so poor, that few indeed are the specimens, of equal length, possessing merits so various and decided as belong to this plain and simple, yet powerful and affecting, exposition of the worth and applicability of the Holy Scriptures to the exigencies of all those who believingly consult them. In the smallest compass consistent with clear and vivid representation, the author has comprehended such a diversity of objects, has so happily arranged them, and so appropriately adorned each in its order, that a more symmetrical whole, of so many parts, is not often exhibited in verse of any kind. With the exception of the 3rd and 4th, sect. iv., which are linked together, each stanza is a miniature poem of but four lines, having its distinct theme, proposed, unfolded, and summed up so lucidly, yet concisely, as to be intelligible at once when standing alone, and not less beautiful and appropriate when identified with the context. The diction is remarkably condensed in phrase, graceful in embellishment, and unencumbered with epithets. The metre may challenge comparison with the best lyrics of the best poets of the age, and is certainly more melodious than that of some of the most renowned among them, including Herbert, Cowley, and Crawshaw. The structure is exceedingly well compacted; there is no verbiage to eke out deficient matter; each line has its place, its duty, and its burden to bear, in forwarding the sense to the completion. The style, also, is more free from quaintnesses than contemporary pieces generally were: the few which occasionally occur, with the rare sprinkling of antique words, betray no repulsive coarseness, but rather diffuse the racy flavour of our fine old English tongue through a composition which, though inferior in elegance and polish, will hardly yield in purity and terseness to Addison's prose, while, in energy, fulness, and wealth of thought, it has manifest advantage over his pleasing and popular hymns. JAMES MONTGOMERY. Then errors their gumm'd wares display; I'm foolish, simple, and want eyes: But Scripture says, Shun error's ways; Walk by my rule, this is the way. Thus, when I'm tempted unto sin, By thy Word's art, Hid in my heart, Both battle and reward I win. Yea, though sins have defil'd my soul, Thy Word can cleanse Those noisome dens Thy Word's light, rule, Master and school, Which makes the comers to it wise. I see myself undone and poor : A mine of gold; A pearl of price; all richer store. Of lust, and sin's best strength control. From Satan's service unto God's. II. Have I an unbelieving heart? By thy most Holy Spirit's art. Thy Word thus deals,- Thy Word, thy Law, That heart can thaw, Do towering thoughts possess my breast? The Word brings low The proudest foe, And lays him level with the least. Do muttering thoughts rise and repine? Thy rod and Word Teach patience, Lord, And still those barking thoughts of mine. Dumb lips unseals, tells what to say. III. When I in darkness err and stray, Thy Word's a light Most clear and bright, And leads me back into the way. Do outward troubles, inward grief, My soul torment ? Thy Word is sent With comfort for my soul's relief. Am I perplex'd with doubts and fears? And so my clouded judgment clears. Me hopes to live, For Christ my dearest Saviour's sake. Do multitudes of thoughts me press? I call to mind Thy Word, and find Such comforts as my soul refresh. Can't I through weakness walk alone? Thy Word, Lord, is Strength to my knees, And staff to stay my hand upon. IV. Thus, though I thirst, faint, hunger, pine, Thy Word me feeds In these my needs Thy Word itself is bread, milk, wine. Thus, though poor, scorned, forsaken, pained, Thy Word alone Hath, all in one, Health, wealth, friends, honour, all contained. Thus, though soul-sick, and wounded My soul, admire that hand and quill sore With grievous sin, Which doth begin To fester, rankling more and more; Thy Word shows whence help may be had, And doth me guide To Christ's pierced side, Yea, though in me no life remain, Which fetcheth me to life again. Would I prolong this life for ever? The Scripture shows Pure streams, which whoso drinks dies never. The Lord be blest who thus provides, And filleth full My empty soul With food which evermore abides. Bless God, my soul, that thus hath given Strength, light, guide, way, V. This Book, these sentences, these lines, Each word and letter Than chains of pearl and golden mines. 'Tis heaven transcrib'd and glory penn'd ; God's truth, no doubt, When He this gift to men did send. 'Tis truth itself: God doth intend That did produce For sinners' use The eternal mind, the sovereign will! Adore the Author too, and when Thou canst not raise Sit down, and, wondering, say, AMEN. MOTTO FOR THE SCRIPTURES. Behold the Book whose leaves display WHY ARE NOT THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND EDUCATED? NOT only interested Churchmen, but even some Dissenters, and persons who care little either about Church or Dissent, think that the Established Church is necessary to the maintenance of religion in the nation. Let not the truth of this assertion be too easily taken for granted. Let parties think what would have been the state of religion had there been nothing but the Established Church in the land. Let it be conceived that there is no such thing as Dissent, or Nonconformity, or Methodism in the land, and that all the people who now rank under these various denominations were entirely heathen,that nothing exists in the country but the Church, just as she is ;-would this be a satisfactory religious state of things? Would it not leave the prodigious majority of the people in a state of unbroken heathenism? But again, even with all the aid of these bodies, how comes it that there is so much darkness brooding over