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to determine; most of whom, if I may judge from their countenances (1 except those of his followers who may be familiarized to his style of expression, for "use is a second nature") never hear him dilate on such subjects as I refer to, without wishing themselves out of the Church. It is Fontaine I think, who says "J'appelle une Chat, une Chat."

This may be well in some cases, but in others it is indecency, if not licentiousness. The purposes of moral and religious instruction may be effectually answered, without hurting the feelings of modesty, or raising a blush on the cheek of innocence. The vices and evil propensities of human nature may be pourtrayed in sufficiently strong colours, and be forcibly commented upon for every wholesome and edifying end, without disgusting the best feelings of our nature: and, whenever this is done, particularly from the pulpit, it has the worst possible effect, and rather proves the vulgarity and coarseness of the preacher than his love of truth and propriety.

EUSEBIUS.

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Practical Discourses translated from the Latin of Thomas à Kempis. By BISHOP HORNE.

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DISCOURSE IV.

Of SOLITUDE.

E who is desirous of making a progress in the way of godliness, must quicken and strengthen himself for that purpose by frequent retirement: that so dying to the world, he may live to God, and may be enabled, truly to say with the Apostle, The world is cru, cified unto me, and I unto the world: I am dead, and my life is hid with CHRIST in GOD. But we must take care that while the body is retired, the soul is not left behind in the world. The retirement of the former is a good step to that of the latter, but without it will be of no avail. Where both concur, solitude becometh a refuge for the devout soul to fly unto in all her tribulations,

where

where undefiled, and innocent, she giveth herself up to meditation and prayer, and enjoyeth a heaven upon earth. This was the subject of his wishes who said, O that I had the wings of a dove, for then would I flee away, and be at rest: then would I get me afar off', and remain in the wilderness.

2. And this lesson our Saviour Christ himself hath taught us, both by precept and example. By precept, when he enjoined all his disciples to enter into their chambers, and shut their doors: by example, when he went out, and continued all night in prayer to God. The stillness of the night rendereth that season above all others fit and proper for contemplation and devotion. At another time, our dear Redeemer was in the wilderness with the wild beasts, for forty days and forty nights together; and all for our sakes, that we too might be induced, after his example, to love solitude, and, so far as in us lieth, be always ready to leave the company of the world for that of our Beloved. All the saints, from the beginning, have ever been fond of retirement at stated times and seasons, so that there must needs be great blessings and advantages attending it. To young beginners it is a sure protection from manifold dangers, a sha dow from the heat of innumerable temptations. And to the more perfect, whose conversation is in heaven, although their bodies continue on earth, it is a garden of unfading delights, a paradise of immortal pleasures. Indeed, they who have lost themselves in the crowd of earthly follies and vanities, may not improperly be said to find themselves in solitude. There, touched with holy compunction of heart they may bewail past offences, discern present dangers, and guard against those which are as yet future: there they may train themselves to the combat against vices and temptations; there they may seek out and apply proper remedies to their disor dered passions; there they may comfort themselves by reflecting on the proficiency, which, through the divine grace, they have been enabled to make; and there they may best kindle and keep alive the pure flames of devotion and heavenly love,

3. But should retirement seem dull and irksome to us, as at first it very probably may, let us reflect upon that great multitude which no man can number of either sex, whose lives and deeds have demonstrated to all the world, what the fruits of religious retirement are.

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Let

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these make us in love with our closets, and teach us that there true joys are to be found; joys which can only be conceived by experience; and which, when so conceived, by being experienced, no one would part with for the world and all that is therein, The farther the Christian is withdrawn from the busy hum of men, the more intimate and undisturbed is his communion with heaven; as the Apostles left the concourse in the streets of Jerusalem, and ascended to the top of Tabor, before they beheld their Master transfigured. And what St. Peter said in one case, the Christian will say in the otherIt is good for us to be here. But St. Peter came down again into a scene of sorrows and sufferings, and so must we, having been first strengthened by a view of glory, to undergo them with becoming fortitude.

