A MEMORIAL VOLUME ACRED POETRY BY THE LATE Sir John BowiiwLL, WITH a yvi Eyvi OIR BY LaDYBOWRING FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY X4, w '^- I ^;«rV C.I SACRED POETRY. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/volumeOObowr „ JUL 1 1 1933 " OF SACRED POETRY, BY THE LATE SIR JOHN BOWRING. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR, By LADY BOWRING. LONDON : LONGMANS, GREEN, READER, AND DYER. 1873- LONDON : PRINTED BY WOODFALL AND KINDER, MILFORD LANE, STRAND, W.C. CONTENTS. PACK Preface to Memorial Volume xiii Memoir of the late Sir John Bowring xvii Matter and Mind i The Divine Apocalypse 3 Rejoice with Trembling ........ 4 Heaven the Christian's Home 4 Upward ........... 5 Changes wrought by Time 6 The House of God ......... 6 The Truth 7 Hymn 8 Mourn not as those without Hope 9 Peace 10 Unchanging Changes n Christian Unity 12 The Reign of Law 12 God our Strength 13 Scriptural Hymn ......... 14 Thy Kingdom come ......... 15 What is Truth? 16 Confidence in God 16 Christian Hopes ......... 17 Looking Upward . . . . . . . . .18 To a Mother on the Death of a Child . .... 19 VI Contents. Dedicatory Hymn The Tide of Tendency The Lord's Prayer . Blessings . The Beauties of Creation God Everywhere Introspection Slavery Look on the Bright Side The Innocence of Infancy The Dawning of the Day Pleasures of Memory Divine Influence Thy Will be done . The Blessed Dead . The Future of Mankind Truth in Progress The Light of the Spirit Brotherly Love Hymn Ohne hast und olme Rast Laborare est orare . Where? When? How? The Teachings of God in Nature Gospel Teachings Elevated Aims . Adam's Fall Omnipotence . Inquiries . The Restless Sea Chivalry . Brotherhood of Humanity The Life of Christ . Forgive as we hope to be forgive Evils of Ignorance . Hopes of Futurity . Doing Good Contents. vii PAGE Unity of God 50 Scepticism .......... 51 The Bible 52 Confidence .......... 52 Eternal Punishment ......... 53 The Good Samaritan 53 Buddhism 56 Resurrection 56 Faith, Hope, Charity 57 Forgiveness .......... 58 Confidence in God ......... 59 Man's Destiny 60 Resurrection .......... 61 Salvation ........... 62 Aspiration after higher Truth 63 Joy after Sorrow 64 God's Paternal Care 65 Evening Praises 66 Jesus teaching the People 66 Hymn ........... 67 Perpetual Praise . 68 Divine Influences ......... 69 Hymn 71 Hymn ........... 72 Hymn 73 Hymn ........... 75 Mysteries of Providence 76 Communion jj Hymn to the Deity 78 Progress of Gospel Truth 79 Hymn 80 Hymn 81 Hymn 82 Trust in God 8^ God near in Sorrow ......... 84 Sleep 84 What is our Duty here 85 viii Contents. PAGE Evening .... ...... The Greatest of all is Charity 86 Jesus lives 87 God ever Near ......... 89 Prayer for Guidance . 89 Trust in God 90 Miserere Me .......... 91 Morning ........... 92 Evening 93 Funeral Hymn . . . . 94 Hymn 96 Toleration .......... 97 Hymn ........... 97 They are risen ........ 98 The Heart knoweth its own Bitterness 99 God alone the fit Object of Praise and Prayer . . . 100 God our Guide 100 The End of the Good Man is Peace 10 1 Unity of God 102 God's Will be done 103 Gratitude and Praise to God * . 103 Simeon's Thanksgiving ........ 104 Awake, Thou that sleepest 105 Hymn ........... 106 Submission to God ......... 106 Easter Hymn .......... 107 Come, Ye Blessed of My Father 108 God is Love .......... 109 Lord! I believe no The World Beautiful . . . . . . . .110 Be sure your Sin will find you out in Rest of the Righteous 112 Virtue and Truth Immortal 113 Help sought from God . . . . . . . .114 Hope in God . . . . . . . . . 115 Humble Worship 116 Hymn . . . . . . . . . . 117 Contents, ix PAGE Their Works shall follow Them 118 The Resurrection . . . . . . . . .119 God's Guidance implored 119 Agar's Petition . . . . . . . . .120 Death a Blessing ......... 121 Ye believe in God — believe also in Me . . . . .122 The Poor have the Gospel preached unto Them . . .123 We walk by Faith and not by Sight 123 Watchman ! what of the Night ? 124 Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life 125 Temptation .......... 126 The Cross of Christ 126 God is One .......... 127 Outward and Inward Virtue 128 Hymn ........... 129 God Omnipresent ......... 130 Infinite Greatness of God 131 Pure Religion and Undefiled 132 Blessed are the Dead who die in the Lord .... 133 Trust in God 133 Death! where is thy Sting? 134 My Times are in thy Hand 135 Luther's Angel-Song 136 God ever Present ......... 137 God our Comforter ......... 138 Religious Comfort 138 Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Christ .... 139 " Father, glorify Thy Name" 140 God with Us .......... 141 Vicissitude a Blessing ........ 142 Parental Providence ........ 142 Jesus wept .......... 143 Evening Hymn ^ God the chief Good ........ 14- The Grave no Terror to the Virtuous 146 Sleep of the Grave r ^ 7 " It is finished ' ......... 148 Contents. PAGE Adoration of the One True God 149 Funeral Hymn ......... 149 Rest of the Grave 150 Morning Hymn ......... 151 Sabbath Evening . . . . . . . . .152 God our only Refuge . . . . . . . 153 Jesus the Day-Star . . . . . . . . 154 Life's Pilgrimage 155 Immortality .......... 156 Acceptable Worship ........ 157 Christian Triumphs ........ 158 Every Thing derived from God 158 God, the Source of all Good ....... 159 Future wisely concealed . . . . . . . .160 Aspirations .......... 161 Morning Hymn ......... 162 The Lord's Prayer 163 Happy Hours .......... 164 Advent of Christ ......... 165 Acceptable Worship ........ 166 Devotion .......... 167 Private Devotion ......... 168 Ye cannot serve God and Mammon . . . . .169 Aspirations after Truth 170 Trust in God 171 Past, Present, and Future 171 Virtue its own Reward . . . . . . . .172 Life fleeting and vain ........ 173 Loss of Friends 174 Lessons of Time for Eternity ....... 175 Worship ........... 176 A Wise Man — builds upon a Rock ...... 177 Life in Death .......... 178 Faith and Works ......... 178 Song of the Triumphant Christian . . . . . .180 "Truly this Man was the Son of God ! " . . . .181 The Resurrection 181 Contents. xi PAGE Traveller's Hymn 182 God over all 183 Hymn 184 God always nigh 185 Value of Time 186 " This Mortal shall put on Immortality " 187 Praise . . . . . . . . . . .187 Funeral Hymn 188 Adversity salutary 189 Comfort in God's Goodness . . . . . . .190 Felix trembled 191 " Whether living or dying, we are Thine " .... 192 Thy will be done ......... 193 That They also may be One in Us 194 I will not leave You comfortless 195 Lines addressed to E. B. 195 Solitude ........... 196 Index to First Lines tct PREFACE TO MEMORIAL VOLUME. LIFE AND HYMNS OF SIR JOHN BOWRIXG. T N preparing the accompanying volume of hymns, however inadequately I may have performed my task, I have been mainly influenced by the desire of bringing before the public some poems written by my late husband, Sir John Bowring, and which either have not hitherto been published, or have only appeared in periodicals. To such manu- script and other hymns as I possessed have been added selections from two small books, published by himself, now many years since. The first issued of these volumes, " Matins and Vespers," is still in print, and well known to lovers of sacred song, both in this country xiv Preface. and America. A smaller collection, entitled " Hymns by John Bowring," which appeared in 1825, is now out of print, and with this the public appears to be less familiar, although many of the individual hymns have found their way into various hymn books. From this collection, therefore, I have culled more largely than from its predecessor. With respect to the brief Memoir prefixed to the hymns I may observe, that the difficulty of compressing within so small a compass the events of the long,- busy, and active life of my late revered husband has proved consider- able. I need hardly remark, that his intel- lectual energy and varied abilities very early brought him into notice, and led to his occupy- ing, from time to time, positions of consider- able importance ; while, from the amount of work accomplished in the different capacities of the writer, the politician, the diplomatist, and the political