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‘P 0 E T R Y . THE SORROWING SINNER’S PRAYI'ZK.

Pardon,0 God! 0 God, assist! And all one yet be well; _ I" no that iclt deludin mist, nd break the fetal spe l.

0 call me to th sainted Court, Within thy slls 'of Peace ! Lot Hollsno more be my resort;

My sin, my sorrow cease!

0 let me ne'er forget, that all ‘ Ofwoutau born must die;

And as the stricken tree doth fall, So, changeless, it must lie;

That none repent within the grave; That Death to Jail ment loads; ’

Sorrow from wrath r en cannot save- ‘Vratb due to sinful deeds!

0 Lord, now wake repentance pure Within in sinful breast! 0 t the tli’s eternal cure, nd take me to thy rest!

But, should it be thy will, 0 God, To lengthen out the date r . For which, by me, earth must be trod, ,. Ere summon'd to my this,

0 've me‘, with aeingle mind, 0 godly men to’Jurn; And, in my faith, the strength to find Mpdly race I» run !

And non ht thou ll be our efi'orts all 0 l..or ,I well lievo,

That when we break the sinner's fall, That act thou wilt receive.

Then, as in sorrow, tremblingly, I seek the heavenly way,

Grant me, 0 God, to win to thee and soul of those that stray!

0 then, rhsps, when Death's gaunt hand Shall ckon me away, It ma be to “ thepromis'rl lurul :" 0, Lord God, grant it may 1 R. B. I. Nth Dec. 1839.

N-.. LITERATURE.

'riia Lire AND TIMES or SELINA, COUNTESS 0F HUNTING-DON.

[Byn mother of Ute House: of Shirley and Hastings]

There is not one Female Character of the last century, connected with Great Britain, whose biography suggests so many curious sources of contemplation and instruction to the reader who is prepared to examine the progress of Christian- ity in the spirit of a statesman. a religionist or a philosopher, as that of the celebrated Countess of Huntingdon. Her extraordinary, career was distiu ished by marked and peculiar differen- ces, rom that of any other women who have been at any time awakened into action by strong religious convictions. Though her zeal for the promotion of Christianity was sleepless, and of surpassing energy. and though she devoted her whole life and fortune to the good work in which she thus heartily embarked, yet, unlike most ex- cited sgents, she became neither a fanatic nor a bigot. It is impossible to read these volumes without at once feeling convinced of the incor- rectiiess of Mr. Southey's hasty assertion, that her zeal was the result of insanity. Her con- duct, as it is here described, shows her to be one of the most prudent and sensible women of her age, and to have pursued with the greatest dis- cretion and perseverance that high object to the attainment of which she devoted her entire ener- gies. In this pursuit she evinced a good sense, and a knowledge of the judicious adaptation of means to ends, which would have been a very desirable acquisition to some of the reverend dignitaries, whose wisdom the Poet Laureate has celebrated in prose and verse.

We know not upon what pretence Mr. Sou- they could have committed himself to a state- ment so utterly irreconcilable with truth. \Vas her object good? This is a question which no human tribunal can attempt in this nation and age to determine. Her means were pre—emi- neatly so. To us, aftcra careful perusalofthese volumes, she appears to have done more for the cause of genuine rel igion, than any one of her con- temporaries. Upon the correctness of her religious pipinions we do not presume to offer an opinion.

hey were, we believe, on almost every point but one, identical with those of the Protestant Church, and on that one Protestant divines are found to differ among themselves—It is true that in reference to matters of discipline, such as the occasional appointment of lay preachers, she openly dissented from the establishment ; but surely these are trifles in the examination of the great question of salvation to which her meritori- ous labours invite our consideration.

