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See how the tide-wave rolls round the world, attracted by them, and following their path. And do you think that the soul of man is less responsive than the wild waves to an impulse from on high? No: in the believer's heart a current of warm affections will set in towards God; and though broken and disordered by the rugged remnants of sin, it will shew, by its general direction, what power it follows and obeys. And if the righteousness of a professing servant of Christ does not really exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees, we pronounce, on our Saviour's authority, his profession worthless. A sanctified heart is always the evidence of a justifying faith; and wherever the former exists not, the hope of the latter is delusive.

I have been enabled, I trust, to make this great subject plain to those I address: I pray them not to rest in a superficial knowledge of it, but to seek to understand thoroughly, and to be grounded surely in the truth as it is in Jesus. I would only add two or three brief coNCLUDING observations.

1. There may be some ready to admit that which has been asserted, with respect to the ancient Jews, but unable to perceive in what it is applicable to themselves. Pharisaic self-righteousness was not confined to our Saviour's age-it exists, as I have already said, always. And if any of you are acting, in what you do, from a less noble principle than the constraining love of God in Christ-if you are placing any meritorious dependence on your morality of life-yours is a Pharisaic righteousness, imperfect, misapplied, which will in no case bring you into the kingdom of heaven. Examine on what grounds you abstain from open sin. Would Ꭵf you, your vices never could be known, and never could be punished, would you still be upright, irreproachable in your dealings and conduct? Examine, also, for what reason you expect to attain eternal life. Is it because of your unblemished character? Do you hope that this will plead for you at the last day? Why, this is the veriest Pharisaism; as opposed, as darkness is to light, to the doctrine of Christ crucified. It is just that fatal error in which, as I before said, the Jews were, when "they submitted not themselves unto the righteousness of God." Be assured that in every age the maxim of the apostle will hold good, that "if it be of works, then is it no more grace;" so that if you expect salvation, in any respect, as deserved, you make, as far as in you lies, "Christ to be dead in vain." (Gal. ii. 21.)

2. The Christian righteousness is received by faith. And this faith is not that mere nominal acknowledgment of God in Christ with which many are contented; it is the cordial acceptance of the Saviour into the

heart. Just as a fountain does not cleanse the body unless you wash in its waters, neither does Christ's blood purify the soul unless its virtue be actually applied. The devils have a historical faith-they believe the facts of the Gospel, but it benefits them not. Let no man rest satisfied with such a faith as this. True faith is God's gift. Implore, then, the aid of the Divine Spirit, who will convince you of sin, lead you to the cross, implant in your souls a living faith, take of the things of Jesus and shew them unto you. Then shall "Christ be formed in you," the hope of glory.

Lastly, let me urge that no time is to be lost in coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is now exalted to be "a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins :" he will speedily be a Judge, and summon you to his bar, to answer for the privileges and invitations that were vouchsafed you. is very short. Your day of grace may ere long close. Be persuaded now, in the accepted time, to lay hold on the hope set before you in the Gospel. S.

Life

THE AMERICAN EPISCOPAL CHURCH, AND BISIHOP CHASE. FEELING deeply interested in the prosperity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, from the firm conviction that, notwithstanding many unwarrantable and gross misrepresentations, it is rapidly improving in spirituality of character, and prominently holding forth the great truths of the Gospel; we shall from time to time bring forward such documents concerning its circumstances, as, we

trust, cannot fail to interest our readers.

