patience, gentleness, compassionate disposition, and of sweet communion with God, resigned himself endelicate regard for the feelings of others. No one could tirely to his will. His desire, however, once more to be long in his society without perceiving that he was commemorate his Saviour's dying love, at a communion blest with no small portion of the spirit that marks the table, was at length gratified, and frequently afterwards followers of Christ. Worldlings, ignorant of the opera- he was heard to express great thankfulness that he had tions of restraining or sanctifying grace, wondered to see been enabled to attend upon that sacred occasion, in one in the prime of life abstaining, and that without any bodily and spiritual comfort. In the beginning of apparent effort, from irregularities which are commonly August he was removed to Edinburgh, and thence to tolerated, if not approved, in youth, and felt that there the south of Perthshire, where it was hoped he might must be a "pleasantness in wisdom's ways," which derive some benefit from the mild climate, but vain are they had in vain sought in those of folly. There are, all the efforts and plans of friends, when the decree has perhaps, few afflictions incident to mortals, under which gone forth, "Thou shalt die." The dear sufferer beMr Howison bad not been called to suffer, yet was he came rapidly weaker, yet, though his outer man was not cast down. He who had taught him to do his will visibly decaying, his inner man received strength equal enabled bim also to bear his will. He had mourned in to his day. He spoke of his departure as an inevitable bitterness of spirit, yet in joyful hope, over the remains event, and meekly resigned himself and all his concerns of both his parents, and had seen a numerous family of to the care of a covenant-keeping God. When sufferbrothers cut down in their bloom by consumption, the ing severely he would sometimes exclaim, "O for faith seeds of which insidious disease were but too deeply and patience," or, "When will this struggle be over?" rooted in his own constitution; he was himself seldom Then, as if speaking to himself, he added, "I am most free from indisposition, and had experienced many mercifully dealt with," or, "How thankful I ought to severe attacks of illness, yet a complaint never escaped be for this affliction! I fear I was in a very worldly bis lips; his mind appeared at all times in the frame of frame when it began; my proud heart required to be Job, when he said, "Shall we receive good at the hand abased, and my merciful Father laid me in the dust." of God, and shall we not receive evil also?" Passive His sufferings at times, from cough and breathlessness, under his own afflictions, deeply did he sympathize were dreadful; and the enemy of souls appeared to with those of others. No personal interest or con- take advantage of his great weakness, to suggest fears venience were ever suffered by him to interfere with and doubts as to his spiritual state. Upon such occathe calls of friendship, or the duties of humanity. sions, he observed, "Oh! how sad to be distressed in Many affecting instances could be mentioned in proof body and, at the same time, afflicted with the absence of these assertions, did not the limits of this narrative of God's countenance! Lord help me! Give me paprevent their insertion. More than once he was instru- tience," or, "Give me a sweet text, I am very low tomental in saving the lives of individuals, at the imminent day, O for another sight of his blessed countenance." risk of his own. From the period of his being licensed In the evening of a day on which he had been visited as a preacher of the Gospel, his greatest delight was to by two pious friends, he expressed himself thus: “ I deliver from the pulpit his Master's message to lost have had some sweet thoughts to-day, the Almighty sinners; and this he always did in the language of so- has been very kind to me; he sent two of his servants lemn, yet sweet persuasion, and holy boldness. Con- to minister to me. I was much comforted by Mr vinced himself of the great importance of Scripture | W.'s prayer, he is a good man. To be called a child truth, he longed to recommend it to others; and, had it pleased God to spare his valuable life, there is little | doubt but that he would have been a burning and a shining light in the Church of Christ. But the time was approaching when, alas! too soon for those who loved him, he was to be removed to a temple "not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Though suffering from a severe cold, he could not be dissuaded from preaching, whenever an opportunity occurred, during the stormy winter of 1836. His indisposition increased, and before the end of February, an attack of inflammation confined him to a sick-bed, whence, it was feared, he would never arise. However, by the blessing of God upon the means prescribed, a temporary check was given to the disease, he rallied a little, and as spring advanced, was able to enjoy the fresh air in a garden chaise. But the hopes raised by this circumstance proved fallacious. To use the language of one of his affectionate attendants," he drooped like a flower having a worm at the root." From the first it does not appear that he entertained any very sanguine expectations of being restored to health, yet the prospect of being cut off from the land of the living in the prime of life, at a time, too, when his prospects were brightening on all sides, caused him no concern. He mourned his absence from Church privileges, but, enjoying seasons

