shall walk in his paths." Such are the declarations of God, and the state of the world around us will be found to illustrate and confirm them. It is those alone who, from day to day, and hour to hour, cast themselves upon the Divine power thus pledged to "work in them to will and to do of his good pleasure," who present us with the few bright spots, the Oases which meet and refresh us in the wilderness of life; who are at once the ornament and the joy of society, that "salt of the earth" which serves to keep it from unmixed and irremediable corruption.'

pp. 49-53. The text of the following discourse is taken from Eph. v. 9.; the plan is similar. The Author inquires, I. what useful or attractive qualities a man may possess by nature; and II. what are the qualities which the Spirit of God alone can impart. He may be an honest man-may be mild and gentle in his temper-may possess great benevolence-may be an ardent lover of his country-may possess much merely formal religion. But it is shewn under the second head, first, that the very qualities which may exist independently of the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of God, will, without it, be defective in their mo⚫tive and character:' and secondly, that some qualities can ⚫ have no existence in the mind except by that saving influence.'

• There exists not, in the soul unvisited by the Holy Spirit, any really spiritual and heavenly affections, any desire to turn to God, the God of holiness and purity-to seek after him who is the Father, the Governor, the Saviour, the Sanctifier, the Judge of the world.... In short, my brethren, all those qualities which may be called by one general name, "spiritual": that is, all the qualities which respect God, the Saviour, the soul, and eternity-all these the Holy Spirit introduces into the heart, and perpetuates there. He is their Author and their Preserver: He sows the seed, and waters it with the dew of his blessing: He lights the flame, and supplies it with perpetual fuel: He lays the foundation, and erects upon it the lofty and stable superstructure." The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, faith, meekness, and temperance." Even the very qualities to which we have before referred, of meekness, and justice, and benevolence, can exist only in a most imperfect form without Him; but of all the higher, purer qualities and graces-those which link us to heaven, which associate us with the Son of God, which constitute our glory in the eyes of the angels of God, which prepare and qualify us for a blessed immortality-the Spirit, and the Spirit alone, is the Living Fountain, the Beginning and the End. And what, my brethren, after all, is man without these qualities? Take some flattered. and favoured possessor of this world's virtues, who is at the same time, without the love of God in his soul. Is not this single blot in his character sufficient to darken all his other pretensions? Compare his case with that of another individual. Suppose a man with a high reputation for justice and kindness; but he has one fault: he neglects, he resists, he disobeys, he hates and outrages a tender Father. Do you call him virtuous now? Does not this vice, like a thick cloud, shade all the bright-

ness of his character in your eyes? Do you not now regard his shew of virtue as a mere mask and mockery-as a whited sepulchre, hiding beneath it bones and rottenness? Surely then you are bound to come to the same decision with regard to the man who, however adorned with the shew of moral virtue, has not in his soul the love of God his Father, and of Christ bis Saviour. I say nothing of the defects of his justice, or kindness, or benevolence, though all these qualities are inevitably of stunted growth in the heart unvisited and unwarmed by the love of God and a Redeemer. But I speak especially of the want of that very love to his Creator and Redeemer. And, suppose him with all the moral qualities of an angel, yet, if he want this, I must contend that he is, as yet, a rebel against his Father's authority, and therefore unworthy of commendation. Tell us not of his "justice:" is he just to God? Tell us not of his "meekness:" does he acknowledge and feel the long-suffering and tenderness of the Redeemer? Tell us hot of his love :" does he love the Saviour who loved him, and bought him with his own most precious blood? Does he act, even when his actions are the purest, from a right motive, on a right principle, with a right object? Is he not "living without God" in a world where all is the work of God, all the property of God; where all was lighted up by one touch of his hand, and will be extinguished by another? Is he not paying back the love of Christ with indifference, his graces with neglect, and, by daily acts of sin and worldliness, "crucifying the Son of God afresh?" My Christian brethren, the day is rapidly approaching when the pretensions of all are to be determined. Then we know that all the impenitent and unconverted shall "mourn apart." But, perhaps, amidst that miserable company, there will not be a more miserable creature than he who has been substituting names for things, worldly virtues for spiritual graces, scanty and irregular kindnesses to men for deep devotion, and faith, and love to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and who, buoyed up for a time by his self-conceit, or the flattery of others, sinks at length into the awful gulf prepared for all that "love not the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity."' pp. 69–71.

