shine out from their retirement with modest lustre; the planets, and even some of the stars, casting on the waves streaks of silver light. When the moon is dark, the sea itself becomes an object of great interest. Whenever a wave curls, the broken waters emit a brilliant phosphoric light, supposed to proceed from animacula: turn which way you will, the eye rests on numberless fires, seeming as altars of incense sending up their grateful flame to heaven. Sometimes, as the ship dashed along in her course, the spray cast from her side sparkled with such hues, that you might have imagined yourself on a sea of liquid jewels. This marine phosphorescence is known in northern climates chiefly to fishermen, who on a dark night, after a draught of herrings, have their humble boat glowing with an illumination of more brilliant tints than the proudest metropolitan saloon. If God has treasured up such mines of enjoyment in every recess of a world stained with sin, what will be the display of his resources where trespass and defilement are unknown?"-Pp. 10.

After being three months at sea, he says: "In the distance, apparently right a-head, was what seemed to me a ridge of breakers, stretching out into the sea. To this I called the attention of the officer on watch, who said, 'Why, that is the town of Pondicherry.' That the town of Pondicherry! I then felt that I was looking on the continent of India. Leaning over the bulwark, and gazing on the extended coast, the tufted palms, the shining surf, and the distant city; what a crowd of confused but exciting suggestions rushed upon my mind! Home, with its endearments: the dangers and mercies of the voyage: the duties and hopes of my mission: native splendour and European enterprise: Delhi, with its mosques: Benares, with its pagodas: Juggernautt, with its immolations: the suttee pyre: the pilgrim train: the Thug banditti: Timour and his conquests: Aurungzebe and his magni. ficence: Hastings, the changes of his lot, and eloquence of his impeachers: Dupleix, his talents, victories, and humiliation: Clive, his meteor course and maniac end: Swartz, the John of the Indian apostles, by meekness, integrity, and zeal, rising without genius to the loftiest heights of character and achievement: Hyder, the Napoleon of the east: Tipu, uniting the natural cruelty of Nero with the religious bigotry of Mary: Carey, with the faith of Abraham and the powers of Grotius: Wellington, rising on the furthest horizon of our empire, and culminating at the very steps of the throne: Martyn, with his seraphic piety glowing on deep constitutional melancholy, like sheetlightning on a black sky:-these, with images of heathen temples and orgies, Christian

congregations and sacraments, sped across the mind in exciting disorder, and roused a state of feeling which baffled analysis; but the prevailing elements were gratitude and hope."-Pp. 28, 29.

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The enthusiasm which these extracts bespeak, by no means languishes when our author comes into contact with the every-day duties of the mission-field. What a freshness is there, for example, in the following account of his first attempt to take part in preaching the gospel in the native language:"About four o'clock we sallied out again: the market was proceeding busily one street especially was thronged with dealers in grain, fruit, betel-nuts, coffee, and ornaments. Here we took our stand. A portion of Scripture was first read, during which a number, sufficient to form a considerable audience, leaving their various occupations, came and stood close around. They listened throughout to the discourse with still attention: but at the close a few observations were made. The service concluded with solemn prayer. Let any one who loves God just bring these circumstances before his view. It is the Sabbath: the peace which on that day a Christian's soul radiates on all nature is beaming on field and sky; but the hurry of a market agitates the town. There, in the midst of bustle and noise, the preacher takes his stand: the book of grace is opened: God's holy word sounds amongst the hum of unchristian voices; then the way of salvation is pointed out to those who are indeed far off: they hearken mutely, the sermon is ended; and there under that sky, from which the countenance of God is shining, and surrounded by men who never raised their hearts so high, he lifts up his hands in prayer to the unseen, all-present Father: the tones of supplication, of hope and faith, the holy promise, the mention of 'the blood of sprinkling,' and the name of Jesus Christ, all ascend on the Sabbath air, mingled with the murmurs of adjacent traffic. It was a scene to melt any Christian heart. Devotion, in her love for the Lord's day, and zeal, in her love for souls, both wept over the congregation; but faith burst over the preacher with a ray of radiant joy, and whispered, 'the sons of these men will keep another kind of Sabbath.' Pp. 256, 259.

