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'I believe, Sir, I believe thereis a God, the devils do the same and tremble.'

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Aye, my poor friend, "your sins have separated between you and your God." And you are looking at your sins instead of your Saviour, who bare them in his own body on the tree, and made a full atonement for them. You are depressed and ready to despair; and if you are living in any known sin, if you are restraining prayer, if you do not repent you truly of your sins past, and seek for grace to lead a new life; why, you have reason to tremble, but I hope better things of you. You have been hurt and distressed by the hasty expressions of a fellowcreature. Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith to all that truly turn to him: "Come unto me all ye that travail and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. You ou are heavy laden with the burden of sin; may he refresh your soul with pardon, grace, and mercy. May he speak peace to your wounded spirit, and enable you to trust in his hands your every care and sorrow.'

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of righteousness, and of judgment," which is the earnest of your inheritance among the saints in light. "If you regard iniquity in your heart"-if you are indulging in any known sin, you may well shrink from prayer; but do not neglect it, for you have all the more reason to persevere. But now, much as you long to see your dear husband here, are you

not even more anxious to meet him in heaven? Is not his salvation a point of deep interest to you?'

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Indeed, indeed it is; if I could but think we might meet again, and I have some hopes of him ; for, Sir, he had a good education, he knows what is right; may he have grace to practise it.'

Amen! and may you be enabled" in every thing by prayer and supplication to make your requests known unto God; and the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your heart and mind through Christ Jesus." Pray for yourself, that God will prepare you by his grace for your solemn change; or if he see fit to lengthen your days, that you may devote them more to his service. And let your love for your husband lead you to be much in prayer for him; remember that our God waits to be gracious-he will listen to your prayers-" he will hear your cry and will help you.'

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But, Sir, I have no words: when I try to pray, I cannot remember what I most want.'

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loss while the prayers of the church are so well suited to our necessities. Take the general confession; some of the petitions in the litany; the prayers ، God, merciful Father,' &c. and, We humbly beseech thee, O Father;' any of the collects, or the prayers in the visitation of the sick. You know where to find them, I dare say. She coloured and whispered Yes, Sir.' It then occurred to me, that were to urge her to make frequent use of the liturgy, it might possibly expose her to the censures of those, whom she had

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better conciliate; I took up the Bible and marked some of the Psalms, which seemed to me to contain some of the most appropriate petitions, such as the 6th, 25th, 38th, 51st, and 130th; and begged her to read them over very often, and turn them into prayers. This she promised to do, and after commending her to God, by offering up the prayers for persons troubled in mind or in conscience, and the last in the commination service, I took my leave.

JEDIDIAH.

SALVATION.

WHAT news so welcome to the prisoner, as to know that there is a hand stretched forth to break his chains ? What intelligence so cheering to the sick, as that the physician has a remedy for his disease! And what tidings so delightful to the startled and trembling sinner, as that there is One who shall save his people from their sins?" He shall save ushe shall translate us from misery to happiness; from pollution to purity; from the depths of perdition to the seats of tranquillity and joy. He shall save us from our sins. from their guilt, and their terrible dominion; from their power in this world, and their penalties in another. He shall save his people from their sins-not the careless or cold, the worldly or the inconsistent; not those who openly submit to the dominion of other lords;' who have a name only to live, and are dead; who say they are his,

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and are not; who call him, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which he says; but those alone who are the faithful sheep of his flock; who hear his voice," and "follow" it, and who hear not the "voice of strangers." Such individuals may be poor, may be forsaken, may be persecuted; but they shall be “saved with an "everlasting salvation; " and when “ the day of the Lord shall come,' "in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burnt up," they, like the bush amidst the sacred fire, shall remain unhurt even amidst the elements of destruction. Lord Jesus, may we practically know Thee as this great Deliverer! Save us from the world; save us from the devil; save us from the awful flame which is kindled for the unholy and impenitent; save us from our worst enemy, ourselves. CRESCENS.

THE PRODIGAL SON.

"And when he came to himself "-LUKE XV. 17.

