educated by pious parents in the knowledge of the truth; and had gradually grown in grace till they had become perfect in Christian holiness. One example is worth a thousand arguments, unless that example be an exception to a general rule. I may be allowed to assert that Timothy never was in a state to require conversion. Being the son and grandson of a pious mother and grandmother, and having, from a child known the Scriptures, which were able to make him wise noto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus,' we have every reason to believe that his regeneration took place in infancy, and that he never stood in need of a total change of mind and character.

"Now I conceive it to be the express object of our venerable Church that all her children should, like Timothy, not only be dedicated to the service of Christ in their infancy, but be so brought up as not to require that total change which is called conversion; and I cannot absolve some of her sons from the charge of counteracting her designs, and contradicting her doctrines, when they assert the necessity of conversion or adult regeneration for all. Have not most of us known, or have we not read of instances, in which young people after Baptism, have early displayed proofs of the deepest piety; who might justly be termed saints, and who have been taken off perhaps before they arrived at full age, in the strongest assurance of faith, and the brightest hope of immortality? Were such persons at any period to have undergone a change, it must have been a change from belief to infidelity, from holiness to

sin.

"It follows, therefore, undeniably, that from the first introduction of Christianity, there have always been some individuals, I trust many, who could not justly be included in the classes of converted or unconverted. Nay, I doubt it must be acknowledged too, that there have been a great number of hearers from the earliest times, who having received the word with gladness, in time of temptation have fallen away," who might be once reckoned among the number of the converted, but whose latter end has shewn that have returned like the sow that had been leansed to her wallowing in the mire.' "Fallacious then in many points of view such a distinction as has been presumed exist in every congregation even from the Apostolic age.

they

"But there is a secondary sense in which the term converted is used, and if properly explained, may I allow, justly be applied to many members of the Christian Church

at the present day, as well as in former times. I allude to those who having been early dedicated to God, and brought to a knowledge of their duty, have been led astray by the temptations of an evil world, and have fallen into sin and forgetfulness of God. Such persons are often awakened by the convictions of their own consciences, or by the exhortations of a zealous preacher, to a sense of their enormities, and a hearty desire to forsake them. With the prodigal in the parable, when they come to themselves, they arise and go to their Father, they acknowledge that they have sinned before Him, and are no more worthy to be called his sons. These are they whom Scripture and our Church encourage to hope for a favourable reception with God for Christ's sake; who, after they have fallen into sin, by the grace of God arise and amend their lives. Their hearts are turned back to their Creator and Redeemer; they are reconciled by repentance, renewed in the spirit of their minds, and the grace originally granted at Baptism we have ground to hope is confirmed to them for the remainder of their Christian course.

"These, in the language of our Church, would be called penitents, but as they are restored to the favour of God, and return to his service, they may be called converts; only we must be careful to observe in what meaning the term is adopted, and that such a class of persons is ever within the contemplation of our Apostolical Divines, who acknowledge that the object of the Christian Ministry is not only to instruct and confirm their hearers in faith and piety, but to recall those to repentance who have fallen away into sin. I apprehend then that the faithful minister of Christ would generally address his cougregation at the present day, not as an assembly of converted or unconverted persons, but as those who had all been baptized and instructed in the faith and duties of the Gospel, and whom it was his earnest desire to render not merely professing, but practical Christians. He would confirm the faithful, strengthen the weak, awaken the indolent, alarm the sinful, comfort the afflicted, and in so doing would preserve his flock from error, or bring them back to the fold, and be thus enabled to give a good account of his charge at the day of judgment." P. 22.

"I am led now in the pursuit of this inquiry to the consideration of the real import of a phrase which is so frequently repeated in the discourses of some of our modern divines, that I can almost take upon me to say that I have scarcely ever heard one of their sermons into which it

"The use of such a phrase, without full explanation, may lead the unlearned and sensually inclined to imagine, that all endeavours after personal righteousness are of no use; that if it be attained it is of no value, and as it is to be given up, it is a matter of indifference whether it be possessed or not. Such errors have been the lamentable consequences of these peculiar phrases, which are doubtless intended to humble the believer, and to make him ascribe all the righteousness he possesses to his union with Christ, and the assistance of his Spirit.

Now it may be useful to inquire upon what authority these denunciations against self-righteousness rest, when we refer to the Scriptures. Let me, however, first observe, that if they were directed wholly or chiefly against those, who are satisfied with their own righteousness, and therefore will not listen to the calls of the Gospel; who fancy that they lead good moral lives, and have no need of spiritual instruction, I should join most heartily in the reprobation. They constitute a numerous class of men, who professing a sert of Deism, acknowledging the soundness of those moral principles which must prevail in a Christian country, are satisfied that they act up to them, and therefore shut their ears against the words of eternal life. But these are not Christians. They are not the persons usually addressed. It is to those who profess a faith in Christ, who are among the hearers of his ministers, that this caution against self-righte ousness is generally directed. Let us then see upon what declarations of Scripture it is founded.