The Countess of Huntingdon was the second of the three daughters and co-heiresses of Wash- ington, second Earl Ferrars. She was born in 1707, and married in 1728 to Lord Huntingdon. From her infancy she was ofa serious turn of mind, and as she grew up she became a perfect and amiable moral character. Having, soon af- ter her marriage, fallen dangerously ill, her thoughts took a more decidedly religious cast stun before, and as the Methodists were just then beginning to excite attention, and the Mes- “ Wesley happened to be preaching in her mighbourhood, she formed an acquaintance with m ; wassoon distinguished as one of the prin- .‘ supporters of the society; continued so until a schism arose between the Messrs. Wes. by on. the one part, and herself and Mr. White- field on- the other ; and then became the recog. lised head of the Calvanistic Methodists, who to the present day are known by the title of Lady Hufingdoii's Question. A woman who could take so prominent a position among such men as the Wesleys, Whitefield, and the other energetic setbrmers of that period, must have been no or. dinsry person.

Her acquaintance having been courted to the close of her life by.the principal members of her can order in society, we find in these volume.

numerous anecdotes of almost every personaof'

here:

note who flourished in the last century._ng from

arcel an individual worth knowr divestiiiie 'ofy Queen Anne down to. the close 9 the century of whom some notice is not preStlrlth red in the work. The volumes are especila rich in materials relative to Methodism, of w to thev present nearly a complete history, except that they do not particularly specify the doc- trines inculcated at various periods by different ministers. The articles which Were adopted by the Connection of Lady Huntingdomafter the schism with Wesley, are, however, given from the original document. Considered as an accurate account of Calvanistic Methodism during the life-time of that celebrated woman, the publica- tion will be highly acceptable to the religious reader, while to those who look merely for anec- dotes of bye-gone days they will be equally wel- come. These anecdotes, however, are generally of a serious or religious tendency; sotliat the reader must not expect any light or trivral sto- ries, although there are many passages of an en-

. tertaining and agreeable kind.

Thc"ifirst Methodist society was formed in 1738 in a chapel in Fetter-lane; here the love feasts were held, and here the following extraor- dinary circumstance occurred. now allowed by all reformed churches to have ceased for many centuries past, we must attri- bute these cirCumstances t9 over-excited religious enthusiasm.

“On the first night oftbe new year," says Mr. “795- ley, “Messrs. Hall, Kinoton, Ingham, thiteficld, Hut- chins. and m brother Charles, were present at Our love feast, with u ut sixty of our brethren. About three in

Hhe morning, as we were continuing intent in prayer, the

power of God came mightily upon us, insmnuch, that many cried nut'for exceeding joy, and many fell to the ground. As soon as we recovered a little, from our awe and amazement at the presence of the Divine Majesty, we broke out with one voice, “ We praise (hrs, 0 God! we acknowledge thee to be the Lord!” “ It was a Pente- cost scason, indeed," says Mr. \Vliitcfiuld : “ Sometimes whole m his were spent in prayer : often have they been fille up with new wine, and often have I seen them overwhelmed with the Divine Presence, and heard them cry out, Will God indeed dwell with men upon earth? How dreadful is this place! Thisisnoother than the house of God and the gate of Heaven!"

The Duchess of Buckingham, in the early days of Mothodisni, had attended the preaching of Mr. Whitefield, and seems to have formed as aristocratic notions of the duty of clergymen as some of our lords do, when they happen to be reproved for their misconduct by the lights of the church. In a short letter to Lady Huntingdon, her grace says :—

‘-' I thank your ladyship for the information concern- ing the Methodist preachers; their doctrines are most repulsive and strongly tinctured with impcrtinence and disrespect towards their superiors, in perpetuallv endea- vouring to level all ranks, and do away with al distinc- tions. It is monstrous to be told that vou have ii heart as sinful as the common wretches tint crawl on the earth. This is highly od‘ensive and insulting ; and I cannot but wonder that your ledyshi should relish any sentiments so inucb at variance with iigh rank and good breeding."