economist, the details of the labours of that energetic nature must necessarily be much curtailed. To the Editor of the " Illustrated Review " I would acknowledge my indebtedness for a Preface. xv portion of the valuable information which I have found so useful in the compilation of this sketch. A few words from the observa- tions of other friends have also been turned to account. Circumstances over which I had no control have alone hitherto prevented the earlier appearance of the accompanying " Memorial Volume." I trust the delay will not interfere with its acceptance ; no other life having hitherto appeared, though such a book remains to be written. If my task has been a sad one, I may truly say that my occupation has not been disassociated from other feelings. That, in dwelling upon the scenes, the circumstances, and the thoughts of bygone years ; in review- ing the active political struggles and contro- versies in which my late husband was engaged ; and, above all, in pondering on the God-like spirit that animated, the faith in the Divine love that cheered, the entire belief in the ultimate prevalence of truth and goodness, that encouraged him, I too have found sources of consolation. xvi Preface. The political events of his early career are become matters of history, fraught with im- portance in their results to the passing genera- tions ; and the life of one who laboured amongst them, who ever sought to promote the improve- ment, the welfare, and the happiness of his fellow-creatures, was not lived in vain. Deborah Bowring. MEMOIR OF THE LATE SIR JOHN BOWRING. CIR JOHN BOWRING, the eldest son of Mr. Charles Bowring of Larkbeare, was born in the city of Exeter on the 17th October, 1792. Mr. Bowring was descended from an ancient Devonshire family, which gave its name to the estate of Bowringsleigh, in the parish of West Allington, where they at one time resided, Family records also make mention of a pro- genitor, one Sir John Bowring, who followed the disastrous fortunes of the ill-fated Charles the First, and to whom the monarch promised a baronetcy, as a reward for services and pecu- niary assistance. It is almost needless to add. b xviii Memoir of the Late that owing probably to the troublous political times, and the imprisonment and ultimate decapitation of the unhappy king, this promise was not fulfilled. Sir John Bowring's ancestors had been for many generations connected with the woollen manufacture, which for centuries was the staple trade of the West of England, and which has of late years been revived and extended with considerable success in the county of Devon by Mr. Fulford Vicary, an enterprising manu- facturer, whose principal mills, supplied with all the most modern and improved machinery, are situated at North Tawton. Having received the rudiments of a sound education at the grammar school of Moreton- hampstead, in his native county, John Bowring, at the age of fourteen, was employed by his father in his trade, which principally consisted, at that time, in the preparation of coarse woollens for China and the Spanish Peninsula. He was of studious and reserved habits, devoting almost all his leisure to a secluded study, whose walls he had lined with books, with objects of natural history, chemical Sir John Bowring. xix apparatus, antiquities, and various curiosities — a museum, in fact, seldom opened even to the members of his family — for he was in the habit of locking himself in before day-break, and re- tiring to it again when the labours of the day were over. French was the only language he learned from a master, one of the many clerical Royalist refugees whom the first French Revo- lution had flung upon the shores of England. Young Bowring had an intense desire to acquire languages ; he mastered Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, and had made considerable pro- gress in German and Dutch before he was sixteen years old. His habit was to seek every opportunity of speaking ; he discovered that the tongue was by far the most useful organ for learning living languages. He passed such hours as he could dispose of in company with the Italians who at that time perambulated England for the sale of barometers, &c, or with the Lucchese boys, who then, as now, but with far inferior wares, hawked their plaster casts through the country. He found that the great art of language-learning is to get rid of the notion of verbally translating the phrase ; that b 2 xx Memoir of the Late the same thought takes another shape when ex- pression is given to it in another tongue ; that the real and exact synonyms of language are few ; and that dictionary aid, at least in the beginning of study, is rather pernicious than useful. To have acquired at so early an age so great an amount of knowledge, it is quite evident that the love of learning must have manifested itself in him from childhood. Referring to those youthful days and to that quiet retreat, he would relate that he engaged a sister, whom he rewarded with a halfpenny a week if she punctually fulfilled her undertaking to call him, in order that he might betimes indulge his taste for study. Yet the quiet and apparently book- absorbed lad seems not to have been wanting in a love of boyish frolic, nor deficient in observation of what was passing around him. Far less was he indifferent to the tenderness which was lavished upon him ; he was the object of intensest affection to his excellent parents and talented sisters, and a regular and welcome visitor to his grandparents, when his grandmother decorated him with her choicest Sir John Bowring. xxi flowers. The servants employed him as their amanuensis, and not unfrequently made him their confidant. As he rambled during his school days, at Moretonhampstead, the Dart- moor hills, he made acquaintance with the farmers of the district, who invited the youth to their houses, and unwittingly ministered to his poetical and imaginative tastes by their recitals of tales of the pixies. It is not very long since that, on visiting the region referred to, we found that the delicate lad, who had become so well known in the political and literary world, was remembered by the most aged of the rustics of the town, where he was received with the greatest enthusiasm. After remaining some time with his father, young Bowring entered a merchant's house at Exeter as a clerk, but soon gave evidence of a higher order of abilities than those which fitted him for the desk. He became in early life the political pupil of the illustrious Jeremy Bentham, whose principles he maintained in the pages of the Westminster Review, of which he was for some years the editor. After the death of Bentham, with whom he had lived in the xxii Memoir of the Late habits of closest intimacy, and to whom he acted as executor, Mr. Bowring published a collection of his master's works, accompanied by a biography of the great jurist, the whole consisting of twenty-three octavo volumes. He now distinguished himself by an extra- ordinary knowledge of continental literature, particularly of the lyrical — or rather of the song poetry — of the different European nations ; as a proof of which it may be mentioned, that he published very many translations containing poetical specimens from the Bohemian, Bulgarian, Sclavonic, Russian, Servian, Polish, Slovakian, and Illyrian ; Scandinavian, Icelandic, Swedish, and Danish ; Teutonic, Esthonian, Dutch, Frisian, Lettish, and Finnish ; Hungarian, Biscayan, French, Provencal, and Gascon ; Italian, with its dialects ; Spanish, Portuguese, Catalonian, and Gallician. It was about this time, also, that there appeared selections of hymns, original poems, and other works, amounting altogether to more than fifty volumes. For his two volumes of " Russian Anthology " he received a diamond ring from the Emperor Alexander the First, and for his Sir John Boivring. xxiii works on Holland, some of which have been translated into Dutch, a gold medal from the King of the Netherlands. At the period to which this narrative refers, now about seventy years ago, great opportu- nities existed in Exeter for one so desirous of acquiring general