:

for this, commissioned Overberg to visit all the village schools of the district. Some of the bad, superfluous, and unlicensed were closed, and instead of two or three inconvenient, one more convenient erected then every schoolmaster who offered himself for examination, and passed it creditably, had a yearly salary secured him of twenty, thirty, or even forty thalers (each about 3s. 1d.), according to the population of his parish. The examination was to be repeated every three years, and they who wished to improve themselves were advised to attend the Normal school at Munster. The expences of this attendance were all to be paid for them; and in order that there might be no material omission of their school duties, the attendance at the Normal school was restricted to the usual time of their vacation, from August 21 to the beginning of November. On this being settled, from twenty to thirty old schoolmasters attended Overberg, and most thoroughly exercised his patience and charity, by their indescribable helplessness and incapacity for learning: from nine to twelve, and from two to five, he instructed them in the principles of teaching, in religion, in Scripture history, in reading, writing, and arithmetic. He carefully prepared himself for this, by one and a half hour's study; and he spent the rest of the day in reading with the most backward. Hopeless as all this trouble seemed at first, in a few years the result was rich in blessings.'

The spirit by which Overberg was actuated is strikingly evinced in the following extract from his journal:

O God, help me ever more and more to imitate the manner of teaching of thy beloved Son, so divinely simple, short, clear, and easily remembered. Grant, that before I propose any thing to the children, I may ask myself,

Is

it necessary ? Is it useful? Is there not something more useful which ought to be preferred to it Is it sufficiently comprehensible? What is my object in proposing it? Will it, when known, give them only an appearance of learning, &c.? If so, away with it.

· Feb. 7. 1790. Thou art teaching me, O my God, more and more for my own experience, that of myself I can do nothing. When I fear that the teaching which thou hast committed to me will not go on well, then I am surprised at its success, and the contrary happens when I say, this time I shall succeed.' Is not this an intimation from thee, not to trust on my own strength? May thy grace help me to translate this into practice. O God, how many are thy favours; even to-day I observed that thou takest away my usual impediment to clear and loud utterance, whenever I have to speak in the church to the children. Ever grant me, O Lord, the grace, (undeserving though I be from having so frequently withstood it) the grace, that in all I do, particularly as regards these children, I may look to thy will alone. O Father, my Father in Christ Jesus, do thou be with me, that I do not make the instruction of thy little ones needlessly difficult, giving them hard food instead of milk; chaff instead of corn; attending too much to some, and neglecting others. Thou hast permitted me to enter upon a new way of instruction; if it be not better, if it be not thy will that I should go on in it, do thou call me back; if it be thy will, make it so clear to me, that I err not, and lead the children into bypaths, from which I must lead them back again. I am unworthy of thy favour, but thou wilt not turn away from these little ones, sanctified by the blood of thy Son, and hence I rely on thy assistance. May I be wholly thine, and so do more for thy honour and the good

of others. O, may not the trust which others place in me be disappointed.

Thus did Overberg perform the apparently simple and easy duty of teaching children with a deep and holy earnestness, as in God's sight, and in the strength obtained by prayer. He knew and confessed what an important charge is the education of youth in prayer and filial intercourse with God.

'Such was his earnestness in the common daily teaching, and the blessings for which he prayed, attended it, not merely on the sensitive hearts of the young, but it softened also many hardened by age; still his earnestness was doubled when the time for the Sacrament drew near. He latterly took down, as we have said before, the names of the probable communicants a year before, and began carefully to observe the state of each, and direct them accordingly. The more immediate instruction was given during an hour and a half daily during Lent, till the Third Sunday after Easter. He then gave them a compendium of the doctrines of Christianity, and to guard himself against digressions, he wrote out his Lectures at length daily. These were attended by many adult hearers, particularly of the theological students, many of whom carried away the matter in their note books, however little they might be warmed by all the piety which animated the author. On Thursdays and Sundays during Lent, no strangers were admitted, because these days were devoted to repetition and examination in previous lessons. Besides this public teaching, he instructed, exhorted, and warned them unceasingly in private, according to the character and circumstances of each. He led them as their confessor, to reflect on the truths of salvation, to prayer, and particularly to careful examination of conscience.

From time to time he prayed in the school for these communicants. and as the day approached, he sent for the parents, put before them their duty to their children, particularly that of personal example, and made them promise to fulfil it. Whilst the children promised in writing that they would walk according to the gospel, avoiding the danger to their faith and virtue, and using the means of grace; for himself, his earnest prayer was that he might be influenced in the selection of candidates, by nothing but their piety, and such was his zeal and anxiety in all this, that he frequently had some illness when it was over.

