deserts which no line can sound, I askt the aire, if that were he? but, lo, I, from the towering eagle to the wren, Demanded then, If any feather'd fowle 'mongst them were such? Offended with my question, in full quire, I askt the heavens, sun, moon, and stars; but they The God thou seekst.' I askt, what eye or eare What in the world I might descry or know, With an unanimous voice, all these things said, I askt the world's great universal masse, Which, with a mighty and strong voice, reply'd, 'I am not he, O man! for know, that I By him on high Was fashion'd first of nothing, thus instated, And sway'd by Him by whom I was created.' A scrutiny within myself, I then Even thus began: 'O man, what art thou?' What more could I say, Than dust and clay? Fraile, mortal, fading, a meere puffe, a blaste, Enthron'd to-day, to-morrow in an urne; I askt myself, what this great God might be That fashion'd me? I answer'd-the all-potent, solely immense, Surpassing sense; His poems were printed in 1648 (under the title of "Hes. perides"), in one volume; and a selection from them, by Dr. Nott, in 1810. Unspeakable, inscrutable, eternall, The only terrible, strong, just, and true, He is the well of life; for he doth give Both breath and being: he is the Creator Earth, aire, and fire. Of all things that subsist, He hath the list; Of all the heavenly host, or what earth claims, And now, my God, by thine illumining grace, (So far forth as it may discover'd be,) And though invisible and infinite, Thou, in thy mercy, justice, truth, appearest ; In which to our weake senses thou comest nearest. O make us apte to seeke, and quick to finde, Thou God most kinde; Give us love, hope, and faith, in thee to trust, Thou God most just; Remit all our offences, we intreat, Most good, most great; Grant that our willing, though unworthy, guest, May, through thy grace, admit us 'mongst the blest." About this period several minor authors occur, from whose works many gems might be selected. Those who have in any measure explored the mine of ancient poetic lore, cannot but wonder that no well-selected specimens of the earlier English sacred poets, with accompanying biographical and critical notices, have as yet appeared. The only volume of this kind with which I am acquainted is edited by Mr. Montgomery. Had the extracts been more numerous, and accompanied with a brief memoir of each author, and critique on his works, this compilation would have been every thing that could be desired. Mr. M.'s extensive knowledge of English poetry, and the purity of his taste, pre-eminently qualify him for such an undertaking. I shall conclude this paper with a few extracts, which will contribute to give the judicious reader a more just idea of the authors of this period than any observations of my own would furnish. The poetry of John Donnet has been justly described to be scarcely readable through its harshness, scarcely intelligible through its obscurity; yet abounding with shrewd remarks, elaborate wit, and caustic sarcasm. In my opinion, the kernel but ill repays the trouble of cracking the shell. Joseph Hall, the pious and learned bishop of Norwich, is the author of several small essays in rhyme. We may class them with the poetry of the classic and elegant Cicero, or the eloquent and imaginative Jeremy Taylor, and say of these three great men, that their prose is poetry, their poetry prose. Thomas Carew (1589-1639) is one of the most elegant writers of this age. Had his poems more of nature, and less of art, they would rank him with Collins and Gray. Some lines from his address "To his worthy friend, Master George Sandys, on his Translation of the Psalms," are very pleasing. "The Christian Poet." 12mo. Collins, Glasgow. ↑ A memoir of him may be found in the fifth volume (p. 325) of this Magazine. "I press not to the choir, nor dare I greet Prompted by thy example then, no more Than all the flourishing wreaths by laureats worn." "Now, measur'd out my days, 'tis here I rest - as being lords over God's heritage, but as The literature of every age is marked by certain by God himself, and no mortal can claim do characteristic features; and, after allowing for the peculiarities of individual genius, it will be safe to minion over them; and though an apostle may be the preacher, yet those who hear say, that the predominant shades which distinguish investigation as the Beroans did, with whose have a right to exercise the same freedom of the poetry of this period are, a cold, elaborate, fantastical mannerism and cramped style, which dim the most original and brilliant ideas. Garsden, 1839. CHRISTIAN MINISTERS HELPERS OF BY THE REV. DANIEL BAGOT, B.D. "We are helpers of your joy." It is very necessary, in order to derive full benefit from the institution of the Christian ministry, that we should be well aware of the nature of the office which the minister of Christ sustains; of the position which he occupies in the Church, and of the amount of authority with which he has been invested by the great Head of the Church. The apostle Paul was extremely careful to give definite and distinct views upon this point; he speaks of ministers as "ambassadors for God" (2 Cor. v. 20)," as the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. iv. 1); and his language in 1 Cor. iii. 5 is extremely emphatic, "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed?" The apostle Peter, likewise, for whom a supreme and arbitrary power has been asserted by the Church of Rome, is equally explicit upon this point: he commands the elders in the Church to take oversight of the flock as shepherds, "not name is associated this high and memorable encomium by the Holy Spirit himself: "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readi ness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so." The foregoing remarks have been naturally suggested by the words of St. Paul in the former clause of the verse which contains our text: "Not for that we have dominion over your faith." My desire is, however, to examine the assertion, which he immediately places in direct contrast with this" but are helpers of your joy:" in which words we have mention made, Ist, Of the Christian's privilege, "joy." IIdly, Of the minister's office, "helpers of your joy." To these two subjects of interesting meditation, we shall, in dependence upon Divine grace, briefly direct our attention. I. Let us consider the Christian's privilege, "joy." This word frequently occurs in Scripture; and it is just such a word as we might naturally expect to find very often in a book which is so full of glad tidings: it denotes that state of happy feeling, into which a belief of the pardoning love of God introduces the sinner. All men seek to be happy, and are desirous of having joy shed abroad in their hearts; and, whatever may be their occupations, are seeking after happiness: but no happiness or enjoyment, of a satisfying and permanent kind, can be found, except in connexion with a practical belief of the truth as it is in Jesus. See the testimony of David: he does not say, Blessed is the man who is highly exalted in this world, who has a crown on his head, a sceptre in his hand, who sits upon a throne, and is surrounded by all the pomp and circumstance of royal state; but he says, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity;" and again, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Yes; nothing but a state of salvation, and acceptance with God, can be a state of real joy. We should therefore carefully examine into, and endeavour to understand, the nature and origin of the Christian's joy. It is not the offspring of a fervid and excited imagination, but the consequence and effect of a wellgrounded conviction of the love of God: it is a calm and rational feeling, which leads the believer to rejoice in the Lord always, and, at the same time, to let his moderation be known unto all men. It is remarkable, how frequently peace and joy are connected together in Scripture: the apostle says, that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; he prays that the members of the Church at Rome might be filled with all joy and peace in believing. And in enumerating the Christian graces, in his epistle to the Galatians, he says, "the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace." Thus the believer's state is one of peaceful joy, and of joyful peace. These two blessings of the everlasting covenant qualify each other, like the wine and milk, under the emblem of which the prophet speaks of them, when he says, " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come to the waters; and he that hath no money, come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price." The Christian's joy has its root and origin in faith; for so the apostle says: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing." And why is this? simply because faith connects the believer with Jesus, who is all his salvation and all his desire, and gives the mind a knowledge of acceptance by him. Therefore does the apostle Peter say, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory." And indeed, in the very nature of things, faith must produce joy. He that believeth that God is love, that his redemption from the curse has been procured, that his sins are all pardoned, that the gates of glory and honour and immortality are thrown open for his admission, cannot but rejoice. The Christian's joy is inseparably con nected with a practical adherence to Christ. There is a temporary joy, spoken of in the thirteenth chapter of St. Matthew, of those who receive the word in stony places. Such persons have only a vague and superficial idea of the Gospel. They see it to be glad tidings, but they have scarcely any perception of their own absolute need of it; and they have no idea whatever of Christian principle fitting the believer to pass through much tribulation into the kingdom of heaven; and therefore," when tribulation or persecution ariseth, because of the word, they are of fended." But the joy of the sincere believer, whose faith is connected with a deep conviction of his own sinfulness, is a firm and permanent principle. His faith not only unites him with Christ, and thus produces joy, but likewise worketh by love, overcometh the world, and resisteth the evil one, and thus continueth joy. If ever the believer falls away into inconsistency, this heavenly visitant deserts his soul, and he is constrained to cry, "Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation." But as long as he adheres to the commands of his Saviour, with firmness and perseverance, he has within him the testimony of an approving conscience, and therefore rejoices. The Now this state of joy is the proper and legitimate state of the Christian. Joy diffuses a beautiful and attractive lustre around every grace which ornaments the believer's character; it is the very atmosphere through which he should continually walk, proving that the ways of religion are ways of religion are " ways of pleasantness," and that "all her paths are peace." believer is not in his natural healthy state, unless when rejoicing; for God has not called us to sorrow and misery, but to triumph in his love. He is not fit to meet with shame and trial, unless it can be said of him, that he rejoices to be counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ: for even when