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The Method of Chanting Explained, with the Services of the Church of England, arranged and illustrated by Examples, intended for the use of choirs and congregations. By S. T. CROMWELL, Organist of the Abbey Church, Romsey.

DID not the skilful performance of sacred music beget in the mind a species of false fire, and tend, in a high degree, to captivate the soul, even of a child of God, by an enthusiasm which will fail to stand the test of trial, we might cheerfully recommend the little work before us, which we doubt not is calculated to throw considerable light upon the system of chanting adopted in cathedrals and many of our churches. To those seeking a knowledge of music it will be found extremely useful. But even a moderate acquaintance with this study, however interesting, will be, or ought to be, sought with caution. It gives a taste for mixed society, which, when embraced, in order to accommodate itself to that society, frequently leads to a sacrifice of opinion and principle, and in numberless cases, has been, and still is, the prelude to ruin. A child of God with what is termed an ear or a taste for music, can ill withstand the ensnarements presented in this agreeable-this apparently rational and purely innocent form. Satan is well acquainted with our weakest part, and can as well infuse his venom through the chords of a violin-a flute-or any instrument as through other mediums. By the gratification of a refined taste, he first throws the soul off its guard, and causes it to become a more ready prey to temptation.

By the expression of our opinions thus, we would not be understood to advocate altogether a stoical feeling. Oh, no! We love the congregational tune the family hymn-as much as any one. Under a consciousness of newly-received mercies, the language of the soul is, with the psalmist, "I will sing and give praise;" yea, "I will sing with the heart and with the understanding also." And, while many a poor dark, trembling soul, full of unbelief and misgiving, has suddenly, even in the crowded streets of this busy Metropolis, had his ears accosted by the sounds of the distant organ (which some would have so rudely turned out of our streets), has been transfixed, as it were, by the soothing fulness of the never-to-be-discarded "Old Hundredth," or the cheering "Reuben," or good "Devizes;" who shall say what even these tunes, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, have thus effected? Who shall decide on what snares they have intercepted-what temptations they have broken-what unbelief they have rebuked—what sweet remembrance of bygone, lost-sight-of, apparently forgotten mercies they have brought to light-and what a heart-cheering, soul-comforting joy they have thus instrumentally communicated of ere long being done with earth, and care, and sin; of seeing Him as he is, and joining the company around the throne in his unceasing praise. Ah! beloved, there are many who could tell some secrets in connexion with this interesting subject. Do you know anything of it, poor timid one? Bless God, then, for it, and take courage; hope against hope; and the God of hope, in his own time, fill you with all joy and peace in believing.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

ACROSTIC.

Go in the strength of Jesu's name,
E lection and free-grace proclaim;
O preach Jehovah's glorious plan,
Redeeming love in saving man:
God grant thee strength in time of need,
E nable thee the church to feed.

H is truth and righteousness maintain-
E xalt the precious Saviour's name:
N obly proclaim the Gospel sound,
Rich comforts in the saints abound;
Y ield fruit in much abundance round,
God crown thy labours with success;
O may he deign the word to bless
Deliver'd from thy mouth:
Dead sinner call, and comfort saint,
Encourage both the weak and faint,
N or yet forget the youth,

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GRACE.-ROMANS V. 21.

REIGNING OH! poisonous, bitter, woeful sin, That brought a load of guilt within; But grace, rich grace, has been applied From my dear Jesus' wounded side. The guilt of sin produc'd despair, And overwhelm'd my soul with care; But sov'reign grace hath set me free From death, and brought sweet liberty. Convinc'd of sin, in death I lay, And knew not where for help to flee, Till saving grace led me to see What precious blood was shed for me: Sin pierc'd my soul, and made me cry Lord, let not me a sinner die!"

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R. C.

Grace rais'd me from my prison-grade, And heal'd the wound that sin had made.

Oh! precious grace, through which I felt

The plague of sin and conscious guilt, That sweetly brought home precious blood,

And me a wanderer led to God.
A monument of grace I stand,
Upheld by Jesus' gracious hand:
Assist me now, ye blood-bought race,
To sing the triumphs of free grace.
St. Ives, Hunts.
W.CL.

"MY FATHER!"

"My Father!" oh may I presume To claim a relation so dear; Among thy sons can there be room For one so debased to appear? Can I be an object of love,

My God, my Creator, to thee? Oh come, thou celestial Dove,

And witness the mercy to me.

"My Father!" how blest is the name Which hope fondly strives to repeat, But sin so confounds me with shame

I shrink from the accents tho' sweet. My tongue is too weak for the task,Presumption so frightful appears; Dear Lord, for right faith would I ask To comfort and conquer my fears.

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'My Father!" could I but believe, What happiness then would be mine; But this I can never achieve,

Till exalted by power divine; 'Tis thine, Holy Ghost, to reveal, 'Tis thine to give sight to the blind: These acts of thy grace let me feel,

Lord! shine on my desolate mind.

"My Father!" then oft to thy throne,
My soul with delight should repair,
My wants with submission make known,
Since in thy fatherly care;

Thy praise should invigour my tongue,
To publish thy glory abroad,
In anthems by seraphim sung,

Hosannahs of sweetest accord.

O. R. E.

"I WILL FEAR NO EVIL, FOR THOU ART WITH ME.”—Ps. XXIII.

IF Jesus be with me what have I to fear?
If he is but mine my title is clear:
The mansions of glory I surely shall
see?

Where he is, he hath said, his people shall be.

Then welcome, dark seasons, since nearer ye bring

To the time when I hope with the ransom'd to sing

Of rich, free, and sov'reign, unmerited grace,

That brought a poor worm to that heavenly place.

