REFLECTIONS on the collECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS FOR THE ENSUING MONTH.

QUINQUAGESIMA SUNDAY.

The Epistle, 1 Corinthians, xiii. 1. The Gospel, St. Luke, xviii. 31.

That "most excellent gift of charity" for which the Collect of this day leads us to pray, being literally interpreted, signifies universal benevolence-love. The word is rendered love in Tindall's New Testament, in the Bibles of 1549 and 1'568, and in the Geneva version.

Without this Divine principle residing in our hearts and governing our thoughts and words and deeds, nothing which we think or do or say, can be acceptable to God. To be found moving in a round of religious services is, with the world, evidence of having true religion, but withal, if the motive be not genuine, the apparent activity and earnestness will avail nothing. The combination of external excellence in the eyes of men with internal deficiency in the eyes of God, is well expressed in this prayer, when it declares that "whosoever liveth" without charity, is counted "dead" before the Lord.

A powerful exemplification is presented in the Epistle for the day, of what attainments men may arrive at, yet not attain at last to heaven. Who is there indeed professing the faith of a Christian to whom this awful portion of Scripture should not sound an awaking note? What an enumeration of splendid acquirements! To "have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge," to "have all faith" (internal conviction of ability to work miracles,) so as to "remove mountains" were it required. With these too, to find ourselves willing to "bestow all our goods to feed the poor;" and further yet, to be willing, even to die sooner than renounce our religion, giving our body to be burned at the stake." Half these things would, in the opinion of the generality, suffice to make an angel, yet the Apostle supposes the possibility of all of them not constituting a Saint. For having reckoned them up, he adds, "without charity" the possession of them is NOTHING. O! how should the perusal of these words lead us to pray with all sincerity of deep devotion unto our God, that he would bestow upon us that grace without which all gifts are but melancholy adornings of a creature still exposed to "the wrath to come." To have a name in the Churches for activity and ability, and usefulness, and yet to have within us nothing of that "charity" to which even "faith and hope" are inferior, (as having scope for exercise in this world only;) to be thus, is to be like those animals which the ancients used to sacrifice having their horns gilded, and a chaplet of wreathed flowers hanging about their necks.

In the Gospel we find a beauteous instance of the benevolence of him who is indeed the very spring and source of love. "Behold

we go up to Jerusalem," said the blessed Jesus to the twelve. Hè was upon that road, the last stage of which was to bring him to an agonizing death, yet he would scatter mercies as he went, to those who were "by the way side." Great as was the sense he had of the sufferings which awaited him, (and it was great,) it did not close his ear against the petition of the poor blind creature who supplicated for the removal of his bodily ailment. "And Jesus said unto him, receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight." This was indeed charity in full action, and the consequences followed, "and all the people when they saw it, gave praise unto God."

ASH WEDNESDAY.*

The Epistle, Joel li. 12. The Gospel, St. Matthew iv. 16.

The Collect, (which according to the Rubric, "is to be read every day in Lent, after the Collect appointed for the day,") commences with an address in which many might be ready to join, "Almighty and Everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made;" while they would concern themselves but little indeed as to what is added, "and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent." A God who will change himself from holiness to unholiness to accommodate sinners, is the God of which the children of this world dream. A God requiring us to be changed, ere we can stand before him unreprovable, is the God which the Bible proclaims. To suppose that men, such as they are by nature, could escape the Divine wrath, is to libel the Divine purity. But to call upon the " Almighty and Everlasting" to "create and make in us new and contrite hearts," so that " worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness," "may obtain perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord;" this is to think honourably of that gracious being who gave for us his beloved Son that we might be saved through faith in him.

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The Epistle presents us with an extract from one of the Prophets, urging the propriety and advantage of an occasional turning unto the Lord with all our heart, and "with fasting and with weeping." In the Gospel we have our Saviour's directions as to the manner of this humiliation, so as to make it profitable to us, plainly indicating thereby his approval of the practice.

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT.

The Epistle, 2 Cor. vi. 1. The Gospel, St. Matt. iv. 1.

In the Collect we have set before us, what is the true use of occasional abstinence, that our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey godly motions in righteousness and true holiness." To use it as a help to bringing us down, is to use it

Ash Wednesday being the first day of Lent, is so called from the custom in the Primitive Church of sprinkling ashes upon the heads of the penitents at that season. The word Lent signifies in the Pagan language, Spring; having reference to the time of year in which the fast mostly took place.

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well; but to abuse it to the raising of ourselves up, and the building and establishing our own righteousness, (as the Roman Catholics too many of them do) is to make an evil thing of what rightly employed might be very serviceable. Protestants of the present day would do well to remember, that the misapplication of fasting as a religious duty by the Romanists, affords no excuse for their utter neglect of it as a help to spirituality. It has been advantageously resorted to by many of the people of God in all ages, and though constitutional delicacy absolutely forbids its adoption by some, those who could employ it should consider how inconsistent it is (to say no worse,) to pray for “ that, which it is not in their contemplation to use at all.

grace to use" The Epistle furnishes us with a striking picture of the manner of life of the first preachers of the Gospel. How much of afflictions, and necessities, and distresses, and labours, and watchings, and fastings, belonged to those who then were found "approving themselves" as the ministers of God." How much too of sore trial and temptation visited the Saviour of mankind, while becoming "perfect through sufferings," the Gospel for the day elucidates. After that fasting of "forty days and forty nights," (from which enumeration our period of Lent seems to have been counted,) Jesus was "led up of the Spirit, to be tempted of the devil." The proposals made by the Evil One to Christ were variously adapted to the sensual appetites, and to that love of glory which might be looked for indeed in a mere man, but were not discoverable in the Son of God," who knew no sin." All the assaults of Satan were successfully resisted, and after the conflict came a season of refreshment. Thus it has been experienced likewise by many who in following the steps of their crucified master, have been grievously afflicted. How truly might it be said of them individually, "then the devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him."

