through Smithfield, he said, cheerfully, "this place of burning has long groaned for me." The next morning he waited upon the council, who having loaded him with many severe reproaches, sent him to the tower.

This was but a repetition of a former part of his life, only he now met with a harsher treatment, and he had more frequent occasion to exercise his resignation, which virtue no man possessed in a larger measure; nay, even the usual cheerfulness of his disposition did not forsake him, of which we have an instance still remaining. A servant leaving his apartment, Latimer called after him, and bid him tell his master, that unless he took better care of him, he should certainly escape. Upon this message, the lieutenant with some discomposure, came and desired an explanation. "Why you expect, I suppose, Sir, said he, that I should be burnt; but if you do not allow me a little fire, this frosty weather, I can tell you I shall first be starved."

Cranmer and Ridley were also prisoners in the same cause with Latimer; (see Cranmer's life, p. 29, vol. 2, Ch. Mon. Mag.) and, when it was resolved to have a public disputation at Oxford, between the most eminent of the popish and protestant divines, these three were appointed on the part of the protestants. Accordingly they were taken out of the tower, and sent to Oxford; where they were closely confined in the common prison, and might easily imagine how free the disputation was likely to be, when they found themselves denied the use even of books, pens and ink.

He behaved with the noblest fortitude throughout the public dispute; wherein, though much artifice was used for that purpose, he never would be drawn into any formal reasoning with his adversaries; full well assured that it would answer no end to be explicit. However he answered their questions, as far as civility required; and in these answers it was observable, he managed the argument much better than either Cranmer or Ridley; who, when they were pressed in defence of transubstantiation, with some passages from the fathers, instead of disavowing an insufficient authority, weakly defended a good cause. Whereas when the same proofs were multiplied upon Latimer, he told them plainly, that such proof had no weight with him; that the fathers no douht, were often deceived, and that he never depended on them, but when they depended on scripture. "Then you are not of St. Chrysostom's faith, replied his antagonist, nor of St. Austin's." "I have told you, said Latimer, I am not, except when they bring scripture for what they say." The dispute being ended, sentence was passed upon him in the beginning of October, and he and Ridley were martyred the 16th. They were brought to the fire, on a spot of ground on the north side of Baliol College; where, after sermon, being told by an officer, that they now might make ready for the stake; Latimer, having thrown off his prison attire, appeared in a shrowd prepared for the purpose; and, "whereas before, says Mr. Fox, he seemed a withered and crooked old man, he now stood bolt upright, as comely a father as one might lightly behold." Being thus ready he recommended his soul to God, and delivered himself to the execution

D

er, saying to Ridley, "we shall this day, my Lord, light such a candle in England, as shall never be extinguished." He died in the 80th year of his age, A. D. 1555.

Such was the life and death of Hugh Latimer, bishop of Worcester, one of the leaders of that glorious army of martyrs, who introduced the reformation into our land. He had a happy temper, formed on the principles of true christianity. Such was his cheerfulness that none of the accidents of life could discompose him ; such was his fortitude, that not even the severest trials could unman him; he had a collected spirit, and on no occasion wanted a resource: he could retire within himself, and hold the world at defiance.

And as danger could not daunt, so neither could ambition allure him though conversant in courts, and intimate with princes, he preserved to the last, a rare instance of moderation! his primeval plainness; in his profession he was indefatigable; and that he might bestow as much time as possible, on the active part of it, he allowed himself only those hours for his private studies, when the busy world is at rest, constantly rising at all seasons of the year, by two in the morning. How conscientious he was in the discharge of the public parts of his office, we have many examples. No man could persuade more forcibly; no man could exert, on proper occasions, a more commanding severity. The wicked, in whatever station, he rebuked with censorian dignity, and awed vice more than the penal laws.

He was not esteemed a very learned man, for he cultivated only useful learning, and that he thought lay in a very narrow compass. He never engaged in worldly affairs, thinking that a clergyman ought to employ himself only in his profession. Thus he lived rather a good, than what the world calls a great man. He had not those commanding talents which give superiority in business; but for purity and sincerity of heart, for true simplicity of manners, for apostolic zeal, in the cause of religion, and for every virtue, both of a public and private kind, which should adorn the life of a christian, he was eminent beyond most men of his own, or of any other time.

As to his sermons, they are indeed far enough from being exact pieces of composition, yet his simplicity, and low familiarity, his humor and gibing drollery, were well adapted to the times; and his oratory, according to the mode of eloquence at that day, was exceeding popular. His action and manner of preaching too, were very affecting, and no wonder, " for he spoke immediately from his. heart." His abilities however, as an orator, made only an inferior part of his character as a preacher. What particularly recommends him, is that noble and apostolic zeal, which he continually exerted in the cause of truth.

A Sermon,

Belivered before a late Convention of the Church in Vermont, by the Rev. ABRAHAM BRUNSON, of Manchester.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except ye abide in me....John xv. 4.

