general duties impose of reforming present abuses. IV. The revival of an ancient method of instruction almost peculiar to our Church, viz:-Lecturing, or the exposition of some considerable portion of the Scripture, of greater of God, the gospel is too little preached as a system of truth with which men have to do now as well as through eternity. A system of abstract truth may be ingeniously developed, but how can we expect that men will without instruction, and admonition, and exhortation, and re-length than can be made the text of a proof, ever apply it to themselves to any good purpose? sermon, would go far to do away this evil. No one who reflects, from what source, and for what purpose the Bible was given, can doubt that its The case is the same with any abstract system of truths. How few practical men are formed at Cam-statements are eminently fitted to bridge, for instance, in proportion to the profound attainments in speculative mathematics that are there frequently made! But make a man acquainted with even little more than the elements of mathematical science; and if you illustrate to him by models and experiments, the application to arts of those scientific principles with which he is acquainted, you will form far more able and useful mechanician or engineer than the other.There is a coolness and indifference produced by the study of any system of truths unconnected with their practical influence, that not only excludes during the course of study their application to life, but renders it ever after a matter of peculiar difficulty. It was in the style of particular application that our blessed Lord, while on earth, habitually delivered his instructions; both the manner and the substance of what he taught, was intelligible and impressive as practical instruction, and was always most forcibly applicable to the times. We never read of his hearers criticising his addresses, with the exception of the unstudied testimony to their excellence, "Never man spake like this man;" but again and again do we read that they reasoned among themselves, being stung by his reproofs, or convinced by his doctrine. To induce, or rather to force men thus to examine and study their own hearts, should be the preacher's continued aim; and the only way to do this, is to show the necessity which reach man's heart. And it cannot be denied, that with whatever solidity a correctly reasoned sermon may be founded on Scripture, the preacher is apt very often to forsake too much the Scripture style, and omit to urge scriptural ideas in scriptural language. A regular course of expository lectures on the Bible, or select portions of it, would have this double advantage, that they would, from following closely the phraseology and the sentiments of the Bible, be more likely to reach the hearts of the hearers, than the most logical or rhetorical sermon in which the consecrated language of inspiration did not prevail; and they would continually supply the preacher with views and words fitted for giving a more useful and heart-reaching turn to his style of sermonizing. If by these or any other means, preachers could succeed as far as outward means can succeed in leading men to study the word of life in connexion with their own characters, relations and wants; there would, it is to be hoped, be more of the real power of godliness in the world, and less unprofitable talking. It is possible that many zealous servants of God and watchful overseers of his flock, may see difficulties in the adoption of these suggested amendments, which we are not aware; and perhaps some may laugh at the idea of endeavouring to make preaching any thing else than the cold and listless intimation of a certain prescribed rou of tine of statements and doctrines; but | tion of our lay readers to the prevawe are sure that every one who prays lence of a serious evil; and to exfor the prosperity of Zion, will join cite in our clerical readers, a desire us in hearty wishes for the object to improve its causes, and vigorously which we have proposed by these re- counteract its operation. marks, which was to call the attenHEAUTONTIMOROUMENOS. Keviews and Criticisms. PRIVATE REMARKS During a Journey through France and Italy, A. D. 1816. In a Series of Letters to a Friend. By the REV. PATRICK PONNDEN, A. M. Rector of Ballinasloe. Dublin. is safety, he fall at once into sudden destruction. Paris is the seat of gilded vice. She spreads her wings far and wide, but she holds her court in the Palais Royale; there, divesting herself of her real deformity to carry on her baneful purposes, she assumes the mask of sense-alluring magnificence. Hither the vota "The volume before us gives a very pleasing introduction to those scenes which usually attract the notice of travellers on the continent. Mr. ries crowd together; they find her în Ponnden has viewed them with the the Cafè with its reflecting mirrors; eye of a Christian, and remarked they sit with her in the theatres; but upon them as became a Christian they seem to worship her at the ga Minister. From the justness and vi-ming-rooms. Nor is this all: she vidness of his descriptions, we feel here carries on a siege against reliassured of his capability of apprecia-gion, and tries to trample on the ting the beauties both of nature and cross; not by an open assault, but by art, wherever they were presented; a sapping-an undermining influand we only regret the narrow limits ence, chasing away its gravity with of 200 pages, to which he has confi- an unceasing smile, and pointing ned himself. against its force the shafts of ridicule. Passing by Mr. P.'s notices of the various objects of curiosity at Paris, we shall here give the remarks with which he concludes his last letter from thence. And well would it be for travellers, and those especially who make a profession of the Gospel, if they would hold them in continual remembrance. "Let the stranger remember, then, that here he must especially 'fight the good fight of faith;' and should he visit the metropolis of France, he has to contend against the prevalence of custom, the contagion of example, the effects of false and superficial appearances; in all of which, religion "Happy should I feel here to finish is counteracted by reason unsanctifimy remarks on French manners.