All fled, or dead, but thou alone,
Unchanged, remain'st, the same as ever,
Still flow thy peaceful waters on,
To meet those of the lowland river.
And still flow on, I would not stain,
Thy tide, fair stream, with mortal tear;
Life's course as thine, is short and vain,
Oh were it but as calm and clear.

ON RAPHAEL'S MADONNA.

Pensive Mary! mother mild,
With thy well-beloved child!
Mournful thoughts ye give to me,
When your holy eyes I see,

Looking down, so peacefully,

On a wandering child of sin,

That fain your quiet thoughts would win.

On thy lip a sorrow dwells,
Mother-maid! and gently tells
Of distrust, in days gone by—
Bitter tears, that now are dry-
Griefs, that cannot wholly die;
Though thy husband meets thy gaze,
With all the love of early days.

Fears prophetic may be thine,
For the child these arms entwine.
Thoughts of aged Simeon's word;

Through thy soul shall pierce a sword;"

Ill with hope and love accord;

Make thee clasp him to thy breast,

As if HE there might ever rest.

John the Baptist, yet a child,
Gazeth on the mother mild,
Gazeth on the Saviour near;
And, in attitude sincere,
Seemeth now, to holy ear

Pouring forth some Jewish prayer,
As taught "by Mary's pious care."

Holy infant! dost thou know
What awaits thee, here below!
Pains, and wants, and hatred fell-

All the force and craft of hell

Greater woes than tongue can tell,
That thine eye so serious strays

Upon the world's untravelled ways!

A.-V.

LITERARY NOTICES.

The Young Man's Guide against Infidelity. By the Rev. GRAHAM MITCHELL, M.A., F.R.S.A., Minister of Whitburn. Edinburgh : William Whyte and Co. 1848.

Coleridge was in the habit of saying " Evidences of Christianity! I am weary of the word. Make men FEEL THE WANT of Christianity." And certainly, in our own experience, proofs and demonstrations of our holy faith often do more harm than good. Truth to us appears infinitely more attractive, on her high throne, surrounded with her halo of mystery, than when evidence strives to bring her down and make her plainer and more palpable. The stars, however small to our unassisted eyes, appear more beautiful, more divinely set, than when magnified by the telescope they seem large blots of light dropped down to an under firmament; and so do the glorious truths of Revelation-in their native majesty, and at their present distance, than when magnified or made more manifest to us by evidences and demonstrations. The trusting Christian, rather than lower truth to meet his gaze, waits patiently for the time when he shall rise and

approach it face to face!

Yet, it is proper and necessary that sceptics should be met and answered. Ours is peculiarly an age of scepticism; and yet, in it, no grand treatise in defence of Christianity, at all equal to the emergency, has been produced. Drs. Paley and Campbell did most satisfactorily the work, which, in their day, was required of them as Christian advocates; but our day imposes a greatly different task-to which no divines have addressed themselves. Scepticism has changed its grounds and its weapons entirely, and the defenders of our faith have not yet gone down to the combat.

If we were asked to state briefly what scepticism is in the minds of the intellectually great men of the present age, we should say that these men hold that their are a few eternal truths innate to human reason; that every religion has embodied these with more or less of beauty, fitness, and fulbut different forms of the same fundamental ideas; and that the mind, ness; that heathenism, Judaism, Christianity, and Mohammedanism are receiving these fixed ideas, may either receive or reject all of these accidental, earthly, and transient forms-which are but popular traditions of One of these gifted but erroneous men sings—

the truth.

"True faith nor biddeth, nor abideth form.

The bended knee, the eye uplift is all

Which man need render; all which God can bear.
What to the faith are forms? A passing speck,

A crow upon the sky. God's worship is
That only he inspires: and his bright words
Within the red-leaved volume of the heart,
Return to him in prayer, as dew to heaven.
I am an omnist, and believe in all
Religions-fragments of one golden world
Yet to be relit in its place in Heaven.
For all are relatively true and false,

As evidence and earnest of the heart,

To these who practise or have faith in them.

The absolutely true religion is

In heaven only: yea, in deity."

Most fervently do we wish to see Christian genius come forth to remove these delusions, and to establish Christianity as the universal, the eternal form of all religious truth for man. De Quincey, of all Christians and philosophers, is the champion most competent for this high service to our holy faith.

