sorriest emotions of his heart, Elijah may be supposed to have paced, with pensive step, the dreary grot or cave, that seemed, by its vicinity to the Cherith, to agree with the tenour of his instructions, at the same time that its interior intricacies rendered it a place of ready concealment from the pursuit of his adversaries. There, as from the defile of his rugged dwelling, he surveyed, on every hand, the dark and arid landscape, which presented neither grain nor fruits for his subsistence, and then turned his eye toward the little stream, whose impetuous rush was welcomed as an enlivening break to the stillness, almost like that of death, by which he was surrounded, his spirit would be ready to sink within him, and the ejaculations of his tongue would be in unison with the cry, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul!' "Not that this favoured servant of God was sent into such a dismal waste, without any providential care for his sustenance. He went forth confiding in the power, love, and faithfulness of Him who had said, 'And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.' This was a promise, singular in its nature, and not less adapted to the circumstances to which alone it applies :-a promise, the fulfiment of which involved-not an absolute miracle, but a very peculiar manifestation of Divine agency exerted in bringing the machinery of natural causes into special operation in an extraordinary manner, at an appointed time and place, and for a purpose unquestionably worthy of the intervention of a positive miracle, if the employment of secondary causation had not been fully adequate to the exigency of the case. "Let it not offend those who are tenacious of the genuineness and glory of Scripture miracles, and commendably alive to the evil of philosophizing and refining away the essential properties of any, even the least, of such attestations to Divine truth -we say, let it not give the shadow of offence to such minds, that we do not regard the remarkable fact in question to be of a strictly miraculous character. Not for a moment would we crouch before the atheistic spirit of the age, nor allow our reasonings to flow into a mould of Neologian size and fabrication. The view which we entertain of this matter, so far from symbolizing with false philosophy, or the pride of reason, has a tendency to enlarge our conceptions of the diversities of Divine operation, and the boundless resources which the field of nature alone presents for the accomplishment of His purposes, who 'worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.' In an instance of miraculous interposition, the Almighty appears to step forth in glorious majesty, his train filling the temple, and leaving a trace of ineffable brightness along that path which no human footstep ever trod : in the other case, the Deity is less visible, but not less 'excellent in working;' for it is His finger that touches the secret springs of nature, providence, and grace, so as to produce those marvellous effects, which, though they cannot, according to our conventional modes of defining ideas, be properly termed miraculous, are just as much entitled to the admiring and devout attention of every intelligent creature. "It is expressly stated, 'And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook.' Now, if we consider the voraciousness of this bird, it may at first view appear contrary to its nature to procure food, and then to be so careless of it as to leave any portion to be lost by accident, or to become the prey of other birds, or animals of a larger growth. But, upon strict investigation, it will be found that, in this respect, the ravens acted according to their peculiar instinct; and that the marvel consisted only in the direction of that instinct as it regards time, place, and the quantity of provision thus supplied. For students of ornithology are aware, that it is a property of the raven to glut itself when opportunity affords; then, to hide the remainder of its food while retiring to digest; and afterwards, to return to the spot where its superfluous store was temporarily, deposited. Hence it is not difficult to conceive the manner, in which these feathered purveyors were instrumental in feeding Elijah. Winging their way across the Jordan to the fruitful fields of Naphtali, some brought thence the flesh of lambs and poultry-their favourite food-and others, portions of bread, the remnants of a luxurious table, or morsels too prodigally scattered for the nourishment of the domestic fowl reared on some rich and extensive domain. "It must be needless for us to attempt a formal refutation of the opinions entertained by those commentators, who, in order to avoid some seeming difficulties connected with the fact, as it stands in our present rendering of the passage, have suggested, that Elijah was fed by Arabian merchants, or by Orebim, inhabitants of a town called Oreb or Orba; for it is, to say the least, highly improbable that any such companies of travellers or residents were found in the vicinity of his retreat indeed, had that been the case, it is very questionable whether the oath required of every nation, and the reward doubtless annexed to the discovery of the prophet, would not have induced a disclosure of his place of concealment. The raven is a bird that delights in solitude. He who made all things, animate and inanimate, can, if he please, employ the inferior creatures to accomplish his gracious purposes; and this order of instrumentality is obviously accordant with the peculiarities of the case to which it appertains."