"A Presbyter" asks, "has any mischief ensued from the practice of exclusively, or almost exclusively, worshipping the Father?" Decidedly, in the writer's opinion, would be the reply. I cannot but conceive this a cause remote or proximate of that almost universal lapse into Arianism or Unitarianism of the old Presbyterian congregations in this country, which were in doctrine identical, and in discipline, and order of worship, all but identical, with the Independents. I venture to affirm, this could not have happened, had the practice generally prevailed, to which attention is now solicited. Had Christ been worshipped habitually as the hearer of prayer, any minister who deviated from the usual custom, would have been marked, and detected at once as heterodox, and removed. On the first part of this passage, it is obvious to ask, why if the practice of exclusively, or almost exclusively, worshipping the Father, brought Arianism or Unitarianism amongst the Presbyterians, it did not also bring them amongst the Independents, who, according to "A Presbyter's" own showing, adopted, and still do adopt, the same mode of worship. With regard to the latter part of this passage, I am quite sure, that " A Presbyter" could not have reflected on the implications it contains. It implies not only the right of ejecting a pastor for what has always been the general practice of the church; but it also implies the right of a church to eject its pastor for a non-essential difference of opinion; a difference on a point, of which he who possesses a pastor's qualifications must be incomparably fitter to judge, than the generality, and, perhaps, than the whole of his flock. I refer to the passage because the arbitrary ejection pastors, a practice happily of the rarest occurrence, ought to be frowned down, rather than encouraged; and because the lapsus, as I apprehend it to be, seems to indicate that "A Presbyter's" sentiments on religious liberty, require revision, before he can be a consistent Nonconformist.

I intended to offer some remarks on the latter part of "A Presbyter's" letter, but I have already occupied too many of your pages. It may, however, be observed, that if, in the church of England, direct prayers to the Redeemer are heard more frequently, than amongst the dissenters, the sanctuaries of the episcopalians less frequently than ours, resound with hymns to His honour: a mode of worshipping Jesus Christ, which is, perhaps, better suited than any other to the social services of religion. Few of your readers will, it is presumed, sympathise with "A Presbyter," in his admiration of the unintelligible petitions of the former part of the Litany, nor in the "vain repetions" of its close. In conclusion, allow me, Dear Sir, to say that I have a great horror of a "Christless Christianity;" but I have a horror equally as great of a Christianity, which terminates in our blessed Redeemer, and undeifies the Father.

Yours,

ANOTHER PRESBYTER.

THE VISION OF THE DISCIPLES.

I.

"The fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering."

'And his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

"And he was transfigured before them; and his raiment became
shining, exceeding white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can white
them."

WHAT saw they 'mid the shadowy night-Peter, and James, and John?
The chosen Son of God's delight, His royal robes put on ;
The servant's form He cast aside, with dim humanity,
And mortal fashion ceased to hide, His immortality!

He who had ranged in lowliness, with His companions three,
Nor aught of form or comeliness, the scornful world could see,
His earthly attributes laid down, His poverty and shame,
And took again His ancient crown, His Godhead's robe of flame!
For statelier garb was due to Him, than monarch ever wore,
Lord of the princely Seraphim, the rule in heaven he bore!
E'er Solomon on Sion's hill his glorious temple reared,
And in that holy oracle, the radiant cloud appeared,
Emblem to all who saw the sign-king, people, and the priest,
That Power Supreme, and Love Divine, was Israel's gracious guest.
E'er David in Engeddi roved, or Judah's name was known,

Or Abraham, of the Lord belov'd, gave up his first-born son—

E'er man in Eden's happy bowers before his Maker stood,

Thrice bless'd, amid its fruits and flowers, for God pronounced him good

Or e'er were earth's foundations laid, and stars had decked the sky,
Or angels their first praise had paid, in vocal melody-

