lead you to in the world to come! There, every cloud will be dispelled, every mist dispersed; the veil will be drawn aside; we shall no longer see through a glass darkly; but shall see God face to face. We shall rest from our labours; all tears will be wiped from all faces; and nothing will be heard but thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Then, we shall look back upon the many trials, temptations, and vicissitudes of this life, as the Israelites, when arrived in the earthly Canaan, looked back upon the bondage of Egypt, the terrors of the Wilderness, and the passage of the Red Sea. We shall commune together of those things which have happened. Did not our hearts burn within us, while our great Leader, the Captain of our salvation, talked with us by the way, and opened to us the Scriptures? Did not we then anticipate that which we now actually enjoy? Blessed for ever be God the Father, who hath given us this glorious inheritance! For ever blessed be God the Son, who hath purchased it with his own blood! Blessed through all eternity be God the Holy Ghost, who hath sanctified us, and made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light! To whom, three Persons and one God, be all honour and glory for ever and ever! Amen." Beachcroft, vol. I. pp. 18, 19. Much of vigorous rapidity of thought appears in the following extract from the sermon "The faithful Abraham." 66 upon Pray then, that [the word of God] may be sent with power to your souls; pray that it may awaken, convince, convert, regulate, guide, comfort, satisfy, and preserve your souls unto life etermal: let it be written upon the tablet of your memory, The Lord can provide. He who provided the ram caught in the thicket; he who provided on the same mountain a sacrifice for our sins; he who orders all things according to the counsel of his own will; whose providence is so particular, that not a sparrow falls to the ground without his permission; he can provide for you; he can set the bounds of your habitation; he can provide friends, advisers, counsellors; he can ordain crosses, trials, disappointments; he can bestow comforts, graces, encouragements; he can direct every thing for your eternal good. If Christ Jesus be your's, all the promises are your's; in him they are yea, and in him amen, to the glory of God the Father. Be not then faithless, but believ ing; look to the rock from whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged; trust ye in the Lord Jehovali, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Ibid. pp. 147, 148. We are no friends to too great a conglomeration of scripture expressions; as even diamonds may be too richly studded on a royal robe: though to a mind well acquainted with the best of books we can conceive the temptation involuntarily to display its riches on all occasions. Mr. Beachcroft seems to us, from his long practised habits of this kind, scarcely to know exactly when he is quoting Scripture; which accounts for much irregularity in his use of the artificial distinction of inverted commas. For instance, we have the two following sentences: shall declare his righteousness, for God "He shall come, and the heavens clouds, and every eye shall see him, and is Judge alone.' Lo! he cometh with they also which pierced him." We have no means of judging why the first sentence appears as a quotation, the second not so; more particularly since, on consulting the sacred text itself, we find that, of the two, the latter verse more particularly requires the artificial marks we have mentioned. We think too that we perceive much appearance of haste in many detached passages, whether referring to Scripture or not: such as where in proof of "the sad spirit prevailing in St. Paul's time amongst many even professing the Christian name,” the of his Epistle to the Romans, mapicture drawn in the first chapter nifestly of non-professors, is adduced as 66 too dreadful to dwell upon." In short, we hope we shall not be considered as stepping out of our sphere by generally advising tion, to bring his reasoning powers our author, in any future publicainto fuller exercise, and lay rather a stricter restraint on the fervour of his ardent imagination. We should have been happy to have discovered more of important and regular discussion in his sermons suited to this discussing age, and at least an habitual endeavour strictly to adhere to the particular subject or head he undertakes to consider. A single paragraph not uncommonly with him embraces many subjects. In short, we should recommend the close and attentive study of the most approved models: and this not so much for doctrine, in which he is generally sound and judicious, as for composition. For this, as a study, the sermons of Clarke and Sherlock might be read with the greatest profit, and are, indeed, master pieces in the way of close and logical reasoning: those of the latter have occasionally great eloquence and pathos. To form a proper style of divinity, applicable alike to the city and the village, the palace or the cottage, we should point out Beveridge, with the words of the Roman in our mouth, Nocturna versate manu, versate diurna. Although Mr. Beachcroft" is not aware that he has intentionally borrowed a single idea from any favourite writer;" yet he gives us much reason, even from his own occasional references, as well as the variety of his matter, to infer that he has been unawares indebted to many valuable stores, ancient and modern and fully as we agree with him that "much reading will beget an occasional similarity of thought and expression," we are strongly convinced also, that the above writers, in conjunction, would tend to form a much purer and safer style of pulpit instruction, than even the pious and playful Bishop Hall. Perhaps, however, the unrivalled sweetness and richness of Leighton's page, in his Commentary on St. Peter, might