whatsoever, lose the blessing to their own souls which Christ has promised to bestow, hinder the work of God, and do in fact neglect Christ himself. (See also Luke x. 16.)

"I would therefore affectionately entreat you, and especially those of you who are desirous of doing good, to unite with and support your minister. One great design of Christ's gift of the ministry to his Church, was to keep it in unity. (See Ephes. iv. 11—13.) And indeed the reason of the thing shews its importauce. When soldiers make an attack upon the enemy's country, if they have no order or discipline, they may labour much with very little success; for each insisting on his own method of doing what is to be done, the strength of the body will be lost, and the one will be counteracting the other's work. But if they are all united under one commander, if each receives from him his allotted duty, and endeavours with all his might to perform it, a small body will easily accomplish what an unorganised multitude would be unable to effect. Now the common enemies which we have to fight against, are ignorance and sin. Let all then who love the Lord Jesus Christ, heartily and zealously unite with their minister in prayer to Him to whom "all power is given both in heaven and in earth," and lend their willing and persevering exertions in support of every scriptural means of overcoming these evils; and how delightful to ourselves, how glorious to our Master, will be the success which, by his blessing, we may expect!

"There are several particulars to which I wish to call your attention, and in which I entreat your assistance.

"The prevalence of the sin of Sabbath-breaking (shutting out as it does the best opportunities of improvement, while it opens the door to every kind of vice,) is one great hindrance to our ministry. It is profaned by sloth; by worldly conversation; by neglect of the public worship of the Church; by visiting and receiving visits; by travelling; nay, we have reason to know that actually articles are bought and sold, and worldly business done on that day, of which God has said, on it thou shalt do no manner of work, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, thy manservant, and thy maid-servant, and thy cattle." Will you, beloved brethren, each commence the new year by beseeching God, through Jesus Christ, in reference to the fourth commandment, Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law." Ask for his grace, that you may prepare for it by finishing "ALL YOUR WORK" in the six days, and by earnest prayer, that the Sabbath may be sanctified by the influence of the Holy Spirit on your own soul, on your minister,

and on the whole congregation. Let parents and heads of families especially, see that their children and servants, and all in their employment, spend the day as God's day, in going to Church and Sunday School, and not with giddy companions on the roads. Let them see also to their behaviour in Church, and catechise them at home on what they have heard: and let them above all see to the example which they themselves set to their households, and "honour God by not doing their own ways, nor finding their own pleasure, nor speaking their own words." (Isa. lviii. 11, 12.) If those who employ labourers would pay them on Friday instead of Saturday, it would remove from the poor a great temptation to profane the Sabbath by buying and selling upon it. Be assured, brethren, that there is nothing lost by giving God his day, and that, that is worse than lost which is gained or saved by robbing Him of it.

"The sin of Drunkenness in this place needs peculiar remark ; and my object in speaking of it, is affectionately and most earnestly to warn those who are now moderate drinkers, of their danger. I need not point out the ruin which drunkenness entails both on body and soul. But if you would escape this ruin, go not in the way of temptation ;-join not in the society of the drunkard;—euter not within the threshold of the ale-house. Submit to be laughed at, or to be deemed unfriendly, rather than break the command of God, and run the risk of forming a habit which will prove fatal to your health, your property, your character, and your immortal soul. The following texts of Scripture upon this subject deserve your attentive consideration. (Prov. xxiii. 29—35. 1 Cor. vi. 10. Luke xxi. 34.)

"There are several other subjects to which I would wish to advert, but the limits of this paper warn me to conclude. In fact, it is not this or that sin, merely, that as Christians we must seek to overcome. We want a RADICAL REFORM! and at the beginning of a new year, my earnest desire and prayer to God for each of you is, that you may be NEW CREATURES. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away, behold all things are become new." It is our precious privilege, brethren, to bear to you good tidings "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," and that to each of you is offered in His blood, a full, a free pardon. To guilty criminals who must (they know not how soon) appear before the bar of a justly offended Judge, what delightful, joyful news is this! "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." If your own danger move you

not, oh! think of a Saviour's dying love, and let him not have paid that costly ransom (as far as you are concerned) all in vain ! But remember, brethren, it is impossible to love Christ, and to love sin too; and whenever the love of Jesus takes possession of the soul, a struggle is immediately commenced with every sin, and it is the constant effort and prayer of the believer, to "lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth most easily entangle him, and to run with patience the race that is set before him, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith." Deceive not yourselves, brethren, with the idea that you are Christians if your religion be any thing short of this; for you are only treasuring up disappointment for yourselves, bitter disappointment, at the day of Christ's appearing. Oh! make haste andflee from the wrath to come. Flee to the Lord Jesus Christ : take refuge under his Cross. There you will be safe; and breathing its atmosphere, you will be holy too.

"That whether you live to see the end of the year, you may live to the service of such a blessed Master; or whether you die, you may die here, to live with him eternally; so that whether you live or die, you may be the Lord's; is the earnest desire and prayer of

Your faithful and attached

Minister and Friend."

THE PARISH CLERK.

THE office of the Parish-Clerk is one which might be of great assistance to the Pastor in various ways, if it were duly estimated by the people generally. They might be led to do this by proper instructions on the subject from the minister; and perhaps some general notice might be given to the parish upon a fitting occasion, and a systematic arrangement made concerning the position in which the clerk stands between the minister and the people. Such a notice might be suitable amongst other matters at the beginning of a new year; and the following is given as a specimen of an arrangement which has been found practically useful in a country parish of moderate size. It is arranged in the form of a short address from the minister to the people, such as might be committed to the hands of several district visitors to be read by them in the families where they visit, a mode of communication at once attractive to the people, and inexpensive to the minister.

Your Pastor wishes to call your attention to the nature of some of the duties of the Parish-Clerk, which are not always clearly

understood. It is commonly supposed that the parish-clerk is the person appointed to make the responses in the Service, and to say Amen after the prayers. This is a very great mistake; no such thing being ever appointed or intended. The ParishClerk is not even mentioned in any part of the ordinary services in the Prayer Book. Once only is he referred to; and that is in the form of the Solemnization of Matrimony, where it is commanded, in the Rubric, that the man to be married shall pay "the accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk." The word Clerks, which occurs in some other parts of the Prayer Book, means Clergymen, and has no reference to the Parish-Clerk at all. Upon looking to the Rubrics in the Prayer Book, it will be found that it is the part of the congregation, and of every person present at divine service, to make the responses, and to say Amen; and the Parish-Clerk is altogether out of his place if, in doing this, he speaks louder than the general voices of the other people. It is often one of the causes of inattention, and wandering in the services of the Church, that the people do not do what they are especially required to do by the Rubric; that is, "say after the Minister,' repeat with him ;" and more particularly attend to that plain order-" The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other prayers, Amen." When this is left to be done by one person for all, we lose all the benefit which ought to be derived from the attention required really to take part in the worship.

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The Parish-Clerk is the official servant of the Minister, in matters relating to the Church, and has many important duties to perform, tending to the advantage and comfort of all the members, as well as the Minister. His office is highly respectable, as well as useful; and, by law, the person appointed to fill it must be of twenty years of age, at the least, and known to the minister to be of honest conversation, and sufficient for his reading, writing, and also for his competent skill in singing, if it may be." He is the proper person to carry communications from the Minister to the sick, or others in the parish, when any need for employing a messenger exists; and for conveying to the minister notice of such as may be sick, or may require personal ministerial assistance; and the inhabitants of the parish will find it convenient to apply to him on any of the following

occasions.

1. When a child is to be baptized, the parents are required to give due notice to the Minister. This may conveniently be done by informing the Clerk; and the Minister wishes that such information may be given on the Sunday before the Baptism is to be

administered, or as early in the week as possible. When the notice is given, the names of the intended sponsors must be stated.

2. When any woman desires to return thanks to Almighty God after child-birth, notice should be given to the Clerk on the Morning of the Sunday on which she purposes to attend Church in the Afternoon.

3. When Banns of marrage are to be published, the particulars must be given to the Clerk at least one week before the first time of asking. When banns have been published concerning parties who may require a certificate of publication, in order that the marriage may be solemnized in another Parish, the Clerk must be informed at the time the particulars are stated; and a certificate shall be left with him; to whom application for it must be made, after the third time of asking.

4. When a Marriage is to be solemnized, notice should be given to the Clerk as much before the time as possible, in order to prevent the possibility of disappointment to the parties.

5. The Clerk is desired to acquaint the Minister as soon as any person in the parish is taken ill. In order to enable him to do this, it is earnestly desired that whenever sickness occurs in a family, some member of it should inform the Clerk of the circumstances without delay. Should this be neglected by the persons more nearly concerned, it would be a christian kindness in any neighbour to let the Clerk know of the case.

6. When death occurs, the Clerk must be informed without delay, in order that the church bell may be tolled in the customary manner. No time should be lost afterwards in stating to the Clerk what day and hour are proposed for the funeral, in order that the Minister may be consulted at once, and the necessary arrangements made.

7. When any person desires to place a stone or monument over any grave in the Church-yard, the Minister must be informed respecting the inscription which it is intended to bear; and in order to prevent future difficulty, it would be desirable that a copy of the proposed inscription should be left with the Clerk before the order is given to the stone-mason. The same remark is applicable to any alteration or renewal of stones already erected in the Church-yard.

8. Persons desirous of obtaining copies of any entries in the Parish Registers, may either apply to the Clerk, or may apply at once at the Parsonage. In case the Minister should be from home, instructions how to proceed will be left at the National School. Any persons in the Parish who, without requiring a certificate, may wish to know their age, may apply to the Clerk;