information, and more espe- cially an acquaintance with foreign tongues, as did the youthful John Bowring of gratifying his tastes. The quay was, at that time, crowded with vessels of many nations. Most of the green spaces within and near the city of Exeter were then known as rackfields, which were employed for stretching, measuring, and drying the various woollen cloths woven in the scattered cottages of the husbandmen, or in the villages and towns of the neighbourhood. The merchants and master- fullers were really directing fellow-workmen ; taking part in the manual labour of their dependants, the language in which the artisans were addressed was invariably soce (socii). The principal trade was with Spain, France, Italy, Germany, and Holland. The merchants of Exeter, many of them travelled men, were thorough masters of the languages of those xxiv Memoir of the Late countries with which they traded, and to several of these gentlemen the young John Bowring was indebted for assistance in the prosecution of his linguistic studies, and thus it came about that when, shortly afterwards, he was enabled to indulge that love of travel which he at that same time imbibed through such associations, on landing in the Peninsula during the great war, he was so much at home in Spanish that he obtained the name of El Espanol Ingles. A great portion of Mr. John Bowring's time, from the age of twenty to thirty, was passed in foreign countries. During the whole of his journeyings he made it his rule to live more among the natives than among his own countrymen, and by adopting the usages and speaking the languages of the countries he visited, to make himself better acquainted with their most peculiar and inte- resting features. He was at this time, also, extensively engaged in several official missions to foreign countries. In 1828, on the recommendation of Mr. Alex- ander Baring (afterwards Lord Ashburton) and the Parliamentary Finance Committee, he was Sir John .Bowring. xxv sent by the late Right Hon. J. C. Hemes, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, to report on the public accounts of Holland ; and it was during this period that he received his diploma of LL.D. from the University of Groningen. In 1829 Doctor Bowring collected at Copen- hagen the materials for a collection of Scandi- navian poetry, and he also translated " Peter Schlemihl," from the German of Chamisso, on the recommendation of Adelung. While on a subsequent mission at Madrid he published, in Spanish, a work on "African Slavery;" and, about the same time, he also translated into French the " Opinions of the Early Christians on War," written by Thomas Clarkson. From the period of his connection with the Westminster Review \ Dr. Bowring had directed much of his attention to subjects of political economy, especially with respect to the com- mercial relations between Great Britain and the continental governments; and in 1831 he was nominated, with the late Earl of Clarendon (who at that time held the appointment of First Commissioner of Excise), Commercial Commissioner to France. Though not success- xxvi Memoir of the Late ful to the extent anticipated, some liberal modi- fications of the tariff were made. The import trade of French produce into Great Britain and her colonies was subsequently considerably increased, and two elaborate reports on the state of our commercial relations with France were presented to Parliament by Lord Claren- don and Dr. Bowring. After his first marriage Dr. Bowring lived with his family at Hackney. Both there, and at the house afterwards occupied by them, Queen Square, Westminster, they were in the habit of holding weekly receptions, which were frequented by persons of distinction, both foreigners and English people. His intercourse with the continent had already brought him into connection with many celebrities from other lands. A brief quotation from a letter, alluding to one of these gatherings, may not prove unacceptable. Under date December, 1817, W. J. Fox writes to the lady whom he subse- quently married : "We had a glorious squeeze at Bowring's on Thursday night Poor Talfourd I pitied ; by some bad management he got fixed Sir Jo In i Bowring. xxvii at a card table with Aspland, while Miss Rutt was off to the dancers In this crowd the youthful appearance of our host and hostess was very interesting. Mrs. B. has a very young look, full of modesty and simplicity ; at first sight, you would look about for her mother and elder sister, but a second glance discovered something of manner that indicated the mistress of the house. With B. you would have been irretrievably in love. Looking divinely ; exchanging a bit of French or Italian with ladies who wanted to show off ; criticising the last new poem with Talfourd ; talking politics with A. ; handing out ladies to the dancing-room ; conversing in Spanish with a Spanish patriot who had left his country in consequence of having written against the Inquisition, and who speaks little or no English. And all this, and much more, without the least appearance of bustle or effect."* It was while residing at Hackney, after a visit to Paris of a purely commercial character, that Dr. Bowring was arrested in France, in Vide Memoirs of Mrs. Eliza Fox, pp. 154, 155. xxviii Memoir of the Late 1823, and thrown into prison for some months. He appears to have been the object of espion- age during his stay in the capital, but some- what recklessly to have disregarded the impend- ing danger. He was supposed to be the bearer of despatches of a revolutionary character ; but nothing whatever could be proved against him, and at the instance of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs he was ultimately liberated, with the intimation that " there was not a tittle of evidence against him." During his incarceration he received the kindest attentions from the British Consul resident at Boulogne, and from other friends. Great anxiety was caused to his relatives by his detention, Mr. Canning himself being the first to apprise them of Dr. Bowring's release. The subject of political economy, in its varied ramifications, was one that possessed for him an intense interest ; and to the latest period of his existence he ever sought to promulgate the principles of that great man, the friend and philosopher whose opinions he shared, and to whom he was so ardently attached. For many years Dr. Bowring lived in Bentham's house, Sir Joint Bow ring. xxix and acted as his private secretary, and the alliance between them ripened into one of an exceedingly affectionate character. He was frequently heard, even in later years, to eulogize his friend with all the enthusiasm of his ardent nature. He spoke of him as one of the greatest and wisest men that ever lived. Un- doubtedly there are those still living who recognize in Bentham's writings a mine of thought which may still be advantageously worked, and his influence has already leavened modern thought on all the great questions of law reform more than that of any other writer. Sir John Bowring inherited from his master much of his grasp of mind ; while, like Brougham, he possessed physical vigour, ver- satility of talent, and took delight in public life. He fretted for want of work ; was from early manhood a Radical reformer, and gave a firm adhesion to the League that brought about the abolition of the corn laws. Bentham subsequently lived in a house, Queen's Square, Westminster, which had formerly been occupied by Milton, whose memory he greatly revered. Sir John Bowring, with a countenance beaming xxx Memoir of the Late with emotion, would relate that the great jurist, on his return from an absence of some duration, folded his disciple in his arms, exclaiming, " As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, my son." Bentham died in the arms of his friend, whom he appointed his literary executor. Dr. Bowring fulfilled the task by publishing Bentham's col- lected works, which, including the Deontology, occupy twenty-four large volumes. According to testamentary directions, the body of Mr. Bentham was embalmed. Clothed in his ordinary attire, and with his stick