afford a model at once safe and more congenial than any yet mentioned to Mr. Beachcroft's amiable mind. If to the style of Mr. White, who must excuse our late return and less extended attention to his pages, we must attribute less of sensibility and originality than to that chosen by Mr. Beachcroft, we cannot fail to perceive in it marks of a more mature judgment, and of a faithful adherence to what, in our minds, appear the best and purest models. He aims at little that is new in doctrine or in illustration. His plan embraces a judicious mixture of lucid statement, calm discussion, and grave exhortation, clothed uniformly in smooth and unaffected, often in elegant and copious, diction. He frequently rises to the pitch of energy and feeling, if not of a higher or more commanding eloquence. We are not sure that the point of a sentence is not sometimes unduly sacrificed to its roundness, or the fulness of a paragraph to its just and well-poised proportions. But we are quite sure, that the audience of Welbeck Chapel, whether in hearing or reading such admonitions as abound in the three admirable sermons on Christian holiness, will have no excuse for disobedience; and "he that is unholy will be unholy still," under the most powerfub human means of grace, who should obstinately continue such under such acceuts as those of the following appropriate address. "There is yet another class of per sons who need to be reminded of the necessity of holiness, and who have not the excuse either of occupation or ignorance to allege. I mean the gay and fashionable, who spend their time in one unceasing round of vanities, and never pause for a moment to think whether their course of life is pleasing in the sight of God. Yet would they deem it highly uncharitable to deny them the name of Christians, or to com pare them to the heedless insect which flutters round the flame, and cannot be driven away, till at last it is caught by it and consumed. How awful is it to see human beings-beings made for immortality-beings possessing, in many instances, shining qualities and great cultivation, who yet go on from day to day, as if their only concern was to get to the end of life, without perceiving their progress towards it, living as if there were no hereafter; living, as the Apostle expresses it, without God in the world! O that he would graciously enable the voice of truth to penetrate for once into their hearts; that some at least of these careless ones might have their attention arrested, and be persuaded to consider for what they were made and whither they are going! Turn not a deaf ear, I beseech you, to the voice of instruction. Do not let the enemy of your souls persuade you that religion is a foe to cheerfulness, that you will be less happy for making God your friend; that your present hours will be clouded by the certainty of possessing eternal and unchangeable felicity. Neither let him persuade you that you are safe, because you may not be grossly sinful; that amiable tempers and engaging manners can supply the place of sanctity of heart, or that God will be satisfied with any thing less than the consecration of your souls to his service. Let me appeal to your consciences, whether you believe the Scriptures to be the word of God? If you do not believe them, why do you mock him by attending on his ordinances? why do you call yourselves the disciples of his Son? If you do believe them, to what part will you refer for a vindication of your conduct? To what part rather will you refer and not find yourselves condemned? Do you not read, not only that the wicked shall be turned into hell, but also all they that forget God? Is not a woe denounced against those who have the harp and viol, the tabret and pipe, and wine in their feasts, but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hands? Does not our Lord in culcate on his disciples poverty of spirit, sorrow for sin, purity of heart, renunciation of the world? Does he not teach them to aim at being perfect, even as their Father which is in heaven is perfect? Do not his Apostles condemn those who are 'lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God? Do they not say, 'She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth? Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him?" Such undoubtedly is their language: you must therefore take your choice. You must be holy, or you must renounce the name of Christians; at least you must renounce the promises and hopes of Christianity. "But perhaps, whilst I am insisting on the necessity of holiness, some will accuse me of corrupting the Gospel, and teaching men to seek for the blessings of another life by works and not by faith. God forbid that I should be guilty of so gross an error. No; it must always be contended that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law, that our own holiness will not suffice; that our hope must rest altogether on the atonement and righteous. ness of Christ. Still let it be remembered, that, whom God justifies, them he also sanctifies. True faith is known by its fruits. Its constant tendency is to produce holiness of heart and life; and when they do not appear, there is too much reason to conclude that a man has not faith, and therefore that he is not justified." White, pp. 314–317. We had marked for notice and commendation as one of the best in the volume, and exhibiting very considerable clearness of criticism, with much strength and warmth of appeal, a sermon towards the latter end, on the Ruin and Recovery of the Creation, from the text, as Mr. White proposes to read it, "The earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God (for the creation was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who subjected it); in hope that the creation itself also shall be deliver. ed from the bondage of corruption, into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Rom. viii. 