Apostles' Creed, neither a part of that word, nor entirely complete, till by successive additions, it reached the fifth century, and church of Aqueleia? In a word, Mr. Editor, I look on it as a dangerous and alarming symptom of the present times, that a fondness prevails for altering old customs, and for being exception of Manasseh's prayer, word of God itself, why allow of the and the third and fourth books of Esdras, which the Romish church does, and the first and second book of Maccabees, and Song of the Three Children, which it does not reject with ourselves. If nothing whatever may be admitted in the same enclosure of binding, with the Bible, why allow, as is done, the heads of chapters to remain? wiser than the wisdom which for If nothing should be used in public ages has kept us in safety and in worship for instruction, but the peace. H. Μ. Μ. OBSERVATIONS ON THE LORD'S PRAYER. To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine. rate hearers. Perhaps the best apology for this negligence is, that those who are guilty have not considered the subject, or, that they have in former times been in the habit of associating with some religious denominations, who, in their zeal against forms, have manifested as little respect for the great Head of the church, in this respect, as they have for some of his members. But others conceive that unless a man "makes a prayer" himself, there will be as great an obstacle to its access at the throne of grace, as there is to its obtaining the approbation of their contracted minds. The church after which we have been modelled takes a different view of this subject; and our own discipline is sufficiently explicit as respects the sentiments of our church and the conduct to be pursued by her ministers. I READ with pleasure, in one of the numbers of your useful publication, some observations on improprieties in the use of the Lord's Prayer. I have, however, noticed some, who avoid the charge of those errors, by the general, if not constant neglect of that form. I know no reason for this conduct, nor any plea in justification of it. I have sometimes thought, Cannot these men repeat it? If so, they ought to be ashamed of themselves, and learn it. Do they regard it as a matter of indifference? If so, what respect do they pay to that direction of our discipline which says, chap. 1, sect. 23, 5, "Let the Lord's prayer be used on all occasions of public worship in concluding the first prayer?" Do they suppose their prayers are so comprehensive and appropriate as to supersede its necessity? Then they pay a compliment to themselves they have no claim to, whoever they may be. I am persuaded, that however ardent their devotion, they cannot contemplate and repeat this form, as above required, without having that ardour augmented, and exciting the flame of swer: "Quest. What directions devotion in the hearts of conside- shall be given for the establishment While there is so much cause of complaint on this subject, I am sorry there should be so much to substantiate a charge of carelessness or negligence in another. In the Discipline, chap. 1, sect. 23, is the following question and anof uniformity in public worship Discipline. Instead of beginning the service with singing, it is introduced by reading; and the consequence is, there is so much disturbance from persons flocking into the house of worship, that the reading can be attended to by very few. How different would it be were the service to begin with singing. Those who are late might take their seats unnoticed, and without interrupting those who were present before them, and thus a congregation would be prepared to hear the word of God with profit. While some of our preachers may be charged with negligence in these things, and giving too much license to the members to be regardless of that Discipline to which they themselves do not pay sufficient attention, it may be remark among us, on the Lord's day? Ans. 1. Let the morning service consist of singing, prayer, the reading of a chapter out of the Old Testament, and another out of the New, and preaching. 2. Let the afternoon service consist of singing, prayer, the reading of one or two chapters out of the Bible, and preaching." That these directions are entirely lost sight of by many preachers, is a notorious fact; and this to such an extent that, if a preacher were to follow this rule, he would be more likely to be charged with innovation, than be regarded as discharging a duty he owed to God, to the people, and the church he served! Where there is sufficient time this ought not to be neglected. The reasons I have heard for such neglect are by no means, in my ed, in extenuation of their conduct estimation, satisfactory: and if our as respects the last particular, that own people were to complain of there is probably a defect in the the practice, we might think they. Discipline, which requires a remefurnished a striking parallel to dy. Perhaps the rule in sect. 23, those who said, (Numb. xxi, 5,) Our soul loatheth this light bread. Men may say, "We do not want to go to meeting to hear the Bible read-we can read it at home:" but I think this objection will scarcely proceed from one who loves the sacred oracles as he ought: to such a one it will always prove profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. When men begin to think lightly of the divine word, they may very safely conclude they have not much love for its