of himself to a state of final and irreversible perdition, if he could thereby have promoted the converfion of them which were his flesh, and might fave them from that wrath and destruction, which are the portion of all who abide in unbelief.But fuch a fentiment being too horrid and indefenfible, as well as in itself impoffible, to be imputed to the Author of this epiftle,'-others have fuppofed that the words may bear a milder and less exceptionable rendering, and fignify the being devoted to temporal death,'-' fo that he wished to be devoted even to death for the eternal salvation of his brethren the Jews.'-Neither of these opinions are approved by our Author;-who thinks that if there be a fcriptural fenfe of being accurfed from God, which does not imply final everlasting deftruction, and yet denotes not merely temporal bodily fuffering or mifery, but a great deal more than what is commonly meant when we fpeak of the afflictions of this world and of our present life, in contradiftinction from those that are fpiritual or eternal; then there will be no neceffity of underftanding the wifh, to be accurfed from Chrift, in fuch a sense as fhall either fall fhort of the force of the letter, or elfe on the other hand be irreconcileable with the principles of nature, of reason, and of religion.' Now this middle notion, as it may be called, of being accurfed, has a fure foundation (he fays) in holy writ, particularly in St. Paul's epiftles :-but for his proofs, we muft refer to the work itself.

This then' he proposes, p. 28,- as a juft explanation of the apoftle's fentiment or wish that it were poffible for him to be accurfed from Chrift; namely, that fuppofing it poffible that they could have redemption through his blood, he could then for the fake of his brethren with to be actually accurfed from Chrift in the fame manner as Chrift is faid to have been accurfed from God. For the apoftle a little before is speaking of God's' fparing not his own Son, but delivering him up, that is, making him a curfe, for us; and having in a fummary way celebrated the unspeakable benefits obtained by his most precious facrifice and interceffion for us, he next expreffes the greatnefs of his concern and forrow on account of his unbelieving brethren. Hence it is more than probable, that the facrifice of Chrift and the benefits thereof, which immediately precede this wish, was the thought uppermost in the apostle's mind, and was introductory to it. By fupplying and bringing into view thefe circumftances, as implied or tacitly contained in the with, and exhibiting the whole of the apostle's meaning or fentiment, both the fpirit and letter of the text will be preferved, without fuppofing him willing to fubmit to a total forfeiture of the benefits of the gofpel difpenfation, or final deAuction itself. And how now, or in what manner, or with what peculiar circumflances was Chrift accurfed from God? why

not only by the bodily pains and death of crucifixion, but by being fo deprived of all fenfe of God's love and favour, fo afflicted and oppreffed with a fenfe of the divine wrath and indignation, as in the inconceivable agony of his foul to cry out, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me enduring every poffible degree of m fery and spiritual defertion, fhort of defperation. Now this was not merely a fecular fuffering; nor yet was it an everlasting accurfed flate; but it was a mixed, a finite, yet withal a fpiritual mifery, or travail of the foul, as the fcripture fpeaks.In regard to this ftate of fpiritual defertion and anguish especially, more terrible than all other terrors, Chrift is faid to have been made a curfe for us.'- -And though St. Paul knew it was neither poffible nor fit that any man fhould make agreement unto God for the foul of his brother; yet fuch a declaration as this, of his willingness to become a facrifice himself for his kinfmen, was the highest conceivable expreffion of his vehement concern and love for them, as well as of his moft ardent zeal to advance the glory of God in the falvation of his peculiar people.'Thus interpreted, our Author thinks the paffage under confideration confiftent with the hope, or rather full affurance, which St. Paul often mentions, of his own final falvation and the eternal enjoyment of God; fo that it feems to be within the poffibility of a rational creature's, or however of the Chriftian's refignation of himself, whilft directed and affifted from above.'

The foregoing is a contracted view of Mr. Keeling's interpretation of this remarkable text, and may ferve as a ípecimen, though without entering into the many learned and critical difquifitions, with which his pamphlet abounds,—and which are more likely to recommend it to the curious, than the common Reader, for whofe use it appears not to have been calculated.

