صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

cation of knowledge sufficient either to appreciate their value or to comprehend their meaning. "The same cause will, in a great measure, account for the small benefit or advantage which has hitherto been reaped from their new faith, by the converts themselves, whether in the knowledge of duty, or in the conduct of life. Neither the remnant of Portuguese christians in the East, nor the new proselytes to our faith from among the heathens, enjoy any superior reputation for integrity of conduct or respectability of character; nor are they in any respect more trust-worthy in the transaction of ordinary business. The Oriental convert, as we have hitherto seen his ed

ucation conducted, on his admission into the church changes his name only; no additional information is conveyed to his understanding, nor any new motives afforded him for the practice of duty.

"In those circumstances, finding the ties of his former system, whatever they were, completely broken, a laxity of principle is to be apprehended, rather than a more rigid adherence to virtue. From such a conduct, on the part of the missionaries, and from such a plan of instruction, little benefit could be expected: yet the failure of it has occasioned this indolent and unphilosophical conclusion, that no effort of ours can improve the Oriental nations."

REVIEW.

I. Observations on our Lord's conduct as a Divine Instructer: and on the excellence of his moral character. By William Newcome, D. D. Archbishop of Ar magh. Charlestown, Samuel Etheridge, jun. 1810. pp. 516,

8vo.

We do not expect to fulfil all the duties, and therefore lay no claim to the name or the honors of professed reviewers. In this age, when the number of books is so greatly multiplied, there would be great use, no doubt, in a work which should give a full and impartial account of their merits and defects. Those, which are truly valuable, might, in this way, be sooner brought into extensive circulation; and neither the money nor time of readers would be thrown away upon those,

which are useless or bad. Το perform this office well however requires a great deal of real learning, a very sound judgment, and no common share of christian candor. We have SO often seen it done ill; reviews are so frequently made vehicles for disseminating personal and party animosities, prejudices, and jealousies; that we do not think, that we shall often trust ourselves to expose the demerits of those writers, with whose opinions we may not happen to agree. chief object will be, to give an account of the merits of such theological works, as fall in with the general design of the Christian Disciple, and whose circulation therefore we think it useful to attempt to promote. And, We begin with a work of Arch

Our

bishop Newcome, and propose to endeavour to aid those of our readers, who may not have seen it, in forming a judgment of its value. Its great object is, to assist the christian inquirer, in studying the doctrines of our Saviour in their native simplicity, as they fell from his own lipsto bring together the various traits of his character, as they appear in the different incidents of his life, scattered through the narration of the evangelists-to illustrate those evidences of his divine mission to which he himself appealed to discuss the chief difficulties relating to the phraseology and to the subject matter of the gospel history-and, in one word, to make all that is to be found in the gospels familiar to the understandings of every reader. We do not know how we can better convey an idea of the advantage and necessity of the studies, which this book is designed to illustrate, than by an extract from the author's preface:

" A diligent attention to our Lord's discourses and actions has been highly satisfactory and delightful to me. The life of Jesus is a most instructive, a most interesting, and a most important subject. The Deity, when we contemplate his discoveries of himself in the works of creation, cannot be sufficiently admired and adored. But in the gospels we see him, as it were, face to face; we seem to converse with him, as a man with his friend; and we behold his perfections as vividly represented in the person of Jesus Christ, as the limited capacity of human nature admits.

"It is my earnest wish and prayer, that, by a more general cultivation of biblical criticism, the lovers of the scriptures may better understand and more deeply admire them; and that

those, who neglect a due examination of them, or who deny their authority, may be convinced of their importance, and may discover the signatures of truth stampt on them. My ardent love and admiration of these divine writ ings lead me to conclude, that they cannot be seriously and carefully read without pleasure and conviction. Ilament, that they are impiously interdicted to a large body of Christians; that they are so much disregarded, and of course misunderstood, by the bulk of Protestants among ourselves; that many of our clergy, unmindful of the solemn engagement at their ordination, do not devote their time to the study of them; and that, while learning making a rapid progress branches, the religion of Christ is almost every where overwhelmed by human formularies and systems. Christianity can never have its free course among men of improved understandings, and even among rational creatures in general, while gross misrepresentations of it are substituted in the

[ocr errors]

in its various

place of the simple and perfect origin al." pp. vii, viii.

The work is divided into twe parts: and the first into three chapters. The first chapter is devoted to the consideration of the matter of our Lord's instructions; and displays successively all that our Lord teaches of God the Father-of his own nature and office of the Holy Spiritof his own manifestation in the flesh and of the ends for which he died of the life to come and the general condition of the gospel covenant, &c. &c. This is done by collecting under each head every representation, which our Lord gives us, relating to these most interesting topics, with references in the margin to the chapter and verse of the Evangelists, where they are found. The difficult passages, as they occur, are carefully illustrated by a short paraphrase or commentary; and, when necessary, by a full discussion in the text or the notes.

The second chapter is occupied with considering the manner, in which our Lord taught. In this are given examples of the author. ity with which our Lord spake -of the restrictions which he sometimes gave to his preceptsof the reasons which he occasionally gave for them-of the beauties which occur in his discourses -of the occasions out of which his instructions frequently arose, and the familiar objects from which he drew his images, &c. &c. This chapter abounds in interesting and original remarks.

'The third chapter contains the proofs, which our Lord gave of his divine mission, under the heads of his prophecies and his miracles. In the first section of this chapter there will be found, among other things, the most complete and best account, with which we are acquainted, of the fulfilment of the prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, with a minute narrative of the circumstances of the siege and destruction of this celebrated city.

