a word made whole: he who had not the image of Cæsar stamped on money, he formed on man the image of Christ! But he gave not his wealth only to help him alone, who halted, but also on the five thousand men, who now, by the noise of that marvellous cure, were gathered together, he poured his apostolical exhortation, and cured them all. Yea he, who was so poor that he could not give an alms to him that besought it, gave yet so bounteously a gift of grace, that not only he whose withered limbs were cured, but so many thousands were healed in their hearts, and ran alertly to Christ, who heretofore had halted lame in the perfidy of Judaism.

After the preaching of this most blessed poverty, our Lord added, saying, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land." To the meek and gentle, to the humble and modest, to those who are ready to endure all injuries, the possession of the land is promised. Nor is this to be held as a small or a mean inheritance, since herein the heavenly habitation may be discerned; for none others but such can enter into the kingdom of heaven. The land, then, that is promised to be given to the meek and gentle, is the flesh of the saints, which, on account of the merit of humility, shall be changed in a happy resurrection, and clothed with the glory of immortality; likened then to their now peaceful state, when soul and body shall dwell together in sweet consent one with the other. For then the exterior man shall be quiet and pure as the interior man; then the mind, intent on beholding GOD, shall meet with no hindrance from the obstacle of corporeal weight; nor will it claim necessity. "For the corruptible body is a load upon the soul, and the earthly habitation presseth down the mind, that museth upon many things; and hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth, and with labour do we find the things that are before us." (Sap. ix. 15.) But, then, the meek shall possess this land in perpetual peace and its law shall no more press them down, when their corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and their mortal, immortality: -as then sacrifice shall be turned to their reward, so what was a burthen, to their honour.

After this, our Lord added and said: "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The mourning here spoken of, most beloved, to which everlasting consolation is promised, hath nothing in common with the afflictions of this world; nor will their lamentations make them blessed, though all the sorrows of the whole human race were poured out at once. There is another reason for the sighs of the saints, another cause for these blessed tears. Religious sorrow mourns

either over another's sin, or its own; it grieves, not that the divine justice has its course, but because the iniquity of man occasions it; it mourns more because it does, than because it suffers, evil;-for iniquity leadeth the unjust to punishment, but patience leadeth the just to glory. Again, our Lord saith: "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill." This hunger has no reference to corporeal want, nor this thirst to earthly things; but he is blessed who seems to be filled with the good of virtue, and who, being introduced into the secret of all hidden things, desireth to be fulfilled with the Lord himself. Happy is the soul that coveteth after this food, that yearneth after this drink,-which indeed he would not seek, had he not tasted of its sweetness. But by listening to the spirit of prophecy speaking unto him, "O taste and see that the Lord is sweet (Ps. xxxiii. 9), he receives a certain portion of the heavenly sweetness, and burneth inwardly in the love of a most chaste will; so that, despising all temporal things, with all affection, he is inflamed after the eating and drinking justice, and comprehendeth the truth of that first commandment, which saith, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (St. Matthew xxii. 17); for loving GOD is no other thing than loving justice. Finally, as there the care of our neighbour is subjoined to the love of GOD, so here to the desire of justice, the virtue of mercy is joined ; and it is said:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Learn, O Christian, the worth of thy wisdom, and know to what acts of discipline and rewards you are called. Mercy wishes you to be merciful, justice to be just, that the Creator may appear in his creature; that so in the glass of the human heart, by the lines of imitation, the express image of GOD may shine forth. Let the faith, then, of those that work be secure. Thy desires are present with you; and from these you may possess for ever what you love. And since by alms-deeds all things may be clean to thee, so, consequently, a promise is given also to that beatitude, when our Lord says,—

"Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see GOD." Great indeed is the reward, most beloved, for whom so great a reward is prepared. What, then, is it to have a elean heart, but to study those virtues which we have spoken of above. But how great the beatitude is to see GOD! What mind can conceive? what tongue can ever unfold? And yet this shall follow, when the human nature shall be transformed, so that not as now-through a glass darkly, or in a riddle-but face to

face (1 Cor. xiii. 11), he shall behold that GODHEAD, which no man can look upon, and which neither eye hath seen, neither hath ear heard; nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the unspeakable joy he shall obtain of the eternal contemplation. Deservedly is this beatitude promised to purity of heart; for the sordid race can never see the brightness of this true light: yea, and what shall be joy to the minds of the clean, shall be a punishment to the impure. Wherefore let the darkness of earthly vanities go down, and let thine inward eyes be cleansed from all filth of iniquity, that thy serene view may feed on this great vision of GOD. But to deserve this, let us learn to obtain that which follows.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of GOD." This beatitude, most beloved, is not that of consent, or of mere concord but that of which the apostle speaks, "Have peace with GOD" (Rom. v. 1), and again, the psalmist, "Much peace have they that love thy law; and to them there is no stumbling block" (Psalm cxviii. 166);-this peace, not the most cunningly-devised bonds of friendship, nor the warmest liking of souls one with the other, can claim, if their concord be not set on the will of GOD. Beyond the dignity of this peace, are all likeness of wicked lusts, leagues of wickedness, and compacts of vice. The love of the world has none agreement with that of GOD; nor can he come to the fellowship of the sons of GOD, who separates himself not from the ties of flesh. But those who have their mind ever on God,-who are careful to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace,-who never differ from the law of God, who say in the prayer of faith, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," these are the peacemakers; these are they whose concord is truly one and holy, who are called by the eternal name of the sons of God, and fellow-heirs with Christ. And this is the reward of the love of GoD and our neighbour,-that they shall feel no adversity, be terrified by no scandal; but having ended the conflict of all temptations, they shall rest in the most tranquil peace of GOD. Through our Lord JESUS Christ, who with the FATHER and the HOLY GHOST, liveth and reigneth for ever and ever.

In Fest. S. Paulini Ebor. 1842.

RECEPTION OF SISTERS OF MERCY.

ON Thursday the 13th ult. four ladies, viz., Miss Herbert, Miss Cuddon, Miss Jackson, and Miss Middleton, were received into the Order of Our Lady of Mercy, at the Cathedral of St. Chad's, Birmingham. And on Friday the 21st ult., Miss Buxton, a lady highly connected, and a convert, we believe, was also admitted a novice, in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Bermondsey, by the Right Rev. Dr. Griffiths. It is unnecessary to give details, as we could only repeat what has been more than once given in our pages.

EDINBURGH CATHOLIC GUILD OF ST. JOSEPH.

The first annual festival of this Society was celebrated on Friday (21 ult.) in the Waterloo Rooms-the Right Rev. Bishop Carruthers in the chair, supported on the right by Bishop Gillis, H. G. Bell, Esq. (Sheriff-substitute of Lanark) the Rev. John Malcolm, Rev. J. M'Donald, &c.; and on the left by Professor Wilson, Angus Fletcher, Esq., James Simpson, Esq., W. Chambers, Esq., Rev. Mr. Reid, &c. Behind the chairman was placed a powerful and fine-toned organ, and immediately in front of it, but in rear of the chair, in a conspicuous position, appeared the "Book of Honour"-a folio magnificently bound in crimson and gold. At each side of the organ were placed the banners of the Guild; and a fine effect was produced by the arrangement on longitudinal tables of marble pillars, encircled by gilded and emblazoned batons, belonging to the brethren, and surmounted by vases filled with flowers. A number of these showy batons were also fancifully disposed in front of the gallery and near the chair. The members of the Guild, dressed in dark green mantles trimmed with fur, high-crowned hats, and collars and badges, entered the room in procession, headed by their marshals, and the organ giving forth solemn music-the whole producing one of the most interesting spectacles of the kind ever witnessed. The gallery and raised seats in the extremity of the room were filled with ladies, and a large number of Protestants were present. The toasts of the Queen, his Holiness the Pope, and other toasts having been given, the Chairman requested his coadjutor (Bishop Gillis) to take charge of the evening, he being most familiar with the details.

