his children, "how much more shall our Heavenly Father give good gifts to them that ask him!"-Again, in the calamities which assail the body, he is a strong tower. In disease he can speak the word, and his servant shall be healed; or, if this be not his will, or most conducive to our highest advantage, he can. "strengthen us on a bed of languishing, and make our bed in our sickness." He can also give peace of mind amidst pain of body, and, as the outward man decays, can cause the inward to be renewed day by day. But, above all, in the afflictions of the mind he is the best and often the only refuge. There is no conceivable distress to which he has not adapted some appropriate promise of relief or consolation. He said of his servants in ancient days, "In all their afflictions he was afflicted;" and again, "He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of mine eye; and more strikingly still, under the New-Testament dispensation has he exhibited his protecting care, and the interest, so to speak, which he is pleased to feel in all the concerns of his people, by giving his Son to take upon him our nature, to become acquainted per sonally with our afflictions as well as to atone for our sins; in order that we might have "a High Priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, having been tempted in all points like as we are. Even in the hour of death, and the day of judgment, when every other refuge must prove unavailing, this will be found secure. When heart and flesh fail, if we make God our trust, he will be the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever. He is able and willing to pardon our sins, which make death terrible, and to deliver us for the merits of his blessed Son, and, through faith in him, from their awful desert in the eternal world.

The security which those have who put their trust in God, is grounded upon his all-perfect character. They are safe because he

is infinitely wise, infinitely powerful, and infinitely good. He is infinitely wise; so that there is no distress or difficulty which can befal his servants which he cannot foresee and provide against; and in a most especial manner has he displayed this wisdom in the plan which he devised for their redemption, and their final restoration to all the forfeited glories of the heavenly world. He is infinitely powerful; so that whatever he plans he is able to execute in every difficulty, in what at least seems to us a difficulty, his own right hand and his holy arm shall procure him the victory. He is also infinitely good: and this completes the security of those who make him their refuge; for, instead of his might being employed for their destruction, he makes all things to work together for their benefit. "The Lord is good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon him." "As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy towards them that fear him." "He spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all: how shall he not therefore with him freely give us all things?" "I am poor and needy," said the Psalmist," yet the Lord thinketh upon me; he is my helper and defender." Well then might the Apostle come to the conclusion, "We may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man can do unto me." So strong is this tower, that all who truly betake themselves to it may humbly adopt the triumphant language of the same Apostle; "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from

For I

the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

But we must inquire, in the last place, who are the persons who partake of the security which has been described? We are told, that "God heareth not sinners;" that "he is far from the wicked;" and that "the prayer of those who turn away from his law is abomination to him." All persons therefore are not par takers of the blessings and privileges which have been described. To whom then are they confined? They are confined to those who betake themselves to this strong tower, and who are spoken of in the text as "the righteous." "The righteous run into it, and are safe." They are persons who have felt their danger; who have become acquainted with the true refuge; and who have shewn their anxiety to avail themselves of the protection it affords. Their run ning into it, while it implies, on the one hand, the readiness of God to receive all who come to him in Christ, the facility of his grace, and that the gate of mercy is open to all who resort to this tower for protection, though impregnably closed against every enemy; implies equally, on the other hand, the eagerness of those who truly seek for admission: they are not careless in the great concern of their salvation; it is not a subject of indifference to them whether they gain access to this refuge or not; they "run to it as persons closely pursued by a powerful enemy; they strive to enter in at the strait gate; they work out their salvation with fear and trembling; they give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. They are denominated, in our text, "the righteous;" righteous, as being so accounted in the sight of God, through faith in Christ, by which they are freely justified from all their sins; and righteous, by the implantation of a righteous principle in their souls, through the converting and sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 294.

Their refuge however is not their own righteousness, but God's mercy; their trust is not in themselves but in this tower of strength; for they have "Aled for refuge to the hope set before them in the Gospel."

And here arises that great practical inquiry from the subject; Is God our refuge? It is to no purpose that we hear of this strong tower, if we do not run to it for safety. We may perish even in sight of this "munition of rocks" if we are content to remain without the citadel while the enemy is at the gate; while death is impending, and our sins call for vengeance, and our justly offended Creator is ready to pronounce the sentence of our eternal ruin. A day is approaching when the proud and all that do wickedly shall be as stubble; the day that shall burn them up, and leave neither root nor branch." Oh let us prepare for that awful hour! Let us seek that refuge which, besides being our best shelter amidst the desolations of life, will be the only defence in the day of judg ment. The gate, we have seen, is open to admit us: let us beware that we neglect not so great, and so free a, salvation.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer.

