THE duty we owe to those who have spent their best years in our service, and have faithfully discharged the trust confided in them, by a conscientious fulfilment of the duties of their station, has not, I fear, been sufficiently considered by those, who have been, I feel I may say, favoured, with servants of this exemplary description.

Such servants are too often left in advancing age and declining strength, to the aid which a parish settlement affords, and which is, of necessity, very limited in its nature and amount. I wish to impress upon your readers the importance of the duty they owe to this deserving class of persons, that in drawing up their wills, they take care that their situation be properly regarded, by making a comfortable provision for them in their old age. Many instances of neglect amounting to direct injustice have come before me, even from those who have made a high profession not merely of integrity, but of religion, and from whom better things might have been expected. In the present day, when many complain of the conduct of their servants, I wish we may all be willing to inquire whether the fault be not partly our own; and am anxious that those who keep servants may not increase the evil by omitting any duty towards them.

The following passage from the Rev. Henry Venn's Complete Duty of Man; or, a System of Doctrinal and Practical Christianity,' Sunday 29, chap. 29, is so appropriate, that I make no apology for the quotation.*

The last duty of masters, which I shall mention is, to encourage * I wish this book were universally read and studied.

and reward their servants for well doing. Kind expressions quicken ingenuous minds to diligence and attention; encouragement therefore ought to be given to servants on this principle. Further, when a servant hath laid out his whole time and strength in his master's service, and made it his study to consult his interest, the master is bound by the ties of justice and gratitude, where there is a sufficient fortune, to remember such a faithful servant in the decline of life. And the cases of sickness, or accidental loss of limbs in service, which disable from labour, and are sometimes even more calamitous than the infirmities of old age, call for equal compassion. A Christian master will consider how much others have lost by the dishonesty of those about them; how much trouble, anxiety, and vexation they have suffered, whilst he has committed with composure and confidence, his affairs into the hands of a good and faithful servant, and has received no damage. How much of his comfort in this life has been owing to this material circumstance! Where then would be his Christian love, his generosity, or his humanity, if he did not take pleasure in shewing kindness in return.'

The benevolent provision in the Jewish law, even for Slaves, (Deut. xv. 12-15.) is a lesson we shall do well to study-but above all, to remember the binding nature of that divine injunction, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matt. vii. 12.)

Birmingham, 1834.

B.

DEARLY BELOVED-You have no doubt heard a rumour of sad import, which has gone through the land, that THE CHURCH IS IN DANGER;' and you have heard, I should hope, with heavy hearts, and no little surprise, that there are those, who look with evil eye on Our beloved and venerated Establishment. Yet, so it is: some, from sincere but mistaken views: others, and by far the greater part, from a reckless love of change, a dislike to whatever is sauctioned by age and authorityand not, perhaps, without a selfish desire to share in the spoil-are bent on pulling down this goodly fabric, and severing the Church from the State, and the Altar from the Throne; that union, which has so happily subsisted for centuries, and in which each has been to the other a help meet and support. It is painful, but at the same time curious, to observe, how men of opposite cpinions in other points, men of all creeds, and men of no creeds, can forget their respective differences, for the purpose of overthrowing the Established Church, and join in one loud unhallowed cry, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground.'

But, dearly beloved, though there are fightings without and fears within, I humbly trust, through Divine mercy-that mercy, which we so little deserve, but which has so often succoured us in the hour of need-such aspiring and unreasonable hopes will meet a signal failure; and that the Church of England, with the Sovereign as her Earthly Head, with the Bishops as her consecrated Guardians, and the Parochial Clergy as her accredited Expounders of God's word, will still stand pre-eminent as a bulwark of the

And, though for wise purposes the Almighty may for a season see fit to subject our Zion to the furnace of affliction, it is not, we believe, with the design to consume, but to purify her. We venture to hope, that the mandate has gone forth, "Destroy her not, for a blessing is in her; " and that, instead of her foes triumphing in her fall, and saying, There, there, so would we have it,' she will be seen rising with fresh grace and beauty, with defects repaired, and blemishes removed, (that such there are, we freely admit and deeply deplore) and be thereby rendered more competent than ever, to do the Lord's work. Thus will good come out of evil; and the threatening storm will but clear the atmosphere, and brighten her prospects; and the trials of our National Church, so far from being tokens of God's wrath, will be evidences of his love, the forerunners, perhaps, of more extensive usefulness, and of larger blessings. He, who has hitherto helped us, will not now forsake this portion of his visible Church on earth, but will preserve her still to be a nursery of truth at home, an instructress of nations abroad, and a pattern of godliness to all the world.

