juncture? We cannot tell. All we know is that it was God's will S. James should die, and S. Peter escape. May be the Apostles' body had to be cleansed from the disgrace incurred by the treachery of Judas, and that S. James' death was intended as a prophecy, (so to speak,) of the violent ends which awaited the holy twelve.

S. James's day, then, may suggest some such thoughts as these to a devout mind, that we are very ignorant as to what God has in store for us, or what is best for us; and that, in His dealings with us and with our friends, we are to recognise His hand, and humble ourselves beneath it, even when we do not see the reason of His actions. It may be that the latter end of our lives will be very different from what they were at the beginning. We may see our relations and friends "taken," like S. James, at times when we fancy they could ill be spared; we may witness the father of a family cut off suddenly, or a son laid low, upon whose exertions the declining years of a parent (humanly speaking) depended for support and comfort. Christian reader, you have known such cases over and over again; perhaps they may be

your own.

Or, on the other hand, we may be left, like S. John, till we are old, and live to see everything around us new. We may have to surrender all the dear objects of affection to which we cling. We may have to outlive husband, wife, children, brother, sister, friend, and be left lone men upon the earth, surrounded by those who understand us not, and with whom we can have no sympathies. It may be ours to endure solitude, loneliness, weakness, and bereavement. Christian reader, possibly you may have had some experience of this lot. You may have been "left" hitherto, while others have been "taken." You may have seen friends and relations one by one called away; may be you will have to outlive those that are still spared you. It may be so, or it may not; your own summons may issue first.

But whatever our heavenly FATHER has in store for us, may He grant us all the grace of resignation to His will, and that, whenever He calls us, we may be ready. May we be found at our posts, whether He come at "the second watch, or the third watch, or at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning,— whether we die before our friends, or our loved ones perish in our sight, whether we be "taken," or whether we be "left." J. B.

TRINITY SUNDAY.

TRINITY Sunday is over, past, and gone; and ere these lines catch the eye of any reader, may be its solemn thoughts will have almost passed away from the memory; and yet surely

it may be well to recall them, for many and solemn are the thoughts that cluster round that day.

Dear reader, do you not know the heart-ache; the sickening feeling that comes over one the last hours of one of the Church's seasons? How little have we profited by it; how do its beautiful Lessons seem all unlearnt; we seem but just to understand it; caught a glimpse into its meaning, and now it is gone: it may be not to return for us. O how much we need to kneel down and cover our eyes with our hands, and humble ourselves in the awful presence of the Holy One, imploring the forgiveness of the sins of our holy things.

One half of the Church's year is gone. We can't recall it. It has passed, and what has it left behind; what traces of it will show in eternity? Advent came with its quiet, awful thoughts, with eyes looking before and behind. Before to a terrible judgment; behind to that which can alone make the thought of that judgment bearable. It bade us look behind to a little quiet village, where dwelt a young maiden in retirement, (a little nook that even in the country of which it formed a part was looked down upon,) the inhabitant of a small cottage doing her daily work, little known and little thought of, but the Holy One in Heaven looked down upon her; the Spirit of the Highest overshadowed her ; "Therefore also that Holy Thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of GOD."

Then came Christmas, with its glad strains, speaking of His birth, Who is our Master, our Redeemer, our LORD; but with this too is mingled a note of woe, for hardly seem we to have entered on the gladness of the season, when we hear of a circumcision, a cutting speaking to us of the knife of the pruning we too must suffer before full satisfying joy can be our portion.

Epiphany comes next, telling glad tidings. Salvation for all, Jew and Gentile too; but this also hath its minor-key that brings tears to our eyes, for it speaks of gifts laid at our Master's feet, and what gifts? Shall we give of that which cost us nothing? Have we not to lay down at His cradle our best, our all-Who parted with Heaven for ns- our health, strength, life; and O, hardest of all, that of those nearest and dearest to us-aye dear as our heart's blood, that they may do His will?

Lent follows soon to try if we are in earnest, speaking first of His sufferings, and then as a faint echo back our own; till the shades deepen and grow most dark with the holy week. Then lest we should be overwhelmed with much sorrow, comes Easter, and we seem as if we now only understood our Christmas joy, and what it meant; and as if that was given back to us, but

now fuller and longer, and that too not in winter, with its short dark days, when the world without looked very dull, and cold, and lifeless; but now with a holy gladness, nature seems to echo back our joy. The birds, the lambs, the gay flowers, all bid rejoice; and as the sad season seemed to grow sadder, so should this seem to grow more joyful; for as the Passion succeeded to the temptation and the fast in the wilderness, so does now Ascension-tide follow Easter, and Whitsuntide that again; and then Trinity Sunday, holding back the veil for a few minutes which hides the unseen world; and bidding us gaze into Heaven opened for us, by Him whom we have been following in thought from His birth. And O what do we see there? not the Cherubim with their knowledge are our eyes bid to look on, not the Seraphim with their love, not the Angels who do His will are pointed out to us, but the four Living Creatures, who (if they who have gazed long and prayerfully on things divine speak true,) symbol those who were once as we are, human beings, knowing hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness; aye, even like some of us working for their bread as poor fishermen, depending on what they could earn, for such was S. John; or as a physician, as S. Luke; and what are they now?

Again, it is the four-and-twenty Elders that are presented to our notice; and these are said to symbol the four-and-twenty Prophets of the Old Testament, men of like passions as ourselves, and whose life we know at least something of, and now they are around the throne, how near, and how blessed! Then comes the Gospel, speaking of the Spirit's transforming power, who alone can fit us to enter into that world we have just been permitted a sight of.

