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with a heart not right with Him, neither feeling unworthy to bear a part in such holy things, nor gladly grateful both for the blessings daily bestowed upon them, and the bright prospect of those good things which'eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, which God hath prepared for them that love Him.'

"And moreover, they forget that our journey through this world is to be a training for one very different-that there is something of good or evil, of heaven or hell, in everything about us-that day by day in every act, in every pleasure or pain, there is something to bring us onward, or throw us back. Let us bear in mind then what seems to be so much lost sight of, that if we would be fitting ourselves for the happiness of heaven, and training ourselves for its pure enjoyments, we must be cultivating our highest and best tastes upon earth, which are but the faintest shadow of what will be so much more fully and perfectly developed in eternity, and which our glorified spirits and glorified bodies will be made more capable of enjoying.

"Therefore in our public acts of worship, in the services of our Church, how much to help us, how much of heaven there should be! If everything we do or undergo makes us more or less fit for heaven, how should the work of meeting together in the courts of GOD'S house, and joining in prayer and praise to Him-how should that help us each successive time in gaining some little steps towards becoming more fit to bear the presence of His glory hereafter! Now He dwells among us veiled-He is among us now, gathered together as we are in His name, though we see Him not-He is shrouded in His holy sacraments-we are learning to be able to endure His presence.

"And what if we engage in this awful work carelessly and irreverently, or indolently? what, if to the work of angels we bring worldly and carnal hearts, or lift up impure hands? How do we tempt GOD to visit us with His just displeasure! Shall we not be doing the very thing to make us unfit for the work of heaven hereafter? We should love the services of our Church because we love GOD to Whom they are paid; and if we engage in them in that spirit, they will be fervently offered and graciously accepted for His Son's sake.

"Having said thus much about worship, and reminded you that it is a work which we share with angels, the next thing that we should bear in mind is, that, since this is our privilege, it becomes our bounden duty to offer to the King of kings, and LORD of lords' of the best, and that therefore it should be our delight to bestow great care and pains, that these acts of public worship should be made as worthy of that Great Being, as in our poor sinful nature we can. On the same principle that nothing should ever be considered too costly for the decoration and due ornament of God's house, that we ought to be ashamed to see gold, and silver, and precious stones used for the adorning of the person, or for the display of wealth in our houses, while, it may be, the vessels on God's altar are of the meanest kind-our own houses luxuriously furnished, while anything is thought good enough for God's house on the same prin

ciple, it should be our aim that whatever talents or gifts God has blessed us with should be employed to His honour and glory; and a high inducement to cultivate them should be, that we may come before Him with a less unworthy offering. Any gifts or talents therefore that we can bring to bear upon public worship, it should be our aim cheerfully to employ, and be glad even to make a sacrifice of time and convenience to improve them.

"Now music is a gift of the highest kind, and one so well adapted for enriching our offering of worship and praise, both for kindling high feelings, and being at the same time a more fitting channel of utterance, that it has been so applied from the earliest times.

"The rapturous feeling which we experience on hearing lovely music, shows that it speaks to the better part of our fallen nature, which will be made perfect hereafter. The most exquisite melody, however, the most perfect harmony which the skill of man can combine and produce, is poor and jarring, compared with those strains which now swell through the courts of heaven, and which it may be our blest lot to listen to and take part in hereafter; but still, however poor the offering, it will be accepted if it be the best that we have.

"We copy then an angelic pattern when we mingle melody in our services; and if we study our Bible, and refer to the services of the early Jewish Church, it is very striking how important a feature singing was.

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"We find (1 Chron. xxiii. 5) in the distribution of the Levites, that four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made,' said David, to praise therewith;' and again, we have the names of several whom David chose; and we read (1 Chron. xxv. 6, 7) all these were under the hands of their father for song in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, psalteries, and harps, for the service of the house of GOD,-so the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, were two hundred fourscore and eight.' Such was the choir for the daily service of the temple, to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even.' (1 Chron. xxiii. 30.)

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"When Hezekiah cleansed the Temple, and restored the neglected services, we read that he set the Levites in the house of the LORD, with cymbals, with psalteries, and harps, according to the commandment of David, and the priests with the trumpets, and all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded, and Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD,. and they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed the head and worshipped.' (2 Chron. xxix. 25, &c.)

"At the dedication of the wall at the rebuilding of the Temple, we find, (Nehemiah xii. 27,)' they sought the Levites out of their places to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgiving and with singing, with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps. And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, out of the plain country, and from the villages, for the singers had builded themselves villages round about Jerusalem.' And previous to this, (Ezra iii. 11,) when the builders laid

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the foundation of the temple of the LORD,' (i.e., at the rebuilding by Ezra,) they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the name of the LORD, after the ordinance of David, king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD.'

"I have brought forward these passages to show what attention was paid, that music should form an essential part of the religious services-that we should be reminded on what a grand scale all concerning the worship of the Most High, was conceived and carried out. And it is not presumptuous to suppose that holy men like David, and Hezekiah, and Ezra, and Nehemiah, inspired as they were, were divinely directed; and therefore we have the highest authority, and almost a divine model for our services-and they cannot be perfect unless a portion of them be choral.

"Not but that Almighty God will accept the humblest tribute where it is the best, and there are many places where, from local circumstances, even the smallest choir cannot be raised and maintained; let us not think that their prayers and praise are less acceptable, or are slower to reach the courts of the Most High, than if they were wafted upwards on the waves of song; nay, there may be an offering more pleasing to GOD in the plain and unadorned prayers of a little village Church, where all are gathered together in unity of heart and fervency of devotion, than in the far more glorious service of a grand Cathedral, with its swelling organ and full toned choir, where unity of heart and fervency of devotion are not.

