7. Bishop Andrews' Devotions, published as a "Tract for the Times."

8. Sacra Privata. By Bishop Wilson.

9. Jeremy Taylor's Prayers ;-grand and beautiful, but too florid. 10. The Ancient Latin Hymns, may be read with advantage.

Let not the timid, or the partially instructed, apprehend danger to sound theology, from intercourse with such works as some of those specified. It must be remembered, that these observations have reference, not to "babes in Christ," but to masters in Israel, who constitute our ministry. They have grappled with the heresies which might be suspected to lurk in such pages; and what might be prejudicial to the uninformed, is a healthy exercise, and may be of singular advantage to them. It would pain us to suppose that any injury could arise to them, from breathing amid the dust of the Vatican, or from keeping vigils at Oxford. We have found an occasional pilgrimage to both, perfectly safe; though it makes us less disposed to vaunt our superiority, in the language of pride or contempt. And he but scantily knows the mind he would instruct and prepare for heaven, who has not traced the history of its mental slavery to the triple crown; or who is surprised at the homage it now pays, to the meeker guardians of reason and conscience, in the Anglican university.

The occasional writing of prayers would be beneficial. Such a practice has the sanction of great antiquity. Numerous examples are found in the inspired writings, some as ancient as the earliest of those documents,-granting an anterior date to the book of Job. The song of Moses by the Red Sea, and that of Deborah on her triumph over Sisera, though more strictly hymns of praise, yet are devotional in their spirit, and illustrative of the feelings of the heart. The Psalms furnish voluminous evidence of the practice of writing prayers. Most of them were penned as devout exercises: their employment in the worship of the temple, was a happy use to which they were subsequently adapted. The writing of Hezekiah when he had been sick; the Lamentations of Jeremiah; the song of the mother of our Lord, of Zacharias, and of Simeon, are examples of a similar practice. In every age of the Christian church, eminently devout persons have been accustomed to compose prayers. It would be interesting to give many beautiful illustrations, but the length to which these remarks have run, forbids.

We are satisfied that it is a valuable exercise, and would be highly advantageous to the Christian minister. Let him select some special occasions, or some particular characters, and bring the resources of his mind to bear on the subject; and he would soon find precious fruit springing from it. The composition of a prayer weekly, would give such copiousness and richness of devout thought, and such precision and force of language, as would amply repay the time and

labour. We do not undervalue extemporaneous power, yet the profound, the comprehensive, and the truly sublime in style and sentiment, usually proceeds from the deep musings, the slow conceptions, and the solitary toils of the mind. Momentary inspiration has done little for men, and less for the world, than it imagines: arduous, exact, and patient thought has given birth to the noblest movements of learning and genius. The works which men will not "willingly let die," have been produced by close and laboured application. By such efforts, the Greek tragedians produced their majestic verse; Demosthenes, the orations which gave him his lasting fame; and Dante, the Divina Commedia. In like manner, the devotional musings, and the profound meditations of the study will produce prayers of such chastened pathos, and of such elevated thought, as will not otherwise be attained. We do not propose that such carefully-composed prayers should be committed to memory, and repeated in the pulpit. Their legitimate value would be,-first, the solemn act of devotion which originated them; and secondly, when their exact expression and arrangement were forgotten, the deep-toned devotional feeling they would leave in the heart. By such preparation there would be given to extempore prayer freshness, beauty, and power; by such toil, and discipline, and tears in the study, the devotions of the sanctuary would become a most interesting and effective part of public worship.

The intercessory presence of the Holy Spirit must be sought. We mention this last, not because we consider it of minor importance, but to convey the conviction which we feel, that it furnishes no reason for indifference to such preparation, as has been suggested in the preceding observations. On the contrary, no language can adequately express our sense of the necessity of his Divine assistance. He must give holy energy to the cry, "Abba, Father." Our infirmities need the "help" of his wisdom and power. The groaning which cannot be uttered in articulate speech, will exist only when his grace bedews the soul. Diligently using every means of improvement, the pastor will still remember, that the best gifts are those of the Spirit; and that no preparation is adequate, or can be successful, until it is crowned with hie pentecostal influences.

We may add, that a just conviction of the importance of the devotional parts of Divine service, is indispensable. And no circumstance connected with ministerial duty, may more justly oppress a conscientious mind, than the fact, that the devotional worship of the congregation depends, chiefly, on the capability of his own mind to communicate to theirs, the pure affections, and the elevated sentiments of true piety. It is so easy to pray fifteen or twenty minutes, that the difference should be carefully marked, between mere facility of expression, and the power of uttering devout thoughts fraught with heavenly influences. Such views of the importance of public prayer,

will produce ardent desires in faithful men, to attain to great excellence in this hallowed part of Divine service.

cross.

It will not be understood that these remarks attribute the low state of devotion to ministerial deficiency. There are other and grave questions which require discussion, before we could be either competent or entitled to give judgment whence it is, that the devotional worship of dissenting congregations is, comparatively, so cold, and their manner so frequently irreverent. Yet we are confident that the devoted men who are the glory of our churches, are willing to inquire by what means they may become as efficient in their devout exercises, as they are in the sober and enlightened advocacy of the doctrines of the To suppose that our ecclesiastical system is the exact counterpart of truth; or that our practical illustration of it is absolutely perfect, would more imply contracted views and ignorance of human nature, than an enlightened and faithful adherence to principle. We firmly believe that our churches embody in their constitution very much that is apostolic; but we do not believe that they possess, in the degree which is attainable, the temper and spirit of apostolic piety, or that moral greatness which it would inspire. Is not improvement possible? and if it be within our reach, should we not thoughtfully and earnestly aim at it? It would gratify us, if the subject of public prayer were thoroughly discussed in your pages. It is a matter of vital importance to our stability and success.

