been translated into the German and Spanish languages; and, together with his other works, has been printed in America. These two works, the "Observations" and the "Essays," may be considered as comprising his theology; the former showing wherein he differed from others; and the latter showing wherein he agreed. It need not be said that the points of agreement comprise all that is vital and essential. The "Biblical Notes and Dissertations" are chiefly critical and philological examinations of several passages of Scripture, relative to the Deity and incarnation of Christ; and discover a surprising degree of acquaintance with Hebrew and Rabbinical literature, as well as a con amore sympathy with the investigation which he pursues. His "Hints on the Portable Evidences of Christianity" is a book, the title and subject of which was suggested to him in a conversation with Dr. Chalmers, and the treatise itself is an argument in proof of the truth and excellency of Christianity, derived from the accordance of its descriptions of mankind with human experience, and of its peculiar doctrines with man's necessities as a sinner. This evidence he calls portable, because both the Bible itself and personal experience are things which every man can carry about with him. His "Thoughts on Habit and Discipline" is a book which every person, and which especially every young person, should most carefully "read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest." It relates principally to self-government—a subject little understood, and less practised; but of immense importance to intellectual and religious character, cultivation, and usefulness. His "Essay on the Habitual Exercise of Love to God, considered as a Preparation for Heaven," may be regarded as a chapter of the former book; and the charm conveyed by its very title, is sustained and strengthened through the whole of the holy and the heavenly treatise. All honour to the memory of the man who could write and live such a book as that. His "Puseyism traced to its Root," not only contains his objec tions, as a Friend, to a ministry receiving pecuniary support either from endowments or from congregations; but exhibits a view of Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Congregational polity, which all the parties concerned should seriously ponder. But we must not proceed with this analysis. His other works contain treatises "On the Observance of the Sabbath;" "The right application of Knowledge;" "The Accordance of Geology with Natural and Revealed Religion;" and on many other subjects, all of which declare a mind sacredly imbued with the spirit of wisdom and piety, and strongly desirous to instruct and bless mankind. It did not accord with the will or with the wisdom of our heavenly Father, that one of his children, so richly gifted and honoured, should pass through life without the discipline of tribulation-" for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth." In addition to the losses which he sustained in the death of his parents, of brothers and sisters, of his beloved Buxton, to whom he had said, "From our very early years we have been bound together in the ties of friendship and brotherhood;" and by the death of many others, his own habitation had twice become "the house of mourning." His first wife, Jane Birkbeck, died in 1822. His second wife, Mary Fowler, died in 1836. His third wife, Eliza P. Kirkbride, still survives, to cherish his beloved memory, and submissively to lament her loss. Thus over all "the glory," derived from rich intellectual and spiritual endowments, abundant wealth, great labours and usefulness, and the praise of all the churches, there was "the defence of dark tribulation;" which mercifully prevented the glory from either utterly destroying, or unduly dazzling. How wise, paternal, and sovereign is the government under which we are placed; how much we owe to the painful, yet profitable discipline of affliction; and when, in eternity, we look back upon time, what reason shall we have to say, "He hath done all things well!" Such a review of life has, no doubt, ously, he was gathering up his mantle, and approaching nearer to the cross, that he might fall there. How beautifully the close of his life was in harmony with its course. His last speech besought his fellow-citizens to remember the poor. His last sermon was full of evangelical doctrine, and pathos, and admonition. His last public prayer was a devout entreaty that he, and all around him, might be ready for the coming of their Lord. "And so, having served his generation according to the will of God, he fell asleep, and was gathered to his fathers." begun to be taken by our departed friend; | evident it now is, for some days previand probably he now derives, even from the circumstance of his rapid removal from earthly scenes, unspeakable gratitude and joy. After an accidental fall with his horse, which did not appear to injure him at the time, and after an illness of only one short week, during the greater part of which no danger was apprehended, he fell asleep in Jesus. The very manner of his removal was, however, a manifestation of his heavenly Father's mercy. Possessing, in some degree of strength, a physical fear of death; afraid of dying, rather than of being dead, "he was heard in that he feared," and received "the bliss without the pain" of dying. He had walked with God; " and he was not, for God took him." But though the event of death may have boen sudden and unexpected, it was not so to his Lord and Master. He who intended so to close his life, had been previously preparing him for the dispensation. There were probably not many dying declarations for the hand of Christian friendship to record; but if so, it is well, for we are the more thrown upon the language of his life. Still, how "Si quæreris monumentum ejus, CIRCUMSPICE." If you ask for his monument, look around—not indeed on sculptured marble, or on splendid architecture, but on a mourning city, and on an afflicted church; on poverty supplied with bread, and on misery deprived of its sting; on sinners saved, and on Christ glorified. -Monumentum ære perennius, THOUGHTS ON RELIGION. The soul, reposing on assured relief, Weeps tears of joy, and bursts into a song."