"O shame to sinners, shame and fear :
For sorrowing Christian, sight of cheer,
For He has felt thy deepest woe,

Thick darkness, and th' unlooked-for blow.
"He drained the cup of sorrow dry,
Yea, even this draught of misery,
Blind helplessness, to souls well known,
'In power of others, not their own."

"Henceforth, O Christian, murmur not,
Though darkness be thy earthly lot;
Though flower and bird, and face of friend,
Are, save by scent, voice, touch, unkenned.
"His perfect human body bore

Awhile thine imperfection sore;

That even the blind might feel, 'He knows
The secret of my sightless woes.'

"And thou, whose natural eye is bright,
Save for thy tears, yet feel'st the might
Of inner gloom, while galling bands
Are knotted round thy passive hands;

"When fate has wound her coils about
Thine head, and many a mazy doubt
Enfolds thine eyelids, and unseen,
Some sorrow smites thee, sharp and keen,

"O bear it all for JESU's sake,

Who chose thy blindness once; and take
This comfort more,-no stroke of pain,
If borne for Him, is borne in vain.

"The blow that makes thee writhe and crouch,
May turn to golden sceptre's touch;

And thou, with eyes unveiled, may'st see

'Tis Love's own hand hath stricken thee."

The Children's Hymn Book, (Rivington and Seeley,) as the names of Editors as well as Publishers show, must be regarded as the result to a certain degree of compromise. But the result is really satisfactory. The Hymns are thoroughly suited to children, and following the course of the Church's Year, they cannot go very much astray. The only decided failure in doctrine that we have noted, is in those intended for Confirmation, in all of which the main subject is the "vow" of the candidate. The consequence of which of course is that the child is not "confirmed," but is the person confirming. We observe also that there are no Hymns for Rogation-tide, neither is any mention made of Vigils.

The Modern Curate-married; unmarried; popular; unpopular; his sermons; his miserable prospects; (Skeffington and Son,) is a reprint of a

1 Samson Agonistes.

good Series of Papers in the "Graphic." Of course they take the secular rather than the religious side of the question, but this is certainly not a matter to be overlooked. In the main protest of the writer against Curates marrying without prospects, we quite agree, and are thankful that he has given such publicity to a want of prudence which prevails far too much among the Clergy. We differ from him in recommending Lessons in Elocution by an actor or other professional teacher. A single lecture in a term by a good Parish Priest, would teach students in a Theological College to avoid the common faults in pronunciation and accent, and the habit of reading the Lessons in Chapel would give opportunity for general instruction in the use of the voice, without the risk of attaining affected mannerisms which are above all things to be eschewed.

A Paper by Professor Salmon of Trinity College, Dublin, read before the Irish Church Conference, (Hodges, Figgis and Co., Dublin,) bespeaking a fair reception for the Revised New Testament, is very well done, though it has reached us too late to be of much service, as the Work itself is now before us.

And as regards the Revision, we do not think that there is much to complain of. In respect to various Readings the Revisers seem to have been guided by sound Scholarship. Of new renderings or translations, some certainly are foolish (specially those in the LORD's Prayer): but the gain, as against the Calvinism of Beza, is very great. Thus the ambiguous term of "being converted" is entirely removed. Many (though not all) of the aorists are rightly translated as past tenses, and the true force of the Definite Article is generally given.

Upon the basis of what they produced at the time of the Sunday School Centenary, Messrs. Eyre and Spottiswoode have now published what they call a Variorum Edition of the New Testament, under the Editorship of Messrs. Clarke, Goodwin, and Sanday. Being less hampered by conflicting interests, we should have expected from them a better Revision than that which has issued from the Jerusalem Chamber, but it is not so. Besides being less intelligible, (for all the various renderings are thrown into notes,) we much prefer the work of the Jerusalem Chamber Revisers. One exception we have noted in Acts xiii. 48, where the Variorum Editors give "were disposed" or "had marshalled themselves," as at least alternative renderings with were ordained," which is found in the A. V., and retained in the new Version.

Mr. Carter of Clewer has republished, in a pamphlet form, two Papers on Vows and the Religious State, (Masters and Co.,) which were previously not easily accessible. The subject of course is one of great delicacy, and ought only to be treated by a writer of learning, judgment, and experience, all three of which qualifications, we need scarcely say, meet in this author. We advise all sound Church people to give it a place on their book-shelves.

We do not lay claim to any profound scientific knowledge, but, so far as we can form an opinion, a small treatise published by Masters and Co., entitled Genesis and Modern Science; being an Explanation of the First Chapter of the Bible in accordance with observed Facts, does show the exist

ence of a substantial harmony between the statements of Revelation when rightly understood and the results of scientific inquiry. It is by the same Author as te CHRIST in the Law," but it is founded on the work of a French Ecclesiastic. We recommend it strongly.

Pembroke College, Cambridge, has produced not a few good men. Here were reared, Ridley, Andrewes, Wren, (the builder of the Chapel,) and Pearson; and now, when the Chapel required enlargement and another consecration, the present Bishop of Ely was found to be not an unworthy successor to the Bishops already enumerated. Accordingly he preached the sermon at the Consecration, which under the title of The warfare of Christ in its successive stages, has now been published by Messrs. Masters and Co. It contains much interesting matter.

Mr. Thomas Berry, of Leeds, has published Forty Tunes to Mrs. Alexander's Hymns for Little Children, (Masters and Co.) It seems to have been a bona fide work of love; and not a few of the tunes, we think, will find acceptance in our Sunday Schools and elsewhere.

There is a general demand for anything connected with Holy Scripture, and so, no doubt, Scripture Questions and Answers, by a Clergyman's Wife, (Masters and Co.,) will not lack purchasers. For ourselves, however, we must say that we have no taste for throwing Scriptural knowledge into the form of acrostics and such technicalities. It is possible to exercise memory at the expense of reverence.

A Dialogue on true Churchmanship, (Heywood, Manchester,) is well intended, but is conducted on too archaic principles to be likely to do much good. The object of the Author is to enforce discipline on the authority of the Parochial system and the Canons. But do they not both refer to a state of things long passed away?

A new monthly Journal of Home and Penitentiary Work has just made its appearance. Skeffington and Son, 163, Piccadilly, are the publishers-it is entitled, Seeking and Saving. We have been much pleased with the first number which seems to us to contain a promise of great future usefulness.

Two very useful books have deserved an earlier notice at our hands, though both have appeared since the beginning of the year. The first is the Clergy Directory and Parish Guide for 1881, (Thomas Bosworth, London,) which, in a handsome volume at the small cost of 4s. 6d., supplies every information that can possibly be required in Church statistics. This work is an old friend with most of us, but its increase in bulk since its first appearance is due to the many valuable additions which have been made in it from year to year. It seems now absolutely complete, and contains besides its full and accurate list of clergy, benefices, patrons, &c., an almanack with the new Lectionary, and many other most useful details.

The second volume to which we allude is in its own department to the full as valuable, being Debrett's Illustrated House of Commons and the Judicial Bench for 1881, compiled and edited by Robert Henry Mair, LL.D. (Dean and Son, London), in which every sort of Parliamentary information is given

with the greatest clearness and accuracy,-it contains a short and concise history of every member of the House of Commons and of the Judicial Bench, so that the volume really forms very interesting reading apart from its value as a book of reference. It concludes with an explanation of technical parliamentary expressions and practices with a description of the duties of the higher officers of the State. These volumes really require no recommendation but

Correspondence.

[The Editor is not responsible for the opinions of the Correspondents.] To the Editor of the Churchman's Companion.