to seek a further acquaintance with it. The following is from the Reflection for Monday, the subject of which is "Benevolence." It will not, we trust, be found deficient in true religious and Christian fervor.

"In all the works of God, how apparent is his fatherly love for his creatures! None of his perfections is more evident; and there is none which it is more my duty to imitate. In this respect I may strive to become perfect, as he is perfect. While on earth, I may promote and encourage the growth of that blessed disposition, the exercise of which will, in all probability, form a part of my happiness in another state of being. It is reasonable to conclude this, as it is evident that those whose whole minds are engrossed by the care of their own happiness, are little fitted for dwelling in the presence of God, who is love itself; of Jesus, who gave himself for us; or of those holy men, who offered their lives to secure the richest and best blessings to mankind. O! surely the spirit of love is the noblest and best which can dwell in the human heart! It is a portion of God's own spirit; it is the mind which was in Christ Jesus!

O! noble example of this glorious virtue, let that mind be in me also! May thy labors, thy sufferings, thy strivings to promote the good of all men, not be lost upon me! May they animate me to follow in thy steps, to press forward towards the goal which thou hast reached, like thee seeking no reward but the favor of my God, and the love which he will hereafter extend to those whose benevolence will no longer be exerted in overcoming or alleviating evil, but in promoting the continually increasing happiness of kindred spirits through all eternity!" pp. 28, 29.

And the Reflection for Friday Morning, on the "Love and reverential obedience due to Jesus Christ," though it may not contain every thing which some bel evers might desire to recognise, will yet be seen to express nothing but the strongest affection, and the most heartfelt veneration, for him who is "the way, the truth, and the life." If we must stand always on the defensive, offering continual apologies, as the Fathers were compelled to do of old, for the Gospel as we have received it, and repelling, with all our soul, the stale charge of infidelity, we will ask certain of our brethren to compare such passages as the succeeding with the writings of infidels; and if, after such a comparison, they persevere in their criminations, we may well hold ourselves excused,

if we believe and assert, that on this subject the force of prejudice and the spirit of system and sect, have dispossessed them not only of charity, but of common discrimination and soundness of mind.

"No one can read with attention the account which the Gospels present of the character of our Saviour, without feeling a high reverence for one who, in a mortal state, exhibited such a perfect example of holiness. But this reverence is very apt to lead men to forget the love they also owe to him, whose every act and word was prompted by the purest benevolence. Do I not find, when I read the New Testament, that while I feel astonishment and awe at the dignity of his character, I do not always bear in mind that my warmest affections ought to be interested in the narrative? In the Son of God, endowed with supernatural power, stilling the storm, subduing the elements to his will, and speaking the awful messages of God, do I remember the son of man, forgiving sins, pitying weaknesses, weeping at the tomb of his friend, and affectionately comforting those who were shortly to lose him? In him who led captivity captive, and broke the bonds of death, do I remember him who bore our griefs, and carried our sorrows, who was smitten for our transgressions, and by whose stripes we are healed? How many motives should prompt me to the indulgence of gratitude and love! For me, as well as for my brethren of mankind, did he lay down his life, that we might obtain the knowledge of his truth, and, by that means, life everlasting. By this benevolent sacrifice of all that he might have enjoyed on earth, I, in common with millions more of my fellow-creatures, have the benefit of direction in difficulty, support under temptation, unfailing comfort in sorrow, a joy which, though I possessed all that the world could afford, would make the world's gifts worthless in comparison, and a hope which in health, or in sickness, in life, or even in death, may enable me to possess my soul in peace, and to rejoice evermore. For his Gentile disciples of all countries, and in all ages, he offered up a benevolent prayer; and surely if they seek, they shall obtain the blessings which he asked for them. If I feel grateful affection for those friends, who, by their care and kindness, have given me the means of improvement, of maintenance, and enjoyment, what love ought I not to feel for him, to whom, next to my Maker, I owe the most valuable of all possessions and privileges! On earth he is no longer seen; but his voice still appeals to me in his gospel, to follow in his steps, to perfect myself by his example, and to fulfill his benevolent intentions, by being worthy of his love!

And shall he speak in vain? Shall the good Shepherd, with the voice of persuasion and gentleness, offer to lead his flock to the green pastures and still waters, and shall the sheep not hear his voice, but go astray and be lost? O no! let me rather yield to his guidance, and joyfully accept his protection : let me love him on earth, and bless his name, and then shall I be admitted to companionship with him in heaven, where he will welcome those who have followed him to that state of glory and happiness. Feeble as my powers may be, I can yet do something to further his gracious designs for the good of mankind. I may be able to cheer, with the light of heavenly truth, the mind darkened by guilt, error, or ignorance: I may be able, while relieving the afflicted, to point their view, in gratitude and confidence, to the Giver of all good: I may lead some to the forgiveness of their sins by repentance: I may be a peacemaker between those whose angry passions had cherished discord: I may excite those who suffer, to patience, those who fear or despond, to cheerful reliance on Him who raiseth up all that be bowed down or at least I may glorify the gospel, by showing its fruits of love, joy, and peace, in my own character. If love, joy, and peace in believing, are the rewards of such conduct on earth, where we dwell in comparative darkness, what must be the bliss reserved for the virtuous in the manifest presence of Him who created all men, and of him who was the méans of leading them to life eternal, and who will reward with his love those who have been fellow-workers with him in promoting the happiness of mankind! Let my fervent love and reverential obedience be ever given to him, whom, not having seen, I love; in whom, though now I see him not, yet believing, I rejoice, with joy unspeakable and full of glory." - pp. 81, 84.

