such as must be granted to be scribed by Josephus, to be lightly wholly undesigned. The circum- regarded; as it proves that the stance in St. Matthew, on which writers of the Gospels had a perthese observations are founded, is fect knowledge of the scenes which not recorded by St. John, who they describe, and consequently alone affords a solution of the diffi- that they lived and wrote at the culty, but in so indirect a manner, period assigned to the advent of and even by an apparent discre- the Messiah; and would have been pancy, as totally precludes every immediately exposed by their counidea of design or coalition. Nor trymen had they related any thing is its complete accordance with but real facts. the situation of the country, as de- | Where gently flows proud Babel's stream, There the green willows pensive weep, How shall we sing thy songs, oh, Lord! The Lord is my song and my glorious sal-Oh! vation, Secured by his love I dread no condemnation; While on earth I'll exult in his name and adore bim, Till I leave this vain world to stand joyful. before him. The Lord is my peace and my glorious salvation, How sweet are bis visits, though short their Yet I know that my gracious Redeemer and Hath loved me, though vile, and will love me for ever. how be joyful to our God Who in our city's day, Who do thy sins reward; REVIEW. London: Nisbet. 1. An Apology for the ancient Fulness | dulged and palliated-sins of pride, and Purity of the Kirk of Scotland; a covetousness, conformity to the world, Sermon, &c. By the Rev. EDWARD and the like, which demand exposure IRVING, M.A. pp. 48. Price 1s. 6d. and reproof from all pastors who would "commend themselves to every man's 2. A Pastoral Letter from the Scotch conscience in the sight of God." Presbytery in London, addressed to the Baptized of the Scottish Church residing in London and its Vicinity, and in the Southern Parts of the Island. pp. 48. Price 1s. London: Nisbet. 66 If the Presbytery have rightly estimated, the Scottish Church in London is certainly in a very low state: "Of the tens of thousands of our countrymen, and their children, and their descendants, residing in this city and neigh than a hundred thousand have received baptism at the hand, and are thereby members of, the Scottish Church, for whose souls she is responsible,) not one thousand present themselves at the table of the Lord, to renew their baptismal covenant, and join themselves to the body of Christ, for their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace." Letter, p. 6. Ir appears that on the first day of the present year, a fast was held in the churches composing the Scotch Presby-bourhood, (of whom it is reckoned not less tery of London, on account of the low ebb of religion" among them, and that on that occasion Mr. Irving preached the Sermon now on our table. About the same time the "Pastoral Letter" was issued, signed by the pastors and elders of the above mentioned churches. The style sufficiently shews that the Letter also was written by Mr. Irving: we shall therefore treat both pamphlets as the productions of his pen, and only regret that we have not room for a full exposure of the unscriptural notions they contain, and the antichristian temper in which many passages are writ ten. Mr. Irving says, that the Scotchmen in London "seem to honour every thing Scottish but the Scottish Church, though she be the mother of Scottish worth, of Scottish industry, and of Scottish sense." (Letter, p. 21.) Let our readers take the following specimens of Scottish Presbyterian theology, and judge how creditable they are to the reputation of "Scottish sense :" The "Pastoral Letter" breathes a spirit of proud nationality, Scotch nationality, and is strongly impregnated with the intolerance of Presbyterian- "We do in faithfulness remind you of all ism, and a haughty contempt of all the privileges which you have in Christ other churches, their "true sister," the Jesus, through virtue of that baptismal coveChurch of England, only excepted. piety of your fathers, whereby you were nant into which you were introduced by the There is but one redeeming quality in grafted into Christ, and were made parit, and that is the intrepid boldness takers of all the blessings of the new covewith which "the children of the Scot-nant, all your sins being covered and remit absolution of your guilt, is the first and best gift which God giveth to his fallen and criminal children; and most necessary in order that we may be joined to the pure and chaste spouse of Christ, that is, his church, whereof each one of you was made a member by the sacrament of baptism." Letter, p. 43. tish Church" are reproved, for their ted.' This remission of your sins, and worldliness and infidelity. In this respect, the London Presbytery deserve to be imitated by all the ministers of Jesus Christ. It would be well if the Prophet's address were more seriously considered "Are there not with you, even with you, sins against the Lord our God?" Yes, surely, in our own Denomination there are numerous sins in the gracious and grace-informed mysteries, "Against all which base spoliations of [he is speaking of the Sacramentarians, and reproaching men who suffered martyrdom X gion, when delusions like this prevail, and men are taught from infancy to disregard and disbelieve our Lord's solemn declaration—“ Ye must be born again?” rather than believe the absurdities of tran- and the general carelessness about relisubstantiation,] our Reformers maintained, that the sacraments, to every true receiver of them, conveyed the grace of the Holy Ghost signified in baptism, and the grace of communion with, and sustenance by, Christ's risen body, signified in the Lord's Supper; insomuch that every one who receiveth these sacraments is