are all the while thinking about nothing else but the music, or perhaps even worse than that, while you sing the words of a Psalm, are thinking wholly of some worldly matter. And secondly, for the sake of the congregation,-because if their devotion is interrupted by your negligence and want of reverence, you must expect that the punishment will come upon your heads.

Get into the habit of always thinking of what you are saying. Thus, for instance, when you sing "Glory be to the FATHER," &c., remember that it is not your whole business to mind you do not sing it out of tune; but that you are actually joining with the Heavenly Choir above in ascribing Glory to FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, Three Persons and One GoD, Who is then and there really present among you, and Who will accept or reject your offering according as it is made with reverence or otherwise. Above all things avoid all talking among yourselves during the service, for this is exceedingly indecorous, and very cruel to the rest of the congregation, who are thus prevented worshipping GoD so attentively as they wish to do.

In order to prevent this, have every thing arranged before the service begins. If it is left to you to choose the music, which is the case in some churches, never put off the selecting it till just before it is wanted, for if you do this, it is sure to cause a good deal of whispering, which is very wrong. I have sometimes been exceedingly shocked to see the singers with their heads all together, passing books backwards and forwards from one to another, and to hear them whispering and shuffling about even during the most solemn part of the service: making it plainly appear, that their object was not at all to worship GCD, but simply to please themselves and to show themselves off before their neighbours; and thus quite disgusting the congregation whom they wish to please. Such conduct is of course exceedingly dreadful, and only requires just putting plainly into words to make all persons see how very bad it is.

In order therefore to prevent anything of this kind I repeat what I said before. If it is left to you to choose the music do not put off doing so till just before it is wanted, but get every thing ready some time before the Service begins, and then you will be able to go through it without one word of interruption.

Every thing we do in Church, either during service or at other times, should be done with reverence; because while there, we are always in the especial Presence of GOD. Be very careful then to guard against the notion, which some thoughtless people entertain, that as soon as ever the service is over, there is no harm in talking to your neighbours. Now, there is a great deal of harm in it, and you may be quite sure that people who do so, have not cared much about the service. If people have been really worshipping GOD as they ought to do, they will not the next moment have any thing to say about common matters, for their thoughts will, of course, be occupied by what they have just been doing.

GOD requires our bodies to be reverent as well as our hearts, and indeed the one never can be so without the other. So strive to remember this in all things both great and small. For instance, never go into Church at any time with your hat on, for it is exceedingly indecent. You would not do so, if you went into the house of any of your wealthier neighbours, much less then can you think of doing so when you go into GOD's House. And when I say this, I do not mean merely that you should take off your hat when you go into Church at service time, but at all times, even if you have occasion to go in by yourself just for one minute : for GOD is present there at one time as well as at another, and He sees and notices everything you do.

And now, my friends, I have nearly finished. In conclusion I have only to say this much, always consult your Clergyman in everything you do, because it is his business to arrange every part of the service. Learn in singing, to speak all your words quite distinctly, and with a proper, not a vulgar accent. Never neglect your practising times; strive to take a pleasure in doing well what you are about. Attend to everything I have told you, and then, if you do, I am sure you will after a while thank me for writing to you, and so will all the congregation. And may GOD bless you in your holy undertaking.

J. MASTERS, PRINTER, ALDERSGATE STREET, LONDON.

THE WORSHIP OF THE BODY;

BEING

A Few Plain Words about a Plain Duty.

BY A CHURCHMAN.

"GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY."-1 COR. VI. 20.

LONDON:

JOSEPH MASTERS, ALDERSGATE STREET,
AND 78, NEW BOND STREET.

BIRMINGHAM: H. C. LANGBRIDGE, BULL STREET.

MDCCCXLIX.

No. 10. Price 1d. or 78. per hundred.

THE WORSHIP OF THE BODY.

"O COME, let us worship, and fall down and kneel before the LORD our Maker." Such words does our daily Service put into our mouths, but not such practice do our weekly gatherings-together present to our eyes. Such devotion does the Church teach our souls, but to no such unworld-like homage do we bend our bodies. So, day after day, would our Mother have us meet the bright beams of morning with the outpourings of a thankful, humble heart, and visible reverence to our God and King, but such is not the sight our Sundays see,-of week days, alas! we may scarcely speak.

"O come, let us worship and fall down;" -how many utter the words with their lips, and straightway fling themselves into their seats, and listen at their ease, while one prays! Are they slothful, and do they think

it a weariness to kneel? GOD's House is no place for sloth. Or are they too proud to take such lowly posture ?-proud, forsooth! as though it were not all too high an honour for the body, beset with sins, to come even into God's presence; and yet, when it is there, it will not render to Him the homage due to His Name. Or are they ashamed to own before men, that they have need of pardon ?-ashamed to confess their vileness before their fellows, but not ashamed to bear themselves proudly before Him, Who alone can give them pardon, and to Whom all hearts are open. Strange unreasonableness of men, ever falling into extremes! They will bend to man, but they will not bow to GOD; they would avoid formality, and they rush into irreverence; they would pay worship with the spirit, and they refuse to worship with the body, and neglecting this, they forget that also. They would have more devotion, by using less reverence, and what wonder if they fail of both? To avoid superstition, they put off the outward marks of religion, forgetting that there may be a superstition in not doing, as well as doing an action. They are all contradiction: they