By far the ablest part of the book, however, is that from which it is impossible to give extracts. We refer to the chapters headed "Our Work-India. What is it? India-its Religion. India-its People." We have read no work of the kind combining so much of the attractive with the instructive; and we lay it aside with a much more vivid idea than before of India's real spiritual wants, and also, we trust, with a more earnest desire to relieve them.

accomplished in all but the last struggle; now, therefore, crown him with his reward. Thirdly, He pleads the Father's own interest in the matter-That thy Son also may glorify thee.' Support him in his sufferings, that by them he may glorify thee and magnify thy law, satisfying thy justice and redeeming thy people. Exalt him after his sufferings, that he may dispose of all things to promote thy glory. Fourthly, He pleads his commission. As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."

Of the Sermons the first is entitled "Messiah's Kingdom," and is founded on Is. lxv. "Dust shalt be the serpent's meat.' 25, This is the only example in which any thing like quaintness is apparent or might be suspected in the selection of the text. The author's mind was above such artifice, and even in this case the quaintness is more apparent than real; for the discourse is exactly and literally on the truth emblematically declared by the inspired prophet. The author shows satisfactorily, that the fact announced is the disappointment and mortification of Satan in the rise and progress of the Saviour's kingdom. The old serpent was baffled and mortified in the death of Christ; in the erection of a Christian church, and the rapid spread of the gospel; in the failure attending the persecution of Christians; in the preservation of a faithful remnant during the antichristian apostasy; in the Protestant Reformation; in the recent revival of the missionary spirit. His disappointment shall be increased at the latter-day glory of the church; by the overthrow of all false religions, heathenism, Mohammedanism, Popery, Judaism; by the universal diffusion of the means of grace, with the success attending them; by the cessation of war, tyranny, and oppression from the earth; by the discontinuance of persecution; by the healing of the divisions of the church; by the high degree of holiness for which the church shall then be distinguished. From the line of illustration thus sketched, it will be seen that the title, "Messiah's Kingdom," does not well define the subject of the discourse. would be more properly described "Satan Baffled and Mortified by Messiah's Kingdom."

It

The other sermons are for the most part on plain texts, requiring no ingenious interpretation. The topics are-God's Sovereignty the Joy of his People-The Believer's Encouragement in Difficulties and Dangers-The Transfiguration-Reasons for preferring Death to Life-Efficacious Prayer-Christ's Countenance as Lebanon --The Redeemed before the Throne-Joy in Heaven for a Returning Penitent el

WERE we to estimate this book by the mental power which it displays, we could not assign it any very high place, but, judg ing of it by the moral good it is calculated to produce, our verdict is more favourable. Its merits are chiefly such as are "spiritually discerned." And we have no doubt it may gain a good deal of that silent, unobtrusive popularity, which, with the religious public, is the usual reward of works that are congenial with the exercise of the devout heart, and that are studded with gems from the journals of the "excellent ones of the earth." When we name the topics discussed, "Searching the Scriptures; Spiritual Meditation; Self-Examination; Personal Covenanting; Secret and Ejaculatory Prayer," it will be obvious that one recommendation of the book is its being 66 a book for the times,"-for the passion of the times, The tendency of the whole system of religious existence among us is in the direction of an eager, stimulating, out-of-door Christianity. There is ground of just rejoicing in the remarkable development of evangelical zeal now carrying the churches along in the brilliant career of benevolent enterprise; but with this matter of thankfulness there is connected matter of watchfulness. There is, as usual, a danger near a blessing. There is danger lest our piety lose in depth what it gains in diffusion; lest we suffer

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taking heed to others," to absorb and supersede "taking heed to ourselves." If Jesus were still on earth, and witnessing our incessant bustle, and how we often give to devout retirement only the refuse of our time and the exhaustion of our powers, might we not expect to hear him say, as he did once to his jaded disciples, "Come with me into a desert place, and rest awhile?” Would he not allure us from communion with others to more communion with himself?

