spirit of society were formed on the pattern of the primitive Church! We excuse ourselves by saying the form of society is different. It is the spirit, not the form, which differs. The form that exists will exactly suit the spirit which once existed. The daily service, the weekly offering, the order of Deacons, in full number and power, are all pressingly called for by our very times and circumstances. Our confusions, our disturbances, our wants and woes arise from our need of these old bygone institutions. The Church in her free strength is the only healer of all our national plagues. Reckless luxury and reckless misery, which are now next-door neighbours, and are banded together in unnatural union to curse the land, would fly away abashed at the presence of the Holy Ark, with all its holy appurtenances.

O that there were the sufficient number of Priests—not to be half secular and half spiritual, but to be wholly given up to the ministry of the word and prayer-to stand by the altars, and dedicate the offerings of the people on the LORD's Day! And O that there were Deacons of the right stamp of character; not half Deacon, half Priest, but altogether and always Deacons; men of GoD, and men of the world; high in society, and lowly in heart; men of exalted holiness and humble usefulness; both spiritual and practical men! These, and such as these can only be links between the Clergy and Laity. Without these we shall never understand each other. These alone would collect, and equally and impartially distribute and apply the offerings, which the Priests alone must offer. O that there were the true division of labour, and not the sad confusion, in these works of love! O that we could once again see the Priests and the poor living not by the law of the land, but by the love of the Church! Then should we once again eat our meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Then indeed we should keep the feast in the Church and the House, and the unleavened bread of the Jew would be fulfilled in the sincerity and truth of the Christian.

My brethren, I have finished my subject, and now come to the occasion of it. We are met for communion both at the altar and at the hearth, in the Church and in the House. Let us bear in mind the several transitions I have marked, and especially the beautiful transition of the primitive Christians from the Jewish temple to the Christian Church; and above all, how they blended the Church and the Home together.

May we rise up to our higher, and stoop down to our lower nature with well poised minds. Here we have JESUS CHRIST in full mystery and full manifestation veiled in the awful sacrifice, revealed in the social supper. We are about to celebrate a high and holy communion with Him and all the Saints, and a visible and an inferior communion with ourselves. You are making a bold (alas! that it should be a bold) attempt, not to theorize, but to

realize the communion of the first Christians. We are going to surround a higher and a lower table, at both of which rich and poor are to meet together.

I have heard of such an assembling together at Radley Hall, Harrow Weald, and Glenalmond. I publish names perhaps hazardously, certainly without authority from the Governors of these institutions. But in this age of suspicious selfishness, when every obstacle will be placed against such attempts, these lights should shine before men. Feeble and imperfect as they must be under existing circumstances, I hail and bless them, not as the sun at noonday, but as stars in a dark night.

A blessing must wait even on an attempt to set the poorer members of CHRIST's flock in their right place, both in the Church and the world; to show them their spiritual equality, and their temporal subordination; to show how we are all baptized into one Body, never to be separated, but for the present to be distributed. Still on such occasions as the present, the distributed members are gathered, and for one happy hour sit down together, and are one both at the holy and the common feast. The brother of high degree rejoices to be made low-the brother of low degree to be exalted.

I have thought it good to prepare you for such an occasion by combining the shadows of the Old Testament with the substance of the New. Especially I have wished you to see how the Jewish feasts illustrate the Christian Sacraments, while the Christian Sacraments fulfil the Jewish feasts. For I am well assured, that in a full and sound understanding of Baptism and the LORD's Supper, lies the philosophy of all true communion amongst us. Our feasts of charity are founded upon them. They concentrate the whole Scripture in themselves. They are the very embodiment of the Church, and represent to us the Divine Word made human flesh.

Thus we learn our own nature, which is also, by Baptism, both divine and human, and by the Holy Supper both are strengthened and refreshed; the Divine part of us by the Body and Blood of CHRIST, the human part by bread and wine.

In the strength of the divine food let us go forth and eat our common meat in gladness and singleness of heart.

All feasts are comprised in the Sacramental, but I should ill discharge the commission with which your Pastor has intrusted me, if I did not specially note this day, as your Dedication feast. Look back a few years, and not one stone of this sacred edifice was laid upon another; look on a few years, and not one stone will be left upon another. What matters that? These goodly stones are shadows and types of lively precious stones, built up into a spiritual house. These are the saints, of whom the saint of this place, the Holy Baptist, is the link-the link between Old Testament saints and New-the link between all that ever lived,

and ourselves who are now living. All are cemented and knit together in one. The elect stones are never to be dissolved. Little as we know of the intermediate state and of saints departed, we know that they are not dead, but in far fuller energy of life than we are. And who knows but their disembodied spirits may be looking down in gentle love and pity upon our lower bodily refreshments, for they are certainly in communion with our higher and more spiritual mysteries? Who knows but that they may be ministering angels sent to cheer and to caution us; to cheer us in all that is friendly, genial, social; to caution us against all that borders on excess? Who knows but the thought of these pure spirits in rest may mark the line of moderation to our imperfect spirits, in trial-the line between what is conversational and convivial—a line too nice for positive precept. Well may they warn us against spots in our feasts of charity. Well may they remind us that the best preparation for a feast is a fast, and that both are a compound of one holy observance. The Old Passover is a present type to us. The bitter herbs were in the midst of their happiest festival. We are reminded also to keep our feast with our loins girded, and to eat it in haste; for we have much work to do, and the work day presses fast and hard on the Holy Day. The world is looking on, and we wish to win not it, but the men of it.