Dr. GILLIS said, he now came to the toast of the evening-the Holy Guild of St. Joseph. (Cheers.) After apologising for being unprepared to go at length into the nature of the society, he said: Before drinking the toast, I think it proper to lay before the meeting a general idea of what the Guild is, and what it is intended to be. In the first place, it is a sort of benefit society, in which there are ordinary and honorary members. It is a benefit society for the ordinary members, where, by virtue of a very small subscription, the members are able to procure an ample allowance when they are confined to a sick-bed, with an annuity fund from which they receive an allowance when they attain the age of sixty-five, after which they are not called to contribute to the Guild at all, and they may also take shares in a life annuity, by which they may provide to any extent they choose for the benefit of those who are to come after them. This is a material part-but that is among the least of the benefits conferred by this society. I said that we have also honorary members; and I am proud to add that we rank among these some of the highest names of the realm (applause)-one, among others, who is the pride of his fellow-Catholics—the Right Hon. the Earl of Shrewsbury. (Continued cheers.) These honorary members contribute one guinea a-year, or ten guineas of a final donation; and out of these contributions we are able to propose our annual premiums for the tidiest and best kept houses. I am aware that this principle has been applied long ago to cottages, by that most highly useful and honourable society, the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (applause)-but to the best of my knowledge, this is the first time that these premiums have been applied in towns and cities; and I am proud to add that we have had more competitors during this, the first year, for our premiums, than the Highland Society of Scotland had over all Scotland during the first year when their cottage premiums were proposed. (Applause.) To enable you to appreciate the value and importance of such premiums, let me call to your recollection one fact. One who has been placed in the position which I have held for the last fifteen

years in the ministry which I have been called upon to exercise, and placed like me in frequent juxtaposition with the very poorest of our communion, must know and feel that nine-tenths of the misery arising to the lower classes of society, nine-tenths of the poverty and disease and crime, which affect society, is directly traceable to no other cause than the simple but melancholy fact of these individuals never having been able, from their very cradles, to know and to appreciate, and to enjoy, the comforts of a home. (Great applause.) Any measure which goes to increase the comforts of home ought to be promoted, not only as important to a particular society, but as important to the community at large. (Applause.) Once we have secured to them the comforts of home, and induced the members of a family to delight in and venerate the sanctuary of home, we shall have already done an immense deal-we shall have cut up by the roots an immensity of human evil. But this is only the beginning, though it is only a paving of the way for something better; for the persons so trained are then prepared to look about them, and to appreciate all that is beautiful and virtuous. I hope I may be allowed to say in this mixed meeting that, in this respect, I am proud of the Holy Guild of St. Joseph. (Loud applause) We may truly call it a Catholic society, for its benefits are universal, and it is not confined to selfish motives. I hope that before another twelve months have passed, we shall be assembled, I cannot say in a hall of our own, but that when we are assembled either here or elsewhere at our annual festival, I shall be able to lay before you a degree of prosperity in all the branches of the society, which will make us thankful to God who has given us the means to be members of such a society as the Holy Guild of St. Joseph. (Applause.) I shall not detain you longer, but propose the toast, health and prosperity to the society, the object of which is not only to insure to the members the benefits of a benefit society, but whose main object is the moral and intellectual improvement of all its members, to increase domestic comfort, and to advance the estimation of the fine arts among the humbler classes, so as to inspire with confidence the higher ranks, and induce them to expose to public view those works of art which are worthy of universal admiration,-I beg to give the Holy Guild of St. Joseph with all the honours. (Loud applause.)

Mr. Wm. Chambers addressed the meeting at great length, on the most practical and economical method of ventilating the houses of a densely-populated district, and its importance to health; and was succeeded by Mr. Turn bull, advocate, on the advantages of reading, and of public libraries for the use of the industrious; by Mr. Mainzer, on the effects of music on the manners of society; and by Mr. H. G. Bell, on the general cultivation of taste among the more humble classes, and of its importance to the fine arts, and to the community at large.

Bishop GILLIS then rose to announce the successful candidates for the Guild premiums. After alluding to the presence of Professor Wilson, and lamenting that that distinguished man was suffering from a sore throat, which would prevent him from addressing the meeting, he said, the premiums given by the Guild were not presented in money, but in furniture; and along with the premiums were given engraved certificates of good conduct. The certificates (one of which was read) were handsomely framed and glazed, and would of themselves prove no mean ornament to a house. The certificate made honourable mention of the goodwife, for it was evident that much of the merit lay with her. (Applause.) One class of premiums was for houses under £4 rent; another class under £7 rent; another under £10 rent; and there was an honorary medal given for cleanly houses above £10 rent.

(To be continued in our next Number.)

RICHARDS, PRINTER, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.