he is involved in tribulation and distress, he should rejoice. There can be no pain so acute, no sorrow so intense, no trial so severe, as to expel this heavenly spirit from the soul. What says the apostle on this point? He uses even a stronger word than" rejoice;" and he says, we glory in tribulation" (Rom. v. 3); and again he says, "I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation." And what an advantage it is to us, that the apostles and primitive Christians were so tried and persecuted; for thus we have this important problem ready solved for our encouragement, that nothing can counteract the operation of the Christian's joy. I know of nothing that recommends the Gospel more than this; I know of no moral proof of its divinity more powerfully convincing than this-that he who 66 believes can rejoice under all circumstances; | and that instead of tribulation quenching or extinguishing this delightful and happy feeling, it rather acts as the means of making it more visible, if not of increasing it. There is another consideration connected with this part of our subject, which we must not overlook. Joy fits the believer for comforting and encouraging others. Christians should never forget the relative character which they sustain, as lights in the world, holding out an exemplification of religious principle to others; and they should carefully attend to the importance of giving a correct view of Christianity. It was a great sin in those who were sent by Moses to take a survey of the promised land, to return with an evil report; it involved themselves and others in the punishment of exclusion from its enjoyments. And those who give a false report to others of the influence of Christian truth, even by the silent and indirect testimony of their ordinary deportment, are enemies to the cross of Christ, as they deter others from giving a fair and candid attention to the claims of divine truth. There are, indeed, persons professing a belief in the Gospel, who are constitutionally of a gloomy and melancholy temperament; but this should not be attributed, as it too frequently is, to the effects of their belief. A knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus should have a widely different effect. The Gospel is emphatically and pre-eminently glad tidings; and men should rejoice to hear it, and joy should spread a calm and holy splendour over the entire deportment of the Christian, like the landscape smiling beneath the summer sun. Thus shall sinners be encouraged to enter upon the heavenly race, which is associated with so much happiness of feeling even here, and leads to infinitely greater happiness here. after. So much will suffice in reference to the believer's joy: we shall now consider, II. The minister's office. "We are," says the apostle, "helpers of your joy." O, how important are the functions which devolve upon the servant of Christ! he is a "helper," but not of salvation. Christ is the only Saviour; and he requires not, and allows not, of any helpers: "There is no other name given under heaven amongst men, whereby we can be saved." "Look unto me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and beside me there is no Saviour." But though ministers are not, nor could they be, helpers in the work of salvation, they are, as instruments, helpers in the application of it. Hear the apostle himself upon this point: "He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." Ministers are workmen employed in building up the believer in his most holy faith, fixing him on Christ as the foundation, the Author and Finisher of his redemption. In this view they are helpers of faith, for they preach Christ, who is the object of faith; they are helpers of hope, for they preach Christ, who dwells in his people, as the hope of glory; they are helpers of peace, for they preach Christ, who is our peace; they are helpers of love, for they preach Him, whom having not seen we love; they are helpers of holiness and of all virtue, for they preach Him who was holy, harmless, and undefiled, who went about doing good, whose every action was a model which even angels might admire and imitate; and they are helpers of joy, for they preach Him "in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." But in no case are ministers more than helpers; in no case are they the authors of love, joy, peace, hope, or faith: all these are the fruits of the Spirit. He whose sweetly sounding title is "the Comforter," is alone the author of spiritual joy. Hence the apostle says to the Thessalonian Church, "Ye received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost." Still, ministers are helpers of joy; and truly, as such, they are engaged in a most delightful and happy work. The Christian ministry has its difficulties and its trials; but let it never be forgotten, that it has its pleasures too. And what pleasure more richly satisfying, than that which consists in promoting the happiness of others--the eternal happiness, and not the temporal? It is a pleasure which we share in common with angels, with Jesus, with God. He who is engaged in promoting the happiness of others, is, in a double sense, promoting his own; he feels a reaction of joy in his own soul, when he is employed as the instrument of leading others to rejoice, which those know nothing of, whose every thought and energy is employed entirely in seeking their own happiness. But in what way do ministers act as helpers of joy? This is an important question, and would require a very full and detailed reply, were we to treat it in a way proportioned to its importance. We shall merely enumerate, in a general manner, some of the ways in which they discharge