sions take it amiss, if we acknowledge ourselves to have no leaning to the Presbyterian, the Independent, the Baptist, the Methodist, or any other sectarian platform. They accord neither with our judgment nor our taste; and we have never chanced to step into one of their places of worship, without thanking God, on coming out, for our own solemn forms, and decent ceremonies, and evangelical liturgy. With feelings of the truest affection and duty we venerate the mother from whose breasts we drew our earliest nourishment, by whose arms we were presented to the Saviour in baptism, at whose knees we lisped our infant prayers, and lying on whose bosom we hope to pass into eternity. Yet we cannot forget that many churches besides the Anglican contribute to make up "the gene-, ral assembly and church of the first-born;" and we exult in the prosperity of them all. We rejoice when good is done even by those (of whom the number, we trust, is very small,) who preach Christ out of contention; and would a thousand times rather that a soul should soar to heaven from a dissentient enclosure, than sink from the embrace of a more apostolical communion into outer darkness. But how would it gratify our filial feelings to see our own church take its rightful precedence in the work of universal evangelization; to see it dedicating its wealth, and talent, and learning, and dignities, its numerical force, and its civil advantages, to building up the temple of the Lord, and disseminating his knowledge throughout the world! We would address it in the noble language of a Christian poet :

"Oh! to thy godlike destinies arise!

Awake! and meet the purpose of the Skies."

Many of the clergy there are, we doubt not, who would delight to have such a field opened for them by canonical authority as that now engrossed by Dissenters. They would delight to go forth, with episcopal commissions, and under episcopal guidance, to proclaim, in tents or in the open air, the Gospel to those ungodly multitudes, who must hear it thus, or they will never hear it at all. Is there any thing in the law of the land, any thing in the constitution of our church, to forbid the appointment of ministers to such a work of holy charity? If so, the law of the land, or the constitution of the church, needs to be amended: and we shall hail it as an auspicious omen, if we find the Hierarchy employed in the next session of Parliament in concerting and carrying measures to this effect. Domestic missionaries, or itinerant evangelists, pretty much of the kind we contemplate, have not been unknown to England

in former days; and France numbers some of that order among her greatest preachers. The revival of such a class, under the requisite modifications, would be an event of glorious promise for our towns and cities, and especially for the capital. To the Bishops we would fain look for this holy boon to our country. Oh, what a blessing might our Episcopal Bench be to all the nations under heaven, were it such a goodly company, of mitred sanctities as sometimes in our golden dreams we picture to ourselves! And it has men upon it, God be thanked, whose spirit circulating through all its members, would constitute it such a company. We do not forget that it is the bounden duty of those high functionaries to maintain discipline and order-and would that discipline and order were better maintained!--but this is not their only, nor yet their principal duty. If they would but think of themselves more as guardians of the church of Christ, and less as the overseers of a particular communion. they would promote at once the greater cause and the less. While, under the Divine blessing, "peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety" would be diffused in rivers over the land, the Establishment would grow in general estimation, and Episcopacy would fix its claim on the allegiance and affections of the people.

We do beseech the Right Reverend Prelates, with unfeigned respect we beseech them, to remember that they are the chief physicians of the Lord's heritage, whose office it is to bind up the broken-hearted, to heal the sick, and to strengthen the diseased. To cure their patient is the urgent business; and if they debar him the requisite medicine, because it is not compounded according to the strictest rules of art and professional elegance, they venture on a heavy responsibility. Alas that any of these distinguished men should be hunting down pious curates, and bruising the heel, as they cannot crush the head, of the Bible and Church Missionary Societies, instead of uniting to extend and purify the church at home, and to make the name of Christ illustrious among the Heathen! When they have cut up impiety by the roots, and silenced the blasphemer; when they have taught the ignorant, reclaimed the wanderers, and brought the perishing myriads of London into the sanctuary of the Gospel; then, and not till then, let them busy themselves in polishing the stones of our temple, and in pruning away the luxuriances of genuine godliness.

We conclude this long article, for which the immense importance of its subject must be our apology, with a few sentences from an excellent address, by Mr. Stewart of Percy Chapel, on "The Importance of a Revival of Religion in London."

He

especially urges his brethren to assiduous and united prayer, in order to obtain a special outpouring of the Holy Ghost, without which human efforts must be ineffectual. Most heartily do we coneur in this scriptural recommendation; and we believe that when it shall be generally acted upon by the religious community, the day of universal renovation will not be far distant.

What then can be done to promote this revival?

If we read with attention the Acts of the Apostles, particularly the former part, we shall observe, that, while the gracious power of the Holy Ghost was the efficient cause of the blessedness of those days, that the means which were used were these:-1. Fervent prayer to God for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This, not only upon the day of Pentecost, but frequently during the progress of the work. 2. The calling sinners to repentance, and the constant preaching of the Lord Jesus in his glorious fulness, and in all his gracious offices. 3. The intimate union of the true disciples, boldly coming out from the world, living in harmony and brotherly love, adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour by a conversation becoming the Gospel, welcoming, with affection, those who were walking in the truth, and at the same time strongly discouraging insincere profession. These were some of the principal means then used.

A full adoption of this course would be the commencement of a revival of religion. Preparatory to this the following steps may be recommended.

