throng,

"Begin with me, my harp, the everlasting song."

CYPRIAN.

The Prayer-Book of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri: a Lecture delivered in the Town Hall, Birmingham. By J. B. Melson, M. D. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co.

THERE are some very charitably disposed protestants who doubt, very much, whether the romanists of the present day are the woman-worshippers which their active opponents describe them to be. We will promise them satisfaction for sixpence! Only let them peruse the well-authenticated facts contained in this pamphlet, and their doubts will pass away like the shadows of a misty morning. For here we have copies of the very prayers which English papists are taught to offer to the blessed virgin, to angels, and to saints. Take a specimen

"O Most Holy Virgin, Queen of Heaven and Mistress of the Universe, I acknowledge and worship thee as the Daughter of the Eternal Father, as the Mother of the Eternal Son, and as the loving Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Prostrate at the feet of thy august Majesty, I beseech thee, by that divine charity with which thou wast filled to overflowing at

| thy assumption into Heaven, mercifully to take me under thy most powerful and secure protection, and to receive me into that fortunate company of thy happy servants whom thou bearest and cherishest in thy virginal bosom. Condescend, O my Mother and most gentle Lady, to accept of this miserable heart of mine; accept my memory, my will, my faculties, my senses, both exterior and interior; accept my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my hands, and my feet; regulate them in conformity to the will of thy Divine Son, and direct them all to His infinite glory.”

And here is a specimen of man-worship, in which the aid of St. Philip is implored: :

"Look down from Heaven, Holy Father, from the loftiness of that mountain to the

lowliness of this valley, from that harbour of quietness and tranquility to this calamitous sea. And now that the darkness of this world hinders no more those benignant eyes of thine from looking clearly into all things, look down and visit, O most diligent Keeper, that vineyard which thy right hand planted with so much labour, anxiety, and peril. To thee, then, we fly, from thee we seek for aid, to thee we give our whole selves

unreservedly, thee we adopt for our patron and defender. Undertake the cause of our salvation, protect thy clients, to thee we appeal as our leader, rule thine army fighting against the assaults of the devil; to thee, kindest of rulers, we give up the rudder of our lives, steer this little ship of thine, and, placed as thou art on high, keep us off all the rocks of evil desires, that with thee for our pilot and our guide we may come safely to the port of eternal bliss. Amen."

Not the Father, not the Son, not the Holy Spirit, but this Philip is implored to be the pilot and guide of these deluded creatures "to the port of eternal bliss!"

Notes and Reflections on the Epistle to the Ephesians. By Arthur Pridham. London: Binns and Goodwin. We have noticed, in former numbers, the "Notes and Reflections" on the Epistles to the Romans and to the Hebrews by this writer; and, as then, we have now to say, that whilst we admire the evangelical piety of the author, cannot indorse all his views or sentiments. His remarks on Ephesians iv. 6, for instance, appear to us to be very singular. Mr. P. says:

“One baptism.' The Lord's commands respecting baptism are known to all. But it is not likely that the external ordinance is contemplated in this place. We must bear in mind that the church in its unity is the subject still occupying the apostle's attention. Now the church, as a body, has been once for all baptized by the Holy Ghost. That baptism took place at Pentecost, when God openly adopted as his own the purged worshippers who trusted in the name of Jesus. (Acts ii.) The church thus formed grows on under the same unction, which can never be withdrawn. Nor does it ever need renewal. The one Spirit had assumed possession of the one new body. To be received from that time into the church was to become a participator in that one baptism. This is clearly intimated in 1 Cor. xii. 13, where, after describing at length the symmetrical structure of the body of Christ, and dwelling on the varied mani

festations of the Spirit as the vital energy of that one body, he adds: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.' It is never said that if a

man is not outwardly baptized he is none of

Christ's; but it is said that none who are destitute of the Spirit are owned of him. There is, therefore, as a necessary truth, one baptism, as well as one body and one Spirit."

Mr. P. adds, in a foot note:

"Such appears to my own mind to be the apostle's meaning in this place. The reader will judge for himself on a review of the entire passage. Of course this conclusion leaves the other truth untouched, i. e., that there is a baptism by water of Divine institution, and of necessary recognition by those who would obey the words of Christ."

Neither can we agree with Mr. P. in his views on the "Second Coming." But there is much to do the heart good in most of his reflections.

The Book of Sunday Pictures for Little Children-Old Testament. Religious Tract Society.

