"God's mercies "."-Thus meanly did this humble man think of this excellent book, which now bears the name of "The Temple; or, Sacred Poems "and Private Ejaculations;" of which Mr. Ferrar would say, "There was in it the picture of a divine "soul in every page; and that the whole book "was such a harmony of holy passions, as would "enrich the world with pleasure and piety." And it appears to have done so; for there have been more than twenty thousand of them sold since the first impression.

And this ought to be noted, that when Mr. Ferrar sent this book to Cambridge to be licensed for the press, the Vice-Chancellor would by no means allow the two so much noted verses P......

Religion stands a tip-toe in our land,

Ready to pass to the American strand,

to be printed; and Mr. Ferrar would by no means allow the book to be printed and want them;

• Dr. Donne said of himself, that he was "less than the "least of God's mercies."- -In "Peckard's Memoirs," &c. is inserted a Prayer drawn up by Mr. Ferrar, on the particular occasion of the dangerous illness of his dear friend, Mr. George Herbert.

p" Religion stands on tiptoe on our land,
"Ready to pass to the American strand.
"When height of malice, and prodigious lusts,
"Impudent sinning, witchcrafts, and distrusts,
"The marks of future bane, shall fill our cup

"Unto the brim, and make our measure up;

"When

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but after some time, and some arguments for and against their being made public, the Vice-Chancellor said, "I knew Mr. Herbert well, and know "that he had many heavenly speculations, and "was a divine poet; but I hope the world will "not take him to be an inspired prophet, and "therefore I license the whole book." So that it came to be printed without the diminution or addition of a syllable, since it was delivered into the hands of Mr. Duncon, save only that Mr. Ferrar hath added that excellent preface that is printed before it.

At the time of Mr. Duncon's leaving Mr. Herbert (which was about three weeks before his death), his old and dear friend Mr. Woodnot came from London to Bemerton, and never left him till he had seen him draw his last breath, and closed his eyes on his death-bed. In this time of his decay, he was often visited and prayed for by all

"When Seine shall swallow Tiber; and the Thames,
“By letting in them both, pollutes her streams;
"When Italy of us shall have her will,

“And all her calendars of sins fulfil,

"Whereby one may foretell what sins, next year,

“Shall both in France and England domineer ;

"Then shall Religion to America flee:

"They have their times of gospel ev'n as we."

(Mr. Herbert's Church MilitanT.)

t is unnecessary to remark the absurdity of supposing, that the predictions of a prophet are contained in these lines of Mr. George Herbert.

the Clergy that lived near to him, especially by his friends the Bishop and Prebendaries of the Cathedral Church in Salisbury; but by none more devoutly than his wife, his three nieces (then a part of his family), and Mr. Woodnot, who were the sad witnesses of his daily decay; to whom he would often speak to this purpose: "I now look "back upon the pleasures of my life past, and see "the content I have taken in beauty, in wit, and "music, and pleasant conversation, are now all past "by me like a dream, or as a shadow that returns "not, and are now all become dead to me, or I to "them; and I see that as my father and generation "hath done before me, so I also shall now suddenly (with Job) make my bed also in the dark; and I

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praise God I am prepared for it; and I praise him, that I am not to learn patience, now I stand in "such need of it; and that I have practised morti❝fication, and endeavoured to die daily, that I

might not die eternally; and my hope is, that I "shall shortly leave this valley of tears, and be free "from all fevers and pain; and, which will be a "more happy condition, I shall be free from sin, " and all the temptations and anxieties that attend "it; and this being past, I shall dwell in the New. "Jerusalem; dwell there with men made perfect; "dwell where these eyes shall see my Master and "Saviour Jesus; and with him see my dear mother, and all my relations and friends:-But I "must die, or not come to that happy place: And "this is my content, that I am going daily towards

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"it; and that every day which I have lived hath "taken a part of my appointed time from me; and "that I shall live the less time, for having lived "this and the day past." These, and the like expressions, which he uttered often, may be said to be his enjoyment of heaven before he enjoyed it. The Sunday before his death, he rose suddenly from his bed or couch, called for one of his instruments, took it into his hand, and said,

My God, my God,

My music shall find thee,

And ev'ry string

Shall have his attribute to sing.

And having tuned it, he played and sung:

The Sundays of man's life,

Threaded together on time's string,

Make bracelets to adorn the wife

Of the eternal glorious King:

On Sundays heaven's door stands ope;
Blessings are plentiful and rise,

More plentiful than hope.

Thus he sung on earth such hymns and anthems as the angels, and he, and Mr. Ferrar, now sing in

heaven.

Thus he continued meditating, and praying, and rejoicing, till the day of his death; and on that day

See the whole hymn entitled "Sunday," in Mr. Herbert's "Temple."

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Isaid to Mr. Woodnot, My dear friend, I am 66 sorry I have nothing to present to my merciful "God but sin and misery; but the first is par"doned; and a few hours will now put a period "to the latter; for I shall suddenly go hence and "be no more seen." Upon which expression, Mr. Woodnot took occasion to remember him of the re-edifying Layton Church, and his many acts of mercy; to which he made answer, saying, "They "be good works, if they be sprinkled with the "blood of Christ, and not otherwise." After this discourse he became more restless, and his soul seemed to be weary of her earthly tabernacle; and this uneasiness became so visible, that his wife, his three nieces, and Mr. Woodnot, stood constantly about his bed, beholding him with sorrow, and an unwillingness to lose the sight of him whom they could not hope to see much longer. As they stood thus beholding him, his wife observed him to breathe faintly, and with much trouble; and observed him to fall into a sudden agony, which so surprised her, that she fell into a sudden passion, and required of him to know how he did? to which his answer was, "that he had passed a con"flict with his last enemy, and had overcome "him, by the merits of his Master Jesus." After which answer he looked up and saw his wife and nieces weeping to an extremity, and charged them, "if they loved him, to withdraw into the next "room, and there pray every one alone for him; "for nothing but their lamentations could make