well to consider and know, what is the full amount of the riches which have been committed to our care; what is the height and depth of the Mysteries which have been entrusted to our keeping; for we serve a Master who will strictly require at our hands every talent that He has left with us, and rigorously examine whether we have been afraid and hid it in a napkin, or have diligently put it out to usury and turned it to full account. Let us turn our thoughts again to the representation, which St. Paul gives us, of our character and calling, "We are Ambassadors for CHRIST." Now what should we think of the Ambassador of an earthly king, who when he came among the people to whom he was sent, should seem to regard it as a matter of slight importance, whether he were indeed commissioned or not, or appear willing to conceal the full powers with which he was vested, and speak only as an individual? Would this be to be faithful to him that appointed him? would his Master own him as a "good and faithful servant?" And if we are Ambassadors for CHRIST, His " deputies for the reducing of man to the obedience of God," we must follow the example which our Master has set us, and, as He was, so must we be in this world. For He has Himself declared to us, as My FATHER hath sent me, even so send I you'." How then did CHRIST fulfil the office which His FATHER had committed to Him? Let us look to His discourses as recorded in St. John's Gospel, and to the solemn prayer with which He concluded His earthly Ministry. We there find Him again and again proclaiming that He had been sent from the FATHER; it was for this end that He prayed so earnestly for the unity and holiness of His Church, that the world might believe that the FATHER had sent Him; it was because His chosen disciples had believed that the FATHER had sent Him, that He poured forth such fervent thanksgivings on their behalf". "I am not come of Myself, but He sent Me." "I have not spoken of Myself, but the FATHER which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak." "They have known that all things are of Thee; they have known that I

1 St. John xx. 21. Comp. xvii. 18. "As Thou hast sent me into the world, so have I also sent them into the world."

2 St. John xvii. 8. 21. 23. 25.

came out from Thee; they have believed that Thou didst send Me." Thus did CHRIST stand in the midst of His generation as an Apostle, as one sent from GOD; and so must His deputies likewise stand among their brethren; as men sent to a rebellious house, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, speaking with authority" as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in CHRIST's stead, be ye reconciled unto God." And if we are asked by what authority we speak, and who gave us this authority, we have our credentials at hand; "whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted, and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained." "Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." "He that heareth you, heareth Me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me; and he that despiseth Me, despiseth Him that sent Me." (Vid. St. John xx. St. Matt. xviii. St. Luke x.)

If ever, then, we are tempted to be ashamed of CHRIST and of His words, or to allow His high and heavenly mission to be thought lightly of in the person of His Deputies and Ministers, let us remember, that it is no matter of personal consideration, that two sacred interests are involved, the glory of GoD, and the edifying of His people. Let us remember that, as CHRIST received of the FATHER "a commandment," so we too have received a commandment from Him, the "commandment" as well as the "power" to declare to His people the message of forgiveness; that CHRIST has commanded us to teach all nations to observe whatsoever He has commanded us, and then He will be with us alway, even to the end of the world. And above all, let us not be silenced by the sense of past unworthiness and neglect, whether in ourselves individually, or in the Church at large; this would be but to add sin to sin. Rather, seeing we have this Ministry, this glorious ministration of righteousness (2 Cor. iv. 1. comp. ch. iii.), let us not faint; but strive how we may show ourselves "dutiful and thankful to that LORD who hath placed us in so high a dignity." The

1 St. John xii. 49, 50. Comp. xiv. 10. 24. comp. also our LORD's remark able words, ch. v. 31. 43.

world would fain silence our glorying, and would have CHRIST rebuke His disciples, but let us not be ashamed of the good confession; for with such powers and graces, given to us by CHRIST Himself, as Ambassadors for Him, and Workers together with GOD, if we should hold our peace, the very stones would immediately cry out.

[SECOND EDITION.]

These Tracts are published Monthly, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD, AND WATERLOO PLACE.

1838.

GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London.

The following Works, all in single volumes, or pamphlets, and recently published, will be found more or less to uphold or elucidate the general doctrines inculcated in these Tracts :

Bp. Taylor on Repentance, by Hale.-Rivingtons.

Bp. Taylor's Golden Grove.-Parker, Oxford.

