Three and a Half: the Number of the Beast, 666: the Number Ten and the Millennium: the related Numbers, seven, three, four, twelve the Number Forty: the Numbers in the Book of Job: the Number One Hundred and Fiftythree.

Walks and Homes of Jesus. By the Rev. Daniel March, D.D., of Philadelphia. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co.-A book, not so much for the student as the devout Christian, whom it will enable more fully to realize and rejoice in the earthly sojourn of Him whom bis soul loveth. Its descriptions are generally accurate; the light of a vivid, but withal chastened, fancy is shed over its pages; and the whole glows with devotion to the GodMan, and the truth as it is in Him.

The Huguenots: their Settlements, Churches, and Industries in England and Ireland. By Samuel Smiles. London: John Murray.The main object of this volume is to give an account of the second great migration of foreign Protestants from France into England, -that which followed the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes; and "to describe its effects upon English industry as well as English history." At the present time everything is welcome that tends to give general readers a correct knowledge of the true nature of the contest, which still continues, and is likely long to be waged, between the Papacy and the Protestant faith. Into the deeper principles involved in this struggle, Mr. Smiles does not here attempt to look; but he forcibly presents the fact that a Nemesis has long since overtaken the country in which the doings of the Guises at Vassy, the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and the cruelties which marked the last great

66

French persecution, were possible. A century elapsed, and the "dragonnades of the Huguenots became repeated in the noyades of the Royalists; and again Nancy, Lyons, Rouen, Bordeaux, Montauban, and numerous other places, witnessed a repetition of the cruelties of the preceding century; "the "real outcome of the Act of Revocation of Louis the Great was-Sansculottism and the Reign of Terror!" Mr. Smiles lays before his readers copious details illustrative of the influence which the Huguenots exercised upon English manufactures; traces the history of " Huguenot officers in the British service," men of science and learning," and "men of industry; " and gives interesting particulars respecting the numerous Refugee churches which sprang up, not only in London, but in various parts of the south of England,-at Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Stonehouse, Dartmouth, Barnstaple, Thorpe-le-Soken in Essex. “No less than eleven French churches were opened east of Bishopsgatestreet, providing accommodation for a very large number of worshippers. The church named L'Eglise Neuve was probably the largest of the French places of worship in London, being capable of accommodating about fifteen hundred persons. It is now used by

and

the Wesleyan Methodists; while the adjoining church of the Artillery is used as a poor Jews' synagogue."

Mr. Smiles does not write as a religious partizan; but every reader of his chapters is put into a position to draw the important moral for himself. Would that the statesmen who betray a disposition to tamper with Rome would take the lesson to heart: even as mere patriots this history loudly condemns them. But we

have not space to enlarge on this theme; and must be content with saying that we wish the volume before us may find a place among the familiar books of every Protestant household in the land.

The proposed publication of the Poetical Works of Charles Wesley.There are several things in the preface to the Hymn-Book "for the use of the people called Methodists," which appear strange to modern readers. So spirited a composition was likely to provoke considerable criticism, and has done so. Mr. Wesley complained that other people altered his hymns, and he was told in return that he had altered other people's. He said others were perfectly welcome to reprint his hymns, and his brother's, if they only printed them verbatim; and he was held to have licensed piracy, and estopped proceedings against those who defrauded him. He praised the hymns highly, and is deemed immodest, though he expressly guards himself by a declaration that he is the author of but a small part of the collection. He speaks of the immense variety of Methodist Hymn-Books as likely to bewilder people; and now that the public generally know of but one, his words are almost unintelligible. Few persons, compara. tively, are aware that more than fifty poetical publications were issued by the brothers John and Charles Wesley in little more than forty years. These were of various sizes, and on various subjects; but were all designed to promote the spiritual interests of their people, and aid the progress of truth and righteousness in general. Some of these publications fill two volumes each, others are tracts of twelve pages. Some are extracts from other authors; some

reprints of former productions of the same authors. Some are not hymns at all, but compositions in which the poet pours out his soul in lamenting his deceased friends, or reproves and satirizes the follies of the living generation.

But when all these various classes are deducted, there still remain upwards of thirty Hymn. Books of different sizes, from which a Methodist preacher before 1780 might have chosen to give out what the congregation were to sing, and from one or other of which most of what was sung in our congregations was actually given out.

It is not easy to determine which of all these publications were most frequently used in the worship of our forefathers. Neither Mr. Wesley's Journals nor our early biographies supply such information on this point as might have been expected. Probably the "Psalms and Hymns," as it was Mr. Wesley's first publication, was his favourite. In London it continued in use for nearly a hundred years; and the numerous copies of the " "Hymns on the Lord's Supper" which are found bound up with it, show how constantly they were used together; the first for public worship; the second for the weekly communion which followed on Sunday morning.

Next to these were the Festival Hymns which, when bound together, formed a neat thin volume; one that the preachers could carry in their pockets, and have ready for use as the seasons returned. Old Methodists can still remember old Superintendents, and their "helpers" too, announcing, as the respective seasons approached, that the hymns to be sung at Christmas, Easter, Ascension, and Whitsuntide, might be had at the chapel-house at the "regulation"

price of twelve pages a penny, or thereabouts, and exhorting the people to provide themselves with them, as Mr. Wesley had enjoined their use. Many persons were of opinion that some of these hymns were much too good to be sung only once a year; and so the books lingered in the chapel for more frequent use. The three volumes of "Hymns and Sacred Poems," issued by the two brothers jointly, were too costly to be everywhere used, though they were highly prized, and contained much that was suitable for congregations. The "Hymns and Spiritual Songs" contained no original hymns, and were entirely selected from previous publications; but, on the other hand, the selected hymns were of so high a character, and the spirit of the volume was so catholic, that it soon became a general favourite, and for many years, most likely, was used more than any other single publication. More than twenty editions of this volume were published before 1780, beside six or seven editions of another volume, entitled, "Select Hymns, with Tunes annexed;" of which, possibly, the use might be restricted by the price, as it cost 3s. 9d., while the former was sold at 1s., bound. In process of time, some of the preachers began to display a taste for composing in verse, and introduced their compositions to their congregations, notwithstanding Mr. Wesley's express prohibition; while others made selections of their own, which they carried about with them in manuscript, and used in our chapels, until the people could scarcely tell what they would be invited to join in singing.

These remarks will, it is hoped, show how truly Mr. Wesley said in October, 1779, that his people were in danger of being bewildered by many Hymn-Books, and how needful it was that one should be compiled for general use. As containing more than five hundred hymns, this Collection was well entitled to be called "The Large Hymn-Book;" and not a few of the old preachers continued to call it so long after it had superseded those before spoken of.

Valuable, however, as it then was, and must always be, to "the people called Methodists," its introduction has been attended with one disadvantage. Not only have previous "collections" been properly enough superseded by it, but the original sources from which it was compiledto a great extent superseded also. And this is every way to be regretted; for, though the Large Hymn-Book was accurately and judiciously compiled, Mr. Wesley was careful to inform the public that his brother had published much more of equal quality, and that he had "no room for many hymns which were in no way inferior to those contained therein." Since 1756 there has been no reprint either of Mr. Charles's