the victim.' I tell you, my Christian brethren, that the services of the Church of England are constructed on the very opposite principle. We teach all the mysteries, all the deep mysteries of Christianity to all our people, in the public prayers of the church, without any reserve, on account of supposed unfitness from ignorance, or unfitness from wickedness to receive them. If they are so taught in our prayers, it is our bounden duty to teach them, without reserve, from the pulpit-and to leave the sincerity of the prayer which the people may offer, and the manner, too, in which they shall receive our instruction, to the God who shall judge them. We are to teach the whole counsel of God; and if the principles of this tract be adopted, our services must be reconstructed-our congregations classed like large schools, according to their knowledge, talents, power of expression, and general proficiency. Pride of intellect would succeed to holiness of heart. The submission of reason to revelation, in which so large a portion of our moral probation consists, would be ruined by the subtilties of a disputatious philosophy. The clergy would be invested with an authority which the world, I trust, could not again bear; and the worst evils from which the intellect and the soul have escaped in this Christian England, would be imposed upon the church and people.

I have thus as briefly as possible submitted to you, my Christian brethren, the evil which I deeply regret to see begin to prevail in the Church, the perversions, by learning, of the simplicity of Christian teaching. I would not have ventured thus to address you, if I had not believed it to be my bounden duty to yourselves and to the Church-to God and his glory -to my blessed Saviour, and the cause of his holy gospel. The

plague has begun. In spite of the loathing of these doctrines on the part of so many of the most attached and zealous of our laity, our brethren at Oxford are continuing to revive the obselete-to recommend the foundations of the old and unendurable pretensions on which all the power of Rome was founded-and to render, therefore, the Reformation, which is nothing but the re-establishment amongst us of spiritual and scriptural Christianity, a by-word and a reproach. My Christian brethren, forgive me for so long occupying your time. Permit me again, as the last word I may have an opportunity of speaking to you in this official manner, to charge you, and to implore you, to stand fast in that liberty from the old bondage, from which Christ, or the conviction of the necessity of holiness, proceeding from faith in his atonement, hath set free this country, and its holy church. I charge you, as you value the salvation of the peoplethe spirit of the ordinances of the church-the happiness of your own souls-peace of conscience, and the faithful discharge of your solemnly sworn duties to preach the doctrine of the atonement, without reserve, on all occasions, explicitly and prominently, as the foundation of all your hopes of usefulness. I charge you in the name of Christ, and as the last tones of the dying jurisdiction which enables me to address you-to shun these novelties, to despise such teaching, to abhor such perversions of learning as those of which I have now

spoken. I call upon you in the right and strict sense of the words, to adopt the language of St. Paul, I am determined to know nothing among my people, but Jesus Christ, and him crucified; to the Greeks, to the worldly philosopher, to the proud of intellect, to the puffed in head, and the vain in heart foolishness, indescribable foolishness; but to the humble Christian, to the

penitent sinner, to the inquirer"What shall I do to be saved?" Christ the wisdom of God to the reason, and power of God to sanctify and to change the affections. My Christian brethren! the common faith of the peasant, the vulgar Christianity which the way-faring

man, though a fool, derives from the study of scripture, and the services of the church, is the one true religion of Christ. Teach and preach it with all its doctrines, and all its mysteries, with all authority, and without reserve,'

THE following thoughts were suggested to my mind, by the remarkable emphasis a dear friend and Minister of Christ laid on the word thou, in the beautiful section of the church service; and I think that this particular reading is peculiar to himself, having never observed it so rendered before. Read in the usual manner, there is nothing perhaps very striking; but, as I heard it, ejaculated with a deep impassioned tone and feeling, from the lips of the holy, and the heavenly, it appeared to strike on my heart with awakening force and energy, our complete depend ence upon the Lord for strength, and the utter worthlessness of our unassisted efforts, either in the blessed work of prayer or praise.

Better that the lips were sealed eternally, if thou Lord dost not open them! Ask the anxious minister who watcheth like a shepherd over his flock, as one who must give account of the souls of his care-ask him, if ever a soul was saved, if ever a seal was added to his ministry, when thou didst not open his lips to "shew forth thy praise." Surely the millions who walk in the blindness and the darkness of unbelief would all perish in this wilderness world, if thou didst not by the irresistible power of thy Spirit, open the lips of thy servants" to declare the wondrous things of thy law,"-those "glad tidings of great joy," which thou

sendest by thine ambassadors, to entreat them to be "reconciled to God," and so bless the labours of the devoted missionary, as to make him "a burning and a shining light to guide the feet of the benighted heathen into the "path of peace." Vain indeed would be his work and labour of love in distant climes: vain would be his painful farewell to his own loved land. Useless his weary wanderings, and too often fatal journeyings through the burning deserts; did not the Lord go with him, and open his lips, and cause him to "preach the word with power."

