time; proceed from the same motives, and tend to the same consequences. It is admitted that the Catholics still consider as intruders all those who are in possession of forfeited estates; and Ireland has been forfeited so many times over, that every farm in the country has been held by this unpopular title. These facts bear with great weight upon the Catholic claims. As long as there is a hope, even the slightest hope, among the Irish peasantry, of expelling the present proprietors, and recovering what they still think their own, there must be danger in encouraging the religion for which the property was sacrificed.

One fact asserted by Mr. Ellis, and confirmed and explained by Mr. Plunkett, appears to deserve more attention than it attracted. A Catholic Priest was present at a shocking outrage and murder, and can identify several of the offenders; but it is not thought expedient to call for his, evidence, because, in the first place, it would endanger his life; and, in the second, it would deprive him of all future influence over his flock. We do not deny that there may be circumstances sufficient to justify such a proceeding-but they must be of the strongest and most alarming nature. What would be said in England, of suffering a Teacher to go unquestioned upon such or upon any other pretence?

Lord John Russell's motion for Parliamentary Reform attracted a

full house, and was supported by the whole strength of the opposition. It cannot be denied that his lordship's plan, brought forward with temper, and urged as useful, rather than necessary, gives rise to a very different question from the Annual Parliaments and Universal Suffrage of former days. But the scheme, nevertheless, is completely felo de se. Lord John proposes to abolish boroughs, and multiply county members, in order strengthen the aristocracy, and pare away the monied and mercantile interest. It happens, somewhat unfortunately, that the borough system is aristocratic from beginning to end. And if his lordship destroyed his father's snug seats for Tavistock, and gave him two new ones for Bedfordshire in their stead, it seems to us that he would leave matters much as he found them. He cannot intend to annihilate no rotten boroughs but those which are supposed to be in the market. He cannot intend to clip the treasury, and leave the Duke of Devonshire and Lord Fitzwilliam untouched. He must know that a House of Commons, exclusively aristocratic and countyfied, is not exactly qualified to make laws for a nation which owes six hundred millions to the middling and lower classes of its own inhabitants. These would be the results of his lordship's scheme, and they afford us a pretty good security against its

success.

SERMON ON CHARITY.

1 COR. xiii. 13.

And now abideth faith, hope, Charity. these three-but the greatest of these is Charity.

WERF we required to express in one word the effects of our most holy Religion, that word would surely be Charity; not as it is too commonly understood in the limited acceptation of alms-giving or acts of positive beneficence, but as it comprehends all those kindly and benevolent affections, in whatever way they may shew themselves, which constitute within us the principle of Love. For it may be worthy of remark, that wherever, in our translation of the New Testament, we meet with the words Charity or Love, the original is the same in both cases, and the two words are to be considered as equivalent, and are used indiscriminately for each other.

An early mention of this benevolent principle occurs in one of our Lord's last discourses with his disciples, wherein he makes it the distinguishing badge of a Christian's profession.

"By this, says HE, shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another; and a new commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another."

It shone forth with peculiar lustre in the conduct of the early ChrisREMEMBRANCER No. 42.

[VOL. IV.

tians, as we may learn from that lovely and interesting picture, which has been left of them by the pen of their inspired historian.

"They continued stedfastly in the the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread,"(an expression considered to be equivalent to their receiving of the Lord's Supper)" and in prayer; and all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need."

It is thus magnified by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Ro

mans.

"Owe no man any thing but to love one another,"-i. e. let this be your chief consideration, the main duty that you have to perform, to love your fellow-creatures; "for he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law. For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet: and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore" resuming his former assertion, he concludes, "Love is the fulfilling of the law."

The same language is used, the same exhortation given to the other Churches.

The Galatians are reminded, that

Tt

"in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love."

The Ephesians are exhorted to "walk worthy of their vocation, wherewith they were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love."

To the Philippians he writes, "If there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellow ship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."

For his Colossian, and the same for his Thessalonian converts he offers up his hearty prayers, and thanksgivings, for that he had "heard of their faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which they had to all the Saints.” To Timothy he repeats the declaration that he had before made to the Romans, "the end of the commandment is Charity-out of a pure heart, and a good conscience and faith unfeigned."

