Before we go on to the next Sunday, we will observe that the three first Sundays after Easter teach us the office of the appointed Ministers of CHRIST's Church, which was typified by the person of Elisha; while the three last Sundays teach us concerning the gift of the HOLY GHOST, typified by the Mantle which fell on Elisha. We have just learnt that we do receive the HOLY GHOST, and by whom He is sent; next, on the Fifth Sunday, we learn the effect of the HOLY GHOST resting on the Church, and that is threefold, 1st, Good works, as we are taught by the Epistle of that Sunday; we are there shown, that "whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, he not being a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, that man is blessed in his deed:" 2ndly, An enlightened understanding; this we are taught by the Gospel-" These things have I spoken to you in proverbs, but the time cometh when I shall no more speak to you in proverbs, but shall show you plainly of the FATHER" 3rdly, The privilege of prayer; "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in My Name, ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

After this comes the Festival of Ascension Day. This day is a commemoration of hardly less importance to our salvation than that of Good Friday itself; and moreover, the teaching of the Church is not complete without it. We were told indeed on the Sunday preceding it, that we when sanctified, have become children of GOD, are privileged ourselves to offer up prayers to our Heavenly FATHER, and that our prayers will be heard; but we want the doctrines taught on Holy Thursday to show us how it comes to pass that the prayers of such as we should be heard by the Most High GOD-that it is, because CHRIST has ascended to the right hand of GoD, and is there continually to present them-because we are made by Baptism members of that Head Who is already in the presence of GOD.

We need not however speak more on that subject today, because this doctrine belongs more especially to the day itself. I have reverted to it now in order to show you how it is connected with the other doctrines of this particular season; we will now go on to this Sixth Sunday after Easter, which you will observe is that after Ascension

THE CHURCH'S CHRISTENING DAY.

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and before Whit-Sunday, when the Church is represented in a state of widowhood-deprived of its LORD, and not having yet received the SPIRIT. This you will see most clearly in the Collect " O LORD, Who hast exalted Thine only SON JESUS CHRIST with great triumph into heaven, we beseech Thee leave us not comfortless, but send Thy HOLY GHOST to comfort us, and exalt us into the same place whither our SAVIOUR CHRIST is gone before." But the same teaching is repeated in the tone of the Gospel and Epistle: it is a sort of summing up of the doctrines taught between Easter and Whitsuntide; the Comforter is spoken of as "coming." It is promised that part of His office shall be to "bear witness of CHRIST;" it is said that CHRIST's chosen Ministers also shall have that office, and that they shall be permitted to bear witness "because they have been faithful from the beginning." But still there is

a tone of sorrow running through it all; even the Epistle, though it enumerates the different graces conferred by the SPIRIT, and exhorts those who have received any of these different graces to exert them to the glory of God, still warns us that the end of all things is at hand, recommends watchfulness and and tells us how necessary prayer, charitable feelings towards one another will be. But the Gospel speaks out plainly, and tells us why all this is necessary, tells us that we as a Church must expect trials and persecutions from those who have not known either GOD the FATHER or our blessed SAVIOUR, but that we may make even these things our comfort, because when they come among us we may remember that He told us before, and that if His words come true when they prophesy tribulation, this is in itself an earnest that they will come true also when they prophesy comfort and happiness.

Then comes the Christening Day of the Church; for if Christmas is its birth-day, most assuredly Whit-Sunday is the day of its Christening. When the first Great Pentecost had arrived, the Body had been already perfected during the Forty days; it was complete now in all its parts, and on that day GOD breathed into it the breath of Life, and the Church became a Living Soul.

From that day forward the Apostles went forth into

the world in the strength of that SPIRIT, and in the strength of that SPIRIT they worked in the world the works of GOD's Church.

You have no need to tarry at Jerusalem now; you have no need to sit as mere learners in the Church; you are already endued with power from on high. Go forth to your several duties in the world; let your light shine before it, and show forth the power of Him that called you, BY WALKING WORTHY OF THE VOCATION WHEREWITH YE HAVE BEEN CALLED.

ENVOY.

Come, child, the world thou must explore,

From Paradise thou needs must go,

And as thou roamest onward, so

Thy whole life's region travel o'er :

BUT, WHEN THY PILGRIMAGE IS DONE,

HEAVEN WILL NOT FLY THEE BUT BE WON.

Franz Franzen, Bishop of Hernösand.

AUTHORITIES ON CONFESSION.

"And if by this means he cannot quiet his own conscience, but requireth further help or counsel, let him come to me, or to some other discreet and learned Minister of God's Word, and open his grief."Exhortation to the Holy Communion.

AD CLERUM.

Ir is inconceivable how any doubt or question could ever have arisen in men's minds on the subject of auricular Confession. Scripture, reason, common sense, and the English Church, are so completely in accordance on this point, that there seems no room for difference of opinion.

If the Bible had never said anything about the matter, the Church would have been fully warranted by common sense, not perhaps in enforcing as a doctrine, but certainly in recommending as an act of salutary discipline, that we should distrust our own judgment in our own case, be suspicious of our own hearts, which we know are deceitful above all things, and consult those who, by their very calling, may be considered as experienced in GOD's Law, as to its bearing on our lives and conduct generally, and our actions in any particular instances.

If we reason by analogy, the common analogy of our bodily ailments would completely bear us out. Whenever we feel ill at ease in our body, our first idea is to cure ourselves; we try simple and safe remedies to which we are accustomed, and which we understand. If by these means we can cure ourselves, we are satisfied, but if we do not feel that they do cure us, if we require farther help or counsel, we go to some discreet and learned physician

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SPIRITUAL PHYSICIANS.

and open our grief; we detail our symptoms to him,that is to say, we confess ourselves to him, and, so far as our particular need requires, we do it without reserve. We distrust our own judgment of ourselves, we put our confidence in him, and follow his advice both with respect to the special medicines which he prescribes and the general diet which he recommends.

We place our confidence in our physician rather than in ourselves upon two separate reasons,-the learning and experience of the physician, and our distrust of our own discrimination and impartiality in our own case. So absolutely is this last reason admitted, that even a physician will not take upon him to prescribe for himself, but confesses, so to speak, to some other physician, possibly less learned than himself, and follows his prescriptions rather than his own, upon the evident and admitted axiom that no man is a judge in his own cause.

Not only is the analogy between the disorders of the body and those of the soul evident and self-suggesting, but it is scriptural also. Our SAVIOUR is constantly described as the Great Physician of our souls, and those who act in His name, by His commission and under His authority, are spiritual physicians also.

Surely this analogy will be found perfect throughout. If we are so liable to deceive ourselves on our bodily symptoms, that no one, however learned, will venture to prescribe for himself in dangerous cases upon his own judgment of his own symptoms, much more are we liable to be deceived in our mental symptoms, where so many more disturbing influences are at work. If a special education is necessary for the physician of the body, is it reasonable that no such special education should be required with respect to the physician of the soul?

No one will say that his body is superior to his soul; no one will say that the dangers which beset his body are greater or more numerous than the dangers which beset his soul; nobody will say that the decay or corruption which affects his body is equal to the decay or corruption which affects his soul; or will imagine that the importance of his body's welfare is anything like the importance of his soul's