Author. Where I have known the reading of the Scriptures, on the sabbath, partially attended to, the advantage resulting therefrom was not, I imagine, equal to what it might be, through inattention to the order of divine worship, as stated in the might have reference to a calendar and table of lessons for the days of the year. Admitting this to be the case, as it must be if the rule is not an original one of the general conference, then the Methodist preachers in England have tables to aid them in selecting the lessons for the day, while a preacher in the United States, having no such aid, feels difficulty sufficient in the selection to discourage him from undertaking it. Should this be the case, I would respectfully propose the following query: Ought not the general conference, at its next session, adopt and recommend a table of proper lessons for the sabbath day, and publish the same with the next edition of the Discipline? Yours affectionately, CIPHER. From the Imperial Magazine. ON THE TRANSFUSION OF BLOOD. of the face, and motionless position of the body, marked a temporary state of syncope, which I more than once mistook for death. Notwithstanding the flooding had ceased, eleven hours were spent in attempts to induce reaction, but in vain; sink, until but faint signs of life remained. "The operation of transfusion now appeared to me the only means of saving the patient's life, and I therefore immediately called in the assistance of Mr. Scott, of whose ingenious apparatus for transfusion of blood I had just heard. This gentleman fully concurred in my opinion of the extreme danger of the case, and of the utter inefficacy (About 150 years since, this practice beating, (as well as I could ascer excited wonderful expectations, but tain) more than 140 strokes in a experiments failing to produce the desired effect, and leading to some fatal minute. She was extremely restresults, it sunk into disrepute. The less, and every now and then a following is from a letter dated Leices- cessation of the pulse, a livid hue ter-square, London, May 23, 1826, and published in No. 143 of the Lancet.) "On Wednesday, the 17th inst. about eleven A. M. I was called in haste to Mrs. Bates, of No. 9, Great St. Andrew's-street, whom I found in a state of great exhaustion from uterine hæmorrhage. I learnt not a solitary indication of it was that she had aborted (at the end of manifested during this time, but the third month) at one o'clock in the patient continued gradually to the morning, and that the flooding had been ever since copious and incessant. Finding, upon examination, that the fœtus, placenta, and membranes, had been expelled, I directed the application of cold water, and after an hour I had the satisfaction to find that the hæmorrhage had ceased, and I took leave of her. Upon renewing my visit three hours afterwards, I found her still more sunken, and although the hæmorrhage was not renewed, of all medicinal agents; but he I could perceive the prostration rather yielded to, than approved of, increase, even as I sat by her. I my proposal to try the operation of now administered laudanum and transfusion, as he regarded the life brandy with that unsparing liberality, of which but too much experience in these urgent cases has taught me the propriety and necessity. The hours rolled on, but my poor patient's system replied not to the repeated use of these powerful stimulants; life was fast ebbing, and nature incapable of rallying. Her countenance was blanched and cadaverous; her eyes, sunken and dim, were partially covered by the falling of the upper lids; her lips pale and quivering; the extremities cold; the surface of the body covered with a chilling moisture; the pulse just perceptible enough to be found fluttering and irregular, of the patient too near its extinction to be capable of resuscitation. I lost no time, however, in procuring from Mr. Read the necessary instruments, and four ounces of blood were injected into the median vein of the right arm. In a few minutes the pulse became stronger and more apparent, and the countenance lost much of its death-like appearance; the surface became warmer, the eyes intelligent and inquiring, and in a quarter of an hour from the operation, she raised herself upon her elbows, and asked for drink; the circulation gradually recovered, and steadily rose in firmness, while it diminished in ve locity, and after less than an hour, his prejudices from the enjoyment we left her with a pulse not weaker, probably, than in health, and equal in its beat, striking 120 strokes in a minute. In fine, from this moment she rallied, and her convalescence has been uninterrupted. "Such, sir, is a brief sketch of the most gratifying case that has ever rewarded my professional solicitude; and if there lives a skeptic to the power of transfusion, he cannot receive a more just reward, than in being for ever shut out by of that satisfaction which results from so closely contributing in restoring a wife to her husband, and a mother to her children. " In conclusion, I cannot speak too highly of the ingenuity displayed by Mr. Read in the apparatus I employed; for however formidable and difficult the operation may have hitherto seemed, it may be performed by this instru ment with the greatest ease. "I am, &c. Jos. RALPH." REMARKS ON JUDGES V, 23. To the Editors of the Methodist Magazine. and brothers, though highly esteemed for their works' sake, and "favourite preachers" in their day, and perhaps even to this day are " favourites" with many, yet it must be confessed, and they know it themselves too, that it never was their province to write for the edification of others, and the time with them is now gone by. Whitefield, it is well known, was a "favourite preacher!" but who ever esteemed him as a writer? To hear of the astonishing effects of his preaching, and then to read his sermons, reminds one of the old Scotch woman, who, when one read to her a sermon written by her “favourite preacher," exclaimed, "Ah! there is his argument, but it wants that godly tone!" In the personal appearance-in the circumstances and scenery of departed days-and DEAR BRETHREN, -I have read a second time to day the letter of the Rev. D. B. Dorsey, in the Magazine, vol. x, p. 23, with your accompanying note; and I think he is to be commended for his zeal, though I am not altogether of his mind in every particular. For when I sit down to peruse the pages of the Magazine, I feel anxious to meet with something not only " useful," entertaining and instructive as to the matter, but in point of style something at least equal to any thing that has come from the pen of Saurin, Chalmers, Addison, or Blair. And why should it not be so? Have we not bishops, have we not doctors in divinity, have we not masters of arts too? Let these first be entreated, and then the "good old fathers," as many of them as are able to write in such a manner as will be likely to stand especially in the "godly tone," lies the test of criticism two hundred the charm, or the indefinable someyears to come. The Magazine I thing, that "reminds us of old hope will live as long as Method- times." And as these cannot be ism; and we ought to bear in mind that " prince Posterity," as doctor Goldsmith has it in one of his books, should be consulted in this business. And it is well known that many of the good old fathers exhibited in a written sermon, I think that our editors are very much in the right in making occasional selections from foreign sources. Many, no doubt, are "tempted to send you some rough materials" for inspection, in hopes curse; thus God cursed the ground of a speedy publication, for as lord Byron says, for man's sake, Gen. iii, 17; or 2dly, to wish a curse; thus Shimei cursed David, 2 Sam. xvi, 5: or 3dly, to pronounce a curse; thus Noah cursed Canaan, Gen. ix, 25; and Elisha the children of Bethel, 2 Kings ii, 24: or it may mean, 4thly, to execrate; thus Jacob cursed the anger, or execrated the 'Tis pleasing sure, to see one's name in print; A book's a book, although there's nothing in't;" and it is to be hoped that our "great preachers" and "great writers" will bestir themselves and do all they can towards filling the world with the knowledge of the glory of God. Meantime I would conduct of Simeon and Levi, Gen. humbly propose that you should xlix, 7, and thus it is presumed the offer a premium in books, for the prophetess in this passage calls best essay, dissertation, theme, upon the true Israelites to curse sermon, or poem, on any given Meroz, i. e. to execrate the consubject, in order that the talents of duct of the Merozites. 3. But preachers and others, old and why should the Israelites curse the young, may be brought into full Merozites? Because, 1st, the anand vigorous exercise. For my gel of the Lord commanded them; own part I return you my thanks 2ndly, because they came not to for the honour you have done me the help of the Lord against the in condescending to read, and es- mighty. 4. Who were the mighty? pecially in publishing any thing I Sisera, and his host. Sisera was have sent you; and if you should captain of the host of Jabin, king hereafter condemn any of my com- of Canaan. Jabin had nine hunmunications, I shall not feel cha- dred chariots of iron; and twenty grined, for I would rather they years he mightily oppressed the should die an honourable death children of Israel. 5. How does than live in perpetual disgrace. all this apply to us? The Christians And therefore under these impres- have their enemies as well as the sions I will venture to approach Israelites. The enemies of the you again, and submit to your inspection my last week's thoughts on Judges v, 23, "Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the LORD, curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the Lord against the mighty." Let us now inquire 1. What was Meroz? Meroz was most probably an ancient city near the river Kishon, the inhabitants of which refused to aid the Israelites in the time of Deborah, in their contest with Jabin king of Canaan; but is now no more, in consequence of the curse of God which fell upon it. 2. What is it to curse? To curse signifies one of three things; either 1st, to inflict a Christian are numerous, powerful, subtle, and combined. Their design is to enslave, oppress, and destroy. We must fight the good fight of faith; war a good warfare. There are many too that profess to be our friends and brethren, who like Meroz and Reuben and the other tribes, refuse to come up to the help of the Lord against the mighty. 6. Why does the Lord demand and accept of human aid in carrying on his work in the world? "Could not the Lord do without Meroz?" Certainly, the Lord could do without Meroz, and he can do without us. But Meroz lost a blessing and ensured to herself a curse, for not doing what she ought to have done. It is not be |