We ear

We are the decided supporters of those great societies which have for their object the moral and spiritual amelioration of the human race. nestly pray, that a spirit of peace, unity, and concord, may animate their proceedings. We desire that our fellow-creatures should be speedily brought to enjoy the manifold blessings of civilisation. But we are not unmindful that there may be civilisation with the most entire ignorance of the truths of Christianity. We desire, therefore, that the nations of the earth should be emancipated not only from barbarity, but from the yoke of Satan. Man's understanding may be enlightened, his intellect may be cultivated, his mental powers may be exercised, and yet his heart may be unchanged. We feel, therefore, the importance of all those exertions now making for "the healing of the nations." We look with peculiar satisfaction to the increasing energy in societies connected with our own establishment. We would, however, say to all engaged in missionary labours, "We wish you good luck in the name of the Lord." We are firm in our conviction that our own Church is fashioned after the primitive model. We conceive she is peculiarly adapted to make God's ways known upon earth; and to tell it out among the heathen that He reigneth, the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God; that he reigneth in creation, in providence, and in grace. But by whatever instrumentality the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is proclaimed; to whatever denomination of Christian believers the man may be long who raises the blazing torch of revelation amidst the dark places of the earth, or rolls the stone from the mouth of the well of salvation, that the parched

traveller through the desert may drink; herein we do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

And yet we do not know that, as Episcopalians, the members of our Church have felt sufficiently the importance of aiding their poorer Episcopalian brethren in other countries. We are aware that there are many pressing calls at home on the liberality of churchmen. New churches must be built; for there is in many districts of the metropolis, and of the country at large, a lamentable deficiency of the means of grace. The letter of the Bishop of London on this subject, very lately published, deserves particular attention. These churches must be endowed, and the appointed ministers not left to the precarious subsistence arising from pew-rents, one of the worst features of the voluntary system. Schools must be erected with especial reference to the spiritual instruction of the rising generation. An increasing population must not be suffered to perish before our eyes for lack of heavenly nutriment. Still, we must not confine our beneficence to our own shores; neither must we expend all our foreign liberality upon the heathen. We are called upon to strengthen the hands of those who agree with us, not only in doctrinal views, but in ecclesiastical discipline: and we ought, therefore, to render aid to those of our own communion in other lands who may appeal to our Christian liberality.

The state of religion in America, we confess, does not appear to us so flourishing as it is sometimes represented. We see in it all the evils, and they are not few, which arise from the want of an establishment, and from the working of the voluntary system. We are convinced that the connexion between Church and State is no unscriptural alliance, but that it is essential to the progress of sound religion. Think of the vast portion of our agricultural population, in scattered districts of the country, who, without the means of grace afforded by the Established Church, contemptible as these means may appear in the eyes of some of its vehement opponents, would be perishing for lack of knowledge. Should the day ever arrive, (which God in his mercy avert!) when the Church of England should be separated from the State, that day, we are convinced, would be the harbinger of confusion and every evil work.

The Episcopal Church in America, we must recollect, is not, as in this country, the established form of ecclesiastical discipline. It constitutes only one of a great number of different communions, all acting distinct from each other, the ministers depending on the contributions of their people. It comprehends upwards of six hundred congregations, under the episcopal jurisdiction, we believe, of fifteen or sixteen bishops; to each of whom a separate diocese is assigned, and who are totally distinct from the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States.

It was not until these states were disjoined from the mother country, that the Episcopalians of America enjoyed the privileges of a resident bishop among them. In the year 1784, Dr. Samuel Seabury, a presbyter of the Episcopal Church in the province of Connecticut, having produced the most honourable credentials, was consecrated a bishop at Aberdeen by the primus and two other bishops of the Scottish Episcopal communion. Application had been made in vain to the heads of the Church of England to obtain consecration; and it was not until there appeared no probability of having the request granted, that application was made to the bishops of a Church, which, though no longer established,-nay, although it was just emancipated from persecution,―was, to all intents and purposes, a legitimate portion of the Episcopal Church.

In 1786, another body of the Episcopal clergy, in some of the northern states, made a similar application to the English bishops, upon being informed that

the alleged obstacles in Dr. Seabury's case had been legally and purposely removed; and on February 4, 1787, Drs. White and Prevost, the former elected for Philadelphia, the latter for New York, were both consecrated at Lambeth.

