Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

a

-it was by this that you recognised your nearness to a focus of philanthrophy. How did it appear? How do we know that that huge Newfoundland, pacing leisurely about the lawn, has propensity for saving drowning people, but just because the moment yon playing child capsizes into the garden pond, he plunges after, and lands him dripping on the gravel? And it was by the instinctive bound with which he sprang to the relief of misery,the importunity with which, despite his population and his pauper theories, he entreated for such emergencies as the Highland distress, and the liberality with which he relieved the successive cases of poverty and woe that came to his private ear and eye, -it was because wherever grief or suffering was, there was Dr. Chalmers, that you knew him to be a man of sympathies. But you might know it in other ways. Read the five-and-twenty volumes of his works, and say what are they but a magazine of generous thoughts for the elevation, and genial thoughts for the comfort of mankind? What are they but a collection of pleadings with power on the behalf of weakness; with opulence on the behalf of penury; with Christian intelligence on the behalf of outcast ignorance and home-grown paganism?—What are they but a series of the most skilful prescriptions for mortal misery, a good and wise physician's legacy to a disordered world, which he dearly loved and did his best to heal? And what was the succession of his services during the last thirty years? For what, short of God's glory, but the good of man, was he spending his intellect, his ascendancy over others, his constitution, and his time? We have spoken of his colossal strength and his flaming energy; and the idea we now retain of his life-long career is just an engine of highest pressure pursuing the iron path of an inflexible philanthropy, and speeding to the terminus of a happier clime a lengthy train, of the poor, the halt, the blind; and we pity those who, in the shriek, the hurry, and the thunder of the transit-the momentary warmth and passing indignation of the man, forget the matchless prowess of the Christian, and the splendid purpose of his living sacrifice. And yet our wonder is, that with such a weight upon his thoughts, and such a work on his hands, he found so much time for specific kindness, and took such care to rule his spirit. Like the apostle on whom devolved the care of all the churches, but who in one letter sends messages to or from six-and-thirty friends, there was no favour so little, and no friend so obscure, that he ever forgot him. If, in a moment of absence, he omitted some wonted civility, or, by an untimely interruption, was betrayed into a word of sharpness, he showed an excessive anxiety to redress the wrong, and heal the unwilling wound. And glorious as it was to see him on the Parnassus of some transcendant inspiration, or rather

His Sermons-their systematic strength and freedom. 573

on the Pisgah of some sacred and enraptured survey, it was more delightful to behold him in self-unconscious lowliness-still great, but forgetful of his greatness-by the hearth of some quiet neighbour, or in the bosom of his own family, or among friends who did not make an open show of him, out of the good treasure of his heart bringing forth nothing but good things. With all the puissant combativeness and intellectual prowess essential to such a lofty reason, it was lovely to see the gentle play of the lionhearted man. With all his optimism-his longings after a higher scale of piety, and a nobler style of Christianity, it was beautiful to see how contented he was with every friend as he is, and with what magnetic alertness all that was Christian in himself darted forth to all that was Christian in a brother. And above all, with his wholesale beneficence, the abundance of his labours, the extent of his regards, and the vastness of his projects, it was instructive to see his affections so tender, his friendships so firm, and his kind offices so thoughtful and untiring.

Perhaps there never was a theologian who approached a given text with less appearance of system or pre-conception. No passage wore to him a suspicious or precarious look, and instead of handling it uneasily, as if it were some deadly thing, he took it up securely and frankly, and dealt with it in all the confidence of a good understanding. Some Scripture interpreters have no system. To them all texts are isolated, and none interprets another. And the system of others is too scanty. It is not co-extensive with the whole counsel of God. It interprets some passages, but leaves others unexplained. In the highest sense, Dr. Chalmers was systematic. He justly assumed that a revelation from God must be pervaded by some continuous truth; and that a clue to its general meaning must be sought in some ultimate fact, some self-consistent and all-reconciling principle. To him the Gospel was a REVELATION of RIGHTEOUSNESS; and MAN's NEED and GOD'S GIFT were the simple elements into which his theology resolved itself. In the various forms of man's vacuity and God's fulness, man's blindness and the Spirit's enlightening, the carnal enmity and the supplanting power of a new affection, the hollowness of a morality without godliness, and the purifying influence of the Christian faith, these primary truths were constantly re-appearing; and just because his first principles were so few, they suited every case, and because his system was so simple, he felt it perfectly secure. Instead of forcing locks, he had found the master-key, and went freely out and in. And in this we believe that he was right. From want of spirituality, from want of study or capacity, we may fail to catch it; but there is a Scriptural unity. So far as the Bible is a record, its main fact is one; so far as it is a revelation, its chief doctrine is one; so

far as it is the mind of God exhibited to fallen man, its prevailing tone and feeling are one. And having in comprehension of mind ascertained, and in simplicity of faith accepted this unity— the revealed truth and the Scriptural temperament, Dr. Chalmers walked at liberty. It was his systematic strength which gave him textual freedom; and if for one forenoon he would dilate on a single duty till it seemed to expand into the whole of man, or on one doctrine till it bulked into a Bible, it was only a portion of the grand scheme passing under the evangelic microscope. It was the lamp of the one cardinal truth lighting up a particular topic. And those who, on the other hand, objected to his preaching as not sufficiently evangelical, were only less evangelical than he. With many the Gospel is a tenet; with Dr. Chalmers the Gospel was a pervasion. The sermons of Dr. Chalmers were not stuck over with quoted texts, but every paragraph had its Scriptural seasoning. His whole being held the Gospel in solution, and beyond most text-reciters, it was his anxiety to saturate with its purest truth ethical philosophy and political economy, daily life and personal conduct, as well as retired meditation and Sabbath-day religion.