And in the rules that he sends to Titus for the government of the Cretan Church, he specifies Charity as an essential qualification of the aged:

"That the aged be sound in Charity." St. Peter holds the same strain, and calls upon the Christians generally, to "love one another with a pore heart fervently," and "above all things," says he, "have fervent charity among yourselves"-adding thereunto this strong encouragement, "for charity shall cover the multitude of sins:"-shall, through the merits of your Redeemer, procure for you the forgiveness of your trespasses, as it has led you to overlook and forgive the trespasses, the personal injuries, that you may have received from your brethren.

From the Epistle of St. John it would be idle to extract the numerous passages that inculcate the duty of love. The whole of his first Epis tle is almost one continued exhor.

tation to this effect; grounding our love of the brethren on nothing less, than "the love that God has manifested towards us."-An exalted source this! and, when duly considered, the highest possible encouragement that could be offered!

"Herein," says this aged Apostle," is love"-love in its highest perfection; "not that we loved God;"-far otherwise-for we were in enmity with him through our sins, "but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." "Beloved,”—it is in this affectionate manner that he addresses his Christian brethren; that in the very act of admonishing, he might be an example of what he taught " Beloved, if God so loved, us, we ought also to love one another."

Interesting, however, as this Epis. tle is, (and possibly on none of the sacred writings do we dwell with more delight than on those of this Apostle), and full on the subject of our present consideration, still must it yield to that more detailed account of the comparative excellence, and nature, and duration of Charity, which the Apostle Paul has given us in the chapter from which the text is taken.

The Apostle was writing to the Corinthian Church, who appear to have been favoured beyond every other, with a profusion of spiritual or miraculous gifts for the advance ment of the Gospel.

"Ye come behind," saith he in the opening of his Epistle, "in no gift; in every thing ye are enriched by him in all utterance and in all knowledge." In the 12th chapter he specifies these several gifts. "To one is given by the Spirit, the word of wisdom," -a full and accurate comprehension, through the immediate revelation of God, of the mys teries of the Gospel; "to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit"-knowledge of those antient prophecies and writings of the Old Testament, which may tend to the

conversion of the Jews; "to another faith,"-or a firm belief, and deep and accurate understanding of the general scheme of the Gospel, the result of a careful examination of its evidences, and a diligent at tendance on the preaching of the Apostles; "to another the gift of healing;"" to another the working of miracles;" "to another prophecy"-in its largest sense, as it contains the ability to preach, as well as the prediction of future events; "to another discerning of spirits❞—that is, of the thoughts and hearts of men, no less than of the truth of their pretensions to be inspired; "to another divers kinds of tongues with their interpretation."

And, answerably, as it would seem, to these, the Apostle goes on to enumerate the several officers which it had pleased the Almighty to place over his Church; " Apostles" endowed with the wisdom that was from above; "Prophets," duly informed in the full import of the sacred Scriptures, and ready to turn the weight of antient prophecy, to convince their Jewish brethren; "Teachers" accurately taught them selves, and able to instruct others in the whole scheme of the Christian faith; "Miracles," or persons in. vested with the gift of working miracles; "Healers," corresponding to the gift of healing; "Helps," or assistants in the ministry, to the gifts of prophecy; "Governments" to the discerning of spirits; and lastly, diversities of tongues," or persons miraculously impowered to speak or interpret different languages, as the necessities of the infant Church might require.

Under such signal marks then of the peculiar favour of God, what should have been the feelings of the Corinthians? None of these gifts were of their own procuring by any wit or study of theirs they were altogether the free and unmerited communication of that "one and the self-same Spirit, who divided to every man severally, as he pleased."

The smallest was as undeserved and as much above the utmost stretch of human power as the greatest. No individual could reasonably boast over another; for he had nothing which he had not received, and the same hand that gave, might in a moment withdraw the gift. What then should have pervaded the Corinthian Church, when assembled in the full exercise of their several gifts, but one intense feeling of thankfulness to God, who had so honoured and blessed them; and of love towards one another, selected as they thus were, to work together for the advancement of one common end?

