We shall do well to observe the harmony, consistency, and due sequence, with which the peculiar doctrines of the Gospel are here declared, one after another.

Ver. 1. "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars."

Jesus is the "wisdom of God." (Ch. viii. 22-36; 1 Cor. i. 24.) He came to dwell in the house or tabernacle of our human body on the earth (okývwoev ev uiv, John i. 14. "A body hast Thou prepared me." Heb. x. 5.) And the Holy Spirit

- or, as He is sometimes called by His seven-fold name, the "Seven Spirits of God" (Rev. i. 5; iii. 1; iv. 5.)-comes from Jesus, to fulfil His own office in upholding the whole building of His Church.

Ver. 2. "She hath killed her beasts: she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her table."

Jesus is the "Lamb of God," slain, or sacrificed, in the purpose of God, before the world was. And "once in the end of the world hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." (Heb. ix. 26.) What we have now to do is to draw nigh, as invited guests, to an high festival, and feed upon Him, spiritually, "by faith with thanksgiving." Moreover, the blood of Jesus has been poured forth on the Cross, spiritual wine for the "strengthening and refreshing of our souls." is now all freely offered to us. "Buy wine and milk without money and without price." (Is. lv. 1.) "Thou preparest a table before me in the midst of mine enemies." (Ps. xxiii. 5.)

It

their wine with water, as well to please the taste, as for wholesomeness." (Diodati.)

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Eat, O friends; drink, yea, "drink abundantly, O beloved." (Cant. v. 1.)

Ver. 3. "She hath sent forth her maidens:* she crieth upon the highest places of the city."

Jesus sends forth His evangelists, "pure in heart," purified by the Holy Spirit, with lips and voice purged (or purified) by the living fire of love. (Is. vi. 6, 7.) They speak in behalf of that "wisdom which maketh wise unto salvation." They take all due opportunities to spread the Gospel. "Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets; she crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge ?" (Prov. i. 20—23.) "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind." (Luke xiv. 21.) "What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." (Matt. x. 27.)

Ver. 4. "Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,..

It is evident, from Chap. i. 22, that the words " simple" and "simplicity" sometimes have the same meaning as in our word "simpleton," and do not always represent a favourable and gracious state of mind, as in Ps. cxvi. 6, and Rom. xii. 8; 2 Cor. xi. 3. In fact, the word seems to bear three different significations, e.g., 1st, foolish; 2ndly, teachable; 3rdly, gracious and upright. The address may be to either of the two first characters, in exact harmony with all Gospel invitations. So, David: "Come, ye children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord." (Ps. xxiv. 11.) So a greater than David opened the understandings of those who were "fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the Prophets have spoken." (Luke xxiv. 25.)

Ver. 5. "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled."

And what is the message which the preachers of the Gospel have to deliver? what is the invitation which they give?" The bread of God is He which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." (John vi. 27.) These tell of that

*On the word "maidens" here, Dr. Gill thus comments:

"Since Wisdom is represented as a lady, a princess, or queen, it is proper that her attendants should be maidens, or that she should employ such in inviting her guests." . . . . "It very fitly expresses the character of Gospel ministers; as that they are the servants of Christ, followers of Him, obsequious to Him, humble and modest, incorrupt

in doctrine, pure in conversation, and whose voice is soft, pleasant, and delightful; being not the rough voice of the law, but the still, small, musical voice of the Gospel; a voice of love, grace, and mercy; of peace, pardon, and righteousness; liberty, life, and salvation; very charming, alluring, and drawing."

love of Christ, "which is better than wine," (Cant. i. 2,) invite souls to Him as to a festival, whereof He is the Lord and Host, the King to receive His guests-clothing them, feeding them, honouring them for ever. "He brought me to the banqueting-house, and His banner over me was love." (Cant. ii. 4.) "Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb." (Rev. xix. 9.)

Ver. 6. "Forsake the foolish, and live, and go in the way of understanding."

And all these invitations being heard-all these privileges being declared the soul must arise on the strength of those motives which the Spirit supplies through the Gospel, and in no other way. When Jesus called His disciples, "they forsook all, and followed Him." "I am the way," said He. "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." And having preached the Gospel, and continuing, without ceasing, so to do, we must also, as pastors and ministers, teach men to observe all things whatsoever Jesus has commanded us (Matt. xxviii. 20) in the power of the Holy Ghost. "If ye love me, keep my commandments." "If a man love me, he will keep my words." The way of

peace will be that of holiness.

Islip Rectory, Oct., 1864.

THE AMENDED CALENDAR, AND SUPPLEMENTARY RUBRICS.

THERE lies before us, at this moment, an Almanack prepared for members of the Church of England. To its description as an Almanack it prefixes the title of The Churchman's Diary, and its directions relate principally to the use of the Prayerbook. It assumes to be a guide to the clergy. It is published without authority. It has no acknowledged editor. But it is in its nineteenth year,* and therefore probably is not a failure as a commercial speculation. Its price is 4d., or "interleaved 6d."; and therefore it does not secure its circulation by cheapness, since it contains but eleven pages over and above the Calendar and Table of Lessons. Others, with the whole Calendar, and more of ecclesiastical information (as the Churchman's Almanack), are sold at half the price. Its success, therefore, may reasonably be attributed to its peculiarities; and these it may be worth while to inspect as amongst the signs of the times.

