78

The Journey of Life.

TO THE EDITORS OF THE CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE.

Gentlemen,

The following little piece, suitable to the present lovely season of the year, has been much admired in the original, and we hope, it will be acceptable in its English form.

ODE FOR MAY DAY.

TRANSLATED FROM BUCHANAN.

AIL to the glad return of May,

The brooding warmth of such a breeze

H Sacred to joy, to sports and play; Defends from querulous disease,

To reasts, and to the tender choir
Of graces, fanning chaste desire.
Hail to the day, with pleasure crown'd
Revolving in a constant sound;
Bloom of old time! with fond essay,
Assuming youth in his decay.
When spring, array'd with ev'ry grace,
Deck'd the new world's unsullied face,
And the first golden season saw
Men follow right, uncheck'd by law,
Month after month, suchzephyrs bland
Sported along the jocund land;

Then ev'ry tree, and ev'ry field,
Their fruits did without culture yield.

H

And froward age, the happy isles,
Where cheerful health forever smiles.
Such zephyrs fan the trees below,
Which near oblivion's Lethe grow;
The ghosts such murmurs hear who rove
In silence through the cypress grove..
Whenpurging firesnewmouldthe sphere
And golden days again appear,
Perhaps may breathe such balmy winds,
To sooth the pure ethereal minds.
Hail to the fleeting ages light!
A period of distinguish'd white;
Image of new-created earth,
And emblem of its second birth!

THE CELEBRATED HYMN,

IN THE ORATARIO OF ABEL..

WOW cheerful along the gay mead, The daisy and cowslip appear; The flocks as they carelessly feed, Rejoice in the spring of the year. The myrtles that shade the gay bow'rs, The herbage that springsfromthe sod; Trees, plants, cooling fruits and sweet How'rs,

All rise to the praise of my God.

Shall man, the great master of all,
The only insensible prove?
Forbid it, fair gratitude's call!
Forbid it, devotion and love.
The Lord who such wonders can raise,
And still can destroy with a nod;
My lips shall incessantly praise,

My soul shall be wrapt in my God.

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE,

AN ALLEGORICAL ELEGY IN THE MANNER OF SIR WALTER RALEIGH.

not

WI will the waft companions too.
HILE thro' life's thorny road I go
Adreary journey, and alone,
Would be alas! too troublesome;
But company that's choice and good,
Makes trouble hardly understood,
For toil divided seems to be
No toil, but a felicity.
Therefore will I companions take,
As well for care as safety's sake:
Fair truth shall serve me for a guide:
Justice shall never leave my side;
Integrity my trusty guard!
Nor will I caution quite discard:
Experience shall my tutor be,
Nor will I wiser seem than he ;'

And modesty my words survey;
Discretion all my thoughts shall weigh,
Soft innocence protect my sleep,
And charity my purse shall keep.
Thus thro' this wilderness I'll stray,
Nor ever fear to lose my way.
The sages I sometimes will see,
Be sometimes with the muses free;
With guiltless mirth an hour beguile,
Or with free spoken satire smile.
With meditation often walk,
Or with sweet melancholy talk.
With these companions dear I'll sport,
Nor heed the journey long or short,
So health supply the doctor's place,
And for a chaplain I've God's grace.

Hymn to the Deity.

A VISION.

HYMN TO THE DEITY.

80

SOME

Marriages, Obituary, &c.
ANECDOTÉS.

OME years ago, one of the sons of Mr. G, a famous Jew, was on the point of being married to a Christian; on which, the father, who had no objection to the religion of the lady, but to the smallness of her fortune, expostulated with his son, and told him, " that he might have a lady with more money ;" but the young gentleman vindicating his choice, replied, "that whether he would consent or not, he would marry her, and if he refused "to give him a portion, he would turn Christian, claim the benefit of an "English law, and obtain half he possessed."-At this answer, Mr. Gwas greatly confounded, and, consulting counsel, the counsellor replied, "there was such a law, and that his son turning Christian, would obtain half his "estate; but, if you will make me a present of ten guineas," added he, “ I "will put you in a way to disappoint him."-At this news, G's hopes revived, and, pulling ten guineas out of his pocket, instantly clapped them into the lawyer's hand, expressing his impatience to know how he was to proceed. The counsellor returned, with a smile, " you have nothing to do, Mr. "but turn Christian yourself."

