Oh! no,thanks be unto God, for his unspeakable gift," whereby we are enabled to triumph over every foe, and through whose merits, I may say to every child of God," Lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.' It is also a matter of great joy to the believer, to review the progress of the Gospel, in the past year, and in the retrospect our hearts are gladdened, by the knowledge we have of its signal victories in the conversion of sinners, and the increase of spiritual religion among many who were cold and formal professors; and when we ask the watchman, now, from the heights of Zion, "What of the night?" they will tell us, "The morning cometh," when "the knowledge of the Lord shall

cover the whole earth, as the waters cover the sea;" but let not the certainty that this day will come make us negligent-rather let it incite us to renewed watchfulness and diligence, in our several stations, to do all that we can to hasten that glorious period; let us count ourselves honoured, in being permitted even to co-operate with God in so great an enterprize, and while we have time and opportunity labour in the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then when all our years on earth are finished, even sinners such as we, may hope to receive that welcome sound from the lips of Jesus, Well done, good and faithful servant," and for his sake, be permitted to "enter into the joy of our Lord." H. M.

་

SIR-As the period is now at hand when we contemplate the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the flesh, allow me to call the attention of your readers to some extracts from a valuable work lately published by the Rev. J. EAST, entitled, MY SAVIOUR, or Devotional Meditations in prose and verse, on the names and titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. The volume contains fifty-two meditations of a spiritual and devotional character, and each meditation is accompanied by a short poem ; some of which appear to me of a very superior kind.

LECTOR.

THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS. MY SAVIOUR IS THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS. Thus spake the prophet Haggai concerning the expected Saviour of men. "The desire of all nations shall come." He was promised to the mother of mankind, as in a peculiar sense her'

seed, and the mighty deliverer of her children from the thraldom of Satan. He was promised to Abraham as a source of blessing to all nations to all the families of the earth. The father of the faithful, and all who trod in his steps, contemplated his future advent with generous exultation, knowing that it would be the opening of heaven's gate to men of every clime, and every tongue. The sweet singer of Israel often struck his harp in harmony with a song of universal benevolence: When he implored mercy and blessing, and the light of God's countenance for himself and his people, he looked from mount Sion round the whole world and prayed, "That thy way may be made known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. O let the nations be glad and sing for joy." David looked far beyond his own beloved Solomon, even to his

own Son and Lord, when he foretold, that "All kings should fail down before him: all nations should serve him:"-" that all nations should call him blessed."

Among the heathen some traditional notices of the world's Redeemer prevailed very generally, and were to be found in the narratives of history and the fables of poetry. Their wisest men sighed for the opening of the windows of heaven to pour light upon the universal darkness. How many, it is probable, have resembled the interesting Burman female, Mah Menla, whose little history is recorded in the life of the late Mrs. Judson! For ten years had her mind sought, with an anxiety nearly amounting to distraction, a satisfactory knowledge of the origin of all things, and of innumerable other points connected with that primary question, before a tract, written by Mr. Judson, gave her the first clear notion of an eternal God. There is a desire, inseparable, it should seem, from the very essence of an immortal spirit, after something, which it feels necessary to its happiness, and which eludes its search, wherever that search is directed. This desire, debased by the fall, seeks, but never finds satisfaction in earthly and polluted things; and though it cannot reach the full possession of its object, for

Our very wishes give us not our wish: yet, until the soul is taught from above, it turns with aversion from Him, who in his own person and work is alone and altogether what the soul wants.

But do not the enterprising men, who in the present day have gone forth amongst the nations of the earth, make known to us a state of feeling-a preparedness of mind for the written, or the preached word of the Lord, which remarkably justifies this appellation of my Saviour, and looks to him, though unseen and unknown, more truly

than the needle in every clime points to the polar star? Oh! let me rejoice in any opportunity that presents itself of helping to draw aside the veil, which for thousands of years has concealed this object from the view of men. Shall all nations desire Him whom I know, and desire in vain, while I possess to any extent the means of making him known to them? Alas! if I thus act, my love to him is the pretence of hypocrisy, and my benevolence towards mankind is affectation.

