mons-twelve essays on various theological topics-and a memoir of the Doctor, written by his son, and occupying about sixty pages.

The memoir is well written, and very creditable to the good taste and correct feeling of its author. We regret, however, that it is so concise, for while we deprecate the useless expenditure of time and property, which so frequently occurs in the production of bulky memoirs, concerning individuals, who, with their biographers, are destined soon to be forgotten; yet there are men, like Dr. Ryland, who if not possessed of original genius, have been providentially placed in such circumstances as connect their lives with the times which have passed over them, and with the wise and the good of various communions who were contemporaneous with them. The diaries

and letters of such men are the materials of history, and while this sketch possesses many excellencies, we wish it were more rich in facts, illustrative of the history of the denomination to which he belonged, and of its missionary enterprise, from its humble commencement to the close of a protracted life devoted to its interests. The following extract from the Doctor's diary is given in a note, which, to our minds, is worth many a page of splendid declamation, as it reveals the secret of that success with which God deigned to honour the Serampore mission for many years, and which, short as it is, must convey a seasonable hint to those who are now anxious for the revival of religion in our churches and the world.

Sixty Memorials for a Godly Life; and each prayed twice Carey with singular enlargement and pungency. Our chief design was to implore a revival of the power of godliness in our own souls, in our churches, and in the church at large." --p. 17.

As the admirable and lovely portraiture of Dr. Ryland, from the pen of Mr. Hall, has already appeared in this journal, we shall not attempt an analysis of the memoir before us, but as a specimen of the style in which it is written, we extract the following' account of the good Doctor's theological sentiments.

"These, it is well known, were decidedly Calvinistic. At an early period of his public life, however, he was led practical moment; which, though it to alter his views on one point of great formed no genuine part of Calvinism, was maintained by some of the leading ministers in the Baptist denomination, and in many of the churches was con

sidered almost a test of orthodoxy. It

was an opinion sanctioned by Dr. Gill and Mr. Brine, that it was unlawful to urge the duties of faith and repentance on men in general-an error, which, to unprejudiced minds, would be sufficiently exposed, by observing, that it would have annihilated at once the

apostolic commission, by rendering it impossible to preach the Gospel to any creature, since there were in the Gentile world, none to whom it could on this principle be addressed.' A sentiment so adverse to the natural promptin the minds of Dr. Ryland and several ings of Christian benevolence, excited of his brethren, the most painful embarrassment. They endeavoured to address the unconverted as far as their system would allow, and not unfrequently were carried beyond it. They were gradually led to a devout and earnest examination, and finally to an abandonment of a tenet which shackled all their movements. Dr. Ryland's mind was, in some measure, prepared for a change, by an extensive acquaintance with the Puritan writers and their immediate successors, who were for nofearless and cogent appeals to the conthing more distinguished than their

science. But Edwards's Treatise on

* Congregational Magazine, vol. viii. pp. 617--620.

the Freedom of the Will, with which and the other works of that writer, he became acquainted about the year 1775, rendered him the greatest assistance. His intimacy with Mr. Fuller, (who had been involved in similar perplexities,) which commenced soon after, and was cemented into a friendship, seldom perhaps equalled and never surpassed, for genuineness and constancy, powerfully tended to give firmness to his convictions. Several other ministers, about the same time, were led to adopt similar views, among whom should be especially mentioned, Mr. (since Dr. Carey, the venerable Mr. Hall, of Arnsby, and Mr. Sutcliff, of Olney. Though in many points their characters were strongly contrasted, yet it is pleasing to observe, that their devotedness to the same great cause, so attempered and blended the respective peculiarities of each, as to render them eminently subservient to the promotion of the kingdom of their common Lord and Saviour."-Vol. ii. pp. 13-16.

During his whole ministerial career, we are informed by Mr. Hall, Dr. Ryland" preached eight thousand six hundred and ninety-one sermons, and at two hundred and eighty-six places. The notes of these discourses were prepared with peculiar care -written in a clear hand, but so singularly minute, as almost to require the powers of a microscopic eye to decypher them: a very correct and curious specimen of the Doctor's penmanship, is given in a beautiful fac-simile, which adorns the first volume.

From such a mass of papers, the editor must have experienced no small difficulty in selection. He has furnished his readers, however, with a diversified and interesting series of a hundred and fifty judicious and instructive discourses, which have not only all the frame-work of arranged thought, which constitutes what is technically called a skeleton, but are so clothed with words, as to prevent the reader from posing at the first glance, that they are unreadable. We there.

sup

fore think, that these volumes will furnish a pleasing addition to the divinity libraries of those persons, who retain the valuable, but somewhat unfashionable practice of reading at their family altar a short sermon.

We select one at random.

"THE APPARENT VANITY OF MAN. "Psalm lxxxix. 47.- Wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

cotem

"It may be difficult to determine at what time this Psalm was made. Ethan and Heman are mentioned as porary with Solomon; 1 Kings iv. 31. 1 Chron. xv. 19. and as eminent for wisdom, though not equal to him. This Ethan might survive that monarch, and compose this Psalm after his death, when the ten tribes revolted from Rehoboam, and Shishak plundered Jerusalem. Or a person of the same name might write it after the death of Josiah, or nearer the captivity.

