"Illa gradu propior sanguinis." KINDLY you wept with me and mine, But who can nature's grief subdue? It grieves me to say only, when I speak of her whom I have lost; But, ah! tho' equal be our pain, 'Tis you that pay the greater cost. A sister's love, a sister's smile, May fill the void which others make, And from its whelming griefs beguile The swollen heart which else would break. But when the bane of youth and all We loving and beloved deem, Disease, hath made her spirit fall, Her cheek grow pale, her eye look dim; And when at length the springs of life Have lost their elasticity, And, stretch'd beyond their power of strife, And wish that we ourselves were dead- But mothers die! Ah! I have borne A father's and a sister's death; And after each I could return To joy, and hope, and life, and breath. But if-e'en now my burning brain For me that still more bitter draught; Constrain'd his hardness to subdue, Would give my bursting heart relief, Or madness, worse than death, ensue! But, ah! she never woke to smile, Bereaved, in your utmost need, How did ye bear, that fatal morn, To say-ye could not say-adieu ? Did He, that tends the lambkin shorn, Temper that hurricane to you? I hope, nay, I believe he did; For who but he could else constrain To slumber sweet the dewy lid, To reason calm the whirling brain? Then let our praise to him abound, Who lets grim death his arrows wield'; So will I praise him; and whene'er Administering that heavenly balm. Your guardian angel and your guide. J. M. H. COME, holy Spirit of revelation, come! Let noon-day splendour chase dark nature's night, Till the soul's optic, strengthen'd for the gaze its own, See in thy sight, and know as it is known our confidence restored, and, resolving that nothing should deter us from the execution of our duty, we exclaimed with prophetic boldness, in reference to our adventure, "The pilot that weather'd the storm." At this our friend the captain laughed heartily, and, wishing us the success which, he said, we seemed to anticipate, retired. According to our established resolation, we have given to Mr. Shrewsbury's elegant volume a very careful perusal, in the course of which we were struck with several particulars that we will enumerate as they occurred. the subversion of his chapel and his exile from the island; but the faithful discharge of his duty as a Christian minister. No one, we are sure, whọ has experienced in himself the stubborn pride of a depraved heart struggling against the humility of the gospel," kicking," as it is emphatically called, against the pricks," and clinging to the rotten holds of carnal pleasure-can doubt what roused the lion from his lair. 66 Turn we for a moment to the seventh sermon, delivered on the 10th of October, 1821, on which day an annual fast is observed in Barbadoes in commemoration of a violent storm which desolated that island in the year 1780; and here, if we mistake not, will be found the true origin of the persecutions raised against Mr. S. Here he presents the colonial sinners with the catalogue of their crimes,their oaths, their drunkenness, their adultery, their fornication, their sabbath-breaking,-and concludes the re We gather from the brief advertisement prefixed to this book, that it is intended to rebut the absurd accusation, that the doctrines preached by the Wesleyan missionaries in the West Indies tend to create discontent and insubordination among the slave population of those islands. For this purpose the contents are well chosen, since we are informed, “that the sermons were all delivered in Barbadoes; the twelve former in the Me-hearsal with these striking words :thodist Chapel in Bridgetown, the two latter on different estates in that colony;" and consequently they may be received as a fair specimen of the character of Mr. S.'s ministry, both among the white and the black inhabitants of the island, the twelve former having been addressed chiefly to the one class, and the two latter exclusively to the other. And do any of these sermons contain precepts of rebellion? No! To the planters and other European residents, Mr. Shrewsbury presents himself armed with the sword of the Spirit, and exclaims, "Lay down the weapons of your rebellion, and fight not against God;" and to the slaves he advances like one whose feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, delivering that winning message of mercy, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." So far as injunctions and exhortations like these, with the passages and arguments by which they may be strengthened and enforced, are calculated to excite suspicion in the master and disorder in the slave, has Mr. Shrewsbury been rightly accused of working toward those ends, but not a whit further. It was not such conduct as that which is imputed to him which caused "It is a proof that men have no shame, when they feel little or no concern about concealing their iniquities. Were the swearer to close every avenue of his dwelling, and 'curse God' in secret; were the drunkard to retire to an inner chamber, and shut the doors upon himself, that none might see a human swine;were it customary for harlots, as in the days of Judah, to cover themselves with a vail when they appeared abroad;-or, were the adulterer only to approach bis lurking-places in the gloom of midnight, retiring before the morning could disclose his guilty deeds;--then might we own, that the last symptom of a reprobate mind is not yet discoverable,—an incapability of blushing for 'abomination.' Bat when the reverse is the case, the conclusion is forced upon us, that many even 'glory in their shame.' I appeal to your own consciences, Is not sin counted a reputable thing? Here is the proof: Let a man live according to custom, and he passes without much observation; bat let him live 'soberly, righteously, and godly,' and he becomes at once a proverb of reproach and shame.'"