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THE HARP OF DAVID. « And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that Dana took an harp and played with his hand : 80 Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."-1 Sam. xvi. 23. O for the harp that David swept, For never harp or lyre reveal'd

At whose divine entrancing sound Such music as the heart can yield,
The evil spirit distance kept,

While bolier visions hover'd round! Not in its unregenerate state
O for such harp in these our days, Canst thou expect those strains to
To speak a God's, a Saviour's praise ! hear;
Then e'en on earth might song out-pour

By sin unstrung, its accents grate

In discord on a heaven-touch'd ear: That sweet, that full, triumphant

Renew'd by grace, and tun'd by love, strain Whose grateful notes should heaven

Its harmony ascends above, ward soar,

O then with melody it seems
And there a gracious audience gain ; To vibrate on each trembling string;
While here below its hallow'd power Each kindling thought and feeling teems
Should aid devotion's happiest hour. With songs as sweet as seraphs singi
Cbristian, would'st thou such harp posAnd music art could never fraine
sess?

Is breath'd to its REDEEMER's Name.
May grace anoint thine eyes to sec,

BERNARD BARTON, And on thy mind this truth impress,

The heart that instrument may be :

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RETIREMENT :

BY THE REV. CHARLES WESLEY.
Hence, lying world, with all thy care, I see his beauty in the flower;
With all thy shows of good and fair, To shade my walks, and deck my bower
Of beautiful, or great!

His love and wisdom join :
Stand with tby slighted charms aloof, Him in the feather'd quire I hear,
Nor dare approach my peaceful roof, And own, while all my soul is ear,
Or trouble my retreat.

The music is divine.
Far from thy mad fantastic ways, In yon unbounded plain I see
I here have found a lodging place A sketch of His immensity
of poor way-faring men :

Who spans these ample skies,
Calm as the hermit in his grot,

Whose presence makes the happy place, I here enjoy my happy lot,

Aud opens in the wilderness Aod solid pleasures gain.

An earthly paradise. Along the hill, or dewy mead,

O would He now himself impart, In sweet forgetfulness I tread,

And plant the Eden in my beart, Or wander through the grove;

The sense of sia forgiven !
As Adam in his native seat,

How should I then throw off my load,
In all his works my God I meet, And walk delightfully with God,
The object of my love,

And follow Christ to heaven !

PSALM CXXX.

BY PHINEAS FLETCHER, 1633.
From the deeps of grief and fear, As a watchman waits for day,

O Lord, to thee my soul repairs : And looks for light, and lowks again;
From thy heaven bow down thine ear;. When the night grows old and grey,
Let thy mercy meet my prayers.

To be reliev'd he calls amain :
O if thou mark what's done amiss, So look, so wait, so lung mine eyes,
What soul so pure, can see thy bliss ! To see my Lord, my Sun, arise.
But with thee sweet mercy stands, Wait, ye saints, wait on our Lord;
Sealing pardons, working fear :

For from his tonguesweet inercy flows;
Wait, my soul, wait on his hands; Wait on his cross, wait on his word;

Wait, mine eye; O wait, mine ear: Upon that free redemption grows.
If he bis eye or tongue affords,

He will redeem bis Israël
Watch all his looks, catch all his words. From sin and wrath, from death and bell.

Printed by Mills, Jowelt, and Mills, (late Bensley,) Bolt-court, Fleet-street.'

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THE

&lesleyan-flictionist solaga;ine, FOR NOVEMBER, 1826.

BIO G R A PHY.

MEMOIR OF MR. ROBERT WRIGLEY,
Of Derby.

MR. Robert WRIGLEY was born at Rochdale, in Lancashire, March 26th, 1756. His ancestors were Protestant Dissenters. His father died when he was very young, leaving his mother with two sons and two daughters. On the death of his father, the care of the family principally devolved on him. When about sixteen years of age, he became a member of the Methodist Society. His convictions of sin were deep and pungent. Sometimes he was afraid to close his eyes in sleep, lest he should awake surrounded by the flames of hell. But under what circumstances he obtained a sense of pardon, whether while engaged in the exercise of private devotion, at the public means of grace, or while reading the sacred oracles, the writer of this memoir cannot say: but this he knows, having heard Mr. Wrigley state it, that the manifestation he received of the divine favour was clear and satisfactory, so as to remove all guilt and condemnation from his mind, and fill him with peace and joy and love. . It may not be amiss to observe, that on Mr. Wrigley's becoming serious, he was made the honoured instrument of bringing the whole of the family to the enjoyment of real religion. They all united themselves to the Methodist Society, died in the faith, and left a most pleasing assurance of their eternal felicity.

Soon after his conversion, he was appointed to the office of a ClassLeader, the duties of which he faithfully and conscientiously discharged till his death; and we believe there were many to hail him in the world of glory, who had been greatly benefited by his pious instructions and fervent prayers.

He had not long been appointed to the office of a Class-Leader, before he was called to exercise his talents in a still more public manner. The circumstances by which he was led to enter upon the sacred work of preaching the Gospel, were of a peculiar nature. A young man with whom he was acquainted, fancying himself called to preach, made an engagement in an adjacent village, and requested Mr. Wrigley to accompany him. On their arrival, they found the congregation assembled; but the young man, feeling himself incompetent to the task, turned to Mr. Wrigley, and said, “You must address the people, for I cannot say a word.” Mr. Wrigley, though entirely unprepared, feeling

Vol. W. Third Series, November, 1826.

that it would be improper to dismiss them without a word of exhortation, made the attempt ; and he was heard not long ago lo say, that he believed on that occasion he preached as connected and useful a sermon as he erer delivered in his life. Soon after this, the young man again became restless in his mind, and said he still believed he ought to preach, and would therefore make another effort. The result was the same as before. Mr. Wrigley was grieved the second time, and expostulated with him; but to no purpose : for a third time he said he was certain he ought to attempt to preach. Mr. Wrigley was again prevailed on to accompany him, and was again obliged to officiate. The young man was now convinced that he ought to give up all thoughts of preaching ; but the people would by no means suffer Mr. Wrigley to remain silent, as they were fully persuaded a dispensation of the Gospel was committed to him. He listened to their entreaties, and became an acceptable and useful Local Preacher. In this capacity he laboured with success for more than half a century; a divine unction attended his ministrations, and he had the unspeakable satisfaction of seeing the pleasure of the Lord prosper in his hand. Sinners were convinced of their guilt and danger, mourners were comforted, believers were edified; and no doubt many will be his crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus.

The venerable Founder of Methodism has observed that three things are found in all whom God calls to the work of the ministry: Grace, Gifts, and Fruit: “We can," says he, “receive no man without these, nor continue him any longer than he continues to possess them.” And a greater than Mr. Wesley says, “I have ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain.”

The friends of Mr. Wrigley, perceiving that he possessed the requisite qualifications, were of opinion that he ought entirely to devote himself to the work of the ministry; but as he was naturally unassuming, and diffident; as he entertained very humiliating views of himself, and the most exalted ones of the great work of saving souls, he required to be “ thrust out" into the vineyard of the Lord.

During the greater part of his life, Mr. Wrigley was a subject of the most severe and complicated afflictions. A few of his last years were attended with peculiarly distressing circumstances; but we cannot enter into a particular enumeration of them. Suffice it to say, that, although he felt these painful occurrences most acutely, nay, it is believed they were ultimately the cause of his death, yet he bore them with entire resignation to the Divine will, knowing that all things, whether prosperous or adverse, joyous or afflictive, would work for him “ a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."

Of late, a peculiar spirituality of mind was manifest in him. This increased as he drew near the confines of the tomb; so that it appeared