the case of those who knew not ism, notwithstanding the dangers how soon they might be called to which surrounded bim, and relieving suffer in like manner : and on the his suffering brethren. Under this second of January Mr. Clogy clergyman's roof, the Bishop spent preached from Luke ii. 32–34. the few remaining days of his pil“ A light to lighten the Gentiles, grimage, having his latter end so and the glory of thy people Israel, full in view, that he seemed dead to And Joseph and his mother mar the world and its concerns, desiring velled at those things which were to prepare to meet his God. During spoken of him. And Simeon bless- the last Sabbaths of his life, though ed them, and said unto Mary his there were three ministers present, mother, Bebold, this child is set for he read the whole of the Liturgy the fall and rising again of many in himself, and regularly preached. Israel; and for a sign that shall be The subjects selected by him on spoken against.” During these these holy seasons were well suited religious exercises, the keepers to the circumstances of bis auditory. gave them no disturbance; nor The forty-fourth Psalm furnished did they in general treat them with matter for his first address, in unkindness.

which the church of God, calling While Dr. Bedell was undergoing to mind the experience of former confinement, some neighbouring mercies, complains of her present Scotchmen, who had entrenched distresses, and fervently supplicates themselves in two strong dwellings, deliverance. His second was from under the command of Sir James the seventy-ninth Psalm, in which Craig, Sir Francis Hamilton, and the author laments over the ruin of Sir Andrew Forbes, afterwards Jerusalem, prays for relief, and Lord Granard, finding themselves promises thankfulness. His third in greater danger of perishing from exhortation was from the latter hunger, than from the siege laid part of the seventy-first Psalm, against them, made so resolute a which bore a manifest reference to sally upon the Irish, that they killed his present condition, speaking as some, seized others, and put the it does of David's confidence of remainder to flight. Having taken faith, desire of perseverance, and four gentlemen of consideration, resolution of praising Jehovah. they proposed to exchange them for The seventeenth and eighteenth the Bishop, his two sons, and Mr. verses in particular were calculated Clogy, and the proposal being ac- to impress the congregation, when cepted, the prisoners were delivered spoken by the good diocesan. “O on both sides on the seventeenth God, thou hast taught me from of January, 1642. But though the my youth; and hitherto have I rebels engaged to suffer the venera- declared thy wondrous works. Now ble prelate with the other three to also, when I am old and greygo safe to Dublin, yet they would headed, O God, forsake me not, not permit them to quit the neigh- until I have showed thy strength bourhood, intending to turn their unto this generation, and thy power persons to some further account to every one that is to come, On They were allowed however to go the fourth and last Sunday, in to the house of an Irish minister, which he had strength enough to Dennis O'Sheridan, to whom some preach, the hundred and fortyrespect was shown, on account of fourth Psalm served as the basis of the family, though he had abjured his dicourse, wherein David blessRomanism, and was married to an eth the Lord for his mercies, English lady. He proved the sin beseeching him for deliverance from cerity of his abjuration, by main his enemies, and praying for national taining his adherence to protestant prosperity. When he came to the seventh' verse, whose substance is have believed, and I am persuaded again mentioned in the eleventh, that he is able to keep that which I • Send thine hand from above; rid have committed to him against that me, and deliver me out of great day.' waters, from the hand of strange After this, he lay mostly in a children, whose mouth speaketh slumbering state, and utterance vanity, and their right hand is a failed him. On the seventh of right hand of falsehood :” he re- February, about midnight, he enpeated the passage so often, and tered into his rest. It was neceswith so much earnestness, that sary to solicit leave of Dr. Swiney every one was struck with the for his interment. When Mr. sanctified zeal and affection with Clogy, Mr. Sheridan, and Mr. which he appeared to be hasting Dillon waited on him for that to the day of God, and longing purpose, they found him asleep, for his heavenly translation. The after a drunken carousal, in a house whole assembly was dissolved in which had been the distinguished tears. Their anticipation of his abode of temperance and godliness, departure was soon realized. He At first he excepted to their request, was taken ill the next day, and on observing that the church-yard was the Thursday after, apprehending a holy ground, and was no more to speedy change, from the violence be defiled with the bodies of hereof an ague, addressed his family on tics; but after a while he consented. the necessity of devoting them. Accordingly, Dr. Bedell was there selves to Christ in a strain of evan- deposited, on the ninth of February, gelical tenderness, which was never next the coffin of his wife, as he obliterated from their memories. bad himself directed. Numbers At its conclusion he blessed them of the Romanist gentlemen and and the by-standers, in these words: peasantry attended the funeral, and • God, of his infinite mercy, bless the former civilly desired Mr. you all, and present you holy, and Clogy to bury him according to the unblameable, and unreprovable in reformed ritual, but this was dehis sight, that we may meet to- clined through fear of irritating the gether at the right hand of our rabble, and producing a scene of blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, with disorder. But the Irish discharged joy unspeakable and full of glory. a volley of shot over the grave, Amen! I have fought a good shouting in Latin, · May the last fight. I have finished the course of the English rest in peace!' For of my ministry and life together. they had often said, that as they Though grievous wolves have en esteemed him the best of the Engtered in among us, not sparing the lish bishops, so he should be the flock; yet I trust that the Great last that should be left among Shepherd of his flock will save and them. deliver them out of all places, As a preacher, he spoke with so where they have been scattered in much feeling and self-application, this cloudy and dark day; that they that all heard him with interest, shall be no more a prey to the and many with edification. His heathen, neither shall the beasts style was clear and full, avoiding of the land devour them; but they all show of learning, except so far shall dwell safely, and none shall as was necessary to open his text, make them afraid. O Lord, I have or explain its meaning. His aim waited for thy salvation! I bave was evidently to commend himself kept the faith once given to the to every man's conscience in the saints; for the which cause I have sight of God, wbile he declared the also suffered these things; but I am heavenly message in simplicity not ashamed, for I know whom I and godly, sincerity, He always