responsible to God for all the grace therein contained; whereof if he be found lacking or destitute, he is so found, not because the vessel was empty which he lifted to his lips, but because, though full, he had no knowledge, no faith, or no desire to partake the precious water of the present, and the joyous wine of the future dispensation, but did spill them on the ground, and trample the holy emblems, with the holy things therein contained, under his profane foot." Sermon, p. 13. "that 66 man By the bye, it is worthy of observation, that Mr. I.'s views of this subject exactly accord with those of the present dignitaries of the Roman Catholic communion in this country. "By the sacrament of baptism," says the Vicar Apostolic for the London district, is purified from the guilt and stain of sin; he is reconciled to his offended God; he is raised to the dignity of a child of God, and as such he receives a title to the inheritance of eternal glory.” (Laity Directory for 1828.) Yet Mr. I. would have us believe that he abhors Popery from his very heart! We must give an extract or two illustrative of Mr. Irving's Christian cha Verily, Mr. Irving is an improving man. Some time ago we heard him preach on baptism. He told us, when the water was applied to the face of the child, a ray of light was commu-rity :nicated," which would increase by use, and be essentially serviceable to the "How many there may be who have individual all through life! It was not departed from their mother church, and fallen away to other commuuions, we are regeneration that he then regarded as unable to say; but we have reason to bean extreme that should by all means believe that they are not many; and, how avoided but it was a ray of light! Now, he thinks that the child has much greater advantages. The ray of light might possibly be extinguished; but Mr. I. assures us that the baptized infant is brought into covenant, "all its sins being covered and remitted." We here beg leave for a moment to recal the reader's attention to the striking discrepancy between the fact Mr. Irving states, and the doctrine he maintains. The fact is this:-that ninetynine out of every hundred of the members of the Scottish church neglect or despise the worship of God, and are living in a state of practical infidelity. The doctrine is this :-that these infidels were at their "baptism engrafted into Christ, and made partakers of all the blessings of the new covenant." If the subject were not of too grave an import for irony, here would be a fine subject for its exercise; for never did nonsense, in her sober attire, appear 'more ineffably ridiculous. Who can wonder at the deterioration of the Scottish character in London, many soever they may be, well knowing that such a step is seldom taken in the spirit of faith and piety, we cannot contemplate it with much satisfaction." "We count it little less than an apostacy from the Church of Scotland, and a voluntary excommunication of yourselves from her inheritance in the providence and grace of God, when you join yourselves to any of those sects and denominations which hold Socinian doctrines; which deny any of the fundamental principles of our faith embodied in the standards of our church; which reject our presbyterial ordination; which deny infant baptism, and thereby unchurch us all; which uphold Arminianism, condemned with the approbation and assistance of both established churches of this realm in the Synod of Dort; or which, in their These childish ravings will hurt nobody. We would not have copied them but for the sake of placing by their side the sentiments of one whom Mr. I. has always affected to venerate. They are much more favourable specimens of "Scottish sense." Christian minister, or of one who pro- "We shall ever look upon Dissenters," observes Dr. Chalmers, "as great moral benefactors of their country. They call forth a most salutary re-action in the church. They exert a most salutary control over the dispensers of patronage. They do make" orthodox doctrine of the connection such progress at times, as to perplex and alarm the bigots of an Establishment. But such we believe to be the native preference of our people for our establishments, that we feel quite confident and secure that Dissenters will never make more progress than they deserve to make; and that they will never obtain such an ascendancy over the mind of the country, as to lead to the subversion of its religious establishments, till those establishments deserve to be subverted..... With a single view to the moral and religious character of our people, we hail Dissenters as our best and most valuable auxiliaries. We look upon them as indispensable friends, whose services we cannot spare. We disclaim all sympathy with those who are ashamed, or those who are afraid of them. We should like to see every badge and remnant of inferiority taken from off their persons, and are most thoroughly convinced, that their full and equal admis. sion into all the offices of the State, is an essential step in the progress of an enlightened policy."-Sermon on the Death of the Princess Charlotte. Unless the members of the Scottish Church have better instructions than Mr. I.'s Sermon affords, they will soon find it necessary to keep another fast. In that case, we recommend Mr. I. to take the following text-" Be ye clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." 