The Table of Lessons stands as in the Prayer-book. Not so the Calendar. We are often reminded by rigid rubricians, of the deliberate care which was taken, in the most minute par

* The Churchman's Diary for the 20th year, 1865, had not been published, but was in preparation, when this article went to press.

ticulars, in the reconstruction of the Prayer-book, and of the duty of being most punctilious in noting, preserving, and obeying every jot or tittle found within the compass of its pages. Such scrupulousness has not extended to the Calendar, as given in the Churchman's Diary; for, in the first place, many new names have days assigned to them. In the next place, while, in the Calendar of the Prayer-book, the Apostles, and Stephen the martyr, and the Archangel Michael, and ten other names, have the "St." prefixed to them, here all alike are placed on the same level, with the single exceptions of King Charles the First and Archbishop Laud. All are alike "S." King David, the Emperor Constantine, Edward king of the West Saxons, Queen Margaret, Pope Gregory, Dunstan, and Thomas à Becket, have all the self-same distinction awarded to them. The new saints added to the calendar are in all twenty-three.

There are other additions to the Church of England Calendar. We find the "Octave of the Nativity," the " Octave of Easter," and the "Octave of the Ascension," innocent enough, but wholly unauthorised. Jan. 10 is noticed as the anniversary of the "martyrdom of Archbishop Laud." Jan. 23 is the day when "Christmas decorations" are "to be removed." The Sundays in Lent have second titles given to them. The First Sunday in Lent has "or Invocavit" added; the Second, "or Reminiscere;" the Third, "or Oculi;" the Fourth is also "Midlent, or Refreshment Sunday, or Lætare;" and the Fifth, "Passion Sunday, or Judica."

May 26, in the Prayer-book Calendar, bears opposite to it the name of "Augustin, first Archbishop of Cant." In the Churchman's Diary, we read "S. Augustin, Abp. Cant.," but also " Corpus Christi," an anniversary foreign to the Prayer-book. July 7 is, in the Diary, the anniversary of the "Translation of S. Thomas of Canterbury, Abp. M." So he is to be remembered as a martyr; and the day selected for his commemoration is that on which his remains were removed with solemnities from the crypt to the upper part of Canterbury Cathedral. But this "saint" has peculiar honour awarded to him. He is to be commemorated about every six months; for on the 29th of Dec. we again encounter " S. Thomas of Canterbury, Abp. M." The 1st of August, in the Prayer-book Calendar, is "Lammas-day;" in the Diary it is, "Lammas, or S. Peter's chains." Mant, in his notes on the Common Prayer, says that "in the Roman Church it is generally known by the name of the feast of St. Peter in the fetters, being the day of the commemoration of St. Peter's imprisonment.' He also repeats the story which tells of Eudoxa, wife of the Emperor Theodosius, making a journey to Jerusalem, being presented with these chains, and taking them to Rome as a gift to the Pope. This not very probable story churchmen are invited by

the Diary to regard as a fact, and to commemorate, when the 1st of August comes round, year by year. Another claim on their credulity is prepared for Sept. 14. In the Prayer-book Calendar, it is simply called "Holy-Cross Day." The origin of the name is an absurd story. While the Prayer-book simply recognizes the name, the Diary recognizes also the story, calling it "Exaltation of the Holy Cross." Can they who saw it good to amend the terms believe in the truth of the legend?

Once more, Nov. 2 has no note in the Prayer-book Calendar'; in the Diary it is "All Souls." Bishop Mant relates the miserable delusion for which this day "was made a general holiday, by the appointment of the Pope," adding that "in ours and other reformed churches it was deservedly abrogated." He did not foresee that the Pope of the Diary would endeavour to restore it in one of the reformed churches.

This same prescriber of ordinances tells you when you are to "use" Benedicite (e.g., through Lent, see Feb. 10); and picks out for you the days when Jubilate must be selected.

To the Calendar notes are added in the Diary. Referring to the "Proper Prefaces" which are to be used on certain festivals, and seven days after, as marking the octaves of those festivals, it suggests a few more days, as also having octaves "according to the old English use." It explains that "the fast of a vigil ends with the first vespers of the Festival-i.e., about 4 p.m." Its note for the "Fifth Sunday in Lent-Passion Sunday, or Judica"-is, that "the Church begins, in the Gospel for this Sunday, to commemorate her Lord's Passion;" whence the name of Passion Sunday. It says that "the week which now commences is rightly called Passion Week, a term commonly but erroneously applied to Holy Week, immediately preceding Easter." The efforts of nineteen years have failed, we are glad to think, to correct this vulgar error; and we do not apprehend that they will have much success, should the like instructions be delivered by the same authority for nineteen years more.

We arrive at the month of May, before we come upon the instructions of this self-appointed guide on the subject of clerical dress. Only let the reader think of the disgrace of having worn, from January to May, according to custom, the surplice, hood, and scarf, without having entertained a suspicion that you have been guilty of a gross impropriety. But now at length listen to this teacher:-"The proper vestments to be used at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist are, for the celebrant, a chasuble, and for the assistant ministers, tunicles. These, as well as the stole, should be of the same colour as the frontal of the altar;"-therefore white, red, violet, black, or green, the particular colour being expressly appointed for each season of the Christian year-i.c., by the Diary (see p. 9).