correct view to be taken of it is, that of a charter given by God to our first parent, confirming to himself, and his race, the permanent enjoyment of its invaluable privileges, on condition of abstinence from the forbidden gratification. As the beneficiary, or holder of this charter, i.e., in his federal or public capacity, no service was required of him, but that he should not touch the forbidden fruit. But as a man merely and not a beneficiary—a rational, and therefore a responsible being, he was bound to do the whole will of God; to obey the law written upon his heart, or made known by direct communications; to obey it cheerfully, perfectly, perseveringly; to obey it as long as life might be continued ;-he was bound to do this under the awful sanction of death, in the full sense of the term, or any even the slightest transgression. But as a beneficiary, or holder of the charter, life was to be enjoyed as long as the service prescribed by the charter, namely, abstinence from the forbidden fruit, was rendered."-pp. 70, 71.

The effects of this disastrous failure of our federal head come next to be fully considered. The two points here brought under review are, first, the loss of invaluable blessings to the race, and the entailment of that "carnal mind" which is denominated by infallible authority, "enmity against God." The first considers "the effects of the fall of Adam upon our relative state or condition:" and, secondly, "the effects of the fall upon the native character of man." The withdrawment of the Holy Spirit's influence is all that Dr. Payne will allow, under this branch of his subject, to have resulted to the race from the fall of Adam. This he considered was the benefit, the loss of which was threatened; and this constituted the entire of the penal consequence brought upon us, which could in any way influence our character. He insists that it was strictly impossible for Jehovah to "deface the spiritual beauty with which he had himself adorned the soul of Adam; but he could and did withdraw his Holy Spirit from him. He did this as a penal act,—as the execution of the threatening which had given to the charter the form of law; as a public and strong expression of his displeasure against his unprovoked and wicked rebellion."

These views are very clearly stated, and many notions that have been maintained by other writers are contrasted with them, and their weak points detected. It is indeed impossible to peruse this portion of the argument without admitting the admirable ability with which it is treated. Yet there is one view which may be taken of Dr. Payne's explanation to ourselves the most difficult to be solved. If we understand his theory, it is that all endowments essential to accountability, were, at his creation, in the possession of Adam; and that ability to stand was as much his, as liability to fall, quite irrespective of the chartered benefits. His fall, in respect to those benefits, incurred the loss, and nothing but the loss, of those superadded blessings, to himself and all his posterity,-consequently they should be expected to appear through all their generations, simply denuded of the chartered benefits. And this, according to all the analogies he has pleaded, might be

expected to be the amount of the forfeiture. If so, every one of Adam's race comes into existence just in the same personal moral state, as that in which Adam was created; subject indeed to death and to the loss of the Holy Spirit's influence, but not unendowed with all the natural powers, and in the same state, as was conceded to Adam at the moment of his creation. Here, then, as it appears to us, is a difficulty not solved by any explanation which we have noticed; viz., the invariable positive sinfulness of all his posterity without a single exception; which is a fact fully maintained by Dr. Payne. The simple loss of the chartered blessings seems to have implied and involved the loss of that personal moral power which would at least have left it open to them to keep as well as to break the Divine law. It would seem to us as if the loss of the chartered blessings spoken of by Dr. Payne were not the full amount of the effect upon the condition of the race produced by the fall-since not a single instance among all the millions of the race proves the fact that, independently of the chartered benefits, man could have maintained his personal standing,-indeed, we suspect that Dr. P. would admit, that as to the positive holiness, or perfect obedience of Adam, the Divine influence of the Spirit was necessary. Yet if that was something chartered, and not natural, not essential, the proof is not made out that the loss of this should incur to all his posterity a loss beyond the chartered benefits, even a universal loss of all inclination or moral power to keep the law of their nature. Dr. Payne will not allow of any positive notion of entailed depravity, and his reasoning upon this point is confessedly cogent. The difficulty then is to reconcile the privative idea, which he maintains, with the continued natural accountability of mankind, and their universal positive depravity. Dr. Payne frequently urges that no punishment, in the proper sense of that term, no personal legal guilt became attributable to the descendants by the lapse of their progenitor, though those privative consequences inevitably, universally followed, which necessitated depravity. The fact indeed cannot be doubted; the only question with us is, whether Dr. Payne's theory of the chartered benefits is not too narrow a ground to support its admitted consequences.

