cerned by all: in the heart which is the abode of the Spirit they will grow; they are the fruits of the Spirit, that is, that which he produces. Look then with open face into the glass of God's word, and examine what resemblance does thy soul bear to Jesus. Is it a partaker of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust? 2 Peter i. 4. Know ye not, says St. Paul, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Cor. xiii. 5.

"Thy kingdom come," is the petition which Christ hath taught us to offer. May then his kingdom come in the hearts of all! May he change the waste land into good ground, and cause it so to receive the seed, that the wicked one may not catch it away, the sun may not wither it, the thorns may not choke it; but every soul be as the watered garden, (Isaiah Iviii. 11), and as the fruitful field, bringing forth some an hundred-fold, some sixty-fold, some thirty-fold. May he make us fit temples for his indwelling Spirit, building up a goodly edifice of gold, silver, and precious stones. We knowing that the headstone is grace, and that other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. iii. 11.

M. A. S. B.

JANUARY, 1838.

C

A SCENE.

IT was the declared opinion of our blessed martyrs, that no one could be ever be present at the celebration of the Romish mass without incurring the guilt of treason against the majesty of the Most High God. So gross is the idolatry practised on those occasions, that the servants of Christ resisted, even to the shedding of their heart's blood, all persuasion to defile themselves with it. Passing by this awful feature of the case, we will now present to our readers a faithful description of the inconceivably ridiculous ceremonies preceding and attending this act of worship. Not that ever we witnessed it-God forbid! The account is given by the late Rev. Dr. Brownlee; and represents the performances as conducted by a bishop of the apostate church.

'The mass, as viewed by a spectator, may be said to consist of five divisions. The first we may call the robing of the bishop in his pontificals, which must afford a highly intellectual and spiritual feast of soul to the spectators, and worshippers—shall I call them? The bishop enters the chapel in a woollen pontifical cope, which has its tail borne up by a chaplain ; and going to the altar, he kneels down and says the Introibo, I will go in,' &c. He then goes to the place where the paramenta, or robes and ornaments, are placed, and seats himself, surrounded by the proper quota of chaplains and deacons, one of

whom acts as his prompter, to tell him what to say, and to point with his finger to the place in the book where he is to read; near them lie the various paraphernalia and sacred vessels. The attendants having duly put on their sanctified robes and surplices, the bishop rises, and turning towards the altar, says the Lord's prayer secretly; then crossing himself from his brow to his breast, he says, 'God be my helper.' And while the choir responds, he turns towards the altar, between two bearers of wax candles, and says, 'The Lord be with you,' and other prayers. Then gravely laying aside his plurial, or cope, he takes the ornament called his planet, and approaches the altar, and sits down, while the psalm of the hours is being sung. During the singing, the holy sandals are brought out, one deacon lifts up the corner of his cope, while another takes off the holy man's shoes; then uttering certain prayers, he at last says, 'Shoe me with the sandals of gladness.' The dutiful deacon then puts on the consecrated sandals. And thus he answers his prayer. Then standing up he says, 'O Lord! strip the old man off me.' The scutiferus, or shield-bearer, answers this prayer by stripping him of his flowing cope. Then

looking at his hands, he says, 'O Lord, give virtue to my hands.' This prayer is answered by another, bringing a basin of water to wash his hands while he sits. The towel and basin are held by the most honorable and exalted layman, who, throwing himself on his knees, and pouring out a little water into the basin, sips and tastes it. Meanwhile, another of the ghostly menials is taking the consecrated rings off the bishop's fingers; and then the distinguished layman, rendered immortal by this honour allowed him,

with the aid of a deacon, washes the holy bishop's hands, and dries them, and then carries back the basin and towel to the credentia. The bishop's feet being shod with the gospel preparation, by putting on sandals, and the old man being put off by pulling off his old woollen cope, and having washed his hands in virtue and innocence, by getting them washed in water, he approaches the robes, and says, 'O Lord, put on me the helmet of salvation.' At this signal the paramenta, or robes and ornaments, are all brought forward with sanctimonious grimace— fifteen in number. The bishop approaches, bows, and kisses five of them, viz. the amictus, the pectoral, the cross, the stole, and the pall. All these the deacons receive from the chaplains, one by one, and put upon the bishop. And first, with holy solemnity, they take the amictus, and having all kissed it, they put it over the bishop's head, and fix it on him. His head being thus armed with the helmet of salvation, he stands up and says, 'O Lord, cloth me in white.' Upon this they put on the white surplice. Then he utters another prayer, while all the people look on with wonderful edification and blessed instruction, saying, 'O Lord, gird me with the girdle of faith.' On this, in answer to his humble and devout prayer, the ghostly menials take his girdle, and place it round his holy corporation, and buckle it in front. Then addressing the cross, the bishop thus prays, 'Deign, O Lord, to fortify me.' On this, the deacon, in his sacred functions, takes the cross, and holding it up to the bishop to be kissed, hangs it round his neck, so as to make it rest upon his pure breast. Next the bishop in his very holy devotions, says to the stole, 'O Lord, give me the robe of immortality.'

The deacon, whose office it is to answer this solemn prayer, now puts on the robe, nicely adjusting it, as a mantua-maker's maid would do, on his sacred body. Next the saintly man prays, as he looks on the tunicella, or little coat, 'Put me in the coat of jucundity, and clothe me, O Lord, with the garment of joy.' Here they put it on him, fitting it, with mantuamaker-like exactness, to his holy neck and holy hands. He next prays thus, ‘O Lord, clothe me with the garments of salvation." Here they put on him the Dalmatic, or Episcopal vestment, with tasteful exactness. The holy man next fixes his devout eyes on the gloves, and prays, 'Clothe my hands, O Lord, with the purity of the new man.' On this the deacon, whose office it is to answer all these devout prayers, first kisses his right hand, and then puts a glove on it; then kisses the left, and puts on a glove on it; and so clothes his hands with heavenly purity. This being over, the bishop prays another new prayer, saying, 'O Lord, thy yoke is easy. On this, the spiritual menials, who are illuminating the congregation by this display, take the bishop's ornament, called the planet, and swing it back so as to give his arms full exercise. The pall is next brought; the deacon takes a hold of it by the cross on the right side, and the sub-deacon by the cross on the left side, and hold forth the cross in the middle, that the bishop may kiss it. Then they put it round his neck, making that part on his left shoulder to lie double, and the whole is so tastefully and so tailor-like put round his neck, that his arms are not hindered. Then comes the putting on the three thorns with their jewels. This, none but the sanctified and initiated can well understand. The first thorn goes into the