Whether such a prayer be necessary in our own day, will appear by the testimony of our own prelates.

Archbishop Secker, in his first charge, addressed to the clergy of the Diocese of Canter

bury, expresses himself thus: "To improve the people effectually to their future happiness, as well as to silence false accusers, you must be assiduous in teaching the principles, not only of virtue and natural religion, but of the gospel; and of the gospel, not as almost explained away by modern refiners, but "as the truth is "in Jesus;" as it is taught by the church of which you are members; as you have engaged by your subscriptions and declarations that you will teach it yourselves. You must preach to them faith in the ever-blessed Trinity: and vindicate, when it is requisite, those parts of our creeds and offices which relate to that article, from the very unjust imputations of absurdity and uncharitableness which have been cast upon them. You must set forth the original corruption of our nature; our redemption, "according "to God's eternal purpose in Christ," by the sacrifice of the cross; our sanctification, by the influences of the Divine Spirit; the insufficiency of our own good works, and the efficacy of faith to salvation.

"The truth I fear is, that many, if not most of us, have dwelt too little on these doctrines in our sermons:-partly from not having studied theology deeply enough to treat of them ably and beneficially: God grant it may never have been for want of inwardly experiencing their importance. But whatever be the cause, the effect has been lamentable. Our people have

grown less and less mindful, first, of the distinguishing articles of their creed, then, as will always be the case, of that one which they hold in common with the heathens; have forgot in effect their Creator, as well as their Redeemer and Sanctifier; seldom or never seriously worshipping Him, or thinking of the state of their souls in relation to Him; but flattering themselves, that what they are pleased to call a moral and harmless life, though far from being either, is "the one thing needful."

Bishop Horseley, in the Charge to which a frequent reference as been made in these volumes, considers infidelity has an increasing evil among us; and attributes its increase to a defect in inculcating the peculiar doctrines of the gospel. He says, that our sermons in the present day are too much divested "of the ge

nuine spirit and savour of Christianity," and approach too nearly "to mere moral essays." But we need not cite more from this admirable charge, as a considerable part has been incorporated with former essays.

"Of late times," says the late excellent bishop of Norwich, Dr. Horne, "there hath been a prejudice in favour of good moral preaching; as if the people might do very well, or even better, without the knowledge of the Christian mysteries; a good moral life being the end of all teaching. The enemies of Christianity, taking advantage of this prejudice, have made a total separation between the works of religion and its doctrines; pleading the example and authority of some of our Divines. And it must not be concealed that, by delivering cold inanimate

lectures on moral virtue, independent of Christianity, many of our clergy of late years have lost themselves very much in the estimation of the religious part of the laity."

The present bishop of Durham, speaking on the same subject, says, "The doctrines which you are thus bound by your duty to God, to the laws of your country, and the engagements of your profession, to inculcate and maintain, have been of late years too much neglected: as if doctrines of faith were subordinate parts of Christianity. Yet all that distinguishes Christianity from other religions, is doctrinal." "But what," the bishop asks, "is the gospel? Not mere precepts of morality. The good tidings are the hopes and consolations which are offered by the new covenant, and rest on the satisfaction made for us, not by ourselves, but by our Redeemer. To preach the gospel, therefore, is to preach the doctrines of satisfaction by the death of Christ; that is, the doctrines of atonement and redemption: and to preach them to the poor, is to preach them to the congregations from which they have been often studiously excluded." In another charge he ascribes the present luke-warmness in religion to "an infrequency in the pulpit of those doctrines which constitute the peculiar doctrines of Christianity."

If these learned and excellent prelates have not been guilty of a gross mistake, there is much need in our own day for beseeching God to "grant unto His church to love that word which "St. Bartholomew preached, and both to preach "and to receive the same." And Oh, that the

spirit of every reader may be excited by the survey which has been taken, to join with increased fervency in the collect which has been under our consideration! And may God hear and answer us "through Jesus Christ our Lord. "Amen."

7

ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE'S DAY.

O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist; Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth, with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

STR

Matthew, who was also named Levi,

was by birth "a Hebrew of the Hebrews,' though by his occupation a Roman officer; for both his names shew that his extraction was purely Jewish. He was probably a Galilean, and is said to have been born at Nazareth where our Lord was educated. He was the son of Alpheus and of Mary, a sister or relation of the blessed Virgin. His business was that of a publican or toll-gatherer to the Romans, an office of bad repute among the Jews. Among the Romans it was esteemed a place of power and credit, which was not commonly conferred on any persons but Roman knights. These officers, being sent into the provinces to collect the several species of tribute due to the government, were accustomed to employ the natives under them, as being best acquainted with the affairs and customs of their own country. Two things concurred to render this office odious to the Jews. First, the persons who managed it were usually covetous and guilty of unjust exaction. For as they farmed the customs of the Romans,