thizing in his sorrows, triumphed in them. They reviled him with bitter expressions, with words even more bitter than the gall and vinegar which they handed him to drink. Not one of all that witnessed his pains, turned his head aside, even in the last pang. Yes, my friends, there was one; that glorious luminary (pointing to the sun) veiled his brightness, and travelled on his course in tenfold night."

A POPULAR PREACHER.

A reverend doctor in the metropolis was, what is usually denominated, a popular preacher. His reputation, however, had not been acquired by his drawing largely on his own stores of knowledge and eloquence, but by the skill with which he appropriated the thoughts and language of the great divines who had gone before him. Those who compose a fashionable audience, are not deeply read in pulpit lore; and, accordingly, with such hearers, he passed for a wonder of erudition and pathos. It did nevertheless happen, that the doctor was once detected in his larcenies. One Sunday, as he was beginning to delight the belles of his quarter of the metropolis, a grave old gentleman seated himself close to the pulpit, and listened with profound attention. The doctor had scarcely finished his third sentence, before the old gentleman muttered loud enough to be heard by those near, "That's Sherlock!" The doctor frowned, but went on. He had not proceeded much farther, when his tormenting interrupter broke out with, "That's Tillotson!" The doctor bit his lips and paused, but again thought it better to pursue

the thread of his discourse. A third exclamation of "That's Blair!" was, however, too much, and completely deprived him of his patience. Leaning over the pulpit," Fellow,” he cried, "if you do not hold your tongue, you shall be turned out." Without altering a muscle of his countenance, the grave old gentleman lifted up his head, and looking the doctor in the face, retorted, "That's his own!"

A REPROOF TO SLEEPERS.

It is related of John Lassenius, the chaplain to the Danish Court, who died at Copenhagen in 1692, that having for a long time perceived to his vexation, that during his sermon, the greatest part of his congregation fell asleep, he suddenly stopped, pulled a shuttlecock from his pocket, and began to play with it in the pulpit. A circumstance so extraordinary, naturally attracted the attention of that part of the congregation who were still awake. They jogged those who were sleeping, and in a short time every body was lively, and looking to the pulpit with the greatest astonishment. This was just what Lassenius wished; for he immediately began a most severe castigatory discourse, saying, "When I announce to you sacred and important truths, you are not ashamed to go to sleep; but when I play the fool, you are all eye and all ear."

Another curious circumstance is recorded of the pulpit displays of Lassenius. He used always to stop in the middle of his sermon, to take a glass of wine, or some other cordial, in the presence of the

congregation!

of long sermons.

An inviting example to preachers

ORKNEY CURATE.

The late Sir Hugh Dalrymple, a worthy Scotch baronet, on once paying a visit to the Orkneys, was much struck with the eloquence of a poor assistant preacher, whom he had accidentally the pleasure of hearing; and wrote to the late Sir Lawrence Dundas (father of the first Lord Dundas) in whose gift was the church where the curate officiated, requesting the reversion of it for the assistant. The letter, which blends humour and benevolence together in a very pleasing manner, was in the following terms:

DEAR SIR,

Having spent a long time in pursuit of pleasure and health, I am now retired with the gout; so joining with Solomon, that all is vanity and vexation of spirit,' I go to church and say my prayers. I assure you, that most of us religious people reap some little satisfaction in hoping that you wealthy voluptuaries have a fair chance of being lost to all eternity, and that Dives shall call on Lazarus for a drop of water; which he seldom tasted, when he had the Twelve Apostles in his cellar.

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Now, sir, that this doctrine is laid down, I wish to give you a loop-hole to escape through. Going to church last Sunday, I saw an unknown man in the pulpit; and rising up to prayers, I began, as others do on the like occasion, to look round the church to see if there were any pretty girls in it, when my attention was roused by the foreign accent

of the parson. I gave him my ear, and had my devotion awakened by the most pathetic prayer I ever heard. This made me more and more attentive to the sermon. A finer discourse never came from the lips of man. I returned in the afternoon, and heard the same preacher exceed his morning work, by the finest chain of reasoning, conveyed by the most elegant expressions. I immediately thought on what Felix said to Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.' I sent to ask the Man of God to honour my roof, and dine with me. I enquired of him his country, and what not. I even asked him if his sermons were of his own composition, which he affirmed they were. I assure you, I believed they were; never man had spoken or written better.

"My name is Dishington,' said he; 'I am assistant to a mad minister in the Orkneys, who enjoys a rich benefice of fifty pounds a year, of which I have twenty-eight pounds yearly, for preaching to and instructing twelve hundred people, who live in separate islands, of which I pay one pound five shillings to the boatmen, who transport me from the one island to the other, by turns. I should be happy if I could continue in this terrestrial Paradise, but we have a great lord, who has a great many little people about him, soliciting a great many little things, that he can do, and that he cannot do; and if my minister was to die, his succession is too great a prize, not to raise up too many rivals to baulk the hopes of my preferment.'

"I asked him if he possessed any other wealth? 'Yes,' said he,' I married the prettiest girl in the island, and she has blessed me with three children; and as we are both young, we may expect more.

Besides,' said he, 'I am so beloved in the parish, that I have all my peats led carriage free.' This is my story; now to the prayer of the petition.

and

"I never before envied you your possession of the Orkneys, which I now do, to provide for this innocent, eloquent apostle. The sun has refused your barren isles his kindly influence, do not deprive them of so pleasant a preacher; let not so great a treasure be lost to that inhospitable country; for I assure you, were the Archbishop of Canterbury to hear him preach, he could do no less than make him an archdeacon. The man has but one weakness, that of preferring the Orkneys to all the earth. This way, no other, you have a chance for salvation; do this man good, and he will pray for you. This will be a better purchase than your Irish estate, or the Orkneys, and I think will help me forward too, since I am the man who told you of the man, so worthy, so eloquent, so deserving, and so pious, and whose prayers may do so much good. Till I hear from you on this head, 1 am your's in all meekness, love, and benevolence, "" H. D."

A LARGE PARISH.

Dr. Horneck, who was preacher at the Savoy from 1671 to 1696, enjoyed so much popularity for the eloquent and pathetic style of his sermons, that the church used to be crowded by auditors from the most remote parts, which occasioned Dean Freeman to say, that Dr. H.'s parish was much the largest in town, for it reached from Whitehall to Whitechapel. It is singular notwithstanding, that when he was recommended