"But it is our duty, and should be our pride, to do our best to render the public services of God's Church as acceptable to Him as we can; and it is for this first and chief object that this meeting was established, which brings us together here to-day; with the hope that several neighbouring parishes uniting together, and working together, might severally improve each other and receive improvement; and that also a kindly Christian fellowship might be excited and retained among us. And I think that to a great extent we have been enabled to see this hope realised, and it will not be out of place if I say that this has been, to a great degree, from the interest shown and the pains taken by the several choirs who are here met together, who have cheerfully sacrificed their convenience to render themselves more efficient and more worthy of their calling. Let them not forget that it is a privilege to be chosen to lead the services in the house of GOD-that if they have been endowed with the gift of a good voice, they ought to be thankful for the opportunity afforded them of so using it to His honour Who gave it them: and the congregation should fully understand that it is simply the office of the choir to lead them, and not to stand in their place in those portions of the service in which they are bid to join; and not only with their voice should they lead them, but by their perfect reverence of behaviour, and humble sincerity, they may be a pattern to the whole congregation, and give evidence that what they sing with their mouths they are believing in their hearts. For what are praises sung in the most perfect harmony by the best choirs better in GoD's sight, than 'sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal,' if the heart do not accompany the lips?

nay, far from being acceptable, they must be a mockery and an offence.

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Lastly, let us recall to mind the choirs of the heavenly host which burst forth in the still watches of that eventful night, upon the shepherds of Bethlehem-a multitude of the heavenly host sang together this joyous hymn. Let us lay it to heart, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.' Such, as I have already said, has been our object in our present meeting, 'glory to GOD' in the first place; next, 'peace' and Christianly brotherly feeling among ourselves; and lastly, to promote and exercise goodwill' and charity towards men. Therefore, is the opportunity afforded us all, of giving alms and making an offering as a test of our good will. Thus shall we be assisting to carry on this good and useful work, of striving to render God's public service more worthy of Him, which cannot be done without some cost; and in addition, we hope that, by God's grace, you will be disposed so to offer liberally of that means with which you have been blessed, that there may be also a fund to assist members of the choirs in sickness.

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May God give us devout and grateful hearts! May His honour and glory be the leading principle in all we undertake! And may He mercifully accept our humble tribute of prayer, and praise, and almsgiving, this day offered by us His unworthy children,-and may that heavenly spirit be day by day forming within us, which, through the atoning blood of CHRIST, shall render us fit to be owned by Him at the last day! Oh! happy, if through His merits and mediation, we are found worthy to be admitted into that heavenly company, and mingle our hallelujahs with theirs, and join in the song of the Redeemed for ever."

After the morning service, the choirs and several of the Clergy and others present partook of a cold collation, which was laid out in one of the school-rooms mentioned above. Before sitting down, grace was sung by the choirs.

The afternoon service commenced at three o'clock, when prayers were said by the Rector of the parish, the Rev. R. Wait. The following were the musical portions of the service :

Psalm XXII., double chant in C.
Psalm XXIII., single chant in C.
Magnificat, double chant in E.
Nunc Dimittis, single chant in A.

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Battishill.
Anon.

Lord Mornington,
Battishill.

Rev. W. Jones.

Dr. Croft.

The Sermon was preached by the Rev. C. P. Wilbraham, Vicar of Audley, from Tobit xiii. 18.

success.

This is a movement begun in a right spirit, and we wish it every The choirs really did their part admirably, and when it is considered that a large proportion are simple country people, who have hitherto had little or no instruction in the principles of music, it may really be considered a wonderful performance. The only drawback was the lamentable deficiency in making the responses; scarcely an "Amen" could be raised in the whole congregation. We hope, that before another of these meetings— which we believe are to take place annually-the choirs may be taught to sing the responses; for which some very good simple music is given in the "Parish Choir," a periodical which every one interested in Church music ought to possess. We would also venture to suggest that, for the future, that most simple but at the same time, strictly ecclesiastical form of chant, the single chant alone should be used; and especially those admirable patterns for all modern chants, the ancient Gregorian Tones. We understand that an association has been formed at Cheadle for the promotion of Church music, which we sincerely hope may do much good in the neighbourhood by introducing a more decent and correct performance of the services of the Church, and thus promoting the advancement of the praise and glory of God.

The Cabinet.

THE EXILE.-A Christian, who is not sensible of his banishment, has never well known or loved his own Country; and yet the country of a Christian is GOD Himself. He went away from it by sin, he continues at a distance by this earthly body (2 Cor. V.8) he returns thither by the life of faith, and he enters again into it, and dwells there by glory. Unhappy that we are! why is the time of our exile prolonged? More unhappy still if we love it, and are afraid that we shall be recalled home.-QUESNEL.

In the ancient prayers of the Greek Church, the people, after receiving the Priest's blessing, answered, "The LORD keep you, sir, to bless and sanctify us many years;" to show how sensible they were of the benefit of receiving GOD's blessing by His minister.-BP. WILSON.

Poetry.

THE FLOCK OF CHRIST. "One Fold and One Shepherd."-S. John x. 16.

I.

FAR as the shepherd's eye can

range Along the sunny plain, Where ancient Sarum's hillocks

rise

Like isles amid the main ;
Or where, as poised by Demon-
spell,

In mystic circle stand
The sole memorials left to point
The Druids' holy land:

"The Parish Choir," Published on the first of every month, price 3d. stamped, 4d. London: John Ollivier.

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