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We had marked several other passages for quotation, which our limits will not admit of our inserting. There is a beautiful sermon, entitled, "Looking unto Jesus" it has the rare merit of adhering to the scope of the passage, which is to furnish an antidote to weariness in religion. The preceding sermon on Besetting Sins," is of excellent practical tendency, and is an allowable accommodation of the passage, although the inspired Writer had probably reference to a specific sin. Non ⚫ loquitur autem de externis vel actualibus (ut vocant) peccatis, ⚫ sed de ipso fonte; hoc est concupiscentia, quæ ita omnes nostri partes occupat, ut undique sentiamus nos teneri ejus. laqueis. Such is the comment of Calvin, in which the most. judicious expositors have concurred. "The Christian a Son," (Ser. 19.) is an admirable sermon, perhaps one of the best; but it will not admit of detached extracts; and we prefer to select

our concluding specimen from the next sermon, on account of the excellent spirit which it breathes. The text is, Heb. xii. 14. "Follow peace with all men." In shewing, in the second place, to what extent we are to pursue it,' the Preacher remarks with great propriety, that, first, we are to "follow peace" with all nations; and he reprobates the unchristian spirit of national hostility, which often disguises itself under the name of patriotism. He then proceeds.

But, secondly, you must follow peace with men of all opinions.Let me not be thought, my Christian brethren, in thus saying, to have any intention of confounding the everlasting distinctions of right and wrong; of maintaining the latitudinarian notion, that a man's sentiments matter nothing, if only he act fairly and consistently up to them. I know that he who believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and that he who believeth not shall be damned ;" and, therefore, that it behooves every man to look well to the course he is steering, and not madly to rush on without the chart and compass of holy Scripture. But, at the same time, is it impossible there should be peace even among those who differ largely in opinion? Is our charity to fall a necessary sacrifice to the theological errors of others? Are we to sin in practice, because they err in judgement? Let the following circumstances also be taken into consideration; that, although the records of eternal truth as far as the grand fundamentals of religion are concerned,-for example, the being of a God, the Divinity and Atonement of Christ, the sacred influence of the Holy Spirit, the fall of man by his own misconduct, his justification by faith in Christ, his conversion by the Holy Ghost, the absolute necessity of good works and amiable tempers,-leave no room for rational doubt or disputation; yet that, as to many lesser points, they are less clear and decisive. And if this be true, then may it be added, that in such circumstances, circumstances nevertheless essential to the free agency of man, it is impossible to expect absolute unity of opinion. Men will infallibly reason as to such points, according to their previous habits, prejudices, and partialities; and we can no more hope to bring them all to one opinion, than to reduce them to one complexion, or, with the tyrant of old, to fit them to one couch. But, my brethren, as it has been often said, "if you cannot reconcile all opinions, you may endeavour to unite all hearts." You may discover the errors of your brother without hating him. You may walk with him as far as he walks in the right path, and at that point quit him with kindness and affection. You may, instead of raking up every topic of disagreement, produce to him, after the example of our Redeemer, those common truths on which you are agreed, and try if, from these just premises, you cannot lead him to juster conclusions. You may, instead of frightening him from all religion by the severity which you associate with it, endeavour to win his homage to right principles by surrounding them with the lustre of a kind temper. But, thirdly, you must "follow peace with men" of all classes and characters.

I need not commend to the affection of their fellow-Christians, the

real disciples of Christ. Mere peace with such individuals, will by no means satisfy you; because your hearts will crave a deeper and more intimate union with them. Of all friendships, I am persuaded that none is so strong as that cemented by the common love of a crucified Redeemer. There indeed is that thorough oneness of heart; that deep and lively sympathy; that intimate mingling of mind with mind; that quick sensibility to each other's honour, interest, and happiness; that tenderness to each other's faults; that homage to each other's excellencies; that mutual sacrifice of self, which the imagination of poets and orators have fancied in worldly friendships, but which never existed except in bosoms softened and sanctified by the influences of the Holy Spirit. With such persons you, if real Christians, will delight "to take sweet' counsel," to "go up to the house of God as friends," to listen to their history of the mercies and tenderness of that Saviour who is the " very joy of your own hearts."

