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himself in reference to the all-important topics on which it treats. In a future letter I may, probably, have to advert to the observations of Mr. Wilks on the holy life of a minister of the sanctuary. At present, I will merely quote a few lines from his work, which bear immediately on the matter in hand.

"If, however, he (the Christian teacher) be induced to acknow. ledge the necessity of this radical change, it surely becomes a question of paramount importance, whether or not it has been realized. The subject will now appear with a prominence which it never before possessed. He will begin anxiously to examine, whether his religion be merely the decency of professional character, or whether it be in truth the energetic influence of vital Christianity. He will inquire if, commencing in a consciousness of the infinite guilt of sin, and the incompetency of man to deserve salvation by the best obedience which, since the fall, he is able to bestow, it have proceeded to self-renunciation, to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and love to God the Father; and, lastly, whether it evidences itself by a life of holiness, and a progressive conformity to the Divine image. His thoughts, his words, his actions, and, above all, his motives, will be subjects of careful investigation. He will pray for the Divine guidance in ascertaining his own character."

But I did not intend to dwell so long upon a single point, important as that point confessedly is. Having shewn that the Cross of Christ stands connected with motives of characteristic distinction, I would further remark, that it also furnishes,

2. Motives of tried efficacy. Who was it that said "the love of Christ constraineth us? And to what did it constrain the Apostle and his fellow-labourers, but to live, not unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again?" It impelled them to arduous exertion, and supported them under the severest suffering. Never before did mankind witness such wonderful effects resulting from a single principle; that principle, the love of the Crucified Jesus. Friends, prospects, health, yea, life itself, were counted as loss in the service and cause of Christ. Labours more than Herculean, and sufferings such as the mind can scarcely bear to dwell upon, characterized the primitive heralds and messengers of the Cross. It was not as an eloquent flourish of oratory, or the result of an overheated imagination, or the proud boasting of a pharisaical spirit; but the thankful ackowledgment of a pardoned sinner, and the firm determination of a Christian hero-"What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ: yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him: not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law; but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death; if by any means

I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Often have I felt, that, when quoting passages from the Epistles of St. Paul, it is no easy matter to know where to stop: the mind is borne away, as by a resistless torrent; while a hallowed enchantment seems to calm and delight the spirit, holding a mystical communion with an unseen world. Thus, by a singular contrariety, what is vehement is combined with what is calm and sober; and points which, in the general estimation of the world, are only speculative and imaginary, not to say absurd, are, in the happy experience of the church, connected with the highest enjoyments, and productive in the life of the most beneficial consequences.

But you are ready to ask, Why refer merely to St. Paul? Have there not been thousands of instances, beside those furnished by him, of supreme dedication to the work and glory of Christ? Indeed, my dear sir, the difficulty, when writing on such subjects, arises rather from the abundance of the witnesses to the power and grace of God, than from their paucity; especially in the earlier and better days of the church of Christ. But, not to confine ourselves to that period, may we not trace the influence of this grand motive in all succeeding ages, and in our own? What heart so cold as not to be warmed by it? If really admitted to exert its full and sacred powers, what consequences will it not produce, and on what circumstances will it not be brought to bear?-This leads me to remark, that it furnishes, 3. Motives of universal application.-Christ hath purchased the church with his own blood!" What an argument," says the great Richard Baxter; "what an argument is here, to quicken the negligent, and to condemn those that will not be quickened up to their duty by it!".... "Oh then," continues he, "let us hear those arguments of Christ whenever we feel ourselves grow dull and careless." 'Did I die for them, and wilt not thou look after them? Did I come down from heaven to earth to seek and to save that which was lost; and wilt not thou go to the next door or street to seek them? How small is thy labour and condescenion to mine! I debased myself to this, but it is thy honour to be so employed. Have I done and suffered so much for their salvation; and was I willing to make thee a coworker with me, and wilt thou refuse that little that lieth upon thy hands?' Every time we look upon our congregations, let us believingly remember that they are the purchase of Christ's blood, and therefore should be accordingly regarded by us. And think what a confusion it will be at the last day, to a negligent minister, to have this blood of the Son of God to be pleaded against him."

But if you will find in the Cross of Christ what may quicken your diligence when you are careless, you may also find there what will console you when you are desponding. Your ministerial path may be crowded with difficulties, and your heart may be but too ready to yield to discouragement. At such a time it may be well for you to "consider Him who endured the contradiction of sinners against himself." If you can appeal to Him, in simple faith and humble love,

that you are seeking his glory and not your own-that you only wish that He may be magnified in you and by you: - then may you indulge a good hope that he will cause all to work together for good. Happy he who like Peter can say, "Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee." To such the promise shall be eventually fulfilled, though it may appear to be delayed "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”

When all goes on smoothly, as to the outward circumstances; when prosperity rather than adversity becomes your lot; when the world smiles and seeks to allure you from your stedfastness, and already has thrown you off your guard; even then this master motive will be found the very thing to reclaim your wandering steps and to prevent the impending ruin. "The Lord turned and looked upon Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord; and when he thought thereon he wept." How often has He who has thus restored Peter, restored many of his ministering servants, of whose danger, much more their fall, the people were little aware! "He restoreth my soul," saith David, and so will thousands acknowledge at the last to the praise of the glory of his grace. In fine, my dear sir, only be diligent to cultivate this heavenly principle, and it shall be found to be productive in its effects of all that is holy, and excellent, and noble, and self-denying-all, in short, like Him whose you are, and whom you desire, I trust, supremely to

serve.