"I cannot recollect any passage where the term is literally used. Our Saviour speaks of those who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others,' but it is evident that his parable of the Pharisee and the Publican was directed against the spiritual pride of those, who being puffed up with an idea of superior sanctity, looked down with contempt on others, who having lived freer lives, felt a consciousness of sin, and were humble and contrite in the sight of God, and therefore more acceptable to Him. To these he says, he that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.'

"Our Saviour's reproof is levelled against the assumption of superior holiness, and a self-valuation on that account, blended with a contempt of others, and not surely against the consciousness of a

the will of God, and to keep a conscience void of offence, both towards Him and man. Such a consciousness has been felt and expressed by holy men under the old and new dispensation without pride and corn, and is surely unreprovable in His sight. It is perfectly consistent with a sense of human weakness and sinfulness, and a dependance on Divine Grace, but it is a characteristic which constitutes the distinction between the righteous and the wicked. That such a distinction does and must exist, every page of Scripture demonstrates, and though that Scripture justly includes all under sin, yet it points out the strongest line of demarcation between those who fear, and love, and serve God, and those who reject and disobey Him. To whom are all the promises of life and blessing made, but to the righteous? Against whom are all the denunciations of punishment directed, but the wicked? Our Saviour, who knew what was in man, divides mankind into the righteous and the wicked, the good and the evil. He says, he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' He tells his disciples, unless their righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, they shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. St. Paul speaks to the same effect when he says to the Philippians, that though he was a Jew and a Pharisee, he rested not in his own righteousness, which was of the law, but in that which he had through the faith of Jesus Christ, that is, in spiritual and Christian righteousness, in which he farther declares, that he strove to go on to perfection.

"A high degree of righteousness therefore is to be attained by the Christian if he wishes to enter into the kingdom of heaven. And is this righteousness to be disclaimed as self-righteousness? Surely not. Humility is one of its essential characteristics, and all selfish propensities are to be subdued to the will of God. It cannot be attained without His preventing and assisting grace, and, therefore, its qualities and effects are described as the fruits of the Spirit. But without a consciousness of being actuated by that righteousness to a certain degree, however blended with imperfection, no man can be assured that he possesses an interest in Christ, and is in the way to salvation." P. 44.

We heartily wish that the example set by Mr. Cooper, may be extensively imitated; and the genuine doctrine of Christianity distin

guished from the perversion and corruption of them, with the temper and piety so plainly exhibited in this pamphlet.

A Sermon on the Duty of Family Prayer: preached in the Church of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate, on Sunday, February 22, 1824. By C. J. Blomfield, D.D. Rector. And printed at the Request of several of his Parishioners. 8vo. pp. 21. 1s. Mawman.

We make no apology for bringing the Duty of Family Prayer a second time before our readers in the same Number. Our Correspondent, who signs himself "A Master of a Family," will be pleased at finding his own views so forcibly and feelingly set forth, as they are in the present Sermon; and the public will have no reason to complain at having their attention called to so able a discourse. Our own task indeed will be easy, as we shall do but little more than state the course of argument pursued by the Archdeacon, and extract a few of the most striking passages. To add any thing of our own would be superfluous.

The text is from Matt. xviii. 20. " Where two," &c. In the opening of the discourse occurs some valuable remarks on the simultaneousness and ubiquity of Christ's presence in the religious assemblies of his disciples, as deduced from that expression in the text, there am I in the midst of them. And on the condition upon which our Lord promises that the prayers of a religious assembly shall be heard and answered, from Matt. xviii. 19. " I say unto you," &c. On this latter text the Archdeacon judiciously remarks, that it" affords an argument of considerable weight to prove that where persons meet together to pray in common, a pre-conceived form of prayer is most proper to be used, in order that they may know before hand what they are going to ask."

"Without such a provision, I do not see how they can comply with our Saviour's condition, and agree, touching any thing that they shall ask; for he who pours forth a strain of unpremeditated devotion, does not himself know beforehand what he shall pray for, much less can the congregation know it. I do not deny, that such an exercise of piety may be profitable, both to him who performs, and to those who and it is only to common prayer, the subwitness it; but it is not common prayer ;

stance of which at least, if not the form

has been premeditated by all who are to engage in it, that our Saviour, in these words, promises a favourable hearing. I mention this by the way, in order that I may remark upon the real advantage we enjoy..an advantage by no means appreciated as it deserves to be..in having a form of common prayer, which embraces every topic of devotion, and expresses, in the most simple and sublime language, every real want which a Christian can feel, every wish which he can presume to pour forth before the throne of merey. Only let us be careful to consider well the meaning and force of all its parts, that we may answer to our Saviour's caution, and agree touching what we shall ask.” P. 9.

