among the converted heathen, at one chapel, at a prayer meeting early on a Sabbath morning. Is it with pleasure, or with pain, that a missionary stands up at such meetings to address little more than empty seats?

Another source of pain arises from the improper manner in which many of the public meetings are conducted. They commence with singing five or six verses; a neighbouring minister is then called upon to pray. Instead of a few appropriate petitions, I have heard a prayer of twenty minutes long; commencing with adoration and going through all the parts of prayer as divided by Dr. Watts and others. Then the chairman thinks he must necessarily make an opening speech, and he commences by expressing his surprise that they should have called him to the chair, while there are so many other persons who could fill it much better than he. The object of the meeting is then stated as minutely as though all present were perfectly ignorant of the purpose for which they had assembled. He next states that it is not necessary for him to bring forth any arguments in favour of the missionary enterprise. A variety of objections are then enumerated which formerly used to be brought against this work. Twenty minutes or half-anhour having elapsed, the secretary is requested to read the report. As the secretary does not generally have to move or second a resolution, he works up his speech in the report. Instead of a brief report of what has been done by that auxiliary during the past year, the reins of the imagination have been given to fancy, and the most beautiful pictures of the millennial glory are presented to our view as the effect of missionary labour. Then comes the financial account. Esquire B.'s guinea must be mentioned separately, and the sum collected by Miss T. must be published with a long list of others, lest any should think their services are slighted. At last the sum total is announcedfifteen, or it may be twenty or twentyfive, pounds. The Rev. A. B. is now

introduced to move the first resolution. He commences by apologizing for having come unprepared; he had no intention of speaking, but as the chairman has called upon him he must say something. He then descants for twenty minutes, or more, upon the excellent report just read, and sits down by apologizing for having detained the meeting so long with what his deep humility leads him to call his crude remarks. The gentleman called upon to second the resolution cannot think of detaining the meeting one moment after the eloquent speech by his friend who has preceded him; but, lest his silence should be construed into indifference to the cause, he must say a few words. After a speech of about half an hour, prepared for the occasion, he most cordially seconds the resolution so ably moved by his friend. The chairman reads the resolution, though it has been read twice before; but prior to putting it for their adoption, he must comment a little upon the excellent speeches to which they have just listened.

Their old friend, the Rev. B. C., of D., is now introduced, to move the second resolution. He begins by expressing the pleasure he feels in meeting them again; but having spoken to them so many times on this subject, he feels at a loss to know what view of the missionary work he should now take. He then gives the greater part of a missionary sermon, which he has lately preached in the neighbourhood. I was at a meeting, not long since, where I heard from the platform a regular missionary sermon, with its divisions, subdivisions, &c., just as it had been delivered from the pulpit. The gentleman called upon to second the resolution states, that he should think it the height of folly, at this advanced period of the evening, to detain the meeting by anything which he could offer, especially as the missionary, who has much interesting matter to communicate, has yet to speak. He will, however, venture to make one observation. Having spent ten or fifteen mi

nutes in making that observation, he sits down, begging pardon for having trespassed upon their time. After a few more remarks by the chairman, the resolution is carried. Now the missionary is introduced. It is considered, by these friends, good policy to keep the missionary till towards the last, for they say the people will be sure to stop to hear the missionary. But what is the time of night? Nearly nine o'clock, or perhaps a little after. I have frequently been called upon to speak after nine o'clock. A brother missionary, who had many interesting facts to relate, was called upon five minutes before ten. Many servants and the heads of families had been under the necessity of leaving the meeting long before it was over. Late as it may be, another hymn must still be sung, and, according to custom, the singers must repeat the last two lines. I have heard the last part of a hymn sung eight times over, the tune requiring it four times. Then, instead of pronouncing the benediction, another prayer must be offered. Are meetings thus conducted calculated to produce pleasure or pain? While these professed friends of the Redeemer have been congratulating each other on the "mighty works" which they have done towards saving a ruined world, souls have been perishing. While the ministers of the gospel have been apologizing for not being prepared to plead the cause of missions, multitudes of the heathen have gone beyond the reach of mercy.

