whatever can be proved erroneous in sentiment or unchristian in spirit.",

In a note to page 35, Mr. C. professes his predilection for the divinity of the old school; and laments that modern pamphlets, and other ephemeral productions of the new taste, supercede, in so many instances, the folios of antiquity; and asks," Is not the exchange which has been made, of the scarcely portable volumes for the Magazine and Essay, a much worse catastrophe in the theological world, than the substitution of paper currency for solid gold in the commercial?” Why then does Mr. C. add to this dismal catastrophe by a publication of his own pamphlet, not more weighty perhaps than a Magazine? or, Does he suppose that, while other modern authors emit paper currency only, he alone has the faculty of furnishing the public with solid gold? Nor can we approve of his unqualified objections to Magazines and Essays, by which many thousands of persons are constantly instructed, who could have no access to "the folios of antiquity," nor time to peruse them. We believe that the truth is now disseminated far more widely by these "ephemeral productions," as he calls them, than by all the" scarcely portable volumes" referred to; which, however, we revere, as much as the author; and it is a pleasing reflection, that the value of such books is doubled and trebled within these few years.

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Page 42, the preacher thus addresses his audience: "Be thankful for the habit, ye of our dissenting Israel! who from your ancestry and education may have an epithet corresponding to that of the apostle, who calls himself Hebrew of the Hebrews." Guard, tenaciously guard, your home privacy on the Sabbath from the invasions of company; and exchange not the unostentatious stillness of the domestic circle for the attraction of crowds," the voice of singing men and singing women," or any other specious enticement."

The author, apprehensive that this passage would prove obnoxious to many readers, has subjoined a long note, pointing out the evils which he dreads from Sunday-evening Lectures; which, however, he acknowledges to "have important uses, particularly in the country," and which, he confesses, he himself sometimes preaches, in and about London, because "he is desirous of doing good:" a confession and a reason which render nugatory, in a great measure, his objections against the ostentation of evening services.

Let Mr. C. let his hearers, let all his ministring brethren and fellow Christians, judge for themselves, whether domestic worship with their families, or public worship with the church, be most for their edification? for some persons the former, for others the latter, may he found preferable; but we cannot conceive why the public service of God, at six o'clock in the evening, should be deemed more ostentatious than at three in the afternoon. In a word, we cannot but express our wish, that when good men recommend one particular course of piety, they would refrain from the censure of their brethren who pursue another: had the author done this, our commendation of his discourses would have been unmixed with this "benevolent reproof."

Supposing public and private duties to interfere, we have the judgment of holy Mr. Baxter, that private duties ought to give place to public worship. Speaking of the Sabbath, he says, "The principal work of the day is the communion of Christians in the public exercises of God's worship. It is principally to be spent in holy assemblies; and this is the use that the Scripture expressly mentioneth in Acts xx. 7, and intimateth in 1 Cor. xvi. 1, 2.- My judgment is, that in those places where the public worship taketh up almost all the day, it is no sin to attend upon it to the utmost; and to omit all such family and secret exercises as cannot be done without omission of the public; and that where the public exercises allow but a little time at home, the family-duty should take up all that little time, except what some shorter secret prayers or meditations may have, which will not hinder family duties; and that it is a sinful disorder to do otherwise, because the Lord's Day is principally set apart for public worship; and the more private or secret, is, as it were, included in the public. Your families are at church with you; the same prayers which you would put up in secret, you may, usually, put up in public and in families; and it is a turning God's worship into ceremony and superstition to think that you must necessarily put up the same prayers in a closet which you put up in the family or church, when you have not time for both (though, when you have time, secret prayer bath its proper advantages, which are not to be neglected); and also, what secret or family duty you have not time for on that day, you may do on another day, when yon cannot come to church assembly; and,

therefore, it is an error to think that the day must be divided in equal proportions, between public, family, and secret duties; though yet I think it not amiss that some convenient time for family or secret duties be left on that day; but not so much as is spent in public, nor nothing near it.". Baxter's Works, vol. iii. p. 782, 783.

Religious Tracts. By the Author of the Twin Sisters.

THESE tracts we understand to be the production of a young lady. 1, The Character of a Christian, On the Expiatory Sacrifice of Christ, 3, On the Works of the Creator, 4, On Errors, 5, On Forgiveness, - 6, On Faith. We are happy to say that these pieces are strictly evangelical; and that the talents of this juvenile writer are by no means despicable. We hope she will proceed in this kind of composition; and that her productions will find a rapid and extensive circulation, and be made a blessing to those "who are ignorant and out of the way."

The Christian's Review of Life and Prospect of Futurity: a Sermon, preached at Warwick, on the Death of the Rev. J. Moody, &c. By G. Burder, 800, 1S.

