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perseverance, till the last week of his precious time on earth."

The memoir is compiled with considerable taste and feeling, in a strain of genuine piety and elevated devotion, and full of judicious reflections on the more striking incidents noticed in the narrative or correspondence. As a biographical work, it is, perhaps, defective in details with regard to the formation of character and the gradual developement of the mind, especially in youth. Written at the distance of "half the globe" from the subject of it, and compiled by one who was ignorant of the early life and its course of study, as well as prevented from personally witnessing the labours and outward deportment of active manhood, there is necessarily wanting much of that minute but important information which constitutes one of the chief sources of the value of biographical records. But, in every other respect, it is a full and faithful memoir of a most amiable and gifted minister, which we cordially recommend as one of the most interesting works of the kind, that has been given to the religious world these several years. The following summary of the principal incidents in the short career of Mr. Bruen, will gratify our readers, and at the same time prepare those who intend to purchase the volume--and we hope there will be many such for reading it with increased interest.

Mr. Bruen was descended in a direct line from a Puritan family who emigrated to New England in the persecuting reign of Charles I. His parents were wealthy and independent. He was born in April, 1793, educated at Colombia college, was brought under serious impressions in his eighteenth year, resolved therefrom to devote him. self to the Christian ministry, and subsequently studied theology under the celebrated Dr. Mason, of New York. He was licensed in 1816, and in the summer of that year visited Europe, partly for the sake of his health, in company with his distinguished and revered preceptor. They passed some time in Paris, and proceeded as far south as Geneva. In 1817, they came to England, and attended the annual meetings of religious societies, held in London, in the beginning of May. Mr. Bruen then proceeded to Scotland, where he formed the intimacy to which we are indebted for the present work, having visited, by the way, Foster, the Essayist, and the late Robert Hall. While in Edinburgh, he enjoyed the society of the most eminent men in that city, both ministers and philosophers. In the autumn of that year, he returned to Paris, whence he set out on an extended tour through Switzerland, Italy, Tyrol,

parts of Germany and Holland, and returned to London in July, 1818. His letters, during this period are peculiarly interesting; and the memoir is further enriched with extracts from a volume entitled, "Essays, Descriptive and Moral, of scenes in Italy and France, by an American," which he published on his return to New York. We have seldom met with more graphic descriptions, or narratives of more absorbing interest, or more sound and evangelical reflections on the abominations of Romanism in Italy than these "Essays" appear to contain, so far as we can judge from the extracts given in the work before us.

While on the eve of departing from Liverpool, in the autumn of 1818, on his return home, he was induced, at the urgent request of several friends connected with the American Legation in Paris, who were desirous of forming an American congregation in that city, to alter his plans and consent to go thither to assist in organizing and presiding over the infant church. For this purpose he was ordained at London by Dr. Waugh and other evangelical ministers, on the 4th of Nov. 1818. He immediately proceeded to Paris, where he remained several months. But the expectations of himself and his friends not being realized, he returned to America in the following summer, where he continued to preach as opportunities offered, and to engage with ardour in many benevolent enterprises. In the beginning of the year 1821, circumstances led him to revisit England. He spent the first quarter of that year with his friends in Scotland; and, in April, he left Europe for the last time. He again assiduously applied himself to the work of the ministry.Though gifted with eminent talents, and possessed of high acquirements and an ample fortune, he settled at New York in Nov. 1822, first as a city missionary under the Presbytery of New York, for which he declined receiving any compensation; and soon after he engaged in collecting and organizing a new Presbyterian congregation in one of the neglected suburbs of that populous city. In January, 1823, he married the lineal descendant of another of the pilgrim fathers of New England. The following year he became secretary to the Domestic Missionary Society, which office he relinquished in 1825, when he was formally installed by the Presbytery in the charge of the congregation he had raised, designated the Bleecker-street Church. He now became one of the stated pastors of New York-entered ardently into every religious and philantrophic enterprise-his life was one of untiring zeal in the service of his Master-but, alas! it was suddenly cut

short. After an attack of sickness, which did not last above a week, 66 on the 6th of September, 1829, in the 37th year of his age, just as the dawn was ushering in the first day of the week, were his labours and sufferings consummated."

We had marked several passages, both of Mr. Bruen's letters and of the memoir itself, with the view of laying them before our readers, as specimens of the work. But our space, we find, will not permit us. We are, therefore, compelled to take leave of this interesting and highly instructive volume; but we cannot do so without once more cordially recommending it to our readers of every class. EXTRACTS FROM THE DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE LATE MRS. SIMPSON.-Glasgow. P. p. 261.

We have read this very instructive, but unpretending volume, with much pleasure and profit. It contains a sketch of the religious history of one who appears to have been an amiable and intelligent Christian woman, well exercised from her earliest youth in a knowledge of the Bible, and in the school of Christian experience. The worthy list of eminent Scottish female believers may well have enrolled upon it the name of the subject of this memoir.

The narrative is compiled, in a clear and concise manner, partly from her diary and partly from her letters. In it there is much valuable information on-1. The struggles, especially of the young, between a growing sense of ɛinfulness and danger, and an aversion to an entire surrender of the heart and life to God, our Re. deemer. 2. The peace flowing from an unreserved dedication to the Lord. 3. The varying experience of the heart where the " good work" is begun and carried on. 4. The equanimity of the Christian mind under trials and bereavements. 5. The supporting faith, and joy, and hope, of the children of God in afflictions, and in the view of death.

