learned Erasmus, had by their words and writings raised in many quarters a thirst for knowledge; and the great movement known as the Renaissance, or revival of learning, and that still deeper movement, the Reformation, were stirring men's minds to revolt against abuses and errors which had crept in during successive ages of ignorance and civil and religious tyranny. Latimer gives us the following account of his conversion to the truth as it is in Christ: Master Bilney (or rather Saint Bilney, that suffered death for God's word sake), the same Bilney, was the instrument whereby God called me to knowledge; for I may thank him next to God for that knowledge that I have in the word of God. For I was as obstinate a papist as any was in England, insomuch that when I should be made Bachelor of Divinity my whole oration went against Philip Melancthon, and against his opinions. Bilney heard me at that time, and perceived that I was zealous without knowledge; and he came to me afterward in my study, and desired me for God's sake to hear his confession. I did so; and to say the truth, by his confession I learned more than before in many years. So from that time forward I began to smell the word of God, and forsook the school doctors and such fooleries."

At this time the subject of our sketch was thirty years of age, and from henceforth he devoted himself to the earnest advocacy of the pure and simple doctrines of the gospel. He was frequently called to preach before Henry VIII., and, like other good men, sometimes enjoyed the favour, and sometimes endured the causeless anger, of that capricious and brutal monarch. When in 1547 King Edward VI. ascended the throne, Latimer was at liberty to serve the Master whom he loved without fear or restraint; his bishopric, from which he had been deposed, was offered to him again; but he declined it, preferring the station of a plain minister of the gospel. He preached an exceedingly large number of sermons during his lifetime; and his style, at once eloquent and familiar, was the delight of all classes, from the

prince to the peasant. Omitting the narration of many interesting minor details, which our limits forbid us to enlarge upon, we hasten to the closing scene. The young king Edward, the hope of the Reformation in England, languished and died; and Queen Mary took his place upon the throne. Latimer's enemies were now triumphant; and, according to the barbarous practice of the age, those who would not recant were condemned to be burnt. His age -sixty-four years-and his holiness of life could not move his implacable judges; and in company with Ridley, Master Hugh Latimer suffered death at the stake in Oxford, on Oct. 16th, 1555. Foxe tells us that they brought faggot kindled with fire, and laid the same down at Dr. Ridley's feet; to whom Master Latimer spake in this manner: Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle by God's grace in England as, I trust, shall never be put out." And shortly afterwards, the same writer records, "Latimer cried out, O Father of Heaven, receive my soul' who received the flame as it were embracing of it. After, as he had stroked his face with his hands, and (as it were) bathed them a little in the fire, he soon died, as it appeared, with very little pain or none."

In

We conclude with presenting a few passages from one of the most famous sermons of this Christian martyr, viz., his "Sermon on the Ploughers." this discourse the preacher's quaint, direct, and nervous manner is often well exemplified.

Well may the preacher and the ploughman be likened together. First, for their labour (of all seasons of the year. For there is no time of the year in which the ploughman hath not some special work to do, as in my country, in Leicestershire, the ploughman hath a time to set forth and to assay his plough, and other times for other necessary works to be done. And then they also may be likened together, for the diversity of works and variety of offices that they have to do. For as the plough.

man first setteth forth his plough, and then tilleth his land, and breaketh it in furrows, and sometime ridgeth it up again; and at another time harroweth it and clotteth it, and sometime dungeth it and hedgeth it, diggeth it and weedeth it, purgeth and maketh it clean,-so the prelate, the preacher, hath many divers offices to do. He hath first a busy work, to bring his parishioners to a right faith, as Paul calleth it. And not to a swerving faith, but to a faith that embraceth Christ, and trusteth to His merits, a lively faith, a justifying faith, a faith that maketh a man righteous without respect of works, as ye have it very well declared and set forth in the Homily. He hath then a busy work I say, to bring his flock to a right faith and then to confirm them in the same faith; now casting them down with the law and with threatenings of God for sin, now ridging them up again with the gospel and with the promises of God's favour; now weeding them, by telling them their faults, and making them forsake sin; now clotting them, by breaking their stony hearts, and by making them supple-hearted, and making them to have hearts of flesh, that is soft hearts, and apt for doctrine to enter in; now teaching to know God rightly, and to know their duty to God and to their neighbours; now exhorting them when they know their duty, that they do it and be diligent in it: so that they have a continual work to do. Great is their business, and therefore great should be their hire. They have great labours, and therefore they ought to have good livings, that they may commodiously feed their flock; for the preaching of the word of God unto the people is called meat, Scripture calleth it meat. Not strawberries, that come but once a year and tarry not long, but are 300n gone; but it is meat, it is no dainties. The people must have meat that must be familiar and continual, and daily given unto them to feed upon. Many make a strawberry of it, ministering it but once a year; but such do not the office of good prelates. How

many such prelates, how many such bishops, Lord, for Thy mercy, are

there now in England? And what shall we in this case do? Shall we company with them? O Lord, for Thy mercy shall we not company with them? 0 Lord, whither shall we fly from them? But cursed be he that doeth the work of God negligently or guilefully. A sore word for them that are negligent in discharging their office, or have done it fraudulently, for that is the thing that maketh the people ill.

