Lady Drake were pointed out to our observation by the attendant; as was also the picture of a fine boy, which we were told represented the brave Sir Francis in his juvenile days. The portrait too of the lad who accompanied the Navigator in so many of his voyages, is also shown to the stranger; but the picture which principally excited our admiration, was a likeness of "Nell Gwyn," in which she is painted with all the beauty for which she has been so universally extolled. Our attention was next directed to an enormous shield and sword, which warlike weapons were presented by Queen Elizabeth to her brave Admiral, as marks of her royal favour: nor did a gigantic drum, some foreign trophy of the valiant Admiral, escape our notice. The floor of this hall is finely tesselated. Leaving this noble apartment, we followed our conductress up the first flight of stairs, over which the variously stained windows shed a flood of glowing light. On the walls of the corridors were displayed many views of different countries visited by Sir Francis in his voyages. The drawing-rooms of this mansion might seem to a modern eye to be wanting in elegance, but they were venerable with their old-fashioned, substantantial, and quaint furniture. We passed on to King Charles's room, so called because the first king of that name once honoured it by his presence. This apartment is remarkable for its unadorned bed and coarse chintz furniture, and certainly affords a remarkable contrast if compared with the royal couches of the present day. Sir Francis Drake's apartment is furnished with all appliances for comfort. well-arranged stoves; its marble lavers, its spacious couch, its convenient dressing-room, its double windows, &c., all prove that, however Old England in those days might dispense with ornament, she knew then as well as now the value of comfort. Near this apartment is Queen Elizabeth's chamber. The hangings of the bed in this room are a curious specimen of the tapestry of bygone days, and are said to have been the laborious work of the secluded nuns. Its We now ascended an inferior flight of stairs leading to the servants sleeping-rooms. On this landing is an extraordinary" Tailor's board," which really covers as much space as a moderate-sized room, and the surface of which is highly polished. We were informed, that here the tailors anciently belonging to the establishment, made all the garments for the Abbey. From this landing-place we again mounted another flight of steps, and found ourselves in the chapel, which is completely in ruins it still, however, boasts a choice relic; which is no less than the worn-out old clock, which Sir Francis Drake took round the world with him in his celebrated voyage. Alas! Time's Keeper' has been destroyed by TIME: at present a mere wreck of the clock remains. We had, however, the satisfaction of seeing another memento of Sir Francis in good preservation; I allude to the very escritoire which he constantly used on board-ship. Many a valuable document that desk has doubtless contained! Many a thoughtful hour did the brave sailor doubtless spend, while, seated before it, he penned his homeward epistles. Indulging these thoughts, we could not but regard the valued escritoire with the pleasure which arises from interesting associations. Descending again to the entrance of the building, we glanced cursorily at the convenient kitchens, and from thence proceeded to the gardens. A part of the abbey-grounds were tenanted by a farmer, and judging from the thickly-set stacks which we beheld near the barn, it may be supposed that the soil must be very productive. The ruined abbey is kept with very great care, and is almost covered with ivy. Having plucked some flowers from the garden, and left a token of thanks for the obliging housekeeper, we turned our steps homeward, discussing as we walked our pleasant VISIT TO BUCKLAND ABBEY. NIGHT. MINE be the stillest night that e'er From the hush'd depths of silence came ! Burns wisdom's flame. Then shall the calm, the deathless mind, To her forgotten home aspire; And passion from the soul unbind Then sound the Feelings' inmost chords, And Memory from her secret hoards, Empire of radiance, and of gloom, How dark thou art, and yet how bright! Nurse of our sleep, gate of our tomb, Most solemn Night! M. A. S. BARBER. BOASTING EXCLUDED BY THE LAW OF FAITH. BY THE LATE REV. JOHN CLARKSON, Formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. EN are by nature inclined to boast of what they possess: the rich man glories in his riches; the strong man glories in his strength; nay, a man will even glory in his shame. Nothing can be more directly contrary to the spirit of true religion than pride; and yet there is nothing of which men are more inclined to be proud, than of their religious distinctions. The Jews prided themselves on being the seed of Abraham; the Pharisees "thanked God they were not as other men ;" the Romanists boast of being members of the only true church, casting out the rest of mankind as heretics; even the Hindoo and the Mussulman pride themselves on their religious faith, and glory as much in the pride of caste as the Romanist does in the pride of popery. Every religious system contrived by human nature is essentially a system of pride; and many have contrived to convert even the religion which God himself has given us, into a system of pride. Self-dependence and carnal confidence lie at the root of religious error. The way of error is a way of carnal confidence, and its fruit is pride; the way of truth, is the way of humility, and its fruit is love; and St. Paul when stating the broad principles of the gospel to the Romans, endeavours to convince them, that all professors, who abuse divine truth, are boasters ; whatsoever