You will much oblige a constant reader by inserting in your work the following particulars respecting the administration of the sacrament; and I shall feel very thankful to any of your clerical correspondents, who will favour me with their sentiments on the subject.

In the present state of our Established Church, and connected with the growing zeal which I trust distinguishes her ministers, the number of communicants at the Lord's Table is large and continually increasing. In consequence, it is usual in many churches to administer the bread and wine,

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This

some

sometimes to three persons, and sometimes to a whole table, and then to say the accompanying prayer once to all. This practice accommodates both the recipients and the minister. The former are thus not kept kneeling for so long a time in one inconvenient posture, and oftentimes in our country churches on hard benches; and the latter are relieved from the fatigue of repeating so many times the same words, and of endeavouring to keep up an uninterrupted mental correspondence with the duty. This labour, where the communicants are numerous, is so great that few persons, I believe, can fully understand its pressure but those who have experienced it. To obviate these inconveniences both to the minister and the people, many clergymen adopt the plan above mentioned. however is objected to in quarters, though I am at a loss to know for what sufficient reason. The only cause which occurs to me is that of keeping close to the letter of the Liturgy, which speaks in the singular number; "which was given for thee;"-" Christ died for thee,"-" feed on him in thy heart," &c. But other parts of our Liturgy are continually altered for the sake of convenience in the same way;-for example, in the Prayer for all Conditions of Men, when any desire the prayers of the congregation, the minister is directed to say, "especially those for whom our prayers are desired." But no clergyman, I believe, considers that where an individual only is prayed for he is not authorized to substitute him or her for those. The same observation applies as to the direction in the General Thanksgiving, where surely the mention of the plural only is not meant to exclude any individual from returning thanks for special mercies vouchsafed. In our Baptismal, Matrimonial, and Burial Services, and the forms for the Visitation of the Sick, and the Churching of Women, the singular number only is used, and yet cases are con

tinually occuring of each of these services being employed for more than one person, with a correspondent alteration to the plural number.

But there is one case still more directly in point, in which the substitution of the plural for the singu. lar is sanctioned by most, if not all, of our bishops themselves; I mean that of the Confirmation Service, where the prayer stands thus: "Defend this thy child, or this thy servant," whereas, it being usually applied, like the one at the delivery of the bread and wine, to more than one person at once, is altered by the officiating bishop to children or servants. And this alteration is not to be blamed; for the labour of body and the excitement of mind necessary for an individual repetition to each candidate would be more than could well, in some cases, be borne. The numbers at the holy communion, it is true, do not generally equal those at our confirmations, yet it must be recollected, that the majority of our parochial clergy are unassisted on these occasions, have previously gone through the whole of the morning prayers of our church, and also preached a sermon, and are expected to do the same in the afternoon, even though the sacramental duty extends to nearly the time of evening service, and are therefore, by labour of body and excitement of mind, quite exhausted.

By referring to Wheatly on the Common Prayer, it appears that in King Edward's first Liturgy, the idea of expedition was admitted: for it orders, that "if there be a deacon or other priest, then shall he follow (the minister who has administered the bread) with the chalice; and as the priest ministereth the sacrament of the body, so shall he, for more expedition, minister the sacrament of the blood, in form before written." Even in this view it is now become desirable to administer to more than one person at a time; for our communicants are yearly increasing in number; and, unless this plan be adopted, the

morning sermon, or the afternoon service, requires to be omitted where but one clergyman officiates; and it is not easy to calculate how great an inconvenience, or even evil, this would be.

Though the prayer in our service is in the singular number, our Lord, at the institution of the sacrament, used the plural: "Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body: and he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 26.) St. Paul also, having received an immediate revelation from the Lord concerning the institution of the sacrament, tells the Corinthians, "that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread, and when

he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat; this is my body which is broken for you, and this cup is the New Testament in my blood, this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." (1 Cor. xi. 23-25.) Now, from these observations, may it not be inferred, that though our Liturgy gives the sacramental prayer in the singular number, the clergy have precedents from the manner in which an alteration is continually made in other services of our church, and especially from the example of our bishops in the Confirmation Service, to administer the bread and wine at the Lord's table to more than one person at a time, without any breach of duty? I shall feel obliged by receiving an answer to this important question through the medium of your publication.