Lady Huntingdon was fond of relating an an- ecdpte about Bishop Burnet, who exclaimed against pluralities as a sacreligious robbery :—

. In his first visitation to Salisbury, he ur ed the autho- tit of St. Bernard, who, being consulte by one of his fudowers, whether he might accept oftwo benefices, re- plied, “ and how will you be able to serve them both !" “ I intend (answered the priest) to officiate in one of them by a dcputy’j. “ \Vill your deputy be damned for vou too ?" cried the saint. Believe me, you may serve your cure by proxy, but you must be damned in person.

. Foote was employed to burlesque the Metho- dists. His piece, the Illinor, was successful for a time. but was at last suppressed. This talent for ridicule ultimately worked his ruin.—In 1776 he drew a character of the Duchess of Kingston, who was then much talked of, and who had in- fluence enough to procure the prohibition of his play. He threatened to publish it, and in this manner endeavoured to extort money from her. The affair at length ripened into a legal charge, and the shock of the disgraceful exposure is said to have had a fatal effect upon him. He died soon after at Dover.

The Methodists met with great opposition in some places. The following is one oftbe most ludicrous illustrations of the church militant we have found in these volumes :—

any of thcblethodists in his neighbourhood, it was his usual practice to call the people together by boat ofdrnm. issue a proclamation at the market cross. and enlist a mob for the defence of the church against the incursions oftbe Methodists. The following sity ofits sort. is transcribed from t jourpnls of Mr. Inglhnm and Mr. Batty, in their hand- writing-[jailirnalpw ich cqntnin a mass of information reaiveutiereiionintieNo ‘ deepen i"tenant—g rth of Lngland, of the “ Notice is hercb ivcn tlia ' ‘ I: can" i311“! Mnygw’ 5,0 t if any men be mindful t e ev. ‘r. George bite, Commander-in-C ' John Bannister, Lt. General ofliis Ma‘esty’s Filiifiis nfiii‘ the defence of the Church ofEnglan , and the support of the manufactory in and about Colne, both ofwhich are'now in danger, let them re ir to the drum head at the cross, where each man shelfareceive a pint ofale in advance, and all other proper encouragement."

roclnmutioii, a curio- e voluminous private

Colne.

Yet the methodists were in realit effective allies of the church.

The followin ful :—

At one of these as mounted the temporary scaffold beerved to engage in

Then casting a look dl, and in an energe-

secret prayer for a few seconds. over the multitude, elevated his hen ppritilisnnei'. implored the Divine bl i in so emnity peculiarl his own ' will: inyeia once tddif, 2222;138:418]; . r a s o

aphid, a wild,.terrifying “:7th his was abom m pm- t coggrlp‘gatiwon: A momentary alarm and confusion ensue in [L hitefield waitedtoucertain thecause and hbesoegfied m a» people to remain still. Mr. Grimtihaw "'1 lb spot, and re a wa minutes was seen

m the crowd towards the lace where Mr

W itefiel at d. “ ' - "mt-"ms! :gich Brother Whitefie if, said he, with

_ on ofsinners “ ' d . on stand h cad sud dying—a ' lhas writiniiiftiiii;

"campy—the destroying angel is- paill'l'ns'rbe awful W

' -— d and spare not Sf.gaif::w::ysp2i:lily announced to the en lo. Ali: illizrlapuvof ii,few‘nioinents, Mr. White el again

' ‘ ' t t. _ f xgdfde‘frb‘ifi 1%: spot where Lady Huntin

seemed to sprea understood that as

As miracles are (

\Vhenever the Vicar of Colne heard of the arrival of

rvice, under the command of

y the most g circumstances are really aw- semblies, when Mr. Whitefield sands spread before him, he was ’0 to address the thou-

casing and presence.— '

0m the centre of

over the cons

- d iercin shriek pro- Agam a load on p Em?" and, Lady

. din . A t rill of horror “"8"” In‘hatf’itivelfeov'tiiiihe friultitude, when it was

. . he sound erson had fallen a victim to t k‘ fterrors When ilie consternation had spmewhut lligiiicd Mr. Whitefield gaveindicattons of file ip'tentiocnf i: psroceeid with the servicfi._ 'Iilhehtaif‘ciltgiimfeeiAnl aw” d to t eir ig e . _ hm:9rflyetIVV-Elfleo:':u:0utflla was to be beard—and a stillness,

' strain of tremendous mbl as he proceeded in a I _ :lo'fiuenzé to warn the careless, Cliristless sinner to flee from the wrath to come.