But we have also another race of sceptics amongst us; a set of shallow, superficial, despicable thinkers, who readily addict themselves to the views of some great literary man; as if by going to his side they had become his intellectual equals. In our shops and offices it is amusing to see the juvenile Carlyles and Emersons, now selling a yard of ribbon, and then preaching Pantheism. They are mental babes and sucklings, and yet think themselves far too wise to believe in Christianity. These brisk lads, who, if they were Christians, would never rise in the Church to a position above door-keepers, beadles, or sextons, regard themselves as high-priests of nature and of truth! It was amusing when some of our silly young men affected to be so many Byrons; but it is infinitely more funny to see them put on, over their puppy faces, the transcendental airs of Carlyle and Emerson! No man should write a word save of scorn for the benefit of these small blasphemers, these infidel fribbles,

There is a third class of infidels, those who belong to the old school of Paine. A small stock of knowledge, and A LARGE STOCK OF SIN are suffcient to set up these infidels. Yet they make a sort of scientific attack upon the Bible, endeavour to falsify its history, and to explode its doctrines. By all means, these men should be answered; and a Christian with an ordinary intellect is quite able to produce a satisfactory treatise against them. For this work common theologians are good enough; and Mr. Mitchell will just do as well as Thomas De Quincey.

"The Young Man's Guide against Infidelity" is a respectable book. It is of no value in reference to the highest, the higher, and the high forms of scepticism; it would not answer any of the objections against Christianity, propounded by such men as Emerson and Carlyle; but it is a very fair argument against common infidelity, the infidelity native to public-houses. The author would not be a match for Hume even, but he is quite competent to overthrow Paine, and give Paine's disciples a very horrible picture of their master's death-bed scene. He can reason upon what is called evidence, but does he not know that transcendentalists take other ground, and does he not feel that if they reckon Paley's proofs and arguments of no consequence, then his own, which are in the same line, and put with comparative feebleness, will be easily set aside? He has been far too ambitious; an intellectual sceptic would remain untouched by this lengthy treatise; but for a certain class of infidels it will meet all their objections. We never could think of recommending it to the perusal and study of Thomas Carlyle, or of any of his able disciples; but we cordially wish it a large circulation as a valuable Guide against Infidelity" to many young men. The Author has been at great pains to acquaint himself with the "Nebular Hypothesis," and with some of Strauss's heretical notions; and he has got up, with great ingenuity, an " Analytical Table showing the order of the different visitants to the tomb of Jesus on the morning of the Resurrection."

The book begins with a chapter on moral evil, and the distinction between right and wrong. Was Mr. Mitchell not aware that intellectual sceptics maintain that sin is not a hostile, but only an antagonistic prin

ciple to goodness in the universe, and, consequently, that to it there can be attached no proper guilt, and that against it there can be directed no proper punishment. The chapter, as it stands, is perfectly worthless, and furnishes no refutation of the views held by the ablest infidels. Yet, it might keep many from falling into dissolute habits; and, therefore, we wish it all success. There are a great many pages devoted to an exposure of Strauss's "Life of Christ," and these, though somewhat elaborate, are not satisfactory. Could not the author, instead of advancing arguments of his own, have contented himself with abridging the masterly reply to the German sceptic, which Dr. Dobbin of Dublin has lately given? That reply is the best specimen of inductive reasoning that we have ever seen. The theory of Strauss is, that the history of Jesus, as recorded by the Evangelists, is a mere myth, formed from the Epistles. The Irish Divine disproves this in the most original and conclusive manner.

The practical parts of Mr. Mitchell's volume are the best; and he is evidently more at home when he sermonizes, than when he reasons and discusses. We should imagine that this treatise would be of use, rather to prevent the infidelity of the savages of New Zealand, than to arrest the scepticism of the philosophers and literary men of Great Britain. By far the finest quotation which we can give here, appears in Mr. Mitchell's pages, as a quotation. It is Rousseau on the character of Jesus :

"What prepossession, what blindness must it be, to compare the son of Sophroniscus to the son of Mary? What an infinite disproportion is there between them! Socrates dying without pain or ignominy, easily supported his character to the last; and if his death, however easy, had not crowned his life, it might have been doubted whether Socrates, with all his wisdom, was any thing more than a mere sophist. He invented, it is said, the theory of morals; others before had put them in practice. He had only to say what they had done, and reduce their examples to precepts. Aristides had been just, before Socrates had defined justice. Leonides gave his life for his country, before Socrates had declared patriotism to be a duty. The Spartans were a sober people, before Socrates had recommended sobriety. Before he had even defined virtue, Greece abounded in virtuous men. But where could Jesus learn, among his compatriots, that pure and sublime morality of which he only hath given us both precept and example. The greatest wisdom was made known amidst the most bigotted fanaticism; and the simplicity of the most heroic virtues did honour to the vilest people on earth. The death of Socrates peaceably philosophising with his friends appears the most agreeable that could be wished; that of Jesus, expiring in the midst of agonizing pains, abused, insulted, cursed by a whole nation, is the most horrible that could be feared. Socrates, in receiving the cup of poison, blessed, indeed, the weeping executioner who administered it; but Jesus, in the midst of excruciating tortures, prayed for his merciless tormentors. Yes! if the life and death of Socrates are those of a sage, the life and death of Jesus are those of a GOD."