-COWPER. THE VALUE OF RELIGION. NOTHING, to every person whose views are enlightened and dispassionate, is so valuable, so momentous, as religion; the religion of the New Testament-the religion of the cross of Christ; that religion which flows from heaven-which is derived immediately from the Saviour-which centres in the Redeemer's character and 'work-and which is communicated and enjoyed by the agency of his Spirit. It is identified with everything that is great and ennobling, it is associated with everything that is engaging and lovely. It is inseparable from everything that is holy. It is allied to everything that is benevolent and useful. It is connected with everything that is happy. It embraces all that is essential to our best interests, in every condition of life, and in the prospect of every change of life. If this religion, so clearly unfolded by the Son of God, be understood and enjoyed by us, what, that is really valuable, can we want? if it be not possessed by us, what, that is in the highest degree desirable and important, do we not require? It is "the pearl of great price," to en -a random; if we recur to it, either alone or in company, without any seriousness of spirit, or appropriate sense of its dignity and importance, we commit a great sinwe discover indifference to the most solemn and momentous theme-we clearly indicate the frame of our own minds, unfold, that, with us, there is something radically wrong, and often inflict a positive and cruel injury on others, especially on the young, and the early, but anxious inquirer. rich us for ever. It is the "balm of Gilead;" a celestial cure for every wound -a celestial remedy for every disorder. It is the "well of salvation" opened with the express design to purify and bless. It is "the water of life," intended and calculated to enliven, to fructify, and to render happy, throughout eternity. Nothing that is earthly, however costly and precious, can, for a moment, be compared with the religion of the Bible; indeed, everything else is valueless, and utter vanity, when compared with it. Let, then, the first, the last, the unceasing inquiry be, “Is this religion ours;—ours to have-ours to enjoy?" Do we estimate it aright? Do we appreciate its excellence? Have we felt its power? Are we sensible of its importance? Do we realise its priceless blessings ? Never let us think of comparing anything with religion; should we do so, we are chargeable with ignorance the most profound-sire to be taught and directed aright, with error the most pernicious-with folly the most criminal. THE SACREDNESS OF RELIGION. It is a principle which we should ever bear in mind, that religion requires profound and habitual seriousness. Levity of thought-recklessness of feeling-flippancy of manner, are as much opposed to it, as light is opposed to darkness—as heaven is opposed to hell. We should never enter on the contemplation of any of the hallowed subjects of Christianity without deep seriousness, an earnest de and fervent prayer to God, that all our reflections and inquiries may be conducted under the influence of a becoming temper, and prove permanently beneficial to our souls. The cold and wanton levity of many, when recurring to the sacred and awful subjects of religion, is as ignorant as the mark of a shallow, little mind, as well as of a hard, callous, and depraved heart. The greatest minds-men of the most enlarged views, of the most exalted and carefully disciplined intellect, of the most profound and original investigations-have been accustomed to treat Christianity with deference and solemnity, from a sense of its sacredness and importance. True religion is the most sacred of all subjects. Its holiness is consummate, its importance is at once vast and unspeak-pernicious-as absurd as criminal. It is able; and, in dwelling on it in the closet, or in recurring to it before others, these points must ever be regarded. Religion is to be received, valued, loved, yet it must never be rendered unduly familiar. It must never be deemed a common thing. Its distinctive, divine, pre-eminent sacredness must, under all circumstances, be maintained. True religion may be compared to fruit on the tree, covered with its bloom. The fruit is heedlessly gathered and handled by many, till its native bloom and beauty have disappeared. We should sedulously guard against this spirit. When the subject of religion is introduced, let it ever be with a corresponding feeling of reverence. It is no trifling matter. It is our life—it is our happiness-it is our galvation; and, if we converse on it at Newton and Boyle-Milton and Locke, are splendid examples. When a man feels his weakness-is sensible of his ignorance-is convinced of his depravityis impressed with the holiness, grandeur, and infinite authority of the Divine Being he will always regard, with the utmost sacredness and awe, the communications which are made to him as a sinner, and as an immortal creature, from heaven, THE SPIRITUALITY OF RELIGION. In examining the religion of the Bible, with discrimination and care, nothing strikes the devout mind more powerfully than its spirituality-its purely unearthly character. We see at once that it came from heaven, and that it leads directly to heaven. It is essentially a spiritual system. In its nature-its aspect-its design-its tendency it is altogether unworldly. The doctrines which it unfolds are spiritual doctrines; the mysteries of mercy into which it requires us to "look," are spiritual mysteries; the precepts to which it demands obedience, are spiritual precepts; the consolations which it administers, are spiritual consolations; the rich and varied blessings which it communicates, are spiritual blessings; the promises which it expresses and applies, are, emphatically, spiritual promises. It raises our thoughts and affections from earth to heaven. It carries our anticipations and desires forward from time to eternity. It shows us what ought to be our chief business-our primary aimour supreme and continual solicitude, namely, not to settle down here; not to be absorbed in the consideration of "the things which are seen and temporal," much less to grovel and burrow