We are encouraged to entertain this hope, because we discern such cheering manifestations on every side. He must be a very inattentive observer of what has been going on in the church during the last twenty years, who is not struck

And what says another eminent, and I rejoice to add, living divine,* (and long may he live, to adorn by his life and doctrine that church he so dearly loves, and of which he is so bright an ornament.) The Liturgy inspires a modest piety, a tender seriousness, a meek devotion, and a humble joy. The truth, the whole truth, is brought forward without fear, and it is brought forward also without offence: all is temperate all is candid: all is practical all is peaceful: every word is spoken in love. I do not say the Liturgy is perfect, for it is a human composition, and cannot therefore claim perfection: but let the excellences of the Liturgy be fairly weighed, and its blemishes will sink into nothing. Take for instance, the prayers that are offered up on any Sabbath in all places out of the establishment: let them be written down; and every expression sifted and criticised as our Liturgy has been : and then compare them with the prayers of our church: do this for a year and methinks there is scarcely a man in the kingdom, who would not fall down upon his knees, and bless God for the Liturgy of the Established Church.'

works. But mark well the meaning of the word justified, in each of these passages; Christ and Christ alone justifies by his merit: faith justifies, as the hand which lays hold of Christ and good works justify, as they manifest an interest in Christ's merit by a consequent change of heart and life.

Are you deeply sensible, that you are lost sinners, and are you anxiously inquiring, how you can be saved? We tell you frankly: nothing, nothing can save you but a personal interest in the merits of Christ. Do you ask, by what means you may obtain this blessing? We answer, by faith: it is not by working, but believing, that Christ and all his riches will become yours. Do you further want to know, how your title to this blessedness can be made evident to your own consciences, to the world, and to the Church of God? We reply, by works of faith, and labours of love. By these you must be justified, or declared righteous, both now and at the day of judgment.

Since then, it is our favoured lot to be members of a church which is built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone: since her doctrines are so scriptural, that some of the holiest men the world ever saw, were content not only to live by them, but to die for them : since her services are so spiritual, that an eminent Dissenting divine* ranked them foremost among uninspired compositions: since her constitution so admirably provides for the spiritual wants of all, even of the most destitute, appointing ministers in every quarter of the land to guide the young, to comfort the sick, to console the aged, and to bring all, by God's blessing, to agreement in the faith : since these things are so, shall we despair or doubt of the safety of

*Robert Hall.

our church? No, dearly beloved, let us be strong in the Lord, and quit ourselves like men: let us walk about our Zion, and go round about her, and tell the towers thereof, and mark well her bulwarks, and set up her houses. Let us not fear what man can do unto us. Let us meet our foes fearlessly, not however with carnal weapons, or rendering railing for railing but by : pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left." Thus shall we best prove the excellence of our church's principles, and perhaps draw from our adversaries the acknowledgment of her heavenly doctrines.

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While we, in our turn, extend to all, of whatever denomination, who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, the right hand of fellowship,

and rejoice over every sinner saved, whoever be the instrument, we will love best, and cherish most, our own communion, and ardently pray for its permanence and prosperity. Yes, let each of us in our closets, and in our families, daily humble ourselves in deep contrition for our past neglect and misuse of our invaluable privileges, and beseech Almighty God, that he would by his Holy Spirit, so direct and guide the deliberations of our rulers, to the correcting what is wrong, the supplying what is wanting, and the preserving and perpetuating whatever is excellent in the church, that being sanctified and cleansed, it may become, through grace, in all respects, glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing.'

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I remain, dearly beloved, your affectionate minister, and servant in Christ,

EDWARD WARD.