the accomplishment of his own promises, as was especially the case with those persons respecting whom St. Paul was speaking in the words of the text. "They had not received the promises," remarks the Apostle;" but having seen them afar off, they were persuaded of them and embraced them." In a similar state of mind the Christian lays hold of those hopes which are set before him in the Gospel. He has nothing human to plead for salvation; but he depends upon the promise of God, sealed in the blood of Jesus Christ, and ratified by the solemn oath of the Holy Trinity. Such is his faith. In life, it purified his soul, it worked by love, it overcame the world, it was the fruitful root of whatever was amiable and of good report in his conduct;-in death, it represses his fears, it animates his hopes, it elevates his eye to the glories of eternity, and brings down already a foretaste of them in the present world. Depart when, or where, or how he may, departing in faith he departs in peace and safety. His Heavenly Parent watches over his dying pillow, and angels wait around to convoy him to his eternal home. Arrived at that blissful world, he shall not enter a solitary stranger; he shall meet his predecessors in the same path; he shall rejoin his fellow-worshippers, he shall sit down for ever to the marriage-supper of the Lamb with those with whom he sat down to the communion of the body and blood of Christ upon earth; he shall meet also those sinless beings, who, having kept their first estate, now dwell in unchangeable felicity in the light of their Creator's presence, and are deeply interested in the welfare and salvation of apostate man;--yea, he shall behold face to face God the Father of all, and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and that ever-blessed Spirit who once enlightened, and consoled, and sanctified him upon earth. Such is the lot of those who die in faith: they open their eyes in never-ending felicity, be yond the reach of all that might shake their confidence or endanger their safety: they are for ever with Him, whom having not seen they loved, in whom, though in the present world they saw him not, yet BELIEVING they rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. IWOULD respectfully acknowledge the reply of your correspondent, C., in your Number for July last, to the observations which I took the liberty of suggesting, in a previous Number, on the Efficacy of Moral Suasion; though I am far from considering it as a satisfactory solution of the difficulty which had long pressed on my own mind. He seems indeed to feel no difficulty. in the words of our Lord (Matt. xi. 21.), and without hesitation explains them of a national fast being immediately proclaimed, and generally solemnized; in support of which opinion he refers to Poole on the passage: and, as a parallel, he instances the public fast which this nation has annually observed during the late war, in obedience to the injunction of our rulers; on which occaions, "the whole kingdom might be said to mourn for its sins; its sins;" though, as he justly remarks," it will not be contended that the observance of a public fast necessarily implies a saving repentance.' This interpretation was not new to me, having consulted most commentators on the passage; amongst which some of the most eminent and judicious frankly acknowledge themselves "not competent to solve every difficulty, or fully to understand the whole of this subject." (Scott in loco.) I readily admit, however, that we may reasonably suppose an allusion in our Lord's language to the case of the Ninevites, whose repentance, mercy; and while we love and honour the individuals thus employed, yet considering what human nature is, we must perceive that the unmeasured applause, which is sometimes bestowed, is not a tribute unaccompanied by serious danger. The last evil to which I would venture to refer arises from the want of a judicious selection of speakers. I know that it is often difficult, perhaps impossible, to meet with persons duly qualified to conduct the business of a public meeting; in which cases I cannot but think it better to have very little spoken, than to admit a single speaker whose principles or discretion can be reasonably brought in question. The things which I have now mentioned appear to me to be "spots in our feasts of charity," yet of such a nature as to be easily removed by a judicious choice of speakers-by care not to give to man the glory which belongs to God alone and by the diligent cultivation of a humble spirit in all the parties concerned. knowledge of defects must precede any remedy that can be applied, I trust this consideration will be accepted as my apology for stating what might otherwise appear somewhat ungracious. In the first place, then, I am of opinion, that there is amongst the clergy of the Established Church, too general a want of the knowledge of sacred music, and that it is too frequently neglected to be cultivated as an acquisition in any measure called for in the discharge of their sacred office, or even thought of as being connected with it. By this means the conducting of the singing in many congregations devolves entirely on the parishioners, who, perhaps, either have very little knowledge of the science of music, or very little judgment as to the style of singing which ought to be employed for devotional purposes. Dissenting Congregations often excel us much in this point, and chiefly owing to the circumstance that, at the Methodist and Dissenting Academies, the students are very generally instructed in sacred music; so that when they they can, in case of need, take enter upon the ministerial office, the lead, or, if that be not called for, can assist in the singing in their respective congregations, which is far from being the case generally with ministers of the Establishment". This is a defect To the Editor of the Christian Observer." * Let me not, however, be misunderstood. With