PEOPLE in general are too apt to satisfy their minds with vague, indefinite, indeterminate notions of the manner in which they can bring forth christian fruit, and attain the christian promises. Some vainly imagine, that if their moral good works are more numerous than their bad ones, they shall be justly entitled to salvation; not considering that the best of their works are not meritorious, and of course cannot make amends for any of their faults. Others again, with as little reason, suppose that sincere endeavors to live an honest and sober life will save them, without any degree of devotion or love to God: while some expect to be saved by visions, ecstasies or sudden illuminations. But it appears to me, my friends, that all these notions fall far short of the point they aim at. Some of them' are but subordinate parts of the christian life; some are abuses of it, and others have no relation to it. If we expect salvation, we must expect it in no other way but that of God's appointment. It is absurd to imagine that we shall receive the blessings of the gospel in consideration of our performing such duties only as our reason recommends, without any regard to those peculiar doctrines, which the gospel points out. We must not hope for the christian" promises, upon any other but christian principles. The bible points out the way, and the only way, in which we can obtain salvation. Christ, who brought life and immortality to lignt, says, that he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no man can come to the Father but by him. In our context he observes to his disciples, I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. If a ̈ man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. And in the text, As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. Our works, unless they are wrought in and through Christ, are nothing worth; they are tinctured with so much imperfection, that they have need of his infinite merits, to render them acceptable to God.

This, even natural reason teaches us sufficiently plain, if we do but listen to its voice. It teaches us, that as God must be perfectly holy, nothing but perfect holiness can be worthy of his acceptance. And as our actions are all stained with some impurity, they must be sanctified, and washed, as we may say, in some holy fountain, (see Zech. xiii. 1.) before they can come holy and clean into the presence of the most high. Our reason, however, does not point out a way, in which they can be sanctified. For our direction in that matter we must go to divine revelation, which teaches us, that this gracious work can be performed only through Christ, by the power of his spirit. As our Lord informs us, in the verse before the text, we must be made

clean through the word which he has spoken unto us. In no other way can our persons be sanctified, and our conduct rendered acceptable. Unless we are in Christ, members of his body, and actuated by his spirit, we cannot, in a christian sense, be called children of God, nor be heirs of the kingdom of heaven. It is dangerous trusting to general ideas of the divine mercy. If we expect the salvation revealed in the gospel, it must be only upon the terms which are there revealed, and not in any method of our own contriving. We must be lively members of Christ's body, in order to become partakers of the blessings of his kingdom. As the apostle says, we must be members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

But how can these things be? How can we belong to the body of Christ, which is not even upon this earth, but has ascended into heaven? Or if he may be called a vine, yet his growth is not of the soil of this world; he is transplanted into another region, into God's garden above; how then can we be engrafted upon him, so as to become his branches? Notwithstanding these carnal suggestions, the foundation of God standeth sure. In one sense Christ is even now upon earth, and will be to the end of the world. He has established a kingdom here below, which he governs by means of his ministers and his spirit, and which is entirely under his control. This kingdom is described in scripture in numerous instances, and under various representations. It was represented by the garden of Eden, which contained the tree of life. It was prefigured by the ark of Noah, into which men must enter, in order to be saved from the deluge that overspread the world; the like figure whereunto even baptism, as being admission into the church, doth also now save us. The sojourning of the Israelites in the wilderness, where they were fed by food from heaven, also represented our being in the church, where the holy spirit is ready to sustain and support every sincere profess

or.

The nature of this kingdom is likewise very strikingly set forth in many of our Lord's parables. It is compared to a net cast into the sea, which gathered of various kinds, as the church has some worthy and some unworthy members; and the good are gathered and saved, and the bad are cast away. Calling men into Christ's kingdom the church, is like hiring laborers into a vineyard. None who refuse to come, have a right to expect any wages from the Lord of the vineyard, or to receive any favor at his hands, This kingdom is also likened unto a marriage feast, to which men were invited; and none could receive the benefits of it, but those who actually came in the wedding garment of sincerity, humility and repentance. And in a variety of passages it is compared to a vineyard, in which we must be planted, in order to partake of the nourishment of that rich soil, and the cultivation and care of the master of the vineyard.

But in the writings of the apostles, the church is more generally called the body of Christ. St. Paul, in reproving the Corinthians for their divisions, says, Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. We are all baptized into one body, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. And he pursues a long course of reasoning upon this idea. To the Ephesians also he advances and strongly enforces the same sentiment. He calls the converted Gentiles fel

low-heirs and of the same body with the Jewish christians, and partakers of the same promise in Christ by the gospel. There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. And Christ gave some apostles, and some prophets, &c. for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. God raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in heavenly places, and put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, and the fullness of him that filleth all in all. And again: Christ is the head of the church, and he is the saviour of the body. To the Collossians he says, I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his body's sake, which is the church. He is the head of the body, the church, and by him all things consist. And finally, this apostle calls the church of Christ an olive tree, of which the particular christians are branches. Some are grafted in, and thus made to partake of the root and fatness of the tree; while others that are unfruitful, are broken off and cast out...Rom. xi. 17. &c. This representation is much similar to that of our Lord in the chapter from which the text is taken, where he compares himself, and his church, to a vine. I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh arvay; and every one that beareth fruit, he purgeth, that it may bring forth more fruit. I am the vine ; ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me." If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. Such, my friends, are the figures and comparisons, by which the church or kingdom of Christ is described to us in scripture. And from this description we may learn several valuable and useful considerations.

First, we may learn from it the importance of unity among christians. They should endeaaor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. For there is one body, and one spirit, and one hope of their calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in them all. Is Christ divid ed? says St. Paul to the schismatical Corinthians: As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. His body is but one; and those who are not united to that one body, are not, in an outward and constitutional way, united to him. In this body there should be no schism. The spiritual Jerusalem should be at unity in itself. "The church," says a late writer,* " is no confused multitude of people, independent of one another, and subject to no common rules: But it is a regular society, like to other societies in some respects, but different from them in others. It is called a body, a family, a city, a

* Mr. Jones; whose excellent "Essay on the Church" ought to be in the hands of every churchman,