in hand, it is now to be seen in the Museum of the London University, Gower Street. After undertaking various commercial mis- sions, of which the reports were published for the information of Parliament, Dr. Bowring dis- charged the duties of unpaid commissioner to inquire into the state of extra-parochial records of births and deaths. For this purpose he examined and reported on more than seven thousand volumes. He then took part in the Commission for the Reform of the Public Accounts, when he visited France, and examined Sir Joint Bowring. xxxi in the greatest detail the Compatabilite of the French government. On his return to England he presented two reports on the subject, which were published, and upon these our present improved system is based. It was about this time, also, that he carried, in opposition to the Government, a resolution to the effect that the gross revenues of all taxes should be paid into the Exchequer without reduction, and that no appropriation should be made without previous parliamentary sanction ; a principle which has become the ground-work of reform in national accountancy. Upon the passing of the Reform Bill, Dr. Bowring was called upon, by more than one constituency, to offer himself as a candidate for the representation. A requisition was signed to that effect by a majority of the electors of Blackburn ; he was not however returned, but was ultimately elected in 1835 for the Kilmarnock boroughs, and took his seat as a Radical reformer. This seat he lost two years later, the principal causes being his sup- posed heterodoxy ; the " No-Popery" cry ; and the part he had taken in the discussions on Sir xxxii Memoir of the Late Andrew Agnew's "Sabbath" bills; to sav nothing of the opposition of Port Glasgow to Free-trade principles. In 1841 he was returned for Bolton, which seat he retained until 1849. Dr. Bowring's career in Parliament, though comparatively short, was by no means an idle one ; and he is said to have surpassed all the Scotch members in regular attendance. His votes were invariably of a Radical cast. He pithily stated, in an address to his constituents, that he " had never voted against the Whigs except when the Whigs had voted with the Tories." He spoke often in the House of Com- mons, generally with effect, but never at great length. If we may judge by the reports of Hansard, it would appear that his longest speeches were on the improvements required in the various financial departments. Aided by the powerful support of the Prince Consort, he obtained, after repeated discussions in the House of Commons, the issue of the florin, the first step towards a measure which he never ceased to advocate and support, the introduction of the decimal system into our currency. He took a very active part in the Committee Sir Joint Boivring. xxxiii on the distress of the hand-loom weavers, on that for Irish Education, and on that on the state of the Arts, as applied to the manufac- tures of the country, and spoke ably and elo- quently in the House on the abolition of flog- ging in the Army. On two occasions Dr. Bowring visited Bel- gium, with a view to the modification of their commercial system ; and he represented Great Britain at the meeting of the Zollverein in Berlin in 1838. His communications with Sir Robert Peel at that period were not without their influence in bringing about that change in our commercial system which has in its results (as productive of free trade) proved so largely beneficial. It may be mentioned here that Dr. Bowring wrote the greater part of the report of Mr. Hume's Committee on the Import Duties, — a report which has been translated into all the commercial languages of Europe, and circu- lated to the extent of hundreds of thousands of copies, and that many of its recommendations were adopted by Sir Robert Peel. He received a handsome service of plate from the Manxmen, for the services he had c xxxiv Memoir of the Late rendered by obtaining an Act of Parliament for their emancipation from the tyranny of feudal laws and customs ; and another from the Maltese, for his advocacy, as their unofficial representative, in the House of Commons. In January, 1849, he was nominated to the British Consulship at Canton; and in 1853 he was made Superintendent of Trade and Pleni- potentiary in China. He subsequently held the appointments of Governor, Commander-in-Chief, and Vice-Admiral of Hong Kong and its depen- dencies ; — as also that of Chief Superintendent of Trade in our dependencies east of the Ganges. On receiving his appointment as Governor of Hong Kong, and whilst on leave of absence in England, in February, 1854, he received the honour of knighthood. He was also nominated a Commander of the Belgian Order of Leopold, and a Commander of the Order of Christ, of Portugal. In 1870 His Majesty the King of Italy conferred upon him a Knight-Com- mandership in the noble Order of St. Maurice, on the occasion of the ratification of the Italo- Hawaiian Treaty; and in 1871 the King of the Belgians decorated him with the Star of Sir John Boivring. xxxv a Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold. He also possessed the Grand Cordons of Kame- hameha (Hawaiian Islands), and of Isabella the Catholic (Spain). He was Knight-Commander of the Swedish Order of the Northern Star, and of the Austrian Order of Francis Joseph. It was during his administration at Hong Kong, that the insult was offered to the British Flag by the Chinese Government which re- sulted in open hostilities between England and China, and which led to considerable discussion in Parliament, and to the temporary removal of Lord Palmerston from office, in 1858. The policy of Sir John Bowring in China, although the subject of a hostile vote in Parlia- ment, was warmly upheld by Lord Palmerston's Government. The parliamentary attack was peculiarly painful to Sir John Bowring, from the fact of some of his former friends and colleagues taking a strong part against him. His generous nature, however, readily pardoned observations which must have been made with- out that knowledge, which nothing but a resi- dence among Orientals could afford, of all the cir- cumstances which led to the so-called China War. c 2 xxxvi Memoir of tlie Late But public opinion, with wonderful unanimity, promptitude, and sagacity, did ample justice to Sir John Bowring. It reversed and repudiated the decisions of the Commons, and the principal movers against him lost their seats. Nor did Lord Elgin, who succeeded Sir John Bowring in China, change the course of his policy — on the contrary, he endorsed, confirmed, and carried it out. What Lord Elgin accomplished was due to the vigorous enforcement of his pre- decessor's demands, and these demands were enacted by the adoption of measures more hostile and violent than those that had pre- viously been used. It may indeed be truly said, that in the eulogiums which were poured upon the noble Earl, he was reaping the harvest of the seed sown by Sir John Bowring, who had incurred the risk and the responsibility, and borne the " burden and the heat " alike of difficulties abroad and of vituperation at home. His policy, however, has brought the abundant fruit of success, and the results afford the amplest justification of his doings. In the spring of 1855 Sir John Bowring proceeded on a special mission to Siam, and Sir John Bowring. xxxvii succeeded in concluding a Treaty of Commerce with the two Kings of that country, — a task in which several previous plenipotentiaries had failed. The trade created by that treaty is already of vast amount, and is susceptible of extensive development. Sir John published an interesting account of his travels in that country, in two volumes, under the title of 11 The Kingdom and People of Siam." In the early stages of the negotiation, some difficulties arose with respect to the proper official recognition being accorded to Her Majesty's Envoy and Suite. The honours due to the English Flag being at length conceded, the vessels glided up the Memam to Bangkok, and their occupants received every attention at the Eastern Court. Sir John Bowring was ultimately admitted to the