time, we beg leave to recommend to the public attention, as alike honourable to the worth and talents of the writer, and to the cause he so ably and successfully vindicates.

Art. IX. Sermons on the Person and Office of the Redeemer, aud on the Faith and Practice of the Redeemed. By William Jesse, A. M. 8vo. pp. 464. Price 8s. Cadell and Davies. 1810.

NO literary class can be named, in which the present acting persons have less respect for their predecessors, and, we might say, for one another, than in that of sermon writers. They are perfectly aware that-without going so far back as the puritan divines, and the learned and eloquent churchmen of the latter part of the seventeenth century-a prodigious number of books of sermons have been published within the lifetime, and the memory, of the elder portion of readers now living. By a glance over the catalogues of two or three of the London booksellers, it might probably be seen that the shelves of nearly a whole room, of competent dimensions for a study, might be filled by the assemblage of volumes which would be formed by single copies of all the books of sermons that have been published in English, within less than a hundred years past. Now with what estimate do the present numerous writers of sermons regard this vast accumulation of kindred per formances? It is obvious, that their own multitude of volumes cannot engage so much as they wish them to do of the public attention, without an almost entire dismissal, from that attention, of these preceding labours. And why are they to be thus consigned to neglect? Is it deemed that books of this class are necessarily transitory, through some peculiar fata lity, which destroys them without regard to the qualities which they may possess or want; and that therefore the reading of sermons will cease, if there be not a continued supply from authors who are, of course, resigned to the destiny under which their works also, in their turn, are soon to perish? Or is it, that this great accumulation affords really so very few books that deserve to live,-so diminutive a portion of sound doctrine and good writing, that absolutely the relief of an insupportable destitution of religious truth and eloquence is the object of the present very rapid issue of volumes of sermons? Unless the works of the very numerous former contributors to this part of our literature, are regarded as thus necessarily fugitive, or thus indigent of the qualities indispensable to render them instructive and impressive, it may be difficult to find a plausible reason for that eagerness to publish volumes of sermons so manifest of late years. And even then, it will remain some what wonderful, how so very many persons have been freed

from all doubt as to their own competency to carry on the course of this written instruction, in the best and ablest manner of those who have had their day, or to furnish such reasoning and eloquence, as those who have had their day are to sink into oblivion for having failed to exhibit. Some of these writers have such an estimate of themselves, and their predecessors, and even their contemporaries, in the same department, that they will confess they have not taken all the pains they might to perfect their compositions. They could not in conscience stay to do it, so affected were they at the view of the afflictive public want of such a book as theirs. The community had. among them only some few millions of volumes of serious sermons, and were constantly receiving only a few thousands more each month: and therefore who could be sure that souls might not perish for lack" of the means of "knowledge," if these latest sermon writers delayed the publication of their books, in order to labour them to the greatest attainable fitness for conveying instruction?

The author of the present volume has not offended in the way of violent haste from the pulpit to the printing office, for these sermons are a selection from those which he has been in the habit of writing and preaching to his parishioners during the last twenty years;'-but we question whether the case will be found in every point so unexceptionable.

He wishes the reader to understand and remember, that these Sermons were not written with any design to publish them; and, that they are presented to him as they were delivered from the pulpit. If, as compositions, they are not below what any one may expect to hear in a country church, and in a mixed congregation of people of various ranks, it may not be thought presumption in him to hope that these Sermons may be more useful to the generality of readers, than compositions intended for the critical eye of the learned.' p. xvi.

This sounds like the language of apology, and, in some de. gree, of humility; but what does it virtually say? It says that, while there are before the public, partly in the form of sermons, and partly of treatises, an immense number of theological books, of which number a proportion, comprizing, in point of quantity, more than most men will ever have time to read, are of excellent tendency, and were matured with deliberate study, by able men, who made a patient and earnest exertion to display the subjects with the utmost possible clearness and force-it says that Mr. Jesse, quite aware of all this, thinks there is nothing like arrogance in calling on readers to employ a share of the time due to such works, in perusing a volume of such sermons as he is in the habit of preparing for the weekly services of his parish ;-strict care being taken that,

having been intended only for this use, they do not undergo any improvement when selected for a higher.

Nor is this all. He thinks that printed instructions, brought out in this manner, may even be more useful to the generality of readers' than compositions intended for learned and critical ones;-not meaning, we presume, more useful than they would have been if they had contained direct matters of learning and criticism; that is too flatly evident to be worth saying; but more useful to them than they would have been if the general tenour of the composition had been intended to satisfy the critical eye.'-Here we shall be allowed to ask, what is it that the critical eye of the learned' demands in a theological composition, when direct learning and criticism are out of the question? What is it, but a definite general statement of the subject? What, but a lucid natural order in the series of explanations? What, but perfect conception in each of the thoughts, and clear expression in each of the sentences, together with such a counexion in the succession of thoughts and sentences, as to make them all intelligibly and forcibly lead to the intended point? And are not these properties of a composition which the critical reader requires, the very things which the generality of readers' need? Is it not the first object, and a most difficult one, to give those readers a clear understanding of the subject? And the way to do this is, to treat it in such a mode of composition as a truly critical eye' would perceive to have the primary qualities of good composition.-We have met with not a few occasions of indulging some degree of wonder at a notion, that less careful labour is necessary in writing, in proportion as the expected readers are less disciplined by learning and criticism! As if their not having been accustomed to accurate thinking, rendered them just so much the more capable of deriving clear ideas from negligent writing.

