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First Year. Advent

Portion to be Read.

1 Luke i. 1-38 Christ's birth announced: his kingdom foretold Birth of John the Baptist

2 Luke i. 39-80..

3 Matt. xxiv.29-51
4 Matt. xxv.

Christmas D. Matt. i. 18-25..
Sunday aft. 1 Luke ii. 1-20 ..
2 Luke ii. 21-40..

Sun. af. Eph. Matt. ii.

2 Luke ii. 41-52..

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Signs of Christ's second coming

State of the Church at Christ's coming
Birth of Jesus Christ
Birth of Jesus Christ
Circumcision of Christ
The wise men seek Christ

Jesus in the temple-returns to Nazareth..
Jesus baptized by John

Jesus tempted by the devil

John's testimony to Christ

Christ's first miracle. The temple profaned
Christ's
's sermon on the mount

Christ's sermon continued

Jesus healing the sick and raising the dead
Twelve Apostles chosen

Jesus teaching in parables

.. Death of John the Baptist

Good Friday Matt. xxvii.
Easter Day Matt. xxviii. 1-15
S. aft. Easter Luke xxiv. 13-49
2 John xx. 19-31..

3 John xxi.

4 John xiv.

5 John xv.

S. aft. Ascen. Acts i.
Whit Sunday Acts ii.
Trinity Sund. Gen. i.
S. aft. Trin. 1 Gen. ii.

2 Gen. iii.

3 Gen. iv.

4 Gen. vi. vii.

5 Gen. viii. ix. 1-19

6 Gen. xi. 27-32. xii.

7 Gen. xiii. xiv...
8 Gen. xv. xvii. 1-10
9 Gen. xviii.

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10 Gen. xix. 1-29..
11 Gen. xxi.
12 Gen. xxii.

13 Gen. xxiv.

14 Gen. xxv. 29-34.

15 Gen. xxvii.

16 Gen. xxviii.

17 Gen. xxxi.

18 Gen. xxxii.

19 Gen. xxxvii.

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20 Gen. xxxix. xl..
21 Gen. xli.

22 Gen. xlii. xliii..

23 Gen. xliv. xlv...

24 Gen. xlvi. 26-34.

25 Gen. xlix.
26 Gen. 1.

Christ's transfiguration

Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Last supper: Christ betrayed and taken..
Christ's sufferings and crucifixion
Christ's resurrection

Jesus with the disciples at Emmaus
Christ appears to Thomas and others
Christ's appeal to Peter

Christ's promise of the Comforter
Parable of the vine and the branches
Christ's ascension into heaven

The Holy Ghost descends on the Apostles
The Creation

Institution of the Sabbath

Man's disobedience and punishment
Cain and Abel

The Flood

Noah saved in the ark

God calls and blesses Abraham
Abraham and Lot. Melchizedek
Abraham's vision: covenant renewed
Abraham entertains angels

Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed

Isaac born. Hagar and Ishmael rejected..
Abraham's readiness to offer up Isaac
Abraham seeks a wife for Isaac
xxvi. Esau sells his birthright
Jacob obtains his father's blessing
Jacob's journey and vision

Jacob leaves the service of Laban
Jacob wrestles with the angel
Joseph sold by his brethren
Joseph in prison

Pharaoh's dream. Joseph raised to honour
Jacob sends to Egypt for corn
Joseph made known to his brethren
xlvii. Jacob goes into Egypt
Jacob blesses his sons

