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years. Nature had bestowed on that prophet uncommon beauty of person, with extraordinary mental powers. Those powers had been carried to the highest human perfection by diligent culture; for he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds." And in moral conduct, through all the stations and relations of life, who so amiable, so respectable, so dignified as he; from the period of his keeping a flock in the wilderness of Horeb, as a servant to Jethro, to his swaying the sceptre as a king in Jeshurun. But it was Piety, which lent grace to beauty, and gave energy to powers of thought. It was Religion, which embellished and directed learning-Religion, which bestowed a charm upon eloquence-Religion, which prompted the ardent spirit to undertake, and to achieve deeds of high renown. It was the penetrating eye of Faith, fixed upon the "Star of Jacob," which looked down with holy contempt on the honour of being" called the son of Pharaoh's daughter"-on the transient pleasures of sin-and on " the treasures of Egypt;" and which determined him, bearing the " reproach of Christ," to prefer to all this world could offer a participation in "affliction with the people of God." It was a sublime sentiment of God, and of a future and eternal" recompense of reward," which surmounted every difficulty-offered up every sacrifice-fulfilled every duty-and ennobled every situation. Estimable as a son, a husband, a brother, a father, a master, a prince; as a lawgiver, a moralist, a philosopher, a poet, an historian; he becomes inexpressibly more estimable, as an intercessor with heaven in behalf of his guilty brethren—as the devout harbinger of "Messiah the Prince”—and as the welcome herald of immortality.

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"Go," then," and do likewise for, whatever may be thy external form—whatever thy original mental powers—whatever thy intellectual improvement-and whatever thy moral excellence, WITHOUT HOLINESS, thou shalt be found wanting in the balance, when the progressive glory of regenerated humanity shall issue in a "far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," reserved until the "times of the restitution of all things"-until

Having thus attempted a general illustration of this interesting subject, I now feel myself called upon to point it to a particular object, to pay a tribute of gratitude and respect to the memory of our much lamented and much beloved Benefactor and Neighbour.

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"There is no sorrow," [the words are Hall's, in his inimitable sermon on the death of the Princess Charlotte] there is no sorrow, which imagination can picture-no sign of anguish, which nature agonized and oppressed can exhibit-no accent of grief, but what is already familiar to the ear of fallen, afflicted humanity:

and the roll, which Ezekiel beheld flying through the heavens, inscribed within and without " with sorrow, lamentation and woe,' enters, sooner or later, into every house, and discharges its contents into every bosom. But in the private departments of life, the distressing incidents, which occur, are confined to a narrow circle. The hope of an individual is crushed, the happiness of a family is destroyed; but the social system is unimpaired, and its movements experience no impediment, and sustain no visible injury. The arrow passes through the air, which soon closes upon it, and all is tranquil. But when the great lights and ornaments of the world, placed aloft to conduct its inferior movements, are extinguished, such an event resembles the apocalyptic vial poured into that element, which changes its whole temperament, and is the presage of fearful commotions, of thunders, lightnings, and tempests."

وو

And he [who has been taken from us, and whose loss has created a void in our little community, which we never can hope to have supplied] was not one of those ordinary men, who may disappear from the stage of life, without being regretted beyond the circle of their own acquaintance, and whose places may be easily filled up among the many equals, whom they leave behind them. It is not even enough to say, that he belonged to that more limited class, whose abilities and assiduity have raised them above their brethren, and given them a superiority, which few can expect to attain. He towered above all, aud fulfilled his important station with an ability, to which the least diffident, and the most accomplished, felt themselves constrained to look up with respect. He stood forth from among his cotemporaries, confessedly preeminent in strength of personal and social character. He occupied a place in the confidence and esteem of all, who knew him, from the monarch, who sitteth upon the throne, to the humblest menial, who ministered to his commands, which nothing, but singular and paramount worth could have enabled him to either have acquired, or maintained. And we may safely affirm, that among those, who are capable of appreciating what is great and good-who can distinguish between the superficial, and the solid in human attainment-who understand the real value of intellectual vigour, combined in its operations with principle, virtuous sentiment, uncorrupt manners, and practical usefulness,-there never was a man more sincerely honoured, while he lived, or more deservedly lamented, when he died.

I cannot speak of him as his peculiar merits demand-I cannot speak of him, as I know you would wish-I cannot speak of him, as my own heart would fondly desire. To give, therefore, any suitable delineation of him is a task, to which I must confess my total inadequacy: but a task, from which I dare not shrink, lest my silence should be construed into a base forgetfulness of past kindness, or an unmanly fear of publicly declaring what I think

concerning departed worth. "It is the homage due to it, whenever it rises to such a height as to render its possessor an object of general attention, to endeavour [however humble the effort to rescue it from oblivion: that when it is removed from the observation of men, it may still live in their memory, and transmit through the shades of the sepulchre some reflection [however faint] of its living lustre. By enlarging the cloud of witnesses, by which we are encompassed, it is calculated to give a fresh impulse to the desire of imitation; and even the despair of reaching it is not without its use, by checking the levity, and by correcting the pride and presumption of the human heart."

His great and primary superiority was a clear and powerful understanding, more distinctive than creative, which spurned from it all the trifles and circumstantials of any case, on which it was employed-which apprehended speedily, and fastened closely, on its essential merits and different bearings-and which advanced to the decision it was to give, with unhesitating promptitude and determined firmness. Questions, by which ordinary minds would have been baffled or perplexed, soon yielded to the penetrating sagacity and acute discrimination which he brought to bear upon them, and with which he forthwith examined and finally settled them. And uniting, with the exercise of these qualities, the extensive knowledge and accumulated experience of which he was possessed [and which he applied with no less skill than accuracy], the conclusions at which he arrived, and the opinions which he formed, were both sound and impregnable.

