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resistance closes up another avenue of grace, and every postponement places further off the power of acceptance; and though God changeth not his mercy, we change our capacity of mercy-cooling more and more, hardening more and more, till old age, with its lethargy and fixed habits, steals on apace, and feeble-mindedness, and sickness, which brings with it the routine of sick-bed attendance, but

little or no repentance, no opportunity for new obedience, no space for trying the spirit we are of,-and death to such a penitent becomes a leap in the dark but, as such penitents are rare or never, death to such procrastinators rivets up the closing avenues of grace, and presents him to the judgment-seat, fixed, finished, and incurable!" pp. 545--7.

We now turn to the "New Monthly Magazine," edited, as we are inly Magazine," edited, as we are informed, by the poet CAMPBELL. It will be seen that Mr. Irving's powers are by no means highly appreciated by this critick. He says

"We have read Mr. Irving's book. It was no slight task, but we positively have read it through. It now and then evinces some power; more however in the way of phrase, and in the accumulation of forcible common-places, than in original conception: but on the whole, we regard it as an imprudent publication, and considered with reference to its main object, which has been very pompously announced, the conversion or exposure of the intellectual classes, as an utter failure. The author appears to us to be a man of a capacity a little above mediocrity. He is, we doubt not, thoroughly versed in the theological doctrines of his church; for this is a matter upon which we do not presume to pronounce. His reading among popular English authors seems to have been tolerably extensive. We also give him credit for the most genuine zeal, notwithstanding the unnecessary tone of exaggeration and defiance with which it is accompanied-but here our commendations must cease. His taste is vicious in the extreme. His style is at once coarse and flashy. It is, in truth, the strangest jumble we have ever encountered. There is no single

term by which it can be described. He announces his preference for the models in the days of Milton, but he writes the language of no age. The phraseology of different centuries is often pressed into the service of a single period. We have some quaint turn from the times of Sir Thomas More, puritanical compounds that flourished under Cromwell, followed by a cavalcade of gaudy epithets, bringing down the diction to the day of publication. His affectation of antiquated words is excessive, and quite beneath the dignity of a Christian preacher. Mr. Irving should reand do and doth and hath, upon the collect that wot and wis and ween, latter of which he so delights to ring and do and doth and hath, upon the ters of convention, having nothing in the changes, are all miserable matlife to do with the objects of his ministry. His death-bed scenes are perhaps among the best.

"And another of a more dark and dauntless mood, who hath braved a thousand ror's grisly king-and he will seek his anterrors, will also make a stand against tercient intrepidity, and search for his wonted indifference; and light smiles upon his ghastly visage, and affect levity with fears, and wear smoothness on his outhis palsied tongue, and parry his rising ward heart, while there is nothing but tossing and uproar beneath. He may expire in the terrible struggle-nature may fail under the unnatural contest; then he dies with desperation imprinted on his clay!

"But if he succeed in keeping the first onset down, then mark how a second and a third comes on as he waxeth feebler. Nature no longer enduring so much, strange and incoherent words burst forth, load defiance. This escape perceiving, with now and then a sentence of stern and he will gather up his strength and laugh it off as reverie. And then remark him in his sleep-how his countenance sufferthe deep; and his hands grasp for a hold, eth change, and his breast swelleth like

tremble and mutter, and his breath comes as if his soul were drowning; and his lips in sighs, or stays with long suppression, like the gusts which precede the bursting storm: and his frame shudders, and shakes the couch on which this awful scene of death is transacted. Ah! these are the ebbings and flowings of strong resolve and strong remorse. That might have been a noble man; but he rejected

all, and chose wickedness, in the face of visitings of God, therefore he is now so severely holden of death.

"And reason doth often resign her seat at the latter end of these God-despisers. Then the eye looks forth from its naked socket, ghastly and wild-terror sits enthroned upon the pale brow-he startshe thinks that the fiends of hell are alrea

dy upon him-his disordered brain gives them form and fearful shape-he speaks to them-he craves their mercy. His tender relatives beseech him to be silent, and with words of comfort assuage his terror, and recall him from his paroxysm of remorse. A calm succeeds, until disordered imagination hath recruited strength for a fresh creation of terror; and he dies with a fearful looking-for of judgment, and of fiery indignation to consume him.'

