bound him to his beloved parish and to his affectionate flock were severed. The time had not come to mention to any of them the separation that was to take place; but the sadness of his look, and the mournful voice and abstracted manner of their lately cheerful pastor, were noticed by many. His wife shared in all his feelings. Her judgment had agreed with his, and with him she sorrowed in heart at the prospect of leaving the place, and the people among whom she had hoped to live and die. The suddenness of the call had in a manner disconcerted them. They had had no desire or thought of leaving Springhurst; and after the decision was made-though they did not waver, or think of reversing it-they had many a sad foreboding that they were about to exchange a life of calm and useful happiness for one of perplexity and trial. The worldly and the ambitious could not have understood their feelings, and would not have given credit to them. But there is that in the religion of the earnest and devoted followers of Him whose kingdom is not of this world, which the worldly and ambitious. cannot understand or appreciate. "The way of life is above to the wise;" their course is in a higher parallel than that of the children of this world. The divine directions which they had hitherto endeavored to

follow, "This is the way, walk ye in it," seemed to point out to them the path which they were called to pursue, and they followed it.

Not many weeks had passed away, when the ringing of the bells of the old city of Z-, announced to the inhabitants that their new bishop had arrived. He heard them, while humbled in heart he was meekly kneeling on his knees, the door shut and locked, in the retirement of the library of his new residence. He was praying for the wisdom of the serpent, and the harmlessness of the dove; and that He, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed, would make His divine strength perfect in the human weakness of His creature. He sought to realize before God, the tremendous responsibility of his office; and he prayed for that largeness of heart, and that power of faith, which might enable him to take God at His word, that He will supply all our need, according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

As he rose from his knees, and his eyes glanced round on the antique character of the apartment, the ancient volumes, many of which had stood for hundreds of years upon their oaken shelves, and the quaint but expressive portrait of one who had been.

perhaps the most humble and holy of his predecessors in the bishopric,—the thought passed across his mind, and filled him with solemn reflections, how many a one had successively entered that library as he had but just done, and stood perhaps where he was then standing, thinking as he then thought, filled with the same self-distrust, and looking to God as he was then looking to Him, through the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, for wisdom and for strength. They had all passed away, and the place which had known them knew them now no more. They were gone to their great account, and he was now put in trust with their office. A few short years, at the farthest, would pass away, and another would stand where he then stood: his work would also be done, and he would be also gone to render up his account! That was indeed a solemn season to him; and in future years he often looked back and thanked God for the deep and awful sense He had then given him of the weighty charge which was then laid upon him; and for the deep spirit of earnestness which He had also graciously given to him, in answer to his fervent prayer.

His eyes sought for that which is the chief ornament of a Christian pastor's study, even as it ought

to be the chief delight of his heart. It lay upon a low desk of dark oak, as old, it might be, as the sacred volume itself. It was braced and clasped with plates of graven brass, and fastened to the desk by a chain of the same metal. With an eager hand he turned over the inspired pages, and sought for many a wellknown passage. He bent with earnest gaze over the prayer of Solomon, 1 Kings' iii. 7,-and his mind caught up from the sacred text those expressions which seemed to suit themselves to his own peculiar position: "I am but a little child-I know not how to go out or come in"-"Give thy servant an understanding heart, that I may discern between good and bad." And then he turned to the 2nd chapter of Proverbs, the third verse: "If thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding: if thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures: then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh know. ledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom, for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and

equity; yea, every good path." And still he turned over the leaves, and stopped to read, and to think, while his inward spirit was alternately raised, or depressed, or softened by the inspired words. But his thoughts and feelings took gradually an upward direction-the direction of prayer, and kneeling before that inspired volume, his hands clasped, his eyes raised towards heaven, he poured out his whole heart in earnest supplication; and he continued in prayer, unconscious of time, till the gentle voice of his wife at the door, recalled his spirit from its high and reverent communion with his heavenly Father.

He rose up and opened the door, but only to admit his faithful partner, and to close it, as he had done before; and then again he knelt down, and she knelt beside him, as he commended her and himself to the Lord God, and sought again for grace to strengthen their hearts, and to direct and uphold them in their appointed path. He prayed that they might be like-minded, that all lightness of mind might be taken away from them; that all high thoughts and imaginations might be brought down; that they might not, on either side, be a hindrance the one to the other, in their future course, but that they might be humble in heart, watchful and diligent in spirit, single in eye,