trate the practical influence which Christianity ought to have upon the commercial and ordinary affairs of human life.

The first discourse in the volume, is entitled, "On the Mercantile Virtues which may exist without the Influence of Christianity." The object of this sermon is to show, that a man may be honest, correct and honourable in his dealings, and yet be under the influence of motives altogether different from those which true religion recommends and sanctions. In maintaining this position, however, the preacher finds himself in danger of coming in opposition with the scriptural doctrine of man's total depravity. He labours, consequently, to reconcile his own statements with scriptural doctrine, by showing, that it is possible to be prompted to acts of honourable conduct by certain constitutional principles, although the heart may be "totally unfurnished with a sense of God." This he attempts to illustrate by an appeal to the observation and experience of his hearers. He calls on them to remark the great variety of disposition and temper which is observable among the human race-and not only among the human race, but even among different animals of the irrational tribes. Thus he endeavours to establish the position, that amiable qualities may be exhibited in the conduct of beings both rational and irrational; and yet these amiable qualities have no connexion in their origin with a sense of the Supreme Being as the great object of religious fear and of rational worship. The same doctrine, he maintains, might perhaps be illustrated from the condition of superior intelligences, could we obtain, at present, a knowledge of their state and condition. These, although they may all have retained their original allegiance, may yet be conceived to excel each other in the amiable qualities of their respective characters. We may remark, however, that, as this part of the argument is entirely conjectural, it cannot be considered as affording any VOL. I.

real support to the doctrine which the preacher intends to establish.

But, by this mode of reasoning which he has pursued in this discourse, our author appears satisfied, that the doctrine of man's depravity and disobedience is established; while it is conceded, that he, from other motives than those of true religion, does perform many amiable, honourable and upright actions.→ Hence the inference from the whole is, that however much such a character may be admired in the world, yet, as it has no real connexion with a true religious principle, it cannot be reasonably expected that the honours and rewards of religion shall at last be bestowed upon it. For, if such rewards and honours would be expected by those who practise those things which are pure and lovely and just and true and honest and of good report, they must practise them from those motives which the religion of Christ recommends and enforces.

In the general doctrine of this discourse we most heartily acquiesce. We think the preacher has placed the doctrine of man's depravity upon its true basis. For, if we do not admit, that, that universal alienation of heart from God, which naturally marks the whole human race; constitutes human depravity, we do not see how the facts which daily occur in the history of human nature can be reconciled with the doctrine of universal corruption. We are therefore as much averse, as Dr. Chalmers is, to that sweeping and unqualified language, which some injudicious preachers use, when descanting upon this subject. Without observation of the conduct of mankind-without any real acquaintance with the operations of the human mind-such preachers are often quite well satisfied to pronounce, with papal authority, upon this matter, the abstruse and learned dogmas of some favourite Father, whose sentiments may be dear to them because they may have cost them a little labour to dig them out of the rubbish of scholastic Latin. Hence these preachers, by their un3 F

guarded assertions and thundering anathemas, have often done no small injury to the cause of Christ. They not unfrequently disgust sensible minds, and likewise give those, who despise the gospel, a plausible opportunity of reviling those things, which they ought to be taught to esteem as sacred.

But, whilst we thus heartily assent to the doctrine which Dr. Chalmers maintains in this discourse, we cannot help saying, that he has employed more words and pages in its support than appear to be really necessary. This we naturally infer from the many repetitions of sentiment which occur in it. When a preacher is addressing us from the pulpit, we have no objection to a little diffusion and repetition, lest, from the native tendency of our minds to wander a little in church, we may sometimes lose the thread of discourse; but, we think, when a preacher addresses us through the press, he ought to remember, unless his fidelity be such as to prompt him to give in his writings all that he uttered in the pul pit, that we can frequently spend a little more time in pondering over his sentiments in the closet than we can in the church, and that therefore in published sermons there is not so much need of goading our sluggish memories every now and then by repetitions.

We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure of quoting the two concluding sentences of this discourse, as they elegantly and forcibly express the feelings of all true Christians in respect to those who, under the form of religion, act a base and unworthy part.

