ing for them-the clerk responding for them—the children singing for them--and they not even listening for themselves. Too often, instead of the warmth of life and spirit which our services present, when the praying minister is answered by the praying people, and the voices of countless worshippers almost drown the organ-instead of such worship as this, which is like a "little heaven below," the solitary voices of the minister and clerk have alone been heard, while a body of careless, heartless listeners have filled the church; or rather, did not fill, but left it, as it were, empty. We rejoice that it is not so with us, brethren: in this church there is much heart and much life in our public prayer; yet not so much as we could desire. Do you feel, brethren, when your ministers pray the prayers, and not merely read them, that it seems to kindle your prayers?-that you seem to catch something of the fire that gives warmth and fervour to their petition? When your thoughts are, perhaps, wandering (for which of us is there who has not to mourn over much wandering thought each time we pray?) have you not found that the tone of deep and heartfelt prayer in him who leads the service has called back your wandering thoughts, fixed your attention, and brought you up to join in the " Amen," by which each person in the church makes that prayer his own? We are quite sure that you have felt this. But you do not know, dear brethren, how much your ministers also are encouraged and inspirited in their part of the worship, when you, by your devout responses, show that your attention and your hearts are in the service. We "are men of like passions with yourselves"-our hearts are as ready to wander as yours-the enemy of all prayer and devotion is as busy to make us wander as you; nay, more, since, when the minister faints and is weary in prayer, it is as when the "standard-bearer fainteth "-it is as when Moses' hands grow slack and fall down, and then Israel is worsted in the battle. Let me, then, earnestly entreat you to consider, that when you come to worship in the church, you have each a part to perform in the service; it is as imperfect, unless you each do your part, as harmony is imperfect when one of the voices is away. If, indeed, there should be one present who has no sin to confess no need of the Saviour's pleading-if there should be one who is so wise that he needs no instruction-so strong that he requires no grace-so innocent that he wants no pardon-then that one may be silent, but no other may. Let me, then, hope that you will all join more heartily than ever in the scriptural prayers of our Church-that the devotion which we do mark with joy and thankfulness will be increased many fold-that no one voice will be silent, when blessings are to be had for the asking. It is said of the first Christians, that after each prayer repeated by the minister, then “Amen” rose like thunder. Why should it not be so with us now? 66 It would be, if our hearts equally felt and our minds understood the value of those "Amens." Let me endeavour to show you their value. When a law-paper is drawn out, at the bottom of it are placed several small seals of wax; all the persons who are to engage themselves by that paper to do something must sign the paper and touch one of the seals, by which they deliver that as their act and deed; so that what is promised by them becomes as effectually promised as if each had a separate paper drawn out for himself alone, and not for any other. Now each prayer that the minister repeats is like a paper containing a petition ready drawn out, which is about to be presented by the Great Friend of man before the Sovereign Majesty of heaven; and every one who wishes to share in the blessings asked for in that prayer must, as it were, set his seal to it-must write his name to it-must put his Amen to it, that it may be his prayer. So, then, every prayer which goes up without your name-without your " Amen"-will bring no blessings on you who are silent, because you have no part in it. Whereas each prayer to which you fix your Amen," not only from the lip but from the heart, is like a parchment roll containing your petition-it mounts to heaven-it is carried by angels into the hands of the Mediator-it will bring down the answer of peace to each soul that joined in signing it. Again, if there were a rope let down from heaven for each soul of man to fix a letter to, and draw up those letters to heaven, and bring down help, would it be enough for man to say, am in want indeed, but I will not write to tell it”—would these men obtain the help of which they stood in need? No. Now each prayer is like a rope, which will carry up ten thousand letters to heaven, if need be, where each one will be read, and each obtain a certain answer. Let us, then, fix our letter-tie our petition to the rope; let us each follow the prayer spoken by the minister with our hearts, and by a loud "Amen" make each prayer our own. Let no one say these things are of no importance. If public prayer is to be Common Prayer common, so that all are to bear their part in it, then it cannot be unimportant that each should be admonished and exhorted to bear that part; and if the habit of attention which would be formed by each one in the congregation feeling that he had a part to take in the service, and carefully endeavouring not to neglect his part-if such a habit of attention would tend to keep alive the spirit of prayer-as it surely would-if it would greatly cheer and encourage the minister in his prayers, to hear the people's prayers-if his devotion would be kindled and increased by the feeling of their fervency, and their devotions aroused by his earnestness-then surely to urge you, brethren, to join more heartily and universally in the prayers of our Church is not unimportant, either for you, or for us, or for God's glory. I WHY DO YOU GO TO CHURCH? In reading one day a paper on the question, Why don't you go to church? I was struck by the thought that some persons might ask, and that some persons really do ask of their neighbours the question which I have put at the top of this paper, Why do you go to church?"Of course, they who do not go to church may be expected, in self-defence, to question those who do go, and to try to show, if they can, that there is no need of going. 