Vincentii Lirinensis Commonitorium, with translation.Parker, Oxford.

Pusey on Cathedrals and Clerical Education.-Roake & Varty.
Hook's University Sermons.-Talboys, Oxford.

Pusey on Baptism (published separately).-Rivingtons.
Newman's Sermons, 4 vols.-Rivingtons.

Newman on Romanism, &c.-Rivingtons.
The Christian Year.-Parker, Oxford.
Lyra Apostolica.-Rivingtons.

Perceval on the Roman Schism.-Leslie.

Bishop Jebb's Pastoral Instructions.-Duncan.
Dodsworth's Lectures on the Church.-Burns.
Newman on Suffragan Bishops.-Rivingtons.
Keble's Sermon on Tradition.-Rivingtons.
Memoir of Ambrose Bonwick.-Parker, Oxford.
Hymns for Children on the Lord's Prayer.-Rivingtons.
Law's First and Second Letters to Hoadly.-Rivingtons.
Bp. Andrews's Devotions. Latin and Greek.-Pickering.
Hook's Family Prayers.-Rivingtons.

Herbert's Poems and Country Pastor.
Evans's Scripture Biography.-Rivingtons.

Le Bas' Life of Archbishop Laud.-Rivingtons.

Jones (of Nayland) on the Church.

Bp. Bethell on Baptismal Regeneration.-Rivingtons. Bp. Beveridge's Sermons on the Ministry and Ordinances.Parker, Oxford.

Bp. Jolly on the Eucharist.

Fulford's Sermons on the Ministry, &c.-Rivingtons.
Rose's Sermons on the Ministry.-Rivingtons.
A Catechism on the Church.-Parker, Oxford.
Russell's Judgment of the Anglican Church.-Baily.
Poole's Sermons on the Creed.-Grant, Edinburgh.
Sutton on the Eucharist.-Parker, Oxford.
Leslie on the Regale and Pontificate.-Leslie.
Pusey's Sermon on November 5.-Rivingtons.
Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata.-Parker, Oxford.

Larger Works which may be profitably studied.

Bishop Bull's Sermons.-Parker, Oxford.
Bishop Bull's Works.-University Press.
Waterland's Works.-Do.

Wall on Infant Baptism.-Do.

Pearson on the Creed.-Do.

Leslie's Works.-Do.

Bingham's Works.-Straker, London.

Palmer on the Liturgy.-University Press.

Palmer on the Church.-Rivingtons.

Hooker, ed. Keble.-Do.

Prisers.

THOUGHTS

ON THE BENEFITS OF THE SYSTEM OF FASTING,

ENJOINED BY OUR CHURCH.

To a person but little accustomed to observe any stated Fasts, the directions given by our Church on this subject, would probably occasion two very opposite feelings. On the one hand, he would be struck by the practical character and thoughtfulness evinced by some of the regulations; on the other, he would probably feel repelled by the number of days, and the variety of occasions, which the Church has appointed to be hallowed. Most Christians, who really loved their SAVIOUR, (unless prevented by the habits of early education,) would probably see something appropriate and affectionate in the selection of the Friday, for a weekly commemoration of their SAVIOUR's sufferings, and of humiliation for their own sins which caused them; or, at all events, they would feel that there was some thoughtfulness in the direction annexed, that this weekly Fast should not interfere with the Christian joyousness brought back by the Festival of their LORD's Nativity when these should in the cycle of years coincide. Again, if they should fail to appreciate the wisdom of appointing certain days to be kept sacred in memory of the holy men who left all to follow CHRIST, and consequently should be rather deterred than attracted, by observing that many of these days were ushered in by a preceding Fast; still they would hardly fail to be struck by the provision, that this previous fast should not interfere with the Christian's weekly Festival of his LORD's Resurrection, but that "if any of these Feast-days should fall upon a Monday, then the Fast-day should be kept on the Saturday, not upon the Sunday next before it '." Again, he must observe, that during certain periods of the Church's year, which are times of especial joy to the faithful Christian, those, namely, which follow the Nativity and the Resurrection, these preparatory Fasts are altogether omitted. Some or other of these regulations See Tables prefixed to the Common Prayer Book.