'During the course of the year, after the first sacrament, the communicants were required to go to the Lord's table, from time to time together, and he always prepared them for it.'

My getting confused (he says on another occasion) and annoyed when the instruction did not go on as I wished, shewed me what mixed motives yet governed me: my satis-. faction depended not so much on my own conduct, as on the result of the satisfaction it gave to others; and although I struggled against all of this, it was not so earnestly as I ought to have done. O Lord Jesus, have mercy upon me, and blot out all my misdeeds! Make me a clean heart, and so shall I teach thy babes thy way!

In order to avoid these faults in future, I will now take down the names of those who will probably attend the communion next year; so that I may observe the state of their heart and mind, during the whole time. I will pray for them and when I think it will do good, I will mention them in the public prayers of the school. But, Lord, how can I have this singleness of view? Thou must give it, and the strength to act accordingly; I will fight, unwilling though I be, and do Thou grant

on

The child and the man, the small and the great, seemed equally dear and equally important to him, for he looked each only as an immortal soul, bought by the blood of Christ, and his learned and respected friends were sometimes annoyed when, having been long waiting in his ante-room, they saw only some old country-woman or notorious beggar come out of the study. He tried to become all things to all men, in order to win some to Christ, and he thought as much about the confession of a poor child, as of any elevated person.

'His countenance and first intercourse gave confidence immediately. Thus he once felt himself impelled in a cold rainy evening cold rainy evening to go out, and then saw a man at one moment standing still, and then carefully looking round, proceeding hastily forward. Overberg contrived to come up with him, and saluting him in a friendly manner, attempted a conversation; this the stranger at first rather rejected, but soon admitted; and ultimately becoming open, confessed that he had been a great sinner from his youth, and now the measure of desperation was full, and he intended to put an end to his life.

Will you be better off by that?' said Overberg; the other was startled, and Overberg addressing him with impressive sympathy, took him home, heard his confession, and from that hour saw him begin to be a changed character.'

In the year 1809, Overberg was appointed Regent of the Theological Seminary at Munster, and in this character was called upon to give theological lectures in the University, on subjects chiefly of a practical nature. His own labours for Christian perfection,' says his biographer, had given him great experience in spiritual

life; self-observation had opened to him the secret folds of the human heart, and each reproof and exhortation hit the point aimed at, whilst his example was even more influential than his precepts.

'He was awoke by his servant at half-past four, and before the latter got out of the room he raised himself in his bed and then got up immediately. He used to say that the first offering of the day should be to God, not to our own feelings; when the day begins with Him it goes on well, and there seems an analogy between the impressions of the morning of the day and of life, and they are equally influential. To his private meditations and prayers he would often join a hymn. Subsequently he went to the public prayers of the students, and then generally retired for a short time again to his private devotions. Next to a portion of Scripture, to the apostolic confession, and the rich hymns of praise of antient Christians, he used for his daily improvement the writings of Tauler, Kempis, &c. and during the day gave an hour to his breviary. The labours of the day were those of his office as Regent; and connected with this, his duties in the committee for the management of the government schools; he lectured at the Normal school, preached, catechised, heard confessions, visited the sick, was continually publishing, and besides all this, wrote an incredible number of letters, all of which contained some spiritual remark peculiarly adapted to raise and strengthen the reader. How he kept up such a correspondence is difficult to imagine, when we recollect that he had scarcely a quarter of an hour to himself the whole day.'

In 1818, Overberg was visited with a severe illness, and from this time to 1824, his strength gradually declined. Writing to an old friend, he said, I think the days of the

years of my pilgrimage will soon be ended. Thanks to the Lord who has sustained me thus far and who will sustain me to the goal. It seems hard to nature when one power after another passes away, but, my dear friend, is it not better that the Lord should so unclothe us by degrees, rather than roll us in the fulness of our strength into the grave; this gradual unclothing teaches us more clearly our feebleness, leads us more to true humiliation under the hand of God, and enables us to bring one offering after the other to him. Lord, wilt thou take away my sight? Good -I give it up as an offering to Thee, with thanks that Thou hast so long lent it to me, and wilt receive it again as an offering from me. Wilt thou take away my powers of speech, hearing, writing, moving? Good, Lord, also.

'The establishment of the Normal School at Buren was a great satisfaction to him.