- ed; its sobriety discountenanced by Charity would, if possible, cast its plausible sophistry, and all the samantle upon their blemishes, and co-credness of its spirit set at nought by ver the multitude of their sins; but that faculty peculiar to the Frenchthen charity rejoices in the truth, and man, which is called the gaitè de must warn the unwary; lest, while cœur." the inexperienced traveller thinks all Proceeding through Switzerland the Cathedral, the annual revenue of which had been effecting a gradual advancement of the work, but one too slow for so impetuous a mind as his. Having thus obtained a sufficient sum, he appropriated the whole to the completion of the costly struc into Italy, we meet with many excellent remarks. At Turin we are struck by the external grandeur, contrasted with the misery of the common people. "Turin is a most regular and apparently magnificent metropolis. We enter at once into lofty buildings; no suburban huts deform-ture."-p. 64. ing the grandeur intended to arrest At Bologna and Parma, the deour notice. The Strada del Po, scription and reflections on the picadorned with porticos on either side, tures of Corregio are interesting; and in which are the royal palaces, but Florence seems to have afforded give one a superficial view, a favoura- peculiar delight, which we in some ble opinion of the wealth of the inha-measure partake of while Mr. P. probitants; but as far as I can learn, ceeds in the account of the various all this ostentation is rather the productions which have been the adeffect of vanity than of opulence; miration of ages. But we must not and behind these splendid facades, delay with our traveller in the celeare the refuges of want and misery. brated gallery; we must hurry toThe retailers of the commonest ne-wards "that great city," whose extracessaries af life, sitting beneath those ordinary portion it has been to have fine arcades, endeavour to earn held dominion, both temporally and the daily pittance with which they support their families, who are lodged in the back settlements of these showy palaces.”—p. 60. spiritually over all the nations of the world. Space will not allow us to give numerous quotations from this part of the work; nor is it easy to choose, "The magnificence of the Church when every object is interesting. We called the Superza, which contains shall give part of the remarks on the the monuments of the Sardinian Church of St. Peter's. After dekings, is quite in consistency with scribing its wondrous magnitude and that of the city; and at Milan, the ornaments, the author proceeds, hamagnificent Gothic cathedral is the ving entered by one of those five first object to which attention is bronze doors which admit the wor drawn. "It is nearly as extensive as shippers to as many aisles, each 700 St. Paul's, and built entirely of white feet in length: -"Here you may marble, ornamented on the exterior perceive the confluence of that wealth with upwards of a thousand statues; which the tributary world has for and each part of the structure, from centuries paid to the insatiable des the pointed minaret to the stately potism of Rome. Here you may be dome, finished with the most minute hold the utmost stretch of human and elaborate elegance. The front skill, pushed almost beyond its limits is quite new, and presents rather an by the prospects held forth of unliincongruous association of the Gre-mited indulgence; and here you may cian and Gothic orders of architect- discover, in this consummate work of ure. Previous to the elevation of Papal ostentation, the genius of a reNapolean to the Italian crown, a suit-ligion which, by dazzling the sense, able facade was wanting to complete overpowers the reason, and by throw this stately pile, which was then beginning to suffer from the mouldering hand of time. The enterprising king felt ambitious to adorn his capital, and at once invading the rights of the clergy, he sold the lands belonging to | &c.-p. 116. ing round the works of man some. what of that wonder which belongs to the works of nature, to carry on the great design of sitting in his temple to be worshipped as a God." &c. &c. gatory on Christians as a Sabbath.--In this we judge them not. But as their unbelief in this matter is not founded upon the differences of opinion which have prevailed in Christendom; as they do not reject the Lord's day, because others have disagreed about it, why drag these differ "Observing a crowd of people jostling each other with the most eager emulation, I approached to see the object of such intense interest; and, behold-they kiss the foot of an idol! The very statute which the heathens adored as Jupiter Tonans, is now worshipped as the representative of the Roman Peter; the thun-ences into the question? It is a quesderbolt of the one is exchanged for the keys of the other. He is exhibited as sitting; the bronze peculiarly black, the countenance awfully severe and the projecting foot half worn by the reiterated greetings of its votaries. Here the clown impresses upon it a liquid salutation, and next the beau, politely wiping it with his handkerchief, invites the ladies to take precedence, and then gently touches it himself.”