For Ministers, in their private chambers, seriously to meditate, and ask counsel of the Lord, upon this important subject, and to make it an occasional topic in their public discourses.

For such Ministers as reside in the same neighbourhood, privately to meet with their brethren for united prayer and consultation.

For private Christians to bear this subject in constant remembrance in their closets, in their families, and in their social religious circles; so that by frequent consideration the desire for this revival may become strong, and fixed, and habitual*.

For those Ministers in London, who particularly feel the importance of the subject, if such a meeting can be arranged with propriety and suitableness, to assemble in devout prayer and humiliation, acknowledging their past remiss ness, humbly supplicating forgiveness through the merits of Christ, and at the same time specially entreating the Divine aid in this work, as well as a gracious out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on this city.

When these previous steps have been taken, that God, who is ready to hear and answer prayer, may, in His abundant mercy, suggest to the minds of his servants, as well as incline his people, to adopt such measures as He shall be pleased to bless for this great work.

* As this revival is intimately connected with the general advancement of the kingdom of our Lord, it is hoped that all devout Christians, wherever they dwell, will, like Abraham of old, remember this city in their prayers.

Stewart, pp. 19-21.

The Ministerial Character of Christ practically considered. By CHARLES RICHARD SUMNER, M.A. Domestic Chaplain and Librarian to his Majesty, and Prebendary of Worcester. 8vo. London: Hatchard. 1824.

A Charge delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Llandaff, in September 1827, at the primary Visitation. By CHARLES RICHARD, Bishop of Llandaff. 4to. London: Hatchard, and Rivington.

A MORE important direction was perhaps never given to the church, than that of St. Paul, "Let that mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." No profession of doctrine, no outward sanctity of manner, will avail that man, who does not aim and labour to follow the blessed example of the Saviour, and to be "in the world, even as He was in the world."

But if this be a point of vast importance to the lay members of any Christian community, how much more to those who are its accredited pastors and teachers? Alas! who can but blush and be ashamed, when he reflects upon the lamentable deficiency which too many ecclesiastics, in all ages, and in our own, have discovered in this matter! There is, indeed, a way of getting rid of such reflections; there is a way of bringing down the standard of ministerial feeling and practice, so as to meet the wishes of the formal and the decent, without offending the profane or the dissolute. There is a way of extolling the mercy of God to the depreciating of his purity; and of extenuating the foibles and infirmities of the ministers of religion, to the utter extinction of their peculiar character, as "the lights of the world" and "the ambassadors of Christ." In fact it ought not to be concealed, since it cannot be disputed, that for a long series of years in the history of our own church, a freedom from vice, rather than the practice of piety-an attention to outward forms, rather than the cultivation of spiritual graces, combined with a respectable acquaintance with letters, formed the general character of the Anglican clergy of the very persons who boasted of that glorious Reformation from Popery, which, but for men of a totally opposite spirit from themselves, would never have been effected.

It may be enough for a careless and worldly priest, to read over stated forms at stated times; to deliver his moral thesis once on a Sunday; to perform his surplice duties, and take his surplice fees or his Easter offerings, his gold or his tithes. If, in addition to this, he can court the favour or gain the patronage of some man of renown, whose favour and patronage are

worth the having ;-if from a rectory he can rise to a prebendal stall, from that to a deanery, and ultimately to a mitre; -if, by saving as much as he possibly can, and giving as little as he decently can, or rather, perhaps, not giving at all;—if by misrepresenting truths which he does not understand, and perverting those which he does-persecuting the faithful servants of Christ, calling them any thing but their proper title, Christians, and shewing them any thing but countenance and kindness;--if, in fine, to be a minister of God's word mean nothing more, than that a man should seek his own interest and glory, regardless of the glory of his Lord and the interests of his flock, then indeed has many a careless and wicked priest and prelate got safe to heaven; then is there no "reward for the righteous, no God that judgeth in the earth;" then "hath the truth of the Lord failed, and his word come utterly to an end for evermore."

But who would be hardy enough to tell the monstrous lie? or, if told, who would be foolish enough to credit it? Men such as those we have just been describing serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly." They are none of his disciples. They were never called by his Spirit to the work and office of the ministry; and therefore we cannot be surprised that they took no pains to fulfil it. Such men, it may be for a long series of years, serve themselves of the church, and mind earthly things; but divest them of their official importance, and bring their conduct and their writings to the test of Scripture, and, if words mean any thing, it will be found that such teachers are the real" enemies of the Cross," and that their "end (in spite of flatterers or dependents) is destruction," and that destruction everlasting.

We know these are unpleasant truths; but, being truths, we must not attempt to palliate or deny them. Yet would we never advert to such points without those feelings which led St. Paul, when dwelling on the painful subject, to mourn over the evils which he was compelled to expose, and the doom which he was directed to denounce: "Many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you weeping. May this be our spirit and temper, and that of our readers! It is easy to pass the harsh censure, and to condemn avaricious and unconverted teachers but to do this with a heart deeply concerned at the dishonour thus cast upon Christ, and the injury thus brought to souls; to do it with self-abasement for our own unworthiness and unprofitableness; to be able to say in sincerity, "Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because men keep not thy law;" this is not easy or natural. Divine grace must change and re