In treating of the second stated object of the society, the speaker introduces the following remarks, which, together with what has been said and written to the same purpose in other places and at other times, will at last, we hope, bring on that change in the laws of our state, which seems to be so desirable.

"It is in reference to the hazards necessarily involved in commercial life, that an association among yourselves may be usefully established. You profess to guard against the evils of ignorant, negligent, and intentional wrongs, by preventing them. You mean to relieve innocent misfortune, by providing the means of showing that it was such. You intend that your associates shall not sink, and be lost to themselves, to their families, and to society, when poverty comes, without fault. This is, undoubtedly, one of the most estimable motives which have led to your union. It is peculiarly necessary in this community, because the innocent and unfortunate merchant and trader have no protection from legislative power, which resides in Congress; and which power that assembly refuses to exercise. They can have no adequate protection from state legislatures, in which the necessary power does not reside, if the will to exercise what remains to them existed, which it does not. The present state of the law, as to debtor and creditor, in Massachusetts, is as exceptionable as any that ever was known in an intelligent society. So much so, that debtors are, in some measure, compelled to make the law for themselves. It will be in your power, gentlemen, with the good sense and honorable intentions by which you are governed, to remedy many evils, which should be, but are not, remedied by legislative measures. You can do what no legislature can do. You can declare to the world, that an unfortunate man has not forfeited his rank, as a member of society. You can uphold and sustain him, when the world would desert him. You can pour a precious balm on his wounded spirit, and carry sympathy and consolation to the innocent hearts of the wife and of the children, who must be partners in his sorrows. You can lay for him a new foundation for his fortunes, and enable him, without even any cost to yourselves, to minister the like consolation, and the like support, to other deserving men, who are overtaken by like misfortunes." - pp. 21, 22.

Under the third topic, the moral improvement of the young, there is an illustration which struck us very agreeably, and the force of which must have been felt by every young man who had the privilege of hearing the Discourse.

VOL. XIII. N. S. VOL. VIII. NO. I.

4

"If one would be pleased and happy throughout this life, he must respect and render due honor to the wonderful composition of his Creator, which constitutes his individual being. He must so conduct himself, that when memory reminds him of the past, it will furnish him with no causes to reproach himself. That the rational pleasures of life are dependent on the healthy state of the body, and on a clear and peaceable mind, may be illustrated, more plainly, by presenting to your notice two different objects. Let us suppose, that, in a fair morning of summer, a young man of twenty is called from his bed to go to his place of business before sun-rise, and that his way lies across Boston Common; that he passed the preceding evening in the full enjoyment of pleasure; that is, he ate, drank, smoked, sung, and laughed (if he did nothing worse), and went to bed after midnight, with a feverish fullness, and with every one of his digestive powers called into intense action. It would necessarily follow, that his sleep was unquiet; that he rose from it with a confused, an aching head; that he came into the fresh air of the morning without any sensibility to its freshness; and that he pursues his way to his place of business with a feeble step, unconscious whether the sun is commencing to shed its beams over the earth, and careless of every thing but the unwelcome return of labor, and of the confused recollection of last night's pleasures.)

"Let us look at another, who had passed the preceding evening in improving study, or in rational conversation or amusement (I include amusement, of which there are many kinds, and tending to innocent pleasure), and had retired to sleep without having called on his bodily powers to perform any labor but that of healthy duty, according to the law of their nature. He, too, awakes at early morning, and passes over the same ground to his accustomed duties. His bodily frame is at ease and gratified with its own sense of motion. His head is clear; and his heart and mind alive to the beauties of the created world. He feels, and is thankful that he does feel, the freshness of the morning. The sun rises before him, and pours its splendid light over the beautiful scene around, glittering on the dews, and casting the long shadows to the west. The sentiment steals over his mind that he does exist, and that he exists to behold the beaming of early day upon the rejoicing earth. His mind involuntarily ascends to the Author of creation. He moves on to his employments with a grateful sense that he is permitted to be capable of comprehending his own relation to the laws of nature, and his reverential duty to Him from whom they came.

"Which of these two young men will go through his day's work with most satisfaction to himself? Where will they respectively be, at twenty-one, at thirty, and at fifty? and in what light will they be respectively considered, by those who know them, if both should live to be old?"— pp. 27 - 29.

We know not what measures have been taken to give circulation to this pamphlet, but in our opinion it should be in the hands of every merchant and trader in the city, and of every young man who is in training for a mercantile life. If copies of it were sent to our other cities, they might prepare the way for the formation of other Mercantile Associations, and thus be among the means of raising still higher the already high character of the mercantile community.

