unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto mè. 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink : 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, whèn saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to mè. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal.

7. ACTS. xii.-5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8. And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sàndals; and so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him, and wist not that it was true which was done by the ángel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord and they went out, and passed on through one street and forthwith the angel departed from him. And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now, I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his àngel, and

11

hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when be had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark ; where many were gathered together, praying. 13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. 14 And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Pèter stood before the gate. 15 And they say unto her, Thou art màd. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. 16 But Peter continued knocking. And when they had opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished. 17 But he beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lòrd had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go shew these things unto James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place.

Edward III. after the battle of Cressy, laid siege to Calais. He had fortified his camp in so impregnable a manner, that all the efforts of France proved ineffectual to raise the siege, or throw succors into the city. The command devolving upon Eustace St. Pierre, a man of mean birth, but of exalted virtue, he offered to capitulate with Edward, provided he permitted them to depart with life and liberty. Edward, to avoid the imputation of cruelty, consented to spare the bulk of the plebeians, provided they delivered up to him six of their principal citizens with halters about their necks, as victims of due atonement for that spirit of rebellion with which they had inflamed the vulgar. When his messenger, Sir Walter Mauny, delivered the terms, consternation and pale dismay were impressed on every countenance. To a long and dead silence, deep sighs and groans succeeded, till Eustace St. Pierre, getting up to a little eminence, thus addressed the assembly:"My friends, we are brought

to great straits this day. We must either yield to the terms of our cruel and ensnaring conqueror, or give up our tender infants, our wives, and daughters, to the bloody and brutal lusts of the violating soldiers. Is there any expedient left, whereby we may avoid the guilt and infamy of delivering up those who have suffered every misery with you, on the one hand, or the desolation and horror of a sacked city, on the other? There is, my friends; there is one expedient left! a gracious, an excellent, a godlike expedient left! Is there any here to whom virtue is dearer than life? Let him offer himself an oblaHe shall not fail of a

tion for the safety of his people! blessed approbation from that Power who offered up his only Son for the salvation of mankind." He spoke ;but a universal silence ensued. Each man looked around for the example of that virtue and magnanimity which all wished to approve in themselves, though they wanted the resolution. At length St. Pierre resumed, "I doubt not but there are many here as ready, nay, more zealous of this martyrdom than I can be ; though the station to which I am raised by the captivity of Lord Vienne, imparts a right to be the first in giving my life for your sakes. I give it freely; I give it cheerfully. Who comes next?

"Your son," exclaimed a youth not yet come to maturity."Ah! my child!" cried St. Pierre; "I am then twice sacrificed.—But no; I have rather begotten thee a second time. Thy years are few, but full, my son. The victim of virtue has reached the utmost purpose and goal of mortality. Who next, my friends? This is the hour of heroes," "Your kinsinan," cried John de Aire --“Your kinsman," cried James Wissant.-"Your kinsman," cried Peter Wissant.--" Ah !" exclaimed Sir Walter Mauny, bursting into tears, "why was not I a citizen of Calais ?" The sixth victim was still wanting, but was quickly supplied by lot, from numbers who were now emulous of so ennobling an example. city were then delivered to Sir Walter. prisoners into his custody; then ordered

The keys of the He took the six the gates to be

opened, and gave charge to his attendants to conduct the remaining citizens, with their families, through the camp of the English. Before they departed, however, they desired permission to take the last adieu of their deliverers. What a parting! what a scene! they crowded with their wives and children about St. Pierre and his fellowprisoners. They embraced; they clung around; they fell prostrate before them; they groaned; they wept aloud; and the joint clamor of their mourning passed the gates of the city, and was heard throughout the English camp.

9. Extract from a Sermon of ROBERT ROBINSON.

Col. ii. 8.-Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.

"Beware lest any man spoil you"... What! is it possible to spoil a Christian? Indeed it is. A Christian may spoil himself, as a beautiful complexion or a proper shape may be rendered disagreeable, by circumstances of dress or uncleanliness; he may be spoiled by other people, just as a straight child may be made crooked, by the negligence of his nurse; or exactly as a sweet tempered youth may be made surly or insolent by a cruel master. "Beware lest any man spoil you.' "Is it possible for whole societies of Christians to be spoiled? Certainly it is. Nothing Nothing is easier. They may spoil one another, as in a family, the temper of one single person may spoil the peace of the whole; or as in a school, one trifling or turbulent master may spoil the education and so the usefulness, through life, of two or three hundred pupils, successively committed to his injudicious treatment. All human constitutions, even the most excellent, have seeds of imperfections in them, some mixtures of folly which naturally tend to weaken and destroy; and though this is not the case with the Christian religion itself, which is the wisdom of God without any mixture of human folly; yet even this pure religion, like the pure juice of the grape, falling into the hands of depraved men, may be perverted, and whole societies may embrace Christianity thus perverted.

...

Beware lest any man spoil you through . . . what? Idolatry, blasphemy, profligacy? No. Christians are in very little danger from great crimes; but beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy. What hath philosophy done, that the apostle should thus guard Christians against it? Did he not know that before his time, while mimics were idly amusing one part of the world, and heroes depopulating another, the peaceable sons of philosophy disturbed nobody, but either improved mankind in their schools, or sat all calm and content in their cells? Did he not observe that in his time Christianity was reputed folly, because it was taught, and believed by unlettered people; and that if philosophers could be prevailed on to teach it, it would have instantly acquired a character of wisdom? Whether the common people had understood it or not, they would have reckoned it wise if philosophers had taught it. The apostle knew all this, and, far from courting the aid of learned men to secure credit to the Gospel, he guards Christians in the text against the future temptation of doing so. Had this cau

tion been given us by any of the other apostles, who had not had the advantage of a learned education, we might have supposed, they censured what they did not understand; but this comes from the disciple of Gamaliel.*

28.] Page 138-143. Devotional Poetry.

The following selection of Psalms and Hymns, is designed only as a specimen of the notation, partially applied here, which might be more extensively applied to these compositions, when they unite the spirit of devotion with the elevated spirit of poetry.

The confinement of the stanza makes it much more unfavorable than other verse, to freedom and variety in pronunciation. The reader is desired to keep in mind the distinction between intensive and common inflection, and to remember that the former occurs in this kind of poetry only where there is a direct question or strong emphasis. In some cases only part of a Psalm or Hymn is taken.

The selections under this head are extended no farther here, because several of the familiar pieces in the second part of the Exercises are good examples of representation and rhetorical dialogue.