preached without notes, but often him in mind both of his obligations wrote afterwards the substance of to purity and humillty: it was a his sermon. He was so good a flaming crucible, with this motto, Hebraist, that he read every morn in Hebrew, Take away all my ing the Psalms for the day in the tin;' which was a punning conceit original; and, from frequent per- upon his name, bedil being Hebrew usal, the Hebrew Scriptures and for tin (Isaiah i. 25.) His zeal the Septuagint were as familiar to against popery arose from his rehim as the English version. He garding it as an effectual plan for composed many expositions of the enervating the true design of Chris. more difficult passages of holy writ, tianity; but he knew how to esteem which, with other manuscripts, real religion wherever he beheld it, deposited in a trunk, fell into the whether in Romanist or Protestant; hands of the Irish. But providen for he considered it not so much a tially his Hebrew manuscript was system of notions, or a round of preserved by an Irishman, whom ceremonies, as a divine discipline he had been the means of convert to reform the heart, to whatever ing, and placed in the library of church an individual might belong. Emmanuel College.

When therefore some persons were The simplicity which marked his valued for their zeal in lesser public addresses appeared in his matters, he used to quote the lanmanner of life, He avoided all guage of St. Augustine, · It is not affectation of state and greatness. leaves but fruit that I desire to He took an ingenious device to put find.'

ON THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GODLINESS.

SIR-The kindness with which you
have favoured the few and imper-
fect pieces which I have hitherto
sent to you induces me to trespass
upon your columns still further
upon a subject of deep importance,
I mean the “Great mystery of
godliness,” which has in fact been
I fear, but little studied by the
many who make the Scriptures the
grand subject of their thoughts and
consideration. I was first led to
view the grandeur of that mystery
in its real light, by some remarks
on the mode of instruction pursued
by our Divines of the present day
in the pulpit; and I trust the flow
of thought which then suggested
itself to my mind, and the fulness
of the view of the Gospel mode of
salvation which I then received,
may never be erased from my me.
mory. Great indeed is the mystery
of godliness, when we closely view
and examine its different parts, and
endeavour to arrive at a knowledge

of that love which caused the manifestation of God in the flesh, His justification in the Spirit, &c. until he performed the full and perfect accomplishment of his Father's will, and this was His will, “ That he might destroy the works of the devil.”

But, Sir, our wonder is still more increased by the intelligence with which the Scriptures furnish us of the cause of this wondrous display of the divine character, and of its adaptation to the plan proposed. God had viewed man as fallen, degraded, debased beneath the very beasts that perish, ignorant of His heavenly character, ignorant of His great love, and perverting the motives by which His every act of love was dictated, and estranged from Him who had been his life and his support, in thought, in word, and in deed. It is difficult for us to define by means of human language the attribute by which that God