-p. 232. "because Again, in the fifth sermon, which treats of the pleasures of sin, after an eloquent enumeration of the worldling's delights, and a clear demonstration of their sinful nature, they have no reference to God's glory, because they are contrary to God's word, and because they unfit mankind for the enjoyment of God in heaven," Mr. S. thus pointedly describes the future condition of those who will persist in their own way :— " Memory will then recover her original retentive power; and what had been forgotten The shrieks of misery to th' echoing shore. For ever doom'd the wrath of heaven to fear, Woes endless and untold from God to bear. Thus terribly the foes of Christ shall fall, Wrath shall o'ertake, and vengeance crush them all. Nor long shall ruin in its course delay, Millennium's glory o'er the world shall spread, seen, Nor frightful carnage mar the lovely scene. The trumpet's warlike blast, or deafening roar Of thundering cannon's peal from shore to shore, Shall not be heard;-th' appalling sounds shall cease, Nor break the reign of universal peace. The prowling beasts and rav'nous birds of prey Shall tame become, the weaned child shall play Secure unharm'd before the serpent's den, No blasts descending on the field or fold, And hills and valleys cloth'd in living green, Shall greet the eye, while plenty crowns the board The meed of toil, and industry's reward. Friendship, the balm which heav'n on man bestows, To cheer bis pilgrimage and ease his woes, Pure, and unmix'd with baser passions, then Shall fill the hearts and rule the lives of men. The glorious gospel too shall fly abroad, Impeding mountains shall become a plain, same, Each resting wholly on a Saviour's name. Reform'd and modell'd by the word of God, His pow'r omnipotent their foes restrain, We took up this book with a trembling hand, and accounted for the agitation of our nerves by observing to a maritime friend who stood near us at the time, "We who spend our lives in cruising over the ocean of literature, are, like you, beset with dangers; and it is well if, in approaching the rocks of Scylla-the abolition of slavery,or the whirlpool of Charybdis-Catholic emancipation, we are dashed to pieces on the one, or swallowed down by the other." That," replied the captain, with his wonted shrewdness, endeavouring to inspire us with courage from a feeling of our own importance, "will mainly depend on the pilot or the helmsman. And besides, if afraid of the consequences, why will you meddle with any thing relating to those questions?" 66 not By this time we had opened the book; and, while gazing with delight on the placid features of Mr. Shrewsbury, were so forcibly smitten with the recollection of his prudent and intrepid conduct during the violent persecution which he suffered in Barbadoes, that our fears were dispersed, the subversion of his chapel and his exile from the island; but the faithful discharge of his duty as a Christian minister. No one, we are sure, who has experienced in himself the stubborn pride of a depraved heart struggling against the humility of the gospel, " 'kicking," as it is emphatically called, " against the pricks," and clinging to the rotten holds of carnal pleasure-can doubt what roused the lion from his lair. our confidence restored, and, resolving that nothing should deter us from the execution of our duty, we exclaimed with prophetic boldness, in reference to our adventure, "The pilot that weather'd the storm." At this our friend the captain laughed heartily, and, wishing us the success which, he said, we seemed to anticipate, retired. According to our established resolution, we have given to Mr. Shrewsbury's elegant volume a very careful perusal, in the course of which we were struck with several particulars that we will enumerate as they occurred. We gather from the brief advertisement prefixed to this book, that it is intended to rebut the absurd accusation, that the doctrines preached by the Wesleyan missionaries in the West Indies tend to create discontent and insubordination among the slave population of those islands. For this purpose the contents are well chosen, since we are informed, "that the sermons were all delivered in Barbadoes; the twelve former in the Me-hearsal with these striking words :thodist Chapel in Bridgetown, the two latter on different estates in that colony;" and consequently they may be received as a fair specimen of the character of Mr. S.'s ministry, both among the white and the black inha-self, that none might see a human swine;→ bitants of the island, the twelve former having been addressed chiefly to the one class, and the two latter exclusively to the other. And do any of these sermons contain precepts of rebellion? No! To the planters and other European residents, Mr. Shrewsbury presents himself armed with the sword of the Spirit, and exclaims, "Lay down the weapons of your rebellion, and fight not against God;" and to the slaves he advances like one whose feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, delivering that winning message of mercy, "Come unto me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." So far as injunctions and exhortations like these, with the passages and arguments by which they may be strengthened and enforced, are calculated to excite suspicion in the master and disorder in the slave, has Mr. Shrewsbury been rightly accused of working toward those ends, but not a whit further. It was not such conduct as that which is imputed to him which caused Turn we for a moment to the seventh sermon, delivered on the 10th of October, 1821, on which day an annual fast is observed in Barbadoes in commemoration of a violent storm which desolated that island in the year 1780; and here, if we mistake not, will be found the true origin of the persecutions raised against Mr. S. Here he presents the colonial sinners with the catalogue of their crimes,their oaths, their drunkenness, their adultery, their fornication, their sabbath-breaking,-and concludes the re "It is a proof that men have no shame, when they feel little or no concern about concealing their iniquities. Were the swearer to close every avenue of his dwelling, and 'curse God' in secret;-were the drunkard to retire to an inner chamber, and shut the doors upon him were it customary for harlots, as in the days of Judah, to cover themselves with a vail when terer only to approach bis lurking-places in they appeared abroad;-or, were the adulthe gloom of midnight, retiring before the morning could disclose his guilty deeds;--then might we own, that the last symptom of a reprobate mind is not yet discoverable,-an inwhen the reverse is the case, the conclusion is capability of blushing for 'abomination.' But forced upon us, that many even glory in their shame.' I appeal to your own consciences, Is not sin counted a reputable thing? Here is the proof: Let a man live according to custom, let him live 'soberly, righteously, and godly,' and he passes without much observation; but and be becomes at once a proverb of reproach and shame.'"