As a contrast to this taken sketch of Beau

N351}. l h'ng at Bath some lr. John \Ves e was preac I . ,

tinfzhlftihii’c the coming of Charles, Beau Nash eptgrzd the room, and approaching the preacher, deman 9 what authority he was acting? Mr. Wesley puswcren, “ By that ochsus Christ, conveyed to me by t ietprese Archbishop ofCanterbury, when he laid his lian sugqp me and said, take thou authority to preach the Gosple . Nasih then affirmed that he was acting contrary to1 nw. ” Besides (said be) your preaching frightens peop e out oftheir wits." “ Sir (replied_Mr. Wesley) did youCever hear me preach ?” “ No," said the Master of tlic ere- monies.” “ How then can you judge ofwliat you n‘pwer heard 3" “ By common report," (replied Nash.) Sir said Mr. Wesley,) is not your name Nash? ‘ I dare nq} judge of you by common report." .Nash finding firms: a very different person in t e meeting-house from w at he was in the pump-room, thought it best to Withdraw.

Nash sometimes conversed with Lady Hun- tingdon on religious subjects, and was once pre- vailed on to hear Mr. Whitefield at her house. Beau Nash was congratulated on his conversrpn by his gay associates, who failed not to rally him on turning methodist. Verses were written on her ladyship and Mr. Nash, which were fasten- cd to the walls oftbe pnmpu'oom and the assent- bly-room ; and printed notices were circulated in every direction, one of which was shown to the writer many years ago by _Mr. Haweis, sta- ting that the Countess of Huntingdon, attended by some saintly sister, purposed preaching at the pump-room the following morning, and that Mr. Nash, henceforth to be known as the “Rev. Richard Nash,” was expected to preach in the evening at the assembly-room. It was hoped that the audience would be numerous, as a col- lection was intended for the late Master of the Ceremonies, who was retiring from office. This profane raillery never discomposed the Countess, but gave great offence to Mr. Nash ; and no in- ducement could ever after prevail upon him to go to Lady Huntingdon’s house.

This man of pleasure died as he lived—a mo- nument of irreligion, folly, and vice, in the year 176l, aged 87! He dreaded the approach-of death more than the generality of mankind ;. and sought refuge in some fancied devotion, while it threatened him. Though a complete libertine in practice. none trembled more than he did. To enibitter his hopes, he found himself at last aban- doned by the great, whom he had long'endea- voured to flatter and to serye, and was obliged to fly for protection. to thewof humbler station, whotn he had once affected .todespise. The cor- poration of Bath allowed hiih a’ scanty pittance, which saved this miserable trifler from starvation in his last days.

It appears that, about a hundred years ago, when “ Protestant ascendancy” was in the height of its power—when all manner of dissent was repressed as an engine dangerous to the se- curity of our glorious constitution—when Popery was regarded as such an abomination before the Lord, that those who were so lost as to profess its tenets were not recognised as subjects, were de- prived of all civil rights, and‘were supposed to eXist only hy‘the connivnnce of government— when one would naturally imagine that the min- isters of the establishment were deeply engrossed in the industrious propagation of Christianity through this beniglited country—and when our venerable church was in the highest state of earthly perfection—it appears that, at that mag- nificent epoch, vital godliness and evangelical truth were at a much lawer ebb than they are at this moment, when “ Popery, Socinianism, and infidelity” are stalking stark naked through the land, seeking whom they may devour. Hear the author of the volume before us :— .Irclnnd,unhnppily sunk in darkness and the super- stitions nf'Popcry, and but little adorned with real evan- gelical knowledge, even in those who had assumed the name of Protestants, had long afforded matter of sorrow tn‘sucli as looked for the life and power of religion. Vital godliness had sunk! to a very low standard ; and only here and there an individual cleaved to the faith once delivered to the saints, and dared to be singular. The conduct oftbe clergy was indeed such as, with few exceptioiis, to merit the severest reprobation. Not one perhaps in the county was an active parish priest, suited to the state_ofthe country and the people, preaching the pure doctrinesof the G05 el, visiting or catechising his flock, entering into the cabins of the poor to instruct them, to fortify their minds against the attempts of the Rumiin emissaries, and to reclaim those that had been led astray. t—buch, indeed, was the criminal sloth oftbe clergy, that it ments to be held up to the exccration of all succeeding

