We

the language of earnest prayer. "Turn thou usregard the next clause of the prayer in our text, unto thee, O Lord," he exclaims, "and we shall "Renew our days as of old ;" when a desire is exbe turned: renew our days as of old."-The man- pressed for a spiritual renovation, like that which ner in which this petition is expressed is worthy had gladdened the Church, when, in ancient times, of our special notice, inasmuch as it recognises the Lord had evidently delighted over her for the cause of the sad calamity that gave occasion good. Many and glorious had been the manito it. The desire on the part of the suppliants festations of his favour to Zion "in the times of that they might be turned unto the Lord, implies old," and the thought of these must have come that they, in the first instance, had forsaken him; home to the prophet in a most affecting manner, that, if they had been seemingly cast off, it was now that he looked upon the ruins of the sanctubecause they had previously declined from the ary. A sense of present destitution and deserpath of commanded duty. God does not with- tion when sanctified, will lead to a just appreciation draw the communications of his favour, as if he of the mercies that have been withdrawn. took pleasure in the affliction of his people, but feel, in consequence, what we have lost by our because he sees it meet to chastise them for their transgressions; while, at the same time, we are sins. Nor, blessed be his name, will he keep at a reminded of what God may do, and of what he distance from them any longer than is necessary often has done for his people, when he is pleased to answer the design for which he has afflicted to regard them graciously. We are thus induced them. If thoroughly humbled, repentant, and to "covet earnestly the best gifts," and to plead believing, they implore the restoration of the for a return of the Divine favour which may fulfil tokens of his love, they will not be left to implore the amplest of our wishes, and satisfy our largest Weeping may endure for a night; desires. There is nothing too hard for the Lord. but joy cometh in the morning." He, who afflicts his people for their sins, can heal their every wound, and enable them to wipe away their every tear. He can give them "beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness." He can "satisfy them with marrow and fatness," and not only fill their cup of blessing, but make it to "run over." Nor is there any thing which he sees to be for the good of his people, which he is not ready to grant in answer to believing, earnest prayer.

this in vain. 66

There is often, however, a sad reluctance on their part to make a full and unreserved confession of their guilt. They find it difficult to persuade themselves, either of the number, or of the extent of their backslidings. They fail, in consequence, to turn unto him with their whole heart and soul. Hence the manner of the prophet's prayer, "Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned."

God's grace is necessary to impart the very disposition, in connection with which, although not as the procuring cause, the return of God's favour may be enjoyed. But for that sanctified use of the captivity, which God only by his Spirit could give, Judah in her affliction would have gone farther than ever from the Lord. Without his renovating and reviving grace, Babylon would have been the grave of the Church; and the hope of Israel would there have been buried for ever. It was God by his Holy Spirit, that made the captive Jews, during the period of their exile, so to see the evil of idolatry, that ever after, they were cured of their leaning to this their besetting sin. And when he had thus turned them unto himself, he opened in due season a way for their deliverance, and planted them once more upon Mount Zion. For this the believing remnant amongst them had earnestly prayed; and their prayers were graciously answered.

There is much, then, in this part of the prophet's prayer, that is fitted to convey very precious instruction, in seasons, whether of outward spiritual calamity, or of inward spiritual distress. And, as on the one hand, it cannot be well with us until the Lord revisit us in mercy, so on the other, we cannot look for such a gracious visitation, unless we have been brought to see our exceeding sinfulness, and, confessing and bewailing our declensions, we seek with our whole heart and soul to return unto him.

