assured himself, that the intelligence would be received with rapture by all mankind, but especially by the clergy: men; who, though it was their business to teach men the way to heaven, were, he was persuaded, totally ignorant of it themselves. He went home, and immediately began to execute his philan-ertion of the power of God, in the thropic design, by imparting to his wife the grand discovery which he had made: when, to his great disappointment, instead of hearing it with grateful joy, she burst into tears, fearing his intellects were deranged. The regularity of his general conduct, however, soon undeceived her: she listened with more attention, and appears to have been his first convert,

readers,-all this will appear ab-.. surd; and they will deem it below. the dignity of man. But angels are of a different opinion: there is joy amongst them over one sinner that repenteth, Luke xv. 10. The ex

Full of the heart-felt subject, he discoursed on Justification by Faith' to all who visited his house; to the customers whom business brought to his shop; and almost to every one whom he met in the street. Some heard with attention; others reviled and persecuted him; yet the Normanton blacksmith, and his new doctrine, soon became the chief subject of conversation in the neighbourhood. Numbers flocked to his house, in the evening, after the toils of the day were finished, to examine these strange discoveries. Not a few disputed, rather than embraced the doctrine; and this obliged Mr. Donisthorpe to study the subject, and to furnish himself with arguments in its defence, both from reason and scripture. One evening, sitting on his own kitchen table, which raised him above his neighbours, whom he had accommodated with all his chairs, he began to describe the lost state of man by nature-his utter inability to deliver himself from this dreadful situation and the certainty and sufficiency of salvation by Christ. Full of his subject, and animated with a strong desire to make others as happy as himself, he undesignedly engrossed the whole conversation; and held on, with a fluency and earnestness that prevented interruption, for nearly two hours. At the close of this harangue, he was startled at the idea that he had been preaching. This thought had not before occurred to him; for, though he was desirous to teach his fellow-creatures the love of God to sinners, yet he designed to do it only by occasional conversation, and never entertained the most distant wish to become a public minister. His benevolence produced his first sermon; and, from the attention with which it was heard, he was encouraged to pro. ceed." Vol. II. pp. 2—6.

To many of our fellow-creatures, -it is possible even to some of our

rescuing of an immortal soul from
the tyranny of sin and Satan, by
the regenerating agency of his Spi-
rit, and the instrumentality of his
word, is a matter of greater impor-
tance than the parade of courts,
than the triumphs of the warrior, or
even than the subjects, grand as
the attention of the philosopher.
they confessedly are, which occupy

Great God, with wonder and with praise,
On all thy works 1 look;

But still thy wisdom, power, and grace,
Shine brightest in thy book.
The stars which in their courses roll,

But thy good word informs my soul
Have much instruction given;
How I may climb to HEAVEN.

The fields provide me food, and show
The goodness of the Lord;
Bat fruits of LIFE and GLORY grow
In thy most holy word.

We must make one more remark;
recollected the assertion of the apos-
-When Mr. Donisthorpe suddenly
tle, which thousands have read and
heard on whom it has produced no
effect, "his astonished mind was at
once filled with the grandeur and
importance of the truths which then
first presented themselves to his
contemplation." What is the rea-
son that these truths do not produce
the same effect upon the minds of
all that hear them? It will per-
But was not Mr. Donisthorpe the
haps be answered,-their depravity.
subject of depravity as well as they?
Are we not, therefore, constrained
to say,
"This was the finger of
God;" and that the Gospel of Christ
is the POWER OF GOD TO EVERY ONE
THAT BELIEVETH?

(To be continued.)

A Sermon occasioned by the lamented
Death of the late Robert Balfour,
D.D. preached in Albion-street
Chapel, Glasgow, October 25, 1818.
By Ralph Wardlaw.

LIKE the other productions of this

as opening his heart to all the reciprocations of kindness-" his countenance beamed with pleasure; and, even in age, he retained the glow and the vivacity of youth. His familiar conversation was character

excellent writer, the present discourse is distinguished by a fulness of evangelical matter, and by neatness, precision, and perspicuity of style. Mr. Wardlaw, as much as any author with whom we are acquainted, honours Divine reve-ized by a cheerful and facetious lation by an unwearied attempt to understand most correctly its import, by an unhesitating deference to its authority, and by a fearless enunciation of its doctrines. The sermon before us is worthy of him who preached it, and of the truly holy and useful minister of Christ, on occasion of whose decease it was delivered.

It shall speak for itself; and, as it will be a fair specimen of the whole, and afford pleasing and use ful information to many of our readers, our extract shall be taken from the preface.

Dr. Balfour died in the 71st year of his age, the 45th of his ministry, and the 40th of his pastoral incum bency in Glasgow.

"It is not easy, in a short paragraph or two, to do justice to a character, in which so many excellent qualities were associated qualities of the mind and of the heart, developed in public as well as in private life, and securing to their possessor an equal measure of admiration, of esteem, and of love. One of the principal charms of this character, which pervaded, and animated, and endeared the whole, was warmth of heart, a cordial kindness of disposition. His affections were remarkably strong; his temper, naturally somewhat warm, was subdued and chastened by the reigning power of religious principle:

and, with the finest and tenderest sensibilities, he united an uncommon firmness of mind-the product at once of natural constitution and of gracious influence; which, while it marked its general deportment, was especially conspicuous under the afflictions of life; enabling him, in private, to maintain a dignified Christian composure; and, in some of his public appearances, even when his spirits were burdened with the heaviest griefs, to rise above himself, and to elevate his charmed, and arrested, and melted audience along with him, to the purest and sublimest heights of devotional feeling."