"The true friends of the gospel, tremblingly alive to the honour of their Master's cause, blush for the disgrace that has been brought on it by men who keep its Sabbaths, and yield an ostentatious homage to its doctrines and its sacraments. They utterly disclaim all fellowship with that vile association of cant and of duplicity, which has sometimes been exemplified, to the triumph of the enemies of religion; and they both feel the solemn truth, and act on the authority of the saying, that neither thieves, nor liars, nor ex

tortioners, nor unrighteous persons, have any part in the kingdom of Christ and of God."

The second discourse appears to be intended by our author as supplementary to the first. The title of it is, "The Influence of Christianity in aiding and augmenting the Mercantile Virtues." The object of this discourse therefore is, as the title informs us, to show that the gospel, when thoroughly believed and acted upon, exalts and ennobles the moral qualities of human nature. The man, who is alienated from God, may possess some amiable qualities, but then there are other parts of his character miserably defective. He may be correct, honourable and upright in his mercantile transactions; but he may be, with all this, addicted to the practices of uncleanness-a blasphemer -and, in short, a lover of pleasure, more than a lover of God. On the other hand, the truly religious character aims at compliance with all the requisitions of God's holy commandments. Hence he strives to possess a clean heart-pure handsdoes not indulge himself in the sinful pursuits of the world-and has always due respect for the names and attributes of his God. Thus, whilst he cultivates one class of virtues, he does not neglect the cultivation of another class, which the religion he professes does with equal authority impose upon his observation. Thus does our author, in this discourse, endeavour to convince his readers, that the faith of the gospel is a faith which not only justifies its possessor before God, but also sanctifies the whole of his moral principles, and dignifies and exalts his whole moral character.

The illustrations, in this discourse, are conducted with no small degree of eloquence and ingenuity; but we must be allowed to remark, that they appear to us, in some instances, rather redundant. We shall only quote the last paragraph of this sermon as a specimen of its eloquence.

"And here we have to complain of the public injustice that is done to Christia

nity, when one of its ostentatious professors has acted the hypocrite, and stands in disgraceful exposure before the eyes of the world. We advert to the readiness with which this is turned into a matter of general impeachment, against every appearance of seriousness; and how loud the exclamation is against the religion of all who signalize themselves; and that if the aspect of godliness be so decided as to become an aspect of peculiarity, then is the peculiarity converted into a ground of distrust and suspicion against the bearer of it. Now it so happens, that, in the midst of this world lying in wickedness, a man to be a Christian at all, must signalize himself. Neither is he in a way of salvation, unless he be one of a very peculiar people; nor would we precipitately consign him to discredit, even though the peculiarity be so very glaring as to provoke the charge of Methodism. But, instead of making one man's hypocrisy act as a drawback upon the reputation of a thousand, we submit, if it would not be a fairer and more philosophical procedure, just to

ful eye over all the sufferings and necessi ties of our species-and who open their hand most widely in behalf of the imploring and the friendless-and to whom, in spite of all their mockery, the men of the world are sure, in the negotiations of business, to award the readiest confidenceand who sustain the most splendid part in all those great movements of philanthropy, which bear on the general interest of mankind-and who, with their eye full upon eternity, scatter the most abundant blessings over the fleeting pilgrimage of time-and who, while they hold their conversation in heaven, do most enrich the earth we tread upon, with all those virtues which secure enjoyment to families, and uphold the order and prosperity of the commonwealth."

The object pursued in our author's third discourse is, to establish the doctrine, that a selfish spirit is the ruling principle which actuates the irreligious to observe in their deal

tion-to make a walking survey over the town, and record an inventory* of all the men in it, who are so very far gone as to have the voice of psalms in their family; or to attend the meetings of fellowship for prayer, or as scrupulously to abstain from all that is questionable in the amusements of the world; or as, by any other marked and visible symptom whatever, to stand out to general observation as the members of a saintly and separated society. We know, that even of such there are few, who, if Paul were alive, would move him to weep for the reproach they bring upon his Master. But we also know, that the blind and impetuous exaggerates the few into the many; inverts the process of atonement altogether, by laying the sins of one man upon the multitude; looks at their general aspect of sanctity, and is so engrossed with this single expression of character, as to be insensible to the noble uprightness, and the tender humanity with which this sanctity is associated.

