the Cross." "Follow after holiness, without which no man shall see the LORD."

Especially are you invited by the holy Sacrament, which spreads itself before you, to twilight thoughts of self-distrust and self-communion. Not in the broad light of worldly joy, not in the black gloom of worldly sorrow; but in the sober twilight of the soul, serene, subdued, submissive to GoD's will, the Cross reveals itself for pardon and for comfort. "Let a man examine himself; and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup!”—The Missionary.

A CHORISTER'S FUNERAL.

ON Saturday, March 9th, the body of Mark Norman, lately one of the head choristers of Withyham, Sussex, was committed to the earth, in the churchyard of that place. The funeral was attended by the children of the two schools, preceded by six of the elder girls, dressed in white, who scattered flowers in the way. The coffin, borne upon the bier, and covered with the rich pall, was met at the western door of the Church by the two Curates of the parish; the Rev. G. Antrobus, now filling the place of the Rector, and the Rev. W. Dry, at present Curate of S. John's Chapel. Behind them came the choir, men and boys in surplices, together with six choristers from the neighbouring parish of Rotherfield.

The service was choral throughout; the priest's part being intoned by the Rev. G. Antrobus, and the whole conducted by Frederick Helmore, Esq., to whom so many choirs are indebted for his invaluable instructions, and by whom also the music was composed.

The newly-elected chorister, supported on either side by two others, carried, on a cushion of crimson and gold, the surplice and book of the deceased, and kneeling, laid them reverently on the first step of the altar.

The choir took their places in the chancel, the Psalms were chanted, and the lesson read; then round the grave, where all in order assembled, was sung to a beautiful cadence, rising and falling in the clear air, "Man that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery; he cometh up and is cut down like a flower; he fleeth as a shadow, and never continueth in one stay."

The body was lowered into the grave, to rest until the judgment. "Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Then in rich harmony rose the anthem,-true comfort for the sorrowing heart,"I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write from hence

forth, Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD; even so saith the SPIRIT, for they rest from their labours."

It was a solemn and beautiful ceremony, and there were many to witness it. May it be blessed to the good of their souls! May the young companions of the departed, and those also who assisted at his funeral, and to whom he was known, turn it by GOD'S blessing to good account! May they remember it on their knees, praying ever that they may be prepared for the great change which, to him, has come thus early! He no longer fills his usual place; his surplice is worn by another; his sweet voice is missed in the chant and in the anthem; but we have good hope that a yet whiter robe is in store for him, and that with a more perfect voice he may yet give glory to GOD, Whose child by baptism he was, and Whose praises were ever in his mouth even to his latest hour, when consciousness had fled !

EASTER AT MAGDALEN COLLEGE, OXFORD.

Ir is customary for a portion of the choir of this College to rise early on Easter-day, in order to break the slumbers of some of their elders by singing the Easter Hymn at their chamber doors. The singers remain invisible, except one, who, with gentle step and voice, approaches the sleeper with the Paschal salutation, "The LORD is risen indeed!" The following lines are an attempt to record the long-remembered thrill of almost unearthly happiness which the writer felt, when, for the first time, sounds so expressive of what Easter brought to pass gradually woke him to full consciousness.

I.

Beneath the Cross, that wrathful day,
A trembling sinner prostrate lay;
He could not lift his eyes for shame,
For fear he would not close the same;
He could but smite his guilty breast,
And cry, in anguish and unrest,
"O, by Thy sufferings on the Tree,
Deliver me, deliver me!"

II.

When lingering Time proclaim'd, at last,
Those darkling hours of shame were past,

And He Who came the world to save

Was lying lowly in the grave,

The weary sinner sought his bed,

In sadness and in solemn dread,

Yet, knowing that the grave would ope,

He laid him down to rest in hope.

A FEW WORDS TO SOME OF THE WOMEN OF THE CHURCH OF GOD IN ENGLAND.

WE have scarcely concluded our remarks upon the eloquent pamphlet of the Rev. J. M. Neale, ere another is put into our hands, the production of one whose praise is in all the Churches, and who may well command the attention of those to whom she addresses herself. Those who have perused the admirable apology for Christianity made by Lydia Sellon, in answer to the accusations made against the Sisterhood of which she is the head, will believe us when we say, that her few words are as creditable to her head as to her heart. She dwells with no little force, although apparently incidentally, upon the fact, that it is not the province of woman to busy herself with theological controversies, and become involved in the mazes of perplexing theological questions. Many, doubtless, need a word of warning at the present juncture; and that which has sounded from the Tamar mouth will, we trust, calm and soothe many a troubled spirit.

Church News.

A CHRISTIAN FAREWELL TO A CHRISTIAN PRIEST.