The Episcopal Church of America, therefore, is as much an Episcopal Church as our own. In this country, indeed, neither its bishops nor presbyters can legally officiate in our churches. This, however, does not arise from any doubt as to the validity of their orders, but simply from the peculiar ecclesiastical discipline of the Church of England. The presbyters of the Scottish Episcopal Church, who have not received ordination at the hands of English or Irish prelates, are equally excluded. How far such an exclusion is advantageous, we presume not to say; but it is right that the fact should be known, as doubts have arisen as to the claims of the American Church on the members of our own communion, from the circumstance that her bishops and presbyters have not officiated in our churches.

The destitute condition of the diocese of Ohio, at that time the only one to the west of the Alleghany mountains, induced BISHOP CHASE to visit this country in 1824, that he might procure aid for the support of the infant churches in that wide district. The appeal made by him was not fruitless. He was cordially received; his claims were allowed; subscriptions were raised; and he returned to America, to bear testimony to the Christian liberality of the members of the Church of England. One great object he had in view was the establishment of a theological seminary. He had committed the power of locating this seminary into the hands of the convention of Ohio, on whom he prevailed not to fix it in or near a town, but in the country; and on a large tract of land, which, being owned by the institution, might be guarded from the means and temptations to vice. This object was accomplished on the then very wild and uncultivated, but now delightful and elevated spot, which, in honour of his noble and beloved benefactor, but now deceased and much-lamented friend, was named GAMBIER.

BISHOP CHASE took charge of this great and laborious work in person; because no one, who had the requisite ability, would undertake the task of directing the primary settlement, and of clearing off the wild wood, and of sleeping on the cold ground, for the sum which the funds of the institution could reasonably afford. This, therefore, he was compelled to do himself. First, the camp was reared on the naked ground -then, the log-hut, in which he and his family lived for years-then, a stone building for the professor of theology-then, the main building, 110 feet long and four stories in height, whose foundations were deep and large-then, the capacious chapel, with its chancel, was founded-and then, the many other dwellings.

Foreseeing the advantages which would accrue to the students preparing for holy orders, by having the power vested in the theological seminary of conferring degrees in the arts and sciences, without the trouble and expense of sending them to other merely secular colleges, Bishop Chase had applied to the state legislature in 1826, to grant to "the president and professors of the said theological seminary" (the bishop being, ex officio, president) the power of conferring such degrees. This the legislature of the state of Ohio readily did; and, according to the bishop's request, allowed it to be done in the abbreviated and convenient" style and title of the President and Professors of Kenyon College"- the bishop having given that name to the institution, in honour of the kind support which he had received from the present Lord Kenyon.

Bishop Chase continued his exertions in connexion with the college till the year 1831, when many of his friends made known to him their judgment, that the

power of conferring degrees was vested, not in the president and professors of the institution as a theological seminary, but as a literary college; thus, as Bishop Chase conceived, taking the institution out of that episcopal superintendence and control which he could not, under all the circumstances of the case, conscientiously surrender. For the peace of the Church, therefore, as well as for his own peace of soul, he thought it his duty to resign his charge. It was an extraordinary case, and required an extraordinary sacrifice. He left the diocese, therefore, with the partner of his toils and burdens, and their children, not knowing whither to turn his thoughts for support and food convenient for them: but, by the all-gracious God, who hitherto had guided his steps and been his support and stay, he was strengthened for this painful trial, and has now good reason to say, that all has been well.

Such is the bishop's own account of the circumstances which led to his resignation of the diocese of Ohio; a step which gave great uneasiness to many of his friends on this side of the Atlantic, but which is now most satisfactorily explained. It was feared that he had acted without due deliberation, and that he was not justified in the line of conduct which he pursued. It would appear, however, that this was by no means the case.

The diocese of Ohio was now committed to the episcopal jurisdiction of Bishop M'Ilvaine, whose visit to this country during the last year, as well as on a former occasion, endeared him to those who were privileged to hold intercourse with him. The object of his visit, together with a valuable charge delivered to his clergy, and other works, we shall speedily take the opportunity of introducing more fully to our readers.

