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tability in mine: the former says, "I never read a more Jesuitical article than that in the last [September] month's Eclectic;" the latter observes, "the principles of the Eclectic Reviewer I hold to be horrible." I know that the opinions of fallible men cannot settle the matter; but they may at least shew him, that he is mistaken in connecting my protest with a want of catholicity in my spirit (Ecl. Rev. p. 388); and they may lead him seriously to reconsider the sentiments which so grieve and scandalize the church of Christ in its different denominations. He has heard the opinions of the living; let him listen also to a voice from the pious dead. "Though ALL Scripture," says the devout Baxter, "be of Divine au"thority, yet he that believeth but "some one book, which containeth "the substance of the doctrine of

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THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.

WHEN marshall'd on the nightly plain,

The glittering host bestud the sky;

One star alone of all the train,

Can fix the sinner's wandering eye.

Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks,
From ev'ry host, from ev'ry gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks,-
It is the Star of Bethlehem.

Once on the raging seas I rode,

The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawn'd- -and rudely blowed,
The wind that toss'd my foundering bark.

Deep horror then my vitals froze;

Death-struck, I ceas'd the tide to stem;
When suddenly a star arose,

It was the Star of Bethlehem.

It was my guide, my light, my all;

It hade my dark forebodings cease;

And thro' the storm, and danger's thrall,
It led me to the port of peace.

Now safely moor'd--my perils o'er-
I'll sing, first in night's diadem,

For ever and for evermore,

The Star!-the Star of Bethlehem!

KIRKE WHITE.

REVIEW OF BOOKS.

An extensive Inquiry into the im--and the voluntary sacrifice of himself portant Question, what it is to preach Christ, and what is the best Mode of preaching Him. By Richard Lloyd, M. A. Rector of St. Dunstan's. Seeley. Pp. viii. and 372.

A plain Discourse on the Nature,
Evidences, and Means of Edifica-
cation. By the Rev. C. Davy,
A. B. Seeley. Pp. x. and 127.
Thoughts on Antinomianism. By
Agnostos. Hamilton. Pp. 62.
WE have been induced to notice
these three works in the same ar-
ticle from the general coincidence
of the subjects on which they seve-
rally treat, and from the correspond.
ence of sentiment which on various
occasions they evince, however their
authors may differ on some par-
ticular and minor points. We can
scarcely conceive of more important
topics than those which Mr. L.
proposes for consideration in his
present publication; subjects which,
though continually occurring, must
ever excite fresh interest in the
minds of the faithful minister. After
a short preface, Mr. L. introduces
his first inquiry by some observa-
tions on the attainments requisite to
the preaching of Christ, in which he
well maintains the importance of a
learned as well as a pious ministry.
He then proceeds to point out the
most direct and circumscribed man-
ner of preaching Christ, and after-
wards considers the subject with
greater particularity.

Amidst much that is excellent, we would call the attention of our readers to the following passages :—

If we pass on to the consideration of Christ's mediatorial character, we shall find that it embraces no inconsiderable range of doctrine and of practice. It leads us to contemplate the sovereign and unmerited love of God the Father, in the transcendent gift of his Son; the ineffable love of that Son in the mysterious assumption of the human nature and its union with the divine in his own person,

upon an ignominious cross, for the re-
demption of à fallen world. And in this
great work of redemption we behold the
exact accomplishment of those typical and
prophetic promises, which through so
many ages prefigured his advent, and a
concentration of all the Divine perfections
shining forth with a mild and attractive
splendour. From the foot of the cross
we follow Him, in silent wonder and ado-
ration, through the darkness of the tomb,
to his triumphant resurrection and as-
cension to his mediatorial throne and
dominion, and to those communications
of spiritual gifts and graces vouchsafed for
the edification of his church, and which
He will continue to dispense till He come
again in the clouds of heaven, with great
majesty and glory, to raise the dead, and
to judge the world.