The virtuous Widow: or Memoirs of the Baronefs de Batteville, tranflated from the French of Madame le Prince de Beaumont. 12mo. 3 s. bound, Nourse,

TH

HE Baronefs de Batteville, was the daughter of a captain of horse, who dying foon after his marriage, left her mother fix months gone with child, and in abfolute want. Supported, however, in this dreadful dilemma by the hopes of preferving the pledge of her love, fhe, with becoming confidence, refolved to depend upon providence; and flattered herself, that fhe fhould, by affiduous labour, be able to provide a fufficient resource against poverty.

Her daughter (Julia) as fhe grew up, was remarkable for her beauty and accomplishments; but as fhe had amused herself

Milofophical ftudies, the converfation of the men, in geared so trivial to her, and the picture which she had formed

formed in idea, of the man, capable of pleasing her, was fo perfect and uncommon, that he thought herself in no danger of lofing her heart. Her mother, who fupported her, as well as herself, by her labour, which was chiefly embroidering, met by accident with an officer's widow, a former acquaintance; and the parity of their circumstances induced them to live together. This lady had a fon, whom she was often praifing in the highest terms, which was attributed by Julia to the fond partiality of a mother, without giving her much credit for her lavifh encomiums. However, the picture fhe drew, fo well agreed with her ideal favourite, and the mother took so many occafions of launching out into his praife, that poor Julia began to feel an impatience to fee this youth.

Her curiofity was foon after fatisfied, at the expence of her happiness; for Monfieur D'Effart fo fully anfwered the defcription given of him, that, notwithstanding all her philofophy, the conceived, at first fight, an affection which nothing could erafe-The cafe was much the fame with D'Effart, who had a foul too fufceptible, and a judgment too refined not to be affected with the external charms of Julia, heightened by the fingular virtues and improvement of her mind. Love fo exceffive will foon find an occafion of discovering itself. The explanation of their mutual affection was joy inexpreffible to the lovers, but gave the most poignant grief to the young lady's mother; who, though he could not but approve the choice of Julia's heart, was afraid, as they were both unprovided for, the connection would involve her daughter in a feries of misfortunes, which the herself had but too fenfibly felt from the fame cause. An accident, that happened foon after, gave a dawning of hope, that her fears were groundlefs. A relation of hers dying at Marfeilles, had left her a legacy, which if she should obtain, the proposed to make it over to her daughter, and no longer oppofe a union in which the happiness of both, who were now almost equally dear to her, was fo effentially concerned.-For this end the fet out for Marseilles, accompanied with Monfieur D'Effart. Julia, as may be fuppofed, could not well bear fo cruel a feparation, but her grief was yet increased by not receiving any letter from either, for the space of fix months. She was now almost distracted, and entered into a convent, where the foon after received a letter from her mother, acquainting her that her long filence had been owing to her having been feized with the plague, which then raged at Marseilles, but that by the fole affiitance of Monfieur D'Effart, fhe had recovered, and was in hopes of feeing her very foon. In short, her mother returned fome months after, but alone, and without reaping any advantage from her journey, and had

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all the reafon in the world to believe that Monfieur D'Effart had perished there.

Her mother's arrival and the confirmation of her fears left poor Julia almost in a state of diftraction-Two years being elapfed, by fome accidental connections in the nunnery fhe became known to Baron de Batteville, a man of large fortune, but more remarkable for the benevolence of his difpofition. Tho' he was at this time fifty, and was fenfible of the impropriety of addreffing one fo young as Julia; yet as he found his happiness actually at stake, he engaged the abbefs to make the propofal, and foon after wrote the young lady a letter, with an express declaration of his paffion. After much hefitation, and confeffing to him, how her heart was devoted to the memory of another, fhe at last made a facrifice of her inclination to the importunities of the abbefs, but more particularly of her mother, who fhe knew would by this means be provided for.

The Baron ftudied every means to compenfate, by his kind treatment of his wife, for the disparity of years; and the was further endeared to him by becoming the mother of a fine girl.