After these preparatory observatious, the Archdeacon thus proceeds:

"The most obvious application of it is, to the solemn congregation of Christians assembled for the purposes of public wor ship, upon the Lord's day. To a pious and feeling person, there is something so solemn, and yet so animating, so much to impress, to instruct, to encourage, in an assembly of believers, engaged in the common offices of prayer and praise, that without inquiry into the exact manner in

which our Saviour's promise is fulfilled, his heart bears involuntary testimony to its truth, where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. He recognizes the Redeemer's presence in its effects. There is not indeed the visible Schechinah, the glorious symbol of the present Godhead, which descended from heaven at the dedication of the temple, and filled the house of the Lord; but the Christian perceives, or thinks he can perceive, the effects of grace; he bears the word of God driven home to the sinner's heart, with a force which is not the preacher's own; he be

158.

Bishop Beveridge, Serm. vol. x. p.

holds, at least for the time, a triumph achieved over the world; the sword of the Spirit seems to be wielded by an invisible hand; and a more sensible shedding abroad of grace and strength, seems to bespeak the more immediate presence of Him, whose promises are recorded in the eternal Word, Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end.

It is then in the solemn assembly, in the courts of the Lord's house, where God is worshipped in the beauty, as well as the spirit, of holiness, that we are naturally inclined to look for the fulfilment of our Saviour's promise; there am I in the midst of them. Yet that promise is certainly not so limited; but is as general, as it is gracious and encouraging; where two or three are gathered together in my name. It appears then that his presence may be looked for in the smallest, as well as in the most numerous assembly of his disciples, provided that they are moved by one common faith, inspired with a common devotion, and are agreed as to the objects of their assembling. I do not perceive what interpretation can be put upon our Saviour's words, by which they can be made to imply less than this-an assurance of his especial regard and blessing upon every religious assembly of his true and obedient disciples, met together as he has directed. And if so, consider what an encouragement they afford, and, consequently, what an obligation they create, to the assembling of ourselves together, not only at the stated and solemn returns of public worship, in our character of members of the visible church of Christ; but on all those occasions of common devotion, which are presented to us by the relations of domestic life.

"There are two very obvious and natural divisions of the duty of common prayer: it may either be performed with a degree of public solemnity, under the guidance of a minister duly appointed for that purpose; or in the more limited, but distinct and well-defined circle of family and household, under the superintendance and direction of its head. Every man ought to consider himself as a member of that church in whose bosom he has been brought up; and also as the minister and steward of the church in his own house. And it is his own fault, and let me add, his folly, if the church in his house be not Imade a lively and genuine part of that branch of Christ's holy catholic church, to which he himself belongs.

The laws of God, and in many cases those of the land, make every head of a le for the conduct of his

household, so far as he has the means of watching and controlling it; and it is unreasonable to suppose, that the responsibleness which is attached to him in things of inferior moment, should lose its force in the most important object of all, the religious principles and conduct of his children and servants. There is a certain legitimate authority vested in every master of a family, the proper exercise of which is a duty which he owes to society and to God: it is sanctioned not only by the enactments of human laws, but by the most express directions of the inspired preachers of the Gospel. This duty assumes a more sacred complexion, when it is considered as affording him the means of promoting the growth of true religion, and forwarding the salvation of souls. A heavy load of guilt lies on that Christian, be his station what it may, who suffers a soul to perish by his wilful neglect: and our religious duties are so intimately and inseparably blended with the relations of social and domestic life, that it is impossible for us to fulfil the latter, as we ought, without some consideration of the effects which our conduct may produce upon the religious state of those with whom we are connected. He that provideth not for his own, says the apostle, and especially for those of his own house, hath denied the faith, aud is worse than an infidel. Surely if this be true of a provision for the bodily wants of those who depend upon us for support, it cannot be less applicable to their spiritual necessities, to all their means and opportunities of religious improvement.

"With regard to our children, I need not say a word, to prove the obligation which binds us to bring them up, by every possible means, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; to form them to early habits of piety and devotion; to make them betimes acquainted with God. If we know what religion is ourselves, our natural affection will inspire us with an earnest wish to make our children walk in her ways. With regard to our servants; as we look to them for honesty, sobriety, diligence and gratitude, it is our duty to set before them the only motives which can effectually influence them to the exercise of these virtues; to make them, as far as we can, sincere and serious Christians; and to lay the foundations of obedience in faith and piety. There are no other ties, which can be relied upon to bind the consciences of men, than those which are supplied by religion; and if we are deceived and wronged by those, whom we have never taught to respect the only certain inducements to truth and honesty,