he rested not until in this as in other matters, he had made his practice and that of the ancient Church coincident. Here he found "rest for his soul," and having himself experienced the great advantage of observing the canonical hours of prayer, he was desirous of making his people acquainted with it also. With this view he published a second Volume of his Practical Christian, the third and fourth parts; the third part containing Meditations and Psalms relating to the hours of prayer; and the fourth part, being Meditations on the four last things -Death, Judgment, Hell, and Heaven. This second Volume appeared first in 1675. In a long and able Preface shewing the great benefits to be derived from observing the stated hours of prayer, the Author gives the following reason, for adding so many Psalms to every chapter of Meditations; "To recall, if possible, the devotions of the present times, to the ancient and sure way of religious exercise, which was and is still, by all sound and orthodox religious, in the devout use of the Psalms of David." The neglect, or, at least, the disparagement which the Psalms of David now meet with from many really religious people, shews that we too need to be recalled "to the ancient and sure way of religious exercise." Even in our public worship, the inspired "Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs," which God has graciously provided for us, are too often made to give place to hymns composed by private men, hymns not only uninspired, but also unsanctioned by the Church. The irreverent, unchastened tone of far too many of these hymns, tends to nourish habits of feeling utterly at variance with that deep spirit of "reverential awe" which pervades the Psalms, and which, as in the Church, it seems to be one great object of the Psalms to instil into us. How much of that sectarian hue which so unhappily and withal so deeply tinges the religion of the day, is owing to the use of such uninspired and unauthorised hymns, cannot, we think, easily be told. But surely as in other matters, so in this: we cannot diverge "from the ancient paths," to walk" in a way not cast up"," without sooner or later, somehow or other, reaping the bitter fruits of our own self-willedness. Such then is the history of the "Practical Christian," and it were needless to attempt any more formal statement either of its nature or design. It was written, as we have seen, mainly with the view of guarding against those evils, which are always sure to follow from a theoretical knowledge of religious doctrines, unaccompanied by habits of practical obedience. It may not be saying too much, if we add, that we of this day (especially the younger of us) have great reason to guard against the evils to which we allude. It has pleased God, and sufficiently thankful we cannot be, to recall our attention to many doctrines, which have lain so long dormant, as to have become almost forgotten. These doctrines, holy and awfully mysterious as they are, will most certainly work injury rather than good, in all minds where they are taken e Jer. xviii. 15. selves the spirit of reverence, and to form ourselves to habits of obedience. Habits of humility, of purity, of self-denial, of self-distrust, of reserve-such habits generated and quickened by cordial love to God, make up the temper which such doctrines are designed and fitted to work in us. These habits however, are as tender plants of slow growth, and need all the help and protection of which we can avail ourselves. As a powerful help in the formation of such habits, the work now republished, offers itself to our notice. It has had the benefit of being tried. Bishop Wilson informs us, that the circulation of this book, combined with that of the Paraphrase on the Catechism, amongst the parishioners of Winwick, soon produced "such a number of constant, devout communicants, as at that time were hardly to be seen in any parish in England." There is no reason, why, with God's blessing, it should not again produce similar good effects effects, be it observed, which are the surest indications of the existence of those moral habits of which we have been speaking. Its fitness then to mould us into habits of obedience, is the one great recommendation of the following work. As a witness to the doctrines, held of old, as now, in the Church of England-and as affording proof, from its numerous appropriations of ancient prayers and Catholic customs, that the devotional spirit of our Church is in harmony with that of the ancient Church,-it is also on both these accounts especially valuable. Like the very similar work of Bishop Cosin, it may serve "to let the world understand, that they who give it out and accuse us here in England, to have set up a new Church, and a new Faith, to have abandoned all the ancient forms of piety and devotion, to have taken away all the religious exercises and prayers of our forefathers, to have despis ed all the old ceremonies, and cast behind us the blessed Sacraments of Christ's Catholic Church-that these men do little else but betray their own infirmities, and have more violence and will, than reason or judgment, for what they say "." Preface. Bishop Cosin's Devotions. Those who have learned to | Bishop Wilson again before thank God, for having given us; and it may be devoutly His Church the benefit of hoped that as their author when Bishop Wilson's truly aposto- living, succeeded in forming lical example, will see in this one of the noblest characters work a yet further value. Its in the Church's modern Calenauthor was the Bishop's mater- dar, so now, though absent nal uncle, and when it is re- from us in body, this his work, membered that Bishop Wil- instinct as it every where is son's earliest years were pass- with his own saintly spirit, ed under his uncle's roof, for may tend to produce many the purpose of having his edu- more such characters to the cation superintended by him, glory of God, and the edificaand that afterwards on his en- tion of His Holy Church. tering the Ministry, the first years of his Ministerial life were also passed there, in the capacity of Curate to one of his uncle's Chapelries-the Chapelry of Newchurch: it will not we think be doubted, that the instructions he there received, and the "primitive example" there set him, were, under God, mainly instrumental in giving to his character that tone and colouring, which have so justly made him the praise and glory of his age. The following devotions-living impressions as it were of the living mould-bring the tutor of The circumstance of Bishop Wilson having been in early life educated by Dr. Sherlock, is left unnoticed by his biographers. The tor here inserts it upon the auof his friend Mr. Henry Shaw, Gate, Ashton in Winwick; When this work first appeared, it was stated in the title page, that it was intended for the use of devout persons. It is now reprinted entire, without any alterations or omissions. The Editor trusts he may be pardoned, if, after having obtained the sanction of the Head of the parish, and of the several Incumbents within its limits, he ventures most earnestly to recommend these Devotions to the parishioners of Winwick generally, and more especially, to that portion of them residing within one of whose maternal ancestors, Mr. John Sherlock, (son of one of the Doctor's cousins) was Bishop Wilson's fellow-pupil, both having been educated together by Dr. Sherlock. |