He was, who in Judea's land, had wandered thrice ten years,
Unknown but by a scanty band, a man of toils and tears :
For to a form of flesh and blood, stooped down th' Eternal Son,
To save our common brotherhood, and earth and heaven make one.
And oft-times, in the days of old, His presence was reveal'd,
When prophets of His coming told, e'er prophecy was seal'd;
The seer who hailed in vision bright, the stem of Jesse's rod,
And sung Him victor in the fight, who in the wine-press trod;
Saw in the temple, eye to eye, the glory of the Lord,
With six-winged seraphs standing nigh, attendants on his word:
"Hail! Holy Lord of hosts!" they cried, while at the wondrous scene,
"Ah! woe is me!" the prophet sigh'd, a man with lips unclean!"
But hearts were hard, and eyes were dim, when came th' Incarnate King,
He taught men would not learn of Him, nor grateful offerings bring.

The rulers saw His mean array, and spurn'd Him in their pride,
And haughtily Truth's simple way, the Pharisee decried;
The Scribe, with fleshly wisdom rife, refused to take his yoke,
And oft his self-denying life, did passion's rage provoke ;

Though to the boisterous wind and wave, He spake and they were calm,
And to the wounded spirit gave, His mercy's healing balm;

Yet on He passed through street and town, the lowly Nazarene,
Man's Saviour had man's constant frown, his hatred's fiercest mien.
A few there were, a remnant weak, who round His pathway flock'd,
The pure in heart, in spirit meek, they wept while others mock'd;
Won from the wild and erring throng, they follow'd at his nod,
With glad Hosannas on their tongue, to hail the Son of God!
'Twas theirs His power and grace to know, his Godhead to behold,
His raiment white as driven snow, His form like burnish'd gold!
And still to men of soul sincere are priceless blessings given,
They bear His glorious image here, and see His face in heaven!
While Truth its myst'ries ne'er unveils, to minds enslav'd by sense,
Christ's words to them are parables, His presence an offence.

II.

46 And behold there talked with him two men, which were

Moses and Elias, who appeared in glory."

WHAT Saw they 'mid the shadowy night-Peter, and James, and John? Twin spirits from the world of light, and bright with light they shone. He whom a trembling mother's arm, bore to the river side,

When Pharaoh, in his wild alarm, God's providence defied:

The babe left 'mid the foaming brine, while woman watch'd around, Oh! woman's love, no love like thine—so tried, yet faithful found! He who in manhood's years became, head of the Hebrew band,

And spread the fear of their scorn'd name, through Egypt's guilty land; The rivers turned to streams of blood, the first-born fell in death,

The Red sea's waves obedient stood, divided by a breath,

When, mission'd for his people's gain, that rescued child arose,
To break the captives' galling chain, and crush their tyrant foes;
Aloud the idol votaries wailed, awed by a Power Divine,

Osiris in his temple quailed, and Isis at her shrine!

Freed from their long-mourned toil and shame, march'd forth the ransom'd tribe,

A cloud by day, by night a flame, their visitor and guide.

Onwards through deserts drear they went, the burning sands they trod,
In pilgrim guise, with staff and tent, while marvels mark'd the road;
The rock its hidden founts unseal'd, the skies supplied their food,
And shook the earth when heaven reveal'd, the majesty of God!
Till by the Jordan's grassy side, on Pisgah's top serene,
In sight of Canaan Moses died, by mortal eye unseen;

His frame dissolv'd, by time unbent, by sickness unassail'd,
Jehovah's breath a summons sent-the spirit was exhal'd!*
Dust went to dust, and earth to earth, the soul began to be,
That was its hour of heavenly birth, of glad eternity!
For when to Peter, James, and John, came visions of the night,
That soul was seen with God's dear Son, arrayed in glory bright.
Nor he alone was with the Lord-there was the prophet bold,
Elias, great in deed and word, the man of dauntless mould;
He whom king Ahab's arm oppress'd, and Jezebel revil'd,
But neither monarch's frown depress'd, nor flattery beguiled;
The desert oft his resting-place, his softest couch the sand,
His canopy heaven's glorious face, his friends a scorned band.
Yet when the living forced to fly, in passion's stormy hour,
Then was the All-Sufficient nigh, the ensigns of his power;
The Lord in mighty earthquakes spoke, and in the whirlwind came;
And then a gentle whisper broke, the mem'ry of his name;
The ravens brought him daily meat, He answered thus his prayer,
And nature offered at his feet, what man refused to spare.
Singly he dared the priests of Bel, on Carmel's flowery height,
To prove by sign or miracle, their boasted idol's might;

