al abstraction, receives, as it were, an instantaneous creation, and becomes a thing of sensible life and beauty; as if one of the invisible spirits, passing by in the air, should on a sudden asHis figures detain and sume a bodily shape of glory to the eye.

fix for the mind's inspection the subtle shades of thought, and finish and shape those timid, half-disclosed spiritual appearances, that else, as they come to the vision like birds of Paradise, would fly away as quickly. It is as if the restless clouds with all the evanescent beauty of their deepening and changing hues at sunset, should hear a voice, and remain for hours, motionless and the same, in extreme stillness to the sight.

From some parts of his writings we should suppose him an admirer of Plato, and an intimate student of both would probably discern resemblances in his intellect and imagination with those. of that "Divine Philosopher, that plank from the wreck of Paradise, thrown on the shores of idolatrous Greece." His mind was familiar with scholastic subtleties, but rose very far above them. He was not "put from beholding the still countenance of truth," by speculations, which even with so great a man as Plato, might be mere fanciful shapings of a mind unregenerate; fragments of cloud, as it were, which the sun interpenetrates and makes to look beautiful; or, at the uttermost, dim, shadowy, half revelations of awful truths, which Leighton's holy soul, in the light of the Bible, beheld as with the calmness of intuition.

His writings are full of deep poetry, both in feeling and expression. He might have written a religious Allegro and Penseroso, such was his command of soft-flowing language and chaste images. The whole array of his subjects, both of meditation and composition, were POETRY in its most elevated and spiritual sense. Every truly religious being possesses indeed its purest and deepest fountain within him. The life of God in the soul of Man not only regenerates, but calls into existence within the bosom of the individual an interminable succession of resplendent forms and images. And the more holy he becomes, the more his mind is filled with vast subjects of thought, and his imagination enriched with grandeur, and led to revel amidst the celestial wonders of the upper world, till his conceptions are all habitually expanded and transfigured with glory. The only reason why there are not more religious Poets, is because there are so few holy men.*

"Religion is the Poetry and Philosophy of all mankind; unites in itself whatever is most excellent in either, and while it at one and the same time calls into action and supplies with the noblest materials both the imaginative and the intellective faculties, superadds the interests of the most substantial and heartfelt realities to both; to the

It is grievous to think that the best books in the English language are so little studied. What abundant materials in the literature of the Seventeenth Century, out of which to build up the individual mind strong and towering, and make the prevailing scholarship deep, rich, lasting! How happens it, that when we may have for our constant companions such men as Leighton, and Milton, and Howe, and Taylor, and Hall, and men of a kindred spirit in a later age, Butler, Coleridge, Burke,-High Priests in the temple of knowledge, to open and read to us the great volume of truth,-how is it possible, that under the impulse of such minds, modern scholarship can be so destitute of enthusiastic intellectual energy, and richness and comprehensiveness of thought? The fertility of the modern press in books of amusement, and, till very lately, the total want of new and available editions of old authors, has kept men in perfect ignorance of the boundless treasures hid in the early English writers, and those who inherited their spirit. With habits of mind induced by wandering through modern libraries, a student cannot relish books where thought is in unwrought ingots, instead of being spread out in ornamental gold-leaf over the surface. The mind is not amused. There is also much melancholy truth in Lord Bacon's account of the matter. "It is not only the difficulty and labor which men take in finding out of truth; nor again that when it is found it imposeth upon men's thoughts, that doth bring lies in favor; but a natural, though corrupt love of the lie itself. One of the latter schools of the Grecians examineth the matter, and is at a stand to think what should be in it, that men should love lies where neither they make for pleasure, as with poets; nor for advantage, as with the merchant; but for the lie's sake. But I cannot tell this same truth is a naked and open daylight, that doth not show the masques and mummeries and triumphs of the world, half so stately and daintily as candle-light. Truth may perhaps come to the price of a pearl, that sheweth best by day; but it will not rise to the price of a diamond or carbuncle, that sheweth best in varied lights. A mixture of a lie doth ever add pleasure."

It is more grievous that with such examples of Holy Living, and such food for piety in the heart, given us not only in the

poetic vision and the philosophic idea. But in order to produce a similar effect, it must act in a similar way; it must reign in the thoughts of man, and in the powers of akin to thought, as well as exercise an admitted influence over his hopes, and through those, on his deliberate and individual acts."

COLERIDGE. Lay Sermon on the text " Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters.” Page 88.

