lives, and the letters are among the sacred books of the world, the interest in personal details rises to an enthusiasm and becomes a devotion. The mind of S. Paul has been ruling over Christendom for eighteen centuries; and those things which he himself has told us about his own spiritual life are precious beyond words to every earnest soul. The personal passages of the Epistles are probably the most familiar. occurs. Such a passage is that in which the text Writing to the Corinthians, to whom of all men the metaphor would most vividly appeal, he compares the Christian life to a race; with its course which all must run, its discipline of training which all must undergo, and its prize which (not one only, but) all may win. Then he goes on to tell them how he himself has found it well to guide his steps in the running, and he lays down for them the principles which have governed his own course. "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly," is a definite principle of the Christian life as lived by S. Paul. We naturally ask what, then, is its scope and meaning? It sets forth, as we think, the necessity of method in our spiritual life. S. Paul does not run his own race like the waverer who seems not to know at what goal he is aiming, not to have any clear idea of the course, or to have made up his mind about the manner of his running, or about anything definite at all. The great Apostle knew the danger of mere "good intentions; " of that vagueness and indecision in practical religion which he condemns in the pregnant phrase of the text. As in every other department of life, so in his service of GOD, a man must observe method, plan, and rule, if he would make real progress. Such a principle appears so obvious as scarcely to need an Apostle's earnest recommendation. But we know that while men accept it as the most recognised fact in common life, there are many who hesitate or refuse to admit it in religion. The service of GOD, it is said, should be the free and unconstrained outcome of a Christian's heart. should be fettered by no rule and bound down to no method; and to endeavour to do this is to cramp true spiritual life, and to make religion a service of formalism and bondage. And this is perfectly true, to a certain extent. The spiritual life, indeed, should be spontaneous, and should be freely developed, like a healthy plant under the best conditions. But to the fallen race of men it is undoubtedly easier on the whole to do wrong than right. To follow the Master, and to fulfil the baptismal vow, requires sustained effort, and life long resistance of evil. That is, it is not spontaneous and unconstrained, but the result of control and cultivation. So that the objection, subtle and fair-seeming as it is, breaks down when fully examined. It Not only is rule and method necessary for those who would run well their Christian race, but it is the only sure means of reaching that freedom of service which is our admitted ideal. A man imposes a rule upon himself, which at first he finds hard to keep. He perseveres, until the keeping of his rule ceases to be an effort, and becomes a habit. So, contradictory as it seems, freedom is attained through that which is called bondage; and a man who has served GoD and followed CHRIST through years of struggle, not because it was the most pleasant way, but because it was the right one, will find his service of duty changed at last into the higher and happier service of love. We see, then, that it is of the highest importance to be definite in our religious aims and efforts; and to observe method and plan in our warfare against evil. It is a principle of our Christian life that we should as uncertainly." 66 so run, not 1. Let us apply it, first, with respect to Prayer. The mind of the Church would seem to be clearly indicated. She has not left her clergy free to use what public prayers they please, and her Offices are to form part of their daily devotions. She has directed her faithful lay people to communicate not less often than three times a year. Not without a very real and practical object are these rules laid down. And all of us, I suppose, recognise more or less the need of method in our private devotions. We know that we must pray, not only when we feel inclined, but regularly. Let us carry this out more thoroughly. We have a certain time each day-say an hour, which we can give to devotion. Let us be quite sure which hour of the day it is, and how we are to spend it. Let it be so divided and marked out that prayer, self-examination, the meditation, We shall and Bible-reading all have their allotted place. have our regular system of reading Holy Scripture, our definite plan of interceding for all that need our prayers. Each meditation will have its practical resolution; each communion its one or two subjects of special prayer. The whole devotional life will thus be adapted to the character, the surroundings, the needs and the temptations of each one of us; we shall the better be able to "so run, not as uncertainly." 