4. But bodily solitude must always be considered as introductory to that which is spiritual, to that detachment of the heart from worldly things, which every one must seek after, who desires to be united to God; and without which a man, who retires into the desart may yet find himself in a crowd, while he is still pestered with the ideas of those things he has left behind him, Herein lies the great strength and security of the soul against temptation, and hereby she is enabled to pass through all the relations and concerns of life holy and undefiled, making her way through things temporal to things eternal. She beholdeth all around her employed in chasing the airy phantoms of their own imaginations, but resolutely persisteth in her resolution of following only after the one thing needful. Hence it cometh to pass, that whatever external occupation she chanceth to be engaged in, her affections are still in beaven; or if at any time she suffereth dissipation, for a little season, she presently returneth to herself again, remembering who it is that saith-Behold, I stand at the door and knock: open to me, my sister, my dove; for the king hath pleasure in thy beauty. Blessed is the soul which awaketh at the voice of her Beloved. Exalted to heaven, she shall be hold the world beneath her, and bruise satan under her feet.

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5. And surely for this reason it is that the celestial bridegroom so incessantly calleth unto her, saying, Come up hither, to the end that she may not be entangled in the snares of transitory glory and beauty, from which the affections cannot easily disengage themselves,

nor

nor can the heart be without great labour and difficulty reduced to that singleness, which alone disposeth it to receive the visitations of the Almighty. Of these we can say no more than that they have been vouchsafed to the saints of God in holy solitude, and so will continue to be, in such proportions as are by infinite wisdom judged expedient for the consolation, refreshment, and encouragement of the faithful. Let him who is desirous to know them by happy experience (the only way indeed by which they can be known) purge his heart from the dregs of worldly desires, mortify his lusts, and strengthen and comfort himself, not in the pleasures of sensuality, but in the Lord his God. Then shall he taste and see that the Lord is gracious, and that blessed is the man who trusteth in him. Then shall he gladly make his abode in solitude, and his delight shall be in meditation upon the joys of eternity..

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JOMA, or the DAY of ATONEMENT.

(Continued from p. 99.)
CHAP. VI.

What was required concerning the two Goats-The Confes sion of the High Priest in the name of the Congregation -The manner of leading the scape Goat into the Wilderness-The burning of the Bullock and Goat--The mode of ascertaining the arrival of the scape Goat in the Wilderness.

$1. WITH regard to the two goats of the day of atonement, it is enjoined, that they shall be alike in colour, size, and price, and shall have been taken at the same time; but although they be not alike, they are lawful. Is one of them taken to day, and the other to-morrow? They are lawful. Does one of them die? If he die before the lot is cast, a companion shall be taken for the second. But if he die after the lot is cast, they shall bring another pair, and cast lots for them as at the first. And he shall say, if the one for the Lord die, this one, on whom hath come up the lot for the Lord, shall stand in his stead. And if the one for

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the scape goat die, he shall say, this one on whom hath come up the lot for the scape goat shall stand in his stead. And the second shall feed until he be unclean, and shall be sold, and his price shall be assigned for a free-will offering, because the atonement for the sins of the congregation does not die. R. Juda says, it shall die; and R. Juda morcover says, is the blood poured out? the goat to be sent away shall die. Does the goat to be sent away die? the blood shall be poured out.

2. He went to the goat which was to be sent away, and placed both his hands on it, and made his confession, and said, I beseech thee, O Lord, thy people the house of Israel have done amiss, have rebelled, and have sinned before thee: I beseech thee, O Lord, forgive the misdeeds. and the rebellion, and the sins, wherein thy people the house of Israel, have done amiss, and have rebelled, and have sinned against thee; as it is written in the law of Moses thy servant, saying,* For on that day he shall make an atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins before the Lord, and ye shall be clean. And the priests, and the people who were standing in the court, as soon as they heard the+ NAME of EXPOSITION uttered by the mouth of the high priest, bowed themselves, and worshipped, and fell upon their faces, and said: Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and ever.

3. He delivered it to, the person who was to lead it forth. It was lawful for any one to lead it forth; but what the high priests did was valid, and they did not suffer an Israelite to lead it forth-R. Jose mentions a case, when Arsela of Zippor led it forth, and he was an Israelite.

4. And they made a scaffold for it on account of the Babylonians, who were wont to pluck off its hair, and to say to it, Go, and depart; go, and depart. The honourable men of Jerusalem attended it to the first-booth: there were ten booths erected from Jerusalem to Zuck,

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.שם המפורש ?

The name of exposition, as explaining the DIVINE ESSENCE O o wi, xai o ni, xx sexomers. He who is, and which was, and who is to come: or the name of separation, as peculiar to, and incommunicable to any other than, the SUPREME GOD. See Buxtorf and Parkhurst in voce.

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