A COUNTRY CURATE.

Tothe Editorofthe Christian Observer. So many questions have been proposed by your correspondents on the subject of Village Psalmody, that I feel it my duty as an old incumbent to offer a few plain observations, the result of long experience, on that very important point. It has been frequently, and I think justly, observed, that the state of a congregation may be known by its singing; for when persons are really thankful for the blessings which they enjoy under a truly scriptural ministry, they will find pleasure in uniting most heartily with him who is appointed to watch over their souls, in ascribing praise and glory and thanksgiving to God. The various members in that little ecclesiastical body, the village church, will all be employed according to their ability. "The eye will not say to the hand, I have no

need of thee; nor the head to the feet, I have no need of you." The minister having exhorted and prayed with his congregation, and having read to them the word of God in the appointed lessons for the day; before he endeavours to explain and apply some portion of that sacred record in his sermon, the people will delight in the opportunity of singing a psalm or hymn to the praise and glory of God, And this pleasure will be greatly, and I hope not unworthily, increased by the effects of social sympathy, and affection for a beloved pastor, and the communion of saints.

Our parochial ministers perhaps often increase their own difficulties by imagining them to be much greater than they really are. Your correspondent, in your April Number, who styles himself "A Country Curate" recommends application to be made to the diocesan upon

the subject of village psalmody. But, with all due deference to constituted authorities, surely such an application is not necessary. The point may be carried, and the psalmody improved, and rendered sufficiently good for every purpose of devotion, by the kind and affec. tionate interference of the rector or curate. The great secret, in all parochial improvement, is to know how to gain the affections of the people. A truly anxious pastor may gently lead them to any point of duty, by going before them, and walking with them, as a shepherd accompanying his flock. But in such a matter as singing, which must, if fervent, proceed from the heart, he cannot and must not employ compulsion. There may be exceptions to every general rule, but for the most part I think the following method would be effectual.

Let the minister himself take a lively interest in this part of the service. He may not be able to sing, or to play well upon an instrument; neither are these qualifications absolutely necessary; but it is a great assistance if he have a sufficient knowledge of music to regulate the psalmody. If he uses in his church the Old or the New Version of the Psalms of David, he will carefully make choice of such passages as are the most profitable. He will unite certain wellknown tunes, to certain well-known words, so that the people may be acquainted with the tune the moment they hear the words given out by the clerk. If, again, the minister adopts any one of those numerous selections which are now in use in many of our churches, he must still exercise the same judgment in the choice of words, for many of these selections need to be again and again revised; as luxuriant branches require the pruning knife in the hand of some skilful gardener, before they will become fruitful. But having taken his stand, as it respects his book and his well-known tunes, the mi

nister will endeavour to familiarize the psalmody to his congregation.

To this end, in his study he would, during the week, commit to paper the Psalms and the names of the tunes, and give his directions to the clerk and to the village schoolmaster. Such a regular habit of practising the Psalms would be introduced as would lead the children in a few months to form a little choir of themselves. Every child would on the Sunday be ready to sing, and a Psalm would be ensured to the congregation.

There is one other person, never to be forgotten in this work of reformation; and I might add, in every other branch of village usefulness; I

mean, the clergyman's wife. If she can turn her former accomplishments to this point, she becomes a help meet for her husband even in teaching the female children to sing. Presiding, as of course she would wish to do, over the Sunday school, she opens the interesting morning employments of that holy day with prayer and praise. She may practise the children in the very tune which is subsequently to be sung in the congregation; and if this be the case, I think I may venture to affirm, that all difficulties will vanish away. A spirit of psalmsinging spreads imperceptibly; insomuch that a question will soon arise, if I mistake not, as to what should be avoided, as well as to what should be cultivated. The spiritual garden will at this season, to use my former figure, require a little weeding.

Some of the parishioners will express a wish to sing in parts; others to introduce anthems: a taste will be displayed for tunes altogether unsuitable to the service of the sanctuary. A variety of instruments will find their way into the gallery, and the women with good voices will be invited to sit in that part of the church. As it respects the instruments, the minister will, to say the least, regulate their use: he will suffer no