16 POETRY. The vanity and incertitude of Human Life. WITH solemn measured pace time steals And thrusts his sithe amid the busy throng Pass o'er the fairest scenes; the brightest The gayest flow'rets soon turn pale and die, see The smiles of friendship, or the tears of This truth inscribed—all here is vanity. love, His arm unnerve not, nor his purpose move. That sithe's keen edge has harmless pass- I yet am spared, perhaps, to heave the sigh Foreboding fears, and cast a gleam along The ray of hope the Christian's journey Life's rugged spots his future home endears. I yet am spared to endure the ills of To mourn its vanity, turmoil and strife; storm Struggles with mighty waves himself to save, No more I would my busy thoughts em- On painted forms of evanescent joy. To fields where amaranthine beauty blooms; Sacred their source, and raised above their Oh, thou Supreme! who art th' unfailing Of him who seeks thy aid; I humbly bend Thy guidance, till these circling years are o'er. When called to mourn o'er faded joys, im- Some heavenly balm to heal my wounded Teach me with meekness to resign my will, And oh! if he whose sovereign gentle form Seize the wild foam that glitters o'er his And every care tumultuous sink to rest. grave. And when my fleeting years are numbered And time's keen sithe shall pass me by no REVIEW. The Oppressive, Unjust, and Profane Nature and Tendency of the Corporation and Test Acts exposed; in a Sermon preached before the Congregation of Protestant Dissenters, meeting in Cannon Street, Birmingham, Feb. 21, 1790. By the late Rev. SAMUEL PEARCE. Second edition. London: Wightman and Cramp. pp. 28. "Britons! This is the glorious civil and religious liberty of which we boast! worthy and conscientious man must be ruined for doing his duty! Truly, methinks no unprejudiced man, that feels as a man, would refuse to strain every nerve in order to break such shackles from his fellow citizens!"; O no! we shall be thankful if our rulers will "loose us, and let the opWe have been informed from what pressed go free;" but we would much we conclude to be good authority, that rather bear our burden than use any the pious author of this sermon very other methods, besides those of petitionmuch regretted at a subsequent period ing, for the purpose of "breaking such of his life, some of the modes of expres-shackles." Whilst we are secured from sion which he employed to expose those persecution for conscience sake, we shall acts which he justly designates "oppres- boast of our "glorious civil and relisive, unjust and profane.” On this ac-gious liberty." count we regret the republication of Mr. Pearce is more at home, when he paragraphs, which, we are persuaded, thus expresses his abhorrence of Dishad Mr. Pearce been living, he would senters taking the sacramental test. have expunged from a "Second edition." "No, blessed Redeemer! we will never prostitute the memorials of thy death and sufferings, to obtain secular advantages. We will stand in awe of thy word, which saith, As often as ye do this, do it in remembrance of me.' No, we will never go to Calvary to seek temporal emoluments! Never will we visit Gethsemane with our feet, while our hearts are set upon our idols! We will never make thy tomb the path to earthly preferment. We will rather endure shame and disgrace, contempt and persecuand lips thy sacred institutions," &c. p.27. tion, than profane with unhallowed hands No persons can feel greater opposition than ourselves, to the laws which this sermon exposes and condemns, especially as they relate to the required profanation of the Lord's Supper; but we have not been in the habit of considering exclusion from civil offices, to be the perfect resemblance to those laws "through which England glistened with the flames, and echoed with the groans of dying martyrs, in the days of the sanguinary queen Mary!" The features of these unjust, impolitic and profane acts, are, when correctly exhibited, most hideously horrible; there is not the least occasion for caricature! We are persuaded, had the heavenly minded evangelical Pearce, drawn this picture in 1800 instead of 1790, it would have been much more accurate. Most hear-cated to the Earl of Eldon, and the tily do we wish success to the measures about to be adopted, by respectful applications to the Legislature, to get rid of these obnoxious and oppressive laws; but we could not, either from a pulpit or a platform, make use of such incautious language as the following: On Education. A Sermon preached in Bishop takes credit to himself, for not having done such a thing while the Lord High Chancellor of England was dispensing the patronage of the crown, reminding us, with a classical apology, that the "ancients did not sacrifice to their heroes till after sun-set. с He seems friendly to universal edu-And in these degenerate days, it is re. cation, though he is not without some viving to hear that he has been speedily apprehension lest it should produce evil encouraged to reprint it with enlargerather than good, and, of course, he ments. strenuously pleads for "the principles and doctrines of the church of England." But in p. 18. he makes a most un-bishop-like distinction between Christianity and the national church. The plan is judicious. It is divided into three parts. "Part 1. shewing by many examples drawn from real life, the happy effects of religious education, in leading to early piety, to great useful"We are sure that Christianity is foundedness, and to final salvation. Part 2. upon a rock, and that the gates of bell shall showing, by examples also from real not prevail against it. The security, how-life, the