2. The question of Temptation is one to which our principle is less commonly applied. Yet it is surely of the first importance that men should know distinctly the spiritual foes they have to face :-" So fight I, not as one that beateth the air." In the providence of GOD, we most of us have not only to pass through the general atmosphere of temptation which is about us, but to strive against some one or two tendencies or faults which trouble us more actively and frequently than the rest. There is a definite battle GOD would have us fight. There is a sin which, above all, doth most easily beset us. We have an irritable temper, or a slothful or self-indulgent disposition, or a proud heart, or a false and insincere spirit. And we are called upon to resist this fault of character every day. Yet there is a lamentable want of method among most men in dealing with temptation. Let us realise fully that, as has been said, "Temptation is the raw material out of which saints are made;" that it is our opportunity to strike a blow for CHRIST, as the battle gives the soldier his chance of serving his country; that for each of us a champion of our enemies, a Goliath of Gath, is before us, to conquer whom may be to demoralise the rest. "When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled." With regard to our temptations, then, let us run, not as uncertainly." Let us find out, by the help of the Holy Spirit, what are our weak points, what are our worst dangers. And let us meet them with some regular and definite method of defence, tried again and again until we are sure of its strength. The day will come when we shall have no need of our plans and our rules, which are but means to an end, and whose highest object is that they may become unnecessary. Even in this life, for some of us, that day will come. Meanwhile, let us be earnest in our struggle, that it may come the sooner. Let us guard against the very real danger, before alluded to, of allowing our rules to become mere formal bonds, from which the spirit that made them living things has departed: a danger which, if unheeded, will make us Pharisees before we know it. Let us bear in mind that the worship and imitation of JESUS CHRIST, GOD and Man, is the Christian life. All plan and method must be a means to this, or it is worthless-to worship HIM more thoroughly, and to grow more and more into His likeness;-this is our only earthly object, the great business of our life. For this end we strive, and pray, and struggle; with this in view, we "so run, not as uncertainly;" and when this shall be reached, our race will be run, and the prize of our high calling secured. H. C. SHUTTLEWORTH. The Church's Fortnight. -0 or misused, because an account must be rendered of one and all. See Newman's 'Sermons,' Vol. iii., Nos. 18, 19; Ashley's 'A Year with Great Preachers,' Vol. ii., p. 141 (Gospel). Suitable Hymns: 198, 204, 212, 224, 229, 233, ELEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. LESSONS: Morning, 1 Kings xviii.; Rom. viii. 1-18. Evening, 1 Kings xix. or xxi. ; S. Matt. xxi. 1-23. The GOSPEL for this day, that is, the Parable of the Pharisee It was characteristic of the Law, as it was understood and taught and the Publican, has a remarkable commentary in the Epistle. by the Pharisees in our LORD's day, that by the defective and contracted idea of human duty which it presented, it distinctly encouraged pride and self-satisfaction in its adherents. Where it was possible for a man to persuade himself that he had not only fully performed his duty towards GOD, but had done even more than his duty, spiritual pride was the inevitable consequence. The Pharisee in the parable is an example of this tendency. The Gospel teaching, by vastly extending the idea of duty, removed the possibility of a man claiming praise to himself for his faultless discharge of duty. Our LORD bade His disciples, when they should have used their best endeavours to do the will of GOD, to end, not by claiming a perfect performance of duty "all these things have I done from my youth up," but by acknowledging manifold imperfections, and a mere attempt to do the