ment; in his word, his works, his providence; in prayer, in meditation, and in the ministry of the Gospel, his second appearing will, be a source of inconceivable delight. He will bail such with the cheering welcome, "Well done, good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." "Come ye blessed of my Father; inherit the kingdom of heaven prepared for you before the foundation of the world." Such sball" see the King in his beauty, and behold the land that is very far off." All the clouds and shadows which concealed him from them in the present world shall be removed: they shall see him "face to face;" they shall be like him; and they shall enjoy his presence and his favour for

evermore.

But let us turn to the awful reverse.

There will be no pleasure to the sinner in the appearance of Jesus Christ at the last day. So far from it, he will call on the rocks and mountains to fall on him, to hide him from his presence. Of those who, like Herod, saw Christ upon earth, in whose streets he prophesied, and who gratified an idle curiosity by the sight of his miracles, there will be many found, at the last day, whose knowledge only aggravated their guilt in rejecting him. The case will apply to ourselves. We have all the means of grace, and the hopes of glory in our possession; but it is a practical and personal acquaintance with religion that is necessary to render us true Christians. We all know some thing of Christ, as the Jews did among whom he appeared; but is our knowledge of the right kind? Does it influence our heart and conduct? Does it produce the fear of God, and an earnest desire to fulfil his commands? It is very possible to know all the doctrines of the Gospel, and to remember and admire the actions and sayings of its Divine Author with out being really his disciples. Let

then examine our hearts;

let us see, whether we repent truly of our sins-whether we have, a lively faith in the Redeemer whether we stedfastly purpose to: lead a new life, and whether we cultivate that most excellent grace of love or charity towards all man-, kind. Let us endeavour to acquire a more intimate and endearing knowledge of the Saviour, and a more eager desire to obey his laws and imitate his example. And then, though we cannot behold him, as Herod did, with our bodily eyes, we shall see him " through a glass darkly," and enjoy his presence in the sacred ordinances of religion upon earth, and at length be translated into his immediate presence, where there is fulness of joy for evermore.

as

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. IT was the remark of a celebrated author, that what we do often we ought especially to endeavour to do well. This remark may be very forcibly applied to the reading of the Common Prayer by our clergy. Few comparatively read it as if they fully understood it. The fault, perhaps, arises, in a great measure, from our being so long used to the sound of the words that a manner is acquired almost in childhood, and long before their import is duly considered. This manner is not afterwards easily relinquished; and never will be so, unless by diligent attention to the subject in private study. The church is not the place for the experiment: there the heart, and mind, and voice should be better engaged than in analysing the critical import of phrases, and the corresponding mode of expression that belongs to them. But every young clergyman would do well, before his manner is irrecoverably fixed, to devote a regular time in private to weigh the critical import of each prayer, and the proper mode of presenting that import to the hearer; and he may be assured that the benefit will well

repay the time and labour devoted to the exercise.

The particular part of the service to which I chiefly intend to direct this remark on the present occasion is, "The Absolution." It begins, It begins, apparently, like a prayer-"AlAlmighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," &c.; and the reader, naturally taking it for a vocative case, enunciates it as such. After a few lines, and before the sense is completed, or the principal verb discovered, the sentence assumes a declarative form, and employs the third, instead of the second person" He pardoneth and absolveth," &c. The reader now finds something was wrong, but it is too Jate to amend it. The words uttered cannot be recalled. The same mistake, probably, occurs at the next public reading, and so on till it becomes a confirmed habit ; and neither the reader nor the congregation comprehend the grammatical import of what is uttered.

But the private critical study which has been recommended, would shew that the words, "Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but ra ther that he may turn from his wickedness and live, and hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins," are the nominative case to the verbs pardoneth and absolveth, and that the addition of the pronoun "He" before" pardoneth," is only intensitive, The above-mentioned error in reading arises partly from the length of the nominative case and its adjuncts, and partly from the false punctuation of most of oat Prayer-books, which put a colon or period after "sins," instead of a comma or dash. The whole sentence, when read correctly, is clear and grammatically consistent; as if the minister said, "He"-namely this Almighty God, the Father of of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c,

He pardoneth, &c. The compilers of our liturgy were better scholars than to make one part vocative and the other declaratory, one part in the second and the other in the third person. third person. And they were better divines than to begin with invoking the attention of the Almighty, and to conclude the sentence with an address to their fellow-creatures.

An individual instance may not, indeed, be of much importance; but if it induce your younger clerical readers to adopt the prac tice recommended, some of them may possibly find scores of other errors in the course of reading the daily service.

PHILO RUBRIC.

