6

deen, is commended for a discourse, chastely and even elegantly written, full of powerful argument, and raised in some places even to sublimity, by the inspiration of a natural and ardent eloquence.'—DR. MAC GILL, Professor at Glasgow, has a Sermon, 'sensible, but vastly common-place.'-DR. COOKE'S Sermon has nothing noticeable' in it. There is a great want of fire and pathos in most of these discourses.'-A Sermon, by the REV. THOMAS WRIGHT, is considered as resembling Alison of Edinburgh: the extract from it does not give us an idea of his clear theology.-The REV. MR. CARSTAIRS Sermon is 'modest, and 'meritorious.'-Body and Soul. Five Letters, addressed to the REV. G. WILKINS, Vicar of St. Mary's, Nottingham, by the REV. J. H. BROWNE, Archdeacon of Ely. A Sixth Letter from the same to the same. The Nottingham Controversy impartially reviewed, by the REV. HENRY EVANS, Curate of Eastwood. These three articles are classed together. They contain nothing particular, but some side blows at Calvinism, and long extracts from volume two of Body and Soul, a work which in our opinion is calculated to afford plenty of gratification to the former, and no good to the latter.-MRS. CATHERINE CAPPES' Memoirs are considered as containing 'common-place adventures, and a singularly uninteresting story! Mrs. Cappe was an Unitarian, and the reviewer seems to write with prejudice.-JACKSON's Vindication of the Reasons for withdrawing from the Hibernian Bible Society, is approved. He and the reviewers are note and comment men, and would, of course, send out the Bible with their fallible views appended, to make it more beneficial-the Holy Spirit not being able to do his work without them! They would also place a barrier, to prevent union in the work among Christians; disunion being, of course, the best way for them to accomplish a mighty undertaking!

THE ECLECTIC REVIEW. Sabbaths at Home; or, a Help to their right Improvement: founded on the

Forty Second, and Forty Third Psalms. Intended for the use of Pious Persons, when prevented from attending the Public Worship of God. By HENRY MARCH. Of this volume, it is said, 'Its author appears, from the character of the book, to be eminently qualified, by the ardour of his mind, the fervency of his feelings, the soundness of his judgment, by personal experience in the only school of true wisdom, and by the discharge of the most difficult branch of pastoral duty, to enter the chamber of affliction, and to speak those words in due season, which, with a divine influence, at once cheer and heal the troubled soul.' "We recommend the volume, with unqualified praise, to the pious reader. We recollect no work of recent date, which we should think better suited to aid the Christian in his efforts to revive and rectify the religious affections, either in the closet or in the chamber of affliction. The volume is divided into ten chapters, under the following titles: Desire, Mourning, Retrospection, Conflict, Anticipation, Expostulation, Reliance, Appeal, Intercession, Conquest.' 'The chapter is closed with a meditation in the person of the reader, and sometimes with an original hymn.'Of Matins and Vespers, with Hymns, and occasional Devotional Pieces. By JOHN BOWRING. It is said, In this volume, he stands prominently forward as the poet of Unitarianism; and its literary merits become a quite subordinate consideration, when we view it as the anomalous product, and rare specimen of Unitarian devotion. A Present for the Convalescent. By the REV. JOHN FRY, B. A. is cordially recommended. "It cannot fail to be useful.'-LLOYD'S Bible Catechism is cordially approved: the reviewers, however, recommend many of the questions to be struck out, and 'a severe revision of the phraseology, with a view to greater simplicity and correctness.'-PLATT's New Self-Interpreter's Testament, is not complimented. It wants, in the reviewer's opinion, more diligence, and a sounder discretion than he has displayed.'

THEOLOGICAL CRITIC.

A Second Volume of SERMONS on Various Subjects. By JOHN STYLES, D. D. 8vo. pp. 486.

In an intellectual point of view we do not hesitate to number these among the best sermons we ever have read. Sound in theology, cogent in reasoning, elegant in composition, and, what is partly implied in the last-named quality, lucid in arrangement and amplification. We have, however, applied the epithet intellectual as a general characteristic of their excellencies, because we do not consider these discourses as either designed for or adapted to meet the capacities of plain Christians. Assertions often suit them better than reasonings; common-place thoughts, rather than those that are new or expressed in a novel manner; and words the most simple in the vocabulary, and phrases they have heard a thousand times before. We can sometimes enjoy their plain fare with a genuine relish, but we have no objection to a more dainty repast, and we have absolutely devoured the Doctor's sermons. We fear we have read them too fast to digest them, but the relish of each succeeding one only served to whet our appetites for another.