But this is now passed, Trinity Sunday is come and gone, but are the weeks which now follow unconnected with the past? O no, it is true few are the great lessons brought before our recollection; but the Christian can no more separate his faith and his practice, than the tree can be separated from its roots. Go thou and show thy faith by thy works; go thou and follow those blessed ones thou hast been gazing on in Heaven, the best thou canst; yea follow Him, He bids thee, Who can give thee strength to do it. Hitherto we have been going through the Creed, little by little; now turn your eyes to the Commandments-His Commandments, and as He interprets them for you love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength. "Love thy neighbour as thyself." Yea His new commandment, "Love one another as I have loved you." A lesson that was not given to the Jew, GOD's servant, but is given to thee, O Christian, GOD's child.

And to you, O brother or sister, to whom it was given on that Trinity Sunday to partake of the Holy Communion of His Body and His Blood, remember that if you were a worthy partaker of that wondrous feast, not only was Heaven opened to your gaze, but it was brought down to your very heart; you were at least for a season in it, though may be your eyes being holden, you knew it not; for has not our LORD said, "If any man love Me he will keep My words: and My FATHER will love him, and We will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him?"

June 16.

B. M.

Church News.

THE CONSECRATION OF S. JAMES' THE GREAT, STOKE DAMEREL.

S. BARNABAS' day, 1851,—a bright and sunny morning,-witnessed the consecration of a noble Church dedicated in honour of S. James the Great. The memory of another S. Barnabas' day came across our minds, and as we remembered the glorious services that inaugurated one of the most beautiful churches in England, we could not but shed a tear, as, in connection therewith, we thought of that solemn, touching hour, when with heavy heart we joined in singing, "By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, when we remembered Thee, O Zion." There were other memories, too, which forced themselves upon us. In this district one had laboured, whom for thirteen years we were privileged to call our friend. The erection of this Church was once the darling object of his soul. He had laboured among his people with unceasing love, and in a manner that told upon his enfeebled frame; and never shall we forget the bright hope which burnt within him, as he longed to see the day when the top-stone would be brought on with rejoicing. But he saw it not. Before its completion, the Rev. W. B. Killpack-loved whilst living, regretted by all when taken away from us-was taken to his rest. He sleeps in the churchyard of the parish Church of Stoke Damerel, where first he entered on his ministerial labours, and now his works do follow him. But yet, with all these associations, there was much and deep cause for thankfulness and gratitude; as, in spite of many drawbacks, this Church is a great advance in the ecclesiastical architecture of this part, and has a noble and imposing appearance. It is, moreover, admirably adapted for the due celebration of our ritual; a point which will carefully be attended to by its present zealous and indefatigable Incumbent,

The Church has been built from the design, and under the superintendence of James Piers St. Aubyn, Esq., architect, of Furnival's Inn, London. It is in the Decorated style of pointed architecture, and consists of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, with lofty tower and spire at the south-western angle. The length inside, including the chancel, is 116 ft., and the breadth, including the aisles, 57 ft.; it will accommodate 720 adults, and 364 children. Opposite the tower, or south entrance, is the north porch; both entrances having a flight of Granite steps. The windows are of Bath stone, and of various and elaborate design; the great eastern and western windows contain some beautiful tracery, but the former are of green glass, which is, we conceive, a very great mistake, as it greatly detracts from the beauty of the fabric, and gives to those who are within the reach of its light a very ghastly appearance. All the external dressings and quoins are in Bath stone, and the walls of rubble limestone. The clerestory walls have been constructed on a tier of richly-moulded arches and columns. The roof, of fir, is an open one, both over the nave and chancel. The timbers have been stained and varnished, to imitate oak, and the roof is boarded and covered with slate. The tower and spire together are 150 ft. high. From its open position, the Church is seen at a considerable distance, and is considered by far the best ecclesiastical structure in the town. The flooring of the aisles and chancel is formed of Heywood's 6 inch black and red tile. The sedilia, the gift of the Messrs. May, the contractors for building the edifice, are beautifully executed, and the whole work has been carried out by the contractors with great care.

The Bishop arrived at half-past ten, and was received by the Revs. A. B. Hutchison, W. W. Garret, G. H. Wetherby, W. B. Flower, and others of the Clergy in canonicals, with the choristers in their surplices. In due order they proceeded to the Church, and on arriving at the door, the petition to consecrate was presented by Captain Williams, R.E.

After the consecration service, matins and litany were sung by the Rev. A. B. Hutchison, Incumbent, and the Rev. W. W. Garrett, Curate. The versicles and responses were those of Tallis, and the Venite, Proper Psalms, &c., to Gregorian tones, Tallis, Nares, and Travers; the Anthem, 84th Psalm, Batten; and the Kyrie and Sanctus to Aldrich and Gibbons.

The first lesson was read by the Rev. G. Wetherby, AssistantCurate of S. James's; and the second by the Rev. W. C. Hutchison, Curate of S. Endellion. The Bishop was assisted in the Communion Office by the Incumbent and Curate of Stoke Damerel. The sermon, upon the third verse of Psalm lxxxvii., was preached, by appointment of the Bishop, by the Curate of Stoke Damerel. From these words the preacher proceeded to dwell upon the glories of the Church of CHRIST, not only in connection with her Divine