trait which marked his perfect and lovely character. How beautiful and glorious to behold the Christian descending from this holy mount, and having just been united to an innumerable company of angels and spirits of just men made perfect, by participating their feelings, and joining in their exercises of prayer and praise to see him fraught with all the heavenly tempers and feelings derived from this high and purifying association, enrich and sweeten the various occupations and relations of human life, with this spirit of humility, meekness and love, so that the world are forced to take knowledge of him, that he has been with Jesus. There is a majestic and unruffled smoothness in his Christian course, strongly contrasted with the hurried step and bustling irritability of inferior characters, while all that we have described above as dangerous in excess, blends harmoniously and proportionately in his doings, because he lives on Christ in all. It is that which makes safe his domestic relations, which he sweetens by his well governed temper, his fervent love, and which he ennobles by his spirituality; while he holds his dearest and most valued treasures in trust, and his enjoyments are chastened with lowly submission and resignation-these are truly dear and valuable, but his treasure is in heaven, for he is enabled to say, Thou art my portion, O Lord. His very acquaintance is a blessing, for many a word in season drops, without constraint or effort, from his overflowing and loving heart. While others bring their worldly cares to distract their religious offices, he brings the spirit of true religion to sweeten and purify his worldly occupations; by that light he judges of passing events, he loves and studies the Holy Scriptures, because he believes this a place of appointment in which Christ promises to meet his soul-this is the great object at which he aims. In all his pursuits both for safety and pleasure, his language is that of Moses-" If thou wilt go with me I will go, but if thou will not go with me I will not go." It would indeed, Sir, be a delightful occupation to trace the results of this high and heavenly intercourse on the whole of the Christian's character, and the several details of his common life, but it is needful to limit our views, in order to accommodate ourselves partly to our own powers, and partly to your convenience. I will, therefore, conclude with a short sketch of its effects in producing genuine religion and heavenly mindedness.

It is a fact, and a strange one, that we sometimes meet with those who have very clear and distinct views of the humbling doc trine of human corruption, and who yet in temper and spirit are, in true humility, far inferior to a few whom I know, who speak less plainly and satisfactorily on the subject: and I account for this anomaly thus-knowledge, even of our own depravity, puffeth up, if it leads us much to consider the case of those who are proud in their ignorance of the doctrine; whereas knowledge less clear, if united with much experimental perception of the presence of God, will more thoroughly penetrate and influence the heart and the character. As a valued friend of mine once said, Let a man feel him

self in the presence of God, and then let him be proud if he can. In truth, if we look at the cases of Job, Isaiah, and St. Peter, in the holy Scriptures, we shall see plainly that one chief way in which true humility is learned, is from the feeling of God's presence and perfections, attended too with this additional benefit, that it' animates us forward to growth in holiness, while it most deeply shews us our vileness and insignificancy, while beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we are changed into the same image; whereas too often we brood over our own corruption, until discouraged at the view, and losing sight of the power of divine grace, we grow hopeless of, even in this world, realizing that victory over sin, to which the crown is plainly promised.

I believe there are some who think that the only cause which makes the human mind dread death, is the sense of unpardoned guilt, and the fear of punishment. It is true, that while the soul has reason to consider itself a child of wrath, there must be an awful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, which will make death indeed the King of terrors, but even when this is overcome, and the title seems clear, the Scripture speaks of a meekness, a congeniality, which draws the desires towards heaven. I think this admits of a very simple illustration; were any, happy in the ties of home, wife, children and friends, to receive an unquestionable appointment to a situation even of honor or emolument in a distant land, it may be doubted whether he would receive the news with joy-whether he would accept of the offer; and if he did, he would consider he made great sacrifices-and why? because it would be a foreign land, a place of strangers, where he could not indulge the habits in which he had hitherto found comfort, but must adapt himself to customs which might be irksome. Let his title be ever so clear-his appointment be under the undoubted sign manual of Royalty itself, it would nought diminish the reluctance he feels to such a change. And is there not the same feeling in the minds of some, even of those who make religion their serious pursuit-is not heaven too often an unknown country, whose value the understanding seldom calculates, and on whose charms and occupations the imagination seldom is exercised-and whence is this? Moses delighted in catching from the mount a glimpse of that promised land, into which he could not enter-Abraham in distant prospect saw the Redeemer's day and was glad; and on the morn of the day of Jubilee, happy the man who could discern the first streaks of light which announced its dawn, and gave the first signal with the silver trumpet to the expecting and longing people; and yet, what base and peasant slaves are we, who feel no rapture and delight where the gradual waste of time and the marks of coming age or weakness open the prospect of heaven near at hand-who cannot join in the feelings of an eminent saint now in glory, when questioned as to his health-I thank God, my dear, I am growing weaker and -weaker, for it shews I am nearer home. How would this longing after immortality be fostered, if we more fully used our blessed pri

vilege of "coming to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God -the innumerable company of angels-the spirits of just men made perfect-to God, the judge of all, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant." Then would we gladly feel that we are strangers and pilgrims upon the earth, having our citizenship, our treasure, and our home above; and often would we exercise the privileges of that citizenship-often would we calculate the value of that treasure, and enjoy, by the anticipation of faith, that home, composed of that glorious company, amongst whom it is our delight to live even here, and in whose holy employments we already, though imperfectly, yet have most happily participated,

I cannot conclude this letter more impressively than by the petition of the Psalmist, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

REFLECTIONS ON THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS, FOR THE ENSUING MONTH.

