THE LAST DAYS OF BISHOP HEBER.

For the Christian Observer.

HIGH

TIGHLY interesting and valuable as is Bishop Heber's own account of his episcopal travels in India, something more was necessary to give his readers a just idea of the beloved and revered author. It was not the practice of Bishop Heber to record his own religious emotions, or his devout and holy works; and he could not exhibit to his readers, what his deep Christian humility would even be slow in discerning, the affection and reverence which his presence every where excited. We rejoice, therefore, that what was wanting to finish this lovely portrait has been admirably supplied in the account of his Lordship's last days by his chaplain, the Rev. T. Robinson, now Archdeacon of Madras. If any reader has pictured to himself rather a man of exquisite taste and literature, and eminently amiable and artless manners, than a father in Christ, a Christian minister and bishop, devoted heart and soul to the high functions of his holy vocation, he has but to read Archdeacon Robinson's account of his episcopal tours-suddenly, alas! cut short to form a more just and elevated estimate. True, Bishop Heber was eminently gifted with all that can render human intercourse delightful and fascinating; nothing that was CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 344.

an object of utility or rational curiosity escaped his rapid eye and inquiring mind; poetry and philosophy were ever equally ready to flow from his lip and to adorn his pen: but, as exhibited in Mr. Robinson's narrative, he was far more than the scholar, the gentleman, or the man of constitutional benevolence: he was an ardent, devoted, and indefatigable servant of Jesus Christ; and, so far from sacrificing his sacred duties to the elegant amenities which never forsook him, he appears in these graphic memorials obeying the Apostle's direction relative to the employments of the ministerial office, "Give thyself wholly to these things."

We feel much pleasure in drawing the attention of our readers to the Archdeacon's work, by extracting a few pages of his memoranda, which exhibit the good Bishop in an aspect that must secure for his memory the warm affection and veneration of every good man. The passages will be detached, but will all bear upon this particular object; and we doubt not that many of our readers, from the perusal of them, will be anxious to peruse the whole volume. We congratulate the friends of Bishop Heber, that he was accompanied in his last days by so faithful and affectionate a chronicler, who, in penning a journal of his active labours, his warm and cheerful piety, and his amiable deportment, little thought that so soon and so 3 N

suddenly the object of his admiring friendship would be summoned to his reward, and that these private records, addressed to a part of the writer's own family, would meet the public eye.

The following passages are extracted from an account of the Bishop's proceedings during the voyage from Bombay to Calcutta, from August 15 to October 21, 1825, including his visitation to Ceylon, where they landed August 25.

Galle: August 27th.-A letter from Mr. Mayor last night, describing the bad state of the roads to Baddigam, has determined the Bishop to spend Sunday here, and proceed on Monday at once to Columbo; and to visit Baddigam, and consecrate the church there, on his return to this place. There is a very good Dutch church here, which is used also by the English, and the Bishop will confirm, preach, and administer the Lord's Supper there on Sunday morning. This morning we have had an interesting meeting of the Bible Society for this district, at which the Bishop presided, and which was very numerously attended both by Europeans and native Christians. The Bishop spoke at great length in opening the meeting, telling them of the number of Protestant churches which he himself had seen, and encouraging them to meet the call for Christian exertion so largely made on them in this island. His speech was impressive and good. At the close of the meeting the Bishop called to him a Cingalese interpreter, and through him addressed the natives present on the nature and value of the institution, on the excellence of the Bible, and their duty in receiving it and giving it to others. It has been a very gratifying, and, I trust, not an unprofitable morning.

August 31st.-Several Church missionaries, and three of the Wesleyan connexion, called this morning, and all seemed delighted with

their reception. How indeed could they fail to be impressed by the amiable and delightful manners of the Bishop; who, while he distinguishes those of his own communion by more marked attention, extends the same affability and kindness to all !

This morning the visitation took place at St. Peter's church in the Fort, when the Archdeacon preached a most excellent, plain, practical sermon, and the Bishop delivered his charge to the clergy, both chaplains and missionaries, twelve in number. We dined together in the evening, and the whole services of the day have been full of interest and delight. I have never seen so many together, so united in heart and object, since I left England. The good Bishop told us some most interesting missionary anecdotes of his Hindoostan journey, and the party left us after evening prayers.

It is impossible to tell you with what feelings of affection and obedience he is regarded by all: Mr. Lambrick, the eldest of the Church missionaries, and Mr. Ward, said to me as they went away, "This is the golden age of the church restored; this is indeed the spirit of a primitive bishop."