Many a professing Christian is so entangled in the meshes of business, and so

intent on gains, that he thinks he has no time to place himself apart from the world, and to cherish the aid of devout meditation. Hence there is so much profession without life, and life without vigour. If our vessels be not constantly replenished with fresh oil no wonder that our lamps burn dimly. God will be "inquired of," ere he grant us a large blessing. Now, hasty or heartless prayer does not amount to "inquiring." We would not commune with a friend in such a space of time, or in such a state of mind. That man must be a miserable selfdeceiver, who, while he seeks to shine in public, is shy of God in secret,-who shuns or shortens closet-prayer from dislike to it, or dread of it. And we must have but a poor opinion of that church member who has not stated times, judiciously selected and secretly observed, for sequesterment from the world to be alone with God. In order to secure leisure for it, he had better give up one meal every day, if that were necessary. He had better give up any thing else. Nothing is a duty, if the performance of it interfere with this. Our hearts are like our gardens, which require not only a general attention at all times to keep things in order; but special and more lengthened periods for fostering the growth of some plants, and for nipping, checking, and destroying that of others. We long to see a more common return to the blessed custom so much in use among our forefathers, of setting apart seasons more protracted than usual for "great searchings of heart," and for feeding the soul's peace by confidential correspondence with him" who seeth in secret." Such were the "holy men of God," in whose diaries we meet with occasional memorandums like this, "Prayed to-day two hours less than usual." They prayed for all. They prayed for us. It was not weariness," but "a delight." It was not to satisfy an enslaving fear, but to express the fulness of holy joy. Their fellowship was of a kind which befits the border-line of both worlds, more intimate than that of earth, and only a little inferior to that of "face to face" in glory. Hence, they often continued their vigils far into the night, and sometimes needed the expostulation of Him with whom they wrestled, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." Oh_may_their mantle fall on us! And then, what should we see? The busiest of us would be found fixing occasionally on some day, or portion of a day, when we were least likely to be occupied with other things. We would "enter our closet, and shut our door." With "no one" present, "save Jesus only," no eye seeing, no ear hearing but his, our motives would be directed, our principles sifted, our actions cross-examined, and our sin confessed anew over the great atoning

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sacrifice. We would take a full and accurate survey of our spiritual history, asking, "Whereabouts am I in the way to heaven? Am I losing or gaining ground?" We would descend into our consciences, ponder on eternity, and muse on redeeming love till the fire began to burn, and till, with the "kindness of our youth and the love of our espousals," we could say, "We are the Lord's." It is such joy, such transport, thus to resign ourselves afresh to Jesus, to commit to his care, to dedicate to his service, to lay at his feet our all, to disburden our hearts of their load before his cross, and to learn love where John learned it, leaning on his bosom !

The

A Sabbath evening hour or two spent in this manner would be unspeakably more profitable than the habit of "gadding about," with the feverish dissipating desire of hearing a variety of evening sermons. steady practice of the exercises of "Secret Religion," is the secret of all Christian strength. When we surrender this, we become weak and are like other men. But from the hallowed mount of Divine com-, munion, we come down again to the world, far less ruffled by its cares, and far less vulnerable by its temptations.

The PEARL of DAYS: or, the Advantages of the Sabbath to the Working Classes. With a Sketch of the Author's Life. By a LABOURER'S DAUGHTER. 12mo. Pp. 90.

London Partridge and Oakey.

THIS essay owes its origin to the benevolent proposal of a prize for the best essay written by a working man on the advantages of the Sabbath. Feeling themselves bound, by the terms of the proposal, to limit the competition to working men, the essay by the labourer's daughter could not be admitted by the adjudicators to dispute the palm with the performances of the other sex; but, in token of their high approval, they have taken means to secure that it shall be preserved and distributed, independently of the prize scheme, and accompanied by a sketch of the author's life. For this handsome and liberal proceeding, they deserve the cordial thanks of the christian public.