sacred offices of a prophet and of a priest, for
He is, indeed, invested not only with the
the purpose of enlightening and of pardon-
ing a world" dead in trespasses and sins,"
but He reigns as the Lord God Omnipo-
tent, in the armies of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth. Whilst, however,
he is thus enthroned in glory, as
"the
King of kings, and Lord of lords," his
kingdom is not, strictly speaking, of this
world. He had, while he dwelt among
us, no earthly regal authority, no external
insignia of sovereignty, no magnificent re-
tinue. He was attended only by a few
illiterate fishermen, and was the object of
scorn and of persecution.
His throne
here below is founded in spiritual con-
quest; it is the mighty dominion of truth
and of holiness, in the heart of fallen man;
his kingdom is a kingdom of grace. He
came to proclaim liberty to the captives of
Satan, emancipation from the ignomi-
nious bondage of sin. He has opened and
consecrated "a new and a living way" to
the Throne of Mercy, and by giving indi-
viduality and life to his doctrines and pre-
cepts, He has demonstrated, in a striking
and palpable form, that the grandeur and
nobility of the soul consist, not in the ar-
tificial pomp, or in the delusive glare and
fashion of this world which pass away,
like the fiery meteors of night, but in a
mind elevated and attuned to the worship
of God, and in harmony with his will.
Such a mind is like the blue expanse of
heaven, sublime and serene, and the
radiant qualities which illustrate and
adorn it may remind us of those celestial
orbs, which enlighten and beautify this
lower world. Pp. 21-23.

After remarking that the exhilarating character of the Gospel as good news, should strongly mark

and designate our sacred ministry, Mr. L. proceeds:

What argument can be so affecting or make such a triumphant appeal to the heart as that simple, but sublime declaration, "God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life?" We may contemplate the Divine glory in the firmament above us, and its numberless orbs of light; or as it is displayed in the diversified productions of the earth, and more especially in its diurnal and annual revolutions, by which we enjoy the constant succession of day and night, and the harmonious vicissitudes of the seasons: these and other phenomena of nature, proclaim with a powerful though silent eloquence the majesty and goodness of our great Creator. But these bright manifestations of his perfections are eclipsed by the greater work of redemption, by the transcendent gift of his only Son,-by His mysterious assumption of the body prepared for Him, and by His voluntary oblation of it for us men, and our salvation. This is that wonderful and inestimable

gift that comprehends all other gifts; it lies at the foundation of our temporal no less than of our spiritual blessings. The primary doctrine of forgiveness, through the "Seed of the woman," is that original promise which rises like the morning light upon a benighted and guilty world; and all the subsequent dispensations of the Gospel are but the gradual evolution of this prophetic promise, which expands daily into a more luminous fulfilment. How admirably suited is such a proclamation of free and unmerited mercy to operate upon the ingenuous part of human nature, and to become the source of that

heavenly hope which purifies, whilst it consoles the mind. Standing at the foot of the cross, and looking to Him who died thereon, with the eye of penitential faith, —a flood of light, above the brightness of the sun, has often illuminated the gloom of despondency, and tranquillized the tumults of the soul. This light is not that cold speculative light which amuses only the understanding; it is the light of life, a light that vivifies, invigorates, and warms the affections, and at the same time enriches the soul with the lovely fruits of righteousness and true holiness. The black Ethiopian may look long enough at the visible sun and not be changed; but he who thus looks to the Sun of Righteousness shall be enlightened and transformed into that Divine image, which has been so awfully defaced by the fall. For what is the Gospel but the gracious interposition of celestial mercy for the deliverance of fallen man? It is mercy coming down from the Throne of Righteousness in

the person of our Redeemer, that she may brighten the prospects, and revive the dejected spirit of the humble penitent. When all around him is dark and tempestuous, she opens to him a refuge from the storm; safe and secure, he hears the thunders only at a distance, and lifts up his eye to Heaven, radiant with hope, and glistening with gratitude. The Gospel is emphatically the glory of sinners, not of the innocent, but of the guilty. Christ came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; He came to seek and to save that which was lost, and requires only a serious sense of our need of mercy, and an earnest application for it, that we may obtain it. Indeed the cross of Christ exhibits such an assemblage of all that is sublime and lovely in moral excellence,— justice, combined with such an unfathomsuch unsullied holiness,-such inexorable able depth of Divine love, that it tends far above all other subjects in the Scriptures, to rectify the inverted order which sin has introduced, and to form the Christian cha

racter.