most intimate re- lations with the Monarch, and hence probably the secret of his success. In after years, the late first King was in the habit of writing frequently to him, when he would address him in very fair English, commencing his letter with the words, " My much respected and well-beloved good friend." Sir John Bowring, within the xxxviii Memoir of the Late last few years, acted for the Siamese Govern- ment as Envoy Extraordinary and Plenipoten- tiary to the Courts of Europe, with the object of concluding Treaties of Amity and Commerce with the Western Nations. For these services he was created a nobleman of Siam, and autho- rized to wear the insignia. He also received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the White Elephant, the jewellery appertaining to w T hich contains specimens of curious and rich work- manship. Sir John Bowring, when in the East, also visited the Philippine Islands, and published an entertaining account of them and their in- habitants, in one large volume. He has fre- quently contributed to the periodical literature of the day, including The Gentleman's Magazine, The Fortnightly, The St. James s Magazine, The Corn/nil, All the Year Round, and Once a Week, in its palmy days. It was in the columns of the last-named periodical that there ap- peared the account of the wreck of the Alma, which took place in the Red Sea, when, ac- companied by his eldest daughter, he was on his return from China. The vessel struck in Sir John Boivring. xxxix the dead of the night upon a sunken rock ; no lives were lost, but the passengers were for three days under canvas, on a coral reef, before relief arrived. Their sufferings from heat, thirst, and shortness of provisions were great, but self-denial and fortitude were displayed on all sides. Sir John would dwell with enthusiasm on the quiet hcroincism shown by the English ladies on this trying occasion. Shortly after his return from the East, towards the close of the year i860, he was re- quested by the English Government to inquire into the state of our commercial relations with the newly-formed Kingdom of Italy, with a view tp the formation of a Treaty. He saw Count Cavour, and obtained in various quarters valu- able information on the subject. But when at Rome, shortly afterwards, indisposition seized upon a frame exhausted by climate, and still suffering from the effects of the arsenical poison- ing administered by the Chinese during his residence among them, to himself, his family, and servants, in all about 300 persons, and which accelerated the death of his first wife. For months, in Italy and Malta, he hovered between xl Memoir of the Late life and death, on beds of sickness. Many were the friends who, in various places, sympathized with his sufferings, and it constantly appeared as though the angels of God were present in human form, ministering to the needs of the invalid and of one who accompanied him, and strengthening both by their words of encouragement. When only partially recovered, he received a severe blow in hearing, at Genoa, of the death of the great Italian statesman, his friend Count Cavour, and diplomatic arrangements were abandoned, for a return to Sir John Bowring's native air. Some of his noblest and best work still remained to him, and from the time of his restoration to health, in 1862, until a week or two of his death he was ever occupied. He threw the weight of his influence into all movements, social and economic, which tended towards the elevation or improvement of the people. His leading characteristic was his burning sympathy with the advancement of the human race, and the industry, activity, and in- tense eagerness of his life were simply wonder- ful. Of him it might truly be said " Life is real ! Life is earnest !" Sir John Bowring. xli He regarded its occupations and its engage- ments as sacred duties, and frequently when, from physical weakness, it has been thought desirable to endeavour to dissuade him from self-imposed tasks, he would reply, " I must do my work while life remains to me ; I may not long be here." Thus would mind triumph over matter, and of late years the frail body was constantly sustained by the soul within. He was regular in his attendance as a county Magistrate, and was always to be relied on for his countenance and support to the various local scientific or educational institutions of Exeter. He succeeded in inducing his confreres of the Bench to adopt an improved system of public accountancy, and to admit of some modifica- tions into the former method of dealing with prisoners in gaol. In the discussions to which these innovations gave rise, it has been truly said of him, " that however keen he sometimes was in controversy, he had the art of conducting it without making enemies of his opponents ; and very often he made them his personal friends." The whole subject of Prison Discipline, in- xlii Memoir of the Late eluding that of the Reformation of the Criminal, engaged much of his time and thoughts, and only a few weeks before his death he published a pamphlet on the subject. He attended during the last year (1872) the International Prison Conference in London, the Meeting of the British Association, and the Social Science Association. At all these gather- ings he took an active part in the debates. His knowledge of languages, added to his in- formation and experience of the subjects under discussion, rendered his presence most valuable at the assembly of Deputies from various lands. Never did he utter words more feelingly elo- quent than when, in the Geographical Section of the B. A. at Brighton, he responded to a sudden call from the President, Mr. Galton, to welcome the Japanese Ambassadors, who were present, escorted by Sir Harry Parks. Most touchingly was the hand of fellowship and the heart of brotherhood proffered by him from the West to the East. The assembly, by their silence, showed themselves in unison with his thrilling words, and mutely acknowledged that " God hath made of one blood all the Sir John Bozuring. xliii nations of the earth." At the Devonport and Plymouth Meeting, Sir John Bowring was, at the eleventh hour, called upon to take the chair of the Economic Section, and worked hard in that position. He daily presided over the meetings, and delivered a most interesting varied address, bearing upon the principal topics embraced within the wide range of social Economics. A brief sketch has now been traced of the career of one whose superior mental aptitudes and benevolent sentiments were supported by his constant and unwearied energy. Imperfect as so short a notice must necessarily be, the writer trusts that she has succeeded in con- veying some idea of the work accomplished by him to whom it relates. But who shall render justice to that ordinarily calm, yet deep religious principle that actuated his whole being ? Yet it was this sentiment, so pure, so innate, so abiding, that was the key-note of all he accomplished. He had intelligent con- victions ; he had a theory of life based upon observation, reflection, and experience. He looked a wrong thing in the face, and could never believe that it should be left in possession, xliv Memoir of the Late because backed up by majorities. What he believed, both in religion and politics, he knew, and knowing, he mastered and did not disguise his knowledge, and never shrank from an avowal of his conscientious convictions. In early life his earnest desire had been to become a Unitarian Minister, a course from which he was dissuaded by his excellent father. His earnestness and benevolence, his devo- tional temperament, and his powerful elo- quence, would doubtless have qualified him for such a position. But the worthy parent had already traced the development of other faculties in his talented son, — aptitude for language, for politics, and diplomacy, united to a restless activity, which might in the sequel have unfitted him for the pulpit. Sir John Bowring never regretted, in later life, the de- cision that had been made for him ere his judgment was matured. His experience of life had taught him that it is in the power of a layman, from his