fieth not? Hearken diligently unto | ARE EXPECTANTS OF ETERNAL LIFE, SET THEIR AFFECTIONS UPON EARTHLY OBJECTS." Regard not your stuff," said Joseph, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours." Gen. xlv. 20. Being dead, being risen with Christ, their life being hid with Christ in God, and being to appear with him in glory; their affections should be set on things above, Col. iii. 1—3. The poor of this world, if they are rich in faith, are heirs of a kingdom, James ii. 5. me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness," Isa. lv. 2. Covetousness is tormenting. Great labour and care are required to get riches; anxiety and tormenting cares in keeping them; trouble and vexation in losing them. The necessaries of life are few. "Take heed and beware of covetousness; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth," Luke xii. 15. Riches do not command all things. Not health, not dutiful children, not faithful friends, not freedom from contempt, nor comfort in a dying hour. Covetousness is ruinous to the soul. "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is V. IF BELIEVERS, GOD IS OUR the root of all evil; which while OWN GOD." The eye of the some coveted after they have erred Lord is upon them that fear him, from the faith, and pierced them-upon them that hope in his mercy; selves through with many sorrows," to deliver their soul from death and 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10. Anxiety is not to keep them alive in famine. Psa. the way to mend our circumstances. It will not add one cubit to our stature. Let us leave it to God. Discontent adds guilt to suffering. IV. TRUST THE DIVINE PERFECTIONS.-God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, Eph. iii. 20. Our heavenly Father feeds the fowls of the air, and knows what we need, Matt. vi. 26, 32. If the Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want. Psa. xxiii. 1. xxxiii. 18, 19. God, even our own God shall bless us. Psa. lxix. 6. Whether things present, or things to come, all are yours, 1 Cor. iii. 22. My God shall supply all your glory by Christ Jesus, Phil. iv. 19. Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as ye have; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee, Heb. xiii. 5. II. GOD HAS POURED CON- need according to his riches in TEMPT UPON EARTHLY GREATNESS BY CONFERRING IT UPON THE WORST OF MEN, AND PLACING HIS SERVANTS IN GENERAL IN A MEAN SITUATION.-Jesus Christ our divine Lord had not where to lay his head. God set forth the apostles as it were appointed to death. They both hungered and thirsted, they were naked and buffeted, and had no certain dwelling place, 1 Cor. iv. 9,11. The favourites of God have been generally the poor of this world, James ii. 5. III. LET NOT THEM WHO ARE ONLY SOJOURNERS HERE, AND VI. LIBERALITY WILL BE REWARDED.-God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to his saints and do minister, Heb. vi. 10. It is an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God, Phil. iv. 18. Let us not be weary in well-doing ; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have, there- sion from him, how dwelleth the fore, opportunity, let us do good love of God in him. My little unto all men, especially unto them children, let us not love in word, who are of the household of faith, neither in tongue, but in deed, and Gal. vi. 9, 10. Who then is a in truth. And hereby we know faithful and wise servant, whom that we are of the truth, and shall his Lord hath made ruler over his assure our hearts before him. For household to give them meat in if our heart condemn us, God is due season. Blessed is that ser- greater than our heart, and knoweth vant whom his Lord when he all things. Beloved, if our heart cometh shall find so doing. Verily condemn us not, then have we I say unto you, that he shall make confidence towards God. 1 John him ruler over all his goods, Matt. iii. 17-21. xxiv. 45, 46. IX. LIBERALITY IS A SOURCE VII. UNTO FREEDOM FROM OF MENTAL PLEASURE AND SOCOVETOUSNESS, and Dependance CIAL ENJOYMENT.-The good upon God, is annexed the promise man shall be satisfied from himself, of the peace of God. Be careful Prov. xiv. 14. The liberal deviseth for nothing; but in every thing, by liberal things and by liberal things prayer and supplicationwith thanks- shall he stand, Isa. xxxii. 8. He giving, let your requests be made that watereth shall be watered also known unto God; and the PEACE himself, Prov. xi. 25. of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts ING TO AN IMMORTAL BEING. and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil. iv. 6, 7. X. COVETOUSNESS IS DEGRAD "A soul immortal spending all its fires, POETRY. TO A ROBIN, PERCHED ON A PASSION FLOWER. LITTLE Robin, dwell with me, Little sprightly songster, come, Sometimes you will hear me sing, For we both dependent are He supplies our daily bread, Little warbler, blithe and gay, REVIEW. 1. The Church in danger from herself: or, the Causes of her present declining state explained. Dedicated to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. By the Rev. JOHN ACASTER. Vicar of St. Helens, York, and Domestic Chaplain to the Right Hon. the Earl of Mexborough. 8vo. pp. 171. Price 6s. London: Seeley and Burnside. 1829. convenient watch-word of the party, whenever the interests of the Establishment were thought to be affected. Relaxation of penal laws, relief from ecclesiastical exactions, and redress of grievances inflicted for conscience' sake, could not for many years be sought, without exciting the most alarming ap 2. Church Reform. By a CHURCHMAN. prehensions, and making the country post 8vo. pp. 224. Price 6s. 6d. Lon-resound with the cry that "the church don: J. Murray. 