As confirmatory of the character which we have given., to the whole volume, we select from it two specimens. The first from the diary, Oct. 31 :—

"My soul longeth for God, yea, even fainteth for thee, O God the living God! I am weary, I am heartily sick of sin. Those things which the men of the world call pleasure, I am quite tired of. Oh, how this world sinks into nothing in the eye of the soul, when it is made to drink of these living waters which spring up into everlasting life! My soul is full of consolation: I enjoy his great Self, and in Him I possess all things. Oh, happy! happy! happy! I have all in him.-I would not give one hour of this for a whole world." "Oh, what a foretaste of glory is this! Sin never appeared so exceeding sinful, nor the world, with all its delights, so vain as now. Oh, how sweet to be dwelling under the tree of life!

Oh, my soul, wonder and adore. He is mine, and I am his, for ever and ever, Amen. My soul saith Amen!"

The following is from one of her letters:

"Oh, the difference between this life and that which is to come, when a real likeness between the Head and the members shall take place; when these frail bodies of ours, in feeling the power of perfection and immortal vigour, shall join with the sons of the morning, and shout for joy. Oh, eternity! eternity! how desirable art thou! adorned with the unsearchable, uncreated riches of Deity-softened by their near connexion with one nature in the person of the son of God-the glorious everlasting King, Priest, and Prophet, Head of the covenant, Author of all things!"

"How inexpressibly sweet is it, after a seed-time of heavy mourning, to come again with rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us! This is a sweet reward for a mourner's toil, labour, and grief; and the hotter the battle is, the more glorious will be the victory. Hear that voice from the excellent glory saying, 'Him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which grows in the midst of the paradise of God.' Oh, who would not run and strive, fight and wrestle, for such a glorious reward !”

We cordially recommend this book to our readers. In this we follow the example of the Rev. J. Barr, of Port Glasgow, who prefixes to the volume a favourable notice of it, and a high attestation to the worth of Mrs. Simpson.

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EXPLANATORY STATEMENT.

IN The Orthodox Presbyterian for June 1832, it is stated by Dr. Cooke, that two ministers of the Secession church (one of whom is understood to be the Rev. Mr. Coulter) were willing, and more than willing, to en- ter the Synod of Ulster, provided they could have obtained congregations. This has been denied on the part of Mr. Coulter, in the Belfast News-Letter. A disagreeable controversy has hence ensued, and we have been requested, as the mutual friends of both parties, to take the subject of dispute into our consideration, with a view to an amicable arrangement. We have carefully considered the whole matter, and express our opinion upon it in the following statements, which we publish with the consent of Dr. Cooke and Mr. Coulter. :-1. That it appears Dr. Cooke was led to believe, by communications which he had with different persons, that Mr. Coulter was willing to enter the Synod of Ulster, provided a suitable settlement could be provided.

2. That the origin of this opinion appears to have been a correspondence between Mr. Coulter and some members of the Synod, in which Mr. Coulter was advised to join the Synod, but which terminated in his declining to do so.

3. That the impression on Dr. Cooke's mind, of Mr. Coulter being willing to enter the Synod, appears to have been erroneous, and to have been caused by the misunderstanding of mutual friends; and while we believe such an impression was the necessary result of the statements made to Dr. Cooke, we fully acquit the persons who made them of intentional misrepresentation,

4. That Mr. Coulter does not appear to have declined entering the Synod through fear of not obtaining a desirable settlement; but in order to preserve consistency, and lest he might be thought to act from mercenary motives.

R. J. BRYCE, L. L. D.
JAMES MORGAN.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.
London Missionary Society.

THE Rev. Edward Ray, a Missionary from India, has left Ireland, after a tour of more than two months through a part of Ulster. His object was to raise funds for the London Missionary Society, and to foster the spirit of missions in this country; and from what we have seen and heard of his labours, we hope he has not been unsuccessful. He speaks warmly of the kindness with which he was every where received, and leaves the country, impressed with a high sense of the worth and excellence of the Presbyterian ministry. With a very few exceptions, no disappointments took place, either on the part of Mr. Ray, or those whom he visited. He had generally good congregations, and, on the whole, we have reason to think, from his report, that the Missionary spirit is making progress, At present there is scarcely a Minister or Session, in either the Synod of Ulster or the Secession Church, that do not feel it to be their duty to open their pulpit to the deputations of the Missionary Societies. The greatest evil of which we have to complain is, that some of our Ministers do not appear sufficiently to feel the duty of devising measures and carrying them into effect, for the support of the Missionary cause, when left to themselves. They give collections cheerfully when applied to for them, but we would desire to see them stepping forward themselves, unsolicited, to carry on the work in their neighbourhood. No church or congregation is rightly organized or governed that has not its own Missionary committee. Were this general, it would foster the Missionary spirit and raise large Missionary funds, without the visit of any deputation; and when visited by a deputation, their way would be extensively opened, and their labours rendered much more effective. The sum collected by Mr. Ray amounts to about £200; and had he been able to have remained a month longer, arrangements were made, by which he could have raised £100 more. Next year we expect to be favoured with a deputation from the Scottish Missionary Society-an arrangement having been made between the London and the Scottish Societies, by which their deputations are to visit Ireland on the alternate years. Mr. Ray leaves our country with the good wishes and affectionate sympathy of all who met with him, having gained their esteem and love by his diligent labours, faithful discourses, and unassuming deportment. He intends shortly to return to India. The following is a list of the places visited and the collections raised by him. There is added to it an account of the sums transmitted for the Ulster Auxiliary and for the Scottish Society. A few of the places mentioned were not visited by Mr. Ray, but by some of our Ministers in his stead:

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