ring. The good Shepherd has been abroad to-night; and He is bringing home to us the lost sheep. I seem to hear the footsteps of His power." Henry entered the parlour." "I am glad to see you, my child," said his father, who embraced him. His sister sprang upon him, and threw her arms round his neck, exclaiming, "We are so glad to see you, dear Henry." His mother moved not-she spake not; but she wept. Henry, as soon as he could disengage himself from his sister, approached his mother, wiped away her tears, kissed her, and seated himself by her side. In a few moments his head was in her bosom, for he always loved his mother; but there was no speaking. No; as yet the thoughts and feelings of every heart were too big to make their escape through the ordinary channels and instruments of conveyance. The mother was the first to break silence.

"And where, my Henry, have you been spending your evening?"

"At the Tabernacle."

"At the Tabernacle! and is it true? at the Tabernacle, my child?"

"Yes, my mother. I had no intention of going there five minutes before I entered."

"And so it was," she said, "with that dear man of God, John Williams; but when he was there, the good Shepherd sought him, and found him, and brought him into His fold. My child, has the good Shepherd taken you into His fold to-night?"

"I felt, when listening to Mr. subduing power of the cross."

the

"What's that, Henry?" said his mother, whose excess of excitement had impaired in a slight degree the delicacy of her hearing. "Oh! mother," said his sister, "he says that when listening to Mr. he felt the subduing

power of the cross."

"Then the good Shepherd has been abroad to-night. I saw light in the heavens when the Lord bade me call upon Him. Bless the Lord, O my soul. What a night of mercies! It is the calm after the storm-like life from the dead." And she said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.'

"And I hope," said Henry, "He hath reclaimed me, and brought me home to tell you what great things He has done for me, and has had compassion on me.

• Who could believe such lips could praise,
Or think my dark and winding ways
Should ever lead to Him.""

The old servant, who had been in the family many years, saw Henry Cozens in the Tabernacle; and while he was listening to the sermon, she was praying to the Lord Jesus to open his heart that he might feel what he heard. On entering the parlour, when the bell rang for family prayer, she said, "After seeing you at the Tabernacle, I am not surprised, Mr. Henry, by seeing you at home. The Lord be praised."-Pastoral Recollections.

CONFERENCE AT THE SAVOY, IN 1661. THE rubric required that the minister should use such ornaments in the church as were in use in the second year of Edward VI. The

exception taken here was, that this language seemed to bring back the cope, the albe, and other popish vestments, condemned in the service book published by authority of parliament in the sixth year of that prince. It was said that, where there is singing, the Lessons, the Epistles, and the Gospels should be sung to a plain tune. The exception here was, that the Lessons, Epistles, and Gospels are neither psalms nor hymns, and that the distinct reading of them would conduce much better to edification. The rubric on the communion said, let those who "intend to be partakers signify the same to the curate over night." The change required here was, that longer notice should be given to the minister, and that he should have power to exclude the "notorious evil liver,' until he shall repent, and make a credible profession of his faith. After the creed, it was said, "if there be no sermon, one of the homilies shall follow." We desire, said the ministers, that preaching here shall not be left so indifferent. In the communion, the communicant was required to kneel; and the old objection to that usage was again urged. It was also enjoined that every parishioner should communicate at least three times a year. Let it rather be enjoined, it was said, that the service shall be administered three times a year, if there be communicants, but let there not be any necessity of communion laid upon the people, as that would often be to impose a religious service on the irreligious.

Concerning baptism, it was urged that the minister should not be compelled to baptize indiscriminately, but be left to restrict that service to the children of parents who at least are not scandalous in their lives. To the usage concerning godfathers and godmothers it was objected, that the natural sponsors in such cases were the parents, and the weighty promises made by others on such occasions were known to be a mockery. The baptismal regeneration doctrine was rejected, because, say the Nonconformists, "We cannot in faith say, that every child that is baptized is 'regenerated by God's Holy Spirit;' at least it is a disputable point, and, therefore, we desire it may be otherwise expressed." The sign of the cross was, of course, a matter of exception. On the catechism it was urged that the reading should not be, "Wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven." But rather as follows:-"Wherein I was visibly admitted into the number of the members of Christ, the children of God, and the heirs of the kingdom of heaven."