-p. 49 to 55. The reflections of the author, as he proceeds with his narrative, are as far removed from coldness and formality, as they are from enthusiasm and fanaticism. The work is the production of a christian of strong mind and cultivated understanding. We cordially recommend it to the perusal of our readers. NEXT to that of Political Economy, we scarcely know a greater whirlpool to the minds of our senators than is the subject of our Poor Laws. His Majesty's present ministers seem fully impressed with the necessity of taking some steps to ameliorate the condition of our starving population, and checking the rapid increase of the poor rates; but the difficulty is to know how this shall best be done. A commission has been instituted, and committed to the hands of seven persons, of whom the Bishops of London and Chester, with Mr. Sturges Bourne, are three, having for its object to collect information by the best possible means, and transmit the result to Lord Melbourne, the Home Secretary. The volume before us comprises their first report; and, in submitting it, they say, "that though it be only a small portion of the evidence which they are preparing to report to his Majesty, it contains more information on the subject to which it relates than has ever yet been afforded to the country. The most important, and certainly the most painful parts of its contents are, the proof that the mal-administration, which was supposed to be confined to some of the agricultural districts, appears to have spread over almost every part of the country, and into the manufacturing towns; the proof that actual intimidation, directed against those who are, or are supposed to be unfavourable to profuse relief, is one of the most extensive sources of mal-administration; and the proof that the evil, though checked in some places by extraordinary energy and talents, is, on the whole, steadily and rapidly progressive. This is truly appalling. It is not to be expected that we should be able to give any analysis of the contents of a closely printed volume of four hundred pages; a considerable part of which consists of tables of figures, comprising parish accounts of receipts and disbursements, signed by the church-ward. ens and overseers, the number and names of paupers, &c. &c. There are readers of our magazine, however, to whom many of these details must be interesting, and who are much more competent to suggest hints to the commissioners that may be serviceable, and to them we transfer the task. There is an old proverb which says, that "to know the disease is half the cure.' That much evil attaches to the poor laws of this country, either in essence, or the mode of administration, is a point in which all are agreed. From a long residence in the large commercial town of Liverpool, comprising a population of 165,175 souls, it is gratifying to us to perceive, that, by prudent management, a diminution of expenditure has taken place, equivalent to £27,000 per annum. Would that this was the case universally! REVIEW.-Missionary Records, North America. pp. 430. 18mo. Religious Tract Society. London. It is truly strange that the cause of missions should ever have had an opponent; it is not less so, that Christians who have themselves "tasted that the Lord is gracious," should need any stimulus to exert themselves in so glorious an enterprise. We regret that it should be so, yet both of these facts are indisputable. When we reflect upon the dignity of the object, which is nothing less than the glory of God, and the happiness of our fellowmortals; when we think of the high moral and intellectual powers which are to be called forth in its execution; and add to those, the simplicity, benevolence, and efficacy of the means by which all this is to be achieved, we may surely ask, does not every enterprise to which man ever put forth his strength, dwindle into insignificance before that of preaching Christ crucified to a lost and perishing world? It is to the honour of the age in which we live, that more has been done to forward this good cause than in any previous age of the world. But alas! how little is this in comparison of what remains yet to be done! When we look to Africa, to Asia, to the vast continent lying beyond the Atlantic, we must be convinced that this is not the time for the friends of missions to relax in their exertions. The little volume before us exhibits a compendious account of what has been doing in one quarter, namely, North America. It is divided into twelve chapters, and pursues the subject in chronological order, commencing with the emigration of our puritan forefathers, who for conscience sake quitted the land of their nativity about the year 1620, and settled as a colony in New England. This paved the way for the labours of Eliot and his successors, among the Indian tribes. He was an extraordinary man, qualified beyond almost any other for the business of a missionary; and Dr. Dwight has drawn his character in glowing terms. He died in 1699, at the age of 86, leaving behind him the wellearned title of "the apostle of the Indians." To him succeeded several individuals of the name of Mayhew, who carried on the good work with success; some before and others after the death of Eliot. Then followed Bourne, Cotton, Sergeant, and Woodbridge, till the great Head of the church raised up David Brainerd, whose praise is in all the churches. Of Mr. Samuel Kirkland less is known; and the short sketch of his life and labours during a period of more than forty years will be perused with interest. The seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters are occupied with glancing at the Moravian missions among the Indian tribes of savages, where many of the details are very affecting. Referring to the work itself for particulars, we may be allowed to remark, that the narrative will be found to justify what Mr. Douglas has said in his "Hints on Missions," that "the missions to the American Indians, which have afforded the best examples of missionaries, have afforded the worst examples of success.' The tenth and two following chapters are occupied with an account of missions of a more recent date, particularly those of the American board, where our readers will meet with much to interest and please them. Upon the whole, it is cheering to contemplate the present aspect of the missionary cause in that quarter; and we earnestly recommend this little pocket volume to our friends as well calculated to further the cause of benevolence and chris tian charity. REVIEW. Scripture Melodies, for Sunday Evenings. Poetry by the Rev. Rich. Cattermole and Charles Mackay. Music by Henry Russell. Fisher, Son, and Co. London. 