The subject is indeed a profound and awful one. The explanations to which we can attain in our present darkened state will perhaps never remove all our doubts, nor make plain the entire dispensations of the Almighty. No doubt, conscience makes us sensible of our accountability, and the day of the Lord Jesus will vindicate, even to human reason, the equity and mercy of the Divine conduct; but till then the mystery will still hover over us, both as a punishment and as a test of our implicit faith in the revealed promise of forgiveness.

We cannot conclude without most earnestly recommending the volume to the serious and careful perusal of our readers, and especially

of the rising ministry. The spirit in which the argument is conducted, as well as the acuteness which pervades every part of it, will commend the volume to the cordial approval of its readers. A place will unquestionably be assigned to it among the very first productions of the age in the department of theological literature.

1. Christian Devotedness: or, Memorials of Mrs. and Miss Palmer, of Newbury. By Henry March. London: Simpkin and Marshall. pp. 121.

2. Memoir of Mrs. Louisa Mundy, of the London Missionary Society's Mission at Chinsurah, Bengal; with Extracts from her Diary and Letters. By her Husband. London: Snow. pp. 294.

3. Memoirs of Mrs. Gibson, late of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, including Selections from her Correspondence. By Francis A. West. Second Edition. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. pp. 318.

4. Memoir of Mrs. Martha Innes, Edinburgh; with Extracts from her Diary and Letters. Compiled and edited by her Husband. London: Hamilton, Adams, and Co. pp. 226.

Ir has been well remarked, that "to treasure up memorials of the wise, the learned, and the good, is to fulfil an exalted duty to mankind." If this be true at all times, as to all well-executed memoirs, it applies with peculiar force in our own age to well-written female biography. At no previous period has so much been published in regard to woman-as to her education, her influence, and her position in society. We have been favoured with "Woman's Mission;" "The Women;""The Wives ;" and "The Daughters of England;" and a long series of similar publications besides. In these works we have almost all we could wish on the theory of the subject. We are therefore happy in introducing to our readers the interesting volumes named at the head of this article. These Memoirs detail the experience and practice of intelligent piety, evincing, by a record of actual attainments, what woman may become under the sanctifying and elevating power of eminent godliness.

These volumes furnish a variety, from which almost every taste may make its own selection. The first volume on the list contains the memoirs of a Christian lady and her daughter, who were indeed distinguished as patterns of devotedness, and were members of the Congregational church at Newbury, under the pastoral care of the Rev. H. March. The second is a husband's tribute of affection to the memory of Mrs. Mundy, a missionary's wife, who made great pecuniary sacrifices to spend the remainder of her life in promoting the cause of Christ in India. The third is a memorial of an intelligent member of the Wesleyan society, who seems to have taken great pains in the cultivation of her mind, who saw much of life both at home and abroad,

and who, among her other virtues, was a model of female excellence in the management of her domestic affairs. The last is a record of a member of the Baptist persuasion-the wife of Mr. Innes, son of the late highly-respected Mr. Innes, minister of a Baptist church in Edinburgh, and author of some most valuable works.

The "Memoirs of Mrs. and Miss Palmer" was the first of these volumes that we read, and this circumstance occasioned its being placed the first in our list. It is a small book; but full of life and interest. It is divided into ten chapters, the titles of which we would insert had we room. This little volume ought to be found in every family, in every library, and in the hands of every Sabbath-school teacher. In an advertisement, it is stated that any profits which may arise from the sale of the work, "will be faithfully appropriated to a fund now being raised for erecting a Sunday-school room in connexion with the Congregational chapel at Newbury."

The materials of which the volume is composed were partly supplied by Miss L. Palmer. In reference to these, we have the following remarks at page 5 :—

"On receiving these documents, it was very gratifying to the writer, to find that they consisted, not of a dry skeleton of dates and hints, but of facts, clothed in a becoming array of appropriate diction; and of thoughts, instinct with feeling, and breathing devout, useful, and inciting suggestions. On observing this, he determined to turn it to the fullest account, by inserting at intervals in the narration, the chief part of these materials, without alteration. By so doing he is persuaded that he shall not only serve himself, by abridging his labour, but oblige the reader, by interspersing extracts which are both so interesting in themselves and so adapted to give an agreeable variety to the contents of this little volume.

