grandeur and awful majesty of the Cathedral itself; together with the attention and devotion of the very respectable congregation which usually attends it; and the very orderly and devout behaviour of the soldiery, which were present on the above occasion, tended most powerfully to raise emotions of piety and reverence in my breast, as well as in the numerous individuals who were there with the same intention as myself. The very pious and worthy dean of Bristol preached that day; and preparatory to the monthly sacrament on the following Sunday, the first of December, with great propriety gave a sermon explanatory of that holy ordinance of the great founder of our religion. A better sermon, in my humble opinion, was never delivered: being clear and level to the capacity of the most humble as well as the most learned Christian; yet delivered with that earnestness, that pathos, that evident sincerity of the pious preacher, which whilst it incontestibly came warm from his own heart, irresistibly made its way to the heart of every well-disposed individual who heard it. The eloquent preacher, after having clearly explained the nature and design of the holy institution, together with the benefit it is so peculiarly calculated to confer on the worthy partakers thereof; first informed his audience of the behaviour and conduct which would indisputably render them unworthy to receive the same; and then noticed several instances of pious and scrupulous Christians who abstained from it on improper and mistaken motives, Amongst these the preacher mentioned vast numbers who were prevented from partaking of the Lord's supper from a notion that the word of St. Paul which is translated DAMNATION, denounced the penalty of "everlasting punishment" on those who improperly and unpreparedly received it. After having recited the occasion of the apostle's using the expression to his Corinthian brethren, which was the abusing it to the purposes of excess in eating and drinking, by considering it only as an ordinary banquet or repast; and which, from the deep veneration that now always attends the celebration of this holy feast, never can happen in our times; the pious preacher lamented that the word CONDEMNATION, which St. Paul's expression very well would bear, was not substituted by our translators for the one which they had adopted, and which certainly has given cause of great alarm to weak and pious bretheren. From the nature and circumstances of the the case, the preacher clearly shewed that it never could be the design of our Lord to fix, in any case, the penalty of eternal punishment on those who celebrated this ordinance, which he had commanded his followers to do frequently. Temporal punishments the preacher proved to be the penalty which those incurred who ventured unworthily to receive it: and then, in an animated and truly energetic strain of pious devotion, endeavoured to persuade his audience to live constantly in such a manner as might make them properly prepared to receive it. It might be said, that in all this, there is nothing new or striking, and that the same things have been frequently said by others on similar occasions. Be it so. I must, however, be allowed to say, that known truths, when they do not produce that effect on the minds of professing Christians which they ought to do, and which is the case we are now considering, should be repeated on suitable and fit occasions. I will add, that when inculcated with that earnestness which was used on this occasion, they may possibly have an effect upon some of the audience, which, though heard a thousand times before, they never felt till that moment. Let me add, that, for one individual, I found myself delighted and edified greatly with the very reverend preacher's discourse; I should be beyond measure gratified to see it in print, from a thorough conviction, that it would be of the most essential benefit to our pure religion, by concentrating in a single point, all the most important topics relating to the sacrament of our Lord's supper, which might make it both better understood and better attended than hitherto has been. Give me leave also to record in your excellent treasury of sound and orthodox divinity, the just observation of the preacher relating to the word which has been translated DAMNATION; and to breathe a wish, that at any future period when our Liturgy is revised, the alteration here suggested may, with others that may be deemed necessary, take place. I am, with sincere good wishes for the cause you have undertaken, Sir, Birmingham, Nov. 26, 1805. Your obedient humble Servant, EXTRACTS EXTRACTS. On the Book of PSALMS, particularly the VERSION used in the COMMON PRAYER. [From a scarce Book entituled, "Holy David and his Old English Translators cleared." By the learned Mr. JOHN JOHNSON, Rector of Cranbrook, Kent, Author of the Clergyman's Vade Mecum, the Unbloody Sacrifice, and other excellent Works. 8vo, 1706.] VII. THE [ Concluded from page 369. 