was influenced to love man under under her wings, and ye would not; such circumstances. But one thing behold your house is left unto you we know, and that only is essential desolate.” The love of God asfor us to know that He did love sumed the nature of a father's love, us. Acting under the influence of and in the utmost and loveliest that love “ God sent His only Son sense of what that love ought to into the word, not to condemn the be, has He displayed it before us. world, but that the world through It was this love which led Him to Him might be saved.” The Son take upon Him the various characin the “ likeness of the Father's ters which He has since assumed : glory, and in the express image of it was this love which led Him to His person,” “took upon Him the show Himself to His people as their form of man,” “took upon Himself King; that by the righteous governour nature,” that by a display of ment of the whole He might distri. His real character, suited to our bute among them laws for the senses, He might reconcile us to protection of each, judge for each, Himself. Oh can there be a more examine into the interests of each, glorious view of the mercy of God subject each one to Himself, and than what is contained in these few truly make them heirs of His eterwords-" That be might reconcile nal glory and happiness. He us to God by the sacrifice of Him. became the Prophet, and as such self”-not that He might reconcile He came down from His kingly God to us, (for the love of God to residence-whence he had long mian, much more his reconciliation, looked down upon a rebellious had already existed) but that he and a stiff-necked generation, might reconcile man to his Creator, and provided with the fire of his Benefactor, his God. I know His Holy Spirit, the servants who not of any language by which this were to be the messengers of love can be better described than His mercy-He came down among that by which the Inspired Writer them Himself, to teach them, to told of the mourning of the Royal entreat them, to warn them, to Psalmist over the fall of the Son of foretel them of danger, and by his love, and never can I read these every association of Himself with words so fraught with all the ten- their various situations, by every derness of a Father's affection, manifestation of love towards them without remembering the love of and affection for them, to endear Him who acted, only what the Himself to their hearts. As a prophet thought. “And the King prophet He declared the glories of was much moyed, and went up to times to come, and of kingdoms his chamber over his gate, and where the righteous should dwell wept, and as he went be said-Oh in eternal peace. He spake of my son Absalom ! my son, my son those gone to their rest. He Absalom! would God that I had revealed to those upon earth the died for thee. Oh Absalom. my way of access to these realms of son, iny son!” We may place joy. He taught them how to ourselves for one moment in the pursue it. He acquainted them situation of this King of the Jews, with its dangers. He proposed and view what might bave been Himself as their guide, and He our own feelings at such a moment, engaged to lead them thither in and then turn to Him who standing safety, and to find them a place that over Jerusalem, and over the un- “where He should be, there they numbered thousands of his people, should be also. “Be thou faithsaid, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ful unto death, and I will give how often would I have gathered thee a crown of life.” But He had thee as a hen gathereth her chickens another office to fulfil in connexion

with His earthly mission, an office them faultless before the presence which he now enjoys ; (I may use of His Father's glory, with exceedthe term, for it was his meat and ing joy." He is thus engaged in drink to do his Father's will) that office which brings Him nearest the office of priesthood. While to us, and displays to us, in its most upon earth He had made Himself engaging form, the extent and openly and experiinentally acquaint- beauty of His love. ed with the weaknesses and frailties When we take a review of our of human nature. He had put to hearts—their motions, desires, pas. the proof the greatest evils of this sions, wilfulness, hardness, coldness, world. “He had been a man of or presumption-how can we form sorrows and acquainted with grief”. any adequate notion of the extent in every sense of the word ; and now of that mercy which so long and He reigns with the Father "ourso patiently bears with us? When High Priest, to bring us to God,” we remember how often He has to “ having been in all points tempted chastise us, how frequently to like as we are, yet without sin.” manifest His displeasure at our Considering our trouble, and unwillingness to learn and to be knowing our souls in adversity, obedient; how often to suit, to our there he lives to make intercession wayward wilful hearts, the nature for the sins of His people.

of surrounding circumstances, if · This office is that which we are perchance He may win back our in the habit of dwelling most upon, love; and oh, how often, how it being intimately connected with very, very often, through His mesour individual cases, God knoweth sengers of mercy, to call, entreat, the secrets of the heart: He sees nay to compel us to return. And its wickedness, and its strange then if we view His character, waywardness and apostacy: He after the soul returns, in sorrow beholds it in a light by which we and brokenness of heart, to Him can never survey it, because our whom he had so grievously offended, minds are blinded, and our capa. how sweet, how cordial is the recities of forming true judgments ception which the Father of Merare confined by the weakness of the cies, the God of all consolation, flesh. Yet it was of such materials gives to the returning sinner; how that he resolved to build a temple like the Father of the prodigal, for His Holy Spirit, and they were while yet he seeth him afar the materials which He gave unto off, he goeth forth to meet him, His Son. Those are they " which falleth on his neck, and kisseth Thou gavest me out of the world him.” Thine they were, and thou gavest This knowledge of the divine them me.” The Saviour re- character, fills the believer's heart ceived the gift, as it had been al with joy and gratitude, and leads lotted to Him of the Father! He him in some degree to understand came to this world to take it up! the force of the language of He knew that a sacrifice was his blessed disciple, “ God is love." wanting to " purify them,” and Besides these three characters, He had resolved to " purify them which the Saviour has exercised, and unto Himself,” and He died to wash still exercises, there are some of a them in His own blood! He as. more intimate nature, yet more cended to Heaven, that he might endearing. He is our “ Friend,” write their names in the book and He is willing to make us His of life, and prepare a place for friends. “ Henceforth I call you them; and now He waits until the not servants, but friends.” And fulness of time is come, when He what is His object in so doing? may take His own, and “ present It is to reveal to us His will, to

APRIL 1829.