A mariner, amid the gale,

Plighted to Heaven his solemn vow: And grateful for his mercies past,

And for deliverance in that hour, Reared on yon tor, of granite vast, That lowly pile, with darksome tower.

And there the wintry blast it braves,

The pelting rain, the drifting snows; And when the thunder tempest raves,

Scathless its humble front still shews; While 'neath its roof shines forth a light, That makes all lights of Nature dim, The lamp of God set on a height,

To guide each wanderer home to him.

O many a tower of haughty pride
Has since by war been overthrown;
And many a hall left nought beside
Some broken shaft, or mossy stone:
The wise, the noble, and the brave,
Have, with their mansions, passed away,
While here, beside the peasant's grave,
Old fane, thy walls resist decay.

'Tis thus, O Lord, above the waste
Of sin and death, thy temple stands,-
High amid stormy tempest placed,
That pile unbuilt by human hands.
And long and loud has been the strife
Of Satan, and the sons of guile,

To rend that holy place of life,
To lay in dust that sacred pile.

But still alone,-in simple might,
Undecked by outward pomp of art,
It glads the Christian's aching sight,
It cheers the Christian's aching heart.
Nor time, nor chance,-nor human power,
Nor fiends of darkness, shall prevail,
To smite that heavenward beacon-tower,
Which guides the wanderer through the gale.

Land of my sires, e'en so may'st thou
On Christ, the Rock of Ages, long
Behold thy Church, though menaced now,
Sure founded, sanctified, and strong.
Stedfast, whate'er the tempest strife

That fain would its foundations shake,-
The portal of eternal life,

Preserved for thy Redeemer's sake.

The blood of martyrs has been shed,
That ancient Church's walls to found;
Why should their sons, in madness led,

E'er seek to raze them to the ground?
Lord of all might, thy power impart
Aside to turn such evil day!
Thy temple build in every heart,
And be thy grace our only stay.*

* Brent-tor, or the Burning Tor, is an abrupt and striking elevation, on Dartmoor, between Tavistock and

HYPOCRISY.

FAWCETT.

So va

It would be difficult to point out the different shades and degrees in which hypocrisy exists, and the various forms which it assumes. rious are these forms, that if we take the most remote of them, we shall find men brought by the

Lydford; in remote times, judging by its name, a beaconstation. The antique and rude church of granite, which crowns its summit, and, at a distance, appears a pinnacle of the rock itself, is of unknown date and origin. The tradition of its having been built by a mariner, in gratitude of deliverance from shipwreck, is the current one; but, probably, its elevated site was really chosen to ren der it, while built for a house of prayer, at the same time subservient to the purpose of a landmark,—a very needful object in snowy and stormy weather at the present day, and far more so, when roads 'there were none,' on the wild and solitary waste above which it towers. Sincerely, though he trusts without bigotry, attached to the Church of England himself, the writer hopes his Christian brethren, even of other denominations, can enter into his feelings on beholding a place of Christian worship (where God's word is read, and the atoning mercies of a Redeemer pleaded, each Sabbath, in prayer) on a height named after the idol of our forefathers,-the thunder-wielding Thor,-whose memory is thus associated with many a similar eminence in the West of England, and on which, it is possible, his votaries have, ere now, invoked his imaginary power in superstitious awe.

same hypocrisy to opposite extremes in conduct: some hypocritically professing more religion than they really possess, others hypocritically concealing the religious convictions which they feel; some engaging in religious duties for which they have no relish to obtain praise from men, others, for the sake of this same praise from men of a different description, not venturing on those religious duties to which conscience urges them. Nay, in the very same person, both these opposites will often be combined; and he will sometimes be more and sometimes less religious than the pure consideration of conscience towards God would lead him to be, according to the nature of the duty before him, or the character of the persons with whom he is. Some duties are fashionable, and these have many advocates; others are singular, and these few will venture to perform, because they have not the sanction of the world. So to be religious, in religious company, is no hard matter; and many a man then discovers what an excellent thing religion is, who in other company is a very different character.

Of the many that attend public worship, few, perhaps, have family worship in their own houses; and, perhaps, fewer still will venture to introduce religious discourse into ordinary conversation. There are some religious acts which are popular, these many will do; but there also irreligious practices which are popular, these they will do also. We must be like other people, is a very common

expression with such persons; but let them understand that, if they would be religious to any purpose, they must, in many things, not be like other people. Saint Paul has said, "Be not conformed to this world;" and those who dare not openly profess Christ, nor go any further in religion than the world will allow them, will find, at last, that the fear of God which is taught by the precepts of man, is nothing better than hypocrisy in God's esteem, and will be treated as such in the great day.

In considering the temptations which lead to hypocrisy, it may be proper to observe that the character is generally formed by circumstances. Perhaps few instances could be found, of men deliberately determining on a system of hypocrisy in the beginning of their course; but, either from the desire of esteem, or the fear of reproach, their religion is gradually moulded into a conformity with that of the world around them;-or else, peculiar circumstances betray them into grosser instances of hypocrisy. The temptations which have most frequently produced this mournful effect, are such as the following.

A hasty profession of religion often proves a temptation to this sin. A young person, brought up among religious friends, hearing much of religion, and finding it approved, and being bound in duty to join in many religious exercises, may be led to estimate his own character and attainments too highly; to consider some good impres