The predictions pronounced by our Lord of the prodigies which should attend the doom of Sion, are next paraphrased in a glowing manner. Having judiciously expressed the fulfilment of the prophetic representations, the Poem concludes with the following judicious description and improvement:

But thou, whoc'er stranger or pligrim guest,
Roaming Judea's desolated plains,

Seest where in solitary pride forlorn
Mourns her fall'n capital:---if yet her walls,

Though prostrate, shew the wreck of ancient strength;
If Sion's Mount still rear her blasted head

Reft of its temple; if the Moslem foe

Usurp each hallow'd haunt, each spot endear'd

By Christ's own presence; if revolving years
Heal not her deep affliction, bring no hope
Of restoration from her long decline;
Bear thou sure testimony to the truth
Of those immortal chronicles which tell

Hoy erst she tower'd triumphant,---to the stroke

Of that great judgment which foredoom'd her fall."

The perusal of this Prize Poem has afforded us considerable pleasure, and though we have made some quotations from it, they are far from being the best in the piece.

The Order for the Visitation of the Sick, from the book of Common Prayer; interspersed with Prayers, Exhortations, and Interrogatories, taken from different authors: together with some observations and directions which may be useful towards a due performance of that important duty: designed for the four first visits. With an appendix containing a few Prayers, which may, according to different circumstances, be profitably used by the sick themselves. By RICH AED MANT, D. D. Rector of All Saints, Southampton, and of Fonthill Bishop's, Wilts, 12mo.

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[O part of a minister's duty is more important, or requires more judgment, tenderness, zeal, and caution united, than that of visiting the sick. The variety of circumstances in the conditions of men, must necessarily render any form, however well devised, imperfect; and of course will leave much to the wisdom and discretion of Fol. X. Churchm. Mag. Jan. 1806. K the

the minister who attends. The order in our book of common prayer, as a general outline, is truly excellent, but it was not intended to be a strict formulary; and the clergyman who adheres literally to it, will be found to have discharged but a small portion of his duty. The little book before us does great honour to the piety and judgment of the compiler, and we cannot but commend the plan of dividing the order of visitation into four parts, as very judicious and exceedingly well calculated to guide the observation and conduct of the minister, and to instruct, edify, and comfort the sick person.

The preface gives so good an account of the performance and the reasons for it, that we chuse rather to make an extract from it than to offer any observations of our

own.

"As a sick person is apt to grow weary, and to be incapable of giving so strict attention to the minister,, as it is to be wished he should, any length of time; I have thought that the offiec might very profitably be divided into three or four visits, to be made at times so seasonable to the sick person, as to guard against that weariness which is generally too apt to be occasioned, when he is required to attend to the whole at once, as it now stands. By adopting the aid with which we have been furnished by some of the best and wisest of our divines, (and to some laymen too are we very much indebted for similar assistance) I have ventured to make the attempt; and have accordingly divided" the Order for the Visitation of the Sick" into tour Visits, so contrived as in the first to take in the first prayers and part of the Exhortanon-in the second, to proceed with the remainder of the Exhortation, and to examine the sick person's taith, as the church directs; proposing the use of the creed in some short questions after it in the third, after reading to him another serious exhortation, to inquire into the truth of his repentance by proposing some such questions as may be proper to call his sins to remembrance, and to lead him to a confession of them; and in the fourth, to speak to him on the nature and benefit of Absolution, after a sincere profession of his faith, repentance, and satisfaction of injuries; in each visit making use of such prayers, exhortations and interrogatories, as seemed to me most likely to produce the effect aimed at in the visitation of sick persons, viz. such sincere repentance towards God, and true faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, as may, through the merits of our blessed Redeemer, be available towards obtaining the pardon of their sins. and the salvation of their souls.

"I must further observe, that it is expected that these visits should be paid, when the sick, person is capable of admitting them to his advantage; which, unfortunately for him, and much to the embarrassment of the minister, is too frequently not the case; for every one who has the care of a large, or even a small parish, knows that the visits of the clergyman are often not required, till those of the physician are become needless; and then of what service can the minister's be to the sick? At such times the clergyman can only act as the exigency of the case requires, having little time for exhortations and prayers, and less to inquire into the sick man's faith and repentance. In that case he must have recourse to his own discretion, as indeed the church allows him at other times, and act as " he shall think most needful and convenient,” according to the present exigency; for it is scarcely possible, I think, to lay down any general rules for visiting the sick in such extremity.