in the world, like moles which penetrate and abide in the earth. Christianity shows us that our views are to centre in God, who is a pure Spirit, the holiest, as well as the greatest of Beings that our affections are to be fixed immediately on the Saviour, the embodiment of spirituality, as well as the incarnation of love; and that we are to be perpetually aspiring after the dignity, the bliss, the unsullied purity, of "the better country." Thus it is, that the Christian religion, by its celestial origin, and its supreme spirituality, gives an expansion and holiness to the thoughts -an elevation of the loftiest kind to the feelings and surprisingly ennobles the entire character. It unfolds to us the hollowness and sordidness of the world, and teaches us to cry, "Lord, whom have we in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that we desire beside thee." WHAT RELIGION DEMANDS. The religion of the Bible requires, as an essential qualification for its enjoyment, dispassionate and enlightened thought and inquiry. We must come to its investigation without prejudice; without cherishing any undesirable and improper bias. We must regard it as the sublimest and most momentous of all subjects, which it is most desirable and necessary for us to understand. We must view it as the truth of God, which demands our most intelligent, discriminating, and patient investigation. We must cultivate a simple and fervent desire to elicit "the mind of the Spirit,"-to comprehend the requirements of the Saviour-to appreciate the mysteries of the gospel-to enter into the import and surpassing excellence of the discoveries of Divine mercy. In the examination of the Christian religion, nothing will be done to any purpose, without an honest and dispassionate mind, determined to receive the message of heaven with all simplicity, readiness, and sincerity, from a conviction of its vast and utterable importance. This is the Spirit, the only Spirit, which God will sanction, which the Saviour will honour, which will result in a blessing. If, in examining the religion of the New Testament, any are resolved to act under the influence of prejudice, cherishing preconceived, but crude and illdigested opinions, what good can be expected to flow from the investigation? Indeed, there is no fair and honest investigation at all. There is a lofty and an insuperable barrier raised in the way of its reception. Its beauty will not be perceived-its pregnant meaning will not be ascertained-its scope and bearings will not be comprehended-its divine sweetness will not be tasted-its divine power will not be felt. Christianity only unfolds itself to the humble, enlightened, and unbiassed in quirer; the inquirer who cherishes docility of disposition-who has the temper of "the weaned child,"-and who is always anxious to say: "That which I know not, O Lord, teach thou me." "Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law!" Such a spirit, in the investigation of Divine truth, can never be cultivated, without a rich and permanent blessing resulting from its exercise and development. To such an inquirer, the religion of Christ, in all its tenderness, beauty, and sublimity, will invariably be unfolded. THE ENJOYMENT OF RELIGION. to regard for our increased illumination, our scriptural edification, our unceasing growth in grace. These ordinances will not be neglected-they will not be undervalued, much less trifled with. We shall esteem them most highly. We shall prize them as some of God's choicest blessings conferred upon us, and we shall never be so happy as when we are engaged in their celebration. If we enjoy religion in the soul, how are we supported under all the trials of our chequered and shadowy existence below? How are we enabled to meet every difficulty, though most formidable; to brave every assailant, though most violent; to encounter every storm, though, perhaps, most raging; to endure every suffering, though, sometimes, most intense; and to look forward to the closing scene, without being overwhelmed with terror and dismay ;-but, in the swellings of Jordan, to be sustained-in the valley of death, to be tranquillized-and in the immediate anticipation of eternity, and all its awful disclosures, to be composed, and even joyful. These are the advantages-this is the blessedness-of religion. These are some of the treasures with which it crowns and enriches its truly humble, obedient, and persevering followers. It is a blessing at once precious and inestimable, to enjoy religion in the soul; not merely to possess a theoretic acquaintance with it, however extensive; not merely to converse about it, however pleasing may be the conversation indulged; but to enjoy its divine virtue— to realise its divine sweetness-to experience its healing and divine influence-to feel its divine and transforming power. If religion be enjoyed by us, how lovely does the Saviour appear! The characters he sustains—the relations he bears-the work he performs-the compassion and Dear reader, may you enjoy the religrace he displays, are clothed with power-gion of Christ! It will dignify your cha ful and irresistible attractions. If religion be enjoyed by us, how beautiful and captivating does the word of God appear to us;-in the wide range of its doctrines-in the simplicity, adaptation, and fulness of its precepts in the amplitude and tenderness of its invitations in the holiness and sweetness of its promises, we go to it continually as to the richest feast, and we feed on its discoveries with ever augmenting delight. If we enjoy religion in the soul, how precious are the ordinances of the gospel in our estimation! those simple and devout observances-those hallowed and sublime institutions which the Lord has commanded us perpetually racter it will expand and ennoble your mind-it will purify and transform your spirit. It will enlighten, when nothing else can illuminate. It will cheer, when nothing else can console. It will strengthen, when nothing else can invigorate. It will save, when nothing else can deliver. Value and love the religion of the Bible, and you are redeemed-neglect it, trifle with it, despise it, and you are lost and beggared for ever. "O happy souls that know the sound; |