And laughed to scorn their madden'd tone, and saw their hopes expire,
For Bel at even slumbered on, while God respons'd by fire!
And when death's signal-call was given, steeds and a car of flame
In triumph took the seer to heaven, to vindicate his fame!
Elias! Moses! spirits blest! the three disciples greet,

The toil-worn church, the church at rest, unite at Jesus' feet.
O wondrous scene to gaze upon, twin spirits clad in light,
The stars were dull o'er Lebanon, the moon waxed pale that night:
Yet still from age to age abides, the truth then signified,
That heaven, and all earth's myriad tribes, may be in Christ allied!

SUGGESTIONS RELATING TO HOME MISSIONARY AND KINDRED OPERATIONS.

THERE is a strong disposition among Christians to sacrifice the future to the present-permanent, to immediate results. No one intimately acquainted with the proceedings of religious societies, or the state of the Christian mind, can fail to know this. Far more might be done than is done, with the same amount of property and zeal expended differently-expended with a view to generations yet to come, as much

* Deut. xxxiv. 5, "So Moses died, according to the word of the Lord." Literally, "al pi Yehovah, at the mouth of Jehovah."

as, or rather more than, to the generation now on earth. We do not say that the church has done or given enough. God forbid! But we do say, that the same degree of exertion and of property might have effected much more. There has been too much anxiety to see the fruit of its services. Had it possessed more readiness to wait for results, those results would have been of greater worth and splendour. It has not been near enough to the errors into which some politicians have fallen, and which Burke rebuked so pungently, too pungently for our liking, of sacrificing the claims of the passing hour to the problematic interests of the future. Christian truth and wisdom suggest that we should exercise a large fore-thought, that we should employ and thus improve our power of anticipating effects, and that we should form and execute our plans with a steadfast regard to, and a firm faith in, ultimate success. Many Christians know and care nothing about all this. They want cases-definite and palpable cases-of what they call success, which is only form of many: they are sceptics, believing nothing which they do not see. Give them instances of conversion, and they are abundantly ready to help you; but with no other tale can you get at their hearts. The simple fact is, they have no faith in God or man; they live in doubt of providence, humanity, and Christianity. Had they faith, they would not so "make haste." It is useless to tell them that other generations are coming-that the men composing them will have souls just as valuable as the souls of living men-and that the plans you are adopting, though not attended with very striking immediate results, are gradually preparing for a success infinitely greater than will be yielded by the plans which they approve of and support. This has no point or force to them: they either cannot see that the salvation of two people twenty years hence must be a more important thing than is the salvation of one now, or else they do not believe that the two people will be converted. Every large and liberal scheme every scheme which contemplates the gradual developement of a grand result-which approximates to the spirit and procedure of God, who sees the end from the beginning, and prepares and employs his instrumentality with a calm and certain confidence in the final, though distant issue, every such scheme is neglected or denounced by the weak in mind and faith, its authors considered mere foolish, though amiable speculatists, by "practical men," though none more truly practical than they; while the mass and multitude of saints still cry out for conversions, and comparatively waste their means, rejoicing in the fact which they at least do not doubt, that wisdom lives, and is very likely to die, with them. This contractedness of mind, and want of patient faith, is seen displaying itself in diverse ways and instances. It leads to the employment of insufficient and unqualified men, in preference to able and well-furnished ones-to the hiding of unpalatable