Similar is the light, in which it becomes us to

But

There may be amongst you those who are in spiritual distress, and whom the Lord is evidently chastising for their sins; and there may be of the Lord's people amongst you, who feel that they are "cast down," and who are afraid of being "utterly destroyed." And where is your hope? If you look to yourselves, you must despair; for you are without any strength of your own. it is both your duty and privilege to look away from yourselves, and to look unto him who is the Lord, the Redeemer of his people. He is the same "yesterday, to-day and for ever." His loving-kindness faileth not; his mercy endureth from age to age. To him, in the day of your distress, you must look; for with him only is deliverance to be found. Nay more; it is even your privilege to ask, wherefore he is contending with you, and why, in the course of his dealings with you, you have been brought so low? And, at all events, let it be your prayer-the prayer of " and contrite heart,"—that the Lord may turn you unto himself, and restore unto you the joy of his salvation. Nor be unmindful of present mercies, but be careful to improve them, lest God should, in judgment, remove them far away from you. And, alas! are there not multitudes, who, instead of seeking to improve their privileges, are guilty of habitually slighting and abusing them; "And shall I not visit for these things, saith the Lord?" Consider, I beseech you, how it is, in these respects with yourselves. Do you prize, and study

broken

the creature, are united in Christ; yea, all the whole volume of perfections, which is spread through heaven and earth, is epitomized in him. REV. T. BROOKES.

to profit, under the ordinary means of grace: These are the gift of God; and it is these which, by the Divine blessing, are fitted to make you "wise unto salvation." Without a diligent use The meekness of the suffering Saviour.-How was of these, you have no reason to expect that other, he wounded, who heals every disease; how was he or more extraordinary means, will be blessed to fading garlands; how was he stripped naked, who crowned with thorns, who crowns his martyrs with unyour souls. Your curiosity may be excited-your clothes the fields with flowers, and all the world with ears may be tickled-your sympathies may be robes, and the whole globe with the canopy of heaven, awakened—or an impression of terror may at the and the dead with immortality; how was he fed with time come over you. But all will be found to be gall and vinegar, who reaches out to his people the fruits "as the morning cloud, or the early dew, that of paradise, and the cup of salvation! And when, at vanish away." It is not by means of highly-sea- earth trembled, and the sun, that he might not behold the the crucifixion, the heavens were confounded, and the soned meats, that the body is nourished. It is villany of the Jews, withdrew his shining, and left the not thus that health is promoted. It is the plain, world in darkness, still the blessed Jesus said nothing, regular diet, that imparts vigour and nourishment. and betrayed no emotion of anger; but endured, withAnd so it is in regard to that, which, by the Di-out murmuring, all that earth and hell could lay upon vine blessing, is associated with the well-being of him, till he had put the last stroke to the finished the soul. What use then, I ask, have you made, picture of perfect patience, and prayed for his murand are now making of the ordinary means of derers, whom he has been, ever since, and is now, ready to receive, upon their repentance, not only to grace? For this, a very solemn reckoning is pardon, but to a participation of the glories of his awaiting you. Be careful, to improve these your kingdom.-BISHOP HORNE. mercies, lest the day come when, deprived of the enjoyment of them, you will look and long for them

in vain.

THE HAPPY LAND.
THERE is a happy land,

Far, far away,
Where saints in glory stand,
Bright, bright as day.
Oh! how they sweetly sing,
Worthy is our Saviour King;
Loud let his praises ring-

Praise, praise for aye.
Come to this happy land,

Come, come away;

Why will ye doubting stand-
Why still delay ?
Oh! we shall happy be,

When from sin and sorrow free;
Lord, we shall live with thee-
Blest, blest for aye.

Bright, in that happy land,

Beams every eye;

Kept by a Father's hand,

Love cannot die.

On, then, to glory run

Be a crown and kingdom won;
And bright above the sun
We reign for aye.

CHRISTIAN TREASURY.

In Christ all fulness dwells.-There is still in Christ a fulness of redundance, notwithstanding all that he has expended. It were blasphemy to think that Christ should be a penny the poorer by all that he has laid out for the relief of all those who have their dependence upon him. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; not stay or abide a night or a day, and away; but should dwell. The sun has not the less light for filling the stars with light. A fountain has not the less for filling the lesser vessels. There is in Christ the fulness of a fonntain. The everlasting fountain pours out water abundantly, and yet remains full. Why the Lord Jesus is such an overflowing fountain, he fills all, and yet remains full. Christ has the greatest worth and wealth in him. As the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold; so all the petty excellencies scattered abroad in

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.

