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proclamation that the marriage is legal and valid, and pronounces that they be man and wife together, in the name, and by the authority, of the Father, &c.

The minister then closes this part of the office with a blessing-God the Father, &c.

The marriage covenant being now completed, the minister and clerk are to go to the Lord's-table. For by all the Common Prayer Books, till the last review, the new married persons were obliged to receive the holy communion the same day of their marriage. Though not insisted upon by the present rubric, it still declares it is convenient they should do so. Whilst going to the Lord's-table, this psalm shall be said or sung, Blessed are all they, &c., or God be merciful, &c. After this, the minister offers up some further prayers and supplications upon the parties, introduced with the ancient form, Lord have mercy upon us, &c. The whole service is then closed, with a solemn exhortation taken from the epistles of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The Bible.

"Is it for us to be made acquainted with the way which God hath to bring his counsel and purposes about? God will not have great things brought to pass, either altogether without means, or by those means altogether which are, to our seeming, probable and likely. Not without means, lest under colour of repose in God, we should nourish at any time in ourselves idleness: not by the mere ability of means gathered together through our own providence, lest prevailing by helps which the common course of nature yieldeth, we should offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving for whatsoever prey we take to the nets which our fingers did weave; than which there cannot be to him more intolerable injury offered. The more blest, the more curst, if we make his graces our own glory, without imputation of all to him; whatsoever we have we steal, and the multiplication of God's favours doth but aggravate the crime of our sacrilege: he knowing how prone we are to unthankfulness in this kind, tempereth accordingly the means, whereby it is his pleasure to do us good. This is the reason why God would neither have Gideon to conquer without any army, nor yet to be furnished with too great an host. This is the cause why, as none of the promises of God do fail, so the most are in such sort brought to pass, that if we after consider the circuit, wherein the steps of his providence have gone, the due consideration thereof cannot choose but draw from us the self-same words of astonishment, which the blessed apostle hath: 'Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom of God! how unsearchable are his counsels, and his ways past finding out!' Let it therefore content us always to have his word for an absolute warrant; we shall receive and find in the end; it shall at length be opened unto you; however, or by what means, leave it to God."-Hooker.

ON THE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVIne. THE revelations contained in this book were made to St. John during his exile in the Isle of Patmos, though the book containing them could not have been published until after his release, on the Emperor's death, in the year 96, and after his return to Ephesus. The scope of the book is twofold: first, generally to make known to the apostle "the things which are", (i. 19)—i.e., the then present state of the Christian Churches in Asia; and, secondly, and principally, to reveal to him "the things which shall

be hereafter," on the constitution and condition of the Christian Church, through its successive periods, from its beginning to its consummation in glory. The division will stand thus :

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Part I. contains the "things which are.” (i.-iii.)

Part II. contains the prophecy of "the things which shall be hereafter." (iv.-xxii.)

Having now been permitted by a gracious God to present our readers with a brief account of the different books in the Bible, we cannot conclude without remarking with the Psalmist, " Thy testimonies are wonderful,” and without offering up his earnest prayer, Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold the wondrous things of thy law.”

"

Within this awful volume lies

The mystery of mysteries.

Happiest they of human race

To whom their God hath given grace
To read, to fear, to hope, to pray-
To lift the latch, to force the way;
And better had they ne'er been born,

Than read to doubt, or read to scorn.-Scott.

Notices of Books.

The Pue System: a Letter to the Venerable Archdeacon Musgrave. By the Rev. W. Gillmor, Incumbent of Illingworth, Halifax, Yorkshire. Halifax: R. Leyland and Son.

THIS pamphlet contains, within a very small compass, a comprehensive view of the whole subject of pues. To those of our readers who are anxious to be informed upon such a matter, in all its bearings, we cannot do better than recommend Mr. Gillmor's timely publication. He has rendered good service to the Church, and we trust he may live to see many of his wishes fully realized. We hope very shortly to present our readers with some lengthy extracts from the above named work.

Miscellanea.