Though it is intended in these memorials to depict the character of the daughter chiefly, since to her it was especially granted to live a life of activity and usefulness, but rarely witnessed even in these days of comparative stir and animation; yet as she was what she was, not by the grace of God,' simply considered, but by that grace giving effect to the wise plans, judicious counsels, and encouraging voice of her mother, it is thought by the writer to be peculiarly desirable that some account of the latter should precede the details that will be given of the former."

Throughout the whole course of his work, the author offers, as he proceeds, some valuable remarks on the various topics which engage his attention. As an instance, we take what we meet with at pages 12, 13. Having stated that in her last illness, Mrs. Palmer "lamented to her dear child that she had not, while opportunity was afforded her, spoken more confidentially to her pastor of her history and experience," he throws out a few most pertinent and judicious observations on this important point. We have casually heard that the subject of pastoral intercourse has of late seriously occupied the thoughts of Mr. James, of Birmingham. If the rumour be correct, we wish he could be induced to give to the public the results of his matured deliberations. On few topics could he more usefully employ

his pen; and we feel sure he would so treat the theme as to secure the attention of his ministerial brethren without exciting unreasonable expectations on the part of their people.

Passing over a few pages, we come to one of those delightful scenes which are sometimes to be met with in circles which are formed to promote objects of Christian benevolence. Oh that such scenes were more frequent!

"Never, while memory holds its seat, can the writer forget the profit and pleasure of those evenings which he occasionally spent at her house. We met at six : during tea, and for at least an hour after, the conversation was entirely occupied with matters having reference to the good of others. As the evening was previously fixed some days before, each one that composed the little company came prepared. Mrs. P., whose memory was remarkably strong, was ready with a store of useful suggestions, and her elder daughter was provided, usually, with a list of memoranda. The afflicted, commonly, were first thought of, especially those who were of the household of faith;' then the cases of the more needy of the poor were gone into. Their knowledge of the characters, circumstances, wants, and trials of the poor, acquired by diligent investigation, was remarkably minute and accurate; and invaluable to the pastor in guiding him in his visits to that portion of the flock; and in advising with the deacons as to the just appropriation of the funds entrusted to their upright distribution. The Sabbath-school came in for a large share of the conversation, and whatever had been thought of as likely to promote the efficiency of the teaching, the advancement of the taught, or the general prosperity of the school, was then freely uttered and canvassed. The missionary field of labour was not forgotten, and when the anniversary meetings drew near, they became a subject of lively interest.

"On all these topics, it might be seen that the mind of Mrs. P. was fervently interested. Her remarks were the fruit of much thought, and distinguished by a happy union of wisdom and zeal; and it was continually evident from what she said, how solicitous she was, while denied the honour and blessedness of actual labour, to do what she could with her head and her heart, and her tongue and her purse, to supply the deficiencies of personal exertion. Thus her retirement was eminently sanctified, and being at leisure to reflect much and deeply on all the departments of Christian usefulness, it is much to be questioned whether she did not, by her influence on others, more effectually aid the cause of Christ after she had ceased from active labours, than when, being more occupied in work, she had less opportunities for reflection."-pp. 29, 30.

As Mrs. Palmer was so eminently successful in the education of her daughters, we give one short extract bearing on this point:

"Mrs. P. was far from considering her daughters as 'finished,' when they had acquired some scraps of showy knowledge, and some skill in tinsel accomplishments; her aim was elevated far above such small matters; she regarded them as responsible and immortal beings, as having an important part to sustain, as members of human society, in this life, while they looked beyond it to a perfected state of existence. There was, therefore, set before them the great two-fold object, first, to seek after 'glory, honour, and immortality,' and then, in the way to these, to serve their generation according to the will of God, in the constant endeavour to instruct the ignorant, relieve the wretched, warn the vicious, comfort the penitent, and in every possible way, to lessen the sum of human error, guilt, and misery, as the instruments, and N. 9. VOL. IX. 4 T