September 3d.There is only one thing more to mention before the week closes, and that a very important one, the subject of general prayer-meetings. It appears that a monthly meeting of this sort exists in the place, of all denominations, and both clerical and lay. The Archdeacon has been requested to join it, but has withheld his name, and has been consulting the Bishop about it to-night. My feelings you know, and they were exactly those of his Lordship: you will find them admirably expressed in a letter of Mr. Scott's. The good, however, of such meetings here is greater than in England, because they are very useful to the different missionaries for conference on the subject of their labours. The Bishop is anxious to propose

to them something that may get rid of the evils very frequently resulting from the system; such as a conference at each other's houses, where, in the absence of a clergyman, the master of the house, as the priest of the family, may lead the devotions. For our own church he is disposed to establish monthly or quarterly meetings on my father's plan, which I gave him. The clergy are to dine here after the Confirmation next Thursday, and he then means to propose it, and commence it himself in the chair.

September 4th, Sunday. The Bishop preached this morning to a crowded church, and every sermon I hear from him seems better than the last. It may be because I know him better and love him more. September 6th. Every day teems with interest in this highly favoured island. At day-break this morning I attended his Lordship to Cotta, six miles off, the principal Church missionary station, where they are intending to establish a Christian institution for the island. The resident missionary there now is Mr. Lambrick, an excellent, active, vigorous man, of advanced age, formerly tutor at Eton, and now more honourably employed. It happens that one missionary from each of the other stations, Jaffna, Baddigam, and Candy, are now there for their annual consultation on the affairs of their mission. It is a beautiful sequestered spot, very much resembling Cotyam, in Travancore. The house stands on a gentle eminence on the borders of a lake, the banks of which on all sides are covered with trees and verdure. We crossed the water in a boat beautifully ornamented with palm, in which we were received by two clergymen, who conducted us to the house. On the entrance his Lordship was received by the five missionaries present; and Mr. Lambrick read an address, in the name of all, most touchingly and admirably worded, expressive of their joy at ranging themselves under his

paternal authority, their gratitude for his kindness, their thankfulness for his present visit, and at seeing a friend, a protector, and a father in their lawful superior, and then laying before him the account of their state and prospects. I assure you it was neither read nor heard without tears. The Bishop (who had had no previous intimation of their purpose) returned a most kind and affectionate answer, attaching to himself still more strongly the hearts which were already his own. His utterance was ready, and only checked by the strong emotion of the time. The scene was, to me (an honoured spectator of the whole) most beautiful. We were embowered in the sequestered woods of Ceylon, in the midst of a heathen population, and yet here was a transaction worthy of the Apostolic age; a Christian bishop, his heart full of love, and full of zeal for the cause of his Divine Master, received in his proper character by a body of missionaries of his own church, who, with full confidence and affection ranged themselves under his authority as his servants and fellowlabourers; men of devoted piety, of sober wisdom, whose labours were at that moment before us, and whose reward is in heaven. It realized my ideas of true missionary labour. Immediately after the address we went into the house to family prayers. Mr. Lambrick read a chapter of Isaiah (the lxiii.d), and the Bishop prayed, repeating, according to his custom, a selection of the Church prayers, and introducing before the thanksgiving a prayer for that Institution, and all that were engaged in its service. We then breakfasted, and after breakfast the schools were collected in the large open covered space before the house, which is used as a place for preaching. The Bishop examined them all, and spoke to them and catechized them. There were, I think, about two hundred present. At twelve o'clock we returned home, the Bishop rejoicing

in what he had seen, and I rejoicing in the privilege of sharing his joy. Would to God every missionary station could exhibit the same beautiful sight of zeal and church order strengthening and adorning each other!

September 7th.-This has been a very busy and fatiguing day: I tremble for our dear Bishop's strength. We had a long meeting of the District Committee of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, in the morning; after which the Bishop went to visit Mr. Armour's seminary, a Government central school placed under that gentleman's superintendance, where Europeans and Natives are excellently taught English, Portuguese, Tamil, and Cingalese. His Lordship examined one hundred and fifty-nine boys, and it was four hours before we got home.

September 8th. A most happy day, and happily concluded. In the morning the Bishop held a Confirmation; there were two hundred and ten candidates; about equal numbers of English, Portuguese, Cingalese, and Tamil. It was a noble and affecting sight, to see so many of different nations and languages joined as one family, and owning allegiance to one common father. The Bishop went through the whole service, both in English and Portuguese, himself. The effect on all, of his officiating in the latter, was electric: every heart felt it. In the other languages the respective native ministers interpreted, reading in Tamil and Cingalese the prayers he offered in English. He delivered his address from the pulpit, so that the whole congregation, which was very large, might hear him. When we came home, he told me he had never witnessed so delightful a service, and never felt his heart so much interested for the candidates on any occasion. It was evident, indeed, from his whole appearance at the altar.