G

OF THE CELEBRATED DR. PERNE.

AMONG the many brilliant flashes of wit attributed to this singular character, the following, perhaps, is one of his happiest strokes.-The doctor happening to call a Clergyman a fool, who was not totally undeserving the title; but who resented the indignity so highly, that he threatened to complain to his diocesan, the bishop of Ely" Do," says the doctor "and he will confirm you.”

ST. AUGUSTIN says" It is an uncomely thing for a Christian to have "the sun beams find him in bed; and if the sun could speak (saith he) it "might say, I have laboured more than thou yesterday, and yet I am risen, "and thou art still at rest."

BAPTIZED by the Rev. Mr. BURHANS, of New-Town, one adult and thirty-nine children.

MARRIAGES.

MARRIED, by the Rev. Mr. Burhans, Mr. THOMAS PECK, to Miss SALLY TOUSEY-Mr. BENJAMIN AVERY, of Bethlehem, to Mrs. LUCY DICKINSON;-Mr. SHELDEN NORTHROP, to Miss SHEPHERD;— Mr. SAMUEL BLACKMAN, to Miss EUNICE ANN SKIDMORE, aged 15.

OBITUARY.

DIED, Mrs. CYNTHIA SHERMAN, wife of Mr. Jotham Sherman, aged 68 years;-Mr. NEHEMIAH CURTIS, aged 76 years;-Mrs. MARGARY BLACKMAN, wife of Capt. John Blackman, aged 79 years. They lived together 55 years communicants in the Episcopal Church, walking in the ordi

nances of the Lord blameless.

TO OUR CORRESPONDENTS.

THE EDITORS have been favoured with the following from a Clergyman of the city of New-York." I have just received and perused three numbers of the Churchman's Magazine, which gives me much satisfaction; and I am persuaded it will do much good, both in promoting the cause of Episcopacy, and also the spiritual instruction of the community. Shall I take leave to suggest whether it would not be advisable to intersperse it with articles of Biography, especially of the earlier promoters of the Church in this country;-of such characters as bishop Seabury and in general of all whose lives have been eminently useful or intimately connected with the history of the Church?"

N. B. The Editors will thank their Correspondents for Biographical sketches, and accounts of the origin of the several Churches within their knowledge.

EXPLAINING WHAT THEY ARE TO BELIEVE AND DO IN ORDER TO BE SAVED.

ADDRESSED CHIEFLY TO THOSE WHO ARE OF THE [Continued.]

YOUNGER SORT.

E are commanded to avoid the sin of idolatry; that is, the worshipping

YE are to avo, or dead men the, is, the

shape of an image; or falling down before the likeness of any thing in heaven or earth, with intent to worship it. Ye are forbid also, to put your confidence in any thing but the goodness and power of God, and the merits of his Son Jesus Christ. And this ye are forbidden to do, under the highest penalties; not only the loss of temporal blessings, or the bringing a curse upon you and your children; but also the eternal perdition of your souls, and a perpetual exclusion from the kingdom and presence of God.

Ye are forbidden to swear lightly, and rashly, by God's holy name. And ye are taught not to allow yourselves to swear by any thing sacred, which bears a relation to God; not to swear by yourselves, or any part of yourselves, inasmuch as ye are the creatures of God, and consecrated to His service; nay, that ye swear not at all, at any time, or upon any occasion, unless ye are called upon by proper authority to do so, for the ending of strife, or for any other important and good purpose.

Ye are commanded also to dedicate the Sabbath, or every seventh day of the week, to a rest from your ordinary labours; because God finished the creation of the world in six days, ceased from work upon the seventh, and commanded the seventh day to be kept holy by all mankind. For we read (in Genesis ii. 3.) that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it; that is, commanded it to be kept holy. And therefore it will always be your duty, on account of the reasonableness of it, and God's pleasure signined herein, to observe and keep holy one day in seven. And, as your redemption was com pleted by Jesus Christ's raising himself from the dead upon the first day of the week, it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to the Apostles of our Lord, under His immediate influence, to transfer the holiness of the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week, and to cause this alteration to be obser ved as an ordinance amongst all Christians for ever. Ye are taught moreover, and commanded, to dedicate this Christian Sabbath, called (in the book of Revelation i. 10.) the Lord's day, not only to a rest of your bodies from the labours of your callings, but of your minds from all your worldly concerns. Ye are commanded to spend this holy day in the more immediate service and worship of God; in prayer, in breaking of bread, that is, receiving the holy sacrament of the Lord's supper (as often as ye enjoy an opportunity,) in meditation, in reading, in hearing the word of God preached and explained; and in works of mercy, charity, and piety.

