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speculative and dialectic power, coupled with his living experience of the Gospel, have made him the most influential of the first Apostolic Christian teachers. In this little work the renowned theologian unbosoms himself without reserve and carries us along the stream of his spiritual life, through its turbid flow in mazes of error and vice, until it attains to calm under the sunlight of Christian faith. We commend this handsome edition of his work to the attention of our readers. It is refreshing to turn from the "sensation" preachers of the day to the writings of a man whose depth of thought and strength of emotion are answerable to the ardor and vehemence of his manner.

BAXTER'S REFORMED PASTOR.*-We are glad to see, in a new dress, a sterling treatise of that one among the Puritan Divines who is the best loved of them all. We rejoice that the glowing, searching, honest, and eloquent Baxter continues to preach so long after his voice has been hushed and his faithful soul, so tossed by the conflicts of a stormy age, has entered on its rest. The Reformed Pastor is one of the most valuable of his works and is one of the most instructive books upon the duties of a Pastor to be found in our language. We are reluctant to characterize the style of Baxter as verbose; we should rather describe it as copious. His sentences flow out of a seemingly inexhaustible fountain of thought and emotion. He cannot leave his hearer unconvinced, but plies every motive and brings forward with untiring ardor every consideration that is fitted to persuade. His pages abound in terse, telling words, and in phrases which strike into the heart. The Reformed Pastor, besides the excellent suggestions and forcible expos tulations relative to the Minister's office which it presents with apostolic fervor, furnishes an incidental sketch of the condition of the English clergy in his times, and contains other historical matter of no inconsiderable value. The faults to which the clerical profession are liable at the present day, as well as formerly, are exposed and chastised with point and plainness, though by the hand of a friend. The edition before us is not mutilated, as Baxter's works have too much been, but is complete, and in fair type. In a prefatory extract from John Angel James, that successful preacher says, "I have made, next to the Bible, Baxter's Reformed Pastor my rule as regards the object of my ministry." It is safe to say that no one can read this time honored treatise without being greatly quickened and otherwise aided in his pastoral work.

The Reformed Pastor, showing the nature of the Pastoral work, &c. By the Rev. RICHARD BAXTER, New York: Carter & Brothers. 1860.

LESSONS AT THE CROSS.*-The encouraging and cheerful spirit with which the author of this book writes of the duties and privileges of the Christian believer, has commended these Lessons to us. We cannot better give a conception of his style than by transferring one or two brief passages, which must of course suffer by being read out of their connection. The author speaks of the "wealth of believers," and thus sums up his discourse:

"See how all things are theirs. See how all things are bringing tributary offerings to their feet. See how all things, and all events, and all men, and all eternity are their ministering servants. Everything is fulfilling the desires of their hearts. Everything is working for that which is their pleasure. * Everything is culturing the vintage which they shall pluck in heaven. Everything is making ready the clusters and the cup for their banquet in the Father's Kingdom. Everything is preparing them for their inheritance; and their inheritance for them. Such is the wealth of those who are Christ's.

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It is wealth without computation-without limit and without exhaustion. It is theirs by covenant; theirs by oath; theirs to day; and theirs forever. It is theirs, for they are Christ's. It is theirs, for they are the fruits of his sufferings, the travail of his soul, and the children of his love. It is theirs, for it is his. It is theirs, for they and he are one; they in him and he in them." p. 163.

The book is highly commended as a devotional work, in an introduction by Rev. George W. Blagden, D. D., of Boston.

MY SAVIOUR.-The Messrs. Carter have republished a devotional work, prepared by the Rev. John East, of England, which some years ago was deservedly very popular in this country. It consists of religious meditations, of great beauty, in prose and verse, upon all the names and titles-more than fifty in number-which are ascribed in the Bible to the Saviour. We remember the book, with great pleasure, as rich in thought and the expressions of the most devoted devotional feeling. We will mention a few of the titles which serve as themes for these meditations: Counsellor, Friend, Gift of God, Head, Hand, Light, Refiner, Rock, Rose, Shepherd, Shield, Sun, Wonderful.

* Lessons at the Cross: or, Spiritual Truths familiarly exhibited in their relations to Christ. By SAMUEL HOPKINS. With an introduction by Rev. George W. Blagden, D. D. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 18vo. 1860.

pp. 274.

My Saviour: or Devotional Meditations in Prose and Verse, on the Names and Titles of the Lord Jesus Christ. By the Rev. JOHN EAST, A. M., Rector of Croscombe, Somerset, England. New York: R. Carter & Brothers. 18mo. pp. 252.

THE SIGNET RING, and other GEMS. *-Some years ago a little book, "The Signet Ring," notwithstanding its rather unpromising title, gained considerable popularity among the lovers of choice morceaux of devotional literature. Nothing was known about its author, but the book was supposed to bear unmistakable marks of German origin. It now appears that it was written in Holland, by a Mr. DeLiefde, a Dutch pastor. Messrs. Gould & Lincoln of Boston have procured translations of two other works of the same author, and now give all three to the public in this single volume. The two new works are "The Inheritance, and the Way to obtain it," and "The Shipwrecked Traveler." They are both charming little allegories, and illustrate in the happiest and most engaging manner the nature of true religious faith. There is a simplicity and freshness about each story, and withal a slightly foreign cast, that is exceedingly attractive; while the most important doctrinal truths are taught with a clearness that will not allow any reader to mistake with regard to them.