-p. 232. } Again, in the fifth sermon, which treats of the pleasures of sin, after an eloquent enumeration of the worldling's delights, and a clear demonstration of their sinful nature," because they have no reference to God's glory, because they are contrary to God's word, and because they unfit mankind for the enjoyment of God in heaven," Mr. S. thus pointedly describes the future condition of those who will persist in their own way : "Memory will then recover her original retentive power; and what had been forgotten vocal warnings. For who is he that shall point out the time, place, and person, when, where, and by whom the religion of Christ was first introduced, without entailing on its minister the rage of a wicked mob, expressed in the gnashings of a leonine fury, and in the fabrication of lying accusations. Mr. Shrewsbury, no doubt, had counted the cost; he could not expect a better reception than his Master; and hence, together with divine assistance, arose the undismayed and unshrinking courage with which he bore the malignities of his exasperated enemies, and was content to be called a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition, like many of his great forerunners. throughout life will be recalled, no more to sink into oblivion. One consequence of this will be, that the discourse you are now hearing will rush upon your minds at once; and my voice, joined with the recollection of time and place, shall seem to sound in your ears all those denunciations of vengeance, which have been brought forward from the word of God at this bour. Sinners, you shall bear me then; and think of me then; and remember my warnings then; and especially when you come to be individually examined by the Searcher of all hearts. Will you open your mouth and say, Lord, bave pity on us; we are guilty; but we erred through ignorance; we knew not that those pleasures were "the Pleasures of Sin?"-What will you answer? If you cannot rationally excuse yourself to man, and, on Christian principles, defend your conduct; how will you meet Christ, arrayed in all his majesty and glory, at the judgment of the great day! Every practice that is truly agreeable to Christianity, is so manifestly good, that it needs no vindication: But every practice that is contrary to Christianity, requires argument to prove that it is allowable; but what argument shall make evil appear good, to Him that knoweth all things? Ah! my brethren! the day of judgment, the sinner's arguments will all forsake him; his own sophisms shall be able to deceive him no longer. When he sees the world, on which his heart was set, dissolving in flames; and 'the heavens passing away with a great noise, and the elements melting with fervent heat;' when he hears the terrible sentence, 'Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels; when he is cast into the lake of fire, where the smoke of his torment shall ascend up for ever and ever :'-Then shall he know, to his utter undoing, that 'the Pleasures of Sin are only for a season.' There is no mirth in hell; there are no pleasures amongst the damned: There is only weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth,' because they are tormented in that flame: And one of the chief sources of their miseries is, that, through pursuing bubbles, the veriest trifles of the world, which were as inconsistent with reason as with reliigon, they have become damned to all eter-ed with the means of deriving fresh nity!!"-p. 160 to 162. In Another idea which we could not but entertain, while reading his volume, was this: that Mr. S. had been guilty of casting pearls before swine, in spending so much pains to unfold the oracles of God to men who were not willing, if they were able, to understand and appreciate them. That he has fully delivered his own soul, however, from any participation in their guilt, before, by the oral delivery of these excellent discourses, and now by the printed publication of them, is eminently true; and henceforth their blood is on their own heads. On the other hand, be it remarked, that to the faithful few whom he has left behind him in that land of darkness, it is at least a comforting reflection, that, though deprived of the immediate pastoral attention of their valued minister, they are now furnish solace from the same exhortations and counsels which were the channel of their earlier consolations, and that without personal peril to the author; and likewise to Mr. Shrewsbury himself it cannot but be gratifying thus to have sealed the divine message which he went out to deliver. 3 We produce these out of many similar homestrokes, which might easily be cited, to shew that, because the zealous preacher did not shun to declare to his abandoned hearers the whole counsel of God, because he forced upon them a conviction, which they were unwilling to allow, that they But lest it should be thought by themselves were the enemies of their any that the peculiar interest which own true interests, and not because these sermons derive from their conhe intermeddled with the political re- nexion with the island of Barbadoes lations between the master and the is that alone for which they are valu slave, he was branded with the re-able; we must not omit to mention, proach of Christ, and honoured, unintentionally honoured, with the hatred of all men for his name's sake. Nor is it in the least remarkable, that such treatment should be the recompence of his faithful and unequi that few,-comparatively very few,sermons which are published, redound as greatly to the talents of the preacher; and what is a much better and more just criterion of their merit, contain so clear an elucidation, or so |