It alone reveals Christ's righteousness in the remission of sin; it magnifies justice in the way of pardoning it, and mercy in the way of punishing it. It had been excluded, and mercy more atshews justice more awful than if mercy tractive than if justice had been dispensed with. In short, it is a scheme of reconciliation, planned with such unerring wisdom, that it magnifies the law, and makes it honourable; whilst it magnifies the criminal, who broke the law ;-for the respect put upon the law makes him honourable also. Hence both the sinner and the law have just ground to glory in the cross of God unto salvation. Pp. 28-32. Christ, as the wisdom and the power of

The Saviour is also represented by Mr. L. as the grand source of strength and consolation, and as such deserving the continual regard of the weak and tempted believer:

Is the Christian weak and ready to faint? He is encouraged in the Scriptures to look to his exalted Saviour and be strengthened. "His grace is sufficient for him,"and He has promised not "to break the bruised reed, nor to quench the smoking flax."-Has he been tempted to deviate from the line of duty? Let him return, like the prodigal son, humbly confessing his sins, and he shall be abundantly pardoned.-Has he been induced, by unworthy motives, to deny his Lord, and to be ashamed of his cross? Let him think of his unparalleled sufferings and dying love, and, like Peter, weep bitterly; such sorrow shall be turned into joy.-Is he weighed down under a gloomy and painful sense of accumulated sins, and does his subtle and

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complishment. Such abortive magnificence reminds us of those clouds which sail along the skies with an inflated majesty, and intercept the light of heaven without fertilizing the lands over which they pass. The system of the Gospel is a system of faith and practice. An evangelical creed was never designed to be the substitute of piety, but the life of it;-and piety itself requires to be disciplined by rules. But many religionists are too wise to be taught by human authority, and too holy and spiritual to attend to the laws of morality. They are disposed to depreciate instrumental duties, and to hold in disdain all mechanism in religion. Under a recondite, mysterious principle of piety, that looks almost exclusively to the immediate illapses of the Spirit, they not only forget that the healing water of life is conveyed through appointed channels, but that Christ is no less our Legislator than our Redeemer, and requires us to recognize Him in his precepts, as well as in his doctrines. How can we satisfactorily ascertain that we love God, or have a saving faith in our Redeemer, but by weighing ourselves in the balances of the sanctuary,

malicious adversary, who before tempted, now accuse and condemn him? Let him recall to mind the gracious and comprehensive promise of his Saviour, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' There is no distress, of whatever kind or degree, to which the voice of mercy is not responsive. Do the rough winds of this world violently assail him, and damp his Christian ardor?-Does his love begin to wax cold? Let him silently and devoutly think of Him who "bore the contradiction of sinners," their base ingratitude, and monstrous rebellion, and whose intense love for the safety and welfare of their souls, no floods of persecution could extinguish, or even abate. By such solemn meditations upon the cross of Christ, who voluntarily died for the salvation of all men,sin will gradually lose its attractions and ascendency, and the sacred fire of Divine love will silently kindle in the soul,-and all enmities towards our fellow-creatures, who have been redeemed by the same atoning blood,-will be melted down into mutual forgiveness, under the benign influence and sunshine of Christian charity. Be, therefore, determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified,"who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God!" Such a holy determination, formed in the strength of Divine grace, will soon emancipate you from many embarrassments and difficulties, internal and external, and give a clear and manly tone to your character. Having a good end before you, and being resolute and true to the attainment of it, you will, in so pursuing this end, be moulded into all virtue at once; for whatever virtues lie in the passage towards it, you are invested already with a disposition to conform yourselves to them. Pp. 67, 68.