All were struck with his fatherly manner, and his deep seriousness in the im

position of hands. He repeated the form of blessing once for each circle at the rails, but over each child he breathed a silent prayer while he laid his hand on its head. It is impossible to tell you how he is beloved and honoured here; but I begin seriously to tremble for his life. It seems hardly possible for his frame (which is but slight) to bear long such labour. Into every detail of business, as well as into these solemn and public services, he throws the whole power of his active mind, anxiously investigating all that is brought before him, and devising plans of more extended usefulness.

This evening the clergy (all the missionaries of the Church included) dined with him; and after dinner he proposed the formation of a clerical meeting, on a plan for many years adopted by my father, and which, at his Lordship's request, I had previously detailed to him. It was joyfully acceded to, and I acted as secretary, in writing down the rules as he proposed them. In the prayers which followed he offered up a fervent petition for its continuance and success, justly calling it a primitive, and almost apostolic, usage. It was delightful to me to hear the public testimony to my beloved father's wisdom and piety from one so capable of appreciating his character. I had been unwell in the morning, and was lying on my bed when the Bishop came into my room to discuss the subject. It led us naturally to converse on his many excellencies; and, on my remarking that I had often felt ashamed when I contrasted my own ample income with the scanty provision which such a man had received from the church, he said, while his eyes filled with tears, "what then ought I to feel!"

September 11th, Sunday.-When I tell you that at seven this morning the Bishop attended the Malabar church, and pronounced the benediction in Tamil-that he preached a sermon for the Society

for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, at the English church in the fort, at eleven, and administered the Sacrament to upwards of two hundred communicants-that at four he attended the Cingalese church, and delivered the Blessing in that language-and, at half past six, the English service in the fort-you will not wonder that we are exhausted. I have had indeed but little to do, having only read prayers, but the excitement and interest in the services of such a day are in themselves fatiguing. The Malabar church was to me most interesting. It was the first time I had ever seen a regular church of native Christians, or heard our venerable liturgy in any language but our own. Here was a most orderly and respectable congregation of eighty or ninety persons, with several females of good family, covered with rich jewels, and all joining with great attention and apparent devotion in the responses of the service. His Lordship was particularly pleased with the singing of the Psalms in Tamil to the old German tunes. Christian David well deserves the character I had heard of him, and is indeed an admirable preacher: his manner is eloquent; and his influence over his own countrymen appears considerable. The effect, upon the people, of our Bishop presiding in the church and pronouncing the blessing in their own tongue, was excellent. The Cingalese service was also interesting. It is performed in a Dutch church, called Wolfendorf, a noble simple building, in the form of a Greek cross, with a central dome. Mr. De Saram officiated, and his father, one of the chief Moodeliars, was present. After the service, the Bishop went up and shook hands with the old man, who was quite delighted with this mark of kindness and consideration. His Lordship was almost overcome with his feelings at the altar this morning, especially in the prayers after the Communion. I said, as we drove

home, "I fear you are exhausted.” He said, "I am tired indeed, but I would give some years of my life for such days as this."

We might notice many other days, also busily and usefully spent. At the close of one of them, we find the Bishop expressing, what, alas! has hitherto been a frustrated expectation, that "the diocese (the labour of which, he felt, was fast exhausting his strength) would soon be divided into smaller bishoprics. The slight detail which I have given," adds Archdeacon Robinson, “will enable you to judge how numerous and complicated are the subjects of interest that press on his mind even in this small and remote corner of his immense charge."

September 18th, Sunday.-The Bishop held a Confirmation this morning at seven. The church is at present held in the audiencehall of the late king. About thirty persons were confirmed. His Lordship delivered an address, much altered from the one I had heard from him before, and excellently adapted to local circumstances. The power of seizing on such topics of interest is one among the many beauties of his rich and powerful mind. After we returned home, before breakfast, I was mentioning to him how forcibly it had struck me, during the service, that in that hall where a few years ago the most savage tyrant * received his miserable subjects-and even the English embassy was compelled to be almost prostrate before him-a Christian Bishop was now administering the solemn ordinances of our religion. He leaned his head on his hand and burst into tears. How wonderful is the providence of God in the economy of his church! Never was any people entrusted

• Sri Wikreme Raja, the last king of Candy, was solemnly deposed by a convention of the British authorities and Candian chiefs in the year 1815. He is still living, a state prisoner, in the fort of Vellore.