.. The death and burial of Joseph

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Leviticus xxiii. 12
Leviticus xix. 30..
Deut. xviii. 15
Hebrews i. 1
Isaiah xxxv. 5, 6..
2 Corinthians v. 20
Psalm lxxviii. 1, 2
Peter iii. 14
2 Peter i. 16-18
Zechariah ix. 9
Isaiah liii. 5-7
1 Peter i. 18, 19..
1 Cor. xv. 20-22..
John v. 39
1 Peter i. 8, 9
Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24
1 Cor. ii. 12, 13..
Philippians i. 11..
Hebrews ix. 24
Joel ii. 28, 29
Rev. iv. 8-11
Isaiah lviii. 13, 14
Romans v. 17,
Hebrews xi. 4
Hebrews xi. 7
2 Peter ii. 5
Galatians iii. 16
1 John ii. 15, 16..
Rom. iv. 18, 20, 21
1 Peter iv. 9
2 Peter ii. 6, 7, 8
Galatians iv. 29
Hebrews xi. 17-19

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2 Cor. vi. 14 Heb. xii. 16, 17 Proverbs xii. 22 John i. 51 Rom. xii. 17, 18.. Luke xviii. 1 John iii. 15

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1 Peter iv. 15, 16.. Psalm xxxiv. 19.. Ps. xxxiii. 18, 19.. Rom. xii. 20, 21.. 1 Timothy Hebrews vii. 14 Hebrews. xi. 22

v. 8

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Prophecy of Christ's kingdom to be everlasting.
Prophecy of John preparing the way for Christ.
Christ's coming will be sudden.

Christ's coming to judgment.

Prophecy of Christ as the seed of the woman.
Jesus the Saviour of sinners.

Christ fulfilled the whole law for us.
Christ the light of the Gentiles.
Obedience to parents.

Christ obeys for us.

Christ's sympathy for his tempted people.
The lamb, as a burnt offering, a type of Christ.
The house of God to be reverenced.
Prophecy of Christ as our prophet.

Not to be careless hearers of God's word.
Prophecy that Christ should work miracles.
Ministers are Christ's ambassadors.
Prophecy of Christ teaching in parables.
On suffering for Christ's sake.

A view of Christ's glory.

Prophecy of Christ's entry into Jerusalem.
Prophecy of Christ's sufferings and meekness.
We are redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Christ's resurrection is a pledge of ours.
The duty of searching the Scriptures.
Belief in Christ without seeing him.
Christ searches and knows the heart.
The Holy Spirit must teach us.

Fruit brought forth by believers in Christ.
Christ in heaven pleads for us.
Prophetic promise of the Spirit.

The Trinity engaged in the work of creation.
How we should spend the Sabbath.
Christ restores fallen man to God's favour.
Abel's faith in sacrificing a lamb.
Noah's faith in God's warnings.
The righteous saved, the wicked destroyed.
The promise of Christ given to Abraham.
The danger of joining with the worldly.
Abraham's faith in God's word.
Duty of kindness and hospitality.
The grief of the righteous at sin.
The faithful may expect persecution.
Abraham's faith in God's power.

The duty of choosing godly companions.
The sign and danger of despising our privileges.
The sin of lying and deceit.

Reference to type of Christ, the way to heaven.
The sin of unjust dealings.

Earnestness in prayer prevails with God.
The sin and consequence of hatred.
The duty of patience under unjust treatment.
God brings his people out of trouble.
God provides for his people.

The duty of returning good for evil.
The duty of providing for one's family.
Reference to Christ of the tribe of Judah.

Joseph's faith that Israel should possess Canaan.

c 2

NOTICES OF BOOKS.

The Birth Day: a Tale for the Young.

By the Author of "Gideon," "Josiah," &c. 12mo. pp. 320. London: Burns.

We have already warned our readers against Burns' series of little books, and we are now constrained to do the same with regard to this work of greater and more imposing pretensions. We feel it to be the more important to do so, because former productions from the same pen would lead their readers to conclude that all would be safe and right here. But if there ever was an ingenious and cunningly-devised channel, whereby to lead forward the young of the higher walks of life into the full adoption of Popery, it is this Tale of the Birth Day. We have read it through attentively, and will now proceed to point out its mischief.