In vain would "the voice cry in the wilderness," if it were not the voice of one-the voice of the Lord by his servant.

Oh, it is not indeed enough consolation to the Christian, to feel the blest assurance of his own isolated salvation; he would have the golden chain of divine love encircle all his brethren, binding them by an indissoluble link to each other, and to God; he will pray for them, he will preach to them :-but how can he pray, and how can he preach, who is but dust and ashes? I will tell you how he will pray; "Lord, open thou my lips :" and I will tell you in what spirit he will preach; "Lord open thou my lips."

C.

THE health of my beloved wife had been very sensibly declining for the last three or four years, and she had said more than once, that since her serious attack of influenza in the spring of 1833, she had considered herself to be a dying woman. At times, however, she rallied surprisingly, and the natural goodness of her constitution yielded very slowly to the pulmonary disease, which in the beginning of the present year (1837) extinguished all hope of recovery. I could never discover in her the slightest appearance of dismay, or even discomposure, at this period, nor subsequently at the nearer approach of death. Her serenity and self-possession (the fruits of faith) were a peculiar blessing to herself, and comfort to those who witnessed them.

'On the 18th of March, I had been reading, at her bed-side, a devotional book on the subject of Jacob's Death. After some very deeply affecting conversation on the approaching close of our marriage union, I could not refrain from lamenting to her my many failures in duty, when she said,

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Oh! if I were to look thus at my sins and failings, I should be miserable; but we are such corrupt creatures, that if we were to live our lives over again, we should still be just as sinful; all I can do, is to go to the blood of Jesus, as a guilty, ruined, helpless sinner, and cast myself wholly upon him. You have cast your soul upon Jesus?' she said, looking earnestly at me, as expecting my reply. I answered, 'Yes.' So

Extracted from a small volume recently published by Messrs. Hatchard, entitled Scriptural Peace in Death.'

April 15th.-To-day, while sitting by her, and supporting her head in a season of much suffering, she began talking very sweetly. Among much which, alas! cannot be gathered up again, she said, 'How beautiful is that type, that nothing which died of itself was to be offered in sacrifice: therefore Christ's life was taken from him.' She added, Christ's person was mystical and peculiar-he was God and man in one Christ-I bless God that I know this by happy experience. The creature is everywhere spoken of as a poor, weak, helpless, ignorant, sinful, dying thing; but God says he has laid help upon One that is mighty -mighty to save-almighty. I feel that nothing but God can save me, and satisfy my wants. My love! when I shall be taken from you, I hope you will read your Bible, and not speculative books: I often think what a mercy it is, that God has permitted me to learn his truth in simplicity; and that he has preserved me from speculative inquiries. Now-a-days a poor sinner knows not who or what to believe, while listening to the various opinions and views of his fallen fellow-creatures; the Bible is the best and only safe guide. I often think of Mr. B-d's favourite text, Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' How simple! How simple! "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth,

but

give I unto you." Some Christians have more, some less :-we cannot have any communion with God without a measure of peace; when I enjoy this peace, I can (though unable to utter a word or make any effort) cast myself on Christ.'

We have often hard and unscriptural thoughts of God; that he is a wrathful God, a holy God, and not a merciful God-or a merciful God, and not a holy God: but if I look into my Bible, I see God in Christ; and there he tells me, "Whosoever will, let him come to me, and whosoever cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." She added, • Mr. has taught me the truth of God in a very simple manner, and though in all things I do not see eye to eye with him, yet he is a safe guide. I often feel as if there was nothing worth reading but the Bible; it seems to be a connecting link between the soul and heaven, and in reading it one feels to become acquainted with the saints of old, whom we soon expect to meet; their experience, we know, was of the same kind as our own; they knew themselves to be ruined, helpless sinners, and Christ to be an all-sufficient Saviour. When once we see them, we shall soon learn more of all we wish to know.' She then spoke of herself in terms of deep self-abasement. She felt, she said, as if her privileges had been exceedingly great, few persons had enjoyed greater, and none had more abused them; but,' she added, it will not do to look that way, but to Christ. To look to self, it was observed, is the way to despair. She replied, And that is the greatest wrong to God-it is enmity to him-for despair implies enmity.'

