of its own accord; to the unspeakable comfort and edification of the afflicted parents.

H.

Hints for conducting cottage lectures.

It is better to assemble in a school room, if possible, than in a private house.

Begin and end with a psalm or hymn; reading out each verse separately, that those who cannot read may be more likely to join.

Immediately after the opening psalm, and before the concluding one, use a short prayer, collect, or thanksgiving, from the Prayer Book. Employ the chief part of the time in a familiar exposition of Scripture, so as to adhere to the character of Bible Lectures, and avoid that of Prayer Meetings.

Take frequent opportunities of expounding in like manner the Liturgy and offices of the Church; in order to render them intelligible, acceptable, and profitable, to those who without such ex-1 planation, are incapable of appreciating their value.

Limit the time to a single hour, and be punctual; that there may be as little hindrance as possible to the other duties of the day.

In case of necessary absence, without time for notice, let it be understood either that those assembled disperse within a quarter of an hour, or else that some one person appointed by the minister is to read a few chapters from the Bible to the rest, the usual psalms or hymns being sung, and the Lord's Prayer devoutly uttered by all together.

There have been six Lectures of this kind: in different parts of the parish of Sedgley, each

week throughout the year 1835; attended with a decided increase in the numbers frequenting church, and the Lord's supper; as well as a marked improvement in the habits of those who frequent the Lectures.

K. (TO SERMON XV.)

This sermon as well as the next, and two or three others in this volume, have been previously published singly, for distribution in the immediate neighbourhood. This was then entitled "Church Rates lawful, but not always expedient." Under which name it was censured, rather than reviewed, by the Reviewers; who seemed to confound the sense of the word "expedient," as used here and in Scripture, with its usage for what is wrong in principle but gainful in practice. As this mistake is very prevalent, the title has been altered.

The following address was prefixed to the sermon when published singly:

TO THE MINISTERS AND CONGREGATIONS OF

ST. LEONARD'S AND ST. MARY'S, BILSTON.

HAVING been invited to preach in behalf of the fund which you are raising to supply the place of a church rate, I have anxiously desired to select a subject, and to treat of it in a manner, which may conduce to the increase of goodwill and peace amongst conflicting sects of Christians. You have expressed a wish to read what was thus written. And I the more cheerfully comply with your desire, because I believe that the more widely these views are circulated, we are the more likely to see that day arrive, when

"Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim."

That in this life we shall never be all of one mind may indeed be very justly apprehended. But this affords no sufficient reason for not trying to become so. Else neither must we endeavour to become all sober, all honest, all kind, all pure. Certainly we must aim at more than we hope to reach. And considering the force of our inborn propensity to evil, such endeavours would have no slight encouragement, if they should prevent us from growing daily more corrupt in our lives, or more estranged from each other in our hearts.

This is the utmost reward which has hitherto awaited those, who most heartily have laboured in two matters closely connected with each other, the reconciliation of the Church with the Dissenters, and the Reform of the Church itself. And yet some of us may live to see the day, when these most important questions, reviewed with sober judgment, discussed with charitable temper, and settled in the fear of God, and out of love for Christ, shall help largely towards the prevalence of the Gospel in the world, and towards its influence in the hearts of professed believers. Let the Church but honestly confess its real abuses, Let it earnestly endeavour to supply its obvious defects. Let it be ready, in things that are indifferent, to concede somewhat to the prejudice of its opponents. Let it first thus render communion less exceptionable, and then open its doors to conformity, both more readily, and more widely; and we need not doubt, that very many who now refuse to enter, would then gladly throng our courts. Let facilities be

given for licensing and consecrating places of worship frequented by Dissenters. Let their ministers, after due examination, be admissible to the orders of the Church. And with our ritual slightly altered, if needful, for their use, or with allowance to omit some few stated portions at discretion, we should have many of the most able and pious of their number adding to our strength instead of crippling our exertions; we should have churches and schools in abundance, ready built, and they chapels ready furnished to their hands, in which we and they together might preach in impressive harmony the glorious Gospel of our Saviour Christ.

That these days may be not far distant; and that you, who for your sufferings have been made a spectacle to the world, may, by your temper, discretion, piety, and zeal, help to hasten this happy era for the Church, is the prayer of

Your Neighbour, Friend, and Servant.

L. (TO SERMON XVI.)

To this sermon, when published singly, the following address was prefixed:

TO THE PARISHIONERS OF Sedgley.

I earnestly request your attention to the following discourse. I trust that it will help to convince you, that all dissension in religion is sinful either in one party or in both. And I am not without hope that it may tend to draw into more close communion, those of you who have learnt

from your many differing teachers the same great lessons of faith in Christ, and abhorrence of sin for his sake.

To as many of you as are not members of the Established Church, I must confess, that considering the lack of church room and of ministers heretofore prevailing in this parish, it was well that you were led to worship God in the chapels of other communities. Oh that they who built these chapels had but taken the same pains in building Churches! How much less should we have been now divided! How much less would they have been answerable for causing divisions! For my own part, if by any word or act of mine I have aggravated the feelings of any one of you, already perhaps embittered by the negligence of the Church, I desire heartily to beg pardon before man. I have endeavoured to repent, and I trust I am forgiven, before God. Henceforth, by his help, I will watch more carefully to give no one of you any offence that I can avoid. And I earnestly request, that if any one of you is offended by any thing I do, or am reported to be doing, you will personally give me an opportunity of explaining the motives on which I act. At the same time I cannot conceal my conviction, as you will see in the following discourse, that religious dissension is sin, and that some share of its sinfulness is lying at your doors, as long as you continue separate from us. Either we

ought to come to you, or you to us. Both cannot be right. It may be, we are both in some things wrong. But whatever be our respective errors, we can scarce either of us have any error more