with so much judgment and discretion, that at the final review of the liturgy, one answer only needed revision: and that on a point not of a doctrine, but rather of critical emendation. From this short history of the christian's catechism, it appears, that it was not the work of one man, however famous in his generation; nor was it the labour of a single day, however bright. Considering then, the various forms it underwent-the care em ployed in bringing it to its present state-the caution with which amendments were admitted-and what manner of persons they were to whom its revision was assigned-we need not wonder, at finding it to be full, without redundance; and brief, without obscurity: worthy the attention of the great, yet levelled to the capacity of the poor. Plain, without coarseness; learned, without controversy; and authoritative, without arrogance. II. Its general DOCTRINES. Designed for the most extensive benefit, its doctrines are not the refined speculations of the schools, nor the abstruser points of doubtful disputation, on which the wise may err, and the good may disagree. Assuming the admission of leading truths, and the evidence of certain facts, it stays not to censure heresy, to answer scepticism, or to combat infidelity. Its aim is to make us christians, rather than scholars; and to proselyte us not to a party, but to Christ. Wherever it shall wind its peaceful course, its tendency will not be to multiply sects, or foment divisions; but to enlighten ignorance, to cherish piety, and to elevate devotion. The doctrine of an atonement, then, so indispensable to this; and at the same time, as the chief pillar of our faith, and the basis of our hope, is here supposed to be true without controversy. On the same principle, the topic on which it treats, is not a religion of nature, but of grace; not, what as innocent creatures must be done to secure a continuance of the divine favour; but the way whereby guilty and "miserable sinners," may recover the privileges they had forfeited; and be restored to the possessions they had lost. Not, what in a state of integrity we must do to be happy; but, what in a state of ruin, we must do to be saved. It cannot therefore be a right exposition of the catechism, to explain it contrary to the avowed opinions of those by whom it was composed; or to exhibit it in opposition to the liturgy, homilies, and articles of the church. As all our services are performed in the strength and all our supplications to the Father are concluded, in the name of Christ Jesus the Lord;-so, Christ of God, is here made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. All it publishes, proceeds upon the admitted supposition-(asserted too,) that " being by nature the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." Therefore, while some expositors are truly evangelical; others, tend only to perplex and mislead. They tell us indeed, "we must repent, and believe the scriptures-be sincere and do our best," &c. All which are very good in their right place, and directed to their proper end; but when heaped together are good for nothing towards instruction in righteousness. Out of all these circumstances confusedly intermixed, what notion can a person form of his present state, so as to live in comfort, and to die in peace? If doing our best, be the terms of our acceptance, we must all perish; for no man docs his best, as his own conscience can witness, and his repeated confessions have declared. What most mean by the expression, amounts to no more than doing something, until they grow weary; or in fine, just as much as they are inclined to do! But admitting even, that we did our best, or did any thing at all in the way of personal justification by our own righteousness; what is this but confounding the law and the gospel? falling from grace; and rendering Christ of none effect?" These views will account for, HI. Its leading and principal CONTENTS. These have generally been arranged in the following order :The christian's covenant The christian's belief The christian's obedience- The christian's sacraments. First, We are made acquainted with the christian's COVENANT, sealed to him in baptism; and avouched by him, in his present approbation of the former vow. This will be the subject of our next discourse. The remaining time allotted for the present, shall be confined to some preparatory remarks on the covenant in general; and on the giving of the christian name. When man first arose from beneath the hand of his beneficent Creator, though a being perfect in his nature, he was dependent on his God. He who first made him, still kept him alive; and could command his every service. In this original state, man was under a covenant. Conditions were proposed, and consequences annexed: continuance in well-doing had secured glory, honour, and immortality-disobedience entailed tribulation and wrath, indignation and anguish, disease and death. You have often heard the melancholy recital, and it calls for continued sorrow of heart. Man continued not in innocence. He fell; and with him fell a world of beings-immortal existences!-Judgment now came upon all men unto condemnation: for the covenant being broken, its promises invalidate, its pains incurred, its curse alone remained. The bitter foundation of the heart like the broken fountain of the great deep, deluged all around: all was evil; and, only evil, continually. Behold, says David, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. In this state of ruin and distress, a new and living way was now opened for the recovery and happiness of man, that seeing in Adam all die; even so in Christ should all be made alive. Infinite wisdom planned, and unbounded power engaged to perform a work, whereby the honour of the divine government might be vindicated, and yet sinners be pardoned, justified, and glorified for ever in which mercy was to triumph without the smallest violation of the threatening of truth, or the requirements of justice. A scheme whereby the criminal might rejoice, and the judge might glory too! This is the new covenant or dispensation-the covenant of grace; the dispensation-according to one eternal plan, but established to us-upon better promises. A covenant in which Christ Jesus is the head; and these promises are Yea, and in him, Amen. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these . days, saith the Lord: I will put my law into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. We work out then our own salvation; but it is because God in Christ (reconciling the world to himself) worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. The particular privileges of this covenant, according to some, are actually conveyed-according to others, are rather sealed to us in our baptism; wherein it is said, we are "made members of Christ, children of God, and inheritors of the kingdom of heaven." Supposed objections to this answer will be noticed in the following lecture. The present will be concluded, by directing your attention to a previous question, and reply. The catechist first inquires, Q. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" Ans. "N. or M." The inquiry is more interesting and significant, than many suppose. And the answer being returned not in our sire, or family name, but in our new and christian appellation, should ever remind us of our new and spiritual nature. To have a christian name, is to avow before the world, that we are christians. Let him then, that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity. For, what is there in a name? What advantage, if reminded thereby of any prophet, apostle, saint, or martyr; whose life and conversation exhibit a continued contrast to the conduct we pursue? To no purpose that any subscribes unto the Lord, and surnames himself by the name of Israel, while he has an Esau's hands and an alien's heart! "We who preach a man should not steal, let us never steal; we who say a man should not commit adultery, let us abhor so contaminating a crime. We who make our boast of the gospel, let us not dishonour that gospel, by transgression." For to adopt the arguinent of the great apostle-Verily christianity profiteth, if having laid the foundation in the obedience and merit of the Saviour, we shew the fruits of faith, and live according to the gospel: otherwise, our christianity is as no christianity; but while it increases our responsibility, will by so much the more aggravate the horror of our doom. From the whole let me observe, respecting this and every other effort to instruct the ignorant, and remind those already well informed, (but who often act as those untaught)-that, he that refuseth instruction, or scorneth reproof, shall fearfully perish. And, the audience must be peculiar indeed, where all are too wise to be instructed, too circumspect to be cautioned, or too pious to be reformed! Remember too, that an attachment to the form of sound words before us, is very different from that bigotted affection to the mere letter of a system, which has so often opposed reason by exile, and error by the sword: has employed force instead of argument, and silenced whom it could not otherwise subdue. Let us indeed refute the erroneous, and repress the arrogant; but not exhibit our mistaken godliness, at the expense of our common feelings, nor erect an altar to faith, on the ruins of the temple of charity! Finally, It is written in the prophets, they shall all be taught of God. From HIM let us seek wisdom, that maketh wise unto salvation; and entreat his blessing on the services of our sanctuary! And what is the word of the Lord to-day, from him that walketh between the golden candlesticks? If ye will enquire, enquire ye To-day, if ye will hear my voice, harden not your hearts.— Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out and I will write upon him THE NAME of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my NEW NAME. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. The admission of the notes upon this lecture would have infringed too much upon our limits: they indicate the considerable progress the author has made in scholastic divinity. An Address to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the Propriety and Usefulness of Sunday Evening Lectures, by the Rev. George Henderick. pp. 22. Rivingtons, 1808. We are not aware, that the plan recommended by the author of this address would be attended with any inconvenience; on the contrary, it is our opinion, that Sunday evening lectures would be attended with incalculable benefits. It will be readily conceived, that we do not mean to extend our approbation so far as to advise their adoption in villages; indeed such would be utterly impracticable, from the circumstance of a scattered population; which would render the return after public worship highly inconvenient and dangerous. But in towns where no such inconveniences exist, we are perfectly convinced, that were evening service to be regularly practised, sectarism would receive a shock that would reverberate to its very foundations. The present state of our Church, beset as she is by Infidelity on the one hand, and Schism and Dissension on the other, calls loudly for some measure to be adopted, which may check the growing evil, and restore our Establishment to that distinguished pre-eminence, to which, by her innate purity, she is entitled. "The subject has long dwelt on my mind, but has been more strongly impressed, since the publication of the report of the yearly conference of the Wesleyan Methodists. From a late statement, which has appeared in the newspapers, we learn, that one hundred MeetingHouses are directed to be built. The laws, in their present form, not only are inadequate to the prevention of this increase, but rather tend to encourage it, by the facility with which licences for MeetingHouses and Preachers are obtained. To the laws then, in their present state, we cannot look for success. And should any new measures be proposed in the IMPERIAL SENATE, commensurate with the exigency of the times, they would be deemed intolerant, persecuting, and oppressive. "What then are we to do? Is there no measure within our own power, calculated, even in a smaller degree, to preserve the Members of our Communion from being led away by the pernicious influence of Infidelity, or perhaps equally dangerous stratagems of Dissenters? With the most respectful deference I would answer, there is. One plan is in our own power: which, if sanctioned by your GRACE's authority, and cordially adopted by my Reverend Brethren the PAROCHIAL CLERGY, would, I humbly hope, through the DIVINE favour, tend in a great degree to build up the walls of our Zion," and to make her again" a glory and praise in the earth.” The plan suggested by Mr. Henderick is the General Establishment of Sunday Evening Lectures. His reasons for their adoption are delivered in a plain, homely manner, but they are no less cogent on that account. "THE EVENING OF THE SABBATH is, of all the week, that part which is most vacant and unoccupied. At that season, the lower orders of society especially, the manufacturing and labouring poor, are most at a loss for employment. Time then hangs heavy upon them, particularly in winter; and they readily embrace any object that promises to amuse the unoccupied hour-any thing that tends to divert the mind. Reading is not in the power of all; nor does he who can read, always find himself inclined to the exercise. The cares of a family and the noise of children, render reading impossible and home unpleasant. The man is driven, as it were, reluctantly out of doors, and some other refuge must be sought in which he can either drown his cares, or enjoy a momentary peace till the hour of sleep. Infidelity opens the Ale-house, Sectarism the Conventicle. To one or other of these refuges the poor man, most probably, yields. If his sense of religious duty prevail, he thinks the Conventicle the lesser evil. He argues "I want employment-tis religion, and there ean be no harm in going to hear what is good-I may spend my time much worse-I can receive no injury," and so on. He goes-something in the manner of the preacher strikes him-he mistakes violence for zeal, and bold vulgar assertions for GOSPEL TRUTH-he is ensnared he goes again and again, till at length he thinks that way only to be right, and can soon listen to, and with pleasure join in, that volcano of slander and invective, with which Schismatics seldom omit to assail the Members, the Ceremonies, and especially the ministers of the CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Thus, from want of occupation on the Evening of the SABBATH, arises the confirmed Dissenter. When the man is thus drawn aside, his wife is soon persuaded or perhaps compelled to accompany her husband to the Meeting-House. They are by degrees allured to send their children for instruction to the Schools attached to almost every Dissenting Congregation; where the principles of Schism and Dissension are early fixed in their infant |