MID-DAY THOUGHTS FOR THE WEARY.-This is a 24mo., made up of short extracts from the writings of good men of various ages, countries, and habits of mind, on topics of enduring interest to all devout Christians. It is recommended by Rev. E. N. Kirk, D. D., and is published by James Munroe & Co. of Boston.

WISE'S VINDICATION OF NEW ENGLAND CHURCHES. -The Congregational Board of Publication have republished two tracts of Rev. John Wise, which were originally published in 1710 and 1717. Their titles are—“ A Vindication of the Government of New England Churches," and "The Churches' Quarrel Espoused." For a long time copies of them have been very rare, and only to be found in the libraries of the lovers of old books. Few works in the early history of New England had a more decided and enduring influence.

The occasion of their publication, according to Rev. Joseph Clark,

*The Signet Ring, and other Gems. From the Dutch of the Rev. J. DE LIEFDE. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 1860. 18mo. pp. 362.

+ Mid-day Thoughts for the Weary. Boston: James Munroe & Co. 1860. 24mo. pp. 142.

A Vindication of the Government of New England Churches. And The Churches' Quarrel Espoused: or, A Reply to Certain Proposals. By JoнN WISE, A. M., Pastor of a Church in Ipswich. Fourth edition. Boston Congregational Board of Publication. 1860.

VOL. XVIII.

12mo.
70

pp. 245.

D. D., was as follows. We give the account substantially in his own language, as we find it in the Introduction.

At a meeting of the Boston Association of ministers, held November 5th, 1705, sixteen "Proposals," which had previously been drawn up by a committee appointed for that purpose, were "read and assented to," and were put forth for the consideration and assent of "the several associated ministers in the several parts of the country." These "Proposals," though couched in plausible terms, and embodying some useful hints, were of a revolutionary character, subversive of the Cambridge Platform, the then recognized "constitution" of the churches. They aimed first to give the ministerial meetings, which were then coming into popular favor, an ecclesiastical character, by bringing before them business pertinent only to the churches. Second, to run these associations, thus ecclesiasticised and enlarged by a lay delegation, into standing councils, whose decisions in all ordinary cases should be “final and decisive." At the present day it is not to be expected that we can well appreciate the alarm that was occasioned by these "Proposals," which were then considered to be a very serious encroachment on the right of the churches to control themselves. In defense of the "old way," Mr. Wise put forth his tract, "The Churches' Quarrel Espoused;" a satire, in which he arraigns the "Proposals " in the form of a trial for treason, and finds them severally guilty, and condemns them to death. So suecessful was he, that not only was the whole project exploded, but it served to recall the churches to the first principles of Congregationalism and to reseat them on their ancient Platform more firmly than ever before. In Connecticut, however, the "Proposals," after being shorn of their most objectionable features, resulted in the Consociation system which now prevails in the state. Mr. Wise, thus encouraged by his success in the defense of invaded rights, then gave to the public, in 1717, in another tract, "A Vindication of the New England Churches." This production, "as remarkable for tough logic as the other is for keen satire," came soon to be regarded as of the highest ecclesiastical authority. It was not long, too, before it was found that Mr. Wise's arguments, in defense of democracy in Congregational churches, were quite as available for democracy in the state, and the book became a political text-book. Dr. Clark says:

"Some of the most glittering sentences in the immortal Declaration of American Independence are almost literal quotations from this essay. And it is a significant fact, that in 1772, only four years before that declaration was made, a large edition of both these tracts was published by subscription in one duodecimo

volume. The suspicion which this fact alone suggests, that it was used as a political text-book in the great struggle for freedom then opening in earnest, is fully confirmed by the list of subscribers' names printed at the end, with the number of copies annexed. Distinguished laymen in all parts of New England, who were soon to be heralded to the world as heroes in that struggle, are on that list for six, twelve, twenty-four, thirty-six, and two of them for a hundred copies each!"

In the present edition this interesting "list" of subscribers is repub lished.

PROFESSOR GIBSON'S HISTORY OF THE REVIVAL IN IRELAND.*—This very valuable and interesting work by Prof. Gibson has now been before the public since July last, and we regret that the crowded pages of the New Englander for August prevented us from giving an account of it at that time. It is a book which deserves the careful attention of all American Christians. We have reason to be thankful that such a history of the remarkable revival in Ireland has been prepared by one who is in every way so well qualified for the task. The author is the Professor of Christian Ethics in Queen's College, Belfast. He has been mcderator of the Irish General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church; and during the Great Awakening of 1858, he was present in this country, and had an opportunity of witnessing the work of grace which was then going on among us. The history bears the marks of having been prepared with great care. Prof. Gibson assures us that he had peculiar facilities for obtaining the information he wished, and it is very apparent that he made diligent and faithful use of them all. A large portion of the book, as was to be expected, is taken up with accounts of the progress of the revival from town to town, with descriptions of the scenes which occurred in particular localities; with the stories of individual conversions. In all these we see abundant reason to admire the extensive research, the prudent discrimination, and we may say the wisdom and good taste of the author. But the chief value of the book to American Christians consists in the fact that we are now enabled to compare the work of grace in Ireland, as a whole, with what we have seen and known in the United States. It is very interesting to find that the same lessons are taught which we have learned from the history of our own Revivals. We shall allude to but a single one.

The Year of Grace: a History of the Revival in Ireland, A. D. 1859. By the Rev. WILLIAM GIBSON, Professor of Christian Ethics in Queen's College, Belfast, and Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. With an introduction by Rev. BARON STOW, D. D. Boston: Gould & Lincoln. 1860. 12mo. pp. 464.

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