this realm? Whatever be the want, it is not the want of money! The revenues of the Church of England, rightly distributed, would suffice for the comfortable maintenance of a number of ministers sufficient to teach every scul of the British people. It would, in fact, give a mini 318 WHY ARE NOT THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND EDUCATED? ster to every thousand of the population, and support him in great affluence. We have frequently said, and for the seventh time it has been recently proved, that no confidence ought to be placed in the returns which have been made of the revenues of the Established Church. In many cases they are not one-half of what they ought, in truth, to be; and in many instances there was no return made at all! This matter has been very well sifted by a gentleman in Suffolk, whose deductions may perhaps be taken as a tolerably fair specimen of the whole country in respect of this question. The number of livings in the county of Suffolk is 420. The total value of these livings is £132,828 6s. Now, the total of the population is given at 255,775; sup-i posing, then, that 6s. 8d. a head were allowed for the spiritual instruction of that body of people, the result would be £84,258 6s. 8d., which would leave a balance of £48,570. Constructed into a Table, the matter would stand as follows: such circumstances, the British people should require no Home Missions, no Government aid for education, nor anything for the maintenance of academic institutions of a minor character, suited to meet the more elevated intellectual wants of the people. But it is a lamentable truth, that the vast body of the population are still untaughtuntaught both in secular and in religious It should be observed, as we have said, that a great many of the incumbents made no return whatever: therefore if these are taken into the account, as well as 244 glebe residences, which were returned, the total remuneration to the clergy of the county of Suffolk cannot be estimated at less than £140,000 per annum, or at the rate of 10s. 7d. per head on the population. It will be seen by the present state-knowledge, ranking among the most unment that 29 parishes pay £1 per head, 28 above 15s., 209 average 11s. 6d. ; the remainder from 4s. downwards. Now, shutting out entirely the question of a State-Church, and looking at the subject simply in the light of common sense, common justice, and common decency, we think that, under instructed portion of people in Europe. Our American brethren triumph over us, declaring that the greatest trial they have, in relation to emigration, arises from the British emigrants, the bulk of whom will not admit of comparison with those which reach them from any other country. This is a strong reason why the utmost support should be given to the British Missions, and why the utmost effort should be made to extend them, to meet the necessities of the ignorant, perishing millions. It also presents a very strong reason the strongest of reasons-for encouraging the labours of the Congregational Board of Education; for from the National School there is nothing to hope, but everything to fear. Al ways feeble, and afraid of light-always more anxious to keep up the Church than to elevate the people-more studious to train them to be the willing slaves of a conservative dogmatism, than to form them into enlightened subjects of the British Crown, it has now become worse, and to bad schools is adding the very worst species of Ecclesiastical instruction. The Letter Box. TO BRITISH YOUTH. WE wish it were possible to establish of activity, energy, and right princia sort of electrical telegraph to com- pled perseverance, with which alone municate with at least some forty or God has connected success. The greatfifty thousand of our young readers, est boon that one man can confer upon that we might learn from them, from another-that the journalist can bestow time to time, to what use they turn the upon his readers-is to work the coninstructions we are periodically pour- viction of this into the youthful mind. ing upon their ear. We are especially The greatest calamity by which a desirous to know if they have shaken young man can be overtaken, is, the hands with frivolity, idleness, and notion that he is a genius, and may, sloth, and sworn an eternal abjuration therefore, dispense with the drudgery of all soporific feelings? On this point that is needful to common mortals. we are most earnest, most urgent; for on this, under Providence, everything depends. For the sluggard to supplicate wisdom and knowledge, improvement and progress, is to insult the great Author of our being! It is to ask ends without means; the abundance of the harvest without the toil of seedtime! We have, of late, had some cases before us of individuals whose prospects were bright, but who have lost everything from their indolence and apathy. We know not how many we have been acquainted with of this description-persons that might have attained to usefulness, to eminence, and to wealth, but who have sunk down in the lowest dregs of society from want Most of you have heard of Edmund Burke-one of the greatest intellectual prodigies of Europe-the first of orators, and of writers, of any age or country. He had a brother, Richarda man of great ability, perhaps scarcely inferior to Edmund; but, like many of you, a gay, gossiping, pleasure-loving youth,-who grew up into a brilliant but superficial man. Prior, in his Life of Burke, thus mentions him :-" Richard Burke being found in a reverie, shortly after an extraordinary display of powers in the House of Commons, by his brother Edmund, and questioned by Mr. Malone as to the cause, replied, I have been wondering how Ned has contrived to monopolize all |