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SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT.

The Epistle, 1 Thess. iv. 1. The Gospel, St. Matthew xv. 21.

Freedom from ill-health and poverty and worldly sorrows of any kind, is unquestionably, when rightly appreciated, a great blessing. Yet it were a poor prayer to ask that we might be kept "outwardly in our bodies" if there were not added to this, the still more important petition, "keep us inwardly in our souls." This is the true prosperity.

In the Epistle we are besought' and 'exhorted' "to walk and to please God" generally, but chiefly in the preserving ourselves unspotted by any indulging in carnal lusts. It is a wholesome exercise the accustoming ourselves to regulate all questionings about unlawful indulgences, by that simple point laid down here, "This is the will of God." To some sins we may find ourselves solicited strongly, while to others we may have comparatively no inclination; but of this we may be certain, that could we see as God seeth, drunkenness or uncleanness, would appear as revolting

to us, as it may be parricide does at present. The man who would shudder at the thought of dipping his hand in his fellowcreature's blood, yet feels no similar horror at the thought of sins, less reprobated indeed among men, though not less culpable in point of fact, should remember that the same being who said, "Thou shalt not kill," said also, “Thou shalt not commit adultery." "God," says the Apostle, "hath not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God.”

That truth contained in the commencement of the Collect, “that we have no power of ourselves, to help ourselves," is exemplified in the history of the Canaanite woman, whose daughter was grievously vexed with a devil." Her child was suffering under all the miseries of demoniacal possession, yet could no help be found, save in God only. How precious to her, however, was the gift of that so “great faith," as to obtain for her from the Saviour, the answer of her prayer: "Be it unto thee as thou wilt,” said Jesus, and "her daughter was made whole from that very hour.”

THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT.

The Epistle, Ephes. v, 1. The Gospel, St. Luke xi. 14.

In the Collect for this day, we pray for Divine protection "against ALL our enemies," a petition far more comprehensive than many think it to be. How many are grievously beset by temptations, warping them from the straight forward path of a sound Christian consistency; how many, like Martha of old, are "careful and troubled about many things" to the neglecting the "one thing needful." Were every gross soliciting to sin, and every little inducing to error, in all their varieties, to assume some bodily shape, what a tremendous host would be mustered up by those incarnations of our vices. Alas! men have enemies of which they think not, and in places where they are least of all suspected. Blessed be God however the Christian can say with David of old, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” In the Epistle, the Apostle exhorts his Ephesian converts to that complete purity of heart and life, and that devotedness to God, which become the followers of him "who hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." It would seem that in those days, as in our's, there were some who would support the detestable doctrine of personal holiness being unnecessary in the disciples of Jesus. Against such ideas we have the strong protest of St. Paul, "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.” He requires too, a complete separation from the wicked: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness; but rather reprove them: for it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret." In those last words he is supposed to allude to the ancient mysteries of the Heathens, the rites of which

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were performed in the dark, and which afforded scope to the most licentious practices under the cloak of religion. "But all things that are reproved," says he, are made manifest by the light." Most true. And hence the reason why Churches and individuals have been found averse to the study of the enlightening word of God it would but expose to themselves and others their iniquity.

In the Gospel we are presented with one of those powerful appeals to reason, which our Lord was continually in the habit of making to the Jews. How clear and demonstrative is his argument, and how does it leave those to whom he addressed it, "without excuse." "No doubt, the Kingdom of God is come upon❞ us too: and if objections are brought forward, they spring not from the nature of Christianity, but from the evil hearts of unbelieving man. When speaking of the "unclean spirit" walking "through dry places," &c. our Lord expresses himself allegorically, according to the popular notions of the Jews, who believed that unclean spirits haunted deserts (where no water was, dry places,) and solitudes; and he applies those notions to the state of a nation or individual who may feel a transient impression of penitence and religion, but return again to evil courses; which he observes, will then acquire seven-fold force. What can the Church of Rome say to those remarkable words which conclude this portion of Scripture: "Blessed is the womb that bare thee," &c. but he said, "yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." What an inscription this would furnish for the door of the Casa Santa at Loretto, where the Virgin Mary's house and household furniture, the porringer out of which Christ fed, and so forth, are exhibited to the benighted Roman Catholics as though the very sight of them were to bring heaven with it; while the blessed Gospel is studiously kept back from those poor perishing sinners, as though it were a thing of small avail.

MISCELLANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS.

ON THE UTILITY OF THE IRISH LANGUAGE TO THE MINISTRY OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

No. I.

Bishop Fleetwood, before his removal to the See of Ely from that of St. Asaph, expressed himself thus to his Clergy of the latter Diocese, in the year 1709-10.

"I should be very glad, (for my own sake) that there were but

one language common to us all, and that one were English;