66 Now, as the Bible says to Christians, "Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear" (1 Pet. iii. 15), and as a reason can be given for a Christian's conduct, no less than for his hope, I think a few words in answer to the question, "Why do you go to church?" may be useful to those who ask it, and prove that Christians act with reason in this instance, as well as in all other parts of their duty. I answer, then— 1. I go to church to join my fellow Christians in prayer and praise to God, through Jesus Christ. A Christian is a member of a society; that society is the Church of Christ, founded by Christ himself, through his apostles, and containing in it all those who, according to Christ's command, have been duly baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and have not been cast out of that society for their offences. I am bound, as a member of this society, to join with my fellow members in acts of prayer and praise to our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our common Redeemer. Therefore I go to church, to the congregation of Christian people, for this purpose. (Matt. xviii. 19-20; Matt. xxviii. 19-20; Heb. x. 25). 2. I go to church to join my fellow Christians in partaking of the communion of the body and blood of Christ. Christ, our Saviour and Lord, especially commanded us to do this in remembrance of him. Out of love to him, therefore, who loved me, no less than out of obedience to Him who commanded me, I am anxious to do his will, and to receive his blessing. (Matt. xxvi. 26-28; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17). 3. I go to church to hear the word of God from Christ's ministers, speaking in his name. The word of God, as it is written, is always read in our churches whenever we meet together for prayer and praise; and therefore, if there be no sermon, I have still good reasons for going to church at all times when I can get the opportunity, not only upon the Lord'sday, which is especially set apart for that purpose, but also upon other days, when "the house of prayer" is open, and my other duties permit me to attend. (2 Cor. v. 20; Romans xv. 6). I go to church, then, because I hope, by the holy duties in which I there engage, and by communion with God, as well as with my fellow Christians, which I there enjoy, to be fitted for my common duties in this life, and for that perfect enjoyment of God and that perfect state of the Church to which I am daily looking forward, and which every Christian professes to expect when he says, in the words of the Apostles' Creed, "I believe in the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." A CHRISTIAN OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Chapters on Churchyards. No. II. 66 In the primitive Church there were several distinct classes of men who filled important offices, and were reckoned amongst the clerical orders, although they did not minister among the people in the sense which we usually understand by that name. Amongst these classes Bingham (book iii. chap. vii.) reckons the Psalmista, the Copiata, the Parabolani. The Psalmista, or canonical singers, were appointed to retrieve and improve the psalmody of the Church. The business of the Copiate was to take care of funerals, and provide for the decent interment of the dead. St. Jerome styles them the Fossarii, from digging of graves; and in Justinian's novels they are called Lecticarii, from carrying the corpse or bier at funerals. And St. Jerome, speaking of one that was to be interred, "The Clerici (says he), whose office it was, wound up the body, digged the earth, and" so, according to custom, made ready the grave." Constantine incorporated a body of men, to the number of 1,100, in Constantinople, under the name of Copiata, for the service in question, and so they continued to the time of Honorius and Theodosius, junior, who reduced them to 950; but Anastatius augmented them again to the first number, which Justinian confirmed by two novels, published for that purpose. Their office was to take the whole care of funerals upon themselves, and to see that all persons had a decent and honourable interment. Especially they were obliged to perform this last office to the poorer people, without exacting anything of their relations on that account. The Parabolani were incorporated at Alexandria, to the number of 500 or 600, who were deputed to attend upon the sick, and take care of their bodies in time of weakness. They were called Parabolani from their undertaking a most dangerous office in attending the sick. In some churches, where there was no such standing office as the Copiate or the Parabolani, the penitents were obliged to take upon themselves the office and care of burying the dead; "and this by way of discipline and exercise of humility and charity, which were so becoming their station." (Bingham, book xviii. chap. ii.) 66 The practice of adorning graves with trees and flowers is a custom of high antiquity, and in the present day is not peculiar to any one nation. Dallaway, in describing the tombs of the Turks in Constantinople, tells us, that even the humblest graves are marked by cypresses, planted at the head and feet; and the groves of these trees, of every size, are very extensive ;" and he adds, that "between some of the tombs is placed a chest of ornamented stone, in which are planted herbs and aromatic flowers, which are regularly cultivated by the females of the family." Dr. Chandler, in his travels in Lesser Asia, informs us that "he found some Turkish graves adorned with myrtles ;" and another traveller mentions, “that myrtles are diligently cultivated at Aleppo for that purpose." In our own country, the practice of planting shrubs and flowers is not partial. The custom is more general in Wales than in any part of the united kingdom. "There some kind hand is seen to bring Its offering to the tomb; And say, as fades the rose in spring, In some of the churchyards in the southern principality the graves are little beds of flowers, rather, indeed, to be admired for their simplicity and for the pious affection with which they are regarded, than for their beauty. Like the cypress, the arbor vitæ, and other evergreens, have been regarded as unfading emblems of immortality, and therefore extensively introduced. Mr. Loudon recommends for planting in cemeteries trees chiefly of the fastigiate growing kinds, which neither cover a large space with their branches, nor give too much shade when the sun shines. Of these are, the oriental arbor vitæ, the evergreen cypress, the Swedish and Irish juniper. For the same reason, trees of the narrow conical forms, such as the red cedar, and various pines and firs, are desirable. Of larger trees, the following may be advantageously introduced-the cedar of Lebanon, the oriental plane, the purple beech, the dark yew, the flowering ash, sycamores, mountain ash, hollies, thorn, and some species of oaks, such as the evergreen oak, the Italian oak, &c. (To be continued.) |