"This is undoubtedly striking; but is it original vigour, or a mere collection of appalling circumstances, which it required little skill to as semble? We have marked in italics the single idea that we did not recognise as common-place.

"We like the following much better. The prevailing sentiment has little novelty, but it is natural and affecting, and is given in better taste. Describing the lukewarmness of modern Christians, and their addiction to worldly enjoyments and pursuits, he proceeds

"They carry on commerce with all lands, the bustle and noise of their traffic fill the whole earth-they go to and fro, and knowledge is increased-but how few in the hasting crowd are hasting after the kingdom of God! Meanwhile death sweepeth on with his chilling blast, freezing up the life of generations, catching their spirits unblessed with any preparation of peace, quenching hope, and bind. ing destiny for evermore. Their graves are dressed, and their tombs are adorned; but their spirits, where are they? How oft hath this city, where I now write these lamentations over a thoughtless age, been filled and emptied of her people, since first she reared her imperial head! How many generations of her revellers have gone to another kind of revelry!-how many generations of her gay courtiers to a royal residence where courtier-arts are not!-how many generations of her toilsome tradesmen to the place of silence, where no gain can follow them! How time hath swept over her, age after age, with its consuming wave, swallowing every Hving thing, and bearing it away unto the

shores of eternity! The sight and thought of all which is my assurance that I have not in the heat of my feelings surpassed the merit of the case. The theme is fitter for an indignant prophet, than an uns inspired sinful man.'

"We cannot forbear extracting if not the excellence of the style. It one more passage for the singularity, is quite in the manner of an ancient Covenanter

"I would try these flush and flashy spirits with their own weapons, and play a little with them at their own gaine. They do but prate about their exploits at fighting, drinking, and death despising. I can tell them of those who fought with savage beasts; yea, of maidens who durst enter as coolly as a modern bully into the ring, to take their chance with infuriated beasts of prey; and I can tell them of those who drank the molten lead as cheer

fully as they do the juice of the grape, and handled the red fire and played with the bickering flames as they do with love's dimples or woman's amorous tresses. And what do they talk of war? Have they forgot Cromwell's iron band, who made their nians, who seven times, with their Chrischivalry to skip? or the Scots Camerotian chief, received the thanks of Marlborough, that first of English captains? or Gustavus of the North, whose camp sung psalms in every tent? It is not so long that they should forget Nelson's Methodists, who were the most trusted of that hero's crew. Poor men! they know nothing who do not know out of their country's history, who it was that set at nought the wilfulness of Henry VIII. and the sharp rage of the virgin Queen, against liberty, and bore the black cruelty of her Popish sister; and presented the petition of rights, and the bill of rights, and the claim of rights. Was it chivalry? was it blind bravery? No: these second-rate qualities may do for a pitched field, or a fenced ring; but, when it comes to death or liberty, death or virtue, death or religion, they wax dubious, generally bend their necks under hardships, or turn their backs for a bait of honour, or a mess of solid and substantial meat. This chivalry and brutal bravery can fight if you feed them well and bribe them well, or set them well on an edge; but in the midst of hunger, and nakedness, and want, and persecution, in the day of a country's direst need, they are cowardly, treacherous, and of no avail-Oh! these topers, these gamesters, these idle revellers, these hardened death-despisers!-they are a nation's disgrace, a nation's downfall.”

FOR THE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

Mr. Editor,-The following short meditation on the close of the year, presents the thoughts of an individual Christian with reference to his own situation and circumstances, but perhaps they may be useful to many individuals. If you think them likely to have such a tendency, I will thank you to give them a place in the Christian Advocate.

MEDITANS.