—p. 118. tion of fact, not opinion, and therefore the only appeal is to revelation. The word of God is the real, the formal, the final authority on which Mr. B. professes to ground his own belief in this matter. No agreement of all Christendom, however harmonious, would alter his opinion on this, or any other point which he believes that God has spoken against. Why, then, descend to drive a dust-cart along the whole track of ecclesiastical history, With the addition of our own hear-collecting "differences" of human ty recommendations of this interest-opinion, "relative to the weekly Sabing little volume, we shall here close our remarks.-Lon. Ev. Mag. REMARKS On the different Sentiments entertained in bath?" They prove nothing; and when grouped and manoeuvred, they unfit the mind for estimating direct proof on either side. In regard to the authority and obligation of the Lord's day, as the weekly Sabbath, our opinion may be expressed in very few words. It is "The Author of this book knows the only day which (after the resurthat we respect his talents, erudition, rection) the apostles sanctified as a and character. His "Religion of Sabbath. We never find, from the Mankind," won both our esteem and Acts, that they sanctified the seventh admiration. It is a work as credita- day by Christian worship or sacrable to his wisdom as to his genius; ments, but on the first day of the but this little book is unworthy of week we invariably find them engaboth. We do not impute to him, norged as Christians usually are now.→ suspect him of any design to create The first day was their Sabbath, or perplexity and confusion in the pub- they kept no Sabbath at all. lic mind on the subject of the Sab- the simple fact that lies upon the face bath; but we tell him, plainly, and of the New-Testament. It cannot candidly, that an ENEMY of the Sab-therefore be proved from the New bath, if dexterous, would just have Testament, that the apostles ever arrayed the differences of opinion on the subject as he has done. The spirit and purpose of an enemy would of course have been the reverse of the Author's, but the plan would have been the very same. Mr. Burnside and the Sabbatarians do not believe that the first day of the week is obli Such is kept the seventh day Sabbath, after the resurrection of the Lord of the Sabbath; and they were not such men as would have given it up without a divine warrant. All their character, subsequent to the day of Pentecost, is a sacred pledge of their integrity in all things pertaining to God and man. Here we rest, as unaffected by the piled dust of differences collected by Mr. B. as by "the small dust of the balance." The real state of the case is this: It was the Saviour's "CUSTOM," before his death, to worship in the synagogue on the seventh day; after his resurrection, it was 66 HIS CUSTOM" to honour the first day of the week, by meeting his worshipping disciples; and they, like their Lord, To avoid giving unnecessary offence, instead of rolling a stream of eloquent argumentation against the popular Sabbath, he preferred, by constant dropping, to wear away the stone. All this was well meant, but unwisely, if not unfairly planned.This article is severe; it is, however, written far more in grief than in anger."-Lon. Ev. Mag. THE OPINIONS changed their "custom" in the same Of an Old Gentleman, on several Moral and way, and at the same time. Religious Subjects. Such being the scriptural fact, we decline all discussion of the question with Mr. B. as he has stated it. If "This is, in some respects, a singuhe can overthrow, by Scripture alone, lar book. It has, if we mistake not, the statement we have given of the some of those qualities which are of fact, we pledge ourselves to do jus- rare occurrence, and which, when tice to his proofs. In the meantime, found, are, or at least ought to be, we deeply deplore that he should prized in the compound ratio of their have attempted to unsettle the public rarity and excellence. It is written mind by a mixed work like the pre- with much of that simplcity-the charsent. The sanctification of the Sab-acteristic expression of a single eye bath is too much neglected already, and a strong mind-which distinguishwithout the aid of controversy on the es the earliest and best school of Engsubject. While, therefore, we ac-lish composition; we should say that it quit the author of all design of lessening its obligation or importance, we charge him with attacking both, by illegitimate weapons, and in a way far more calculated to produce perplexity than conviction. has reminded us of Franklin, were it not that there is a tang of affectation and Charlatanism about him, from which the present Writer is entirely free. In short, it is precisely the language in which a thoughtful, pious, and Sabbatarians may say, expose the clear headed' Old Gentleman' might fallacy of his arguments. We an- best clothe the Essays to do good' swer, it is not argument to glean and that he would wish to put into the group the differences of human opin-hands of his friends and relatives. Nor ion in such a mass, that the real ques-are the sentiments inferior to the lantion is encumbered by them, and the guage. There is a plain, practical real evidence made indistinct by its good sense about them, that is excelposition. We tell them also, that we lently adapted to its purpose ;and we see clearly how their champion has know of no book that we should more been led into this line of argumenta- readily put into the hands of young tion. His natural gentleness and persons as supplying materials for salcandour made him unwilling to star-utary reflection, and as containing tle the public mind by a strong and most important suggestions for the direct attack upon the Christian Sab-formation of character and the regubath. He thought it more charitable lation of life. The subjects are:to manifest all his liberality and leni- Punctuality--Temper-Retirementty, by suggesting doubts, dropping Friendship-Cheerfulness-Candour hints, and edging in, from time to -Happiness-The Sabbath-Prejutime, specimens of his own system. judice-Sensibility--Pride-Retro |