ART. III.-Five Years of Youth; or Sense and Sentiment. By HARRIET MARTINEAU, Author of "Times of the Saviour." First American Edition. Boston. Leonard C. Bowles. 1832. 18mo. pp. 258. #PG 02.

MISS MARTINEAU's pen cannot long remain idle, nor are we desirous that it should, while it continues to be employed, as heretofore, in contributing to the moral instruction and healthy entertainment of young and old. The work before us is intended for the young, by whom it may be read with profit, and cannot fail to be read with pleasure. We cannot, with a safe conscience, say, that we have been as much pleased with it ourselves, as we were with the "Traditions of Palestine," for by that name we shall feel obliged to call that book, as long as the author sees fit to call it so, though we are willing to allow, that the superiority of the latter consists, in a great degree, in the originality of its conception, and the peculiarly sacred beauties of its character. And we cannot now help expressing the wish, that Miss Martineau would again turn her attention to the characters of Scripture history and the scenery of the Holy Land.

The Five Years of Youth" is designed to set forth the many advantages of cultivating good, practical, common sense, and the many evils of indulging sickly and nervous

sentiment, as both are exemplified in the history of two sisters, who had the unhappiness of losing their mother when they were very young. The name of the young lady of sense is Mary, and Anna is the young lady of sentiment. Mary proves the friend and comforter of her father, and Anna his constant torment; though her weakness is represented in such a manner that we cannot avoid heartily pitying her. The following description of Mary's singing is a lively and pleasant picture.

"He was delighted with Mary's singing, which was very unlike what he had heard from any other young lady since he had been in England. She had been well taught; but she had that natural taste for music, -the ear and the soul for it, without which no teaching is of any avail. She sang much and often, not because she had any particular aim at being very accomplished, but because she loved it; or, as she said, because she could not help it. She sang to Nurse Rickham's children; she sang as she went up and down stairs; she sang when she was glad and when she was sorry; when her papa was at home, because he liked it; when he was out, because he could not be disturbed by it. In the woods, at noon-day, she sang like a bird, that a bird might answer her; and if she woke in the dark night, the feeling of solemn music came over her, with which she dared not break the silence. Every thing suggested music to her. Every piece of poetry, which she understood and liked, formed itself into melody in her mind, without an effort. When a gleam of sunshine burst out, she gave voice to it; and long before she had heard any cathedral service, the chanting of the Psalms was familiar to her by anticipation."

Poor Anna, who falls every day more and more under the dominion of her morbid sensitiveness, which degenerates into idle selfishness, is left by her father and sister with a friend in France, who, by the influence she has acquired over her, may possibly bring her out of her sad, nervous, helpless condition. We truly hope that she will; and as Anna has some fine qualities and abilities, we think Miss Martineau is bound to let us know, in proper time, of her recovery and reformation; and we will communicate the tidings with great pleasure.

ART. IV. Lectures on Revivals of Religion. By WILLIAM B. SPRAGUE, D. D. Pastor of the Second Presbyterian Church in Albany. With an Introductory Essay, by LEONARD WOODS, D. D. Also, an Appendix, consisting of Letters from the Rev. Doctors ALEXANDER, WAYLAND, DANA, MILLER, HYDE, HAWES, M'DOWELL, PORTER, PAYSON, PROUDFIT, NEILL, MILLEDOler, DaVIS, LORD, HUMPHREY, DAY, GREEN, WADDELL, GRIFFIN, and Rev. C. P. McILVAINE. Albany. 1832. 8vo. pp. 484.

THIS book should be known and read for several reasons. It is the largest and most solid book that has ever been published, to our knowledge, exclusively on the subject of Revivals. It contains the views of more than twenty prominent clergymen in different parts of the country, and from six different religious denominations, all writing freely, and confining their remarks to this one subject. The subject itself, though trite, is of importance, whether we believe, with many, that these great religious movements are gaining upon the confidence of the community generally, as well as rapidly multiplying, or whether we suppose them, as do others, to be losing their hold on the respect of the soberminded and rational of all parties. So long as revivals are traced to a peculiar and direct impulse from above, and exert the influence which they now do on the social and moral condition of society, they demand our candid and serious observation. And there is one distinct consideration, which seems to entitle this book to particular notice. It is the most sensible, discriminating, impartial, and therefore important treatise, or rather collection of treatises, that we have ever seen on this subject. There are candid concessions in it, for which the authors deserve all credit; while, at the same time, these concessions and the whole character of the book indicate, that it was written, not so much for the general purpose of recommending or explaining revivals, as, by admitting what cannot longer be denied, to save them from the abuse and disgrace to which they were fast coming. Let us not be unjust. Let us not be mistaken. We never felt less disposed to quarrel with the advocates of revivals than at this moment. The perusal of this volume has