less fettered platform, to render equal, though possibly different, services to the cause of religion and virtue, to those of the regularly appointed preacher. His devo- Sir John Bow ring. xlv tional sentiments early found an outlet in sacred song, which flowed from his pen, and was ever upon his lips, like a fountain from a deep well of religious harmonies pervading his inmost being. His ideas of God were so full of beauty and of trust ; his views of man so bright and so hopeful ; his confidence in the future so radiant with light. His whole soul thrilled at the contemplation of the work of the Divine hand in nature ; and he loved to recognize in the prevalence of the reign of law and order evidence of the unity and universal wisdom of God. His all-embracing mind found in the great and good of every creed, clime, and colour the children of the same common Father, and traced everywhere a bond of brotherhood sufficiently Catholic in spirit to overcome the shackles and the dogmas of human beliefs. His hymns breathe the best thoughts of the writer. They proclaim the rights and respon- sibilities of each individual soul, while they recognize religion as meeting the wants of our common nature, and as given in answer to our aspirations after the supreme good. xlvi Memoir of the Late His first published volume of original poems was " Matins and Vespers," a little book which has passed through several editions, both in England and America. It consists of religious meditations in verse for the four seasons, to which are appended a selection of hymns. The poetry is imbued with a reverence for nature, the result of deep study and of intense devotion to the Infinite. A small volume, entitled " Hymns by John Bowring,"- followed in 1825, which contains some of his best known sacred songs. They breathe a spirit of religion and reliance on the Divine will in all the various chances and changes of this mortal scene. The volume is out of print, but the writer of this memoir, while extracting from it largely, has at the same time collected and added to them sacred poems from other — many of them hitherto unpublished — sources. Sacred verse was the solace and delight — the very charm of existence to their author. Within a few days of his decease he was engaged upon a col- lection of " Hymns for Children ;" and at eighty years of age his morning tribute of praise to the Creator constantly broke forth in sacred song. Sir John Boivring. xlvii After a life of some vicissitude, Sir John Bowring may be truly said to have enjoyed a green old age. He lived in the country, in the vicinity of his native city, in the midst of a circle of friends, his love of life and unfailing cheerfulness the sources of the highest felicity both to himself and to those who shared his pleasures. To his progressive mind, the great events of the day, and the recent scientific dis- coveries, were at once known. He retained his habits of punctuality and of early rising ; was a constant reader, while his retentive memory, added to his extensive and varied knowledge, and his connections with many remarkable characters of a past generation, rendered his conversation alike interesting and profitable. It was a real pleasure to him to obtain for a deserving youth a situation adapted to his abilities, and he would take some trouble to find what was suitable. " You are now launched," he would say to those whom he had thus aided ; " your future rests with yourself. I trust that, by steadiness and diligence, you will do credit to my recommendation." He was highly appreciated by his fellow-citizens ; xlviii Memoir of the Late he was what they termed u approachable," and they frequently sought his advice ; which he cheerfully gave, setting aside his occupations to attend to their tales, or to write letters for those who were unable to advance their own claims. Thus, in several instances, he succeeded in recovering from foreign countries their just dues for poor women who knew not how to set about obtaining their rights. He was endued with a temperament suscep- tible alike of intense pleasure and pain. If his countenance glowed at the sight of a familiar face, his grief was equally poignant at hearing of the death of a dear friend or relative. But the habitual serenity and buoy- ancy of that happy nature soon restored sun- shine to his breast, and he never sorrowed as one without hope ; while his implicit confidence in the love of God, and faith in Divine wisdom, permitted him not to murmur even at the sharpest bodily suffering. Sir John Bowring was twice married. His first wife was Maria, daughter of Samuel Lewin, Esq., of Hackney, by whom he had nine children, of whom six survive. This lady, Sir John Bon* ring. xlix who was accompanied to England by one of her daughters while her husband was detained in China, died at Taunton. His second wife was Deborah, youngest daughter of the late Thomas Castle, of Clifton, who survived him. On the memorable occasion of this marriage, which was celebrated at Lewin's Mead Chapel. Bristol, before leaving the altar, the couple were much gratified at receiving, at the hands of a deputation, consisting of their friends, the Rev. Brooke Aspland, Mr. Wansey, and others, two magnificent Bibles, being gifts from the Uni- tarians of the civilized world. The book pre- sented to Sir John Bowring was polyglot, and a very rare work ; that to his wife an elegantly bound volume, Baxter's edition. Both contained appropriate inscriptions, and were fitted with suitable cases ; that given to the linguist, being also provided with a handsomely carved oak reading-desk. Those only who had the privilege of being associated with Sir John Bowring in the familiar intercourse of life can know how real and innate was his love of truth and goodness — how sincere his feelings of affection and d 1 Memoir of the Late benevolence. In him were blended the wisdom of the philosopher and the simplicity of the child. He delighted in the society of young people, an4 would readily afford them assistance in the pursuit of their studies. The little ones too he loved, and they were readily attracted to his side, to listen with wondering looks to those tales of mingled adventure and instruc- tion which fascinated them and their friends. Such a being as this shrunk not from death. Resigned to die, yet reconciled to live, he desired not to survive the decay of his powers. His prayer was granted ; his last illness en- dured but a brief fortnight. His last act was one of kindness — the dictating of a letter to a lady, a stranger, who had made an inquiry of him. His last intel- ligible words expressed his gratitude to those who ministered to him ; and, when language failed, a beaming smile of unutterable tender- ness fell upon one who in sorrow and sadness received his last peaceful sigh. He breathed his last on the 23rd November, 1872, at the age of eighty. Sir John Bowring, Memorials expressive of sympathy with Lad\- Bowring, and adverting to the great loss the city had sustained through the death of Sir John Bowring, were received from the Mayor and Corporation of Exeter, and nine other public bodies of that city. From several societies of even greater importance, at a dis- tance, similar intimations of respect and regret were received by the mourning family. But in no one of these expressions of sym- pathy was his widow more interested than in the letter of the body of fellow-worshippers assembling in Georges' [Meetings. The Uni- tarians of Exeter, shortly afterwards, announced their intention of marking their high sense of appreciation of Sir John Bowring's character, of his literary tastes and varied talents, and more especially of the conscientious and consistent zeal with which he ever advocated the cause of religious freedom, by erecting a memorial to his honour. That memorial has now taken the form of a bust, and this beautiful and expressive likeness, executed from life by Mr. Edward Bowring Stephens, now adorns the vestibule of the Unitarian Chapel in South Street. lii Memoir of Sir John Bozuring. Sir John Bowring was interred at the New Cemetery, Exeter, where an appropriate spot was