Remember, too, the sterner tone of the Baptist, and the gentler tone of the SAVIOUR, so that both be blended, and wisdom justified of all her children.

Here we are safe and free; now then let us lift up our hearts and take in the whole army of saints from the beginning-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs and Prophets. Shall we exclude them, or will they exclude us from their communion, because they are Old Testament saints, and we are New Testament saints? Shall we set up what CHRIST came to break down-partition walls between Jew and Gentile! O, no! let us with a full, Catholic spirit, receive them into our imperfect communion, that they may welcome us into their perfect communion.

Then shall we be among the many, who shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. There we shall hunger no more, nor thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on us, nor any heat. For the LAMB Which is in the midst of the throne shall feed us, and lead us unto living fountains of waters.

THE CORONATION OF EDWARD THE SIXTH. EDWARD VI. was crowned in the Cathedral Church of Westminster, on Shrove-Sunday, February 20th, 1547. The form and order of the coronation is thus described.

The Archbishop of Canterbury first showed the king to the people, at four parts of a great stage, and said, “Sirs, here I present King Edward, rightful and undoubted inheritor, by the laws of GOD and man, to the royal dignity and crown imperial of this realm; whose consecration, inunction, and coronation, is appointed by all the nobles and peers of this land, to be this day. Will ye serve at this time, and give your good wills and assents to the same consecration, inunction, and coronation, as by your duty of allegiance ye be bound to do?" The people answered, "Yea, yea, yea; King Edward, King Edward, King Edward!" The king then went to the communion-table, and offered up a prayer for God's grace.

Soon after the Archbishop asked him-1. “Will ye grant to keep to the people of England, and others your realms and dominions, the laws and liberties of this realm, and others your realms and dominions?" The king answered, “I grant and promit." 2." You shall keep, to your strength and power, to the Church of GOD, and to all the people, holy peace and concord." The king replied, " I.shall keep." 3. "You shall make to be done after your strength and power, equal and rightful justice in all your dooms and judgments, with mercy and truth.” The king answered, “I shall do." 4. "Do you grant to make no laws but such as shall be to the honour and glory of GOD, and to the good of the common-wealth; and that the same shall be made by the consent of your people, as hath been accustomed ?” The king replied, "I grant and promit." Then he made a solemn oath to observe and keep the things which he had promised. After some farther ceremonies, the king's robes were taken off, (except a coat of crimson satin,) that he might be anointed. Sir Anthony Deny, and Sir William Herbert, held a pall over him. The Archbishop then anointed the king's hands, breast, arms, and head, making a cross on his head. During the time of unction, the quire sung an anthem, "The king shall rejoice in Thy strength, O LORD," &c. After some lesser ceremonies, the king took the sword wherewith he was girt, and offered it to GOD, laying it on the altar, in token that his strength and power first came from GOD. This sword he afterwards took from the altar, and delivered to some noblemen, to be redeemed of the Dean of Westminster for five pounds. The king then, being seated in his chair, was crowned with S. Edward's crown, and the royal sandals and spurs were put on by the Lord Great Chamberlain. The spurs being immediately taken off, the king then returned to the stage set up, and the Archbishop began the Te Deum. Each of the peers of the realm, and Bishops, then made homage to King Edward in the following manner:-"I become your liege man, of life and limb, and of earthly worship, and of faith and truth, I shall bear

unto you, against all manner of folks, as I am bound by my allegiance, and by the laws and statutes of this realm," &c. Then they all held up their hands together, in token of their fidelity, and with one voice, on their knees, said, "We offer to sustain and defend you and your crown with our lives, and lands, and goods, against all the world;” and then they cried, "GOD save King Edward."

THE IVY AND THE ELM.

THE ivy with its evergreen leaves trailed wearily upon the dusty earth, and sought some tree around which to entwine itself, for it was sorely grieved that the worms should prey on its leaves, and that the dust should sully their glossy green.

Then it perceived a young and slender elm tree, and creeping to its foot, thus entreated. "Permit me, beautiful tree, to wind myself around thy stem. In no way can I injure thee, and it may be that I shall lend thee an additional grace. When thy leaves and those of the other trees are withered and fallen, mine will render thee still verdant, and thou wilt be more beautiful than thy brethren." But the elm answered, "Not for the adornment which thou dost promise me, will I grant thy prayer; but because of thy weakness and thy tenderness. Why should thy leaves be destroyed by worms, and trodden under the feet of beasts." So spake the elm, and the ivy flung its tendrils round it, and gratefully wreathed it with green leaves; and they grew together, and rejoiced in their youth and their life, drinking the dew of heaven, and fanned by the friendly breezes, living like brother and sister. But when the autumn came, and the leaves of the trees grew red and yellow, faded and fell off, the elm mourned and said to its young friend, "Harsh and bitter is winin its cold storms have many of my brethren perished, who at the coming of spring could no more clothe themselves with foliage, for the life within them had departed. Ah! if such a fate should be mine, and the cords of friendship which bind me to thee should be broken!" Then the ivy comforted it, and said, "I would cling to thee in death as fondly as I do now, while thou art so glorious in thy youthful beauty, and never will I forsake the friendly stem which raised me from the dust!"

ter;

Then came a winter which was very hard; the streams were frozen, the rivers became ice, and the whole land was covered with thick snow. The birds fluttered mournfully to and fro, seeking some warm shelter where they might take refuge from the cold; the frost penetrated into the heart of the trees, and