the pen of Dr. Onderdonk, an assistant minister of Trinity Church, New-York, of which Bishop Hobart was the rector; a sufficient fund being not yet raised for the separate endowment of the bishopric, which is therefore in some measure connected with the discharge of pastoral duties.*

In this discourse of the Bishop's colleague, prepared, as it professes to have been, under the agitation and distress of the moment, (for it was delivered at the funeral of the Bishop, and on the evening of the fourth day only after his decease, which took place at Auburn, 320 miles distant), we are struck with the marks of undissembled grief which the whole tenor of it evinces. It is the language of one, (and we are not unacquainted with the reverend author,) who has written his discourse, and we are sure must have delivered it, under emotions, against which it was impossible effectually to contend. The text is from St. John v. 35—“ He was a burning and a shining light; and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light." But, dismissing with a few pertinent observations the immediate occasion of these words, and adapting them to the mournful subject before him, he proceeds directly to unburthen his grief in the following affecting language:

When the words of my text first met your ears, your minds reverted at once to a burning and a shining light, which has been-not extinguished-but taken from us, and called to mingle with the pure splendour of perfect day

We weep not for the father and the friend, who has rested from his toils, his anxieties, and his sorrows. We weep not that a good and faithful servant has been called to the joy of his Lord. We weep not at his gain, but, oh, we do weep at our loss. We weep because a burning and shining light, in which we had so long been wont to rejoice, has been taken from us. Sorrow fills the hearts of many who remember how that light shone upon their path, to direct in the way they thould go, the steps of their childhood and their youth. Many a penitent weeps when he remembers how, from the ministrations of the beloved and venerated one who lies before us, light has flashed conviction of sin upon his mind,―laid open the recesses of his corrupt and guilty heart, and led him for refuge to the grace of an all-sufficient Saviour, where he has found mercy, whence peace and comfort have been derived, and in the guidance and strength of which he now goes on his way rejoicing. The bitter tear of bereavement is shed over those dear remains by many who, in the trials and afflictions of life, have been soothed and cheered by the light of heavenly consolation, emanating from the friendly and pastoral offices so congenial with the kind and benevolent nature of the good man whose loss we now deplore. The confirmed Christian laments that he is never more to be blessed with his instructions, who so well conducted him in the ways of truth and holiness. The anxious inquirer respecting the things that belong to his everlasting peace, weeps sorely that that voice is hushed

* For the service of Trinity, however, which being the oldest in the city, is styled the mother-church, and two other large churches in connexion with it as chapels of ease, three assistant ministers are appointed, who officiate alternately. The Rev. William Berrian, D. D. a relation of the Bishop; the Rev. Benjamin T. Onderdonk, D. D. and the Rev. I. F. Schroeder, A M.- -men of sound learning and piety, whose laborious and conscientious fulfilment of their duties would do honour to any church.

whence he has derived so much clear light of satisfaction and comfort. The lover of truth laments that the fearless champion has sunk in death, who was ever its ready, enlightened, and valiant advocate and defender; who set his eye and his mind immovably on what his conscience told him was the right and the truth, and thither directed all the powers of an extraordinarily clear and vigorous intellect, unbiassed by minor and collateral considerations; undaunted by what, to the self-interested, would be appalling difficulties; rising above all motives unconnected with principle and moral obligation; and going right onward generally to a successful issue, always to the firm establishment of a claim to the testimony of a good conscience, that he had well and faithfully performed what he was honestly convinced was his bounden duty.-Pp. 7, 8.

Referring to the estimation in which the Bishop was held, by those who had the best opportunities of knowing him, Dr. Onderdonk subjoins :

To them indeed he appeared in all the lustre of "a burning and a shining light;" burning with a zeal, tempered indeed by the most extensive and correct knowledge of spiritual things, and therefore too pure, holy, and rational to run wild in the extravagances of enthusiasm and disorder; yet truly ardent, deeply felt, and energetically practised. ... ... Such a pattern of piety has been removed from before our eyes. Great was our privilege in having been so long permitted to rejoice in its light; and, blessed be the sweet remembrance of the just even the grave cannot extinguish that light.

We shall make no apology to our readers for the length of the following extracts, which describe the closing scene of Bishop Hobart's life, especially as the documents from which they are taken, are not, in this country at least, in general circulation.

The lovely simplicity which had marked the piety of this devoted prelate during life, forsook not that which shed its sweet influences over his dying hour. His expressions were brief, unaffected, and unadorned, but full of meaning. Referring to the brightness of the sun, of which, in his characteristic fondness for the works of nature, he begged that he might have a fuller view, he spoke in admiration of its beauties; but it was the admiration of a Christian looking up from providence to grace: "This is indeed delightful; but there is a Sun of Righteousness." This evinced his views of the strong foundation of all his hopes, and the only source of all his joys. "There is a Sun of Righteousness.”—In this light he saw that only light which brought true comfort and refreshment to his soul; and, rejoicing in that light, he was enabled to give evidence of the humble composure and serenity of his mind. There were three favourite ejaculations often on his lips; God be merciful to me a sinner.—God's will be done.-Goobe praised for all his mercies.