Such was the conduct of the then Vicar of ages, a. the grand “use om” de lomble State °f'e“gi‘

on in that country, and oftbe po itical calamities which have sprung from it, and been so severely felt.

It was during this state of tor r—this - turc from all godliness, that thog: distingggliieh advocates of evangelical truth, the Wesleys and Whitefield, with their zealous coadjutors in the blessed work, passed from England into that kingdom, since which time true religion has

that unhappy country.

the gospel over poor Ireland is n

fear, ot likely, we

to occur again for many generations.

Here is a curious specimen of the

that finds “sermons in stones and thing :”— ’ g

_ “ In May, 1798, the rebellion brok ' ' ygzlencef terror and dismay were vizihl’d aw‘auqcea,' :gdnpsgig‘psyhgps, pid the Lord up our more

, . is see to unisht a lab b'- tents ofalund for their ini uPt Tl pL a I wrath of man to praise himq' tinyd has le o'rd maketh the

. _ romised th his judgments are abroad ’in the cali'th,,the inhibiiahiit:

philosophy 00d in every

spread out its branches through many parts of

Such an opportunity for spreading the light of

thereof shall learn righm- 3” t " ciously fulfilled during the » agitated Ireland."

The Archbishop of Canterbury-,- . time given several bells and u . V p Lambeth Palace. Lady Hunting“ . I rate interview with him, hr tbp M; ' I monstrating on " such gross v .on, ~ lished order and decency ;” but his , thereby highly offended, and when. , strated a second time. through a friend he talked about Methodists and hypocmu save the church from such scandal, the .. made formal application for a private aud‘ V the King, and succeeded. .She had an A view of upwards of an hour With George 1 l“. the Queen, and a few days afierwardst . ’ bishop of Canterbury received .a letter ft Majesty, of which the follovring is simplw

it My good Lord Prelate—I could not dels 8i the notification oftbe grief rind concern wt . w breast was affected, at receivmg_antlientic iii . , that routs have made their way into your pol . ~ the same time, I must signify to you my sentimen this subject, which hold these levities and yarn di tions as utterly inespedient, if not unlawful, so residence'for many centuries devoted to rhyme 4 religious retirement, and thepxtensive exercise of .. ty and benevolence ; l add._in aplacc where so u. vour predecessors led their lives. l'n such sanctity " ihrown lustre on the pure religion they profes adorned. V From the dissatisfaction With which you mustpe I l behold these improprieties, not_ to speak in h .. terms, and on still more pious principles, I trust y . suppress them immediately ; so that I may‘not a casino to show any further marks of my displeasu to interpose in a different manner. May God take graceinto his almighty protection ! I remain, my Lord Primate, - Your gracious friend, G, is

The King afterwards declared that he 15;: Lady Huntingdou one of the best of women .

s"

red, and from which his grace the Arehbis may be presumed to have as cordially dissen

So varied and extensive was the circle - ' ladyship’s acquaintance, that even the II). Lord Bolingbroke, and Chesterfield, were a x her most intimate friends. Some curious .' dates are given of both, but we have alres' tended this notice to such‘ a length that we ‘ not room for more extracts. _ . Lady Huntingdon died in 1791, in pea ., the world and her God, after having dedica fortune of £100,000 to the establishment , 7 thodist Ministers and missions in every , the British dominions, and having seen her