And, while He is, or ought to be, and shall be, the Desire of all nations,' can he be less than the desire' of my soul? Can any sinner need him more than I do? Can any satisfaction short of Him fill my breast? Is the day hastening on upon the rapid wings of light, when Jesus will be THE DESIREthe paramount the all comprehensive desire of all nations? Then let me earnestly implore such an outshedding of divine influence upon my heart, that all the desires, yea, all the capacities of desire in my soul, may center in Him, who is the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. For what object in the universe has a claim upon my desires, in comparison with the Lord Jesus Christ! O that my heart may be drawn after him with an intensity of desire, which nothing else shall be able to abate, to divert, or to satisfy, even for a moment, until I see him, embrace him, and exclaim, in a much fuller sense than the Patriarch used the words, when he heard of Joseph, "IT IS ENOUGH."

Ah! whence that soothing sound that

came,

So soft, yet burdening the wind? It kindles, like some latent flame, The ardent longings of my mind. It is the Spirit's voice

Still as the ev'ning breeze,
Just sighing through the trees,
Breathing celestial joys:

It fills me with unwonted fire,
With tender, strong, yet pure desire.

He will-He will, lone child of sighs;
Thou shalt not long for light in vain ;
E'en now his angel cleaves the skies
To waft thy teachers o'er the main.
DESIRE OF NATIONS, hear!

The world awaits thy day;
O hasten on thy way
To dry the mourner's tear.
The many crowns shall deck thy brow,
And ev'ry knee in homage bow.

Perhaps your limits will allow the following extracts from the poetry, which, though not so peculiarly adapted as the preceding extract to the present period, will yet be found always in season.

There is a path leads home to God:

But who that path has seen?

No wand'ring foot that path has trod,
No wing that path has been:
It ne'er has met the vulture's eye,
Nor has the lion passed it by.

Ah! who can point it out to me,
Or tell me where 'tis found:

"Not here!" exclaims the roaring sea,

Nor here!"-earth's deep profound: The orbs of heav'n in silence roll, And leave in gloom the inquiring soul.

Not all the gold of eastern mines,
Nor jewels beyond price,
Where sapphire, pearl, and ruby shines,
Like stars that gem the skies;
Could purchase wisdom's brighter ray
To shew, and guide me in that way.

Death and destruction, they have heard,
For they once cross'd the path,
When man believ'd the tempter's word,
And dared the penal wrath :
But now they smile at human woe,
And urge us to the gulf below.

But see! a light divides the gloom,
I hear a soothing voice:
Behold thy God!-thy bliss-thy home!

I AM THE WAY! Rejoice!
Thy Saviour-thy unchanging Friend,
Shall teach and help thee to the end.

Lo! with THY blood besprinkled o'er,
My heart presents an open door,—
Come, King of Glory, enter in!
No evil conscience here has place,
All purg'd by blood, and cleans'd by grace,
Here lurks no soul condemning sin,

On THEE, My Paschal Lamb, I feed,
(Rich emblem of the grace I need !)
And eager faith receives thee whole :
An undivided sacrifice

Alone my hunger will suffice,

And ease the craving of my soul.

Yet still the briny tear shall flow,
I'll taste the luxury of woe,

In fellowship, with thee, dear Lord! Repentance-faith's first bitter leaf, Mingles my cup with holy grief,

But sweetens mercy's welcome word.

Search me, O God, and try my heart, Purge out all leav'n from ev'ry part,

To me a full redemption give, From sin and Satan's tyrant rod, To walk in liberty with God,

And to my great deliv'rer live.

Begirt with truth, in pilgrim guise,
O follow where my pathway lies,

Through foes, or desert, flame, or flood; Immortal, till my work is done, Unwearied, till the prize is won

The Canaan that was bought with blood.

T

By

Canterbury

York

A Plan of Church Reform. Lord Henley. 8vo. Pp. 64 and 18. Roake.

Sequel to remarks upon Church Reform, with observations upon the Plan proposed by Lord Henley. By the Rev. Edward Burton, D. D. Regius Professor of Divinity in Oxford. 8vo. Pp. iv. and 76. Roake. The British Liturgy. An attempt towards an Analysis, Arrangement, and Compression of the Book of Common Prayer of the United Church of England and Ireland, offered to the examination of the Clergy, and of such other Christian Ministers as use or allow Liturgical worship, with a view to promote the uniformity and coherence of the British Reformation. By the Rev. John Riland, M. A. Curate of Yoxall. Pp. xxxvi. and 64.

A Petition to the House of Lords, for Ecclesiastical Improvements, with Explanations by the Rev. C. N. Wodehouse, Prebendary of Norwich. 8vo. Pp. 94. Long

man.

