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Which tells us, unseen angels bend
Around us in our hour of prayer,
And for awhile their songs suspend
The sigh of penitence to hear.

Nay! that for us the Saviour stands
His Father's awful throne beside,
And lifts in prayer his pierced hands
And pleads, oh words of pow'r !—he died.

Away then every vain desire,

Be every sinful thought abhorr'd;
What! shall we bring unhallow'd fire
E'en to the altar of the Lord?

Oh! we are weak-but mighty thou!
The boon we ask, good Lord, impart—

In praise, to feel a seraph's glow,
In prayer-a sinner's broken heart!

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Heb. 4.9

2

Is. 24. 15

22 Sunday after Trinity S

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M 4

Ps. 71. 5

Tu 5

Mal. 1. 5

W 6

TH 7

Is. 42. 8

F 8

Jer. 3. 17

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Ruth 2. 4

23 Sunday after Trinity S

10

Ps. 34. 10

M 11

Jer. 32. 39

Tu 12

Jer. 30. 20

W 13

Is. 42. 16

TH 14

Exod. 32. 13

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Num. 24. 17

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Ps. 119. 43

M

18

Ps. 119. 80

Tu 19

Gen. 4. 4

W 20

Is. 65. 22

TH 21

Ps. 119. 28

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Ps. 25. 12

M

25

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Joshua 24. 15
Ps. 145 19

Micah 7. 20
Jer. 10. 6

Rom. 5. 6
2 Cor. 5. 4
Eph. 2. 11, 12
Heb. 9. 27
Rom. 1. 2

1 Cor. 3. 17
Eph. 1. 17, 18
2 Tim. 3. 16, 17
Heb. 2. 10
1 Cor. 1. 21
1 Peter 2. 3, 4
Eph. 2. 19
Rom. 8. 17
1 Cor. 1. 17
Phil. 1. 23

1 John 2. 28

2 Tim. 2.7 1 John 1.9 Rom. 6.8 Eph. 1. 20, 21 2 Cor. 5. 10 Heb. 7. 26, 27 Phil. 1. 10, 11 1 Cor. 3. 8, 9 1 John 4. 7, 8 Titus 3. 8 Rom. 6. 9

1 Pet. 2. 25

2 Tim. 1. 9, 10

Arthur Foster, Printer, Kirkby Lonsdale

Kings 9.3

1 Chron. 29. 13

THE FRIENDLY VISITOR.

No. CLXXXII.]

NOVEMBER, 1833.

[VOL. XV.

THE PRESENT CONDITION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST.

Empires rise and fall, flourish and decay; and the eye of the worldling watches their movements with the deepest interest: but he thinks not of their vanity, even in their best estate; or of the coming day, when thrones and prircipalities and powers will only look like the toys of children. Oh! in that day, when the earth shall be removed and the mountains be cast into the depths of the sea; when the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, then at least will all the family of Adam be brought to one point of agreement and unity; for they will then one and all awake to the exercise of becoming reason, and form a proper estimate of things.

In the meanwhile there is a scattered remnant who, alive to their own dearest interests, do not fail to cast an eye of deepest thought over the world around them; and to watch its movements, not so much with reference to its temporal matters, as to the bearing of those movements on the welfare of the Catholic church. I need not tell my reader that I do not mean the Roman Catholic church. The word Catholic means "universal;" and when we pray for "the good estate of the Catholic church," and profess to believe in "the Holy Catholic church," we mean the universal church of Christ, consisting of his professing followers of all sects and denominations throughout the world.

Now amongst the many remarkable and instructive signs of the times, I do not think that there is any one more so, than the present condition of this professing church of Christ; and I am very much impressed with the feeling, that we ought to be willing to bring ourselves to a sober and impartial view of it, for the guidance of our prayers and exertions as well as of our expectations.

That there is a large and progressive advancement of

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true godliness throughout the world, I cannot doubt; and it would be wrong indeed not to look at our tokens for good, and in them to praise the Lord for his goodness to the children of men. But when we look at the present, condition of the mass of Christian nations, and consider how the leaven of their professed religion is working in the world, nothing can be more alarming than the prospect. Perhaps we are quite safe in taking England as the fairest and best sample of a professing Christian people in the world. And what is our present condition as it respects either our internal piety, or the leaven of our religious influence abroad?