1828. was in danger!" 3. An Inquiry concerning the Means and Those times have gone by. ChurchExpedience of proposing and making men are beginning to be ashamed of any Changes in the Canons, Articles, or Liturgy, or in any of the Laws af- such fears. Subscription to the articles, fecting the Interests of the Church of as regards Dissenters, is abolished; the England. By WILLIAM WINSTANLEY Test and Corporation Acts are repealHALL, of Lincoln's Inn, Barrister at ed: nevertheless, the steeples are still Law; late Fellow of Brazen Nose Col-standing, and bishops, deans, and prelege, Oxford. 8vo. pp. 252. Price 75. Oxford: J. Parker. 1828. "THE CHURCH in danger!" Our readers need not be alarmed. The church of the Lord Jesus is not intended here. Good Mr. Acaster no doubt supposes that the community called THE Church of England is an integral part, and one of the most important parts of the body of Christ; and he thought, when he penned his title page, that every one would understand his meaning. But if 66 names are intended to distinguish things," the only legitimate acceptation of the phrase "the Church," must be those, wherever existing, who are united to Christ by living faith, and are bearing the fruits of righteousness. Of that church the Saviour himself has said, that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." That the Church of England is in danger has often been asserted, especially since the days of the noted Sacheverell, when the bigots of Queen Anne's reign raised the war-cry against dissent, and determined in right earnest to abolish it entirely. By the good hand of Providence towards us, their malicious designs were frustrated. But their successors have not failed to adopt the bends continue in possession of all their honours and revenues, and "eat the fat, and drink the sweet," as before. It is evident that their anxieties must now take another direction. Mr. Acaster has led the way. He writes with great seriousness, piety, and courage. Doubtless he has counted the cost, and either needs not, or does not desire preferment. Otherwise he would not have committed himself so egregiously, nor have ventured to tell the Archbishops of Canterbury and York that the Church is in danger "from herself." Mr. Acaster's work is divided into four chapters. In the first, he maintains "the necessity of a church establishment to support and perpetuate the Christian religion through successive generations, and to meet the religious wants of the nation. Here we are entirely at issue with him. Our limits will not permit us to refute his arguments, It shall or it might be easily done. suffice to inform our readers, that Mr. A. supposes it impossible, "without the concurrence and the intervention of the civil power, and the sanction of the state," to support public worship, er carry into effect "the designs of God, respecting his own appointed institu tion, the sacred rest and sanctification of the church, are the canses of her present inefficiency, and of dissent throughout the land." He observes that the Founders of the Church of England clearly intended her worship to be carried on, and her prosperity perpetuated, by means of a truly pious clergy, well gifted for preaching of sound doctrine, resident on their livings, and devoting to them their whole time and care. In all these respects, he affirms, there have been gross departures from the original plans. of the Sabbath!" He thinks that "real Christianity cannot exist but in a state of constant persecution, where it is not professed and protected as the established religion of the land." (pp. 6, 9.) In the second chapter, Mr. A. argues that "the Church of England, as by law established, is, if properly and efficiently administered, peculiarly adapted to maintain and perpetuate the Christian religion, and to meet in every way the spiritual wants of the nation."" In the warmth of his honest zeal, he eulogises the ecclesiastical establishment, as "venerable for its antiquity, apostolic in its constitution, scriptural in its doc-ous neglect prevails. The testimonials trinal principles, wise and practical in all its adjustments, with a form of religious worship wanting only the sanction | of inspiration to make it divine, and therefore calculated beyond every other religious establishment in the world, to answer the purpose intended by it." (p. 25.) With regard to the qualifications of ministers, as pourtrayed in the Ordination Service, it is asserted that griev of "good life and conversation," which must be presented by every candidate for ordination, are now so easily to be obtained, that "very little confidence can be placed in them." (p. 39.) The examinations by the Bishops' chaplains are become mere matters of form, and are therefore almost wholly useless. "I do most solemnly declare, that I was never asked one single question about the thirty-nine articles. I have questioned others at different times, and from different dioceses, and they have distinctly stated the same, except Such a system, it might have been supposed, would command universal esteem, and be blessed with signal and extensive efficiency. But our author feels himself compelled to admit that the contrary is the fact, and indulges the most gloomy forebodings on ac-ing, in one or two instances, some encount of it. "Full