THE New Zealand Mission appears in an especial degree to have been blessed with men of no ordinary character. The Bishop is a host in himself. A man of the highest attainments, yet the most childlike humility. In labours often, in perils by

land and by sea, constant in season and out of season, he presents an example of saintly holiness and unselfish devotedness and zeal, which would have done honour to the best and purest ages of the Primitive Church. And then what shall we say of the holy and sainted Whytehead, who fell asleep and was gathered to his fathers, ere he had been permitted to fulfil those glorious promises which he gave? Though dead, he yet speaketh; and his mild and gentle spirit, and unstinted love, must remain a model to all who may be called upon to bear a part in that noble work. And now another has gone forth of kindred mind and spirit; another whose name has long been dear to Churchmen at home, and who has left us his "Festival and Lenten Lectures" as a parting legacy. We allude to the Rev. J. C. Abraham, B.D., formerly one of the masters of Eton, who has gone out as Chaplain to Bishop Selwyn. Mr. and Mrs. Abraham sailed from Plymouth on the 19th, the anniversary of Whytehead's death; or rather, to use the Christian language of primitive times, of his birthday. It was felt that the departure of such a man afforded an opportunity for putting into a practice a hope, long cherished by the Curate of Stoke Damerel, that the days would come when a really Christian farewell should be given to those who leave father and mother, and honour and fame, for the love of CHRIST. The daily Communion rendered the execution of the plan easy. On the morning of the 19th, besides the usual congregation and the parochial Clergy, many others were present. Amongst these were the Rev. F. Neville, Minor Canon of Windsor; the Revs. Palmer, E. Abraham; the Rev. J. Adams, Incumbent of S. Paul's, Devonport; W. B. Killpack, Incumbent of S. James's, Devonport; G. W. Procter, Incumbent of S. Stephen's; W. Woodward, Curate of S. Stephen's; G. Knowling, Assistant Curate of S. Paul's. Matins were said by the Rev. W. J. St. Aubyn, the first lesson being read by the Rev. G. W. Procter, and the second by the Rev. G. Knowling. Holy Communion followed, and was offered by the Rev. W. B. Flower; the epistle being read by the Rev. W. C. Hutchison, and the Gospel by the Rev. W. J. St. Aubyn. After the Nicene Creed, the Rev. W. B. Flower approached the steps of the altar, and spoke to the following effect:

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Sisters, brethren, and fathers; the occasion on which we are gathered together this morning is one of the deepest interest. We are met to give a Christian farewell to a Christian Priest, going out to a foreign land to aid the spread of the Gospel of CHRIST. We have met to eat with him the one bread of unity, the bread of immortality, the antidote to death. It is, I trust, but the commencement of a happy state of things among us; the bright streak in the sky, that I would fain hope gives pro

mise of a glorious sunrise. The exigencies of the times demand, reverend brethren, that we should be united. The holiest doctrines of the faith are being tampered with. An effort is being made to sacrifice Catholic truth on the altar of expediency, and at the shrine of hypothetical and charitable interpretations. Look on with folded hands we cannot. There is a call upon us for action, and that united action. Now, if ever, we are bound to lay aside our petty differences and individual opinions, and as men of one mind and one heart, labour to defend the bulwarks of our Church. Now, if ever, we are taught to look for support, not to earthly schemes and earthly plans, but to that grace that cometh from above, and nerves the weak with strength, and girds the feeble for the battle. We must look to GOD, and GOD alone, from Whom our help cometh. This is the first day on which we have all met together for the celebration of Holy Communion; but I trust that, considering the peculiar circumstances under which we are placed, we shall henceforth, once in the week at least, assemble together for its reception, and by the mystic sacrament of unity, be knit in one,-one in each other, one in CHRIST.*

"To you, reverend brother, who are leaving us, we bid GOD speed in the name of the LORD. Noble is the work to which you are going; the fields are white unto the harvest. You have counted the cost, and by your example are teaching us here, that we are to count all things but as dung, for CHRIST's sake; that we, as Priests of the Church, should not dream of ease, and pleasant amusements, and luxury, whilst the naked and hungry are around us, and the wants of those who are perishing for lack of knowledge are unsupplied. An example to us, thou also hast examples to whom thou mayest look. I mention not the saints of other days, but those whom thou thyself well knowest, the apostolic Selwyn, and the sainted Whytehead. Our work in different parts of the vineyard is the same; our hopes, our fears, our joys and sorrows are one. Separated we may be, yet are we united. Seas may roll between us, yet are we one. The Church visible and invisible are one. There is one faith and one LORD. We shall use the same prayers, chant the same jubilant strains, partake of the one bread, and drink of the one cup. And whilst we would intreat thee to pray for us, that peace may be restored in our time, be assured, my reverend brother, that we will daily in the sacrament of the altar intercede for thee, that thou mayest be preserved from the perils of the deep, and reach thy distant home in safety, there to be blessed, and to be a blessing.

*This plan, in large towns where there are many Clergy, could not but produce a lasting effect.