journey; for never did he say to one, impelled and animated by these principles, "Seek my face in vain." Shall, then, your holy and heavenly journey cease when you leave the house of God? Will you return to the world as entirely as though you had never taken a step to go to Jesus? This be far from you. When you leave the sanctuary, retire for a little time, to pour out your hearts before him, Bow your knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that he would grant you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. Blessed is the man whom thou, O Lord, choosest, and causest thus to approach unte thee, that he may dwell in thy courts; he shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple. The history affirms that the shepherds came to Bethlehem with haste. Their business admitted no delay. Ours is at least as urgent. This is not a vain thing for us; for it is our life. Let your conduct, then, be consistent with the important matter you have in hand. This great privilege, of approaching Christ in the ordinances of his worship and sacrament, is passing quickly away. Improve it while it is in your power; until you become, through the operation of his converting Spirit, faithful suppliants at his cross, zealous servants of his law, and therefore undoubted heirs of his kingdom. When the shepherds had been at Bethlehem, and had seen the promised Messiab, they returned glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen. You, also, must exchange the services of the sanctuary for the business and demands of secular life; but let it be with that holy joy, that ardent and yet chastised pleasure, which may oblige the world to take know ledge of you that you have been with Jesus. Let no unhallowed and unseemly levity disgrace the solemnities of this day. Say with holy Simeon, Mine eyes have seen thy salvation! Join the song of Zacharias, when, filled with the Holy Ghost, he cried, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! for he hath visited and redeemed his people. He hath given light to them that sit in dark ness and in the shadow of death; he hath guided our feet into the way of peace. Join the gladness of the Prophet: Break forth into joy! for the Lord hath comforted his people: he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Unite your voices with those of the heavenly host, who closed the communication of the angel with that rapturous descant, Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will toward men. I can well conceive, that if the minister ing spirit who brought these tidings to the shepherds of Bethlehem, had been sent to his fallen brethren; if the gates of their prison had rolled back at his approach, and hopes of salvation had entered their hearts, as he cried with a voice of heavenly sweetness, "Unto you is born this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord:"-I can well conceive how the realms of death and darkness would have rung with acclamations and hosannahs-how the astonished inhabitants would have exclaimed-Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord! I can well conceive how every pang would have been forgotten, how every heart would have bounded with transport at the message of mercy.-That salvation, which they shall never know, is this day offered to you. With what feelings will you receive it? With what temper will you welcome its Author? Surely with the devoted gratitude of the Virgin, when the angel addressed her as the future mother of the Redeemer, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savisur.-Pp. 220-223. Napoleon, and other Poems. THE production of argumentative poetry is a very arduous undertaking; and in a majority of instances those who have made the attempt have decidedly failed. A much less degree of labour would have placed their arguments in a clear and conclusive light, if clothed in sober prose: while the dryness of discussion has rendered their versification tame and prosaic. These ideas have been strongly impressed upon our minds while perusing the Napoleon of Mr. Barton. Mr. B. is a member of the respectable Society of Friends; and the object of this poem is to enforce the position they maintain, that ALL war under the Christian dispensation is unlawful. The author allows that the title of Napoleon may suggest anticipations which his performance was never intended to realize; but trusts that his candid readers will accept as his apology, the simple statement of the fact that the death of Napoleon actually gave rise to the reflections contained in the poem. This event is alluded to in the following stanzas, which may form a fair specimen of the whole. What is Napoleon now-admitting all His former talents, enterprise, and power? The time has been, nor distant, when the thrall Of his portentous name made monarchs cower, And tremble in the proudest palace-tower: Fate seem'd his fiat, fortune as his guide; And empire, held by suff'rance, was the dower Which, when he took unto himself a bride, He spar'd an elder throne, with cool, contemptuous pride. What is he now? Fame's trump had blazon'd with her loudest breath The tale; and many a