"Be that as it may, this sentence contains a passionate exclamation, expressing such sensations as the Psalmist would not mean to justify; which yet may afford us instruction, when we examine into the occasion of them, as well as when we seek after an antidote to rectify them.

"FIRST, Let us investigate the ground of this complaint; or say, what circumstances seem calculated to tempt a wise and good man to indulge an apprehension that all men are made in vain ?

"The consideration of the shortness and

How

uncertainty of human life in general, is thirds die under two years of age, and one occasion of this suspicion. Two how many more in childhood! few comparatively reach old age! soon is the longest life past! How uncertain is every moment! No circumstances can insure it! How much of life

How

is filled with troubles! How much more with trifles! Ah! how vain is this mortal life! If this were all, man would indeed seem to have been made in vain.

"Yet how evidently is this world all that most men pursue! Who are they, that comparatively mind any thing else! Though they that possess the most of temporal good, evidently set their minds upon a thing of nought, which may leave them, and which they soon must leave. While others mind no future state; though one would think their troubles here must so embitter this world as to

constrain them to look out for a better. Many are busy in doing nothing; many

in doing worse than nothing. Some are weaving spiders' webs, others hatching cockatrices' eggs. Many torment themselves; many are a plague to others. And they regard no warning; but seem willing to risque their future portion with devils, if they may but in this life live like beasts.

"The great mixture of hypocrites with sincere professors of religion, may induce a pious man to employ this language. In all ages there have been a number who have professed a regard to God, and a future state; but even among those whose professions have been founded on divine revelation, too many have plainly shown themselves to be hypocrites or self-deceivers, and others have at least given ground for suspicion of their sincerity; so that God has been greatly dishonoured, and religion wounded by its pretended friends.

"The imperfection and incapacity of those that are truly upright, may also prompt to this complaint. They that have given the best evidence of sincerity, have for the most part had but little power or influence over others; or have exerted it to little purpose. Some have discovered occasional blemishes and inconsistencies. All have been too defective in a wise and well regulated zeal; have not had opportunity to do many things they wished; and yet missed many opportunities they did enjoy, and should have improved.

"The little success of good men in serving God and their generation, is a just ground of lamentation; and the unhappy success of others in counter-working them. So we may consider David's exaltation to the throne, and Solomon's succession. How soon was the scene beclouded by Solomon's declension, and Rehoboam's misconduct! How short the duration of subsequent reformations by Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, Manasseh, and Josiah! How soon the majority returned to idols! How soon was the primitive church infected by errors! How soon were errors revived after the reformation! What declensions have followed subsequent revivals of religion! Let us, "SECONDLY, Attempt the refutation of this complaint.-Whatever good men have said or thought in a melancholy hour, it must not be left as a charge upon God, that he has actually made all men in vain, nor indeed any man.

"Though man appears such a shortlived insect, yet he is really an immortal creature. This life is only an introduction and preparation for a future and eternal state. Nor will any who were here prepared for unchangeable felicity, complain that this mutable state

was so short and transitory. It is proba ble that great part of the inhabitants of heaven never knew much of sorrow.

"Those indeed who live to be capable of moral action, give sad evidence of their native unfitness for final happiness; but the Holy Scriptures teach us that this is the consequence of man's having fallen from the state in which he was created. And God must not be blamed for the consequences of man's sin. He forbade it. He put the strongest motives against it in his way. He did every thing but prevent it by immediate efficiency. He could have done that indeed; but to say, that he was bound to do so, is inconsistent with moral government.

"Were mankind left universally in guilt and misery, God might glorify his justice in their punishment, and teach other intelligent creatures to realize more sensibly and affectingly their de pendance on God for happiness, and the evil of rebelling against him. Nor do we know how small a proportion the whole human race may bear, to the intelligent creation throughout the uni

verse.

"But we have more pleasing proof that God has not made all men in vain. He has a different end to answer, with respect to a vast multitude of the human race, and will, in the issue, get himself more glory from their redemption, than would have arisen from the absolute prevention of evil. Nor is it improbable that a large proportion of the human race will enjoy eternal felicity.

"There is a real and essential difference between the inward disposition of some men and of others, aud this will be made apparent at the great day, so as to stop the mouth of every enemy for ever. It shall then appear, that God had a people whom he formed for himself, to show forth his praise; who really longed for that perfection in holiness, which they shall then attain, and who hated and mourned over those evils, which others willingly indulged. It will then appear that those who perish, cherished the very seeds of hell in their bosoms. And that those who are saved, were in fact, the only people in the world who loved heaven, and chose to go there for the sake of those things which truly constitute its blessedness.

"Even the imperfections and defects of believers shall serve to evince more clearly, that their salvation was all of sovereign grace, and that they were infinitely indebted to the Saviour and the Sanctifier.

"God has not made all men in vain ; for it will be found that though good men