The

In respect to confirmation, the rubric enjoined that the pre-requisites to that service on the part of the young should be ability to repeat the Articles of the Belief, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, and to answer questions on the catechism. ministers were not satisfied with such memoritor qualifications, but required that the pastor should see to the more adequate instruction of the candidates, and that, according to his Majesty's declaration, "confirmation be rightly and solemnly performed, by the information, and with the consent of the minister of the place." The prayer before the imposition of hands reads, "Thou hast vouchsafed

to regenerate these thy servants by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given unto them the forgiveness of all their sins." The divines here say, "This supposes that all the children who are brought to be confirmed have the Spirit of Christ and the forgiveness of all their sins; whereas a great number at that age have committed sins many since their baptism, and do show no evidence of serious repentance, or of any special saving grace; and, therefore, this confirmation, if administered to such, would be a perilous and gross abuse."

Exceptions no less grave were taken to the language of the rubric in the Visitation of the Sick. In this service, the Prayer Book says, "Here shall the sick person make a special confession; after which confession the priest shall absolve him after this sort: Our Lord Jesus Christ, &c., and by His authority committed to me, I absolve thee." Here it was pleaded, that the absolution should be left to be pronounced or not, as the minister should see occasion; and that the form of absolution should be declarative and conditional only"I pronounce thee absolved, if thou dost truly repent and believe," instead of "I absolve thee." In regard to the Communion of the Sick, it was prayed that the minister should

not be obliged to administer the sacrament to such, except as he may judge it to be expedient and fitting so to do.

In the Burial Service were these words: "Forasmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God of His great mercy to take unto himself the soul of our dear brother here departed; we therefore commit his body to the ground in sure and certain hope of resurrection to eternal life;" words, say the Nonconformists, "which cannot in truth be said of persons living and dying in open and notorious sins. Here is what is called the first prayer in this service: "We give thee hearty thanks, for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world; that we, with this our brother, and all other departed in the true faith of thy holy Name may have our perfect consummation and bliss." Well might the ministers say, "These words may harden the wicked, and are inconsistent with the largest rational charity." So in the last prayer: "That, when we depart this life, we may rest in Him, as our hope is this our brother doth." The comment here is: "These words cannot be used with respect to those persons who have not, by their actual repentance, given any ground for the hope of their blessed estate. "-English Nonconformity.

MY DEAR SIR,-Your correspondent, J. M. L., sent you a very interesting extract from the farewell sermon of one of the Ejected Ministers, which you inserted in Vol. XIX., p 402, of the CHRISTIAN WITNESS. He says, "I have before me an old book of sermons which were preached by ‘R. A.' These initials, I presume, indicate Richard Adams." Your correspondent is mistaken. The extract is from a treatise entitled "The Godly Man's Portion and Sanctuary, being a second part of the 'Vindicia Pietatis,' by R. A." The first part of the "Vindiciæ Pietatis". was dedicated by R. A. "To his dearly beloved in Christ, the inhabitants of the parish of B., in the county of S." This work was written not by Richard Adams, but by Richard Allein, M.A., Rector of Batcomb, Somersetshire. An account of this good man is given in the second volume of the "Noncon

formist's Memorial," p. 345, which closes thus: "His book called 'Vindicia Pietatis, though tending manifestly to promote true piety, could not be licensed. They were greedily bought up and read by sober people. They were so saleable that the King's bookseller caused a great part of the impression to be seized, because unlicensed, and to be sent to the King's kitchen. From thence he bought them for a trifle, bound them up, and sold them in his own shop. This was at length complained of, and he was forced to beg pardon upon his knees at the Council-table, and send them back again to the King's kitchen to be bisk'd, i.e., rubbed over with an inky brush." With best wishes, I am, my dear Sir, Yours most truly, EDWARD HILL.

Benbow Terrace, Shrewsbury, September 2nd, 1862.

I AM happy to be informed that my last lecture has been approved amongst the lay brethren, and that a continuance of my remarks will be acceptable. I am much encouraged by this circumstance, and shall act accordingly. I deem it an honour in any way to contribute a mite towards so great an object. I say great, for I think very highly of this part of spiritual service. Lay preaching should, on various grounds, be zealously cultivated. I am fully convinced that by this means a rich crop of useful men might be raised in every section of the church of Christ. From the general body of such might be selected, from time to time, a number whose aptness to teach had thus been proved, and whom it might be desirable to give the benefit of academic training, while others might become good pastors, not merely of second and third, but of first-class churches. This has been often realised. But this is not all; the vast remainder, while continuing in the walks of secular life, might prove powerful agents in spreading the Gospel. If ever the world is to be turned to God, it can only be by such an arrangement, which is at once consonant with reason and with Scripture. A highly trained and adequately supported ministry, wholly set apart to the work, never can be procured or sustained in sufficient numbers to accomplish the object. So much for the principle; now for our practical observations.