Bible, but in the writings of men, whose minds were baptized and thoroughly interpenetrated by its spirit, our Christian attainments should be so lean. The truth is, we use these means too much for delight, instead of improvement. We love the heavenly feeling induced by the perusal of Leighton, but we do not, when we have done reading him, employ the happy frame, and pour out its fulness in prayer. Would we only seize the intervals of softened thought and energetic purpose, the intervals of clear vision into Eternity, which visit us when we read the lives and writings of such holy men, and which besides, in the movements of the wonder-working Spirit, come to us often unaccountably, like an unexpected breeze from Paradise, and make use of them by praying at the time, with the power and fervency which such a state of mind enkindles, we should soon become eminent Christians. We are not watchful to obey those gentle impulses with which God draws us to himself; there is some excuse or other; we are not ready now for the work of advancing in holiness which was the all-consecrating purpose of existence in Leighton's bosom. That definite aim, which he lamented was so little prevalent, was in him like a passion, which overpowers and masters all other considerations, and binds them to its service." It is wonderful," said Foster, "how even the apparent casualties of life seem to bow to a spirit that will not bow to them, and yield to assist a design, after having in vain endeavored to frustrate it." In the formation of Christian character we need that holy energy and decision, which, instead of being governed by external circumstances, governs them, and makes them religious servitors to feed the sacred fire that burns in the bosom. The Christian who does not watch, leaves himself a sport for all the casual influences that from every side can pour in upon his soul; he is taken along by successive events in his progress to eternity, and as it were handed forward in quiet passiveness from one to the other, till the last brings him, perhaps without warning, to the bar of God.

Before commencing the selections in order, from Archbishop Leighton's works, it will be interesting to bring together in shorter paragraphs some separate illustrations and thoughts.

Thou shalt be sure to be assaulted (by Satan) when thou hast received the greatest enlargements from Heaven, either at the sacrament, or in prayer, or in any other way; then look for an

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onset. This arch pirate lets the empty ships pass, but lays wait for them when they return richest laden.

When God awakes his children, and makes them rise, this is a probable sign that it is near day. I mean, when he stirs them up to more than usual hopes and prayers and endeavors, it is very likely that he intends them some special good.

Which of us may not complain, (though few of us do) that our souls have either no wings to elevate themselves to the contemplation of him from whom they issued, or if they make attempts at it, our affections, engaged to the world, make us, like a bird tied by the foot, fall presently down again into the mire? It is high time to leave hunting shadows, and to turn our internal eye to the beholding of this Uncreated Light.

Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. It is not a histrionical weeping, only in public; for the speech is here directed to God, as a more frequent witness of these tears than any other; who is always the witness of the sincerity of them, when they cannot be hid from the eyes of men. For I deny not but they may and should have vent in public, especially at such times as are set apart for solemn humiliation and mourning. Yet even then, usually those streams run deepest, where they are stillest and most quietly conveyed. But surely they should not be fewer and less frequent alone than in company, for that is a little subject to suspicion. My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride, and mine eyes shall weep sore and run down with tears, because the Lord's flock is carried away captive.

That flower which follows the sun, doth so even in cloudy days when it doth not shine forth, yet it follows the hidden course and motion of it. So, the soul that moves after God, keeps that course when He hides His face; is content, yea is glad at His will in all estates or conditions or events.

Speaking of extraordinary assurances of the love of God, Some weaker Christians, Leighton said, sometimes have them, while stronger are strangers to them; the Lord training these to live more contentedly by faith till the day of vision come.

Things are in their own course, and men are in their voluntary choices; yet all subserving the great Lord and His ends and His glory, who made them all for himself: as the lower orbs have each their motion, but are all wheeled about with the first.

When the Lord withholds mercies or comforts for a season, it is but till the due season; it is but to ripen them for us, which we in our childish haste would pluck green, when they would

be neither so sweet nor so wholesome.

Therefore it is our wisdom and our peace, to resign all things into his hands.

In regard to the necessity of a day of universal judgement he observes profoundly, The process of many men's actions cannot be full at the end of their life as it shall be at that day: many have very large after-reckonings to come upon them for those sins of others to which they are accessory, though committed after their death; as the sins of ill-educated children to be laid to the charge of their parents, the sins of such as any have corrupted, either by their counsels and pernicious, or evil examples, &c.

Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. Little sins prove usually introductions to greater sins. Admit but some inordinate desire into your heart, that you account a small matter, and it is a hundred to one but it shall prove a little thief got in, to open the door to a number of greater: as the Rabbins speak, a less evil brings a man into the hands of a greater.

All the inducements and occasions of sin, things that come near a breach are to be avoided; that which the Rabbins call the hedge of the Law is not to be broken. They who do always all that they lawfully may, will sometimes do more.

To have a right view of the special providence of God towards his church, it must be taken altogether, and not by parcels. Pieces of rarest artifice, while they are a making, seem little worth, especially to an unskilful eye, which being completed, command admiration. Peter Martyn says well, De operibus Dei, antequam actum, non est judicandum: There is no judging of the works of God, before they are finished.

You (Christian that are of a lower order, know that you must shine too; for it is a common duty. There is a certain company of small stars in the firmament, which, though they cannot be each one severally seen, yet being many, their united light makes a conspicuous brightness in the heavens, which is called the milky way: so though the shining of every private Christian is not so much severally remarkable, yet the concourse and meeting of their light together will make a bright path of holiness shine in the church.

The common way of referring things to God is indeed impious and dishonorable to Him, being really no other than calling Him to be a servant and executioner to our passion.

A skilful engraver makes you a statue indifferently of wood or stone or marble, as they are put into his hand; so Grace forms a man to a Christian way of walking in any estate.