be the system which they may devise. True religion, however, excludes boasting: how? by what law? It is excluded by a dispensation which leads men to depend, not on works, but on Christ by faith. True religion is not a system which leads men to believe that they can find acceptance with God through a meritorious obedience, or which instructs them, that they are capable of rendering such an obedience. If this were the nature of the Christian dispensation there might be room for glorying; but such is not the case: it is not by the law of works that boasting is excluded, but by the law of faith. This is the conclusion at which the Apostle arrives, from considerations previously set forth in the first and second chapters of his epistle to the Romans. In them he proves that the gospel which he preached was the POWER OF GOD unto salvation to every one that believeth; that it came not from man, but from God, and was precisely the same both in its nature and its form, to the Gentile and to the Jew: that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them: so that they are without excuse, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God; neither were thankful; and their foolish heart was darkened. The works of God and the heart of man are so formed, that had man possessed the incliuation he might have known somewhat of God; but giving himself up to the vile affections enumerated by the Apostle, his foolish heart became darkened. St. Paul shows the Gentiles, that all the nations of the earth were alienated from God; that they were living in a state of gross ignorance and wickedness; and that they were doing so against their own judgment, and contrary to the knowledge which God had given them, and were consequently in a state of condemnation. Then, turning to the Jews, he condemns them in like manner: "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art, that judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things;" "and the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you." The Jewish nation was in the same condition with the Gentiles; God was not honoured, but blasphemed by them. "Circumcision," as the Apostle told them, "profiteth, if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision." Practical religion, the religion required by God, is that of the heart; in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. It is not the mere abstinence from gross iniquity; it consists not in the outward observance of forms and ceremonies, but has its place in the heart, and unless it rule and reign there, it is not religion at all. The Apostle then proceeds to show, that the rule of judgment by which he condemns both Jew and Gentile, is according to truth; for it is the judgment of God: "On them that obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil; of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile, for there is no respect of persons with God." It matters not whether a man be a Jew or Greek, Barbarian or Scythian, bond or free; whether he possesses a written record from heaven or not, provided he do not use his knowledge as he ought; for it has been declared that " every man shall be accepted according to his work," whatever be his rank or condition: "he that sinneth without law, shall perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law, shall be judged by the law, in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel." God does not judge according to appearances, as man does; he looks to the heart; and will judge the secrets of all its tempers, passions, affections, and dispositions. It appears from the Old Testament that there never was one child of the offspring of Adam who was not sinful: "they are altogether corrupt, they are all gone out of the way, there is none that doeth good, no not one; their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have used deceit, their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift to shed blood, there is no fear of God before their eyes." Such is the description it gives us of the character of man. "What the law saith, it saith to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God: therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." The more earnestly we endeavour to keep our whole conduct, temper, language, imaginations and affections, in obedience to the law of God, the more deeply we shall be convinced of sin; the more sensible shall we become "that by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified." Where is boasting then? By the law is the knowledge of sin. Man never was capable of so obeying the law as to obtain acceptance by it, and restoration to the Divine favour ; for if there had been a law which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law but that the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh. It was impossible that man could obtain acceptance in this way; therefore the works of the law were never ordained by God for that end; but "the righteousness of God is unto all, and upon all, them that believe." "No flesh can be justified by the law;" but God provided a way by which man might be justified, even by the "righteousness of God unto all and upon all them that believe." All who simply believe in the Saviour are accounted righteous for his name's sake, and are accepted and blessed of God; not for what they have done, but for what he did for them. Where is boasting then? The penitent believer listening with devout attention to the Divine declaration delivered by St. Paul, (Romans iii. 24-26,) confesses his guilt; cries out "What shall I do to be saved?" looks to him who bare our sins in his own body on the tree, and is freely justified by his grace. From his inmost heart he says, with Job," I have heard of thee |