19— 21. His delineation, also, in a fol lowing sermon, on Brotherly Love and Unity, of "a community of which all the members were influenced by the principles of true Christianity," we should have been glad to extract, and to compare with a very fine passage in Bishop Butler's Analogy to the same effect. But we must content ourselves with the present mention of them; and, retracing our steps through the volume over many little flowery tracts we had marked for observation, we shall conclude with au extract from a sermon on the Athanasian Creed, containing an important though not novel view of that creed, to which we think it our duty to draw the attention of our readers. Let me, however, persuade you to examine. You will then find, that it is not the reception of the form of words used in this creed; but the belief of the Catholic faith which is represented as necessary to salvation. • Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. Again, it is not the objecting to the mode of expression here employed, but the corruption of the Catholic faith, which is asserted to expose a man to the danger of condemnation. • Which faith (it is said) except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlast ingly.' Then follows a statement of the Catholic faith, concerning the Persons of the Godhead; after which it is added, So that in all things, as is aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.' Now this clause is by no means to be considered as extending to all which preceded, but merely to the assertion, that, in all things the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped."" Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped."" White, p. 180. Though it is sufficiently clear that no space is left us for any concluding observations on what we have endeavoured to make a candid, and we hope not useless, examination of two different styles of pulpit instruction; we may be, perhaps, excused for offering, in conclusion, to our clerical readers one short suggestion founded on the foregoing review,-namely, that we apprehend no very great difference is necessarily called for in the style of ordinary practical instruction, from the mere circumstance of the congregation to whom it is addressed. That "the poor want principles, and the rich want prac tice," though a saying, we believe, of the eminent Secker, yet is one of which we could never fully appreciate the force. Both classes are equally, by nature, averse to the humbling doctrines and self-denying precepts of the Cross of Christ; and whilst, for any thing we can see, the poor are as immoral as the rich, and often much more grossly so, we cannot generally discover in the rich, either from their education or their subsequent study, at all clearer CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 185. views of the doctrines of the Bible and the method of salvation through Christ, than in the poor. It has also been observed with much more justice, according to our opinion, that, "if the poor are more unlearned than the rich, they are not more foolish ;" and we are on the whole much inclined to believe, that, with the exception of a few hard words and learned allusions, which had better always be dispensed with in the pulpit, both the poor and the rich will be found generally and pretty equally benefited by the same sermon; requiring the same statements, interested by the same illustrations (local illustrations excepted), and warned by the same appeals. Perhaps, as a general rule, it might be safely prescribed to preachers to adapt themselves to the lowest, we do not quite say the it to his discretion and good taste to youngest, of their audience; leaving offend neither against the rules of correct speech nor orderly writing. If this were adopted, what would remain to make any vast difference between the congregation of Welbeck Chapel and the villagers of Blunham? And in this case it might be whispered to the instructors of both; on the one side, to venture a little more into the path of easy and familiar scriptural exposition; and, on the other side, to adopt rather a severer canon both of argument and illustration. We should wish neither species of preacher wholly to forego his own peculiar turn of thought and sentiment, and to merge into the other. Both may, with proper discipline, and God's blessing, render eminent services to the Church of Christ; as both may diminish their usefulness by mismanagement. Perhaps neither will feel himself aggrieved, if we conclude by referring them, and our readers in general, to the now long-tried and justly-approved compositions of the able and pious Mr. Cooper, as embracing, in their best exhibition and truest exercise, the leading characteristics of both. 2 U Sermons. By W. N. DARNELL, his Grace the Duke of Northum- That our readers may have an opportunity of judging what are Mr. Darnell's sentiments on some of the most important doctrines of Divine Revelation, we subjoin the following extracts. "They who have not the love of God shed abroad in their hearts,' must be very imperfect judges of the manner in which that love may be matured in another world: they have had no experience of the feelings, from the existence of which they may be enabled to form a rational conjecture, of the infinite improvement of which they are capable, without losing their original character. I do not say, that men of this description cannot reason upon the subject, without such impressions; but that, unless they allow the necessity of the love of God being a strong, operaťing, principle in this life, they can never understand how it may become the business and delight of immortal spirits to praise God eternally. "But it must not be supposed, that the truth of this argument rests entirely upon conjectural reasoning. However Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all |