To return to Bishop Chase. After performing in various places the work of an evangelist, although not of a bishop, he was last year appointed to the newly formed diocese of Illinois, containing, as he informs us, an area of nearly 60,000 square miles, forming a large portion of the valley of the Mississipi. The population consists of from three to four hundred thousand individuals, who are annually increasing to the amount of not less than one hundred thousand, of which a large portion are emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland.

The ROMANISTS have long directed their attention to the valley of the Mississipi. Supported by a missionary college (the Leopoldine Institution) at Vienna, and by ample funds from other parts of Europe, they are leaving no efforts unattempted to pervert ignorant and unwary Protestants, and subjugate them to the Papal see. To compete with them, Bishop Chase has, as yet, in his new diocese, only five clergymen and one ay reader. In America, the friends and supporters of the Protestant Episcopal Church, who have incessant demands on their money and personal labours, are doing all they can, in the raising of funds for building a Protestant Episcopal theological seminary for the diocese of Illinois. But funds are wanted for the endowment of professorships and scholarships, and for furnishing a library necessary for the training of wellinstructed missionaries, for propagating the pure doctrines of the Reformation professed by the United Church of England and Ireland, and by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.

We do earnestly trust that the object of the bishop's visit during the present year will be fully answered. By a calamitous fire, which broke out after his departure from home, and destroyed his property, his wife and family were reduced to many hardships: and we regret to find that a similar calamity has befallen Bishop M'Ilvaine.

In a work lately published, under the direction of the Congregational Board, and comprising the reports of Drs. Reed and Mathison, who had been sent out to

inquire into the religious condition of the United States, there is an obvious unwillingness to allow the claims of the Episcopal Church to the support of the Christian world. There is a coldness and a backwardness in speaking of it, which marks the unfriendly feelings of the editors of the work. It is just possible that a very different, and, we believe, a far more correct view of the state of religion in the states may be presented to the public. Meanwhile we earnestly impress upon our readers the importance of strengthening the hands of those who are the instruments of perpetuating the doctrine and discipline of our Apostolical Church in other lands, and of providing for those who emigrate from our shores, the means of grace, within the pale of that communion to which they have esteemed it a privilege to belong,-of enabling them to worship amidst the wilds of the western world, in that form of sound words in which their fathers worshipped, and in which they themselves drew near to the throne of grace, while they dwelt in the peaceful habitations of our favoured isle.

Reviews and Notices.

Address delivered in the Hall of Marischal College, Aberdeen, 5th November, 1835, on occasion of his Installation as Lord Rector of the University. By John Abercrombie, M.D. Oxon. and Edinburgh, &c. &c. Aberdeen, A. Brown and Co.; Longman, London. 1835.

DR. ABERCROMBIE stands at the very head of his profession in Edinburgh. He holds the rank of first physician to the king, for Scotland; and the University of Oxford marked their high opinion of his talents by conferring on him last year-no very ordinary distinction on one not a member of their body-the degree of M.D. But Dr. Abercrombie is distinguished for that which is far more valuable than intellectual endowments and professional attainments, a spirit of deep piety and sound religion. By his influence, much good has been done, in a religious point of view, amongst the students who yearly flock to Edinburgh as a school of medicine; for, though unconnected with the University, his principles and example have had a most salutary influence.

The office of lord rector in the Scottish universities lasts only one year; generally, however, the same individual fills the office for two, by re-election. The appointment, if we mistake not, does not rest with the professors, but is vested in the students, each of whom

has a vote.

About ten years ago Lord Brougham was elected to this office in the University of Glasgow; and, in his inaugural address, he advanced some statements of A MOST DANGEROUS character-among others," that man was now no longer to render account to man for his belief, over which he had no control." "Henceforward, nothing," said he, "shall prevail upon us to praise or to blame any one for that which he can no more change than he can the hue of his skin, or the height of his stature."