1833. WE have perused the above delightful work with the utmost gratification, and most unhesitatingly give it our cordial recommendation to the public, as worthy of holding a distinguished place in the libraries of all those who are charmed with the sister muses of Music and Poetry, and who delight to see them conjointly employed in the service of Religion. The composer is, we understand, a young man, and we congratulate him on the talent he has so successfully displayed in these melodies. The piece entitled "Saul" strikes us as the happiest of his efforts, and our musical readers will doubtless remark the beautiful modulation from B flat major to F sharp major in this piece; and that from C minor to E flat major in the splendid subject "God said, "Let there be light!"" The hymn "for the dead" is one of melancholy and tender beauty; and there are others which, for their poetical and musical excellence, all possess strong claims upon our attention. We will let the poetry speak for itself by extracting the following hymn by Mr. Mackay : : "Oh! why should we bewail the deadWhy sorrow o'er their narrow bed? Have they not sought the happy shore, Where human cares oppress no more? Bewail them not! more blest than we, From mortal woes and anguish free; Their parted spirits rest in peace In the still land where troubles cease! "Bewail them not! their bright abode Is with a Father and a God! Freed from corruption's cold embrace They see the Almighty face to face! Then weep not for the quiet dead, Nor sorrow o'er their narrow bed! In the still land where troubles cease, Their parted spirits rest in peace!" its contents, to be a valuable addition to the theological library. It will doubtless be of great assistance to ministers, and Christians in general, in studying the word of God. The following extracts will enable our readers to judge of the nature of the work :— "INCONSTANCY. Winnow not with every wind, and go not into every way; for so doth the sinner that hath a double tongue.-Ecclus. v. 9. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.-Gen. xlix. 4. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.-James i. 8." "MEDIATOR. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.-1 Tim. ii. 5, 6. Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant.-Heb. xii. 24. He hath poured out his soul unto death; and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sins of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.-Isa. liii. 12. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.-Rom. viii. 34." REVIEW.-Sunday in London, Illustrated in Fourteen Cuts, by George Cruikshank, and'a few Words by a Friend of His; with a Copy of Sir A. Agnew's Bill. Post 8vo. pp. 105. Wilson, London. 1833. THE abominations practised by all classes, in London especially, on the Sabbath, have long been lamented and deprecated by Christians of every denomination. Trades of all descriptions are openly and shamelessly carried on, to the annoyance of passengers, and the injury of those who are more conscientious than to follow the ex ampie. The commands of God are despised, the laws of men are disregarded, and the necessary repose of the body is forgotten, by those who are thus zealously engaged in sacrificing to mammon. The evils connected with Sunday trading are neither few nor of small importance, and we are glad to see any attempt to expose them, in whatsoever shape it may be made. But the desecration of the Sabbath does not consist in mere trading; nor is it the act of the lower orders alone. The rich and the great, to whom the other classes of society look up for example, contribute no small share to the violation and abuse of that day. Their grand dinners, their music parties, their conversaziones, their cards, proclaim to the world how utterly regard. less they are of the duties of a day which we are commanded to keep holy. When such pollutions exist at the source, if we may so speak, of the manners of society, it is not to be wondered at if the stream be corrupt, and the lower orders plunge headlong into vices as enormous, and practices as impious. On this ground, the volume before us takes its stand, and, beginning with the "higher orders," exposes the abuses of the Sabbath from the "grand cabinet dinners" down to the orgies of the "gin temples." It is a complete caricature, but, nevertheless, contains a great deal of truth, and many useful hints. There is too much vulgarity and slang in the language, to suit our taste; and there are expressions bordering on the profane, which, in such a book, are especially out of place. It abounds with keen and biting satire on “the higher orders, the legislature, and the common council of London, which perhaps may produce an effect in certain quarters, where sober and serious discussion would be scouted as religious cant and hypocrisy. The extracts from the evidence before the Parliamentary Committee, and from the Report, are full of the most important information. We sincerely hope that the disgusting scenes depicted in this volume may be speedily abolished by the firm and prudent hand of the law. REVIEW. Supplications suggested by each Chapter in the Gospels; designed solely to Promote Domestic Piety in Families. By the Rev. George Rose, B. A. Post 8vo. pp. 294. Glasgow. Collins. 