THE publishers of this splendid little book tell us that as children are properly forbidden the use of toys on the sabbath, and are not allowed to play or amuse themselves with every-day games or picture books on that sacred day, it seemed desirable to furnish them with such a book as would interest them, and cause them to feel that the sabbath is not a day of dulness, but one of cheerful engagements and happy employments. The idea is a good one. Well do we remember, as among the sunniest and happiest hours of our childhood, the time mother's big bible to con the huge picwhen we turned over the pages of grandtures which adorned it. Here our children will find lots of superior picturessome of them coloured in beautiful style. A very pretty present this would be at the coming season from an aged sire to one of his grandchildren.

"The Coming Man;" or, the True Deliverer. By the Rev. G. H. Davis.

Religious Tract Society.

We

We never can hear too much of Jesus, and we can never do too much in the way of writing or talking to recommend all he said and did to the notice of others. We welcome, therefore, every such attempt as this to set him forth as the Saviour and the Friend of man. sincerely hope that this little volume will find its way into the hands of thousands of young people in our families and schools, that they may, in early life, understand Him, whom to know is life eternal. Irish Stories. Religious Tract Society. THE very title of this little book is attractive, and so are its engravings. As for the tales themselves they cannot fail to interest the young, for whom they appear to be written.

lady's plan. A good many also had come from different parts of Germany. Intimation was given, by the usual printed notice, that divine service would be conducted at eleven o'clock, and preparations promptly made by the chief officer for the people's accommodation during the service. He lamented, as he made those preparations, that the rain forbade the use of the quarter-deck. He was very much interested in the matter, and seemed to think a fine morning ought to have been provided for the occasion. Between decks, however, plenty of light and ventilation rendered it comparatively comfortable for the assembling of 220 of the people, which was the number of our congregation. A beautiful congregation it was to look upon; many of them in the fulness of their youth, and nearly all of them strong and healthy, and some evidently more than ordinarily intelligent and respectable. No part of the service seemed strange to them. As soon as the tune was raised for the several hymns, they each time took the singing into their own hands, all heartily uniting. During prayer the greatest quiet and seriousness prevailed. Their sensibility under the sermon was such as to deepen the impression made in their favour by their first appearance as a congregation. When the service was over, quite an affection seemed to have been called forth from many toward their unexpected religious teacher. He had announced unto them that one of their own number, a member of a baptist church in Scotland, and accustomed to exhort in public, would, during the voyage, endeavour to supply the lack of a chaplain, and immediately the cry of His name?' and 'Which is he ?' were heard from many, accompanied with great anxiety to have him at once committed to the fulfilment of his promise by becoming the object of their immediate recognition. This was followed by the appearance of two young ladies-one from London, and the other from Cornwall-who, having been impressed with the necessity from the many children on board, desired it to be announced to the passengers that, as soon as the voyage commenced, and the ship was under her sea-going regulations, they should open a school, and hoped to have the sympathy and co-operation of

W W

the parents in their self-imposed task of education. Two or three of the young men, who had been observed taking a prominent part in the preceding exercises, then stated that their most zealous co-operation might be reckoned on in both these projected arrangements for the common good, in giving to them the greatest possible efficiency. The mate of the ship was quite delighted with the character and style of his passengers, as well as with the very satisfactory results which seemed likely to follow the service which had been held, nor less so with the appearance of a large proportion of his crew, who had eagerly availed themselves of the opportunity of hearing the gospel. The people generally, expecting a repetition of my visit, took their leave of me with every token of deep interest in my object in visiting them, and the Rock Ferry boat making her appearance alongside, I retired, with a thankful heart that at least an honest attempt had been made to interest so many in God's message of mercy to fallen man, and that so many had seemed to appreciate that attempt. In the afternoon of the same day came my visit and service on board the Fitzjames. The Queen of the East, however, still lay in the river on Thursday, the 15th, when she underwent the usual examination of the government inspectors. After their disappearance, and about four o'clock in the afternoon, they once more assembled, in the place already consecrated by our previous worship, to the number of 200; and again were our prayers and praises renewed, and again were they summoned to attend to God's claims on their instant and life-long faith and love and service; while the Divine readiness to supply them with all providential good from day to day, in the free and unrestricted use of all the supplies which the material earth could yield them at home or abroad, was pointed out, and their seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, as their first and chief duty, was insisted

on.

On this occasion they provided me with the means of transmitting this account of my visits among them to their friends at home. In following out their wishes in that respect, 120 of their family circles will be so favoured as soon as the post can perform its duty."