regard to really musical YOUR correspondent H. G., in his taste and science, our cathedrals are far very interesting paper, in your more than sufficient to rescue our church Number for March last, on the in- from reproach as compared with any troduction of Metrical Hymns into denomination of Christians among us. the Service of the Church, having But it is obvious that this relish for detowards the close of his paper in-votional harmony does not by any means vited the suggestion of improvements in the style and conducting of public Psalmody, I take the liberty of briefly offering to your notice a few of the means which, I apprehend, might be advantageously employed in furtherance of such improvements; but as a a generally pervade the great body of the must look for any thing like an efficient parochial clergy, to whom chiefly we improvement of the system. And, indeed, where this highly cultivated taste really exists it is far from being always friendly to congregational singing, which is the object I am anxious to see secured. A highly refined ear must be prepared which, for the ends of devotion, it would be highly desirable to remedy as far as possible. All clergymen, it is true, may not have a voice or a taste for music; but still such a knowledge of the theory might and ought to be obtained, as to enable them to be judges of what would be appropriate, or otherwise, in the niode of singing to be adopted in their churches. If we look back to the period of the Jewish dispensation, we shall find that it was then thought a matter of sufficient importance for the purposes of glorifying God and exciting devotion, to justify the peculiar attention which was paid to it. If we refer to the early ages of the Christian church, we shall also find that it was considered incumbent, both on ministers and the congregations at large, to join in promoting its excellence and perfection, at least if we may judge from the provisions made for that purpose, as well as the usages of the times; and I am not aware of any change of circumstances having taken place during the present period, that will excuse our remissness in a matter to which they paid so much regard". I would also remark, that in many country churches there is a striking want of taste and propriety very frequently manifested in the selection of tunes to the words. I have, for instance, at different times heard the Twentythird Psalm (O. V.) and the Veni Creator sung to the air of something like a military march; and, on the other hand, the Forty-fifth Psalm, and others similar, sung to to sacrifice something for general effect; bnt, upon the whole, I imagine it is indifference to the subject, or total want of knowledge and ear, rather than high musical cultivation, which renders our clergy so prevailingly inattentive to the introduction of congregational singing in their churches. a funeral air. This is repulsive to devotional feeling, and tends greatly to debase this pleasing part of Divine worship. The interference of the minister in such cases, supposing him to have a discriminating ear, would he highly beneficial; as well also as in his selecting the psalms or hymns to be sung. I would next notice, that softness in various parts of the airs to be sung, should be attended to more than it is at present. Many persons erroneously think that good singing consists chiefly in its being loud. It is very difficult for ordinary voices to be loud without being harsh, and perhaps discordant. It may likewise here be mentioned, that in the choice of tunes. for a public congregation, those will not always be the best which are calculated to please in the social or domestic circle. The melodies of Drs. Croft and Boyce, aud those of masters similar to them, will, perhaps, be found to contribute as much to devotion, and are probably as suitable, on account of their dignified simplicity, for a country church, as any that can be named. A more elaborate style I need not point out; as those of your readers who pos. sess musical science, will know where to have recourse without my information. I will only venture further to suggest, that it would be an improvement if some devotional melodies, easy of acquisition, could be well adapted to meet the peculiar case of occasional metrical compositions, which begin in a plaintive, and end in an exulting strain. I would instance such as the Third Psalm. I think it will appear evident that the same air continued throughout, will not do justice, or give proper expression, to all the parts of the Psalm; and this appears to me almost the only defect of music adapted to strictly metrical compositions. It does not, unless very judiciously managed, accommodate itself to all those changes which the sense and words may require. This, however, is a minor defect, in comparison with those faults which are the subject of my preceding observations; and, perhaps, might easily be remedied by a well managed selection of tunes from some that are already in use; or, by a few original compositions from the hand of some person skilled in devotional harmony, so as to meet the case, and give general satisfaction. My design in troubling you with this paper, has been to contribute a humble effort towards rescuing our Psalmody from the reproach under which it lies from the improper management of many who conduct it, and to place the Church on the same level, at least, with the Congregations of other denominations in this particular; being fully convinced, that our admirable Service will not exhibit itself in all its beauty, till further steps are taken for accomplishing this object, I trust some abler hand will prosecute the subject; and that it will continue to be brought before your readers with a zeal well-directed and equal to its importance. S. O. To the Editor of the Christian Observer. As I was out with my gun a few days ago I met with a brother shot, who, like myself, is an old member of the University of Cambridge. It so happened, that one of my dogs having committed a fault, I gave it the usual castigation of a sportsman, whilst the animal howled till the whole combe echoed again. "It is well," said my friend, "that we are in Devonshire: I pro Combe, Mr. Editor, is a common term in our country for a small valley; a valley, as some persons say, with only one road passing through it. Hence Ilfracombe, Hestercombe, Combe Martin, &c. &c. mise you, if this beast had made half such a noise in Westmoreland, and it were discovered that you are a Cantab, some fellow or other, who perhaps hardly knows a rifle from a duck-gun, would whine over your Dido like another Æneas; and Alma Mater would have a lucky escape, if he did not make her responsible for the cruelty which, without ceremony, he would fix upon you." "What in the world," I replied, "can the University have to do with my beating a pointer?" "Why," said my companion, "listen, and perpend:— Did you not now and then, in old times, by way of amusement, sally forth with a gun at Cambridge? and would you have ventured to do this, if the dons had not a little connived at it?" "Well, but where is the harm? What have the dons to do with Dido?" "Why, it is something like the genealogy given by Poor Robin: War begets Poverty; and Poverty, Peace. Cambridge taught you to be a sportsman; and how can you be a sportsman, without beating your dog?" In a word, sir, to make short of a long story, I found that some pamphlets had lately appeared upon the discipline of the University, and that the subject had been taken up by some of the correspondents of a periodical work, called the Christian Observer.My bookseller has forwarded these publications to my order; and, as the morning is wet, and I perceive that you admit correspondents on both sides of the question, I do not care if I spend an idle hour in exhibiting to you the folly of these selfconstituted reformers, whether they be clerks of the south or yeomen of the north. The first point that deserves notice is the state of the town. Mr. Maberley, I perceive, tells us that the characters of the other sex; and we streets are infested with disorderly are left to infer that a young man cannot walk even in Trumpingtonstreet without the hazard of mo lestation. Females walk in the town! Why, sir, is not this a free country? Is any class of his Majesty's subjects to be deprived of the privilege of air and exercise, and the use of their limbs, and the common light of heaven, at the dictum of a private individual? If women are not to be shut up in the haram, is it possible that they can take exercise with less hazard of violating decorum, than in streets of the most public resort? Would Mr. Maberley wish them to creep, like a parcel of gypsies, under the shelter of a Chesterton hedge? What, I will venture to ask, would be the complaint of this gentleman, if, instead of meeting them in public promenades, and in the light of day, he should fall in with them in the skirts of the town, and at a time when they are necessarily remote from general observation? That no great outrage against decency can, under such circumstances, ever occur, is evident at first sight: and any implied charge upon the proctors must be totally unfounded. Suppose, for one instant, that you were yourself invested with the office; and you meet in broad day-light, or at an early hour of the evening, with a multitude of fair ladies between the Senate House and Trinity College; are you to assume, that every well-dressed woman is of the description stated by Mr. Maberley? Are you to cry out at every turn, "Aroint thee, witch!" if you happen to discover beauty of countenance associated with a lit tle gaiety of manner? Are you, by virtue of official intuition, to carry off to the workhouse every girl who happens to displease your proctorial gravity? Our rude forefathers never thought of condemning even an old woman as guilty of the arts of Endor, till they had obtained evidence from her cats and her broomsticks. Will you adopt harsher measures against the young witches of our own days? If, indeed, England were not a land of CHRIST. OBServ. No. 202. liberty-or if mathematicians could deduce from such data as the height and complexion of a female, from the spots upon her disc, and the daily period of her ascent above the horizon, what is the character of her mind, and what the nature of her profession and pursuits-there might be some argument on the other side of the question: but what if the man of discipline should make a little mistake in his calculations? What if he should seize and carry off to confinement the lively daughter of some respectable inhabitant of the town, or of the head of a college? He would learn, I suspect, that even a proctor may be over-officious: and the laws of the land would probably cool his courage for ever. The university, it seems, has just appointed a number of pro-proctors. I am sorry for it. First, because it will give a triumph to the impugners of its discipline; secondly, because it may tend to convert the streets into a desert; and, thirdly, because it leads to many infringements upon liberty. I trust, that the venerable magistrate who has commented so well upon the solecisms of his opponent, will exert his influence, both as a justice of the peace and a member of parliament, in behalf of that interesting portion of society for whom I plead; and who, in the present state of our representation, have nothing to do with the laws but to obey them. Far, far from the seats of Academus be the tyranny of the Turk? We are not Mahometans, but Christians; and till Eschylus shall be superseded by Hafiz, and the Jacksonian Professor shall substitute the Koran for Pearson upon the Creed, I hope and believe, that the streets of Cambridge will continue to be the favourite resort of youth and loveliness, however stigmatized by methodistical taste and puritanical abhorrence. Do not suspect me, sir, of being 4 P |