this pleasing office; more as subjects for meditation, than as intending to illustrate the matter with the fulness which it deserves. They are helpers of joy, by unfolding the word of God. The Bible contains glad tidings, which are calculated to rejoice the heart, and | the office of the minister is rightly to divide the word of God. It was thus that Philip was instrumental in sending the eunuch on his way rejoicing. They help the Christian's joy, by expatiating on the love of Christ. Nothing can fill the soul with so much gladness, as meditations on the infinite mercy of our blessed Saviour. Thus Christ himself, after a long discourse, in which he referred much to himself, said, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." They help the Christian's joy, by giving a just interpretation of his present trials. This is extremely necessary, inasmuch as the effect of these trials upon our natural feelings is calculated to interrupt our spiritual joy; but when we are told, that our present afflictions are light, that they are intended to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, that they are valuable and essential means of promoting our growth in grace, instead of tribulation preventing us from rejoicing, we shall be led to " rejoice in tribulation." The apostle Peter insists upon Christians rejoicing in their trials, on another and no less interesting ground: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial that is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." They are also helpers of the Christian's joy, by praying for him to the Author of every grace, and Giver of every privilege. Thus the apostle Paul prays for the Church at Rome, "that the God of hope would fill them with all joy and peace in believing." And finally, they exhort Christians to pray for themselves, as the Saviour did when he said, "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." It would be easy to specify other methods in which the ministers of the Gospel are helpers of the joy of the Lord's people; we prefer, however, to conclude with a few words of practical advice. We say, then, in the first place, guard most carefully against every thing calculated to interrupt your joy; especially, from every sinful or inconsistent act: sin is the parent of sorrow. Secondly, watch and pray against a spirit of unbelief, and an inclination to repine at the dispensations of God. Every feeling of fretfulness or discontent is opposed to joy. Lastly, take frequent and grateful notice of every instance of the loving-kindness of God; reflect much on your blessings and your privileges. How ready we are to count up our trials and our griefs, but to let our mercies pass unheeded by, like the morning cloud or the early dew, or like the sunshine of summer, which is too soon forgotten amidst the dreariness of winter! David was so well aware of the deceitfulness of his memory on this point, as to say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" and we have as much occasion to say the same. If God has said to his people, "Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more," should not they, in responsive gratitude, send up this petition to his throne of grace, "Teach us, O God, as thy redeemed and pardoned children, to remember thy mercies?" Finally, my brethren, " rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, rejoice." Persevere in active and cheerful obedience to the commandments of Jesus. So shall you finish your course with joy; and so shall the Lord address you, at the last day, with these approving words of invitation, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." THE GIFTS OF GOD IN NATURE AND GRACE. BY MISS M. A. S. BARBER. No. VII.-Brotherly Kindness. THE Irish Bible, one of those triumphs of the "latter days," in preaching the Gospel to every nation and kindred and people, renders the word by us translated "reconciliation," as "second friendship." The Gospel brings us indeed glad tidings of the second friendship, the "good will toward men," which God has announced to the fallen creatures who had so justly forfeited his love. But it is declared throughout the covenant of grace, that he who loves God must love his brother also. This obligation is added by the Lord himself to the first great commandment, and emphatically pronounced "like unto it." The second friendship, therefore, in uniting the soul to God, unites it also to its fellow-men. The moral philosopher, from the distant era and the distant land which gave birth to Confucius, to our own country and our own times, aims to separate these principles, and regulate the duty of man towards man without any reference to his duty towards God. But it is in vain as soon could we expect to see a number of children united together in the bands of harmony and affection with each other, whilst in a state of open rebellion against their parents. No: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself"-the one is dependent upon the other, and flows from it. ... The community, in the bosom of which we are called upon to practise our social duties, divides itself, so far as each individual is concerned, into three classes: the family, the friends, and the world at large. To prac "I have now read," says Dr. Morrison, in a letter to a friend, "to the middle of the third of the celebrated four books of the great oracle of this empire, Confucius. On the relative duties betwixt man and man he found himself able to reason and to decide; and on these his disciples say he dwelt. Respecting the gods he was unable to judge, and thought it insulting to them to agitate the question, and therefore declined it."-Memoirs of Dr. Morrison. |