་ No material alteration his kind attention to me, and all friends.' It being late, I left the room; and, contrary to all expectations, she revived in the morning, and desired to see me again. I expressed some surprize on seeing her so much better. She said she found such a change the day before and in the evening, that she concluded she must be near death: she had been a little alarmed at the near view of it; but some lines of Dr. Watts which I mentioned (.A poor, a weak, a helpless worm,' &c.) came across her mind, and she seemed enabled to leave herself in the arms of the Saviour; and lay composed, waiting, and expecting her removal. She continued much the same this day and the following; and frequently requested my praying with her. The next evening I found her very weak. On conversing a little, on the sovereignty and freeness of die vine grace, I reminded her of the account of the converted malefactor on the cross, and of our Lord's promise: This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise,' * Ah !"* said she, with great energy," I hope I shall be with Christ in Paradise I this night!" But she lingered on two days longer. gretted the loss of her mother; and On the following Saturday morning I cailed, in my way to London, and perceived she was really dying. She was very sensible and composed. I commended her to the Lord; and taking her by the hand, bade ber Farewell. She, with a composed, earnest, and expressive countenance, replied, Farewell, farewell.' continued sensible to the last; and about five in the evening requested a relative to raise her a little higher; on so doing, she said, I am going, I am going;' and expired. She I pretend not to decide on this case; yet I think it an hopeful one. It is, however, capable of improves ment. O that the young, who nessed this event, and other may read this statements may be taught to nuer their days, so as to apply hearts be times unto wisdom REVIEW OF RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS.. The Four Gospels and Acts of the Apostles, illustrated by Maps and a Genealogical Table of the Family of Herod; with Annotations, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical, chiefly selected from the most able Commentators, and accompanied with Reflections. By T. Stabback, A. B. Two vols. 8vo, Price £1. THE manifest design of this work is unostentatious usefulness; and to answer this design it is, upon the whole, well calculated, though our duty will compel us to mention some exceptions. The sacred text is introduced in portions of various length; and each portion is followed by an annotation. The explanatory part of the design appears to be, upon the whole, executed in a sensible, perspicuous, and interesting manner. The worthy and modest author does not make a display of his learning; but, with an amiable plainness and simplicity, he puts his reader in possession of its valuable fruits, in his elucidations of the New Testament narrative from the phra seology, prevailing opinions, customs, laws, history, topography, and other antiquities of the Jews and connected nations He is often happy in unveiling, and placing in an advantageons point of view, those more hidden beauties of charming propriety and heavenly wisdom which mark the incidental and least observable parts of the adorable Redeemer's conduct and discourses. His sentiments on the great essentials of saving truth, are evangelical; and tho' they are not strictly Calvinistical, we think that most serious Calvinists will find little to condemn, and much to approve. The Deity and humiliation of the Saviour, the preciousness and the efficacy of his atoning blood, the renewing and sanctifying work of the Spirit, and the immense obligations of holiness, which result from these truths, are maintained in a feeling and interesting manner. The Reflections are appended to each chapter; and partake of the XVIII. same affectionate, practical, and se. rious character. We shall give 'à brief specimen of both. Matt. v. 38-42. Among the statutes in the book of Deuteronomy, the judges were directed to give an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' if the injured party demanded it, and would accept no inferior satisfaction; but the scribes explained it as if it had authorized private revenge, and even required people to exact this severe retaliation. To check this furious and revengeful spirit, our Lord delivers the precepts contained in these verses, couched in strong proverbial and figurative expressions, certainly not to be taken literally (as we learn both from our Lord's example, and that of his apostle St. Paul. See John xviii. 23; Acts xvi. 37); but intended only to inculcate that peculiar temper and disposition which the gospel requires, - that patience, gentlenes, moderation, and forbearance, under injuries and affronts, without which, on one side or the other, provocations must be endless, and enmities eternal. All, therefore, that is here required of us is, that we should not suffer our resentment of injuries to carry us beyond the bounds of Christian charity; and that we should patiently submit to any tolerable affront or loss for the sake of peace, rather than excite a litigious disposition. What a useful lesson to preserve the peace of the world, is inculcated in these divine injunctions! What our Lord says, in respect of being compelled to go a mile, alludes to a custom which prevailed, of pressing or obliging persons to go on public occasións. Among the Jews; the disciples of these wise men were exempted from these services; but our Saviour advises his disciples not to insist on the exception.' We object to Mr. S/s saying, That our Saviour advises.' The expression savours too much, though tre believe unde signedly, of the Popish doctrine of evangelical cours-is. Jesus, our Lord and