blessing which has finally atever, and the permanence of every civil es-tended the patient labours and fervent tablishment depend on its utility; and its prayers of Christian Instructors, after utility is best manifested by its promoting the true interests of religion and morals. great anxiety, fear, and disappointThe clergy, therefore, must watch the signs ment." This collection, very properly of the times, if they wish to retain their placed by itself, will be read, we trust, wonted influence over the hearts of the peo- with great advantage by many an afflictple. More exertion, more energy are re-ed parent. "Part 3. showing how a quired now, than were called for in the days of our forefathers. Whilst improvements in other things are taking place, let not the ministers of religion alone stand still." All this is very intelligible; therefore we add neither note nor comment. Christian education ought to be conducted. Here the sentiments and di rections of the best writers on this interesting subject may be found. The rules are given which were adopted by wise and holy parents in the instruction and government of their families; and a variety of anecdotes and suitable examples are interspersed." If the eye of a pions youth should glance upon the touching scenes in the Biographical Sketches, he will be re The Bishop anticipates the result of the present universal zeal for education, a speculation highly interesting to the philanthropist, to the politician, and above all to the Christian. His words are worth transcribing :"The period in which we live is pecu-minded of his obligations to God and liarly eventful and admonitory. A most important experiment, an experiment which must be highly favourable or adverse to the prosperity of this empire, is soon about to be tried. Ere long, the British Isles may exhibit an instance never before known, of a whole nation educated und able to read and write." to his parents. And if the reader be an impious youth, he may see his face in the glass, and learn the necessary lessons of humiliation and penitence. Here he will be directed and encouraged to place himself under the care and guidance of the adorable Redeemer, who "is able to save unto the uttermost all who come to God by him." The Parent's Monitor; or Narratives, Christian parents will find the most Anecdotes, and Observations on Reli-pungent motives to diligence in traingious Education and Personal Piety; ing up their offspring for their country's designed for the instruction and encou ragement of Parents, Guardians, and sake, and more especially for Zion's Teachers. In three parts. By DAVID sake. BARKER, Minister of the Gospel. Second edition enlarged. Richard Baynes. Piety at home is so powerfully enforced in the sacred writings, and yet unhappily so much neglected, that we are glad to see any thing on our table which appears adapted to promote it. Mr. Barker's is a family book of great value. Let the pastors of our churches consider what sort of members their successors will have. We know that God can from the stones raise up children to Abraham; but we are warranted to expect that the ravages of death will be repaired chiefly from the families of those who are now church members. Whether they will be judicious, well principled, established Christians, will but which are in danger of going into depend very much, under the divine oblivion. If the republication of the blessing, on the education they now re- present pamphlet is the means of exceive, citing attention to other works of the In the excellent “address to parents” | same class, it will be a great advantage there is one passage in which we can- to our Denomination, and yield much not concur with the author. Page 373, gratification to many of its members. he says, "Though I have read many The present pamphlet is a clear, disvolumes on the subject, I have not met tinct defence of religious liberty, avowwith one instance of a child religiouslying the broad principle, that “no man and faithfully educated who died in a is to be persecuted for his religion, be wicked and impenitent state. It is con- it true or false, so he testify his faithful trary to the promise of the God of truth | allegiance to the king.” · On this ground and grace." On the contrary, we be- the author urges the consequence of a lieve there have been many instances; free toleration in a variety of directhough they were not likely to be re-tions; shews that no political danger corded in the volumes which the author can arise from it; that, it is true, it has read, nor in any other. If we ask what promise Mr. Barker refers to, he will tell us (as we gather from p. 47.) | that he refers to Prov, xxii. 6. "Train up a child," &c. bears hard against certain persons then in power, particularly of the Ecclesiastical order; and above all, against the church of Rome, with whom the author It is obvious, how-is on no terms of amity. ever, that those words contain not a promise, but a proverb, and a proverb, we may add, which has been verified in all ages and nations. It is sufficient to establish the truth of the proverb, that the thing affirmed appears visible in most instances, though the exceptions may be numerous. The fact is, we conceive, that parents, like ministers, do not always succeed; the means of grace are put into our hands, and we have many and great encouragements, but the grace itself the Lord keeps in his own hands. Dr. Johnson has stated the matter wisely and guardedly in relation to parents, in the motto which our author has adopted for his first part. “In general, those parents have most reverence, who most deserve