selected for his last resting-place. Though late in the month of November, the day on which the funeral took place was one such as he w r ould have rejoiced in — bright and beautiful. The mourning cortege w T as followed by a vast concourse of his fellow-citizens, desirous to testify by their presence their respect for his memory. A simple tablet is in course of erection over his tomb, which, together with a brief inscription, will bear the lines, from one of his best known hymns, " In the Cross of Christ I glory." SACRED POETRY. HI after anb 3ftmb. T F in the vast material world No atom ever perished — though In multitudinous changes hurl'd Upwards and downwards, to and fro, And all that in the present orb'd From silent growth and sudden storms, Is but a former past absorbed In ever-shifting frames, and forms, — If He who made the worlds that were, And makes the worlds that are to be, Has with all-wise, all-potent care Preserved the smallest entity Imperishable — though it pass From shape to shape, by heat or cold Dispersed, attracted, monad, mass — A wind-blown sand, a solid mould, — B Matter and Mind. Shall He not save those nobler things, Those elements of mind and thought, Whose marvellous imaginings Have the great deeds of progress wrought ? Those instincts, be they what they may, Of which the soul of man is made, By which he works his wondrous way Up to light's very fountain head ? From earth's untold materials, man Can build, unbuild, can break or bind; But from mind's elements who can Transform, create another mind ? Who rear new piles of thought from aught Of thought surviving its decay — Who ever from the grave has brought A spirit that had passed away ? If God have left no blank — no void Unfilled, — if in Creation's reign Nothing is born to be destroyed Or perish — but to live again ; — If in the cycles of the earth No atom of that earth can die — The soul, which is of nobler birth, Must live, — and live eternally. In the apocalypse sublime The new created world shall see Eternity embracing time, Space swallowed in infinity ; Each sun, each star, each heavenly orb, Shall one pervading light absorb. No temple there, for boundless heaven Shall be a temple ; not a prayer Shall by the trembling lips be given, For all shall be devotion there; All day, no darkness, no eclipse In that divine apocalypse. This world, these cycles, mortal life And mortal death are but the scene Of shifting, surging, struggling strife, The powers of good and ill between : Though in that strife, so rough and rude, We see the conquering march of good. But in the glorious time reveal'd Each form of ill shall fade and fall; And every, every wound be heal'd, And God, our God, be all in all : All light, all love, all God, all good, An infinite beatitude ! B 2 Rejoice with trembling ! yet rejoice ; For in the stillness of the soul A voice is audible, a voice No will can silence or control ; And this the language mortals hear, Tears have their joy, and joys their tear. Rejoice with trembling ! every good Has shadows darkening ; every grief Has bliss for its vicissitude — Toil, rest, affliction, and relief, The cheering sound, the chastening rod, But over all the hand of God. Platan fyt Christian's Jfontt* On light beams flowing from above Man's course of mortal being runs; And with the loadstone of His love The Eternal Sire attracts His sons. What an entrancing sight for him — The enraptured prophet — when his eye Saw Cherubim and Seraphim D escending from their native sky ! Heaven the Cliristiciiis Home. Ten thousand indications given Console us in our life's career; They link us more and more to heaven, And will at last conduct us there. The working of celestial love In this bright consummation lies; It brings down angels from above, It raises mortals to the skies. Howe'er on earth we rove or roam, From heaven we came, to heaven we tend; Heaven is our final happy home, Where joys begin and sorrows end. (Ltpluarb. " Piu elevato " Xel affocato rido delle stelle !" — Dante. Under the canopy of holy thought I turn to Thee ; and in the silent awe Of Thy felt presence, reverently draw Nearer Thy light ; while marvellously brought Within a sphere diviner, I am taught New revelations and sublimer law Unearthly, and I see what prophets saw When on their spiritual souls Thy glory wrought Upward. The work of inspiration. Thou absorbed In Thine own self, and all that's pure inorbed With an ineffable beatitude — Freed from all worldly taint, all element Unworthy — I become a light-beam blent In the grand Fountain-Sun of Joy or Good. On the Inauguration of Dr. Priestley's Statue at Oxford. July, i860. And time rolls on ! — time, charged with the redressing Of past injustice, past forgetfulness, Brings up the arrear-accumulated blessing, And blesses men, in that it failed to bless. CIre Hfctts* of <&0ir. Written for the Dedication Services at Oakfield Road Church, Clifton. 13th Nov. 1864. A house to God the Monarch built, For altars high and incense sweet \ ; Twas richly carved, — 'twas gaily gilt, — For sacrifice and worship meet. Then said the Monarch, " Lord, I see My house is all unworthy Thee. The House of God. Unworthy Thee, whom highest heaven, Whom heaven of heavens, cannot contain ; Whose greatness human thought hath striven To compass, or conceive in vain. Yet in thy house my heart shall be, Hallowing Thy name perpetually." We, too, have raised our temple pile Unworthy Thee, — and yet we pray, Father ! for Thy benignant smile To bless the deed, to bless the day Which dedicates another shrine To holy thoughts and hopes divine. Here let the songs of praise be heard, The earnest reverential prayer, And Truth's sublime eternal word Be ever boldly uttered here \ And worshippers and worship be Acceptable, O God, to Thee ! (Lbc ZxwxV The age for damning, dogmatizing creeds, Thanks to the power of Truth, has passed away. For man hath nobler thoughts and higher needs, And more exalted purposes to-day : The Truth. From the soul's garden he tears up the weeds Of idle disputation, and display — Not words intolerant, but the bright array Of generous impulses and holy deeds, Are the bright evidence of saving faith, The best obedience to his law who saith : — " Seek for the Truth inquiringly — nor fear The guidance which from Truth's great source sublime Leads wandering man, through the rude tracks of time, To that Eternity where all is clear." ) limit. The minstrel harp of Poetry Has touched the sunbeam on the sea. And to the music of the spheres We listen with enchanted ears, Singing His praise whose spirit burns Resplendent in these golden urns. We soar aloft in Fancy's car Beyond the smallest, farthest star, Which, having reached, we onward move To regions higher still above, Onward — still onward — for no height Nor depth can gird the Infinite. Hymn. Creator ! — that infinity Is but an atom-speck to Thee, And what is man ? and how can he, With stammering lips and bended knee, Look upward — upward ? Yea, he can, Because Thy grace has beamed on man. Htouni not us ibosc imfbmti |)oj)x. My wife ! my children ! when death's hour is come, Dry every, every gushing tear, I pray, And rather smile, that I am welcomed home, And to a better country take my way. 5 Tis I who rather ought to weep for you, Who struggle onwards, through a life of pain, Until you reach the eternal rendezvous, Where widowed spirits shall be linked again. Xo idle eloquence upon my grave ! It were ill placed \ for what at best am I But a poor sinner ? Yet the Hand to save Was stretched by Love paternal from on high. I b'lieve in God, who sent His holy Son To spread the Gospel glory through the earth ; My spirit I resign to Him alone, Waiting another and eternal birth. 