LORD HENLEY proposes that at the death of the present possessors, all the Revenues of the higher clergy shall be paid to Commissioners, who shall provide for the maintenance and service of the cathedrals, &c. shall pay certain stipends to the Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Chaplains, &c. and apply the surplus, estimated at £15,000. to the augmentation of small benefices, and the endowment of churches and chapels in England and Wales. It proposes the erection of two new Sees, one comprising the southern parts of the See of Lincoln, the other the counties of Derby and Nottingham, the Bishops of which are not to be Lords of Parliament. It fixes the stipends as follows.

London Durham Winchester

21 other Bishops, each Two new Bishops, each making the whole episcopal provision £183,000. per annum. The stipends of the Deans, &c. &c. vary from £1800 to £200 per annum, the whole amounting to £52,600. No translations are to take place, excepting to the Archbishoprics. Retiring pensions are to be allowed to the clergy aged 70. Pluralities are prohibited, except where each of the livings is under £400. per

annum.

Dr. Burton shows that the plan suggested by Lord Henley, and which his Lordship calculates would produce £150,000. per annum for the augmentation of small livings, would not, even on the most favourable favourable supposition, produce more than about £26,000. and would very probably leave no surplus at all. Dr. B. therefore suggests a totally different plannamely, the substitution in lieu of the first fruits and tenths now paid to the Commissioners of Queen Ann's bounty, of a small graduated tax on all benefices, cathedral property, &c. by which he conceives that the annual sum of £59,354. might be produced for the augmentation of small livings. We have no hesitation in saying that Dr. Burton's plan is decidedly superior to Lord Henley's, though it appears to us capable of considerable improvement. Under existing circumstances it is generally conceded that non-residence and pluralities cannot be immediately terminated. But if the existing exemptions for non-residence were withdrawn, and a tax of five per Icent was levied on the gross value of all livings, where the incumbents

are non-resident, and an additional tax of five per cent on those livings where neither the Incumbent nor the Curate reside within the parish, a sum of £40,000. might easily be raised, in addition to the £60,000. suggested in Dr. Burton's plan, and a very serious check would be given to non-residence. If these taxes were increased at stated periods, the check to non-residence would eventually become so great, that no man would think of being absent from his charge; while the facilities of augmenting small livings would so rapidly increase, that the grand plea both for non-residence and pluralities would vanish. It would be no great hardship to tax non-resident incumbents, at present, five per cent, and if an additional two and a half per cent was required after each period of ten or fifteen years, non-residence would cease by the close of the century. It might he advisable to exempt Incumbents above the age of 70 from these taxes, and some provision should be devised for the support of those who are laid aside by positive infirmity. The change should however immediately take place, and not be confined as both Lord Henley and Dr. Burton suggests to new Incumbents. We do not believe that the tax proposed by Dr. B. or that suggested by ourselves would be found at all injurious to the proprietors of advowsons. The pecuniary loss in the larger livings would be compensated and far more than compensated by the additional security, and the value of the smaller advowsons would be very much increased. In all great improvements cases of individual hardship will arise; we apprehend however that on the plans here suggested, the pressure would be comparatively light; nor should it be forgotten that Church Property is a trust to be improved for the glory of God and the spiritual benefit of mankind, and that it thus differs widely from those re

venues which are placed at the absolute disposal of the possessor.*

Mr. Riland reduces the 39 Articles to 20, and proposes very extensive alterations in the calendar, he omits the creeds, and cuts down the service to about half its present length. Such extensive alterations appear to us altogether uncalled for, and we apprehend few of our readers, whether clergy or laity, can rise from the perusal of Mr. R's publication without ardent desires that the day may be very far distant when the British Liturgy shall be substituted for the Common Prayer. We have neither time, space, nor inclination to enter into details, but on the whole we cannot help feeling that Mr. R.'s publications are calculated rather to retard than advance the cause of Church Reform."

Mr. Wodehouse's petition details some of the common objections to our Liturgy, and the difficulties which Mr. W. in consequence feels with respect to subscription. It is impossible not to respect the temper and piety of the Author, though we differ from him as to many of his views and conclusions. The corrections however which he proposes are far more moderate than Mr. Riland's, and many of them such as would unquestionably be adopted, should the temper of the times ever allow a revision of the Liturgy. While however we write, great changes are said to be in progress, and we shall hail the day when relief can be given to scrupulous consciences, without opening the door to the unholy and profane, to the ene mies of spiritual religion, and the deniers of the Lord who bought them.

* Lord Henley has since published another pamphlet, uniting Dr. Burton's plan with his own; but the alterations he proposes, appear to us far too violent; while it necessarily involves the creation of a number of officers who must both be paid and watched.