And

therefore it is, that we offer the assertion, and challenge all to its most thorough and searching investigation, that the Christianity of these people, which many think does nothing but cant, and profess, and run after ordinances, has augmented their honesties and their liberalities, and that, tenfold beyond the average character of society; and that these are the men we oftenest meet with in the mansions of poverty-and who look with the most wake

* Make a catalogue, we should think a phrase more conformable to common usage.

grity. The title given to this discourse, therefore, is, "The Power of Selfishness in promoting the Honesties of Mercantile Intercourse." In this discourse there appears to be a considerable recurrence of the sentiments which are found in the first discourse of the volume; but, perhaps, this was in part necessary in order to introduce with effect the illustration of the main doctrine of the sermon. We think, that the illustrations exhibited in this discourse, do very satisfactorily prove that selfishness does, in a very great number of instances, determine unrenewed man to act honourably and honestly. He conceives, that honesty, by securing him a respectable character, will also secure to him a profitable business-and, therefore, he chooses that course which appears to him most likely to lead to the greatest gain.

But, whilst we concede this to our author, we must at the same time beg leave to remark, that we think he has, in this discourse, forgotten a little his philosophical discrimination. He seems not to have stated with sufficient accuracy the difference between selfishness and selflove. Hence we might be led from his discourse to suppose, that when a man once becomes a convert to

Christianity, he must abandon every transaction which seems to involve in it any thing like personal advantage. Such a sentiment would naturally lead us to form a false judgment respecting the requisitions of the religion of Jesus Christ. We are allowed by the precepts of the gospel to act for our own advantage, provided our actions be always regulated by due respect to the glory of God and the good of our fellow men. We are required to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind, and with all our strength, and our neighbour as ourselves. Self-love must be allowed, therefore, in the Christian, when it is to be the measure by which his regard for the good of others is to be determined and regulated.

We do not observe any thing in the composition of this discourse very striking: therefore we shall not detain our readers by making any lengthy quotations. There is only one sentence, which struck us by its novelty, which we shall beg leave to set down for their inspection. Our author says, (p. 72,) "When a man becomes a believer, there are two great events which take place at this great turning point of his history." The one of these is the sanctifying effect which religion produces upon him when on earth; the other, which appears to us rather novel, as stated in the author's words, "takes place in heaven-even the expunging his name from the Book of Condemna

tion."

Our author, in his fourth discourse, aims at the establishment of the doctrine, that the practice of small frauds, knowingly and constantly persisted in, will, as effectually, involve us in guilt and condemnation, as the practice of greater and more glaring dishonesties. The title of this discourse, which is, "The Guilt of Dishonesty not to be estimated by the Gain of it," appears rather quaint, and does not immediately lead us to discover what is the object of the discourse. But, we consider this dis

course, although not destitute of some defects, highly deserving of attention. The morality which it teaches, although it may appear rather too precise for those who are daily practising some little gainful frauds, is very excellent. We might transcribe from it many useful moral lessons, but our limits will only perinit us to make the following quotation as a specimen. The preacher is" speaking immediately before of the aggravation of the guilt of those who, for a small gain, sell the eternal comfort of their immortal souls-and he then thus proceeds:

"It is with argument such as this (p. 84) that we would try to strike conviction among a very numerous class of offenders in society-those who, in the various departments of trust, or service, or agency, are ever practising, in littles, at the work of secret appropriation-those whose hands are in a state of constant defilement, by the putting of them forth to that which they ought to touch not, and taste not, and handle not-those who silently number such pilferments, as can pass unnoticed. among the perquisites of their office; and who, in an excess in their charges, just so slight as to escape detection, or by a habit of purloining, just so restrained as to elude discovery, have both a conscience very much at ease in their own bosoms, and a credit very fair, and very entire, among their acquaintances around them. They grossly count upon the smallness of their transgression. But they are just going in a small way to hell."