Fathers and brethren in the ministry bear with me. Permit me to ask you, and I do it most respectfully and affectionately, Where shall we look to whom shall we look-to find the principal cause of this want of interest in the missionary cause, so painfully manifest in thousands of church members? Is it to be attributed altogether to the people themselves? Have none of you satisfied yourselves by bringing the subject of missions before your people at stated periods, instead of making it a very prominent feature in

your sermons, your prayers, and your conversation with the individual members of the church? Do the people of your charge feel convinced, from your public services and your private intercourse with them, that it is as much their duty to propagate the gospel, as it is to believe it? Are your people deeply affected with the solemn thought that they are not their own? that, having been bought with the precious blood of Christ, they are bound to glorify God, every day of their lives, with their body and their spirit, which are his? Many of the people have not an opportunity of reading the missionary intelligence as published in the various periodicals of the day. Do you take every opportunity of making them acquainted with the information received from time to time from missionary stations? I have learned, from personal observation, that where there is a missionary pastor, there is a missionary people. I know a minister who, a few years ago, said to a missionary, who went to preach at his chapel,

chapel, "Every sixpence you take from my people, you take out of my pocket." For the last two or three years, there has been no collection for the Missionary Society at that place. I need not say what is the state of things in that church. Anything but

prosperous.

I am acquainted with a minister who, when he settled over a church and congregation, some eight or nine years ago, found them doing nothing for the missionary cause. He attended a county missionary meeting. Having nothing from his people, he felt so ashamed, that he advanced 57. 2s. in their name, resolving, that when he returned home, he would preach a missionary sermon and make a collection, out of which he would pay himself the 57. 28. He took an early opportunity of bringing the subject before his people. A collection was made, which amounted to 27. 12s., leaving him minus 21. 10s. He determined to try what could be done during the ensuing year. He did not wait till the next anniversary, and

then try what his people would do; he commenced at once, and they collected that year 257.; the following year, 287.; and the next, 427. In addition to this, they added, (without a word being said to them on the subject,) 301. per annum to their minister's salary. That church is now in a very flourishing condition. Them that honour God, God will honour.

I attended a missionary meeting, where it was stated, in the financial account, that, two years ago, the various churches united had sent to the Parent Society 6007.; but that last year the same churches sent only 2007.; and the reason assigned was, that there had been no deputation the last year to visit them. To what conclusion could a missionary come, on hearing such a statement as this? Must not his mind be painfully impressed with the conviction, that neither ministers nor people could feel much interest in missionary work; that the salvation of the heathen

must depend upon the Society, and not upon them; that if the directors send a deputation, some of the ministers would lend them their pulpits, some of the people would lend them their ears, and a few would part with a little of their money, to assist in sending the gospel to the perishing heathen? Oh! when will the day come when minister and people will see the importance of this subject, and feel their own awful responsibility? Tremble, my dear friends, lest the blood of the heathen should be upon you, and upon the people of your charge. Time is shorteternity is at hand-souls are going to perdition by millions, saying to each other, as they sink to the bottomless pit, "No man cared for my soul.” “My beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

PIRITADI.

OLIVET.

Acts i. 9-12.

SEE the Lord to glory rise,
His royalties to claim!

Soon the Spirit's rich supplies

Upon his followers came :

But, while Him the heavens received,
On the mountain all amazed,
They, like orphans just bereaved,
Felt as they upward gazed.

Then two men beside them stood, In beautiful array,

As the rising cloud they view'd, Which bore their Lord away;

MANOAH.

Judges xiii. 19, 20.

THE angel, in the altar-flame,
Mysteriously ascended

To that bright world from whence he came,
And thus the conference ended:

But even after he was gone,
Manoah and his wife look'd on,

With fear and wonder blended.

But we, who know the mystic sign,
And see the Saviour bleeding,—
Who trace the Advocate divine

To heaven, where he is pleading,
May gaze as we behold him rise,
In triumph to his native skies,
With love and joy exceeding.

A HEBREW GRAMMAR; containing a copious and systematic development of the Etymology and Punctuation of that Language. By SAMUEL RANSOM, Classical and Hebrew Tutor in Hackney Theological Seminary, Author of "Biblical Topography," &c. 1843. pp. 201.

Snow, London.

Of Hebrew Grammars, both in our own and foreign languages, there is no lack. They are to be found of every form and size, and in number amounting to several hundreds; so that, on hearing of any new production of the kind, we are almost tempted to regard it as the offspring of enthusiastic sciolism, and exhibiting indications of pedantry and pride, rather than furnishing proofs of solid scholarship, or of real philological improvement. Some of those published abroad are so involved in obscurity by the influence of the transcendental philosophy, that, in many instances, there is no possibility of divining the meaning of their

authors; while others, such as those of Gesenius and Nordheimer, though more simple, are more for the use of those who are advanced in the language, than adapted to the exigences of students who wish to be initiated into its elements. Others, of which we have abundance, are exclusively elementary, furnishing a mere skeleton of the first principles, so that, however suitable they may be as helps to those who enjoy the benefits of oral instruction, they leave students generally in a state of great uncertainty with respect to the phenomena which meet them at almost every step.

