so managed, as to lead the children into error. The parts of the gospels selected were among the most improper which could have been found for the purpose. The mysterious subjects of the incarnation, birth and temptation of our Saviour are prominent topics. The questions asked are often better adapted to a class of adult students in metaphysics and psychology, than to children. Some of the questions and remarks of Mr. Alcott seem to us indelicate. See page 57, where the modesty of the female reporter appears to have led her to omit remarks, which Mr. Alcott restores in a note.

See also

page 63, and, worst of all, page 229. We hope, that this is not a specimen of Mr. Alcott's common mode of addressing his scholars, among whom, it seems, are some boys and girls of ten or twelve years of age.

But

The tendency of the book, too, is to teach, that our Saviour is a subordinate being, that the Satan who tempted him was nothing but human passions, and similar views. Mr. Alcott, indeed, professes not to give his own opinions, but they are sufficiently evident. On page 155, in answer to the question by one of the pupils, "Could we not say, Socrates was almost the son of God?" Mr. Alcott says: Almost, perhaps. Socrates did not know so much as Jesus. And Socrates tells us, that he lost his holiness, but Jesus did not." On the next page, he adds: "Socrates passed through the fiery baptism of repentance, and the water baptism of temperance, in order to be baptized with the Holy Ghost, which Jesus had from his birth." This is not very intelligible, but so far as it has any meaning, it is absurd.

The Introduction is a curious specimen of the affected, ambitious, mystical style, which some modern authors mistake for fine writing. It is a series of aphorisms and metaphors. It resembles what we might suppose would be the diction of a German rationalist, attempting to express his ideas in English. The following is a sample: Mr. A. is speaking of the Saviour: "In his attributes and endowments, he is a type of our common nature. His achievements are a glimpse of the apotheosis of humanity. They are a glorious unfolding of the godlike in man. They disclose the idea of spirit. And if he was not, in himself, the complete fulfilment of spirit, he apprehended its laws, and set forth its conditions. He bequeathed to us the phenomena of its manifestation; for in the gospels we have the history of spirit accomplishing its mission on the earth. We behold the Incarnate One dealing with flesh and bloodtempted and suffering-yet baffling and overcoming the ministries of evil and of pain!"

Mr. Alcott trusts, nevertheless, that his book is " a model, not unworthy of imitation, of the simplest and readiest mode of presenting religious truth to the young." p. xix. He speaks of his own "mission " (p. 263), a favorite word, by the way, among certain writers. We must think, that it is not Mr. Alcott's mission to interpret the Scriptures. We advise him to select some easier topics for conversation with his pupils, and to adopt a more simple and rational style of thought and expression.

Since the preceding remarks were written, we have received a second volume of the Conversations. It confirms our opinion, that they are too mystical, that many of the topics are improper, and that they must tend to mislead the minds of the pupils. It is sad, to see so much talent misapplied, and so much beautiful printing and fine paper wasted.

11. Divine Economy in raising up Great Men. A Sermon, delivered in the First Baptist Church, before the Board of Trustees of the Columbian College, D. C., with an Obituary Notice of its principal Founder, the Rev. Luther Rice. By STEPHEN CHAPIN, President of the College. Published by request of the Board. Washington. 8vo. pp. 24. 1837.

This discourse is founded on 2 Samuel 7: 9,-"I have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.' The proposition is, "Great men are designed for public services.' The plan is thus stated, "I. Give the character of great men. II. Sustain the doctrine." These heads are discussed and illustrated in a clear and sensible manner. A considerable part of the discourse is allotted to a notice of the life and character of Mr. Rice. It is necessarily a mere sketch, and the reader is referred, for full details, to the Memoir, which is to be written. We extract a part of the notice :

"He was born on the 25th of March, 1783, in the town of Northborough, Mass. His father was a man of quick apprehension, and of more than ordinary talents. His mother was a woman of uncommonly strong native powers of mind, and took pains in bringing up her children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. His religious impressions commenced when he was a child. He did not, however, indulge a hope, or make a profession of religion, until he was about nineteen, in the year 1802. In 1807, he entered Williams' College, and graduated in 1810. The same year, he entered as a student in the Theological Seminary at Andover, for the purpose of enjoying an elevated course of biblical criticism and theological study. In his early life, even before he went to college, his mind was strong

ly exercised on the subject of missions. While in college, he said, "I have deliberately made up my mind to preach the gospel to the heathen," and added, "I don't know but it may be in Asia." "Thus," says his brother, in a letter to me, "it is most clear, that the idea of a foreign mission originated with him alone, there being no kindred soul in college with him, at that time. It is not remembered which year this communication was made; but I think that it was in vacation, one year after his union with the college." Soon after he offered himself to the service of the Foreign Missionary Board, the way was prepared for his departure to the East. On the 18th of February, 1812, he, in company with Mr. Hall, and Mr. Nott and lady, sailed from Philadelphia, in the ship Harmony, and arrived at Calcutta on the 8th of August following. About the same time, Mr. and Mrs. Judson, and Mr. and Mrs. Newell, embarked for the same place, from Salem, Mass., on the same mission. It is well known, that not long after their arrival, the sentiments of Mr. and Mrs. Judson and Mr. Rice were entirely changed on the design and mode of Christian baptism. Hence it was deemed expedient that they should separate from their missionary brethren, and commence a station by themselves. Accordingly they left Calcutta, and sailed for the Isle of France, where they arrived about the middle of January, 1813. In consequence of these changes in their religious views, they had no prospect of support from the Board of Commissioners; and it was, thought best that Mr. Rice should return, and endeavor to rouse the American Baptists to engage in the cause of foreign missions. He sailed from the Isle of France on the 15th of March, in a Portuguese vessel, for the Brazils, and arrived at New-York the September following. He was welcomed, on his arrival, with great affection and joy. Soon after his return, he was accredited by the Foreign Missionary Society at Boston, and several others of the same character, to travel through the Southern States to organize missionary societies, with power to send delegates to some central place, for the purpose of forming some plan for uniting the counsels and the resources of the whole denomination in the enterprise of sending the glad tidings of salvation to every people destitute of gospel light. As the result of these efforts, delegates were convened in Philadelphia, on the 18th of May, 1814, and formed, "The General Missionary Convention of the Baptist denomination in the United States of America." The first act of the Board of this Convention was to pass the following resolutions: "Resolved, That the Board possess a high sense of the zealous, disinterested and faithful services of their beloved brother Rice, and feel a lively emotion of gratitude to the Lord for the success with which his labors have been crowned. Resolved, That Mr. Rice be appointed, under the patronage of this Board, as their missionary, to continue his itinerant services in these United States, for a reasonable time, with a view to excite the public mind to engage in missionary exertions, and to assist in originating societies or institutions for carrying the missionary design into execution." From this period, up to 1826, a space of twelve years, he was the general agent of this Board, and continued to travel over most of the States of the Union; and it was through his instrumentality, more than that of any other man, that funds were procured to support foreign missions.