GOD be merciful to me a sinner,-the effectual fervent prayer which was the blessed mean of justification to the humble and contrite publican.

GOD's will be done, the devout ejaculation of our divine Exemplar in the days of his suffering humanity. And it was attended with the devout prayer that he might not say this only because he must, because God's will must have its course; but that he might feel it,—that it might be the language not of constraint, but of his heart,—of willing, cheerful resignation..-Dr. Onderdonk, pp. 14, 15.

From the discourse of the Rev. Mr. Cuming, who watched the Bishop's pillow during his last illness, we transcribe the following particulars :

When suffering the most agonizing pain he exclaimed, "Oh, this pain is distressing, yet what is it compared with what my Saviour endured? I will not

complain; I will not complain; God's will be done! He often repeated the following declaration of the psalmist, "Like as a father pitieth his own children, even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him, to them that love him; adding, at one time as he repeated it, “Oh, I do: do I not love that gracious Being? Will he not then pity me, his child? God be praised for this precious promise!" When the moving litany of Bishop Andrews, which himself had copied into one of his invaluable works, was used in his sick room, he observed, "Oh, in what endearing relations does this doctrine of the Trinity exhibit to us the blessed Godhead! Be sure that in all your preaching the doctrines of the cross be introduced; no preaching is good for any thing without them."

It will not be supposed that one who had stood forth so fearlessly in defence of the Church, of which he was such a singular ornament and such an able champion, forgot her now that he perceived he was so soon to be taken from her visible fold. To his principles he adhered to the very last. Measures which he disapproved of in the early days of his ministry, and in the maturity of his more advanced years, he disapproved of now. Upon this subject, however, he said but little; but what he did say was peculiar and emphatic, and full fraught with meaning. His language was, "I well,-disapprove of them! note that." And in reference to his approaching dissolution, and to the future condition of the Church, he remarked, "Her affairs will be managed by other hands: God, however, will be with her; God will defend her." I observed to him, “ The promise, Bishop, is, The gates of hell shall not prevail against her." "Yes," he replied, "that promise is sure: God be praised for his mercies; God's will be done."-Rev. F. H. Cuming, p. 30.

Another part of this affecting scene is thus described by a Clergyman, who long enjoyed the Bishop's intimate friendship, the Rev. Mr. Anthon:

How like the Bishop was that consideration and tenderness which sought to allay the painful sense of responsibility felt by his despairing physician! Again and again he would say, "My dear Doctor; give me your hand, it soothes me; you have been very kind and faithful to me; you have been most judicious in your treatment of me; you will not lose your reward; for whether I live or die, you have done your duty. God will bless you; my Saviour will bless you." In the early part of his illness the Bishop frequently reminded his friends that it was the third attack of the kind; and one such, he had no doubt, would some day be his end. Perhaps," said he, "this may be that one; if so, God's will be done. O pray for me, that I may not only say this, but feel it,-feel it as a sinner; for, bear me witness, I have no merit of my own: as a guilty sinner would I go to my Saviour, casting all my reliance on him,-the atonement of his blood. He is my only dependence-my Redeemer, my Sanctifier, my God, my Judge.

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He remarked with energy, I have been told, that he freely forgave all,—that he was at peace with all men; expressing at the same time with this evidence of his charity, as it might be expected, an unwavering confidence in the principles which he had espoused and so long and ably advanced. Conscientious advocate for truth! Like Bishop Ravenscroft, who had just before him passed to his reward, higher than its source he had not attempted to carry the Church; lower than its origin he would not degrade it; and only by its proper proofs would he acknowledge it.

"Fixed and steady to his trust,

Inflexible to truth, and obstinately just."

But the time of his departure was at hand; and, having fought a good fight, and kept the faith, he was now ready to be offered up. When informed that the hope of his recovery was over, the Bishop, with a firmness and composure in his manner which melted every heart, uttered the words, "Well, God's will be

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done." O Death, where then was thy sting? Happy is he who in that trying moment, hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God. Yet ere he laid aside the burden of the flesh, and went forth to meet his Lord, he desired once more the pledges of his love, that by them he might be comforted and refreshed. "The sacrament, the sacrament," said he, "that is the last thing— that is all, let me have it." And now, my brethren, what a scene was it their happiness to witness who knelt at his bed side! What an example of humility, faith and hope, clinging to his Saviour and rejoicing in his love. The banquet of that most heavenly food is made ready. The lowliest of confessions begins, 'Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness which we from time to time most grievously have committed by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine Majesty." At these words, "by thought, word, and deed," the Bishop stopped his friend who was officiating, and said, "You know the Church expects us to pause over these words; pause now, repeating one of the words at a time, till I request you to go on." This was done; and the pauses in each case were so long, that a fear passed over our minds that he had lost his recollection or fallen asleep. This, however, proved not to be so; he repeated each word, and after the third pause, added, "Proceed, I will interrupt you no more. The prayer of consecration being ended, and just before he received the elements, he asked to hear read the ninety-third hymn.* As soon as this was done he sung clearly the second and third verses,-his last triumphant song on earth.