of God, what a privilege!" Being asked how he felt after a day of comparative ease, he said, “I trust I have been enabled to throw myself more than ever on the Saviour; my mind has enjoyed a sweet peace." That his love to the Saviour was ardent and habitual, the following observations may bear some testimony : "Read to me from the Gospels, in them I can more perfectly realize a Saviour's presence, using his own sweet words." "O to be with Jesus! to serve him without sin." "Avoid vain disputations, and look constantly at the Saviour. Keep him, his offices and his words, constantly in view, whether reading the Old or the New Testament." "O how I hope in the last struggle, that there will be some one near to whisper to me the name of Jesus!" On regret being expressed at the prospect of losing him, he observed, "It is cruel of you to wish to detain me here; is it not better to be with the Saviour? The dark valley must be passed through some time, and why not as well early as late?" When about to separate from a friend, whose blessed privilege it was to attend upon him almost hourly, during some of the last weeks of his life, he said, "Well, dear E., God be with you! never lose sight of the cross of Christ; keep close to it, it leads to glory; and let your prayer for me be, that I may have a speedy dismissal." Though his habitual conduct through life had been,

humanly speaking, in the sight of man, so pure and or observations bearing the same import, were frequently blameless, that, compared with the mass of his fellow- addressed to individuals around him. On the doctrine creatures, he may be said to have been, like Nathaniel, of assurance, his expressions were guarded. "Judge without guile, he disowned all dependence for salvation of your state," said he, "by your love for the Bible and on any thing short of a Saviour's merits; and sought for prayer; if that is cold, take the alarm.' On one for that salvation, to use his own words, as a "miser- occasion, when suffering much from fever and breathable sinner at the foot of the Redeemer's cross." His lessness, he exclaimed, "O, when will this struggle be only source of hope and comfort arose from the fuluess over! O, for patience! patience is more difficult to and freeness of the Gospel provision and promises. attain than resignation. O, if the old Adam were to He delighted to dwell upon such passages as the fol- arise now and get the better of me, what should I do?" lowing: "God so loved the world, that he gave his The respective merits of different ministers and sermons only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him being discussed in his hearing, he said, O, what should not perish, but have everlasting life." "Ho!! would I give to hear but the poorest sermon," alluding every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters, and to style, &c., "that ever was preached within the walls whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely." of God's house." Referring to his own ministerial "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, duties, he said, "I would gladly have spoken again in and I will give you rest." "Him that cometh unto my Master's behalf, but His will be done." Among his me, I will in no wise cast out." Precious to his soul latest remarks were the following: Being asked if he was the doctrine of justification by Christ, and most enjoyed a sure hope, he replied, after a pause, "I am warmly did he recommend it to others. One instance enabled to lie at the foot of the cross." At another may be mentioned, among many, in which the Lord time, "I have no fears as to the Almighty." On hearwas pleased to bless his efforts for the good of souls.ing Dr A.'s opinion that he could not live long, he exCalling one evening on an acquaintance, the conversa- claimed, “He is a messenger from heaven! an angel to tion assumed a serious turn, and in the course of it Mr tell me that I shall soon get rid of this shell, this useless Howison discovered that his young friend was suffering body." He then spoke of the blessed feeling of being a under the terrors of a broken law, and appeared to be child of God; said he "had not a Saviour to seek now; totally ignorant of the way of salvation as provided by had no fears, none." For some time preceding his dethe Gospel. Here was an opportunity of "speaking parture, he lay motionless, and apparently free from for his Master," which Mr Howison. gladly embraced. suffering, when, suddenly, as his friends were watching He proceeded to unfold the glorious scheme of justifi- round his bed, he made a sign to one of them to stoop cation, through faith in the Son of God; the influence down, upon her doing which, he feebly pressed her of that blessed Spirit accompanied the words of instruc- hand between both his, and, applying it to his lips, tion; light broke in upon the mind of the astonished and kissed it several times; soon afterwards he became indelighted youth, and they parted not till, like the Ethio- sensible, and the gentle happy spirit was peacefully dispian Eunuch, he was prepared to go on his Christian way missed, leaving many a heart to sigh, many an eye to rejoicing." Two years after this happy event took weep; for if ever mortal may be said to have possessed place, a lingering disease brought the young disciple to the power of attaching to himself the hearts of his felan early death-bed, from which he wrote to his beloved low-creatures, it was he, and long will his memory be spiritual father in the language of exulting hope and cherished, his instructions be remembered, and his sayperfect peace; thanking him as an instrument, under ings repeated, by all who knew him. In summing up the God, of bringing him to the knowledge of a Saviour's character of this dear departed saint, much might be said matchless love, and rejoicing in the prospect of soon of his natural talents, which were of the highest order, enjoying the purchased possession in the presence of his and of his extensive acquirements, the result of an ardent adorable Redeemer. thirst for knowledge, and the most persevering industry. To him all the works of creation were objects of the deepest interest, and every science by which an acquaintance with them could be cultivated, afforded food for study to his active mind. But it is especially as an enlightened devoted disciple of the Lord Jesus, that he is presented to the general reader. Genuine piety, and its attendant-peace, may be said to have accompanied him almost from the cradle to the grave. Lovely in life, tranquil in death, the Saviour, to whom all his powers were consecrated, prepared him early for a more exalted sphere of action than this infant state of man presents, and removed him to the full enjoyment of the rest that remaineth for the people of God," on the 14th of October, 1836. "He is no longer here, but is risen!"

