the life of service with the death of assurance. A little before his departure he became restless. The nurse, a pious woman, was standing by his bedside; he raised himself on her arm, and, in reply to her remark, "Dying is hard work," he said, with quick energy, "Death is nothing." She said, “Then you find, Sir, that Jesus is precious?" "Yes, YES;" and, leaning his head on her arm, in a few minutes, without a struggle, he had breathed his last. A beloved minister of Christ, who had known Mr. Rooker long and well, thus wrote to his daughter on hearing of his death:-" You have all the relief and consolation of which such a case admits, the review of a long life of unblemished holiness, honourable consistency, and ministerial usefulness. He has gone to his grave in full age: like as a shock of corn ascendeth' in his season, he is ascended to be gathered into the heavenly granary. How confidently can I say, Let my soul be with the soul of William Rooker! He had the seal. Was not Christ's image upon him? and especially how conspicuous was his humility! How low did he sit at the feet of his Saviour! Who ever heard a boastful sentence from his lips? What deep sincerity! How far removed was he from everything like pretence and dissimulation! What unobtrusive, unostentatious kindness and beneficence! Many have talked more about charity and doing good, but he lived it. What steadfastness in the faith! none of the novelties of the age caused even a temporary aberration in his judgment or practice. Though many a one has said, Turn aside, and I will show you a thing,' he was never caught by the allurement. He was doing his great work, about his Master's business, and held on his way. He said the old wine is better the old theology, the old practices of piety. I can only think of him with great veneration, and with affection, so far as we may love them who are departed, and have no longer any ties with earth; the affection such as spirit feels to spirit, centring in Christ, thence emanating and embracing the souls gathered around Him: an affection pure and spiritual, founded on the moral and the divine." "BE THOU FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH, AND I WILL GIVE THEE A CROWN OF LIFE." SCRIPTURE STUDIES. THE WORKING CHURCH. "And to every man his work.-MARK Xiii. 34. EVERY representation of the Church | crifices unto God;-and a household of of Christ in Scripture gives some intimation of that which is required of all its members. The Church is a vine, in which every branch is expected to be fruitful;-an army, in which all are to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, buckling on the armour of God, and fighting the fight of faith;-a kingdom, of which every subject is required to walk worthy of his high vocation and celestial citizenship; · a royal priesthood, to offer up spiritual gifts and sa faith, in which every son is a servant, and every servant a son, and in which all have some work to do, and some post to fill. The Master is gone into heaven, but he has left his servants on earth, and the "glory which his Father gave to him, he has given to them," so that they are his messengers, representatives, and agents in this sinful world. These are the terms on which he has left them,To every man his work." I. WORK IS ESSENTIAL TO RELIGION. The profession of Christ's religion | efforts of zeal. In the personal labour involves the duty of work for Christ. And yet it is lamentable to see the comparative uselessness of many professing Christians. Some seem to fancy that religion is a matter of bare and barren orthodoxy, and claim to be religious because they are doctrinally sound in the faith. Others seem to suppose that a religious profession is merely to serve a respectable reputation, and claim to be religious because they attend a place of worship, and are favoured with the ordinances of the gospel. Some seem to look upon religon as all ease and enjoyment, and, professedly rejoicing in its pardon and gladdening in its prospects, forget that Christianity is a life, and demands the consecration of every energy. But personal religion involves the idea of activity and labour. There is activity in heaven. All is alacrity and willing obedience there. The celestial hierarchies serve God day and night | in his temple. There is not a silent nor inactive spirit on high. There is activity in hell. Satan marshals all his hosts in opposition to the kingdom of righteousness and the reign of truth. There is activity in the world. Whereever you look, men are busy. The idle man soon loses all respect, and is not fit to live. In the field or factory, in the shop or the exchange, one spirit of action and energy pervades the world. And so assuredly it ought to be in the Church. If anywhere activity is natural, becoming, and beautiful, it is in the circle which embraces the regenerate, and from which should issue all the blessings of life to a guilty and ruined race. Yet in the Church, with its high destiny and glorious privileges, is there not far more of idleness and indifference than in the world? "The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light." Work in the Church of Christ is of two kinds-personal and relative; that which pertains to the attainment of holiness, and that which pertains to the which devolves on every man, even faith is characterized as a work:-" This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom he hath sent," John vi. 29. In the path of holy attainment how much has the Christian to do!