'He now said, I can die in peace, the seminary at Buren will supply my place; and although he went on with his lectures and labours with his usual zeal, he was making preparations for his departure, by arranging his papers, settling his public and private affairs, self-examination, &c. Once he sent for his colleague, the Vicar Bullenhar, and said, I think I shall die ere long, and yet I have a great deal to say to you;' and on seeing his friend in tears, he added, 'Be composed, we must have one parting; sit down beside me.'

gent of the episcopal seminary, and giving out the evening meditations; in the course of these he was now come to the duty of a clergyman towards the parish school, and thus by a remarkable coincidence, he urged on this the last evening of his life, that which had all along been its greatest object, the religious education of the young. He had finished all that was necessary on the subject, and arisen to go away, when he again sat down and said, When I was in Everswinkle, a neighbouring priest fell sick, a most estimable man, who, to a zealous fulfilment of all his duties, had paid particular attention to the school, and gone there three or four times every week. Believing his death to be at hand, he sent for me in the night to remain with him, and so spare an aged friend who had already confessed him, and administered the sacraments. I found him weak, but perfectly collected; he spoke of his death, and of that judgment to which he must soon come : 'I have endeavoured to fulfil all my duties as faithfully as I could; I rely on God's mercy, and have no fears for the judgment, except on account of the schools, for which I have not worked as I might have done. I did not make my visits to them so useful as they might have been, and I am in great anxiety in consequence. I would fain live three years more, in order to repair the deficiency.' But this man was known as a zealous pastor, and I knew that he often visited his schools; but when I saw that he still remained selfcondemned, I made a resolution that night to spare no exertions which should seem to me either necessary or useful for the best interests of the children. The recollection of this event has often comforted me, when those apparently fruitless labours which we so often have with children, were making me impatient; may it be

the same with you, and then all will go well: good night.'

Thus did the faithful teacher take leave of his pupils, and retire to rest. When his servant went to awake him the next morning, he found him half dressed, and lying senseless on the bed, with his head hanging over the side. The servant thought he was dead, but calling for assistance, and placing him in the bed, his senses soon returned, and it then appeared that he had slept through the night, and was taken with the fit whilst dressing. Two physicians were sent for, and they had hopes of his recovery; on their forbidding him all study, he said, Yes, philosophising is

now over.'

Towards evening, when he got out of bed, a spasm of the limbs seized him, and he stood for a short time without breathing, his hands outstretched, his mouth half open, and his eyes turned upwards; when his senses returned, he prepared himself to receive the sacrament, and this he did after confession, with great comfort; he went through the prayers with a low voice, and warmly thanked his confessor when it was over.

The next day he was in the same bodily state, whilst his mind was remarkably cheerful and collected, enjoying, as was thought, the prospect of that speedy dismissal which his changing features shewed to be approaching.

In the evening he wished to get up, and desiring the nurse to retire, he was assisted by two friends to Being seated in his chair

do so.

he laid his head on the pillow, and on being asked if he had pain there, he said, 'Not exactly pain, but my head is very confused; still even this is cause of thankfulness, for when our faculties are getting feeble we can more easily bring them as an offering to God from feeling (he added smiling) we can make little use of them now ourselves.'

NOVEMBER 1838,

'When his bed was ready he was assisted by his friends to it, and on their going away, he desired the nurse to sit quiet and he would try to sleep. Very shortly after this she heard an unusual noise, and going to the bed he muttered, "Jesus to thee I live, Jesus to thee I die." She ran into the Normal School where the examination at the end of the term was going on, and called out, Overberg is dying.' The professors and some pupils hastened to his room, but he was already gone.'

Such was the end of Bernard Overberg. In reviewing his character we are compelled to observe a very painful degree of obscurity as to the only sure foundation of a Christian's hope, namely,-the atoning sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. There appears in his whole conduct a deep and abiding sense of sinfulness and unworthiness, a humiliation before God on account of the defects of his duties and bis attainments, and an ardent aspiration after higher degrees of holiness;-but there is not that distinct recognition of salvation by the righteousness of Christ, or of sanctification by the power of the Holy Spirit which we could desire. Doubtless this arose from the defective system under which he was educated. Overberg was a member of the Romish communion-in that communion he continued to his death; and it follows almost as a necessary consequence that confession to men, absolution by men ; imitation of human models; attachment to mystical writers, all combined, to draw off his attention from the Psalmist's declaration, "I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord, and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin."

Yet Overberg was far in advance as compared with Romanists in general; and has doubtless done much to promote the cause of true religion; this was especially owing to the wise regulation of the

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