1 DECEMBER 1888, Page 25

The Church on the Sea. Edited by John Sinclair. (Simpkiu

and Marshall.)—The editor's idea has been to supply "a volume of complete religious service for use at sea." He has accordingly gone to clergymen of the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, and, as he explains, of " six other branches of the Church of Christ," and has obtained from them contributions which provide a service for every Sunday in the year. The services are constructed on the model of those commonly held in Congre- gational or Presbyterian places of worship. They consist, that is, of a short prayer, a hymn, a portion of Scripture from the Old Testament, a longer prayer, and a hymn, another portion of Scripture, this time from the New Testament, a prayer of inter- cession, another hymn, a sermon, short prayer, and hymn, the whole being concluded with a benediction. We should prefer something more after the Anglican form, in which the congre- gation, with its responses, takes a prominent part. But the ritual which Mr. Sinclair follows has advantages of its own. He may be congratulated on the gratifying success which he has obtained. He has secured the help of many distinguished contributors, and. the volume which he has brought out can hardly fail, we should think, to be generally useful.