When the Church was delivered from persecution, and had rest, there soon burst forth her songs of rejoicing. From that time sacred music was cultivated and greatly improved. Ambrose introduced to Western Christendom, from the East, the antiphonal method of singing the Psalms, known since as the Ambrosian Chant, which we have little doubt was a revival of the old Jewish practice. Gregory I., who was a master of music, invented the simple notation by the seven first letters of the alphabet. He increased the number of tones from four to eight, and introduced to the Church a new and improved species of chant, or plain song, which hence acquired the name of the Gregorian Chant.* Both these modes of chanting are eminently adapted to public worship; indeed, for the Psalms, no other way is equal to them. The Psalms ought always to be sung, whether used as they are found in the version of the Bible, or rendered metrically by our great composers. A school was early established in England, at Canterbury, for instruction in sacred music; and afterwards Alfred the Great founded, at the renowned seat of learning at Oxford, a professorship for the same purpose.* The Reformers were devoutly intent upon this subject. They wrote hymns, composed tunes, and instructed the people in singing them as a Gospel privilege. As a consequence, Psalmody was co-extensive with the great and blessed work of the Reformation. There has been a most remarkable revival of Congregational Psalmody in our own day. No congregation can neglect it with impunity. All churches should give diligent and careful attention to it. Good psalmody will be found, henceforth, one of the chief attractions and delights of public worship-especially for the young. May our congregations be baptized by the Spirit of God, and under a grateful experimental sense of God's redeeming mercy in Christ Jesus, sing together I'll praise my Maker with my breath; Praise shall employ my nobler powers; My days of praise shall ne'er be past, The love, and holiness, and fulness of Christian worship are destined to find their full expression in the coming praise of the Church. The Apocalypse-that inspired revelation of the glorious future-testifies, as though it were already accomplished: "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Amen."† * Vocal Music, by John Turner, Esq. + Rev. xix. 5 and 6. LETTERS TO THE COUNTESS OF HUNTINGDON FROM THE REV. JOHN FLETCHER. (FIRST PRESIDENT OF OUR COLLEGE, AND VICAR OF MADELEY, SHROPSHIRE.) (Continued from Page 11.) Tern, October 3rd, 1760. My Lady,-My receiving your Ladyship's first letter a fortnight after date, and staying near a week for my friends' advice from Bristol, as well as your going from Aberford, I suppose, at the time I answered it, prevented my second letter from reaching you, if it has not miscarried, and consequently put your Ladyship to the trouble of writing the two letters I received together last night. I find myself indebted to your indulgence, Madam, both for recommending me to Lady Margaret, and for expressing any satisfaction for my poor ministrations in your family; and though I am conscious I owe those marks of your kindness to that charity that hopes all things, and endureth all things, I return your Ladyship my humble thanks for them, and wish I had it in my power, by the faithfulness of my services, and my attendance on you, Madam, or Lady Margaret, to deserve them better for the time to come. Were I to have my choice, I would prefer waiting at the pool under your roof, or that of those who think like you, to any other way of life; and I'll own to your Ladyship that the thought of giving this up is one of the chief difficulties I have to encounter with now. But I seem to be the prisoner of Providence, who is going, in all probability, to cast my lot among the colliers and forgemen of Madeley. The two hundred souls of that parish for whom I was called into the ministry are many sheep in the wilderness, which, after all, I cannot sacrifice to my own private choice. When I was suffered to attend them for a few days, some began to return to the Shepherd of their souls, and I found it then in my heart to spend and be spent for them. But when I was sent away from them, that zeal, it is true, cooled to such a degree that I have wished a thousand times they might never be committed to my care; but the impression of the tears of those who, when I left them, ran after me, crying, "Who shall now show us the way to heaven?" never wore quite off from the bottom of my heart; and, upon second thoughts, I always concluded that, if the Lord made my way plain to their church, I could not run away from it without destroying the order of Providence. That time is come. The church is vacated-the presentation to it brought unasked for into my hands-the difficulty of getting proper testimonials, which I looked upon as insurmountable, vanishes at once— the three clergymen that had opposed me with most bitterness signed them-and the Bishop of Litchfield countersigns them without the least objection-the Lord of the Manor, my great opposer, leaves the parishand the very man (the Vicar) who told me I should never preach in that church now recommends me to it, and tells me he will induct me himself. Are not these intimations of the will of God? It seems so to me. What does your Ladyship think in it? I long to go and consult you in Yorkshire, but I cannot do it now without giving up the point on which I want your advice; be so kind, then, as to give it me in writing. But, above all, pray for me that He who can defeat Ahithophel's counsel may defeat this, if it is not his own. I have reason to bless the Lord that, notwithstanding the critical state I am in, He keeps my heart in peace, so that I shall rejoice which way the balance turns. I am, your Ladyship's most obliged, though most unworthy servant, J. FLETCHER. I beg again your Ladyship would present my thanks and duty to Lady Margaret, and to Sir Charles, if he makes one of your happy meeting at Aberford, without forgetting my kindest love to Master Ingham.