THE LATE REV. T. C. E. RHENIUS,

MISSIONARY IN SOUTH INDIA.

BY THE EDITOR.
PART III.

FOR Some time previous to the period at which we have now arrived in the history of this devoted missionary, the reader cannot fail to have perceived that discordant feelings and opinions were entertained, on various points, by the Committee of the Church Missionary Society on the one hand, and Mr Rhenius and his colleague Mr Schmid, on the other. The smouldering flame at length burst forth. A letter was received from the Committee, complaining that the missionaries were forming their converts into communities on the Lutheran model. The accusation was altogether without foundation. The missionaries, though employed by the Church Missionary Society, were themselves ministers of the Lutheran Church of Prussia, and it was not surely to be expected that, if their catechists objected to English ordination, as they actually did, they were to press it upon them. Nor indeed, did the Committee, in their first communication on the subject, profess to have formed any such expectation. But the demands which they made seem to involve them in a charge of proselytism, not to Christianity, but to a sect. We quote from the spirited reply of Mr Rhenius to the Committee's accusation :—

"I cannot agree with your sentiment, that missionaries who have been the instruments in the hand of God to raise up congregations from among the heathen, should thenceforth have nothing more to say respecting the formal settlement of them as Christian communities. I do not maintain that the Society should have no share in this matter; but I think they should regard it as a concern of minor importance, and trust that those who have been enabled by Divine grace to do the one, will also be enabled to do the other, and provide the people with the means necessary for their farther instruction and edification. This is not my opinion only; but several bishops of the Church of England herself have expressed themselves to the same effect. Bishop Burnet, for instance, says, 'Since I look upon the sacramental actions as the highest of sacred perfor

mances, I cannot but acknowledge those who are empowered for them, must be of the highest office in the Church.' I think, therefore, that the Committee need not be so much opposed to our ordaining the native catechists, as if the Church of Christ would suffer thereby, or as if we had no scriptural right to do so. By their opposition, they plainly show that they have another interest besides that of the Church of Christ, contrary to their own frequent declarations in their publications. How different this from the apostle's catholic spirit, when he said, Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preach

on an immediate adjustment of that question. For a time, accordingly, peace was restored, and our missionary set himself to his laborious duties, with his wonted devotedness and apostolic singleness of heart. Scarcely had a few months elapsed, however, when annoyances arose from a different quarter. Bishop Wilson had made a tour to the south, and in a charge to the clergy, which he published soon after, the following strange passage occurs :-" I discovered a system at work in the extreme south (province of Tinnevelly), in direct opposition to our Protestant Episcopal Church—a system so ruinous, in my judgment, to the holiness and peace of the new converts, as to threaten a subversion among them of Christianity itself." The burden of this grave accusation was, that the missionaries were not adhering strictly and in all points to the forms of the Church of England-an offence which, in the eyes of the worthy Bishop, was of no light nature. In the close of this letter, Mr Rhenius proposed Tucker, the Secretary of the Madras Corresponding three things that he should be allowed to return to Committee, on the other hand, having inspected the Europe; that he should retire to Madras, where he affairs of the mission at Tinnevelly, was quite demight devote himself exclusively to the work of trans-lighted with what he saw and heard; and in the introlation, in connection with the mission; or that, without quitting his station, he should attach himself at once to another missionary society. The concluding paragraph is as follows:

ed; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice!'
"I am grieved to write to you thus, because nothing
is farther from my thoughts than a desire to hurt your
feelings, or to appear disrespectful to the Society. I
trust they will receive what I have said as coming from
a heart that sincerely endeavours to love the simple
truth as it is in Jesus. This Word of Truth is my
foundation; its promotion my design; and its main-
tenance my duty."

Mr

duction to a report, which soon after appeared in a religious periodical in Madras, he expresses himself in the strongest terms in speaking of the manner in which the mission was conducted. At this juncture, the "That you may be fully informed of my sentiments Madras Committee resolved to address a letter to on the subject of the Church (as I have always dealt Bishop Wilson, vindicating their missionary from the frankly and unreservedly with the Committee), I beg charges so rashly made. This resolution is dated 22d leave herewith to send a copy of my review of a small April 1835; and, on the 18th of May, Mr Rhenius book, entitled The Church, her Daughters and Hand- received from Mr Tucker the resolution of the Home maidens,' &c., which the Rev. Mr Harper lately pub-Committee, by which his connection with the Church lished, and of which he requested me to write a review."