ALIEN from home, to strangers now a scorn,
Despised, abandoned, desolate, forlorn,
Without one friend to cheer his deep distress,
A prey to hunger, famine, wretchedness.
He who was wont to know a Father's care,
A Brother's love and sympathy to share,
He who those blessings madly would exchange,
For sinful pleasures, and abroad would range;
For new delights, unchecked by parent's eye,
To feast his soul in wanton revelry.

Where, far from counsel he might never hear,
A parent's warning check his wild career,
Might flee the watchful eye oft o'er him bent,
Whose voice he fear'd might speak aloud 'Repent.'
Found even here! he could not flee his God,
Who now in mercy sends affliction's rod.
His mind awaken'd, in this darken'd hour
Feels its deep guilt, and owns a conscience pow'r :
Child of affliction! now beneath the rod

He humbled hopes forgiveness dwells with GOD.
Hopes God will pardon :—now the contrite tear
Bursts from his eye, and sorrow is sincere,
Now sin is felt, and now remorse has riven
His stricken'd soul, which sighs to be forgiv'n,
Which in its anguish, in its wild despair
Though needing mercy fears to utter prayer,
Till deeply humbled, touch'd by sovereign grace
This soul resolves again to seek His face

Who once was own'd, confess'd and sought by prayer

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And of whose mercies t'was his bliss to share.

Come to himself,' with self-abasing eyes,

The holy resolution forms-' I will arise,'

'I will arise, will publicly confess

My deepened guilt, my own unworthiness,
That I have sinned against the God of heaven,
And am unworthy now to be forgiven,
Unworthy now a Father's love to share-
Unworthy now to claim his kindred care,
Yet pray his mercy to extend his grace
And give a rebel child a servant's place,
Within his household, in his courts to share
The humblest service with his menials there.'
Come to himself-resolv'd-behold him fly,
And then behold the parent's watchful eye
E'er yet the threshold touch'd his trembling feet,
The father hastes this penitent to meet;
E'er he can make his short but deep confession,
E'er he can tell his sense of his transgression,
A father's love again-again returns,

And o'er his son his warm affection burns;
His pard'ning love by tears the son can trace
And feel again a filial fond embrace,

Thus man is taught, when wanderer from his God,
Though long his path the one by sinners trod,
Yet if repentant he shall be forgiven,

Be thus received by Him who reigns in heaven,
Who higher love than mortals e'er can know,
Has pour'd from heaven on sinful man below.
In whose high courts amidst their blest employ,
The heavenly host can feel a new-born joy,
When angel-messengers their voices raise,
Rejoice! Rejoice! another sinner prays.'
Rejoice, Rejoice, the long-lost one is found,'
Rejoice, Rejoice,' in sweetest echoes sound,
'Rejoice, Rejoice,' bursts in extatic strain,

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The son once dead, is now alive again.'

K.

Review of Books.

THE NOVELTIES OF ROMANISM: or Popery Refuted by Tradition.
A Sermon, preached in St. Andrew's Church, Manchester. By WALTER
FARQUHAR HOOK, D. D. Vicar of Leeds. Rivingtons. Pp. 24. 1840.
A LETTER to the Rev. E. B. Pusey, D. D. Regius Professor of Hebrew
in the University of Oxford, on certain defects, Doctrinal and Practical, in a
Popular System of Theology, and on the Tracts for the Times, so far as
opposed to them. By THOMAS PELL PLATT, Esq. Formerly Fellow of
Trinity College, Cambridge. Rivingtons. Pp. viii. and 96. 1840.

We

OUR lot is cast in days of great excitement; and we not unfrequently feel disposed to shrink from that species of incessant warfare to which we are called. oft-times long for peace, while yet we are compelled to re-enter the fields of strife and of controversy. There is, however, "a rest which remaineth for the people of God," and while looking forward to this rest we may well be content to war a little longer, to" endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ," and in our measure to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." In this conflict indeed, we meet with much to cheer and animate us. Be it so, that Popery, and infidelity, and intolerance, are bold and rampant; that false principles are avowed, and corrupt practices defended; that Protestant Dissenters in their abounding liberality, cavil

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addressing the object of our Sovereign's choice as a PROTESTANT Prince; that clergymen and laymen, of whom better things might have been expected, are drawn off from the sure ground of scriptural Christianity, to the deceitful and ever-shifting sands of patristic tradition; yet after all, and far more than we have stated, we see no real cause for alarm, no ground for despondency, no reason whatever to suppose that either Popery or infidelity, or dissent should triumph; though we feel that the times are such as should stimulate all to activity and exertion, that they may arrest if possible every

rising evil in its incipient state; and by providing an efficient and suitable remedy for every thing which is wrong, may promote the prosperity of that church whose stability is sure, being founded on a rock.