† I suppose your Ladyship has heard from Mr. Charles Wesley. I am afraid he is no better. There is no cross post from Aberford to Salop. Tern, October 28th, 1760. My Lady, Since I had the honour to write last to your Ladyship, all the little circumstances of my institution and induction have taken such an easy turn that I question whether any clergyman noted for good fellowship ever got over them with less trouble. I preached last Sunday for the first time in my church, and shall continue to do so, though I propose staying with Mr. Hill till he leaves the country, which will be, I suppose, in a fortnight, partly to comply with him to the last, and partly to avoid falling out with my predecessor, who is still at Madeley, but shall remove about the same time. Among many little providences I have seen the finger of God in lately I shall mention one to your Ladyship. The Bishop having unexpectedly sent me word to go to him for institution without delay, if I would not be at the trouble of following him to London, I set out in haste for Hereford, where I arrived the day before his Lordship's departure. As I went along I thought that if my going to Madeley was from the Lord, it was providential that I should thus be called to be instituted in * Sir Charles Hotham, son of Lady Gertrude Hotham, and nephew of Lord Chesterfield. + The late Ignatius Ingham, Esq., the only son of the Rev. Benjamim and Lady Margaret Ingham, and father of the present Theophilus Hastings Ingham, Esq., of Marton House, Co. York, J.P., Judge of the County Court, and Barrister-at-Law. the country, for were it to be in London Sir Peter Rivers, the Bishop's Chaplain, who examined me for orders, and last summer made so much noise in West Street Chapel, where he found me preaching, would infallibly defeat the end of my journey, according to his threatenings. Thus did worldly wisdom work in my heart, but no divination can stand against the God of Jacob, who is a jealous God, and does not give his glory to another. A clergyman named Sir Dutton Colt † came to see the Bishop just as I entered the Palace, and the Secretary coming to him said in my hearing, "Sir Peter is just come from London to take possession of a prebend which the Bishop has given him. He is now in the Palace, how do you rank with him?" My surprise was great for a moment. My first thought was to ride away without institution, but having gone too far to retreat, I had in an instant strength from on high to be still and see the salvation of the Lord. My second thought was to thank God for sending this man from London in that point of time to defeat Mr. Hill's design; and easily throwing up Madeley, I cried for strength to make a good confession before the High Priest and the Scribe, and I felt I had it, but was not called to use it, for the Bishop was alone. The ceremony was over in ten minutes, and Sir Peter did not come in till after. I met him at the door of the Bishop's room, and a wig I had on that day prevented his recollecting who I was. Your Ladyship cannot conceive how thankful I was for this little incident, not because I was not disappointed of a living, but because I saw and felt that had I been disappointed it would have been no manner of disappointment to me. You know, Madam, better than I do, the worth of a consciousness that we do not go in our own will; and the Lord in compassion to my weakness condescended to clear it up to me in that manner, for which I shall always praise his holy Name. If I know anything of myself I shall be much more ready to resign my benefice when I have had a fair trial of my unprofitableness to the people committed to my care, than I was to accept it. Mr. John Wesley bids me to do it without a trial; he will have me see the Devil's snare, and fly from it at the peril of my soul." I answer I cannot see it in that light. He adds, "Others may do well in a living, you can not, it is not your calling." I tell him I readily own that I am not fit to plant or water any part of the Lord's vineyard, but that if I am called at all I am called to preach at Madeley, where I was first sent into the ministry, and where a chain of providences I could not break has again fastened me; and that though I should be as unsuccessful as Noah, yet I am determined to try to be there a preacher of Christ's Righteousness; and that, notwithstanding 66 * Sir Peter Rivers, Bart., Prebendary of Winchester, one of that strange class of clergymen in that day who brought much disgrace on the profession. + Another baronet and clergyman of the same stamp. my universal inability, I am not quite without hope that He who reproved a prophet's madness by the mouth of an ass, may reprove a collier's profaneness even by my mouth. I reserve for another letter an account of my own soul, and of what begins to be as dear to me as my own soul, my Parish. In the mean time I earnestly recommend both to your Ladyship's prayers, and may the God of all grace prevent, accompany, and follow you in all your steps. May the power of his Resurrection work more and more in you and by you, till you have answered all the designs of his dying love, which will ever be the ardent wish of your Ladyship's unworthy servant, J. FLETCHER. THEY DON'T SPEAK TO EACH OTHER. And why don't they speak to each other?-Because some misunderstanding has arisen between them, and they imagine that is quite sufficient to keep them at a distance. But are they not Christian men?—Yes. Then what says the Book on the subject? How plain its directions! "If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he shall neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matt. xviii. 15-17.) Such is the direction given by our Lord; and the wisdom of it is very manifest from several considerations. 1. A large proportion of the difficulties which arise between Christians are the result of misunderstanding, or of incorrect statements made by others. In all such cases, if the parties come together in the spirit of their Master, mutual explanations will remove the difficulty. If no explanation takes place, the existing state of feeling, in itself wrong, will gain strength, and the breach become wider and wider. 2. Difficulties often arise from hasty expressions uttered in a moment of excited feeling. When the person has time for serious reflection, if he be properly approached, he will in all probability acknowledge his error. And who is there so free from depravity never to become irritated? and whoever spoke wisely or properly in such a state of mind? Even Moses, notwithstanding all his meekness, "spake unadvisedly with his lips." 3. But even when there has been a deliberate purpose to do injustice, a kind, Christian conversation may bring the offender to repentance. In almost all instances of wrong-doing, except the most corrupt men, the transgressor succeeds in convincing himself that he is justifiable in his |