Sovereign, did 3 C not give a lvices or counsels; but he commanded, with a supreme and unabating authority. Neither does the Jast sentence of the Annotation rise to the full import of our Lord's precept; which clearly is, that we ought not merely to come up to the point demanded; but that our dis position to render kindnesses and services should extend farther than the immediate requisition which friends, or even strangers, inay make upon us. Mark H. REFLECTIONS. As the very end of Christ's coming was to cali sinners to repentance, he was unaffected by the reviling of those who conceived themselves righteous; and were much farther fom the kingdom of Heaven than the very sinners whom they despised. With a malignant and jealous eye they marked the condescensions of Jesus; and wanted to cast a reflection on his character as though he were like the men with whom he mixed; but to us the Redeemer appears peculiarly amiable in such a circle as this; compassionately conversing with objects that must have been most hateful to his pure and holy nature; and indeed our Lord gives a full vindication of his conduct to the haughty Pharisees. He came into the world, he tells them, as the great Physician of souls: sinners are his unhappy patients, who groan under their spiritual maladies, incurable but by his healing grace, and those who feel their miseries, and apply to him, he is ever ready to relieve; but the wilfully ignorant and the self-righteous, who know nothing of their guilt and sinfulness, and conceive themselves whole, these, as they experience so want of him, and will not come to him that they may have life, are left to the delusions they have chosen. The conversion of sinners being the sole work of Christ on earth, he was fully justified in reeiving them into his company, that he might acquaint them with his salvation. Had man been naturally righteous, he never had needed a Redeemer; and those who fancy themselves such, have nothing to do with him who came only to s ek and save that which was lost. The 1 Saviour's errand is to sinners, even the most worthless, to invite them to return to God, with promises of pardon purchased by his blood. Who then should despair, from the consciousness of his unworthiness, when he beholds such glorious instances of condescending grace?' From the title and preface we are informed, that it was a part of the author's intention in this work, to unravel intricacies, and to remove difficulties. This object, we regret, he has very imperfectly attained. A work professing to illustrate the Scriptures, however valuable for its regard to the grand essentials of faith and holiness, is materially deficient if it does not reach this point. It appears to us a dangerous opinion, that a studious reserve upon such matters should be maintained towards that most important class of Christians, usually called plain seri. ous people. This class embraces the majority of the followers of Christ in all ages. Often have we been grieved to hear them treated as if they had neither penetration to dis cern a difficulty, nor understanding to receive its solution. The case is, in our opinion, altogether the reverse of what some, who seem to affect a monopoly of knowledge, are in the habit of representing. The general mass of plain Christians have both the disposition and the ability to understand the Bible well; and they only want a wider extension of an informing, as well as an affec tionate, style of preaching, and the more familiar use of suitable books. In fact, it is among this class that doubts, questions, and perplexities are most apt to occur. The serious and reflecting, but unlettered, believer, is often distressed with dif ficulties, which have no existence in the minds of his better educated, or more informed brethren. For these reasons, we are sorry that we cannot recommend the work before us, as generally adequate to the removal of those difficulties, in the criticism and interpretation of the evangelical narratives which are kely to occur to the reader from his own reflections, or which may be suggested by adversaries, in order to subvert bis faith. Certainly, as we have before observed, many obscurities in phraseology and allusions are cleared up, and some di Beutics of other kinds are occasionally obviated; — but texts wa.ch involve the most important and well-known questions a critical or controversial kind, are usually passed without even a sligi notice of the difficulty contained. As instances, we may men. tion the following passages: The initial chapters of Matthew and Luke, Mate. vi. 13; xix. 17; xxiii. 31, 33: Luke ji. 2; John vii. 53, vin. 11; Acts iv. 32; xiv. 23; xx. 17, 28. In val. 1, page 163, we have this assertion:- in the New Testament we fiad many essential improvements of the moral law.' Probably, our author meant in the way of exposition and application; otherwise the assertion would be very erroneous. It is the doctrine of both the Old and New Testament, that the Moral Law is so perfect, as to be un susceptible of improvement; and so unchangeable, as to be incapable of abolition. We had supposed that few Biblical scholars, in the present day, doubt that the original of St. Mat thew's Gospel was in Syro-Chaldaic: yet our author says (vol. I, p. 1) This opinion has been combated by some of the most judicious and learned critics among the mocarus ; and the Greek copy is now generally esteemed the original.' We suspect that he has derived this assertion from some obsolete source. The style of the Aunotations and Reflections is plain, and usually per spicuous; but it is not entitled to the praise of nealness or accursey. The two maps are char and handsome, but defective in the laying down of places mentioned in the New Testament. On the second map, e fist and second apostolical journeys of St. Paul ought to have been traced. In the printing of the text, the supplemental words of the translators are not distinguished from the rest this is a serious fault ;~ yet, notwithstanding these minor exceptions, the work is valu able, and we hope it will be instru mental of much good, Intolerance the Disgrace of Chris tians, not the Fault of their Religion. By the Rev. Caristopher Wyvill. 