To the Editor of the Christian Observer. IT is a melancholy and awful circumstance, that there should exist, in the bosom of the most favoured nation on earth, too large a body of people who seem to be contemplating every thing that is irreligious, sanguinary, and anarchical, and to be animated with every moral element that the wise and good must abhor and deplore. Whether the cloud be soou to dis sipate, or whether it be yet to thicken, and to pour its tremendous stores upon us, it is useless to conjecture. We may calculate on the moderation and fidelity of the respectable part of the com munity. We may hope to see vigour, wisdom, unanimity, and a tender and benevolent attention to the state of the country, among our rulers. Above all, we may repose our confidence in the mercy and goodness of God, who has hitherto been so gracious to us. But every one ought, in his sphere, to do what he can to promote the general good; and those who possess but humble powers, and move in the lowest circle, may look up to Heaven, and earnestly implore the Divine favour and protection,

With these impressions the following prayer has been written. The writer of it would only suggest the propriety of a prayer, referring to the times, being offered to God, once or twice in the week, in the family worship of pious Christians. Doubtless the prayers of many are daily ascending to God on the behalf of our country: nor will this paper have been written in vain, if the attention of Christians shall be more generally directed by it to the performance of a duty which will be productive of great advantage, whatever may be the result of our present circum

A PRAYER, &c. Almighty and everlasting God, who hast prepared thy throne in heaven, and whose kingdom ruleth over all; thy ways are full of wisdom, goodness, and equity: look down upon us, we beseech thee, and hear our petitions, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We bless thee, O Lord, for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and especially for the redemption of the world through thy beloved Son. We thank thee for all the blessings, spiritual and temporal, that we enjoy in this favoured land. Thou hast been merciful and liberal to us as a people, protecting us in dangers, preserving us from calamities, and conferring upon us many and great blessings.

We confess, O Lord, that we have been forgetful, ungrateful, and disobedient creatures. We have not used and improved our various blessings as we ought to have done. To all of us belongeth confusion of face, because we have sinned against thee, and justly incurred thy displeasure.

Mercifully look upon us in our present circumstances. Deal not with us according to our sins and deservings, but according to thy abundant compassion. Withdraw not from us thy love and fatherly CHRIST, OBSERV. No. 215,

protection; but be gracious to us, and bring to nought the evil counsels of the ungodly.

Thou, O Lord, art righteous in all thy works, and holy in all thy ways. We deserve to be punished, for we have not obeyed thy voice. But let thy anger, we beseech thee, be turned away from us; and grant us grace that we may truly repent of our sins, and turn to thee with our whole heart, and live henceforward in obedience to thy laws. Pour down upon us the influences of thy Holy Spirit, that we, both as a people and as individuals, may consider our ways, and, being threatened with thy judgments, may learn righteousness. Grant that true religion may flourish and abound among us, and that we may be secure from all dangers under thy favour and protection.

Shed abundantly thy blessings, O Lord, we pray thee, on our Sovereign, on the Prince Regent of these kingdoms, on our legislative and judicial assemblies, and on all who are in authority. Give them sound wisdom and discretion'; guide them in all their measures'; and prosper them in all their endeavours to maintain among us our holy religion and all our civil blessings. Grant that all of them, with one mind and heart, may labour to promote thy glory and the welfare of thy people.

Have compassion, O Lord, on all who are endeavouring to diffuse infidelity and confusion among us. Enlighten their minds; turn their hearts; bring them to deep repentance in thy sight; and cause them to know and value the blessings which they are labouring to destroy.

Suffer not the ignorant and unsuspecting to be seduced by plausible words from their acknowledgment of thee and of thy Gospel, and from their duty to those whom thou hast placed in authority over them. Incline the poor and distressed to seek the comforts of true religion, and the sustaining influ4 2

ences of thy Holy Spirit: give them patience under their sufferings, and in thy good time remove all their trials.

Unite us all, we beseech thee, in mind and heart, and make it our chief desire, and our daily endeavour, to fear Thee, to honour the King, to obey our rulers, and to cultivate and practise that righteousness which exalteth a nation. Prepare all thy people, O Lord,

for all the events of thy providence: grant that they may live in the faith and obedience of the Gospel, and always put their trust in thee. Graciously overrule all events for the glory of thy name, and for the good of all men.

Hear us, O merciful Father, in these our humble requests, and be gracious to us now and evermore, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

REMARKS ON SCOTTISH SCENERY AND MANNERS IN 1819.

(Continued from p. 646.)