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On the whole of this matter, we think it is not easy, in the present circumstances of literature, to be guilty of an excess, in censuring that presumptuous contempt of higher examples, that low valuation of people's time, and that indifference, in part at least, to the purpose professed,-their instruction,which are manifested in coming on the public with compositions, executed in a hasty and imperfect manner, and accompanied by an avowal, in effect, that the instruction of the readers was not deemed an object to make it worth while to attempt any improvement in those compositions. It is really quite time for the writers of sermons to be admonished, that when they are resolving on publication, they should condescend to admit such a sense of the extent of their duty, as would be impressed by reflecting a few moments, what other sermons in the language the persons to be instructed might be reading, during the time

they are expected to employ in reading the volumes now to be presented to them and we cannot think a very lenient language is due to writers who have never made this reflection, or have evidently disdained to profit by it.

The unusual length of the preface to this volume seemed to intimate that there must be something peculiar, and requiring preparatory explanation, in the design or execution; and we presumed that an attentive perusal of it would qualify us to go forward. We must confess, however, that in more than one attentive reading, we failed to reach the meaning. It is a most confused attempt to distinguish between essential truths' and 'subordinate truths,' in the Christian religion, and to instruct contemporary preachers to dwell much more, than it is believed they do, on the former class. These essential truths' are limited, in some undefined 'or ill-defined way, to 'the doctrines concerning the Person and Office of the Redeemer,' those doctrines being, as far as we are enabled to coujecture, so understood as to exclude, and consign to the subordinate class, the greatest number of the truths declared in the scriptures; so understood as to exclude doctrines which must constitute much of the practical meaning of the term office, as applied to the Messiah. For instance, the doctrine of justification by faith is specified as not being one of the essential truths; and we find in the subordinate' class the doctrine of 'that great defect in our common nature, as destitute of the spirit of holiness, and prone in all its tendencies to earthly things,' and of our utter insufficiency, without the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to will and do any thing which is spiritually good.' And though such subordinate truths' are allowed to have their importance, it is represented that what is essentially the gospel may be effectually apprehended without

them.

He that rightly apprehends the personal character and office of the Redeemer, may be wise unto salvation, though he be ignorant of every thing else; or, though he know little or nothing distinctly of the subordinate truths, or mistakes their meaning.' p. vi.

As if the office of the Redeemer were something substantive and absolute, instead of a relation which he has assumed to the human race, the nature and effect of which relation are defined or explained by a combination of those doctrines which would here be denominated subordinate.-It is very much at hazard, however, that we make any attempt at stating the import of this long preface.

The reader will be freed in a good measure from this difficulty of understanding, when he advances into the sermons themselves, which are on the following subjects. The Anti

quity, Importance, and Truth of the Doctrine of Salvation-Isaiah's Prophecy of the Saviour's Advent-the Birth of Jesus Christ-Calling his name Jesus-the Humility of ChristChrist our great High Priest-the scriptural Doctrine of Redemption-a Resurrection of the Dead, the Doctrine of both the Testaments-the Resurrection of Christ and ours equally certain our Saviour's Ascension into Heaven-preaching Christ crucified-the unchangeable Friend-the Author of eternal Salvation to them that obey him-the true Vine-the Divine Mercy, and the Christian Temper and ConductChristian Practice-Christian Charity-doing the Will of God -the Gospel hid to them that are lost.

It will be perceived, that, though there is not much speciality in the subjects, they are chiefly of one general character; and the selection of the sermons, we are informed, was determined by the subjects and not at all by any conceit of excellence in their composition.' Though there is a slight peculiarity in the author's view of Christianity, these subjects are presented, substantially, in the same light as in the ordinary ministrations of evangelical preachers. The doctrines are not stated with any remarkable precision, nor maintained with any steady process of argument. The composition is indeed, for the most part, quite loose and immethodical; a succession of thoughts connected or not connected, as the case may happen-easily occurring to a mind not accustomed to any severity of intellectual discipline-and hastily thrown on paper just as they oc curred. A large proportion of them are perfectly commonplace. Here and there they carry a degree of point and discrimination. A few of them are considerably raised and bold and now and then they are extravagant, from carelessness or from system. Of this last description we have noticed several instances besides these two. "He' (the Mediator) must be able to do, what seems to require a greater exertion of almighty power, than the production of matter and of intelligent existences; he must secure the glory of the divine perfections, in a dispensation of mercy and grace towards guilty and depraved creatures.' (p. 60.) the eternal salvation of millions, and of millions of millions, of fallen creatures,' &c. &c. (p. 39.) It is needless to say that this is a number vastly exceeding, in all probability, the whole assembly of the last day. And as to the former passage, it seems very unthinking to represent any effort or proof of power as greater than the creation of something out of nothing.—The whole strain of the sermons indicates, we think, much genuine piety and zeal, great familiarity with the scriptures, (quoted, however, too much in masses,) and very little personal ostentation. The exhortations are serious and earnest, and the whole language runs on in a free

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