But the text calls you to a more difficult duty; the "following peace" with those who do not love God. You are to "follow it with all men." And therefore, my Christian brethren, the vilest sinner and the bitterest enemy are not to be excluded from the sphere of your tenderness" bless them that curse you ;"" pray for them which despitefully use you;" ;""if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink." Consider, again and again, the various circumstances which ought to dispose you to peace with such individuals. Perhaps you mistake them. Perhaps their irreligion is the consequence of disadvantages in connection, or station, or education; and it is therefore more a subject of pity than of anger. Perhaps your own Christian kindness to them is the very instrument by which God designs to draw them to himself. Perhaps your own prayers are appointed to bring down His pardon and grace upon their guilty heads. Perhaps their case is far from desperate; and, even now, the Saviour of the world is, as it were, gone to search for them in the "tombs," to rescue them from the grasp of their lusts and passions, and bring them to sit at his own feet. Or, should none of these mitigating circumstances enter into the case of particular individuals, what, let me ask, is there in the condition of a poor perishing sinner to excite any thing but compassion and grief in the soul of a servant of God? Suppose even,-which, however, you have no right to suppose,-that his everlasting destiny is decided, and that he is a criminal hurrying onward to execution; is it on a person in such awful circumstances you would empty the vials of your indignation? Pity the unconverted sinner; pray for him; weep for him; but do not be angry with him. Persuade him to peace with God; and do not aggravate the horrors of his situation by inflicting on him the additional penalties of your own unkindness,' pp. 364-68.

The concluding paragraphs of this sermon are not less striking; but we must not indulge in further quotations. The copious extracts we have given, are more than sufficient to recommend the publication to the attention of our readers, as one of the best volumes of sermons which have of late issued from

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the press. Their very moderate length will render them ticularly acceptable to families, while their plainness, seriousness, and practical character adapt them to general usefulness. They appear to want only one thing, the charm they must have derived from the Author's delivery.

Art. V. Reminiscences of Charles Butler, Esq. of Lincoln's Inn. 8vo. pp. xii, 326. Price 8s. 6d. London. 1822.

MR.

R. Butler's name stands deservedly high as a literary veteran, who has contrived, amid the professional engagements incident to an extensive practice as a conveyancer, to give the public ample proofs of his scholarship, his various information, his taste, and his industry. In these Reminiscences,' he assumes the privilege of a sexagenarian, to talk of himself, and his works, and the acquaintance of his early days, and to give, not only his recollections, but his opinions on a multi-' farious variety of topics-law, politics, oratory, music, poetry, and confessions of faith. These opinions are sometimes given in the tone of a person accustomed to expound the law, and to look for deference; but there is nothing offensive in a self-importance so free from spleen, while in the very garrulity of a man who has read so much, and mixed so much with the world, there will always be that which is worth listening to. From some of Mr. Butler's responses, we shall make free to dissent, but in few of his remarks do we find matter for censure. We shall, therefore, lay aside altogether the critic, and merely give our readers a few specimens of the amusing contents of the volume ;the farewell production, as it should seem, of one who can say with Dr. Johnson, that he has lived until most of those whom ⚫ he could have wished to please, have sunk into oblivion;' of one too, who, in expressing his hope that his pages will have the approbation of the good, the informed, and the candid, owns, that their censure will afflict him, and that their praise will prove to him a source of high and abundant gratification.'

The work contains a fund of valuable bibliographical information, but this, though the most useful, is not the most entertaining feature of it. The historical anecdotes and recollections form the most interesting portion. The sketch of the character of Lord Mansfield has appeared in Seward's Anecdotes, but is with great propriety reprinted in this volume: it will be amusing to compare the Lord Mansfield of Mr. Butler, with the Lord Mansfield of Junius.

For some time after his call to the bar, he was without any practice. A speech which he made as counsel at the bar of the house of Lords, first brought him into notice. Upon this, business poured in