We feel bound to take every opportunity of expressing our decided objection to this style of writing. We have here a regular novel or romance: without even the redeeming quality of the influence of true Christian principle and godly practice. We do not approve even of religious novels; but something may be said in their defence, when the object is manifestly to inculcate and illustrate essential Christian truth. But here we have a well-constructed story indeed, with characters well sustained, and scenery and materials beautifully and irresistibly attractive; but all with an air of worldliness unworthy of a Christian's pen, and directly calculated to cherish and foster the natural vanity of the human heart. "The owners of the house, park, and children, are the Marquis and Mar. chioness De Courcy. That fine, handsome boy, of almost 8 years of age, with short, light curls brushed off his forehead, is Lord Fitzmaur, the eldest son. He is a fine, noble-looking fellow. That pretty little girl, sitting at her brother's feet, is the Lady Mary. Walter and James are as handsome as the rest." Then of Alice, the clergyman's daughter, it is stated that she has "most melting, dark hazel eyes; a rich glow through a clear brown skin, shaded by chestnut curls clustering round her head. She is something like one of those pretty faces of Spanish peasants, &c. skips along like a little fairy.' (Page 6.) Then of Lady Mary it is said, 'Every gesture is princely: I never saw such an aristocratic carriage. Will any prudent mother venture to say that all this is not calculated to convey to young minds the idea of importance in such distinctions, and consequently to feed vanity and conceit in some, and envy and other wrong feelings in others?

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Alice

But we stay not to enlarge on our objections in limine to this style of writing. We must hasten to graver charges. The clergyman of the parish, Mr. Russell, is introduced with Alice, his motherless daughter, in order to facilitate the infusion of the Trac tarian leaven into the tale. Divine Service was, of course, always performed by Mr. Russell and his curate, at the parish church, at half-past seven in the morning, and little Alice regularly attended. She never considered the day well ended, unless she had knelt down before her father to receive his accustomed blessing. And then the little innocent's room. The word "innocent" occurs repeatedly, through the volume, with reference to the young. But who that knows any thing of the concurrent testimony of Scripture and ex perience can, for a moment, tolerate it? On Alice's table, in her

bed-room, lay her Prayer-Book. No one can quarrel with this; but why not the Bible likewise? or if only one book, why should not that one be the Bible? But near this table, with the PrayerBook upon it, were pictures suspended of Scripture subjects; and "Alice often said, that to look at one of the pictures in particular made her feel good; and when she received her father's blessing, as we have described, she would think of that little group of children kneeling at our Saviour's feet, and realize this blessing bestowed by her father's hands." (Page 19.) So our children are to be made to feel good by looking at pictures, rather than by looking into their Bibles! and so think the members of the Greek and Roman Churches.

Nor is this the only reference to pictures. At page 172, we have Alice again turning to her pictures in her bed-room, for devotional purposes. But the grossest and most intolerable passage is at page 176. Mr. Russell goes to a poor cottage, where a poor lad is dying -the son of a widow. The scene is altogether very melancholy. "Mr. Russell spoke a few words more to her, in a voice too low for others to hear; and then, opening a small book embellished with engravings, he shewed her one representing the Son of Man in all his agony, and asked her if any thing she had yet endured equalled his sufferings.' Was it not a Popish Missal? Every feeling of righteous indignation rises at this contemptuous supplanting of the Word of God; that Word which is the Pastor's only divinely accredited weapon; designed by God to be quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword. No wonder that we hear of young ladies with crucifixes on their toilets, under such a religious direction and influence as this; and no wonder if we are thus confirmed in our conviction on attending St. Margaret's Chapel, in London, that many of the congregation are there before the service commences, for the purpose of private devotion, aided by their gaze on the huge cross erected on the Communion Table.