Mr Howison survived his return to Edinburgh only a few weeks. To the last he suffered much, and could speak but little. His mind, however, seemed at peace; no word of impatience or of murmuring escaped him. In nothing was the sweetness of his disposition more exemplified, than in the grateful manner in which he received the attentions of those who waited upon him. He frequently expressed, in short but endearing terms, his affection for friends, both absent and present. To two young ladies whom he had known from their early childhood, and in whose spiritual welfare he was much interested, he sent a message in the following words: "Tell them I shall never see them again in the body, but I hope to meet them in heaven." To a little boy, to whom he had for years acted a parent's part, he said, "Dear boy! never forget your God, and He will never forget you; pray to Him with your heart, and never forget your prayers." Speaking of an absent friend, he said, "Tell her to mix cheerfulness with religion." He was very desirous to cherish a spirit of humility in himself thers. "Remember you have nothing of your own,"

THE

SCOTTISH CHRISTIAN HERALD,

CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENCE OF MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

BY THE REV. GEORGE BURNS, D.D.,
Minister of Tweedsmuir, Peebles-shire, formerly of St. John's, New Brunswick.

IN realizing the solemnities and delights of a rections by a Committee of the General Assembly.
Scottish Sabbath within the newly formed Pro- In many instances, the versification is far from
vince of New Brunswick, one leading object with being smooth or agreeable to the ear. The fact
the writer of these pages, as its first Scottish is, a literal was more an object of attention than
minister, was the introduction of our national an elegant translation, and we have the satisfaction
psalmody, hitherto unknown in that interesting to know that we utter praise in the very words of
land. This, as might have been expected, was at inspiration. Our version is capable of the same
once hailed with rapture by every Scottish emi- defence with that of Sternhold and Hopkins, for-
grant, reviving, as it did, in his yet unalienated merly used in the Churches both of England and
breast, some of his earliest and dearest associations, Scotland, as compared with the one now authorised
awakening recollections at once "pleasant and in the sister establishment. "The book of Psalms,"
mournful to the soul," if it did not, in every case, says that celebrated Oriental scholar, the late
rekindle, "as by a live coal from off the altar," Bishop Horsley, "is a compendious system of
that hallowed fervour which had well-nigh died divinity for the use and edification of the common
away under the unkindly influence of other habits people of the Christian Church. In deriving the
and other scenes. But, at the same time, there edification from it which it is calculated to convey,
were to be consulted the predilections and anti- they may receive much assistance from a work
pathies of various classes with whose habits and which the ignorance of modern refinement would
hearts the songs of our Zion were not thus de- take out of their hands, I speak of the old singing
servedly interwoven, and who might naturally have psalms, the metrical version of Sternhold and Hop-
urged their first and best impressions as powerful kins. This is not what I believe it is now gene-
advocates in favour of "psalms, and hymns, and rally supposed to be-nothing better than an awk-
spiritual songs," to which the harp of the son of ward version of a former English translation. It
Jesse was never strung. With the view of dis- was an original translation of the Hebrew text,
arming prejudices so natural, and securing a favour- earlier by many years than the prose translation of
able reception of the time-honoured and justly the Bible, and of all that are in any degree para-
cherished" Psalm-book" of our beloved Church, phrastic, as all verse, in some degree, must be, it
the following statements were made, and are here is the best and most exact we have to put into the
introduced, as not altogether unprofitable or un-hands of the common people. The authors of
interesting to our readers :-The version of the
psalms now adopted as the national psalter, was
introduced by the joint authority of English and
Scottish Parliaments, and ratified by the General
Assembly of the Church on the 23d Nov. 1649.
The translation was made by a very distinguished
Hebrew scholar, Francis Rouse, Esq., M.P., one
of Cromwell's Counsellors of State, and preferred,
on account of his acquaintance with the Greek
and Latin languages, to the Provostship of Eton
School. His translation underwent various cor-
No. 6. FEB. 9, 1839.-14d.]

this version considered the verse merely as a contrivance to assist the memory." Listen to the testimony of Boswell, the biographer and friend of Dr Samuel Johnson, in regard to our metrical version of the psalms: "Some allowance must no doubt be made for early prepossessions, but at a maturer period of life, after looking at various metrical versions of the psalms, I am well satisfied that the version used in Scotland is, upon the whole, the best, and that it is vain to think of having a better. It has in general a simplicity [SECOND SERIES. VOL. I.

and unction of sacred poesy, and in many parts its | little difficulty, requiring, in no common degree, transfusion is admirable." And it is well known that when the aid of Sir Walter Scott was asked, with the view of improving our present version, his reply was, to those who made the application, completely satisfactory, and put an end to all further agitation on the subject. It was to the effect that the version now in use throughout the Church of Scotland, with the associations connected with it, could not be improved.

