proper business of the hour; that is upon Him, but He will not hear. There not the proper thing that he has to do; is a fearful representation, as if it were that is not the proper thing that he ought possible for a man, in such circumstances to have to do; that is not the proper thing, to be seeking for repentance earnestly and that he should be looking forward to and with tears, and not to find it; crying anticipating to do then. It may be; but piercingly after God, and God taking no it might very justly, and I think would, heed, but gone-gone-because the offer be felt throughout all eternity to be like a was so long rejected. You must be well miracle of mercy that it was. aware, that there are far more frequent There is nothing in the Scriptures to representations of this nature, leaving this support and encourage this mode of feel-impression upon the heart, than any that ing, or this mode of acting; but there is can encourage deliberate procrastination, very much against it. I do not think that and hanging every thing upon what is you can reason fairly from the thief on the to be done and felt at "the eleventh cross. A very extraordinary fact; a most hour." marvellous fate. But you cannot draw a general law from an exception like that. That is certainly not to be the rule to the mass. And yet the mass seem to live and act and feel and purpose, as if it were. You might as well expect to be converted by a miracle from heaven, like St. Paul. You do not draw a general rule from that; you do not take that instance—the manner in which the apostle was converted-to be the thing that you have all to expect. The fact is, that deliberately deferring an attention to your salvation really involves a monstrous and insulting absurdity before God and man. Many of you have thus been deferring, in the form of pur poses The general impression which Scripture would leave upon our hearts, brethren, is, that every one is to feel that "now is the accepted time, now the day of salvation" -at the present moment; and that the business of the present moment is, acceptance of the Gospel and obedience to God. Promises are made to calling upon God early, but there is no promise made to calling upon Him late; He may be called upon with acceptance, but still there is no promise. There are representations of carelessness and negligence and inattention and abuse of mercies hardening the And so, at "the eleventh hour," when heart, searing the conscience, blinding the such men are terror-stricken, they are understanding; representations that when willing to send for any body, to listen to people have been placed in those circum-any body, to hear any body, to purpose stances, in which they have had the privi- any thing. Remember, they cannot ledge, had the offer, had the call, had the really purpose to live differently, because Gospel, and God would have gathered by supposition its being "the eleventh them, the time comes when He departs- hour" is that they feel they are going to He leaves off-and then they may call die; and therefore all that they can feel is, that if they had their life to live over very serious converse with thyself. Take again, they would live very differently,- a review of the year; of its privileges, that if they had in health the mercy and advantages, and providences, and offered to them they would receive it. Now | calls, and mercies, and thy sins. Probe that is altogether another thing, associated thy heart; ascertain its state. Where art with another class of motives and another thou? What is the reigning principle and class of feelings altogether, from any of purpose of thy life? Art thou living to you to-night, for instance, going away God? Hast thou begun the great busifrom this place with a probability of life ness, for which thou hast been born? before you, with the expectation of it, Hast thou begun preparation for death— and casting yourself with bitterness of for eternity? Hast thou begun it?-for sorrow and grief and penitence before that is really to be the work of every day. God, and giving up to Him that life Ask that young man, 'Why dost thou which you really expect and look for; resist that temptation, thou that art now it is a very different thing. And hence, young?' 'I am preparing for death.' with respect to those that die under the 'Why dost thou put away that error?' repentance of "the eleventh hour," what-'I am preparing for death.' Why dost ever may be their expressions, whatever thou strenuously seek to fulfil that duty?' their sorrows, whatever their purposes, it' I am preparing for death.' becomes us always to speak very carefully and in very measured words about them, and to be conscious that our feelings are to be rather repressed than uttered; for no proof has been afforded of their really "bringing forth fruits meet for repentance," but there is this very painful considera- fit me for the act of dying; but now— tion, there is this very painful fact, that now-every day, every hour-I am pregreat numbers of those who have re-paring for death.' covered from "the eleventh hour" (as they deemed it to be), and respecting whom great confidence would have been felt had they died, when they have returned to health have returned to the world, and they have forgotten their feelings, their wishes and their purposes, | to spare us, do not-oh ! do not let us and they have put off and deferred every thing, until "the eleventh hour" has come again, and found them worse than the preceding left them. 