But the case was far otherwise. "It hath been declared unto me of you, saith the Apostle, that there are contentions among you." Dissatisfied with the gifts that had been severally bestowed on themselves, the individuals of this divided Church were envying the endowments one of another. What course then does the Apostle take to heal these unhappy differences?

"I admit," -we may thus expand his argument,-" that the gifts differ in their value; that the best gifts are a laudable object of your pious ambition and earnest prayers; nay, I would say to you, 'covet,' desire earnestly the best gifts;' but yet' shew I unto you a more excellent way' to obtain them, than you seem to be aware of; and what is in truth far better and more lasting than them all. You wish to be active ministers of the Gospel, and enriched with the most glorious of those miraculous gifts with which it has pleased the Almighty to assist the weakness of his infant Church. It is a praiseworthy desire: but in the indulgence of this desire have you not forgotten your distinguishing badge as Christians?"

"Though I speak," says this energetic Apostle-and he puts the case in his own person, that he might give the less offence," though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels," though I possess the

miraculous power of speaking every language on earth, and even the language of the angels in heaven, aud" yet, forgetting my private duty as a Christian, " have not Charity"-the love of God and man working within me, "I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal," giving out as these do, a sound under the agency of a higher power, but myself the meanwhile as unanimated in a spiritual sense, as these material substances are in a natural.

And though I should be so pre. eminently inspired with the gift of "prophecy," as to understand" clearly and fully "all" the "mys. teries," that are hid under the law of Moses," and all" the "knowledge" God has declared by the mouth of his Prophets from the beginning of the world even till now; and though from a diligent examination of the character of my blessed Master, and the purity of his reli. gion, and the amazing power of his miracles, and the exact fulfilment of every prophecy in his person, I "should have" arrived at the highest possible degree of "faith," so that in the strength of this faith I could perform the most difficult work, even (to use a proverbial expression) to the removal of mountains "and yet" with all this, "have no Charity, I am nothing" I may be very useful as a preacher of the Gospel, but as a Christian myself with the conditional hope of heaven before mine eyes, "I am nothing" of no worth whatever in the sight of God, and without any chance of attaining, through Christ, to the kingdom of heaven,

"And though" in the magnificence of my heart, or out of a love of the praise of men, or with a view to the advancement of my temporal interests, "I bestow all my goods to feed the poor," and in my tenacity to the opinions that I may have espoused, or out of a shame to retract, or a vain-glorious boast of continuing to the end, "I give my body to

be burned; and yet" am uninfluenced by the spirit of "Charity," the glory of my martyrdom, the abundance of my alms, the greatness of my faith, the extent of my knowledge, and the power of speaking with the tongues of men and angels, "will profit me nothing." And wherefore? Because in the pursuit of the means of advancing the cause of religion, I have, in my conduct, forgotten the substance of religion itself. For what is Charity but the substance? Look at its fruits, and acknowledge its great and comprehensive excellence.

Like forbearance, it "suffereth long," and avengeth not itself; but rather giveth place unto wrath, remembering the Scripture, "vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord."

Like mercy, it is "kind," and tender-hearted, forgiving as it hopes itself to be forgiven.

Like contentment, it "envieth not," but rejoiceth with them that do rejoice.

Like discretion, it "vaunteth not itself," is never over-bearing, but singularly cautious of inadvertently wounding the feelings or interests of its brethren.

Like humility, it "is not puffed up, or rendered wise in its own conceit."

Like modesty, it "behaveth not itself unseemly," but renders to all their dues; to its superiors respect, to men of low degree condescension and regard.

Like generosity, it "seeketh not its own" to the exclusion of the welfare of another; yea, rather shaping its conduct by that admo. nition of the Apostle, "in honour prefer one another."

Like meekness, it is not easily provoked."

Like simplicity, it "thinketh no evil," Like godliness, it "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."-Like kindness, it "beareth," or rather covereth and keeps out of sight, (where duty requires