"the wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove." In addition to those labours and trials which he must share in common with his brethren in the bosom of the parent Church and in his own beloved land, he has calls for the exercise of skill and address, caution and prudence, vigilance and circumspection, discernment and discrimination, firmness of principle and strength of character, united with gentleness of disposition and placidity of temper, which are peculiar to himself and the sphere assigned to him by Providence. It is to be recollected, also, that the characters of men undergo a wonderful transmutation from change of place; and while this might form one of the most interesting subjects of intellectual inquiry, it frequently unfolds one of the most trying cases of casuistry to which our ministers abroad are required to address themselves. The affecting truth is, that a process of deterioration is too generally undergone, and that not the less marked and melancholy, that the worldly circumstances have been greatly improved. "When riches increase, set not your hearts upon these," is an admonition which comes with peculiar effect from the pulpits of a flourishing British colony. The struggles of competition during the infancy of the settlement are comparatively little known; and while capitalists of great com

It has been already hinted that the various classes, with their no less various likings and dislikings, interposed a formidable barrier in the way of obtaining a firm footing for our Scottish psalmody and music in the commencing period of Presbyterianism in New Brunswick. It may, therefore, be expected that some characteristic sketches should here be presented with a more general and extended object. The population of the colony is composed, in a large proportion, of the natives of Great Britain and Ireland, with a considerable admixture of Americans, properly so called, Germans, Dutch, Acadian French, African tribes, and Indian aborigines. The natives of the Province, or those actually born within the territory of New Brunswick, are, to a large extent, the children or immediate descendants of persons who had emigrated from the older inhabited countries. And it is well known that birth often determines the religion of the parties. Presby-mercial skill, intelligence, and address have scarcely terianism, as was to be anticipated, has for the greatest proportion of its adherents Scotch and Irish, or the children of such; while natives of the United States and their descendants, occupy a place next to them in point of numbers.

The establishment of Presbytery in Scotland, the prevalence of the same principles in the north of Ireland, and their wide-spread influence along with the kindred tenets of Congregationalism or Independency throughout the Uni ed States, sufficiently account for the strong partialities in their favour, cherished and manifested by those who look to either of those quarters of the world as their father-land. At the same time, it is not meant to be affirmed that none connect themselves with our Scottish Churches abroad who happened to draw their first breath in other regions of the globe than those now specified, or who have English or Welsh blood flowing in their veins. The Dutch almost always attach themselves to their communion, but seldom or never do French, Africans, or Indians intermingle with the worshippers in our Zion. The former and the latter are of the Roman Catholic communion, while the people of colour classed under the other head generally attach themselves to the Methodist or Baptist persuasions. Having to deal with the consciences, the habits, the prejudices, and the feelings of such a variety, not merely of characters, (for that falls to the lot, more or less, of every minister of the Gospel at home or abroad,) but of characters influenced, if not formed, by peculiarities of country, the situation of a colonial clergyman is one of great delicacy, and no

found out the distant field thus opened for enterprise, mercantile adventurers of inferior grade and very humble acquirements are enabled to carry all before them, and are often surprised at their own rapid and distinguished success. Thus raised by the peculiar favour of heaven from circumstances of indigence and obscurity to a station of respectability and independence, they too often want solidity of mind to maintain the right balance in their elevation; they rule with the iron rod of oppression; pride, luxury, or revenge alternately mark their conduct. Had they remained in the land of their nativity, earning a precarious and scanty subsistence, and satisfied in the humble sphere and narrow circumstances which seemed to have been all that was destined for them, they would most probably have been found among the most consistent imitators of Him who was "meek and lowly in heart." But a change of place having resulted in a change of worldly circumstances, propitious far beyond their most sanguine anticipations, the feebleness of a mind, unable to withstand the influence of prosperity, which would have remained concealed amid the obscurity whieh originally surrounded it, has been detected and exposed, while the despotism of newly acquired power, and the indulgence of passions just roused from their lethargy, proclaim to the world that the means of gratification were only wanting to discover the latent tendencies of the heart in all their strength and deformity. In regard to those who move in the humbler walks of life, the shopkeepers, mechanics, artisans, and tradesmen of our colonial possessions, it may be stated as