The autobiography presents an admirable picture of an intelligent, virtuous, and pious Scottish family in humble life, and subjected to an ordinary share of the vicissitudes and hardships common among the labouring classes. The essay contains many just and beautiful sentiments, well and tastefully expressed. A little more practice in author-craft would have enabled the writer to arrange and classify her thoughts more skilfully than she has done. Nevertheless, she has shown a degree of proficiency in the art of writing that is altoge

gether surprising. As her arguments are drawn from personal observation and reflection, in the sphere of life in which she moves, her plea for the Christian Sabbath is not only marked by the quality of freshness as a literary effort, but is peculiarly fitted to attract and impress the sons of toil -the class whose alleged benefit is the grand apology for recent inroads on the sacred rest of the Sabbath. We are glad to see that, in opposition to a too prevalent mistake on the subject, our author appreciates the truc character of the Christian Sabbath as a spiritual institution, to be advanced by spiritual means. The following sentences afford a specimen of the accurate thinking and tasteful composition exhibited in the volume:

"Here legal enactments can do but little. They may put down, to some extent, the more public and glaring forms of Sabbath profanation, but this will only increase the amount of secret desecration. Those who have no heart for the proper observance of this day, may be prevented from spending it in certain kinds of labour and amusement, railway travelling, pleasure excursions, and suchlike. By being prevented from enjoying themselves in such pursuits, however, they will be driven into the secret haunts of dissipation and vice; and thus, although it is no doubt well that where wickedness cannot be eradicated it should be made ashamed to show its head, yet comparatively little good can be effected by the civil ruler in promoting the cause of Sabbath observance. I would entreat them (those who are appealing to the legislature on this question) to bear in mind that it is only the truths of the gospel imparting spiritual life, implanting moral principle, bringing the will of man into subjection to the will of his Creator, and awakening the intellect, that can enable man to reap that full harvest of temporal good from the weekly rest which it is so well fitted to afford him."

We should add, that the work is illustrated by several woodcuts, which are beautifully executed, and that the getting up of the volume is in a liberal and elegant style.

SCRIPTURAL VIEWS of the SABBATH of GOD. By the Rev. JOHN JORDAN, B.A., Vicar of Enstone, Oxon. 8vo.

London: Partridge & Oakey. THE subject of this volume is at all times important, but at present its importance is considerably enhanced. The extension of railway communication, and the expressed determination of some of the companies to run their trains in Scotland on the Lord's day, have occasioned a vast deal of discussion, which has agitated the public mind in

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no ordinary degree. Into this discussion we do not now enter further than to say, that, in our opinion, each party seems disposed to run to the extreme. On the one hand, we have a vast deal of unmeaning declamation about the austerity and rigour of the Jewish Sabbath law-declamation which must orginate in ignorance or pres judice. True, the Scribes and Pharisees, by their childish injunctions and prohibitions, had, in the days of our Lord, made void this, as well as the other laws of the decalogne. Still we maintain, that the Sabbath law, as given by God, is one of the most humane and merciful ever afforded to the children of men.

On the other hand, there is too much of the spirit of the old Pharisee-too much of that temper which would regulate the command of the Almighty-which would limit a Sabbath day's journey by so many paces -which would class the plucking of a few ears of corn under the head of reaping. Strange that men will not see that, by overstraining a principle, they may injure or destroy it! But, leaving this, let us notice the work before us.

We have carefully read this volume. It is divided into eight chapters. In the earlier portion of the work we have the commonplace arguments and strictures-nothing morc-to which we have been habituated on this subject since our boyhood. It will therefore not seem surprising, that we felt not a little disappointed in the perusal of this part of the volume.

The sixth chapter, however, gave us some thought. It is entitled, "TESTIMONY OF PROFANE WRITERS TO THE PRIMITIVE INSTITUTION OF THE SABBATH." In this chapter we have, among many interesting notices and remarks, some things which appear to us very fanciful and far-fetched, calculated rather to excite the smile, than to convince the judgment of the sceptic. For example, as bearing on the primitive institution of the Sabbath, there exists a mystical and superstitio us use of the number seven among the Arabians. For instance, the approach to the Kaaba at Mecca is across an area, surrounding it by seven paved causeways. Every pilgrim has to go round the Kaaba seven times; and "again, at the point called Merona, seven perambulations have to be made." Another argument is

drawn from the seven Hindoocastes. Again, it is supposed we have traces of "an early traditionary knowledge of the Sabbatical institution" in the form of the Tower of Babel and of the Pyramids of Egypt. "The temple of Jupiter Belus, whose huge gates of brass may still be seen, is a square building, each side of which is two furlongs. In the midst rises a tower, of the solid depth and height of one furlong, on which, resting