But oh what a pastoral visit was that of Mr. Russell to the house of mourning altogether. How prominent does he make every secondary and inferior consideration! How meagre and unsatisfactory every religious expression and sentiment. Not a word to the dying boy of the Saviour of sinners, or of his pressing need of him; though, amongst the many things that the boy says, not a word is uttered to tell of the hope that was in him. "Should it please Godto take your son, will it not comfort you to think he has been a good, dutiful boy?" asked Mr. Russell. And was this alone a solid and legitimate ground of comfort for a pastor to suggest to a sorrowing mother? One could weep to witness such a sickly and heathenish exhibition of pastoral service. Better, far better, for Mr. Russell to have remained amongst his dusty folio Lives of the Saints, and to have been performing his matins to his empty pews, than to have gone forth on such an unmeaning, wretched, misguiding errand to the chamber of the dying. What will become of our poor Church, if this is to be the character and standard of pastoral visiting! But this is no imaginary proceeding. We could tell incredible tales of Puseyism, in the chambers of the dying, if it were worth while. Truly the tender mercies of this school of religionists are cruel; for what is it but the servant of the family withholding the children's bread, and presenting a stone! The ambassador from heaven going amongst the rebels, but forgetting his overtures of peace

and reconciliation! A Socinian teacher would have gone quite as far as Mr. Russell-a Brahmin in India would have been as effective. Puseyism certainly calls into exercise an active and busy machinery. The clergy infected with it may often appear to outdo others in pastoral devotedness; and young ladies, now-a-days, are engaged in their cottage visits and school occupations; but what is all the best adapted instrumentality worth, if it be not under the guidance of enlightened and truly Scriptural principle? nay, what, if it be only the channel for instilling poison! What is the body, without the spirit! God forbid that we should seem, for a moment, to check efforts to do good; but we cannot withhold our conviction, that there is much misguided energy at work, under Tractarian influence, both in schools and in visiting the poor, which is spreading a curse, instead of a blessing, and therefore had far better be wanting.

Then we have a strange assertion regarding the only importance of a little child. (Page 57.) "A child is, for the present, a helpless, useless being, and only important when viewed in the light of a baptized Christian." What! important only when viewed through this medium? Is not every child important as an heir of immortality; as possessing the capacity to be happy or miserable for ever; important, transcendingly important, as an object of the Redeemer's travail? We disparage not the privileged position in which baptism may place a child, when we assert that the "importance" of the child is fairly to be gathered from far more weighty considerations than such as baptism presents. What solemn, unmeaning, fearful trifling with sacred things! And of a piece with this incomprehensible folly, is the whole character of the Divinity of this work. When little Fitzmaur has done wrong, and comes to his senses, what advice does Mr. Russell, his pastor, give him? "Now you must try to make up for it." Then the process for so doing is laid down, and the boy is told that if he is really sorry for his fault, and proves his sorrow by acts of penitence, God, for his Son's sake, will receive and bless him. It is clear what Fitzmaur understood by "acts of penitence," for he had been led by Mr. Russell to expect that his pony might be taken from him for a month, as his act of penitence; and in the meanwhile the pony meets with an accident, and is obliged to be shot. And what says Fitzmaur to himself? "I thought a month would be too long for a penance; now I have lost my pony for ever. I forgot to take up the cross myself to-day, and now a heavier one is laid upon me. I shall, however, have an opportunity of making up for my fault, by bearing this well." The more Protestant and Scriptural term of penitence thus easily slides into the penance of Popery; the design of which is very obvious.

We have another similar, and certainly very singular expression, at page 181. "If there be one point more difficult than another for the thoughtless to appreciate, it is the penitence of the saints.” We heard a sermon in St. Margaret's Chapel, last year, in which penance" was urged as a duty obligatory upon the Church, and directly spoken of as available for the expiation of sin.

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But we pass from the subject of penance to that of self-denial, so prominently inculcated and enforced throughout the tale. We at once agree with Mr. Russell that self-denial is absolutely necessary for a Christian character; nay, we are ready to go far further than Mr. Russell has gone, in expressing our conviction-that never, till

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