THE LAURISTINUS. 141 



ing our brethren in that most interesting portion of 

 the British dominions. 



It was, as I have said, in a remote corner of the 

 emerald isle, that the Lord planted this flourishing 

 tree of righteousness, within the sanctuary of His 

 church. He was indeed, a faithful pastor, burning 

 with zeal, overflowing with love, and singularly 

 gifted for the peculiar work to which he was called. 

 There was an exuberance of animal spirits, a fund 

 of rich humour, a perpetual flashing of original 

 wit, that would perhaps have been unsuitable to 

 his high and holy office, and which, therefore, the 

 Lord might have seen fit to subdue, had he not 

 been stationed where such qualifications exactly 

 fitted him to win the attention of those around, and 

 so to lead them to give audience, even where they 

 had been instructed to repel, with brutal force, 

 every attempt to fill their ears with sound doc- 

 trine. Of all characters, I know none more dis- 

 gusting than a clerical buffoon : but far from the 

 slightest approximation to such an anomaly was 

 our dear brother S. Even the sparkles of his wit 

 were bright with fire from the altar of God, and 

 the quaint expressions that extorted a smile from 

 every hearer, were never culled for effect : — it was 

 the natural eloquence of a mind full of noble sim- 

 plicity, and venting the abundance of its treasures 

 too eagerly to pause over the medium by which 

 they were conveyed. To set forth Christ crucified, 