1. As it respects our internal piety. There is clearly an immense improvement in the means for promoting it. The system of universal education, the circulation of the Bible, and religious tracts and books of every size and description; the labours of Sunday Schools and of painstaking ministers of the Gospel on every side-all this presents the working of the most excellent machinery, admirably adapted for the end in view; namely, the furtherance of righteousness and true holiness throughout the land. But, if by men's fruits we are to know them, how few after all are living soberly, righteously and godly! What poor returns result from all these extended efforts! How few young persons pursue the training of our various schools, and continue to walk in the ways of wisdom! The Bible is freely circulated, but how rarely is it seen to be in the family circle, quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Look into the flocks even of the most devoted and successful ministers. How few there are, compared with the whole, who in the strictest exercise of charity are truly turned to God; turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan! The Bible is the standard by which we must form our judgment. Now try the present state of things by what is said of the real workings of the grace of God, when it bringeth salvation to men. It teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, and to look for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ.

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These are the real fruits of grace where it savingly enters a soul. This is true religion. These are the proper signs of spiritual health. But oh how seldom do we see them! If one or two in a parish are converted in the course of a year, how overjoyed is the minister's heart! but where are the many added to the church daily; where the purpose and the language of the mass of a people, come and let us turn unto the Lord." I again repeat that I would not disparage the great good that is doing; on the contrary I am ready to express my conviction of the increase of true religion amongst us, upon the whole; but as it respects the state and prospects of the professing church of Christ in general, surely nothing can be less like what the Scriptures lead us to expect, or what the faithful are longing and panting to see.

2. Then what must we say to the leaven of our religious influence abroad? We have devoted men labouring as missionaries, and the Lord owns their work: but still how slow is their progress! Where are the nations born in a day? There is joy in heaven over many a solitary sinner that repenteth; but where has been the burst of heavenly exultation, "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of God and of his Christ?" And while we own the slow working of our good leaven abroad, what reason have we to fear that as a nation we have to answer for the working of much bad leaven. Our merchants and sailors touching at distant ports and visiting distant countries, how have they weakened the missionaries' hands by their vices and ungodliness. Our English travellers for pleasure, what a dim light have they taken with them, to say the least, into darker countries! more readily drinking into the lax spirit of others, than presenting in a consistent manner the purer religion of their own church. The Jews at this moment, especially the more inquiring and candid in Poland, are kept from becoming Christians by the profligacy and ungodliness of professing Christians in general. "What! (they say) is this the religion to which you would have us turn!"

Now, in reflecting upon the present state of things, I have been much impressed with the thought, that our

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present condition is aptly represented by Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones. Ours is a singular position at this moment, and I think an entirely new one. Here are not Ezekiel's dry bones; that reproach is past from the church: here are the muscles, the flesh, and the skin: a body fitly framed for service: well arranged Missionary Institutions in all denominations of Christians-an anxious concern for the conversion of Jew as well as Gentile-Schools of all descriptions--Tract Societies-Bible Societies—a sound and faithful ministry throughout our land-churches building the utmost ingenuity of man exercised to invent methods of doing good--all, all ready for action—the noise, the shaking of the bones coming together, bone to his bone-but where is the breath? (See Ezekiel 37.) Here is a well adapted machinery fitly framed together and directed towards the spread of true religion, the conversion of a world; but all are not becoming true Christians; the world is not yet hastening to conversion; no, the breath is wanting; the breath of heaven, the Spirit of the Most High God-the promise of the ascended Saviour. that only be given, and it will be as easy and as common a thing for three thousand to be converted under one sermon as a single soul: let the Spirit only be poured out from on high, and a great and effectual door will always be open to our missionaries; and the trophies of our Redeemer's cross will become as countless as the sand on the sea shore.

Let

Now, without entering deep into the subject of prophecy, I confess that our present singular position, such as I have described it, fills me with the most interesting expectation, as it respects the future prospects of the church of Christ. For it is when the sinews and the flesh and the skin are come together, and the whole body is prepared, that the body is ready for the breath to be breathed into it. It is when the spirit of universal inquiry is excited, (and now indeed is the period of universal awakening and stir) that the Lord will answer it: for it is written, "when the poor and needy seek water and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will

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