Ir has been thought by some critics, that preachers labour under a disadvantage in having to state principles rather than exhibit characters. Be this as it may, it certainly behoves every minister of the gospel to preach the truth in the most characteristic manner. The sacred volume deals not in abstract principles; but displays them as drawn out and embodied in real life. With this view too, some of our most eminent and successful ministers have seized suitable opportunities for funeral sermons to recommend religion to the young, or to admonish the aged; to shew by some instances of awful depravity and misery, that the impenitent sinner may expect" to mourn at the last;" or by eminent instances of genuine piety and zealous devotedness to God, to constrain us to be imitators of such as

early life, conversion, ministerial Iabours, and dying experience: a narrative which unquestionably furnishes a most impressive exemplification of the subject.

Future Punishment of Endless Duration: a Sermon preached at the Monthly Association of Ministers and Churches in London, Dec. 11, 1806. By Robert Winter, 8vo, Is.

IT is no small recommendation of this sermon, that it was published at the unanimous and pressing request of the numerous ministers and others before whom it was delivered. The subject was one of those which were announced for discussion in the printed lists of these monthly exercises, before the author removed to London; and was assigned to him by the removal of his predecessor at New Court to another part of the kingdom.

The preacher's text is 2 Thess. i. 9, "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction;" from which he proposes to enquire, 1, What is the plain unsophisticated doctrine of the New Testament, respecting the future punishment of the wicked? and, 2, What influence should the consideration of its endless duration have on our minds? In answer to the first enquiry, he shews, 1, That a state of conscious and miserable existence is reserved for the unbelieving and disobedient after death; -2, Immediately after death, this future punishment commences; - 3, The punishment of the wicked will be openly awarded to them at the great day of the Lord; 4, This punishment is represented as their final condition; 5, It will be of endless duration; and this he demonstrates fully by the decisive testimony of Scripture.

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By the following important reflections, the author then points out the general tendency of this awful truth:1, It exhibits, in the most affecting colours, the dreadful malignity of sin; -2, It operates as a most powerful motive to repentance and holiness; 3, It reflects the greatest lustre on the plan of human redemption by Jesus It animates believers to 4, zeal in their endeavours to save souls. Our limits will not admit of quotations; we can only say, that we earnestly recommend this able and faithful discourse to our readers, as well worthy of their perusal, and as a seasonable antidote to the scepticism of our times.

The Work and the Reward of Faithful Deacons a Sermon addressed to the Baptist Monthly Association, by W. Newman, and published at their Request, 8vo, Is.

It was well observed by a good man, that we ought not to rest satisfied until every genuine member of every Christian society be found zealous in every good work; and surely this is not to be expected, unless the officers of Christian churches set the blessed example. To promote, we apprehend, in some measure, this object, Mr. N. has discussed the character, the work, and the reward of faithful deacons ; concluding with some useful and apposite reflections: the whole of which we recommend to all who desire to use the office of a Deacon well.

To the Sermon there is an Appendix, designed to illustrate Mr. N.'s subject. This Appendix also includes a Sketch of the Character of the late Mr. Booth, as a Christian, a Divine, a Christian Pastor, a Literary Man, and as a Friend and Counsellor.

This sketch, though it has no immediate connection with the subject, will be considered by many as by no means the least interesting part of the publication. limits admit, we should be happy to transcribe it as a very good appendage to our Memoir of this excellent man.

Did our

A Concise Statement of the Evidence for the Obligation of Christian Churches to celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day; with Testimonies of eminent Christian Divines in Favour of the Divine Authority, Perpetual Obligation, and great Advantages of that Duty. Price bd.

ON subjects contested among serious Christians, we avoid taking a decided part. Our limits will not admit of controversy, nor do we think it would suit the taste of the generality of our readers. In cases, therefore, which relate to church order, we confine ourselves to an analysis of the publication.

In support of the general object of this pamphlet, which is to prove the obligation of Christian churches to celebrate the Lord's Supper every Lord's Day, the author lays down the following positions:

i, All persons to whom the gospel comes, are under indispensable obligations to comply with the whole revealed will of God; 2, The New Testament furnishes a rule of perfect

sufficiency for the constitution, discipline, and ordinances of Christian churches; This rule is principally comprized in the injunctions delivered by the apostles to the churches which they founded, and in the scripturally recorded practice of those churches ; 4, It was the instituted practice of the apostolic churches, to observe the ordinance of the Lord's Supper as a part of the stated and regular service of every Lord's Day.