THE SUNDAY AFTER ASCENSION DAY.

The Epistle, I. St. Peter, iv. 7.

The Gospel, St. John xv. 26, and part of the xvith Chapter.

OUR blessed Lord tells his Apostles, "If I go away, I will send the Comforter to you." There is a connection therefore, between the ascent of Christ, and the descent of the Spirit. And how consolatory is it to us poor worms of earth, the finding ourselves permitted to use such language as that of the Collect, where we pray our God to "exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before."

This prayer for the comfort of God's Holy Spirit and for exaltation into Heaven, was adopted in 1549, from the old Missals, with a little alteration only. William of Malmesbury tells us, that the venerable Bede was remarkably fond of it, and repeated it in his dying moments.

That is a striking exhortation in the Epistle for the day, "watch unto prayer.' We should closely scrutinize our heart and life, that the particular deficiencies which we detect may give matter of petition unto God for remedy. It is the want of this accurate investigation of the soul's state, which makes so many of us such poor proficients in the school of Jesus, so that if we be saved at all, it must be "so as by fire." The "charity" which "shall cover the multitude of sins," of which St. Peter speaks, is well explained by

the language of St. Paul, (1 Cor. xiii.) "Is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." That love which would kindly cast a veil over its neighbour's errors, is highly commendable, but the self-love which would close its eyes against personal deficiency is odious. The first is an eminent Christian grace, the latter a vice springing from the soil of an unrenewed heart. Happy is it when preachers learn to "speak as the oracles of God," feeling themselves at liberty to teach only that which God teaches, and acknowledging all their sufficiency to be "of the ability which God giveth." He who is anxious that "God in all things may be glorified," here, bids fair to he himself glorified hereafter.

How marvellous is the fact which the Gospel for this day conveys to us, that "the spirit of truth" should be to us also "the Comforter." One might justly suppose, that those teachings which present us with a correct view of our moral deformity, which tell us what we truly are, would be teachings of sorrow rather than of consolation. And such they are often found to be at first, to the Christian. But here is the blessing, that the same spirit which shews our hurt, shews the cure also. Christ is exhibited in all his perfections to the wounded soul, and then is it made whole; as the Divine Saviour expresses it, "he shall testify of me." What a depressing announcement would that be to the generality," the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think he doeth God service." But any thing may be borne, when we hear Jesus telling us that it is to be endured for his sake. We observe too, that all persecutions originate in ignorance of God, and are specially opposed to the meek and tolerant spirit of the Gospel; " and these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.”

WHIT-SUNDAY.

The Epistle, Acts ii. 1. The Gospel, St. John xiv. 15.

This day has been so called either from the white garments, which newly-baptised Christians wore at this season, in the earlier ages of the Church; or from the French word Huit eight, Whit or Huit Sunday, being the eighth Sunday from Easter.

In the Collect for this day, we are reminded that the only true religious instruction consists in the teaching of the heart, which is effected in sinners as well as Saints, "by sending to them the light of the Holy Spirit." This exhibits at once man's deficiency and God's sufficiency, and the soul being led of God to renouncing self and accepting Christ, is brought to have a "right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort.'

The "rushing mighty wind" spoken of in the Epistle, as accompanying the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, brings to thought our Lord's illustration, (John iii. 8.) "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every

one that is born of the Spirit." It has been supposed that the shape of the mitres worn by the bishops, (which are a kind of high crowned oval shaped bonnets cloven in the middle) was an attempted resemblance of the "cloven tongues, like as of fire," which sat upon each of the Apostles. It is a wonderful instance of the overruling power and providence of God, that the same miracle which was once used for the disunion and dispersion of mankind, was in a second instance employed for their combination in one Catholic and Apostolic church: the variety of tongues which formerly at Babel, confounded men to their mutual distrust and hindrance, now at Jerusalem was made a help unto edification, and a means of building together many "lively stones" into one spiritual edifice, which shall indeed "reach unto Heaven."

The foundation of all our Christian hopes is beautifully and concisely expressed in those words of our Lord, as recorded in the Gospel for this day, "because I live, ye shall live also." And we may remark, that when Christ says of a faithful disciple "I will love him," he describes the perfection of this love to be thus exhibited," and will manifest myself to him." There can be no greater blessing from on high to the renewed soul than unceasing manifestations of Christ's preciousness; as we find also in the Sermon on the Mount "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled." And what farther could they need or God bestow? The sweet comfort and untroubled peace on which our Saviour insists so much in this portion of Scripture, are things often talked of, but not always felt, by those most eloquent about them. To describe them aright indeed, is far beyond man's power; one hour's experience on these points is beyond all that could be said or written during the life of man. It is Jesus only who can truly and intelligibly say to the soul, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you."

TRINITY SUNDAY.

The Epistle, Rev. iv. 1, The Gospel, St. John iii. 1.

The ancient church of the Jews added one feast to the three great ones appointed by law; the feast of the dedication; to commemorate the re-edification of the temple. And we find that our Lord honoured this with his divine presence. In a similar way Christians have appointed a feast, not directly commemorating any of the great public events connected with the Gospel of our Salvation, as the nativity and death of Christ, or the descent of the Holy Spirit, &c., but rather as a standing memorial of the doctrine of the Trinity. This is expressed in the Collect, "We beseech thee that thou wouldst keep us stedfast in this faith."

The portions of Scripture are selected with a reference to this doctrine. In the Epistle, we read of "the Seven Spirits." This