duty binding upon them, "say, we are unprofitable servants; mental attitude towards GOD and towards our duty out of which we have done that which was our duty to do." This is the alone spiritual progress can come; and therefore it is that the Publican is "justified" rather than the Pharisee. The EPISTLE exhibits the Apostle S. Paul as ideally in precisely the mental attitude thus commended by our LORD, "I am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle. ... But by the grace of God I am what I am.” It should not be passed over without notice that in verses 3-7 we have, in all probability, one of those "forms of sound words " which the Apostle was in the habit of "committing to the trust" From Saturday, July 31, to Friday, August 13, (2 Tim. i. 13) of his converts, which they had heard of him; 1880. The [The Fortnight has to be reckoned from the Sunday week following the Saturday when most of our Readers receive their copies. fortnight thus begins eight days ahead.] TENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. August 1 was anciently known in England as LAMMAS DAY: a name probably derived from the Anglo-Saxon hlafmasse-loafmass, because a loaf made of the new corn of the year was said to have been offered on the Altar in the Liturgy, i.e., it was a kind of Harvest Festival. The day, however, seems somewhat early in the year for this, unless the seasons were then more advanced, and harvest earlier than it is now. LESSONS: Morning, 1 Kings, xii.; Romans ii. 1-17. Evening, 1 Kings xiii. or xvii.; S. Matt. xvi. 14, to xvii. 14. The EPISTLE and GOSPEL have a remarkable correspondence of meaning; for while the latter consists of the touching lament of our LORD over Jerusalem, because it had not made use, even at the eleventh hour, of its many opportunities of grace, had not known"the things which belonged unto its peace "-the Epistle expounds all gifts and graces as entrusted to men by the Divine Spirit, "to profit withal "-and therefore not to be wasted in other words, we have an example of a Primitive Creed. The FIRST LESSONS for Morning and Evening are probably not excelled, or even equalled, in sublimity by any similar number of chapters throughout the historical Scriptures, and they afford numerous subjects for pulpit discourses. A series of tableaux as striking it would be hard to adduce. We may distinguish: 1. The rebuke of the King Ahab for his weakness and fall into idolatry, by the Prophet Elijah; xviii. 7-19. 2. The marvellous scene on Mount Carmel, where the pretensions of the idol worship were brought to a decisive test, and miraculously disproved; and then the awful tragedy with which the day ended, vv. 21-40. 3. The dramatic prophecy of the coming of the long-looked for rain upon the parched land, and the sudden darkness and rushing of storm, in the midst of which the Prophet "ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel," vv. 41-46. 4. Chapter xix. Here the scene is the desert, and the violent reaction is shown from the almost superhuman Prophetic exal. tation and energy of Elijah's previous actions. The Prophet flees for his life-and only regains peace and spiritual serenity under the shadow of the rocks of the wilderness, and after going through a tempest which imaged his own mental conflicts. Then the hearing of the "still small Voice" brought him peace, and determined his future course, vv. 9-18. 5. Lastly there is the tragedy of the death of Naboth, in which Elijah mixes in a similar character, as a harbinger of judgment and swift punishment upon the great offenders. It is needless to point out how these afford subjects for sermons, which can hardly be passed over, and which will carry their lessons of awe and conviction to most hearts. As suggestive upon this subject may be consulted Dr Edersheim's Bible History,' Vol v., History of Judah and Israel' (Religious Tract Society), pp. 181-197. Keble, Sermons on Various Occasions' (James Parker and Co.), Sermon 14, on 1 Kings xviii. 