But the limits of my present letter will only allow me to make one observation more. The motives drawn from the Cross of Christ

are,

4. Motives of increasing force.-As the Christian grows in grace, and in the knowledge and love of God, he becomes daily more determined and fixed and settled in the service of his Lord and Master. His piety and zeal and devotedness became more and more like a river, and as the necessary consequence, his righteousness abounds in successive and interminable acts like the waves of the sea. Specially is this the case of the Christian minister who is fully alive to the sacredness of his own character and to the force of those obligations which bind him to his Lord. Time was, perhaps, when he was timid and afraid to avow his principles or to put honour upon his Saviour; but as he grew in grace he advanced to higher views, and discovered a more courageous deportment in the cause of Jesus. Behold, my young clerical brother, behold the aged Christian pastor standing on the verge of the eternal world and longing to be gone. His is the same faith and the same religion with yours and mine; but how superior to us! He is strong in the Lord and in the power of his might, and right nobly does he look clad in the whole armour of God, and ready, even in advanced years, to risk all and to lose all rather than grieve his God or injure the truth of the Gospel. Your own recollection will, probably, have brought to your mind the case of the venerable Polycarp at his martyrdom. Ürged by the proconsul to reproach Christ, he replied, "Eighty and six years have I VOL. II. NO. II.

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served him, and he hath never wronged me; how then can I blaspheme my King who hath saved me?" But why should I mention Polycarp? You know that the time would fail me were I to tell, or rather attempt to tell, of all the bright and glorious examples which we have before us in the lives and deaths of an innumerable cloud of witnesses.

"None but Christ," said our blessed martyr Bradford, and truly happy is he who, taught of God, can enter into such views and thus experience the comfort and the power of the Gospel. My paper is full, and I must leave what I would further have said on this subject till another opportunity. I will only say in conclusion,-May the love of Christ constrain you and me, and all our clerical brethren, to live not unto ourselves, but unto Him who died for us and rose again. Ever most truly yours,

To the Editor of the Christian Review, &c.

SIR,In your article on "the Religious State of the Metropolis (page 11 of the present volume), you quoted the opinion of an experienced Magistrate, that the younger part of a great portion of the inhabitants of London " had not the least conception of the nature of an oath, nor even of the existence of a Supreme Being." If any of your readers have been sceptical as to the correctness of this awful statement, the following fact, reported in all the newspapers in January last, may afford but too melancholy a confirmation of it. On the examination of witnesses respecting the murder of Mrs. Jeffs, in Montague Place, Diana Williams, aged nine years, was not admitted to be sworn, it appearing that "she could not read; had never been at school or church; knew nothing of the nature of an oath; never said her prayers; nor had ever heard the name of God!" She had, no doubt, often heard it taken in vain; but not so as to attach to it any ideas of a religious nature. It also appeared that the suspected individual, and his female companions, though in the lowest state of destitution, were in the habit of frequenting those scenes of iniquity, the minor theatres, whenever they could obtain the means of doing so. J. C.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

N. B. We have to apologize to some of our correspondents for apparent neglect, and to blame others for the lateness of their communications. Books and letters are often sent when the quarter is so far advanced that no notice can be taken of them.

In reply to the inquiry of E. G. we have only to say, that we intend (D. V.) to take up the question of Prophecy in an early article in our July number.

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INTELLIGENCE,

CLERICAL, ACADEMICAL, AND MISCELLANEOUS.

IMPORTANT CLERICAL CASE.-The Lord Chancellor has directed a case to be submitted to the Judges of the King's Bench Court, which, in its decision, will involve all the incumbrances on benefices, in the shape of mortgages, or otherwise than in the payment of annuities, which may be in existence, with the exception of such as have been contracted between 1803 and 1817. The question came before the Court recently, in the case of the Rev. W. Pritchard, the rector of a parish in Essex, to receive whose tithes a person prayed, in order that an incumbrance by mortgage might be liquidated. The defence set up by the Reverend Gentleman was, that the 13th of Elizabeth, cap. 20 (which enacted that all charges on benefices, with any profit arising out of the same, should be utterly void) was still in force. Notwithstanding this precise enactment, such charges on benefices were very common, and always deemed good; and it is singular that the question of this validity under the Act was never raised. Besides, the processus de bonis Ecclesiasticis was supposed to give an indirect sanction to them. The 43d Geo. III. cap. 84, sect 10, repealed the Act of Elizabeth, but the 57th of the same, cap. 99, known as Lord Stowell's Act (which consolidated all the laws previously in force regarding ecclesiastical benefices), repealed the latter Act among the others, except as far as it related to spiritual persons holding farms, to leases of benefices, and to buying and selling the residences of clergymen. The question, then, for the consideration of the King's Bench is, whether the 57th Geo. III. by repealing, in toto, the 43d of the late king, did not set up the 13th of Elizabeth, as far as regarded incumbrances on church livings. To the church this case is of the last importance.

ENTHRONEMENT OF THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER.-The Right Rev. Dr. Sumner, the new bishop of this diocese, having determined that he would be enthroned in the cathedral in person, and not, as usual, by proxy, considerable interest was excited to witness the ceremony. Since the Reformation, no Bishop of Winchester has, we are informed, been enthroned in person. The Bishop, surrounded by the dean and chapter, the archdeacons and clergy of the two archdeaconries within his Lordship's spiritual jurisdiction, Winchester and Surrey, proceeded to the cathedral. About eleven o'clock, prayers were chaunted by the minor canons and choristers, his Lordship having first been seated on the episcopal throne, in the great aisle. The ceremonial was as simple as the sublime liturgy which accompanied it. The cathedral was full to overflowing, of respectable per

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