With good sense, deep piety, moderate opportunities, and steady perseverance, great things in the way of qualification for usefulness may be realised. Thus the late Andrew Fuller became the most scriptural theologian of his age and country. Very few men of his day produced so much impression in the pulpit, and yet it would be almost difficult exactly to say how this impression was produced. You saw him ascending the pulpit, tall, robust, stout, awkward alike in his person and in his manners. His prayers were short and scriptural, but, excepting on some very remarkably exciting occasions, he did not manifest any extraordinary gift of prayer. He rises to preach with gloves on, and his hands placed in the pockets of his

VOL. XX.

pantaloons. His look is heavy but commanding, and you want much to hear what such a man has to say. He reads his text, generally a plain and important passage of the divine word, and commences with great simplicity and apparently with little or no emotion; at length one of his hands is drawn from its hiding-place, and in a few minutes the other is also released; a little while and a glove is drawn off, and the other shortly follows it to the pulpit floor. His feelings soon become earnest, as he places before you the exact views or feelings of the sacred writer; your attention is now fixed, the transparent simplicity of the preacher is wonderful; how is it you never saw the passage in that light before? Now comes, chiefly from the scriptural history, illustration after illustration, intermingled with touches of the imagination, and strokes of pathos which entirely command your attention, and do far more than call forth your admiration.

If

you can spare a moment to look at the preacher, you see he is twisting off a coat button, and unconsciously preparing a task for Mrs. Fuller on Monday morning. So much was this a habit, though always unconscious of it at the time, that, among his intimate friends, he would describe a season of great enjoyment in preaching by calling it "a button time."

His sermons were from fifty minutes to an hour in length, and no one ever complained of him as being tedious. The impression produced on the mind of the hearer, by any single sermon, would seldom be effaced. His arguments appeared irresistible; so that a pious lady, who heard him for the first time in his own church, asked whether it was possible that there could be any unconverted persons among his regular hearers.

How important soever preaching may be, it occupies only the second place; prayer the first, but let it be real prayer. Preaching prayers are bad, and soliloquies are not much better. Numbers seem not to know what true prayer is; were all that is irrelevant, rambling, and incoherent removed, many a long prayer would be reduced to one-third.

G

Our public prayers fail generally, we think, in two of the most essential attributes of a good prayer-confession and intercession. We do not mean by confession here the specific confessions of sins, so much as that humble, lowly posture of the soul in prayer which we usually express by the word confession, and which implies the most fitting frame of mind for profitable devotion. The mind is not prepared for any other part of prayer till it can bow itself in contrition at the mercy-seat. "I would rather feel compunction," said good Thomas à Kempis, "than know how to define it." This frame of mind is legitimate to the most advanced Christian experience. The sense of unworthiness, of contrition for his daily shortcomings, if not for positive sins, is indeed a feeling which grows with the growth of a devout soul; and, unquestionably, contrition is an habitual quality of a deep Christian temper. It is intimately related to most of the doctrines of grace; it implies dependence on the divine mercy, the necessity of faith in the appropriation of the mediation of Christ; it is closely connected with adoration by the sense of the necessary compassion and aid of the Spirit, and it is particularly compatible with religious comfort, for in itself it is congenial with religious tenderness and self-possession, and its sense of dependence is the very root of the sense of divine helpfulness and assurance. The praying man can never feel himself to be in the right attitude before his God, for any particular supplication, never prepared to receive an answer of peace," till he has reached this blessed stage of meekness and contrition. If it is so with the individual suppliant, in secret, why is it not equally so with a public assembly of such suppliants? How important then is it that public prayer should lead the congregation primarily to this gracious. frame!

66

Intercession is a trait of genuine prayer mentioned by all writers on the subject. It is not merely the "asking" for the blessings usually so mechanically enumerated in our public devotions, but it is that "seeking" and "knocking," that importunity and entreaty by which our Lord characterises the prevalent prayer. "The fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much." What spectacle is more solemn, more sublime, than that of a public assembly bowed before God, and, led by the voice of

their teacher, interceding for the divine compassion and help? Interceding, we say-pleading, entreating for themselves, their families, their country, their fallen, suffering race! But how seldom is the scene witnessed, except as a lifeless form -in which the very form becomes contradictory of the supposed spirit. No conductor of public worship should deem that he has really led the congregation in effective prayer unless he has brought them to this point. Precisely here, if anywhere, should there be delay, persistence; and the preceding parts of the prayer should be concise enough to allow of this without impatience on the part of the people. Nothing, indeed, can more effectually prevent impatience in the audience than this "spirit of prayer." A man standing between the people and their God-laying hold upon "the horns of the altar," pleading for the bowed assembly with the urgency of wrestling Jacob," need seldom or never apprehend that the people will fail to be in sympathy with his own earnestness. No eloquence can touch them like this. It is the best possible preparation of their minds for the discourse that is to follow. He gains a commanding vantage-ground for his sermon who has melted the eyes and hearts of his people at the foot of God before he demands their attention to himself.