Our hopes however, arise not merely from the foundation on which our church is placed, for a building eventually secure may yet be sorely buffeted, but from various symptoms and indications of an encouraging character which appear in quarters where they are least to be expected, and under circumstances which, at the first glance, are of an opposite charac

ter.

It is for instance, evident that government are no longer prepared to sacrifice every thing to the caprice of Romanists and Dissenters; that they feel more and more the impossibility of pleasing all parties, and that they are therefore glad to avail themselves of that support which a conservative minority is liberally prepared to give, and may perhaps be disposed to favour somewhat more than they have hitherto plans for church extension, maintenance and education; though they may not on any of these points proceed the whole length we should desire. The recent speech of Lord John Russel on the subject of church rates, is of an encouraging character, and affords ground to hope that the preservation of our ancient fabrics may be placed on a more solid ground than has lately been the

case.

It is however, on the progress of light and knowledge that our hopes mainly depend. One of the most acute observers with whom we are acquainted, remarked some time since, I have been watching the progress of these Oxford Tract men, and think they will work round right at the last. They do not know exactly where they are themselves; they cannot retain their present position; they will find out presently it will not do to approach nearer to Rome; and they will eventually fall back more cordially on our own Protestant Reformed Church, with whose real character and principles they are by no means so well acquainted as they imagine.' With this view, we in the main coincide; and we cannot but feel that it is to a considerable extent confirmed by various intimations in the more recent Oxford Tracts, in those periodicals which advocate their views, and in some of the pamphlets to which we must now more particularly refer. Those publications clearly evince the necessity which their writers feel for proceeding with caution, and that the ground on which they rest is not so firm as at one period they supposed.

It sometimes indeed happens that writers mean more than they say; that when one hypothetical question is answered in the affirmative, it is succeeded by another; and that you are never sure what is intended until the series of inquiries is complete. Thus, for instance, when Dr. Hook inquires, Why should we not consult the ancient fathers as well as the modern commentators, why should we not refer to the tracts of St. Chrysostom, St. Basil, and St. Athanasius, as well as to those of the modern Religious Tract Society? Scarcely any are prepared to withhold their assant. But if in return you ask, Is this all you mean by tradition? Do you really mean no more by MARCH, 1840.

referring to Basil, or Chrysostom, than is usually meant by a reference to the commentary of the Tract Society or any of its multifarious publications? we shall most probably find that something more is meant :-that we are not merely to consult the ancients for information, but to defer to their authority; and that this deference is claimed on the ground of their antiquity, and their consequent nearer approximation to the fountain of truth. If we are merely called upon to view the fathers as pious men, from whose writings much important instruction is to be derived, we are prepared to acquiesce; but if in any degree they are brought forward as authorized or accredited interpreters, then as members of the Church of England, we must retort on Dr. H. his own text, "We have no such custom, neither the churches of God."

Dr. H. indeed distinctly allows that the fathers were fallible and erroneous. He says

But as a matter of fact, we do admit that many of the Fathers did err. Who ever thought them to be infallible men! Nay, the student of the Fathers can point out to you the kind of error to which any particular Father may have had a tendency, and he can probably shew how that error was detected and animadverted upon by his contemporaries. But admit that they erred,-what then? Are we not to read them because they were liable to error? In many of the works published by popular Tract Societies, I could point out not only errors, but if I were to use the language of those who condemn the Fathers, I should say, grievous heresies: yet, are we on that account to refuse to read any modern Tract? But this is what they ought to do who censure us for studying the Fathers, because the Fathers were not infallible men. What we chiefly desire in reading them is, to ascertain, not what the private opinions of individual Fathers were, but, for reasons I have before assigned, what was the general system of Doctrine in their age.

After thus vindicating his appeal to tradition, Dr. H. proceeds to contend that, instead of leading to Popery it must lead from it, since every peculiar dogma of Popery

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