1 Pet. v. 7. Scripture Natural History; or a Descriptive Account of the Zoology, Botany, and Geology of the Bible. Illustrated by Engravings. By WM. CARPENTER. pp. 606. Price 14s. Wightman. THAT study which, of all others, is the most important and the most comprehensive, is the study of the inspired volume. To a knowledge of its principles, with which eternal life is connected, more than human resources and finite instruction are indispensable; for "this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." But "no man knoweth the Son but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." It is this most elevated department of biblical study which should occupy our first and chief solicitude, and about which we should be continually anxious to en Mr. Irving is very zealous for the doctrine of the Trinity, to a denial or imperfect knowledge of which he ascribes much of the irreligion of the present day. We honour his zeal; although we cannot help thinking that his crude conceptions of that sublime truth, expressed in his own barbarous style, will do little towards inducing men to embrace it. Nor will his zeal excuse, but rather greatly aggravate, the contempt with which he dares to treat the doctrine of the atonement-that doctrine which is the crowning glory of the Gospel, and without which the whole system of Christianity is unmeaning, unsuitable, and unavailing. He says of it, that "it hath swallowed up almost every other doctrine, and become the great indul-gage the attention of others. Though gence of ignorance and idleness, which, in a selfish age, will ever be the case." (Sermon, p. 18.) Who would have thought that these are the words of a this is unspeakably the best knowledge that can be obtained of the Holy Scriptures, and nearly the whole of what is attained by considerable numbers who daily and devoutly peruse them, yet that a correct understanding of a large proportion of their sacred pages is not to be possessed without the inferior aids of critical investigation and scientific research, we presume will be universally admitted. No eminence of piety, therefore, can entitle persons to treat with indifference those labours whose object is, by the illustration of the economy of nature, as exhibited in the Scriptures, to develope the infinite wisdom, power, and beneficence of the Creator. This volume on Scripture Natural History, will form a very acceptable companion to Mr. Carpenter's recent publication, entitled "A Popular Introduction to the Study of the Holy Scriptures." Like that, his present work will be found to be comprehensive, perspicuous, and highly interesting to all who are desirous of enlarging and strengthening their acquaintance with that book, whose value and importance are inconceivably superior to that of any other. It is divided into three parts, Zoology, Botany, and Geology. Under Zoology there are six chapters, containing representations of man, beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects; Botany includes five chapters, in which are descriptions of grass and herbs, plants and shrubs, trees, doubtful plants and trees, and vegetable substances; Geology, in three chapters, gives an account of stones, earths, and metals. The explanation of these subjects is assisted by forty-three engravings. The scientifie reader is well aware of the difficulty which must attend any attempt to impart intelligible information, on subjects so multifarious as the above analysis necessarily includes, within the confined limits of a single octavo; our author, however, in encountering this difficulty, appears to considerable advantage, as may be seen in the following example : - "The Wild Boar. So the wild Boars spring furious from their den, Rous'd with the cries of dogs, and voice of meh ; | O'er their bent backs the bristly horrors rise, Fires stream in lightning from their sanguine eyes; On every side the crackling trees they tear, And root the shrubs, and lay the forest bare ; They gnash their tusks, with fire their eyeballs roll, Till some wide wound lets out their mighty soul.-Iliad xii. 163; xiii. 598. "This animal, which is the original of all the varities of the hog kind, is by no means so stupid nor so filthy an animal as that we have reduced to tameness; he is something smaller than the domestic hog, and does not so vary in his colour, being always found of an iron-grey, inclining to black; his snout is much larger than that of the tame hog, and the ears are shorter, rounder, and black ; of which colour are also the feet and the tail. But the tusks of this animal are larger than in the tame breed; they bend upwards circularly, and are exceeding sharp at the points. "The wild boar roots up the ground in a different manner from the common hog; for as this turns up the earth in little spots here and there, so the wild boar ploughs it up like a furrow, and does irreparable damage in the cultivated lands of the farmer, destroying the roots of the vine and other which the Psalmist represents the subverplants. Hence we see the propriety with sion of the Jewish commonwealth, under the allegory of a vine destroyed by one of these beasts : ، Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heabefore it, and didst cause it to take deep then, and planted it. Thou preparedst room root, and it filled the land. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches into the river. Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.' Ps. lxxx. | 813. If this Psalm was written, as is supposed, during the Babylonian captivity, the great propriety of the allegory becomes more apparent. Not satisfied with devourcarefully raised by the skill and attention of ing the plants and fruit which have been the husbandman, the ferocious boar lacerates and breaks with his powerful tusks, the roots and branches of the surrounding vines, and tramples them beneath his feet. The reader will easily apply this to the conduct pursued by the Chaldeans towards the Jewish state, whose desolation is thus pathetically bewailed by the prophet: The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men; the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the |