66

We have dwelt the more particularly on this subject because we think it is the most neglected of all the concernments of our public worship, while unquestionably it is the most important, as it is that by which we most directly come into the presence of God in the sanctuary. How to render more effective the purely devotional part of public worship is one of the greatest desiderata of Protestantism. In breaking away from the ritualism of Popery, the Refor mation has left us with a felt and a growing deficiency at this most momentous point. Preaching has too much taken the place of worship, at least of devotion, in our religious assemblies. The latter

has degenerated into but little more than a preliminary to the former. The Protestant world acknowledges the fact, and has indulged in no small amount of discussion upon it. Ritualism has obtruded its claims as the only remedy; but there is a better corrective. It is to be found in more of "the spirit of prayer."

Jan. 20, 1863.

P. P.

Notes on the Gospels, Critical and Explanatory. By M. W. JACOBUS. London: Hamilton and Co.

ALFRED BARNES has, at length, found a rival in one of his own countrymen, the professor of biblical literature in a western theological seminary, Pennsylvania. The Gospel of St. Matthew occupies the whole of the volume, of which no fewer than thirty-three editions have been issued in America. We see much in the book to praise, and nothing to censure. There may be differences as to the import of certain matters in the Gospel, but diversity in this respect consists with orthodoxy. The notes are very copious, well-digested, and much adapted to be of use to all students of the Bible, whether they be engaged in Sundayschool instruction or not. For public purposes we could not wish a better guide than our American; and we trust, with such encouragement as he has had, he will proceed with the rest of the Gospels, and, if life be spared, with the whole of the New Testament. His gifts clearly lie in that direction, and he will do well to obey the promptings of his own genius.

How it was Done at Stow School. London : Hamilton and Co.

THIS is a book of real life, exhibiting such a picture of a public institution as has not often seen the light. It has unusual charms for both old and young, and is fraught with an interest which nothing but truth can impart. We have presented a sample under the head of "Domestic Economy."

Alfred and the Little Dove. By F. A. KRUMMACHER, D.D. London: Hamilton & Co. DR. KRUMMACHER is a name that is very dear

to multitudes in these islands. He is the Chalmers of Prussia-a great power, without either verse or rhyme. Every page presents a picture, and every picture is radiant with beauty. The little volume will be devoured by youth of both sexes.

Patriarchal Shadows of Christ and His Church. By OCTAVIUS WINSLOW. London: Shaw and Co.

THIS is one of Dr. Winslow's best works; in none of them is there a greater freshness for the strong current of evangelical sentiment. It is a tree of which the fruit is alike excellent and abundant; it will comfort and strengthen generations yet unborn, for it is a book that will live.

Life of Francis Xavier. By H. VENN, B.D. London: Longman and Co.

XAVIER was one of the most extraordinary men of his time, or of any time. His talents wers great, and his zeal apostolic. This history of his life is a history of marvels. Although himself a Jesuit, his life and labours may be read by Protestants with no small advantage. Much will be found adapted to rebuke, and much to encourage. He had in him the elements of the greatest missionary that has lived since the time of Paul; all he wanted was the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. We greatly like the book, and rejoice in its appearance.

Our Companions in Glory; or, the Society in Heaven Contemplated. London: Hamilton and Co.

THIS is strong meat for men, much fitted to make the weak strong, and the strong stronger. It is a book of thought, from the very nature of the case; it is the fruit of reflection on a few points of revelation which bear upon the subject; but, although necessarily of a highly speculative character, it wants not for substance as well as theory.

The Teacher's Pocket-Book and Diary for 1863. Sunday School Union.

HERE is another of those invaluable pocketbooks supplied to the teachers of the Sunday school. It is, of course, an exact transcript of its predecessors, supplying no room for censure, and demanding no praise; forasmuch as the praise of the series extends through all the land. The usual address to teachers is a good and business-like thing, explaining the object of the publication, and which is therefore adapted to the use of young teachers.

The "All in All" for every Day. By the Rev. D. MARTIN. W. J. Johnson. MR. MARTIN is the Congregational minister in Oxford, and most worthily is he representing the body. The Rev. Dr. Spence, the Rev. James Hill, and several others previously, decided men of mark, all found it a most discouraging situation. They seemed to plough on a rock. There was much toil and little for it. It was reserved for Mr. Martin, a very modest, unpretending man, to do what had not been done before. He may be said, speaking figuratively, to have sunk an Artesian well, from which the waters are flowing abundantly. His acceptance is very remarkable, and the good he is doing is unquestionably very great.