In his fifth discourse, our author treats of the reciprocal nature of those duties which the gospel requires men to perform to each other. The title given to it is-"On the great Christian Law of Reciprocity between Man and Man." The text of scripture on which this discourse is founded is this: (Matt. vii. 12.) "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

Our author allows, that some difficulty appears to be connected with the proper understanding of the extent of this requisition-and, on that account, much shuffling has been practised by many in order to

avoid the force of the apparently sweeping demand which it seems at first sight to make. But, in conducting the illustration of this moral maxim, we think he plainly and satisfactorily shows, that, were we properly to regulate our demands upon others, we should have no difficulty in ascertaining the precise extent of the claims of others upon ourselves. The concluding paragraph of this discourse, which we beg leave here to quote, appears to us to exhibit a powerful argument for exciting Christians to the practice of the duties illustrated in the sermon -while it presents us likewise with a very favourable specimen of our author's eloquence.

"And he who feels as he ought, will bear with cheerfulness all that the Saviour prescribes, when he thinks how much it is for him that the Saviour has borne. We speak not of his poverty all the time that he lived upon the earth. We speak not of those years when a houseless wanderer in an unthankful world, he had not where to lay his head. We speak not of the meek and uncomplaining sufferance with which he met the many ills that oppressed the tenor of his mortal existence. But we speak of that awful burden which crushed and overwhelmed its termination. We speak of that season of the hour and power of darkness, when it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to make his soul an offering for sin. To estimate aright the endurance of him who himself.bore our infirmities, would we ask of any individual to recollect some deep and awful period of abandonment in his own history-when that countenance which at one time beamed and brightened upon him from above, was mantled in thickest darkness-when the iron of remorse entered into his souland, laid on a bed of torture, was made to behold the evil of sin, and to taste of its bitterness. Let him look back, if he can, on this conflict of many agitations, and then figure the whole of this mental wretchedness to be borne off by the ministers of vengeance into hell, and stretched out unto eternity. And if, on the great day of expiation, a full atonement was rendered, and all that should have fallen upon us was placed upon the head of the sacrifice-let him hence compute the weight and the awfulness of those sorrows which were carried by him on whom the chastisement of our peace was laid, and who poured out his soul unto the death for us. If ever a sinner, under such a visitation, shall again

emerge into peace and joy in believing-if he ever shall again find his way to that fountain which is opened in the house of Judah-if he shall recover once more that sunshine of the soul, which, on the days that are past, disclosed to him the beauties of holiness here, and the glories of heaven hereafter-if ever he shall hear with effect, in this world, that voice from the mercy seat, which still proclaims a welcome to the chief of sinners, and beckons him afresh to reconciliation-O! how gladly then should he bear throughout the remainder of his days, the whole authority of the Lord who bought him; and bind for ever to his own person that yoke of the Saviour which is easy, and that burden which is light."

The sixth discourse of this volume is highly deserving of the attention of all who would wish to preserve social virtue and good order among mankind. To magistrates and parents it cannot fail to come home with peculiar force. The object of it is, to trace the origin and progress of dissipation in large cities. The title of it is, "On the Dissipation of Large Cities." The text is, 66 Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God on the children of disobedience." Eph. v. 6.

Our author traces, and apparently with great justice, the origin of dissipation to these causes-I. To a defect in the early education of children. Children, very generally, leave their fathers' houses without having had their minds duly fortified against the influence of vice by religious principles. Hence, by a criminal neglect of judicious instruction and discipline, parents are often found chargeable with contributing in no small degree to that dissipation and wickedness which are practised by very many of those youths, who are engaged in conducting the mercantile transactions of large cities. 2. The second cause assigned for the growth of dissipation in places of extensive business is, the evil effect, which the example and counsel of the ungodly, who have already made considerable progress in this vice, has upon the minds