D'Effart, who was fuppofed to be dead of the plague, but had been miraculously preferved, had now spent many years abroad, in hopes to repair, by his induftry, the deficiency of his fortune. Though he knew all hopes of poffeffing his Julia, were at an end, and he was too generous to entertain a fentiment to her difhonour, yet was he impelled by a kind of fatality to take up his refidence at Rheims, where the then lived. His paffion for her ftill fubfifted: he hired a lodging that looked into her garden, and without being perceived by her, used to pleafe himself with obferving her, as the only enjoyment that was now left him.-By meeting accidentally in a coffee-house, he became acquainted with the Baron; who conceived an uncommon esteem for him, and often, in vain, pressed him to accompany him to his houfe. The Baron one day coming out of church with his daughter, who was now twelve years old, the fight of the latter greatly furprized and affected Monfieur D'Effart. Her perfect resemblance of his dear Julia, filled his eyes with tears. This was obferved by Mademoiselle Julia, (the daughter) with fome concern; which, in the innocence of her heart the communicated to her mother.

At this time, as the Baronefs fufpected nothing, fhe had no fears but for her daughter; the fenfibility of whole heart might hereafter subject her to innumerable misfortunes.-It happened that, during the absence of the Baron, a fire broke out in Julia's bed-chamber, and Mr. D'Effart was the means of preferving the lives of both the mother and daughter.-Being convinced that he was now discovered by her whom he had hitherto fo carefully avoided, he immediately left the place.-In vain did the Baron make

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all poffible enquiries to discover his retreat; for he was now determined, should he be happy enough to find D'Effart, to give him his daughter in marriage. The Baronefs, whose confternation at the fire, was further encreased by feeing Monfieur D'Effart, whom fhe then believed to be an apparition, began, on her first compofure, to lay together the various circumftances fhe could collect from the Baron's remarks, and was now convinced Monfieur D'Effart was ftill alive-This was further confirmed to her by a letter fhe received fecretly, wherein he exhorted her to think no more of him, and used every perfuafive that religion or honour could suggest.

Soon after this, the Baron died, and Julia the daughter learnt by accident the whole hiftory relating to Monfieur D'Effart and her mother. Though the herfelf loved him with the utmost tenderness, yet preferring her mother's happiness to her own, The generously refolved to effect it by ftratagem. To this end the withdrew to a nunnery, from whence the vowed the would never return, till her mother should promise to marry Monsieur D'Effart. The Baronefs was alfo well acquainted with Julia's love for him-In fhort, after affuring both Monfieur D'Effart and Julia, in the ftrongeft terms, that fhe had actually conquered a paffion, which the no longer could harbour with honour, and infifting on her daughter's marriage with him, as the only thing on earth, that could fave her from the utmoft diftrefs, Monfieur D'Effart arrives at Rheims, and the marriage is folemnized in the prefence of the virtuous widow.

The perplexity occafioned by fo odd a circumstance, is agreeably unravelled, and the delicacy of the parties is well preferved.

-But many improbable circumftances occur here and there, which can never be digefted but in a Catholic country: Particularly the escape of Monfieur D'Effart, who is supposed to have been taken away by the men appointed to remove the dead bodies; to have been thrown into the common pit, with feveral carcaffes upon him; to have lain there infenfible all night, and in the morning to come fafe out again.-His motive for abandoning all thoughts of Julia, from his infatuated perfuafion that God required him to devote his life to the mortifying tho' benevolent office of attending on the fick, must appear equally ridiculous in a country where proteftantism has taken place; which teaches us, that all feveritics wantonly impofed on ourselves, can add nothing to the honour of Omnipotence; and that the most reasonable manner of serving God, fo far from being deftructive of our temporal welfare, is the only means of fecuring it. However, the moral which this work. conveys, is good: viz. an entire dependance on the will of heaven, and a refignation under misfortunes, which may be attended with fuch happy confequences, as the narrowness of our understanding will not permit us to forefee.

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