'But you are not sick, nor likely to die?' 'No, but when I am, that will not be my business; my business then will be, to bring the principles and feelings that I have, and that I have been cultivating, into that calm tranquil exercise, which will Brethren, let us try to get this one lesson home upon our hearts. Let us close the year with some salutary bours of reflection and prayer, getting this impression upon our minds. And if God spare us a little longer, and if He continue defer every thing to "the eleventh hour," but remember that the proper business of life precedes that. The proper business of life must be done before " the eleventh hour : " "believing in the Gospel, the resignation of ourselves to Christ, and living habitually under the influence of those principles of Divine faith, which shall manifest that "the grace of God teaches us to live soberly, righteous and godly in the present world." Religious Tract Society. HOURS. was she restrained from carrying out her own convictions and purposes, for want of the full concurrence of her husband, or for fear of tacitly reproving his omissions; or from pressing on those in a subordinate station in the household, duties, of which the conduct of its head afforded no example! It is easy to imagine, that although principle in the one party and habit in the other, concurred to establish the practice of family worship and family instruction, those duties were attended to with coldness, formality and irregularity; hence its importance and value were never duly impressed on the minds of a rising family, and the children have grown up with indifference to it, if not with distaste to the observance of its forms. MUCH as we may wish the prevailing taste for what is termed light reading, to give place to literature of a healthier tone and more masculine strength, we are glad to see provision made to suit the world as it is, and "by all means" to win men to the contemplation of spiritual truth. We therefore welcome this beautiful volume, admirably got up, ornamented with a number of first-rate engravings, and filled with interesting little pieces, narrative and didactic, in poetry and in prose, original and selected. It is indeed a delightful companion for the leisure hour, especially when severer reading may pain the mind; and we trust it will attract not a few to receive the lessons, which it adorns with a rich external garniture, but whose worth is greater than can be signified by any passing show. There are some excellent little articles in the volume; we have not space for an entire one, but we will make room for an extract (too often verified) from "The undecided one." "Shortly after the death of Mrs. T—, Edmund and Maria were married. I was led to inquire of the worthy minister, whether the experience of Maria had invalidated the testimony of her excellent mother-in-law; whether she had maintained the loveliness, spirituality, and consistency of her own piety, and whether she had been enabled to dis charge her duties as a Christian wife, mother and mistress, as fully and efficiently as she might have done in connexion, not with an almost, but an altogether Christian. Yes. In "The family continue to attend the saine ministry. Contributions to missionary and other sacred causes are always readily and liberally given. The minister is treated with great respect, and is occasionally a guest at the table. Edmund is a useful committee-man in secular affairs, and his wife is much esteemed by all who know her; but she is evidently a woman of a sorrowful spirit. It was not so once: when young, she was lively, cheerful, and active; but the consolations of God are small with her; and is there not a cause ?' the matter of supreme importance, her husband is undecided, and her children are opposed to her. She wants society to cheer her by the way, and she dreads a final separation at the end; for every day the case is becoming more and more hopeless. Edmund is now fifty years old, and what new motive to decision can be pressed upon him that he has not, at least forty years, been hardening himself to resist ? A miracle of healing mercy was justly considered to be enhanced by the fact, that the man was above forty years old on whom it was shown, Acts iv. 22; and such miracles of spiritual healing are rarely wrought on those who have been all their lives in contact with the appointed means of healing." "The good man shook his head and replied, How shall two walk together unless they are agreed? and in this matter, difference and agreement are not comparative but absolute. An almost Christian is not a Christian, and cannot be a help meet for a Christian. As an affectionate wife, Maria not only earnestly longed to see her husband become a decided character, and used efforts for that purpose, but was ready to cherish the slightest ground of