10 Mourn not as those without Hope. Farewell ! farewell ! time shall unite us all, On the green borders of the immortal shore Where boundless blessings are the lot of all, And sin and ignorance mislead no more. But, revelling in peace, and hope, and love, Our lives shall a perpetual offering be To the kind Father who presides above, And on His children showers felicity: Till when, submitting to His holy will, Your spirits shall obey the sweet control, And, by His mighty hand supported still, Celestial light shall kindle in your soul. Following the example by the Saviour given, Let His great law its sacred sway maintain ; Loving with all your heart the God of Heaven, And loving as yourself your fellow-men. peace. Peace with God, through Christ our Lord ! Promise sweet ! celestial word ! Peace, of all God's gifts the best ; Peace, of all that's blest most blest ; Peace, whose advent angels taught ; Peace, whose promise Jesus brought. II Our lives are into cycles cast, They seem to linger while they last, But are dim dr earnings when they're past. The summers of the past have left No traces, — rolling years have cleft All memories, — of all signs bereft. All melted are the winter snows, And where they perished, whence they rose, No now-existing record shows. And yet there reigns eternal Law, And seasons after seasons draw Their lines without a fault or flaw. So man, the noblest work of God, Treads where his vanished fathers trod, And views the skies and turns the sod. Where'er he looks, above, around, Scattered o'er earth's prolific ground The seeds of coming man are found. It was so — is so — so shall be While rolls the ever-flowing sea Into thy gulf, Eternity ! 12 Christian ettniiij. Keep the unity of spirit, Keep it in the bonds of peace, So alone shall we inherit Hope, and truth, and blessedness. Unity — the link'd communion, Which with spirits, spirits hold, Love, the all-entrancing union, Scattering blessings manifold. To the Christian feasts, invited, Welcoming and hallowing each, All accordant, all united, What sweet sympathy they speak, Willing service, free allegiance, Dear dependence, peaceful bond ; Earth, the scene of love's obedience ; Heaven, the recompense beyond. t |1CI01T of Ifafo. Little by little groping through All nature's arteries and veins, Our varied musings lead us to Some general law, that all contains. The Reign of Law. 13 Through fictions and through fancies rude, Some safe conclusions we may draw, That all, when rightly understood, All — all is order — all is law. And if by contradictions vexed, And pulled by various strings astray, In darkness lost, by doubt perplexed, We cannot see nor feel our way, Still let us know the Hand that guides, Will guide us through the clouds of night, That over all things law presides, — The law of love, the law of light. 6oir our %ixm$%* Have ye not seen? have ye not heard? And hath it not been told to you ? " From the beginning/' that the Lord Will strengthen, will uphold you ? If, struggling through life's weary race, You keep His law, and seek His face. Yes ! ye have heard, and ye have seen, The Wise, — the Great, — the Holy, Will ever be what He hath been, The refuge of the lowly; Who from the depth of prayer's recess, Seek strength from His almightiness. 14 God our Strength. Was it not told you from the first He faints not, tires not ever ? He still is merciful as erst, His glory waneth never ! We pine in pain and pass away, He knows nor darkness nor decay. Snipteal *§maxi> That Christ who o'er His Lazarus wept, And said, " The dead again shall rise I" Is "the first fruits of them that slept," Their head, — their herald to the skies. Not to this wretched life alone Our hopes are bounded ; Christ hath given To those He loves a nobler zone, And calls them to a higher heaven. But earth's anxieties and cares, And prayer and praise and deeds of love, Are but the lowly ladder-stairs By which we reach that heaven above. 'Tis here life's history begins, When day and night's vicissitude, And suffering's discipline, and sins, And weal and woe, combine for good. Scriptural Hymn. 15 For God and goodness are the same, On all those rays benignant fall, Love is the ever-during name, Embracing and pervading all. Come Thy kingdom ! of all blessings, Of all prayers the first is this; All heaven's hopes, — all earth's possessings, Grace and glory, peace and bliss, Centring in the holy word, In the kingdom of the Lord. Let Thy kingdom come ! its coming, By the Gospel-light assured, In the distant dawn is looming, Sanctioned, sanctified, secured; By the Great Creator's plan Heaven's unveiled, and rescued man. Yes ! Thy kingdom shall be founded On the eternal base of truth, By its crystal walls surrounded, Bright as diamonds, pure as youth. Kingdom of the Lord ! appear, Speak the word ! and lo 'tis here ! i6 Wi&t is Cnttlj? What is truth ? said Pilate, groping In the darkness of* his ire. — Trembling, doubting, fearing, hoping, Calmer souls may well inquire, What is truth ? — that prize whose worth Far exceeds the gifts of earth. Truth — of love and light the presence, Truth — the stepping-stone to heaven, Truth — of knowledge soul and essence, Truth — celestial pole-star given, Wandering barks to cheer and guide Through the tempest and the tide. Ccrnfibxna m 6ob> Ever present in Thy sight, To Thy gracious will I bow, For Thou wilt conduct me right, Though I know not always how. What is mist and cloud to me Is transcendent liL r ht to Thee. Confidence in God. 17 Guide on earth, and Judge in heaven, Teacher, Comforter divine, Noble were the missions given By the Father; — ours and thine, Guide and Judge ! O save us here, Pardon and accept us there. All the discipline of woe, All of mans infirmity. Thou the Son of man did'st know, Thou wert tempted, Lord ! as we. ? Tis most merciful, most meet, Thou should'st fill the judgment-seat. Father, God ! in all the plan Which concerns our privileged race, All displays Thy love for man, Elevating — saving grace, Love beyond expression sweet, Grace beyond conception great. Christian *f)opcs. Grandest of heritages, to be taught To embrace the immeasurable realms of thought Beyond the lofty firmament to soar, The deepest of abysses to explore; c Christian Hopes. Up to the farthest stars of heaven to fly, And master all the mysteries of the sky, To see the sights unseen by mortal eyes, To hear the unheard, celestial melodies; To bring the past transparent to the view, And to unveil the hidden future too; And of all time, all space, to read and tell The hidden things alike of heaven and hell : To solve all doubts — all darkness to disperse, And bathe in sunshine all the universe; And as the seraphs bask in light divine, May the same bliss ineffable be mine. ^ojolung (LtptoariL Onward ! forward ! upward ! heavenward These our watchwords ever be; These engraved upon our standard, Lead us on to victory : Victory over all that's evil, Victory certain, great, and glorious; Over sin, the flesh, the devil — O'er the grave victorious. Onward ! forward ! upward ! heavenward ! This is Heaven's divine decree: This the experience of the peoples — This the tide of tendency. L ook ing Upwa rd. 1 9 Lord ! complete that consummation Promised in Thy faithful word, Give to all — to all salvation In Thy kingdom, gracious Lord. Co a l#0%r an tbc <§tufy of a Cfjilir. " Like morning dew He sparkled \ was exhaled, and went to heaven;" That promise for the innocent was given, And is divinely true. All that is left on earth Shall be a sacred, sainted memory, For he is raised to an exalted birth, And heaven his home shall be. What could he know Of all the mysteries of life and death ? He lightly drew his short and passing breath. Poor child ! departing so He found his early rest : Then mourn not, Mother ! keep the recollection Shrined in the inmost seat of thine affection, Knowing that he is blest ! c 2 20 £! fixator n Ppra COMPOSED FOR THE OPENING OF CHAPEL LANE CHAPEL. Beyond the immeasurable space Where glimmers the remotest star ; Beyond those cycles whence we trace, Though faintly, what we were and are ; The only lights that smile and shine, And elevate, are Thee and thine. From Thee to thine we grope our way, But feel more vigour as we grope ; While darkness brightens into day, And faith is born of trembling hope : And on still-strengthening pinions we Soar up from what is thine — to Thee ! Be with us now ! The pile we rear In reverence — may the worshipper Who seeks Thy presence find it here ; Thyself the Great Interpreter To unveil the veiled — to pour Thy light In all its glories — infinite. 21