Dr. Bedell: Happy mode of admonishing erring communicants.

I cannot here refrain from presenting an instance of the manner in which one of the ministers of the Episcopal Church, carried out the duty here enjoined, in his intercourse with his people. I allude to the lamented Bedell, whose piety, devotedness, and self-sacrificing spirit, strikingly remind us of the character of the first heralds of the cross. He did not wait until his people had fallen into some great and griev ous sin, before he lifted the note of remonstrance. The very first step of departure from the way everlasting, was observed with a solicitude, which prompted him to seek to apply an immediate remedy, and that, in a way the most delicate and yet the most direct and pungent.

The happy manner in which this was done, will be best illustrated by an extract from the interesting memoir that has just appeared of his life.

"The letter below, a copy of which was sent to individuals among his people, as occasion required, presents a singular and beautiful illustration of the delicacy with which this painful duty was discharged by him, and the way in which he used, with experience and skill, "the sword of the spirit," which is the word of God, in contending with difficulties which arose around him.

"My dear Friend:

Among the duties of the ministry laid down in the Scriptures, I find the following, "to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." I have frequently found, that a hint, given in a spirit of love, has been effectual to remove an error, or to rectify an abuse; and that such a hint, if given in scripture language, carries with it peculiar weight. I propose to adopt this plan. Sometimes I wish to rebuke, sometimes to commend. I shall do both without offence, if I do them in the words of God. To illustrate my meaning: If I send this letter to one of my communicants, and simply quote at the bottom, Luke x. ch., 41, 42, I mean that one to understand that I think him or her neglecting the soul for worldly concerns. If I quote Hebrews x. ch., 23, 25, it will be understood that I think the individual to whom it is sent, negligent in attendance to the lectures or prayer-meetings. If I quote 2 Corinthians, vi. ch., 17, it will be understood that I

The Church's chief danger from the caresses of the world. consider the person addressed entirely too much disposed to enter into follies and amusements inconsistent with the christian calling. If I quote 1 Peter, III. ch., 3, 4, it will be understood that I allude to dress, &c. If I quote Proverbs XVI. 32, it will be understood that I consider the individual under the influence of an improper spirit.—These I mean as mere specimens for explanation, and will be sufficient to show my meaning. The passage I mean for you may be different from any of these, and you will see it at the bottom of the page. I pray you to turn to it at once; ascertain what I mean, pray over it, and see if the hint thus affectionately given, may not, by a divine blessing, conduce to your spiritual and eternal good. No one knows that I have addressed this letter to you. It is meant as entirely of a private character. May the Lord bless you, and keep you by his grace, through faith unto salvation."

"Your friend and Pastor."

From no quarter are so many dangers to be apprehended, as from the blandishments and caresses of the world.

In the early ages of christianity, when the iron hand of oppression was lifted up to crush the cause of the Redeemer, and the only way to heaven seemed to be through the door of martyrdom, the Church rose to human view from amid the dreary night of Pagan darkness, like a bright summer's morn, and moved on, "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." Immediately, the world began to pay court to this new and rising power. Unhappily, the church threw her gates wide open, and there rolled in a tide of power, and wealth, and fashion, and worldly influence. The banner of the cross speedily found its way into Italy, the very seat of Empire. Soon it entered the eternal city, and floated in triumph over the Capitol. From that moment, a blight and mildew fell upon the heritage of the Lord.

There is nothing so much to be dreaded as the caresses of the world its frowns cannot hurt us; but oh, how often have its caresses marred the beauty of Zion, as though suddenly smitten by an invisible hand-how often have they brought within her sacred courts, "the idols of the desolator,"* and

* Marginal reading, Daniel IX. 27. Referred to, Matt. xxiv. 15.

Holy days: General Convention.

caused the Most High to "cover the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger."

That the Episcopal Church most earnestly seeks to guard her children against these insidious influences, is evident from the fact, that she permits none to enter within her sacred pale, till they have solemnly vowed, to "renounce the vain pomp and glory of the world:" and the baptismal water is applied to no candidate, till the fervent supplication is offered up for him, "that he may have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the Devil, the world, and the flesh." And immediately after the application of the baptismal water, the sign of the cross is marked on the brow of each newly enlisted soldier of Christ, "in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed manfully to fight under his banner against Sin, the World, and the Devil."