captive, groaning under Ponder'd aright, and weigh'd in truth's just scale; 4 Sermons are useless! homilies must fail! And man be uninstructed still, because He WILL NOT LEARN! May wiser thoughts prevail; And may our better feelings, as we pause To contemplate his course, teach wisdom's holier laws. The history of Napoleon affords a striking instance of the vanity of the world, and the folly of ambition. His life was madness; his end without honour. To demonstrate, however, the absolute unlawfulness of ALL war, some stronger proof is necessary than either the misery it inflicts, or the disappointment of its votaries; and we apprehend such proof cannot The conqueror's yoke, had snapt his chains be found. We agree with Cowper, asunder. as quoted by our author "War is a game, which, were their subjects wise, Kings would not play at." We bow to the Scripture declaration, that wars and fightings proceed from the lusts which are in our members. We firmly believe, that the time will come, when the sword shall be beat into the ploughshare, and the spear into the pruning-hook, and the nations learn war no more. We are convinced that this blessed effect will be produced by the propagation of Christianity; and desiring the present happiness, as well as the final salvation of the whole human race, we therefore deem it our bounden duty to support missionary and Bible and school societies; and we call upon Mr. B. and the Society to which he belongs, to join us in the former as well as in the two latter institutions. In proportion as the Gospel of Christ is preached and embraced, peace will prevail. The universal reception of that Gospel will terminate ALL war; but we do Whykato as sheep for the slaugh not conceive that any other means will be at all effectual to so desirable an end. And we therefore think, that so long as the Society of Friends neglect to form missionary institutions, they are not doing all in their power to terminate those evils against which they so decidedly protest. Until, however, ALL subjects are wise, and until Christianity universally prevails, wars and fightings must be expected. Is resistance, then, in all cases absolutely unlawful? Is a Christian king, or are Christian rulers, to suffer their people to be slain before their eyes without drawing a sword in their defence? Would it be, for instance, the duty of the governor of a Grecian island at this present moment, to allow the dreadful scenes of Scio to be reacted; to see the youths, and the men of riper years, and the hoary-headed old men, slain with the sword-to witness the children carried into slavery, and the tender and delicate females subjected to all the undescribable horrors to which in such circumstances they are exposed, and not at least allow them that one chance of escape which the desperate valour of a few hopeless but determined combatants might afford? We really know nothing in Scripture which can justify such a conclusion. Or if Shunghee and Whykato have changed the gifts which the benevolence of British Christians had bestowed, in order that they might peaceably cultivate their ground, into instruments of destruction, and have gone forth with the determination to slay, and enslave, and devour, and exterminate the inhabitants of another district, might not the chiefs of that district lawfully resist, and may they not powerfully appeal to British benevolence on their part, to furnish them with such weapons as may prevent their being thus marked out and devoted by Shunghee and ter? Had the forty men who had bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul, assaulted his escort on the road to Cesarea, would not those soldiers have been justified in repelling force by force; or is it conceivable that Paul would have attempted to prevent them? Or was Abraham acting improperly when he armed his servants, and proceeded to rescue Let? We conceive that a careful consideration of these and innumerable other instances, will, at least, make most persons pause before they pronounce ALL war absolutely unlawful; a position which, if carried to its full extent, would impeach the justice of executing criminals, or the lawfulness of resisting the assaults of the robber or the assassin. In thus, however, questioning Mr. B.'s position, we are anxious not to be misunderstood. War is a most tremendous evil. It is founded upon, and has a direct tendency to produce infidelity, licentiousness, and every species of crime. The blood which is shed may not be imputed as murder to them that shed it, but the guilt of it must rest somewhere, and few wars are so entered upon and conducted as to leave any of the contending parties free from blood-guiltiness. Our own country at this moment feels, and will probably long feel, its impoverishing effects; and the Christian must deeply lament the debasing and demoralizing consequences of those licentious and violent habits, which have been indulged in its career. O that men were wise, and would consider these things! The length to which our remarks on the principal poem in Mr. B.'s volume have extended, precludes our adverting to the minor poems it contains; and we