The evil likely to arise from such a statement, publicly made in the common hall of the University, in the hearing of the assembled body of students, was very great. The position was ably controverted in two sermons by the Rev. Ralph Wardlaw, D.D.

To the inaugural address of Lord Rector Brougham of Glasgow, that of Lord Rector Abercrombie of Marischal College, Aberdeen, sets forth a masterly answer. Here we have our bane, and here our antidote. And we do earnestly press upon the notice of our younger readers in the higher walks of life, some of whom,let us trust all,--are busied in the improvement of their intellect, and in the cultivation of their mental powers, the following remarks, with which the address closes:

"Let it then be your study in early life to cultivate that sound condition of the mind, by which its powers are not kept in bondage to the mere objects of sense, but are trained to the habit of bringing down upon it the habitual influence of the truths which are the objects of faith. Devote yourselves with eager enthusiasm to the high acquirements of science; but cultivate also that habit of the mind by which science shall continually lead you to the Eternal Cause. And, while you are taught to follow the planet through the wondrous regularities of its movements,-when you find the comet, after being lost for a century, returning at the appointed period from the solitudes of its eccentric orbit,-when you extend your view beyond the system in which we move, and penetrate into that field in which ten thousand other systems revolve around ten thousand other suns in ceaseless harmony,-oh, rest not in a cold recognition of the facts; but take one single step, and say, These are thy wondrous works,- thyself how wondrous !' And rest not here, but take yet another step, and recognise this Being as the witness of all your conduct, as the witness even of the moral condition of the heart. Seek after purity of character, for you cannot go where you are not followed by that eye; aspire after purity of heart, for that eye extendeth even there. And, feeling your inability for this mighty undertaking, seek continually a power from God,- -a power which he alone can give, -a power adapted to your utmost want, and which is promised to every one that asks it. In your progress through life, indeed, you will not fail to meet with those by whom this momentous truth is treated with derision, as the vision of fanaticism, unworthy of a philosophical mind. But never allow yourselves to be imposed upon by names; and never suppose there can be any thing unphilosophical in the belief, that an influence should be exerted on the mind by Him who framed the wondrous fabric. And be assured you follow the dictates of the most exalted philosophy when you commit yourselves to Him as the guide of your youth; when you resign yourselves to that guidance, and ask that powerful aid, both for your conduct through this life, and your preparation for the life which is to come."

We would close our remarks on Dr. Abercrombie's Address with a reference to the peculiar privileges of those who, when stretched on a bed of sickness, enjoy the advantage of a religious medical attendant. Such an attendant has many opportunities of speaking a word in season. We believe Dr. Abercrombie in this respect a most valuable counsellor. His works on the intellectual powers, on the moral feelings, and others of a more professional character, shew him to be a man of first-rate talents. We would view him now, however, in his character of a Christian; and we believe there is no member of the Church of which he is an elder, no Christian in our land, who desires more implicitly to devote himself to the promotion of the spiritual benefit of his fellow-creatures.

Secession from the Church of England, considered in a Letter to a Friend. By Charles Jerram, M.A., Rector of Witney, Oxon. London, Seeleys. 1836. THE sound sense, excellent principles, and clear views of Mr. Jerram render the productions of his pen peculiarly valuable. In the present instance, we conceive that he has performed an important service to

the Church of England in particular, and to the cause of true religion in general.