In the fourth chapter, the importance of studying the law of God as the rule of action is well inculcated, and the evils resulting from those imperfect and erroneous views which ignorant though well-meaning men are apt to bring forward, are forcibly pointed out:

Many do not study the law of God, as a rule of action; they speak of the doctrines of Christianity, of true faith in them, and of the necessary fruits of that faith. Thus they move in a constant round of doctrines, and from their connection with each other and with their correspondent duties, assume, without due examination, that they reach their appointed end in practice. But these assumptions are dangerous in morals, and generate a religion splendid in promise, and meagre in ac

by bringing our conduct to the standard of the moral law? Even admitting that a man is actuated by that genuine faith which "worketh by love,”—still his faith, love, and other graces must be regulated in their exercise by some rule of action; otherwise, they will soon shew themselvesin a “zeal not according to knowledge.” As a ship upon the boisterous ocean requires not only wind and tide to accelerate her course through the trackless deep, but a rudder and a pilot to steer her in safety amidst the rocks and quicksands to which she is exposed; so does the Christian, in sailing over the dangerous ocean of life, require to be constantly reminded of his chart and directory; he must not transgress the boundaries of his appointed obtain the prize of his high calling, within course, but he must move, if he would the prescribed limits. Activity alone is insufficient; unless it be well directed, it may become, not a progressive, but a retrograde movement. Pp. 92-94.

To preach, then, Christ, is not to confine ourselves to his name, as if it had a magical influence, or to be continually chiming upon his doctrines in order to elicit from them such sounds as may vibrate in exact unison with our morbid feelings: it consists in illustrating the great design of his mediation, and in expounding his laws,--the conjunctive tendency of which is, to render us obedient to the eternal rules of righteousness. In short, the Gospel can never produce its full and appropriate effects,-unless we promulgate the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; so intimate and indissoluble is the connection between truth and holiness. P. 109.

Many will doubt whether Mr. Lloyd has not occupied a somewhat disproportionate space in his remarks on the duty of submission to rulers, &c. At the same time, when it is considered how feverish and fretful professing Christians in general are when a minister ventures to call upon them to honour the king, and how absurdly many assert that Christian ministers have nothing to do with political affairs, though expressly enjoined to put their people in mind to obey magistrates, &c. Mr. L. may perhaps be vindicated for shewing how important a part political submission is of Evangelical holiness.

Mr. L.'s inquiry into what is the best mode of preaching Christ, is less satisfactory than his former investigation. A large part of it is employed in discussing the comparative merits of written and extemporary discourses; and he pronounces, with an air of considerable complacency and authority, that the former ought, by all persons, and under all circumstances, to be exclusively adopted. While, how ever, we agree with him in many of his observations, we cannot, by any means, concur, unreservedly, in his final decision. The expediency of adopting extemporary or written discourses, cannot now be settled by authority, and the ipse dixit of any one will have small weight with preachers in general. Much depends upon the talents of the individual minister; much on the nature of his congregation, and their peculiar habits and prejudices; and still more upon the results which, after due proof of his ministry, the preacher finds to ensue from that particular system which he has adopted.

When, however, extemporary preaching is referred to, it is necessary to remark, that many entertain very erroneous ideas upon the subject. Extemporary preaching, strictly speaking, is a practice almost entirely unknown. We are

not acquainted with any who profess habitually to go up into the pulpit and speak ex tempore-that is, who, without any previous selection of their subject, or any preparation of materials, accustom themselves at once to address an audience with what first comes to their minds. Yet this is the correct idea of extemporary preaching. We have known cases where the failure of an expected supply, the sudden indisposition of a minister, the accidental loss of a previous preparation, &c. compelled another to engage at once upon a service for which he had not prepared; but we know of none who really adopt this as their stated practice.

We have, however, neither time nor inclination to enter on the question between written and unwritten discourses. It may, in general, be said that no man preaches well from notes who has not previously written for a considerable period;-that, in many cases, the preaching from notes renders persons indolent and superficial;-but it is by no means true that this is invariably, or even generally, the case: it is certain that many employ much more time and study to prepare a discourse from notes than would suffice to write it at full length; and that they prefer preaching without a written preparation, because they find, that by this means their preaching is more acceptable, more efficient, and more useful. We surely ought to hesitate before we condemn, on the one hand, that mode of preaching which such eminently holy and useful men as Cecil, and Foster, and Robinson, and Scott, and Newton, adopted, and most decidedly recommended to others as the more excellent way; while at the same time the rash condemners of written sermons may well pause, when they recollect that Milner, and Richardson, and many other useful and exemplary characters, confined themselves entirely to such discourses.

Mr. Lloyd has annexed an Appen

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