shalt stand-the enemy shall be enfeebled, and thou shalt be strengthened; therefore seek this name, JESUS, hold it and forget it not. Nothing so quenches flames, restrains evil thoughts, cuts away venomous affections, or alienates from us vain occupations. This name, JESUS, truly held in mind, rooteth up vices, planteth virtues, bringeth charity or love to men, getteth men savour heavenly things, wasteth discord, informeth peace, giveth everlasting rest, or doeth away heaviness of fleshly desires: all earthly desires, all earthly things, it turneth into heaviness. It filleth those that it loveth with spiritual joy; so that worthily it may be said, All shall be glorified in thee that love thy name, for thou shalt bless the righteous.' The righteous must be blessed, for he hath truly loved this name, JESUS. He is called righteous, as one who seeks earnestly to love this Jesus. What can fail to him who unceasingly covets to love Jesus? He loveth and he desireth to love; for thus we know the love of God to stand-for the more we love the more we court to love.

"It is said, "They that eat me shall not hunger, and they that drink me shall not thirst; therefore the love of Jesus by itself is delectable and desirable. Therefore no joy shall fail those that covet earnestly to love Him whom angels desire to behold. Angels see him always, and ever desire to see him; for they are so full filled, that their filling doeth not away their desire; and they desire so, that their desire doeth not away their fulness. This is full joy-this is glorious joy; therefore all men shall be glorified that love thy name. If they loved not, they should not be glorified, and those that love most do joy most. For of love proceedeth joy; therefore he that loveth not shall for ever be without joy. Therefore, many caitiffs think to joy with Christ; but as they love not his name, JESUS, they shall sorrow without end, whatever they do; and if they give all things that they have to poor men, unless they love this name, JESUs, they shall labour in vain; for only such shall be gladdened in Jesus who have loved him in this present life. Those that defoul him with vices and foul thoughts, and turn not again, there is no doubt but they are put out from the glory of God. Therefore he shall not see the glory of God that hath not joyfully loved this name, JESUS. Be the wicked man done away, that he sees not the glory of God; righteous men seek glory and life, and they find it in Jesus, whom they loved. I went about by coveting and riches, and I found not Jesus; I went about by the swallow of lusts, and I found not Jesus. I ran by wantonness of my flesh, and I found not Jesus; I sat in company of worldly mirth, but there I found him not; I sought him in high thoughts of myself, but there I found him not:-in all these things I sought him, but I found him not; for he let me know by his grace that he is not found in the land of ease and soft living. Therefore I turned by another way, and sought him by poverty; and I found Jesus, born into the world poor, laid in a craitch, and wrapped in poor rags. I went by sharp sufferings, and I found Jesus weary in the way, tormented with hunger, and thirst, and cold, filled with slanders and reproofs. I sat by myself, fleeing the vanities of the world, and I found Jesus in the desert, fasting and praying by himself in the hill. I went about in self-denial and pain, and I found Jesus bound hand and foot fast to pillar of stone, and from the hand to the feet all torn with scourges.

the whole design of Christ's coming, and the doctrines of the Gospel being to recover us from a miserable condition, from ignorance to spiritual wisdom, by the conduct of faith; and from a vicious, habitually depraved life, and ungodly manners, to the purity of the sons of God by the instrument of repentance." Thus, then, we shall conclude this article in the words of another on this part of our Liturgy. "And hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins." The power and commandment which God has given to his Ministers may be understood by a simple-minded Christian, without adducing any of those passages upon which the Romanist builds his doctrine of the power of the priest to forgive sins. Those who have access to the unadulterated word of God, must surely know that it is the sole prerogative of God to forgive sins; and that the full and free forgiveness of all sins is a part of that "ministry of reconciliation," with which the ambassadors of Christ are intrusted. They are to declare and pronounce God's will concerning sinners; to hold out his precious promises; and to call out to the congregation and say, " He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel." Here we see faith and repentance inseparably connected. Faith contains the seed within itself of genuine repentance, and faith is "the gift of God;" therefore the Minister of Christ exhorts those around him to join in asking for it, " wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his holy Spirit." Jesus has most unequivocally promised his holy Spirit to those that ask, and true repentance will ever accompany that dove of peace. "That those things may please him which we do at this present: and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy." Without faith it is impossible to please God; therefore faith is the first gift God bestows, when he blesses the soul of any son of Adam. "So that at the last he may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." We expect eternal joy, not for the holy life we lead, but through Jesus Christ, our Lord. He, and he alone is our passport into the realms of bliss: and the happiness we feel now is the same in kind, and different only in degree, with that we shall enjoy in glory, through him who hath loved us, and washed us in his own blood, and made us kings and priests to God. To his glorious name be all honour and praise, now and for

ever.

THE ENGLISH REFORMER.

No. 1.

From the Writings of John Wyckliffe, D.D., born Anno 1324, and died Anno 1384, and interred at Lutterworth.

"WHOSOEVER thou art that arrayest thyself to love God, if thou wilt neither be deceived nor deceive-if thou wilt be saved and not fail, if thou wilt stand and not fall-study to have the name of Jesus constantly in mind. If thou doest so, the enemy shall fall and thou

shalt stand-the enemy shall be enfeebled, and thou shalt be strengthened; therefore seek this name, JESUS, hold it and forget it not. Nothing so quenches flames, restrains evil thoughts, cuts away venomous affections, or alienates from us vain occupations. This name, JESUS, truly held in mind, rooteth up vices, planteth virtues, bringeth charity or love to men, getteth men savour heavenly things, wasteth discord, informeth peace, giveth everlasting rest, or doeth away heaviness of fleshly desires: all earthly desires, all earthly things, it turneth into heaviness. It filleth those that it loveth with spiritual joy; so that worthily it may be said, All shall be glorified in thee that love thy name, for thou shalt bless the righteous.' The righteous must be blessed, for he hath truly loved this name, JESUS. He is called righteous, as one who seeks earnestly to love this Jesus. What can fail to him who unceasingly covets to love Jesus? He loveth and he desireth to love; for thus we know the love of God to stand-for the more we love the more we court to love.

"It is said, "They that eat me shall not hunger, and they that drink me shall not thirst;' therefore the love of Jesus by itself is delectable and desirable. Therefore no joy shall fail those that covet earnestly to love Him whom angels desire to behold. Angels see him always, and ever desire to see him; for they are so full filled, that their filling doeth not away their desire; and they desire so, that their desire doeth not away their fulness. This is full joy-this is glorious joy; therefore all men shall be glorified that love thy name. If they loved not, they should not be glorified, and those that love most do joy most. For of love proceedeth joy; therefore he that loveth not shall for ever be without joy. Therefore, many caitiffs think to joy with Christ; but as they love not his name, JESUs, they shall sorrow without end, whatever they do; and if they give all things that they have to poor men, unless they love this name, JESUS, they shall labour in vain; for only such shall be gladdened in Jesus who have loved him in this present life. Those that defoul him with vices and foul thoughts, and turn not again, there is no doubt but they are put out from the glory of God. Therefore he shall not see the glory of God that hath not joyfully loved this name, JESUS. Be the wicked man done away, that he sees not the glory of God; righteous men seek glory and life, and they find it in Jesus, whom they loved. I went about by coveting and riches, and I found not Jesus; I went about by the swallow of lusts, and I found not Jesus. I ran by wantonness of my flesh, and I found not Jesus; I sat in company of worldly mirth, but there I found him not; I sought him in high thoughts of myself, but there I found him not:-in all these things I sought him, but I found him not; for he let me know by his grace that he is not found in the land of ease and soft living. Therefore I turned by another way, and sought him by poverty; and I found Jesus, born into the world poor, laid in a craitch, and wrapped in poor rags. I went by sharp sufferings, and I found Jesus weary in the way, tormented with hunger, and thirst, and cold, filled with slanders and reproofs. I sat by myself, fleeing the vanities of the world, and I found Jesus in the desert, fasting and praying by himself in the hill. I went about in self-denial and pain, and I found Jesus bound hand and foot fast to pillar of stone, and from the hand to the feet all torn with scourges.

I found Jesus hanging on the cross, fast nailed hand and foot, having gall given to him to drink, and dying on the cross. Therefore Jesus is not found in riches, but in poverty; not in delicacies, but in penance (or self-denial); not in idle or wanton joying, but in bitter weeping and mourning; not among many, but in a lonely place; not in soft nourishing of body, but in pain of body. In truth, an evil man findeth not Jesus, for he sees him not where he is; he enforces himself to seek Jesus in the joys of this world, where he shall never be found. O ye worldly and fleshly caitiffs, ye are led away from the joys of God, and deceived with the devil's fraud, not abiding the blessed hope nor desiring the coming of the glory of God! Worthily shall ye suffer everlasting death, for ye follow this life, which ye know shall not long be had here! Truly your eyes are blinded; the devil hath put them out, for that which ye see ye believe not! When ye behold a man dying, and yet dread not death, ye are confused and ruined, for the Lord hath despised you; ye are accursed and made abominable. All holy angels and lovers of Jesus Christ shall be full filled with great joy, when your reprovable company shall be damned all of them to everlasting fire. Woe be to you, ye rich men! Woe to you, proud folk! Woe to you, lechers! Woe be to all willing to do sin; for your hire shall be given to you-torment of hell, ready for you from the beginning of the world. I know that ye must go down thither, for from you wicked customs neither joy of heaven nor torment of hell can call you. Whereto say ye, therefore, idly, We shall be saved in Jesus,' while ye cease not to hate him, without whom ye cannot have health? who, not loving Jesus, hopeth to be saved-truly lacking faith, he accuses himself as under condemnation! Verily, he loveth health who unweariedly keepeth the name of Jesus in himself. I wonder not that a man, being tempted, falleth, who hath not the name of Jesus lasting in his mind. Securely hath he chosen to be in singleness of heart with God, when he especially chooses this name, JESUS. Truly this name cleanses the conscience, makes the heart clear and clean, and quite drives away fear; it gets a man warmth of love, lifts up the mind to heavenly melody, and chases away the watchful fiends. Oh, thou good name! oh, thou sweet name! oh, glorious name! oh, healthful name! oh, name to be desired! Wicked spirits may not abide thee, when they behold Jesus either in mind or hear him named in mouth. I sought to love Jesus, and ever the more I grew perfect in his love so much the sweeter his name savoured to me. Therefore, blessed be the name of Jesus for ever and ever! Amen."

On doctrinal points Wyckliffe was equally as definitive as on experimental ones. Of the election of grace he thus speaks in his Trialogus: "We are predestinated, that we may obtain Divine acceptance, and become holy; having received that grace through Christ's taking human nature, whereby we are rendered finally pleasing to God. And it appears that his grace, which is called the grace of predestination, or the charity of final perseverance, cannot by any

means fail."

On the article of justification and merit he says, "That faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, is sufficient for salvation, and that without faith it is impossible to please God; that the merit of Christ is able, by itself,

to redeem all from hell, and that this sufficiency is to be understood without any other cause concurring; he persuaded men, therefore, to trust wholly to Christ, to rely altogether on his sufferings, not to seek to be justified but by his righteousness; and that by participation in his righteousness, all men are righteous. Heal us, Lord, for nought; that is, no merit of ours; but for thy mercy, Lord, not our merits, but to thy mercy, give thy joy. Give us grace to know that all thy gifts are of thy goodness. Our flesh, though it seem holy, yet it is not holy. We all are originally sinners, as Adam, and in Adam; his leprosy cleaveth faster to us than Naaman's did to Gehazi. For according to his teaching we all are sinners, not only from our birth, but before, so that we cannot so much as think a good thought unless Jesus the Angel of the great Counsel send it; nor perform a good work unless it be properly his good work. His mercy comes before us that we receive grace, and followeth us, keeping us, and keeping us in grace. So, then, it is not good for us to trust in our merits, in our virtues, in our righteousness, but to conclude this point-good it is only to trust in God."

"All that follow Christ, being justified by his righteousness, shall be saved as his offspring." "Though all good things do happen necessarily, yet God wills that good things happen to his servants through the efficiency of prayer." "The prayer of the reprobate prevaileth for no man." "The want of steadfast faith is the chief cause why men fall into deadly sin.” "If man's belief and trust were firmly set in God, all fear of man, fantasies, and fear of this world, would grieve him but little, or not at all." "This faith maketh our souls so able to receive heavenly gifts, that we may get whatever we desire of the faithful Lord." "All things that happen do come absolutely of necessity." "The Cross of Christ is taken when despisings for the love of truth are not forsaken, but taken." "There are three degrees of Christ's love, in which those that are chosen to God's love go from one to another: the first is called insuperable, the second is inseparable, and the third is called singular."

We shall conclude this paper, for the present, by referring any of our readers to the works of the Reformer, especially to his Trialogus, in which every point of Christian doctrine is, in a most masterly manner, treated of. The doctrines of grace are, one and all, proved to be the orthodox doctrines of God's most holy Word, and as afterwards embodied in the Articles, Homilies, and Formularies of our Apostolical Church.

Matt. x. 16.

Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

THESE words, when first spoken, were addressed by our Saviour to his disciples as the first preachers of the Gospel, intimating thereby what kind of reception they might expect to meet with from the world in their divine mission. But nevertheless they are of general application to the Lord's people, both amongst the clergy and laity: and they do intimate to us, that the spirit of Christianity is directly opposite to the spirit of