42-45, "Perseverance in Intercession." Suitable Hymns: 162, 184, 187, 226, 244, 268. S. J. E. NOTES OF THE DAY® Ramirez, President of the late Emperor Maximilian's first Ministry. A large number of the rare books were bought for the British Museum and for the Bodleian Library. Correspondence The two church wardens of Clewer, in the names of some hun-relating to Spanish America, formed by the late Senor Don José dreds of the parishioners, who assembled on Tuesday night in the schoolroom, presented the Rev. T. T. Carter with a testimonial on his leaving them as their Rector. Canon Carter made a touching speech, alluding to his residence among them for thirtysix years, and expressed his hope that the new Incumbent, Rev. R. Errington, would receive their support. The testimonial was a handsome clock with chimes. The cost of it was forty guineas, contributed in small sums. It was purchased at Messrs Jump, Pallmall. The Rev. R. Errington was inducted to the living of Clewer on Wednesday, by the Bishop, in the presence of a large congregation. The Vicar of Eton acted as his Lordship's chaplain. Evensong was sung by Rev. C. J. E. Smith, of Eton College, who wore a white stole; Rev. W. H. Hutchings, SubWarden of the House of Mercy, read the Lesson. The Altar, which was vested with a white frontal, had upon the re-table the usual ornaments. We understand that very few changes will be made in the services of the Church. NOTICE. The columns of the LITERARY CHURCHMAN are at all times open to Correspondence, and the Editor invites and welcomes the free expression of opinions, especially from the Clergy. But it must be clearly understood always that he does not necessarily share those opinions. The name and address of every correspondent must be confided to the Editor, not necessarily for publication, but as a pledge of good faith; AND AS OUR SPACE IS LIMITED WE MUST REQUEST OUR CORRESPONDENTS TO BE VERY BRIEF. To the Editor of the L. C. SIR,-In the Oxford Helps to the Study of the Bible,' the English Prayer Book Version of the Psalms is said to have been "translated 1535, revised 1539, from the Latin Vulgate of the Gallican Psalter, which was taken from the LXX." As this statement verdict of the learned Westcott on this point. In his 'History of is likely to mislead the student utterly, I will tell him what is the the English Bible,' p. 169, second edition, he says, "Coverdale's version in the main is based on the Swiss German version of Zwingli and Leo Juda, Zurich (1524-9, 1539, &c.), and on the gate." As to the Prayer-Book Psalter, this is based on CoverLatin of Pagninus. He made use also of Luther and the Vuldale, and is taken from the Great Bible which the same Cover dale superintended. Here he had the additional aid of Sebastian Münster's Latin version. The changes made from Coverdale are mainly due to Münster. Westcott takes Ps. li. as a sample, and finds that every change but one is due to Münster, only one to the Vulgate. There was a Bible intermediate between Coverdale and the Great Bible by Matthew or Rogers, but this was really founded on Coverdale and Tyndale, and the Psalms are from Coverdale. The PrayerBook Psalter is, therefore, the offspring of the five versions used by Coverdale (of which the Vulgate is only one), plus Sebastian Münster. Yours sincerely, Notes and Dueries. SIR,-In answer to Mr Rust's question, respecting the words: "Cum altari assistitur, &c." of the twenty-third Canon of the third Council of Carthage, I venture to reply that the meaning is fixed by the previous sentence of the same Canon in the sense given in the extract from Smith's 'Dictionary of Christian Antiquities.' That sentence is "Ut nemo in precibus vel Putrem pro Filio, vel Filium pro Patre nominet." The Canon is discussed in Keble's 'Eucharistical Adoration,' chapter iii., section ii. He regarded it as "a direct prohibition . . of special vocal prayer to our LORD in the Communion Office," and adds that W. SKEFFINGTON AND SON'S "it is to be accounted for by recollecting that the rationale of Mede (Christian Sacrifice,' chapter vi., ad fin.) gives the same F. R. G. DEAR SIR,--Can any correspondent of the L. C. supply a passage of H. S., embodying the beautiful thought expressed in the refrain of Montgomery's hymn: "Yet nightly pitch my moving tent, A day's march nearer home.' Whilst much is being said on the subject of burials, I have not heard that a proper Service for the Burial of Children has been proposed, our present Office being in many points singu"The larly inappropriate. By way of suggestion, the Psalm LORD is my Shepherd" would seem to be the Psalm for the occasion. Apologising for thus trespassing upon your space, I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully, E. R. H. Devonshire House, Mill hill, W. Cowes, I. W., July 15, 1880. NEW LIST OF STANDARD SECOND-HAND BOOKS, AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES. AUGUSTINE (S.) Works. Translated. Edited by MARCUS DODS, D.D. Fifteen vols., 8vo, cloth. (Pub. £7 10s.), as good as new, price £3 7s. 6d. T. and T. Clark. Clark. BENGEL'S Gnomon of The New Testament. Translated with price £1 53. price 223. 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