it." Persecution for Religion Judged and Condemned; first published in London in the year 1615. The fourth Edition with a Preface. By JOSEPH IVIMEY. Wightman and Cramp. Price 28. pp. 82. In the course of his work, (the chief part of which is carried on in the form of a Dialogue), he also exhibits and defends his sentiments as a Baptist, and by this means he shews as what were the popular arguments in support of Infant Baptism in his day. At the end of the work, is "an humble supplication to the king's majesty," presented in 1620, in which the cause of religious liberty is again stated and argued at length; and the right of interpreting the Scripture is contended for, freely and boldly. In this part of his labour, the author holds the learned in very low estimation, and considers the Spirit, which he observes is given "to every particular saint of God,” as the best guide to lead us into the sense of his word. This "humble supplication" is addressed to the king, by his " jesty's loyal subjects, not for fear only, but conscience sake, unjustly called ana-baptists." ma This work is, we believe, the first in which the principle of religious liberty THIS is a curious pamphlet, and we are was ever brought forward clearly and glad to see it republished. We wish distinctly. In the preface, Mr. Ivimey the plan of publishing some of the scarce informs his readers, that one reason for tracts of our ancestors, in our religious republishing it is to settle an historical profession, was adopted; it would pre-fact. The Independents, it seems, have serve many that are worth preserving, claimed, and do still claim, the honour ment of the Theological seminary at Gosport, to the formation of the Missionary Society.-IV. From the formation of the Missionary Society, to the afflictions of his latter days.-V. David Bogue's last afflictions and death.-VI. His character and works. of being the first Christian denomina- | II. From his settlement at Gosport, to tion who have recommended "religions the formation of the seminary for the liberty to the esteem of the world.” | ministry.—III. From the commenceMr. Ivimey states, on the authority of Messrs. Bogue and Bennett, in their History of Dissenters, that "the first Independent church in England was not formed until the year 1616, the year after this pamphlet was published." (Preface pp. 6, 7.) If the Independents can prove that before this time they pleaded the same cause, let it be done; in the mean time, the present pamphlet is a proof that it was exhibited with great cogency of argument in 1615. The author is believed to be Mr. Thomas Helwisse, a character highly deserving esteem and veneration. We unite cor-dially with Mr. Brook in his “Lives of the Puritans," in saying of the present work, "This was a bold protestation against the illegal and iniquitous proceedings of the ruling prelates, and a noble stand in favour of religious liberty." We need not say more in recommending it to our readers. Memoirs of the Life of the Rev. David The narrative is skilfully drawn out, and more replete with incident than might have been expected. It will surprise many to find that David Bogue, who seemed to be made of sterner stoff than most men, who had a frame so robust, and an aspect so austere, and who often dealt in eight and forty pounders, should be so exquisitely susceptible of all the tenderness and endearments of domestic love, And all the charities Of father, son, and brother." The criticism is elegant, acute, sometimes profound, sometimes playful, free, though of course restrained by the reverence such a pupil must ever cherish for the memory of such a tutor. We must make room for a few ex tracts, which cannot fail to be acceptable to our readers. In p. 35, there is a piece of advice which we heartily recommend to all our students and young ministers as of the highest moment. 66 DR. BOGUE was so well known, and so highly and justly esteemed, that many He seems to have commenced his mimust have felt a desire to see an authen-nistry with much anxiety, and to have asked tic account of his early studies, his man- counsel of those to whom he communicated ner of life, and the steps by which he an account of the step. One of these, Mr. ascended to that eminence on which he Jolly, the minister of Coldingham, gave him the following excellent reply: :-'I congrastood for a long course of years. tulate you heartily on entering upon the important and difficult, but honourable and excellent work of the Christian ministry. I make no doubt but you have taken the field with the most upright motives, and will endeavour to approve yourself a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Dangers and discouragements, trials and temptations, you may lay your account with; but it will be your wisdom and your safety to follow the directions of the Captain of salvation. promise you, in his name, that he will not only teach your hands to war and your fingers to fight, but lead you on to certain victory. As to your public discourses, I give it as my best advice that you study to unite solidity and simplicity, ease and elegance, It may certainly be reckoned among the rare felicities of this distinguished -individual, that his biographer is an able and accomplished man, his pupil and his friend. Dr. Bennett has acquitted himself handsomely of the delicate and difficult task assigned him. We cannot but wish he had given us a preface, with a table of contents, or an index; these, however, will be found perhaps, in subsequent editions. The work is divided into six chapters. Chapter I. From his birth to the commencement of his ministry at Gosport. I dare |