As a strain of new music will often recall to the remembrance some more familiar melody, so there is something in the tone of the above sentences, which puts us in mind of the "Traditions of Palestine," and which induces us to repeat the wish, which we expressed in noticing that work in one of our former numbers, that its author would favor us with some other work after the same model. It was that delightful Christian romance, which first made us acquainted with the name, and gave us augury of the powers, of Harriet Martineau. This circumstance may have affected us with an undue partiality; but whether this be so or not, we cannot but regard the "Traditions," with all its faults, as Miss Martineau's best and most useful work. It is true that she has since written essays addressed to the Catholics, to the

Jews, to the Mahometans. These essays are very good, and contain passages of great power and beauty, and no doubt deserve the prizes which they gained. But we are contented with reading them once; and how many converts have been made by them? Has one Catholic, one Jew, one Mahometan been turned by those essays from the faith of his ancestors? If such an event has taken place, we have not heard of it. It is true, that she has also written a number of tales, intended to elucidate the principles of political economy; and that these tales have established her reputation, and spread it abroad; and that they are executed with eminent ability; and that they show a knowledge of matters of business and abstruse calculation, which would be deemed remarkable in any one, but, according to the present notions of society, are no less than wonderful in a woman. And yet, notwithstanding all this, notwithstanding the praise and perhaps the patronage of such a man as Lord Brougham, notwithstanding the fashion of the day, we have such serious objections against the "Illustrations of Political Economy," that, though we delight to read and are informed and improved by reading them, we cannot help placing the more humble Traditions of Palestine" above them, even on the score of practical utility. To state in a few words some of these objections, we doubt if a majority of those for whose especial benefit the "Illustrations" are designed, are able to understand them. Though the narrative part of them is interesting, there are long discussions in many of them, involving their vital principles, which are so much beyond the comprehension, or so far extended beyond the powers of attention and patience of ordinary readers, that they are either hurried over, or skipped entirely, and the benefit of them is lost. In the second place, we think that Miss Martineau has adopted too unreservedly Malthus's ideas on the subject of population, some of which appear to us not so cold and repulsive as baseless and contradicted by facts. again, we think that Miss Martineau, in her Illustrations, attributes far too much of the immorality and distress of the lower classes in England to poor's-laws and almshouses, the excess of population, and the scarcity of food, and not half enough, indeed nothing, to the licentiousness of the upper classes, to their boundless extravagance, to their appropriation of thousands of rich acres of land to mere purposes of

And

luxury, to the laws of entail and primogeniture, and to the many other mischiefs attending the existence of an aristocracy got up in other times, and not fitted for our own. The "Illustrations" may have some tendency to allay present discontents and prevent partial disturbances; but their influence we hold to be nothing, compared to what it might have been, if they had stated these matters boldly and fairly, and as we expected Miss Martineau would have stated them, Whig as she is, Dissenter as she is, Unitarian as she is. We have no thought that the "Illustrations," after all that has been said of them, and notwithstanding their real merit, will allay, to any considerable extent, the uneasiness of a great mass of her countrymen, at a time when every man is beginning to suspect that he was made of the same clay as his neighbour. This is the substance of the objections which present themselves to us at this moment, and they forbid our yielding that cordial approbation to the series of "Illustrations," which the talent displayed in them seems to demand, and which, on the appearance of the first number, we were well disposed to give. And these are briefly the reasons why we prefer the "Traditions of Palestine," a work which has warmed the hearts and quickened the affections of many, and which will warm and quicken the hearts and affections of many more, giving them a fresh interest in the Gospel history, and inspiring them with increased attachment to the character of their Master.

But we have wandered from the work which was under our notice, and we will return to it by selecting one of the prayers which it contains, and which are of such uniform excellence, that we shall take the first one to which we may open.

"WEDNESDAY EVENING.

"Great and ever blessed God, how glorious is thy name, and hów adorable are thy perfections! I cannot comprehend thy nature; for what mortal creature can know the eternal God? who can find out the Almighty to perfection? Thou hast existed for ever; and of thy being there shall be no end: from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Great as thou art, though heaven is thy throne, though infinite space is thy habitation, thou dost not disdain to protect and sustain the meanest of thy creatures. Though angels that excel in strength are thy servants, though the mighty sun obeyeth thy command, though

VOL. XVI.

N. S. VOL. XI. NO. I.

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