We would only, in conclusion, commemorate the Lord's great goodness to his servant in allowing him such a completed work and finished course. Many a great man has had a good thing in his heart; a temple, or some august undertaking; but it was still in his heart when he died. And many more have just put to their hand, when death struck them down, and a stately fragment is all their monument. But there is a sublime and affecting conclusiveness in the work of Dr. Chalmers. What more could the Church or the world have asked from him? It will take the Church a generation to learn all that he has taught it, and the world a century to reach that point from which he was translated. And yet he has left all his meaning clear, and all his plans complete. And all that completed work is of the best kind; all gold and silver and precious stones. To activity and enterprize he has read a new lesson. To disinterested but farseen goodness he has supplied a new motive. To philanthropy he has given new impulse, and to the pulpit new inspiration. And whilst he has added another to the short catalogue of this world's great men, he has gone up another and a majestic on-looker to the Cloud of Witnesses.

TO THE

SEVENTH VOLUME OF THE NORTH BRITISH REVIEW.

A

Absenteeism in Ireland, evil of, 524.
Adams, Mr. J. C., begins investigations re-
garding the irregularities of Uranus, 212,
213 makes known the result of his la-
bours to Professor Challis and Mr. Airy,
214-216-Mr. Airy's injustice towards
him, 225, 226-he took the most useful
mode of publishing his discovery, 234-
arguments in favour of his priority of dis-
covery, 235-244-local honours will not
make up for the injury done to him, 246.
Adams, Rev. Thomas, his "Private
Thoughts," 325.

Agrarian Outrages in Ireland, 505.
Aguara guazu, 38-See Dogs.
Airy, Mr., discourages Mr. Hussey and
Eugene Bouvard from their attempts to
seek for a New Planet, 210-212-his re-
ply to Mr. Adams, 216-his reception of
Le Verrier's communication, 224-his un-
just decision in favour of Le Verrier's
claims, 225, 226.

America, North, Dogs and Wolves of, 36-
See Dogs.

America, South, Dogs of, 38, See Dogs.
Arago, M., gives a name to the New Planet,

228-his zeal in urging Le Verrier's
claims as the discoverer, 229.

B

Ballykileline, dealings of the occupants of
the Crown Lands at, curiously illustra-
tive of the state of the farmers and
peasantry of Ireland, 528.

Barrington, Sir M.,-his testimony as to the
causes of the outrages in Ireland, 522,
523.

Berridge, Rev. John, his peculiar style of
Preaching, 323, 324.

Bible, inspiration of, 359, See De Wette.
Biot, M., his decision against the claims of
Mr. Adams as the discoverer of the New
Planet, 230-his opinions as to the prio-
rity of publication, 237.

Brief Statement of the aggression of the
French in the Island of Tahiti, &c., 137.

Bouvard, Eugene, corresponds with Mr.
Airy concerning the discrepancies of Ur-
anus, 211, 212.

Buffon, his theory of the Origin of Dogs, 33.
Burton, John Hill, superiority of his to
other Jacobite histories, 108, 109-Life
and Correspondence of David Hume, 539.

C

Canton, 395, 396, See China.
Cary, Rev. Henry Francis, unfavourable re-
ception of his translation of Dante, 291-
his acquaintance with Coleridge, 291, 292
-his death and character, 293, 294.
Challis, Professor, Mr. Adams acquaints him
with his discovery of the New Planet,
214 his early inactivity in making use
of Mr. Adams' observations, 222-zeal
and diligence he afterwards displayed,223.
Chalmers, Rev. Dr.-birth and youthful
studies, 561 Ministry at Cavers and
Kilmany, 562-characteristics of his two
Professorships, 564-the convocation and
the disruption, 566—his idea of Christi-
anity, peculiarities of his imagination,
568-boldness and success of his schemes
of beneficence, 570-systematic strength
and textual freedom of his sermons, 573.
China, exclusive nature of Chinese Govern-
ment, 388, 389-population 389, 390-
Mandarins, 391, 392-administration of
justice, 392, 393-beggars, 393, 394-
Canton, 395, 396-Foo-chow, Ning-po,
and Shang-hai, 396-398-commercial im-
portance of Chusan, 398, 399-Hong-
Kong, 399-agriculture, 400, 401-culti-
vation of Rice, 401, 402-Cotton planta-
tions, 402, 403-Tea shrub, 404, 465—
religious sects amongst the Chinese, 405,
406-Budh and Confucius, 407-Chinese
guarantees, 408-infanticide and opium
smoking, 409, 410-the opium trade, 411

a Mandarin's dinner table, 412, 413-
observation of New-Year's Day, 414-416
-filial piety, 417-China an inviting field
for Missionary labour, 418-notices of
the Medical Missions, 419.

