especially the young, in "foolish talking and jesting." Solomon says, "I was almost in all evil, in the midst of the congregation, and assembly.' Prov. v., 14. And we recollect being much struck with a remark in the life of the late Mr. Pearce, of Birmingham, which we cannot give in the exact words, but which was to the effect-"that his friends would not endure him, if they knew the thoughts that sometimes passed through his mind even in the pulpit." Holy places are, indeed, no safeguard against unholy thoughts and deeds. They have no sanctifying power over the heart themselves, and they have often been desecrated by the vilest enormities. But we must not confound the evils which good men deplore, with the frivolities and sins in which other men indulge. There was nothing outwardly wrong in the conduct of Solomon and Pearce. Their confessions and lamentations do not refer so much to what they did, as to what they felt the sins which so easily beset them. They might say all which they did, and doubtless did say it, consistently with the greatest reverence. But what reverence is there in sleep, and levity, and display? Such things are more in character with the theatre than with the sanctuary, and will be carefully avoided by all who have any regard either for their own reputation, or the favour of God.

A proper reverence for the sanctuary will also preserve it from being used for purposes alien to its character, and the objects for which it exists.

Music Halls, Assembly Rooms, Theatres, and such like buildings may be used for any purpose that does not interfere with the well-being of society; and, in one view of it, it is a pleasing fact, that, at the present day, they are so frequently used as preaching places. The Saviour and His Apostles went everywhere preaching the word. And if it be found by experience that there is a greater readiness, on the part of large masses of the population, to go to such places rather than to others, it is certainly right to give them the opportunity of doing so. Better, far better that they should hear the truth in such places and be saved, than that they should not hear it and be lost. But, whilst we readily admit this, and rejoice in it, we cannot grant that meetings of all sorts may, with equal propriety, be held in the house of God. It has a distinct character. It exists for a distinct purpose. It has been set apart, by the consent of all parties, to that purpose. And, without attaching undue importance to these things, there is, as it seems to us, a propriety, which all who revere the sanctuary will concur in, in keeping it to the work of the sanctuary, and in not allowing it to be used for political, or business, or even reformatory and social purposes, without the utmost care. For what occurred in the house of God at Corinth? Paul says, "In eating everyone taketh before other his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What! have you not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say unto you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 1 Cor. xi., 21, 22. And mark the judgment of Christ. The "Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables. And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My

Father's house a house of merchandise. John xi., 13 to 16. purpose of its own to answer, and it must be kept to it.

It has a

Another proof of reverence on which we must insist is regard for the condition of the house of God, its appearance, and comfort.

There are sanctuaries which seem as if no one cared for them. Dirty, damp, desolate looking places; and with broken windows and open roofs, and mouldering walls, and rickety pews and benches. We have seen

such places, and we have also seen the people who worship in them. And if, here and there, we have met a right-hearted one, who mourned over the desolation, we have been glad. But, generally speaking, such persons do not worship in such places. Right-hearted persons revere the sanctuary, and prove their reverence for it by seeing that it is in a proper condition. We have no faith at all in the piety of persons who are content to worship God in dilapidated, uncomfortable places, whether they are poor or rich. For poverty can be clean; and riches can do all that is necessary, if, there is only the heart to part with them. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, "This people say the time is not come, &c." Hag. i., 2-10. The truths contained in this passage are striking and impressive. May we have grace to regard them, and to prove our love for the sanctuary by meeting, to the extent of our means, the demands which may be made upon us to make it what it should be as the earthly dwelling-place of the God of heaven. We build, and alter, and repair, and improve for Him, as well as for ourselves, when we are preparing a house for worship; and we may be well assured, that, our conduct in the matter is the proof of our reverence for Him ; the evidence by which He will judge of the hold which He has upon our affections.

The motives that should influence us may be seen, in part, in what has been said; and we shall refer, at once, therefore, in addition, to the worthiness of the object. The sanctuary of the Lord. The place concerning which he said to Moses, "And there will I meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims, which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment to the children of Israel. Ex. xxv., 22.

We cannot revere some places. Their character, and the purposes to which they are devoted, are vile and debasing. They are "on the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." But the house of the Lord is a hallowed place. Everything there is pure and improving. We meet with Him there, and sing His praises, and call upon His name. The word of truth is read and expounded there, and assembled within its walls are the excellent of the earth; the most intelligent, the holiest, and the most useful of the human race. It is the spiritual birthplace of multitudes; and we may say concerning them, that, being "planted in the house of the Lord, they flourish in the courts of our God." Many of them were taken to it, in the happy days of childhood, by their parents; and remember with pleasure that they were scholars in its sunday school. The strongest attachment has grown up for it in their hearts from these circumstances, and wherever they may go, or whatever they may become, or do, they never forget it, and it never entirely loses its hold upon them. They cannot sin as others do, even when they fall into sin. And shall

we not then revere it? We must do. We cannot think lightly of such a place. It is worthy of our regard, and it shall have it.

The exercise of reverence for the sanctuary is also recommended by its influence, as a good thing both for ourselves and for others.

For ourselves; in inducing us to go there, and in leading us to regard it as a privilege to go; as well as in prompting us to go in a proper manner, and for proper objects. And, as men are influenced by example, it is also good for others. For if they see that we think something about the house of God, the probability is they will think something about it as well; whilst, on the other hand, if they see that we disregard it, they will be just as likely to disregard it too. "No man liveth unto himself." And on these grounds therefore it is highly important that we should learn to esteem, and esteem highly, the house of the Lord. It must be an advantage to us to do so. We must be the better for it ourselves, and it must operate usefully on all within the sphere of our influence.

The will of God in the matter is expressed in His word. "Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary; I am the Lord.” Lev. xix., 30. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." John iv., 25. These passages express the will of God very clearly; and all therefore who feel it to be their duty to do His will, who have no higher ambition than to please Him, and have no greater pleasure than that which results from pleasing Him, will take the law from His lips, and obey it. The banter of the profane, and the ridicule of the scoffer will not have the weight of a feather against the word of the Lord; and they will have no reason to regret the consequences. Obed-edom, and all that pertained unto him, were blessed for the sake of the ark. He had taken it into his house when David was displeased because the Lord smote Uzza for putting forth his hand to hold it, and this was his reward—"The Lord blessed him, and all that he had. 1 Chron. xiii., 12. And can we say that it is not so now? Are we in a condition to assert that the prosperity of such of the servants of Christ as distinguished themselves by their regard for His house and worship is in no way connected with that regard? The dispensation under which we live is different doubtless, but it is still true that "that the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear Him;" and still a fact that "He blesses them in their basket and their store." And so with regard to spiritual things.

There are persons who have made such attainments in religion as to be above the need of the sanctuary; who, according to their own statement, can do as well, or better, at home. But they are exceptions. Ordinary mortals do not make such attainments. They feel that they need all the helps which God has provided for them. They cannot do well without a preached gospel. Their souls require the communion of saints, and public and social as well as private intercourse with God. And finding, as they do, that the advantages resulting from these things are regulated by the zeal and diligence with which they are attended to, they can no more afford to become careless, and let the house and worship of God decline in their estimation, than they can afford to be spiritually ignorant and destitute, cut off from the fellowship of God's people, and estranged from himself. Their welfare requires a growing intimacy with Him, and a growing attachment to each other, and as

these things are promoted in His house, they love it, and cherish their love for it as one of the most precious affections of their heart.

A further motive for the cultivation of reverence for the sanctuary is furnished by the difference which there is between those who have it, and those who are without it, or who possess it very imperfectly. Their general sentiments may be the same. They may go to the same house of prayer. And they may be equally truthful, and honest, and kind. But they differ in the state of their hearts towards God, in the motives by which they are actuated, and, in many instances, in their moral deportment.

The men that truly revere the house of God, revere God himself; and they, therefore, are in a right state of heart towards Him, and are prompted by right motives to go to the sanctuary. But it is not so with the others. We cannot say of those who are destitute of reverence for the sanctuary that they revere God, because reverence for Him is the source of it, and as there is no stream, there can be no fountain; no love for God himself because there is none for His house. And this is not all. The bulk of those who have no reverence for the sanctuary do not go there, but, either spend their sabbaths at home, or crowd the streets, and lanes, and fields. Ale-houses, and Taverns, and Tea Gardens are full of them; and we may see them by thousands on our Railways, and in our Steamers. But we never see the men who revere the sanctuary there. They can enjoy a stroll in the fields, or a sail on the river, with as much zest as others, at other times, but not when they should be at the house of God; their consciences would prevent that. And when we think of the many evils which they escape, on the one hand, and of the many blessings which they enjoy, on the other, have we not reason to cast in our lot with them. No rational man can wish to be like the men who have no fear of God before their eyes, and who, in the gratification of their sinful passions and appetites, so frequently clothe themselves with shame, and come to an untimely end. Such a man, must, of necessity, prefer the house, and ways, and people of God, and give his whole heart to the cultivation of those principles, and feelings, and dispositions, which, whilst they will preserve him from the ways of the destroyer, will guide his feet into the way of peace.

David says, "I will wash mine hands in innocency; so will I compass Thine altar, O Lord." Psalm xxvi., 6. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple." Psalm xxvii., 4. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord." Psalm cxxii., 1. And well he might be. "Honour and majesty are before Him, strength and beauty are in His sanctuary." "Give unto the Lord, therefore, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength." Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name, bring an offering and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Psalm xcvi., 6-9. They will do so sometime. The children of men will not always slight the Lord and His house, as they now do. We shall not always see crowded streets, and gardens, and railways, and theatres, and deserted sanctuaries. The world will grow wiser and better as it grows older, and, instead of what we now see, we shall "behold all nations whom

God has made come and worship before Him, and glorify His name." Psalm lxxxvi., 9. "It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Isaiah xi., 2, 3. So says the prophet, and so it shall be. "Yea, all kings shall fall down before Him, all nations shall serve Him.” Psalm lxxii., 11. J. C. H.

CLOSE COMMUNION PRACTICALLY CONSIDERED.

THE last number of the Freewill Baptist Quarterly contains an article on the subject of Free Communion. We make from it the following selection as giving the views of our American brethren :—

"That the spirit is thus infinitely superior to the mere letter in the Christian dispensation, may be well argued from the perplexity of the Baptists themselves. They cannot trace their practice to any definite principle. They shift their premises under the pressure of the Divine Spirit, like shifting quicksands. They say at one time, it is not "close communion," but "close baptism," and yet they exclude, by their invitation, the " same faith and order," those whom they confessed to be baptized Christians. In the face of this inconsistency they fly to the ground, this is a church of ordinance, and that none but "regular Baptist churches" are churches of Christ. Thus in their strait they fall into the old Papal error respecting the outward, visible, Catholic church. And yet it is such a church as to exclude the majority of those who are admitted to be genuine Christians—a church out of which salvation, by their confession, is much more abundant than within it. To the same point we may cite various facts that show those whose general practice is strict communion do not experience any shock to their Christian feeling, when under certain pressure or mistake. Pædobaptists are admitted to their communion. We now proceed to narrate a few incidents, illustrative of the ground upon which the argument of this paragraph proceeds.

On Long Island, by some awkwardness, we do not remember what, a Baptist clergyman preached in a Pædobaptist church on a communion occasion. After the sermon, a Pædobaptist minister present being about to administer the communion, the clergyman who had just delivered the sermon, remarked: “ Brethren, you know that by the rule of my denomination, I am excluded from communion with you; but I trust the Lord Jesus will commune with you." The minister, after making this remark, having taken his seat, reflecting upon the statement which he had made, decided notwithstanding the "rule of my denomination," to participate in communion, and did so without any qualms of conscience. His brethren did not feel it obligatory upon them to require a confession to save them the pain of expelling him,