And now I would ask a strange question. Who is the most diligent bishop and prelate in all England, that passeth all the rest in doing his office? I can tell, for I know him; who it is, I know him well. But now I think I see you listing and hearkening that I should name him. There is one that passeth all the other, and is the most diligent prelate and preacher in all England; and will ye know who it is? I will tell you. It is the Devil. He is the most diligent preacher of all other; he is never out of his diocese, he is never from his cure; ye shall never find him unoccupied, he is ever in his parish, he keepeth residence at all times; ye shall never find him out of the way; call for him when you will, he is ever at home, the diligentest preacher in all the realm; he is ever at his plough; no lording nor loitering can hinder him; he is ever applying his business; ye shall never find him idle, I warrant you.

But here some man will say to me, What, sir? are ye so privy of the Devil's counsel that ye know all this to be true? Truly I know him too well, and have obeyed him a little too much in condescending to some follies. And I know him as other men do, yea, that he is ever occupied and ever busy in following his plough. I know by St. Peter, which saith of him, Sicut leo rugiens circuit, quærens quem devoret (1 Pet. v. 8),-He goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. I would have this text well viewed and examined, every word of it:-Circuit, he goeth about in every corner of his diocese; he goeth on visitation daily; he leaveth no place of his cure unvisited; he walketh round about from place to place, and ceaseth not. Sicut

gratulate. Both series of papers, however, are worthy of high praise; and we hope to see both these writers again competing.

The ranks of the competitors in the division for Prize Outlines of Addresses are rather thinner this year than was anticipated by us, looking to the number which last year presented themselves for the same division. We must observe, too, that the general average of merit is somewhat lower, and most of the papers are wanting in what may briefly be termed "life." Teachers will understand what is intended by our use of this expression. Addresses wanting in this very necessary characteristic generally fall flat upon the ears of young listeners. Many of the "Outlines " too are somewhat wanting in "illustrative" matter. Children must be roused; and, for this to be done at all successfully, apt anecdotes, short stories (scriptural or other), instances of personal experience, should be interwovenall of course leading up to the special truth sought to be conveyed. Such are the weak points of most of the papers before us. The following is the classification which we have adopted :CLASS A.-F. C. G.

The Addresses of F. C. G.-who, it need hardly be said, is the successful competitor in this division-form the only exception to the remarks which we have just made. They are both thoughtful and suggestive; and, if delivered by the teacher in as "lively" a manner as they have evidently been written, cannot but prove most interesting and profitable to the listeners. We are happy to congratulate F. C. G. on attaining the post of honour among writers of Outlines."

From our brief criticisms on the collective sets of lessons and addresses forwarded to us for adjudication, and from the respective merits and defects of each division pointed out by us, we think many of the competitors in all of the departments have good reasons for entertaining a hope of better success on a future occasion. Practice is sure to bring improvement in its train; and improvement, in its turn, increases the chances of success in any renewed endeavour. There is every ground therefore for encouragement; and we hope in process of time again to meet our various friends in the same field.

Will E. S. and F. C. G. communicate the lists of works which they would wish as prizes, and also the addresses to which they desire them to be forwarded?

Tommie.

LIFE A JOURNEY.

"This is not your rest."-Mic. ii. 10. I WANT you to tell me, my little friends, what it is that is not our rest?—(This world.) Shall we always live in this world? (No.) How do you know that? -(The Bible says so.) Yes, quite true; we are only sent into this world to pass through it, as the children of Israel passed through the wilderness to get to the land of Canaan.

Why wouldn't this world do for a

Yes,

rest? Why couldn't we remain in it always? (It will be burnt up.) it won't last; and nothing in it lasts: your playthings get broken, your books get old and torn, the pretty flowers and trees fade away and die, your pets die, friends droop and die: death comes even to the happiest among us. So you see it couldn't be a rest, where everything fades, and nothing lasts, could it?

Then, again, it isn't safe. There are so many things that can hurt or injure us. Some people become ill, others break

way.

We ought to know som way we're going, oughtn't When your father took you Court, Janie, what book wa for you, that you told me called it a guide-book, tea was the use of it? (It to were going to see.) Well, we have a Guide-book to t our journey through this about the rest that God's have? What book can tha Bible.) Yes, that is the which God Himself has g there is a great deal of little ones cannot understa of you cannot read, that plain it to you; and by-a you are older, you will see told you true.

One of the things our Gu us is that we may have a g as a guide-book. The guid Spirit, whom God will giv ask Him, and the Lord Jes will guide us (John xvi. 13)

Now let us see what our tells us about the road. It one (Matt. vii. 14). Wha mean? (Not wide.)

Ye wide enough to let us go eve to one side or the other; we straight on, following Jesus just what He tells us. And too narrow to let our sins i leave them outside. Jesu them away, if we ask Him. book tells us that those who narrow way must not please Jesus says, fate road any man wil

Me," is, in "let him deny himself." thing to any one is to ref we must refuse ourselves that is wrong, however may be; and denying ours also leaving off anything the sake of others, such when your mother's head ach away from your little sister wants you to wait for her, pla you are wanted to go on an Every day there come time must deny ourselves; and this when He told us to take u