The Journal of Sacred Literature, No. I.

Edited by JOHN KITTO, D.D., I.S.A. C. Cox, London.

This periodical, which is to be issued quarterly, is intended to supply a desideratum which has long been felt and acknowledged by biblical scholars in this country. There is no publication in Great Britain which supplies the place of the Biblical Repository, or the Bibliotheca Sacra of the Americans, much less of the numerous erudite periodicals of the Germans devoted to subjects of sacred literature. This deficiency is at once a consequence and a cause of that strange indifference to such enquiries, which has, not honourably, characterized Great Britain for a considerable time. No living man is better qualified than Dr. Kitto to conduct a publication like the present; and, assuredly, if we remember his invaluable contributions to biblical knowledge, no living man has better claim to be zealously sup

L

ported in the undertaking. And we cannot permit ourselves for a moment to doubt, that the learned and indefatigable Editor will very soon have his apprehensions on that subject removed. Little as these studies have, for a century past, engaged the British intellect, we cannot imagine that the taste for them has ever sunk so low, as not to secure an extensive demand for a Journal of sacred literature of such pretensions, and written by persons of such celebrity, as are the Editor of the work before us, and the contributors.

Dr. Kitto professes to embrace the following, among other topics.

1. Original Essays on Biblical History, Geography, &c.-2. Theological Biography.-3. Biblical Biography.-4. Exposition of Passages of Scripture.-5. Philological Essays.-6. Ecclesiastical History.-7. Translations and Reprints, (an admirable idea.)—8. Oriental Literature.-9. Correspondence.-10. Intelligence.

To secure perfect freedom of discussion, and to prevent the Editor being loaded with the responsibility of advocating various opinions, each writer's name is given with his contribution.

The plan of the publication exposes it to the advocacy of many different views and opinions or rather it implies this. For it is not proposed to be the organ of any sect or party, but a common ground on which wise and learned men of all churches and nations may appear and obtain a hearing. The present number is remarkable for its general ability, as also for the variety-sometimes almost contrariety of its contents. The Philosophy of Anthropomorphism," by the Rev. F. Denham, is a good and useful essay; but is as remarkably distinguished by its sound common sense, as by the absence of all philosophy in regard to the difficult question it discusses. Haevernick's Introduction is learned and acute; and Ewald on Hebrew Poetry, though sometimes expressed in a way that will startle British readers, is discriminating, comprehensive, and satisfactory in the highest degree. It is itself worth the price of the whole number. The smaller articles also, including that by the Editor, are all valuable in different ways. The only paper which we do not like, is that on German Rationalism, which is, in our view, rambling and violent, and contributes very little to a knowledge of the subject; it is disfigured by affectation, bad taste, and solecisms of language. We regret this the more, as the author could write much better if he would permit himself to say naturally what he has to say. Only school boys on the lower forms indulge in such silly sentimentality as the following, "It was to bathe in the dews of a fresh aspergence the fading flower of experimental religion, that withered in the arid region of orthodoxy," p. 150. "The previous controversies of the Lutherans, had been carried on without the camp; but the present one, like a shell bursting in their midst, scattered them apart, and disintegrated their unity.” p.

145.

Dr Kitto should use the liberty of expunging such violations of good taste, and of the Queen's English as these. We are not living in America, and such writing should not be tolerated in our midst.

We should notice particularly an article of striking ability and earnestness on "Free Enquiry" by the Rev. Professor Powell. In this the principles of Locke are fearlessly asserted and boldly carried out. With submission, however, we apprehend that the exception at the top of p. 69, is not easily reconciled with the tenor of the argument. This exception appears to us to be wrong from the Rev. Professor, as a minister in a church which holds a creed and fixed doctrines. Moreover the case is not fairly stated.

There is no question that every Christian Church is at liberty to profess the opinion it holds. But the difficulty which suggests itself and which