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A PASSION for splendor in religious edifices would seem to be an influenza unusually prevalent, of late years, in Edinburgh. In the vicinity of St. John's Chapel, appears the Presbyterian Church of St. George; opened in 1814, at an expense of more than 34,000l.; and capable of accommodating sixteen hundred persons. This is a Grecian building, surmounted by a dome; and, so far, to such as are happy at finding out likenesses, resembles the St. Paul's of London. The general effect of the building is complained of by many, with whom I cannot agree, as heavy. The vestibule is certainly very handsome; and the whole structure forms a superb central finish to Charlotte Square, on the western side of which it stands. The interior corresponds with its outside; and altogether this pile may be called the modern cathedral of the church of Scotland. It is furnished, within, with crimson velvet, gold fringe, and costly cabinet work; to a degree which has probably surprised such visitors as connect with the Kirk ideas of homeliness and economy. But the influence has attacked even the Methodists of Edinburgh. Their chapel, in the old town, is fronted

with a colonnade. It will be well if dandyism (pardon the word) infect not communities as well as individuals.

The genius of Scotch architecture manifests an undue passion for effect in some of the civil buildings in Edinburgh; as, for example, in the new libraries, which look less like useful receptacles for books, than pillared balls, with volumes distributed along their sides, as part of the decorations. The transition from the subterranean cavities of the present Advocate's Library to the upper splendors, must be highly agreeable to such students as are fond of luxuriating among the latest delicacies of the press. Here they may read without effort, and without method, among the softest accommodations of literature.

To a person habituated to the usages of the Church of England, the Presbyterian worship will be apt to appear monotonous and languid. The omission of reading the Scriptures is a most serious neglect in its ceremonial. The singing is conducted by a person called the Precentor. It would be dishonest not to say, that bad, and proverbially bad, as are the parish clerks of England, the precentors in Scotland, as far as I could judge by the specimens fortuitously thrown in my way, are even worse. Surely there must be a conspiracy

among them to desecrate the noblest part of worship by affectation, by the music of the nostril, and by singing out of tune. The Edinburgh Institution for Sacred Music was, in part, established with a view to their reformation. It is a plan which merits all success. I was present at one of its public exhibitions; where, after the introductory overture, the whole strength of the orchestra performed a plain psalm tune (Bradford), with such precision, power, and correctness of taste, that I have seldom felt more sensibly the legitimate influence of music. If the general body of precentors will take their lessons from such masters, they will at once satisfy both a scientific and a devotional ear. An attendant on the service of the Kirk will readily interpret the meaning of the familiar saying of Charles the Second, that 'no gentleman could be a Presbyterian. Not that the king's assertion contains the shadow of a shade of argument against the worship in question; for who does not see, that this species of logic may be made to recoil, in the counter sarcasm, that if a gentleman (and especially a gentleman of the age of the Restoration) could not be a Presbyterian, he could be a vulgarian, a buffoon, a libertine, and an atheist. And this it is to play with a weapon which cuts with both edges. But things are as they are. In the Establishment of Scotland, there is an apparent deficiency of interest. The minister, with the exception of the psalmody, monopolizes the whole service. There is no intercommunity of devotional exercise. If, however, gentlemen incur loss of caste during attendance at their respective churches in the country, they have an annual opportunity of regaining it, in the High Church of Edinburgh, during the session of the General Assembly. This ecclesiastical parliament is opened with a splendor to which none of the ceremonies of the Church of England can offer any

parallel. On this occasion, I was present; and thought how delighted men of the calibre of Laud and Heylin would be, to transfer such an exhibition to St. Paul's! The Commissioner, as the representative of royalty, proceeded from his leveeroom to the church, through an avenue formed by a regiment of dragoons, and with a suite of military and naval officers in complete costume, blazing with the crosses and devices of chivalry, and himself invested with the full Windsor uniform. Among his attendants might be named Lord Hopetown, and other heroes of the peninsular war. In the church itself, he occupied a chair of state, placed under a canopy, supported by four Corinthian pillars, and surmounted by the emblems of majesty. Here also, the splendid part of the audience received an accession, in the persons and official appendages of the lord provost and magistrates of the city. So that no complaint of non-gentlemanhood can possibly be heard at this favoured season. any, at least, were uttered in the church, it would be silenced during the after attendance round the Commissioner's table, at the Royal Hotel; a scene productive of general satisfaction, during the ten days of the Assembly's session. The preacher of the present year was Dr. Campbell, one of the ministers of the city. His sermon was truly excellent.

If

The Commissioner presides at the daily meetings of the Assembly, held in an aisle of the church; and fitted up with plain convenience. The debates are managed in part by advocates, who are heard much in the same manner as counsel at the bar of the Houses of Parliament. It is notorious, that certain of these orators treat the reverend assembly, and, through its sides, the general regulations and usages of the Church, with a kind of ironical reverence, which faile not to produce much of its in tended effect. To genuine eccle