The author having at large supported these positions by Scripture and argument, proceeds to give a variety of testimonies in favour of the practice recommended, from Pliny, Justin the Martyr, Calvin, Dr. Ames, Dr. Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Baxter, Daniel Burgess, Dr. Watts, Dr. Doddridge, J. Edwards, Willison, Dr. Erskine, Randall, S. Palmer, Maclean, Haldane, and Dr. Mason.

The whole is concluded with an Address to the Conscience of the Christian Reader; from which we transscribe the following paragraphs:

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Perhaps you admit the duty of communion with the body and blood of Christ sometimes, and practice accordingly; yet you do not see yourself obliged to this duty every Lord's Day. Have you then fairly scrutinized and fully confuted the evidence which has been now proposed to you? If not, how will you answer it to the Lord Jesus Christ, that you have rejected light and refused knowledge? you wiser and greater than He? Are your opinions and preferences to be weighed against the dictates of his unerring spirit? Take heed, lest you be found resisting the Holy Ghost !"

Are

"But compliance with this call involves inconvenience. Yes; and so it did in the apostolic churches, whose simple and faithful obedience to their "Lord cost them more sufferings than you could even think upon, without a shuddering of horror. Did they choose the severest personal and family distress; and, finally, the most excruciat ing tortures unto death, rather than temporize and trifle with Christ's Commandments? And can you justify known disobedience by pleas of triding inconvenience ? Would you not, yea, do you not, without a murmur, take up far greater inconveniences and difficulties, for the advancement aud success of your worldly interest? You would not accept such a plea from your servant, and will you offer it to your God? Besides, would not a little

THE utility and importance of academical institutions to the church of Christ, few, we presume, will venture to dispute, whose opinions are worthy of attention; but it must be remembered, that there are many that now Occupy ations of eminent usefulness in the church, who never trod the franchised walks of a college, and who possess no claims to titles of literary distinction. However, judiciously availing themselves of the aids provided by the learning of others, and studiously cultivating the acquirements more immediately connected with the salvation of souls, they have left their people little cause to regret the want of other advantages: for these reasons we could wish that Mr. C. had more particularly distinguished those objects of academical pursuits which, after all that may be justly said in their praise, are but of subordinate importance, from those that are essential to an evangelical ministry; and had the subject of his discourse been more forcibly urged by considerations derived from the glory of the character and work of our Lord Jesus and the value of immortal souls, it certainly would not have been less acceptable to the hearers, or less useful to the cause it pleads. We are nevertheless indebted to our author for many excellent thoughts, neatly expressed; and we earnestly wish that his discourse may contribute to the further prosperity of an institution which the Head of the church has so greatly honoured.

The Sanctity of the Lord's Supper vindicated; containing an Answer to Dr. Priestley's Free Address to Protestant Dissenters on that Subject. By S. Palmer, is. 6d.

THIS work was first published in 1770, without the name of the author; and is now oered afresh to the public

sequence of some recent testi

monies in its favour, which, it is hoped, may excite a renewed attention to it. The first of these is by the late Rev. Job Orton; the latter from the Rev. John Pye Smith, who, in his tract, entitled, "A Concise Statement," &c. says, "The editor cannot hut express his surprize and concern that this treatise has not been more known and read. Though its occasion was controversial, yet its principles and arguments are at all times important. The observations on the qualifications of communicants are particularly valuable; and, at the present day of laxity in Christian discipline, highly seasonable."

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By the The Dangers of the Country. Author of War in Disguise." 8vo, Price 58.

THIS is a very masterly production, and proceeds from the pen of a wellinformed and, we presume, pious man, who thinks it his duty to remonstrate "against the indifference and supineness which prevail in regard to our public defence. In the first part of this work, the author endeavours to prove that "we may be conquered by France;" and then shews, that the effects of such a conquest would be "usurpation or destruction of the throne, overthrow of the constitution, destruction of the funds, and ruin of property in general, a rigorous and merciless government, subversion of our religious liberties, and dreadful corruption of morals.'

In the second part, he points out the various means by which these dangers may be avoided; in which he displays much political knowledge and military information; and we rejoice to find, among the means proposed for our defence," reformation, as the essential basis of national safety;" and here the author introduces the Abolition of the Slave Trade, as essential to that Reformation." We wish we had room to insert a few paragraphs' from this part of the work, for we have never seen any thing more striking, more conclusive, more demonstrative of the extreme iniquity, and impolicy also, of this detestable traffic

After expressing the most patriotic feelings of partiality for his beloved country, the author adds, "This same beloved country is polluted by the most sordid and barbarous crimes; though dear to ourselves, she is a curse to a large portion of the globe: her wealth generates, and her power maintains, a greater mass of human wretch