"But as it is more than probable, that every one who has the care of souls will one time or other be called upon to visit those who are almost at the point of death, before they will see a minister, I recommend him to be provided before hand against such perplexing visits with a suitable short form, which he may find it necessary to dispatch in a little time from the very weak state which the person may be in, whom he is summoned thus hastily to visit; for even at so late an hour of life what can be done, ought to be done: here however the minister must use great care; neither to soothe the late penitent with ungrounded hopes of pardon, nor to drive him to despair. And he ought to be particularly cautious not to say any thing which may induce the standers-by, who perhaps may not yet have begun the great work of repentance, to think they may go on in a course of sin, till they are brought to the condition of their dying friend, and that then by uttering a few ejaculations, and hearing a few prayers from the minister, hastily sent for, but never before thought of, all shall be well; that God is allmerciful, and will forgive their sins; without considering that through their whole lives they have been provoking his justice, and perhaps never had him in all their thoughts, but when they have uttered his name from their mouths in profane cursing and swearing.

"In order however to guard against a frequent return of applications for such fruitless pastoral visits, I shall here give the advice of Dr. Stearne in his "Tractatus de Visitatione Infirmorum;" and in our own language, rather than in that of his treatise, because I think it possible, that this little book may fall into the hands of some who are not clergymen, and who by this may see the propriety of sending for a minister at the beginning of sickness, and not when nature is so far exhausted,

that they can neither attend to his exhortations, nor join with him in prayer.

"Every one who has the care of souls should frequently admonish the people committed to his charge, either in his more private conversations, or in the discourses which he delivers from the pulpit, that they should take care to have the minister sent for in the beginning of sickness. For when the disorder is increased to a great height, it is generally in vain to talk with a sick man; since, when the body is agitated by the violence of a severe disorder, the mind for the most part suffers with it, and becomes unable to discharge its proper functions. People should therefore be convinced, how expedient it is for them, that a minister of God's word should be sent for in time; that his prayers and advice will not hasten death, (which is a vulgar and ridiculous opinion) but may be effectual in promoting their true repentance, in removing their sickness, and prolonging their lives. And men are the more to be urged to require the minister's attendance, when they are ill; because many, particularly among the lower sort of people, decline calling for the assistance of the minister from a fear of being troublesome to him."

After this, we need add no more to recommend this useful manual to the clergy, for whose service it is specially intended. They will derive from it much valuable assistance. And we think that it is also well adapted as a book to be given away to sick persons.

POETRY.

ODE FOR THE NEW YEAR, 1806.

BY HENRY JAMES PYE, ESQ. P. L.

1.

WHEN ardent zeal for virtuous fame,
When virtuous honour's holy flame,

Sit on the gen'rous warrior's sword,
Weak is the loudest lay the Muse can sing,
Ilis deeds of valour to record;

And weak the boldest flight of Fancy's wing:---
For far above her high carcer,

Upborne by worth th' immortal Chief shall rise,
And to the lay-enraptur'd ear

Of seraphs list'ning from th' empyreal sphere,
Glory her hymn divine shall carol thro' the skies.

II.

For tho' the Muse in all unequal strain'

Sung of the wreaths that ALBION's warriors bore
From ev'ry region and from ev'ry shore,
The naval triumphs of her GEORGE's reign---
Triumphs by many a valiant son

From Gaul, Iberia, and Batavia won;
Or by St. Vincent's rocky mound,
Or sluggish Texel's shoaly sound;
Or Haffnia'st hyberborean wave,
Or where Canopus' billows lave

Th' Egyptian coast, while ALBION's genius guides
Her dauntless Hero thro' the fav'ring tides,
Where rocks, nor sands, nor tempests roar,
Nor batteries thund'ring from the shore,
Arrest the fury of his naval war,

When GLORY shines the leading star ;-
Still higher deeds the lay recording claim,
Still rise BRITANNIA'S Sons to more exalted fame.

The fervid source of heat and light

Descending through the western skies,
Though veil'd awhile from mortal sight,

Emerging soon with golden beam shall rise,
In orient climes with brighter radiance shine,
And sow th' ethereal plains with flame divine.
So damp'd by PEACE'S transient smile,
If BRITAIN'S glory seem to fade awhile,
Yet when occasion's kindling rays
Relumine valour's gen'rous blaze,
Higher the radiant flames aspire,

And shine with clearer light, and glow with fiercer fire.

iv.

From Europe's shores th' insidious train,
Eluding BRITAIN's watchful eye,

Rapid across th' Atlantic fly,

To isles that stud the western main,

*Alluding to a poem called Naucratia, written by the author, and de dicated by permission to his Majesty.

+ Copenhagen.