families, M. Coquerel spurns at the opinion that sets it up as a divine judgment upon the sins of mankind.

With all the energies of my faith, [he exclaims,] I protest against that desolating dogma; and I absolutely deny the right of any human authority to say of an affliction, that it is a punishment sent by God. Art thou a prophet? Art thou inspired? Produce the proofs of thy mission. Open the eyes of the blind! Bid the dumb break forth into a hymn of praise! Restore the lifeless corpse to his weeping sisters! Pronounce the resuscitating words, Lazarus, come forth! Go about from place to place thus doing good, and we will bow in humble faith to the chastisements which thy voice proclaims. But shall man denounce against his fellow-man, all but equally fallible with others, judgments which God has not authorized; and speak of the house of mourning as if it were a house of correction! Above all, what infinite presumption to denounce a judgment co-extensive with the world, and to represent as a punishment the plague which infects all ranks alike, and spares neither sex nor age! What sin can have brought upon the heads of men a vengeance so extraordinary? Is it religious error that God would punish? Then are all creeds alike culpable; for all the absurdities of Asia and the East, the lying deceits of the Arabian Prophet, and all the varying shades of Christianity, including our pure and simple worship in spirit and in truth, have been equally familiar with mourning and the grave. Are rulers and people the objects of the Divine wrath? Then, my brethren, are thrones and dynasties, nations and revolutions, alike condemned; for the plague has been laid with equal force upon monarchy and republic, upon the despot and the slave. These are facts which utterly annul those false anathemas, which none have the right to utter without authority from God.

To a certain extent, nothing can be more just and charitable than this protest. We have our Saviour's authority for rejecting the notion of what are popularly called judgments; and if those Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifices, or those twelve on whom the tower of Siloam fell, were not to be regarded as judicially punished, it is equally ungenerous and unchristian to look upon calamity as the chastisement of individual sin. It is not only pointing at the moat in a brother's eye, regardless of the beam in our own, but it is usurping the Divine prerogative of searching the heart and trying the spirit. In the case of the man born blind, it was not his own sin, nor that of his parents, which induced the infirmity, which was sent for a trial of his faith, by which, and the effects produced by his miraculous cure, glory should redound to the Lord and his Christ; and so each and every case of personal affliction is sent, either as a trial to the good, or a warning to the wicked as a means of making the one perfect through suffering, or of leading the other to repentance. But the case is not the same with nations as with families or individuals. We are assured that national sins do bring down national judgments; and the very subject of the discourse before us, which is inscribed Mortality in Israel, is proof inexpressible of the fact. The whole history of this chosen and backsliding people is one continued alternation of national prosperity and adversity, expressly announced as the respective consequence of

apostasy and reformation. We certainly are unable to state for what end, or whether indeed for any, such and such a nation is visited by any particular plague or calamity; but it were well for princes and governors to regard them in such a light, as to endeavour to rule the people committed to their charge in truth and godliness. When the book of Apocalypse shall be unsealed in the full and clear light of perfect revelation, we have little doubt that there will be ample proof of nations warned, which have cast the warning behind their backs; and that much which now lies hid in the dim obscurity of unfulfilled prophecy, will connect the vicissitudes of kingdoms with the overflowing measure of their sins.

In conclusion, we have only to express our sense of obligation for the pleasure which we have derived from M. Coquerel's volume; and as we are always anxious to communicate our gratification to our readers, we shall avail ourselves of an early opportunity of inserting a translation of one or more of these sermons at length, in the department of our journal allotted to that purpose.

LITERARY REPORT.

The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, according to the use of the United Church of England and Ireland; together with the Psalter, or Psalms of David. With Notes and Illuminated Plates. London: Ryley & Co. Simpkin, Marshall, & Co.; Whittaker & Co.; Fisher & Co. Pp. xxxiv. 520.

THE illustrations and ornamental capitals with which this volume is thickly studded, are of the most splendid character. We scarcely, indeed never, saw a volume got up with such exquisite taste. The Notes, however, are trifling and inaccurate; and when the new edition is published, which must soon be called for unless taste, like the schoolmaster, should be abroad-we trust the proprietors will commit the editorial department to some sound liturgical divine, who knows something of the Rubrics and history of the Book of Common Prayer. We would not be hypercritical, but the contrast between the

great accuracy of the illustrator, and the little knowledge of the notemaker, is too striking to be passed over. There is, for instance, a weak and foolish attempt to prove that the formulary "Adelaide the Queen Dowager" is incorrect, and contrary to ancient precedent. But so far from basing his argument on facts connected with a similar position of the royal parties, he merely refers, in his inquiry into the subject, to the reign of George II.; and argues from an assumed similar case, of the Prince or Princess of Wales, that the title ought to stand thus-"Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, and, &c." Now, as one fact is worth fifty suppositions, we will show the note-writer that our liturgical petition is not only perfectly accurate, but that it agrees in every particular with the ancient formularies. In the Prayer Book of Charles II., then, Queen Catherine is prayed for under the style and title of "our gracious Queen Catherine;" whilst in that of James II. precisely the same form of words is now adopted, namely, "Catherine the Queen Dow

A SERMON

ADAPTED FOR LENT.*

PSALM XLII. 6. (OLD OR LITURGICAL VERSION.)

Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul? And why art thou so disquieted within me?

MANY good Christians, of timorous and melancholy constitutions, feeling no present comfort from their strict fasts, their earnest and often repeated prayers, are too apt to think that what they perform in the service of God is so mean and imperfect, as neither to please him nor profit their own souls. This seems a principal reason why the blessed Sacrament is too often neglected. It may therefore be proper to consider the case of these melancholy persons, who, although they are in a safe condition, yet greatly need to have their minds quieted and composed. Manifold are the scruples and fears which disturb them. Some suppose the reformation of their lives hath not proceeded from a sincere love to God and a desire to please him, but from a mere dread of those punishments which he bath threatened. Others finding a flatness on their minds, and want of zeal in religious duty, this makes them fear that what they do is not fit to be presented unto God, and that he will not accept it; which so dejects them, as even to induce them to lay aside their devotions. And there are others, who have such wicked, blasphemous thoughts start up in their minds, while exercised in the worship of God, that they think themselves guilty of the sin against the Holy Ghost; pronounce their condition deplorable, and that God hath utterly rejected them. As to the first, I answer, that no doubt love is a more noble principle of action than fear; and therefore that religious service, which arises from love, is more perfect, angelical, and grateful to God. But still he will not disregard such service and obedience as proceeds from fear. Those who have forsaken their evil ways, lest they should lead them to destruction, it may be hoped, will find a place in the glorious kingdom of heaven; for hell was made to terrify daring sinners, to reduce and confine them within the bounds of their duty; as will, I hope, appear from the following considerations.

Fear is one of the passions God has planted in our souls, as well as love. They are both implanted in us for some wise ends. When, therefore, the passion of fear serves the end for which God grafted it in our minds, no doubt he will approve the good effect it produces. The end for which God placed fear in our nature, was chiefly to beget in us an awful regard of his majesty; to make us dread violating his laws, and acting contrary to his righteous will; and when we go astray, to excite us to return to him with repentance. So that, when fear prevails on a man to amend his bad life, he puts this passion to the very use which God intended. And whoever thus applies it, has no reason to doubt

* By the late Rev. Thomas Warton, Poet Laureate to his Majesty, and Professor of Poetry in the University of Oxford. Preached at Kiddington, April 25th, 1784. (From an unpublished autograph.)

VOL. XXI. NO. II.

but God will graciously accept his obedience. We may also observe, that God hath enforced all his laws by threatenings as well as promises; the one to work on our love, the other to excite our fears; God having made the motives to our obedience to answer the different passions of our souls. Wherefore, there is not the least reason to conceive that God should threaten punishments against the disobedient, which naturally actuate the fears of men, and yet not (be) pleased with the service which these fears produce in us. God sets life and death before men, that the fear of death may make them choose life; and he threatens everlasting punishments, that the amazement and horror thereof may powerfully engage them, with all care and speed, to labour and fit themselves to partake of the divine mercies.

Our blessed Saviour and his disciples, in their sermons, address themselves, not only to the passion of love, but also to that of fear; which they would not have done, but that the sacrifices of fear will ascend up to heaven with a grateful savour. "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned." Christ here intends to bring men to a belief of his gospel, and the obedience of his laws, as well by the fears of damnation, as the hopes of salvation. When he bids the man whom he had cured to "sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto him," the argument our Lord used to engage him to live innocently, was directed to the passion of his fear, taken from the danger of a calamity that would befal him greater than that of which he was cured, did he still continue in his sins. And, saith St. Paul, "knowing the terrors of the Lord, we persuade men." The greatness of these terrors was, that we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or evil," which the apostle knew, if maturely weighed, would be of irresistible force to recover men from lewd and profane conversation, since they must be extremely obstinate and desperate on whom an argument of such wonderful power and efficacy can make no impression.

I proceed to consider the case of those serious Christians, who complain of coldness in their devotion, and towards holy things. Such think they do not address God in prayer with such an appetite as they could wish; being destitute of earnest and fervent desires for the success of their petitions to Heaven, they suppose in themselves a great indifference to spiritual exercises, which they apprehend is a proof of their hypocrisy, and that God will refuse their prayers and thanksgivings, as vain and insincere oblations. And here it ought to be observed, that the reason why many have not more zeal and life in God's service, proceeds from themselves and their own negligence, and want of consideration.

They perhaps appear in the congregation, but mind not what they are about. They consider not of what importance it is for them to serve God in the most acceptable manner. No wonder, therefore, that their minds should be flat and inactive, or little concerned for the prosperous issue of their prayers. As then, it is high presumption for such careless persons to hope for any benefit by that part they bear in