TIME flows on in a slow but uninterrupted course, and whilst occupied in the cares of this life, and

"busied about many things," we are scarcely sensible of its progress; we are too apt to forget that " our days are swifter' than a post ;" and that "when a few years are come, then we shall go the way whence we shall not return," Job xvi. 22.

We have once more, by the blessing and longsuffering mercy of our God, been spared to see the commencement of a new year; whilst many as young and healthy as ourselves have been called upon during the year that is past to appear before the tribunal of God: he hath said of us, "Let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it and dung it, and if it bear fruit well; and it not, then after that thou shalt cut it down." Notwithstanding that our unfruitfulness and ingratitude to him for past mercies, and our abuse of the talents committed to our charge, might have called down upon us the sentence which was pronounced against Hananiah, "This year thou shalt die," Jer. xxviii. 16, we still are spared as monuments of divine mercy; and again does the CORNISH PAROCHIAL VISITOR pay us a friendly visit, to remind us that we are one year nearer Eternity.

May we then be led, whilst contemplating the rapid progress of our years, to see the necessity of " Seeking the Lord whilst he may be found, and calling upon him whilst he is near." "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." Our last year, our last day, may have dawned upon any one of us! O then let us prepare to meet our God!" Let us embrace the offered mercy of Christ our Redeemer; and may God's Holy Spirit so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."

เ

J. K.

FATHERS OF THE ENGLISH CHURCH

KING EDWARD THE SIXTH'S CATECHISM.

(Continued from page 272, 1840.)

Master. Thou hast touched, my son, the chief cause of Christ's rising again. Now would I fain hear thy mind of his going up into heaven. What answer thinkest thou is to be made to them that say, it had been better for him to tarry here with us presently to rule and govern us? For beside other divers causes, it is likely that the love of the people toward their prince, especially being good and gracious, should grow the greater by his present company.

Scholar. All these things which he should do present, that is to say, if he were in company among us, he doth them absent. He ruleth, maintaineth, strengtheneth, defendeth, rebuketh, punisheth, correcteth, and performeth all such things, as do become such a prince, or rather God himself. All those things, I say, performeth he, which belong either to our need or profit, honour or commodity.

Beside this, Christ is not so altogether absent from the world as many do suppose. For albeit the substance of his body be taken up from us, yet is his Godhead perpetually present with us, although not subject to the sight of our eyes. For things. that be not bodily cannot be perceived by any bodily mean. Who ever saw his own soul? No man. Yet what is there more present, or what to each man nearer than his own soul? Spiritual things are

not to be seen but with the eye of the Spirit. Therefore, he that in earth will see the Godhead of Christ, let him open the eyes, not of his body, but of his mind, but of his faith, and he shall see him present whom eye hath not seen: he shall see him present and in the midst of them, wheresoever be two or three gathered together in his name; he shall see him present with us even unto the end of the world. What said I? Shall he see Christ present? Yea, he shall both see and feel him, dwelling within himself in such sort, as he doth his own proper soul. For he dwelleth and abideth in the mind and heart of him which fasteneth all his trust in him.

Master. Very well; but our confession is, that he is ascended up into heaven, tell me, therefore, how that is to be understood?

Scholar. So use we commonly to say of him, that hath attained to any high degree or dignity, that he is ascended up, or advanced into some high room, some high place or state; because he hath changed his former case, and is become of more honour than the rest. In such case is Christ gone up as he before came down. He came down from highest honour to deepest dishonour, even the dishonour and vile state of a servant, and of the cross. And likewise afterward he went up from the deepest dishonour to the highest honour, even that same honour which he had beforc. His going up into heaven, yea, above all heavens, to the very royal throne of God, must needs be evident by most just reason, that his glory and majesty might in comparison agreeably answer to the proportion of his baseness and reproachful estate. This doth Paul teach us, in

his writings to the Philippians: "He became obedient even unto death; yea, the very death of the cross. Wherefore, God hath both advanced him to the highest state of honour; and also given him a name above all names; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of all things in heaven, earth, and hell."

But although he be already gone up into heaven, nevertheless, by his nature of Godhead, and by his Spirit, he shall always be present in his Church, even to the end of the world. Yet this proveth not that he is present among us in his body. For his Godhead hath one property, his manhood another. His manhood was created, his Godhead uncreated. His manhood is in some one place of heaven; his Godhead is in such sort each-where, that it filleth both heaven and earth.

There is nothing that express Christ, than the the light and brightness alway keep the heaven,

But to make this point plainer, by a similitude, or comparing of like to it. doth trulier, like a shadow, sun, for it is a fit image of of Christ. The sun doth yet do we say that it is present also in the world; for without light there is nothing present, that is to say, nothing to be seen of any man; for the sun with his light fulfilleth all things. So Christ is lifted up above all heaven that he may be present with all, and fully furnish all things, as St. Paul doth say.

But as touching the bodily presence of Christ here in earth (if it be lawful to place in comparison great things with small), Christ's body is present to our faith, as the sun, when it is seen, is present to the