In farther corroboration of the fact, that the Episcopal Church is truly anxious to keep her members back from the eddying currents which sweep around the great Maelstrom of fashion and worldliness, and draw so many thousands within its fatal influence, I would refer to the circumstance of her having appointed solemn services for so many week days du. ring the year, as though determined by these holy influences emanating from the sanctuary, to break up that worldly enchantment, which might otherwise bind her members to the earth. The effect of such a season as that of Lent, continuing with constantly increasing and deepening solemnity for six weeks-and all these, weeks for special self-examinationlowly self-abasement, earnest prayer, and devout meditation upon the sufferings and death of Christ and upon our own guilt, which sharpened the nails and pointed the accursed spear-cannot fail to be highly salutary in promoting personal holiness.

The ecclesiastical bodies connected with the Episcopal Communion, have also, from time to time, in no equivocal manner, proclaimed their sentiments in relation to shutting out worldliness from the church. In 1817, in the General Convention, where all the Episcopal churches in the United States are represented, a document was presented by the House of Bishops, and unanimously passed, protesting against the practice on the part of the communicants, of indulging in worldly amusements. The resolution then passed is in har

Propensity to defame Christian Ministers.

mony with the facts already adverted to. It declares that"The House of Bishops, solicitous for the preservation of the purity of the church, and the piety of its members, are induced to impress upon the Clergy, the important duty, with a discreet and earnest zeal, of warning the people of their respective cures, of the danger of an indulgence in those worldly pleasures which may tend to withdraw the affections from spiritual things," &c. And I trust that there are many watchmen on the walls of our Zion, who are not neglectful of the duty here pointed out.*

And yet I have no doubt that instances do occur, where congregations bearing the name of Episcopal, "will not hear the law of the Lord: which say to the seers, see not: and to the prophets, prophecy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things: prophecy deceits." And there may be those, clothed with the high responsibility of messengers of the Lord, so recreant to their ordination vows, that in order to draw around them a brighter halo of popularity, they will listen to this syren voice, and lead their people on blindfold to the precipice. It is greatly to be feared that there are such congregations and ministers in every denomination. It was so in God's ancient church. "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means: and my people love to have it so."

Still, I must also say, that in this slanderous world, christian churches, and christian ministers are often greatly maligned. How frequently do we hear the strong language of censure and severe reprehension uttered against a minister, whose greatest crime is some slight imprudence. When the facts are brought out, it is often found that he who lay under such a load of censure, was all the time actuated by the purest and holiest intentions. The truth is, the world is always ready to blacken the character of every baptized follower of the Lamb. Our Saviour plainly told his disciples that the world hated him, and that the servant could not expect to fare better than the master. When will christians understand this? When will they learn to abandon the suicidal act of calumniating each other? When will they learn to exercise towards each other that charity which "beareth all things, believeth

*See the Appendix to Bickersteth's Treatise on the Lord's supper. Edited by Dr. Bedell,

Character of Rev. Mr. O. V.

all things, hopeth all things?" The world, as long as it remains at enmity with God, will ever be ready to scandalize christians, and never will "the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole Heaven, be given to the people of the saints of the Most High," till they learn to shut their ears upon "the railing accusations" which Satan is bringing, in turn, against each denomination of christians.

In illustration of the unfounded nature of much of the reproach that is heaped upon the ministers of the cross, allow me, in concluding this chapter, to give a rapid sketch of an instance that fell under my own observation. A number of years since, the Rev. Mr. O. V. was settled in a country village, far in the interior. At the time to which I advert, he and the church over which he presided, were suffering under the heavy charge, of favouring gay and worldly amusements. "Such a man," it was said, "could have no piety! such a church could have nothing more than the form of godliness, and hardly that."

The ground of all this denunciation, was at most, but an act of imprudence on the part of Mr. O. V., and there were connected with this act several redeeming circumstances.

This Reverend gentleman was young and highly talented. Till the event just adverted to, no one had doubted his piety. His pungent and faithful exhibitions of divine truth, had brought many awakened sinners to the foot of the cross. Among these, was a large number of young persons. They had broken away from their former gay associates, and taken an open stand on the side of the Lord.

Those former associates, however, were constantly devising expedients to draw them back again within the fatal whirlpool of worldly pleasure.

It was during one of the summer months-a season when the country has peculiar charms, and the deep grove, with its cool refreshing shade, seems like another Eden, contrasted with the heat and suffocating air of the town-that several of the persons above alluded to, proposed a walk of some two miles into the country, for the purpose of having a sort of ru ral entertainment in a shady retreat well known in that neigh. borhood. The whole thing was unquestionably got up for the purpose of festive hilarity and enjoyment. This was not,

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