ORIGIN OF ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES.

Lord Primate.-We have already seen that our great exemplar received the title of "Lord" as an expression of respect, not indeed to his worldly rank, but to his prominent religious character. Primate means merely the first. It is remarkable that a similar title is given, by the Evangelist, to Peter. "The first Simon who is called Peter." (Matt. x. 2). Arch is simply the Greek apx; the beginning, or first. We now come to Very Rev. Dean. When fairly examined, this, like its fellows, will be found to be far less pompous than it appears. Did candour and a patient spirit of investigation prevail more amongst

persons who undertake to reform the Church, we would be spared many angry invectives; and well-disposed, but illinstructed, persons would be less often led astray. This will strikingly appear when we examine this obnoxious word Dean. The original term was Decanus, and was applied to a Roman soldier who had the charge of ten others; this rank was, therefore, equivalent to our serjeant. Instead, then, of being a pompous assumption of rank, we would refer to it as being a beautiful example of the humility of those who adopted it. Reverend is a title, than which none could, perhaps, be found more suitable for a minister of Christ. It is derived from vereor, to respect; reverence is, strictly speaking, the respect due from a free-man to his superior. That there is nothing implied in the title beyond what a Christian minister ought to require, and what a Christian layman ought to give, is evident from the use of the term made by a heathen poet-"There was formerly great respect. for a hoary head. Venerable is just as simple a title as Reverend. The one expresses the respect which arises from filial fear; the other, that which springs from respectful love. Admitting the lawfulness of any titles, could a candid mind object to such a one as this? Archdeacon; Deacon, is literally a servant-Archdeacon is, then, the head servant. Chaplain is simply the minister who officiates in a chapel.—Baylee's Institutions of the Church of England of Divine Authority.

Treasury.

NEVER let us reckon that our work, in contending against sin, in crucifying, mortifying, and subduing of it, is at an end. The place of its habitation is unsearchable; and when we may think that we have thoroughly won the field, there is still some reserve remaining that we saw not, that we knew not of. Many couquerors have been ruined by their carelessness after a victory; and many have been spiritually wounded after great successes against this enemy. David was so; his great surprisal into sin was after a long profession, manifold experiences of God, and watchful keeping himself from his iniquity; and hence, in fact, hath it come to pass, that the profession of many hath declined in their old age or riper time. They have given over the work of mortifying sin before their work was at an end. There is no way for us to pursue sin in its unsearchable habitation, but by being endless in our pursuit. It may be under some great affliction, it may be in some eminent enjoyment of God, in the sense of the sweetness of blessed communion with Christ, we have been ready to say, that there was an end of sin-that it was dead and gone for ever. But we have now found the contrary by experience. Hath it not manifested that it was only retired into some unsearchable recesses of the heart, as to its inbeing and nature; though it may be greatly weakened in its power. Let

us then reckon on it, that there is no way to have our work done, but by always doing of it, and he who dies fighting in this warfare, dies assuredly a conqueror.-Dr. John Owen.

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* Proper Ps.-Morn., 19, 45, 85.—Even., 89, 110, 132.

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c To ver. 15. e Ver. 10 to ver. 17.

d Begin ver. 8, and chap. 7 to ver. 30, f Ver. 4 to ver. 9. g Ver. 30 to ver. 55. Ember Days 20, 22, 23.

The Editor to the Reader.

THE Reader is informed that in future The Village Churchman will be incorporated with The Churchman: which will contain thirty-six pages 12mo., price 3d. The Literary Department will be entrusted to the Rev. JOSHUA FAWCETT, the original Editor of The Village Churchman, who solicits a continuance of that valuable assistance from his former Correspondents, which he desires most gratefully to acknowledge. This arrangement has been come to in the hope that more extensive good may be done by the Magazines in union than separate. They will henceforth appear under the title of "THE CHURCHMAN'S MAGAZINE and VILLAGE CHURCHMAN."

W. E. Painter, 342, Strand, London, Printer.

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