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19th. On the subject of avoiding even the appearance of evil' she remarked, that inconsistent conduct in professors of religion

does more harm to Christ's cause, than Taylors and Carlisles.'

24th. I have often suffered,' she said, from unbelief, because I have not remembered in time that word-" My grace is sufficient for thee:" there is strength enough provided, if we will believe and will seek for it.'

May 4th.-With a friend who called, she conversed most sweetly and decidedly as to her rest in the finished salvation of Christ.' She spoke of it as 'all of grace,' and her sickness as all mercy,' and that to a hell-deserving sinner.' 'The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin.' This,' she said, was 'all her comfort.' She told me at another time, that 'she would not have been without her illness (in 1833) for worlds, although her sufferings of body were so great for then she had felt the enjoyment of knowing that "the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin;' she could scarcely think of anything else. The above-mentioned friend, on taking leave, said to me, What a delightful testimony she bears to her Saviour, and how deep her convictions of sin!'

8th.-She said to me, • If on my death-bed I should appear to be in distress, and do not say anything as to my peace and assurance, do not feel uneasy; the Lord will give me peace, though I know not how he will deal with my body; yet he is very pitiful and full of mercy, and therefore that does not give me any concern: it is the finished work of Christ on which I rest. I think some people expect too much from dying experience,' as it is called; it is often very fallacious. Excellent persons have been represented as seeing visions of Jesus at that time, and of heaven, and hearing delightful sounds, and being spoken to by Christ; I believe that in most cases they are the result of an excited state of the brain. No; to

have peace through the finished work of Christ is all I desire; and oh! what a gift is that to a helldeserving sinner!'

9th.-Addressing me, she said, Take heed that lawful things do not occupy too much of your time, and keep you from reading the word of God; the foxesthe little foxes-spoil the vines.' The Bible is every thing; my neglect of it occasions me much remorse in my circumstances it is every thing; besides, as we get older, we do not remember so well, nor meditate so much on what we read.'

12th. Speaking of the tranquillity she enjoyed, she referred it all to the mercy and grace of God; 'who had led her,' she said, 'to see, in past years, the danger of reading books from a curiosity to know what novelties they contained: it is a dangerous thing to play and dally with error; it is impossible to say into what mischiefs we may be betrayed. I bless God my reading has, on the whole, been simple, straightforward truth; and I now find the benefit of it in sickness; my mind is not harassed by difficult questions and doubtful speculations. I bless God that he has given me wise teachers. I must speak to, and warn her against the danger of reading and hearing unsound doctrine.'

17th.-Conversing together, she said I hope I am not deceiving myself.' I replied, all we can do is to go back to the simple truth, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." I am a sinner; as such, I go to Jesus for salvation. Then I am sure,' she said, "if I go to him, I shall be saved.' It was then remarked how frequently Satan strives to disturb, or destroy this simple trust, by suggesting that if indeed we are saved sinners, we should be much more holy; and because we are not as holy as we wish to be, we are deceiving ourselves in suppos

ing that we are saved. Ah!' she replied, 6 we have too much of him in us to be holy; Romaine used to say, that his sins never kept him from God." It was observed, If our sins were to keep us from God, then it would happen that the man who knew most of his indwelling sins, would keep at the greatest distance from God; whereas the contrary is the fact. She then said, Although my " peace flows like a river," blessed be God! yet I often think it is well to examine the grounds of it. It has frequently been my prayer, (long before my sickness) that I might not be permitted to deceive myself. I have this morning been looking back upon God's past dealings with me.

In my childhood and youth I was occupied in the usual follies, and sins, and vanities of the world, and though I was kept from many in which others have been ensnared, I was not a whit the better for that; my heart was alienated from God; but he shewed me that I was a sinner, and led me to believe in his Son Jesus Christ, and I feel assured, that I have all my life been preserved in Christ Jesus, I can go to Christ as a sinner; but it is my privilege, and I ought to go to him likewise as a child of God. "To whom shall I go? thou hast the words of eternal life!" Dear Mrs. H. used to say that those words often comforted her, when she was brought to a stand-still. If I had no evidence of my interest in Christ, I can go to my Bible: I can trust nothing else: God tells me to put my trust only in him.'

18th.-A young friend called on her, for whom she felt much affection she spoke very freely, solemnly, and faithfully to her, upon the importance of making a decided stand in religion, and reading and studying the Bible beyond all other reading: she said, she spoke to her as a dying woman, and one who loved her very much;