The human heart, undoubtedly, has deep religious tendencies, which crave with the irrepressible force of nature, for the warmth and tenderness of devout emotion. Religion is a principle, but it is also a passion. As a principle, it guides the few,-the calm and the enlightened; as a passion, it controls the multitude. No art or discipline has ever given to the mass of mankind a cold clearness of intellectual vision; with them, the imagination will ever be a powerful means of influencing the reason; and a gush of feeling in the heart, will carry truth to the mind, with greater force, than the most correct and profound logic.

Romanism meets this instinctive necessity of our moral nature. By her gorgeous ceremonials, she constantly plays upon the fancy; and by her solemn music and devotional sentiments, she pours a ravishing sweetness on the soul. The service of the Episcopal church is decorous, dignified, and solemn. Some Nonconformists may demur to this admission; but our reply is, that it is felt to be beautiful and impressive by multitudes, some of whom are distinguished by refined taste, cultivated minds, and earnest piety. That it is not so felt by us, does not make the proposition true, that it is not so felt by any. John Wesley had the sagacity to constitute his societies and to arrange their worship, not on the basis of his own calm temperament, but on that of mankind at large. Methodism is not the religion of those who possess

erudite or speculative minds, or a dignified taste; but it is the religion of the mass of the people. Their feelings are warmed and gratified, by the exciting services of that influential section of the church. It is not in the pulpit, but in the prayer-meeting and the class-room, that its power chiefly resides. These are its scenes of fervid feeling, and of attractive sympathy; and from them its disciples come forth, refreshed, strengthened, and happy.

We are not pleading for any of these systems, but request attention to one great principle illustrated in them all: namely, the importance of adapting our modes of worship, not to human depravity, but to the thirst for religious emotion which has its being in the human heart. Congregational worship, in its present state, does not sufficiently provide for this element of our suffering nature. Our piety lives in the intellect, more than it opens a well of water" in the heart. It is sober and intelligent; but it is calm and passionless. Men of philosophic mould, or sturdy sense, crowd our ranks; but the feebleminded, the unreflective, the trembling in spirit, and all who can think deeply only as they feel intensely, seek elsewhere a provision for their spiritual necessities. If these observations have truth in them, they will justify our earnest desire that there should be given to public prayer, those "fervent and effectual" influences, which will reach the hearts of the assembled worshippers.

Such spiritual training and mental discipline as we have noticed, is calculated to produce a mind fertile in holy thought, rich in sacred associations, imbued with hallowed feeling, and ardent in its heavenly affections. But as there are diversities of gifts, it would be an error to conclude that devotional excellence is limited to one precise form. One mind will climb the clefts of the rock, that with the Jewish lawgiver, it may behold the glory of God, in its sublime and awful manifestations; and there find the scenes most calculated to communicate solemnity to the spirit, and humility to the heart. Another, by an almost unconscious impulse, would seek the milder manifestations of the Divine glory associated with the beautiful and imposing service of the temple; and on its "holy ground" most deeply feel the inspiration of devout emotions. Another mind would find it congenial to its habits of thought to meditate continually on the words of Jesus, until it would become adorned with the moral beauty and spiritual tenderness, which his discourses are calculated to communicate. And another would find its chosen scene of contemplation, amid the terrors of his passion and death-Gethsemane, by a gracious sympathy, would strongly attract the heart; and the anguish of the cross, beyond all things else, would deepen the spirit of prayer.

Hence, in accordance with the characteristic tendencies of the mind, will be the varied excellence of devotional exercises. Flowers have different hues and various forms, but there is beauty in them all—even

in the most neglected. So it is with devotional excellence; and from the humblest and feeblest of such efforts, may we not hope that a spiritual fragrance ascends to God, which makes it in Christ Jesus a sweet and an acceptable offering?

BAPTISMAL REGENERATION.

(Concluded from Page 565.)

Ir, notwithstanding all the evidence which has been adduced, it is still assumed, that the term water must be interpreted literally; then the second point to be established is, that one and the same birth is referred both to water and to the Spirit. Now in all languages it is common, when the same word is to be understood in connexion with several others, to express it once, and to leave it to be supplied by the reader where it is omitted by the writer. Thus, in the first chapter, 12th and 13th verses, we read-"To those who received him, to them he gave power to become the children of God, even to those who believe in his name; who are born not of blood, nor of natural affection, nor of human purpose, but of God." οἱ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλ ̓ ἐκ Θεοῦ eyevvýonoav. The term born is here used but once, but it must be supplied three times to express the sense completely; and it is certain, that while a spiritual change is meant by the word in the last clause, a corporeal change is meant by it in the first, if not in all the other clauses. Though, at least, two various births are here referred to, once only is the term expressed, and where it is supplied, it is with a different application. So in this passage, if water literally were referred to, it may be necessary to supply before the term Spirit, the word which is expressed before the term water, and then the complete sense of the declaration will be "Unless one be born of water, and be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." That it is much more probable that two different births are attributed to two different sources, than that one and the same birth is attributed to both, appears from the following considerations :

1. The difference between the nature of water, and of the Spirit, at once shows, that the changes to which they bear the same relation, must be very different. As in the passage already quoted, the difference in the nature of the clauses renders it evident that the term born is to be supplied where it is not expressed, and to be supplied in a different sense, so it is in this passage. The entire dissimilarity between the nature of water, and of the Spirit of God, indicates, that to be born of water is one thing, and to be born of the Spirit another thing, wholly different, and infinitely superior. If it is necessary that a