1 HERE are in the Psalms frequent acknowledg ments of God's especial presence with his people, of which the ark was the symbol. This ark stood for the most part in a tent or tabernacle, till the reign of Solomon, who placed it in the innermost, and most honourable part of the temple, which he had built for this purpose, 1 Kings viii. 5, 6. God had promised that he would be favourably present with his people, and hear their prayers, and be ready at hand to relieve them in all their difficulties, between the cherubims on the ark, Exod. xxv. 20, 21, 22. and xxix. 43. and to assure them of the truth of it, a bright cloud of glory did sometimes spread itself not only over the ark, but from thence over the whole tabernacle. As the Jews did always look upon this to be the chief privilege, and the greatest ornament and honour of their nation; so the Psalmists do very frequently mention, and acknowledge this favour, which God had vouchsafed them and many Psalms were indited, on purpose to teach the people to pay their devotions to God, considered as present over the ark. Now when the Christian worshipper rehearses any of these Psalms, he is to remember, that the ark was a type of Jesus Christ, and that the Godhead did, and does more effectually and really dwell in him than ever it did on the ark; that Christ Jesus is truly present with his church, or wherever" two or three are gathered together in his name," though not in a visible or bodily manner. And it may : further further be observed, that we do not want visible symbols of Christ Jesus's presence amongst us, I mean the sacrament of his body and blood, which we ought therefore to approach with as great reverence, at least, as the Jews did the ark: and if we now often hold our religious assemblies without these tokens of his presence, the sacrament of his body and blood, this must be attributed to the iniquity of the times, and to our coldness in matters of religion. It is allowed, that the primitive Christians made this sacrament one constant part of their public devotion; God grant that we may by degrees cure this defect in our public worship; as to be sure we shall do, when we recover that holy zeal which animated the first professors of our holy religion, and come to live as they did, so as to be always ready to communicate. The church of Rome, instead of constant communion, has ordered the host to be reserved, which they believe to be not only a symbol of Christ's presence, but Christ himself; and this they keep perpetually in their churches, as a constant object of divine worship. This is a practice in itself superstitious, and as managed by them, idolatrous, a remedy worse than the disease. It is just as if the governors of the Jewish church, should have kept the people from gathering manna, excepting on two or three days in the year; and instead of that should have shewed them that omer, which was to be laid up in the tabernacle for a monument of God's miraculous providence toward his people; but with this difference, that they had a divine command for keeping a vessel of manna, but the Papists have none for reserving the sacrament. VIII. Many express prophecies of the Messias are found in the Psalms: the ii, xxii, xlv, cx. do chiefly relate to him and there are several passages to the same purpose interwoven with the other Psalms; and these should be read or sung with a good degree of attention. And sure, it cannot but quicken our faith and inflame our zeal toward our Saviour, to consider, that David should thus foretel his coming above a thousand years before-hand. And if he did, so many ages before his coming, own him for his Lord and Priest, this will be a great aggravation of their guilt, who do not submit themselves to him, since he has appeared in the world and fulfilled what was foretold. IX. Some Psalms are filled with complaints of the malice of wicked men against the church. As in other Vol. IX. Churchm. Mag. for Dec. 1805. 3 L re respects David was a representative of the church, so especially in being hated, persecuted, and slandered by a great many ill men, and those too often of his own acquaintance and family: and it is to be remembered that David, while alive, was the patron of God's people, the defender of the faith, and the sovereign of the church; and therefore they who were enemies to him, were consequently enemies to God and religion. We need not suppose that David made his private resentments the subject of his devotions, but this was what he laid to heart, and so often bemoaned, that he should have so many enemies, when his cause was the cause of God, that he should meet with so much opposition, when all his intentions were to do honour to his Maker, and be a benefactor to his church and people so that indeed all that he says on this subject, is not so properly to be understood in any sense, as that I am now mentioning; namely, as spoken in the Person of the whole church of God, which ever had, and shall have many bitter and implacable enemies. And the meekest Christian, that can put up all private wrongs, yet may be moved with a just indignation against those that are enemies to the church. Perhaps there is no established church in the world without such enemies; it is sure the church of England has her share of them, both at home and abroad: nay, to shew that David did prophesy of the future state of the church in his own person, we have not hitherto wanted those toward whom we have behaved ourselves as brethren, humbled our souls with fasting when they were persecuted, espoused their cause, and fought their battles, when they were oppressed by their own princes, received them with a true Christian friendship and hospitality, when driven out of their own Country: some of whom have, notwithstanding all this, joined themselves to our enemies, when we have been in adversity, and spit venom against that church, with whose charity they were warmed and cherished. X. Again, sometimes the obstinate and irreclaimable enemies of God and religion have curses and imprecations denounced against them in the Psalms. The most observable of these are the lxix. and cix. And as the Psalmist had a regard to our Saviour's sufferings in both these Psalms, so it is evident, that the imprecating part. chiefly concerns Judas, and those who joined with him in that execrable treason against the life of Christ Jesus. A passage out of each of these Psalms is actually applied to |