The object of this small publication is to consider the gross mistatements, and to combat the erroneous views, contained in a variety of pamphlets, lately circulated, with NO LITTLE ACTIVITY, by several individuals who have seceded from the Church.* Of these, Mr. J. C. Philpot, perhaps, claims more particular attention. The distinguished honours which he gained at his public examination for the degree of B.A. warrant the conclusion that he must be a scholar; his deportment used to be that of a perfect gentleman. But, with his growing dislike to the Church of which he was a minister, there appears to have been a growing dislike to every feeling of a gentlemanly character; and his letter, addressed to the provost of Worcester College, of which he was a fellow-which, to our own personal knowledge, has been employed by deists as a weapon to injure the Church, and to call in question the truth of Christianity-affords a humiliating instance of the morbid state of feeling at which it is possible for a man to arrive, when he deems it a duty to exclude himself from the society of his equals, and to confine his associates to a class infinitely below him. Such was Mr. Philpot's case while a resident at Stadhampton, about seven miles to the east of the university. Had his residence been the same distance to the west, it is possible that the rector of Witney might, under God's blessing, by personal intercourse, have produced a great change in his character and conduct. Mr. Philpot, however, was not so fortunate. associates were persons who were wont to laud all that he said and did; he had no such guide as Mr. Jerram; he was above seeking advice; and he at length gave way to a mode of warfare on the ministers and members of the Established Church, which at once proves the impetuosity of his temper, and the unchristian spirit by which he was led. Let us advert, however, to Mr. Jerram's feelings with reference to this melancholy subject.

His

"But I must not repeat all the abuse which Mr. Philpot heaps upon our Church; to do so would be to transcribe nearly the whole of his Letter, and to exhibit his character in an attitude of ferocity more suitable to that of a gladiator than a Christian hero. Such, indeed, is the rancour and bitterness of Mr. Philpot against the bishops and clergy of the Church of England, and every thing connected with it, that I for a long time hesitated whether I ought to take any notice of his publications. It appeared to me discreditable to descend into the arena with such an antagonist, and to use such weapons as those with which alone he seems determined to contend. argument, his opponent would have no chance; for Mr. Philpot disdains to reason: in invective and railing, he would be equally unsuccessful; for, in this kind of warfare, Mr. Philpot is unrivalled: and in gratuitous assumptions, he must also yield; for no one but Mr. P. would take every thing for granted, and attempt to prove nothing. It was not, therefore, till I reflected on the mischief his Letter and its prefaces might do, if no one would undergo the pain, and

In

"These were, the sixth edition of Mr. J. C. Philpot's 'Letter to the Provost of Worcester College, on resigning his Fellowship, and seceding from the Church of England;' Mr. John William Peters' Few Words on the Sinful Position of the Evangelical Clergy in the Church of England;' Mr. William Morshead's 'Is the Church of England Apostate?' and his 'Sectarianism-a Call to the People of Bath;' Mr. George V. Wigram's Protest against the National Establishment of England; and Mr. William Tiptaft's 'Letter to the Bishop of Salisbury."

expose himself to violence and abuse in taking some notice of it, that I could make up my mind to advert to his publications. I am not ignorant, nor do I think that Mr. Philpot is ignorant, of the effect which a style of writing like his, and the attitude he assumes, have on a numerous class of readers. While the grossness of the former is adapted to their taste, the menacing boldness of the other arouses their attention, and stirs up their passions. With the multitude, assertion goes for proof, and vehemence for evidence of a good cause. Nothing in the way of caricature is too extravagant for vulgar taste; and in dressing out our Church in all the array and glare of a 'harlot' (and who does not know that the mask of a harlot may be forced on the face of a chaste virgin?), and then holding her up to the scorn and derision of the world, Mr. Philpot, I think, could not but be aware that he was pandering to the worst passions of our nature, and presenting an image to the mind which must ever be associated with disgust and abhorrence."

Apart, however, from the peculiar circumstances that drew forth the letter from Mr. Jerram, we can recommend it to general perusal. It contains, within a small compass, much that is really excellent and truly valuable. And there is one point on which he insists, and which cannot be too strongly urged upon the consideration of the members of the episcopal

bench, and of those who bear rule in our Universities. The passage is as follows:

"I cannot conclude my observations on the probable causes of these secessions, without adverting to the deficiency in theological knowledge which is apparent in the writings now before me. And I allude to this chiefly from the opportunity it affords me of expressing my regret that more attention is not paid, in training ministers for the Church, to the science of divinity. Without denying that theology constitutes an essential branch of clerical education in our Universities, it must be admitted that neither time nor opportunity is allowed for advancing beyond its very threshold; and young men are introduced into the Church as teachers of others, who themselves need being taught the very elements of their holy religion. The evidences, the facts, and the doctrines of Christianity; the ancient controversies on articles of faith; the constitution and usages of primitive churches; the constituent principles and distinctive character of our own; and the points in which she differs from those by which she is surrounded, are so little known and understood, that when matters relating to any of these topics are brought into discussion, they have every thing to seek, are staggered with the slightest difficulties, and are in danger of coming to conclusions, as unsupported by reason and facts, as they are prejudicial to their own tefulness, and destructive of the peace of the Church. It is not for me to prescribe a remedy for this evil; but I trust its reality and magnitude will, at length, induce those who have the means and authority for correcting it to set about the reformation with a zeal and determination proportionate to its importance."

A great change in respect to the means of studying theology, and the languages which throw so much light upon it, has taken place in Oxford during the list twelve years. The exertions of Bishop Lloyd and Dr. Burton in the chair of divinity, and of Drs. Nicoll and Pusey in the chair of Hebrew, have afforded

privileges and opportunities, which those whose academical career was finished previous to their appointments did not possess. We wish not to throw any slur, or to speak with disrespect of the predecessors of those whose names we have mentioned: we shall only state, and it may be useful for us to do so, in an age when every effort is made to bring discredit upon our Universities, that the student at the present day, who, living within the precincts of the University, does not seek to improve himself in Biblical knowledge, and does not improve the talents so mercifully committed to his care, will have a fearful account to render when he stands before "the judgment-seat of Christ."

The Cabinet.

VICE AND VIRTUE. He that can apprehend and consider Vice, with all her baits and seeming pleasures, and yet abstain, and yet distinguish, and yet prefer that which is truly better, he is the true wayfaring Christian. I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered Virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat.-Milton.

THE EXCELLENCY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.→ In respect to her ministry, her ritual, and her ceremonies, the Church of England may justly be said to be a goodly fabric,-corresponding, as nearly as the change of outward circumstances will permit, to the

primitive model designed by its first and inspired founders, and the inheritors of their spirit and their views; cleared from the external excrescences, which, after a time, deformed it; and cleansed, in a preeminent degree, from the internal corruptions which defiled it, from the rank weeds, which destroyed or concealed its fair symmetry and proportions, and from the rust, which dimmed and cankered the fine gold of its inmost sanctuary; but still invested and enriched with the decorations, which bore the impress of genuine and pure antiquity,-still abundant in the accommodations, which were sanctioned by the test of practical utility. It is, as it were, the Temple of Solomon, neither reduced to the comparatively rude and unshapen structure of the tabernacle, nor loaded with the meretricious ornaments of Herod; pre-eminently adapted at once to advance the edification of man and the glory of God.-Bishop Ryder.

ON THE REVERENCE DUE TO THE WORD of God.Christians ought to be particularly on their guard against tampering in any degree with the word of God. We should never forget, that, when we are explaining any expression of Scripture, we are treating of what are the very words of the Holy Ghost, as much as if they had been spoken to us by a voice from heaven. The profane rashness of many critics is much emboldened by the circumstance that men have been employed in communicating revelation. A sort of modified inspiration only is granted to the Scriptures, and they are often practically treated as the words merely of those who were employed to write them. When God is thus kept out of sight, little ceremony is used in treating the words of the Apostles with the utmost freedom. That profound reverence and awe with which the Scriptures ought to be read and handled, is, in many instances, too little exemplified. The poor man's Bible is the word of God, in which he has no suspicion that there is any thing but perfection. The Bible of the profoundly erudite scholar is often a book that is not so necessary to instruct him, as one that needs his hand for alteration, or amendment, or confirmation. Learning may be usefully employed; but if learning ever forgets that it must constantly sit at the feet of Jesus, it will be a curse instead of a blessing. It will raise clouds and darkness, instead of communicating light to the world,-Haldane.

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