—temptations to be resisted, propensities to be subdued, knowledge to be gained, and principles to be acquired and strengthened. The believer has to "work out his salvation with fear and trembling," knowing "that it is God that worketh in him." If we would see God, we must follow after holiness; if we would overcome the world and resist the devil, we must fight. The Christian life is a course of conflict and self-denial. But the reference is chiefly to relative labour,-work in Christ's cause and for him. In proportion generally to the earnestness and success of the personal, will be the amount and influence of the relative effort. Why does God make a single soul the depository of his grace? Is it only for the enjoyment and victory of that soul itself? Why does he illuminate the natural mind of any man by the light of his truth and the radiance of his countenance? Is it merely that this man may see his own way to glory and immortality? Assuredly much more is involved. The disciples of Christ are made so by him that they may be the lights of the world and the salt of the earth. They are the leaven which ought to leaven the world with purity and truth. All life is communicative. The plant bears the seed from which its fellows spring. In the animal organization there is the power of reproduction. The man who has been born again has received the power of an endless life, and an energy by which he is to be the source of blessing to all around him. Spontaneous action is a token of life, and activity is a sign of health; and as the spiritual life is the highest, no life should more vigorously manifest itself in this way than that of the religious man. There are works of faith and labours of love with which he should be always conversant. If the worldly man is kind and sympathising, much more should the Christian be. If the worldly man is generous, and charitable, and forgiving, much more should the religious man excel in these graces. If the worldly man will at times deny himself and make sacrifices for the welfare of others, much more should the Christian be willing to manifest self-denial in the cause of God and goodness. Work is an essential part, then, of our religion. He cannot be a Christian who does not work for Christ. He is not a faithful servant in the household who neglects to fill his post or discharge his duty. The Master measures our religion by our love and zeal. II. EVERY RELIGIOUS MAN HAS HIS OWN SPECIFIC WORK TO DO. In a large household every servant has his own peculiar work. In reference to personal labour, every man will have to bear his own burden." In every man's particular character and course there will be particular temptations and dangers with which he must contend: The "sin which so easily besets" must be subdued, and the carnal weight laid aside. We do well, therefore, to study what we are, and where we err, that we may precisely know our personal work in reference to us, and vigorously do it, with the help of God. But every Christian has his own specific work to do in the cause of God, the work for which he is qualified and for which he is responsible. "To every man his work." There is a division of labour in the Church as well as in the world, and it should be the earnest desire of every man to know his special work, and do it. I have said, it is the work for which he is qualified. There are diversities of gifts. Men some times attempt the work for which they are not qualified; but, in the sight of God, they are responsible only for that labour to which their powers and opportunities are equal. One man may have only one talent, while another may have five. One Christian is rich and another poor. One has plenty of time on his hands, while another, not his own master, has very little time to spare. These are differently situated, under Providence, and may have very different work to do. In the free and equal communion of quickened souls, the Christian may soon discover that department of work in the vineyard for which he is adapted. The principle is, that no man's talent was given him to be concealed, but to be used. If it is not fit for the public service of the altar, it may be for the Sabbath-school; and if not for the Sabbath-school, for some one of the many agencies for usefulness in connexion with the Church. And further, the Christian's special work is that which lies before him. It is important to observe this. Many in the Christian Church rest satisfied with inactivity or idleness, because the work which they think requires to be done, seems altogether beyond their reach. The eye sees much farther than the arm can reach, and because they cannot reach, so to speak, the work on which the mind is set, they assume that they can do nothing. But it is "whatso ever the hand findeth to do," not what the eye may see, that we are required to do. It is the work which lies immediately before us, the work for which we are not only qualified by the laws of our creation and the gifts of grace, but the work which God in his providence has brought near unto us. The mistake is often made by Christians of overlooking the work that is thus before them, and the anxious mind or tender conscience is distressed, because the work which it is thought should be done, is out of the power or beyond the reach. The religious man's work may be at his own fireside, just as really as in the more public walks of usefulness. Obadial found his work in the court of Ahab, the wicked king of Israel; and the disciple of Jesus placed in an un godly family, is there his servant, and may work for him. The little captive maid in the house of Naaman the Syrian, might have said with far more force than many now say, I can do nothing here for the God of my fathers;" and even she could recommend the Lord's prophet, from which most important results accrued. This world, with all its darkness and misery, is a wide field; and wherever God, in his providence, has placed us, there we may find our work for him. It may be in domestic service, or amidst the family cares, or in some one of the varied agencies in operation by the Church ;-only let the principle be remembered and acted upon,-"To every man his work." It is but little that we can do, and the time we have to do it in may be short; it behoves every one to be up and doing before the night come. There is work for all to