A CHRISTIAN'S MEDITATION ON THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

Another year has taken its flight; it is past and gone forever; it has borne its report to heaven-and before the tribunal there, I am soon to answer for the manner in which I have spent it. Let me therefore review it carefully-with gratitude for the divine goodness, with penitential sorrow for my sins, with a renewed application to the mercy of God in Christ for pardon, and with full purpose of heart, in reliance on divine grace, to live better in time to come than I have ever lived in the time which is past.

My lively gratitude is surely due to the Most High, for the watchful care of his providence over me and mine, through the past year. He has not suffered death to make breaches on my family; while thousands of families, as worthy as mine, have either been broken up by death, or dismembered in the most distressing and affecting manner. We have, indeed, not been left wholly without correction. We have had some sickness; but it has been comparatively light and short: and in our sickness, while so many in our land and neighbourhood have suffered under the pressure of the most pinching poverty, along with the most painful disease, we have had every comfort, in food and raiment, friends and physicians, house and home. Who hath made me to differ? The God of providence, I know it is; who of his sovereign goodness has been

pleased thus to crown my life with loving kindness and tender mercy. Not unto me, not unto me, O Lord! but to thy name be all the praise. O help me to express my gratitude, not only with my lips, but in my life. Help me to devote, without reserve, the life which thou hast prolonged, and all the means of serving thee which I possess, to thy glory and service. Help me to lead my dear family, whom thou hast mercifully preserved unbroken, to acknowledge thy goodness daily at the family altar: and oh! may thy grace be afforded to them all, to lead them to choose that good part which shall not be taken from them: that when we shall be separated-for I would remember that we must be separated-by death, we may all meet around thy throne above, and there eternally celebrate together, the riches of redeeming love and mercy.

In the year past, the blessings of the gospel, the greatest of all blessings, have been continued to me. I have had free access to God's holy word, which sometimes he has rendered sweet to my taste; yea, "sweeter than honey, and the honeycomb."-In my closet, O my God! thou hast sometimes, I trust, drawn me into near and delightful communion with thyself: the light of thy countenance, which is indeed "the light of life," has been lifted on my soul: I have been able to say, "I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day." Blessed moments! infinitely more to be desired that all the delights of sense. I have indeed had my doubts, and fears, and temptations, and conflicts. But God, "my shepherd," has still preserved me. He has delivered me out of the snare of the fowler; has "restored my soul, and led me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." In my family, and in the publick assemblies of his saints, I have had opportunity to worship God, and to hear the dispensation of the gospel of his grace. I have been

permitted to go to the table of the Lord, there to renew my covenant vows, and to commune with Him and with his dear people, in the affecting symbols of his broken body and shed blood. Precious ordinances! Blessed be the name of the Lord, that I can say, that in the year past I have been fed and refreshed, from the provisions of his house and his table. For these spiritual mercies in Christ Jesus, I would desire to be supremely thankful. "Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me bless his holy name, and forget not all his benefits."

But alas! in the review of the past year, I see much to bewail. I have often been sadly formal and cold in the performance of religious dutiesyea, my mind has sometimes wander ed to worldly objects, and been distracted with vain imaginations, when it ought to have had all its powers engrossed with the sacred and sublime service in which I was engaged. Oh! how humble and thankful ought I to be, when I think of the goodness of God, who has not left me wholly to myself, as the just reward of my folly and imperfection-nay, even my profaneness, in the performance of holy duties. Let me watch, and pray, and strive, against the repetition of this evil. Thanks to God, who has preserved me from outbreaking sins, which would have dishonoured his cause, and sorely wounded my own peace. Alas! I have heard in the year past of many instances of scandalous sins, among the professors of religion-of some instances of the kind among those who occupied conspicuous stations in the church. It is sovereign grace alone that has preserved me. May I keep in mind continually the warning of inspiration-"Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." The Lord grant that I may die before I bring a reproach on his name and cause. But though preserved from flagitious transgressions, alas! how many sins, both of heart and life, do I perceive in the year past. How little spiritual, have I been, in the habitual