hope that he was so, and perhaps unwisely wished others Religious Tract Society. should think so too. What a tendency We might call this "Every Wife's had this to lower the standard of per- Book." It were well if it were so in sonal and domestc piety! How often fact; none could read it entirely in vain THE WIFE AND MOTHER; or Hints to Married Daughters. By a Mother. pp. 366. From the bridal morning to the night of death, it stands beside the object of its counsels, to point out her duties and warn against besetting errors. She who will read it, will see how she may so com'port herself, as wife or widow, mother of children or mistress of a household, that, as Solomon saith, "her works shall praise her." It is full of golden rules. ANCIENT CHRISTIANITY: No. 7. The Price are clearly traced to the Church System The Number closes with some excellent remarks on Mr. Newman's proposition, that the Articles of the Church of England only coudemn Romish heresies, and not heresies held by the Church of the fourth century, though substantially the same. THE CHRISTIAN OFFERING. Lyrical THIS is really a splendid little volume. Mr. Scott modestly says, that he shall be pleased, if his readers are gratified only with some of the gems of quotations, which he prefixes to his own articles; and gems indeed they are ; butone or two of the engravings ar also of an order, which will make not a few open these pages once and again with pleasure. Jackson and Walford, St. Paul's Church Yard. THIS work, from the pen of the accomplished Isaac Taylor, consists of a minute examination of the opinions and practice of the fathers, in those early ages of the Christian Church, to which men of great name are now referring us "for example of life and instruction of manners. It is a very able production, and must have considerable weight with many of the cultivated and influential minds, at present agitated with the controversy raised by the writings of the Puseyites, or Anglo-Catholics, as they term themselves. It may well be doubted, "The Christian Offering" consists of whether the latter name be not both un- a number of miscellaneous pieces, in seemly and inappropriate; holy Scrip- poetry and prose, altogether of a very ture seems rather to characterise Christ's pleasing and interesting character. Mr. Church (until " the times of restitution") Scott's versification is not unknown now, less as destined to Catholicity, than as a and we apprehend his repute will be "little flock," chosen out of the world, enhanced by the contents of these pages. and protesting against and being ex- There are beautiful thoughts scattered ceptions to the general mass of mankind; up and down among them, and the and they who in this instance assume gleaner may bear away many treasures the appellation, are distinguished by with him. The whole too is, more or their narrowing the fold of Christ, and less, Christian poetry-consecrate to being more exclusive, than catholic. God; which is saying much, when one In the present Number the miracles of the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries are considered: miracles appealed to by the then leading persons in the Church, but wrought in almost every instance in support of such heresies as the ascetic life, the supernatural properties of the eucharistic elements, the invocation of saints and the efficacy of their relics. And it is shown, that these marvels must have been impious frauds, to awe the multitude or satisfy their fanatic craving. We cannot attempt here an analysis of the argument; but we may say that it bears continual traces of a comprehensive mind and sound judgment, and we think these monstrous impieties We thinks of a poet's temptations. THE SOCIAL SYSTEMS OF THE PRESENT DAY, COMPARED WITH CHRISTIANITY. Sherwood aud Co., Paternoster Row. THESE Lectures, reprinted from The Pulpit in a separate form, present us with the mature reflections upon the existing state of society, of a man evidently of a powerful mind, and a thinker far more original and less imitative than we commonly meet in any part of the world of literature. He considers in succession, the view which a Christian must be led by Holy Scripture to take of Puseyism, of Chartism, and of Socialism; in each case, fastening upon the central principle of the system under review, and bringing it "to the law and to the testimony." This examination is ably conducted; and each Lecture is exceedingly interesting, though upon the whole we rather prefer that on Puseyism, coupling with it the further expansion of the same argument in the fifth or supplemental Lecture. Mr. Scott modestly declares his object to be to "set men thinking" on the subjects he discusses; but he has done much more. He has cleared away rubbish from around the great landmarks, by which the thinker is to track his way; he has shown where it is, that the errors he exposes, have branched off from Truth; and he has borne a firm unshrinking testimony for the right of the King of nations to be reoognised as the ruler of the world. The volume deserves the profound attention of all, who would "have understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do." |