With all this disposition to praise, we could sometimes have wished that the preacher had not dealt so much in generals, instead of touching the particulars, of religion, that he had curtailed some of his arguments to leave room for application, and that he had made his discourses somewhat more palatable to what we call simple-hearted Christians.

We, however, heartily thank him for the treat which he has afforded us, and hope that his volume will meet attention from that circle of intelligent readers for whose perusal it is admirably adapted.

The sermons are twelve in number. The titles are The Grain of Mustard Seed, Love to Zion the

source of Prosperity,'-' Ancient Zion and London
Compared,' The Duties of Christians to the Holy
Spirit, The Truth and Importance of Christianity,'
-The Duty of receiving Christian Pastors,'' The
Temptations of the Pastoral Office,'-'The Saviour's
Valedictory Address to his Disciples,- A Universal
Providence, On the Death of Napoleon,
Deceitfulness of the Heart,
a Watering Place.'

The The Temptations of

The last and the one on the Pastoral Office have before appeared in print.

Where all are good, it is difficult to select. Ancient Zion and London Compared is quite novel and interesting. The text is Ps. 122, v. 4. We give a quotation from this discourse. Not because it is one of the best passages in the book, but because it contains a pleasing description of the employments of the metropolis in the month of May, and touches with spirit a subject on which the Christian mind of the present day must delight to dwell:

In the Christian church there are separate parties, bearin some analogy to the various tribes under the former dispensation. Perhaps they are as numerous; and though the bigoted and intolerant in each have always endeavoured to convert difference into discord, and variety into deformity, denominating every division a sect, and branding every sect except their own, with heresy and reprobation, yet the enlightened and the liberal have never perceived any necessary connexion between diversity of opinions on the minor points of Christian Theology, and separation from the Catholic Church. They cannot but consider that as Ephraim and Judah were both the descendants of Abraham, so Churchmen and Dissenters may equally belong to the family of faith, and live in the communion of their common father,—the Father of Mercies.

On this great principle of Charity, the different Christian tribes now associate. One grand object animates all their bosoms; and, by a simultaneous influence, they are periodically drawn to the capital. There they hold their annual festivals: there glad tidings from afar inflame their hearts with increasing gratitude to God, and renewed zeal for the salvation of men. Party is forgotten in the extension and success of the cause equally dear to them all. Modes and forms distinguish, but the spirit is the same. The Bible Society, and some other institutions summon to their standard all without distinction, and every name is merged in the grand characteristic appellation which the disciples first received at Antioch. Institutions of a less general

nature, and which are chiefly supported by one particular denomination of Christians, break these immense assemblies again into tribes. And in different sanctuaries we behold them, like the Patriarchal families, each gathered into its own tent on one extended scite. The badges of distinction are resumed; but the standard that waives over all is that of the King of Saints. They are so many divisious of his "royal nation," his "peculiar people ;" and, when thus assembled, they are equally "zealous of good works;" equally concerned to promote the glory of their Sovereign.

Ah! where even is the Infidel heart that does not feel reverence when contemplating this hallowed scene! What enemy does it not impel to take up his parable with Balaam, and to exclaim, "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the rivers' side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters." Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.'

The preacher then draws a line of contrast between the Jewish and Christian congregations at their grea festivals, which we must beg leave to add:

But while the spectacle which they exhibit is most sublimely interesting, these annual assemblages in the metropolis are fraught with still greater advantages than were derived from those which they resemble in the ancient Jerusalem. Judaism naturally contracted the mind, and restrained the benevolent sympathies and its votaries within the limits of its own locality The Jew thought only of Zion and Palestine, when he exclaimed in the devout and patriotic language of his ritual, "Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companiou's sake I will seek to do thee good." All his feelings were selfish or national." The middle wall of par'ition" was the limit of his social affections, as well as the boundary of his country. He proudly believed that his favourite land was destined to receive the homage of every other: but he knew not how to raise them to an equality. He could execrate Babylon, and doom "her little ones to be dashed against the stones.' Edom and Moab and Philistia he could place under the bann of of Heaven, and rejoice to "eat up the nations, his enemies to break their bones, and to pierce them through with his arrows;' but to the fine ennobling philanthropy of the Gospel he was a stranger. He understood not the prophecies of his own scriptures, which described his Messiah as "the light of the Gentiles," as well as "the glory of Israel." The congregated tribes, there fore, which held their festivals at Jerusalem, were rather armed against the world, than prepared and disposed to become its Missionaries and Benefactors. Their minds had nothing to revolve of universal interest to the human race. Their union was a com pact of defiance against the rest of mankind,whom they consi