The first chapter of the second part is devoted to the consideration of illustrations, which the example of our Lord has given, of the various virtues and graces of a perfect character. The remarks are arranged under the divisions of his piety, his benevolence, his compassion, his justice, his temperance, his meekness, his humility, &c. No one can attentively meditate on this picture without wonder, delight, and improvement. We shall

gratify our readers with an extract from the concluding section, which contains a recapitulation of his character.

"Never was a character at the same time so commanding and natural, so resplendent and pleasing, so amiable and venerable. There is peculiar contrast in it between an awful greatness, dignity, and majesty, and the most conciliating loveliness, tender. ness, and softness. He now converse with prophets, lawgivers, and angels; and the next instant he meekly endures the dulness of his disciples, and the blasphemies and rage of the multitude. He now calls himself greater than Solomon, one who can command legions of angels, the Giver of life o whomsoever he pleaseth, the Son of God, who shall sit on his glorious throne to judge the world. At other times, we find him embracing young children, not lifting up his voice in the streets, not breaking the breuse ed reed, nor quenching the smoking flax; calling his disciples, not servan's, but friends and brethren, and comforting them with an exuberant and paren. tal affection. Let us pause an instant, and fill our minds with the idea of one who knew all things heavenly and earthly, searched and laid open the in

most recesses of the heart, rectifed every prejudice and demoved every mistake of a moral and religious kind, by a word exercised a sovereignty over all nature, penetrated the hidden events of futurity, gave promises of admission into a happy immortality, had the keys of life and death, claimed an union with the Father; and yet was pious, mild, gentle, humble, affable, social, benevolent, friendly, affection. ate. Such a character is fairer than the morning star. Each separate virtue i made stronger by opposition and contrast; and the union of so many virtues forms a brightness which fitly represents the glory of that God 'who inhabiteth light inaccessible.

"Such a character must have been a real one. There is something so extraordinary, so perfect, and so god. like in it, that it could not have been thus supported throughout by the utmost stretch of human art, much less by men confessedly unlearned and obscure." pp. 484, 485.

The work is concluded by three short chapters on the testimony, which has been borne to our Lord's character by his enemies; on the manner in which the evangelists delineate his character; and proofs in his conduct that he was not an impostor.

We hope that the view of the design and the outline of the contents of this book, which we have thus given, will induce our readers to examine it for themselves. We can hardly name a work, which we think may be more profitably studied. We wish that it may find a place in every family library, and may be considered as part of at least the Sunday reading of every domestic circle. Of course we do not pledge ourselves for the perfect accuracy of every opinion of this or any oth

er uninspired author; though we certainly think there are few writers on similar subjects, who may be read with more confidence in their fairness, learning, judgment, and piety. The reader will find nothing of the bitterness of controversy, and no attempts to strain the plain language of scripture to a conformity to preconceived metaphysical theories. If he study this book in the temper in which it is written, we feel confident, that he will find himself making advanees both in charity and knowledge. The example and teachings of our Saviour can never be contemplated with attention, seriousness, and prayer, without producing a spirit of gentleness and meekness, of devotion and benevolence ; without fitting us for the duties of life, and preparing us for the happiness of eternity.

ANECDOTES.

OF AN ITALIAN BISHOP.

THERE was an Italian Bishop, who had struggled through great difficulties without repining, and who met with much opposition in the discharge of his episcopal function, without ever betraying the least impatience. An intimate friend of his, who highly admired those virtues, which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day asked the prelate, if he could communicate the secret of being always easy. "Yes," replied the old man, "I can teach you my secret, and with great facility; it consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes." His friend beg

ged him to explain himself. "Most willingly," returned the bishop. "In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven, and remember that my principal business is to get there. I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind what a small space I shall occupy, when I come to be interred. I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes are there, who are, in all respects, more unhappy than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed; where all our cares must end; and how very little reason I have to repine or to complain."

OF ONE OF THE UNITED BRETHREN.

In the last war in Germany, a captain of cavalry was ordered out on a foraging party. He put himself at the head of his troop, and marched to the quarter assigned him. It was a solitary valley, in which hardly anything but woods could be seen. In the

midst of it stood a little cottage; on perceiving it, he went up and knocked at the door; out comes an ancient Hernhuter (Moravian) with a beard silvered by age. "Father," says the officer, "shew me a field where I can set my troopers a-foraging." "Presently," replied the Hernhuter. The old man walked before, and conducted them out of the valley. After a quarter of an hour's

march, they found a fine field of barley. "There is the very thing we want," says the captain."Have patience for a few minutes," replies his guide, "you shall be satisfied." They went on, and at the distance of about a quarter of a league farther, they arrived at another field of barley. The troopers immediately dismounted, cut down the grain, trussed it up, and remounted. The officer upon this, says to his conductor" Father, you have given yourself and us unnecessary trouble, the first field was much better than this."" Very true, Sir," replied the good old man, " but it was not mine."

POETRY.

DIVINE LOVE.

FROM POEMS BY THE REV. HENRY MOORE.

My God, thy boundless love I praise;
How bright on high its glories blaze!
How sweetly bloom below!
It streams from thine eternal throne!
Through heaven its joys forever run,
And o'er the earth they flow.

'Tis love that paints the purple morn,
And bids the clouds, in air upborne,
Their genial drops distil;

But in thy gospel see it shine
With grace and glories more divine,
Proclaiming sins forgiven;
There faith, bright cherub, points the
way

To realms of everlasting day,
And opens all her heaven.

Then let the love that makes me blest,
With cheerful praise inspire my breast,
And ardent gratitude;

In every vernal beam it glows,
And breathes in every gale that blows, And all my thoughts and passions tend

And glides in every rill.

To thee, my father and my friend,
My soul's eternal good.

[blocks in formation]

Dart from thine own celestial flame
One vivid beam to warm my frame
With kindred energy;
Mark thine own image on my mind,
And teach me to be good and kind,
And love and bless like thee.

« السابقةمتابعة »