The work before us is not liable to any of these objections, but treats the subject in a manner sufficiently simple to facilitate the efforts of a beginner, and is at the same time eminently calculated to render his progress solid and satisfactory. It is divided into three parts. The first part, consisting of twenty-three chapters, is occupied with accidence, or an explanation of the vowel

The

signs, syllabication, pronunciation, and the different parts of speech. The author commences with the simpler elements of the language, such as the conjunctions, prepositions, articles, pronouns, and adverbs, and then takes up the verbs, nouns, and adjectives. In the second part, containing eleven chapters, he enters into a full and systematic examination of the principles involved in the vowel changes, showing how they are effected by increment, construction, apocope, paragoce, accents, euphony, &c. third part is occupied with the accents, showing their forms, designations, positions, and uses. Great pains have been bestowed upon the composition of the work, especially in determining the diversified changes of the vowel points, and developing the principles which operate in those changes. The book is got up in the best style, and, so far as we have observed, with great accuracy; and, what is none of the least recommendations, is the boldness of the Hebrew type, which not only gives no pain to the eye, but must, through that organ, produce an impression greatly favourable to the exercise of memory.

We most cordially recommend this Grammar to all who are desirous of acquiring a solid acquaintance with the ancient and sacred language of the Hebrews; and cannot entertain a doubt that the reception it will meet with from the public, will encourage the author to proceed with the additional volume on Hebrew Syntax and Prosody, to which he refers in his preface.

This is just the kind of volume we have for some time wished to see. Without entering into the formal defence of Nonconformity as a system, it is calculated to foster candid and enlightened views of Nonconformists themselves. There is a tendency in many departments, both of the secular and religious press of this country, to depreciate the learning, piety, and virtue of Nonconformists; and to indulge in a style of remark respecting them obviously tending to lower them in public opinion, and to withdraw, if possible, from their communion, the more educated classes who now belong to their churches. The species of traduction to which we refer, and which has been indulged in too freely by evangelical church organs, as well as others, has had its effect.

Not a

few of the children of Dissenters have gone over to the Church of England, and have become almost rabid in their opposition to their former connexions; and some of them have betrayed lamentable ignorance of the

people and principles upon whom they have turned their backs.

We are of opinion that Nonconformists have been too little anxious to provide a popular literature for the use of the younger members of their churches; they have their standard works upon the history of Dissent; and are by no means wanting in able treatises upon theology, biblical criticism, and hermeneutics, but there is a great lack among them of that class of writings which tends, in a popular and engaging manner, to familiarize the young with the honourable ancestry of Nonconformity, with the names and virtues of those distinguished men who have espoused its principles, and with those touching incidents in its history which ought to rivet the attachment of its friends, and engage their piety itself to hold it fast to the third and fourth generation. Among churchmen there is a kind of floating literature, some portions of it indeed very objectionable, which tends to foster attachments to recognised usages; but among Nonconformists little of this kind exists, save in the lucubrations of the periodical press.

The times are such as to require of Nonconformists a greater attention to this neglected department of literature. They are now in a position, arising from the affecting aspect of the Establishment, to exert a mighty influence for good or evil. If they are true to themselves, and filled with the spirit of truth and love, they may confer incalculable benefits on their country and posterity. We firmly believe that many of them feel the great responsibility which now presses upon them as witnesses for the truth of God. May all of them be made fully alive to the high service to which God is now calling them!

We are much gratified to find a layman of Sir J. B. Williams's piety and intelligence taking up the defence of scriptural, enlightened, and catholic Nonconformity. His letters exhibit a fine specimen of the Christian, the scholar, and the gentleman. They show to demonstration that Puritanism and Nonconformity have ranked on their side men of the first intellect, of profound erudition, and of seraphic piety. They hold up an example for dissenters to imitate, and enter a protest against that low and contemptible treatment which they so often receive at the hands of churchmen, and more especially since Tractarianism and high Church principles became rampant in the country. A more seasonable contribution could scarcely have been made to our literature at the present moment. We recommend it to the whole reading population of Great Britain, more especially to the intelligent and wealthy classes of the community. If candid and right-hearted churchmen would look into it, they would be constrained to blush