The Clergyman's advice to his Parishioners.

These are the duties ye are to discharge towards Gop. With regard to your neighbour, or one another, ye are called upon in the first place, to pay due honour and reverence to your parents; to obey all their lawful commands; to submit to their corrections; and to comfort and succour them in their distress. Further, ye are to be dutiful to your civil parents, as well as your natural ones; that is, ye are to obey the magistrates which are set over you, not only out of a dread of punishment, but also for the satisfaction of your own consciences; as they are the ordinance of God, and appointed by Him to govern and protect you. Ye are to be obedient also to masters, teachers, and governors. In every station of life, ye are to behave suitably to the subordination in which ye are placed; and to exercise your authority righteously, and in the fear of God, over all those (if any such there be) who are inferior

to you.

Again, ye are forbidden to take away the life of any man, either secretly or openly, either by acting yourselves, or by assisting others; Ye shall do no murder. And not only so, but (according to the gospel explanation of this commandment) ye shall check and moderate your anger, from whence murder generally proceeds. For, if ye let anger transport you so far as to revile others with hard speeches, ye shall not be guiltless. Out of the heart are the issues of life; that is, as men think, they generally act; and, if they do not act accordingly, they are not always restrained by the fear of God, which ought to be one of the rules of their conduct. Ye are to see then that your hearts be not evil; that no malice, envy, or revenge be suffered to harbour there; for he that wills or wishes the death of another, is (with God, the searcher of hearts) accounted intentionally guilty of murder.

he same may be said in the next commandment. For, although ye are forbidden to commit only the act of adultery, yet according to our blessed Sayiour's interpretation of it, every inclination or disposition of the mind towards it is criminal. And therefore ye are hereby obliged to keep your minds, as well as your bodies, in temperance, sobriety, and chastity; that is, ye are to regulate even your thoughts and desires, lest they finally lead you into sins of uncleanness; or, if they do not, yet the very entertainment of them in your minds is offensive to God, and will compel His Holy Spirit to leave you; who (ye may suppose) will net dwell with such company, in so foul and debauch ed an habitation. Holy Scripture expressly tells us, that marriage is honourable in all; but that whoremungers and adulterers God will judge. Heb. xiii. 4.

Further, ye are forbidden to steal; that is, to defraud your neighbour of his goods, in any of the various ways which the wickedness of men's hearts has contrived to injure one another in their property. On the contrary, ye are to be fair and upright in all your dealings; to be careful to provide for yourselves and your families, by your own labour and industry; and to be thoroughly contented with that honest livelihood which Providence has allotted you. So far should ye be from defrauding others, that if ye are defrauded yourselves, ye should not be forward to recover your just rights by law. Ye should be ready to forgive injuries of this kind, as well as others; provided ye are at liberty so to do, and the consequences of your forgiveness may not be very hurtful to yourselves and others.

Again, ye are forbidden to bear false witness against your neighbour : that is, ye are strictly to speak the truth concerning him, if ye are called upon as witnesses for or against him in a court of justice. On every such occasion, forget not the great guilt of perjury; and how dreadful must the danger be of calling the God of truth to be witness to a lie; and be sure to remember these his words, (Zechariah viii, 16.). Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour, and LoVE NO FALSE OATH; for all these are things that hate, saith the Lord. In common conversation also, when there is a necessity for speaking of your neighbour, ye are to say nothing of him but what ye know to be the truth, without any insinuations which may hurt his good name. Christians, ye are to be charitable in every thing ye think or say of others; ye are not unreasonably to suspect any evil; ye are to vindicate their characters as far as ye are able, and to preserve their reputation with tenderness and care.

Finally, to secure the observation of all the foregoing commandments which relate to your neighbour, ye are forbidden to entertain any unlawful desires,