1832. For those who have not the power to make extemporaneous prayers at the domestic altar, there is no palliation or excuse in the neglect of their duty. So numerous are the manuals for family devotion, and many of them so unexceptionable in their character, that the head of a family who neglects the calling together of his household for worship, lays himself open to the imprecation of the psalmist, when he prays, 'Pour out thy fury, O Lord, on the families that call not on thy name.' This volume adds another to the number of those excellent works; but it is new in its design. The author takes up the four Gospels, and forms a prayer on the subjects of each chapter as he proceeds, with a view of rendering the reading of these portions of the Bible more impressive and beneficial. We like the plan, and recommend the work to those whose diffidence or incapacity prevents them from offering up prayers extempore at family worship. The language is plain and simple, as that of prayer should always be. The sentiments evince a humility of soul, and an entire dependence on the merits of Christ; and we have no doubt that the book will prove useful to those who employ it in a proper spirit. The Wesleyan Chiefs; and other Poems, by Thomas Cooper, (Hamilton, London,) is sent out into the world, as the author assures us, from necessity, (we suppose pecuniary,) which, we think, is the only reason that can be found for its pub lication. The "Wesleyan Chiefs" is an unskilful attempt to besmear some of the popular Methodist preachers with adulation. This is a fair specimen : "Next in advance let Robert Newton come; "Yet leave we Crowther, Lomas, Calder, France, ations; and, as I am not aware where a letter, calling upon the author for a public retractation of his statement, as far as I am individually concerned, would reach him, I think you must see the necessity of publishing, in your next number, the following ing remarks, in contradiction to that state ment. It is stated that Professor Keil was introduced at a recent meeting of the Royal Society, "for the purpose of presenting to the notice of the fellows of that learned body, some of his superior magnets, and for explaining some novel and most important results, arising from their application to the cure of disease." As I introduced Professor Keil at the meeting, I can state, that such were not the objects of my introduction. Professor Keil called upon me, in company with Dr. Blundell, residing in Orchard-street, Portman-square, and, as I understood, he had a letter of introduction from M. Quetelet, of Bruxelles, I considered that, to invite him to a meeting of the Royal Society, was nothing more than a mark of attention which ought to be shewn to a foreigner, who professed to have devoted his time to scientific research. Finding that Professor Keil proposed exhibiting some instruments and apparatus, and suspecting that, not only that he had no discovery to bring forward, but that he was not aware of what others had done in the branch of science in which he certainly professed to have done much himself, I considered it was a duty I owed to the Society, to take care that no improper impression should be made on those present, of professor Keil having discovered any new fact, if such was not really the case. It is unnecessary for me to go into the details of what took place when Professor Keil exhibited his galvanometer, and other apparatus, but I can confidently state that, excepting some determined supporters of his views, of whom, as visitors, two or three were present, and of which number, very probably, your correspondent was one, all who attended to the discussion, which took place between the Professor and myself, and to the experiment exhibited by Dr. Ritchie, with a hastily constructed, but very efficient apparatus, were satisfied that Professor Keil had no new fact, connected with magnetism or electricity, to bring forward, and that he was unacquainted with the present state of knowledge in those branches of science. Had I been aware, at the time, of what I suspected afterwards, that Professor Keil wished it to be inferred, that the effects which he exhibited were produced by other agency than that of heat, and that it might be on these effects he founded his pretended application of magnetism to the cure of disease, I should have pointed out, even less ceremoniously than I did, the futility of his pretensions. That physiological and chemical effects have been produced by means of the magnet, I will admit; but when I am appealed to as authorizing the statement, that Professor Keil has produced these effect, I must say, I do not believe he has ever succeeded, and, moreover, that I consider he is not aware of the principles on which such effects depend. The immediate object of the statement in your journal, that Professor Keil has made discoveries in magnetism, that he is in possession of peculiar methods of imparting it to steel, and that these magnets have a peculiar efficacy in the cure of disease, is, evidently, to convince the public in general, that such are the facts, by inducing them to believe, that not only the individuals there appealed to, but the Royal Society, as a body, have been satisfied on these points: the more remote object, which is equally palpable, is one to which no consideration should induce a man of science to lend his name, and which, I have no hesitation in saying, can never have the sanction of the Royal Society. After what I have stated, you will, I feel assured, admit that, in the communication to your journal, a very unwarrantable use has been made of the name of the Royal Society, and of the names of members of that body, and will, therefore, have no hesitation, in order to remove the erroneous impression which that communication was calculated to produce, to insert, in the forthcoming number, the observations which I have felt myself called upon to make. I cannot conclude without recommending to your correspondent, Mr. Booth, that in future, before he attempts to sanction his statements by a reference to persons who set too much value on their characters to allow their names to be prostituted by a connexion with the advertisements of ignorant empirics, he will, in the first instance, ascertain whether such statements are in accordance with facts; and in the next place, whether those persons are willing that their names should appear in corroboration of them. I am, sir, your obedient servant, May 16, 1833. |