From the last date, until his death, he devoted himself chiefly to sustain and endow the Columbian College; though he was actively engaged, as far as his time would permit, in promoting, with his counsels and his charities, other general objects of benevolence."

12. A Sermon, delivered before the Baptist Education Society of Virginia, June 4, 1836. By ROBERT RYLAND. Richmond. Pp. 16. 1837.

This sermon (of which we intended to take notice in a former number) is a judicious treatise on the subject of ministerial education. The text is, "Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few: Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest." Matt. 9: 37, 38.—Mr. Ryland shows, by an examination of the wants of our own country and of the world, that the laborers are indeed few, and that there is an urgent need of prayer for a great increase of their number. He justly considers the duty of prayer as implying the duty of using all judicious, scriptural efforts to secure the object of the petition. He says:

"It is a principle, established from time immemorial among our churches, that they have, in themselves, the privilege of investing with the sacred office any whom they may judge competent. This feature of our government, clearly recognised as it is in the Scriptures, and, therefore, dear to all our hearts, has still, in its operation, proved a source of perplexity. It has thrown on the churches a responsibility, demanding greater wisdom and energy than many of them have exercised. It has been abused, by neglecting to encourage proper gifts, by sanctioning those that are unsuitable, and by not furnishing due facilities for the improvement of licentiates.

"It is the duty of the churches to seek out and bring forward such young men as promise, by their piety and talents, to be useful in preaching the gospel. Shall I be told, that it is the exclusive province of the "Lord of the harvest," to send forth men to this work? This is not denied. But it is equally true, that the same Being convinces men of sin, subdues the pride of their hearts, and brings them into subjection to his divine authority. Who believes, however, that this last doctrine supplants the necessity of pungent appeals to the consciences of men? It encourages and requires such appeals. He who feels the most dependence on the arm of the Almighty for success in his work, will always address the most urgent motives, the most pointed, affectionate and powerful expostulations to the hearts of men. In like manner, we contend, that the Bible presents no view of a divine call to the ministry, which renders it inconsistent, that suitable persons be urged to devote themselves to its labors. It may be assumed, as a religious axiom, that there is no duty which men ought to perform, that cannot be justly made the subject of exhorta

tion. All the truths of the Bible belong to the church, and should be brought to bear on the minds of men, as incentives to action. Whatever it is right that a man should do, it is equally right that I should use suitable arguments to persuade him to do. Hence, when a church contains a member possessing useful talents, it is as much her duty to encourage him to exercise them, as it is to call on sinners to repent and believe the gospel. The whole arrangement of divine grace is emphatically a system of means. Let our young men be taught the necessities of the world,-let them be enlisted in the Sabbath school enterprise,-let them be gathered into Bible classes, -let them be invited to speak in the social meeting. And should any of them exhibit signs of decided promise, let them be kindly cherished by the brethren. Instead of pursuing this course, we have too long acted on the presumption, that the duty of preaching the gospel is the only service to which man will yield himself unbidden. To all other sacrifices he must be allured by eloquent persuasion. But he must devote himself, unaided, to this delicate and responsible department of benevolence. What has been the consequence? Men of fine sensibility and good talent often retire into the shade, and conceal themselves under the mantle of conscious unworthiness, while the presumptuous obtrude themselves into the awful work. Has not the cause of Christ lost many able defenders, and been annoyed by many feeble and arrogant upstarts, through this policy? Human instrumentality is not inconsistent with divine sovereignty in this matter. While, therefore, you pray for more laborers, remember, that prudent diligence must succeed prayer. That graceless men are, by corrupt establishments, introduced into the ministry merely as a means of livelihood, is not a good reason why we should fail to exhort holy men to come up to the help of the Lord.”—pp. 6, 7.

Mr. Ryland next speaks of the necessity of great caution, on the part of the churches, in respect to the character, qualifications and motives of candidates for the ministry, and of the necessity of providing for them the means of intellectual cultivation.

We are glad, that such doctrines as are zealously taught in this sermon are becoming more generally diffused. Our brethren in Virginia have made a good, though a late, beginning. Their theological seminary near Richmond is prosperous, and the churches in that great State foster it with much liberality and spirit.

13. The Exigences and Responsibilities of the present Age.

Sermon, preached in the First Baptist Church in Philadel phia, May 23, 1836. By Rev. JAMES B. TAYLOR, Pastor of the Second Baptist Church, Richmond, Virginia. Philadelphia. pp. 29. 1836.

This sermon (an earlier notice of which was prevented by circumstances) was preached, by request of the Board of