do. Reader, how lowly soever may be your estimate of your own opportunity or capability of labour for Christ, do not forget that the smallest twinkling star as truly proclaims the glory of God as the effulgent splendour of the meridian sun. that it is but little that you can do— us. You The Christian's prospects demand this work at his hands. The Master of the household will come again, and require an account from all his servants. This certain prospect is before every one of Who would be then found to have hid or abused his talent? We cannot tell when, in any individual case, the Lord will come. He may come suddenly- unexpectedly-soon. Blessed is that servant who, when his Lord cometh, shall be found watching and working. Besides, the Christian looks forward to heaven; he is journeying thither. But that is the reign of untiring service; the redeemed serve God day and night in his temple, and the prospect of this should stir them here to the consecration of every energy and the exercise of every effort for him. In III. CHRIST EXPECTS EVERY DISCIPLE proportion to the work of faith and the TO DO HIS WORK. If ever there was obligation in man in any sense to work, that obligation is in the Christian to do the work assigned to him in his Master's cause. The most powerful motives are supplied. The Christian's privileges demand this work from him. He is the professed disciple of Jesus Christ; and what is this discipleship? Is it that he may hear the Saviour, as it were, pronounce his pardon, and then retire by himself to enjoy the announcement? Every man "in Christ Jesus is a new creature;" and for what is he born again? Has God no design in" setting apart the godly for himself," but their own spiritual peace and comfort? Everything in the Christian's privilege, as pardoned, accepted, regenerated, and enlightened, points to work. Granted, my friend, labour of love on earth will be the meetness for the services and the songs of heaven. Reader, let me doing for Christ. What is your work? Is it at home?-or in the family?—or in the Sabbath-school?—or in any other course of usefulness? Are you doing it? If every member of our churches would arise and do the work allotted to him, how glorious would be the result! Work cheerfully, earnestly, humbly, stedfastly, under the authority of the Master's command, Occupy till I come;" and by-and-by you will hear the Master's voice: "Well done, good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord!" But now"To every man his work," and every man to his work! ask you what you are J. S. BRITISH HEROES. THE FIRST THREE." Nor the heroes of martial fame and military renown. These we leave. "The glory of man is as the flower of grass." "The fashion of this world passeth away." Christianity has no sympathy with them, and no wreath with which to encircle their brow. Their honours, therefore, are withering. "But he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." The glory of the world's heroes is traced in the sufferings of others that of religion's in their own. Such are ours. The heroes of the blessed Reformation, and their conflicts and triumphs on British ground. Would to God that we could enumerate and describe them as they deserve, and place them in their individual glory and interest before the reader's view! Happy should we be to analyze, and dwell upon, the qualities of moral grandeur and excellence by which they were separately distinguished. But this is impossible. Time would fail us to tell of them all, and space be wanting to recount even their number and their names. They were a noble host, "of whom the world was not worthy," and to whose virtues and sufferings we are principally indebted for all that is valuable in the constitution and liberties of our native land, and in the still more precious privileges and inheritance of the Church of God. Never was there a time when their names, their principles, and their sufferings, ought to be remembered with more veneration, gratitude, and love, than now. We must select and group them. This is all, in these pages, we can attempt. But our hope is, that even the allusion, the brief outline, the humble yet affectionate memorial, we now offer, as a tribute to their distinguished worth and bitter sorrows, may be the means of attracting the attention of all the lovers of the great and the good, and the admirers of magnanimity in suffering, to the bright originals-the martyrs of that glorious struggle of the sixteenth century which issued in the English Reformation. As you enter the renowned and beautiful city of Oxford from the north, and approach its ancient streets and splendid buildings, you behold a structure in the open space before the Church of St. Magdalene, of singularly chaste and unique design, and perfect in its symmetry and proportions to every beholder's eye. It invites your notice. It looks modern and new. The storms of many winters have not yet disfigured it, nor the atmosphere of a crowded city yet discoloured it. Rising from its basement of several steps, it ascends, in Gothic style and conic form, to a considerable elevation, and has a commanding view of the neighbouring scenery. It is "The Martyrs' Memorial." Above its first compartment, and around its centre, are the sculptured statues of the honoured men to whose memory the hand of pious affection has recently and reverently reared it, Latimer, Cranmer, and Ridley, three of the heroes who fought and fell in the conflict of the Reformation. Perhaps we may designate them, like David's heroes, "The first three;" not, however, in the least to the disparagement of the rest. There they stand, as if the Protestant angels and guardians of the city, to frown defiance on all who shall attempt to unprotestantize her charter, or dishonour her Protestant renown. The aspects in which they are represented take in the principal Colleges and Halls of the great University, within whose precincts such strange |