therefore merely furnish the following as a specimen. *Scott on Exod. xx. 13. THE POOL OF BETHESDA. Around Bethesda's healing wave, Waiting to hear the rustling wing Had often seen the waters stirr'd; The bitter sigh, of hope deferr'd; To him its timely succour brought; Another won the boon he sought ;Until THE SAVIOUR'S love was shown, Which heal'd him by a word alone! Had they who watch'd' and waited there Been conscious who was passing by, With what unceasing, anxious care Would they have sought his pitying eye; And crav'd, with fervency of soul, His power divine to make them whole! But habit and tradition sway'd Their minds to trust to sense alone, They only hop'd the angel's aid; While in their presence stood, unknown, A greater, mightier far than he, With power from every pain to free. Bethesda's pool has lost its power! No angel, by his glad descent, Dispenses that diviner dower Which with its healing waters went : And what that fountain once was found, While their first freshness they retain; Who know how little forms avail; Confirms the impotent's sad tale; Which tell the visitant is nigh; Whose touch alone might health supply; But, weak of faith, infirm of will, Are powerless, helpless, hopeless still! SAVIOUR! thy love is still the same As when that healing word was spoke; Still in thine all-redeeming NAME Dwells POWER to burst the strongest yoke! O! be that power, that love display'd, Help those whom THOU alone caust aid! It only now remains to notice the second work of which we have given the title, namely, a few verses on the death of an unhappy individual, who lately died on the shores of Italy. This poor man, we are told, subscribed himself in an album in Switzerland, an atheist, to which the following visitor annexed the remark, either a fool, or a liar. In the same deliberate spirit of impiety several of his works were written; works scarcely read by a single person beyond his own immediate circle, but which were by this select company of half-witted infidels, extolled in every possible way. One of these gentlemen thought proper to benefit the world with some rhymes on his deceased lucubrations to Mr. B. in a way friend, and forwarded a copy of his that seemed at least to challenge and demand a reply. A reply he has received, and such a one as he ought; and such as it may be well for him patiently to consider. Mr. B. observes, There is a spell by Nature thrown Around the voiceless dead, And guard the dreamless bed Of those, who, whatsoe'er they were, In silence-dark and dread! Had other candidates for fame Repose in silence meet; By me, though thought of with regret, That name had been unmention'd yet. Since, however, his very errors were to be eulogized, It seems a duty to uphold The faith our sires maintain'd of old; and in Christian love to sound once more a brief alarm. If Christians err, yourselves admit Such error harms them not;- No juggling, priestly plot, And hopeless is your lot! A The Character and Happiness of A Sermon on Occasion of the Death THE removal of eminent and distinguished individuals naturally produces a deep impression on the public mind, and affords an opportunity for the communication of salutary and important instruction. But in proportion to the depth of this impression the difficulty of satisfying our expectation is increased, while in some cases, the powers of the teacher are to a certain extent diminished by the very circumstances which require increased exertion. Some minds are stimulated to extraordinary efforts from the consciousness that many eyes are upon them; while the same conviction depresses others far below their usual level. Hence it not unfrequently happens, that the funeral or other public sermons of an eminent preacher are not altogether such as his audience had anticipated, and are in fact somewhat inferior to his general and ordinary addresses. These considerations may well justify the writers of public discourses in claiming, and should dispose both readers and reviewers to concede, an extraordinary degree of allowance; especially when, as in the case of funeral sermons, the general ideas must be such as are frequently called forth by the recurrence of similar events. We live on the borders of the grave. In all large congregations one and another of our hearers is continually removed by the last enemy; and often has the minister occasion to repeat to his people, Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. In these general remarks, however, we confess we have a view rather to ourselves than to the writers of the discourses before us. Of Messrs. Dealtry and Hughes at least it must be said, that they are men equal to any occasion; and though, from the difference in the construction of their minds, the modes of their education, the circles in which they move, and various other considerations, their sermons are of a widely different character, each of them would doubtless produce a deep effect on the congregations to which they were preached, and will be highly approved by their respective admirers. Of Mr. Dealtry's Sermon our readers are already competent to form an opinion, from the copious |