When I walk through the valley I'll fear

me no ill,

If thou, dearest Jesus, abide with me still:

Preserv'd from all dangers, I fearless shall prove,

Secur'd by thy free and unchangeable love.

And when I've arriv'd at that blissful abode,

For ever to dwell in the presence of God, I'll join with the myriads to sing to thy praise,

In sinless, immortal, and heavenly lays. M. S. G.

"AND HE, BEARING HIS CROSS, WENT FORTH."-John, xix. 17, 18.

YONDER amazing sight behold,

The man whom prophets long foretold,
A pond'rous cross sustain:
His soul from all pollution free,
A sacrifice for sin we see;

He bears for us the shame.
See him ascend Golgotha's brow-
The powers of darkness triumph now;
Yet he shall them defeat.
With cruel mockings they deride;
From him his Father seems to hide,
His sorrows to complete.

Asham'd, the sun withdraws its light;
The day, no less, shrinks into night;
All nature feels the shock:
The open graves, the veil that's rent,
Loudly proclaim the great event;

Man only dares to mock.
The solemn scene, my soul, survey,
Come, trace the wonders of that day;

In this thy joy consist:

That while the conflict's great within, 'Twixt sov'reign grace and raging sin, There's Jesus in the midst.

A STRIPLING.

"THERE SHALL NO EVIL HAPPEN TO THE JUST."-PROV. XII. 21.

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"ENDEAVOURING TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE." "JESUS CHRIST, THE SAME YESTERDAY, TO-DAY, AND FOR EVER. WHOM TO KNOW

IS LIFE ETERNAL."

VOL. II.]

MAY, 1842.

[No. 17.

WOULD IT BE TO THE LORD'S GLORY TO SAVE ME?

HIS GLORY IS GREAT IN THY SALVATION.-PSALM XXI. 5.

CONFLICTING as are the opinions even of good men-men giving evidence of their being led by the Spirit into many of the mysteries of his holy word-in our opinion the only satisfactory and the only safe way of arriving at a conclusion respecting the import of any passage, is by the way and manner in which the Holy Ghost lays a portion upon the mind, and graciously unfolds its beauties. That Satan, transforming himself into an angel of light, may lead astray-that a mind of an imaginative cast may likewise be deluded-and that a third description of character, weak in the faith, and tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, may, by a mere speculative resort to the opinions of commentators (who, after all their acknowledged assiduity and research, were but fallible men), be ensnared, we are quite prepared to admit; but, in general, we think the soul that is kept humbly waiting at the foot of the cross, daily acknowledging his ignorance, and pleading with the Lord for a revelation-not for the gratification of a mere intellectual taste, but for a soul-comforting, God-glorifying view of the blessed truths folded up in this most sacred book-that soul, we think, cannot greatly err.

That the Holy Ghost may condescend to lead our readers and ourselves thus, amid the novelties, the departures from the simplicity that is in Christ, and the widely-spreading errors of the present evil, No. 17, VOL. II.-New Series.

T

yet highly-applauded day, is our ardent desire. Surely never was there a period in which it became more needful that men professing godliness should be well ballasted (if we may so speak) in a deep and heart-felt experience of divine truth; for sure we are, that if they be not rooted and grounded in a knowledge of the desperate wickedness and depravity of the human heart-if they know not somewhat of the power of the prince of darkness, the wiles of the devil-and if they be not esta blished in a thorough conviction of the necessity of a free and a full salvation by Christ Jesus-they will, sooner or later, fall away, turn aside, and give up their profession.

We may be deemed uncharitable for thus expressing our sentiments; among the many thousands who at this period of the year are congregating, and, in the fulness of a fleshly zeal, seeking to set forth their wondrous achievements professedly, and as they think, for God, we may be upbraided with the epithets of bigotry and self-esteem, but this is of little moment. If our message met with universal reception, it would be no recommendation. Our appeal is to God, and not to men; "To our own Master (as do they) we stand or fall." And thus we leave these passing remarks, to dwell for a few moments on the precious words before us. May the Holy Ghost sweetly lead the mind into a little of its blessedness.

In the primary sense, we believe the passage, and the whole psalm, belongs to the Lord Jesus. His glory is great, unspeakably great, in the salvation of his church. Indeed, whether the language be regarded as that of the church speaking of the glory of Christ being richly displayed by the salvation of the Father's appointment-a salvation of his own eternal devising; or whether it be considered as spoken of Christ in reference to his church, it is most glorious and heartcheering. It is glorious, inasmuch as it sets forth the majesty of salvation, its nature, its origin, and with whom it stands in inseparable connexion; it is heart-cheering, because the church is one with Christ as her covenant Head. She is bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord her God. All he is, and all he has done, is hers. She is as much interested as he is, and he as she. A reciprocal interest which it will take an eternity to define, exists, and ever must exist, between Christ the Head, and his church the members of his one mystical body. Nor can he (blessed be his dear name for the covenant into which he has entered, originating in the free love of his heart) ever say of his church, or of one individual member of that church, however insignificant in his or her esteem, "I have no need of you" (1 Cor. xii. 21). This, beloved, is the foundation blessedness (if we may so term it) upon which Zion, the church of the living God, is built; this is the underground work planned in eternity, and ratified on Calvary, on which is rearing the glorious superstructure of a living temple, in which and by which are to be celebrated the praises of a Triune Jehovah, through an eternal day. Hallelujah! Reader, may this temple ring with our joyous thanksgiving and praise for ever and ever! Contemplating its close, anticipating with unutterable joy the bringing off the topstone with shoutings of "Grace, grace, unto it," how little, during

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