Of the three proposals made to the Committee, they

seem to have assented to the first; and Mr Rhenius, accordingly, resolved to go to England. He was prevented, however, from carrying this resolution into effect, by a letter from the Committee, stating that,

Missionary Society was dissolved, on the ground of
his having published a pamphlet, which they considered
as inconsistent with the principles and constitution of
the Church of England. The following is the resolu-
tion:-
:-

distress, the publication in India by Mr Rhenius of his
tract, entitled a 'Review,' &c., impugning, as it does,
the government, ritual, formularies, and discipline of
that Church with which he stood connected as a mis-
sionary of this Society; and that afflicting as it is to
them to dissolve their connection with one whom, on
many grounds, they highly honour and esteem, yet they
feel bound, in consistency, as attached members of the
Church of England, to take this very painful step, and
to declare that the missionary relation which has
hitherto subsisted between the Society and Mr Rhenius
is at an end."

"The Committee learn, with the deepest regret and

from the change which had taken place in their members and constitution, his voyage to England would be unnecessary. In the midst of this disagreeable correspondence, he was unexpectedly refreshed by a visit from the celebrated Mr (now Dr) Wolff, who was travelling through India. This zealous missionary to the Jews made a short stay at Pallamcotta, but he remained long enough to form a very high opinion of Mr Rhenius's character as a Christian and a missionary. In his Journal, accordingly, we find him speaking of Mr Rhenius thus:-"The greatest missionary, I believe, who has ever appeared since the time of the apostles; more enterprising, more bold, and more talented than even Schwartz himself." Such a testimony from such a quarter is no mean tribute to the excellence of the man who is the subject of it; and we can only regret, that the Society by whom he was employed should have been so far led away by a narrow spirit of sectarianism, as to have dispensed with his invaluable services. But to proceed with the history of this unhappy dispute. Mr Rhenius, we have seen, entertained serious thoughts of visiting England, with the view of laying the whole circumstances of his case before the Committee in London. But as the Madras Committee dissuaded him from leaving India, and seemed not very anxious to MY DEAR BROTHER,-Having received from you press the ordination question upon him, he thought it the Home Committee's resolution of 15th February was his duty to go on with his work, without insisting | 1835, dissolving my connection with the Society, in

On receiving this announcement, Mr Rhenius sent for all the catechists, and acquainted them with the Committee's resolution, at the same time putting the question, Whether they were willing to adhere to the Society or to him? After some discussion and explanation, they declared their resolution to abide with him as hitherto, and to live in faith on the Lord's care. Mr Rhenius and his colleagues, accordingly, were now separated from the Society under whose auspices they had laboured since their arrival in India. Mr Tucker came to Pallamcotta, for the purpose of holding a conference on the subject, and Mr Rhenius addressed the following letter to him, as Secretary to the Madras Committee:-

was made to prevail upon him to leave Tinnevelly. | be restored to health, and reminded them of the words, But all was in vain. He and his colleagues remained, and dedicated themselves to the great work which they had undertaken. The chapter of the published Memoir of Mr Rhenius, in which his son vindicates his father's conduct in the whole of the dispute which we have been briefly noticing, is able, candid, and on the whole impartial. That the Society exceeded their powers in the demands which they made, every careful reader of the Memoir cannot fail to perceive. Their conduct was highhanded in the extreme, and their attempt to claim a patrimonial right in the whole Tinnevelly district was utterly unreasonable and absurd. "The people," as Mr Rhenius well remarked, "are not the property of the Society, or of any man: it is their sacred right, as well as that of all other men, to choose their pastor or pastors. The Society had no right to deprive the people of their long-known and loved teachers, nor us of the fruit of our labours."