Chusan, commercial importance of, 398, 399.
Claudet, M. A.,--his recent improvements
on the Daguerreotype, 487.
Clerk, Mr. G. R.,-Political Agent on the
Sutledge, 437.

Confucius, 405, See China.

hybrid animals, 50-proofs of the early subjugation of the dog, 51-its treatment by Jews, Mohammedans, and Hindoos, 51, 52-disinterestedness of its attachment to men, 52, 53-instances of its fidelity, 53, 54,

Copley Medal, unjust adjudications of, 231, Doubleday, Mr., his merits as a historian not 232.

Cotton, cultivation of 402, 403.

Corn, exports of, 284.

Cousin, Victor, his historical Cycles, 11.

Daguerre and Daguerreotype. See Photography.

Davy, Sir Humphry, his approximation to the discovery of Photography, 467. De Wette's introduction, 355-the Modern Theology of Germany, 355-necessity for a sound Christian literature, 356-Mr. Parker's translations, 357, 358-De Wette, 358-his fundamental maxim, 359— the Bible classed with Homer, &c. 360its inspiration proved from internal evidence, 360, 361-economy of Divine interpositions, 361-Divine interpositions distinguished from fictitious miracles, 362 -modification of the miraculous economy, 363-essential points of difference between the Mosaic and Mythic records, 363, 364 the Mythic and the Hebrew idea of God, 365-the Hebrew theocracy, 366-defect of the Bible literature of Germany, 367.

Dickens, Charles, review of his works, 114117.

Distilleries, stoppage of, and amount of grain consumed in, 261-263-stoppage of, 283. Dogs, natural history and origin of, 29

man's power over the brute creation, 29, 30-ferocity of wolves, 30-capability of domestication of wild animals, 31-man's share of the work of domestication, 32Pointer dog, its natural instinct, 32extract from Mr. Swainson, 32-Shepherds' Dogs asserted by Buffon to be the nearest to the original species, 33-supposed origin of dogs from wolves, 34, 35 -resemblance between the dogs and wolves of North America, 36-colour of wolves, 37-dogs of South America, 38, 39 barking unnatural to dogs, 38, 39dogs of the Falkland Islands, 39, 40Eastern dogs, their supposed origin, 40habits of, 41-Hydrophobia in the East, 41-Jackals in the East, 42-red dogs of Asia, 43-Buansa dogs of Nepaul, 43, 44 -wild dog of Beloochistan, 44-Indian Dholes, 44, 45-Pariah dogs of India, 45, 46-Pariah dogs of Egypt, 46-Dinghs of New Holland, 47, 48-various origin of dogs, and influence of accidental circumstances in producing different varieties, 49-dogs an exception to the physiological dictum of John Hunter concerning

yet established, 337-cause assigned by him for the Revolution of 1688, 333_his view of the state of the country during the Stuart period, as compared with it at the present time, 338-340 Letter from Jefferson in support of his views, 342-he adopts some of Ricardo's opinions, 346— epithets of abuse used by him, 348—measure proposed by him for bettering the condition of the country, 353, 354. Draper, J. W., M.D.,-discovers the antagonizing action of the two halves of the spectrum, 494.

E

Emigration as a cure for Ireland, 513. England, the three evangelic eras in, 306

310.

Etching of Daguerreotypes, 492.

F

Final Causes, the doctrine of, commonly disparaged, 1-discarded by Epicurus and Lucretius, 1, 2-objected to by Bacon and Descartes, 2-nature of Bacon's objections to, 3-legitimate use of, vindicated by Bacon and Robert Boyle, 4-its subservience to physical science and natural theology, 4, 5, 24—Whewell's opinions of, 5— nature of Descartes' objections to, 5, 6— vindicated by Hon. Robert Boyle, 6—analysis of Boyle's disquisitions, 6, 7, 8—disparaged by Laplace, Cabanis, and Geoffrey St. Hilaire, 9, 10-influence of science on our national religion, 10, 11- Victor Cousin's historical cycles, 11-our present position in his chart, 12-works of Auguste Comte and John Mill on the sensational system, 12-ideal system revived through Kant's speculations and Dr. Chalmers' works, 12-tendency to scepticism in England, 13-physical science discouraged at Oxford, 13, 14-Bishop Wiseman's remarks on the study of geology, 14—Mr. Irons, 15-his opinions on the argument from design and natural theology, 18, 19 -general outline of his scheme, 20-his definition of a cause, 20-Westminster Divines on second causes, 20, 21—Mr. Irons' attempt to overthrow Paley's argument from design, 21-inconsistencies of Irons' argument, 22-definition of final causes, 23-difference between ancient and modern speculations on, 23—the argument for the being of a God from, stated by the ancients, 23, 24-doctrine of causation, 24, 25-Mr. Irons' doctrine of final causes, 25-religion the final cause of the

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »