pressibly dear to my heart-one, who came with willing feet to God's sanctuary, and sweetly sang the songs of Zion; but she is gone to her sister choir to chaunt in higher strains the praise of Him, who loved her and washed her in his own blood.

And now let me seriously and solemnly put the question, do you really think the blessing of God can be expected by those, who habitually violate the Sabbath day; by the buyer and the seller; by the man, who digs in his garden, or the woman, who bakes her bread; by him, in whatever class of life he be, who settles his accounts, writes his letters, or takes his journey on the Sabbath; by those who dose it away in ease and indolence, or spend it in rioting and drunkenness? Are these the persons, with whom you would wish to exchange places in a dying hour, or before the judgment seat? Do you really think such a mode of spending the Sabbath is a good preparation for death, and judgment, and eternity?

Oh do remember, our sacred as well as our week-day time, is drawing fast to a close, and with it all further means of spiritual improvement. Those who now undervalue or mispend their Sabbaths, will not be favoured with them much longer; and, oh, what a widely different account shall we have to render to our final Judge, according as we have neglected or improved such sacred seasons, while they lasted. And bear in mind, I pray you, that the observance of the

Sabbath is both of national and personal importance, that the well being of our country, and the eternal welfare of our souls, is closely connected with it. If, then, you are real patriots and real Christians, not only hallow it yourselves, but strive to induce others to hallow it also; recommend the due observance of it by your affectionate regard to its duties, by the salutary impressions it leaves upon your hearts, and the blessed effects it produces on your tempers and your lives.

The day is at hand, when the characters of those excellent men shall be held up to the admiration of an assembled world, who, unmoved by the supercilious scorn and contempt, with which their pious efforts are now treated, are labouring to restore the respect and the sanctity, to which the sacred day of the Lord is entitled.

It is my earnest prayer to God, that they may never relax their Christian efforts, TILL THE LAW

OF THE LAND SHALL SUPPORT AND ENFORCE THE LAW OF GOD!

I remain, my dear Friends,

Your affectionate Minister, and Servant in Christ,

EDWARD WARD.

THE CHURCH IN DANGER.

DEARLY BELOVED,

You have no doubt heard a rumour of sad import, which has gone through the land, that THE CHURCH IS IN DANGER ;" and you have heard it, I should hope, with heavy hearts, and no little surprise, that there are those, who look with evil eye on our beloved and venerated Establishment. Yet, so it is: some from sincere but mistaken views; others, and by far the greater part, from a reckless love of change, a dislike to whatever is sanctioned by age and authority-and not, perhaps, without a selfish desire to share in the spoil-are bent upon pulling down this goodly fabric, and severing the Church from the State, and the altar from the throne; that union, which has so happily subsisted for centuries, and in which each has been to the other a help meet and support. It is painful, but at the same time curious, to observe, how men of opposite opinions in other points, men of all creeds, and men of no creeds, can forget their respective differences, for the purpose of overthrowing the Established Church, and join in one loud unhallowed cry, "Down with it, down with it, even to the ground."

But, dearly beloved, though there are "fightings without, and fears within," I humbly trust, through Divine mercy-that mercy, which we so little deserve, but which has so often succoured us in the hour of need,--such aspiring and unreasonable hopes will meet a signal failure; and that the Church of England, with the Sovereign as her earthly head, with the bishops as her consecrated guardians, and the parochial clergy as her accredited expounders of God's Word, will stand pre-eminent as a bulwark of the "Faith, once delivered to the Saints." Surely the church establishment is the richest legacy bequeathed to us by our pious forefathers; and we are bound, God helping us, to hand it down unimpaired to our children's children.

And, though for wise purposes the Almighty may for a season see fit to subject our Zion to the furnace of affliction, it is not, we believe, with the design to consume, but to purify her. We venture to hope, that the mandate has gone forth, Destroy her not, for a blessing is in her;" and that, instead of her foes triumphing in her fall, and saying, "There, there, so would we have it," she will be seen rising with fresh grace and beauty, with defects repaired, and blemishes removed, (that such there are, we freely admit and deeply deplore,) and be thereby rendered more competent than ever, to do the Lord's work. Thus will good come out of evil; and the threatening storm will but clear the atmosphere, and brighten her prospects; and the trials

of our national Church, so far from being tokens of God's wrath, will be evidences of his love, the forerunners, perhaps, of more extensive usefulness, and of larger blessings. He, who has hitherto helped us, will not now forsake this portion of his visible Church on earth, but will preserve her still to be a nursery of truth at home, an instructress of nations abroad, and a pattern of godliness to all the world.

We are encouraged to entertain this hope, because we discern such cheering manifestations on every side. He must be a very inattentive observer of what has been going on in the church during the last twenty years, who is not struck with the great increase of vital godliness in the clergy. It is, indeed, a ground of joy and hope, that the Lord has raised up in her so many faithful ministers, whose hearts yearn to make known the unsearchable riches of Christ; who seek, not the fleece, but the flock; and who would still preach the truth as it is in Jesus, though the people should give them stones instead of bread. Such a revival we cannot but regard as a token for good!

Nor can we forbear to bless God for having put it into the heart of our noble King, to express his devoted attachment to the Established Church, in the following manly and decided

terms:

"I cannot forget the course of events, that placed my family on the throne which I now fill. It was in the defence of the religion of the