Our author represents this departed minister, in the social circle,

pleasantry; but he even turned with delight to sacred subjects: no man could make the transition more rapidly and entirely; and on these he was always at home."

The brightest Christian luminaries have shone in the darkest night of affliction; and Mr. Wardlaw informs us, that his glorified friend, in this life, had experienced the bitterness of domestic sorrow; but God favoured him with the enjoyment of the consolations of religion, and he excelled as a comforter of the mourners. As a preacher he was eminent. The distinguishing characters of his preaching were,-a clear and comprehensive view of his subject,-textual distinctness of arrangement,-luminous exhibition of truth,-pointed discrimination of character, a thorough intimacy with the labyrinths of the heart, and with the varieties, genuine and delusive, of Christian experience,— warmth of persuasive earnestness,faithful closeness of practical application, and an exuberant command of appropriate and powerful expression. The doctrines of salvation by free grace were held forth, in all their scriptural purity and simplicity; and the necessity of practical godliness, as the result of the faith of these doctrines, was urged with unremitting fidelity.

The text of this good sermon is taken from Hebrews xiii. 7. "Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation."

composition is merely an exercise in varying the arrangement of words. In the lately invented optical toy, we have a few bits of coloured glass, the images of which are made to present themselves in an endless variety of forms. Their MIND appears to be furnished in a similar manner, and to act in a similar way; for its most vigorous operations are limited to throwing a number of pretty picturesque phrases into senseless and fantastic combinations." They do not consider, that sound is but a poor substitute for sense; and that without perspicuity there can be no beauty.

This little poem evidently proceeds from a mind of a different order; it manifests no inconsiderable share of good sense, in union with a genius truly poetical; and both these qualities are adorned with a spirit of piety. The subject of it is, a comparison between ministers among the different denominations of Christians, and flowers. We understand that the writer is a young lady; and it appears from the advertisement which is prefixed, that the profits will be devoted to some religious charity.

The authoress is a poetess bornnot made: she must, therefore, and will proceed in the path in which she has set out. We advise her not to relax, which is frequently the case with young authors when they have met with applause, but to aim at increasing excellence. In that case, we hope her next poem, not having the objection to encounter which we think may be made to a comparison between ministers and flowers, will be worthy to be placed on the same shelf with those of the Family at Ongar. In her, as well as in them, good sense, poetic genius, and piety are united: her productions, therefore, like theirs, cannot fail both to delight and to instruct.

An Attempt to regulate the Claims of the Christian Ministry. A Sermon, preached at the separation of the Rev. James Stratton, to the Pastoral Office over the Church and Congregation, meet1818, by William Jay. ing in Paddington Chapel, Nov. 18,

Remarks on the Foreknowledge of God, suggested by Passages in Dr. Adam Clarke's Commentary on the New Tes tament. By Gill Timms.

1

Death of Mr.James Billing, late a Student Two Sermons; one occasioned by the demy Chapel, November 19, 1818. By in Hoxton Academy, preached at theAcaJohn Styles, D.D. The other, addressed to Young Persons, at Union-street Chapel, Brighton, a few Weeks before his decease. By James Billing.

The Coincidence of Arminianism and Antinomianism, in Remarks on Mr. Gadsby's Perfect Law of Liberty. By the Rev. James Gawthorn.

Two Sermons on the Death of the Rev. Dr. Balfour of Glasgow; the one preached by Dr. Campbell of Edinburgh, the other by Dr. Ranken of Glasgow; to which will be prefixed, a short Sketch of the Life of the Deceased.

Memoirs of the Life and Death of the Rev. Philip Henry, some time Minister of the Gospel at Worthenbury, and afterward at Broad-Oak; who died June 24, 1696, in the 65th Year of his Age. To which is added, a Sermon on occaSon, the Rev. Matthew Henry. By sion of the Death of Mrs. Henry, by her Samuel Taylor.

Matthew Henry's Scripture Catechism, which has been out of print many Years, in a small Pocket Volume.

A Third Edition, in 12mo. of the Memoirs of Captain James Wilson. By the Rev. John Griffin. Considerably trait of Captain Wilson. improved, and ornamented with a Por

An improved Edition, in 2 Volumes 8vo. of Schmidius's Concordance to the Greek New Testament, from the Glasgow University Press. This is a Work of inestimable Value to the Student of the Greek Testament, and cannot fail to

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. meet with Encouragement.

Just Published.

A Work on Antinomianism, by Mr. Chase, of Cambridge, in which he has endeavoured to convict the Abettors of

The second part of Messiah, by Mr. that Heresy of Hostility to the Doctrines Cottle, in Foolscap.

of Divine Grace.

Foreign and Domestic Intelligence.

THE Societies in Britain and Ame-ings, in the Cabins or Holds of several

rica, for the promotion of permanent and universal Peace, animated by a regard for the glory of God, the honour of our holy religion, and the happiness and welfare of mankind, are very active in their efforts to inspire their fellow-men with a detestation of War. With very great pleasure we present our readers with the following copy of a Jetter which the Secretary of the Society

in London has received from the Em

peror of Russia. It is written in Eng lish, and signed with the Emperor's own hand.