half the population of the country, it is calculated, have already left the church and joined the ranks of dissent. Of the principles, conduct, and character of more than half the remainder, it is not required to give an opinion: but this I will say, that should they depart in the same proportion which the rest have done within the last thirty years, and there is no reason at present to think that they will not depart in a still more rapid way, it requires no superior foresight to predict, without pretending to be a prophet, that thirty years from hence the religious establishment of the country will be totally forsaken, if not completely overthrown." p. 24. snaring question about the 17th article." (p. 43.) As for the "special gifts and ability of the candidate to be á preacher, it is never once inquired into, but is entirely taken upon trust." (p. 46.)Very justly does the author remark, that "Churches may be built, and additional services in them required; but unless particular care is taken to fill them with ministers of sound religion, of special gifts and ability to be preachers, and with hearts truly devoted to their work, as the church demands, they will so totally fail to accomplish the purpose intended, that all the labour and expense attending them, for the present at least, might as well have been spared." P. 48. "Is there not a cause?" Mr. A. thinks he has discovered it. His third chapter, which occupies by far the larg- We are assured, further, that "there est portion of the volume, professes to are at this present moment two parties show that "deviations from the adjust-within the church, who maintain and ments and regulations of the Founders inculcate doctrines, on many important and essential points, the very opposite than one weekly opportunity afforded, to each other." (p. 61.) The "ortho- of assembling together in the church dox clergy," as they proudly style themselves, are far removed from the purity of faith which is supposed to be exemplified in the articles and homilies, and have virtually surrendered "those great doctrines of Christianity" which are there embodied. The effects are manifest : "The majority of those who profess themselves of the national church, like other people following the religion of their fathers, because they have been born and bred up in it, think it right; and therefore, never trouble their beads about inquiring any further respecting the principles it contains. Their names are found in the parish register, some of them regularly attend the church, many do not; yet even some of these send occasionally their wives, children, and servants; and so long as they are peaceable and tolerably conform to the laws of the land for the purposes of the state, this is generally considered sufficient and it is to be feared that this is the case with many both of the bishops and clergy, as it certainly is with most of the people." p. 70. for religious instruction and worship" (p. 83); that "the richest livings have commonly the smallest service performed" (p. 88); that when the clergy have established week-day lectures in the remote hamlets of their parishes, the bishops have deemed such proceedings contrary to law, and compelled them to desist (p. 88); that nearly four-fifths of the parishes have no resident incumbent" ((p. 103); and that" one half of the livings in the kingdom, and those of the richest kind," are held by pluralists! (p. 122.) Perhaps some of our readers are not aware of the manner in which these pluralities are obtained. Mr. Acaster will satisfy their curiosity. "It will greatly surprise some to find, that the Archbishop of Canterbury, the metropolitan of all protestant England, still enjoys, by legislative enactments, all the power, privileges, and prerogatives formerly claimed by the pope, in the full plenitude of his undisputed sway within these realms. It is true, that the act which confined this power contains some limitations. There is a restraining clause, which prohibits the exercise of malum in se, or contrary or repugnant to the this power in any matter which is either Holy Scriptures, and the laws of Almighty God. On the provisions of this, and another odious act, which has been the occasion, says Burnet, of so much scandal and disorder in the church, all the privileges we since claimed for pluralities and non-resi But the evangelical party," says Mr. A. "are alone the true churchmen, having the truth on their side." He indignantly exposes the treatment which these receive from their opponents, and defends their principles and characters in a strain of fervid eloquence. And truly they have reason to complain; for their enemies "are con-dence, are founded. In all other cases, the stantly on the alert to thwart their views, and to arrest their progress;" and that "by the most direct and wicked slanders." "They state, and reiterate their statement against the evidence of the most stubborn facts, that nearly all the private and public depravity of the land is owing, in great measure, if not altogether, to the doctrines and labours of the evangelical preachers:" while "the truth is, it is the superior holiness which the evangelical party contend for, that their opposers so thoroughly hate." (pp. 66, 67, 69.) Mr. A. proceeds to inform us, that "the inhabitants of something more than seven-eighths of the parishes. throughout the kingdom have no more light of divine truth, which has since bless- Having adduced these startling facts, ter: "To defend such persons and practices, TT |