The weekly union record., 1864-04-16
A Sermon Six and Half Centuries Old

In the Dean of Chichester's History
of the Archbishop Of Canterbury, lately
published in England, occurs a curious
sermon preach d about the year 1900,
by Bishop Lanston. The text IS :
popular dancing song Of the day
Fair Alice ross up IL tie morning.
Her body she clothed aud adosHed,
Into q garden she entered.
And FIVE litlle flowers Size found.
AID there to0. % roses the !aiFes;,
4 cbaplet she made;
'NoT al you wbo loye ne lot, leave u.f.
II Gods name" she said.
We read that Of every idle word We
shall have to give an account at the
Judgment Day. Therefore, we ought
to correct our wanderings, to repress
cur errors, 10 expel base things with
good, and to abandon vanity for truth.
Now listen ! when | sang the song Of
''Fair Alice" you were reminded Of the
musical dance for which it was com
posed and yoi know that in a musical
dance these things are needed: a sing
ing voice, plant arms and graceful feet.
In order, then, that We may dance mu-
sically before God, Ne must have these
three things in Us: singing voice, that
Is, holy speech, pleasing to God and
man plant arms, that Is, a double
charity, OF love towards God and to-
wards our neighbors and graceful feet,
that Is, works which accord with our
speech, after the example of oar Lord
Jesus hrist, who began first to do good
himself, aud afterwards to teach it.
Now let US see who fair Alice Is. 1t
was Of her that this was said Behold,
thou art all fair, my love; there is ne
spot in thee" This IS the fair Alice,
this Is the flower, that Is the lily Of
which it was spoken, Like a lily among
thorns, 50 Is my love among the daugh-
ters." She Is called by this name Alice
from a, that is, ,cithoat and Us, strife;
as it were, without strife, without re
proach, wi.hout earthly dross. She Is
the queen Of justice, She IS tie mother
Of mercy. 1t is said,
Fair Alice rose up 30 the morning.
Her body Size clothed AID adorned;
And it is said in scripture, "Make
ready thy chamber, Oh daughter of
Zion!' Do you not know now who fair
Alice is! She is the blessed Virgin
Mary, who made ready her chamber
when she conceived the King and Lord
Of Heaven. Then,
lnto a garden she entered.
And Of her it has been said, "Shc is
virgin, rod, and shrub" A virgin,
whence we have, 'Bchold virgin shall
come forth rod out Of the stem Of
jesse" A shrub, the fruit Of which
was announced when the angel said,
"Blessed ant thou among women, and
blessed is the fruit Of thy youth. " Then,
Five litile flowers She found.
Fair Alice found on that shrub five
flowers, which are neither burnt by fire,
nor parchcd by heat, Tor crushed by
storms. What are these flowers? They
are faith, hope, charity, chastity, and
humility. Whoever wears these flow
ers, has better than a Crown Of precious,
stones. again,
There, too, OF roses The larest,
\ chaplet she made.
BY the chaplet We must understand the
golden crown which God placed upon
her head when he crowned her Queen Of
queens. And lastly,
Now all We who love me not, leave ne
In Gods name she said.
To whom is this said TO heretics,
pagans and false Christians, who believe
not Christ's resurrection, who openly
blaSpheme Him. To them it is said,
"All ye who love me not, leave me :"
that IS, depart, ye cursed, into ever
lasting fire. prepared for de devil and
his angels
From what has been said observe
that this fair Alice, Of whom yoa yainly
sing and Of whom We have been preach
ing, is none other than the mother Of
justice, the queen Of mercy, who brought
forth the King and Lord Of heaven, who,
with the Father aud the Holy Spirit ever
hveth and roigneth, one God. Amen.