selfish, miserly, and grasping priesthood. That was not their character; their habits and education did not tend to draw them that way. A spirit of generous liberality, rather than of grasping selfishness has, in truth, been the character of the clergy of our land. But then there was a want of that sacredness of character, and that deep sense of spiritual responsibility, which ever mark the manner and the conduct of those who feel the awful nature of the message with which they are charged, of those who are sent to beseech the people in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God, to stand between the living and the dead, that the plague of ungodliness may be staid. But a reference to times past can be profitable to us only, inasmuch as it shews us what we are to avoid, and what it will be our wisdom to imitate.

In seeking to further the great work for which we are set apart, our own parochial system gives the best opportunity. The minister according to that system, is placed in the midst of his flock. He has the spiritual charge of the fold. If this had been felt and fully acted upon, and every parish had had its resident minister, either as Incumbent or Curate,-a watchful, diligent, holy man giving to his people, besides his own, other pastoral care, the opportunity of worshipping twice on every Sabbath, we might then have reasonably expected, that the people in every parish would have shewn those marks of spiritual progress, which many of you, my Reverend Brethren, I trust, have already found, where you have so fulfilled the requirements of our Church.

The watchful care of the pastor begins with his flock from their tender years. He feeds the lambs of his fold, bringing them up in the nurture of the Lord. I am aware of the difficulties, which in many cases prevent you from fully carrying out the system of our Church, and there are many cases which must form reasonable exceptions.

The law as it now stands, binds upon the Incumbent, indeed, to comply with that demand of our Church, which ensures residence. This may fall hard upon those who are entering upon very small preferments. But where the charge is undertaken with a previous knowledge of all those circumstances, no one can reasonably complain. I trust, however, that there is no disposition to complain on the part of the greater number of the Incumbents, who have lately entered upon their charge. There is no need to speak to them of the the law, for their willing minds have given them a law better than the law of man. There are many happy examples in the cases of those older Incumbents who are not bound by the present law, yet have shewn themselves ready with all their power, to give their energies and strength to the holy work to which they feel that God has appointed them. Laws, have, in truth, no operation upon the faithful minister of Christ. He who feels that Christ is his Master, and that to him he must give account, does not want human laws to bind him; he feels, indeed, that he is bound by the love of Christ that constraineth him, and his labour becomes a labour of love. And where there is not this Divine law written in the heart, very little spiritual good will be done by the intervention of human laws. Where this law of love is in the heart, no other law is wanting.

The work of education, and the training up of the children of the poor to godliness, is, perhaps, the first and most important work committed into the hands of a Christian minister. All attempts to accomplish this by legal enactments would be sure, if not to fail, at least to fall far short of their object. But the parochial system of our Church does, in fact, in most cases, leave the work of education in the hands of the parish minister, and very little permanent. good will be effected without his help; and we cannot in any way see how we can be relieved from this responsibility. If he be an able and discreet, and, above all, a devout minister, the work will not fail in his hands. The regular habit of Sabbath-teaching, which implies public worship twice every Sunday, and with the children under the eye of the minister, and under his instruction, must be productive of good. But where this requirement of our Church is not fulfilled, where there is not a resident minister and full double service, any failure must not be attributed to a defect in the system; the failure will be because the system is not in operation.

But an earnest minister will not be content merely with his Sabbath ministrations, or with having the children before him on the Sunday. The work of education is going on during the week; and until this part of the ministerial system is in full operation, the requirement of our Church is not satisfied. In large parishes this work is difficult; in small ones it is apt to be overlooked. But, however large your parishes, do not be discouraged from endeavouring to bring the work of Christian education into as full operation as circumstances will admit of. However small your little flock, do not think that it can be safely neglected.

Every year is bringing into more complete operation that provision of the law, the object of which is to place resident ministers in every parish, that all the inhabitants may have an opportunity of worshipping both at morning and evening service. I am most anxious to see this even now, wherever it can be accomplished, and feel most thankful that there are so many of the clergy of this diocese who are So anxious, with myself, to see the full application of our Church's rule. And I cannot help being gratified at having before me the people themselves, expressing their most earnest desire that their ministers should give them double service, that they may have the full advantages of their ministrations, advantages which they are in most cases so willing to confess and acknowledge.

I need not repeat to you, my Reverend Brethren, that it is not merely having a resident minister that will effectually further the objects of an Established Church; the great question is, what sort of minister he is, for the instructions of a worldly minister will be ineffectual, and his example will be dangerous. But I trust that we shall have few such cases; I feel that we have much to encourage us, much of the presence of God, and much that we may look forward to with cheering hope. And we may, I trust, be allowed to hope, that God is adding to the number of those who shall be effectually called by him to be the stewards of his mysteries, and to whom he will give grace and power so to fulfil their sacred duties, that at the great day, when he shall call upon them to give their account they may be able to do it with joy, and not with grief.

F

THE COLISEUM.

FEAR NOT THEM WHICH KILL THE BODY.-MATT. x. 28.

Lo! here the giant-mass,
Hid 'neath its native grass,

Sloping its green sides toward the cloudless sky,
While, ranging line o'er line,

Like some exhausted mine,

Its hundred caverns meet the wanderer's eye;
And tree and herb their rule o'er wrecks maintain;
The claimants of the earth, where man hath ceased to reign.

By rude and broken ways,
Threading the arches' maze,

Which, far receding, dimly stretch before,

Our gloomy way we hold,

Where they their depths unfold,

Like yawning caves, that skirt some mountain shoreTill yon bright moon-lit rent invites us nigh,

Whence spreads the circling bound, domed by the calm blue sky.

High in her silvery car,

With many a twinkling star,

The moon ascends serene the brow of night;
And in her vigor's prime,

Untouched by envious Time,

O'erlays each broken arch with sheets of light;
Careless what work of man survive or die,
She nightly fills her horn, and nightly walks the sky.

She never checked her beam,

But poured as rich a gleam

O'er this huge pile with human blood bedewed,
Nor cared what caught her glance,

Amid the whirling dance,

The golden throne, or bones yon area strewedAnd, still unchanged, her silver rain she showers,

O'er arch and column crushed,-trees, herbs, and budding flowers.

Here Murder fleshed his sword,

And Terror spread the board,

While Rome bade Death to dance his roundelay-
For her desires were wide,

And they may be supplied,

Tho' farthest isles be searched to yield her preyWould Death but make her sport, she vowed to bring The glory of the world to grace the horrid King.