6

His mental pre-eminence was not allied to the excursions of imagination, nor to the meretricious refinements of mere taste. To these he made no pretensions; yet was he neither indifferent to their charms, nor destitute of relish for their finest and most classical displays. And though his peculiar walk lay in those departments where solidity of reasoning and strength of judgment are required, to the most extensive acquaintance with the common law of the land, [in which he is said to have been unequalled since the days of Holt' and of 'Coke'], he united the more attractive accomplishments of one of the most elegant scholars of the age. And when to all this we add the operation of those moral principles, under the government and control of which he seems to have placed the whole conduct of his understanding, and the decisions of his judgment, we must have such an impression of the influence of his intellectual character, as to feel that in losing him, his country has lost one of the ablest, wisest, and most useful of men. His mantle has fallen! may an Elisha pick it up! and a double portion of his spirit rest upon his successor!

But he was not merely the man of talent,' not merely the aspirant of professional pre-eminence,' [a character too frequently devoid of either greatness or goodness of heart.] No! he looked abroad on society and the world-took an interest in the

fortunes and comforts of his fellow-men, however mean (if meanness can be implied in absence of wealth with absence of vice) and obscure their callings-and felt the various obligations and endearments by which one human being is bound to another.

I must not venture into the domestic circle [sacred at this moment by the depth and freshness of its sorrow]-I must not speak of him as the husband, father, and master, and tell you how much he loved among his own, and how much and how dearly he was beloved.

But I may speak of him, as not devoid of a patriot's spirit. He was proud of his country. He gloried in its eminence and privileges. He stood for its independence. He prayed from the heart, that God might save the king, and bless the people;' and make this empire the seat of true religion, of sound learning, of unlibidinous liberty, peace, and happiness. He felt an interest in every thing by which its real welfare could be affected; and conceiving that no judicial office could make him an alien from any thing which could work his country's weal, or his country's woe, he was bold to express ["through evil report, and through good report"] his sentiments on all topics of vital importance.

I may speak of him, as a man of enlarged philanthropy, who mourned for the darkness and degradation of his species, and who rejoiced in whatever was done to diffuse the blessings of intellectual culture, moral purity, and Christian doctrine.

I may speak of him, as the friend of the poor: and how many in this community can bear witness to me, when I say that this friendship was invaluable. It was liberal-it was active-it was unostentatious-it was unwavering and constant. And they who enjoyed it, enjoyed a treasure: for there was both the willingness and ability to bestow the most substantial assistance, and a suavity and modesty of manner, which breathed the noble feeling-that the giver was as much honoured as the receiver.

I may speak of him as a Christian, "whose faith stood not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God"—as a Christian [unlike indeed to some modern religionists, all impulse, all emotion, all experience, all profession] who silently, faithfully, and habitually embodied his knowledge, his principles, and his hopes in his daily conversation and walk: adding, according to the apostolic injunction, to his "faith, virtue-and to virtue, knowledge— and to knowledge, temperance—and to temperance, patience-and to patience, godliness and to godliness, brotherly kindness—and to brotherly kindness, charity."

In a word-I may speak of him [as Addison spoke of the great Lord Somers] as of one "who was as solicitous to shun applause, as he was assiduous to deserve it"- -as one, whose friends have reason to rejoice in the abundant splendour and usefulness of his life-as one, whose enemies can gather from his death nothing to

serve them as a ground of triumph-as one, who exhibited at all times that sereneness and calm confidence of soul, which belong only to the man,

"Whose yesterdays look backward with a smile,

Nor, like the Parthian, wound him as they fly."

And now, brethren, though many and immediate inferences necessarily present themselves on this mournful occasion to the mind of the preacher, I purposely forbear from indulging in them; thinking it better to leave it with your own hearts, and approved affection, to make the appropriate application of what I have been permitted to state. Nevertheless you will allow me to remind you, that while there are few, who are not, at some season or other, conducted to the house of mourning, we have at the present time entered it more especially to learn the emptiness of all this world can bestow-rank-honour-power-wealth; and there to discern the omnipotent hand of Him, who " BRINGETH PRINCES TO NOTHING, AND WHO MAKETH THE JUDGES OF THE EARTH AS VANITY."

A Sermon

DELIVERED BY THE REV. DR. RAFFLES, OF LIVERPOOL. Psalms, xcvii. 2.-" Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne."

"CLOUDS and darkness are round about him :" If I were to stop here, if this were all I declared to you of a supreme being, what an imperfect, what a terrible idea you would have of God! how would you shrink from that darkness, which you could not penetrate, and those clouds which only wrapt the character you were anxious to know, and in which you are so deeply interested, in bewildered and distressing obscurity? Your condition would be that of the miserable Pagan, who is feeling out for God, if haply he may find him. And if I had paused here, if this had been all that God had condescended to reveal of himself, it would only have been in harmony with your conduct; you are too prone to cherish these imperfect ideas of God; you suffer them to influence your conduct; you dwell, obstinately dwell, on the dark side of the representation; you only look upon the darkness and the gloom; you will only listen to the thunder and the clarion; and if any light break upon the dismal scene, it is the lightnings that dazzle, and the fire that consumes; and under the impression, the agonizing impression, of such views of the Deity, you requently exclaim, "his terrors make me afraid, his mercy is