power is attributed to it in the Epistle? What time of the day, according to our reckoning, would be the seventh hour? What was the first miracle wrought by our Saviour, and where?

LIX. NOV. 19TH.

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

Why is the Church in the collect likened to a household? Who are the head, the stewards, and the servants of it? To whom did St. Paul write the Epistle? What does he thank God for, and what is the subject of his prayer? What is the value of

a talent? [One of silver, £340; and one of gold, £54,750.] Of a penny? [A Roman coin, in value 7d.] Compare in our money the two sums mentioned in the Gospel. What is the debt we owe to God? What is the lesson we learn from the parable?

LX. NOV. 26TH. What collect, epistle, and gospel, are used on this day, and why? What do you mean by good works? How are we enabled to perform them? What do we pray that God may do to our wills? What title given in the Epistle to our Saviour shews that his righteousness is imputed to us? How did the people we read of in the Gospel acknowledge Christ? What are the words of the prophecy that foretold that he should be a descendant of David?

TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

LXI. NOV. 30TH. ST. ANDREW.

What

Why is this the first festival in the ecclesiastical year? was the calling of St. Andrew? How soon did he leave his occupation? How do we pray in the collect to imitate him? How are we called? What are the conditions of salvation in the Epistle? How is the conduct of Israel described?

A farmer of Alsace sent two hundred francs to the Missionaries, with this short observation :-" When I was a boy, being once employed to sow, an experienced farmer said to me, 'Throw the seed out far, my lad.'-I did so-since then I have become rich in worldly goods, I therefore think I ought to do the same in spiritual matters."

"THOU SHALT HAVE NONE OTHER GODS BUT ME."

I think I hear some among you say, my dear children, that this, the first of God's commandments may be very easily kept,-that you have been told at home by your parents,-taught at school by your teachers,-reminded Sunday after Sunday in God's house by your minister, that there is but One God-" God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost;" three persons, as the doctrine of the ever Blessed Trinity teaches, but still only One God. But true as all this may be, you have not perhaps read, and heard, and learnt, and understood the commandment in its more extensive signification.

At the time when the Law was first delivered from Mount Sinai, idolatry was more prevalent than it is now, thanks be unto God who hath caused His Name to be known upon earth, His saving health among all nations." When "Moses delayed to come down out of the Mount," whither he had gone to receive the ten commandments at God's hands, the people fell into idolatry. They had "trembled" at the "thunder and lightning, the "thick cloud," and "the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud." They had stood "at the nether part of the Mount," when the smoke descended as the smoke of a furnace," and "the Mount quaked greatly," and seeing the glory of their Lord and Lawgiver, and still they could set up the golden calf, and call it Israel's God, which had divided the Red Sea overthrown Pharaoh and his host in the VOL III.

M

midst of its closing waves, and so wrought their mighty deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In the words of the Psalmist, "They tempted God in the desert, and grieved the Holy One of Israel," they provoked Him to declare, "I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiff-necked people, lest I consume thee in the way."

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Now, when you read the account of all this in your Bibles, my dear children, some of you may be tempted to think, that, had you been numbered among these rebellious Israelites, you could not have behaved with such ingratitude, you would not have Sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play" with that idolatrous company. There is "reproof and correction," as well as "instruction and righteousness" for us all in the sacred writings, and though we may none of us be idolaters, in the same manner, and to the same extent as the children of Israel, still we can break the first commandment, and incur God's wrath and indignation, and provoke Him to withdraw Himself from the midst of us, as surely as they did.

I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people," are very striking words. God must be our God, before we can be His people. He is not our God, if we glorify Him not as such." He is not our God if we suffer the world to drive Him from our hearts,-He is not our God if He is "not in all our thoughts." Whatever occupies our minds when we professedly worship at His footstool; whatever usurps His throne in our hearts; whatever fills up His place in our thoughts, that is the "other God" we have set up, the idol to which we bow down; the golden calf to which

we sacrifice. St. Paul, when writing to the Corinthians, beseeches them to "flee from idolatry," and there is still the same tendency in our hearts to "forsake the living God." Try then, my dear children, to remember that every departure from God, every deviation from the path which He hath ordained for us to walk in, is in truth the following and acknowledging what is expressively termed in Scripture "the God of this world."

Any one thing that withdraws our hearts from the service of the true God, is as much an idol as if it were fashioned of gold, or silver, or graven in wood, or stone.

Pray to God to incline your hearts to keep this law,- "Thou shalt have none other Gods but Me" not only when you hear it spoken by His faithful ministers, from His Holy Altar on Sunday, but throughout the week, and most especially when you are tempted not to "render unto God the things that are God's."

LESSON ON "ALL SAINTS' DAY."

This is the last and concluding Festival of the ecclesiastical year. It was formerly called "All Hallows," which is another name for "All Saints;" thus in the Lord's Prayer, we pray that God's name may be hallowed, or made holy. The word hallow anciently meant holy, and the Feast of "All Hallows" the Feast of" All Saints'." The Vigil of this Festival was named "Hallowmas Eve." Now the word mass was a word used very many years since, to denote the celebration of the Holy Communion; so Hallowmas meant the Holy Communion, which was celebrated upon "All Saints' Day." We still have Christmas, and Michael

mas.

This Festival is kept by the Church in memory of the whole body of the faithful. As we have been led before during the year, to meditate upon the principal saints, so on this day are we called upon to commemorate the whole body of saints: those holy persons, Apostles, Prophets, and Martyrs, of which family and household we have by Holy Baptism been made parts or members.

In Holy Scripture we read of all christians as saints, not that all christians are holy persons, but because they have been made holy once by Holy Baptism. They only are true saints who lead holy lives.

The great doctrine brought before us by the services of this day is :-"The communion of saints." The words, of deep meaning, are familiar to all of us, as occurring in our Creeds; let us now see what is meant by them. By comnunion we mean the fellowship which exists between all members of the Holy Catholic Church; whether belonging to the Militant or Triumphant Church. We were admitted to these privileges at Holy Baptism, when we were brought to share in the blessings of that vast multitude, whom St. John saw standing before the Throne clothed in white. Let us not forget that the departed saints are not cut off from this communion; though we see them no longer, yet they are engaged in praying for us, and we bless God for them. These are the cloud of witnesses, who are spectators of our warfare, as soldiers of the Holy Jesus, against sin, the world, and the devil. May this thought incite us to renewed zeal and earnestness in the race set before us; that we may at last enjoy those heavenly pleasures, prepared by Almighty God for those who love Him.

Nov. 1848.

ANGLICANUS.

The most important truths cannot be too early learnt, nor the journey that leads heavenward too soon begun. The enemy is awake while we slumber; and if we neglect to cultivate the good seed, his tares will cover all the surface.