state of my mind; how inordinately have my affections been placed on earthly objects; how seldom have they risen to God, and centered on him as my chief good; how imperfect has been the performance of all the duties which I owe both to God and man; how deficient have I been in an edifying example before my family, and in my endeavours to promote the eternal well being of my children and domesticks; how little have I done to promote religion among my friends and neighbours, and to advance the great plans of Christian benevolence which are now in execution; how much less have I done, than I might, to relieve human suffering in all its forms, and to promote human happiness, in the various ways in which it may be advanced; how much of my precious time has been unprofitably spent.-Let me be humbled in the dust, on this review of my innumerable sins and imperfections. Gracious God! I confess before thee that I am an unprofitable servant. I acknowledge my manifold omissions and transgressions. "God be merciful to me a sinner." I fly to the blood of cleansing. O may I be truly "washed, and sanctified, and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of my God." And grant me, heavenly Father, those supplies of thy grace by which I shall be disposed and enabled hereafter, to spend my time better than I have heretofore done more to thy glory, more to the benefit of others, more to my own spiritual improvement and growth in holiness. Help me henceforth to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, and to promote his cause, by a better example than I have ever yet exhibited, and by better exertions than I have ever yet made. And all this I resolve, in an humble reliance on thy all-sufficient and effectual aid. Aided by Thee, it is now my solemn purpose and resolution, to endeavour to spend the coming year to better-purpose than any year of my life hitherto. I would remember that I am a year nearer to my last account; and that in the one

on which I am about to enter, I may be called to render that account to my final Judge, and to receive his award for eternity. Oh! may I live constantly as a candidate for heaven. May my heart and my treasure be there: may my affections and thoughts be much and often there: may I be vigilant and active in performing every duty that is incumbent on me; and do all, as remembering that the night of death cometh in which no man can work. May I live this year as I would if I knew it was the last

of life-doing as much for the glory of God and the good of my fellow men, as if I assuredly knew that I was to pass into eternity at, or before, the close of the year. O Lord most merciful! strengthen me to perform what I purpose. I cast myself on Thee-on thy grace to help me, on thy providence to protect me, on thy care to provide for me: guide me till I die; be my support in death, and the eternal portion of my soul.-Amen.

Heview.

LETTERS ON THE ETERNAL GENERATION OF THE SON OF GOD, BY PROFESSOR STUART-LETTERS ON THE ETERNAL SONSHIP OF CHRIST, BY PROFESSOR MILLER.

(Concluded from p. 514.) The second argument of Dr. M. is founded on the phrase Son of God, used by the New Testament writers, viewed in connexion with the sense in which this phrase was used under the Old Testament economy. In constructing this argument, he quotes a number of passages in the New Testament, to show the exalted sense in which this title was applied to our Saviour. He then observes, that this title was used by our Saviour and others, in a way so familiar, as manifested that its import was well understood; and he proves from a number of learned writers, that it was familiarly used by the Jews, in our Lord's time, in reference to the Messiah, and known by them to designate a divine person; and that their use of it was not, and could not be, grounded either on his miraculous conception, or on his resurrection. From these premises he draws the conclusion, that the phrase in question, is manifestly used by the New Testament writers to designate the divine and eternal Sonship of Jesus Christ.

VOL. I.-Ch. Adv.

In the course of this argument, Dr. M. adverts to the construction put by the Jews on the use of this title by our Lord. They accused him of blasphemy; alleging, that by calling himself the Son of God, he made himself equal with God. This fact Dr. M., justly, we think, considers as evidence that they actually did believe this title imported what they affirmed it did. His opponent however, contends, that their interpretation is to be set down to a malignant opposition to Christ, which impelled them wilfully to misrepresent the meaning of his words. We have not room to cite Dr. M.'s reply; we shall only remark, that if the Jews did not then so understand the signification of this title, it seems hardly possible for a people, who knew that their sacred writers called angels sons of God, and magistrates gods, and that the Most High called Israel his son, and, on the supposition on which we reason, must have known that this very title denoted not a divine but a human person, to have given to it an import so totally at variance with all their former ideas and language about it. Indeed, on this supposition, it seems almost impossible for such a construction to have entered into their minds.

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