"And worthy is the Lamb, all power,

Honour, and wealth, to gain,

Glory and strength; who, for our sins,
A sacrifice was slain.

"All worthy thou, who hast redeem'd,
And ransom'd us to God;
From every nation, every coast,
By thy most precious blood."

The promise of that merciful Saviour cannot fail; they which have thus believed do enter into rest. In the dawn of the first day of the week, the emblem of that rest, and of a blissful resurrection, the warfare of our beloved father was accomplished, and his spirit passed without a struggle to the bosom of his God. "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."

On perusing such a narrative as the foregoing, how appropriately may it be said,

"The chamber where the good man meets his fate,

Is privileged beyond the common walk

Of virtuous life, quite in the verge of heaven.
Fly, ye profane ! if not, draw near with awe."

A concise statement of the overwhelming labours of this distinguished prelate, and of the monuments of indefatigable industry he has left behind him, was given in our last. The extent of his visitations, and the numerous offices requiring to be performed in them, may be traced in his journal annually laid before the convention: but the excessive fatigue and exhaustion incidental to such service, can scarcely be understood by those who are unacquainted with the disadvantages of travelling by land in the interior of North America;

* The Rubric of the American Communion Service, appoints that a hymn should be sung in this place.

and the incessant requirements of personal friendship, to which such a character was liable.

That Bishop Hobart fell a martyr to his zeal in the discharge of his momentous functions, cannot be doubted. The fervent piety which influenced that zeal, and the unfeigned humility with which it was accompanied, are beautifully exhibited in the preceding extracts. What follows, will serve also to show that he was alike eminent for consistency.

Of Bishop Hobart (observes Mr. Anthon) it may be said, as it was of Bishop Heber, who also expired in the midst of a laborious visitation of his flock, "There was nothing on which his intellect was bent, no prospect on which his imagination dwelt, no thought which occupied habitually his vacant moments, but the furtherance of that grand design of which he had been made a principal instrument," the glory of his Saviour, and the best interest of his Church.

In one of his earliest works, published three-and-twenty years ago, this was the standard which our Bishop lifted up, "My banner is, EVANGELICAL TRUTH, APOSTOLICAL ORDER. Firm and undaunted-I must summon to my sacred cause whatever powers nature (alas! as yet, indeed, too little cultivated by the laborious hand of study) has bestowed upon me; whatever ardour, whatever zeal, nature has enkindled in my bosom. It were vain to rest here. I must arm myself by imploring the grace of Him whose glory it is to make often the humblest instrument the victorious champion for the truth." Yes, my brethren, For the Church of God! For the Church of God!* This was his standard; and through good report and evil report, prompt in decision, fearless and firm in act; with a vigilance that never slept, and an ardour that never tired, he has borne it onward, even unto death."-Pp. 9, 10.

Our limits oblige us to curtail these quotations; but we should not do justice to our readers, if we omitted to notice the peculiarly interesting and successful manner, in which Dr. Wainwright has recalled the image of the departed Bishop, fresh to the recollections of all who knew him.

In this place, and on this sacred day, he will first be brought to our minds in those public official duties in which he chiefly delighted, which he performed with such distinguished excellence and success, and in which it was our enviable privilege often to behold him. With what ardent love for the souls of men did he enter the sacred desk, and there put forth the energies of his mind and the affections of his heart, to speak of the things which make for our eternal peace! The sounds of his animated and pathetic eloquence have hardly yet ceased from our ears, and his energy and grace of expression we can yet see in the picture of our minds. As a preacher of the gospel he was powerful and convincing; and its peculiar doctrines he exhibited in a faithful and uncompromising spirit. . . . Nor did he fail to explain and inculcate the moral duties, and to enforce the precepts of religious wisdom as applied to all the relations of man, with which the Scriptures abound, and to which our blessed Saviour's sermon on the mount was devoted. But then, in this department of the preachers duty, he was not the cold and formal expounder of ethics derived from heathen philosophy, and slightly modified and confirmed by the gospel :-No; in the spirit of the gospel he proclaimed all its truths, doctrinal as well as moral, and moral obedience was enforced on the ground of faith, and its attainment was encouraged through the influences of the Holy Spirit helping our infirmities, and given in answer to constant fervent prayer.

*The dying exclamation of Archbishop Whitgift.