8vo, This well-written pamphlet was designed to be the avant coureur, to prepare the public mind for the introduction of a petition to Parliament, formed on principles of toleration, unlimited as the benevo lence of the gospel.' A perspicuous and comprehensive glance at the. evidences of Christianity, forms the Exordium. Mr. W. then observes, That, after spreading rapidly in the first centuries, the gospel has, for many ages, rather lost than gained ground; while persecution, in a more or less heinous degree, has been the practice of Ceristian communities; or, to speak more justly, of nominal or incens.stcut Christians, by whom these communities were governed.' The reasons for the repeal of the Test Laws are urged with the united force of argument and eloquence. Be boldly admits that the abolition of intolerant tesis, with which the church is guarded, would lead to applications for internal changes, but costends that this would be a grand advantage. That his theological creed should prevail, we could think no advantage; but the inefficacy of all attempts to compel men to be orthodox, is manifest by Mr. W. and multitudes who think with him, being found in an enclosure surrounded with fences, designed to keep them. out. Though we argue from very different premises, we admit the comfortable conclusion of this amiable writer, That every desirable alteration must finally be effected in the church, in spite of the inArigues of the interested, and the bigotry of the ignorani; but, as we should pronounce intolerance the fault of a depraved nature, filled with arrogant concert, unfeeling self. ishness, and a traitorous propensity to usurp the rights of Deity, the only lord of conscience we beg leave to recommend Mr. W. (advanced as he says he is in years) to reflect seriously before he passes the Rubicon, whether there be any effectual cure for the evil which she so worthily opposes, and for all others, which expose the souls of men lo hazard, till men are taught by experience the truth of the Baptist's axiom, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from above.' Hymns for Infant Minds. By the Au̟thors of Original Poems, Rhymes for the Nursery, &c. 1s. 6d. THE superior efforts of minds which are of the first order, should not operate as discouragements to the humbler attempts of those who may not have reached equal attainmenis. That the Divine Songs of Dr. Watts stand unrivalled in the pious department of juvenile poetry, we presume no one will doubt; but we have the pleasure to introduce to our readers this little volume before us, as approaching near these excellent originals. These hymns are well adapted, by their simplicity, to the opening faculties of childhood; and the subjects which they exhibit are calculated at once to inform the understanding and improve the heart. If our limits did not preveut, we should gladly furnish a few extracts; but we shall be satisfied with expressing our hope, that every mother will place this production of genius and piety in her nus ry, and endeavour to give it as a de a circulation as its extensive merits claim. The Jews a Blessing to the Nations, and Christians bound to seek their Conversion to the Saviour: a Sermon, preached before the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews. By the Rev. Thomas Scott. Rector of Aston Sundford, Bucks. THE solid sense and benevolent piety which are apparent in this discourse, must cominend it to the approbation of every judicious and devout reader. it affords us a refreshment of spirit, to see such men as Mr. Scott throwing their weight of influence into plans of religious utility; and we hope that this address will tend to rouse the body of Christians to more holy and ener getis exertions, that the wandering ་ ་།་ children of Abraham may be brought back to their Father's house, where there is bread enough, and to spare. Six Meditations on the Sufferings of of a mind embalmed with the Spirit 3, The - 4, manner in which he suffered The Rev. John Clunie, son of the deceased, has given such a specimen of filial piety in his pathetic Memoir of his father, as cannot but interest every parent in the success of this publication." This Memoir,' the editor observes, has been composed, and these Meditations, corrected under severe indisposition, which has con fined the editor from his more public engagements. This will draw the veil of charity over every imperfeetion discovered by the liberal and sympathetic reader. A humble atmen as Baxter and Watts, who emtempt has been made to imitate such ployed their pens for God, when dissuggested, that Partiality has thrown case sealed their lips. Should it be too much colouring into the picture which has been drawn of the amiable author, while the editor conceives he has done little more than sketched the outlines, and by no means given that portrait which he could have wished, he frankly acknowledges, his hand was guided by the strongest affection of a son for a father, to whom, under the divine blessing, he is indebted for his first participation in the blessings of the present and future life,- whose name will be held in everlasting remembrance when the hand that records its worth, and the heart that feels its influence, shall have long since mouldered into dust ; and whatever be the issue of his affliction, he hopes to enjoy the satisfaction of having done what he could' to rear a monument of filial affection for a dear and an honoured father. To |